Chapter 1734: with translation of chapter title

NO. 348: That's really bad.

To be honest, this is actually quite reasonable.

Because the Hei'an area, as a kind of digital 'hell', its environment is not just a pool of dead water; it should be a whole prison.

Ordinary digital beasts staying here long will exhibit the 'data corruption' phenomenon: on one hand they lose data integrity over time; on the other hand they have dark potential that induces erroneous evolution. And dark digital beasts inherently have considerable aggression and outward desire; colliding together results merely in battle, cycling between submission and devouring.

Either way, the growth of negative emotions is only natural.

One of the area's rules here is to convert negative emotions into dark energy.

Fear turns into acid rain, anger expands magma… Bad people create bad climate, then in that bad environment they engage in a vicious cycle of competition.

This has been the norm for thousands of years, unchanged; even the battles of mutual devouring are part of the dead water.

Even if some digital beasts achieve Ultimate level in such confrontation, challenging the authority of the Seven Demon Lords, it's still part of the dead water cycle, unless…

Someone not only achieved Ultimate level here, challenged the Seven Demon Lords, but also managed to escape unscathed.

This is just too eye-catching.

Not only eye-catching, but also attracting allies and provoking enemies, deception and pursuit follow closely, becoming one of the few figures in the whole Hei'an area capable of stirring the entire dead water.

It's practically like a protagonist from some Dongyan web novel who has gone through battles and hardships, with life's excitement level not lacking at all compared to one's own.

"What excitement? I only find it boring."

The story is over.

But before we could even voice our opinions on the matter, the dark-green application beast that had responded to Aomo's earlier order arrived.

Thus line: "But before we could even voice our opinions on the matter, the dark-green application beast that had responded to Aomo's earlier order arrived."

Navigation beast, having surveyed a shortcut to the destination, is an application beast that guides you.

It's worth noting that application beasts, as their group name suggests, are essentially spirits of mobile apps; the number of apps determines how many application beasts can be generated, an origin quite different from that of digital beasts.

Even the internal size grading of the group follows the 'ordinary/universal, super, extreme, divine' standard that sounds a bit like Mugen, and the horizontal classification is even more like 'social, navigation, game, entertainment, life, tool, system, divine', corresponding to types such as 'magician-type, undead-type, ghost-type'.

But in humanity's records, application beasts are undoubtedly the same as digital beasts: both exist as data life, both have the talent to manifest in reality without data loss, and their abilities can be seamlessly displayed in reality.

Moreover, this unique origin gives them super-strong competitive functionality; most professionals without combat needs prefer to partner with application beasts rather than digital beasts.

It's not that there's no option to have it all; however, whether digital or application beasts, they are sentient beings with self-personality, and the prerequisite for wanting both is being able to handle two or even more close relationships.

This interpersonal intensity also counts as another kind of trainer in a sense.

Thus a third option arises—colleague relationship.

Application beasts can also go to work.

Being alive entails energy needs; having a spirit entails desires; to fulfill desires, one must pick a standout point in power or wealth.

Neither outstanding?

Then you might as well go to work. jpg

Compared to the most intimate mutual support of primitive civilizations, as civilization's productivity advances to the next stage, interpersonal relations will also become more complex, thus invading the world where many digital and application beasts live.

Even in the Hei'an area, a place beyond civilization's reach, the same forced expansion of territory occurs under capital's invasion.

Of course, although this territory has been expanded for several years, a certain Dongyan web novel's leading lady is still setting foot here for the first time.

"If you want to come in, you have to pay or work; working, well, that's just meaning to be someone's dog, right? At least that's what I thought back then."

The witch beast, whose hand—raised by Aomo's puppet and covered by the digital soul—was already pressed onto the black cat, calmly retorted.

"Come to think of it, why do I need to evolve?"

Seeing the pitch-black data strip extending from the cat toward herself, this witch, though not rejecting her partner's sudden push of evolution data, still had to ask that puzzling question.

But…

"Are you seriously asking that?"

The puppet faithfully reacted according to will, expressing astonishment far beyond the master's emotional fluctuations.

"Having such a past, why not revert to the form best suited for handling sudden combat?"

"I think you're too sensitive, there are still plenty of witch beasts around here, but you want me to become a Belstamon..." The speech, amid countless data bands wrapping and separating, shifted tone; the mature low-pitched voice continued the latter half: "It's just heating up that boring past."

But need to keep Chinese punctuation? We'll just produce English.

"Change of thought," turning his head to look at the Belstamon that had fallen from midair, shaking the sofa cushion, Aomo's puppet said expressionlessly, "Don't you think what you've truly avoided are just mere grunts?"

"……" -> Just "……" maybe translate as "..." but we need to keep as is? Probably translate as "..." but we must output something. We'll output "..." as translation.

"The truly troublesome big shots, like Barbaromon. X, know who you are."

"Think about where you're standing," Aomo pointed at his feet, "spreading the word that you're walking with me is not difficult at all."

At this point, one might bet that those guys don't even care about oneself, nor would they ask here, right?

For such a question, Aomo didn't say it, and the Belstamon already didn't need him to say it; it merely raised a hand to touch the edge of its dark-blue visor, unconsciously rubbing it.

If it were a witch beast, thinking through such questions would always yield an immediate conclusion, but having evolved into a Belstamon, she is slower by a few beats, because when facing set words, her mind always harbors a bit more resistance.

The cowgirl's rebellious nature is like this: while she herself is still tugging between aggression and reason, Aomo again turns his head toward the one merely pretending to focus on adjusting the room's orientation, actually listening to the later conversation, the application beast panicking inside.

"How much longer?"

"Um, three, another three minutes and it'll be fine, sir."

"You're not stalling to contact someone, are you?"

The Belstamon also peered from beside Aomo, and at a glance gave him a start.

"Absolutely not!"

That commotion had a bit of static, leaving the puppet Aomo somewhat dumbfounded, and also causing the Belstamon to emit a scoffing snort.

"Don't scare the guide."

Aomo sighed and slapped her raised high leg.

"Moreover, isn't your story still hiding too much? Specifically, which and how many Demon Lords have you fought, and shouldn't your hostility toward Barbaromon. X be made clear?"

"You aren't either?" the cowgirl said with an innocent shrug, even the third eye on her head showing bewilderment, "You also never told me where we're headed now."

"The black market, and they'll hand out disguises just like before, so you don't have to worry about being stared at."

"Lilith Beast, Barb Beast, Beelzebub Beast." It was indeed an exchange; the Belzebub Beast also spat out three words like thunder to the ears, causing that Aomo puppet to also begin raising its hand to cover its face.

That Beelzebub Beast?

He is now called Bar Beast. X, and the current Gluttony Demon King is a junior.

Wow... That sounds like there's another story.

There aren't that many stories, so stop probing this and just go busy yourself; don't say I'm teasing you in front of Xi and them for no reason.

?

The advantage of puppets is that, when necessary, one can directly use magic to construct a tangible question mark at the edge.

Can these two topics be on equal footing? Moreover, are you sure that these past matters you haven't made clear to your partner won't turn into obstacles later?

Sure, what's there to not be sure about?

Miss Beizi's decisiveness has always been straightforward.

So straightforward that, within half an hour, one can dodge the gaze of teammates before the Demon King Legion formed of Evil Dragon Beast, Female Demon Beast, Demon Beast, Corpse Satan Beast, New Species Demon Beast, and Ultimate Demon Beast.

(End of chapter)