“Wager, after all these years you’ve been in this world, do you know how to treat injuries like these? “
Wager, having just spit out his mouthwash and ready for bed, looked at the barely alive body lying on the sofa by the hall and furrowed his brow.
“Although I’d like to help you confused… well, this favor, unfortunately, I’ve never seen such a strange condition before. “
Yang Zicang frowned, while Xue Qi and the others crouched down, grabbing towels and other items to treat the wounds on his body.
“Then, President Wager, do you know what caused these wounds? Are people with ‘Stellar Yuan’ really that powerful? ” Karl asked.
“Hmm… this isn’t a matter of Stellar Yuan. He’s been attacked by a ‘Zombie Mite.’ “
Upon hearing this name, Hua Mi hunched back, withdrawing her hands.
“There are real zombies! “
“Yes. ” Yang Zicang nodded. “On the very day I entered this world, I acquired a place where I could train combat experience in dreams—there were jumping zombies in there. “
{Whoa. }
Wager narrowed his eyes. He also crouched not far from Karl, whom he was wary of, watching them treat the wounds, and said:
“Ah~ um, heh, Mr. Hero, then how do you know those training grounds—that those places were real?“
“It’s simple. ” Yang Zicang turned his head. “Because I’ve worked on related scene designs somewhere before. So I know those places were scenes that once existed. Even this abnormal illusion—this distorted Track of Fate—was put in place by related personnel in the council. “
Wager’s voice stiffened slightly. So that was it… the man before him… “Well, it seems you truly understand nothing after all. “
Yang Zicang turned to stare at him.
-｛Distributor Loki·Tata Mingqi shows “vigilance. “｝
“Heh, just a mindless zombie, huh? Seems like you’ve already gotten some intel from this world, a brand new Track of Fate. Sigh… I thought… “
He casually glanced across, noticing that although Yang Buchen was paying attention to his topic, he didn’t bother to pursue that line of conversation.
“And who exactly is this ‘biological weapon’ you mentioned, Mr. Wager? ” Hua Mi wiped the sweat from her brow and asked.
“It’s a batch of weapons the natives use against us, the ‘Fogfolk.’ If you want to know the principle, you’ll have to pay a price. “
“What kind of price? “
“For heaven’s sake, we can just snoop around outside and find out. ” Xue Qi said it aloud, but deep down, she had already abandoned all hope of returning to her fine little manor in Blackwyn Zeke, let alone using Deputy Colonel’s resources to look into these matters.
“The price is actually quite simple. “
Wager said, “Sigh, I’ve been cooped up here for days. I thought I’d use at least some of these rooms by myself. So how about we both sign the Double Guild Agreement, form a new cooperative association, and set some ground rules for the hotel? “
Carl faintly crouched down, puzzled—had his master, the Guild Leader, finally, indecisively given up all illusions about the hotel during these endless months of hiding?
“What terms of agreement are you hoping to set? ” he decided to hear him out.
“Let’s just carve out what’s already in place: I only want the entire third floor; don’t you meddle with my territory, and I’ll return the favor and spare your two floors. As for that key set that’s been given away on the fourth floor… well, that’s your own problem to figure out. “
Yang Zicang said with a sly smile, “How, then, shall we decide the outcome? Based on who gets a Radiance first and enters the Presidential Suite?“
“Ah, well, if that were the case, it would be far too unfair.“
Wager looked back at Manager Mus, who had been watching the events unfold.
“Manager, I propose using the theme of Room 302’s ‘Long Game’ as the judgment standard for the final bidding content of our agreement.“
Yang Zicang immediately realized what this guy was up to.
Wager said with a smile, “Do you accept my initiative, this bidding invitation?“
-｛Distributor Loki Tata Mingqi expresses ‘excitement’ with great experience.｝
It seemed Wager wanted to ignite a flash of Glory Light.
Manager Mus slowly nodded, “Of course, the guest’s wishes are my service standard.“
The few people around them all watched the man before them in silence.
He was about to birth a Radiance – everyone understood this – and the final point of birth rested in the hands of the “President” before them.
-｛Distributor May Valkyrie closely watches my present experience.｝
-｛Distributor April (Odyssey) watches my present experience with ease.｝
“Fine. I know exactly what you’re planning. Using the next ‘Heroic Flash’ as the winning standard – that’s your plan, isn’t it?“
Wager slowly nodded.
“No wonder I selected you for this place. Ha… this hotel, sigh.“
He stood up, “I’ll go draft the contents of the agreement…“
“Wait! ” Mr. Pot’s voice came from the side again. “That human. You haven’t said what zombie worms are yet. Can those worms that turned into zombies be fried? “
The man who had already taken a step suddenly stopped and gritted his teeth in reply:
“They are not zombies. They are creatures that live at the bottom of the sea. Even in our former… “
He opened his mouth but couldn’t utter the word, so he continued:
“…Ghostbound Land, these things also exist. They are currently the only known creatures in the world that survive solely by digesting bones and extracting nutrients from them. As long as those things absorb the time sequence from the Evil Phantom or Mold Apparatus, they gain the ability to obtain the ‘Void Zero’ time sequence from various bones. “
Bones…
Seeing the pensive expressions on their faces, Wager smiled and said, “All bones also have their own time of existence. “
-｛Distributor May Valkyrie finally gave me a “Favorable Review “.｝
-｛Distributor July Lorraine expressed that I am nurturing the prelude to a brand-new glory.｝
Yang Zicang felt a foul sensation and tingling numbness seeping into his very marrow. So this was how the people of this world planned to deal with his kind. It was truly amazing that they could find such creatures—it was a wonder.
The documents were soon drafted.
《Cooperation Agreement between the and the .》
- Hereby, the current owner of Room 302 at the Feilü Inn… under the witness of Manager Mus, during the period of leaving the inn, both parties cannot attack each other, or else they will lose the qualification to bid for other rooms of the other party…
- April 30, Year 428, at the Feilü Inn… Signatory: ……。
After passing it around, they took a look at the agreement above, which also included the previously borrowed room terms rewritten. When necessary, both parties could still use each other’s monthly guest rooms as passageways to enter or exit the inn.
A few of them nodded seriously in agreement.
“Very well, sign it just like that, President. ” She Liqing, who had been pulled over from next door to witness the moment, said.
The two took the pen and signed their names at the bottom.
With all this settled, Wager finally breathed a sigh of relief. He figured he could finally extricate himself from this inn.
……
Wager had already been led away by Karl. Yang Zicang had pondered whether this Karl, once a member of the Weiting Travel Merchant Association, would welcome his former boss aboard his boat, the “Karl. ” But if the other party coincidentally ended up on the “Unsinkable ” to seek the opportunity for a “Flash ” to be born, then the scope could be narrowed down.
Back in Room 407, Yang Zicang sat at the table in his room, studied the mask in his hand for a while, and then put it on his face.
As the elemental field’s energy resonated, the mask quickly recorded his current appearance.
So this is my face now, Yang Zicang thought, staring at the face in his hand after setting it aside, recalling his previous features.
｛My face deserves a name.｝
｛I, the Great Quadrilateral… was pondering.｝
“I’ll call you ‘Musing Face’ then. “
Yang Zicang tapped his fingers lightly on the mask, then stood up, shrugged off his coat, and flopped onto the bed.
“But… I can’t sleep yet. ” He shook his head again and struggled to sit up. “I hope Karl can find more information on the sub- aether field space on the ship. If it were Kim Tae-cheol, he probably wouldn’t give up the chance to seize this radiant opportunity to save people. “
After a quick wash-up, Yang Zicang returned to the island where the small boat was anchored. By Bai Yuxian’s side appeared that familiar face. As expected, Bai Yuxian would never truly abandon someone so vital to him into the sub- aether field space.
“Hello, we meet again. Only now can I truly shed the interference of all those identities and get to know you anew, sincerely. My name is Mingtao. You could say I’m the adopted son of this boss who carries half the bloodline of Winton Merchant. “
The two shook hands. Yang Zicang slightly activated his “Musing Night ” to expand his perception, and after confirming there was nothing wrong with them, he said:
“Only one person can enter at a time in the inn. After you register your names with me, you won’t be able to stay there. “
“We understand. So even the key can be left with you, ” said Soldier No. 2 with a smile.
He had completely lost trust in Bai Yuxian standing beside him.
This mission was something only he alone could carry out. And he would only have one chance.
“Who’s coming first? “
Bai Yuxian was about to speak when Soldier No. 2 smiled and half-raised a hand. “Me first, ” he said, turning his head. “I’ll come out and, uh, tell you what’s going on inside. “
Bai Yuxian nodded gently. “Alright. “
The two of them walked together into the small cabin of the boat.
Energy surged around them, revealing the appearance of a guest room. Their feet simultaneously stepped onto the vintage woolen carpet.
Yang Zicang, standing ahead, suddenly sensed something amiss. His eyes slanted to the side.
In that instant, Soldier No. 2’s face still wore that unwaveringly affable smile that had been with him all along. Yet his movements came without any warning, no killing intent—they didn’t even break the comfortable atmosphere. A slender, hidden blade had already appeared in his sleeve-dagger, silently lunging straight for Yang Zicang’s throat.
The movement was so fluid it didn’t feel like an attack, but rather a friendly outstretched hand.
Yang Zicang’s pupils sharply contracted.
｛Trajectory Dispatch!｝
This damned affability had even caused his body to hesitate at that initial moment!
“You—! ” Yang Zicang could only manage to blurt out a short syllable.
Instinct outpaced thought. Yang Zicang’s accelerated body twisted aside in a flash, but the sword pursued like a relentless, bone-tethered plague.
A flickering, folded line expanded. The blade’s trajectory was instantly resonated and shifted by another force vibrating behind it.
The path of the thrust deviated with an extremely minute twist.
Soldier No. 2’s eyes flickered faintly as he glanced at the blade, and said gently, “So this is the President’s ability.” But his movements were like willow branches in a gale—relentlessly sweeping toward the person before him, with no pause at all.
The Chrono-Void Flame, bearing traces of various streams, clung to the sword’s tip.
Boom!
A surge of immense force radiated from the area the sword’s edge swept across, spreading into trajectories that formed infernal rune patterns. Countless sword shadows flashing by crashed down toward Yang Zicang’s feet like converging streams.
— “The guest in room 303 seems to be experiencing something quite extraordinary.“
Manager Sherry’s voice came from outside the room.
The two fighters sensed a subtle shift in the room, as an invisible force field materialized at both the wall and the doorway.
— “Your experiences will be recorded in this room’s bidding agreement.“
The bidding content for Room 303? It seemed to be related to the professional tournament.
After dodging one strike and raising a stool—coated it with flames and the Chrono-Void Flame before hurling it—Yang Zicang was about to pull out his own room key when a new voice announced over the loudspeaker.
— “This dispute among guests—whether a long-brewing plot or a sudden betrayal—will be unveiled by the victor.” Click-Clack—the letter blocks on the bedside table began to spin. One moment they formed the shape ‘Y’, the next a quote-marked ‘｛quote-mark｝’X‘｛quote-mark｝’.
— “The two of you who will be the winners will have the primary right to bid for the ownership of this room based on this story. You two continue; I’ll go notify the room’s owner. “
Just as he followed Karl back into the magical Field of Aether, Wager hummed twice and asked:
“Karl, how did you obtain these name cards to get in here? “
“I can’t answer that yet, my boss. “
Wager snickered twice, “That’s too distant of you. Alright then, after you drop me off on the shore, where will you be heading? “
Karl frowned thoughtfully, “What exactly are you trying to say? “
“Well, it’s like this… ” Wager said, “I have some intelligence about this continent that I want to trade with you. Later, you can use this intel to secure your position in the new team. You know, more and more people will be coming to our hotel in your tour group, right. ” He patted Karl on the shoulder firmly and warmly, “No other meaning; this is for your own good. Intelligence is the same no matter who you sell it to. It’s just that they arrive a bit later, and I’m afraid he won’t know. “
-｛The manager of Fee Travel Hotel is notifying me.｝
Wager, who had been wearing a friendly smile while waiting for Karl’s confused answer, lowered his head. Someone placed a bid?
-｛Fee Travel Hotel Manager Shirley: There’s something I need to inform you about, Mr. Wager.｝
They violated the agreement?! A vein instantly bulged red on Wager’s neck.
-｛Someone is fighting in your room.｝
“Who!? ” Wager panicked and fumbled for the key on his body. “Is it Yang Zicang? “
｛Panic｝, ｛Betrayal｝, ｛Failed Cooperation｝, ｛Unreliable Ally｝…
-｛Yes. It is him and his traveler.｝
｛I paid a tip of 10N for the lock pick of COSTELLA HOTEL.｝
A sharp gust of wind sliced across Yang Zicang’s skin.
The White Shadow Thought-Dragon tore at the man’s body, as countless indistinct stream phantoms swelled and emerged on the outskirts of his form, countering the psychic assault.
“You see now, President? For you Fogfolk, your ever-formidable psychic attacks can be negated, as long as the power of Stellar Yuan is invoked.“
Yang Zicang was sent stumbling backward by a thrust of the sword; his spine slammed heavily against a solid wooden table, rattling the clay wine jug on top until it hummed.
Would failing to leave this room mean defeat?
But the Sequence had already been exhausted in his fight with the upper rank Evil Dreameater. At hand, all he had left was the several ten-thousand investment from He Yishu and Xue Qi.
There was simply no way this fight could continue like this.
“I was hoping to gather more intel about you, to see what other secrets you Fogfolk have yet to cough up. But it seems there’s no need anymore.” Soldier No. 2 said with a smile. “Those trajectory-manipulating abilities of yours? Just a deformation of the ‘Turbulent Vein Bloodline,’ nothing more.“
He raised his sword higher, and the sharp sword aura on it surged violently. At that moment, Yang Zicang felt as if an invisible force had locked onto every single inch of his body.
Clickclackclickclack~ Peckpeckpeck~
The sound of pecking at the card paper came through the dense, howling wind.
Huh? That sound… Both of them turned their heads in surprise towards the card paper on the bedside table, where a small metal bird was pecking at the large “X ” on the name card. The surrounding cards suddenly shuffled and flipped over.
—B. The paper scraps fluttered to a stop right before the tilted, inquisitive eyes of the small bird.
Gazing at this bird, Yang Zicang felt his mind reel.
“It’s you. ” Soldier No. 2 instantly sensed something was wrong. His wrist jerked, andslash—he swung his sword at Yang Zicang in one swift motion.
It was as if the heavens and earth were splitting apart. A violent gale erupted throughout the room like a bomb, threatening to tear everything asunder.
Bam! The door burst open as Wager slammed it with his palm, his flushed face craning into the faint force field. He saw Yang Zicang, caught in a maelstrom of energy that seemed to rip the very fabric of things, swept away by surging waves until he vanished from where he stood.
“Who are you!? ” Wager shouted, shaken, from outside the room.
“My name is ‘Cuckoo’, you know. ” The little bird on the bedside table twisted its head and replied, tilting its gaze at the remaining, stony-faced person in the room. It preened its feathers, then pulled out a name card and pointed it at him with a tilt:
“I am the most renowned and courageous tactical cuckoo in the entire watchmaking world! Hands up, you are under arrest by ‘Iron Bar Hans’ Cuckoo, Chief Intelligence Officer of Soldier No.4! “
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