Chapter 404

He put away the communication terminal, Aomo had to admit that the illusion over the past few days seemed rather frequent.

Because contacting Bai Ren went very smoothly.

Mentioning the network ruins of the underground fighting arena in Gan'an City, Bai Ren himself could provide information like "that place already existed before the Lingya family built their network there."

The Lingya family is the lineage of Lingya Amazon.

At birth, the names of horse girls are all bestowed by the goddess, and it is not uncommon for the names of offspring and parents, even their surnames, to differ.

Of course, that doesn't matter.

What matters is that Bai Ren himself also noticed the special nature of the training field's network boundary, so he asked Lingya Amazon and received the answer: "Not really clear; when I initially asked the uncle managing this place, he also said it didn't matter, and the engineers who set up the network said it doesn't affect this side, so nobody bothered."

Is this family's thick-skinned nature passed down through the generations?

After reading those words, Aomo was somewhat speechless.

Thinking that if this situation were a hidden danger, it would definitely be a major problem.

But for this inherently complex and unfamiliar field, listening to the professionals' arrangements is also the wisest choice.

There's nothing wrong with it, but the fact that they have consistently done this for years makes it hard for Aomo to hide his inner complexity.

Curiosity is human nature, moreover a ladder of progress, but it cannot be denied that occasionally it also becomes an omen of destruction.

After all, there is the saying that curiosity killed the cat.

Aomo himself is a person not lacking in curiosity; since childhood he has liked to observe, regarding it as a form of exploration, etching various people and events into his mind.

He knows well that curiosity can naturally be suppressed by reason, or by fear.

Of course, it can also be a complete lack of interest.

The Lingya family is evidently the third kind.

Listen, what does "it doesn't affect this side, so nobody bothered" mean?

Clearly there is something not yet understood nearby; must we wait until something happens before dealing with it?

Although the data-field technology of the contemporary federation is quite developed and mature, after all it is a major facility that has grown into a large-scale industry; it shouldn't be treated so hastily, should it?

Aomo thus wanted to speak but held back, and it would also be improper to point fingers at others' industrial management attitudes.

He simply expressed his interest in that field outright, then asked Bai Ren whether he could help contact Miss Lingya Amazon to inquire about her attitude toward it.

The latter readily agreed, saying he would give word after the training ended.

He then typed a thank-you, waited a few seconds, received no reply, then sighed in relief and closed the screen.

The anticipated high-intensity race "alarm" did not appear, nor did any strange remarks inconsistent with the other's character; the reply remained consistently concise and brisk.

So… it seems the feeling was wrong, huh?

Thinking that, he turned his gaze back to Xi, who was greeting the cashier at the counter; she was stacking a pile of magazines on the table, including the Japanese and American editions of Guritt magazine, as well as the Tokuhou monster magazine in Shinjo Xi's hands.

In a sense, this is also preparing armaments.

Aomo was pondering the world-building of the Guritt series, while Xi was gathering reference materials and resources to create the next monster.

In fact, the other three magazines in that stack are also monster-related art magazines, even including the art setting collections for works such as "Monster Hunter," "Bloodborne Curse," "God Eater," and even the "Digimon Illustrated Encyclopedia," which is a necessary practical reference for the net-detective industry.

Of course, Aomo doesn't worry that she'll produce a terrible patchwork monster, given that Teacher Da Xi's monster-creation skills are evident to all.

Although her room displays monster models from fields such as crossing Aopeng and Tokuhou, showing considerable experience as a monster enthusiast, the monsters she creates on Azuki-dai are nonetheless quite original.

Of course, you could also view it as the substantive value of Teacher Goto Masayuki actually standing in for her.

After all, when SSSS. Guritt was still a work, the audience understood that monster design was handled by Teacher Goto Masayuki.

But if we view things from the perspective that "everything is a story that actually happened," Teacher Da Xi belongs to the category of professional designers whose monster-creation ability is not inferior to that of professionals.

Her ability is also trustworthy.

What, then, is the sole problem?

It is…

"You won't let the monsters run rampant again, will you?"

He very self-consciously stepped forward to lift the plastic bag of magazines for Shinjo; Aomo was just about to stuff it into his briefcase, which he had long used as a storage tool, when he saw the other party raise a hand.

He then unfolded the bag, making it easy for the other to pull out a magazine that caused him to slip in managing his expression.

A magazine whose cover bore a very familiar figure.

Isn't it familiar?

【AlienMefilas】+【Omer. Linton】+【Behemoth】

Three not-so-monster monster cards, fused together, combining demon, giant beast, and human elements, creating that ferocious demonic figure composed of black-and-white colors together with purple patterns.

It is that pose which once shone brightly at the monster exhibition, now directly occupying the magazine cover—a side-standing, raised-hand gesture that looks like a salute yet also like the prelude to action.

The pallid moon-shaped crystal on his chest even hides a glow; pallid flames extend in his eyes; the black dots wrapped in indigo seem to glance at the lens—compared to a vague, barely-there elegance, that direct coldness in his gaze is strikingly clear…

One can see that the photographer knows how to capture the frame, forcibly freezing the scene of preparing to unleash a wave in the midst of a melee, as if staged, naturally fitting.

This also left Aomo somewhat silent, and even the text above began to look somewhat hateful.

【Issue 2312】

【Special Effects Series Weekly】

【The thirty-second round of confrontation has concluded, the fierce battle for the year's top ten!】

【Living up to everyone's expectations, number Aomo Lindun!】

【In the guise of a demon king, pushing out the new, gaining great popularity!】

【As the inheritor of the traditional demon image!】

【A strong contender for the annual Hei'an villain category championship!】

Oh, shit…

His gaze drawn all the way down, the lower-right corner credits the photographer: Anonymous.

"As for this problem…"

One hand pinched a magazine, the other rested on its cover; the pink-haired JK lowered her head as if avoiding the problem, her gaze unconsciously tracing over the demon horns on the cover along with her bare, unmanicured fingers.

I've got an idea I need to test; if it works, there'll be no problem!

What if it fails?

Aomo asked that, then saw the other party laughing "ahaha" and shifting their gaze away, looking toward the nearby street.

If it fails, we'll just think of another way, though who knows~!

Like a gambler convinced they'll hit the jackpot with one try, Qian turned back with utmost seriousness and confidence, then lowered her head to pull a magazine out of the plastic bag.

This time it was the art design magazine for SSSS. DYNAZENON.

She placed it under the Special Effects Series Weekly, then waved her hand to indicate she wouldn't take it anymore.

I personally feel the chances are pretty high! After all, I've always had a strange feeling about it in the game.

Although there are really many games pursuing realism these days, that doesn't mean they actually represent reality." Aomo sighed.

It's not like early Dongyan online game novels; there are many games that allow one-way interaction between reality and the game, but the reverse...

Unless the game stage itself is in the digital world, or in a near‑otherworldly network environment like the Lingya family's underground arena, otherwise it's pointless.

Give it a try, anyway I'm free—I'm not like you, Little Snake, who's busy with work.

"If you keep scolding," they stuffed the rest of the magazine into the briefcase, Aomo turned to look at Qian, who had opened the magazine, and asked, "So what's the idea?"

Secret~

"Another secret?" Aomo said, somewhat helpless.

Girls always have lots of secrets~ and these are secrets that Little Snake can't guess.

"After all..." the girl who walked out of the bookstore, still feeling the heat wave, placed the opened magazine on her head; the page happened to show a familiar frozen alien, "If it succeeds, there'll be another surprise."

Then I'll try to look forward to it.

Thanks everyone for the enthusiastic monthly votes these past two days!