Chapter 31 Precious
Xia Mi walked out of the airport carrying her luggage. After several months, she had returned to the place where she had spent over a decade. She wore a short white shirt, light blue jeans, and a beige trench coat as the outermost layer.
She had never worn a trench coat before, but over these past few months, there had always been someone wearing a trench coat wandering in front of her. Truth be told, the hem of that person's trench coat would sometimes sway without any wind, which looked quite intimidating.
She probably wouldn't be coming back here often in the future, so she had to buy some fun things for Fenrir; otherwise, that guy would be too bored in the Nibelungen.
Xia Mi pulled her suitcase, thinking about her upcoming plans as she headed toward her home—not the Nibelungen, but the 'home' she had lived in for a few years in the human world.
It was a residential complex hidden behind high-rise buildings. There was a phoenix tree in the courtyard. It was already September, and the large tree had begun to shed its leaves slowly, though it was still lush and leafy enough to barely shade the autumn sunlight.
Xia Mi walked into an old residential building with red brick exterior walls. The lighting in the corridor was poor, but a few dim lights illuminated the path, and the walls were covered with various small advertisements for things like drain cleaning.
She walked up to the second floor and arrived at her home, Unit 15, Room 201. She stood in front of the Door, staring at the blue doorplate on the frame for a long while, took a deep breath, and placed her hand on the doorknob.
"Xiao Mi? You're back? Where have you been all this time? I haven't seen you come home." The elderly neighbor must have just returned from grocery shopping, as she saw Xia Mi standing outside the Door as soon as she came up.
"Yes, I went to another city to study. Thank you for your concern, Grandma." Xia Mi flashed a sweet smile at the elderly neighbor.
"Xiao Mi, it's almost noon. You just got back, and you probably don't have anything to cook at home. Come eat at Grandma's place."
"No, thank you, Grandma. I'm just tidying up the house a bit today; I have friends waiting for me." Xia Mi politely declined the elderly neighbor's kindness. Did she have friends? She probably did. Lu Mingfei and Nono both knew her identity and had shown her goodwill.
The key was inserted into the lock and turned slowly, and Xia Mi gently pushed open the blue wooden Door.
Directly facing the Door was a huge floor-to-ceiling window. It was still morning, and the Sun hadn't moved to that side of the window yet, but the lighting was still quite good.
The room was covered in dust. Because Xia Mi had left in a hurry at the time, she hadn't had a chance to deal with it, and as a result, she was caught not long after she went there to watch the show.
"Hmm... I have to take a lot of things with me. Undergarments, forged documents, and also..." Xia Mi paused, picked up the dust-covered rilakkuma doll on the bed, gently patted off the dust, and held it in her arms.
"*Cough cough*, there's still quite a bit of dust. I'll have to buy a bigger and better one later. Hmph, this young lady is a rich person now! I'll buy a big trunk to pack things!" After Xia Mi placed the suitcase she was carrying flat on the ground, opened it, and put the doll inside, she ran out the Door again, having not stayed home for long.
"I should go buy some things for Fenrir first. Hmm, I need to buy more snacks with a longer shelf life. Although the Bastard Boss said I could come back anytime, who knows if there might be unexpected situations? Got it! I can get a TV and a signal installed for him! Hmph, that way I won't have to worry about him being bored." Xia Mi skipped along the sidewalk, and passersby couldn't help but smile when they saw such a beautiful and lively girl.
After using her Word of Power to hypnotize the installation technicians, Xia Mi carried large bags of snacks in both hands and led them into the Nibelungen located deep in the subway. To get the things inside, she had to open a gap in her old home, hoping no one else would discover it and sneak in.
"Brother! I'm back!"
The old train arrived at the final platform, and Xia Mi and the group walked down from it carrying a pile of things.
A pair of eyes, bright as high-wattage light bulbs, opened on the wall at the end of the Nibelungen. Fragments of surrounding rock fell from the wall as a huge, ancient, and solemn figure crawled out from within. No language could describe this beautiful and great creature, but unfortunately, his lower body was trapped in the wall, fused into one with it. The dragon emitted a low, majestic sound, but the words spoken seemed very childish.
"Sister! You've come back to keep me company? I've been sleeping lately and haven't done anything! Am I a good boy, Fenrir?" The dragon spread his huge membranous wings, seemingly seeking praise from the person before him.
The other twin of the king of earth and mountain possessed too much 'Power,' which caused problems with his intelligence. This was a defect left over from when they were created. He always thought Jörmungandr was the sister, but in fact, he was the older brother.
"Well done, Fenrir! I brought back lots of delicious food. I'll install a TV for you in a bit. A TV is something that lets you see things outside. Don't break it." Xia Mi set the snack bags aside and instructed the hypnotized technicians to start installing various equipment.
"Mm-hmm, I'll listen to whatever Sister says!" The dragon nodded. He was always like this; he did whatever his younger sister said because he loved his younger sister, and the feeling of staying in one place and doing nothing was also quite satisfying.
After the equipment was installed and the wires and signal were connected, Xia Mi sent everyone away and wiped that memory. She was now teaching Fenrir how to use it. Fenrir learned very quickly; the king of earth and mountain's mastery of power was perfect. It was hard to imagine such a large claw being able to operate the small remote control with such precision.
Xia Mi sat beside Fenrir's head, the hem of her trench coat spread flat on the ground. Fenrir laid obediently to the side, quietly watching TV. Beside Xia Mi was an opened bag of potato chips. She would pick one up to eat, then feed one to Fenrir. It was truly amazing that Fenrir's huge mouth could actually taste the flavor of the potato chips.
While eating potato chips, Xia Mi told Fenrir about her experiences during this time, "Fenrir, this time I met a very strange person outside. He has powerful strength, and he is neither a Hybrid nor of the Dragon race."
"He said he was from another world. He is very kind, but also has a wicked sense of humor; he calls this humanity... I am working for him now. I was thinking that since he is so powerful, perhaps we could have a shelter when the end of the world arrives." Xia Mi gently stroked the scales on Fenrir's head.
"That way we won't have to devour each other and can survive properly. Then, when I find a way to get you out of the wall, we will go live in the human world. The human world nowadays is so much fun." Fenrir stuck out his tongue and licked Xia Mi's face.
"Eww~ That's so gross, Fenrir! And there's potato chip residue!"
Chapter 32: The Death-Summoning Bronze Whistle
"Goodbye, Fenrir. Be a good boy, okay? I'll come back to see you later."
Xia Mi left the terminal platform and boarded the train heading out of the Nibelungen.
"The sparrows outside the window are chattering on the telephone poles~ You say this line, it really feels like summer..."
She started singing. It was a new song released by Jay Chou this year that she quite liked. Humans were just so sentimental; the songs were filled with explicit emotions.
But her singing stopped, and the moving train came to a halt as well. Because something that absolutely should not have appeared emerged in front of them: Odin...
Without any warning or sound, Odin appeared directly in the subway tunnel of Jörmungandr's Nibelungen. He wore dark golden armor, covered by a mask with only one eyehole, held a curved eternal spear, and the eight-legged steed beneath him neighed.
He shouldn't have appeared here, at least not without a sound!
"Jörmungandr, you are the smartest among us, yet you opened a gap in your own Nibelungen." A deep voice came from beneath Odin's mask. "Foolish."
The eight-legged steed carried Odin slowly forward until it stopped at a short distance from Xia Mi, who had already stepped out of the train and stood on the track sleepers.
"You will pay the price for rashly intruding into a monarch's bedchamber."
Scales grew out of Xia Mi's body, shredding her clothes all over the ground. Her hands curled into claws, and membranous wings and a long tail sprouted from her back. The transformation was completed in an instant; a beautiful young girl had turned into an even more beautiful, magnificent creature.
Odin's aura was too powerful, far stronger than what she had felt on the elevated highway last time.
Jörmungandr chanted in an ancient language; it was the Word of Power from the Bronze and Fire lineage: World as Furnace. She melted the steel on the tracks and recast it, and a giant scythe appeared in her hands.
"You cannot stop me. If you will not walk with me, then become my nourishment!" Odin roared, and four figures stepped out from behind him.
Xia Mi sensed it; all four humanoid figures were Second Generation Dragon Kind. Odin had certainly put a lot of effort into dealing with her and Fenrir.
"Do you think you can challenge my throne with just you and four despicable Second Generation? I am the king of earth and mountain! Jörmungandr!"
Perhaps Odin and the four Second Generation could take her down, but they definitely couldn't compare to the most powerful incomplete Dragon King, Fenrir. As long as they were in this Nibelungen, she and Fenrir could fuse into Hel at any moment, unless Odin had also sent...
"Heh, Fenrir has already been taken care of. Jörmungandr, you won't have the chance to fuse. The king of earth and mountain will surely fall today!"
Odin pointed his spear forward, and the four Second Generation sprinted out. They were clad in golden armor and spears forged with powerful alchemy, launching a challenge against a monarch on the throne.
Xia Mi swung her scythe in a rage. "How dare you!" The gale stirred up by the giant scythe struck the four Valkyrie challenging the throne, but they seemed completely unaffected and continued charging toward Xia Mi.
Clang! A spear was deflected by her dragon-scale-covered arm, but the next spear followed immediately after.
Not right! This kind of power is not something a Second Generation could master! These spears are also very sharp!
The sharp spear broke through the defense Xia Mi had constructed with dragon scales, and her abdomen was pierced. Xia Mi frowned, revealing a ferocious expression. She swung her scythe to sever the spear stuck in her abdomen and spun around, forcing back the four Second Generation.
Damn, damn, damn! I'm not actually going to lose, right? Odin hasn't even made a move yet... Just these four Second Generation are a huge pain! How could a Second Generation have such strong power? Damn! It hurts like hell!
As for Odin's remark that Fenrir had already been taken care of, Xia Mi completely dismissed it as nonsense. Unless a complete monarch from another throne descended, it was a total pipe dream to physically defeat Fenrir. Odin was very strong and was likely one of the brothers who was already complete, but his power was not entirely complete either; it was very contradictory.
"Who exactly are you! Odin!" Xia Mi struggled to fend off the onslaught of the Valkyrie, shouting to question the deity on the steed.
Odin merely watched, offering no response and making no move. No, the hand gripping the curved spear seemed to be trembling... He wanted to use gungnir!
"Got you!" Xia Mi's superior combat skills allowed her to gain the upper hand while defending. She seized the opportunity to use her scythe to slice open the 'eye' on one of the Valkyrie, and that Second Generation was split in two and fell to the ground.
"Hoo... hoo... Took one out. Heh, looks like I'm still pretty capable." First Generation Species Miss Xia Mi felt proud of herself for taking down one Second Generation.
This won't do. If this continues, I'll definitely be worn down to death. I remember the Bastard Boss gave me a whistle, right? It seems like it fell out when my clothes were shredded earlier... I need to find it!
Xia Mi leaped backward to the train she had previously boarded, her golden vertical pupils scanning the ground. Found it!
Xia Mi raised her claw and quickly picked up the bronze whistle from the ground. It was covered in a lot of dirt and dust, but she couldn't care about that now. "You guys are in for big trouble."
Unlike when Nono had blown the bronze whistle and there was no sound, this bronze whistle emitted a terrifying, shrill screech, startling Xia Mi who had blown it.
"Damn! The Bastard Boss scammed me!" No sooner had Xia Mi finished speaking than the scent of death suddenly filled the entire tunnel, and Odin in the distance constricted his pupils.
A tall, humanoid skeleton clad in heavy armor appeared in front of Xia Mi. Its armor was adorned with bright white and gold, it held a massive long-handled hammer, and Pale flames burned within its hollow eye sockets... This was a Sequence 4 level undead knight.
The undead turned its head to look at Xia Mi, then turned back to face the three Second Generation in front of it, gripping the long-handled hammer in its hands.
The Second Generation had never seen such a creature in the long span of years. No, could it really be called a creature? It moved, each step stomping heavily on the ground, and the entire tunnel seemed to be shaking.
"Praise the Bastard Boss!" Xia Mi jumped up in joy and picked up her scythe again to charge forward. The undead seemed to sense Xia Mi's charge from behind; its slow, heavy pace became rapid, dragging the long-handled hammer behind it, like a semi-truck sprinting at full speed.
Clang!
The three Second Generation thrust their spears into the ground and chanted in unison the Word of Power: Dustless Land, constructing an invisible barrier in an attempt to block the undead's charge.
The undead swung its hammer with full force against the invisible barrier, and the shockwave from the impact blew both sides away; only Xia Mi, who was slightly behind, was unaffected.
"Good opportunity! Pay the price for your overstepping!" Xia Mi rushed in front of the Second Generation while they were all affected. The scythe swung, lives were reaped, and two heads still spurting blood flew away...
Xia Mi had been unilaterally attacked for quite a while, and now she had finally taken out three of the opponent's targets.
"Awesome!" Xia Mi stood on the shattered tracks, laughing loudly. The remaining Second Generation turned and returned to stand behind Odin.
Xia Mi originally thought the other side was scared, and since Odin's gungnir hadn't finished charging up yet, retreating back there meant they were preparing to withdraw. However, she soon couldn't laugh anymore.
The undead that had been blown away by the shockwave earlier came flying back, and she looked back.
That was another Odin...
Chapter 33: Pale Kingdom
"Another… Odin? How is this possible! None of you are his true form!" Xia Mi smiled bitterly. She saw that the armor on the Odin who had arrived later was almost completely ruined. It seemed he really had gone to deal with Fenrir, but he must have hit a wall; he had underestimated Fenrir's power…
The undead stood up and charged at the Odin behind it, hammering the eight-legged steed beneath him into a pulp with one blow. Odin lunged down from the horse and pinned the undead to the ground. Xia Mi noticed that this Odin was not carrying gungnir…
The skeleton was pinned to the ground, unable to move… Damn it! What should I do now? Think, Xia Mi, think! Shiva Karma Dance? No, that won't work! This is underground in Beijing! If I use Shiva Karma Dance, I'll probably be wanted globally! He wouldn't forgive me either…
gungnir in Odin's hand emitted a blinding light. He raised this legendary eternal spear above his head. Xia Mi let out a shrill roar, scales completely covering her body, and a pair of twisted horns grew from her forehead. She raised her scythe and charged toward Odin.
The last Valkyrie rushed forward to stop Xia Mi but was hacked into pieces by her continuous slashes. "Odin!!!" Xia Mi's scythe was about to slice across Odin's neck, but a spear flew out from behind Odin and knocked her away.
After being hit, Xia Mi spun a few times in the air and fell onto the railroad ties. She weakly propped herself up with both hands and looked at the blindingly glowing gungnir. Behind that light, another eight-legged steed appeared, carrying Odin…
She felt terrible. She had finally found a place that could shelter her, and she could have avoided eating Fenrir…
Bastard Boss, look at your jinxing mouth. You really called it; little Xia Mi has been caught… Xia Mi gritted her teeth, glared at Odin, and used her last bit of strength to slam the ground, but she still collapsed.
Odin finally threw gungnir. The span of time seemed to become very long. What was the poor girl thinking about in her final moments? A lonely life, her companion brother, or a black trench coat.
The trench coat blocked her vision. gungnir stopped right before her eyes, vibrating continuously. A bloodied hand grabbed it tightly. After trembling a few times, the spear lost its color and went still. The wounds on that hand also recovered in an instant.
"I am late." The owner of the trench coat looked down and said softly to her.
"Wuu… why didn't you come even later, Bastard Boss! I almost died!" Xia Mi laughed, laughing very happily, laughing very heartily, though that smile was no longer as sweet as it used to be. Her face had almost turned into a dragon's.
"This one is actually quite interesting; there are not many things that can hurt me." Ji Eggers held gungnir up to his eyes and examined it. "You even dispatched three clones for the remains of the king of earth and mountain. You really value it, even more than that box…"
"Do you mind if I take over this place for a while?" Ji Eggers asked Xia Mi with a smile.
He smiled very gently, not as lecherous as before.
"Go ahead, just don't break anything." Xia Mi propped herself up and staggered to the tunnel wall, leaning against it.
"Thank you all for refraining from attacking me until now. I will give you all a reward… death."
Ji Eggers' expression was no longer the gentleness from before; only a cold, ruthless gaze remained.
"Pale death."
The projection of a tributary of the River of Eternal Darkness was mobilized. His level was briefly elevated to Sequence 1. The aura he exuded became extremely noble, but not a trace of the breath of the living could be seen on him; there was only endless death.
The black-iron colored tracks turned Pale white. The brown railroad ties, the tunnel walls, the Odin riding the steed—everything except Xia Mi lost its color, leaving only Pale…
"I could let you die more easily, but how would that be enough? You hurt my girl. She didn't do anything, so why should she be treated like this?"
"So…" Ji Eggers broke free from gravity and floated in the air. He spread his arms wide, as if he wanted the whole world to know what he was about to announce.
"Welcome to the 'Pale Kingdom'."
"Did that incident on the elevated bridge not teach you a sufficient lesson, Mr. Macallan? Then die slowly here."
All the Odins glared at the figure floating in mid-air. If looks could kill, Ji Eggers still wouldn't die… After all, the magistrate of death is still a magistrate.
"What's with that look? These three clones must have been expensive to make, right? Heh, it doesn't matter. You don't need to feel heartbroken over losing three clones~" Ji Eggers slowly floated in front of one of the Odins. He reached out, grabbed Odin's head, and pressed his own eye against Odin's single eye.
"I will come for you. Not just you, but all factors that threaten living beings, and that whatever-it-is Nidhogg, none of you will escape…"
Ji Eggers lifted his hand from Odin's head, and a faint spirit was extracted. "Heh, controlling clones really does require splitting the soul, huh? Well then…"
He snapped his fingers, and all three Odin clones lost control and collapsed to the ground. Three faint souls were held in his hand. "Go play in the River of Eternal Darkness, heh, I hope you can withstand it." A phantom of a dreamlike, silently flowing river appeared beneath his feet. The balled-up souls were tossed into it and went still…
The shadow of the river dissipated, and the colors of the surroundings returned. Ji Eggers rubbed his face with both hands, revealing that gentle smile again. He walked over to Xia Mi, who was leaning against the wall, slipped his arm under the girl's knees, and gently supported her neck and back with his right hand.
She was very light. The dragonization on her body began to fade, and Xia Mi returned to her original pure and cute appearance, except she was now stark naked and could only cling tightly to Ji Eggers' embrace.
"I need to treat you first; there's such a big hole in your stomach. Go inside or go outside?"
"Inside… I want to go see how brother is doing first."
"Mm."
On the way, both of them remained silent. Green light constantly shone from Ji Eggers' hand. The girl in his arms originally wanted to say that there was a train, but she didn't want to say it anymore.
Walking to the end of the tunnel, what came into view was a destroyed platform and a giant dragon lying on the ground eating potato chips.
"Very good, Fenrir! I was working myself to death outside, and you're just here eating potato chips!" Xia Mi was about to die of anger.
"Wuu wuu, sister, a bad guy came just now. He hit me, and it hurt so much. After I chased him away, I wanted to come help sister, but it seemed sister didn't need my help anymore, and I couldn't get out, so I could only eat potato chips…" Fenrir covered his head with both paws, not daring to look Xia Mi in the eye.
Ji Eggers didn't know what to say either and could only smile helplessly. He found a cleaner spot to put Xia Mi down, took off his trench coat to cover her body, and patted her head.
"I'll go buy you some clothes; you wait here."
Her wounds were healed. Xia Mi pulled the trench coat tight, lowered her head, and didn't know what she was thinking about.
"Sister… the TV isn't broken. Do you want to watch it?" Fenrir asked inopportunely.
"Get out, get out, get out!"Chapter 34 She, He.,
Damn! Xia Mi is seriously impossibly beautiful! If she weren't so flat-chested, I almost couldn't help myself! By the way, how do I get out of here? If I'd known, I wouldn't have tried to look so cool and just asked... I should go put the messenger away first.
Sensing the area where the copper whistle was located, Ji slowly walked over; he saw the Undying knight standing beside the copper whistle, and it knelt on one knee after seeing him approach.
"You've worked hard, go back and rest." The copper whistle floated from the ground into Ji's hand, and the Undying returned to his own Spirit World.
For his army, this Undying was actually not suitable as a messenger; it didn't move quickly, and even with the help of the Spirit World, it was still slow. The bone dragon Nono summoned was much faster; that was a proper messenger. This Undying knight was more like a thug bound to a special copper whistle, possessing some of the abilities of a Sequence 4 Undying, and could be said to be extremely hard to kill.
Through his ultimate mastery over the domain of death, he still slowly felt his way to the exit of the Nibelungen, seeing some creatures on the way that were so thin they were just skin and bones; those must be Kamaitachi, right? Were they that thin, or did they just look like that? They were probably scared stiff by the Dragon King's aura earlier and didn't dare to show their heads.
Ji walked out of the subway station under the gazes of many strangers; after taking off his trench coat, he was a bit disheveled, and it was rare to see someone so casual in this city.
Why are there so many people in the subway station late at night? It's so awkward... Hmm, I need to find a place to buy clothes for Xia Mi, and I need to buy another trench coat too. By the way, if I walk into a women's lingerie store, I'll probably be treated as a pervert! Tsk, whatever, I'll risk it!
...
"I had terrible luck trying to buy you undergarments; you can't imagine the looks the shop assistants gave me. My humanity is about to burst forth now!"
Ji, wearing his newly bought trench coat and carrying two bags, returned to the end of the Nibelungen, where Xia Mi was pulling on his trench coat while sitting next to Fenrir's head watching TV.
"Can't you use some concealment method? Bastard Boss?" Xia Mi asked with a grin. The legs exposed under the girl's hem were very fair. After noticing Ji's gaze, the girl's body shrank into her clothes. "Perverted Boss..."
"Sorry, I couldn't help it..." He handed one of the bags to Xia Mi. "Your clothes. You should have smelled the other bag too; I bought you fried rice. Eat it while it's hot after you get dressed." Placing the fried rice next to the TV, Ji walked to the other side of Fenrir's head.
"This guy actually looks a bit like a dragon. You wouldn't believe it, but today I found a Third Generation Dragon to train the three at home, and it turned out that Third Generation Dragon was from your lineage. It was so lazy I bet it couldn't even fly; with their coordination, it was down in a few moves." Fenrir was a bit scared; this guy emitting a rich aura of death was touching him, how terrifying...
"That must have been created by Fenrir; lazy and gluttonous. Is it still alive? Send it over to me; it just so happens that I need a guard dog at home, and it can keep Fenrir company." Xia Mi responded while getting dressed, the sound of fabric rubbing against her body making Ji, on the other side of the giant dragon's head, feel a bit hot-blooded.
This female dragon is seducing me! No, no! Count prime numbers, count prime numbers 2, 3, 5, 7...
"Alright, Bastard Boss, you can come over now. To reward you for your merit in saving the day, Lady Xia Mi treats you to potato chips!"
"You keep them for yourself. If there's nothing else, I'll head back first. Those three little guys might need me to go back and explain things." After glancing at Xia Mi, Ji turned around, raised the bronze gate, and prepared to travel through the Spirit World to go home.
"Wait!"
"Hmm?"
"...Can you stay with me for a day? We'll go back together tomorrow." Ji turned back to look at Xia Mi. The clothes he bought for her fit very well, or rather, she looked good in everything. She blinked and pursed her lips, looking at Ji with hesitant eyes, and those eyes revealed emotions that shouldn't be there.
Cassell College's definition of dragons is that they are purely violent creatures, but dragons are actually just like humans and possess plenty of emotions; they get happy, sad, and feel lonely. The more outstanding a Hybrid is, the stronger their Blood Sorrow, and why wouldn't the Dragon Kings, who stand above many living beings, be the same?
"Fine, I will ensure your safety. But this matter was something you were supposed to do, so after we go back, draw a card." When Xia Mi asked him to stay, the system's voice rang in his mind.
'Determine the Beyonder Pathway for Xia Mi, reward the potion materials for that Pathway from Sequence 9 to 4, and additionally reward the main projection of the Sefirah River of Eternal Darkness.'
The River of Eternal Darkness, the Sefirah really gives a huge boost to a Beyonder, allowing me to rise to the Sequence 1 level in a short time, but this time it gave the potion directly to the demigod level? Hmm, take it slow.
A Pale light constructed a high-backed chair next to Fenrir's head, and Ji sat right down on it.
"Bastard Boss doesn't even know how to get me a chair!" Xia Mi watched as Ji only made a chair for himself and sighed in her heart, wondering why this guy's emotional intelligence was so low! Didn't he know to serve a beautiful girl!
Xia Mi had seen the term emotional intelligence in a book, hmm, when she was learning to imitate humans.
"Sorry, this chair of mine is one-of-a-kind, hehe, go sit on top of your brother's head." Actually, Ji was quite suited for the Red Priest Pathway; sometimes he was really asking for a beating.
"You really don't understand anything! Hey! Bastard Boss! How did you become so terrifying just now, and your aura looked so noble, I couldn't help but want to kneel on the ground..." Xia Mi ran to the side of the high-backed chair and poked Ji's face.
"That was the use of Sefirah authority; I briefly rose to the Sequence 1 level. Keeping trump cards hidden always lets some people push their luck."
"What Sefirah... forget it, tell me later. Hey, you said Odin is Macallan? How do you know? Macallan is on the Throne of Sky and Wind; it seems he ate his brother..." Xia Mi was a bit sad. This was the flaw they were created with; to make up for the flaw, they could only devour another King on the throne, or look toward other thrones.
"Hmm, I remain skeptical about whether his brother is truly dead. Perhaps his bones were indeed devoured. Li Wuyue, who appeared at the Secret Party headquarters more than a hundred years ago, hehe, in the end, only Angers was left alive. I'm wondering, is Angers really Angers..." Ji supported his head with one hand and watched the program playing on the TV in the distance; it was Mr. Vampire starring Uncle Ying...
"Angers is really Angers... You mean!" Xia Mi widened her eyes, unable to believe the answer.
"It's just a guess, hehe. After all, he was the only one who survived. I don't really believe that hiding in a shallow basement could survive the nuclear explosion of Rhine. Fenrir, toss me a bag of potato chips." Fenrir, who had been secretly glancing over here, shivered and picked up a bag of potato chips with his claws and handed it over.
"...How do you know my brother is called Fenrir."
"Isn't that how it's written in norse mythology? The biggest is Fenrir, the second is Jörmungandr, and the last is Hel..."
Chapter 35: Returning Home
"Ta-da! Welcome to Miss Xia Mi's cozy little nest!" Xia Mi opened the blue wooden door and led Ji into her home in the human world.
"There is indeed quite a bit of dust; I apologize for dragging you here so abruptly." Ji reached out and touched the gas stove in the corner of the room. He walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window, but unfortunately, it faced west, so he couldn't see the rising Sun in the early morning.
"It's fine, I probably won't be living here anymore anyway. Your place is more comfortable to live in. Hey, help me tidy up." Xia Mi squatted down and rummaged through the chest of drawers by the bed, muttering to herself as she searched.
"Living alone in such a small room must be very lonely. No, no matter how big the house is, living alone will always feel lonely." Ji walked behind Xia Mi and watched her pick out the things she wanted to take with her from the cabinet.
"Bastard Boss, you're spouting nonsense again, and it's practically a platitude. How could it not feel lonely?" Xia Mi turned back and stared at him with a look like she was watching a fool.
Ji shrugged, tacitly accepting that he was indeed spouting nonsense. Actually, that wasn't what he meant to express. Just like Shirou's line, 'People die when they are killed,' it looks like a platitude, but in reality... it really is a platitude, and only they know the true meaning.
"Bastard Boss, you just stood there watching and didn't even help, which is why it took me so long to pack." Xia Mi had fiddled for a long time before packing a pile of things into her newly bought suitcase. Now, with her hands on her hips, she angrily scolded Ji for just watching from the side.
Ji raised an eyebrow at Xia Mi and snapped his fingers; the entire room instantly became much cleaner.
"You have too many personal undergarments, it wouldn't be appropriate for me to help you. It's best for members of the opposite sex to keep some distance..." Ji replied with a straight face, but who knows what he was really thinking inside.
"If you have this ability, why didn't you use it sooner?"
Ji smiled and said the line Xia Mi had once used on him.
"I forgot."
"..."
"How do you plan to handle this room in the future?"
"Keep it. After all, I've lived here for so long, and I'm a bit reluctant to let it go. I'll still need to come back and clean it up occasionally." Xia Mi dragged her suitcase to Ji's side. "Let's go, let's head back."
"Are you not going to say goodbye to Fenrir?"
"There will be chances later; it's not like we won't see each other again. The lives of the Dragon Kind are very long." Xia Mi seemed quite indifferent, perhaps because she still remembered that she had been fighting for her life outside while her brother was just eating potato chips.
"I must remind you that this place is not within the coverage of my abilities, and information might be collected by that AI from Cassell College. You should be careful not to let anything slip." Hearing Xia Mi mention the word "dragon," Ji reminded her.
A bronze gate appeared, and they pushed it open and walked inside. The small room returned to silence, with only the chirping of birds in the early morning and the sound of horns from the distant streets.
...
In the living room of Ji's home at the Peacock Residence, Lu Mingfei, Nono, and Zero were all sitting on the sofa, waiting.
"We've been waiting all night; when exactly is Ji coming back?" Nono leaned against the sofa, covering her eyes. She had used an item from the Red Priest Pathway, Sequence 7, several times before, and was now suffering from the negative effects, though she didn't know what this so-called 'begging for a beating' meant.
"Hmm, he left suddenly, leaving us and that dragon there." Zero's mental state wasn't great; her spirituality was quite depleted, but she stayed in the living room with the other two, mainly to keep Lu Mingfei company.
"Ugh... so we waited here all night just to come up with this? That's too lame. My spirituality has a premonition that Master is coming back soon~" Although Lu Mingfei had consumed a large amount of spirituality, he was still the most energetic; he would be the same even if he didn't sleep for half a month.
As if in response to Lu Mingfei's words, a bronze gate rose in front of the living room television. Ji and Xia Mi walked out from inside, and they were slightly stunned to see the three people in the living room.
"Uh, you stayed here all night?" Ji understood everyone's schedules; it was only around six o'clock now, and even Zero wouldn't get up this early. Nono and Lu Mingfei were even more of a handful, especially Lu Mingfei—he didn't even need to sleep, yet he was the last one to get up.
"You're finally back. Why did Xia Mi come back with you? Did you run off because something happened to her? And... you seem a bit off." Nono pointed at Xia Mi. A Spectator can always spot the problem at a glance, and this Spectator was a super Spectator with an innate ability for Profiling.
"Well, Bastard Boss's jinx is truly too effective. I went home to visit family and almost ended up as someone's trophy hanging on the wall." Xia Mi dropped her suitcase where she stood and made a big leap onto the sofa. Lu Mingfei, who was beside her, scooted to the side.
"Everyone did a good job last night, and thank you for being willing to wait for me in the living room. Go get some rest first." Ji dragged the large suitcase and placed it beside the sofa. "Nono, tonight you can advance to 'Telepathist,' and we need to draw a card for Xia Mi."
Lu Mingfei and Nono exchanged glances; they both knew that Xia Mi had joined the group for quite some time now. It seemed that something had indeed happened last night. Zero stood up first and walked toward the stairs, and Nono spread her hands and followed.
"Uh, I'll just watch some TV in the living room; my spirituality will recover in a while." Lu Mingfei turned on the TV. It was Sunday, and he didn't want to waste time sleeping...
...
"This is the Sequence 8 potion? It's not as disgusting as Lu Mingfei said." On the coffee table sat a bottle of liquid that constantly changed colors; one moment it was blue, and a while later it was purple, but what remained unchanged was that star-like particles were forever shining within it.
If you knew what ingredients were inside, you wouldn't say that. The pituitary gland of a Seven-Colored Lizard Dragon... I find it disgusting myself.
"The acting method for 'Telepathist' is best carried out by guiding others in accordance with common sense and logic, but how to actually do it is something you must practice yourself."
Nono picked up the potion and drank it. She was now holding her head, trying to restrain her radiating spirituality and the spiritual vision that had opened on its own.
"You know what to do, Miss Xia Mi. Shuffle the cards and draw one." Ji took out the 19 tarot cards and placed them on the coffee table, gesturing for Xia Mi to draw a card.
"Hehe! It's finally my turn to draw a card!" Xia Mi looked very happy. Lu Mingfei and Zero, who were nearby, also leaned in close; they were curious about what card Xia Mi would draw.
"Alright! I've decided on this one!" After shuffling, Xia Mi quickly picked out a card. "Give little Xia Mi something big~"
The card face was flipped over, and what came into view was the number 21 and an image representing the inclusion of all things.
The last Major Arcana of the tarot cards, The World.
Chapter 36: Idle
"It really fits your identity, The World card, representing the 'Planter' Pathway, or in other words, 'Mother'. A small number of people also call this Pathway 'Earth'. Heh, it's quite funny that men turn into women upon reaching Sequence 2 in this Pathway."
Seemingly recalling something amusing, Ji tilted his head back, covering his eyes, his body shaking slightly; he was likely suppressing laughter.
"Apologies everyone, I used to have a friend who was a bishop in the Earth Mother church. After he advanced to Sequence 4, he was told that advancing to Sequence 2 would turn him into a woman, and he acted as if the sky had fallen. His expression was truly hard to keep a straight face at. But he was purely worrying about nothing; it's not like becoming an angel is that easy." Ji waved his hand, seemingly forgetting that he himself had become an angel in five years.
"Then I won't turn into a man, right! Bastard Boss!" said Xia Mi.
"No, it's only a one-way male-to-female transition. After all, the name of this Pathway's Sequence 2 is 'Desolate Matriarch'. The name of the potion basically determines what abilities it has or what changes it will make to the body. For example, the 'Iron-Blooded Knight', Sequence 4 of the Red Priest Pathway, turns women into men."
After putting away the tarot cards, Ji prepared to go upstairs to concoct a potion. "It seems you haven't seen the potion concoction process before. Do you want to come and take a look?"
...
"The incident on the elevated bridge made Macallan eager to seek higher status and power."
"So much so that he cast his gaze toward the throne of the king of earth and mountain ahead of time, dispatching three high-level clones and a decent forged gungnir."
"What a pity, he underestimated our collaborator, the magistrate of Death... an existence that transcends the laws of Death."
"The king of earth and mountain must be crossed off the Death list, after all, Death is personally protecting them. However, I still hope Macallan can be killed by Brother's own hands. It would be best if he could hide for a while longer..."
"That's all well and good, and we understand the reasoning, but Boss, why are you standing on the dining table to talk?" Jude Mai couldn't help it anymore; she had seen her boss standing on the dining table talking to himself for a long time.
Lu Mingze didn't feel awkward about being called out. He looked at Jude Mai and Su Enxi, who were eating instant noodles, with a helpless expression. Su Enxi was even eating potato chips while slurping noodles.
"Girls, our time isn't exactly tight. How could low-class things like instant food be worthy of you?"
"I don't know who makes us work overtime every day. Of course, we have to save time. That guy even called me last time and asked me to invest money in making a game with him as the background. Buying off those manufacturers cost me quite a bit of money." Su Enxi stared at Lu Mingze with resentful eyes; after all, it was he who gave out her phone number.
"Alright, alright, we are all partners, we have to help each other out. Maiyi, how is the situation in Japan?"
Called out, Maiyi raised her head. "The princess of the Sheqi Eight Families who is being held captive has had her bloodline stabilized, but she still cannot speak. The family is very surprised by her changes; they believe it is a temporarily unknown effect caused by the high-concentration White King bloodline."
"They only drew some blood to study; they dare not act rashly, presumably fearing the bloodline might become unstable again." After reporting, Maiyi continued to lower her head and eat her instant noodles.
"Hmm, as long as it's effective, that's good. That is Brother's blood, after all. Suppressing that crazy woman is quite easy. Continue to monitor closely."
...
The environment in the clock tower was still as messy as ever; empty wine bottles, videotapes, or some books and magazines were strewn everywhere.
"Weird weather. Beijing clearly triggered elemental turbulence, but it completely subsided very quickly. Angers, the situation over there is very wrong." Flamel, dressed like a cowboy, stuck out his belly while holding a half-finished bottle of wine, the smell of alcohol spraying onto Angers' face.
"Those families have likely noticed it too. According to what you said, the high-frequency gathering of elements in a short period of time can only mean that a Dragon King is brazenly issuing a declaration of independence to the whole world..." Angers could only cover his nose and refrain from beating up the Vice Principal.
"And it's your old friend, Sky and Wind."
Angers' eyes seemed to burn with an inextinguishable fire. He was usually gentle and refined in every move, but no one had ever forgotten that he was also the strongest dragon slayer publicly known in this era.
"I will never forget that day. I have endured until now solely for that day..."
"Don't burn yourself out, Angers. There aren't many old guys left from the old era."
...
"Hey hey hey! Bastard Boss! This Pathway is so useless! Why does being able to tell what kind of seed something is at a glance count as a Beyonder ability!" Xia Mi expressed disappointment in her newly acquired ability. Ji also felt that this Sequence 9 was quite laughable, just identifying seeds.
"It's fine. Theoretically, the potion will also increase your strength, and haven't you felt that your premonition about the weather has become stronger?"
Xia Mi closed her eyes and carefully felt the changes in her body. Not long after, she opened her eyes.
"...I don't feel any significant changes."
"Then hurry up and act to digest the potion. Once you advance to Sequence 8, you can be the team's healer." Ji patted Xia Mi's head to comfort her.
"I don't want to be a healer! I am clearly the strongest! Lu Mingfei is only Sequence 7, and there's an 8 and a 9. They can't compare to me, so why do I have to be the healer?" Xia Mi pointed at Lu Mingfei, who currently had the highest Sequence. Lu Mingfei, confused, also pointed at himself.
"There's no helping it. You basically have no attack ability until you reach Sequence 7. Keep it up. You are the king of earth and mountain, after all; acting to digest this Pathway will surely be fast. Start with farming? No, let's start with cooking." Ji lay lazily on the sofa, ignoring Xia Mi's clamor.
"Eat, eat, eat, why don't you eat yourself to Death!" Miss Xia Mi grumbled as she went to the kitchen to prepare dinner.
"Zero, how are you adapting?" Lu Mingze had, after all, sent both little ones to him, so he still had to check in on them. Well, Miss Renata was only a little one in appearance.
"Hmm, it feels good. Memories are becoming clear, and knowledge once understood can be recited fluently."
"Uh, I'm asking how you are adapting at school."
"With Lu Mingfei there, it won't be boring." Zero said this expressionlessly. Lu Mingfei, who was lying to the side reading manga, was so embarrassed he wanted to dig a hole to hide in.
"Hmm, that's good. Acting as a 'Savant' at school is a good thing. I remember the next Sequence is called 'Archaeologist', which is also related to knowledge. Your boss should know quite a bit about ancient things; just ask him."
Sigh, there are more and more people to teach. I really have exhausted myself for the sake of this world.
Chapter 37: Nominal Disciple
Ever since Chu Zihang awakened, he had been worrying about his ever-increasing physical constitution every day; he could easily break world records. After the incident on the elevated bridge, Chu Tianjiao had also become closer to him, often coming to the entrance of their residential complex to pick him up and help him understand matters related to the Dragon Kind.
'Son, since you've awakened, you'll definitely be called to Cassell College in the future. It's better to know about intelligence early on. Besides, your old man's swordsmanship is super impressive. Come learn a few moves from me, and I guarantee that in the future, you'll be able to kick aside any Dead Servant or Dragon Kind as if they were nothing more than a stray dog on the side of the road.'
That was what his father said.
Chu Zihang felt something. He walked to the windowsill and saw Ji and Xia Mi communicating with each other, carrying several bags of items as they entered through the residential complex gate; they must have just come back from grocery shopping.
Lu Mingfei's master, a 'God'? But he looks just like an ordinary person... No, I can feel the aura emanating from him now; it is faint, but terrifyingly immense.
"I originally intended to teach you things like ritual magic, but I am the only one in this world who can respond to rituals, and I don't know where to find substitute materials, so I'm too lazy to teach it. However, once your inspiration is strong enough, I can teach you divination. Although it's not as powerful as a true diviner, it's fine for finding things." Ji was carrying plastic bags in both hands, filled with ingredients meticulously selected by Xia Mi. He hadn't expected that the Planter's ability could be used in this regard.
"Bastard Boss, we might not use it, but you can't refuse to teach it. How about you teach it later when Lu Mingfei and Zero come back?"
"Hmm, are you planning to go to school next week? I didn't ask for much leave for you."
"Hmph, hmph~ You might as well enjoy one more day while you can. Besides, why do I have to go to school? I'm a dragon, you know. Don't tell me you're going to lecture me about 'humanity' again?"
"Very good, you've learned to anticipate my answers. It seems you have a deep impression regarding the matter of maintaining humanity..."
Ji's definition of humanity was very broad; rationality, emotion, responsibility, and other such things constituted 'humanity.' It was very unstable, but this instability was also the brilliance of humanity. He believed that divinity was not a good thing; divinity would make a person become heartless, cold, and lose empathy, judging issues solely based on absolute interests.
Believe in the power of gods, but do not believe in the benevolence of gods. Humanity should override divinity; humanity must override divinity.
"If there comes a day when I am no longer myself, no longer Ji Eggers, then I dare not imagine what I might do." When Ji said this, his face still wore a smile, just as it had in the past.
"Perhaps I will be completely changed by the potion, becoming a ruthless ruler, establishing a city of the undead, and reigning over the entire world?"
"Then I, this young lady, will defeat you and lock you in my Nibelungen to guard the Door for the rest of your life." Xia Mi quickly ran in front of Ji, making faces and gesturing at him, then placed the bag in her hand onto Ji and ran off. "Bastard Boss, you hold these for now, I'm going to open the door."
"This girl is really..." Ji shook his head helplessly, then looked toward Chu Zihang, who had been watching them from afar for a long time.
Well, Chu Zihang, standing on the windowsill, hadn't heard anything. He saw the two moving their mouths, and then the brown-haired girl threw the bags to Lu Mingfei's master and ran off.
She was a very lively girl. In comparison, although Lu Mingfei's master always maintained a smile, he made very few movements.
'Chu Zihang.'
Huh?!
Chu Zihang widened his eyes. A low, majestic voice reached his ears, and he saw Ji looking in his direction. Ji was walking over.
'It is I calling you. Come out for a moment; let's have a chat.'
Chu Zihang ran back to his room, quickly changed his clothes, and ran downstairs. After telling Su Xiaoyan, who was lying in the living room, he went out.
He saw Ji sitting on a public bench in the residential complex not far away, waving at him. Well, the several bags were placed on the ground. Chu Zihang walked to Ji's side; he didn't understand why this person had called him out.
"Sit down, Chu Zihang. Ming Fei has told me about you. You already awakened your bloodline on that elevated bridge before, right?" Ji motioned for Chu Zihang to sit beside him. Chu Zihang hesitated for a moment but sat down.
"Thank you. If you hadn't stepped in to save us, my father and I definitely wouldn't have been able to escape from there." Chu Zihang first sincerely thanked Ji, then asked: "May I ask, what did you want to see me for?"
"It's nothing much. You and Chu Tianjiao both entered Macallan's Nibelungen. Oh, I forgot to tell you, Macallan is that guy dressed as Odin; he is the king of sky and wind. Chu Tianjiao should have told you the relevant intelligence about the Dragon Kind." Chu Zihang nodded.
"Since you were able to enter once, you can enter a second time. I'm afraid he might be detrimental to you, so I can help you obtain stronger power so that you can better protect yourself or others."
"What is the price?" Chu Zihang did not feel happy, because everything has two sides; wanting to obtain powerful strength inevitably comes with a corresponding price.
"Not bad, having vigilance is a good thing. The price is..."
Ji looked at Chu Zihang seriously, wanting him to know how serious what he was about to say would be.
"If you cannot maintain your original heart, you will be lost in the things that grant you power and cease to be yourself. Do you want this kind of power?"
Chu Zihang lowered his head in thought.
I don't know what I will encounter in the future, but if I meet Odin again—no, if I meet Macallan again—I don't want to be as powerless as last time. I want to resist; I want to use power to protect the people around me...
He raised his head, his eyes firm.
"Please teach me."
...
"So you took in that Chu Zihang from next door? No wonder it took you so long to come back. That guy's bloodline isn't great either; it's a bit low, probably because his mother isn't a Hybrid." Xia Mi leaned on the living room sofa watching TV. Led by Lu Mingfei, they had pooled their money to buy quite a few pirated discs, and when they were free, they would pick a few they hadn't seen yet to watch.
"It's just a nominal title for now. After all, there are too many people to guide right now. Once I finish teaching all of you, I can let you teach him. What are you watching?" Ji looked at the scene playing on the TV; it felt a bit familiar.
"Fullmetal Alchemist. It's pretty good, though a bit unscientific. I know a little alchemy too, but at most, I can only refine some tools or weapons."
"Are you talking about science with anime? Ha Ji Mi, you're an interesting one. Besides, I don't think that alchemy of you Dragon Kind is very scientific either." Ji walked behind Xia Mi and patted her head.
"What the heck is Ha Ji Mi?! Bastard Boss, don't give me random nicknames! Otherwise, I won't let you touch me!"
Chapter 38: Seduction?
Ji was a bit curious. He now possessed the projection of the main stream of the River of Eternal Darkness, which meant that the River of the Underworld had fully appeared in this world, and its projected power was enough to support a complete Underworld.
It was just that his Sequence was too low; he needed to become the complete Sequence 1 Angel, the 'Pale Emperor,' to construct and control the Underworld.
The Underworld was the true final resting place for all the dead. The moment it fully appeared, death across the entire realm would point toward it, and its master would be regarded as an existence of equivalent status. Unfortunately, the authorities of death and reincarnation were separated; he could only control death but could not allow the dead to be reincarnated. But in reality, the dead in the Underworld were not the people they were in life. They were more like obsessions carrying faint memories. Letting them reincarnate would probably cause the newborn to recall memories of their past life?
Ji went to take a look at the current incomplete Underworld. How should he put it?
The aura of death was not as strong as his own, and it couldn't be used to store an army of undead or serve as a positioning point for the Spirit World. It wasn't even as useful as his own Underworld. However, the River of the Underworld flowing silently there could be used as a type of Beyonder material, or one could fill a bottle with the water of the River of the Underworld and splash it on someone, which would have immediate effects like rapidly dissolving the soul and forcing it out of the body.
"Currently, it can only be used to briefly boost one's Sequence or as a high-level material. I need to obtain the complete River of Eternal Darkness. System, are there any tasks?"
Ji squatted by the River of the Underworld, cupping some of its water in his hands to observe it. It didn't look like a liquid or a gas; it was more like a formless energy, but its external manifestation took the form of a river...
'None for now. If you really want the complete River of Eternal Darkness, you could go kill the White King right now, and I will consider whether or not to give it to you~ But, even if you obtained the complete River of Eternal Darkness, are you confident you could control its full authority?'
"You're becoming more and more of a bastard. Even Mr. Fool spent quite a lot of time fully controlling Sefirah Castle. If I were to truly fully control the River of Eternal Darkness, by the time I advanced to a True God, I would be half an Outer Deity. Forget it, I'll stop dreaming. I'd better go home and think about how to develop the uses of this material projection."
Ji took out a bottle and filled it with some water from the River of the Underworld. If this water wasn't used quickly, it would likely fuse with the bottle and become a Beyonder item with significant side effects...
Advancing to a True God still seemed like a distant prospect. Of the three required Sequence 1 Beyonder characteristics, only one could be obtained from the White King. Moreover, Ji did not have the incarnation of the True God's authority for this Pathway, which was the Uniqueness, though he did have the Darkness of an adjacent Pathway.
Ji raised the bronze gate and returned to the real world. The River of the Underworld continued to flow silently, without a source or an end, symbolizing death and eternal sleep.
...
"Yo, the busy man is back? You've had a lot of things to do lately, I never see you." Who could understand the feeling of redemption one gets from being sarcastically remarked upon by Ha Ji Mi as soon as they get home.
"I've indeed been a bit busy. I took a trip to Japan, a trip to Italy, and went to Siberia to check on things... You didn't go to school again? If you don't want to attend, at least keep an eye on things there. What if an emergency happens when I'm not around?"
The brown-haired girl was lying on the sofa in a white summer nightgown, eating potato chips and watching TV. She had become increasingly casual at home lately. The temperature outside had dropped to near 0 degrees Celsius, yet this girl still had her arms and legs bare. Well, Dragon Kind shouldn't feel cold, and it was quite pleasing to the eye.
"It's fine~ I placed a mark on Nono. If something happens to them, I'll know immediately." Xia Mi jumped up from the sofa, looking quite smug. This white nightgown fit her really well—a bit too well, actually. She was surprisingly flat. Ji made no effort to conceal his gaze. He felt that appreciating beautiful things was normal, and besides, if Xia Mi wasn't wearing it like this at home for him to see, who else would it be for...
"Hmph, hmph! Has the Bastard Boss become obsessed with the beauty of little Xia Mi? If the Bastard Boss kneels down and begs little Xia Mi, little Xia Mi will consider it, okay?"
Xia Mi really acted like a bratty girl now. However, she seemed to have grown a lot taller. Being able to reshape people at will was truly convenient, but why didn't she make herself bigger? Wait! Could that be the flaw of the king of earth and mountain!
Ji figured it out; he knew everything now!
"What's with that look of knowing everything? Are you thinking about something bad!"
"No, I was just thinking that we seem to have forgotten something." Ji quickly returned to his usual faint smile.
"What?"
"That Third Generation Dragon of your kin is still sleeping not far from here. If you have time now, it would be best to go and recruit it."
"How detestable! If I find out who he is, he's going to be in big trouble! To dare to disturb my rest time!"
I actually think you are resting every single moment, Ji thought to himself but didn't say it out loud. He saw Xia Mi huffing as she walked upstairs; she was likely going to change her clothes.
"Alright, lead the way." Xia Mi was wearing a knit sweater with a white trench coat over it and a pair of high boots.
"I feel like this outfit is a bit strange." Ji commented.
"The Bastard Boss has no taste!"
...
"Is this the place? Hmm, there is indeed the aura of a low-level Dragon Kind." Xia Mi and Ji walked out of the bronze gate and arrived at the place where they had trained the three little ones a long time ago.
"Have you not sensed it! Come out and welcome your sovereign!" Xia Mi revealed her golden vertical pupils and released Dragon Might into the surrounding area.
The dragon crawled out from the cave entrance, trembling, and prostrated itself, bowing its head before Xia Mi.
"Your Highness..."
Theoretically, communication between members of the Dragon Kind should be done in the Dragon language, but since the sovereign was speaking Chinese, the Third Generation Dragon of the same kin naturally dared not overstep.
"Tsk, too weak. The honor and dignity of the Dragon Kind were lost by trash like you!" Ji, hearing Xia Mi say such things, secretly shook his head and rolled his eyes violently on the side.
Xia Mi looked at the Third Generation Dragon trembling wildly on the ground and flashed a cold smile. "I forgive your cowardly act. From now on, serve me, or else go sleep with Nidhogg!"
"Yes..." The prostrate dragon heard Xia Mi daring to address that name directly and was so terrified that it almost buried its head into the soil.
Xia Mi planned to take this guy back the next time she returned to the Nibelungen, but since this dragon didn't even have a human form, she had to let the dragon slowly transform into a human form and stay put for now.
"Hehe~ Little Xia Mi was very majestic just now, right? Was the Bastard Boss attracted to me?"
After returning home, Xia Mi paced around Ji with her hands on her hips. Ji had no choice but to nod helplessly and say that Miss Xia Mi was truly cool and that he had completely knelt at her feet.
Chapter 39: Has It Been Too Quiet Lately?
"Let us talk about knowledge related to an esteemed name again. After advancing to Sequence 3, you can design an esteemed name for yourself. An esteemed name is not a title piled up at will, but a highly condensed essence of one's existence. An esteemed name involving high-level existences often reflects the authority and status possessed by that existence."
The entire city was shrouded in the domain constructed by Ji's authority. The dragons, dead servants, and subspecies used for practice had all been wiped out, led by Lu Mingfei, and now the city had become exceptionally quiet.
Since they couldn't train through actual combat, they could only explain theoretical knowledge. Usually, only Xia Mi stayed at home often. To find a time when everyone was present, they could only wait until Saturday. Ji even called Chu Zihang over to the house.
Some time ago, Chu Zihang drew a Strength card, representing the 'Warrior' or 'Giant' Pathway. He had now become a newly promoted Sequence 9 Beyonder, although most of his Beyonder knowledge was told to him by Lu Mingfei.
The group sat on the sofas in the living room, listening to Ji, who was sitting in the main seat, explain Beyonder knowledge. Although they didn't know what it was useful for, the more knowledge one had, the better.
However, this was limited to this world. In the Mystery world, the more you know, the easier it is to be corrupted and influenced.
"As for an esteemed name, it is best to use three segments to expound upon it, because the three-segment structure better corresponds to the core essence you want to point to. However, there is a drawback: a three-segment esteemed name is too short and easily points to existences of a higher status than you. But in this world, there is basically no need to worry about that. Let us take my esteemed name as an example." Ji's current esteemed name was thought up after arriving in this world; if it were in the Mystery world, this esteemed name would not point to him at all.
"The first segment, 'the governor above the styx,' anchors my essence as the ruler above the Styx. The second segment, 'the supreme undead lord,' indicates my noble status in the undead domain. The third segment, 'the dominator of the authority of death,' clearly points out the authority I possess. These three segments combined will point to me, unless an existence that fits this description better appears in this world."
Everyone listened very carefully. Lu Mingfei had already begun to think about his future esteemed name, but it was useless for him to think about it now, as he was unclear about what kind of abilities and mystical status he would possess in the future.
"Then will you change your esteemed name when you advance in the future?" Ha Ji Mi was indeed the smartest dragon, instantly asking the soul-searching question.
"No. Regardless, no one can compare to me in terms of the status of death. If the directivity becomes weak, it will at most point to you, because you have always been very close to me..." Because he hadn't told Chu Zihang that a Dragon King was also living in this room, Ji did not finish his sentence.
"That is basically all for the esteemed name. Do you have any questions?" Ji leaned forward, resting on the coffee table using Gendo Ikari's classic pose from Eva.
"Question!" Xia Mi raised her hand again. "Can you recite the esteemed name in any language?"
"Hmm, good question. Originally, there was indeed a set of specialized languages that could better communicate spiritual perception, but for me, I am actually more familiar with Chinese, so it is fine to use Chinese when reciting it. Of course, other languages are also fine, it is just that I might not understand what you are saying." Ji's command of languages had never been very good; if it weren't for the fact that the one who died originally knew Hermes and Loen, he would have died before his career even started.
"No more questions? Then everyone go do what you need to do. Those who need to act, act; those who need to meditate, meditate; those who have homework, go do it." Ji pointed at Lu Mingfei; he knew that this kid, Lu Mingfei, had played games all night last night, and he now somewhat regretted getting this guy a computer.
Seeing Lu Mingfei scratching his head in embarrassment, Zero leaned over to his side and said, "I've finished mine, do you want to copy it?" Lu Mingfei was so grateful he could prostrate himself, almost wanting to call her 'Mom'.
Ji thought to himself, I didn't realize Lu Mingfei was a potential student of Wa.
...
"Quiet, quiet is good, but whenever I think about the many conspiracies hidden beneath the quiet, my head hurts. I have never liked using my brain." There were many things in Ji's room: figures, game consoles, comic books. He sat on the edge of his bed in his room with his hands on his thighs, looking out the window while paying attention to what was behind him; he wanted to hear what the person behind him would say.
"Is there anything you can tell me? I also want to help you." The relationship between Xia Mi and Ji had become much closer. She would sometimes come to Ji's room to listen to him confide in her. The two of them sat on opposite sides of the bed, back to back.
"Strive to act and advance your Sequence; only then can you help me. Xia Mi, I cannot protect everyone right now. I need you all to become stronger, and I also want to make myself stronger... It is still not enough. I need to become a True God, or even something above that."
"You don't need to live so tiresomely. With your abilities, you can protect the people around you for a lifetime," the girl said softly.
"I cannot just protect the people around me; I also need to protect the entire world. Once, someone told me that I thought too highly of myself and that the world did not need my protection. Indeed, I am just an insignificant Sequence 2. In that world, there are countless people stronger than me. At this stage, I can only manage self-preservation because there are high-level existences. I can at most only advance to Sequence 1." Ji could not protect everyone; he was willing but unable.
"A god who holds the power of death, yet is determined to protect? Boss is truly a gentle person..." Xia Mi smiled and turned her head to look behind her.
"Hehe~ I think so too. I am obviously so gentle, yet people always say that my smile is lecherous." Ji, who had just been a bit sentimental, became cheeky again.
"Where did my blockheaded boss go? Give him back to me!" Xia Mi turned around and pounced on Ji, gripping his neck with both hands and shaking him back and forth...
...
'Don't be afraid, I will change, but I will not leave you.'
'You promised me...'
'If I really don't make it back, then it means I was caught... We will meet there.'
At night, Lu Mingfei woke up from his bed in a start. The bed was soft, and the environment in the room was comfortable, after all, he had decorated it himself. As a Sequence 7 of the Darkness Path, if he wanted to sleep, his sleep quality would be very good, but those fragmented images and voices that suddenly appeared in his mind...
What exactly are they? Have I forgotten something? Lei... Nata?
Chapter 40: Only Praise and Smiles Needed
Human fear of the unknown, and anxiety over loneliness and pain, require emotional solace. They long for some power beyond reality to save them, to endow them with personality and meaning; that is the so-called 'God'.
But who has ever thought that God is sometimes powerless? God also wants to save everything, and God also wishes to be saved.
But who can? Who can bless the deity above the high heavens?
"There aren't many days in winter when you can clearly see the stars. I couldn't watch them before even if I wanted to, because the sky was danger, and the universe was a forbidden zone." The mountain forest in the suburbs was far from the hustle and bustle of the city, with only the sounds of various unknown animals.
Ji sat on a large rock in an open area on the mountaintop. From here, one could see the stars twinkling countless light-years away in the sky, and the brightly lit city in the distance.
"So you dragged me out to this wilderness in the middle of the night to watch stars with you?" Xia Mi sat beside Ji, not too close.
"It'll be the new year in a few hours. You're not happy that I asked you to spend the New Year's Eve with me?"
"A new year, which means we're one step closer to the apocalypse." Xia Mi looked up at the night sky, hugging her knees to her chest. A Dragon King shouldn't fear the cold, yet she was shivering slightly. It was clear that she wasn't as fearless as she had been when she once called the Black King by his name.
"Be optimistic. If the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up. A new year is also a new beginning." After this simple conversation, they quietly admired the night sky for a while, until the young man spoke again.
"Hmm... want to draw some cards?" In Ji's hand appeared the tarot cards that Xia Mi had seen many times before. The difference was that this time, there was a complete set of 78 cards: 22 Major Arcana and 56 Minor Arcana.
"What? You really want to be a Seer?" The girl took the tarot cards from the boy beside her and began to shuffle. Then, she drew three cards and laid them out in a row on the rock. This was the classic past, present, and future spread.
"You once said these are all the choices of fate. Can fate be changed?"
"Rewriting fate can also be considered a part of fate. Come, let's get a glimpse of a corner of fate."
The girl nodded and flipped over the card in the middle, which represented the present. Upright, the Fool.
"The Fool? A new beginning? I think my current life is already quite new." The girl smiled and was about to reach out to flip the card representing the past, but another hand caught her.
She looked up at the young man beside her. He was also looking at her. Moonlight shone on that gentle face, wearing a smile—the same smile as always. The girl wondered if this guy had been watching too much Eva? Just smile, that's all? She saw him speak softly.
"Let it be. The Fool holds a deeper meaning than you think. He will protect us through difficulties; we only need to offer praise."
"What is this? A prophecy?"
"A blessing."
...
From April of the previous year to January of the new year, it took Lu Mingfei eight months to finally advance to Sequence 6 'Soul Assurer'. This kid really had something to him; even Mr. Fool, with the blessing of Sefirah Castle, took 10 months to advance to Sequence 6.
After advancing, he finally understood why Ji had some strange abilities. He could now see the spirits in nature and communicate with them, allowing him to use them for his own purposes, such as asking spirits to help him fly briefly or using some simple spells.
However, he was very puzzled. He had been having a dream lately, and when he was in that dream, he couldn't control it; he was like an observer with a subjective perspective.
In the dream, he was locked in a room, tied to a metal recliner with iron chains.
'If she figures it out, she will tell you. Perhaps one day you will remember it yourself.' He tried asking Ji, only to receive this answer.
Master said he was not an ordinary person, that there was a lion hidden in his eyes. Perhaps, but that 'not an ordinary person' must have a deeper meaning.
The things revealed by Lu Mingze, who didn't appear often and claimed to be his brother, let him know that he was definitely not just a simple unawakened Hybrid. He had absolutely forgotten something!
"Hmm... but Master and Zero won't say anything. And Zero's attitude toward me... she definitely knows me... knows a 'me' that I don't even know."
Unable to figure it out, Lu Mingfei simply stopped thinking about it. Since Master said he would remember later, he'd think about it later~ Better play a few rounds of StarCraft first.
While Lu Mingfei was playing StarCraft and kicking everyone to death like they were trash on the side of the road, Zero quietly entered his room. Lu Mingfei's spirituality didn't warn him, perhaps because he subconsciously considered Zero safe.
"Is StarCraft fun? I don't think Ji likes playing this kind of game."
Basically, only Lu Mingfei and Chu Zihang would call him Master when Ji was not present. Nono and Zero would call Ji by his name directly, and Xia Mi had given him a bunch of nicknames.
"Uh-huh, it's quite fun. Master prefers RPGs, I guess... Hmm?" Lu Mingfei just noticed Zero standing beside him, bending over to watch him play the game.
"Zero? When did you come in? My spirituality and hearing didn't notice at all?"
Did I water down my potion?
"Your observational skills indeed need improvement. I haven't been Sequence 8 for long, and my spirituality overflow hasn't fully converged." Zero shifted her gaze from the monitor to Lu Mingfei's face.
Blue eyes are really beautiful... Lu Mingfei wasn't good at describing them. If he had to say, they were as blue as the sky and as beautiful as the sea.
Why would she approach me? Is it just because she knows me? Is it because I'm important to her, or is she important to me?
"Zero... why approach me?"
The girl's eyes trembled slightly as if she were thinking about something. Not long after, she said something shocking with a faint smile.
"You raped me before, so you have to be responsible for me."
"Huh?!"
"Pfft..." Ji, who was sitting on the living room sofa watching TV, almost spat out the cola in his mouth.
"What are you laughing at? You almost sprayed it on me! You'll be the one washing my clothes if they get dirty!" Xia Mi slowly scooted to the side. Nono, who was sitting further away, was chewing on a lollipop and didn't make a sound.
Ji shook his head, "Just thought of something funny."
The TV was playing Neon Genesis Evangelion, also known as Eva. Shinji Ikari was struggling to pull open the entry plug hatch of Unit-00.
'Don't say you have nothing else besides this. Words like "farewell" shouldn't be said when parting.'
'Why are you crying? I'm sorry, I don't know how to respond to you.'
'Just smile, that's all.'