Times have truly changed, Xia Lun couldn't help but think as he looked at the airship before him.
It wasn't as if Xia Lun had never ridden an airship before; back in Olifendor, he had taken Wolund's Ollie.
But that one was clearly a private model, completely incomparable to the behemoth currently before his eyes.
This airship, named the Cloud Whale, was a full ten times the size of the Ollie, with a hull spanning three hundred meters in length.
The Cloud Whale's hull was not made of cold metal, but forged from an interwoven mix of a magical material called moonwood and mithril alloy. The moonwood displayed a warm silver-gray hue, shimmering with a pearl-like luster beneath the sunlight, while the mithril outlined a sleek skeletal frame and other critical structures.
At the bottom of the airship, an arcane core was exposed—the central power source driving the vessel's flight. Countless complex magic circuits were engraved upon it, emitting a deep, resonant hum of energy that sounded like the heartbeat of the earth.
The sides of the Cloud Whale were also lined with dense arrays of exhaust vents, and its tail still featured traditional propellers. Even if the arcane core were to malfunction, these would ensure a safe landing.
"Alright, stop staring, Xia Lun, let's get on," Aina's soft chuckle interrupted his gaze. "You're acting just like a country bumpkin arriving in the big city for the first time."
"I'm even worse than them," Xia Lun shook his head. "I'm an antique from over a thousand years ago... I really haven't seen much of the world."
The smile on Aina's face instantly froze, a trace of panic flashing across her crimson eyes.
She subconsciously reached out, gently grasping Xia Lun's wrist. "Sorry, Xia Lun, I didn't mean it like that..."
"It's fine, let's board the ship." Xia Lun smiled, tightening his grip on Aina's hand, and led her onto the deck.
Aina gently bit her lip.
She naturally knew she had spoken out of turn.
As the Demon King, she was an aloof and arrogant existence; this was beyond reproach. To her, most people were no different from ants.
But Xia Lun was different. He was a Hero, and he would never stand idly by when the weak were bullied and persecuted.
Her unintentionally belittling words might have pierced Xia Lun's heart like a thorn.
"Xia Lun, I really..." Aina tried to make up for her mistake, her voice carrying a barely perceptible trace of vulnerability.
Xia Lun raised a finger, pressing it against Aina's lips to silence her.
"It's okay, I don't mind, Aina." Xia Lun pulled Aina into his embrace. "Rest assured, I won't hold you to my standards. You just need to be yourself...
Even if you occasionally make mistakes, it's impossible for me to be disappointed in you, because my love for you is already inescapable.
Moreover, the person I love is the truest version of you. I don't need you to put on any disguises, nor do I need you to accommodate me.
Even if you, as the Demon King, want to destroy the world, I will still love you... though I will do everything in my power to stop you."
Aina stood blankly in Xia Lun's embrace before revealing a relieved smile. "You've got quite the silver tongue, Hero. Do you really think you have the ability to stop me from doing what I want?"
"Oh? What is it you want to do?" Xia Lun raised an eyebrow, his gaze instantly turning sharp.
"I'll tell you tonight," Aina said coquettishly, breaking free from Xia Lun's embrace, though her hand remained tightly intertwined with his, reluctant to let go.
Since Aina said so, the two didn't rush back to their room. Hand in hand, they began to explore the airship.
The entire airship was divided into a cargo hold and passenger cabins. Currently, Xia Lun and Aina were in the VIP cabin on the top level.
The cabin was spacious and luxuriously decorated, with round tables scattered around, laden with various delicacies. Anyone who didn't know better might think this was a banquet in some noble's mansion.
Through the portholes on the side, they could see the scenery outside... Beyond the massive windows lay a flowing sea of white clouds, so pure it seemed almost unreal. Looking downward, due to the airship's elliptical structure, only the hull was visible, while the distant ground had long since vanished from sight.
Aina had paid for this; their tickets cost over a hundred gold coins... Xia Lun didn't hold back, grabbing a plate and beginning to sweep through the food.
Aina only took a few bites of cake and pastries and drank a glass of juice. Afterward, she followed behind Xia Lun like a little sidekick, picking out his favorite foods and occasionally feeding him by hand.
Xia Lun's flavor preferences... Aina remembered them all with perfect clarity.
For some reason, watching Xia Lun heartily enjoy the food brought a sense of happiness welling up in Aina's heart.
Not far away, two middle-aged men dressed impeccably like merchants were talking in hushed tones. One was short and stout, wearing a top hat; the other was tall and thin, leaning on a slender cane and sporting a bow tie.
"Have you heard?"
"Heard what?"
"About the Crimson Rose."
"Hiss... you mean that madwoman from the Norman family?" The tall, thin man grimaced. "I believe her name is... Elesha?"
"Yes."
The tall man asked, "What happened now?"
The stout merchant leaned in closer, dropping his voice even lower. "Latest news. That mining area... of the four great families, only the Norman family remains standing tall."
"Heh, they moved fast." The tall merchant shook his head repeatedly, his cane unconsciously tapping the carpet. "It won't be easy doing business there anymore, will it? It's basically monopolized by the Norman family now... I'm afraid they'll drive the ore prices sky-high, won't they?"
The stout man also shook his head and sighed. "Isn't that the truth? Before, the four families would keep each other in check... From now on, when we go there to restock, we probably won't even get the scraps."
"Business is tough."
"Sigh."
The two exchanged a glance, both smiling bitterly and shaking their heads.
"But how exactly did that girl do it?" the tall merchant couldn't help but ask, his face full of confusion. "I remember the Norman family was nearly chewed to the bone by the others. They existed in name only..."
"Who knows? The other families were clearly on the verge of swallowing them whole..." The stout merchant shrugged. "I heard someone even hired assassins to kill the Norman family's only daughter... And the result? It was completely foiled by a passing adventurer. Ever since then, that girl has been like a completely different person, ruthless and absolute in her methods..."
"The world is unpredictable."
"You can say that again." ...
Xia Lun withdrew his attention and opened his mouth. Aina, holding a silver fork, fed a piece of juicy, succulent steak into his mouth.
"Are you that interested?" Aina asked with a beaming smile.
"Interested in what?" Xia Lun asked, feigning surprise.
"What do you think?"
Xia Lun looked at Aina's slightly narrowed eyes and gulped.
"Yes, quite interested." Xia Lun wrapped an arm around Aina's shoulders. "Interested in what we're going to do tonight..."
"Pervert!"
transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
] This is a dark fantasy-themed dating simulation game. The main gameplay involves containing various monster girls and investigating the truth of a world shrouded in mist alongside your companions. However, due to his love for the dark and bizarre atmosphere, Luo Wei ended up turning a dating game into a detective mystery game. Women? Women only slow down his quickdraw! To Luo Wei, the female leads in the game are more like tools to perfectly clear levels and squeeze out rewards. For Luo Wei, flirting with every girl he meets and then discarding them is standard procedure. Worried about characters losing affection points? No need. With his maxed-out charm stat, Luo Wei is practically a "human incubus." A little psychological manipulation and those points come right back. It's a bit scummy, but the paper cutout heroines in the game won't actually come at him with real cleavers. However... Luo Wei has transmigrated. He's accidentally entered the second playthrough of this game. His past actions have caused all the girls to transform into terrifying yanderes. Due to the game's setting, most of the heroines he once contained are "troubled girls." Obsessive, twisted, mentally unstable, all aggressive yanderes... The type who will kill you if they can't have you... Luo Wei wants to cry but has no tears left. "I really just want to survive..." In short, this is a story of battling wits and engaging in a love-hate relationship with yanderes.
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
