Chapter 175: The fucking record, it

The hall was silent.

Carter quietly watched Watanabe.

When Watanabe Junichi heard "Longguo has raised the record to 1 minute 50 seconds," his mind went utterly blank.

"Nani?"

His eyes bulged wide as he frantically shook his head:

"Impossible! This is absolutely impossible!!"

"Lord Carter, you must have misheard! Or someone is lying!"

Watanabe Junichi shouted in panic:

"One minute fifty seconds? Lord Carter, how is this possible!"

"You know team dungeons are mechanism-based—no matter what, such a record is unachievable."

Carter looked at Watanabe and sneered.

Then he gave a subtle glance to the young man beside him.

The young man nodded and brought a tablet to Watanabe's face.

"Take a look yourself."

Carter said coldly.

Watanabe Junichi's hands trembled as he took the tablet.

When he saw the image on the screen, he froze.

The screen showed a high-definition photo of the spatial rift in the 【Grave Dragon Snowfield】 dungeon.

This team dungeon's spatial rift existed in at least a dozen locations worldwide.

The United States had one.

Above that rift was the record of Lin Mo and his team.

【#1: Longxu Class (Lin Mo…), Time: 01: 0!】

"No… this isn't real…"

Watanabe Junichi turned deathly pale.

He snapped his head up and shouted:

"This is definitely photoshopped! Lord Carter! Think about it—under two minutes? Does that make any sense?"

"They've shattered the record by sevenfold! It's impossible! Fake!"

"Is that so?"

Carter gave another glance to the young man beside him.

The man stepped forward and tapped a few times on the tablet.

The screen switched to live surveillance footage of the 【Grave Dragon Snowfield】 dungeon entrance in the United States.

The glaring record still hung above the rift.

"Live surveillance footage, Lord Watanabe. Or do you think even surveillance can be faked? Shall we go see for ourselves?"

Carter looked down at Watanabe, his voice icy.

"…."

Watanabe Junichi's throat bobbed, unable to utter a single word.

Cold sweat poured down his body.

How could this be?

This record…

What on earth was going on?

Could this really be a human achievement?

To slash the record down to under two minutes?

Even when I was at that level myself, even without mechanism interference, I couldn't have done this…

"Watanabe."

Carter stepped before Watanabe and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I just reported your country's achievements to the Family Elders' Council, recommending rewards for you."

"And then?"

"I'd barely finished speaking when Longguo reclaimed the record?"

Carter's large hand squeezed hard.

Watanabe winced in pain but dared not cry out.

"Watanabe, Watanabe—do you think I can still hold my head up before the Family Elders' Council after this?"

"Ah?!"

Carter roared suddenly.

Watanabe collapsed to his knees with a thud.

A foul odor spread through the air.

Overwhelming fear had made him urinate himself.

"Lord Carter, spare my life! Spare me!!"

Watanabe Junichi banged his head frantically on the floor, blood streaming:

"I truly don't know what happened!"

"This must be an accident! Longguo discovered a loophole in this dungeon that disabled all mechanisms! Yes! That's it!"

"Lord Carter, this isn't our fault! After all, we did break Longguo's fifty-year record…"

Watching Watanabe Junichi's state,

Carter suddenly threw his head back and laughed.

"Hahaha!"

"Look at our dear Lord Watanabe—how terrified he's become."

Carter sat back on the sofa, pulled a cigar from the nearby box, and the young man beside him immediately lit it for him.

He drew a deep breath, exhaled a thick smoke ring, and his tone softened slightly:

"Alright, Watanabe, get up."

"The record being reclaimed by Longguo was indeed strange."

"But regardless, your Onmyoji still hold two other Longguo team dungeon records."

Carter waved his hand casually:

"That's not bad."

"No matter. We can just reduce the reward we promised you."

"I, Carter, have always been a forgiving man."

Hearing this,

Watanabe Junichi felt as if he'd been granted amnesty.

His taut nerves snapped—he collapsed limply onto the floor.

"Thank you, Lord Carter, for your magnanimity! Thank you, Lord Carter, for sparing my life!"

He wiped the sweat and blood from his forehead, bowing profusely in thanks.

He was grateful to have saved his dog's life.

Carter watched Watanabe silently, then drew a deep puff on his cigar.

"But…"

At those words, Watanabe's heart clenched tight.

Carter turned to glance at the young man beside him; both wore cruel, twisted smiles.

"Lord Watanabe, for the next few days, don't return to Ying Country. Stay on this island and enjoy yourself."

"This…"

Watanabe Junichi swallowed hard, forcing a smile uglier than crying:

"Lord Carter, I should never refuse your generous invitation."

"But… there are still many matters awaiting me back home. The Prime Minister awaits my report…"

Watanabe Junichi beamed with forced servility:

"Could I perhaps take a private jet back tonight? Next time, next time I'll bring even finer 'tributes' personally, to enjoy with you…"

As Carter listened, his eyelids lifted slightly.

His smile vanished instantly, replaced by suffocating coldness.

"Lord Watanabe… are you… refusing me?"

Watanabe Junichi shuddered violently.

He sensed the killing intent in Carter's eyes.

This sudden shift in expression—he knew it all too well!

The Adams family was capricious; human lives meant less than cats or dogs to them.

"No no no! Absolutely not!"

Watanabe Junichi flailed his hands, stammering in haste:

"Lord Carter, you misunderstand! How would I dare refuse your kindness!"

"To remain on the island and accept your hospitality is the greatest honor of my life, Watari Junichi! How could any of those messy affairs back home compare to your invitation?"

Watching Watari's groveling demeanor.

"That's better."

Carter smiled again. "Then stay. Enjoy yourself these next few days."

He took another deep drag of his cigar and exhaled thick smoke:

"If— I mean, if hypothetically..."

"If, within these few days, the remaining two records are also reclaimed by the Dragon Nation..."

Carter grinned, revealing his stark white teeth:

"I hear your Yamato people have a traditional art called 'seppuku,' don't you?"

"Then you'll perform it for us."

"I've never seen it before."

With that said,

Carter and the young man beside him burst into laughter.

Watari Junichi froze completely, stunned.

Seppuku...

Seppuku?

"No no no! Lord Carter!"

Watari Junichi scrambled forward on his hands and knees:

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

"The Dragon Nation could only achieve such absurd records by exploiting loopholes in the 'Dragon's Grave Snowfield' dungeon!"

"They might exploit one dungeon's loophole, but they could never exploit three at once!"

"They will not reclaim the other two records!"

Hearing this, Carter burst into loud laughter.

"Hahaha! Good, good. I hope so."

He stood up, stretched, and his gaze once again fell upon the Yamato girls, his eyes gleaming with lust.

"Enough of this dreary talk."

"Ladies and gentlemen, let us resume our revelry."