Chapter 1212: NO．116：A Sneeze Across the Vast Time Zone

NO. 116: Sneezing across the long time zone, the two of them sneezed at the same time.

Late at night, the lights blazed brilliantly—this was the Demon Realm District.

Relying on the natural otherworld attached to the present world, there was no time-zone difference here; it was the same 2 a. m. as Aachen, and the dim heavens were likewise dotted with stars.

As for the moon, which should have been most conspicuous at night—it instead displayed a symmetrical posture of heavens each in their own ring, its form somewhat blurred, as if a low-resolution texture.

In fact, it truly amounted to a texture.

Relying on the natural otherworld attached to the present world, such awkwardness often occurs in the celestial mapping segment.

Either it becomes distorted, or polarized, and so on… although there is no magma abyss, nor any arid wasteland, the Demon Realm District indeed lacks a normal sun and moon, and heat distribution is quite uneven.

Those seemingly normal stars are merely so because they are inherently small, thus concealing the flaws.

Still, the vista thus far remained as Aomo remembered it.

Even after passing security, the pickup vehicle sent from within the district was a peculiar construct with limbs, surrounded by several magical arrays—but it still counted as a style from memory.

—The usual transportation in the Demon Realm District, outwardly this ominous.

The vehicle they currently rode in was already conservative.

It had no fleshy additions, no bony ornamental features, nor any twisted-style seats; the cabin design differed little from an ordinary car, clearly the result of foreign cultural impact and compromise.

For a region with many outsiders and residents, such change was understandable, just as certain locally famous extreme-flavor cuisines would soften their edges in takeout service—if you want to make money, you must consider outsiders' tolerance thresholds.

As the vehicle sped forward, Aomo's party gradually made out the distant monolithic structure resembling a corner joint, like two clasped hands in a praying-state office tower, and the densely packed residential buildings rising like the scales of some colossal beast.

Yet at the same time, there also existed many relatively normal structures, as if everyone were still in Aachen, reflecting traditional human architecture.

Between these two clearly distinct architectural styles, there were indeed many hybrids combining both, somewhat incongruous transitional styles that left Aomo silent, then he whispered to his girlfriend beside him:

"It feels alien, too much change."

Though I do not know who the city planner of this term is, or whether they still live, but in any case—

—The urgent task is to cut!

Though young Aomo never had the chance to tour every corner or survey the entire cityscape he once inhabited, he could guarantee that back then, the Demon Realm District's cityscape, though not great either and even featuring more godforsaken architectural clusters, at least maintained a unified urban style.

Now this Bade Demon Realm District has become such a mishmash—compared to a legendary patchwork monster chimera, it resembles Frankenstein's monster, whose every inch of skin is ill-fitted.

It inevitably makes one want to check the status of the city planner.

But before Aomo could even pull up his terminal, someone with sharp hearing struck a pose of a social terrorist and interjected:

"Hey? Feels strange? When you lived here, what was this place like?"

That was Vishdial, the construct's forward motion controlled by an artificial soul, thus freeing her from the driver's seat; she did not huddle beside any researcher, but simply found a nearby empty seat, pulled out her phone to entertain herself, until now—

Upon hearing Aomo's words and chiming in, she made him suspect.

Suspecting it might be because Miss Tressia had mentioned him before her, just as most people pay little heed to Zhouri Ningjing, yet would note every name dropped from the mouth of Manchester Chazuo.

"Verbal description isn't precise; you could try searching for the Demon Realm District from 16 years ago."

"16 years…"

Unexpectedly accepting this deflection so readily, Vishdial did not pester Aomo to elaborate; she simply turned her head sharply, one hand propping her chin, the other tapping her phone swiftly—indeed, she was truly searching.

So obedient?

This reaction, so unlike her first impression, made Aomo instinctively glance back at Rosha and Tressis in the rear seat, only to see the former nodding off, head drooping, while the latter, meeting his gaze, replied: "What's wrong?"

"What's up with your unit's staff?"—this remark, however, was not actually voiced.

"Does your base have a training ground?"

"Of course, but today we probably won't need it."

"... Does this mean the first day off work?"

"Yes," Tressis nodded, "some preparations take time; though I'd like to boost card compatibility early, you brought quite a few female companions."

"Don't count the students as female companions." Aomo glanced helplessly at Texas's perked ears.

"Still, thanks for the consideration."

"It's not much, but since I'm back, I have some matters to attend to," Tressis said lightly, "so this trip mainly concerns settling researchers; there should also be a meeting."

"But will it end much earlier than usual quitting time?"

"Yes, you two can head back early."

"So that means I'm off the hook?" Vishdial, who had just been playing with her phone, suddenly turned her head.

"You're already thinking of backing out on your promise so soon?" The committee chair glanced not at her, but slightly toward midair, where a privacy-mode terminal light screen should be.

"After all, you have time to receive Texas—you can't participate in work anyway."

"Who said that! I'm still the Prince's personal guard!"

"I said it; this duty goes to Flash Spirit."

"What?! How could that woman…"

"... What? What's wrong?" Rosha, dozing, was suddenly jolted awake,

"You missed a staff transfer in the National Defense Committee." Kelxi, sitting beside him, said lightly, continuing to operate her tablet.

Murseus leaned in, adding: "Tressis had Flash Spirit replace Vishdial as bodyguard."

"Then what's she doing? Taking Texas shopping?" The doctor still remembered what W had promised earlier.

"If not, then she ought to attend Manfred's remedial work class."

Tressis said lightly: "I still don't know how she replaced Manfred's接人 duty, but I know Manfred wouldn't miss the chance to educate her."

"Who'd want that—"

"Or are you saying you'd rather drag Hedre out of the breakfast shop to give him a culture lesson?"

"..."

Hedre, a middle-aged Sakaz male, also a member of the Kazdial National Defense Committee, appears frequently in Vishdial's related intel; in Aomo's view, he is akin to Vishdial's elder, guardian figure.

At this moment, Vishdial's silent demeanor indeed matched the reaction of 'a child called to be educated by parents,' leaving Aomo speechless, then he sighed inwardly without sound.

Although I wanted to marvel at how Trethesis could also have the eloquence to overwhelm opponents without force or authority, bringing up guardians makes it entirely unrelated to eloquence!

However, even so, what he sighed about was not the lack of martial virtue in "informing the parents," but rather that Vishdiel at least had elders who cared and could serve as restraints, whereas Zhouri Ningjing and Ailisuzhi...

These two truly have no elders they care about, do they.