[Fantasy] Divine Capital (Book) - 25-27

page views:1 Publication date:2023-05-13

Chapter 24.

Xia Xi watched as Fey walked to Fronburn's side, then gently leaned on his shoulder, before looking at me. The girl seemed to realize something and walked towards me.

"You, you and Fey... just like that..."

she stammered, somewhat incoherently.

I nodded, signaling her to stop.

"I can't be with her anymore. Mutual hurt and suspicion will destroy everything between us, including our memories. This is the best choice,"

I said.

"I don't understand..."

Xia Xi seemed emotionally agitated, and I didn't know why.

"You seem very concerned about what happened between her and me."

"Fey is one of my best friends, and I don't want to see you two come to this."

Xia Xi seemed to be telling the truth. Girls' minds are so complicated; I don't know what she's thinking. If the woman I liked were constantly involved with my friend, I would definitely choose to remain silent and observe rather than say such things to her.

To avoid the issue, I started to change the subject.

"You guys went out for a fight? I saw Azza was injured."

Xia Xi glanced back at Azza. "We encountered a large group of enemies, about fifteen or so. They seemed to be allied. Azza killed one with a bow, Shadow Eclipse ambushed and killed another, and then we were routed."

I frowned. "That doesn't seem realistic... If it's a temporary alliance, mutual trust would be the biggest problem."

"If they were a guild from the beginning, everything would be explained."

Melfis suddenly interrupted, startling me.

"Where did you go?"

I asked.

"I went to scout the area where Azza and the others were fighting with Xingjian."

"We seem to have found some useful information. Tell me about it."

Melfis didn't speak directly but led us towards Azza and the others. I glanced back at Asaga, then decided it wasn't necessary to wake her up and make her worry about these tactical matters. Besides, I was covered in Fey's scent; if she smelled it, she'd probably be very unhappy.

I don't think what I did with Fey was a betrayal of Asaga, after all, Asaga and I weren't officially in a relationship—I wasn't even sure if she understood what our relationship should be. Even so, I couldn't deceive myself and use the excuse of not being officially in a relationship to ignore Asaga's feelings. So, if I could keep it from her, I wanted to conceal it as much as possible.

However, this was the last time. Fey and I had truly broken up, and we would both force ourselves to forget each other, even if it took a very long time.

"Have you scouted them out?"

Azza said to us as Melfis approached.

I didn't look in Fey and Fronburn's direction; I knew she wouldn't look at me anymore. Although I felt an overwhelming sadness, it was best not to waver in my decision.

"They're also searching for you; it looks like they'll be here soon,"

Melfis said in a low voice.

"I'm waiting for them,"

Azza said, a slight smirk.

"There are more than fifteen of them, and I've already seen the leader; you know him."

"Who?"

"The Earl."

This answer surprised me. As the guild master of the Hell Temple, I had met the Earl once before.

He poured me a cup of tea, and after our conversation, news of my survival spread.

I had no hatred or conflict with him; the leak of information was inevitable, and I didn't hold him responsible for it.

But that doesn't mean I had any affection for the Earl. In fact, our relationship was purely one of mutual exploitation, and whether we could actually exploit them was another matter entirely.

As a guild hostile to Rayout, I knew that Azza and his group had definitely killed many members of the Hell Temple. So if a fight broke out this time, I had no reason not to side with Azza.

I didn't have much of an impression of the Hell Temple's strength, because the rumors about them were all from when I was a very low level. My perspective on the world back then was completely different from now, so those initial impressions lost their original meaning.

"Are they difficult to deal with?"

I couldn't help but ask.

Azza and Melfis looked at me, then exchanged glances. After a brief discussion, they seemed to decide to have Azza explain to me the information they already knew.

"The Hell Temple has about a hundred members in total. Like Rayout and Seren, they follow an elite path, so about half of their members are level 9 or higher. Few people have seen the Earl fight, but according to the information I have, he's definitely above level 5. Their guild's chief warrior's ID is Qinren, and three months ago his level was 3, but I don't know now."

It sounds like their chief warrior is probably Chinese like me, otherwise they wouldn't have such a culturally significant name, just like my ID.

"How many warriors are they at level 5 or higher?"

"Excluding the Earl and Qinren, no more than five. If there were more, Rayout wouldn't have the ability to oppose them, you understand."

Now that Fey has transferred to Seren, Fronburn will definitely follow. With Azza leaving the guild, Rayout now has at most three warriors at level 5 or higher. Shadow Eclipse is still a member of Rayout, and Laharis is also there. I believe Orange may have raised her level to 5 during this time.

As for why Rayout is still standing strong, it's very simple: the Seren guild's unwavering support for them.

If Hell Temple and Rayout go to war, their allies will likely only send some token warriors to help. These warriors will absolutely not fight to the death. But Seren is different. Many members of Seren were once members of Rayout, and they themselves have an indelible hatred for Hell Temple. Since they are interdependent, Seren will definitely do everything in its power to help Rayout.

I don't know how these two guilds got together. My guess is that Balgoth and Seren's guild leader have some deep bond, but this conclusion is just wild speculation.

"They have seven people above level five, all of whom participated in the Battle of the Dome. We have nine of us now, and we're not at a disadvantage in terms of level. Besides, we have monsters like you and Melfis. What's so scary? Why are you all so serious?"

I asked, puzzled.

Melfis looked at me and sighed, "You really don't understand the horror of group warfare."

"Of course. Let me understand then,"

I said helplessly.

Azza picked up the thread, "The fact that the Hell Temple can gather more than ten people here means they must have at least three teams at this stage, and none of them could be below level seven. With systematic coordinated combat training, these people together could raise their combat power to a terrifying level."

"For example,"

Melfis said, "As long as we send the corresponding people to hold us back, the rest can unleash all sorts of super-advanced magic arrays to deal with us without restraint. Without a perfect countermeasure, being wiped out one by one is too easy."

He was right. Even Azza and Melfis couldn't possibly defeat an opponent with such similar combat level and experience in a short time. Their opponent didn't need to defeat them at all; just holding them back was enough. Once the magic array was completed, the situation would immediately turn around.

After careful consideration, I felt the pressure increasing. "Is there any good way?"

"Aren't we just about to discuss it now?"

Melfis said impatiently.

I shrugged and stopped talking. I didn't have much experience in group combat to begin with; talking nonsense would only make me a laughingstock.

"What level are you now?"

Melfis asked Azza.

"Haha, guess."

"Zero?"

Azza smiled without speaking, but we all understood that he was admitting it.

Before, it was just a guess, but now that this information was confirmed, my heart still trembled violently.

There are countless players in this world. I'm not sure exactly how many humans are in this game, but I think even a conservative estimate would be over a billion. Among so many players, no more than twenty warriors in history have ever reached level zero, and more than half of them are already dead.

As far as I know, those who have definitely reached level zero include Gambler Paul, Frostbreak, the chief warrior of Dreams, the guild master of the Destroyer Guild, the Dark Elf King, Runecian from Shadow Eaters, the former and current leaders of Spectre, and Elegy. Of course, the former leader of Spectre is dead, as is Elegy. As for those I don't know about, there are probably no more than three.

Countless warriors like me have fought desperately towards the highest peak, including many geniuses like Melfis. However, only a handful of people survive to stand on that position, while below the altar lies a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.

And this power is like a black hole, capable of bringing a deadly, world-altering pull.

This power could tear even a god into three parts, could control the entire world's information in the dark underground, and could make all mortals bow down in submission when it appeared.

The one who possesses this power is the god of this world.

And now, a new god has been born.

What Azza will bring to this world in the days to come, I don't know, but I feel an indescribable anticipation and excitement at being a witness.

"If there's a chance, I want to fight you again."

Melfis's eyes flashed with a ferocious and excited light.

"I'm waiting for you."

Azza smiled. I seemed to smell an uncontrollable killing intent, a kind of highest expectation for Melfis. Azza's "waiting for you" undoubtedly referred to their level.

Having such a mutually acknowledging opponent is undoubtedly a rare and immense treasure. Azza wanted to wait for Melfis to reach the same level as him; otherwise, even if he won, there would be no pleasure—we are all like that.

"Now is not the time for a duel; if we drag this out any longer, the enemy will come knocking."

Unusually, Shadow Eclipse interjected.

This was the first time I had heard him speak; a plain, yet layered male voice. I just don't know why he was so fond of silence before... Maybe he was infected by the fighting spirit of Azza and Melfis just now.

"Let's center on you,"

Melfis said to Azza, "With your absolute strength advantage, we can try to reduce their numbers at the beginning."

Azza shook his head, "It's not very realistic anymore. They already know I'm there, and they'll use their strongest warriors to entangle me at the start of the battle. On the contrary, they should show their weaknesses without knowing your identity, so it's better to center on you."

"How is his injury?"

Melfis looked at Shadow Erosion.

"Shadow Erosion's injury isn't too serious. You can consider him one combat level lower."

"What level was he originally?"

Azza made a three-point gesture.

"This is difficult... What are your levels?"

Melfis looked at the others in Azza's team.

Fronburn and Fey are both level four. I think they are also stuck at a bottleneck like me. Xia Xi is level five. If she is also at a bottleneck, according to Melfis's conclusion, her talent is higher than all of us, quite close to Melfis himself.

“Without absolute dominance in terms of level, this battle is too difficult.”

Melfis rubbed his temples.

I suddenly thought of something, “You, Hoshimi, Natsuki, and Azza, aren’t you all good at assassination? That’s our decisive advantage.”

Hearing my words, Melfis looked up, seemingly interested.

Azza also looked at me, “That makes some sense… Natsuki, how about we fight with you as the core?”

Azza’s words surprised me, because I didn’t think Natsuki’s strength was at the level to be the core of the team.

Although Natsuki was slightly surprised, she was much calmer than me, “Are you sure?”

“Her? I didn’t realize you valued this kid so much?”

Melfis commented on Azza very rudely in front of Natsuki.

Natsuki pursed her lips, seemingly wanting to scold him, but seemed to hold back because of me. She didn’t refute him verbally, but began to activate some ability.

We frowned and watched her, and then, after a dozen seconds, the magic patterns covering the girl’s body surged like ripples in water. Her slender body blurred instantly after the magical runes surged, like a reflection on turbulent water.

Xia Xi drew her sword, flashed it in front of Melfis, and then slashed.

The girl wasn't using any energy; the attack was merely a demonstration, so Melfis didn't take it seriously. He raised his weapon to block, but failed.

The raven-feather blade missed its mark in mid-air, and his expression immediately changed. A burst of energy accelerated his movement, and Xia Xi had already slashed a gash where he had stood.

I immediately realized that this visual illusion was the effect of the magical runes on Xia Xi's body. In actual combat, if this strike had been accelerated by energy, Melfis might have been seriously injured.

Melfis stood there in shock, as if possessed.

This struck me strangely, because even if he had lost a move, the magical runes on Xia Xi shouldn't have surprised him so much.

"Melfis?"

I called him.

He seemed somewhat dazed, and when I called him, I saw a murderous glint in his eyes.

Azza immediately shielded Xia Xi with his body, and Xia Xi, provoked by Melfis's murderous aura, raised his knife. Melfis was extremely ruthless; those who knew his name understood he was a cold-blooded demon, and no one knew when he would do something unpredictable. Therefore, the moment he unleashed his murderous intent, everyone immediately became alert.

However, Melfis's murderous intent wasn't directed at Xia Xi, because I heard him mutter a name.

"...Yamian..."

"What!"

I frowned as well.

"Yamian's move... I've got it..."

he said.

He was referring to Yamian's teleportation skill... that move killed the Sky Moth and successfully allowed her to injure Melfis and take me hostage when he activated the power of the Raven Feather Blade!

"You said that wasn't teleportation at all... could it be..."

"Yes! Her spell wand... is used to hypnotize our vision, and it works on the same principle!"

Melfis shouted, "I should have realized it sooner! That woman is most skilled in hypnotic techniques outside!"

It has to be said, that Yamian is really too powerful... a mere illusion array allowed her to create an effect almost equivalent to teleportation. If it weren't for Xia Xi's move, Melfis wouldn't know when he would have been able to crack the secret of that move.

I patted him on the shoulder to calm him down. "Now that we know what her trap is, we'll have a better chance of winning."

"...That was just a little trick...it seems she didn't even use half her power. Don't forget, those countless cursed rods on her body, she only used two!"

"This isn't the time to think about that,"

I reminded him.

Melfis was trying to calm himself down, and I knew it was difficult because Yamean held a special place in his heart, but he finally managed to do it.

"Do you think it's feasible, with Xia Xi's abilities?"

Azza asked.

Melfis shook his head. "It tests close-quarters combat ability too much. Once the enemy loses one person, they won't let her get close again. But I do think Greedy Wolf's idea is worth developing."

I felt a bit more involved. "How do you develop it?"

"Guerrilla warfare. Azza attacks them from a distance, forcing them to chase you. Then the others split into three teams and ambush Azza's escape route, capturing any lone survivors and reducing their numbers. If they change targets, the team that was locked on takes over as bait, and Azza turns around and continues attacking."

"Sounds good, but what if they split up to chase us?"

"They definitely will, because they have no other choice, and that's my goal. If they want to catch up with Azza, some lower-level players will inevitably be separated. If they don't want anyone to be separated, they definitely won't be able to catch Azza. His bow is too powerful; if we let him attack from a distance, people will die sooner or later."

"What if they split up to chase us? What do we do?"

“Azza acted alone, and the enemy couldn’t catch him. Xingjian and I are in a group, and they can’t do anything to the two of us either. The magic array Xingjian set up earlier is enough to cover our retreat and lure the enemy. Little girl and…”

“I’m not called Little Girl,”

Xia Xi protested. “I can do it myself.”

Melfis looked at me questioningly, and I nodded to him. I hadn’t forgotten Xia Xi’s ability to escape from Dreams Castle alone, surrounded by countless high-level warriors.

“Then that’s settled. The third group is the three of you left, with Tanlang and the guy we have left to support. After they split up, find the lowest-level pursuit team and defeat them,”

Melfis said.

“You make it sound so easy. How am I supposed to know which team is the lowest-level?”

I asked, annoyed.

“You know the Earl. Don’t mess with his team. As for the rest…”

Melfis was interrupted by Asaga’s sudden voice before he could finish.

“No need for all that trouble, just leave it to me.”

I quickly turned to look at the girl. The injuries Fey had inflicted on her should have healed by now, but I couldn’t tell how badly the damage caused by Mirror Aversion had affected her.

“Feeling better?”

I asked with concern.

“I’m fine,”

the girl said expressionlessly, while giving Fey a fierce glare. However, Fey didn’t even glance at her.

I only knew that eating helped her recover, but I didn’t know that sleeping could have the same effect.

Seeing my slightly puzzled look, Asaga whispered something in my ear.

“Melfis fed me all the food.”

I was stunned for a moment, then looked at Melfis in disbelief.

“You gave her all the food, what are we going to do!”

“If we win this match, we’ll advance, and then we can exchange for the food. What’s there to be afraid of?”

“How do you know we’ll definitely win!”

I was a little exasperated.

“We came to this competition to win.”

Melfis said confidently, as if there was some truth to her words. He stopped looking at me and turned to the girl: "Asha, you just said, 'Give it to you'? What do you mean?"

"If it's about killing, I have a very simple way."

"What way?"

Asa waved her hand, and a dark energy hole immediately appeared in the void beside her. A magical beast fell out of it. Two meters long, with a gaping maw, a row of sharp bone spurs along its spine, and incredibly sharp claws on all four limbs.

The beast roared after landing, frantically pawing at the floor in front of us, baring its white, gleaming teeth as a show of force. We all tensed up. Although it was a low-level magical beast, the close proximity still made us a little nervous.

The beast flicked its tail and then lingered towards Asa. The girl placed her hand on its head, and the beast immediately quieted down like a cub, lying beside her.

"This is it,"

Asa said quietly, looking at us.

Melfis's brow furrowed. "How many can you summon?"

Asa held up five fingers.

"Five? All of this level?"

Although not as powerful as the one Melfis's opponent summoned before, these didn't seem to be too far apart in level.

Asaga shook her head, "Not five, fifty."

Everyone looked shocked.

"Really?!"

Melfis exclaimed.

"Fifty, but it will use all my energy,"

Asaga said honestly.

Melfis seemed very excited, "No need for fifty, thirty will be enough! No need to choose a team either, Xingjian and I will lead the people chasing us to where you two are lying in ambush. As long as you can use thirty magical beasts to charge the enemy team and create chaos, Xingjian and I are confident that we can take advantage of the chaos to kill them all! Greedy Wolf will protect you, so that they don't discover your location and make a desperate attempt to kill you. Hahaha! The plan is perfect!"

Asaga looked at me, and I nodded to her.

Azza also looked at Melfis and smiled, "Let's start preparing, then."

We began discussing the details and routes, and a few minutes later received a warning from Xingjian—the enemy had entered the barrier's range.

**************************************

I stood by the window, gazing at Azza's location, waiting for Melfis and his pursuers to appear on the street below or on the rooftops opposite.

Asaga sat beside me, leaning against the wall below the window.

"You summon so many magical beasts, can you handle it?"

I asked, slightly uneasy.

Asaga looked up at me. "I don't make promises I can't keep, unlike some people."

I paused slightly. "What do you mean?"

"You're hiding something from me."

"I didn't intend to hide anything from you, it's just that you haven't asked me. Besides, I think there are many things you don't understand."

I sighed.

"Then let me ask you, what exactly is your relationship with that woman?"

The girl glared at me.

"Whatever our relationship was before, it's over now."

I said in a low voice.

"Okay."

Asaga nodded. "After this battle, I'll kill her."

"Why?"

I exclaimed.

“No reason, I’m willing!”

“No!”

I snapped.

“You said yourself that you and she have nothing to do with each other anymore!”

Asaga jumped up from the ground and shouted.

“That doesn’t mean I can just watch you kill her!”

I said angrily.

“What right do you have to tell me what to do! I’m going to kill her! If you can’t stand it, then kill me!”

“You’re being unreasonable. I can’t lay a hand on you, and I can’t let you kill her!”

“What if I absolutely have to kill her?”

Asaga looked very serious, gritting her teeth as she said this.

“Then there’s no need for us to continue being companions!”

I said coldly.

To be honest, I was somewhat disappointed in her. I didn’t understand why she insisted on killing Fey, but if she valued me, she should at least consider my feelings, instead of constantly going against me like this.

“You’re a big liar! I knew long ago that you didn’t care about me at all! You promised that you wouldn’t kick me out unless I wanted to leave!”

Asaga shouted.

I fell silent. I only said things like there was no need to continue being companions before to scare her, but it seems that this is exactly what she was worried I would say. Damn it, what did I say?

[Last edited by 0768 on 3-21 08:16] Quote Use Item Report Reply top Put into Treasure Chest yani2003level 6 Posts 1918 Points 41 Gold Coins 2056 Support 2387 Degrees Thanks 201 Degrees Promotion 1 Person Registered Time 2-26 Personal Space Send Message Add as Friend Currently Offline Only Show This Author Borrowing a Post Just as I was in a daze, Asaka had already taken out something.

It was the black ring left by Jingyan...

"What are you going to do!"

I was shocked when I saw that thing.

"I'm leaving! I'm going back to the Dark Side!"

Asaka said angrily, and began to charge the ring.

I quickly grabbed her hand, "Don't be silly! I didn't mean to send you away!"

I can't stand it if you really leave, Asaka, I need you... A voice in my heart was screaming.

"I'm leaving! I can't take it anymore! You're obsessed with that woman all day long!

Do you think I can't see it? You'll be thinking about her as long as she's alive! But you won't let me kill her!

I have to leave!"

Asaga struggled hysterically in my arms, large tears streaming from her eyes.

"So you just don't understand feelings! The reason I have to separate from Fey... is because of you! If Fey were more important than you, why would I abandon Fey to stay by your side! You have no idea how difficult it is to sever feelings... so you have no idea how important you are to me!"

However, when I came to my senses, I realized that these words that I had been thinking had actually been shouted out.

Asaga stopped struggling and stared at me blankly.

I was also stunned, because I hadn't intended to say those words.

We looked at each other for a long time, and then she spoke first.

"I really don't understand... so, hearing what you said... should I be happy or angry..."

Her confused look made me laugh in exasperation. I released my grip on her arm and stroked her hair.

"She's not important anymore. What's important is you. I'm not lying to you."

Asaga's eyes flickered for a moment, then she wrinkled her little nose. "You don't know!"

I'd made my decision, so even if it took a long time, I would eventually let go of Fey completely, making her a beautiful memory, not an unbearable burden. I was certain of that. Asaga, however, was the one I could never let go of.

"Let me tell you, we Devourers have very sensitive noses! If you lie to me, I'll definitely smell it!"

Asaga poked my chest with her finger.

I nodded, saying nothing, because I had no intention of lying to her.

Asaga seemed to understand something; her tense shoulders relaxed slightly, and she rested her forehead against me.

"Greedy Wolf… if you disappoint me… I'll have to go back to the Dark Side… I can't afford to lose anymore…"

I patted her back, wanting to say something.

Just then, a golden light flashed across the distant sky. We both quickly turned to look—azza had made her move!

The beam of light blew away all the buildings within a radius of tens of meters when it hit the ground, leaving me dumbfounded.

To avoid being noticed, Azza couldn't possibly have calmly increased his energy and gathered his energy arrows before attacking. The entire process took him less than two seconds. The faster the energy is increased and gathered, the greater the unnecessary energy loss. The fact that his attack could still be so powerful under these circumstances only further proves that he is a true monster!

Because of the distance, I didn't know how much damage Azza's attack had actually caused. But immediately, energy storms of various colors rose up from that direction, and energy explosions instantly covered the entire street. The opponent began to counterattack, and Azza began to retreat after firing three weaker arrows.

A dazzling array of energy blades and energy bullets rained down on Azza from behind, but Azza's speed didn't decrease at all. He didn't bother to dodge at all; relying on the overwhelming strength of his level zero warrior's energy shield, Azza didn't care whether the attacks would hit him.

My hands began to tremble slightly as I tried to focus, intently watching the direction where Melfis and the others might appear.

Hoshimi had carefully sensed the barrier earlier and confirmed that the enemy numbered eighteen. If all went well, Azza, Xiaxi, and Yingshi could each eliminate at least one enemy unit. Fifteen people—if nothing unexpected happened, we should only face five to seven opponents soon.

If there were more, it meant the enemy team was of lower level. I believed Melfis and the others could easily eliminate them unscathed amidst the monster horde, thus reducing their numbers by half. Once we regrouped, the enemy would have no chance of winning—that was our plan.

Soon, I sensed energy fluctuations. I glanced at Asaga; the girl seemed to have temporarily put aside her worries and entered battle mode. I breathed a sigh of relief and drew my divine weapon.

Melfis and Hoshimi's figures emerged from the gap between two buildings. Hoshimi seemed to be severely injured, and Melfis was pulling her towards us.

"Asaja, now's the time!"

I shouted to her.

The girl gripped her other wrist with her left hand, closed her eyes, and began to gather power. The energy pore we had just seen reopened, and then one magical beast after another leaped out.

At the same time, the pursuers behind Melfis and the others appeared. Four people... fewer than I had expected.

After thirty magical beasts were summoned, Asaja was covered in sweat. She leaned weakly against the wall and gave the order for the horde to charge towards Melfis.

Because Hoshimi was injured, I really wanted to go and help them. But my mission was to protect Asaja; other matters were not my responsibility.

When the horde of magical beasts came into view, they immediately stopped their pursuit. Anyone who suddenly saw such a number of magical beasts in front of them would have to reassess the situation.

However, Hoshimi, who had been held back by Melfis and looked like she was about to die, suddenly sprang to her senses. Using the push Melfis gave her, she charged directly at them—it turned out these two were acting... they had fooled me.

As Hoshino pounced, she immediately entangled the leader, wasting his last chance to escape. The monsters quickly surrounded them, and Melfis joined the fray.

I watched their battle from afar; the two assassins, under the cover of the monsters, quickly gained a decisive advantage.

Asaka kept her eyes fixed on them, using some kind of sensory influence to prevent the monster horde from attacking them.

Suddenly, I felt a strange unease.

As this feeling arose, I immediately began to boost my energy and pulled Asaka back.

Just as we stepped back, the floor beneath Asaka's feet shattered. The battle nearby was so intense that I almost missed the subtle energy fluctuations beneath my feet.

The sudden appearance of my opponent caught me completely off guard, but they didn't give me any time to react; Shingu had already clashed with their weapon.

Black hair, black eyes… This guy is that damned high-level warrior Qin Ren! I cursed inwardly.

The overwhelming energy was suffocating me. My instinct was to activate the Soul Redemption Armor, but I immediately realized that the rings had been sealed away because of the highest level of "Nirvana."

The psychological disadvantage and the energy disparity forced me to retreat, almost crashing into the wall behind me.

Asaga slashed at Qin Ren from behind with her claws, finally freeing me from my blind spot.

Qin Ren accelerated to the side, dodging Asaga's attack, and without even looking, fired five high-level energy projectiles at her. Asaga curled up in defense, her energy shield buzzing from the explosions, unable to pursue him any longer.

"Who are you people? Are you with Azza?"

Qin Ren asked us from the direction of the window.

“You could think that way,”

I grinned. “You must be a Qin person, right?”

“You’re a dragon too?”

I nodded. “How did you know we were lying in ambush here?”

Qin was a very frank warrior. “I was a sentry. I secretly followed the others when they came after those two. There was a large-scale energy fluctuation where you were hiding, and with so many magical beasts, it was easy to spot you.”

“You’re a high level, but we’re not pushovers either. If you linger here with us, your four friends will be in trouble.”

“I don’t think so. Those magical beasts were summoned by her. I don’t think she has much energy left to control so many. Your two companions aren’t doing much better now.”

Hearing Qin’s words, I turned to look at Melfis. The horde of magical beasts that Asaga could control a moment ago was now out of control, attacking anyone who approached them indiscriminately.

Just as I turned to look, Qin had already charged over. I broke out in a cold sweat, but thankfully, Asaga had already parried Qin’s first attack while I was distracted.

"Can you still control those monsters?!"

I rushed over, wielding my sword to force Qin Ren back while shouting at Asagi.

"I was forced to move just now, the summoning spell was broken, and the monsters have gone berserk. If an ordinary person had tried to summon like that, they would have already turned on me."

When out of control, they prioritize attacking the summoner; this is a basic summoning principle. Fortunately, Asagi is the Devourer Princess, and she has essential control over these monsters; otherwise, we would be in serious trouble.

We can't expect Melfis to finish this quickly. I gripped my weapon tightly, calming myself down to prepare for a proper battle.

"You keep an eye on your surroundings and recover your energy. I'll take care of this one,"

I said to Asagi.

Qin Ren twirled his sword and smiled at me.

"So you're that person..."

I frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"What you're holding should be the Divine Palace... I haven't told you about your situation."

My mind started to get a little confused, but then I realized that the Hell Temple's guild hall was in the same city as Old Master Fang's shop. And since he's Chinese, it's inevitable that we'd recognize each other.

"Bu Ning told me you're very capable, and I heard Master thinks highly of you. Let me see just how strong you are."

He charged forward as soon as he finished speaking, and I broke out in a cold sweat.

He called Old Master Fang "Master"... If that's the case, this opponent is truly a big problem.

"Wait!"

I shouted at him.

Qin Ren stopped after hearing my shout. "What? Scared?"

I stared at him. "Are you Mr. Fang's disciple?"

"I used to be."

Qin Ren smiled bitterly. "But he doesn't acknowledge me anymore."

I nodded. "If I kill you, will Mr. Fang blame me?"

"You can rest assured about that. Master has wanted to expel his disciples many times, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. If you can kill me, Master will definitely not blame you."

I took a deep breath and focused all my mental energy on the Divine Palace in my hand. I needed to find the right rhythm with the sword, otherwise I had no chance of winning.

Qin Ren seemed to be waiting for me to find my peak form as well. When I looked up at him again, he nodded and gave a very concise assessment.

"Not bad."

After saying those two words, he charged forward, and I met him head-on.

Qin Ren didn't use as much energy to suppress me as he had at the beginning. On the contrary, his sword was incredibly fast without any energy acceleration.

But I kept up with his pace. The thin blade of the Divine Palace hissed as it scraped against the air, aiming straight for Qin Ren's sword-wielding hand.

Qin Ren seemed surprised by my speed. He was forced to stop attacking and dodge my blade. But before I could change my move, his speed increased significantly.

Three times in a row, each time he dodged my attack and then counterattacked. But the difference was that on the third time, his speed completely surpassed mine. I could no longer fight back and was forced to switch to defense.

With the situation turning against me, I knew this battle was going to be difficult. Qin Ren's fluid swordplay, delivered with incredible speed, left me utterly defenseless. Without the Soul Redemption Armor, without bone weapon summoning, and without the Light Flow Blade, I found myself completely helpless in this passive situation. The

buzzing blade whizzed past me again and again, each time narrowly missing my body.

Instinctively, I dared not use my Divine Palace to parry his sword, for the impression left by my sparring with Mr. Fang was too profound. Facing his true disciple, I feared making the same mistake and losing my hand.

Each time Qin Ren's blade clashed with mine, it would deflect my weapon in a predetermined direction, another reason I didn't want to engage him in combat. Fortunately, my swordplay had been trained by Mr. Fang and the Melfis System; otherwise, I probably wouldn't have lasted this long.

"I overestimated you. You're not worth me using the sword techniques my master taught me,"

Qin Ren suddenly said during the battle, then began to vigorously increase his energy.

I quickly seized the opportunity to jump out of the fray and did the same.

Our combined energy storm ripped the roof off the building. This time, I was more experienced and wouldn't give him a chance to sneak up on me; instead, I launched the first attack. Our weapons, imbued with immense energy, collided in mid-air, the compression of energy producing a piercing creak.

Qin Ren was right; during our close combat, I clearly felt the undeniable gap between us. My swordsmanship disappointed him—that was something I understood.

Since that's the case, then I'll try to make him look at me in a full-blown duel…

I defiantly leaped through the air alongside him, attacking him with energy blades. My body was surrounded by the light and vibrations of energy explosions, the constant acceleration sending my blood rushing to my chest and brain.

To my surprise, I wasn't at a significant disadvantage in either speed or energy intensity. The difference in levels was obvious, yet I was still handling it with ease. It seemed that after abandoning the idea of using the ring's abilities, my remaining energy far exceeded my initial expectations.

All I can say is that those rings' abilities are incredibly energy-intensive…

Qin Ren made a suspicious move while moving rapidly; he condensed a beam of blue energy with his finger, leaving it suspended in the air as he dashed away. This action was extremely stealthy; by the time I noticed, Qin Ren had already left quite a few of these in the air.

My heart tightened, and I immediately began to retreat rapidly, attacking the locations of these blue beams with long-range energy projectiles.

Qin Ren, seeing his hidden attack discovered, became somewhat angry. He chased after me, attempting to stop me from disrupting his plan.

But it was too late; I secretly rejoiced. If it had been any later, and he had unleashed this attack with its unknown effects, I probably wouldn't be alive.

In this high-energy combat, I regained some confidence, so when he charged at me, I didn't dodge but instead swung my sword fiercely at him.

We both had our energy levels very high, so when we clashed again, the attacks that were dodged often uncontrollably formed huge energy blades that detached from the blades and flew away. These energy blades began to explode in all directions on the ground, even affecting the battle on Melfis's side.

I pretended to be outmatched, unleashed my energy to accelerate and shake off Qin Ren, dashing off in a certain direction. Qin Ren, unsuspecting, immediately gave chase.

Smashing through a window, I rushed into a building, immediately firing a super-powerful energy blast to both sides and at my feet, blasting a large hole in the wall and floor. After doing all this, I jumped up behind a thick support pillar, inserted the Divine Palace into the ceiling, and tensed my abdominal muscles to press myself against it.

The next second, Qin Ren jumped in through the window, having skillfully created a very thick protective shield in front of him to guard against my sneak attack. But I didn't rush to attack, instead waiting for him to be careless.

Qin Ren darted to the hole in the floor. He didn't peek inside, but instead, without a word, he hurled several energy blasts into it. That was enough. I jumped down from above him, roaring as I slashed at him with my sword.

At the last second, Qin Ren barely managed to raise his sword to block my vertical slash. However, my powerful downward momentum was something he couldn't neutralize with his sword; I slammed him through the floor to the floor below.

After landing, Qin Ren assumed a perfect horse stance, forcefully resisting the continued downward pressure, and then used the force to knock me back. Exhausted, I had no choice but to retreat. Unwilling to let him neutralize my tactics so easily, I frantically attacked him with energy blades as he knocked me back, and he retaliated.

The two of us recklessly exchanged energy blows within the building, causing it to shake precariously. Debris and bricks continued to fall, which we shielded with energy shields, and continued to try to locate each other with long-range attacks through the increasingly blurred dust.

He hit me a few times, and perhaps I hit him too; neither of us gained a significant advantage. More and more innocent supporting pillars were blasted apart by our attacks, and the entire building collapsed downwards.

Driven by a bloodlust, I didn't choose to escape through the back window, but instead dashed towards him, hoping to seize an opening during his escape and deliver a heavy blow. Unexpectedly, Qin Ren had the same idea, and we crashed head-on into each other amidst a cloud of dust. The immense impact made me feel like every bone in my body was about to

break

, and more importantly, the building above us had collapsed on top of us . I passed out, but thankfully , my energy shield saved my life in the collapse . ＊ ... "Where are the Qin people?" "The one you fought was a Qin person?" Melfis raised an eyebrow.

"Who do you think it is? Where is he?"

"He crawled out and ran away before we got here."

Although it was a draw, he was much more composed than me.

"How's your result?"

Xingjian walked over. "All four are dead. We've sent a signal, and the others are on their way."

"Just so you know, I'm out of energy... I've been hit by buildings twice in two days. I wonder if some unseen force is giving me a hard time..."

I complained.

"You've done enough by beating their chief warrior to a pulp. Just sit back and watch the show,"

Melfis laughed.

Soon, the others arrived with a large group of pursuers. I glanced around. None of us were seriously injured, and the enemy's numbers had been reduced to ten.

Qin Ren was also in their group; it seemed he had successfully reunited with his companions.

The numbers were very close. Although four of us were quite exhausted, so was Qin Ren, the strongest on the other side. At this point, it was impossible for them to contain Azza's firepower.

I recognized the Earl at a glance. He looked terrible, but still maintained a very composed demeanor.

"It seems you've wiped out our entire team..."

the Earl said, looking at Azza, who naturally assumed he was the leader. "You've found allies; we miscalculated."

His gaze fell on me, and I looked back at him.

"I didn't expect you to still be with Rayout. I thought you were determined to overthrow Rayout with us."

Upon hearing this, Shadow Eclipse, Fronburn, and the others all looked at me, but I remained unmoved.

"I will definitely destroy Rayout, but that's not something I need to consider right now,"

I said expressionlessly.

"Are you serious?"

Azza frowned at me.

I glanced back at him. "What? You want to kill me now? If you don't kill me now, Rayout will definitely be destroyed in my hands later."

The atmosphere suddenly became tense. Although, apart from Shadow Eclipse, the others weren't direct members of Rayout, if I really wanted to do something to Rayout, they wouldn't stand idly by.

The only question is, will they immediately turn against me?

"Greedy Wolf, Balgus's mistake isn't something you can just fix by destroying the entire guild..."

Azza said.

"Enough! Do you really want to discuss this now?!"

Melfis shouted. The enemy before us isn't some weakling we can easily defeat.

The Earl had been coldly watching our conversation until Melfis interrupted him.

"It seems you were prepared. I don't think we have any chance of winning if we continue. I don't like battles where we can't win. If you intend to pursue us, don't forget to be prepared to pay the price."

After saying this, the Earl led his men in retreat. I looked at Melfis, waiting for his order to attack. However, Melfis remained silent until the Earl and his men turned and flew away, seemingly reassured.

"Just let them go like that?"

I asked, puzzled.

"It seems you don't understand the situation,"

Melfis said, gesturing to the side.

Azza and the others were looking at me.

"Greedy Wolf, what are you thinking?"

he asked with a complicated expression.

"Balgus betrayed me, so I'm going to destroy his Rayout, it's that simple." Chapter 25,

April 19th. I hadn't expected things to be so serious that Melfis was wary; otherwise, he wouldn't have given up the opportunity to hunt down the Earl and his group. Even if the Earl and his group were still strong, with his abilities, he could easily take a few more lives. I glanced at the others; Shadow Eclipse and Fronburn were both looking at me with slightly hostile eyes. "I'm not trying to defend him, but you need to understand that destroying Rayout isn't revenge. If you just want to kill Balgus, I won't make things difficult for you, but..." "Enough!" I interrupted him. "Do you think the people of Rayout would sit idly by and watch me kill their beloved guild leader? You believe I didn't do it, but they don't think so. Besides, Balgus has evidence of my betrayal of the guild, and I have no way to prove my innocence!" Azza was silent. "You understand I can't just sit idly by and watch you destroy the guild. Seren wouldn't allow you to do it either." "Azza, what exactly are you planning to do? Kill me here again?" I roared. “No, power can’t solve everything. I could kill you, but that would only make me unable to forgive myself. But I must change your mind before you destroy Rayout.” Azza is such a good person… He always tries to find a way to solve problems in a way that satisfies everyone. I don’t know if I should call him naive, because in my eyes, trying to please everyone means achieving nothing. Maybe someone as radical as me is destined not to reach his level. Just as I was lost in thought, a hiss suddenly came from behind me, followed by a huge force hitting my back. I immediately gathered energy to defend myself, only to find that the real target was not me, but Melfis. It was a thick golden beam of energy, and the aftershocks from the overflowing energy were already making it hard for me to breathe. The beam of energy was extremely fast, but before it hit its target, Hoshino had already stepped in front of Melfis. The hit Hoshino spat out a mouthful of blood and crashed heavily into Melfis. Melfis’s eyes widened, as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Seven unidentified figures charged at us from behind, their bodies enveloped in golden magical shields—the source of the earlier attack. We 'd been ambushed! A cold sweat broke out all over me. Those guys had probably been secretly observing our conflict with the Earl from the beginning. Now, knowing our overall numbers and strength, they still launched an attack, which could only mean they had extraordinary confidence in their abilities. "How's Xingjian?!" I shouted, firing energy blasts at the charging opponents to slow their advance. "Not dead." Melfis's eyes were bloodshot, his chest heaving violently; he looked extremely angry. "Melfis! We retreat! Those seven are the 'Lava' assassin group!" Azza roared. "Lava" wasn't a particularly powerful guild, but few in the capital hadn't heard of their assassin group. The seven individuals were only individually quite strong, but they possessed an extremely terrifying combined spell, "Dragon of Light," which required all seven of them to activate together and took a long time to unleash.

It's said that no opponent has survived this attack yet, as they used it to successfully kill the former Level Zero Super Warrior, Tooth Fairy.

A dazzling halo has already swelled around them; the legendary "Dragon of Light" is taking shape!

"So what if it's the 'Dragon of Light'... Hahahaha!"

Melfis laughed maniacally, his eyes bloodshot, then slammed his hand to the ground.

Immediately, chaotic magical light blinded everyone. Mercury-like magic circles surged rapidly from beneath Melfis's hand in all directions, enveloping everyone's feet in a magic circle.

When Melfis first entered this area, he sent me and Xingjian to set traps, but he disappeared for a whole day. It turns out he was preparing this super magic circle with the city as its activation range... What a complete madman!

The magic circle's light flashed within a radius of several kilometers. I trembled with excitement; if viewed from the sky, the scene would be absolutely spectacular.

This was Melfis's trump card...

The towering buildings around them began to collapse under the influence of the magic circle, and huge fragments of the buildings were levitated in the air by the power of the magic circle. The entire city had become Melfis's domain.

A torrential rain of stones, under Melfis's control, surged towards the "Lava" men. The light surrounding those men collided with the stones, shredding them into dust. However, more stones rushed forward, an almost endless attack that completely enveloped them.

Azza stood beside Melfis, beginning to gather energy with all his might. A buzzing energy arrow was pressed onto his bow, ready to unleash a deadly strike at any moment.

Just then, I saw a scene I didn't want to see—the Count's men seemed to have noticed the commotion and reappeared in our sight.

My energy had recovered to about two-fifths, and I believed the Qin people's energy was definitely more.

"Melfis, the Count and his men are back!"

"Kill them."

Melfis calmly threw me a sentence.

Shadow Eclipse had already dashed out. He seemed perfectly aware that the Count's men couldn't be allowed to get close to Azza and Melfis, who were locked in a fierce battle with the seven members of "Lava."

"Leave the 'Dragon of Light' to me,"

Melfis said, giving Azza another murderous glare.

Azza breathed a sigh of relief, then turned and aimed his bow at the Count, releasing the string.

Once again, Azza witnessed a magnificent shot; the arrow seemed to chant some kind of requiem, piercing a man's shield with speed beyond anyone's reaction time, blasting him into a cloud of blood mist.

Having done this, Azza left Melfis's side and charged towards the people of the Hell Temple.

Shadow Eclipse faced the Count, while Azza was entangled with three opponents, including Qin Ren. Xingjian was still unconscious, so we were able to take on the remaining opponents one-on-one.

My opponents weren't particularly strong, which allowed me to breathe a sigh of relief. With my current strength, I had no advantage in this chaotic battle, and besides, I couldn't afford to waste any more of my remaining energy.

Having lost my other abilities, I unleashed the full power of the Divine Palace. I thought of nothing else; amidst the explosions and shouts, only one thought occupied my mind: to cut.

Perhaps I couldn't defeat Mr. Fang's disciple, but I couldn't accept failing to gain an advantage in swordsmanship against an ordinary high-level warrior.

Ignoring his attacks, I repeatedly slashed at his body.

He was intimidated by my mutually destructive fighting style; his attacks, which could have landed on me, were replaced with parries and dodges. But my blade strikes became increasingly successful, repeatedly shattering his protective shield and leaving shallow cuts on his body from the overflowing energy.

Ten minutes later, blood loss nearly drained him of his strength. I successfully parried his blade and plunged the Divine Palace into his chest.

I was utterly exhausted, having had to compensate for my energy depletion with physical strength during the fight. After killing him, I barely had the strength to stand.

Asaka was injured and hadn't healed, indicating her condition was critical. Her opponents weren't unscathed either; the two remained locked in a fierce exchange of blows.

Shadow Eclipse had taken a stab to the shoulder, and the Count's once-neat hair was now disheveled, with numerous energy splatter wounds.

Meanwhile, Melfis was entangled with a giant dragon formed from light-attribute energy. Melfis tossed entire buildings at the dragon like toys; broken structures crashed into the light and shattered, but the dragon was merely deflected by the impact.

The seven opponents were lined up, fused with the dragon, their movements perfectly synchronized. However, Melfis's agility still gave them the upper hand, so they weren't yet a fatal threat. He bore numerous cuts from the light, his clothes stained crimson with blood, and his arms bore burn marks, yet Melfis still cradled the unconscious Hoshino in one arm, a fanatical, evil smile on his face.

The city surrounding Melfis had been completely ravaged into ruins, the magic circles on the ground still glowing. He retreated, tearing apart more buildings and hurling them at them; I suspected he intended to bury the Dragon of Light in the rubble.

Finally, the Dragon of Light's light dimmed. Realizing they could no longer gain the upper hand, the seven members of "Lava" chose to retreat before the Dragon of Light completely disappeared.

Melfis stood atop a broken building lying askew in the void, watching the Dragon of Light vanish in the distance, laughing wildly before flying towards us.

The Earl seemed to sense Melfis's return; he roared for the others to retreat, then used a massive burst of energy to blast away the Shadow Erosion and dashed backward.

Both they and our men were injured; we couldn't stop them from escaping. Melfis manipulated the ground to create countless rock walls along their escape route, but they were still blasted away by his energy.

We gave chase. I fired an energy blast, which Asaga blocked with her back shield. Using the momentum, she quickly closed in on the last guy, severing his leg with her claws.

I followed, finishing off the guy who was screaming as he fell through the air with a single, fatal blow to the throat. Asaga smiled down at me, and I smiled back. We accelerated forward, ready to continue reaping the spoils.

Just then…

“Greedy Wolf!”

Melfis roared from above.

“Greedy Wolf!”

Almost simultaneously, Fey’s voice came from behind.

I instinctively turned around and saw a massive stone cone, as thick as a man, shooting towards the ground about half a meter away.

Blood clung to my lips, a spray of blood filled my vision, and the pungent smell of rust filled my nostrils.

I slowly lowered my head; everything was crimson. I rushed down, my heart nearly stopping.

Fey lay there, the massive stone cone pinning her to the ground from her abdomen. The girl’s waist was almost completely severed, and thick blood soaked a large patch of ground within a second.

My whole body was trembling violently. I collapsed to my knees in the pool of blood beneath Fey, then clutched her head.

The girl looked at me, gasping for breath, tears welling in her eyes.

"I'm going to die, Greedy Wolf... I'm going to die..."

Her voice was filled with terror, an uncontrollable terror.

I felt I couldn't breathe, and could only press Fey's blood-stained face against mine.

Melfis descended from the sky, standing helplessly beside me.

"Damn it... you beast... what the hell did I do..."

His voice trembled, but I couldn't hear what he was saying.

"Fey, don't cry... don't cry..."

I numbly repeated the dry words.

"Greedy Wolf... I'm scared..."

Fey wrapped one arm around my neck, but her other arm was paralyzed for some reason.

“Don’t speak…don’t be afraid…”

“I regret it…I regret it so much…”

Fey cried, “What pride, what jealousy, what resentment…If I had known I was going to die, I wouldn’t have left you…if only…”

“No…you don’t count…you didn’t…leave…”

I stammered, wiping away the blood that kept flowing from the girl’s mouth.

“I wanted…to be with you…I really wanted to…I…shouldn’t have chosen that way…I…but I’m so glad…until I die…I still…love you…I…until I die…I haven’t changed my mind.”

“Don’t speak, I know, I know everything!”

“Me…why did I only realize how much I wanted to say to you when I was dying…I regret it so much…but I can’t say it now…”

“It’s my fault, Fey! It’s my fault…it’s all my fault…you won’t die…you’ll live a good life!”

I cried, pulling her tightly into my arms.

“Liar…”

Fey’s lips curled up, and then the light of life began to drain rapidly from those beautiful eyes.

I couldn’t believe my eyes.

Fey died, died in my arms.

I had completely lost track of what I was feeling. I felt like I was screaming something madly, tears streaming uncontrollably down my face, soaking both my own and the girl's.

The reality was unacceptable; I couldn't accept it.

I had chosen to forget her, so why did this happen? Was this some kind of punishment?

Was it for her? Or for me?

Someone was fighting beside me. Who was Melfis fighting? My mind was completely incapable of thinking. All I knew was that the girl I loved most was dead.

Asaga was blasted away by Shadow Eclipse's energy, and Azza was also firing at Melfis. Xia Xi was shouting something, but why couldn't I hear anything?

Fronburn knelt not far in front of me, his eyes filled with a deathly gray. Melfis was charging towards him, while Azza was desperately protecting Fronburn.

This world was so strange; I just felt so tired, so incredibly tired.

In an instant, Fey withered away. I felt like it was an utterly ridiculous joke.

My obsession with her, my jealousy, my hatred, my love, my lingering affection, my resolve—all of it became utterly meaningless in an instant. Why didn't I love her properly before she died? Why did I make the decision to separate from her? How foolish I was!

Human foolishness lies in not knowing that such things can happen. And such things can take away what you truly love. What is taken away will repeatedly mock our foolishness in our memories.

It's an unbreakable cycle.

The girl's body temperature in my arms was slowly draining away; no matter how I tried to warm her, Fey would never open her eyes again.

“Excuse me, is there anyone else sitting here? If not, could we share a table? There's really no room…”

“She will definitely forgive you, because you still consider her your friend and hope for her forgiveness.”

“If you could just take these things out of your heart a little… maybe the whole world would be a different place for you…”

“Perhaps we've just been searching for something to illuminate our dark side…”

“Perhaps you… are a gift from God…”

“I, Fey Millennium, will never love another man. From head to toe, I belong to you. From the next sunrise, my body…heart…soul…belong only to you…until the moment of death…”

You fulfilled your promise…Fey…but I will never be able to fulfill my own.

Azza and Shadow Eclipse escaped with Fronburn, and Shahi left too.

I gently laid Fey's head down, her hair slowly slipping through my fingers. I stood up and looked at Melfis.

“Who killed Fey?”

I heard my own voice was eerily calm, and I didn't know why.

“Me,”

Melfis answered.

“Why?”

He walked over and explained what had happened.

Asaga and I were chasing the Earl’s men when Fronburn decided to assassinate me from behind because of my comments about destroying Rayout. Fey rushed over when she realized his intentions, intending to stop Fronburn’s plan with her body. However, Melfis, who was not far away, thought that Fey also wanted to kill me like Fronburn, so he attacked her.

Under the effect of the forbidden spell-level magic circle, Melfis had no way to control the power of his attack. He killed Fey to save me.

“If you want to avenge her, I have no objection, Greedy Wolf,”

Melfis said softly to me.

I gave a tired, empty smile. “It’s probably all destined… Help me remove this big rock from her… I really don’t have the strength…”

Melfis nodded, and then walked with me to the stone cone.

I bent down and gently kissed Fey’s forehead. “It hurts a little, Fey, bear with it, I’m sorry.”

Together we pulled out the stone cone, then dug a grave and buried the girl in it.

I sat beside Fey's grave, with Melfis not far away, letting the unconscious Hoshimi rest her head on her lap.

Asaga came over and hugged me from behind. I took her hand, and the girl began to warm my cold chest with her body. I started to tremble, and tears, once again melted by this warmth, streamed down my face.

"Greedy Wolf... I think I understand..."

the girl murmured softly.

I didn't speak, but simply placed her hand on my face, greedily absorbing Asaga's tenderness.

"This pain, this is love... I understand now... her death taught me... so this pain in my heart is the same thing..."

She paused, then kissed my cheek.

“I understand now… Even if she’s dead… some things can’t be changed…”

I looked up at her. Asaga had moved to face me, kneeling there, tenderly cradling my face.

“I’m sorry, Greedy Wolf… you loved her too much… I shouldn’t be here right now. I wanted to find faith in you, but all I saw was how much you loved her.”

“I…”

I wanted to say something to her, but Fey’s death had drained all my strength, and I couldn’t bring myself to say anything to stop her.

I used all my strength to ask, “You don’t believe me?”

The girl looked at me with gentle eyes.

“If it’s really as you say, then I’ll wait for you to come and save me.”

“Asaga… are you leaving me too…”

I said, trembling.

Asaga nodded firmly; she had learned how to hide her feelings.

I reached out to take her hand, and she gently brushed my hand with her slender fingertips.

“Time is a good thing…”

Asaga released my hand, her beautiful figure standing before me. “If…time can prove that your promise to me was not empty…then I will wait for you in the shadows…for a year, to the best of my ability.”

Asaga took out her ring and charged it with energy.

“Goodbye, Greedy Wolf.”

As Asaga’s figure disappeared into the dark portal, I felt the last bit of life in my heart turn to ashes.

“Melfis…”

“Greedy Wolf.”

“…I’m sorry…I can’t…walk anymore…”

I chose to surrender.

My battle in the dome was over.

On the streets of Nazaris, I wandered like a ghost.

Sitting on the bed in an inn room, I opened the system menu that I hadn’t opened in a long, long time.

I logged out of the game.

Everyone has their own need for tenderness, that kind of thing is called “understanding.” I really want to know how much Fey longed for my tenderness when he died. The more I thought about it, the more I felt like an unforgivable sinner.

The longing on my lips, before I could even speak it, became a burial offering that had to be buried deep in my heart.

The death of Elegy brought me into this place. Fey's death took me away.

For Elegy's death, I carried a heavy burden of guilt; for Fey's death, it was an unbearable grief.

I opened my eyes, opened the eyes of the real world. The game pod was already open, but I didn't get up.

My hand slowly rose, I covered my face, trembling uncontrollably, tears streaming down my face.

Fey was dead; I could never see her face again, never kiss her lips again, never smell her hair again.

I missed her so much…

A cacophony of noise; staff in white uniforms bustled about in the passageway not far in front of me.

I looked at the pure white walls, realizing I was in the real world.

I slowly stood up, looking at the rows of identical game pods stretching neatly to the far end of the room. It had been so long since I'd come out; this was the first time I'd exited the game since becoming a battery.

Looking at the light from the real world, I felt a dizzying disorientation… What had I experienced in that virtual world?

Weaving through the staff, I followed the signs out of the studio and into the restroom. I turned on the tap, splashing the icy water hard on my face, then looked up at myself in the mirror.

Water droplets trickled down my cheeks, and I could barely recognize the person in the mirror. An unnatural light flickered in my eyes, revealing a deep confusion, and I wore a loose-fitting uniform, like that of a patient in an asylum. If I remembered correctly, I'd been wearing this uniform for almost two years.

I tore the uniform apart with my hands and threw it on the ground; otherwise, I felt I couldn't breathe properly.

Fey's image flickered wildly before my eyes, almost threatening to devour my entire sanity. I

'd felt this way once before, when Elegy died.

I'd once heard someone say: "Life is chaotic, filthy, selfish, and fleeting; death is orderly, sacred, fair, and eternal." Now I wanted to kill the mouth of the person who said that.

Death has never been a beautiful thing. When Fey died before me, covered in blood, all that occupied her was the endless fear of death. When the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen was taken by death, all that remained were torn entrails and shattered spines…

I vomited, my stomach was empty, and the acid burned my throat.

Death is such a disgusting thing. People say the dead find eternal peace, but that's just wishful thinking. No one knows what the dead get, but I'm very certain about what the living get.

It's endless sorrow and an uncontrollable longing.

You wanted to be separated from her, so why do you miss her so much now that she's dead?

I know the answer to that question all too well. I never wanted to be separated from her, and neither did she; we both chose a path we'll both regret.

I can't face this answer, because the overwhelming regret makes me want to tear my chest apart.

When I came to my senses, I found myself kneeling on the floor, my hands covered in blood. The mirror in front of the sink was shattered, the glass shards scattered on the floor, reflecting a blinding light.

My fingers picked up a piece of glass, knowing I might firmly pull it towards my wrist in the next second.

More blood flowed from my hand gripping the glass, but I eventually let go.

"I'm glad you didn't."

A strange voice sounded behind me. I turned around and saw a face I'd never seen before. Judging from his clothes, he was probably a staff member.

Kneeling on the ground must have looked terrible… I pushed myself up, only then feeling the throbbing pain in my fingers and the tearing sensation in my palm.

I didn't reply, but tried to walk past him.

Unexpectedly, he stood by the restroom exit, extending his arm to block my way. I glared at him with murderous intent, like I was looking at a low-level player I could easily manipulate.

"Don't look at me like that. This isn't [Divine Capital]."

He was completely unmoved by my gaze, instead handing me a roll of bandage. "So there aren't any advanced medical facilities here to increase recovery speed."

I hesitated for a moment, then took the bandage from the staff member and began to bandage my hand. I was a little confused, wondering why he would bring something like this here.

Perhaps he guessed what I was thinking, because he explained it to me directly.

“Does it seem strange? You know, guys like you who stay in there for over a year often develop some kind of psychological problem once they come out. So there’s a reason for putting emergency aid cabinets in the restrooms, because you’re not the first guy to try to kill yourself here.”

“I didn’t try to kill myself,”

I said coldly.

“At least you had that thought.”

I didn’t reply, because he was right. But I couldn’t do that, because it would only prove that all my previous struggles were meaningless, and all the mercy fate had shown me would be gone forever.

After bandaging my hand, I nodded to him and tried to leave, but he still blocked my way.

“What do you want?”

I looked up at him.

“I didn’t come to the battery’s private restroom to explain the use of the emergency aid cabinets to you. There are some things I want to talk to you about.”

“I’m not interested in that.”

The man shrugged. “It has nothing to do with whether you’re interested or not. You have to talk to me.”

“Why?”

“Because of this.”

He showed me his work badge and gave me time to read the contents.

Roman, the head of the [Battery] organization I work for.

“Speak,”

I conceded.

“This isn’t a good place to talk.”

He turned and opened the door, walking out. “Let’s go to my office.”

************

Roman walked ahead, and I followed him down a long corridor.

When I first came here a long time ago, I hadn’t had the time or inclination to observe the workings of the mechanism, and it was the same now.

I numbly followed Roman into his office, where he invited me to sit at his desk. The office wasn’t large, furnished only with basic furniture. However, the floor-to-ceiling windows behind him made the not-so-spacious office feel very bright, and the pale yellow walls made it feel less oppressive.

He waved his hand, and a floating screen appeared in front of me. I looked at his wrist in surprise, but didn’t see CRK.

Roman seemed to notice my expression and couldn’t help but smile.

While explaining, Roman made a gesture as if giving himself an injection. "Looks like you've been in there too long and are a bit out of touch. The higher-end CRITs these days are built-in, installed under the skin. Human technology hasn't stagnated in the last two years."

I nodded.

"Greedy Wolf, is that your [Divine Capital] ID? Or would you prefer me to call you by your real name?"

"Greedy Wolf is fine."

"I thought so too. Assassins like you usually don't like being called by their real names."

I felt my face twitch noticeably when he mentioned "assassin." But he wasn't wrong; I'd lost count of how many people I'd killed with these hands. I knew they would die, but that didn't stop me.

"Our facility has about 70,000 [batteries], but only about 40 at your level of neural simulation. Can you tell me what made you quit the game after so long? As far as I know, 99% of people who stay in there for over a year like you will never quit."

I wanted to end the conversation with "I don't want to talk about it," but something inexplicable swayed my answer.

“Someone very important has died,”

I said.

Roman’s expression was indifferent; he simply nodded. “So, what are your plans now?”

“Get out.”

“Any plans to come back?”

“I don’t know. Why do you care?”

I was annoyed by his question.

“Whether you come back or not, I have to remind you. Your contract clearly states that as a [battery] of the neural network, you only have 24 hours of downtime per month. As the head of this organization, given that you’ve never used your vacation time, I can give you two extra days. But if you haven’t returned after 72 hours, we will consider you to have automatically forfeited the contract, and all your identity information here will be destroyed. Then, the person named Greedy Wolf will cease to exist.”

I nodded expressionlessly. “Are you finished?”

“If possible, I’d like you to wait here for someone; this time won’t count towards your vacation.”

“Who?”

“I’m sorry, I can’t say.”

“Then I don’t need to accommodate him. May I leave?”

Roman made a “please” gesture, indicating that I could leave. “Before you leave, don’t forget to collect your things from the Public Relations Department.”

I pushed back my chair and left Roman’s office directly.

As Roman suggested, I went to the public relations department before leaving the organization. Not because I accepted his advice, but because I genuinely needed this essential item.

The public relations staff implanted a CRACK under my skin. My wrist itched for a while, then it disappeared as if it hadn't existed. Getting used to this non-wristwatch CRACK will probably take some time, but that's not a big problem for someone like me who used to run a digital store.

"How much is this?"

I couldn't help but ask, because I remembered that I only had about 13,000 kilolux in my account before I became a battery. If this thing was too expensive, I might not even have money to eat out.

"It'll be deducted from your salary."

The staff member's attitude wasn't exactly friendly, but he did utter two words that really interested me.

"Salary?"

"Check your account yourself."

I then remembered that the contract I signed did indeed include hourly wages, and I had even filled in the beneficiaries in case of my accidental death.

It took me ten minutes to familiarize myself with how to use the new CRACK. When I checked my account, I was completely shocked by the huge sum of money displayed.

"How could there be so much!"

I couldn't help but ask the staff member.

"How should I know..."

That guy was definitely not a good conversationalist.

Thinking about it carefully, I realized why I had suddenly become so wealthy.

A base wage of nearly two hundred kronor per hour wasn't too high for someone like me whose life was constantly at stake. The key was that I hadn't logged off since becoming a battery! Twenty-four hours a day, three hundred and sixty-five days a year, my wages had steadily increased over the years I'd been there, not to mention the interest.

Now, thinking about it, if I sold my shrine and my armor, I could start all over again.

Forgetting that world that caused me so much pain seemed incredibly tempting at this moment.

If I said I wasn't wavering, I would be lying to myself.

So much time has passed. Even the Ghost assassins seeking revenge for Elegy wouldn't bother me anymore. Time heals all wounds. Back then, I was just a source of venting for them. So much time has passed; no one would have the patience to wait for someone who's disappeared.

I can go home. The important things I've lost can be retrieved, bit by bit.

Just forget Elegy, forget Fey, forget Asaga.

The question is, can I forget?

With this question and immense unease, I boarded the airship bound for my hometown.

**************************************

I don't know if I should go back to see my parents. They've grown accustomed to my disappearance; my reappearance might be another kind of pain for them.

Familiar city, familiar restaurant. I chose a familiar spot and ordered a bowl of authentic Yangzhou fried rice.

Scraping the bottom of the plate with the porcelain spoon, I mechanically shoved the fried rice into my mouth, as if chewing sand.

The real world I once cherished so much now seemed tasteless.

This place was unbelievably peaceful. I could clearly smell the distinctive dandruff of an old person and the stale, pampered scent of a spoiled teenager. Here, I didn't need to worry about being wanted, nor did I need to fear betrayal or expectations.

It sounded good, but the problem was, this place didn't belong to me, and no one liked the deathly aura emanating from me.

The tabby cat in the corner of the restaurant arched its back, its eyes warily fixed on my location. Animals are always more sensitive to danger than humans, or perhaps it saw the ghosts lingering around me with its cat eyes?

Did I kill Fey? If I hadn't stubbornly insisted on settling accounts with Balgoth and Rayou T, Fronburn wouldn't have tried to ambush me, Fey wouldn't have rushed over, and Melfis wouldn't have made a move… The more I thought about it, the colder I became.

I turned to look at the gray sky outside the window, as if some supreme being resided there. If you asked me to give up my hatred in exchange for Fey's life, I would never say no… But now I only feel a deep sense of being toyed with by fate.

When I betrayed Elegy and was banished from the real world because of her death, my heart was filled with resentment and dissatisfaction, hating the world that took everything from me, and rejecting my own fate. But now, I feel like I've lost all my strength; it's a despair of being powerless against myself.

I pushed away the plate and walked out of the restaurant. The road beneath my feet was made of alloy modules, and it didn't feel as solid as I had imagined. I started to compare it with the cobblestone ground in [Divine Capital] and realized that I had long been accustomed to life there.

I knew that if I continued playing this game, I would definitely die. The only difference was how I died and why.

Where would I end up before I died? Would I rest peacefully under the gaze of my companions, or would I die alone after losing all the important people in my life?

I once talked to Melfis, and he told me that no member of the assassin world had ever lived past forty. The sooner you quit, the greater your chances of survival. In terms of killing skills and mentality, I'm far inferior to the mercenaries in the real world, but in terms of lifestyle, we're exactly the same.

Wandering on the edge of trust and betrayal, piercing the opponent's body a fraction of a second faster than their own—is this all we pursue?

If this is a question I must answer, then I must get an answer before I die.

Two hours until nightfall, I realize I've been wandering this distant homeland for a long time. Why I came back isn't really clear; at that time, I simply couldn't bear to stay where Fey died.

So I escaped as much as possible, even escaping that world. After escaping, I realized this was the only place I could go.

Since I'm here, I decided to go see my old shop. If I remember correctly, Zhang Long should be there.

I didn't get lost; the city map seemed to be memorized by every cell in my body. In a daze, I arrived at my old address without difficulty.

There were quite a few people, at least many more than when I was the boss. But when I looked up at the sign, I discovered that the former Crk repair shop had become a beauty salon.

Zhang Long sold the shop. Thinking this, I stepped inside.

I asked the pretty waitress at the door, and to my surprise, Zhang Long was still the owner. I told her I'd wait for him in the café next door, and then came out. It was

a self-service café, with no staff. I picked up a cup, chose a reasonably appealing-looking drink, rubbed my finger on the sensor, and the money was automatically deducted from my coin holder. It seemed the new coin holders had been completely accepted by society, and the old wrist-operated ones were inevitably being phased out.

"You're back?"

A large hand grabbed my shoulder, and I heard Zhang Long's slightly trembling voice.

I turned to look at him; the excitement and joy he exuded were genuine, which made my heart begin to relax slightly.

People around us looked at us because of Zhang Long's loud voice, but quickly lost interest.

"I'm back,"

I nodded.

"Not leaving again, right?"

"I don't know."

I wanted to smile at him, but I had no strength to make that expression.

"Something happened?"

Zhang Long frowned and sat down opposite me.

"I'm tired,"

I sighed softly.

"Can you tell me about it?"

I was about to tell him he didn't understand, but then I remembered he was also a high-ranking warrior in [Divine Capital]. So I decided to confide in him, even though I didn't think it was a good opportunity.

"[Battle of the Dome], ever heard of it?"

Zhang Long nodded. "That brutal competition only high-ranking warriors can participate in? You participated!"

From Zhang Long's description, I learned that this competition was actually very secretive in the world of [Divine Capital]. Warriors below A-rank would almost never have heard of it, let alone ordinary players who didn't even have a professional combat rank.

"Someone important died in the competition, so I escaped."

I told him what I had told Roman.

"Why participate in such a dangerous competition..."

Zhang Long's words sounded like rambling.

He stumped me. Actually, the answer to this question could be very simple: to help a comrade. But I knew it wasn't that, because I was genuinely interested in the competition itself. Maybe it was to become stronger, maybe to prove myself, or maybe it was for the thrill of fighting; it was hard to say.

“Back in Red Pine City, you seemed disappointed that I was still fighting. But I have to tell you, what you think isn’t necessarily right. [Divine Capital] will always be a game for me; I’ve drawn a line for myself that I will never cross. But [Divine Capital] seems to be completely different for you now, so perhaps you don’t know where you’ve gotten. Am I right?”

Zhang Long’s words added to my confusion. I shook my head and changed the subject.

"The shop seems to have changed hands?"

I nodded towards the beauty salon outside the window.

Zhang Long paused slightly, then realized I hadn't answered his previous question, so he chuckled. "Yeah, Crk changes so fast these days, the old shop couldn't stay afloat. Luckily, I switched careers quickly, and business is pretty good now. If you come back, we can work together, the same old way, you can have my technical shares. I even took a management course."

I shook my head. "If I don't go back, I won't stay in this city either."

Although I thought the Ghosts wouldn't come looking for revenge, I couldn't guarantee it. So even if I decided to stay in the real world, I would only come back here occasionally.

Zhang Long was a smart man; he knew I wouldn't exchange pleasantries with him sitting here. So he didn't say anything more, just quietly watched me sip my coffee.

"How's Yingfeng now?"

I asked.

Zhang Long couldn't help but smile. "The baby... is already five months along." I relaxed my brow. "That's good... Be careful, don't let her go back into the game." "Yes, I haven't let her go since we found out." We looked at each other and nodded. "

Zhang Long , I'm leaving." I stood up.

" Will we ever meet again?" he asked behind me. " I really don't know," I replied. ********** ... I remember it clearly… I ran from here to the school bus with my backpack, took the keys to my first car from Dad, and introduced my nervous Yingfeng to my family at the door… All of that is a beautiful memory, a treasure I once possessed. There were many flowers planted in the yard. I clearly remember that there weren't any before, and all of these flowers were Yingfeng's favorite kind. She probably still comes to see Mom and Dad after I disappeared; she really is a good woman. I stood at the door, placed my finger on the sensor by the door, and entered the password. The password didn't change, and the sensor didn't change my fingerprint recognition either. I opened the door and went in, and then saw Dad's surprised face in the living room. Looking at my father's aged face and gray hair, I felt something choking in my throat. But after a long silence, Dad turned his head and shouted to the kitchen, "Add an extra set of chopsticks tonight!" Mom ran out of the kitchen and hugged me, while Dad cleared the table. I didn't say anything. After the three of us sat back down at the table, I buried my face in the white rice my mother had cooked and kept shoveling rice into my mouth. I didn't need anything to eat with it; I could taste the salty liquid sliding down my cheeks. "Why are you back?" That was the first thing my father said. He didn't ask why I had left without a word, nor did he blame me. Perhaps he had already thought of many ways I would reappear, carefully considering how to say those first words. "Because I was tired, Dad." I put down my bowl and looked at him with my slightly swollen eyes. "Knowing you're tired, you should come back. You're not stupid." My father smiled, his wrinkles deepening. He didn't usually have so many wrinkles, and I felt a pang of sadness. My mother was already crying and unable to speak, but she didn't wipe her tears; she just kept putting food on my plate with her chopsticks. "Zhang Long and Ying Feng come to see us every week. They've had a tough time," my father continued. I nodded. "What have you been doing these past few years?" I couldn't help but laugh, a bitter laugh filled with helplessness and embarrassment. "Playing games." "How old are you, still addicted to games? I think you deserve a beating," my dad said jokingly. It's just a game, isn't it? Just a game. I lowered my head, pressed my hands to my head, my whole body began to tremble, the muscles in my face contorted, and tears streamed down my face. It 's just a game, but Fey is dead... It's just a game, yet it made me lose everything... Was it really just a game, or a hell created by humans? Almost completely abandoned by the outside world, living in that world, all I clung to was a ridiculous game... "I don't understand you young people's things. Although I played online games when I was young, those games seem different from yours..." What should I say? Should I tell my dad that I gave everything for that game? Tell him that I have become a demon who has killed countless people? Tell him that the woman I love was just cut in half at the waist in that fictional world made of numbers? I couldn't speak. But I felt that in front of them, I didn't need to hide my feelings. My mother gently patted my back, just as she used to lull me to sleep when I was a child. This warm home, it wasn't like I had no chance to return… all I had to do was give up [the Divine Capital]… lay down my sword, forget the painful losses and separations… and I could go home. I told them the reason for my disappearance, and they were met with silence. They didn't seem to disbelieve what I said, but they simply couldn't accept the fact. But the shop being blown up wasn't fabricated; their long-standing anxieties had finally been answered, their son's whereabouts confirmed, and they seemed to have finally let go of some burden. Then I left. My mother wanted me to stay, but my father didn't. I didn't know what that meant, but I knew that leaving now was the right thing to do. "Just consider it a long trip, Mom," I said, standing at the door. My mother sobbed uncontrollably in my father's arms. I kissed her, hugged him, and then disappeared into the night, carrying with me the words that the aging man had given me: "A man cannot run away." He saw it clearly. No one knows a son better than his father; he knew I was running away. People must take responsibility for their choices, no matter what happens. Everyone says this, but not everyone has such a resilient heart. ************ I collapsed onto the hotel bed, inhaling the scent of disinfectant on the sheets, my mind blank. At least tonight I don't need to think about anything… no need to consider tomorrow's battle, no need to worry about being wanted and hunted, no need to rack my brains for mission plans… This isn't [Divine Capital]; this is outside.

As long as I'm determined to leave that world, I can enjoy this sleep and peace forever. Why not?

So what if I'm running away? How many people in this world have never run away?

I feel like I'm having a nightmare. It started with Elegy's death and ended with Fey's death. If this dream continues, it will still be a nightmare. Who would want to live in a nightmare?

But if the problem is so simple, why am I struggling with whether to end my journey in that world?

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

I opened the door, and there was Yingfeng.

She looked up at me, and I held my breath, unable to take my eyes off her.

My favorite bangs and straight hair had been replaced with carefully styled curls, but those gentle eyes hadn't changed. I could spot those eyes even among thousands of people.

"Yingfeng... what are you doing here?"

"Zhang Long... told me you were coming back, and I was waiting at your door."

The girl's face was calm, but her hands were tightly gripping her white dress.

"And then you followed me all the way here?"

I heard my voice tremble slightly.

The girl nodded.

"Why didn't you call me?"

"Because I only decided to see you a minute ago."

I led her into the room, feeling dizzy. All of this felt so ordinary, as if it didn't belong to me at all.

I could still clearly remember the overflowing happiness I shared with Yingfeng. But everything had vanished, beyond even the reach of my wildest dreams.

We looked at each other. I saw a deep emotion in Yingfeng's eyes that I didn't want to see, yet I felt an insurmountable distance between us.

"Why did you come back?"

the girl asked.

"I thought you'd ask me why I left,"

I said slowly.

Yingfeng shook her head. "I could guess. I guessed countless times after you left, considered countless possibilities. There's only one conclusion: you didn't want to involve us in your affairs..."

A clever girl, I've always admired her intelligence.

"But after I accepted that you wouldn't come back, you reappeared... Why did you do this to me?"

Yingfeng's voice began to tremble.

I heard the deep resentment in her voice. Yet, a certain feeling, which didn't surprise me at all, welled up inside me.

We truly are from two different worlds now.

Not because of the resentment she harbors, but because it seems so insignificant to me.

I, and those around me, constantly walk a tightrope. The emotions we share are so intense, so intense that Yingfeng's sorrow seems so subtle and insignificant.

Having savored the love and hate I felt for Fey, and the regret and resentment that erupted before her death… compared to that, the emotional fluctuations of a girl living in a peaceful world seem surprisingly dull to me.

But that doesn't mean I don't feel guilty towards her.

"I'm sorry…"

"It's not your fault… I shouldn't blame you…"

I was silent for a moment. "Does Zhang Long know you're here? I'll take you back."

"You want to send me away the moment we meet?"

Yingfeng's eyes flashed with the stubbornness and reproach I once knew so well.

I turned away, no longer looking at her. I felt that if I continued to look, something that had already decayed would be rekindled.

"I didn't come back to change your peaceful lives,"

I said.

After saying that, I heard a rustling sound, followed by the soft thud of clothes falling to the ground. I shuddered.

I hadn't expected Yingfeng to do this; frankly, I didn't know what kind of destiny the girl truly sought. Turning back, looking at her slightly radiant skin, I felt a tremendous force pushing me towards her.

"You've lost weight,"

I said, raising my hand and slowly sliding my fingers down Yingfeng's shoulder, across her arm, and then to her waist.

Her slightly protruding belly made her breathtakingly beautiful; she had indeed lost a lot of weight because of this child. Every inch of her skin, once so familiar, was now laid bare before me.

"Kiss me,"

Yingfeng commanded, her voice trembling with longing.

I shook my head, picked up her clothes, and draped them over her shoulders.

"I've changed, you've changed, everything has changed,"

I said in a barely audible voice.

“I don’t care if you’ve changed! I still love you, my little bee!”

Yingfeng said, tears welling in her eyes.

I stroked the girl’s face. “No, you’ve become someone else’s wife, someone else’s mother. And I will watch over you.”

As I said, we are from two different worlds now. If I said I didn’t want to possess Yingfeng again, even just her body, I would be lying. I was once so infatuated with her gentleness and charm, and I still am.

However, in our world, the feelings between men and women are far simpler and more intense than here.

As mercenaries who might die tomorrow, we don’t have to face anything beyond emotions. Frenzied sex, extreme pleasure… or faithful love, eternal vows… these are all laid out fairly before everyone; as long as you choose, the answer is incredibly simple.

But it’s different here. People are tightly bound in an invisible cage by a monotonous and saccharine life. If I possess Yingfeng’s body and soul here and then leave again, she will still have to return to Zhang Long’s side. She won’t be happy then, and neither will Zhang Long, because society has already placed countless shackles on them.

In our world, love is love; there's no need to compromise with anything. Who you're with, who you make love with, who you share life and death with—these are all decisions made solely by your own heart. But here, so-called "reality" often forces people to distort their true desires.

After draping a coat over Yingfeng, I found my answer.

Perhaps [Divine Capital] took away something incredibly precious from me, burdening me with an unbearable weight of guilt and responsibility, but in return, it gave me something else:

freedom…at least in [Divine Capital], I was free.

I could make the choices I desired; that had become my only right.

"You will be a good mother, I swear to you."

I kissed Yingfeng's forehead, gripped her shoulders tightly, and opened the door for her.

One last look, I gazed out the window. Downstairs, Zhang Long watched Yingfeng emerge from the hotel; the dark clouds between his brows instantly melted into happiness, flowing across his face. When her hand was reunited with his, I felt an immense peace within me.

I belong nowhere else; I have only one place to go, and I have found it

.

Chapter 26, April 19th

: I slept my last sleep in the outside world, then left my room and went to the hotel lobby restaurant. I ordered a huge amount of delicious food. If this were my last meal in the real world, I hoped it would at least be lavish.

Loneliness. I faced the pile of food and enjoyed it all by myself. Everyone feels lonely at times like this.

That didn't matter, because I was already used to that feeling. It was my own choice; choosing to go back meant loneliness. At this moment, that word actually represented freedom to me.

"Finally found it."

A man suddenly sat down in front of me.

I looked up at him. A man, to be precise, an old man nearing sixty. Neat hair, clean clothes, and gleaming leather boots—all of this seemed to tell me that he was not someone I could ignore.

In this situation, I instinctively shrank back, my hand involuntarily reaching for my waist. But the shrine wasn't there, so I couldn't find even a sliver of security.

"Who are you?"

For some reason, when I looked at him, I felt a chill run down my spine. If I had to give a reason, it was his eyes. Those were eyes I'd never seen before. A sixty-year-old with such bright eyes couldn't be a normal person.

Time makes people complex, and this complexity is most directly reflected in their eyes. If you look at an elderly person, you often see a depth of understanding in their eyes. But this uninvited guest before me wasn't like that. His eyes were completely clear… as if… extremes meet…

“I don't want to tell you who I am, because it won't benefit either of us. But for convenience, you can call me Seraphim,”

the old man said with a slight smile, but I always felt his smile was just a mask.

After confirming he wasn't there to cause me trouble, I tried to relax my shoulders a little.

“Seraphim… you seem to know who I am, because you didn't even ask my name.”

“Greedy Wolf.”

He came to me and gave me my ID, which didn't surprise me. I didn't think there were any strangers I didn't know who would remember my real name.

“What do you want?”

I continued eating what was in front of me. If he really wanted to do something dangerous to me, I, being here, wouldn't have any chance to resist.

“I need you to do me a favor.”

Seraphim reached out and grabbed a sausage from in front of me, stuffing it into his mouth without any hesitation.

I frowned at him, feeling that it was somewhat incongruous for someone with his imposing presence to do something like this.

“I have no interest in running errands for others,”

I replied.

“If you do me a favor, I’ll tell you something.”

Seraphim seemed to enjoy the food he had just eaten, and he picked up another sausage.

I stared at him, feeling a strange unease creeping into my heart. He was too composed—composurely appearing before me, composure speaking, composure eating, as if he had everything under control.

I’ve always disliked guys with this illusion of being in control, so even though I was curious about his “tell me something,” I instinctively wanted to thwart his plan.

“Keep that thing to yourself; I have no interest in knowing,”

I replied.

Seraphim didn’t speak, but instead began sampling the other food in front of me, raising an eyebrow in satisfaction when he found something delicious.

I looked at him, feeling even more confused. He was probably hoping I'd be confused, or give in. I was determined not to let him have his way, so I simply ignored him and focused all my attention on breakfast.

"What do you think of the game 'Divine Capital'?"

he suddenly asked.

"Is this what you want me to help you with? Conduct a survey?"

I deliberately provoked.

Seraphim calmly shook his head. "Just chatting."

His attitude was so good that I felt it wouldn't be dignified for me to continue being so aggressive.

"'Divine Capital' isn't a game to me,"

I said truthfully.

"Neither to me,"

Seraphim replied.

"Who exactly are you? Why are you asking this question?"

I couldn't help but ask.

"If I answer your question, will you help me?"

I sighed, then raised my hands in surrender. "Tell me, what exactly do you want me to help you with?"

"I just want you to pass on a message for me."

"To whom?"

"Would you help?"

He didn't budge, but instead asked me.

"Tell me who you are, and I'll help you,"

I persisted.

The seraph laughed, but this time it wasn't a masked laugh. "Time is a cold and boring thing, but it gives its acquaintances a few perks, like the ability to see through lies. You didn't really want to help me."

He saw right through me, but I didn't feel ashamed for lying.

"I won't do anything that doesn't benefit me."

"I said I'd tell you something."

The old man laughed as he spoke, a smug laugh.

His smile made me very uneasy, as if he held something I absolutely had to know, and I finally couldn't hold back any longer.

"Depending on the difficulty, I'll help you,"

I said.

The seraph didn't seem happy that I agreed to his request; his matter-of-fact attitude annoyed me greatly.

"Tell your friend that Ihu wants to kill me."

After saying this, he stood up to leave.

I was completely confused. "Wait, what friend? Who is Ihu? To kill you?"

The seraph's expression seemed very serious, not just a charade, which only made me more confused.

His gaze seemed to tell me, "Just do as I say." "Hey!"

I stood up too, watching him walk towards the hotel entrance. "Where's my payment! You still haven't told me..."

Before I could finish, Seraphim turned around again. The old man looked at me, the light in his eyes as distant as the stars in the sky, and then he said something.

"She's still alive."

I stood there, stunned, watching Seraphim's figure disappear through the doorway. A few seconds later, my whole body began to tremble violently as if it had been set on fire.

I pushed aside the table and rushed towards where he had disappeared. However, Seraphim had already gotten into a flying car and quickly merged into the road.

But his words still echoed in my ears.

She's still alive…

Who is she referring to?! Fey! Fey is alive!

Or perhaps it's Elegy!

Who exactly is Seraphim…? I was trembling with excitement. How did he know all that?

How did he know what happened to me in [Divine Capital]? His actions clearly showed he knew everything about me.

I tried to calm myself down… Maybe he was just telling me about Asaga's situation. If I kept thinking like this, I would only fall into uncontrollable delusions. But I knew that even if Asaga returned to the Dark Side, it was unlikely she was dead.

Seraphim knew everything, so the phrase "she's still alive" couldn't refer to Asaga.

Who was it? I gasped for breath, feeling dizzy.

That sentence gave me endless imagination and hope, but it seemed unimaginably distant. I felt like I was going crazy; an urgent need for answers almost completely consumed me.

Who was the person he sent me to deliver this message to? Melfis? I wondered how Azza would view me after learning of my determination to destroy Rayout. If I had to count friends, Melfis is my only friend now.

With a jumbled mind and emotions, I eagerly embarked on my journey home.

Lying back in the game pod, watching the canopy slowly close, I suddenly felt I wanted to thank Seraphim.

Whether he was lying or had said something meaningful, I felt it was his words that truly gave me the courage to return to the capital.

Who "she" was referring to didn't seem so important at this moment; what mattered was that I would find the answer. Right here , from this moment on,

I'm back.

********** ... Seraph's appearance was so sudden; I still don't know what role he plays. In just a few words, he's given me the impression of being omniscient and omnipotent. What should I do if Fey isn't dead? Find her at all costs? Then betray my promise to Asaga and get back together with her? This choice leaves me bewildered. What should I do if he's referring to Elegy? All my bonds and experiences in this world stem from her. Would she want to kill me? Or would she have other choices? ...I can't forget the kiss that god-like warrior gave me. Nostalgia, regret, and a strong yet simple curiosity and longing for Elegy overwhelm my thoughts. Why did she kiss me? Why would she fall for an ordinary person like me, who lacks even the power to protect himself? Do I still possess the qualities she desires? ... Countless unanswerable questions overwhelm me. In the end, I can only use the excuse that "Seraph's 'her' doesn't necessarily refer to Fey and Elegy" to regain my ability to act. The message he asked me to deliver, the one I didn't even know who it was, I'd thought about countless times. The person Ehud wanted to kill was him… Ehud's name sounded like Hebrew. I took a Hebrew course in college, but I dropped it halfway through because it was so boring. But to truly understand the meaning of that message, I needed to know the true identities of Ehud and the seraphim. The seraphim hadn't told me who to deliver it to; the only answer I could think of was Melpheus. If he was referring to a companion I'd later befriended, wouldn't he be a true god? While mentally planning what I'd face, I left my room. I hadn't forgotten that I was a wanted criminal, so I'd prepared a disguise before leaving. The inn was even more crowded than during the Battle of the Dome. I didn't know if the revelry at Nazalius was related to the Battle of the Dome, because low-ranking warriors and ordinary people probably wouldn't know about it. The Battle of the Dome hadn't been widely publicized; if it weren't for Melpheus, I wouldn't have even heard of it. All sorts of vendors flocked to the city, and fortunately, the city was so grand that its well-developed streets and urban planning could easily accommodate the influx of people. I weaved through the crowd; people talked loudly, the sounds of haggling mingled with the boisterous chatter of drunkards, and children in all sorts of strange clothes laughed and played unrestrainedly around me. These people were ordinary folks simply enjoying the game "Divine Capital" itself; they didn't need to fear dying here, nor did they truly have anything to lose. I had lost that privilege, or rather, I had discarded it myself. I couldn't wait to get to the mercenary guild. Due to the sheer size of Natharius, there were five mercenary guilds in the city. The one in the city center square was the largest, and the one I came to was probably a branch of the city's mercenary guild. The first thing I did was try to contact Melfis, but all I could do was check my messages. Disappointingly, he hadn't left me a single word. I left him a new message, but I didn't know when he would receive it. I also left a message for Hoshimi. She was seriously injured at the time, and I hoped she could at least come out alive. Thinking back to that final battle, the scene of Fey being impaled alive by Melfis right in front of me still makes me tremble. But it wasn't Melfis's fault. I can't say who should pay the price for Fey's death, but it certainly wasn't him. But I still managed to escape in a sorry state. After Asaga, the only one who could heal my deep-seated wounds, left, I felt like I would die if I stayed there for even a second longer. So I couldn't continue to stand by Melfis's side and support him. Our team, having lost three companions, definitely couldn't continue, especially since Hoshimi was injured so badly by the [Lava] assassins… Maybe Melfis will be angry with me, maybe not, but ultimately he can only accept that ending. I sighed, cautiously scanning the mercenary headquarters, making sure no one was following or paying attention to me. The second thing to do was about what Seraphim had said. I searched for the name "Ihu" using my advanced, proprietary intelligence search engine, but found nothing. This surprised me greatly, because in my memory, what the Seraphim had told me was definitely related to the [Divine Capital]. If Ihu didn't even exist in the [Divine Capital], then what that statement meant might be completely different. However, from another perspective, perhaps Ihu was just a nickname or title. These questions were far too irrelevant, and I decided to wait until I re-established contact with Melfis before considering them. Just as I was pondering this, I suddenly noticed a system email. Normally, I wouldn't pay attention to these things, but this time was different, because the [Divine Capital] hadn't sent me any system messages for a very long time. I opened it and frowned. The main content of this system message was only seven words.

[Battle of the Dome, 14th Place] I never expected my team to achieve such a low ranking, especially considering there were thousands of teams participating. More importantly, before the Battle of the Royal Capital ended, our only remaining strength was Melfis. After

carefully reviewing the relevant information, I gained some understanding of the competition process after my departure, and my mind began to imagine what Melfis had done in the end.

The final number of teams entering the Akameron Royal City was thirty-two. Once thirty-two teams reached the castle, the rest were automatically eliminated. Whether through regular battles or the Battle of the Royal Capital, teams that didn't reach the target at that point were immediately eliminated.

The rest is just a simple qualifying round. Melfis actually won a match all by himself… I know he won because he ranked before seventeenth.

That's easy to understand, but I don't know the ranking rules after that.

It's all a chain reaction… If Fey doesn't die, Asaga won't leave, and I will stay. Perhaps it will take some time to recover, but in the end, we can still face the finals side by side. If that happens, reaching the quarterfinals might not be a pipe dream.

But, Fey is dead…

or not? Every time I think about this, I feel breathless.

What would Melfis say to me if he were here? Without a doubt, he would scoff at Seraphim's words and tell me not to be intimidated by such nonsense. Indeed, Seraphim is not someone I can trust, and his words are highly self-serving, their credibility almost negligible, but no one can completely ignore those words.

At this moment, I even began to ask myself, if I could make the decision, would I want Fey to live or Elegy to live?

I sent a message to Elegy's ID, telling her my current location and that I would come to her if she wanted. The message flashed a few times before being sent into the endless sea of messages, and I don't know if the sender is still alive.

However, when I prepared to message Fey, I hesitated, unsure of what to say.

The decision we made back then, and the unbearable regret we both felt at that moment of parting—that's undeniable. I don't even have the courage to recall that heartache now.

But what choice did I have?

Asaga was alone in the shadows, facing the rampaging demons, clinging to a sliver of hope, waiting for my return… And would I betray a woman again?

Perhaps Fey wasn't even alive, and I wouldn't have to face that choice. But if my heart chose Fey at this moment, it would be no different from betraying Asaga in action.

I felt myself starting to hate Seraph, because what he told me had placed me in a position where I had to judge myself.

Finally, I mustered my courage and sent a letter. On that letter, signed Fey, I left only one sentence:

"You still owe me one gold coin."

**********************************

I walked out of the mercenary camp, removed my mask, and took a deep breath. After careful consideration, I believed the chances of being actually discovered in this kind of crowd were extremely slim. Besides, if other mercenaries started a fight to capture me, civilians would definitely be injured. It meant becoming a wanted person yourself just to catch a fugitive – nobody would do that.

So, I decided not to put up with it anymore. After all this chaos, I decided to find a place to have a good drink.

Looking at the map of the entire city, I chose a place that would keep me occupied all night – the most luxurious and largest hotel in the center of Nathalieus.

The city information said there would be a very high-class and safe banquet there tonight, although tickets through the mercenary system cost 20,000 gold coins.

Not long ago, I bought a good knife that I might use for a lifetime, spending all my savings since becoming a battery – seven million gold coins. After that, I raised a gluttonous pet, gambled away a lot on the cruise ship, and then spent money on accommodation in this city. When we entered the Battle of the Dome, I only had four figures left.

However, just a few hours ago, when I returned, I had already sold all my real-world assets for [Divine Capital] gold coins. That was my reward as a top-tier [Battery], earned 24/7, year-round.

To be honest, I've never had so much money in the real world. If I had known about that extra income, my equipment would have been upgraded to an unknown level long ago.

But I'm quite satisfied with the current situation.

Since I've decided to stay here, I made a decision to have Roman transfer all my future wages directly to my parents' accounts. Although it won't solve the fundamental problem, it will at least make me feel better.

Feeling better will make me swing my sword faster...

Now that I have money, indulging a little isn't such a difficult decision.

I bought a decent set of clothes, spending only two thousand gold coins. This was the net income I could get from painstakingly building a house before becoming a [Battery], but now it's a negligible amount for me as a high-level warrior.

This simply means that compared to daily necessities, even luxury items, combat equipment in the [Divine Capital] is far too expensive. Ordinary people can barely afford a good sword, let alone equipment with magical properties.

Only warriors who risk their lives and bodies have the right to earn the capital to advance, while those who want comfort will forever remain ordinary. The [Divine Capital] is quite fair.

In the afternoon, I went directly to the hotel and booked a room, only to be told that customers with admission tickets could directly enjoy a deluxe suite.

It seems my reserved admission ticket was indeed of a high level; ordinary people who bought thousand-gold tickets through other means completely missed out on this treatment.

The deluxe suite's large bed was incredibly comfortable; once I lay down, I didn't want to get up.

Initially, I only intended to take a short nap to recover from the heavy pressure, but I ended up oversleeping.

I groggily got out of bed; it was already completely dark outside. If the bed hadn't been so soft, I would definitely be aching all over from sleeping in my armor.

As I entered the bathroom, the system reminded me again that the banquet had begun, and all weapons and equipment were prohibited from being taken out of my bedroom, so I had to remove my breastplate and shrine.

While removing the armor, I touched something in my arms—the small broken horn left behind by Asaga.

She stubbornly cut off her own horn, but I couldn't bear to just throw it away. After picking it up, for some inexplicable feeling, I kept it, and now it had become a prop to hold onto my longing.

I held Asaga's little horn in my hand, gently stroking it; it was still warm, but no longer cozy.

If she were here, that girl would definitely love this big bed, and besides, the banquet was her favorite buffet. She would turn into a child whenever she saw delicious food; I thought that if it were a party worth tens of thousands of gold coins, the food would definitely be both delicious and unique.

When I came to my senses, I found myself grinning foolishly.

I pinched my cheek, and my heart began to sink again.

The longing for Asaka was starting to spread uncontrollably through my chest, making my recently calmed emotions waver once more.

The time I spent with her was truly joyful. Unlike the intense, passionate love I felt with Fey, my feelings for Asaka were sweeter, a long-lasting and soothing happiness. That feeling was deep and peaceful, and more importantly, our mutual trust and understanding had been truly tested.

I will absolutely, positively appear before you before our promise is broken, Asaka Mitsuyoshi.

Because I still want to savor your capriciousness, stubbornness, gentleness, and dependence—far from enough.

I found a chain, fastened her little horn, and wore it around my neck. Although I felt men weren't suited for such things, it was better than losing it by accident. After

tidying myself up, I went down to the first floor and entered the lobby.

Only after I entered did I realize that I might have come to the wrong place. The atmosphere at the party was incredibly elegant and classy. While I was frantically searching for the bar like a country bumpkin, everyone else was dressed in formal attire and drinking champagne…

Luckily, the entire first floor of the hotel had been designated as an event space. I finally found the restaurant, where the atmosphere was at least somewhat familiar. I filled my plate with food and retreated to a corner to feast.

Having slept all afternoon, I was no longer tired, so I still had enough energy to listen to the conversations around me while munching on my food. I'm not one to pry into other people's privacy, but I was just too interested in what they were talking about. Those

who could afford to come to this party were either wealthy people or high-ranking warriors from the real world, so I wasn't surprised at all when I heard them discussing the victor of the Battle of the Dome; I was just deeply curious. After all, it was a competition that cost us so much, and it would be a shame not to know who won in the end.

The group's conversation mentioned the gambler Paul, and even the name of the leader of the Destroyer Guild, Fallen Dorn Burning Ruins, but it seemed the final champion wasn't theirs.

Tang Gui, clearly a dragon's name. As a team capable of winning the Battle of the Dome, the name they chose was far too ordinary. I'd never heard of this person before; they shouldn't be warriors from the mercenary world. What

I found hard to imagine was how they managed to defeat figures like Gambler Paul or Burning Ruins. This question also troubled the guys who were talking. They made countless guesses, but I didn't think any of them seemed plausible.

When their conversation ended, I realized I was completely full. I'd only wanted to find a place to have a good drink, but I couldn't control myself.

Thinking about digesting my food, I started wandering around the party. People in brightly colored clothes were enjoying this lavish feast without a care in the world, and I felt completely out of place among them.

I really wanted to know how many high-ranking warriors had died in this Battle of the Dome. Everyone threw themselves into the competition with a sliver of their own fabricated hope, only to realize their naivety before they died.

Just as I was getting bored, someone suddenly blocked my way.

I looked up and immediately broke out in a cold sweat, because Gambler Paul was standing right in front of me.

My first reaction was to activate an energy shield, but he didn't seem to intend to kill me. I remembered that a system message had appeared when I entered this place: anyone disrupting the banquet would be immediately added to the wanted list.

"Long time no see, what a coincidence."

Gambler Paul's eyes gleamed with pleasure behind his red hair.

I swallowed hard. Although the system had specific rules, I didn't think they could truly restrain someone of Gambler Paul's caliber. As the honorary president of TWP, even if he attacked me here, who would dare to arrest him? On the other hand, if I were discovered, many people would be interested in the ten million bounty on me.

"Looks like my luck is really bad... You know, not many people can recognize me at a glance."

My palms were sweaty, and I could only manage a forced calm as I replied.

"Bad luck?"

Paul first asked in confusion, then laughed. "Hahaha, you weren't worried I'd use you for pocket money, were you?"

I was very unhappy with the word "pocket money." "It's not a matter of whether I'm worried or not, it's that you wanted to do it anyway."

Paul shook his head. "I thought you knew me." "

[Hidden Crown], Gambler Paul, Lord of the Holy Demon Castle of Yohliel, Honorary President of TWP, of course I know you... There are very few people in this world who don't know you."

I said, keeping my nerves on edge.

"I mean, you have no idea what kind of person I am."

"Then tell me?"

"Since I lost the bet, I can't go back on my word. Tell me, what do you want? I've been looking for you for a long time."

I was stunned, then began to carefully recall what he meant.

In the battle at Whitefield, he made a bet with me, asking me to say a number. I gave him the number 2, and he bet that I could kill him in two seconds. He almost succeeded, if Asaga hadn't saved me.

"Someone saved me... Strictly speaking, you..."

I murmured.

“I didn’t say no one else could get involved, and besides, KuKu was involved too. A bet is a bet, and I’m not one to renege on debts. You can ask for anything you can do, but I can’t tolerate anything too outrageous.”

Gambler Paul stood with his hands in his pockets, looking nonchalant. Someone with his power and status had no reason to lie to me; I had no reason not to believe him.

I smiled, and he smiled back.

“What about the woman who saved you? Her transformation abilities were incredible; KuKu and I couldn’t stop her.”

Paul asked again.

I sighed, unsure what to say. Paul seemed to sense something; he reached out and patted my shoulder.

This overly friendly gesture almost made me explode with energy, but thankfully I suppressed the urge in time, otherwise it would have been too embarrassing.

“You said I could make demands of you; could you be more specific?”

I asked him.

“If you’re willing, I can communicate with the Dreams and have them drop the warrant for your arrest,”

Paul said casually.

"I don't think you can do it."

"If the price is right, there's nothing in this world that can't be done,"

Paul said confidently. He

's really got deep pockets... I thought to myself. What he said was indeed very attractive. If the warrant was lifted, I could return to the sunlight. Whether it was preparing to go to the Demon Realm or seeking revenge against Balgus, my sphere of influence would be much larger.

But I thought that if Dreams had designs on me, even if the warrant was lifted, they would still hunt me down in secret, so this didn't fundamentally improve my situation.

"What else is there besides that?"

“If you ask, I can do it, I’ll consider it.”

“What if I want your Crown of Concealment?”

I joked.

“Come to my room to get it after the banquet these two days.”

He said very seriously.

I stared blankly for several seconds, speechless. “I was just kidding…”

“But I’m serious, if you really want it.”

I don’t know whether to call this guy a paranoid or obsessive-compulsive, but if he doesn’t pay off his gambling debts, he’ll probably never have a peaceful life. However, I didn’t intend to take advantage of Paul in any way.

As an enemy, Paul was a terrifying presence. But as a conversation partner, he was indeed pleasant.

“I don’t want your Crown of Concealment, and you don’t need to negotiate with Dreams for me. My request is that you drink with me today.” Paul

looked at me like I was an idiot for a long time, then smiled.

“Let’s go.”

********** ... The waiter brought us drinks, and I looked at the super soldier sitting opposite me, feeling a very subtle tension. Gambler Paul was a monster who had already reached level zero long ago. Because there were so few level zero warriors, the system didn't have a more detailed level system above level zero. But without a doubt, that didn't mean that a warrior's strength stopped growing after reaching level zero. Therefore, Gambler Paul was definitely stronger in absolute terms than Azza, who had just reached level zero. I just didn't know if his fighting style would be an advantage or a disadvantage against an archer like Azza. "Where's Kuku? Didn't she come with you?" I asked. "Her… she was injured during the competition and is resting now. If I wasn't worried about her, I really wanted to give it my all," Paul grumbled as he drank. "What was their final ranking?" Paul held up three fingers. "They fought fiercely against Ranxu and his team in the semifinals and lost. Tang Gui's group, on the other hand, only had one opponent. They lost very little strength winning the semifinals, while Ranxu and his team expended a lot, which is why Tang Gui's team had the advantage." My first thought was that Tang Gui's opponent was Melfis, but looking at our team's ranking, he wasn't even in the top eight, so that was impossible. Paul's tone was full of disdain for Tang Gui's team, but from my perspective, it was just a slightly childish act of defiance. Luck is also a part of strength, but most people just don't want to accept reality when they have to face bad luck. "Who was Tang Gui's team's opponent in the semifinals?" I asked. "I heard it was a guy named Xiu Na, I don't know him." Xiu Na... Singafaro and You Ying's teammate before they died... I almost had a one-on-one fight with him, and now I don't know if I should be glad that we didn't actually fight. No wonder he was so confident; he truly did have the ability to compete for the championship… “Greedy Wolf, why are Dreams after you?” Gambler Paul asked with interest. “Personal grudge. I injured one of their men and then overheard some of their confidential information, so they started targeting me.” I honestly told Paul what had happened, because I felt that since we could sit together and drink, there was no point in being overly calculating. “Confidential information? Interested in telling me? Information that could get Dreams into a mess, I’d like to hear it.” “Just a few keywords. About the Eye of the Demon Dragon and the Broken Harp.” Paul was silent for a moment, then nodded. “That’s some troublesome information… It seems Dreams really wants to run to the Demon Realm.” I opened my mouth, wanting to ask more details. There were many questions I wanted to ask, such as the power relationship between the three largest mercenary guilds, the method of entering the Demon Realm, and the secret of the power… However, I didn’t have the mood for that now, after all, I had recently lost an important companion. I quickly dismissed the idea; it was just drinking, and thinking about complicated things would go against my original intention. Even though the opportunity to chat with Paul was rare, I didn't want to ruin a precious drinking session. Paul and I drank glass after glass. Although we weren't drunk, our emotions were uncontrollably rising. "Haha, let me tell you..." Paul gave me a mysterious look and waved a card in front of me, "I know a great place for midnight entertainment, but ordinary people can't get in." "What is this?" I took the card and looked at it. It seemed to have something like a verification code on it. "A special pass I got, it's on the ground floor of the hotel." He laughed smugly, making it easy to guess what kind of place it was. "What? The beautiful Miss Kuku can't satisfy you?" This was a bit crude, but with the alcohol on, no one cared too much about such minor formalities. "Hey! She's injured, she can't take my abuse now." Paul seemed to be deliberately showing off his abilities, exaggerating his vulgar words. I couldn't help but laugh. I reached out to hand the card back to him, intending to return it, but Paul suddenly put on a very serious expression. "What do you mean? I never go to places like that!" His completely nonsensical words left me bewildered. Turning around, I realized that Ku Ku was standing right behind me… no wonder Paul suddenly adopted such a gentlemanly demeanor. "Why are you out? Is your injury better?" Paul pretended to have just noticed her and stood up. "What's that card?" Ku Ku wasn't stupid; she squinted at me. "He wanted to give me a pass to an underground club, but I refused," Paul chuckled, trying to appease her. "Really?" The girl looked at us both with a half-smile. "Really, really!" Paul said repeatedly. "Absolutely…" I added. This earned me a grateful look from Paul. Ku Ku snorted and didn't pursue the matter further. This super mage revealed her spoiled side in front of a stranger like me, completely unpretentious. It just goes to show that she, like Paul, was a genuine person. “My injury is almost healed, and I was bored, so I came out to find you. Let’s go back,” the girl continued to say to Paul. Paul looked as if he had been granted a pardon. “Come on, let’s go back, you need to rest more.” He pushed himself toward the door, then turned back and gave me a helpless look. “Sorry, I can only drink with you this far today.”

I shook my head and raised my glass to him.

Paul smiled, "We haven't finished our drinks yet. Until then, the Holy Demon Castle of Yohliel will always welcome you, Greedy Wolf."

"That depends on how long I live."

"That's not a problem."

Paul left with Kuku, and as I watched their retreating figures, my mood began to improve slightly.

**********************************

I never imagined that the gambler Paul was a henpecked husband, but I even suspected that Kuku was his gambling partner. You can't blame me for overthinking; after all, he's a true gambling addict.

The conversation was pleasant. His cheerfulness and charm were the kingly demeanor only a leader possesses. Someone like him can make many excellent friends wherever he goes.

I fiddled with the pass in my hand. Paul had originally intended to show it off to me, but in the end, it benefited me instead. Since I had nothing else to do, I might as well go to that midnight club downstairs for some entertainment.

When I arrived at the entrance of the club, four fully armed high-ranking soldiers stopped me.

It seemed that if the organizers of this underground club weren't part of the system, they must be some very powerful organization; otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to find such high-level security.

They didn't give me any trouble; after checking the verification code on my pass, they let me in

. Dim, hazy lighting swirled through the club's lobby, and seductive music filled my ears. The club had a decent ambiance, and I saw what I expected.

In the center of the dance floor, four very beautiful dancers were performing, their naked bodies bathed in psychedelic light, exuding an alluring charm.

I'm not exactly an expert on striptease, but I could tell these girls were very professional. A seductive atmosphere permeated the entire space from their swaying curves.

As I walked further in, I slowly realized this wasn't just a simple midnight club.

In the surrounding booths, girls dressed in various suggestive outfits posed for men, their moans and gasps surrounding me from all directions. This place was actually an orgy.

Every corner was filled with extremely lewd activities; even just watching for a short while was enough to arouse anyone.

Less than 30% of the place was fully clothed, like myself, because the atmosphere was incredibly seductive.

Two beautiful women knelt back-to-back on the carpet, double-headed vibrators working diligently, splashing their juices everywhere. Simultaneously, the two women, with seductive eyes, used their mouths to service two nearby men.

A row of pale, fleshy bodies lay on the sofas, like commodities for guests to enjoy at will. A dozen men were vigorously savoring their genitals; I could almost smell the bodily fluids.

Further in, the content became increasingly extreme.

A girl was bound tightly, her swollen genitals exposed; her neck was suspended from a rope on the ceiling, her face flushed red. Behind her, men lined up, taking turns raping her suspended body. Only with the men's thrusts could the girl breathe.

Very dangerous sex games… but I must admit, it was undeniably thrilling.

Deep inside, an even more alluring bondage game unfolded. A row of women were handcuffed to the wall, their bodies stained with the filth left by the guests.

Then I saw Hoshimi among them.

I couldn't believe my eyes. Hoshimi's clothes were torn to shreds, and she knelt on the ground with her head bowed. One of her wrists was handcuffed to the wall, her arm was suspended, and glaring whip marks were visible beneath her tattered clothes.

Why was she here! Was she there willingly, or had she been captured?

Perhaps because Hoshimi had already fainted, the man who was about to patronize her grabbed her hair and lifted her head, then began to forcefully knead her breasts.

Hoshimi slowly opened her eyes, glanced at the man in front of her, bit her lip, and closed her eyes again.

The surrounding guests were making a loud commotion; I was somewhat dazed, and only heard things like "Choose her."

Hoshimi's shackles were unlocked by the man, and then she was dragged aside by the hands of a strong man. Hoshimi's injury must be the reason she's unable to resist... But what about Melfis? He clearly showed concern when Hoshimi was injured for his sake; he wasn't completely indifferent to her, but why did he let her end up in this place?

Hoshimi's hands were tied up, and she was drenched in cold sweat from the pain. What they had just done must have aggravated her injuries.

Four other women were in the same spot as Hoshimi, positioned in the same way. In front of them were five men holding remote controls, and beneath them was a dildo longer than their legs.

I quickly understood the rules of the game: these five men were betting on which of the five women would make a sound first, and the loser would apparently lose a large sum of money.

The other women, including Hoshimi, all looked stubborn. I was now almost certain that Hoshimi hadn't come here of her own volition.

I had to save her, I absolutely had to. But how?

Just as I was anxiously pondering this, the game began.

Under the remote control in the man's hand, the girls' bodies began to sink, the thick dildos slowly penetrating their bodies.

Hoshimi, head thrown back, let out a suffocating groan, her cheeks flushed crimson with humiliation and shame. The horse-like dildo made her tremble all over, her hands clenched tightly together.

Under the remote control, the girls' bodies rose and fell on the dildos. Soon, the first girl surrendered, followed by the second.

The dildo beneath Hoshimi was already soaked with her own fluids, the viscous liquid and residual semen from her vagina flowing down the dildo's menacing veins. But she gritted her teeth, determined not to make any exciting sounds.

The man controlling her grew impatient, increasing the speed of the thrusts, causing Hoshimi to shake her head in pain. However, with the surrender of the other girls, Hoshimi's bettor finally failed.

Enraged, the man pressed a button and then threw away the remote control. Hoshimi's body immediately plummeted downwards, the dildo penetrating nearly thirty centimeters deep.

"Aaaaaah!"

Hoshimi finally let out a miserable scream. Her lower abdomen was bulging from the pressure, as if she were about to die at any moment. Blood flowed from her torn vulva, mixing with other bodily fluids and soaking her legs.

Worried, I finally found a club manager at this moment, gave him a large sum of money, and demanded that I have Hoshimi for myself.

Lured by the large sum, the manager, satisfied, went over and ordered the game to end, and had the burly man lift Hoshimi down from where she was hanging.

Deep inside the club were many private rooms. The burly man, carrying Hoshimi, led me into one of them, placed her on the bed, and left.

I immediately closed the door, then used a wet towel from the bathroom to clean Hoshimi's face and hair, which were filthy.

Hoshimi slowly woke up; she opened her eyes wide, looked at me, and then began to cry.

She cried out in a hoarse voice, not from the humiliation of being wronged, nor from physical pain. The first words she uttered after opening her eyes sent chills down my spine.

"Melfis is dead! He's dead!"

I stared at her, dumbfounded, and shouted at the top of my lungs.

"Impossible! He can't be dead!"

Hoshimi cried and shouted back at me.

"He lied to me! He tricked me into admitting defeat! And then he didn't show up! He went to the finals alone and lost! A man like him would never admit defeat! He never showed up again after the match! He must be dead! He can't possibly still be alive!"

My heart nearly jumped out of my chest at her first words, but I calmed down considerably after hearing what Hoshimi said next.

"You can't say he's dead just because you haven't seen the body! How could you be so foolish! Just because you think he's dead, you throw yourself into this place to humiliate yourself!"

My previous guess was probably wrong. Perhaps Hoshimi's immense inner pain led her to willingly come to this place to punish herself?

"I'm not that kind of woman!"

Hoshimi cried, tears streaming down her face, as she cursed, "My injuries were too severe, and I fainted after coming out. Someone drugged me and sold me to a place like this. The people here think I did it willingly... But then again... I don't think dying here is so bad..." "

You're a fucking idiot! Do you think Melfis would be the kind of moron who would die for some kind of championship! He has things he needs to know, people he needs to see. If you think he would die for something so impulsive, then you're just plain stupid!"

Hoshimi looked at me with swollen eyes, slowly stopping her crying, but the sobs still lingered.

"Then... then why didn't he contact me..."

"Who knows! Maybe he hid because he was injured! How can you not even know that much about him? That bastard is too proud; how could he let you see him in such a sorry state!"

Hoshimi was silent for a while, seemingly slowly accepting my explanation, but two minutes later she cried again, this time with a sense of grievance.

"...I... I'm in so much pain..."

she sobbed, clutching her lower abdomen.

I snorted, then couldn't help but sigh. "Go clean yourself up first."

Hoshimi went into the bathroom with her clothes, but I never saw her come out again. Perhaps ashamed to face me, she ran away through the ventilation duct or something after cleaning herself up.

She must be in a hurry to find Melfis's whereabouts; I just hoped she wouldn't be held back by her injuries. If Hoshimi were at her peak, I don't think anyone could catch her.

But when I first discovered she had escaped alone, I was so angry I couldn't speak for a long time. I had so many things I wanted to discuss with her, but she just left me without a word. I felt like I'd been played, although after my anger subsided I realized it wasn't Hoshimi's intention.

I sat on the bed draped in pink sheets, and couldn't help but think of what Seraphim had said to me. Did he mean Melfis wasn't dead? But I clearly remembered that he used the English word "she," not "he," so what Seraphim said definitely had nothing to do with Melfis. Besides, Seraphim asked me to pass on a message to Melfis. My instinct was that since he possessed the confidence to control everything, how could he possibly ask me to deliver a message to a dead man?

Ever since I first met Hoshimi, she had always maintained an aloof and indifferent attitude… I clearly remember the decisiveness and ruthlessness with which she killed Yu Ying. But when she was forced to get involved with Melfis, everything that was supposed to protect her became as fragile as cellophane.

Human weaknesses can be magnified infinitely at a certain singularity, becoming the catalyst for self-destruction. Hoshimi was like that, but she met me… I only hope that when I fall into the same situation as her, I can be as lucky as her to find someone who can help me.

It's not that I feel I owe Hoshimi anything; I think Hoshimi never expected anyone to help her. And Melfis only sought physical pleasure from Hoshimi. Hoshimi is dead; he can find another bed partner on the night of her death anniversary, so I'm not doing this for Melfis.

I just couldn't bear to leave my former companions to wallow in this kind of depravity. Maybe it's a kind of meddling, but if I wasn't allowed to interfere, I'd probably regret it for the rest of my life.

I went to the bathroom to double-check; it seemed the woman really had run away. Since fate wouldn't let me think about those complicated, serious matters anymore, I might as well continue enjoying the night.

I left the room again, blending into the party crowd to the psychedelic music.

Bottle

after bottle of alcohol gushed down; the alcohol I'd swallowed with Paul was starting to take effect. My head felt a little heavy, but my body was burning with the decadent atmosphere around me.

White bodies were excitedly intertwining everywhere I looked, assuming positions I'd never even tried. I leaned against the wall near the aisle, bottle in hand, watching them, my lust slowly rising, yet I grew increasingly calm and clear-headed… This seemed very abnormal after drinking so much.

A purple light flashed from the neon tube overhead, and in the crowded throng of onlookers, about four or five meters away, I saw Elegy.

I knew it was impossible, so I covered my forehead with my hand and pinched my brow; this hallucination was maddening.

When I looked again, Elegy had become Fey.

I felt the despair and sorrow lurking beneath my cold consciousness, fueled by alcohol, about to erupt.

I turned around, trying to control the rise and fall of my chest, and then banged my head against the wall twice.

Don't become Asaga again, or I'll really go crazy, a voice screamed in my head.

Suppressing my trembling, I threw down the half-finished bottle, took two deep breaths, and turned back to look.

It was a girl I'd never seen before. I breathed a long sigh of relief, my tense body and nerves beginning to relax. Once calmed down, I began to admire her face—there was no reason not to. Her straight hair, not very long, just past her shoulders, draped diagonally to the left, shimmering with iridescent colors under the lights; the hair was probably black. But she didn't seem to be a dragon or a light race, because her pupils weren't black, but a golden amber color... There was a subtle silliness in her eyes, it was hard to tell if it was naivety or a pure heart, but I thought if she were truly pure-hearted, she wouldn't be in a place like this.

Her cheeks were delicate, her chin pointed, and her flawless skin, combined with her face shape and eyes, reminded me of a naive and adorable young snow weasel. But a snow weasel wouldn't have that seductive and wicked look in her eyes.

She might be a little taller than Asaga, but her shoulders were very thin. Because of the crowd, I couldn't see her figure. But to be honest, I was actually a little curious.

"Ha... is this even possible?"

I heard her grinning and making a hissing sound.

Following her gaze, I saw a man standing there, pressing the woman's head down onto his penis and sucking it, while he held the woman's legs on his shoulders, licking her vulva.

The girl watched with great interest, her cheeks flushed, whether from shyness or arousal, it was hard to tell.

Almost none of the men around her paid her any attention; they were all glued to the act of intercourse unfolding before them. If not, I suspect these men would have raped her the moment they saw her; I'm sure her looks would have had that effect.

The girl seemed to sense something and looked in my direction. I didn't look away, simply meeting her gaze without any restraint.

She frowned slightly, then her lips seemed to curl into a slight smile. The lighting was dim, and I couldn't see clearly.

Then, I noticed a small commotion at the entrance of the venue. The girl immediately turned around, and several men who didn't look like guests squeezed into the hall, their eyes meeting hers for a moment.

"Fuck..."

the seemingly quiet and elegant girl uttered a clear curse word, then turned and quickly moved towards the corridor.

The men, seeing her, immediately and cautiously parted the crowd to approach her. The three guys seemed to be trying their best not to attract attention, but if you observed them like I did, an overwhelming sense of urgency was palpable.

The corridor led to the private service areas for guests, and there was an entire floor below, connecting to the lobby. The passageways and rooms were a chaotic mess; it had taken me ages to get back to the lobby from that room earlier.

Watching the girl, her fitted short skirt swaying, dart into the corridor, I shook my head expressionlessly and ordered another bottle of wine from the bartender.

People always repeat the same boring stories…

If it were before, I think I would have been quite interested in that girl, perhaps even following her around to meddle, perhaps helping her. But now I know very well that my mind can't hold anyone else but Asaga.

I can't allow myself to keep imagining what would happen if Fey were really alive. I made a mistake, I lost Fey, and that's something that can't be changed, at least not by my own power to change what fate has decreed. I couldn't afford to make another mistake, all for the sake of winning Asaga back.

Sipping my drink, I shuffled down the corridor. Thankfully, my steps were steady; unfortunately, I realized I'd forgotten how to get back to my room.

The corridor was fairly spacious, and in the corners, I often saw men and women, already aroused and unable to get back to their rooms. They were making suggestive moans, oblivious to their surroundings, exchanging bodily fluids without restraint.

These people were completely absorbed in the performances and games in the hall, utterly oblivious to the others around them.

In fact, apart from me, no one around me had the energy to pay attention to anyone else; in that sense, I probably looked quite pathetic—I thought to myself with a self-deprecating laugh.

After walking a while longer, I nearly tripped over a woman kneeling and performing oral sex on her partner, finally managing to circle back to the corridor leading to my room. Just as I was feeling a little relieved, someone bumped into me.

My stomach churned violently, and I bent over and vomited all over the floor in the corner.

That was so damn embarrassing! My temper flared up instantly. Maybe it was the alcohol too; I completely forgot the rule against violence, and a surge of energy gathered in my fist as I prepared to strike.

But my fist dropped before I could fully raise it, because the guy who bumped into me was crouching on the ground, covering his nose. Quite coincidentally, it was the girl I'd seen earlier.

The girl stood up, seemingly about to say something, but didn't. She looked somewhat dazed, her eyes even more misty. The girl stared at me for a moment, then suddenly flashed an alluring smile.

I don't have a habit of hitting women, and that smile was utterly unappealing. I squinted at her for a while, then prepared to leave.

But she immediately took off her clothes, including her skirt.

A pair of soft breasts encased in a black lace bra flashed before my eyes. With lightning speed, the girl flipped her top inside out and put it back on, as did her skirt. The colors of her inner and outer garments were different, so after the change, she looked completely different.

“This is a gift as an apology,”

the girl said, smiling at me as she knelt down and slowly unzipped my pants. She wrapped her other hand around my waist, pulling me closer.

I was a little confused, but when such a beautiful girl makes such a bold move, I don't think anyone would refuse.

Just then, the three guys who had been chasing her earlier appeared at the other end of the corridor. The leader, like me, tripped over the woman giving oral sex around the corner. The woman couldn't help but spit out what was in her mouth and curse, making me turn my head to look.

Just then, I suddenly felt my penis pop out of my pants. Looking down, the girl was staring blankly at the terrifying weapon she had freed.

But she only hesitated for a moment before grabbing my genitals and starting to rub them.

Because of the stimulation in the lobby, my penis was now in a semi-erect state, ready to spring. Normally, if a girl's small hand had gently held it, it would have been ready to go. But this girl's movements were clumsy and stiff, offering no pleasure whatsoever.

She looked up at me with a soft, spring-like smile, then glanced at the three guys beside me.

I understood instantly. She had changed her clothes to avoid them, using my body as cover to try and slip through their fingers.

My indifferent look at her in the lobby earlier was probably why she wanted to use me: she thought I wasn't particularly interested in her looks.

Her smile was incredibly convincing, like a girl consumed by desire. But her small hand, clutching my penis, betrayed her; it trembled slightly, a trembling of disgust.

Use me? Fine. But you'll have to pay the price. I looked at her coldly, then pressed her hand down.

"So eager, huh? If you behave, I can give you a little more sweetness to taste."

The girl smiled at me, speaking with incredibly seductive words.

She had great self-control and was very adept at understanding people's psychology. Most people would obediently listen to her if they heard that. If I hadn't witnessed everything from the beginning, I wouldn't have been able to see through her true intentions.

But I held her hand down not because I was "impatient," but because I knew she wouldn't dare resist.

So when my hand gripped her chin, the flawless coquettishness in the girl's eyes began to fade.

A hint of panic and fear flashed across her amber pupils, and the girl, who had been trying so hard to remain calm and composed, became uneasy.

"If you hurt me, you'll have to play the rest of the game alone,"

she deliberately feigned extreme dissatisfaction with my actions, hoping I would stop. I could even read the extreme tension and unease of awaiting judgment deep within her from her confident expression… no, she believed her words would definitely work; her confidence stemmed from her consistent self-assurance in her strategy.

I shook my head at her, lowered myself slightly, and said softly in a cold voice, "Unfortunately, you have no room for negotiation now."

The girl stared at me with wide eyes, wanting to say something more, but I had already forcibly pried open her mouth and inserted my entire penis inside.

The girl's scream was muffled by her throat, which was already full. She shuddered violently, almost jumping up. I thrust in very deep, and the girl gagged incessantly, tears streaming down her face.

Her small hands instinctively tried to push me away, but they froze on my waist. She seemed to remember that if she pushed me away, she would be completely exposed to the enemy's gaze.

I brushed the hair that fell across her cheek. The girl, forced to keep my penis in her mouth, looked up at me with tearful, resentful eyes, then frowned and let out a pitiful whimper as I began to thrust. Her

small mouth was warm and wet, her soft, tender tongue lying beneath my penis, occasionally rising due to spasms, as if massaging it. This deal, so far, was very worthwhile.

My huge penis ravaged her small mouth, occasionally poking a shameful bulge into the girl's cheek.

The girl's beautiful face was contorted with distress, saliva dribbling from the corner of her lips, running down her neck and wetting her firm breasts.

The three men passed by behind me; one of them seemed to want to take a closer look at us, but hesitated because of the vomit I had earlier left in the corner. I knew perfectly well that even without that, they wouldn't have bothered to see who was giving me that service. Because that's how people are; driven by moral principles, they instinctively refuse to watch others have sex—the reason is simple: you don't like being watched when you're having sex, it's mutual.

"Use your tongue,"

I said, looking down at her.

The girl looked up again, her expression a mixture of surprise and resentment, as if to say, "Absolutely not!"

"If I haven't ejaculated in your mouth before they leave, I'll be very disappointed,"

I continued.

The girl looked incredibly aggrieved, her eyes instantly transforming into a gentle, heartbreaking pleading gaze. Any man who saw that look would soften, unless, like me, he knew how good her acting was.

"Is that so? Never mind then."

I said casually, then moved aside to pull my penis out of the girl's mouth.

The girl's eyes widened in fright, and she quickly moved forward with me, desperately trying to keep the huge thing out of her mouth.

The three men seemed to hear something and turned around. The girl threw herself on top of me, burying her face between my legs to prevent them from seeing her. She succeeded, but my huge thing was swallowed completely, all the way down her throat.

The thick, pubic hair at the base of my penis covered her cheeks, which, in contrast, gave the girl a kind of defiled purity. She choked, her eyes rolling back, and snot running down her face, but she dared not let go.

At the same time, her stubborn little tongue began to move. There was no skill involved, just rubbing back and forth against the base of my penis, but it was still a rare pleasure.

I cupped her face, wiped the snot from her cheeks with my thumb, and then pulled my penis out as the three men disappeared into the end of the corridor.

A slight pang of pity struck me as I watched the girl retching on the floor.

She was breathing heavily, trembling all over, her face flushed crimson, and her eyes were even more misty.

I reached for her wrist to pull her up, but her body was limp as a lump of mud.

This was very abnormal. Even if she had suffocated a little earlier, it wouldn't be this bad.

I remembered seeing her like this

before, especially that look in her eyes. It was the same misty look in her eyes when Xia Xi and I were in the Rayout warehouse, after she was doused with aphrodisiacs. If I wasn't mistaken, this girl had been drugged too.

My lower body was still erect, and I felt the pent-up heat within me begin to surge wildly. "

Leaving you here for someone else is pointless; I might as well continue the deal you couldn't complete." Thinking this, my head throbbed with the heat of the alcohol. I grabbed her arm, pulled her up, and led her into the room.

"...Let go..."

the girl mumbled, struggling weakly.

I threw her onto the bed, wiped the pubic hair from the corner of her mouth, and then took off my clothes.

The girl struggled to get up, but bumped into me again. Her breath was hot, the effects of the aphrodisiac were becoming apparent, and she clung to me tightly.

She bit my neck while kissing me, and something was gurgling softly deep in her throat.

"...Don't joke around...in a place like this...with a person like this..."

She seemed quite unwilling, but her body didn't say that.

As expected of a sex party room, it was fully equipped with all the necessary equipment. I was also dizzy from the alcohol, so to avoid any accidents, I handcuffed her neck with a collar and then cuffed it to the headboard.

The girl tried to resist, but of course, it was impossible. After she was handcuffed like a dog, her pride and humiliation finally regained some of their rationality from the control of the aphrodisiac.

"...No...I don't want this...let me go!"

The girl frantically grabbed at the collar around her neck, trying to get it off.

I ripped open her panties, then lifted her dance skirt, pressed myself against her, and pinned her struggling hands down.

As my penis probed in, the girl screamed, but her crotch was already soaking wet; the head of my penis slid effortlessly into the embrace of her labia, only to be blocked by her tight opening.

I lay on her back, tearing her clothes, licking her back. She cursed something, then begged, but it was all in vain. I began to thrust in forcefully, kneading and pressing her beneath me, making her scream wildly, the chains around her neck clanking.

I heard myself breathing heavily, while the girl cried out in pain. As if in an instant, the crying turned into subtle moans of pleasure, followed by a long, endless silence. I heard her wailing, exhausted from her cries.

Then I heard myself crying, calling someone's name, my heart growing cold and breaking. But there was something incredibly warm nearby. I held that warmth tightly, my body frantically craving something, trying with all my might to possess it.

Finally, it was as if I pierced that warmth; a surging current of warmth overwhelmed me, followed by my own breakdown. The two warm things merged together, becoming one.

Before my consciousness sank into darkness, I felt as if I had attained boundless happiness.

Although it was an illusory happiness, and only for a fleeting moment

.

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