Chapter 4 - 3

Chapter 21: Eight Thousand Meters Under the Sea

"Hey! Pervert boss! What on earth are we doing in this deep sea? I still want to go home, play games, eat, and buy clothes!" Xia Mi continued to manifest the Word of Power, Dustless Land, to push back the surrounding seawater as the two of them slowly descended into the ocean within the barrier.

"You've already asked that over a dozen times. I told you, you'll find out in a bit. Or you can just assume I'm bored and wanted to come to the seabed to see the scenery..."

"Scenery?" Xia Mi looked around. They were currently six thousand meters deep in the Japan Trench. Even with a Dragon King's vision, she couldn't see any so-called'scenery.' Light couldn't penetrate this deep into the ocean; she only felt the presence of some dragon blood sub-species nearby.

"There's no scenery at all. Are you messing with me? Besides, didn't you say I was supposed to protect that Lu Mingfei? Why do I have to accompany you to do something so meaningless..."

I'd rather go accompany Fenrir and eat.

A distinctively bony, Pale hand was placed on Xia Mi's head to soothe her. "It's not meaningless. You are a Dragon King; I need the intelligence you provide. Plus, I have a favor to ask of you later."

"...Fine, remember to give me a raise when we get back." Ha Ji Mi slowly settled down.

As their depth increased, Xia Mi's originally bored expression suddenly turned serious. She felt it—the aura of an ancient monarch.

They were now about eight thousand meters deep. There were some dragon blood sub-species nearby, mostly Ghost-Toothed Dragon Leeches, which scattered and fled upon sensing Xia Mi's aura.

An expression of disbelief appeared in Xia Mi's eyes. After hesitating for a while, she said uncertainly, "The aura down here... is it Aegir?"

"Yeah, bringing you along was indeed useful. Someone asked me to come and take his embryo."

"...Can you tell me who?" Xia Mi pursed her lips and asked in a low voice.

"I can only tell you that it's not a bad thing for the guy down there. We'll leave once we take him. I don't want to wake up some old hag here."

Ji Eggers and Xia Mi continued to descend. After another few hundred meters, their vision was filled with numerous rivers made of lava. The glow of the lava illuminated the ruins at eight thousand six hundred meters below the sea.

On the ruins stood a giant building styled like a tilted Shinto torii gate, but that wasn't what they were here for. It was the pitch-black lump below it, covered in squirming Lung Snails. Not only did the Lung Snails keep squirming, but they also spat out an unknown white substance from their shells... the sight made Xia Mi feel nauseous.

"Over ten years ago, the Soviet icebreaker Lenin sank here for some reason. The Water King's embryo is inside. You don't look like you want to go in?" Ji Eggers turned his head. Miss Xia Mi had her arms wrapped around her chest, her face full of disgust.

"What girl would want to go inside that thing! Go by yourself! I'll wait for you outside!"

Ji Eggers stepped out of the range of the Dustless Land and entered the deep sea, marveling as he felt the water pressure at eight thousand meters.

It's just like this...

Xia Mi found an empty spot to sit, turning her back so she wouldn't have to look at the disgusting sight of the Lenin.

A left hand slowly approached the hull. The moment it touched the ship, the surrounding Lung Snails fell off one after another, and the steel plates of the hull gradually decayed, compressing into a lump under the water pressure... A large hole appeared in front of Ji Eggers. Looking in from the outside, the hole was filled with squirming vascular tissue. He calmly walked inside.

Damn Lu Mingze! This place is so ** disgusting! You'd better give me something good, or you can forget about this embryo.

"Alright, I've got the embryo. What are you doing?" As soon as Ji Eggers came out of the ship, he saw Xia Mi petting a Giant Squid through the barrier of the Dustless Land...

"Touching fish. Haven't you seen it before?"

I think you want to eat the fish.

"Let's go. It wouldn't be good if the crazy woman here notices us. We still need to go ashore."

"Go ashore for what?" Xia Mi turned around, one eyebrow raised.

"To deliver this guy, and then buy a birthday present for Lu Mingfei. He's always wanted that game console in my room. I'll buy him some figurines too." At the mention of Lu Mingfei, Ji Eggers' smile became more pronounced. Lu Mingfei's potion had been digesting well lately; that's what the kid said...

'I chant poetry loudly every night. Uncle and Aunt look like they've seen a ghost. Master, you really should see their expressions; it's hilarious.'

By his birthday, he should be able to advance to Sequence 7 Nightmare. Then he can do some bad things in the dreams of those who used to bully him. This would be convenient for acting to digest the potion, and he could also gain pleasure through revenge to stabilize his humanity...

"No way! I want figurines and a game console too! Buy them for me, Bastard Boss!"

...

On the high cliffs of the bay stood a black wall. That was the outer wall of the luxurious mansion known as 'Blackstone Residence.' It was the highest point of this coastal city, surrounded by the sea on almost all sides...

"Wow! Who on earth can live in such a luxurious place! Boss! I want to live in a place like this too!" Xia Mi started clamoring as soon as she got out of the car...

Speaking of which, can't Ji Eggers move quickly through the Spirit World? Why did they take a taxi to the destination? To this, his answer was...

'Solving everything with Beyonder abilities or authority is not conducive to maintaining one's humanity.'

"Alas, we can't afford to live in such a luxurious place. Besides, this thing is considered a cultural relic. You can't imagine what a terrifying number the annual maintenance cost is..." Ji Eggers patted Xia Mi's head to soothe her.

"Heh. Potato Chip Girl still has a card in your hands; you're still very rich." The gates of Blackstone Residence opened, and Jude Mai, dressed in casual home clothes, walked out.

Ji Eggers' right hand made a pulling motion to the side. Xia Mi saw a constantly squirming 'core' emerge from the void into his hand. He handed it toward Jude Mai.

"The Water King's embryo. Although it was chewed into a mess by some crazy woman, your boss should be able to bring him back to life. This guy seems quite active..."

Jude Mai didn't take the embryo; instead, she stepped back to make way. "I wouldn't dare take that with my bare hands without any packaging. Come inside and talk; the boss is waiting inside."

Ji Eggers and Xia Mi exchanged a look and stepped inside. Xia Mi followed behind, looking around curiously.

Pushing open the doors to the drawing room, what met their eyes were ebony floors polished as bright as a mirror and countless vermilion pillars...

The Little Devil Lu Mingze sat on a high chair in the center of the living room with a faint smile on his face, holding a goblet, though there was nothing inside it.

"Well, my collaborator has completed my first request. Thank you. This glass is for you." A Pale yellow liquid, presumably champagne, appeared in the empty glass.

"If you're opening champagne, there has to be the 'opening' process. Drinking it directly is no fun. And wasn't it for me? Why are you drinking it yourself?"

Ji Eggers looked at Lu Mingze with a speechless expression. Lu Mingze shook his head with a smile and looked at Xia Mi beside Ji Eggers.

"Long time no see, Jörmungandr. Your acting is quite good; I almost really believed you were a human...

Chapter 22: Chained

Xia Mi, who had been distracted by the hall's decorations and was looking around, saw her expression turn serious after hearing Lu Mingze's words. She turned her head to stare at the smug-looking Lu Mingze, releasing pressure from her body, causing Jude Mai, who was standing nearby, to tremble involuntarily.

Xia Mi's eyes turned into golden vertical pupils, and her voice became deep and majestic.

"Who are you..."

Lu Mingze swirled his goblet, took a sip, let out a long sigh, and said, enunciating every word clearly.

"I am your father."

"Uh! What?" Xia Mi's radiating pressure instantly dissipated, her vertical pupils reverting to their original state, filled with ignorance.

"You're saying you're the Black King? Don't joke... How is that possible... No... That old thing..." Xia Mi lowered her head and muttered for a while, her expression shifting between determination and shock, before she hesitantly raised her head.

"You... You aren't actually, are you..."

Father? You didn't die... Although you were never really dead to begin with...

Lu Mingze jumped down from the high chair and dusted off his clothes. "Just kidding. How could I possibly be that lowly thing? I'm just a Demon who likes to make deals~"

...

"That guy definitely has some connection to the old man. Although his behavior and personality are completely different, that faint aura is definitely not simple... Hey! Bastard Boss! Stay away from him in the future. Even if you do interact with him, don't drag me along. If you sell me out one day, I don't want to end up like Aegir, becoming a so-called 'pet'..."

After leaving the Black Stone Mansion, Xia Mi kept making noise, mostly complaining about not interacting with Lu Mingze and that the reward from earlier was too small.

"You traded a King for this so-called serum? Are you out of your mind, Boss? Even if I squeezed out a bit of blood, it would be more useful than this thing, right?" Xia Mi snatched the briefcase that Lu Mingze had given Ji from his hands. It contained the serum capable of stabilizing the White King's bloodline, the raw material likely being Lu Mingze's or Lu Mingfei's blood.

"Hold it steady. This serum is to be used on a descendant of the White King. You aren't the same kind of thing, so using your blood probably won't work. Besides, didn't I also have them agree to provide combat assistance in the future?"

"How much is a promise worth? And what kind of battle requires such a high price?" Xia Mi placed the briefcase on her head to balance it. Given her control as the king of earth and mountain, there was no need to worry about her dropping it.

"The White King is waking up soon."

Xia Mi stumbled as if she had tripped while walking, but she caught the briefcase perfectly. "Uh! The old hag you mentioned before is the White King? Let's get this straight, I can't beat her! If you want to fight, go do it yourself."

Ji sighed, and Xia Mi saw the smile that had been constantly maintained on his face disappear for the first time.

"Let me reveal something to you. I am a Sequence 2 'Death Consul' of the Death Pathway. I don't know if my status and abilities can defeat the awakening White King, but I need the White King's remains. They are the key to my advancement..."

The system had issued a long-term quest several months ago: 'Exterminate the White King and use the White King's remains as potion ingredients.' Ji had known for a long time that the potion ingredients for the Sequence 1 Pale Emperor required the left claw of the ancient Death or the right eye of the Underworld Emperor, as well as remains at the Angel level. It seemed the White King could serve as a substitute for such items.

"You're actually only Sequence 2... I previously guessed you would be 0, or at least 1. I didn't expect you to reach this level at just 2..."

An idea popped into Xia Mi's head. She quickly ran in front of Ji, covering her left eye and raising her right hand.

"Ahem, if you can help me choose one of those Pathways, the great Lady Jörmungandr will reluctantly consider whether to help you~" Ha Ji Mi seemed to have a bit of an overactive sense of self.

Ji looked at the cute, dazed girl in front of him who was holding the briefcase and striking a strange pose, and he pondered.

Is this really an act? Or is this Jörmungandr's true nature? Or perhaps? Jörmungandr is the persona that Xia Mi is acting out.

"From a mysticism perspective, it's better to draw it yourself. That is the path fate has chosen for you. You don't need to rush; wait until I'm sure there's no risk of you turning against me."

"How long will that take~"

"At least another year or two?"

"Ah...?"

...

An ancient bronze gate rose from a hidden alley in Tokyo, and Ji and Xia Mi walked out from within.

"What exactly is the space inside? How come I didn't know there was another space beneath the reality space? How did you open this door? Can that Lu Mingfei do it too?"

As soon as Xia Mi came out, she chattered non-stop, because before entering the Spirit World, Ji had told her not to speak, keep her head down, and not look around.

"It's not beneath the reality space, it's above it. That place is called the Spirit World. A common use is to quickly move locations in the material plane. It's not very useful to talk to you about this now; let's wait until you step into the Beyonder world."

Tokyo is one of the most densely populated cities, so finding an empty alley near the destination was quite troublesome. Moreover, although surveillance wasn't widespread in this era, one still had to take precautions. It's just unclear if that Bright Moon Princess has been developed yet...

The two walked out of the alley and turned onto the main road. Ji's destination was Akihabara in Tokyo, a famous holy land for ACG culture. It was the perfect place to pick out a gift for Lu Mingfei... Well, the Xia Mi beside him was also acting very lively... Anyway, it was Su Enxi's money being spent.

...

'Eriyi, Eriyi'

The Red-haired Girl dressed in shrine maiden robes raised her head. She had just been reading manga... Hmm... it was "Death".

'Eriyi, can you hear my voice?'

The Red-haired Girl nodded and picked up the notebook placed to the side, writing quickly.

'Who are you?'

'Damn, hey! Xia Mi, I can't read this... You can't either? And you call yourself a Dragon King, completely useless. Never mind, I have something that can help me understand... Alright, um, you're asking who I am?'

The Red-haired Girl nodded.

'Heh, you can think of me as your Stand. You've watched JOJO, right, Eriyi? Jotaro and his Stand, Star Platinum, are very strong...'

The Red-haired Girl continued writing.

In Ji's eyes, the text that he couldn't understand before had transformed into something he could comprehend.

'Can you stop time?'

'Why does everyone ask that? Sorry to disappoint you, I cannot stop time, but I know that Eriyi has always suffered from a physical illness. I am here to help Eriyi.'

The Red-haired Girl tilted her head and continued writing.

'That's amazing. Does Eriyi need to do anything?'

'Nothing at all. Eriyi just needs to take a nap. Now, sleep, Eriyi... sleep...'

The girl's eyes gradually closed, and she fell asleep at the table...

Ji and Xia Mi emerged from the void into this room wrapped in layers of steel.

Xia Mi looked around and touched things in the room. "The room is decorated quite nicely. So many game consoles and figurines, but it's a pity she can't get out."

"Bastard Boss, oh no, at this time I should call you Perverted Boss. Is the Perverted Boss into redheads? You have one at home and you're still looking for another?" She ran up to Eriyi and examined her. "And she looks so much like that Nono! The Perverted Boss has exposed his xp!"

"Alright, stop messing around. We're just here to stabilize her bloodline. If we really took her away, who knows who might act in desperation behind the scenes. I hope the serum Lu Mingze gave is effective." Ji opened the briefcase, which contained a syringe filled with liquid, the liquid golden and dazzling...

"I will use Concealment to erase this memory later. She will feel like she just had a dream. As for the rest, let others speculate; after all, they have no idea what else is hidden within the White King's bloodline, hehe."

Chapter 23: Daily Life Is a Continuous Miracle

When the morning light crawls onto the windowsill, it always happens to fall on the pages spread open last night. Pushing open the window, a leaf quietly spins and falls before me under the light. Daily life is like this, every day calm and beautiful.

I like daily life.

"Now you're going to have the title of 'Dazed Boss' as well. Standing by the window in the early morning, spaced out and contemplating life? If we want to take down the Old Witch on the Throne in the near future, we have to be fully prepared." Xia Mi leaned against the doorframe of Ji's room entrance. Standing in the shadows, she was hard to describe with any words; she was too perfect. If only she didn't have that mouth.

Ji didn't make any movement; he still looked out the window. "Appropriate reflection helps maintain one's humanity. I like it this way too; a peaceful life is always hard to come by. Miss Xia Mi, please knock next time."

"I saw the door wasn't closed so I came to take a look. Besides, you weren't this sentimental when you were staying up all night playing games, were you?"

"Heh, for people like us,'sentimental' is a complimentary term. It means one's humanity is very sufficient. If I weren't in my current state, you would have become a decoration in the hall when we first met." The young black-haired male left the windowsill and sat on the edge of the bed in the room. It was a huge double bed, now bathed in the morning light...

"Have you notified Ming Fei?" he asked the girl at the door.

"Yeah, I went to his house but couldn't find him. The attitude of those few people in his family was very bad, and then I found him in the net cafe you mentioned. Heh, going to a net cafe so early in the morning. Oh, you mentioned before that you wanted to bring him over to live here, right?" Xia Mi walked into the room and sat on the other side of the bed. "My suggestion is to do it quickly. You wouldn't believe it; that cousin of his looked at me with such greasy eyes, it was quite disgusting. And that middle-aged woman was there yelling and screaming..."

"Yeah, I'll talk to Angers after I go. Uh, you know Angers, right? The principal of Cassell College. He's had people monitoring Lu Mingfei since before he was born. Anyway, have you noticed any suspicious people appearing nearby lately?"

"No, except for that Maybach Driver who's always coming around lately. Chu Zihang often goes out with him; I don't know what they're up to."

"Don't worry about them, just keep an eye on the surroundings. How is Nono doing now? Last night when I was teaching her Beyonder knowledge, she seemed a bit unable to take it in. I hope she'll be better after a night's rest."

"Yeah, she's doing fine. She's in her room reading now. Speaking of which, she seems a bit taciturn and is always staring at us."

"That's the influence of the potion. A 'Spectator' can never help but watch the performance of outstanding actors."

The two sat on opposite sides of the bed, chatting back and forth. Outside the window, the Sun gradually rose, and the light moved from the edge of the bed to the windowsill. It still looked so beautiful.

...

"Master, what's going on? Why are you being so mysterious..." Lu Mingfei was just about to start a killing spree in his game when Xia Mi told him to come to Ji's house at noon to discuss things. But before he even entered the door, Ji used his ability to shield his perception.

Today was his birthday, but he had never told anyone. Anyway, his Uncle and Aunt wouldn't celebrate it for him... He thought Ji probably didn't know either, but that didn't explain why he was called here and why everything was being kept so mysterious. He had a sense of expectation—expecting that someone could celebrate his birthday, expecting that someone cared about him.

"Alright, open your eyes, Ming Fei. The restriction has been lifted." Ji's voice came from beside his ear. Lu Mingfei tried to open his eyes slowly...

He saw a huge cake on the dining table... He saw the girl, who clearly arrived later than him but was told by his Master to be called Senior Sister, clapping for him... He saw Dragon King Miss's eyes shining as she looked at the food on the table... He saw his Master showing him a gentle smile...

"Happy 13th birthday, Lu Mingfei."

His vision seemed blurred by something. Lu Mingfei reached up and touched it; yeah, when you're happy to a certain point, you really do cry...

"Cough... cough... Master, how did you know it was my birthday... I... never told you..." Lu Mingfei said intermittently while wiping his tears.

"What kind of person do you think your Master is? I'm a god, and gods know everything, don't they? Alright, make a wish, Ming Fei, then hurry up and eat the cake. Otherwise, the other food on the table will be finished by a certain Flat Board."

"What are you doing! It's placed here to be eaten! Eating it sooner or later is the same!" Ha Ji Mi hissed as usual.

"Alright, there are gifts after dinner. Hmph, I bought one for everyone, so don't say I'm biased~ Hey! Xia Mi! Eat slower! There won't be anything left for us in a moment!"

Lu Mingfei saw Ji and Xia Mi bickering over a chicken leg, while the Senior Sister nearby unhurriedly cut a piece of cake to savor slowly. Hmm... he hadn't made his wish yet...

This kind of life is great. Thank you for choosing me, Master... I hope Master can maintain his humanity well... That is my wish.

After yielding the chicken leg to Xia Mi, Ji looked at Lu Mingfei. He picked up the cola sitting on the table nearby and covertly raised his hand toward Lu Mingfei.

"Happy birthday to you too, Little Devil..."

After the meal, Ji called Lu Mingfei to the upstairs room: "Ming Fei, do you want to come and live with us? I can have Angers get letters from your parents and make me your designated guardian. Well, you know, you are a Hybrid, and your parents are too. They aren't on some archaeological expedition abroad; they are doing something very covert..."

"Is that really okay, Master? I can't even imagine how awesome that would be. I wouldn't have to look at Aunt's face every day, and I wouldn't have to stay in the same room as Lu Mingze~" Lu Mingfei was so happy he could practically jump.

"Of course. Just stay in that room you stayed in for a night before. You can decorate it however you want. If there's anything missing, just tell me. I'll come find you once I've prepared the things I need, around this time."

After celebrating the birthday and giving the gifts, Lu Mingfei said he was going back to the net cafe to play games. He said he had met an awesome foreign netizen...

After Lu Mingfei left, Ji walked to the windowsill and made a phone call to Angers, who was over ten thousand kilometers away.

"Hello, Mr. Administrator. Is there anything you want to say to this old man?"

"I want custody of Lu Mingfei. Prepare the necessary materials for me. Here's a reminder: keep a closer eye on your branch over in Japan, otherwise they might give you a big surprise later." After speaking, Ji hung up the phone. On the other side, Angers was momentarily stunned, then smiled and shook his head.

...

"You can go back and visit in the next few days, Xia Mi." In the evening, Xia Mi was sitting in the living room on the first floor watching TV. Ji walked over and sat down beside her.

"I mean, if you want to go back and visit usually, just tell me. I'll generally agree."

"That good? Hehe, Boss, you still have quite a bit of humanity after all~"

"Do you have a birthday, Xia Mi?"

"...I don't know. When I was created by Nidhogg, dates didn't exist yet, and I don't know when this awakening was."

Ji turned his head to look at Xia Mi. "...I can share my birthday with you. February 1st—that's my birthday."

Xia Mi also turned her head to look at Ji. "Hehe, Boss, you're quite full of yourself too. I haven't even said if I want it, and you're already forcing it on me?" Xia Mi smiled, laughing very happily. "But this young lady is generous, so I'll forgive you~"

After a while, the laughter stopped. The girl lowered her head and asked, "Why share your birthday with me, Boss?"

Ji stood up and walked toward the stairs leading to the second floor. On the stairs, he stopped, turned his head, and said, "You are lonely. That's not good; it's not very conducive to maintaining humanity..."

"Click."

Xia Mi heard the sound of the door closing.

"What... saying nonsensical things again..."

Chapter 24: Ideas for the Promotion Ritual

The Promotion Ritual for Sequence 1, Pale Emperor, involves linking one's name with concepts like Death and the afterlife, being praised and remembered by the vast majority of intelligent beings within a specific domain. Generally speaking, the scope of this domain is...

A star system.

Fortunately, the entire Solar System only has one planet with life. However, to make the vast majority of people in this era perceive someone as the symbol of a concept, one would need to create a well-known religion at the very least.

There is a bit of a shortcut, though: physically and mystically isolating one domain from others and then completing the ritual conditions within that isolated domain. This makes the ritual slightly easier... but to succeed, it still requires the support of at least 500 million intelligent beings.

"Is there any way, System? Where am I going to find 500 million people in this era stupid enough to believe that I'm synonymous with Death..." Ji sat on his bed gripping a controller while playing games, casually asking the System about the Promotion Ritual.

After a moment, the System's voice echoed in his mind. "I can help you lower the required number to 100 million. The effect of this ritual is to turn intelligent beings into 'anchors' to stabilize you, preventing you from getting lost and forgotten in the River Styx during your promotion. I can stabilize your state."

"Thanks..."

But in an instant, an idea popped into Ji's head.

"Holy crap! I have a brilliant idea!" Ji was so excited he accidentally tossed his controller away.

"Lu Mingze, Lu Mingze, Lu Mingze! Come out, I need you for something!"

A wind blew through the room, and the window opened for some reason. Ji looked over to see a young boy in a black formal suit and white bowtie leaning against the windowsill with a sour expression.

"Is there something, Mr. Administrator? I still need to sleep even if you're staying up all night."

"Cut the crap. I don't believe for a second you'd sleep obediently at night. I need Su Enxi's phone number. I need her help with something—the kind that's solved with money."

Lu Mingze snapped his fingers.

"Done, it's in your phone now. You can call her right away; she's still working, hehe~" After saying that, the boy slowly vanished. The window that had just opened also closed; perhaps it had never been open at all.

Ji lunged backward to grab his phone from the nightstand. He opened his contacts and found a new entry: 'Potato Chips'...

"Hello? Who is it?" The voice sounded listless, as if she had been working overtime for a month—maybe even longer.

"Ji Eggers."

"Ugh! It's you! The boss must have given you my number... What do you want?"

"I need you to spend money to produce a game. A game based on me, and it has to be the kind that becomes a massive hit..."

Ji's inspiration came from a game called 'God of War'. Generally, when people mention the God of Combat, they think of Ares from Greek mythology or Tyr from norse mythology...

But in the future, everyone will know there's another God of Combat named Kratos. So it wouldn't be strange to have one more God of Death named Ji Eggers, right?

...

"Could you keep the noise down at night, Bastard Boss? Little Xia Mi couldn't sleep because of the racket. What if she gets wrinkles on her face..." As soon as the brown-haired girl walked out of her room, she began complaining about Ji's shouting the previous night. The Red-haired Girl on the other side nodded in agreement. In her words: "Ji's humanity is so abundant it's starting to affect us. I reckon only Lu Mingfei can put up with it."

Seeing both girls in the hallway scolding him, Ji nodded in response. Yeah, he probably shouldn't shout anymore; it really wasn't good to disturb others.

"Wait a minute, Bastard Boss, you seem even happier than usual today. That disgusting smile has become even more over-the-top! Eww~ stay away from us..." Xia Mi pulled Nono and ran downstairs.

Ji shook his head and followed them. "This girl. My smile is clearly very gentle, right? To actually call me disgusting..."

When Ji reached the first floor, he only saw Nono sitting at the dining table. He walked over and sat down beside her.

"Where's Xia Mi? Where did she run off to?"

Nono had been gripping the edges of her chair with both hands, her legs swinging underneath. She settled down once she saw Ji come over and sit.

"Xia Mi said it's too much trouble to always eat out. You never use this kitchen anyway, so since you aren't using it, she took it for herself. She's in there making breakfast for us now."

"That little girl is actually quite handy? Or should I say this is the excellent learning ability of a Dragon King?"

"Hmph, this young lady knows a lot of things. Even if I don't, I can learn quickly. Sigh, after all, I am the smartest among the eight dragons~" Xia Mi's voice drifted out from the kitchen.

After a while, Xia Mi came out carrying two bowls of noodles. "Nono, this is yours." She handed one bowl to Nono. "Bastard Boss, go get your own from the kitchen. Little Xia Mi doesn't have that many hands."

Ji stood up and headed for the kitchen. "Alright, alright. Many thanks to Lady Xia Mi for deigning to make me breakfast."

"Nono, how is the digestion of the potion going? Digestion should be very fast when frequently observing high-level beings." Ji returned to the table, eating while he walked.

"True. A few days ago, I had a special feeling; it should be the sensation of the potion digesting that you mentioned."

'System, what about the potion for the next Sequence? Hurry up and bring it out.'

'Oh my, what potion? The System doesn't know~ Nono hasn't received proper training yet, so the potion cannot be given to you.'

'...Then tell me, what can a low-Sequence Spectator do? No stat boosts and the mechanics are lacking; it's just a total pile of garbage. Are you sending her out just to feed the enemy?'

'You can't put it that way. At least she still has the constitution of an awakened Hybrid, right? Go kill a few Death Servants first. Go on, go on, I'll give you a reward later.'

'...Where am I supposed to find that many Death Servants?'

"Ahem. Nono, since you've finished digesting the Spectator potion, it's time to move to the next Sequence, 'Telepathist'. But before that, we need to do something practical. I'll have Lu Mingfei train with you later. He hasn't been a 'Nightmare' for long and needs to familiarize himself with his abilities. Although your current Sequence lacks outstanding combat capabilities, you can observe Lu Mingfei's movements well to coordinate with him. I hope you two can impress me."

Since the System wouldn't give him the potion for now, he could only have Nono cooperate with Lu Mingfei to kill a few Death Servants first.

Hmm, I remember I still have a low-level weapon I got early on? I'll look for it later and see if Nono can use it.

Chapter 25: Ji Eggers

Clang!

The golden light blade extending from the bronze hilt struck a bone claw emitting a Pale glow, producing a metallic clashing sound upon impact.

Logically, light-related attacks should strongly counter undead creatures, but unfortunately, the wielder followed the Darkness Path, it wasn't currently nighttime, and there was a two-Sequence gap between the weapon and the opponent, with the user himself trailing by three Sequences.

Seeing the strike had no effect, Lu Mingfei withdrew his spirituality, and the light blade vanished instantly. Holding the hilt with both hands behind him to build power, he reinjected his spirituality, and an upward swing of the light blade kicked up a gust of wind.

The blade once again collided with the bone claw, the resulting impact shaking the surrounding space. The difference this time was that the bone claw was actually moved a little—about five centimeters, to be precise.

"Master, it's no use... I can't budge this big guy..." Lu Mingfei dropped the hilt, which rolled a few times before coming to a stop at Xia Mi's feet. She picked it up and examined it closely, as if trying to discern something.

"It would be strange if you could. That's a Sequence 4 undead, a demigod. A god, do you understand? In ancient myths, it's roughly equivalent to a Judge of Hell."

With summer break not yet over, Ji was training Lu Mingfei, Xia Mi, and Nono in the suburbs far from the city. Xia Mi was just there to observe, as her combat techniques had almost no room for improvement. Ji had summoned a Sequence 4 skeleton for Lu Mingfei to practice with, but it seemed to be too much for him.

Sitting nearby, Nono asked curiously, "Can Xia Mi beat this big guy? Lu Mingfei struggled so much even with a countering weapon."

"Good question. From the moment I summoned it, it hasn't felt any pressure from a higher power other than myself. In other words, Xia Mi's status in terms of authority isn't higher than its own. But as for an actual fight... she might win... but then again, it's unlikely?" Ji spoke in a way that sounded just like Nono.

Xia Mi was immediately displeased upon hearing this. "What do you mean? I can't beat this thing? Are you kidding me? Underestimating me, are we?" She tossed the hilt back to Lu Mingfei and stepped forward, rolling her shoulders.

"Today, I'll let you all know how the title of the king of earth and mountain was earned. Watch closely, I only need to exert myself just a little—uh?" Xia Mi threw a right straight at the skeleton. It was caught. Pale flames burned in the skeleton's eye sockets; it seemed a bit confused.

A golden light flared in Xia Mi's eyes. Her right hand broke free from the bone claw, and using the momentum of the escape, she followed up with a spinning kick to the skeleton's chest. A shockwave erupted, and the skeleton was kicked backward, its skeletal feet carving a trail into the ground.

"Damn! That's the maximum force I can use in my normal state, and this guy didn't even fall?" Xia Mi took off her shoe and rubbed her foot. "And it's so hard, my foot hurts from the impact..."

"The Dragon King is truly amazing! I fought for so long and only made its hand move twice, and I even numbed my own hands..."

Lu Mingfei picked up the hilt, blew on it twice, and put it into his small carry-on bag. He was now living with Ji. A week ago, Ji had come to his house with a stack of documents and letters from his parents, taking custody from his Uncle and Aunt. Oh, and the child support money his parents had sent—Ji told him a large portion of it had already been spent, but not to worry, he would take care of him from now on...

Recalling that moment made Lu Mingfei want to laugh. His Aunt had been jumping around and screaming about filing a lawsuit to arrest this guy who had appeared out of nowhere.

"Master said you haven't awakened your bloodline yet, right? Your current constitution is all thanks to the transformation from the potions. Once you awaken your bloodline, the improvement will definitely be even greater. Besides, aren't you a 'Nightmare'? Why didn't you use your ability just now?" Nono said, sitting to the side and swinging her legs.

Lu Mingfei covered his face in exasperation. "Ability? Senior sister... we're separated by three Sequences. It's like using Silver Chariot to fight King Crimson; not only are the stats inferior, but the mechanics are even worse. And do you think a giant skeleton sleeps? Or dreams? I'm not Star Platinum with both stats and mechanics; this is completely beyond my capabilities..."

Nono shrugged to show she understood.

"Heh, all Beyonders have their moments of weakness. I used to be very weak too, struggling to survive among various factions. If anything felt off, I'd run immediately. After all, the early stages of my Sequence aren't very hardy." With a wave of his hand, Ji sent the skeleton back to his Underworld. He sat on the grass, looking at the sky with a hint of nostalgia in his eyes.

"Hmm? Master, I don't think I've ever heard you tell your story. Could you tell us about it?" Lu Mingfei asked curiously about Ji's past. Xia Mi and Nono also turned to look.

"Oh? What, do you all want to hear it? Fine, there's nothing else to do anyway, so I'll tell you. It's a good chance to spread some Beyonder knowledge." Ji sat cross-legged and gestured for the three of them to come closer.

"Let's start from the very beginning. I didn't originally belong there. It was an era like the Industrial Revolution, where the world was divided into several continents. There were seven Sequence 0 Orthodox Gods and some Evil Gods. Steam was the mainstream of that era. I originally existed in a place similar to this current era." Ji pointed at the ground.

"After going there, I was resurrected in a body that was already dead. He had died, but the body was perfectly intact, without a single scar. He left me some fragmented memories. I tried hard to recall them, and then I remembered his name. He was called Ji Eggers..."

"The Eggers family originates from the previous generation's Death, a Sequence 0 True God. That body was a descendant of Death, though the bloodline concentration was very low. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been called to work on that Artificial Death project..."

"The fragmented memories told me he was a pretty good young man—kind-hearted and liked helping others. However, his progress in digesting potions was very slow, not at all what a descendant of Death should be. He died in a project by the Artificial Death faction of the Numinous Episcopate within the Empire."

"Perhaps when I woke up in that body, the original me had also died, but Ji Eggers came back to life. I am Ji Eggers."

Chapter 26: Wishing for Peace

"Why do you say that?" Xia Mi asked. Beside her, Nono and Lu Mingfei both nodded.

Ji shook his head and chuckled. "It sounds funny, but it's because I no longer feel like myself. I used to be someone who was indifferent to everything—neither good nor evil. Or rather, I was very hypocritical. I only helped others for my own benefit and ignored everything else..." He turned his head to look at Nono. "For example, I only went to the Chen family that day for your sake. If it had been the old me, I would have just taken you away and destroyed that Nibelungen, leaving everyone else inside to their fate."

"Heh, they're probably still looking for you. All the Chen family descendants in that Nibelungen are alive, except for you—well, you're alive too, of course. But this city is within my shielding range. Cassell College's AI and all that other junk can't see this place."

Ji smiled. "They'll find it strange. Why can almost everywhere else be scouted, except for here, which used to be accessible but suddenly isn't?"

"So, I've taken out everyone they sent to investigate. Don't misunderstand; I just stole their memories from the past few months and dumped them randomly in some city. Hmph, they're still constantly sending people over." A wicked smile appeared on Ji's face, as if a prank had succeeded.

Xia Mi raised her hand. "Question! Why didn't I sense them?"

"You're too weak. I intercepted them while they were still quite a distance away," Ji said, shrugging helplessly.

"Huh? Then why did you tell me to patrol the perimeter!" She huffed, as was her daily routine.

"I was afraid some might slip through the cracks. You can barely serve as a backup. Anyway, I'll tell the rest of my story later; I think I've sensed something." Ji stood up, his gaze passing over the top of Lu Mingfei's head to look toward the end of the distant sunset.

"Everyone, head back on your own. I'll probably be back very late tonight, so don't wait for me for dinner—though it would be nice if you could leave some leftovers."

The bronze gate rose from the grass nearby. After Ji stepped inside, it slowly vanished. Among the three left behind, Lu Mingfei and Nono looked at Xia Mi.

"Hmm? Why are you all looking at me? Hmph, looks like that guy won't be back tonight. I can't be bothered to cook dinner now." Xia Mi squinted and pouted, looking quite displeased. "Let's go out to eat. That Bastard Boss actually gave me a bonus..." Xia Mi grabbed Nono and turned to run, humming a song in an unknown language as she went. Lu Mingfei quickly chased after them.

...

"Principal Anzhe, is there something that couldn't be said over the phone? Why did you come here in person?"

Ji sensed that Angers had arrived in this small city, likely having taken a commercial flight.

Wait, don't I remember this guy having a private jet?

Ji rushed to the airport entrance to intercept Angers, leading him to the city's only five-star luxury hotel. After booking a private room, he began his conversation with Angers.

"Heh, Mr. Administrator, how can you say that? Can't I just want to see you and my future S-rank student, Lu Mingfei?" Angers picked up the tea the waiter had brewed before leaving and took a sip. "Hmm, not very good."

"Sorry, Principal. This is a small place, after all; it's normal not to have good tea. Regarding Lu Mingfei, I wasn't originally planning to let him go to Cassell College, but then I thought about it—he might as well go to get a degree. That stuff is still quite important." Ji also picked up a cup of tea and took a sip.

Why does this feel no different from the Da Hong Pao at home? That shouldn't be right... Even with my Angel-level senses, I can't tell the difference? There's something special about this tea.

"Yeah, it really isn't good. It can't compare to what you sent me at all, Principal." Ji gave an awkward but polite smile.

"Actually, it's because a major event occurred on this land a month ago." Angers' expression turned serious. Although he looked old, his muscles and the determination in his eyes told everyone who saw him a clear story.

This was a powerful dragon slayer.

"Oh? I'm all ears."

"A major family, the Chen family, was attacked by the Dragon Kind a month ago. One of their manors was destroyed, but strangely, not a single Chen family descendant was harmed. Some returned to the family, some took the chance to escape while the family wasn't looking. The only person who can't be found is the one the Chen family valued most: Chen Motong."

"Chen Motong? Hmm, never heard of her..." Ji put on a puzzled expression, frowning as if deep in thought.

What does your search for Chen Motong have to do with my Nono?

"The Chen family has sent missing person requests to righteous Hybrid organizations worldwide, but they've found nothing for over a month. I'd like to ask for your help in keeping an eye out as well. This is her photo." Angers pulled a photo from his coat pocket and handed it to Ji. Ji took it and looked.

It was a headshot, very beautiful. The girl in the photo had a faint smile, and her hair was shorter then, only reaching slightly below her shoulders. Now, Nono's hair had grown to her waist.

Ji put the photo into his trench coat pocket. "I'll keep an eye out. But surely you didn't travel over ten thousand kilometers just for this one thing, did you? Oh, by the way, the few I gave you last time were Third Generation Dragons, right? Did those corpses prove useful?"

"To answer your first question first: there is another matter I need an answer for, but we'll discuss that later. Those Third Generation Dragon corpses have been of immense help in our research into Dragon Kind anatomy and genetics. For that, I express my gratitude, Mr. Administrator."

"No need to be so polite; it was our trade. I'll head over to your place later to pick out my commission. So, back to the first question—what else do you want from me?"

Angers didn't speak. The air in the private room seemed to freeze. Beneath the table, Angers' right hand gripped a folding knife. The blade was forged with philosophers stone; an enemy struck by such a weapon would suffer severe mental damage...

"I want to know, what are you plotting here? Organizations from all over the world can't get a foothold here. The Special Agents I sent, except for Chu Tianjiao, were all politely escorted out by you. Also, what exactly are you after? What are you, exactly?" Angers stared intently into Ji's eyes. He suddenly felt his whole body go cold, and his every movement became sluggish.

Ji turned his head away, not letting Angers see his eyes. "That's quite a few questions. I'll answer them one by one. First, I'm not plotting anything—at least, not here—and it's not harmful to this world. Second, I don't much like people watching me from the shadows. It was fine before, but not now. Third..." Ji stopped speaking and chuckled softly. The laughter sounded sorrowful, almost like crying.

"I want to make the unpleasant things pleasant. I want to make imperfect stories perfect. I want those who do good to be treated with kindness, and those who do evil to meet their retribution... The world is very unfair... but there is one thing that is very fair."

"Death never spares any life... Whether you are powerful or weak, whether you perish here or return one day, you will eventually die."

Ji took a sip from his teacup. "One last question: who am I? Then you'd better remember this well, Principal Anzhe."

I am the governor above the styx.

I am the supreme undead lord.

I am the ruler of the authority of death.

Principal Anzhe, you can put down the folding knife in your hand now.

Chapter 27: Zero · Razumovskaya · Romanova

"Ming Fei is about to start school soon. Xia Mi, Nono, you two follow along as well."

A few days ago, the black-haired, black-eyed man who often wore a black trench coat had said those words, so now...

"Why do I have to come and accompany you guys to school!" Miss Xia Mi, wearing a school uniform, shouted with her hands on her head in front of the main gate of Shilan, her voice drawing a large crowd of students to turn and look. When they saw Xia Mi's face clearly, they were all stunned.

Well, it looks like she'll be the school belle from now on.

"That's what I'm saying too. Why do we have to come to school? It's normal for Lu Mingfei to attend, but I've already finished a whole bunch of courses. Wait, I suddenly remember Ji saying before that if I cooperated with Lu Mingfei, he'd give me the next Sequence potion?" Nono was also wearing a school uniform, standing beside Xia Mi, while Lu Mingfei followed behind them.

"Master probably has his reasons. Maybe there are no targets left to choose from nearby?" Lu Mingfei scratched his head.

"Damn Bastard Boss! Lu Mingfei! Lead the way!" Xia Mi grabbed Lu Mingfei from behind and pulled him to the front to make him lead the way.

Lu Mingfei looked high-spirited now. After his appearance was modified by the potion, he had the look of a member of a Korean boy band. Combined with his dark and quiet temperament, he was practically a second Chu Zihang. It was just that because of the potion, his hair grew very quickly, and he had to go for a haircut every so often.

"As you wish, young ladies, please follow this humble servant~" Lu Mingfei made a 'please' gesture and then walked ahead to lead the way for the two girls.

Today was the first day of school at Shilan High School after the summer break. Many luxury cars were parked at the school gate, and the wealthy children of the city had all dressed up beautifully to come to school.

Ji had come to the school a few days early with some forged documents to talk to the principal. Well, when plenty of money is given, no problem is a problem. Xia Mi and Nono were officially enrolled in Shilan, and for their convenience in staying in touch, they were arranged to be in the same class.

"Alright, young ladies, we've reached the classroom. This lowly one shall take his leave?" Lu Mingfei led Xia Mi and Nono into the classroom. The moment they entered, the students who had already arrived began to whisper.

"Hey, how did Lu Mingfei's temperament change again? He feels a bit like Chu Zihang..." "Are those two behind him new students? They're so beautiful. And the red hair, is it natural?" Such conversations were everywhere.

Lu Mingfei picked a seat in the back row by the window. As the saying goes, the back row by the window is the home of kings. In the past, no one usually sat near him, but looking at things now, there might be people fighting for the seat.

"Hey Nono, let's go over there." Xia Mi took Nono's hand and walked toward the back row on the inner side, finding a spot with two empty seats and sitting down.

Everyone in the classroom was waiting for the homeroom teacher to arrive. Not long after, a petite figure walked into the classroom, causing everyone to gasp in surprise.

She was expressionless, her blue eyes devoid of any emotion, and her pale blonde hair fell over her back. After entering the classroom, the girl scanned the room, locked onto a position, and walked straight over. She treated the gazes of others as non-existent and didn't even ask if her deskmate agreed. She took out a piece of paper, wiped the desk and chair, and sat down.

Lu Mingfei was originally reminiscing about his experience of playing pranks in the dreams of those who used to bully others last night. He couldn't help but laugh as he thought about it, until a figure sat down next to him. He turned to look—sacred, pure, and noble.

This was his first impression of the girl beside him, and his spirituality felt a sense of resonance.

The girl beside him was a Hybrid with a very high bloodline. And did this girl know him? Or did he know this girl?

It didn't make sense, but why did she feel... somewhat familiar?

The homeroom teacher walked into the classroom at that moment. She stood on the podium, clapped her hands, cleared her throat, and said, "Class, although summer vacation just ended, it's time to pull yourselves together and focus more on your studies. This semester, our class welcomes three new students. Let's give them a round of applause."

Everyone in the classroom applauded.

"Alright, let's have the new students introduce themselves. Who would like to go first?"

Xia Mi jumped up: "Me! Me! Me! Teacher, I'll go first! My name is Xia Mi! I currently live at the Peacock Residence in the east of the city. I like binge-watching anime, playing games, sleeping, and eating delicious food!"

"Excellent, Xia Mi. You're such a lively child. Who's next?"

Nono, beside Xia Mi, raised her hand: "Nono. I also currently live at the Peacock Residence in the east of the city. I like the same things as Xia Mi."

After the simple introduction, Nono stopped speaking.

"Mhm, very good as well. It seems you two live together. Are you relatives? Alright, can the last student introduce herself?"

The girl sitting next to Lu Mingfei stood up. A voice devoid of any emotion came from her mouth: "Zero · Razumovskaya · Romanova. You can call me Zero. I have a germaphobia, please do not touch me."

After sitting down, Zero turned to Lu Mingfei and said:

"Except for you."

"Huh?"

Lu Mingfei had no idea what was going on. A Russian girl with a long name and a temperament like Rei Ayanami, who spoke fluent Chinese, sat next to him, told everyone she had germaphobia and not to touch her, then told him he was the exception. What was this situation?

"You can touch me. You are not dirty." Perhaps thinking Lu Mingfei hadn't heard clearly, Zero added a more detailed sentence.

"Huh? Zero... Zero, what are you saying? Can you explain in detail? Don't let people misunderstand!" Although Zero's voice wasn't loud, the whole classroom could hear her. Lu Mingfei felt like he was dying a little inside.

"Literally." After saying this, Zero stopped responding. No matter how much Lu Mingfei pleaded with her, she remained unmoved.

...

"Not bad, Ming Fei. To have such a girl interested in you, looks like you're in for some luck with the ladies?" After hearing what the three of them had to say upon their return, Ji laughed and put his arm around Lu Mingfei. "Don't worry too much, I probably know who she is. Hmm, and I have a feeling I'll be seeing her soon."

"Master is saying nonsensical things again... Hmm? Someone's at the door?" A knock at the door interrupted their conversation. Lu Mingfei went to the door and opened it.

Zero, wearing her school uniform, stood outside with a suitcase beside her. Her expression was still so... 'Three-No'.

"Hello, Lu Mingfei. I will be living here from now on. Please let Mr. Administrator come and talk to me."

Lu Mingfei's face twitched wildly, but he quickly calmed himself down. "Why did you follow us all the way here? Are you stalking us?"

"Ming Fei, let her in. She is a partner." Ji's voice came from the living room. Lu Mingfei had no choice but to step aside and let Zero into the house.

Zero entered the living room and began to observe the situation, looking left and right.

The one with red hair lying on the sofa playing games was the artificial vessel of the Chen family. The one stuffing snacks into her mouth was Jörmungandr. The man with black hair and black eyes, resting his chin on his hands, was the magistrate, Ji Eggers.

"Zero, you can call me Zero. The name I gave at school was fake. I'll be troubling you from now on."

Chapter 28: The King's Priest

"Hmm, which room do you want? The one opposite Lu Mingfei is still empty. Go upstairs, turn at the stairs, and it's the third room on the left." Ji pointed upstairs.

"Thank you." Zero nodded and walked upstairs, dragging her suitcase.

"What do you mean the room opposite me is still empty? Master, did you sell me out?! No way~ Although Zero is very pretty... but I'm not that kind of person!" Lu Mingfei crossed his arms in front of his chest. Although he said he wasn't that kind of person, he could barely hold back the smile on his face.

"You'd better restrain your expression. Your mouth is stretching all the way to your ears; you're just as perverted as the Bastard Boss. Hey, Bastard Boss, who exactly is that person? Why did she make such an explosive statement at school and then chase him all the way home? Could she be Lu Mingfei's old flame from a past life~" Xia Mi jumped off the sofa, ran to Lu Mingfei's side, and poked him a few times.

"Hmm, it really does have something to do with Ming Fei. Well, I'll choose a Pathway for her in a while..."

Lu Mingfei scratched his head.

Does this have anything to do with me?

"What? What do you mean! Bastard Boss! Little Xia Mi hasn't chosen yet! How can you choose for an outsider!" Xia Mi ran from beside Lu Mingfei to behind Ji and messed up his hair.

In fact, it was because the system hadn't issued a task regarding Xia Mi's Pathway selection, while it had given a task for Zero early this morning, so Ji actually knew that Zero had arrived in this city.

"Alright, alright, because Zero definitely won't do anything detrimental to Lu Mingfei's life. As for you, let's see..." However, not doing anything detrimental to Lu Mingfei didn't mean she wouldn't do anything to me. I still need to be on guard.

"Wuu... Bastard Boss! Then give me a raise! I need to go home to see my brother recently!"

Now I get it, so it was all to get money.

"Fine, fine, fine, fine, fine, hurry up and go. Go early and return early. Remember to use normal transportation, and don't get caught by something that pops out of nowhere, or I'll have to go save you; it's such a hassle." Ji pulled out a card and flicked it into Xia Mi's hand. "The password is 134721."

"Hmm? Does this password have any meaning?" Xia Mi asked.

"The year I became Ji Eggers, and my birthday. If you aren't looking to buy shares in some big company to become a shareholder, that should be enough for you."

...

"You're just letting her leave like that? She's a Dragon King, after all. Only you could be so carefree... And isn't school just starting? If she shows up on the first day and then disappears, won't that be very suspicious?" After Xia Mi packed her luggage and left, Nono said this to Ji.

"She isn't a threat. As long as no one provokes her, she's no different from an ordinary person. She likes playing, eating, and material things just the same. Hmm, it seems Dragons all quite like material wealth? After all, that's how it's written in Western fantasy works, right?"

"As for the problem of her disappearing after school starts, I'll go ask for leave for her. I'll just say her family member is in poor health and she needs to go back to check on them. After all, she really does have a brother with intellectual disabilities at home..." After finishing, Ji stood up, pulled Lu Mingfei, who was lying on the sofa reading manga, up, and pushed him upstairs.

"A girl has come, and you don't even know to go help her. You're still here reading manga. Go see if Zero is done. If she isn't, help her out, and call her down to draw cards later."

Ji sat back on the sofa, took 19 cards out of his own Underworld, threw them onto the coffee table, leaned back, and waited slowly...

"Uh... it's the one opposite my room, right?" Lu Mingfei walked to the door of Zero's room, raised his hand, hesitated for a moment, and then knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" It was still a voice devoid of emotion.

"It's me, Zero. Have you finished setting up the room? Master told me to come up and help you."

"Come in."

Lu Mingfei pushed the door open and entered the room. He saw Zero sitting on the bed. This room hadn't been lived in, and things should have been covered in quite a bit of dust. Zero said she had mysophobia, but it seemed like he didn't see any dirty places at all?

"Ahem, Zero, since you've finished tidying up, why aren't you coming down?" Lu Mingfei stood at the doorway and looked towards Zero. Zero noticed Lu Mingfei's gaze and turned her head. "Waiting for you."

"Waiting for you to come call me. You would come. You promised me..." Zero's voice grew quieter and quieter, so quiet that even with Lu Mingfei's hearing as a Sequence 7, he couldn't hear it clearly.

"Ha... uh, Master asked me to call you down. It seems he wants to choose a Beyonder Pathway for you. It seems you have some cooperation with Master? Then you should know, this Pathway is super powerful..." "Let's go."

Before Lu Mingfei could finish, Zero interrupted him and walked out of the room past him.

I seem to... smell a fragrance?

Lu Mingfei turned his head to look at Zero, who had walked out of the room. That pale blonde hair was truly beautiful. It seems he had seen it before... Where was it?

Zero turned around and looked at Lu Mingfei. "Aren't we going down? Lu? What are you standing there dazed for?"

"Hmm, coming."

...

"Alright, Zero, sit opposite. Your boss sending you to me definitely wasn't just for Lu Mingfei's sake. See these 19 cards? Shuffle them, then draw one from them."

Ji wasn't worried about Lu Mingze knowing about the Beyonder system, because there were absolutely no ingredients for potions in this world. Theoretically speaking, there were substitutes for potion ingredients, but that would still require materials containing Beyonder characteristics... And surely no one would be stupid enough to try them one by one, right?

"Hmm." Zero took a cushion and a pair of white gloves out of her pocket, placed the cushion on the sofa, sat down, put on the gloves, and began to shuffle the cards.

I didn't expect Zero's mysophobia to be this severe... But why did she say I wasn't dirty? Lu Mingfei, standing to the side, was confused.

"Alright, just draw one?"

"Hmm."

The slender palm wearing the white glove wandered over the many tarot cards laid out flat. She selected one and slid it out of the pile.

"Turn it over. That will be your Pathway."

Zero turned the tarot card over...

A priestess wearing a white robe and holding a scripture was sitting upright on a stone chair, praying silently. She was devout and quiet, yet revealed a certain alertness and wisdom.

The High Priestess

The tarot card floated up and landed in Ji's hand. "The High Priestess, representing the Pathway 'Savant' or 'Paragon'. Hmm, the episode science students like the most. Proficient in various knowledge and the crafting of artifacts, with relatively few mystical components, but very scientific."

'Issuing task reward: Sequence 9 "Savant" potion ingredients, no extra rewards... Issuing follow-up task: Have Nono assist Lu Mingfei and Zero in defeating a Third Generation Dragon. Reward: Sequence 8 "Telepathist" and Sequence 7 "Psychologist" potion ingredients.'

Feeling that there was something more in his own Underworld, Ji said to Zero, "I will prepare the Sequence 9 potion for you as soon as possible. If there is anything you don't understand, you can ask Ming Fei. I have taught him a lot of knowledge. Hmm, I haven't spoken about knowledge regarding other Pathways yet. I'll explain it to you all together after Xia Mi returns."

Ji stood up and stretched, his eyes becoming very serious. "We have something more important to do now!"

"What is it? Fighting Death Servants? Or fighting a dragon? Hmph hmph, it's almost night now. Soon, Lord Lu Mingfei will be unleashing his power!" Lu Mingfei was eager to try at the side. As a Sequence 7 of the Darkness Path, his strength at night was very powerful.

"Neither. We have a huge enemy that needs to be defeated now. That is our divinity! Xia Mi has left, and there's no one to cook dinner. We need to think about where to eat tonight, otherwise my divinity will overwhelm my humanity!"

When Ji had only said half of his words, Nono already had a speechless expression on her face. After hearing it, Lu Mingfei also felt it was too abstract...

What kind of Primordial One gets hungry.

Chapter 29: Increasing the Intensity

"The three of you, our current situation is extremely critical."

Early on Saturday morning, Ji called Nono, Lu Mingfei, and Zero to get up and gather in the first-floor living room.

"According to the analysis from those messy organizations, in 2012, which is 8 years from now, that Nidhogg is going to return." Ji leaned back on the sofa as usual, resting his hands under his chin, striking the classic pose of Gendo Ikari from Evangelion; he even put on the sunglasses he hadn't worn in a long time.

"This means I have to train you to at least Sequence 2, which is the Angel level, within these 8 years. Otherwise, relying on me alone won't be enough."

Nono yawned from time to time. Lu Mingfei was very energetic—after all, he belonged to the Darkness Path—but this kid definitely wasn't listening carefully; his attention was entirely on Zero!

Zero looked a bit lethargic. Well, the Savant potion could only enhance her understanding and learning abilities, and allow her to clearly recall the things she had experienced and the knowledge she had learned. However, Zero somewhat hated her past, yet somewhat liked it as well...

"The three of you, perk up! We only have 8 years, so we need to start training right now!" As he spoke, Ji reached out with his right hand to his side, and a compass appeared in his hand.

"Heh heh, an item from the Fool Pathway, Sequence 6. It has powerful divination abilities, can be used to find people or objects, and can also change one's appearance. After all, this Sequence is called 'Faceless'." Ji placed the compass on the coffee table. "Which of you knows the most about the Dragon Kind? Inject your spirituality into this object and use its divination ability to find if there are any sleeping Third Generation Dragon level creatures nearby."

A Third Generation Dragon? These are dragons with titles, right? Starting with such high intensity right away? Nono felt a bit nervous.

Ji paused and continued, "Remember, don't use the transformation ability; only Lu Mingfei currently has enough spirituality to support it."

The three of them looked at each other. Well, Lu Mingfei had only seen a dragon once, back when they were in Odin's Nibelungen, and Nono went without saying—she only had theoretical knowledge. In the end, Zero picked up the compass.

The moment one becomes a Beyonder, the knowledge in the potion tells you how to use spirituality. Zero placed the compass in her palm and injected her spirituality to begin the divination.

'Third Generation Dragon... Third Generation Dragon... Third Generation Dragon...'

Zero felt her spirit floating up, as if she had entered another world. A massive amount of chaotic information appeared before her, and she searched through it...

Zero opened her eyes, frowning, looking a bit exhausted. She raised her other hand to rub her head. "Found it. I don't know the exact distance, but it's very close."

"Mm, well done. But it seems using an item three Sequences higher is still too much of a stretch. Although you didn't use the main ability, your spirituality has been almost completely exhausted." Ji signaled with his eyes for Lu Mingfei to help Zero. Lu Mingfei, being very understanding, immediately sang a poem of peace. Zero's condition visibly improved.

Zero placed the compass back on the coffee table and stood up to walk toward the bathroom—well, she must have gone to wash her hands. At least she could sit down now without a cushion. Wait a minute, the spot she was sitting in before seemed to be where Lu Mingfei usually sat...

When Zero returned to the living room and sat down, Ji continued, "Once Zero's spirituality recovers, we'll go look for trouble with that Third Generation Dragon. Zero, what is your Word of Power?"

"Mirror Pupil. It doesn't have a Sequence number. Its effect is to analyze and copy everything. Its main means of attack is copying others' Words of Power, but it requires someone to release it first."

"Then we're really out of luck. Nono doesn't have a Word of Power, and I haven't even awakened yet, so I don't have a Word of Power to use either. Which means the three of us can't even scrape together a single Word of Power; we're all just Warriors with only raw stats..." Lu Mingfei complained.

"It's fine. I just remembered I haven't given Zero a welcome gift yet. Let me find one for you." Ji closed his eyes and began searching his own underworld to see if he could find anything good. Not long after, he opened his eyes and, as before, reached out to his side with his right hand. It was a snow-white revolver...

"Demoness Pathway, Sequence 7 'Witch'. I killed one a while ago and didn't have time to process her Beyonder characteristic, so it fused with this pistol to become a Mystical Item, codenamed 3-06." Ji handed the pistol to Zero.

Zero took the pistol, inspected it, and then said, "Thank you... Master." Well, that was a very obvious pause.

Ji shrugged. "Don't shoot randomly. This gun doesn't need bullets. Injecting spirituality allows it to fire ice crystals. Upon touching an object, it will explode and freeze everything in the vicinity. The side effect is that it must be cleaned every day, otherwise it will explode in your hand when used later. If a day passes, you must keep it away from intelligent beings; the condition resets after one day."

"Hmm, wait..." Ji narrowed his eyes, thinking about something. "Ming Fei, did you give that cane to Chu Zihang?"

Lu Mingfei nodded. "Yes, but Senior Chu returned it to me at school when the semester started. Why, Master?"

"It's nothing. It's good that you got it back. Beyonder items can't fall into the hands of ordinary people; they will be affected."

Nono, who had been sitting on the side watching without saying anything, spoke up. "Then what about my weapon? Did my most responsible Master forget about me?"

"Ahem, that's not the case at all. I was just looking for one for you..." Ji had indeed forgotten...

Hurry up and find it, hurry up and find it... Hmm, found it!

This time, a ring appeared.

"To be honest, I don't have many low-level offensive Beyonder items here. Codenamed 3-08, Red Priest Pathway, Sequence 7 'Pyromaniac'. Injecting spirituality can release fire spells, and it can also attach flames to weapons. Use it carefully and don't accidentally hurt your teammates. The side effect is that every time you use it, you will become more... punchable that day. I don't know how else to describe it; I can only use that word."

Nono took the ring Ji handed over. She touched Ji's hand; it had warmth and was very delicate, not like the Darkness Path he spoke of, which were as cold as corpses.

"It's alright, I quite like it, thank you..." Nono said, her eyes darting away.

"As long as you like it. Hurry up and get some rest. We'll set off at night so that Ming Fei can unleash his strongest abilities, after all, he has the highest stats right now."

...

"Why do we have to take a taxi there?" Nono covered her face and complained.

"Xia Mi asked me this question too. My answer was that using Beyonder abilities for everything is not conducive to maintaining one's humanity, but now it's different." Ji looked at Nono, then at Zero, and shook his head.

"The two of you have spirituality that is too weak right now; it's not suitable for using my fast travel method, so we have to travel like this... Ah, the car is here."

Chu Zihang stood by the window, watching the group hailing a taxi at the entrance of the residential complex in the distance.

That is Mr. Administrator, along with Lu Mingfei and two new students who transferred to School Name. Are they actually living together? What are they doing by going out as a group? Could it be...

"Alright driver, just park here."

"Folks, it's almost night, what are you doing coming out to this deep mountain forest? There might be wild beasts in the mountains; it's very dangerous." The driver kindly reminded them.

"It's fine, driver. We had a picnic here before and left something behind, so we're coming back to find it. We'll be back before dark..." After much persuasion, Ji finally managed to send the driver away.

Ji turned back to look at the three little ones. He saw nervousness, excitement, and confidence on their faces, but the only thing he didn't see was fear.

"Alright, Zero, lead the way. Tonight, you will let that Third Generation Dragon know that if it doesn't submit, it will turn to ash! Go! Take it down!"

Chapter 30: Paper Tiger

The mountain forest at night is indeed quite terrifying; it's pitch black, and you don't know what's hiding in the Darkness, perhaps with a pair of eyes watching you from somewhere.

However, for a Beyonder of the Darkness Pathway, the environment of night and Darkness is where they can unleash their greatest strength; in the dead of night, they are far more powerful than you can imagine.

Lu Mingfei walked in the center of the group, so he could react faster if there was trouble either in front or behind. The three of them were following Zero's lead, slowly heading toward the lair of some dragon noble.

Perhaps it was too quiet nearby, as Lu Mingfei couldn't help but strike up a conversation with his companions.

"Um... Junior Sister Zero?"

"Don't call me Junior Sister, just call me Zero."

"Zero, is that name of yours really forged? I remember Romanova is a Russian imperial surname, right?" Lu Mingfei asked Zero while keeping an eye on their surroundings.

"Mm, having this identity makes operating over there very convenient."

Zero rarely spoke, and after answering Lu Mingfei's question, she fell silent, leaving Lu Mingfei feeling a bit awkward.

"You two, we need to focus now. I'm walking at the back of the group, and it's making me a bit nervous..."

Nono was walking at the back of the group. Because she didn't have any particularly strong abilities, she could only rely on her Hybrid physique for close-quarters combat. She was carrying a watermelon knife bought from some market; let's hope she can successfully break through dragon scales with it.

The three of them walked for another distance, and Lu Mingfei, who had the strongest spirituality and passive intuition, sensed that something was wrong with the surrounding environment.

"It's too quiet, unnaturally quiet. There isn't even the sound of insects. Zero? Are we almost there?"

Zero stopped and pointed ahead, "It's right up ahead, it should be inside the cave. This area is affected by the dragon's aura, so ordinary creatures won't enter."

"Is it sleeping? This place isn't exactly remote; the domestic organizations should be able to find it easily, right?" Nono asked this soul-searching question.

"Master seemed to say that the domestic official organizations don't really prefer dragon slaying; as long as the dragon doesn't cause trouble, they leave it alone." The other two nodded knowingly after hearing Lu Mingfei's words.

"Doesn't that mean we're the bad guys? It's sleeping, and we're going to wake it up and beat it up?" Nono's thoughts were always unconventional.

The three of them exchanged a glance and continued walking forward. Although Nono and Zero didn't have the help of potions, as high-blooded Hybrids, they could still see in the Darkness. Before long, a pitch-black cave appeared before them.

"Senior Sister, throw a fireball inside. We need to lure it out first, otherwise it'll be hard to fight." Lu Mingfei took the bronze sword hilt out of his bag and gripped it in his hand. Zero held a revolver in her left hand and gripped a dagger in her right, which had constantly changing light on it; it must have been an alchemical weapon.

"Sigh, we've finally reached this point." Nono stepped forward and put the ring on her hand. After injecting her spirituality into it, she followed the ring's guidance and condensed a fist-sized fireball in her hand.

"Go!" The fireball was thrown by Nono into the cave, and an explosion occurred inside...

"Damn! Ji didn't say the fireball would explode! Isn't this commotion a bit too big?" Nono turned to look at Lu Mingfei and Zero. In her view, such a big commotion would surely attract the police or domestic Hybrid organizations, but Ji had already sealed off this area.

"Roar!"

A thunderous roar echoed from the cave; now Nono felt that the explosion earlier wasn't actually that loud. Accompanied by vibrations and crashing sounds, a dragon, fitting the classic image from Western fantasy works, appeared at the cave entrance.

Dark brown scales, curved horns on its head, and a massive wingspan—all these pointed to the purity of this dragon's bloodline, a truly magnificent creature appearing in its dragon form.

"Looks like this guy has quite a temper upon waking up. Roughly estimating, its size is about as big as a bus. Senior Sister, that shot of yours was really something..." As spirituality was injected, a blade of light formed on the sword hilt, illuminating the surrounding area. "I'll take the lead. If it releases a Word of Power, Zero, remember to use your Word of Power to coordinate with me. Senior Sister, it's best if you throw a few more fireballs at its face to obstruct its vision." Lu Mingfei simply established the battle plan and nodded at his companions.

"Move!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Lu Mingfei sprang out like a sharp sword, heading straight for the dragon's vital points at high speed. The blade of light split the scales but struggled to go any further.

So hard! But! It can be cut!

The dragon let out an angry roar. It was a Third Generation Dragon born a thousand years ago, having never done anything bad; at most, it had stolen cattle and sheep raised by farmers, and it usually just liked to stay in its nest and sleep. Today, it had been offended; a few people didn't say a word, just blew it awake, and even slashed its dragon scales open.

The dragon turned around and struck Lu Mingfei with its tail. Lu Mingfei raised his sword to block but was still sent flying. Just as the dragon wanted to pursue, its two front claws were frozen by ice crystals shot from afar, and a fireball gradually magnified in its eyes.

"Lu Mingfei! Are you okay!" Zero and Nono both looked toward the direction Lu Mingfei had flown and shouted anxiously.

"I'm fine!" Lu Mingfei, his clothes torn, walked out of the bushes with his sword. "Damn! This guy ruined my clothes! I want it to pay!" Lu Mingfei charged out again, dragging his sword behind him, preparing for a charged spinning slash.

The dragon seemed to see through Lu Mingfei's intentions. It broke free from the ice with its front claws, chanted an unknown language, and then slammed its front claws down heavily in the direction of Lu Mingfei.

"It's a Word of Power! Lu! Dodge!" Zero saw that the dragon was about to use a Word of Power and loudly warned Lu Mingfei, but Lu Mingfei was charging too fast and couldn't stop.

Countless stone spikes rose up in front of Lu Mingfei. Fearless, he swung his sword forcefully forward, "Storm of Light!"

The attack made of light tore through the spikes with irresistible force. Lu Mingfei reappeared in front of the dragon, swung his sword back, and activated Storm of Light again. A huge roar came; Zero and Nono saw that half of the dragon's body had become bloodied and mangled, but Lu Mingfei's condition wasn't good either.

Releasing Storm of Light twice in a row was a huge drain on his spirituality. Failing to finish it off in one blow, Lu Mingfei decisively activated the 'Nightmare' ability, forcibly dragging the dragon into a dream, while he himself knelt on the ground, leaning on his sword.

"Opportunity!" Zero shouted and charged toward the dragon. Nono also quickly reacted, realizing that Lu Mingfei had activated his ability, and she picked up the watermelon knife and rushed up as well.

Zero's dagger broke through the dragon's scales and stabbed into its head. Nono coated her weapon in flames and slashed with all her might toward the dragon's heart.

"Clang!" The knife broke.

"Whew... what happened? Did you kill it? Damn! My head hurts so much right now! And it feels like a bunch of voices are talking in my ears; I need to rest..." Waking up, Lu Mingfei saw the motionless dragon, let go of the sword hilt, and lay directly on the ground.

"Well done, everyone. Ming Fei's tactical arrangement was very reasonable and caused significant damage to this dragon. Zero and Nono's coordinated interference was also good; you solved the problem simply, decisively, and quickly." With a gratified smile on his face, Ji slowly descended from the sky and then looked at the motionless dragon lying on the side. "This guy is still alive; let's see if we can ask it something..."

The dragon, hearing this, no longer dared to play dead. It opened its eyes wearily, revealing a sense of grievance in its eyes, "My lords and ladies, I am a good dragon. I haven't done anything bad; at most, I've stolen a few sheep to eat. Why do you want to kill me?"

Once these words were spoken, everyone was stunned. Ji stepped forward and touched the dragon's head with his right hand, "I'll search your memories to see if what you said is true." Ji activated spirit channeling and searched the dragon's memories. He saw the dragon sleeping, he saw the dragon stealthily avoiding farmers, and he saw the dragon sleeping again...

"This guy is telling the truth..." Ji turned to look at the three youngsters with a speechless expression and said, "The Earth and Mountain lineage definitely has something going on; they are either lazy or gluttonous." Ji told everyone the memories he saw through spirit channeling.

"So this guy is just a paper tiger, sleeping all day long. It was taken down by me in a few moves; it's really a disgrace to the dragon race." Lu Mingfei complained while looking at the dragon, which was lying on the ground with a tearful expression.

"Sigh, I'll heal this guy. It hasn't done anything heinous, and the stealing happened hundreds of years ago; the owners can't even be found. Let's just leave this guy here..." Ji put on a green bracelet on his right hand and touched the dragon's head.

"Thank you, my lords and ladies, for your mercy..." The dragon seemed to have no strength left; it wanted to lift its head but ended up letting it drop again.

Suddenly, Ji felt his copper whistle being blown; Xia Mi had summoned his messenger...