Chapter 298

He truly lives up to being someone with a tortoise Core Coin; he really looks like a retracted-head turtle… It seems he will pursue other powers.

Jiang Xia glanced thoughtfully at the white tower, and three Core Coins instantly returned to his body.

When Kara awoke, his goal was simply one: to become the true Oz. In other words, he wanted to become the king of this world, replacing the King of Desire from 800 years ago. But after seeing that the current Oz possesses combat power, he will surely be more cautious and won't be as careless as today.

Jiang Xia opened the blank book he carried with him, entered the Earth Library once again, and countless bookshelves appeared before him.

As various different keywords appeared before him, the endless, sky-covering bookshelves disappeared one after another, leaving only a few books before Jiang Xia.

He briefly glanced through the selected books, and as he read, a circular stone carving gradually appeared in his mind, standing before him. On it were three different Alchemical Formations; each empty circular formation covered the surface of the carving, each formation containing seven gaps, for a total of twenty-one gaps.

This is the device used to stabilize the Core Coins' conflict within the body; with it, there is no longer any possibility of running amok due to desire.

Jiang Xia opened his eyes, slightly curious, because he thought that if he covered six formations with nine Core Coins each, he could absorb all the power of the Core Coins at once.

However, according to the data, twenty-one is already the limit for maintenance, and even missing one Core Coin cannot activate this device.

"This plan indeed has a chance of success, but even with more Core Coins it couldn't make me fall into a berserk state; however, if we modified this device a bit—for example, using the Eden within my body to swallow all the Core Coins in one gulp, or..."

Jiang Xia's inspirations in his mind kept colliding; he muttered to himself quietly, carrying out an initial construction and idea.

He walked slowly out of the deep forest, stepping out of this enormous Alchemical Formation.

Jiang Xia's speed wasn't fast, but it was enough to catch up to Wakaba Satsuki, who had just been running desperately without regard for appearance, and he quietly followed behind her.

The forest had gradually returned to what it should be, and the chirping of cicadas and the twittering of sparrows also gradually returned.

At the instant when the suppression of the two terrifying lives disappeared, the forest seemed to come alive once again.

Soon, Wakaba Satsuki passed through the forest, and the first thing she saw was her child sitting on a stone bench in the park, tear-streaked face, eating a lunchbox.

"Shun!"

She shouted loudly at the child, waved her hand, just as she always did after school to pick him up.

"Mom!"

At the instant he heard the voice, he lifted his head sharply, saw his mother's figure, and rushed toward her quickly.

Wakaba Satsuki held him tightly in her arms; the original inner conflict was no longer important, and after being lost and found, many things ceased to matter.

"Sorry, Shun, it's Mom's fault."

Wakaba Satsuki felt the warmth in her embrace, and tears involuntarily welled up in her eyes; although she hadn't cried after all she'd been through, now the tears on her face would not stop.

"Mom, I will truly be very obedient from now on, and I also want to have the power to protect you, just like that older brother."

Wakaba Shun gradually stopped his tears, slowly lifted his head from Wakaba Satsuki's embrace, and spoke firmly with his tender little face.

"Hmm, Mom supports you." Wakaba Satsuki gently patted Wakaba Shun, giving him support and encouragement for his idea.

Perhaps one must truly lose something in order to gain something.

However, Jiang Xia has never liked losing, so he turned the situation around.

When people grow old, they cannot bear tragedy.

"It's truly quite wonderful."

Huo Ye Yingsi looked at the reconciled Wakaba mother and child and happily said.

"Hmm, that's indeed the case."

After Jiang Xia watched them leave, he quietly stepped out from behind the trees to answer Huo Ye Yingsi.

"However, the most urgent thing now is to break that protective barrier; Kara's Alchemical Art could possibly lead to the world being destroyed by Core Coins."

Anku jumped down from the tree, flipping through the electronic documents and data in his hand, and said.

"Go prepare some means of attack." Jiang Xia said.

……

"Oz, I will surely become yours."

"Damn it, I am the true Oz of this world; the forbidden coins must be completely eliminated. Such power would cause me great trouble."

Kara re-Mimicked a human appearance, leaning on his chair and cursing the dinosaur Core Coin.

The top floor of the White Tower is a relatively large room, with various artworks from unknown periods placed around.

The only thing worth noting is an object resembling a scale, but unlike an ordinary scale, it is surrounded by three basin-sized gigantic Cell Coins.

One of them has already been completely flipped over, while the other side of the scale has a metal tray, currently empty.

Kara covered his chest with his hand; beneath his human appearance, there is a huge purple vertical fissure in the heart area of his chest.

Following the fissure inward, one can see several Core Coins floating within his body.

This is the basis for his rebirth, letting his life become eternal and unchanging, a body composed of coins, so that he can rule the world in the future.

Just now, the destructive power of the dinosaur Core Coin almost sliced apart the Core Coins sustaining Kara's life.

If he hadn't devoured Wakaba Satsuki, he might have already died when the Holy Emblem Violent Bite Dragon slashed Kara's body.

Nevertheless, Jiang Xia's attack would not disappear; instead, like an intangible, shadowless wraith, it enveloped Kara's body and continually annihilated the Cell Coins within him.

However, such injury for Kara is not without a solution; he only needs a vast amount of Cell Coins to recover from the damage he sustained.

Kara thought, and sparks of electricity flickered across his right hand with its sharp nails; in an instant, a door inside the room burst open, and Cell Coins flowed toward him like water.

Finally, they condensed into a humanoid shape; light flashed, and a maid clown with exquisite makeup, wearing blue-and-red clothing, was thus created.

Kara commanded in a tone of order: "Go, humanity's desire will ultimately destroy the world."

The clown maid nodded, light flashed, and they thus vanished from the White Tower out of thin air.

Immediately afterward, at the other end of the city, the silhouette of the clown maid slowly emerged from the shadows,

Accompanied by the clear sound of a bell, she pulled a splendid little carriage, adorned with a curtain like a magic trick, which appeared openly on the street without concealment.

Meanwhile, the few people who had just returned to the multinational restaurant to tidy up simultaneously sensed something odd; Huo Ye Yingsi rose silently, and a deep purple appeared in the depths of his eyes.

Anku instinctively shrank to the side, but he also realized something; the scent he had just smelled came again from afar, and he knew exactly whose scent it was.

"It looks like Kara is about to carry out his world-destroying action." Jiang Xia glanced at Anku and explained. The people coming and going on this street curiously scrutinized the exquisitely featured maid, because such attire might be for some special event, and some children especially liked it.

"Now is the time to satisfy everyone's desire; please answer my question with yes or no: if I gave you 5 million, letting you keep this hairstyle for life, would you be willing? Please answer with yes or no."

A single sentence from the maid had already attracted the gaze of most people on the street; in the era when Japan's exchange rate had not yet been continuously falling, 5 million yen was equivalent to 400,000 RMB.

The condition was to keep a samurai topknot for life, which is basically a super Mediterranean hairstyle.

If back then you were given 400,000, probably eighty percent of people would agree; even if it were for the next ten years, if such an opportunity existed, surely many would also agree.

"Really? As long as I become a topknot, can you give me 5 million?"

A long‑haired, bearded, guitar‑carrying, filthy street singer stepped forward on his own.

He sometimes busked on the street and might not even earn enough for a meal a day, yet he refused to get a job, hoping to make big money from his musical dream.

In short, he was a vagrant who didn't want to work and only wanted something for nothing; his so‑called busking was merely an excuse.

"Of course."

The maid, smiling, opened the small cart; inside was packed full of money—this cart might contain hundreds of millions of yen.

"Wow!"

The crowd surged forward, blocking the cart completely; isn't living in this world all about money? Whether a wandering singer, a diligent worker, or a pillaging criminal, nine out of ten of their goals are for money.

All under heaven come and go for profit.

However, although the crowd now surrounded the maid, they did nothing extreme.

Because they weren't sure whether this event was real or just a joke; if they all rushed in, they might not get far before being arrested.

If they lost their freedom, no amount of money would be of much use.

"Please answer with yes or no." the maid said, smiling, repeating it.

"Then yes, you promised—quickly give me the money." the wandering singer didn't care about the hairstyle; money was what mattered.

"Contract established."

The clown maid's smile remained unchanged as she shook the bell in her hand.

With a bang, the curly wanderer's long‑neglected hair began to change amid the smoke.

As the smoke cleared, he let out a shriek, his hands constantly rubbing his forehead.

"It's really, really changed!" he exclaimed.

If this ability were used to open a barbershop, it'd be a money‑maker—just a light shake of the bell could freely change hairstyles, or even treat severe Mediterranean‑pattern baldness.

"Please accept this—it's your 5 million yen."

The clown maid's smile widened as she precisely took a stack of yen from the cart and handed it to the wanderer.

"It's true—I'm finally rich, and I can finally release my own album."

After receiving the money, the topknot singer fiercely kissed the banknotes over and over.

Seeing the strange looks from those around him at the odd hairstyle on his forehead, he scoffed: "A hairstyle isn't as important as money; just cover it with a hat."

Then he casually pulled out a black cap and placed it over his topknot without a care.

"That's not allowed," the clown maid explained with a smile, "the contract requires you to keep this hairstyle for life, with no covering."

Or, the cap on his forehead was instantly blown away by an invisible force, revealing that hideous hairstyle.

Although the hairstyle is embarrassing, lacking money is far more frightening than having it.

The first person to eat crab had already contributed the best money advertisement; now everyone gathered around the clown maid, shouting.

Because, by common sense, money here cannot be infinite; it's first come, first served—if they miss the chance to earn money, they might regret it for life.

For most people, this is a profitable bargain; if someone were smarter and more ruthless, they could hire many elderly folks, believing that even if each could exchange only once, they'd still make a big profit.

Humans are the best at finding loopholes; no matter how many clauses a contract has, they can exploit bugs to minimize loss or shift the risk onto others.

The desires of the street people were gradually satisfied; more and more folks on the street had their hair turned into topknots, their smooth foreheads in the sunlight resembling braised eggs, radiating glow.

"Can this destroy the world?" Anku stared oddly at the clown constantly dispensing money.

"If this could destroy the world, that would be too cute." Goto looked bewilderedly at the scene.

However, Yidam, who carried a cell‑coin can, watched these topknot‑people walking back and forth with their 5 million yen in front of him, and fell into thought.

His desire was clear—to earn money—but now Greed could obtain hardly any cell coins, not even 5 million, let alone a hundred million.

What would happen if he transformed while wearing a topknot? Yidam couldn't help wondering.

"Mr. Yidam? Mr. Yidam!" Goto shouted at the dazed Yidam.

"Hey, little Goto, what's up?" Yidam jerked his head and asked Goto.

"Mr. Yidam, you're not thinking of exchanging for money, are you?"

"Well, if there's a chance, I could consider trying it." Yidam stroked his chin, considering.

But seeing everyone's gaze on him, Yidam waved his hands repeatedly: "Just kidding, I wouldn't do that."

"Why is destroying the world done by dispensing money, little brother? Can it really achieve that?"

Yidam looked at Jiang Xia as he raised his question; he didn't understand Kara, but someone does! "No, money is merely a fuse; the real reason Kara chooses money as the transaction medium is that it's one of humanity's easiest desires to satisfy."

Jiang Xia said: "Did you notice? At the moment a person gains money, several cell coins pop up on their forehead."

Instantly, everyone's gaze fell on the foreheads of those about to exchange; sure enough, after desire was satisfied, the cell coins that had popped out of their bodies vanished into thin air.

"If I understand correctly, these cell coins are human desire; if desire exceeds its limit, the Alchemical Formation that destroys the world will activate." Jiang Xia said.

Sure enough, after Jiang Xia finished speaking, the ground beside them shuddered violently; the shockwave spread with Gold Light, unfolding an invisible Alchemical Matrix—desire had already overloaded.

Sorry, I was held up yesterday with other matters and had no time, (﹏).

(End of chapter)