Amidst the invasion of the "Empty Nest Herrscher," half a month slipped by in a flash.
The night still lingered heavily outside the Hyperion, but the seawater below was already revealing its grey-blue visage through the churning milky mist.
The cries of seabirds were sharp and piercing, hanging in the salty sea breeze for a long time, becoming the last few lingering tastes of the night within the deep blue.
"Onii-chan.. bad..."
Just as Bronya, mumbling in her sleep, curled up on her bed hugging her Homu pillow tightly and groggily turned over for a snooze, a ghost—a ghost named Raiden Mei—was drifting over the Hyperion.
"Ah Yuan~ What goodies did you get this time~?"
Loose white kimono-style pajamas wrapped around the girl's exquisite curves. A smile played on her lips, and her voice was impossibly elegant, yet this soft whisper against the backdrop of pure white inexplicably made one's chest tighten.
"Let me see what good things Baby Yuan got his hands on today~"
Mei began to roam the corridors and cabins of the Hyperion, lifting the lid of every suspicious trash can, shaking out the corners of every carpet, not sparing even the darkest nooks and crannies.
That relentless excitement looked exactly like a thirsty housewife pouncing on her middle-aged husband after confirming the kids were fast asleep.
"Don't come over here!!!"
There is an old saying about the "Four Great Flusters": a pig being slaughtered for the New Year, a startled donkey, an angry wife, and a fish flopping on the shore.
Now, we could add a fifth: Fuli, targeted by Miss Mei right after finishing a system ten-pull.
Five members in the Four Heavenly Kings—there's absolutely nothing wrong with that logic.
What? Why is this happening?
Just as dawn broke, Fuli saw the "Ten-Pull" button on the system panel light up. He kicked open Kiana's door, ignored the white-haired Tuna on the bed who was still rubbing her sleepy eyes with messy hair, grabbed her small hand, and slammed it hard onto the "Draw" button!
Before he could even see what he had pulled, the sound of Mei's brisk footsteps echoed from the corridor.
Accompanied by that precisely timed, seemingly smiling, "Fouund yoou~," Little Li was scared out of his wits. Reacting on conditioned reflex, he scooped up the still-bewildered Kiana and flashed out the door with a Shunpo!
Big Sis Mei! I'm not lovesick!
The duo of Fuli and Kiana scrambled through the bridge access tunnels in a panic, barely escaping that "affectionate" call that sounded like an orchid in an empty valley. They finally collapsed in a disheveled heap inside a deserted warehouse.
"Traitor!"
In short, the blame game started immediately.
"Haah... Huh? Traitor? Me?"
Kiana, mid-yawn, zoned out for a good while before realizing he was accusing her of snitching to Mei.
She couldn't help but spread her hands. "Nay, brother. Putting aside the fact that this young miss has no idea what you're sneakily doing, even if I didn't say anything, Mei could figure it out herself, right?"
Every month during these few days, he would suddenly pull a bunch of badass (cheat) items and skills out of thin air. When asked about their origins, he would hem and haw and change the subject. Did he really think people couldn't tell he was hiding something?
Kiana didn't say it out loud, but her half-lidded eyes clearly conveyed the message.
Fuli thought about it and realized she was right.
"Dammit!" He slapped his thigh in frustration. "Why can't my Mei just be a gentle, considerate cooking wife who lets her boyfriend expand his Crystal Palace? Doesn't she know nobody likes a woman who's too smart?"
"Wait, if you're frustrated, be frustrated, but why are you slapping my thigh so hard?"
Kiana playfully smacked him, pulling her fair, soft legs back to her side.
Then, blinking her big, watery eyes, she leaned in and chattered, "So, what good stuff did you get this time? Anything suitable for this young miss?"
"Yeah, yeah, what good stuff did you get? Let everyone feast their eyes."
A third party's voice drifted in melodiously—a tone cool as silk, quietly seeping into the cracks of the tense air.
"Let me see."
Oblivious to the danger, Baby Li commanded with a thought, and the list of items from this ten-pull appeared before his eyes.
Skill: Yuan-Style Farming Method (C)Reins of the Divine Steed (B)Skill: Deliverer of Divine Revelation (A)Alchemy Blades: Seven Deadly Sins (B)Jar of Forest Breath (D)Skill: Pureblood Dragon Aura (B)Orca Body Pillow (B)Momotaro Rice Ball (C)Item Upgrade Ticket (B)Curios: Crocodile Wallet
It was about on par with the last time. It seemed this fellow Kiana's luck was quite balanced.
Thinking this, Fuli clicked on the two items he was most curious about to check their effects.
[Name: Crocodile Wallet]
[Grade: N/A]
[Category: Curios]
[Effect: A wallet made of crocodile skin. High-end and atmospheric. It enhances the bearer's temperament, making them look like a rich person.]
[Note: No buying, no killing.]
"Here, play with this."
"Huh? Thanks?"
Tossing the thing to the confused Kiana, the boy buried his head back into the inspection.
[Name: Deliverer of Divine Revelation]
[Grade: A]
[Category: Passive/Permanent]
[Effect: The Sixth Eidolon of the new Titan of Time from amphoreus—the visitor from beyond the sky, the "Trailblazer." This skill can only be learned by treading upon the Path of Remembrance. Upon complete mastery, the Critical Rate of your Ultimate is fixed at 100%.]
[Note: You have met the prerequisites for learning this skill.]
What the hell is the Path of Remembrance? How did I meet the prerequisites?
Fuli felt baffled, but getting a new skill was always a good thing.
The remaining Reins of the Divine Steed, Momotaro Rice Ball, and Item Upgrade Ticket had self-explanatory effects, so he quickly focused his attention on the Seven Deadly Sins, which bore the "Alchemy Blade" tag.
Just as he was about to focus, a voice filled with seductive charm whispered near his ear without warning, "Don't just keep it to yourself. Let us have a look too, won't you?"
"Sure."
The boy nodded and took out the weapons directly.
"This set is called the Seven Deadly Sins. It's a complete set of seven alchemical blades from another world. Their forging technique is unparalleled, known as the pinnacle of alchemy, and they are specialized weapons designed specifically to slay dragons."
He displayed the Seven Deadly Sins one by one. A Han-style Jian, a Tang Dao, a Zhanmadao, a Katana, a Claymore, a Yataghan, and a Wakizashi all shone in the cramped space, reflecting off one another brilliantly.
"Alchemy from another world?" The owner of the voice sounded intrigued. "So, it's a systematic discipline?"
"Yup." Fuli shrugged. "Legend has it that if you research this field to its peak, you can achieve the ultimate accomplishment known as the 'Seven Great Kingdoms of Alchemy': Elemental Transmutation, Spirit Recasting, Conceptual Armament, Time Reversal, Spatial Creation, Life Creation, and Causal Separation."
Personally, he felt this was mostly boasting. If alchemy could really do all that, who would be content just dominating Earth—wait a minute?!!
He leaped away from his spot in a single bound, turning his head only to see Miss Mei giving him a cute smile before returning her thoughtful gaze to the Seven Deadly Sins.
Clearly, the omnipotent Dr. MEI had used some "minor tricks"—not worth mentioning in her opinion—to put the usually vigilant Old Man Fuli into a trance.
But I have a teammate!
He turned his head, intending to scold Kiana for not warning him, only to find her hog-tied and gagged with a ball gag, currently rolling around on the floor like a "Cat-erpillar" making muffled wu-wu-wu noises.
Okay, I can't blame you.
Retracting his gaze, Fuli's mouth twitched. "Um, Mei, the Seven Deadly Sins are my new weapons..."
"New weapons?" The girl looked up in surprise. "These things have a bonus against dragons. Where are you going to find dragons to kill?"
"It's not like there are no dragons in this world..."
Leaving aside the "Seraphs" who signed contracts with the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and were napping in the Seven Heavens World Bubble, Shenzhou had possessed dragon descendants like the Vidyadhara since ancient times.
For example, the newly appointed Diviner of the Luofu Xianzhou, the "Healer Lady" Bailu; or Miss Lingsha who had just appeared recently.
"But rather than using them to kill enemies on the battlefield, they are clearly better suited for research." Mei's brow shimmered with seriousness. "I've been studying why Stigmata appear as patterns on the human body, whether these lines themselves symbolize something, and if they function like integrated circuits when charged with energy. A pinnacle system like the Seven Deadly Sins could play a significant role in this. I might even be able to reverse-engineer the alchemy entirely, just like with the Equipment Enhancement Furnace—"
Seeing that the girl seemed ready to host a scientific analysis seminar right there, Fuli had to interrupt her. "If I heard correctly, it sounds like you plan to dismantle the Seven Deadly Sins? You must be joking."
Saying that, the boy laughed, "Haha."
But Mei didn't speak. She just looked at him gently, watching his laughter slowly die down.
"...You are joking, right?"
"Mhm, I am joking. But my interest in otherworldly alchemy is real. Don't worry, I will conduct limited research while ensuring the integrity of the alchemical blades. They are precious samples, after all, and will be returned to their original owner."
With that, Mei handed over a sheathed katana.
Fuli took it smoothly. With a schwing, he drew the blade. Its familiar appearance made him pause.
"Plasma Kagehide?"
"You recognize it?" The girl, who was currently collecting the Seven Deadly Sins, looked over in surprise. "This is the new weapon I prepared for you. As a standalone weapon, it's rated B-Rank. In terms of handiness, it's definitely superior to the Seven Deadly Sins as a combined weapon."
This was true. The full set of Seven Deadly Sins could unleash power definitely above A-Rank when dealing with dragon species. The problem was, where in reality would there be so many dragons that just happened to have a blood feud with Fuli?
And when dealing with other species, a single Seven Deadly Sins blade wasn't much better than a C-Rank weapon like the Mikazuki Munechika.
Not only that.
Examining the blade, which was slightly different from his memory, the boy was puzzled. "Why does it feel sharper?"
His secondary weapon in the previous loop had been the Plasma Kagehide gifted by the Mei of that loop, so he was incredibly familiar with it.
"I enhanced it," Mei answered lightly. "Used the Equipment Enhancement Furnace to get it to +12."
"Equipment Enhancement Furnace?" Fuli realized then. "You actually managed to restore that thing? By reverse-engineering a beat-up +18 small katana?"
The depression of lending out the Seven Deadly Sins vanished instantly.
Holy crap!
His domestic Gold-Swallowing Beast had eaten so much of his budget, and now he was finally seeing a return on investment!
Okay, that was a joke. Whether it was Sparrow Talk or the Raiden Type-II Soulium Battlesuit, Mei had already proven that investing in her was a guaranteed profit.
Not to mention the operation and scheduling of the Hyperion. "A great general has no great merit"—this saying applied perfectly here.
"It's still lacking a bit right now. The Equipment Enhancement Furnace itself isn't very stable and requires a massive amount of experimental data." Mei shook her head regretfully. "Originally, I planned to scam—I mean, find—a large number of people to enhance their equipment at the Luminary Wardance Ceremony in half a month, recording their weapon enhancement data to fill in the gaps."
As a grand ceremony hosted by the Xianzhou Luofu, the Luminary Wardance was not only a martial tournament but also a large-scale exchange venue lasting many days.
Many small and medium-sized factions who received invitations or traveled there voluntarily would display their achievements. There were even streets and gatherings specifically for setting up stalls.
Unfortunately, due to a certain someone, the Hyperion was destined to miss this grand event.
"But it doesn't matter, we'll just think of other ways." Mei teased, "Want to put your Solar Armor into the Equipment Enhancement Furnace for a spin? Before +10, failure only drops the enhancement level!"
"Pass!"
Realizing the girl was comforting him, Fuli was moved, but he refused decisively.
The Solar Armor was a conceptual Noble Phantasm integrated with his surface skin. Put that inside? That would mean putting him inside the furnace to get banged and hammered!
"So, after ten successful enhancements, if it fails, the weapon might break?"
"Remove the 'might'. It will break," Mei answered. "But the effects are excellent. Take the Plasma Kagehide for example; at +12, its sharpness and durability are already comparable to a conventional A-Rank weapon."
During the battle with the Immortals, Fuli Kaslana had raised his hand and forcibly fused Sparrow Talk and Flamescion together.
He didn't do that for no reason. In terms of combat power, the gap between B-Rank and A-Rank gear was like the gap between Rita and Durandal—a crushing qualitative change.
Not only was the price difference astronomical, but A-Rank gear almost never circulated in the market.
And the Enhancement Furnace? Even if only the sharpness and durability were comparable to A-Rank, it was enough to make many people red-eyed with envy, betting their entire fortunes on it.
A Plasma Kagehide enhanced twelve times was comparable to A-Rank. So what about an A-Rank weapon with the same number of enhancements? What about success past +15?
But if it really broke...
Fuli and Mei looked at each other, then simultaneously looked toward the corner at the white-haired Tuna tied up like a worm.
Only when you can control the water temperature do you truly enjoy the bath.
With such a "Lady Luck" right here, should they... make use of the waste?
Several hours later, a satisfied Fuli contacted Boothill through the group chat.
"Bobo Shark, you there? I've got a batch of enhanced ammo here. You want it?"
"How's the effect on these babies? And stop using that nickname the Angel raised for me!"
"Okay Bobo Shark, no problem Bobo Shark."
They were on an audio call, so Fuli couldn't judge what was happening on the other side.
Judging by the explosions, this Cyber Galaxy Ranger was probably enforcing justice in some corner of the world again.
"The effects are solid! I guarantee you fire one shot and you'll want two, fire two and you'll want three!"
Fuli wasn't blowing smoke. These were enhanced bullets handcrafted by Kiana.
Not only did they have increased range and destructive power, but they could also create a double annihilation effect of matter and energy upon impact, gradually spreading to the whole body until the target turned to ash and shattered.
In addition, after these few hours of experiments, they had also figured out the upper limit of Kiana's luck.
It made sense. If she could truly change fate against the heavens just by luck, this girl wouldn't have suffered so much in the past.
"Alright, give me ten crates of those fudge-ing things first. If they're good, I'll push 'em to the others!"
Boothill was still busy on his end and hung up quickly after replying.
The "others" he mentioned were naturally his fellow Galaxy Rangers. Many of those stylish folks used guns.
"Good, opened up a new revenue channel."
Ending the call, Fuli crouched down and patted the dog lying at his feet. "Sauce, I have an arduous task to entrust to you."
"Woof?"
The husky looked up sharply, eyes full of surprise.
Is this dog, who only knows how to eat when hungry and sleep when tired, finally about to evolve?
Fuli took the eagerly waiting dog to Mount Taixuan and injected a Light Cone into its body.
This was the Yuan-Style Farming Method, a C-Rank spell meticulously developed by the modern-day Shennong in the hearts of countless people. It could control the weather in a small area to a small degree, suitable for assisting in the cultivation of spiritual plants with supernatural attributes.
Thanks to the Fuli Well's property of nourishing all things, everyone had been moving flora and fauna here frequently, like the tea leaves and spiritual rice Theresa and Asta took away earlier, and that sheep which clearly had a death wish.
Animals were easy enough, but spiritual plants were notoriously hard to raise. Survival depended entirely on how tough their lives were.
Even so, the yield remained low. Now was the perfect time to let Sauce, a permanent resident of the Hyperion, take charge.
As for whether this guy would embezzle the goods—let him steal. It's no big deal if the family dog eats a little. He wouldn't be like a certain monkey with no sense of propriety, gobbling up all the millennial spirit peaches in the orchard in one go.
...