Chapter 277: AdaiEr, at least wear a pair of shoes

Even Lord Will said so, and the helpless crowd had no choice but to disperse, continuing to guard the underground world where frenzied construction was underway, farming until it was dark as night.

And by the time it was ten o'clock the next morning, the first thing Ji Ming did after waking up was ponder black silk, completely missing the reminder messages that Gesensen and Yangyue had sent him the previous night.

So when he was anxiously preparing to promote his own postmodern ultimate aesthetic and create a benchmark product in the stocking industry of Yangyue World, what he saw was AdaiEr already addicted to comics and unable to pull herself away.

The two stared at each other awkwardly for several seconds, and in the end Ji Ming steeled himself, wearing an expression that was hard to describe, neither like a braid nor not.

"Oh... oh, you're reading this comic too? Actually I also really like Miss Timan; her... her back curve is very beautiful."

"Yes..."

AdaiEr instinctively wanted to agree, after all she had read that panel of Timan lying in the forest under the sunlight many times over.

But when the words reached her lips, the indescribable shame made her swallow her admission, and she changed her wording.

"Really? I think it's fine enough... Ah, I think I walked into the wrong room, sorry!"

Then she mechanically put down the comic, even forgetting to wear her slippers, barefoot she feigned calm as she walked to the door, then fled back to her room like a fly.

Ji Ming sat there dazed for a long time, picked up the comic, glanced at it, and couldn't help but sigh.

"Indeed, with such strange XP of mine, I really should see a doctor..."

After reorganizing his collection by number and type, Ji Ming prepared to go to the decoction room to take care of business.

But just before he was about to close the door, he instinctively checked the room and noticed a pair of slippers conspicuously placed beside the bed.

Everyone else drops their armor and weapons when fleeing, but you threw away your slippers...?

No choice, Ji Ming could only kick them all the way to AdaiEr's door, then knocked.

"Your slippers fell on my side; remember to pick them up later."

I thought after such an incident she would at least play dead until evening, but just as I was about to turn and leave, I heard the sound of the door opening behind me.

AdaiEr slowly revealed half her head like a slide, speaking softly.

"Doctor, why weren't you in your room last night? What exactly have you been doing lately? Are those Easterners related to you?"

It seems she originally wanted to ask just one question, but once she started speaking she couldn't stop, almost turning it into an oral exam...

However, after Ji Ming was confused for a second, he answered all questions with a single sentence.

"Saying that, I actually find it strange too—why did you appear in my room?"

"Ah this."

"Could it be that I didn't lock the door last night? But I remember checking it."

AdaiEr: Forget it, I'm sweating bullets, bro.

After a rapid barrage of questioning, their conversation reverted back to square one.

—You think it's hard to speak, I also feel unable to speak, so let's just be awkward for a morning and call it a day.

However, Ji Ming still underestimated AdaiEr's determination; she bit her lip, opening her mouth again with the determination as if she were about to bite blood.

"Doctor, although I'm not exactly a genius, the reason I could cross such a vast distance and safely escape to Sunlight City despite countless pursuers' blockades, aside from great luck, is also because my combat instinct is strong and I'm highly sensitive to signs of danger."

"So from the moment I entered the Inner City, I've felt you're hiding something very important from me, and after the Iron Cable Squad left Sunlight City, this feeling has only deepened, growing stronger."

"So what exactly are you hiding from me? What... what things are we not allowed to tell me?!"

Who would have thought Ji Ming would suddenly interject with a sentence.

"Hiding from you, which one?"

"Ah???"

Looking at the little girl's tearful expression, he thought, anyway the closed beta is about to end, so there's nothing worth keeping secret.

Ji Ming weighed it up, felt it was time to lay his cards on the table and make everything clear, so he spoke in a low voice.

"AdaiEr, you are the person I trust most in Sunlight City..."

Buluowa: Hmm?

"... one of them!"

After a light cough to dispel the sudden chill of ominous energy, Ji Ming continued speaking.

"I have indeed considered being frank with you about everything concerning me and you, but you're only seventeen, still a child; some things aren't for you to bear, so I fear these matters would overwhelm you, I'm afraid you're unprepared and would ruin the life path you like."

"—I'm afraid that for such a big matter, you little brat might accidentally let it slip."

"But I clearly underestimated the mental resilience you've developed after enduring so many disasters, and overlooked your personal feelings as an early-maturing child; I should have realized this earlier, but my overly busy social engagements consumed all my attention, preventing me from noticing your confusion."

"—I'm almost old enough to be your uncle, constantly busy to death; you stay silent and still expect me to guess?"

Having said that, he extended his hand toward AdaiEr.

"So since you want to know, I won't hide anything from you anymore—come!"

Looking at the doctor's slender hand wrapped in white gloves, AdaiEr hesitated a moment, then also extended her hand.

And at the instant their hands touched, everything around them changed...

"Wait a moment."

"Ah?"

"Good heavens, you can't go there in your pajamas; at least find a pair of shoes to wear."

Watching the gloomy AdaiEr dash back into her room like a blue rat, Ji Ming waited outside for three minutes.

"Alright, let's go."

The next moment, Ji Ming and AdaiEr, dressed as a mage, arrived at the Underground City.

While releasing 【Suggestion Technique】, he also reduced their presence from a technical standpoint.

Thus, to others they were nothing more than two utterly ordinary Pioneers, or players, causing no stir.

AdaiEr nervously gripped her staff as if holding a sword, said nothing, and first swept her shocked gaze around the surroundings.

As the default birthplace set for players and never changed, the charm of Dog Dog Village, or Dog Dog Town, is beyond doubt.

Neat and cheerful wood-and-stone buildings, various species leisurely present, clean stone-paved paths, and the calls of livestock and goods for sale drifting from afar.

On Earth's internet, the dog town that was quick to plaster the words "order good" on its face enjoys the reputation of a utopia.

For players striding boldly toward the surface, its concrete existence also serves as a strong cornerstone of their steadfast peaceful path.

With such esteemed status and such noble praise, it's no wonder AdaiEr stood there, unable to speak for a long time.

Only after seeing the townsfolk greet the patrolling guards without any hesitation, and the guards return the greeting warmly and kindly, did she tug at Ji Ming's sleeve.

"Doctor, this place is……"

Ji Ming did not directly answer her question, but instead posed a counter-question.

"Aren't you curious? Even if good people truly reap good rewards, even if my luck is heaven-defying, how could I possibly go from a persecuted little doctor in the outer city to becoming one of the few most esteemed people in the city in less than three months?"

"AdaiEr, let me be frank: this underground city belongs to a supreme great being, and I am his sole envoy, responsible for managing this place for him and helping him summon these beings called 'Pioneers'."

【Isn't this still a lie? Where did your frankness go?】

"Yang Yue, shut up, don't ruin my plans."

Such a huge amount of information left AdaiEr pondering for a long time before she turned her head and asked again.

"So what you mean is…… you look like a doctor, a divine chosen, but do you actually own an entire city here, with everything in it under your control?"

"More or less."

Ji Ming gave a slight smile.

"However, 'underground city' is just a general term; besides this town, I have lots and lots of land."

Although these days the players' focus of development has been on the underground hegemony of Sunshine City, the newly formed High Tower Community has not abandoned the development of the Underground World,

Thus, the present Dog Dog Village has grown from a mere hundred-household Dog Dog homeland into a large town inhabited by multiple races.

If it weren't for its overly western location, it could very well replace the Pioneers' town and become the Underground World's largest commodity distribution hub.

But even though transportation here is inconvenient, it is nonetheless extremely close to the production sites of various high-value-added goods.

As the players' land of rising prosperity, this place is also their absolute home ground, so their standing in the martial world could hardly be low.

Moreover, under Ji Ming's guidance and the players' implementation, foreign gold, silver, and copper coins have successfully circulated in the underground city, lowering the difficulty of trade.

Thus, even though Dog Dog Town's import-export volume is not large, its financial income is certainly not small, deserving the title of the Underground World's shopping paradise and economic center.

Ji Ming, upon entering, was also generous, bringing the usually penny-pinching AdaiEr to enjoy a shopping spree.

Thus, by the time she reached the southern exit from the town center's square, she was already dazzled by the abundance of goods and the lively atmosphere.

This place is clearly a dark, damp underground, yet it somehow hosts such a developed city—indeed, the doctor is no ordinary person……

But before she could calm her tumultuous thoughts, she saw the doctor pull out a map.

"All right, we've finished touring Dog Dog Town; where to next?"

"Next…… next step?"

AdaiEr looked at the map and realized that the town she thought was big was actually just a part of the northern section of the entire underground city.

Besides this, the underground city also has western and eastern regions, and even beyond the eastern gate lies an entire vast underground plain.

Accordingly, over the next period, AdaiEr, under Ji Ming's guidance, focused on experiencing the 'lots and lots' part.

From the bustling Forge Workshop, working overtime to fulfill orders from major guilds; to the idle mechanical workshop trying to recreate Da Vinci's various wondrous inventions; to the lakeside of the Holy Tree, where the lush aquatic plants make the vast plantation look like a painting.

Then there is the unlimited monster‑grinding combat training camp, where an hour of fighting yields a level or two; and the high‑tower castle, already festooned with countless tribe banners, has become the Underground World's sole outward voice.

Next are the countless tribes on the vast underground plain, such as the minotaurs living in wooden houses, the lizardfolk in stone houses, the bat people on the cliffs, and the cyclopes in the forest.

Besides these, there are all kinds of man‑made structures, such as the earthen cave abandoned after the dwarves moved away, now a wilderness warehouse; the Pioneers' market, where tribe caravans constantly come and go, stockpiling various raw materials; and the eastern exit, already heavily remodeled by the players into our barracks and main gate.

It's a pity that, in order to obtain more earth elements for auxiliary research, the players have torn down the upside‑down castle, which was good for nothing but looks……

However, at this spot in the center of the underground plain, they have erected a monument representing peace, serving as a free resting point for passing travelers.

After drinking a cup of herbal tea here, Ji Ming brought her to the mine entrance, preparing to return via the deep‑lying teleportation gate after a tour……

"Holy shit!"

In order to give Mouse Kid enough freedom, ever since letting him range free, Ji Ming has basically stopped supervising him, so he has no idea what Mouse Kid is tinkering with each day.

Objectively speaking, Mouse Kid now actually has an entire city's worth of mice as his henchmen, two mines as bases, and an entire mole tribe as support.

Not to mention that the resources and manpower at his disposal are more than ample; he has even obtained from Ji Ming the ability to independently brew various potions such as the Revitalizing Elixir.

Thus, although it still has some way to go before producing underground rat‑people with nimble hands and feet, the intelligence of the new generation of the rat clan has increased considerably.

At least, a group of mice that can drive tiny trains, light small oil lamps, and squeak‑squeak as they go down the mine together is still quite awe‑inspiring.

"I never thought Mouse Kid could pull off something like this, AdaiEr; let's also try sitting on it."

Looking at the cart where two seats quickly opened up, they all lifted their heads to gaze at their big black rats. jpg

AdaiEr: (frightened)

"Um, okay, actually I meant the passenger train here; let's wait a moment and go down together with the other Pioneers."

Ji Ming thought, since we're already here, let's just wander around Mouse Kid's turf, but the result of this wandering was beyond expectation—Mouse Kid's deeds are incredibly extreme.

Previously, the underground cavern was as chaotic as a construction site, but it has now been completely transformed by him into a four‑way‑connected existence that can be called an underground labyrinth.

Following the gentle sightseeing rails downward, the two arrived at the place where the players had fiercely battled the alchemist Edgar.

The mine shaft, which was not exactly narrow to begin with, suddenly became extraordinarily wide, and everyone couldn't help but look up at the towering, teeming residence where countless gnawing animals darted back and forth.

Ji Ming's idea was good—seizing every opportunity to create an underground marvel—but the problem is that Mouse Kid executed it too well, bringing in all his aunts and uncles to enjoy the benefits!

So every player's first sight of this thing is……

"Damn, what the hell is this filthy thing?"