Chapter 1175

NO. 79: Meditation does not force sleep.

"So why is it that after you said that, that guy just became honest? That guy, isn't he some powerful demon general?"

At 9:20 PM, at the end of one side of the long sofa in the Lin Dun office, Miss Xintiao Xi tore open a bag of potato chips to add a fresh batch of TNT to her training regimen.

Before the head lying on her thigh could even speak, Chelini Na, who was poking at her tablet at the other end of the sofa, watching a condensed version of her colleague's concert, couldn't help but correct: "That's the old way of saying it, Xi."

"I said it myself back then—he's now the chairman of the National Defense Committee, and he rarely actually takes action."

She couldn't help it, because all of this was originally something she "taught."

Miss Xintiao Xi's understanding of the various factions and individuals in Rhodes Island entirely relied on Chelini Na's occasional mentions, as well as her focused questions regarding people like Siweiya, Skadi, Ling, and Shu.

Theoretically, the person most likely to provide her with information—Aomo—had instead hardly shared any such experiences with her.

One could only say that theory remains theory, because Aomo's past interactions with Rhodes Island were entirely tied to individual members and mostly work-related, and he is the type who rarely shares or vents work content, complains about involved parties—so directly leading to—if Xi doesn't ask, he doesn't bring it up.

Thus, the person who has had the most contact with this circle for Xi turned out to be Texas, whose communication frequency has skyrocketed in the past few days to the point where simply leaving QQ there could already activate the "little boat of friendship."

It's not hard to imagine that, given Miss Xintiao Xi's tendency to become scattered and willful when facing people she's close to, Chelini Na's science popularization efforts would naturally become arduous, to the extent that even a term like "Demon General"—which would be considered provocative to the Sarkaz—could naturally arise.

That said, honestly speaking, this group of oddball races, which lumps together beings like Wendigos, vampires, banshees, fire demons, and stone gargoyles under the Sarkaz banner, if they were to stay in this world for a few weeks or half a month, would likely not be this sensitive.

Though the science popularization path is arduous, Miss Xintiao Xi is merely "not very cooperative," not "unable to understand." With her sharp mind that rarely applies itself to serious matters, she could still cut straight to the core: "Anyway, he really is the demon leader in terms of martial prowess, right?"

"This guy, who should have a violent temper, actually tolerated little snake's willfulness for a moment so easily?!"

"I don't know much about that man's deeds, but Aomo's words there should have genuinely convinced him..." Chelini Na paused the tablet, looked up at Aomo, who was muttering "My neck hurts" and trying to struggle free from Xi's thigh, only to be pressed down playfully by the other party, and she felt a mix of laughter and exasperation.

"Why?"

Xi, relying purely on Aomo's fear of hurting himself, which made him reluctant to struggle, kept him firmly restrained with a natural expression, while her hands cradled a pair of large fruits against his face.

"After all, the development history of the Sarkaz race has always been quite tumultuous—saying it's been a continuous hardship isn't an exaggeration… If you keep doing this, he might really suffocate." Chelini Na hadn't finished speaking when she suddenly felt a lump in her throat.

Although the extraordinary physical quality of demons includes lung capacity, meaning their breath-holding ability far exceeds that of ordinary people.

But conscious breath-holding and sudden oxygen deprivation from an attack are two different concepts.

She had to remind herself that this close friend of hers is sometimes unusually shy about physical contact, and sometimes unusually casual.

A few nights of grinding through weak enemies in the wilderness was a one-time thing—let alone living on minimum wage, equipment durability repairs even cost money—but once someone becomes more proficient in certain combat operations, they start intensifying their efforts, seemingly ready to invade daily life.

At least, thank goodness, they still know not to do this in front of outsiders.

Chelini Na, who usually doesn't care about such things, didn't bother to stop it too much.

Anyway, Baox hasn't returned from dining with Shidrive, Chen, and Gui She, so for such intense horseplay, she merely couldn't help but remind them once.

As long as she doesn't directly pull down his pants or suddenly drag a teammate into battle, it's fine.

Chelini Na still can't get used to the fact that, while she's quietly focusing on her tasks, sudden urgent battle music starts playing, and then she sees a teammate being chased by a boss fighting far away.

Well, it's not that she can't get used to it at all.

At worst, it's just having an angel in daily life and an alter-angel in one's sex life—though this makes her usual gaze at Leimiu music turn strange.

When Xi wanted to get to know her penguin logistics friends two days ago, she had to worry about two people who aren't particularly similar, but if brought up in conversation would become eerily in sync—possibly becoming an omen of a prison-like feeling.

No matter how she resists, such days will eventually come, just as now she sorrowfully watches Aomo, his hands constantly struggling and swaying, suddenly go still, his arms dangling down.

"Huh? Little Snake, why did you go limp?" Xi slightly sat up, looked at her motionless boyfriend, tested his breath, then turned to Chelini Na and asked, "Should I do artificial respiration? How do I do it again? I only remember pinching the nose."

"Just let him be."

"Your strength couldn't even get through his ribs."

Texas supported her forehead, grabbed Aomo's legs still dangling not far away with both hands, and with strength Xi could never match, pulled him over, then lightly patted his face: "You don't have to pretend either."

"Here, I won't let her run wild."

"What do you mean by 'running wild'?!"

Ignoring Xi's protest on that side, Chelini Na, while Aomo still hadn't opened his eyes, lightly patted his cheeks twice to call out to him, then felt puzzled, simply raised her hand to check his even breathing, then lifted his eyelids to take a look, turned to Xi and said:

"He's fallen asleep."

"Huh? What the hell! I still wanted to hear him talk about the rest, the progress of Griliza's card analysis? Can that Tracyse actually control monster cards? Don't swallow the most crucial part, little snake~~!"

"Let him rest, then." Chelini Na raised her hand to stop the girl from pushing the young man, then helplessly smoothed the faint frown on his brow in his dream, "He hasn't gone to bed early in a few days either."

Moreover, this sleep—whether in timing or depth—feels somewhat sudden, as if some external force, making it hard for her to put into words.

She just feels that if she were to bring it up rashly, who knows what this girl in front of her might do.

Just like now—even if she doesn't mention it, she could nod and say: "Yeah, but sleeping like this isn't really good either..."

After a brief silence, she enthusiastically proposed to her: "Let's go give him a bath!"

"... You just want to play with unconscious Aomo, don't you..."

"How could you so maliciously suspect me? I'm heartbroken, Nina sauce—I just want Little Snake to sleep sweetly and fragrant."

"Really, not even a little thought?"

"……" In silence, facing her eyes that gradually shifted from candlelit yellow, Xintiao Xi silently turned her head away.

"... There is, a little."

"……"

"Don't, don't just blame me! Won't you come too?"

"……Come."

——

"Tracyse is of course an excellent candidate; in my current monster card box, Griliza, Godzilla, and the alternate Bahamut are the only three that, even as cards, remain highly agitated."

"On this point, the Rainbow Snake God, whose conceptualization is equally profound, is instead very calm."

"Is it because of divine nature?" that timid voice asked.

"Yes, though bringing this up is also to contrast with the alternate Bahamut, which is similarly hard to control—though I haven't experienced it firsthand, my evaluation of Tracyse has already risen to 85 points."

"Oh! That's high," the carefree voice sighed, "Then what about Little Tea Seat? I heard you still don't allow her to directly fuse."

"Addtan Jers is another level of dangerous card, more radical than Suzi and Bourbon in hand—Tea Seat should still take it bit by bit."

Putting down his wine cup, Aomo glanced at the sprawling, disheveled drunkard, then at the tense, restrained horse girl sitting upright nearby, and finally toward the distant racecourse where ten thousand horses galloped.

"…What is that? Am I dreaming?"

In that hazy mist, he only then realized, simply because he had never in his life seen such a vast racecourse.

"Yeah, this time just happened to have this opportunity, bumping into so many horse girls' dreams all linked together—wouldn't it be refreshing to watch?"

"Mm…" Looking at his palm covered in illness marks, then in the next second clean and well-proportioned, Aomo narrowed his eyes, suddenly feeling much clearer.

Looking again at the order and Chazuo, he became even more puzzled.

"I remember I was still chatting with Tea and Chelenina, also on this topic?"

Unconsciously overlooking the final breath-holding meditation that forced him to react quickly, which in every sense made his face flush and heart race, Aomo's gaze toward her now carried a subtle suspicion.

"Is that so? I was still telling Chazuo I'd wait for you to come over later, then I saw your side suddenly connect, and this side naturally linked up—how is it? Did I interrupt?"

"No, probably not."

Faced with the other's righteous, even slightly self-congratulatory demeanor, Aomo always felt something was off, though it seemed nothing serious.

After all, dreams are like that—everywhere there's something unsettling, yet impossible to truly pin down.

Once truly understood, the distance to waking up is not far.