“Three hundred… tons?!”
Xia Lun’s eyes nearly popped out of his head.
This was the first time he had ever heard magic stones measured in tons.
A single magic stone weighed roughly one hundred grams, so three hundred tons would be… three million magic stones.
That was nearly the output of an entire magic-stone vein.
Hmm… he had absorbed almost an entire magic-stone vein into his body, but surely Aina wouldn’t sell him off to pay for the nan armor mentioned by the Mechanical Prophet.
“That’s way too expensive,” Xia Lun muttered.
“This suit of nan armor represents the absolute pinnacle of our civilization’s technology.” The Mechanical Prophet Alpha’s voice suddenly rose in pitch. His metal palm traced an elegant arc across his chest. “It consists of three hundred million nanobots, each equipped with an independent energy core and computational unit. It can cover the wearer’s entire body within 0.3 seconds and change form according to the user’s thoughts. In defense mode, it can withstand a planetary impact head-on. In stealth mode, it can blend perfectly into any environment—even the most advanced life detectors cannot detect its presence.”
As the Mechanical Prophet spoke, a beam of light suddenly projected from his fingertip. In the holographic image, a blurred human figure was enveloped by flowing silver liquid. At times, it transformed into an indestructible suit of armor; at others, it became a transparent membrane. Finally, it even mimicked the colors of the surrounding environment and vanished perfectly into the background.
“Absolutely worth every penny!” The Mechanical Prophet’s voice was filled with unquestionable pride.
“I don’t doubt that, Mr. Alpha… but unfortunately, I can’t afford it.” Xia Lun shook his head. He hadn’t really understood the Mechanical Prophet’s explanation, but it had sounded extremely impressive.
The Mechanical Prophet fell silent for a moment, then seemed to glance at Aina, who was standing beside Xia Lun.
He suddenly turned slightly to the side, raised a hand to partially cover his mouth, and leaned toward Xia Lun’s ear in an unmistakable whispering pose.
“I think that if you sweet-talked Miss Aina a little, Mr. Xia Lun, you could probably get this armor after all.”
Xia Lun: “…”
What was that supposed to mean? Was he encouraging Xia Lun to live off a woman?
Xia Lun glanced at Aina. She sat there with her small face tense, as though she hadn’t heard a thing.
“Ah, I have a wonderful idea.”
A lightbulb suddenly lit up on the Mechanical Prophet’s forehead—a literal lightbulb. It appeared to be some kind of projection, but everyone present could see it.
Looking mysterious, he produced a tightly sealed metal test tube from who knew where and pressed it into Xia Lun’s hand.
“What is this?” Xia Lun asked curiously.
“This is my investment in you.”
“Investment?” Xia Lun was utterly baffled.
He turned the test tube over, trying to see the liquid inside. It was a strange golden fluid that flowed slowly within the tube, as if it were alive.
“Yes.” The Mechanical Prophet nodded with great solemnity. “A reproductive potion developed by our Supreme Academy of Sciences. Completely natural and pollution-free, it’s extracted from the essences of seventy-three rare cosmic plants. It will restore your virility to its absolute peak… Even the Crimson Goddess will fall helplessly into your arms…”
The corner of Xia Lun’s mouth twitched.
There was even this kind of investment?
“Mechanical Prophet, you can stop now!” Aina finally snapped. Her voice was like ice shattering. The fingers resting on the armrest slowly tightened, and a faint scent of blood suddenly filled the air.
“Oh, my apologies, my apologies.” The Mechanical Prophet made an exaggerated surrendering gesture. “I almost forgot. The humans of your world must still be rather conservative in their thoughts and views on sex. You’re probably too shy to discuss such matters openly…”
The Mechanical Prophet once again put on an apologetic smile.
“You’ve all become machines. Do you still need to reproduce this way?” Xia Lun looked at the so-called reproductive potion in his hand and asked in surprise.
“Ah, you may have misunderstood something, Mr. Xia Lun,” the Mechanical Prophet explained. “We transmitted our consciousness into these bodies to explore the universe. That doesn’t mean our consciousness never returns to our original bodies. On our planet, 23.5 billion light-years from here, I’m still an ordinary human being. Even now, my consciousness can return there at any time.”
So that body was essentially a magical puppet controlled through consciousness?
Thinking of it that way, Xia Lun quickly understood what the other man meant.
It really was incredible.
“We didn’t gather here to listen to you talk about this, Mechanical Prophet.” Not far away, Years of Sinking spoke calmly. His voice reverberated through the room like the deep tolling of an ancient, somber bell. “It’s time to discuss the matter at hand.”
“Oh, sorry.” The Mechanical Prophet immediately seemed much more subdued. He appeared to be deeply wary of Years of Sinking.
“That body’s manufacturing date is getting on in years,” Xia Lun seemed to hear the Mechanical Prophet mutter under his breath. “If I accidentally run into that guy and it ages any further, it’ll be a real pain if the system starts throwing errors…”
“Everyone.”
“Everyone.”
The Arcane Sage waved a strange-looking casting device. It appeared to be an unusual combination of crystal and metal, with the glow of magic flowing across its surface.
With that motion, a massive projection unfolded before them, and the clear image immediately drew everyone’s attention.
The image showed a pale planet suspended against the backdrop of black space. Its surface was covered in strange geometric structures, clearly the ruins of a highly advanced civilization.
A terrifying crimson beast was rampaging across the planet.
Countless oddly shaped flying craft streaked through the sky, firing powerful lasers at the beast. Yet none of the attacks could cause it the slightest harm.
“Roar—!”
The colossal beast let out a deafening roar. The terrifying shock wave distorted the image, while the flying craft surrounding it were struck down like mosquitoes swatted by an invisible giant hand.
A series of explosions blossomed across the pale surface, like fireworks heralding the end of the world.
Then the image cut out.
“This was the final transmission sent by the Supreme Intelligence… The Supreme Intelligence has fallen.” The Arcane Sage did not make a sound, but his mental fluctuations echoed in everyone’s mind.
“That artificial intelligence?”
“He didn’t make a backup?” The surrounding gods began murmuring among themselves.
“That tin can got eaten too? The Chaos Demon God has quite an appetite, doesn’t he?” The Mechanical Prophet sounded somewhat astonished.
“The Supreme Intelligence’s mainframe has been destroyed. As for whether he made a backup… I don’t know. Even if he did, he probably won’t appear again.” The Arcane Sage sighed. “This is not good news. We’ve lost another companion.”
“And that thing’s form has changed again after this resurrection.” Years of Sinking spoke in a muffled voice. “There will be new risks and uncertainties.”
“But in any case, all we need to do now is go kill him.” The Mechanical Prophet bared his teeth in a grin. “Let’s get moving. I’ve always enjoyed dealing with big guys like that…”
y came from. The chests contained supplies, currency, class-change scrolls, skills, talents… and even godhood! The laws of the world were completely rewritten. This became a world where everyone gambled with their fate! Some people, despite having nothing, opened a divine artifact and rose to the top, eventually ruling the world. Others went bankrupt, opened nothing but worthless junk, and leaped from skyscrapers in despair. Lin Ye arrived in this world from another reality, utterly bewildered. “What is going on? Why is everyone a gambling addict?!” “Opening chests? No way. I refuse to gamble. I’ll start with myself!” Until— On his first chest, he obtained a Mythic Talent: Void Incarnation! He could become completely intangible, pass through all things, and reduce everything to nothingness! … On his fiftieth chest, he obtained a Mythic Weapon: Blade of Karma! With a single slash, karma shattered, twisting the universe and overturning the myriad phenomena of creation! … On his ninety-ninth chest, he obtained a Mythic Divine Treasure: Primordial Purple Energy! It could split open the heavens and earth, create all things, and evolve countless worlds with a single thought! Lin Ye: “Now that I think about it… shouldn’t someone have told me that every chest is guaranteed to contain something Mythic?!”
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.
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
ions, keeping it grounded and realistic】 After quitting his job, office worker Su Yang accidentally binds with the "Enjoy Life System." As the name suggests, simply by indulging in life's pleasures, he can earn random rewards from the system—no need to spend money on beautiful women or grovel before anyone. Just enjoy, and the money follows, making it all about effortless fun. The system comes with a scanning feature, allowing him to establish a favorability bond with women rated 85 points or above. Every 20-point increase in favorability unlocks additional rewards. After suffering through over twenty years of hardship, Su Yang trembles with excitement, his dull eyes suddenly gleaming with newfound hope. "Enjoy life? How hard could that be?"
