"Awoo!"
Receiving the command, Sauce let out an excited howl, wagging his tail as he charged toward a rice paddy in the northwest.
A magic-driven dark cloud brewed and condensed a few hundred meters in the air, soon shrouding an area of about ten mu.
Rainwater infused with pure energy fell with a rustle, nourishing the spiritual plants of Mount Taixuan.
Streaks of Geng-Metal Qi flashed, eliminating various pests, while the surging earth energy adopted a posture of Yin-Yang harmony. Newly sprouted shoots, wrapped in jade-like water droplets, burst upward.
"As expected of the miraculous method Old Man Yuan devoted himself to studying. Now we can finally achieve 'Taihuang Rice Independence'," Fuli nodded incessantly at the sight. "We can even share some with Cousin and Theresa. If Bianka comes over again, she'll probably bite her tongue off enjoying it. We can also have her take some back for Sister Rita to help replenish her body after recovering from her serious illness."
As for why a miraculous method studied with such devotion was only C-Rank? Presumably, compared to profound but difficult-to-learn spells, the Modern Shennong wanted more people to be able to learn this simple and easy-to-understand farming method, to better benefit those who couldn't even get enough to eat.
Just like the hybrid rice he and his studio invented, which many people claimed 'didn't taste good.'
Fuli patted the dog, who had trotted back happily. "Your control over the spell is quite precise. I'm leaving the management of this place to you from now on. Take responsibility, okay?"
"Woof!"
Sauce rubbed his furry head against Fuli's palm, his eyes shining with eagerness.
In terms of seniority, he could even say to Kallen, who only joined after the virtual space arc, "You're the newcomer."
He was one of the five original shareholders of the Hyperion!
Leaving the husky to tinker there, Fuli went around to the other side of Mount Taixuan and took out a card with a gilded texture.
—Item Upgrade Ticket (B). The effect was simple and crude: it could raise the rank of any single item to B-Rank.
After thinking for a long time, the boy decided to give this slot to the Inferior Hogyoku Fragment that had been working diligently for him.
After freeloading the Garuda's Metamorph Factor from Cousin Ah Hua, he had begun constructing the corresponding Metamorph Organs within his body.
Years ago, the Celestial of the Phoenix was caught off guard and surrounded by the Seven Swords of Taixuan.
Her right foot was severed at the ankle;
The tendons in both hands were destroyed;
Her internal organs were all ruined;
There were more than ten wounds at the most fatal area, her heart.
But the deadliest wound was to the head.
Cheng Lingshuang, a naturally gifted Stigmata Awakener and one of only three people in history to master the "SWARA," wielded the "Blade of Freedom" and pierced her skull with a single strike.
One must know that regeneration abilities have levels.
The previous injuries were one thing, but to take an EX-Rank Edge of Taixuan through the skull and only suffer "heavy injuries," recovering completely after a mere twenty years of slumber?
This already surpassed the First Rated Power of the Abyss Flower and approached the Holy Lance's creation secret art, Welwitschia.
Of course, compared to the Abyss Flower's Qi recovery effects, the Garuda Factor, which purely regenerated the flesh, still had deficiencies.
But that didn't stop Fuli's heart from burning with desire.
And to complete the construction of the Metamorph Organs as soon as possible, the cultivation acceleration effect of the Inferior Hogyoku Fragment was undoubtedly the top priority.
Thus, he used the Item Upgrade Ticket without hesitation, upgrading it to a B-Rank Low-Grade Hogyoku Fragment.
The upgraded Hogyoku continued to puff out clouds and mist inside its master's body, though it inexplicably looked a bit short of breath.
Fuli thought for a moment, used a void flash to reach the peak of Mount Taixuan, scooped up a handful of water from the Fuli Well, and tossed it in.
Sure enough, receiving a massive energy replenishment, the Hogyoku was instantly full of motivation. The rotation speed of the Peerless Ninth Turn immediately increased by seventy percent.
Fuli nodded in satisfaction and instructed the misty fragment:
[Remember, every minute of life you burn working overtime adds a coat of paint to the hood of my new Maybach.]
[No, no, no, I think it should be: 'Only by squeezing the last three drops of oil from your bones can my private island accommodate another helicopter to pick up young models.']
"You two are having fun, aren't you?"
The boy rolled his eyes, glaring at the system pixies that had appeared on his left and right.
[I am merely simulating the Host's thought patterns and providing the corresponding response.]
Prometheus was very serious.
[After all, you are the kind of scum Host who would say, 'It just works for me, and I actually have to pay it wages?']
Dr. MEI smiled beautifully. [And strictly speaking, the Host has been making Miss Hogyoku work a 007 schedule all year round without rest, haven't you?]
"That guy doesn't have self-awareness." Fuli was unmoved. "Compared to that, I'm more curious about what the Hogyoku will become if it ranks up a few more times."
B-Rank is Low-Grade. So, A-Rank? Medium-Grade? S-Rank is High-Grade?
If it hits EX, will it transform into the omnipotent wishing machine that responds to all the host's expectations, like in the original work?
[Personally, I think Miss Mei has greater potential in the aspect of becoming an omnipotent wishing machine.]
Dr. MEI pushed up her glasses, a trace of envy faintly lingering in her tone.
Her prototype wasn't as lucky as Raiden Mei. Not only did she shoulder the responsibility of fighting the Honkai, but she also had to scheme against the corrupt and backward higher-ups of the Fire Moth.
Fuli retorted, "That's assuming the Hyperion can afford to support her until then."
Even a genius needs time to grow. Whether it's the great scientist who solved the Soliton algorithm, the Emperor of Intelligent Machines who set half the universe on fire, the elegant scholar whose name resounded through the universe in the field of life sciences, or even the celestial computer that ascended to godhood—they all had to learn about this world from scratch.
Beneath their seemingly youthful appearances, how long did they spend defining their paths? A year? A decade? A century? A millennium?
No one knows.
Just like the future, which has not yet been converged into a single line and remains full of uncertainty.
Evening—
"I'm full."
Fuli finished his portion of food in a few bites and got up to walk toward his room.
Once his back disappeared around the corner, the remaining three exchanged glances and simultaneously focused their gaze on Kallen, signaling her to follow him immediately.
The Saintess was sweating bullets. "Is... is this really a good idea?"
"Yes! Yes!"
Kiana nodded frantically.
Mei and Bronya didn't speak, but their gazes were full of encouragement.
For the past week, Fuli had been acting out of character, locking himself in his room every night from 8 PM to 10 PM.
Not only did he cut off all contact with the outside world, but he also specifically instructed them not to knock unless it was a major emergency.
Such behavior undoubtedly aroused the girls' curiosity, especially Kiana and Mei.
In the past, they would punctually "observe"—holding an attitude of appreciation—the boy's every move during this time slot, including his bath time. Suddenly being unable to peep made them feel unaccustomed.
Bronya wasn't that sick, but she was genuinely concerned about what her brother was secretly doing.
As the shipboard AI united in body and soul with the Hyperion, Kallen was the only individual capable of infiltrating Fuli's room without alerting him.
Under the encouragement (threats) of the girls, the Saintess, shouldering the hopes of the entire village, hesitantly arrived at Fuli's door. With a poof, she transformed into a white-haired mole and sneakily phased through the wall.
Then, holding her breath (even though she didn't need to breathe), she used both hands and feet to crawl toward her little brother, who was busy sitting in front of the computer.
In a short while, she arrived under the chair Fuli was sitting on. With a heave-ho, she jumped up and climbed steadily up the support rod.
She didn't stop until she reached the backrest of the computer chair. Widening her small, icy-clear eyes, she cautiously observed the content on the screen.
"AH! MY EYES! Brother, you pay for my 24k titanium alloy eyes!"
Her cover was blown in one second.
"Holy crap!"
The scream from behind startled Fuli so much he shivered, nearly deleting the draft he had just saved. Turning his head, he saw a white-haired mole rolling on the ground, covering its eyes.
Realizing what was happening after a moment's thought, the boy picked her up and placed her on his thigh, gently stroking her fur.
"It's not that bad, is it?"
"How is it not that bad?"
Kallen pointed at the screen in agony. "I won't say anything about you being a 'pigeon,' but why are you producing shit?!!"
"What? What? Shit?"
Kiana, the King of Shitposting who had been eavesdropping at the door, immediately woke up. Dragging Mei and Bronya along, she teleported into the room.
Her gaze eagerly locked onto the screen:
"No! You can't!" Liu Ruyan's eyes were filled with bloodshot veins. Her womb... how could she give it to Liu Ruyue!
The woman plunged her hands fiercely into her lower abdomen and crushed her own womb!
"Liu... Ruyue!" Liu Ruyan's eyes nearly split open, the hatred in her voice making Liu Ruyue tremble.
"My things... even if destroyed, will not be given to you!" she roared, slamming the womb onto Ye Qing's face.
"AH! MY EYES! Ah Li, pay for my 24k titanium alloy eyes!"
Another person joined the rolling-on-the-floor club.
This time, even Bronya, who had lacked interest, perked up. She quickly ran over and scanned the content. Her usually expressionless face couldn't decide whether to cry or laugh, causing a direct program error and freezing her in place.
Asking for a friend: What does it mean when the female lead is kidnapped by bandits, the male lead gets hit in the vitals and loses fertility while saving her, and the female lead, feeling guilty, transplants her own womb into the male lead? And what does it mean when the male lead is bedridden with heavy injuries and asks the female lead to take two pills from the pouch on his waist, but the female lead accidentally rips off the male lead's testicles instead?
They had wondered why her brother insisted on cutting off all contact with the outside world. It turned out he was hiding in his room manufacturing shit all alone?
"Listen to my excuse—I mean, explanation!"
Facing the girls' increasingly weird stares, Fuli hurriedly explained, "I'm actually helping a netizen continue writing her short novel!"
Yes, it was Ana Schariac.
Of course, to Fuli, she was the netizen "cairahcS."
This girl had previously planned to test the waters by writing a short novel, and back then, she had asked for Teacher Fufu's—that is, Fuli's—opinion (Volume 3, Chapter 19).
Since she had inexplicably become a member of the Senate, not only did she receive generous subsidies every month, but she also had nothing to do, so naturally, she found something to occupy her time.
Who would have thought this girl would actually get ambitious?
Because she was given full authority by Schicksal to handle the "Retired Valkyrie Treatment Issue," a major matter concerning the fate of countless people, Ana had been incredibly busy lately.
The girl didn't want to become a "pigeon" with nothing down below, so she had to entrust her short novel—which was only one-third finished—and the outline to the trustworthy Teacher Fufu.
Fuli had wanted to refuse. Everyone knows the online author circle is full of the cooing of pigeons.
Qidian is full of elderly people lacking energy, who accidentally go on indefinite hiatus to "gather material."
Hedgehog Cat is full of Eastern Depot Eunuchs; they write and write, and then suddenly the bottom part is gone.
Zhonglu looks like it's addicted to mass updates at first glance, but in reality, they drop four books a month. If the stats are slightly bad, a ghostwriter comes online, or they change accounts and start over.
Tomato Novels has tons of elementary schoolers. Maybe their parents get a bit strict, and suddenly they are just legends in the Jianghu.
To sum it up in one sentence: If you're gonna flake, just flake!
Even Fuli himself was constantly pointed at by readers saying, "Others cut their flesh to feed eagles; you feed eagles with pigeon meat!"
One night, he was even beaten awake by a group of readers in his dream because he stopped updating. After waking up and going back to sleep, he dreamt of those people saying, "You f*cking didn't update and you still dare to come back?"
Even so, he remained a steadfast Number One Pigeon. 2,000 words a day was already the limit of humanity.
However, cairahcS (Ana) had just invested a large sum of funds into the Hyperion. Since a female netizen he hadn't even met in reality trusted him so much, how could Little Li have the heart to fail her expectations?
"So you wrote this pile of...?"
Pointing at the screen that had been turned off, Kiana rubbed her eyes pitifully.
I'm gonna get styes, woo woo woo.
"Don't blame me, okay? I followed the outline she gave me." Fuli was stroking the fur of the white mole lying listlessly on his thigh. Hearing this, he emphasized, "Not only was she very satisfied after reading it, but the comment section was also flooded with praise. Everyone is howling for the next chapter."
Reading novels is just for fun.
Only a dumb*ss author thinks they need to educate readers while writing a trashy novel.
"Damn morbid curiosity..."
Bronya couldn't bear to look straight at him.
"Let's not talk about that."
Fuli went on the offensive. He stood up, crossed his arms, and looked down at them. "I said before not to disturb me unless it's important. What emergency has occurred?"
"Ah, this..."
The aura of the King of the Hyperion was still sufficient. Kiana and Bronya looked left and right guiltily.
"Two things," Mei, who was prepared, answered calmly. "First is the membership fee. The three-month trial period is over. Do we want to pay the membership fee to the UN's Disaster Containment Agency?"
The Hyperion was a formal organization registered under the UN, enjoying many benefits including satellite access. Theoretically, membership fees had to be paid.
Why theoretically?
Because in reality, many factions, led by Anti-Entropy, frequently defaulted on fees using various excuses.
And the Disaster Containment Agency considered themselves lucky just to have major organizations accurately on record and reachable during emergencies. They certainly wouldn't expel anyone over such a small matter.
These were all powerful individuals wielding supernatural powers; losing control of them would be the most fatal outcome.
So the situation stumbled along, maintaining itself and fully proving the saying: "The world is just a giant makeshift troupe."
Regarding this, Fuli hesitated for a moment. "Let's pay it. I recall we don't need to pay much at this stage."
Having experienced the bumps and bruises of the previous loop, the current him rarely took the initiative to uphold justice like in the past.
However, that didn't stop him from supporting those noble people who, despite witnessing the suffering of the world, still walked that path.
"And the second thing?"
The boy asked.
Mei brushed her hair back nonchalantly. "That Body Modification Serum I mentioned before? I made it."
"Huh? Huh?"
Fuli's originally calm eyes widened instantly.
He looked at the girl in front of him and subconsciously confirmed, "The one the German Empire researched during WWII, which Schicksal still can't replicate to this day, used to create super soldiers?"
"Correct."
"The one where, after injection, the body is extremely strengthened—capable of tanking missiles without a scratch, moving faster than sound, and maintaining over 80% combat effectiveness even with comminuted fractures all over the body and severed muscles, recovering completely within a day? The one that basically reaches the lower limit of an A-Rank Valkyrie's combat power? You can mass-produce that now?"
"Provided one survives the extreme, intense pain lasting three days and four nights, feeling as if the entire body is being crushed and reassembled. And during this period, the nerves, brain, and spirit will be affected by the drug to remain absolutely lucid, feeling this pain completely without breaking down."
Mei added with a smile, "Also, aside from that, the injector can awaken a corresponding ability based on their own beliefs."
For example, Heinrich's vampire-like ability "Lord of Belial," or the unknown trait of Ash, who used a shard of the Holy Lance of Finality to replace his heart.
"Ouch! Ah Li, why did you pinch me?"
"It's not a dream."
Retracting his hand, Fuli muttered to himself, "It's nothing. I just feel like happiness has come so suddenly lately."
First the Equipment Enhancement Furnace, now the Nazi Body Modification Serum. What is Ms. Mei planning?
This isn't just a "rising sun" anymore; this is flying into the sky to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the sun!
"It mainly combined Kallen's Life Equation and the primary evolution serum you provided, Yuan. The remains of Ash that we brought back also played a significant role."
The girl didn't take credit for herself. Like a magic trick, she produced three syringes, her tone laced with seduction. "So, want to try? The physical enhancement from the serum won't do much for you guys since you're already A-Rank, but awakening a superpower is still pretty attractive, right?"
That was true.
Fuli thought about it and reached out to take one.
A small hand landed on his hand first.
It was Bronya.
Vigilance flickered in the girl's big gray eyes. "I get the feeling you're using us as test subjects. There won't be side effects, right?"
Mei immediately objected, arguing loudly, "How can you stain a person's innocence out of thin air? All medicine is thirty percent poison. Isn't it reasonable for there to be some unpredictable developments after taking it?"
If you get sick from eating it, that's because your constitution is weak. What does it have to do with my medicine?
"..."
Kiana, who had been equally eager to try, saw her best friend's strong reaction, and the excitement in her eyes faded quickly.
The girl took a silent step back. Just as she was about to shield Fuli behind her, she realized the spot beside her was already empty.
"Holy sh*t!"
"Hm?"
The "Shenzhou Expletive" that blurted out quickly caught Mei's attention.
The girl smiled radiantly, her eyes reflecting brilliant starlight. "Does Kiana want to try?"
The boy, being held by the back of his collar by her single hand, flailed his limbs and struggled constantly. "Let... let go of me! I don't want the shot!"
Fun fact: Fuli and Mei's rooms were connected, so this place also belonged to the Raiden Queen's "ME Corp Domain."
In this home field equivalent to a Mage Tower, the three people present—heehee, none of them could escape~
"Urgh, urgh, urgh, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts—"
"Squelch, squelch, squelch, squelch..."
"The naturally evil Raiden Mei! Bronya will definitely—Gah!"
Indescribable low groans from the trio reached her ears. Kallen didn't dare to look at Raiden Mei, whose face was full of fanaticism as she recorded data.
After sneaking away, she leaned against the warm corridor wall and closed her eyes. Her slender fingers drew a cross devoutly over her chest:
"Amen."
It is truly wonderful to be an AI.
...