The next afternoon.
Inside the cozy manor, the aroma of food wafted through the air.
Under the light in the living room, Morrie wrote a few reasonably good characters with a brush, then set it down.
In this detached villa located in Hub Town, nine Julias in various skirts gathered around to look at Morrie’s handwriting—including the one who had been sent over last by Fulrry Zhao and looked the most like Julia.
“That’s amazing.”
“Very good!”
The fragrance of various perfumes filled the room, with all the maidens boasting youthful appearances. Some wore patterned hairbands with gentle long hair; others held plush toys like little bear, little elephant, red-eared bunny, striking a cute pose; and some were dressed in thin, flowing silk that accentuated their rich and curvy figures. This group of women, with similar faces but distinct charms, surrounded Morrie as if a hundred flowers were blooming together in one room.
Seeing the amorous glances of the maidens, Zhao Xuemei sat at the table, resting her chin on her hand and rolled her eyes.
Li Mi glanced at the watch on his wrist, then continued to look around this stunningly luxurious retro two-story European-style building with his hands behind his back, waiting for Luo Bin to come out of the restroom.
This was the first time he had entered Morrie’s room, and given the safety concerns surrounding Morrie, he observed every detail very carefully.
“Why don’t you all go back to the sofa and do your work?” Morrie couldn’t help but say, feeling immense pressure.
“Alright.”
“I’ll do whatever Morris tells me to do, mwah~”
Zhao Xuemei’s delicate, fair fists involuntarily clenched, holding back from critiquing these somewhat bold girls.
Morrie glanced at the eyes on the opposite sofa—some sincere, others feigning sincerity—then lowered his head and sat at the table.
Since yesterday’s blunder, he had come to realize how many innocent girls had been harmed because of him.
For the first time, Morrie deeply understood how terrifying the dangers and schemes associated with fame could be.
“Is there anything else you’d like to say?”
Luo Bin came out of the restroom and said to Morrie.
“Thank you all. I think my fiancée must still be on Earth; she probably didn’t come over. At least I feel a lot more relieved.”
“Then you can just stay here peacefully for the rest of your time.” Luo Bin said with envy in his eyes. “From now on, you can stay home and not go out anymore without worry.”
Morrie glanced at the Chrono Coins in his pocket.
Luo Bin sat down on the chair next to Zhao Xuemei. Zhao Xuemei tapped the table and looked at Morrie, saying:
“What about these girls? Their original looks were ruined because of you. What do you plan to do?”
Morrie felt Zhao Xuemei’s icy cold stare. She locked her eyes on this friend of Yang Zicang without shifting.
“I… They…”
“I… wanna stay… here.” A girl with a very nice figure said. “Morrie is, really, really good, kind person… I’m willing… to be his girl-friend, here in this world…”
Although this lady’s communication was halting, at least she could now express herself quite well.
“I, I think so too.”
“Me too!” A thin girl who still bore some wounds said.
Morrie clutched his clothing corner.
Zhao Xuemei suddenly stood up angrily and said, “Hmph! Liang Xi, let’s go.”
Liang Xi, who had been staying hidden in his room, replied in a muffled tone, “If I leave, Mr. Morrie will have nothing to eat.”
“With so many people, are you afraid he’ll starve?!”
“Huh? Oh, right.”
“Why are you still staying here? No learning bad things from the kids!”
“Miss Zhao Xuemei, you, you’ve misunderstood me. I just…” Morrie said hurriedly.
“They are not substitutes for Julia, do you understand!”
Zhao Xuemei pointed at these girls.
“I will take responsibility for them. I’ll rent a place for them and let them live in Hub Town. This is my compensation to them. Don’t worry, I’m not the kind of person you think I am. They are completely free—they can have their own lives. Until then, I’ll support them.”
“Very well. After deducting two thousand seven hundred years’ worth of Virtual Zero Sequence each month, plus your three hundred, I hope you live long enough to support them.”
Morrie hesitated for a moment.
“I think Boboli’s Virtual Zero Sequence bonus should last for quite a few years.”
Li Mi rubbed his aching forehead, feeling that this situation was even more headache-inducing than solving the headquarters’ problems.
Luo Bin, on the other hand, just grinned while watching him.
“And, Mr. Li Mi, our shares from the pharmacy should be bringing in decent income, right?”
Morrie shot a pleading glance at Li Mi.
He already knew that if it weren’t for Li Mi this time, he would have been in serious trouble.
“I’ll apply to the headquarters to transfer some personnel over to help you, Mr. Morrie, contact these ladies,” Li Mi said coolly, completely avoiding the topic of income.
“Thank you so much, Mr. Li Mi. I still have some chivalric proxy contracts here; pick two. Later, after Yang Zicang acquires new ones, I’ll send you some more.”
A smile played on Li Mi’s lips, but a storm raged in his heart—”after Yang Zicang acquires new ones?”
Could that guy actually still enter the Stamp World?
He couldn’t help but marvel that whether it was the so-called Puming Group or Yang Zicang himself, their strength had unknowingly surpassed that of the so-called masters in the city by far.
Li Mi had already been moved by the profound friendship among the group.
He wondered when he might see such a bond emerge within his own team.
“Well then, Mr. Li Mi.”
Luo Bin smiled at the young man. “After the assessment, how about I bring those you approve into City 11 to forge the Virtual Zero Sequence?”
“Really? That’s fantastic, Mr. Luo Bin. To be honest, the headquarters has been wanting me to communicate about entering City 11, so this will finally give me something to deliver to them.”
“You’re welcome.” Luo Bin stood up, smiled, then frowned seriously and added, “Let me tell you another piece of news: Yang Zicang won’t be entering the year-end ranking battle at the first opportunity.”
“Hmm?” Li Mi immediately fell into deep thought.
The chief team’s headquarters had already been established, leaving himself out of things, but three spots were intentionally reserved for Yang Zicang.
Now, Luo Bin was talking about a battle?
What did that mean?
Luo Bin clapped his hands and turned to look at Liang Xi’s room, as well as Zhao Xuemei leaning against the door.
“Let’s head back to the city. The day after tomorrow marks the start of the city battle.”
“Let’s go.”
“Whoa~”
……
“Tomorrow marks the start of the hardest trial.”
Under the night sky, Cheng Yunze, draped in a large coat, gazed at the clear horizon.
Hong Haocheng sat around a bonfire amidst the ruins on the other side of the city, among them was Li Yongqin and his two companions, where one of them was wiping down a gray rippled longsword.
……
The Headquarters of the Monster Hunter Alliance waited anxiously, but received no sign of Yang Zicang’s return, their urgency growing by the moment.
One person rose from the long oval conference table and paced back and forth, muttering:
“This Yang Zicang… Could it be that he simply doesn’t intend to take part in the city war?”
……
Lü Bu looked down at the person trembling on their knees before him.
A small creature in his cloth pouch had already been thrown far away; the mouse-like creature squeaked as it quickly darted into a nearby burrow.
“This kind of stunt only causes us a minor inconvenience. Come, offer your lifespan to this thing—or otherwise, don’t blame us for being harsh.”
He opened his hand, which slowly produced a crawling insect.
Then, sensing something, he abruptly lifted his head.
For a while, nothing happened.
“Strange.”
……
In outer space.
Deep in low Earth orbit floated a crimson coffin.
On the ash-red, ink-like surface of the coffin’s facade bas–relief of a figure with crossed arms resting its chest, slightly floating.
From where the elbows crossed in its crossed arms, short blade of two finger width pierced into its chest.
The eyelids, carved in vivid detail on the face of the carvings, suddenly blinked; beneath the lids, pools of color glared slantingly as if wanting to see whatever might be moving behind it.
The coffin, which had been drifting in a straight line, began to rotate slowly in the void of space. The imprisoned figure, as if carved in relief, also turned to face the earth.
As the coffin rotated, a drop of blood seeped from the blade.
After brewing for a moment, the drop of blood fell from space to the ground.
Drip!
[E=mc² has been activated.]
Snap!
Reflecting in the sunlight, the blood drop, like a steel ball plummeting, instantly streaked through space and crashed to the ground.
Upon its contact with the earth, the terrain and buildings in that area immediately spread out into a colossal space—like dish soap dispersing into an oil film!
In an instant, a new, enormous structure emerged here.
An imposing voice echoed in countless minds!
{The Demon-Class Arena City has descended.}
“What?”
In the sunlight of noon, amidst the cold wind, people within the two cities—whether scavenging or fighting—suddenly heard that voice echoing in their hearts, along with the intangible pressure radiating outward.
{Time remaining until opening: 11 hours, 59 minutes.}
They looked up and saw a gigantic water curtain rising straight from the ground.
“What’s happening?”
As they gazed at it, the information about this bizarre, colossal structure automatically surfaced in the minds of all who saw it.
[Demon-Class Arena City.]
[Demon Palace — Demon Gear Millwheel.]
“Demon Gear…”
“Millwheel?”
Everyone was clueless.
{This palace is the ranking battle arena for City 23. The city whose team defeats the Demon Lord within half a month will gain the right to rank within the new City 23.}
“A competition? Half a month?”
“What is this, some sort of contest?”
A floating image of a small object suddenly appeared before everyone in both cities.
{Special reward from the Demon Hero Hall: 【Impression Revival】}
“What is this?”
Whether outside or those busy in the Cross Realm on this final day, everyone witnessed the sight before them.
【Impression Revival】
【Impression Revival: Can be stored in the temporal line 100N】
【Records the lifeforms remembered by the Elector. When the other party dies, “Impression Revival” injects their essence into the temporal line, summoning them into this world, while granting the right to shape a recovery model.】
“Good heavens!”
“Could this thing mean… that?!”
【Conditions for use: The other party must not be deceased before use. Can be used only by the user themselves.】
【Each member of the “Victorious City” that persists until the end in the competition city will receive one.】
“Could our family on Earth be sent over by this thing after they die!”
Many instantly conjured this possibility.
In the cities, countless people stared excitedly at the pocket-watch-like object before them. Many tried to grab it, but in vain.
It was merely a phantom.
Yet as they focused, the pocket watch opened automatically, revealing a blank section for storing a photo inside.
“It seems you can put in a photo! Surely it means that if you think of someone, the photo of who you’re thinking of will appear!”
Someone suddenly burst into sobs.
“Our families on Earth! So they can be brought here too, even decades later! Oh my God!”
“A treasure, an absolute treasure!”
“Wow, wow, wow — how could I ever bring my loved ones to such a hellish place? But then again, those svelte, long-legged celebrities… well, that’s a different story…”
The people in both cities erupted in excitement. This was an unheard-of treasure beyond anything they had ever seen — the ultimate reward of the Devil Alliance Arena!
Moreover, many noticed the phrasing of the voice: this treasure would go not to the winning team, but to the people of the city that lasted until the end!
Hence, anyone who entered this arena and endured until the very end would receive this prize!
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