ICO 221-235 (Patreon)

ICO 221-234

Ch 221

Five thousand yuan can only be used in one world for 24 hours. Although this time it was paid by Son Goku, Liu Yuan, who had the mentality of not wasting money, brought Kisara and Leticia to the place mentioned by Roshi.

A tall tower with a large platform on top of it stood before them, where a Cat Immortal was watching the scenery.

As it looked around, it suddenly sensed someone beside it. Turning its head, it covered its chest and stepped back a few steps.

"You scared me to death!"

"Am I that scary?"

The cat fairy's real name was Korin. He looked like a kind cat, but he had actually lived for 800 years.

"You’d be scared too if someone suddenly appeared next to you! Young man, what are you doing here?"

Those who could arrive here quietly were definitely not ordinary people. Anyone who came here to undergo the test could get some guidance from him. But Korin felt that the man and woman in front of him didn't need any guidance.

Especially the blonde girl. Her power was countless times more terrifying than that of Piccolo back then. Could they be a new evil force?

Just as Korin was imagining this, Liu Yuan explained the purpose of his visit: "The Hermit recommended this place to us, saying there was something fun here?"

"Fun? This isn’t an amusement park; how can there be so many fun things... but..."

Korin pondered for a while and then presented a jar: "Are you hungry? I have some food here to help you fill your stomach and restore some physical strength."

"Senzu beans?"

"You know them?"

Liu Yuan nodded: "I do. They’re very rare consumables and items, but I didn't expect you to have so many here..."

Looking carefully, he saw three large jars around, each filled with Senzu beans.

"Are there seeds or seedlings in these?"

"Seeds? Of course, but without a special method to cultivate them, they won’t grow. Seeds that can’t grow can only be used as ordinary Senzu beans."

"I have a way."

Liu Yuan didn't even need to ask for the cultivation method. He knew how to raise this thing the moment he saw the Senzu beans.

However, according to the system, it’s a little troublesome to cultivate these beans, but there is a world that can mass-produce them. It so happens that the world and the Internet cafe have a cooperative relationship. Cultivating them to a level that everyone can afford isn’t difficult.

"Then I won't tell you how to cultivate them. If you fail, come to me."

"Thank you very much. I don't have anything else to offer you as a reward, so I’ll give you this."

Liu Yuan took out three network cards and explained: "I run an Internet cafe. My Internet cafe is a little special. If you find the right person in the future, you can recommend them to my Internet cafe. They can go online and play games for free for half a year."

"I’ll remember that."

As the saying goes, people become wiser as they grow older. Korin, who had lived for hundreds of years, understood the value of these three network cards the moment he received them. It’s actually quite boring here most of the time.

After learning about the magic of the Internet cafe through these three network cards, he curiously asked: "Um... Can I go there?"

"Of course, the four-dimensional space Internet cafe welcomes you at any time. But if you only have Senzu beans, you can't surf the Internet for free forever."

After hearing this, Korin understood instantly. He stood by the railing, waved his crutches, and shouted: "Nimbus Cloud!"

With his call, a large golden cloud slowly floated over.

"So beautiful!"

Kugara's eyes were already shining, and even Leticia, who was standing next to her, liked it very much after seeing it.

"Ahem, the Nimbus Cloud can only be used by people who meet special criteria. You can take some away as well."

High EQ, special criteria.

Low EQ, only kind people can use it.

"With this, it is indeed enough..."

Take it all away? That’s impossible. Based on the value of the Nimbus Cloud and Senzu beans, the seeds plus about a quarter of the Nimbus Cloud are enough for Korin to surf the Internet for the rest of his life.

As for the value of Senzu Beans, what can he say about them? They’re valuable, a rare item for instant recovery in any game. But they’re not so valuable that Korin can get them for free.

But the Nimbus Cloud is different. This thing can also be cultivated. At the same time, its physical immunity effect and high-speed flight are highly interesting features that can be sold to many worlds.

And the Nimbus Cloud provided by Korin is enough to be cultivated. The money earned from cultivating this thing is enough for this cat immortal to surf the Internet for a lifetime.

Kisara heard the exchange between Liu Yuan and Korin clearly. After knowing that this thing could be used, she jumped down directly.

"Boss! I want to take a piece!"

"Take it, the money will be deducted from your salary."

"Anyway, I don't have a salary!"

While complaining, Kisara had already jumped onto the Nimbus Cloud, but as soon as she hit it, she found that her body was sinking.

"Hey, hey, hey? Boss! Help! I'm falling!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Kisara fell off the Nimbus Cloud.

"This thing hasn’t been transformed yet. One piece is enough. None of us three can use it. But thank you, immortal. Remember to come and play when it opens."

"Okay, okay!"

Korin agreed with a smile, while Liu Yuan studied the structure of the Nimbus Cloud and packed a quarter of it directly into the system without damaging the main body.

With the senzu bean seeds and the Nimbus Cloud clone, the system began to contact the world for cultivation. Within just half a day, the system produced the finished fairy beans and the Nimbus Cloud.

"System, your speed is impressive."

"There are many cooperative worlds, and some gods are willing to adjust the speed of time to help us cultivate."

"What about the price?"

"The boss finds these items, and the price is up to you to confirm. However, the cost price of each fairy bean is 1,000 yuan, and the cost price of the Nimbus Cloud is 10,000 yuan. Please be careful with the pricing."

"Okay!"

To be honest, Liu Yuan wasn’t willing to make too much profit. Let's price a fairy bean at 10,000 yuan and a Nimbus Cloud at 100,000 yuan. The first one can be used at will, and the second one is bound for use.

Between honesty and multiplying the price by ten, Liu Yuan still feels that multiplying by ten is more exciting.

So, new food and items were put on the shelves in the Internet cafe. The listing of these two items caused an uproar in the Internet cafe.

All along, the guests of the Internet cafe have had means of recovery. The simplest way is the herbs and hand sanitizer in Resident Evil or the Crimson Tear in Elden Ring.

There are better ones, such as in Minecraft, Monster Hunter, Terraria, and LOL, which all have various recovery potions. However, the cost of bringing these things out isn’t high. As long as you clear the game, it’s easy to bring out the props made in the game.

However, these items have one little disadvantage. They can restore health but not mana, or they can restore mana but not health. But the Senzu beans can restore both health and mana, and they’re small and easy for children to carry. In addition to recovery, these beans have another advantage: after eating one, you don’t need to eat, drink, or even go to the toilet for ten days.

Chapter 222

"Damn it! How did you become so strong?"

For a week straight, Baki had been training under Master Roshi. During this time, he practiced diligently and learned the Kamen Sennin's philosophy. Master Kame didn't teach any specific moves, just basic training exercises such as swimming, climbing, plowing, and delivering milk. They worked from sunrise to sunset, took a break at noon, and after a meal at night, they would stretch and go to bed.

It was like an ordinary life, but Master Kame had a stricter requirement—to replace traditional practice with life itself. Except during rest time, all other moments had to be spent in practice. If they felt relaxed, Master Kame would add special weights. If they felt tired, they would stop and rest for a while.

In addition, Master Kame also taught Baki, Goku, and Krillin the most important aspect of being a martial artist: martial ethics.

"Train well, study well, play well, eat well, and rest well." This was Master Kame's method of practice.

What appeared simple was actually extremely difficult for the three newcomers, especially Baki, who was better at explosive battle.

However, maintaining explosive power at all times and in every aspect of life is no easy feat.

In life, you need strength at all times, but you also need to control it.

Because Baki was older, Master Kame took special care of him. For example, when delivering milk, while the others only delivered one box, Baki delivered two.

Isn't that just easy?

But what if you had to swim across the sea and through the jungle while delivering milk, ensuring the seawater didn't contaminate it and the milk wasn't too jostled?

You have to hold the milk steadily without changing your posture and can't rest until you're exhausted.

It’s like holding up a glass of water—it might be easy for ten minutes or even half an hour, but for an hour, five hours, or even half a day?

Without special training, almost no one could manage it.

Now, Master Kame was training their basic skills and wisdom. In this way, after a week, Baki, Goku, and Krillin had completely adapted to this rhythm. Goku didn't notice much of a difference, but Baki realized that his strength had improved. This improvement wasn't just in moves or raw strength but in control over his body, something that sounds mysterious but actually exists.

Previously, to unleash all his strength, Baki needed to activate his "Demon Face," letting the core muscles of his back power his attacks. But now, he could harness that power with just a few movements, which excited him greatly.

A week later, Baki and Goku, who had gradually adapted to this life and training, returned to the Internet cafe, and this time, Krillin joined them.

"Hey, Garou, long time no see."

"No need for words; You've been training for so long. Let me see the results!"

"Okay! Please teach me more."

Baki sat down, put on his glasses, and prepared for a good fight with Garou.

Over the past few days, because Baki and Son Goku were both in training, Garou had been bored and spent time sparring with Bang. He lost, so he decided to stay under Bang's tutelage for a while, planning to leave only when he could defeat Bang one day and then eliminate all the hypocritical heroes.

In his opinion, the heroes in his world were disgusting, using their power to do whatever they wanted. And what about the humans they protected?

They didn't behave as humans should.

As for the monsters, those weaker ones were killed without doing anything.

Should they be killed just because they were weak? If so, he would kill all the strong ones.

He wanted to practice his own form of justice.

But before gaining enough strength, he knew all this was just nonsense. So he practiced boxing and became proficient in the Internet cafe. Even if Baki and Son Goku weren't there, there were still many strong computer opponents provided by the cafe.

Unfortunately, many of these strong opponents were too powerful, and fighting them didn't help him improve at all. But just as he was waiting for Baki and Son Goku to return, they came back, and they were stronger.

In the past, he could suppress Baki with his Water Flowing Rock Fist, but this time he found that Baki was suppressing him. Punches landed on his face repeatedly, yet Baki's momentum never faltered.

"Your Demon Face..."

"Demon Face? I can't use it for the time being."

"...?"

Garou felt underestimated. He had learned many skills and wanted to fight back, but everything stopped at the being only a thought. Baki's improvement over the past week left him with no chance to counterattack.

This wasn’t because Baki had become physically stronger. If you only considered strength and reaction, Baki wasn’t much different from a week ago—his strength limit had only slightly increased, and Garou still couldn't avoid the attacks he couldn't avoid before. But Baki's body had changed. He could maintain his strength during the battle, and because he integrated training into his life, he could maintain a similar mindset in both battle and life.

Fighting requires not only strength and skill but also a strong mentality, which plays a significant role in determining the outcome of a battle. Now, Garou had strong physical strength, but his mentality was not as good as Baki's. In this state, he lost.

"I lost?"

It wasn’t that he hadn’t lost in previous battles, but this time Garou felt he had lost completely. He could sense that Baki's body hadn't improved significantly, but the change in his will had made such a big difference. This made Garou reconsider what Goku had said before.

He clearly remembered that Son Goku had found a master and invited them to learn together. Baki went and became stronger.

Now it was time to test Son Goku's abilities. If Son Goku could also defeat him...

Thinking this, he turned to Son Goku.

"Goku, let's have a fight."

"Okay! Please teach me more!"

Then Garou lost again, and completely.

Like Baki, Son Goku hadn’t grown much physically, but Garou found him much harder to deal with. Whether attacking or defending, Garou was at a loss. Son Goku was very serious, but at the same time, Garou felt that he wasn’t as fierce as before. He still had no special moves, yet Garou still lost, and lost thoroughly.

"Damn it!" Garou was unwilling to accept it. How had the others become so strong after just a week? His teacher wasn't weak, and the skills he learned weren’t weak either, so why had this happened?

So he fought Krillin, and this time he lost again. Krillin wasn't weak to begin with, and after Master Kame's training, his current strength had been developed to the extreme.

But he still couldn't defeat Garou. His foundation was relatively weak, so even after training in will and body, he couldn't easily defeat Garou due to his lack of combat experience.

But don't forget that Krillin from the Dragon Ball world had traveled across the ocean to find Kame Sennin's island and had been able to complete all the training with Son Goku and Baki. His foundation wasn’t bad, and after this period of study, he had grasped some of the martial arts spirit.

Martial arts spirit sounds mysterious, but in fact, it’s a way of life. Fighting isn’t about winning but about improving oneself. Martial arts aren’t for fighting but for living a more fulfilling life.

Challenge yourself and defeat yourself.

This is the essence Krillin had learned over these days. So even when he was about to lose in battle, he didn’t give up until the very end. He couldn’t do without pursuing victory, but victory wasn’t the top priority in battle. Defeating himself was now Krillin's core idea.

Thus, Krillin was rapidly improving his overall strength during the battles. Krillin himself wasn’t actually weak. What he lacked was combat experience. Now that he had Garou to spar with, his combat experience was improving quickly.

See, in less than half a day, Krillin had gone from not winning at all to being able to fight Garou on equal terms.

However, what really made Garou question his life was that even Baki had become polite. In the past, Baki would fight without a second thought, but now, no matter how many times they fought, Baki would politely say, "Please give me more advice," or "I'm going to fight."

In seven days, there hadn't been any significant improvement in strength or skills.

Moreover, Garou hadn't been idle during those seven days. After returning home, he had been training nonstop except for eating and sleeping. After coming here, he tested what he had practiced. Even if the others were taught by a famous teacher, it shouldn't have been possible to improve so quickly.

"Does being polite really improve strength?"

Because he didn’t know the specifics, he could only judge based on this anomaly and arrived at such an almost impossible conclusion.

After coming up with this seemingly absurd possibility, Garou sought out Bang after the shop closed and returning to his world.

During this relatively peaceful time, according to Bang, a newly promoted hero named King had been very active.

He could have taken a short break, but he hadn’t expected Garou to challenge him again today.

"Master."

"Sparring? Sure."

"Then, Master, please teach me more!"

"...?!"

Bang was shocked to hear his disciple actually speaking honorifics. It was as if a mountain climber suddenly encountered an avalanche—it was just too strange.

Seeing Garou’s unusually sensible demeanor today, Bang decided to go easy on him. He let Garou win without letting him know, and at the same time, made sure Garou would mistakenly think his strength had improved.

If Garou could receive positive feedback and change his mindset, it would be considered a success.

While Garou was sparring with Bang, Kisara in the Internet cafe also joked about what she had seen and heard today.

"Boss! Can being polite and civilized really improve strength? I remember Garou was the strongest among the three before. It's only been a few days, and he's already becoming the weakest?"

Liu Yuan answered this question: "Self-cultivation is essentially about conditioning the body. It's hard to say whether it makes you stronger or weaker, but I do know that people with a good mindset generally live longer."

Kisaragi responded, "I get it—only when you're alive can you have output! Being civilized and polite helps you live longer, and living longer increases output and improves strength."

Liu Yuan didn’t know how Kisaragi reached that conclusion, but in a way, Kisaragi’s understanding was indeed correct.

Chapter 223

A new day has dawned, and the Internet cafe is open again. There’s still half a month before the new set of cheap games available, and Liu Yuan has just paid off the money he owed after purchasing Mugen and Mugen - Balance, so he has no desire to buy any new games for the time being.

"So boring!"

The complaint came from a pink-haired devil. Her greatest joy was introducing newcomers to games and watching them play. But currently, there were only five people in the second branch, including the new arrival, Krillin, and it lacked the vibrant atmosphere of the main store and the first branch.

Kisara turned to Liu Yuan, who was still engrossed in a book: "Boss! Is there something wrong with this store's location? Why hasn’t anyone else shown up?"

Liu Yuan put down his book and replied, "Don’t worry, I’m more anxious than you are. I’m counting on this branch to make more money, but so far, we're still losing a lot! We're bleeding money!"

As he spoke, Liu Yuan clutched his chest in exaggerated pain. He had invested millions into this branch, but the combined consumption of the five customers so far hadn’t even reached 200,000. The store had been losing money since its opening, and Liu Yuan was feeling the sting.

However, just as Liu Yuan was lamenting his losses, a blond boy entered the cafe, instantly lifting everyone’s spirits.

"Welcome to the 4-D Space Internet Cafe, where you can get everything you desire, whether it’s knowledge, power, or the opportunity to change your future."

"Hey, hey, hey?"

The newcomer, Shirogane Miyuki, looked around in shock. In his memory, he should have been at home preparing dinner for his unreliable father, but suddenly, he was here? What was going on?

Liu Yuan watched Shirogane Miyuki with curiosity. It wasn’t that the boy was particularly special, but the world he came from was interesting. He was from the same world as Yoshida Saki, or even the same country. But while Yoshida Saki had entered the No. 1 branch, Shirogane Miyuki ended up here.

Upon examining the reason, it turned out that the world Yoshida Saki and Shirogane Miyuki came from was located between the No. 1 and No. 2 branches. Yoshida Saki’s area was closer to branch No. 1, while Shirogane Miyuki’s area was closer to branch No. 2. This led to the newcomer being assigned to branch No. 2.

Though Liu Yuan understood Shirogane Miyuki’s situation, he decided not to explain it to him. Instead, he was curious to see what the boy would do in the Internet cafe.

"Everything I desire? Don’t be ridiculous…"

Shirogane Miyuki initially dismissed the place as a dream or perhaps a hallucination. Maybe he missed Kaguya so much during this time that his mind conjured up this space where wishes could be fulfilled?

But just as he was about to leave, Kisara extended her hand, admiring her fingers as she spoke indifferently, "Dear guest, you can leave by pushing the door, but if you do, you may never be with the person you like in this life."

This sentence froze Shirogane Miyuki in his tracks.

Kisara continued, "Here, you can exchange anything you have for knowledge, power, or even relationships and connections. It’s up to you whether you live a mediocre life and watch the person you like marry someone else, or fight for some money and get a chance to become famous. Oh! By the way, the time ratio here is different from reality. One hour here is equal to one minute in your world. As an excellent student, you should understand what this means, right?"

Leticia stood beside Kisara, smiling at the young man without saying a word.

Shirogane Miyuki was stunned. One hour here equals one minute outside? If the outside world knew about this, people would go crazy. Even if he didn’t use it just for studying online, it still equated to more than ten hours of study time each day, which would stabilize his grades.

Liu Yuan, as if speaking offhandedly, added, "By the way, some games here also speed up the internal time. A few days in the game can equal just a few minutes in reality. So, you only need to pay a little money to gain at least a week’s worth of time in just ten minutes of your world’s time."

"How do I spend here?"

Shirogane Miyuki agreed without hesitation. He felt that if he refused, he would regret it for the rest of his life. Even if he couldn’t come to this place every day, visiting just once a week or month would still give him an extra week compared to others. If he had an extra week of study time, he could also use more time for work or dating.

As he thought of this, Shirogane Miyuki blushed and his breath quickened, especially when he imagined the scene of successfully holding hands with someone special.

Though the Internet access here was indeed expensive, if the time ratio was true, spending more than 10,000 yen for several days of study time was affordable two or three times a month. So, he paid the fee and logged in.

Leticia guided Shirogane Miyuki to a computer. She was also thinking about what for recommendations. He was an ordinary person with relatively good academic performance, and his primary goal for playing games was to spend more time studying. But which game would be most suitable for that?

Rainbow Six and Red Alert were the top contenders. The former was set in the 21st century, with technology and culture not far removed from reality. Plus, the Rainbow team featured plenty of experts, making it perfect for study. Although Red Alert's timeline was a bit earlier, its physics and chemistry were as advanced as in any typical world. Time machines and weather controllers even were been developed, making it another great option for studying science and culture-related subjects.

Choosing one of the two would be normal, but since Leticia became the network administrator, she had figured out Liu Yuan's core priority—making money. So, while letting the guests experience the wonders of the Internet cafe, she also aimed to maximize their spending.

Thus, Leticia began guiding Shirogane Miyuki toward spending more. "Currently, Rainbow Six and Red Alert are the best options for you, but for maximum efficiency, I suggest you buy both. Study politics through Red Alert in the morning and modern knowledge through Rainbow Six in the afternoon."

"But is there enough time for that?"

As an excellent student, Shirogane Miyuki knew how to manage his time. He felt that if he tried to tackle both, he might end up mastering neither. Instead, specializing in one might be more effective.

"Not really! Do you think you can win someone over just by having good grades?"

Leticia didn't know who Shirogane Miyuki liked, but from experience, she knew that when someone had a secret crush, they often felt inadequate in various ways. With a little nudge, she could hook them into buying both games simultaneously.

Of course, Leticia wasn’t blindly upselling. These two games could genuinely help Shirogane Miyuki. As for any potential conflict in learning both? Not at all. She had tested it many times—the Internet cafe’s game system was quite magical and wouldn’t cause any interference.

Shirogane Miyuki followed Leticia's recommendation and entered the Red Alert world. As soon as he logged in, he was greeted by a bald man staring at him.

"Oh! My dear Proselyte, what problems have you encountered this time?"

Yuri asked Shirogane Miyuki in the kindest voice. For some reason, seeing this bald man made Shirogane Miyuki feel as if all his secrets were laid bare.

Chapter 224

Yuri, a life mentor, was perplexed as to why his disciple was contemplating love. However, he understood that without reproduction, the human race could not continue, and that love was simply a way for humans to choose their other half for the sake of survival.

“Uh... I…”

Shirogane Miyuki hesitated, unsure of what to say. Yuri, seeing that his psyker hadn’t yet made landfall in the United States, spoke slowly: “My dear Proselyte, we have plenty of time. Tell me all your concerns, and I will address them.”

Despite it being their first meeting and just a game, Yuri’s demeanor compelled Shirogane to speak. He confessed that he had fallen for a girl from an aristocratic school—a girl who was the daughter of a powerful Japanese conglomerate, one that controlled the lifeblood of the entire country.

After listening to Shirogane, Yuri nodded, understanding the situation. “I see. You believe you’re unworthy of her, correct? Such a humble thought.”

“Ah…”

Shirogane opened his mouth but said nothing.

“I never expected my most accomplished disciple to fall in love. This is a good thing. Only by understanding emotions can we truly harness them. Before we begin our battle, I will teach you the art of ‘falling in love.’”

Shirogane then immersed himself in Yuri’s "How to Fall in Love" tutorial.

Meanwhile, Kisara whispered to Liu Yuan: "Boss, don't you think something is off? Is this really love?"

Liu Yuan stroked his chin thoughtfully. “There’s nothing wrong with his advice! Love is free, but to actually be together, there needs to be some compatibility. Judging by his situation, he must have fallen for a rich family’s daughter. If he gains some unique skills now, he might just succeed. At worst, he could marry into her family.”

“But Boss, would you marry into someone’s family?” Kisara asked.

“To be honest, I’m a fan of living off with someone else,” Liu Yuan replied.

Kisara couldn’t help but applaud. “You truly are the boss, speaking about mooching off someone with such confidence.”

On the other hand, Yuri's words made Shirogane’s head spin. If the girl's family opposed it, Yuri suggested controlling them or using economic warfare to diminish their power. Or even employing the U.S. military in Japan to execute a strategy. The options were numerous, and Shirogane trembled as he listened.

“Oh, my dear disciple, love can blind you. Before conquering the person you desire, conquer this country first.”

With that, Shirogane Miyuki began controlling the psyker in the Epsilon storyline of Mental Omega.

Liu Yuan often recommended Epsilon to newcomers playing this version of Red Alert.

Why? Because Yuri guides the player from start to finish, with all technology unlocked and subordinates who are absolutely loyal. The only downside was a somewhat lacking logistics system.

Even if one didn’t intend to advance the storyline and just wanted to learn something, Epsilon was still ideal. By restarting the first section of the plot endlessly, Yuri can teach you various things personally. Although each session was brief, it could be repeated many times.

In contrast, the Allied storyline had the super commander cooperating with teammates. Riku once openly stated that if given full control, he could eliminate all enemies within the twelve-part plot. Unfortunately, due to weak teammates and unreliable intelligence, every battle ended in significant errors.

In response, Epsilon players noted that while Allied intelligence didn’t betray them, Epsilon’s interference never led to such outrageous mistakes.

While all the guests were playing happily, the system suddenly contacted Liu Yuan.

[Boss~ We've recently acquired a new game template. Do you want to try it out?]

“What game?”

[Lobotomy Corporation]

“Pfft!”

It was a good thing Liu Yuan wasn’t drinking water; otherwise, he would have sprayed it everywhere upon hearing the name.

“What game?”

“Lobotomy Corporation. The game is now ready for internal testing.”

“Is it dangerous?”

“Not dangerous at all.”

“Then that’s fine.”

Liu Yuan was worried that testing a new system game might traumatize customers, which would go against the principles of his Internet cafe. But then he pondered, “Does our Internet cafe even gain something with it?”

At that moment, another thought occurred to him: “What are the benefits of testing? I could use that to promote it.”

“The game is free, and the internet fees will be reimbursed during the test.”

“You won’t be using my money to reimburse, right?”

“I’ll cover it.”

“That’s fine, then.”

However, Liu Yuan had another question: “Why does this game need testing?”

“This game is extremely large and might have a strong psychological impact on players. Although the system has harmonized it to be suitable for all ages, due to its difficulty, testing is required to gather player data. The boss is encouraged to select ordinary players for the test.”

“Ordinary...”

Liu Yuan looked over at Shirogane Miyuki, who had just started playing a game today.

When it came to ordinary people, he seemed to fit the bill.

So Liu Yuan waited until Shirogane removed his helmet and approached him.

“Hello, sir.”

“Oh! Hello.”

“What do you think of the games in our store?”

“Very realistic and helpful, but the price...”

“I’m sorry, but the price can’t be reduced. However, we’re about to launch a new game and need testers. I believe you’re a leader at your school, right?”

With some pride, Shirogane Miyuki introduced himself: “Yes, I’m the current president of my school’s student council.”

“That’s perfect. The game is a Corporation simulation management game, and we need ordinary people like you to test it. If you’re willing, I can let you play for free, and the internet will be free during the fifteen-day testing period.”

“Really?”

“Really. But there’s one small requirement: you must play the game for at least six hours daily. If you don’t meet that quota, you’ll need to make up the time.”

“No problem!”

Having tested Red Alert, Shirogane knew how great these games were, but he lacked funds. Based on the prices here, he could only afford to play for one day by saving money.

But now he had the opportunity to play a test game for free? This sounded too good to be true.

However, Liu Yuan reassured him: “I guarantee this game will have no negative effects on your body or mind. If you’re not interested, I’ll find someone else.”

Just as Liu Yuan finished speaking, Shin, who was resting nearby, asked curiously: “What?”

“A new game needs internal testing.”

“Internal testing? I can do it…”

Liu Yuan was about to move on from Shirogane, but Shirogane suddenly agreed.

“I’ll do it!”

The reason he agreed was simple: he saw an opportunity to change his fate.

He knew he had no chance of pursuing Shinomiya Kaguya as a "poor peasant," but here, he had the chance to earn that right.

Chapter 225

"Welcome to Lobotomy Corporation."

As soon as Shirogane Miyuki entered the game, he saw a white-haired woman in a white coat welcoming him.

"I am your secretary, Angela. Although I am just an AI, I am happy to answer any questions you may have."

When Shirogane Miyuki heard her welcome, his heart immediately calmed down. With his experience in Red Alert, he felt that the person in front of him was similar to a tutorial mentor. It was always right to listen to the tutorial mentor.

The AI in front of him introduced itself as part of Seraph, and his job was to handle the reports from Angela and command employees to communicate with, oppress, and observe certain special entities to generate energy.

His task was very simple: recruit combat employees, have them communicate with and observe the special entities, and collect the substances they produce as energy using the Corporation's special devices.

Through these special entities, equipment called EGO can be made. This equipment includes weapons, clothing, and accessories, each with different effects—some granting powerful attributes, while others driving people to madness.

Shirogane Miyuki's main job is to command combatants and conduct research on these entities to obtain energy and create equipment. In this process, combatants will gradually improve their various attributes and eventually become qualified employees.

"It's... not difficult? Is this how normal companies work?"

Shirogane Miyuki had never been to a large Corporation, so he naturally didn't know how they operated. In this game, his role as a supervisor was so simple that it made him a little incredulous.

"Supervisor, are you wondering why the job is so simple?"

Angela sat on the stool with her legs crossed and said gently, "This is because you have just joined the Corporation and are not yet familiar with the work here. As you become more accustomed to the Corporation, you will have more and more responsibilities."

In the game setting of Lobotomy Corporation, Angela had been experiencing a loop for five hundred years. However, in this moment, she hadn’t yet undergone that process and was just a fully capable AI.

As for how she might develop later? That depends entirely on how this test player progresses.

Although Angela's setting is a bit different, there aren’t many changes in the other department members and civilian staff.

At the same time, this game is quite brutal, especially in realism difficulty, where players can witness all the harsh realities of Lobotomy Corporation.

In this Corporation, ordinary employees are divided into two categories: clerks, who are disposable, and agents, who are elite disposables. Few employees survive for fifty days in this Corporation. Even those as powerful as gods may die suddenly due to some unforeseen accident.

In realism mode, the bloody battle scenes and some terrifying entities can definitely cause a player's sanity to plummet. For this reason, the game needs someone to test it.

The system must set a minimum threshold based on the tolerance level of ordinary players to ensure that those seeking an exciting experience can enjoy it without being overwhelmed and affecting their reality.

The ratio of game time to real time is one day to one hour, meaning one hour in reality equals one day in the game. The first day's work was very simple, primarily involving familiarizing himself with the intelligent AI Angela and the head of the Control Department, Ilya.

She was a young woman with brown hair and a headband. She greeted Shirogane Miyuki with a notebook in her hand.

"Hello, I'm Ilya..." After a brief introduction, she instructed Shirogane Miyuki on how to work.

One Sin and a Hundred Good Deeds, recommended by Angela is a skull with thorns floating in the air for starters.

In the remaining less than eight hours, Shirogane Miyuki experienced seven days in the game. He felt that the game was quite interesting. He chose an anomaly each day and recruited an employee to work with it. Different employees were assigned based on their attributes and the attributes of the entities, and all employees were mobilized to complete a task.

This really made him feel like a senior executive. The anomalies he chose were also very cute: a bird, a group of fairies, and a floating bracelet. They were all charming little things.

When working, Shirogane Miyuki adhered to the principle of having an employee work in one position consistently, not transferring positions unless necessary. However, on the sixth day of this job, he learned a lesson.

There is Stats in employee training. The so-called Stats in realism difficulty is Angela's way of digitizing an employee's abilities.

Improvements in Stats help employees do their work better.

After understanding this setting, Shirogane Miyuki thought about having employees with different stats work with other entities to improve their stats.

But when he transferred the employee working with the Fairy Festival to pray at One Sin and One Hundred Good Deeds, an accident happened.

The employee was eaten by an fairy that suddenly appeared.

With the help of surveillance, he saw the entire process of the employee's death. It was just intercepted by the cognitive filter. The process didn’t look bloody or violent; it was depicted like a flat painting. However, the sound of the death was retained, though the volume was slightly more harmonious.

But when he saw the word "Death" on the command interface, he felt a chill. The sensory realism provided by the realism mode was so intense that he had begun to regard this place as the real world.

And because of his own mistake... an employee named Basil died?

Just as he was in a daze, a reminder about the closing of the internet café appeared in his consciousness.

He hurriedly adjusted his mood, saved the game, and exited. But he was still in a daze after exiting the game.

He had played Red Alert before, but his approach was to restart endlessly, constantly receiving instructions from Yuri and mastering various knowledge to improve himself.

However, in Lobotomy Corporation, employees died because of his decisions. Moreover, the cries for help as they died, along with the sudden smell of blood in the Corporation, all rattled his nerves.

"Sir, the store is about to close!"

Liu Yuan's voice brought Shirogane Miyuki back to reality. He nervously asked, "Excuse me, boss, is this game...really just a game?"

"It's up to you. Whatever you think is true."

"Then, boss, the death of these people..."

"It's fake in essence, but again, it depends on what you want it to be. This is just a game where you can release yourself infinitely. You can ignore life and let all NPCs die. Or you can cherish life and ensure that each of them survives until the end, so they can go home and meet their loved ones. In the final analysis, it’s up to you what you want to do."

"But..."

Liu Yuan patted him on the shoulder: "Do you know? Players are creatures called natural disasters in certain games. You can do whatever you want. Employees who die in real mode cannot be resurrected, but you can protect more employees. You are the protagonist of the game, the supervisor; you can think about how to play the game and how to achieve a truly happy ending."

Chapter 226

"Dead, so suddenly?"

This thought kept lingering in his mind. He couldn't stop thinking about why the employee died so abruptly and whether he had overlooked something.

Lost in his thoughts, he went home, ate, slept, and then got up to go to school.

Even at school and in the student council, he kept replaying his experience in the game.

"I must have missed something..."

As he was mulling over this, Shinomiya Kaguya stood beside Shirogane Miyuki with a pile of documents and called out, "President, President!"

Shinomiya Kaguya stood there nervously.

'What should I do? What should I do? What is the president thinking about? Is he thinking about confessing?'

Her mind raced, imagining Shirogane Miyuki holding her hand and confessing. Her face turned completely red as she thought about how she would respond if Shirogane Miyuki actually confessed.

Just as her thoughts were spinning, Shirogane Miyuki suddenly looked at her.

"Shinomiya?"

"Yes?"

"I was thinking about something. If I..."

"No, it’s not impossible, it's just..."

Shinomiya Kaguya’s hasty response left Shirogane Miyuki momentarily speechless. He continued, "I was thinking about something. If I were a manager, and I had to ask my subordinates to do dangerous tasks, how could I ensure their absolute safety?"

"Huh?"

Shinomiya Kaguya was stunned. The reality was far from what she had imagined. She thought Shirogane Miyuki was going to talk about student council matters, but how had the conversation suddenly shifted to management—specifically, risk management?

"Could it be…?"

Her brain immediately concocted a new scenario. In her mind, Shirogane Miyuki had realized the gap between their social statuses and wanted to start from the bottom, working his way up step by step, eventually leading to a confession!

In that moment, Shinomiya Kaguya clenched her fists. No matter what, she was determined to support Shirogane Miyuki’s ambitions.

Taking a deep breath, she began explaining to Shirogane Miyuki what a manager should do. As a member of the prestigious Shinomiya family, she had received extensive education in management since childhood.

"If it’s a dangerous task, you must first understand the nature of the danger..."

Shinomiya Kaguya provided examples from what she knew about common hazardous jobs in the market, even mentioning her knowledge of foreign mercenary systems. She discussed how to establish oversight, take control, and went into great detail about it all.

At the end, she took a sip of water and asked, "Is there anything else you're unsure about?"

"The only thing left to understand is how it works in practice..."

Shirogane Miyuki was still thinking about his next move in the game. Shinomiya Kaguya’s advice was very helpful: assess the risk first, then send people in after fully understanding the dangers involved.

During execution, prioritize safety, exchange time for security, and complete the task while ensuring everyone’s safety to the greatest extent.

"By the way, President, what kind of work are you doing?"

"Me? I'm a temporary director of a company… and a student of Mr. Yuri."

He didn’t dare admit that he was spending time at an internet cafe playing games. But on second thought, even though the things in the internet cafe were called games, they felt like real life—especially Yuri and Angela, who served as life mentors, more reliable than many people in reality.

"What!"

Kaguya, who had been closely observing Shirogane Miyuki, noticed something off. His gaze wasn’t on her; it was more like he was thinking about another girl. Or maybe a very beautiful girl?

The expression on her face stiffened.

No! I can’t let it end like this; I have to change the subject.

Whether it’s true or not, I need to shift the conversation. But what should I talk about? Student council matters? There’s not much going on with the student council lately. Studies?

She envisioned that if the conversation turned to studying, their interaction might become…

"I will definitely win next time!"

"I will definitely win!"

She shook her head vigorously, trying to dispel these thoughts. But seeing Shirogane Miyuki’s expression, she couldn’t help but ask, "President, if you met a wealthy girl who was rich but powerless, how would you help her?"

"Help her? What’s the situation?"

"Well, her family is very wealthy, and her brothers are fighting for the family fortune while also guarding against her. In this case, how can this girl gain her freedom?"

"Hey? Why do you ask?"

Shinomiya Kaguya replied nonchalantly, "I have a friend in this situation, and she’s really troubled by it. I couldn’t come up with a good solution, so I wanted to see if a third party might have any advice."

Upon hearing this, Shirogane Miyuki’s mind shifted from his own thoughts to Yuri’s teachings. In that moment, he became Yuri’s most diligent student.

"Freedom? She needs to fight for it herself. She could appear weak, then use her family’s influence to gain support from various companies. Use smaller companies to influence larger ones, win over local forces—after all, a strong dragon can’t suppress a local snake. Once she secures local support, she can infiltrate and take control. If she’s a woman, people will generally underestimate her. She should take advantage of that and develop her power in secret, eventually taking over completely. She must be ruthless. If possible, it’s best to eliminate all threats..."

"And there’s another way. The major Japanese conglomerates might seem powerful, but in my view, only the SPW can…"

This was a strategy Yuri had shared when playing Red Alert. It’s often easier to make people surrender than to send a large army to the border, but it’s also a tactic that heretics might use.

Fortunately, Yuri wasn’t like Yuri in every game, or he might have questioned this Yuri's training methods. Why do Proselytes either lack human thoughts or obsess over world destruction—or even love?

Hearing Shirogane Miyuki’s words, Shinomiya Kaguya fell silent.

"What’s wrong, Shinomiya? Was it too simplistic? I admit, I haven’t encountered more complex scenarios. I’ll study more about it tomorrow. Hey, what’s wrong? Is my idea not reliable?"

After all, the idea was inspired by Yuri’s guidance in the game, so it might be unreliable.

In his view, Shinomiya Kaguya’s expression appeared somewhat gloomy.

In reality, though, Shinomiya Kaguya was crying out excitedly in her heart.

It wasn’t that his idea was unfeasible—it was too feasible. She had thought of similar strategies before, but because she wasn’t truly interested in power, they had remained mere thoughts.

What she didn’t expect was that Shirogane Miyuki’s ambitions were so grand that the Japanese consortium couldn’t satisfy him—he was even setting his sights on SPW, a well-established American conglomerate?

Perhaps it was the lens of affection that magnified his qualities, but Shinomiya Kaguya began to see Shirogane Miyuki’s ambition in a new light. She felt as though she didn’t know him at all anymore. At that moment, a sense of crisis welled up inside her.

On the other hand, Shirogane Miyuki remained oblivious to the fact that Shinomiya Kaguya’s "I have a friend" was actually about herself. He was still naively thinking about how to help this "friend" of hers to gain some practical experience.

Chapter 227

Shirogane Miyuki had envisioned his role as a supervisor in an idealized way. Every day, he completed tasks to ensure the survival of his employees. With the assistance of Angela and the department heads, everything was straightforward. However, when it came time to execute these tasks, he quickly realized that this game was far more brutal than he had anticipated.

If the Punishment Bird and the Fairy Festival could still be described as cute, what he encountered next made him feel deeply uneasy.

T-09-85, "We Can Change Everything."

On the surface, it looked like a humanoid machine. The introduction claimed it could solve various problems: a child who misbehaves and constantly cries, dissatisfaction with one’s figure, or financial struggles—this machine could supposedly fix it all.

At first, Shirogane Miyuki wondered how it could deliver these promises, but when he discovered the truth, his heart raced.

Once an employee entered the machine, it began to operate. The employee’s cries and screams gradually faded until they ceased altogether. When the device finally opened, revealing spikes drenched in blood, the horrifying reality became clear.

Another employee had died. And it was Shirogane Miyuki who had ordered them into this killing machine.

"Director, our company possesses singularity technology. If you want to change history, you can use it to restart the day. Those who died will be resurrected through this process," Angela informed him.

"Really?" he asked, a glimmer of hope in his voice.

"Yes, I wouldn’t lie to you."

With Angela's help, Shirogane Miyuki chose to restart. Unlike the original game, where restarting would erase information about anomalies, in the Realism, Angela would record all this data. This allowed Shirogane Miyuki to ensure his employees’ survival through countless loads.

Additionally, he could pause the company's internal time, giving him more time to think. Though he couldn’t personally investigate as a director, he could observe through surveillance and the reactions of the surrounding staff. By doing so, he could deduce the properties of these anomalies and offer the most appropriate advice.

With this technology, he managed to handle most anomalies and successfully opened the Intelligence and Training Departments within just a few days. But on the sixteenth day, when he unlocked the Welfare Team, he encountered an anomaly that appeared deceptively benevolent.

O-01-45, the Plague Doctor.

The introduction was intriguing: "I will cure all diseases; you will be reborn." This was the first time Shirogane Miyuki had encountered an anomaly that presented itself in such a reassuring manner. Previous anomalies had objective descriptions, but this one was different.

Lobotomy Corporation, even in realism mode, was still a game. Using a gamer’s mindset, a special entity like that would typically be avoided by many gamers in the early stages. However, Shirogane Miyuki—having not played many games— subconsciously treated it as reality.

In real life, how do you make choices? First, by relying on experience, and second, by intuition.

Unfortunately, Shirogane Miyuki lacked experience. He had never encountered even a few H-level anomalies, let alone A-level ones. But his intuition told him this anomaly could be very useful.

His intuition wasn’t entirely wrong. The Plague Doctor is indeed useful in the later stages of the game. But early on, it’s a nightmare.

Unaware of the nightmare he had chosen, Shirogane Miyuki continued his game. He didn’t realize that while he was refreshing the memory bank’s date and trying to reset it, he couldn’t completely erase White Night.

Worse still, because this was a beta version, there was no option to delete the save file completely and start over. The beta version's purpose was to test the player's reactions and decisions to adjust the game accordingly.

On the surface, the Plague Doctor was a Z-level anomaly, the weakest in Lobotomy Corporation. Even at work, all employees who dealt with these anomalies considered them friendly and not overly threatening.

However, anyone who had played the game knew that no Z-level anomaly should be underestimated. Whether it’s the skull at the beginning, the Plague Doctor, or the seemingly harmless fairies, these entities are serious threats. Regardless of your level or strength, they could lead to your demise. The only difference is that Z-level anomalies appear more friendly.

Have you ever seen the Plague Doctor? With twelve apostles, he directly ascends to an A-level anomaly. Without elite employees and special equipment, this entity can annihilate the entire company.

In reality, Shirogane Miyuki's game progressed smoothly until the sixteenth day, when two civilians became agents. On the seventeenth day, four civilians and one combatant followed suit. By the eighteenth day, five more civilians had joined.

On the nineteenth day, just as he thought he could complete the day successfully, he heard the bell ring.

As the bell tolled, White Night massacred everyone.

Shirogane Miyuki sighed, "Another wasted day."

No one died? He knew that was impossible. The civilians would record combatants' information and document the changes in the anomalies every day.

These employees lacked combat experience or skills. Not only could they not handle an anomaly breaking containment, but even the impact of a combatant could prove fatal.

In reality, Shirogane Miyuki might have considered how to protect the civilians. But now? Civilians were expendable; the combatants—who cost real money—were the priority.

So what did Shirogane Miyuki witness? Apostles appeared in the company. He initially thought they were weak and could be killed. But when he attempted to act, he discovered they were far from weak—they were invincible.

Especially White Night’s shockwave, which could instantly kill all civilians with soul damage. Thankfully, there were no Civilian Protection Association anomalies in the company, or else a chain reaction could have resulted in mass casualties.

As he watched the last employee die, Angela reminded him, "Look at those corpses. There's nothing we can do."

There was only one option left: restart the day. Shirogane Miyuki didn’t hesitate and restarted the day, but when he saw White Night appear in the Control department and swap places with the Skull anomaly, he felt his heart sink.

No matter how many times he loaded his save, White Night always managed to break containment and slaughter all the employees just as Shirogane Miyuki was about to collect enough resources.

Once, twice, three times.

It wasn’t until the closing reminder appeared that he realized the day was finally over.

"Why is this happening..."

Shirogane Miyuki tried to recall the day's events, but no matter what strategy he employed, he couldn’t stop it.

His mind raced as he realized that hiding wouldn’t solve the problem. He had to find a way to kill White Night..

Chapter 228

With his thoughts still swirling, Shirogane Miyuki returned to his own world. At this time, he was still in school. Even after returning to the student council, he couldn't stop thinking about the day's experience.

Although he hadn't been able to defeat White Night, what really lingered in his mind was the impact of seeing all those people die because of White Night. Even though the system helped him distinguish between the virtual and the real, the experience felt unsettlingly new.

"President?"

Ishigami Yu, who was sitting on the sofa typing on his computer, noticed something was off with Shirogane Miyuki and asked with concern, "President, is something wrong?"

"No, nothing," Shirogane Miyuki replied, though his thoughts were far from settled.

This state of mind persisted until he returned home. When he arrived, he saw his "otaku" father sitting on the sofa, reading a book.

"I'm back."

"You're finally back. What's wrong? You look upset. Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Dad..."

Shirogane Miyuki realized he needed advice, so he confided in his father. "While managing my employees, I found that they often died. Today, they all died under my management, and my assistant criticized me for it. Dad, I don't know what to do next. I want to protect both the combatants and the civilians."

"Is that so?"

Shirogane's father was a bit surprised. His son went to school every day—when did he get involved in management? And it sounded like gang management? Hadn't a gang just been destroyed recently? It seemed there was one, and that gang belonged to his son?

Recalling the report from his subordinates, Shirogane's father relaxed. Although the outcome was unfortunate, it was an experience for his son. He patted Shirogane Miyuki on the back and, while sipping a glass of red wine that looked like blood, asked, "Do you remember how many slices of bread you've eaten?"

Shirogane Miyuki shook his head. He hadn't eaten much bread, but he certainly didn't remember how many slices he'd had in his lifetime.

His father continued, "So, what do you think is the difference between people and bread?"

"People have thoughts, their words and personalities are different—they're part of life. I remember most of them."

Shirogane Miyuki was about to claim he remembered everything, but then it hit him: with the restarts every day, he only remembered the deaths of the combatants. When it came to civilians, he couldn't even count how many times they had died, let alone remember them all.

In the immersive environment of the four-dimensional space Internet cafe, every NPC felt so real to Shirogane Miyuki that he found it hard to forget those who had interacted with him.

While he was deep in thought, his father patted his shoulder again.

"Come with me!"

"Where are we going?"

"If you want to be a manager, then start with the basics."

Shirogane's father led him out of the house. Just as they were about to leave, his sister called out.

"Dinner's ready. Eat before you go."

"Sure!"

His father's previously serious expression instantly lightened, and Shirogane Miyuki noticed that his sister had made his favorite meal.

After dinner, Shirogane's father took him to a lavish office building. Once inside, Shirogane Miyuki heard someone address his father as "Lord Dio."

"Lord Dio?"

Before Shirogane Miyuki could react, his father clapped his hands, and several burly men quickly surrounded them.

"This is my son, Shirogane Miyuki. Assign a few people to him."

"Yes, sir!"

Without hesitation, the men moved to carry out Shirogane's father's orders.

Shirogane Miyuki looked at the men in surprise. "Who are they?"

"They're my subordinates. Since you're interested in management, I'll assign them to you. Don't worry—they're absolutely loyal."

"What?"

Shirogane Miyuki was stunned. While he was still processing this, twenty more people gathered around. They varied in height, but they all shared one characteristic—they were all incredibly strong.

"Dad?"

"They're yours to command. Do whatever you think is best."

"What?"

"Do a good job. I believe in you." His father patted him on the shoulder once more and then left with a smile.

Shirogane Miyuki was confused. He knew his father was capable, but he never imagined he was a gang leader. And now, his father had given him 20 people to manage? What could he possibly do with 20 people?

Oh! He could summon White Night. White Night's breach of containment meant turning 12 people into apostles, leaving eight more who could either attack White Night or be killed by his apostles.

But the problem was, White Night's apostles were incredibly powerful. These ordinary people wouldn't stand a chance.

No!

Shirogane Miyuki suddenly realized he was thinking too narrowly. He could use these people to develop battery technology. The Lobotomy Corporation had advanced battery tech. He could build a Red Alert bio-power station, harness the Lobotomy Corporation's battery technology to store bioelectricity, and then... sell the batteries himself?

This idea intrigued Shirogane Miyuki. Should he focus on understanding this scientific and technological knowledge next time he played the game? But then he encountered a difficult realization. To accomplish this, he'd need to learn the basic knowledge from both worlds. Without mastering it, he wouldn't understand the complex schematics, let alone bring them to life.

At that moment, he felt the weight of his responsibilities. He had to learn the knowledge of his own world, the knowledge of another world, command wars, and be a supervisor in a company. He also had to return to reality to be the president of the student union and manage a gang at home.

Shirogane Miyuki already looked as if he was being overwhelmed by it all.

Meanwhile, in the Internet cafe, Liu Yuan studied the test records with a serious expression.

"So, this game has completed internal testing and is ready to be released?"

"Yes, no serious issues have been found. The effects on personality and emotions can be managed by constantly distinguishing between virtual and reality. However, in-game items can't be taken out."

"Why not?"

"These items could be used as weapons against ordinary humans and might cause irreversible effects. For safety reasons, weapons cannot be taken out at this time."

Liu Yuan asked, "Could this be changed in the future?"

"With a system upgrade, this feature could be improved."

"Then upgrade it!"

"It'll cost 10 million."

Hearing the number, Liu Yuan immediately reconsidered. "On second thought, it might not be worth it. If it were for you to upgrade, no matter the cost, it would be worth it."

If the system had a face, Liu Yuan's words would have undoubtedly brought a smile to it.

Chapter 229

Liu Yuan was researching the upgrade system. Meanwhile, at the main store, Kobane Higashiyama, who had just received another bonus, felt as if she was floating.

Dao Nan’s bonus had come through, and Hayakawa Aki’s bonus for signing the contract had also been received.Tokyo Public Safety noticed Kobane Higashiyama’s excellent record, so her salary had been slightly increased. Half of her earnings went towards household expenses, and a portion of the remaining money was set aside as a reward. The leftover funds would be used to invite Tina to visit and have some fun.

The thought of this made Kobane Higashiyama a little excited.

“Tina.”

“What’s up?”

“Well, um... do you have some time soon? Would you like to come to my world and hang out? We have festivals and fireworks.”

“Really? Will there be anything delicious?”

“There should be... I think?”

She wasn’t sure. Although she had attended festivals before, she had never spent money there. This time, she wanted to invite Tina because she finally had some extra cash.

It cost 100,000 yen to invite someone over for a visit, and with additional expenses, 200,000 yen might not even be enough. In the past, this was an amount that Kobane Higashiyama wouldn’t have dared to think about. But now, she had the money. Her plan to buy a car was still on hold, and she intended to use the remaining funds after inviting Tina to play to purchase a car on loan.

She had already chosen a small car, and once she had it, she would buy herself a few more stylish outfits. Then, she’d feel like a true success.

Thinking of this, Kobane Higashiyama smiled.

“Great! Just let me know when.”

“I’ll send you an invite on TT tomorrow.”

Tina arranged her schedule through TT and prepared to visit Kobane Higashiyama’s world the next day for some fun.

At the Tokyo Public Security Special Division 4, Kobane Higashiyama was on patrol with Arai as usual. However, the happy smile on her face made Arai very curious.

“Is something good going on?”

As the one who initiated the conversation, Arai suddenly felt inexplicably nervous.

Kobane Higashiyama nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, a friend of mine is coming to visit tomorrow. Hey, is that... Denji?”

“It seems so. What’s he doing in that coffee shop?”

“I don’t know. Maybe he likes coffee?”

They didn’t know Denji very well, but Kobane Higashiyama had worked with him twice and got along with him. They weren’t exactly close, but they had a solid bond when things got tough.

Just as Kobane Higashiyama and Arai were passing by the coffee shop, the door suddenly swung open.

“Kobane! Arai!”

Denji waved cheerfully at the two of them. Hearing his call, Kobane Higashiyama knew she couldn’t avoid him.

Although it was during work hours, patrol duty was relatively flexible, so it was no big deal to stop for a drink. When she walked into the coffee shop, Kobane Higashiyama noticed a girl with short purple hair sitting next to Denji.

The girl had a strange pull ring on her neck, and her face had an unnatural blush.

She’s faking it!

This was Kobane Higashiyama’s immediate intuition. Although she didn’t understand love or complicated emotions, her instincts as a woman told her that this girl was pretending to be flustered.

Seeing Denji’s captivated expression, she quickly pieced things together.

Kobane Higashiyama sat down and ordered a cup of coffee, then introduced herself to Reze, who was sitting beside her: “Hi, I’m Kobane Higashiyama. Nice to meet you.”

“Reze. Nice to meet you too.”

Arai, curious about Denji’s situation, whispered, “Is she... your girlfriend?”

“What? Girlfriend? No way, does she look like one?”

“Well, she looks at you like you’re the only person in the room.”

Reze leaned towards Kobane Higashiyama, and they started talking casually—about simple hobbies, thoughts on the future. While discussing the future, Reze nonchalantly shared the story of the city mouse and the country mouse from Aesop’s fables.

After finishing the tale, Reze added, “Personally, I think country mice have it better. Stability is what matters most.”

Denji, who had been listening, offered a different perspective: “I’d rather be a city mouse. Eating well, sleeping well, and having fun is all I need.”

Kobane Higashiyama didn’t notice the genuine smile fade from Reze’s face as she lowered her head and said, “Whether it’s a country mouse or a city mouse, they’re still mice, destined to be exterminated. So why not aim to be human?”

“But sometimes, people don’t have that choice,”

Reze responded with a helpless smile that tugged at Kobane Higashiyama’s heart. She could understand Reze’s sentiment. If she had a choice, she wouldn’t have become a demon hunter.

She had no choice but to become a demon hunter. But how often does life offer choices? She felt fortunate to have discovered the four-dimensional space Internet cafe, met Tina, and signed a contract with the secret demon.

“It’s getting late. We should continue patrolling. See you later!”

“Bye~”

Denji cheerfully waved them off. As they left, Reze asked in a strange tone, “Do you really want to be a city mouse? I think country mice have it better—freer, more carefree, and less dangerous.”

Denji replied seriously, “I wanted to be a mouse a moment ago, but now I want to be human. As a human, I could care for both city mice and country mice. But honestly, mice aren’t cute at all.”

“Pfft, you idiot. It’s just a metaphor.”

“But it’s not cute.”

“Idiot!”

The two bickered like real lovers. Whether they actually were lovers? Kobane Higashiyama didn’t care about that, as she was still focused on inviting Tina tomorrow.

...

The next night, Kobane Higashiyama rushed home after work, changed into her regular clothes, and invited Tina to her world.

When Tina arrived, she saw Kobane Higashiyama in her regular outfit and her eyes lit up.

“You look amazing, especially the hat—it’s so cute.”

“Hehe~”

Kobane Higashiyama smiled, a little embarrassed.

“Let’s go~ Today, our Higayashima-chan will take me around!”

“Yeah!”

Kobane Higashiyama had planned a comprehensive itinerary this time. She had figured out where they would eat, where they would have fun, and how they would end the night with fireworks. She intended to make sure Tina had the best time.

The festival was crowded. For convenience, they didn’t change into kimonos, opting to walk around in regular clothes. The two of them ate cotton candy, nibbled on candied apples, and enjoyed the festival like typical girlfriends.

In a hurry, they made their way to the secret viewing spot Arai had recommended. It was a small hill, far from the main fireworks area, but with a wide view and few people—perfect for taking in everything.

But when they arrived, they found someone had beaten them there.

“Denji? Reze?”

Kobane Higashiyama greeted them, but Tina’s attention was focused on Reze. She sensed a familiar aura around Reze, one that seemed to be nurtured by an assassin.

But aside from that aura, there was also a sense of entanglement. Was she, like her, escaping from some organization?

She didn’t know this boy, but the assassin or desperate aura surrounding her made Tina immediately suspect something.

Chapter 230

Tina didn’t question Reze directly but instead turned to Denji: "Hey, little brother, do you like this sister?"

"Me? Ahem, yes, I like her!" Denji blurted out, his face turning red. Although his heart was devoted to Makina, that didn’t stop him from having feelings for Reze. Before becoming a Devil hunter, he would have been satisfied just having a decent meal, but now, everything had changed.

Hearing Denji’s confession, Reze looked at him with a sorrowful expression.

Tina noticed this subtle change. As someone who had been through similar emotions, she understood the feeling of helplessness.

She walked over to Reze and leaned against the fence, gazing up at the sky. "My name is Tina, and I’m a killer."

"?"

"?"

Both Denji and Reze stared at Tina warily, while she continued looking at the stars, speaking indifferently: "I’m not human. I’m infected with a very special virus. This virus gives me unique abilities but sets me apart from ordinary people. My parents abandoned me as a child, and the person who found me trained me to be an assassin."

"I had no real purpose in life back then. My only drive was to complete missions and eliminate various targets—rich people, politicians, other killers, good people, bad people—I’ve taken them all down. But after meeting Chris and Leon, I realized there’s beauty in the world. Delicious food, fun experiences, friends, and family. People shouldn’t live in a daze, just carrying out tasks without understanding why. Even if you’re on a mission, you should know who you’re doing it for—whether it’s for someone, for your country, or for the world."

Chris and Leon had a profound influence on Tina. Both had been hurt by biochemical viruses and were determined to destroy anyone afflicted by them. Tina, influenced by their resolve, made it her goal to save all the cursed children and stop the Gastrea virus from harming humans.

Kobane Higayashima interrupted and asked, "What’s your dream now?"

"Hehe!"

Tina hugged Kobane Higayashima, grinning mischievously. "Of course, I want to drain all your savings, Higayashima-chan! Today, I’ll make you penniless."

"No problem! Let’s keep eating!"

"Great!"

The two left joyfully, leaving Denji and Reze standing there, bewildered.

After they walked away, Reze muttered to herself, "But... I have no choice."

Her life had only two options: either carry out her superiors' orders and live a semblance of a normal life or hide like a mouse, eventually dying in obscurity or being hunted down.

"Hey? What’s wrong?" Denji asked, his attention having been elsewhere, so he hadn’t heard what Reze said.

"Hey, Denji, I like you. Let’s leave, leave this city. We can find a place far away where no one knows us. We’re still young; we could go to school, find jobs, and have so many chances to choose our own path."

"Leave..."

For the first time, Denji hesitated. He finally had a semblance of a normal life, a partner he could trust, and someone he genuinely liked.

Seeing Denji’s hesitation, Reze sighed and leaned in to kiss him before he could respond.

This kiss wasn’t like the earlier one, which had the taste of vomit; this one was tinged with the taste of blood.

Denji’s eyes widened as he noticed Reze’s wet eyes slowly growing cold, realizing something was wrong.

Blood dripped from the corners of Denji’s mouth, and part of his tongue was now in Reze’s mouth.

Reze pulled back, proudly showing off her "trophy." Before Denji could react, she swiftly cut his throat and quickly severed his left hand, which was reaching for the pull ring on his chest.

She crouched down, holding Denji’s right hand, and gently kissed his lips again. Denji felt strange, unable to speak due to the pain in his tongue and body, but he sensed tenderness in Reze’s kiss.

After the kiss, Reze looked at him lovingly, "It hurts, doesn’t it? I’m sorry, Denji. I’ll take your heart, but I won’t let you die."

A Human contracted with a Devil’s body is quite special. As long as some key parts are preserved, they can be revived by drinking blood or through special methods. Reze doesn't intend to kill Denji. Once her mission was complete, she planned to find a heart to replace his and bring him back to life.

Just as she was about to act again, a bullet struck the ground next to her.

Tina and Kobane Higayashima emerged from the shadows.

Kobane Higayashima’s expression was emotionless, her right hand poised on her waist, ready to draw her sword.

Tina urged, "Reze, stop it!"

Reze didn’t offer any explanation. She reached for the pull ring on her neck, but as she tried to act, it felt as if time had stopped.

No, it wasn’t time stopping—their movements were just incredibly fast, creating an effect similar to time stopping.

In her confusion, Reze saw Tina and Kobane Higayashima making strange motions. Both squatted down, raised their Yamato swords, and sheathed them slowly. This sensation of time stopping lasted only a moment, and suddenly, her body felt normal again.

If Virgil were here, the background music "I am the storm that is approaching" would have started playing.

Tina seemed more relaxed than Kobane Higayashima. She stood up, gathered her bangs like Virgil’s iconic hairspray hand gesture, and said, "I need power! More power!"

Without further hesitation, Reze pulled the safety bolt again, but it was as if her hand didn’t exist—she couldn’t feel anything.

She turned to look and found her hand was gone! In that moment, she wasn’t sure if she felt regret or relief, but seeing Denji’s face made her think that ending it like this wasn’t so bad.

Within a split second, all the parts of her body that could reach the pull ring were completely severed. The cuts were so swift that her body didn’t even have time to bleed.

Tina, uninterested in the aftermath, complained about the effort involved.

"Even at top speed, it still takes more than a second. Did that damn boss calculate everything?"

Kobane Higayashima pondered seriously, "Maybe if you didn’t pose, you’d have enough time."

"But this is about the soul! I’d rather spend extra money than skip the pose!"

As everyone knows, the Yamato can cut through space. This ability isn’t tied to posing, but anyone who has played Devil May Cry and seen Virgil use the Yamato Blade knows it’s the soul of the technique.

Kobane Higayashima didn’t fully understand the significance of this form, but hearing the familiar line, she couldn’t help but recall every time she faced Virgil. He always kept talking about power, and since she was using the Yamato Blade, Kobane Higayashima half-crouched, held the blade upright, and struck a pose.

"This is power!"

As if summoned, Power appeared from nowhere.

"Who’s calling me?"

Power followed the scent of blood, and upon seeing Kobane Higayashima and Tina both holding Yamato Blades and Denji and Reze lying on the ground, her expression froze.

Holding the blade with "power" in mind, Denji was bleeding from his mouth and throat, and Reze lay there, bleeding out, looking helpless.

Hearing Kobane say "power" repeatedly, wasn’t the intention clear? This cute girl was about to be chopped down!

Chapter 231

Power didn't run away. After all, Kobane Higashiyama was her teammate, and she had no desire to attack her. Why would she run when there was no threat?

Instead, she ran over to where Denji lay, staring at her without even breathing.

"Hey! Denji, why do you look so miserable? Beg me! Beg me, and I might save you."

Denji tried to reach out and pull the ring, but due to excessive blood loss, his intact right hand couldn't move.

After mocking Denji, Power turned to look at Reze: "Hey? What's this?"

She noticed a strange ring on Reze's neck. Her brain wasn't fully active, but her body, driven by curiosity, quickly pulled the ring on Reze's neck.

"?"

"?"

Not far away, Kobane Higashiyama and Tina, who had been chatting, were about to pull the ring to save Denji, but Power’s hands moved faster than her brain. She pulled the ring, and Reze's head exploded instantly.

Reze’s arm became the fuse of a Bomb, and all her clothes transformed into explosives. Her head became something like a torpedo. Reze, now the Bomb Devil, instantly stretched out her hand, causing an explosion between Tina and Kobane Higashiyama.

Denji, who had been beside Reze, was blown away by her transformation, but Tina, noticing the direction of his flight, saw a crocodile-headed man catch up to him. It appears he was an ally, so there was no need to worry.

"Leave, or die..."

Reze showed mercy. If she hadn't, she could have aimed directly at their bodies. But at the same time, she realized she might not escape today. That sword-drawing technique... She didn’t intend to run away.

"Kobane-chan! Go! Take her down!"

"Yeah!"

Without Tina, Kobane might have been terrified. Reze was a weapon devil, and a Bomb devil at that. Everyone knew how terrifying Bombs were. Despite her strength, Kobane Higashiyama often lacked confidence.

But with Tina here, everything felt different. Tina's presence made her feel like she was just playing a game, giving her a great sense of security. Her intuition told her she could act without worries as long as Tina was around—there would be no danger, nor would she hurt anyone. With this in mind…

Tina raised the speaker and played the song "Bury the Light," sensing Kobane Higashiyama’s thoughts.

Some people may not have played Devil May Cry or even seen it, but this song was known by many. It was Virgil’s divine theme. With this song, Kobane Higashiyama felt as if she was possessed by Virgil, filled with power.

However, unlike Virgil, she could do a double jump—something Virgil couldn’t.

What does it mean to be rich and willful? This time, Kobane Higashiyama showed it. The bonuses and mess of the recent period made her feel like money wasn’t money anymore but free stuff.

At the same time, the appearance of the Bomb Devil let her know that an opportunity to make money had come. If she killed Reze without causing large-scale damage, her expenses this time would surely be reimbursed.

With this thought in mind, Kobane Higashiyama began to fight using the Yamato.

Reze’s Bomb attacks were easily blocked by the Yamato, and even sneak attacks were avoided by teleportation.

"Is that all the power you’ve got?" Kobane Higashiyama dodged and mocked. Though she could be reimbursed for the cost of the painting, she wouldn’t draw her sword unless absolutely necessary.

Reze didn’t say much and charged again. Through the explosion of her body, she accelerated to a high speed, rushing towards Kobane Higashiyama for a point-blank blast.

But as she approached, Kobane Higashiyama took a deep breath: "Be careful."

"?" Reze didn’t understand what this meant, and then she felt her body lifting into the air.

That’s right—her body was flying uncontrollably.

Xiao Higashiyama struck her with the scabbard of the Yamato.

This time it wasn’t a large-scale dimensional slash, just an ordinary strike. Reze adjusted her state through the use of explosion and rushed towards Kobane Higashiyama again.

However, Kobane Higashiyama’s assault didn’t stop. She pulled out a heavy machine gun from somewhere and began shooting at Reze in mid-air.

This was no longer an equal battle; it was like a beginner being tormented by an expert.

Every time Reze was about to trigger an explosion, Kobane Higashiyama pulled out a shield-like object from behind. No matter how strong the explosion was, it was instantly blocked by this shield, and then Kobane Higashiyama would retaliate with more strikes.

Kobane Higashiyama showed no mercy this time.

Reze was a Bomb Devil?

Well, Kobane Higashiyama had Bombs too. She wasn’t just unafraid of any hot weapons; she found them quite friendly.

Tina sighed helplessly in response. Reze was unlucky to have met them. If it had been a pure melee fight, it might have been a bit tricky. But explosions? Not only was Kobane Higashiyama unafraid of them, but almost no one in the entire internet cafe was.

Sure, ordinary people feared Bombs, but the players in the internet cafe bombed the world with explosives every day. Whether it was Red Alert, Rainbow Six, or Resident Evil, mastering the use of Bombs was already a basic skill. Even Minecraft had TNT. In other words, Bombs were inseparable from the game.

Guided by Tatsumi, many people also posted their own tips on the forum.

Winning the game with pure skill? Unfortunately, most people couldn’t manage that. But using Bombs? That was something anyone could do, and in a game, you didn’t have to worry about dying.

So, based on several games, Schwi and Shiro came up with Bombing strategies that ordinary people could use. Minecraft World TNT fixed-point blasting, C5 Bombs and grenades from Rainbow Six, Resident Evil format Bombs, and the infinite Bomb floating comboes formed by Devil May Cry combat skills.

Now, Kobane Higashiyama was using this technique, this style. The only pity was that she hadn’t mastered it, and because she was too afraid of getting hurt, she only dared to do remote blasting. But even remote blasting was enough.

Simple explosions could interrupt Reze’s attacks, and through the blasts, she could create a destabilizing effect.

Floating, combos, blasting, and the final Judgement Cut.

When Kobane Higashiyama carefully drew the Judgement Cut once more, Tina, who had been watching the show, adjusted the music to Virgil’s exclusive theme.

The heart-shaking music, combined with the Judgement Cut being sheathed and Reze’s body stagnating, shocked Power, who had been watching.

"The BGM in the game mode really goes perfectly with this song 'Bury the Light!'"

At this moment, Power walked over with great interest. "Hey? This song is pretty good. What’s it called?"

"Power!"

"Great, I like it!"

A song named after you? That means you’re destined to own it. It will be your song from now on.

"If you like it, I’ll give it to you, but I have one condition."

"What?"

"Every time Kobane-chan takes out this black blade, you have to play this song, and when she sheathes it, play this part. Let’s be filled with Power!"

"Okay!"

However, Kobane Higashiyama’s face turned completely red at this: "Don’t do this! It’s so embarrassing…"

As she spoke, she became shy, sweat forming on her forehead.

"It’s okay. Don’t you think it’s cool? And her name is Power! This is Power’s divine song, just right for her."

"Of course, I’m invincible."

And so, accompanied by the little song full of Power, the situation returned to normal, and Reze’s mission failed.

If assassins fail, there's only one outcome awaiting them: death.

"Kill me."

Reze turned her head and looked at Denji, who had transformed into Chainsaw Man and returned. If she had a choice, she would have preferred for the man in front of her to be the one to kill her.

When Denji heard this, he froze. He wanted to say something, but just as he was about to speak, Tina interrupted: "She's an assassin who came to kill you. There's no need to spare her. Let Kobane-chan send her away."

"Wait..."

Denji tried to stop her, but Tina shouted to Higashiyama Kobane, "No need to wait, do it."

"Yes!"

Through TT, she already knew Tina's plan and was ready to act: "Reze, for the sake of the love between you and Denji, I'll let you leave this world peacefully."

The commotion they caused naturally attracted the attention of many. Wild animals, passers-by, reporters, and the public safety hunters who were rushing to the scene watched from a distance but couldn’t approach.

As Higashiyama Kobane prepared to draw her sword again, Tina shouted to Power: "Power! Play Power’s divine song!"

"Leave it to me!"

As Higashiyama Kobane unsheathed her sword, Power fast-forwarded the music to the climax.

Reze looked at Higashiyama Kobane drawing her sword, and the events of her life flashed before her eyes like a revolving lantern.

What had she experienced? Training, missions, battles... The happiest moments in her life were probably these last few days.

"I'm sorry, Denji. I lied to you. I never went to school..."

As Higashiyama Kobane drew her sword and sheathed it, not only did Power, but the surrounding grass and air appeared to be severed from space, creating a visual effect of a massive slash. With this final strike, the Bomb Devil's body was cut into countless pieces.

With the appearance of the Judgement Cut, Denji knelt on the ground, and the blood dripping around him fell like tears.

All that was left were fragments of clothing and flesh. Even if someone were to search for the core of the Bomb Devil later, they likely wouldn't find it, as most of her remains had been erased from existence. The Judgement Cut, used once before, had only been witnessed by Makima and a few others. This time, many saw it, but what they truly witnessed was the power of true Power.

The spot where Reze once stood was enveloped by the Judgement Cut. Hundreds of slashes appeared in an instant, each one vital, each one fatal. Even if Denji had been fully transformed into Chainsaw Man, knew he couldn't have withstood that move.

The slash that tore through space obliterated everything in its path, leaving only a few rats in the gutter and crows circling above. Everything else had been turned to dust; even flesh and blood had been evaporated.

Watching Reze leave this world, Denji felt a hollow emptiness in his heart, as though he could no longer feel sadness or joy.

...

It was now closing time at the internet cafe, where customers weren't typically allowed to stay.

In the store, Reze appeared in the hall, covered in blood. Liu Yuan, standing in the lobby, introduced Leticia to the side: "Reze, an assassin. Tina asked if we needed employees, so she was introduced to us. Do you like her? She’ll be staying here. Given the characteristics of the Devils in Little Miss’s World, I guess she won’t have any clothes after her body recovers?"

With that, Liu Yuan left the branch store and went to the main store to have fun with Jibril.

"Hmm..."

Reze’s mind was still spinning. Just a second ago, she was about to be killed, and now…

Her thoughts were a mess until she was offered a drink of blood by a little girl—Leticia.

"Drink it," Leticia said.

Every store is managed by a combination of a store manager and a network administrator. From her understanding, the store manager should have special requirements, but the network administrator didn't.

She thought she’d have to wait until her store developed more before hiring a network administrator, but today she was given one unexpectedly.

Leticia placed her hand on Reze's head. After absorbing the blood, Reze returned to normal through the power of the Devil. Feeling Reze’s thoughts and power, Leticia nodded.

"It's okay, but this guy is a bit of a hindrance..."

As she spoke, Leticia reached out her hand. Reze was still a Devil, and the Devil within her had some degree of consciousness. This kind of Devil wasn’t suitable for employment.

For Leticia, eliminating the Devil within and retaining the Bomb Devil’s characteristics for Reze's power wasn't difficult.

Each branch has low requirements for network administrators. They need to engage with customers, follow orders, and not cause trouble during work. As long as they aren't anti-social, anti-human, or anti-world in their own world, they can make do.

Meanwhile, back in the world of Chainsaw Man, Denji stared at the spot where Reze had died, leaving no trace behind. His heart felt hollow, as if he could no longer feel sadness or joy.

Tina walked over and comforted him: "What are you thinking about?"

"I'm thinking, why do they all want Chainsaw Man's heart?"

He recalled his life since becoming Chainsaw Man. Devils, humans—everyone wanted his heart, even the woman he loved...

"Chainsaw Man? Not really. When we eavesdropped earlier, she said she wanted Denji’s heart. I don’t know who Chainsaw Man is, but I know she wanted Denji’s heart, not Chainsaw Man’s."

"Really?"

"Of course it’s true."

This statement left Denji speechless: "Then what did she say at the end?"

Tina leaned in, her lips close to his ear, and whispered something only he could hear: "She said that she had never been to school either."

This revelation hit Denji like a bolt from the blue, leaving him utterly stunned.

He regretted it. If he had just told Reze that he wanted to leave with her, would the outcome have been different?

He didn’t resent Higashiyama Kobane's decisiveness—the enemy had to be killed. But Reze’s death was like a fishbone lodged in his throat, a pain that he could never fully expel.

Tina, sensing that the situation was over, called out to Higashiyama Kobane: "Kobane-chan~ Can we still go play?"

"Sure!"

Higashiyama Kobane adjusted her breathing, sweat glistening on her forehead. "Senior called me and said I can continue to play anytime. The bounty is very, very high~"

Destroying the Bomb Devil sent by foreign nations—this achievement surpassed 99% of the Devil Hunter's records. Taking down such a powerful Devil without causing damage to the surrounding environment or loss of life was nothing short of a miracle.

As for the legitimacy? Makima, having witnessed everything through the animals around her, confirmed its authenticity.

However, something felt off to her. Reze’s death had been sudden, with no Devil power remaining. She had vanished at the moment of the slash. This method of death was something Makima had never seen before.

"Is this also one of your powers?"

Makima’s face remained expressionless as she pondered whether to dominate Higashiyama Kobane. But she quickly dismissed the idea. With her sister residing within Kobane, failure would only create an unnecessary enemy.

As long as Higashiyama Kobane didn’t cause trouble, Makima was willing to hire her at a high salary to eliminate troublesome enemies. And if Higashiyama Kobane’s strength could weaken the Gun Devil’s power, all the better.

Chapter 233

The next day, before dawn, Higayashima Kobane arrived at Hayakawa's house with a bouquet of flowers and knocked on the door. Hayakawa Aki opened it.

"Hello."

"Hello, do you feel the devil's power... Is it useful?"

After hesitating for a moment, Hayakawa Aki nodded. He never imagined he could become stronger just by spending money. Although the price of 200,000 yen per use was a bit high, the salary and bonus given by Public Safety were higher, leaving him with some surplus after covering basic expenses.

Just thinking about the two living treasures in his family, he felt very worried. If he died one day, would they be able to survive?

"As long as it's useful, that's okay. So... Is Denji-kun here?"

"Yes, he was absent-minded when he came back last night. He didn't eat, drink, or sleep..."

"It doesn't matter. I'll go comfort him."

"His room is here."

Under Hayakawa Aki's guidance, Higayashima Kobane came to Denji's room. The room was dark, and Denji was sitting on the bed, staring lifelessly ahead.

After locking the door, Higayashima Kobane walked over to Denji and took out a piece of paper. When Tina left yesterday, she specifically explained that there was surveillance around Kobane, and if anything related to Reze was involved, all communication should be done on paper.

There were a few big words written on the paper: "Want to see Reze?"

Seeing these words, Denji fell silent.

It wasn't that he didn't believe it, but he couldn't read.

His literacy level was limited. Maybe because he had sold gold and jade before, he could recognize what those words meant, but reading so many words was a bit difficult.

"..."

Higayashima Kobane was silent. She never expected that Denji couldn't read. But it wasn't a big problem. Anyway, he wasn't resisting now. She first took out a bouquet of flowers from her backpack, then forcefully stuffed it into Denji's hand and took him directly to the internet cafe.

In the internet cafe, Denji was still in a dazed state. If no one could wake him up, this state would be the same as when he touched the Pad Demon's A, and it would take some time to recover.

There was no other way. After all, this time the excitement was greater than before. If he hadn't heard Reze's confession and Tina's repeated words, he could only consider Reze as someone with ulterior motives regarding the heart of the Chainsaw Man.

But Tina made it clear that Reze wanted his heart, not the heart of the Chainsaw Man, which proved that she had him in her heart.

And finally... But when Denji recalled the last words relayed by Tina, a familiar voice made his soul regain consciousness.

"Denji?"

"Reze?"

Looking at the familiar girl in front of him, Denji was completely dazed. He saw a bouquet of flowers in his hand and raised them without thinking: "These are for you."

Seeing Denji regain his spirit, Higayashima Kobane smiled. She silently found an empty seat and sat down. Not long after, Tina sat next to her and whispered: "How is it?"

"It's always like this; both of them are idiots."

Denji and Reze were still standing, stupidly looking at each other. They didn't expect to see each other under such circumstances.

At this time, Leticia spoke: "Dear guest, if you are not surfing the internet, please don't stand in the middle and block other guests." While speaking, she took out a stool and put it in an empty spot, signaling Denji to sit down.

There were no newcomers in the second branch at present. It was nothing more than the trio of Goku, Baki, and Garou, with Shin, who was building a Titan. In addition, it was Reze's first day of work. When the guests had any shopping needs, she had to assist. The rest of the time, she could be like Kisara, who was peeking from not far away.

The two people sitting together didn't know how to start. After an unknown amount of time, Denji took the lead and said: "You haven't been to school, and I haven't either. How about we study together?"

Denji felt like a genius for opening this conversation so easily. Little did he know, the group of people who were eavesdropping almost laughed out loud when they heard this opening remark.

How can you pick up a girl like this?

But what Kisara, who was eavesdropping, didn't expect was that Reze actually agreed? The two of them were actually studying? Studying in the internet cafe?

What kind of joke were they playing?

Liu Yuan smiled and shook his head when he saw this scene: "Young people nowadays don't understand it."

Kisara, on the side, whispered: "Boss, how did you confess when you were a student?"

"Me? I never confessed!"

"Huh?"

Liu Yuan touched his chin and recalled: "The one who stayed with me the longest in my student days should be Wu San, right? Oh! There were also various real questions and all kinds of games during break time. Girls were too troublesome."

When he thought of his past experience, Liu Yuan couldn't help but complain: "You don't know how funny it is. My deskmate broke up with her boyfriend. Our grades were similar, and I encouraged her to move on and find someone else, and then I helped set her up with the class monitor, and they got together."

"Then what?"

"Then her grades were never better than mine."

"..."

Kisara took a breath, and Tina and Higayashima Kobane, who were eavesdropping on the other side, were also stunned.

What kind of weird operation was this? Helping others fall in love just to make sure their grades were worse than yours?

Liu Yuan continued to recall: "Some people can maintain their grades when they fall in love in high school, but our class seemed to be cursed; falling in love would lower your grades. When I entered college, falling in love affected my gaming, so I remained single."

"Hiss!!"

This time, not only was Tina eavesdropping, but even Leticia, who was also listening in, felt amazed. As expected of her boss, he could do things that made no sense to her as a student.

Kugara covered her head with her hands: "It's hopeless! Our boss is hopeless."

The so-called studying was very serious at the beginning, but as they studied, the two young people began to hold hands and talk.

When Reze heard Denji say that he wanted to run away with her, her heart was moved, but reason prevented her from agreeing.

"Denji, promise me, go back."

"Why?"

"Because I need you, I need you to teach me all kinds of knowledge. So, Denji, go back. Remember, don't let anyone know about my existence, anyone."

"Okay!"

Denji agreed. Before closing the store, he was driven away by Kisara. Returning to his own world, Denji found that it was still dark, and Higayashima Kobane beside him asked, "Do you feel better?"

"I..."

"Did you dream?"

Hearing the question, Denji looked at Higayashima Kobane a little strangely. It was obviously she who brought him there, so why...

But then he thought of Reze's instructions, and he nodded vigorously: "Yes, I had a good dream. Thank you..."

"You're welcome, but I feel that if I didn't do these things, I would regret it."

At this moment, Higayashima Kobane realized that she had changed. In just a few months, she had gone from being an ordinary person who was afraid of death to what she is now.

Although she was still easily pestered by her family, apart from her family, she was now pursuing things that made her feel happy.

Chapter 234

He doesn't know if it was because of good deeds that changed his luck, or because of the special effect of Reze's bomb devil, but the next day, the Internet café successfully welcomed a new customer.

A short-haired woman in uniform walked in.

Her presence could be seen as balancing the male-female ratio at the second branch, where, since its opening, all new customers had been male. These people either fought every day or locked themselves in Titanfall to study Titans and practice against computers to improve their combat effectiveness.

Now that a newcomer had arrived, Liu Yuan was delighted.

Seeing someone coming in, Reze knew it was time for her to work. Drawing on her experience in controlling her expression, she approached the new guest and said, "Hello, this is the 4-D Space Internet Café, where you can satisfy all your desires: strength, knowledge, or powerful equipment and technology."

The woman, named Gentiane, looked at the layout of the Internet café and the information on the wall screen, her expression curious.

"Can I get everything? If I say I want to have a thrilling command on the battlefield without danger and without dying, can I do it?"

"Of course!"

Although Reze had not been exposed to many games, she had memorized a lot through learning after Leticia's teachings these past days. Despite never having attended school or been exposed to games and cultural knowledge like her peers, she could make any guest believe what she said, relying on her understanding, memory, and expression control ability.

Liu Yuan had commented that in Reze, he had found a treasure.

Unlike Chelsea's Gaia Foundation, this was an ability Reze had trained through hellish practice. However, unlike the past, when Reze could do anything to accomplish a task, her shyness now only surfaced for Denji.

At this time, Leticia added, "Whether it’s a super-large war over continental disputes, an infiltration war, commanding mechanical operations, or driving mecha, this Internet café can meet your needs. And after successfully completing the game, you can even take out the things in these games."

"Oh? It feels like... a jack of all trades."

"You could think of it that way, but the jack of all trades pays for services, and here, you may be able to get these services just by spending money."

While the 4-D Space Internet Café is similar to a jack of all trades, offering to fulfill your desires for a price, here, you can also spend money just to play games or even to work.

Look at Ganyu in the No. 1 store. For several months, she has worked here every day. Only when Zhongli invites her does she take a break to play some games, and even then, she returns to work after relaxing.

A workaholic like that... he didn’t know what to say.

Gentiane was intrigued by what Leticia and Reze had said. She didn’t understand why she had suddenly appeared in this place. She was clearly sitting in a car, preparing to join Griffin as a commander, but she ended up here?

Dream? Virtual? It didn’t matter. It would be best if it were real. If it’s fake, she’d just treat it as leisure time here.

Reze had mastered the process of leading people. Under her guidance, Gentiane sat down on a chair.

Looking at the computer and the host, she felt a bit curious. Could she really gain power just by indulging in the cafe?

As she pondered this, she looked around. The people nearby were wearing strange glasses. Their bodies didn’t move at all, but the monitors displayed scenes that looked like their own battles.

"Interesting..."

Through Reze’s introduction, Gentiane came to understand this technology. Virtual reality? Or full immersion? She wasn’t a scientific researcher and didn’t understand these.

There weren’t many games in the Internet café yet, but the game categories covered a wide range.

Red Alert 2?

Gentiane almost wanted to ask if there was Red Alert 1, but she suppressed the thought.

Reze could tell that this player, Gentiane, was likely very experienced. Given her experience, the basic Red Alert wouldn’t be suitable; a mod version would be better.

Which plot in the mod would be appropriate? Got it: Mental Omega, the Foehn Line, or the Yunru Line.

With this in mind, Reze helped Gentiane start up Mental Omega and enter the Foehn Line mission "The Remnant." She hadn’t had the time to play this game herself, but when Liu Yuan had personally taught her various game details, he had emphasized one point.

"Red Alert is a very special game. If you want to start from scratch, you can play it from the beginning, whether it’s the normal plot, the Mental Omega line, or other series. But if customers want to experience the big scene right away and want to pass the level normally, then 'The Remnant' of the Foehn Campaign' in Mental Omega is definitely the most exciting."

As the game began, accompanied by a strange electronic sound, Gentiane received information from her teammates.

"This is Hope Point; we’ll build a line of defense here."

"According to intelligence, this was one of the last few surviving military fortresses of the U.S. military."

"Although it wasn’t affected by the Soviet offensive, it was eventually controlled and recaptured by Yuri’s PsiCorps."

The players of the Foehn Line were no longer ordinary commanders but special commanders assisted by VOLKNET. All troops, including Yunru, trusted the player unconditionally, and all the player had to do was lead Foehn to victory.

In addition, the commander of the Foehn Line had a significant advantage: all unlockable technologies were unlocked, and all the troops of the faction were available.

For the sake of ultimate freedom, the soldiers’ morale was extremely high.

But the price was that the enemy they faced was the entire world.

Gentiane looked at the game’s plot. According to the plot introduction, the Air Force landed a group of semi-mechanical soldiers behind enemy lines. The task was to start with these soldiers in the front-line troops.

As the commander, she would receive all the intelligence analyzed by VOLKNET. Her only task was to win at all costs. Compared with other storylines, the commander in this one had almost no room for mistakes because the soldiers were finite, and once they were gone, they were truly gone.

Gentiane, who quickly absorbed the intelligence, smiled.

"We can do a good job."

Every commander hopes that one day they can control a war, and Gentiane was no exception. She had thought the game was a simple point-and-click, but after entering it, she found the experience incredibly realistic.

Whether it was the smoke on the battlefield or the shouts of the soldiers and the armored forces constantly charging.

Why is the chapter of "The Remnant" so suitable for novices who want to experience a large-scale battle?

First, the mission difficulty is simple. As long as you don’t rush in recklessly, this level is almost a free win.

Second, there are teammates. Even if you make mistakes, your teammates will help you pass the level.

The most crucial point is the unconditional trust of your teammates. In other faction levels, you have nothing in the early stages and know nothing in the later stages.

Other levels still require a bit of strategy, but this one is straightforward.

"I don’t know who I am, and I don’t know where I am, but I just want to kill a lot."

The more Gentiane engaged with the game, the more immersed she became. As a commander, she was growing numb to this battle.

Through the communication channel, she heard soldiers from various countries talking. Some hoped to see their wives and daughters after gaining freedom, while others just wanted to survive.

The soldiers’ fear, anger, and willingness to do anything to achieve their goals when orders were issued made her wonder about the game’s backstory and why these people were fighting so desperately.

Reminders from VOLKNET and the girl named Yunru forced Gentiane to refocus.

As the battlefield commander, a team of soldiers who had landed in the rear successfully infiltrated the enemy's energy system. With the system paralyzed, these semi-mechanical soldiers began their assault.

Under the cover of machines, Yuri's troops were easily torn apart like paper.

But then, Gentiane noticed that her soldiers had rebelled.

"What’s going on?"

At that moment, the soldiers in the communication system became unresponsive and started shouting in unison, "For Lord Yuri!"

"For Lord Yuri."

"We... failed."

Yunru’s tired voice carried a hint of relief. If possible, she would have liked to maintain her free will, but now, it was too late.

"No! There’s still a chance, still..."

VOLKNET AI immediately denied Gentiane’s statement: "The mission has failed."

With those words, Gentiane’s vision went dark. But then, she felt a powerful wave hit her mind. After her thoughts became chaotic for a while, she finally understood what everyone was resisting.

In that moment, she felt her consciousness no longer belonged to her, her mind enslaved by another.

It was astonishing that, even while clearly aware of her body in the real world, Gentiane in the game had successfully immersed herself completely.

Just then, Yunru said with a bit of excitement, "Everyone, cheer up, we haven't lost yet."

VOLKNET also lit up on all commander systems at that time.

"Communication signal received."

"Not all troops encountered accidents; only those close to the fortress were affected by the psychic power."

"Locate the source, determine the position of the psychic beacon, and the core of the Antarctic psychic control network. It is not fully operational for unknown reasons."

"If that's the case, we might have a way to break free from the psychic control."

"Destroying the psychic beacon can disrupt the psychic control wave long enough for us to break free from it."

"But we must speed up our actions and choose a location to deploy our troops."

At that moment, Gentiane's vision lit up, and two optional positions appeared on the map. One of these two positions would be commanded by her, and the other would be taken over by VOLKNET.

At the same time, a large number of troops on the front battlefield also rushed in. Gentiane and VOLKNET, who were on the side battlefield, had to attack from the flank and destroy the enemy's psychic beacon.

Gentiane chose the lower-left corner to attack. When Gentiane and VOLKNET were in position, Yunru's information appeared on the communication.

"I didn't save my family before. To be honest, I don't know if I can save everyone."

Gentiane almost instinctively replied, "I can."

As the highest-ranking commander under Yunru, this statement was like a shot of adrenaline, exciting everyone. According to the game settings, all the soldiers in Yunru's line were trained by the joint efforts of Gentiane and VOLKNET.

They trust their commander, and when the commander made this confident statement, morale peaked.

Yunru was silent for a moment and then replied, "The troops have arrived. Here... I leave it to you."

A real-time monitoring map appeared in Gentiane's view, marking the positions of the troops under her command.

However, when she saw the vehicle she was commanding, she exclaimed excitedly.

"Damn, this is so cool! Is this technology from the last century?"

Duo Zhilong artillery, mastodon, giant crocodile vehicle—these vehicles, which look impressive and powerful, were simply exhilarating. Although they were few in number, they gave Gentiane a sense of power.

The feeling of command was also very satisfying. She could give an order and see the result, or she could micromanage and give orders to each soldier. The degree of execution and morale of the soldiers determined whether the command was successful.

But because of Gentiane's speech, the soldiers under her command all chose to trust her.

While controlling these weapons, VOLKNET sent all the weapon data. Additionally, local weather and gravity effects, which could affect the outcome of the battle, were also provided.

The battle ended quickly. With her command experience, Gentiane easily won after understanding the mission objectives and the data of her subordinates.

After all, this time she was not only the commander, but VOLKNET, Rashidi, and the Pacific Front forces were all besieging this point together. Even if she had stayed where she was and did not command anything, she could still have won.

Looking at the victory and clearance information, Gentiane fell silent.

This game is too real. If her real body hadn't kept reminding her that this is just a game and that it is virtual, she might have completely immersed herself in it.

After finishing the game, she took off her glasses and stared at the data on the screen for a long time.

"Huh..."

She took a deep breath, then raised her hand and waved.

Reze immediately stopped studying and came over. "Excuse me, is there anything I can help you with?"

"Excuse me... Is there a more realistic experience in this game?"

Reze turned to look at Leticia, and Leticia poked Liu Yuan.

Red Alert has realism difficulty, but in addition to realism difficulty, there is a more special option.

Liu Yuan looked at Gentiane and introduced: "Did you see the highest difficulty? Select it, then choose a campaign to start. Before entering the game, turn off file load, turn off restart, turn off all background settings, and completely substitute yourself with your own data. But even Schwi and Shiro will not choose this mode. Front-row reminder: the knowledge you bring over in the realism mode will also affect the outcome of this world."

Realism simulation, no save and loading in reality. The plot mode cannot be selected, and turning on Realism Substitution mode will make you forget your body in the outside world. Even if you are prepared, you will doubt whether you have traveled through time.

Schwi and Shiro have super high computing power, and they can complete the game by themselves without any problems. But the issue is that both of them have strong dependencies. Without Riku or Sora, most of their strength is wasted.

Everyone comes to play the game to get rewards, all aiming for the highest. It is more real than a game. The rewards are the same, so those who get rewards are too lazy to do it again.

Everyone enjoys the realism mode, but everyone is afraid of the realism substition experience.

However, Gentiane hoped to participate in the realistic command of large-scale battles. The more realistic the command, the happier she was. After all, command experience needs war to nourish it. At the same time, she was also curious about how real the game could get in this mode, and whether it could make her cry.

Gentiane opened this abnormal difficulty. Without hesitation, she directly chose the Burning Wind line. She remembered the name. Yunru—although she had not seen her in person—when she saw the words about her family not being saved, she decided to help the girl.

In a mysterious base, Gentiane woke up. She realized she was playing a game, but the real sensations around her reminded her that this was no game. At the same time, her sensitivity to the outside world was so low that she couldn't really sense it without concentrating.

But she looked around, and it seemed that she was not in the command room but rather in a place that felt like imprisonment. Looking around, she saw that many people had been captured.

"Where is this?"

Gentiane looked around in surprise and observed carefully. This should be a laboratory. Wasn't she supposed to be the commander? Why was she here?

Just as she was thinking, there was a burst of gunfire and screams outside. As the noise ended, a team of soldiers in special combat uniforms rushed in. The soldiers quickly destroyed all the defense facilities inside, and the two teams of soldiers split into two groups. One of the teams came toward Gentiane.

"Commander Gentiane, we are late."

She understood the general situation. Her background setting must be that of a captured commander, and then she was rescued and began to command the forces.

"Dr. Yunru has been found. The Gale Squad is ready to bring everyone back."

"Not yet..."

"We can't go."

The rescued Yunru looked at the soldiers around and said, "The entrance has been surrounded; we can't go back the same way."

Yunru adjusted her position and said, "It doesn't matter. We were going to explore this facility anyway."

One of the team members asked, "What do you mean? Were you brought in through another entrance?"

At this moment, a plot suddenly formed in Gentiane's mind, and she nodded.

"Yes, this is a large laboratory. We must find out what is being studied here. Team Gale, you are now temporarily under the command of Commander Gentiane."

"Yes!"

Gentiane was well-known. It was rumored that she was the top commander under Wu Xiurong and even considered a genius commander surpassing Wu Xiurong. It was because Yunru and Gentiane were captured at the same time that Wu Xiurong sent his team, the Feng Squad, to rescue these two important people.

Thus, Gentiane's real game journey began. She spent the entire day exploring the basement, which was Yuri's large laboratory. A large number of civilians were used for experiments here. The purpose and results of the experiments were extremely sinister, and the conspiracy surrounding this world deeply troubled Gentiane as a player.

During this process, they rescued a large number of captured soldiers. These soldiers were of different nationalities and beliefs, but after witnessing Epsilon's evil plans, they all joined the temporary team.

The team grew larger, but casualties increased as well.

Soldiers died from poison gas and traps. Reality offered Gentiane few choices.

This is why few people play the realism difficulty. Everyone enjoys challenging the difficulty of reality, but reality itself is already very harsh, and there is no need to experience a more painful reality in the virtual world.

The death of teammates in the real environment did not lessen the emotional impact at all.

Throughout the journey, she experienced the cruelty of war more deeply. Originally, she was just a new commander on the edge of Griffin's influence. Seeing her good performance, the superiors had assigned her to the S9 area as a formal doll commander.

She had once imagined commanding a major war, and the battle at the end of the world had inflated her confidence, making her believe she would definitely play a significant role on the battlefield one day.

But now, witnessing Yuri's plan to control the world, seeing teammates who had just relieved stress by teasing each other become enemies, and watching civilians transformed into monsters, her heart was shaken.

She was fortunate. Half an hour before the store closed, she and Yunru successfully fought their way out of the underground laboratory.

However, her game process was not over; the time in the game had stopped, and the save file had been created. Next time she returned, she would start from this point and continue to complete the mission as a commander.

She was deeply shocked. Even when she returned to the real world and saw her teammates die, her heart was still racing. Everything felt too real, so real that it didn't seem like a game.

At that moment, she finally understood why it was said that she could gain power and everything here. After experiencing this reality, even if she couldn't gain anything materially, the spiritual impact was profound.

As she was adjusting her mood, Kisara came over, handed her a glass of water, and asked, "How do you feel?"

"It's too real, so real that I doubt if it's the real world."

"This is my personal experience! Just treat it as a real world and life experience. But here's a little trick for skipping levels: although you can't bring items from the outside world into the game, things in your mind can be displayed there."

This familiar sentence made Gentiane think. Her mind was racing. At the same time, she downloaded TT at Kisara's suggestion and went to the forum to find various strategies.

While checking the strategies, she discovered a very interesting way to pass the level.

This was the Red Alert Realism Difficulty Passing Strategy written by Schwi.

The plot of each chapter in realism difficulty is interrelated. Although you can't bring things from the outside, if you have a sharp mind, you can directly play the last level of the game, record all the new technologies, and then play the first level and bring them there, which will have a significant impact on the future.

However, according to Schwi, both the Soviet Army and the Allied Forces were infiltrated by Yuri early on. If you take out new technologies, you probably won't be able to use them yourself, and they will become someone else's. There is no point in bringing them out in the mid-term because these technologies have already started to be developed by then.

The best way is to bring technology from outside. According to Schwi’s tests, as long as the external technology is kept under your attention, some unexpected things will happen before the final battle.

Seeing this, Gentiane paused. After all, it is a game. Although she wanted to read the strategy, she didn't want to spoil it to herself.

Just then, the store closing time arrived. Gentiane, who returned to her own world, found that she was still in the car. The car was still heading to the Griffin S9 area to become a commander.

Whether it was Liu Yuan, Kisara, or others, they all emphasized that real-world knowledge could be brought in, so what could she bring from her own world?

Her mind was racing, and as she thought, she saw the tactical dolls patrolling the street. Her eyes lit up.

"Yes! I can bring this in. Wait, if I bring these in and bring this technology back after certain developments, will it improve the performance of the tactical dolls?"

The answer seemed feasible. According to her experience playing Red Alert, Yunru would be able to create highly intelligent artificial intelligence in the future. Unlike the tactical dolls in her world, this artificial intelligence would have command capabilities equal to her own.

During the battle, she noticed that the troops commanded by VOLKNET had similar casualties to hers but had killed one-third more enemies.

If this command ability could be integrated into the tactical dolls and used on the battlefield... could she, as the commander, slack off in the future?

But now she still had a doubt: could the tactical dolls in her world... enter that internet cafe to directly exercise their computing capabilities?

When she considered this possibility, Gentiane suddenly had a bold idea.