–Wh… what?–
–Don’t look at me like that. I’ve got plenty of connections here—they’re fine with providing their own auxiliary ability spheres. The moment you draw one, just disguise it as an automatic activation.–
–……–
–Also,– Croft’s fingers darted over the illusory projection, -**_here, a few hidden doors that rely solely on Chronos principal to bypass combat altogether. This is for the survival of low-combat personnel.
And here, this space—you can petition the Council to deploy a time-dilation device. Stay here for a week, and only a day passes outside—but you’ll need to invest a thousand years of principal!_**-
Everyone was stunned.
–Don’t worry about being rejected. Do you have any idea what a Demon-class means? The Council won’t bat an eye over using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.–
–I actually think it’s quite a good deal,- one person said without thinking.
Croft smiled and fixed his eyes on him:
–Right, right! Everyone, this is about securing benefits for us candidates!-
–These, what are these? Isn’t this a reward for spending Chronos to become stronger?-
One person stopped taking notes and hurriedly walked out the door.
–I, I, I can’t do it!-
–Sorry, this is too much of a joke.-
More people stood up. They glanced at Croft, closed their notebooks, coldly pushed aside the hands of companions trying to hold them back, and walked out the door just like that person.
Croft’s gaze paid them no heed. He simply smiled and stared at those still seated.
–We can brainstorm,- he said nonchalantly, as if nothing had happened.
Seeing this, one person tentatively raised a hand and said,
–So, can we add a lottery device at the third gathering spot? A one-percent chance to get a secret skill?-
–Yes, yes, smart—you catch on quick! But let’s limit it to five tries per person, so we don’t seem too pushy. Everyone gets five shots—win or lose, it’s luck. No one can complain.-
The atmosphere turned delicate.
Everyone felt that maybe adding these within controlled limits would give most people a fair shot.
–However, for those who are well-liked, you can tweak the odds a bit—say, an eighty-percent chance on the fourth try. Especially the girls who chat a lot; they’ll definitely spread the word everywhere.-
The crowd listened, dumbfounded, as the voice kept going.
–…That way, all the teams entering the two cities will be drawn in. In the Arena City, more people will head off to explore other routes, curious about what other adventures await.-
–……–
Everyone felt as if a flock of crows were cawing overhead.
……
–That bastard!-
With a bang, Huan Bao’er slammed a stack of books onto the desk.
Gong Huanwu, leaning against the wall, flinched in fright.
The woman, her skin like frost, bit hard on her crimson lips, hands on her hips. Her gaze swept left and right before settling on a pen holder.
–No, don’t break that one!-
Gong Huanwu lunged forward and grabbed the pen holder, which was trembling just as much as he was.
Huan Bao’er’s chest heaved violently. After a long, dazed panting, she bent her slender legs and sat down lightly on the chair.
–Gather the people who left today, and then I’ll start the second plan.–
–There are only two and a half months left,– Secretary Gong said, holding the pen holder.
The woman stared at him.
–That’s why I haven’t stopped that fool’s actions for now. We’ll try modifying the Green Lotus Crown ourselves and see if it can pass the council’s review. I think they should understand our difficulties.–
Secretary Gong sighed.
–By the way, Chief Secretary. Steward Gu came back today to inspect the progress of our Mo Ying Hall, but when he heard it wasn’t his own design, he left again.–
–Teacher Gu…– Huan Bao’er was stunned for a moment, then let out a gentle breath. –Good thing you didn’t notify me—that would’ve been so embarrassing. Well done.–
Gong Huanwu broke out in a cold sweat.
……
On the way back to her room, Jiao Ma hugged her notebook and sobbed as she walked.
Ding Jiaojie stayed by her side, gently stroking her back and murmuring words of comfort.
The three men, Yang Zicang and the others, exchanged glances and winks from left and right, not daring to make a sound.
–Although… there will be… the strong…– she choked out between sobs, –what about… ordinary people…?–
–They… maybe they shouldn’t have… entered…–
Ding Jiaojie simply couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence.
Jiao Ma turned her head to look up at the older sister who was a head taller than her:
–Those who can receive Chronos’ support… they can easily… reach the final point. Even though it’s part of their ability, but, but…–
–{Zicang, I don’t want to continue. This is destroying the possibilities for most people.}-
–In the advancing group, Zorro suddenly stopped and unfolded the Moxel tunnel.-
–{I’m going back to my department to work. Let’s play chess together when we have time. I hope there’s still a chance in the future.}-
–Zorro knew that once this was over, Yang Zicang would most likely quit.-
–Seeing the glowing ring on Yang Zicang’s chest, Wang Dingshan looked at the others behind him who also had glowing rings and furrowed his brow.-
–Yang Zicang looked at Jiao Ma, feeling a pang of unease inside.-
–Without rewards, everyone would certainly lack the motivation to move forward. But the purpose of our work is not fundamentally for the growth of the masses.-
–Unfortunately, um… I… um, don’t have the ability to create a, um…-
–Let’s go home quickly, oh, be good, Jiao Jiao.- Ding Jiaojie gently patted the girl’s back.
–At the intersection, Yang Zicang parted ways with them.-
–Back in the bedroom, Yang Zicang tossed and turned.-
–If, if I myself…-
–Now there is a rough plan; only a small part of the content is missing. Currently, I have two structures of the Moying Hall to reference.-
–Yang Zicang got up, activated his ability, and entered the mental world to display them, comparing them one by one.-
–After looking for a while, Yang Zicang felt dizzy and the sense of unwillingness that had risen in his heart also faded considerably.-
––_Alas, I’m just not cut out for this. Wash up and go to bed.-–_
–Yang Zicang came out after showering, wiping his head.-
–Seeing the basic reference books on the table, he suddenly thought of someone.-
The moment this thought arose, Yang Zicang felt an overwhelming urge surge within him, his mind uncontrollably conjuring that slender figure.
If he were here, would he have shone with brilliance?
……
Zorro sat alone in the pavilion, playing Go against the subordinate.
The little red horse stared for a moment, then twisted and darted to the other side, fixing its eyes on his hand.
A broken line shot over.
Zorro paused briefly, then connected to it.
{Library, have you gone through all the bookshelves?}
He pondered for a moment, then silently muttered to himself:
[I’ve seen all the ones on display.]
Yang Zicang fell silent for a few seconds.
{What a shame I can’t get out. If I could go out again… forget it, talking is useless.}
Zorro placed a light-based piece representing a black stone, and the transparent hand on the board quickly responded with one of its own.
Zorro noticed it had a particular fondness for linking dragons—this seemed to be a weakness in the steward’s playing style.
[What do you want to go out for?] Zorro asked.
{Just a passing thought. I remembered someone who might help us. But it’s probably just wishful thinking on my part.}
Zorro’s hand hesitated slightly before manifesting another piece.
[Who is it?]
{A lousy gamer.}
In the sensory feed, Yang Zicang paused, hesitating, then said:
{I’m just asking. If you haven’t seen that place, then never mind.}
The man thought for a moment—he indeed hadn’t found any clue about that bookshelf.
He glanced at the little red horse staring at his face with big eyes, and gave a faint smile.
{Unfortunately, I haven’t been here long enough to have any…}
Suddenly, Zorro recalled a previous anomaly.
Yes, he hadn’t come away empty-handed after all.
Once, he had encountered something unusual in the literature department, but later tried several times and could never reproduce that fleeting moment.
But now it’s different!
Zorro abruptly lowered his head to look at his chest, nervously sensing the –Mind Manifestation Authority- within Moxel.
That anomalous moment seemed to occur right after Han Mingxiao had made contact with him.
If it was because his previous strength was insufficient to detect it, then what about now?!
Within his mind, a powerful urge surged to life.
It was as if an external force was compelling him—a force originating from the –Mind Manifestation Authority-!
Zorro immediately stood up and dashed toward the Lost Illusion Company, but after two steps he slowed down.
Too impulsive.
He mustn’t appear too anxious.
He mustn’t show any abnormality.
……
On the other side, Yang Zicang sat quietly at a table, gazing at a stack of books in his hands.
Design wasn’t his strong suit, but over this period he had become adept at modifying and assembling the Mind Realm. If he continued to earn Dwight Croft’s favor, he might obtain more of his crafting secrets for the Demon Hero Hall.
He knew well that breakthrough developments in human technology sometimes come from a single spark of inspiration: the compass needle pointing north and south, hot water lifting a bottle cap, bacteria vanishing near the blue mold on unwashed dishes, a kite with a key flying into thunderclouds…
They are like flashes of light, illuminating the path of human civilization’s progress.
And the construction of the Magic Hall also holds hidden secrets, concealed within the thousands upon thousands of brick walls, within those seemingly ordinary intersections of lines, within the inevitable rhythm of encounters and collisions between different teams…
Once these secrets are obtained, the inspiration for a genius designer is no less than a leap of a thousand miles.
Although Dwight Croft’s goal is Xuling Chronos, he possesses the attainment to acquire Chronos — his unique expertise in building excellent Magic Halls!
If he himself could obtain those key points…
[I want to find the unique design tricks of the Magic Hall so that all participants can survive to the greatest extent possible.]
Yang Zicang ran his fingers over these Magic Hall design works that resembled large stadiums and game designs.
Even if he couldn’t identify exactly what those trick points were…
But why must he identify them anyway?
The world is vast, and everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses. He only needs to do what he can do well, and entrust the rest to those worthy of trust…
–If I record all the procedures,-
His hand suddenly tightened on the book spine.
–Popoli, if it were you, could you do it?-
[Although I’m impulsive, I still think this is very difficult.]
[I think this is next to impossible.]
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