Darkness surged like a tide.
Huan Bao’er opened her eyes. In the room before her was a slowly rotating magic pattern, its beginning and end indistinguishable.
{Ms. Huan Bao’er, you’re here again.}
[I want to continue reading about Hu Bao’er’s story.]
A coin shimmering with brilliance flickered in her hand.
[Well, although her story over these past two days has been rather brief compared to last time, a pivotal turning point has occurred.]
A book page emerged from the magic pattern, drifting into Huan Bao’er’s long, nimble mental force palm.
—…By sorting through her own memories in the mysterious place, Hu Bao’er discovered that some individuals recorded in the texts left no impression on her in reality. Others might have doubted what they read, but Hu Bao’er had no such doubts.
—She simply wondered: what caused all this forgetting? Or had she originally known, only to forget again? Regardless, the recurrence of forgotten people planning to leave had already proven that an enemy lurked nearby. Hu Bao’er decided to wait no longer.
—She considered striking first, creating conditions to force the hidden figure to act. Although they were deeply concealed, she was Hu Bao’er after all! She had already noticed certain people’s excessive attention toward a newcomer in the company recently.
—But what would Hu Bao’er do? Of course, she had her own way! Except this method… the rats hiding in the company’s corners probably knew about it too. But so what if they did? She didn’t care—she’d act first and deal with the consequences later.
Huan Bao’er’s gaze swiftly swept across the paper, then landed on the other side of the page.
—That unlucky kid had indeed been caught by the impulsive Han Xiaoming! “Give me the last chance to enter the Great Dreamland, so I can search for the hidden treasure!” he growled fiercely. But no matter how violently he shook the boy’s neck, New Ma Chao refused to give in.
“New Ma Chao! If you don’t open the passage, I’ll turn you into my puppet. Then you’ll never have your own will ever again,” Han Xiaoming said.
This threat scared the big boy who had just joined the company, but frightened as he was, New Ma Chao hesitated for less than a second before roaring, “Ever since I went through the incident in the Fallen Land of the Gods, I’ve already guessed it! The people in the Great Dream are all souls of real people! Even if it means dying, I won’t open this passage and let you in!”
Huan Bao’er’s eyes flickered slightly.
Although Yang Zicang had mentioned how this man threatened him, it was just in passing. She never expected this kid to have such guts.
Huan Bao’er sighed softly. Out of nowhere, she thought of her cheap foster daughter.
“Sigh, little Jiaoma, your judgment seems to be better than mine.”
She shook her head to shake off such stray thoughts and continued reading on.
Just at this critical moment, a solitary man draped in a robe of feathers appeared at the side. He merely took one look, and Han Xiaoming began to tremble. This was his private domain, and his strength had already reached the fourth ring — yet this stranger had appeared here just like that?… The black crow raised a hand, and the domain copied by Han Xiaoming rapidly began to evolve. The supreme being did not destroy the domain; he merely let it unfold toward its destined outcome.
—…Hu Bao’er walked calmly on her way to meet New Ma Chao. She hadn’t expected that the probe which drove Han Xiaoming to act would have succeeded so remarkably—so much so that it even thrust this young man, who had only caught her brief attention before, into her world for real… Yet still, she was doubtful at this moment, wondering how this person not only survived Han Xiaoming’s attack after the latter had revealed his identity but also caused his sudden death.
Huan Bao’er let out a soft sigh, put away the papers, and looked at the patterns ahead.
[Mr. Publisher.]
{Hmm-hmm.}
[I’d like to know, do you have any records of New Ma Chao, the new character?]
{There are already some. Would you like to read them? They probably won’t help you much.}
Huan Bao’er breathed a sigh of relief. With the Publisher, unless large-scale distribution had begun, one couldn’t just casually read someone else’s story. First, you needed to know the target’s character name, and it had to be someone within your own narrative.
[Let me have a look.]
A few coins dropped over, and an anthology resembling a magazine floated down.
On its cover was the silhouette of a young man standing on a high peak, looking down below, wrapped entirely in a black robe as if concealing himself within it.
[It even has its own cover now.]
The stories inside were similar to Yang Zicang’s dossier. After finishing a quick read, Huan Bao’er closed the book, propped her head up, and said listlessly:
[Not bad, actually. Speaking of which, I should be the first one to read New Ma Chao’s story, right?]
{Hmm, no.}
……
“Haaah — Haaah —”
Gasping for breath, Liang Xi finally took down the mutated giant ape, its heavy body crashing onto the ground.
“So fast! It almost killed me.”
The young boy also collapsed onto the grass, then he saw a figure standing above him, looking down. Li Mi, holding a phone, said indifferently:
“Not bad. This time it took only five minutes and thirty-one seconds, a full two minutes faster than last time.”
“Brother Li, can you please keep an eye on someone else? I think you’re scarier than the ape-man.”
“No one else has the Secret Technique either—unless you can get Mr. Morrie to sell us a few manuals at a low price.”
“I don’t have that kind of nerve, and besides, his stock has all been given away.”
A few gusts of cold wind blew in.
Liang Xi sat up and looked toward the distant mountain forest, which was covered in a thin blanket of white snow.
“Sister Xue Mei is so strong. I wouldn’t dare use the Secret Technique, or the whole mountain would be gone.”
Li Mi shook his head, unsure who exactly this kid was praising.
Initially, aside from the weapon in Zhao Xuemei’s hand—suspected to be a Century Weapon—no one really cared about her other matters.
Over the past two months, she had single-handedly stabilized two B-Class Overlap Zones, even eradicated every single monster in one of them, ensuring no mutated creatures would ever spawn there again.
At that time, many people still attributed it all to her weapon and the Time Sequence Factor. It wasn’t until Yang Zicang’s bold moves at Rose Creek that people finally understood what the so-called “Boosting Contract” really was.
The prices of the three top-tier secret techniques capable of communicating with elemental energy, “Crystal Perception,” “Sword of Blazing Flame,” and “Frost-Snow Sword Art,” have skyrocketed to over a hundred thousand, while other fist techniques and palm techniques are also priced not much lower. As for Yang Zicang’s identical spiritual attack secret technique, “Silent Night,” there is simply no market or price for it.
At this time, some slow-on-the-uptake people in the city recalled Zhao Anlong’s rumored girlfriend. According to witnesses, that evening, when Yang Zicang gifted her the sword, he also presented her with a similar secret technique manual.
Upon hearing this, several directors of the Monster Hunter Alliance cursed their subordinates who managed city affairs, nearly letting such a talent slip through their fingers! Now, Liang Xi and Fulrry Zhao, who have acquired those energy-type secret techniques, have become the darlings of the Monster Hunter Alliance headquarters.
Liang Xi said, “Sister Xue Mei also has a secret technique. Go keep an eye on her instead.”
Li Mi gazed into the distance at the patches of pristine white snow scattered among the forest. Among the intelligence gathered so far, she is unique in being able to wield the Frost-Snow Sword Art to such an effect. This is not only a testament to Fulrry Zhao’s hard work but also the effort of the person who trained her in the art.
“She doesn’t need supervision.”
Liang Xi tilted his head to look at the phone in Li Mi’s hand.
“Brother Li, can you let me play with it for a while? I haven’t touched a phone in ages.”
“There are no games on my phone. Even if there were, we couldn’t play without any net.”
“Alas.” Liang Xi let out a long sigh.
“But if we can successfully stabilize this A-level interleaving area, once we get to Hub Town, I can buy you a cartridge-based game console. Some people are already making and selling pixel game cartridges.”
“Really?” Liang Xi’s eyes widened in surprise and delight.
A folded beam shot over.
{Liang Xi, this is Chu Qiang. We’ve found something that looks like the ‘Scene Lord’ over here. Get over here quickly.}
“On my way!”
No sooner had he spoken than another folded beam shot over.
{Long time no see, Xi-ge.}
Liang Xi was stunned. “Brother Zicang, is that you?”
Li Mi looked over.
……
In the Frequency-Lost Lands, Luo Bin, who was just handing out contracts of proxy service and chrono weapons to Little Liu and others staring at him expectantly, suddenly saw a folded beam shoot over.
[Yang Zicang wants to make an active investment in me.]
Luo Bin paused his movements, his slightly plumper face shifting from a courteous smile to a genuine one.
“How did you get out so fast?”
{Meritorious service, got leave time.}
“Damn, you always land on your feet no matter where you go.”
{You should give it a try. This time I was purely earning merit passively by risking my life.}
“Ah? Is the Lost Illusion Company dangerous too?”
……
The Monster Hunter Alliance Headquarters.
Director Yu stared at a stack of newspaper-like papers in front of him, all covered with accounts of Yang Zicang’s deeds.
A young man said, “Director Yu, are we really going to start pushing this superficial, flashy stuff? Will it even be useful?”
Yu Dong, who maintained the appearance of a man in his thirties or forties, lifted his eyelids to glance at him, then looked at the other few people on the sofa in the room.
“I trust you’ve all heard by now about the true purpose of those cultural performances at Hub Town.”
The few nodded, indicating their awareness.
“They can produce hundred-person-level ‘wish charms’ through their performances. With such unique conditions at our disposal, why shouldn’t we give it a try?”
“But those music concerts and cultural galas—only the folks in Hub Town who don’t have to worry about their timelines have the appetite to enjoy them. What inclination do our people here have to read newspapers or novels?”
“And why is it all about Yang Zicang? We could promote our own people too.”
“I’d say it’s worth testing the waters with this outsider first,” said one person at the table. “Let’s gauge everyone’s reception. Even if just one or two hundred-person-level charms emerge, it won’t be a loss.”
Yu Dong watched the gazes of these people directed at him and gave a slight nod.
Inside the vast mountain cliff behind the building, a giant black basalt-like sculpture sat quietly on the expansive, majestic rock wall.
Yu Dong arrived at the base of the statue, and a woman with a pleasant face emerged from the shadow behind him.
“Yu Dong, do you plan to serialize Yang Zicang’s story, using his actions to make the townspeople anticipate his next moves, thereby sparking hundred-person-level charms?”
“No.”
“No?!” The woman, who had initially asked casually, was taken aback.
Director Yu clasped his hands behind his back, gazing up at the silent statue, his eyes fixed on the circle and five-pointed star carved into its chest.
“Then… what’s your plan?”
The man turned his head and said softly:
“Our ranking is in danger, but this is actually a unique advantage. In the year-end ranking, we are bound to be at a disadvantage. If the tens of thousands of people in the city want a better life, they will have to hope for someone to change everything.”
The woman seemed to realize something, her face trembling slightly. She only heard the man before her continue speaking:
“If from now on we instill in the city’s inhabitants the confidence that Yang Zicang, who can even participate in God Wars, will surely resolve all matters—then, at that time… even if not an artifact of the ten-thousand level, one of the thousand level may still be possible.”
A hint of realization and doubt swept over the woman’s face.
“This… but such an approach, even if held improbable, should it succeed—what if this thousand-level artifact does falls into Yang Zicang’s hands?”
“Hmph, that would mean that we, the Monster Hunter Alliance, may truly become the rulers of the new 23rd city.”
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