“Vera, what do you think?”
Cabin.
Lin Ran brought back Liu Yan’s corpse for Vera to examine.
At the same time, he also dragged Qi Xiaoyu over.
Whether it was Liu Yan or Zhou Qingqing, the symptoms they showed were very much like a curse.
Therefore, Qi Xiaoyu’s Witch Ability might come in handy.
“Identification complete. Cause of death: asphyxiation. No sign of external force.”
Qi Xiaoyu, braving her nerves, stepped closer, her hand gliding over Liu Yan’s arm as she frowned.
“There are traces of a curse.”
A few seconds later, Qi Xiaoyu withdrew her hand, her expression serious.
“It was cast about half an hour ago.”
Half an hour ago?
Who was present at that time…?
Lin Ran’s mind raced.
Himself, Fatty Wang, Liu Yan, Qi Xiaoyu, and Scarface.
In that chaotic situation, who had the leisure to place a curse on Liu Yan?
And, a curse?
He glanced at Qi Xiaoyu without showing any emotion.
Of those present, only she understood curses.
Lin Ran shook his head.
If it really was her, she wouldn’t have put herself in such a risky position.
But he couldn’t rule out the possibility of a deliberate act.
In short, too many doubts, too few clues.
He decided to keep this suspicion to himself for now—this wasn’t the time for infighting.
“Alright, I get it.”
Lin Ran waved his hand, leading Qi Xiaoyu downstairs.
Fatty Wang, Scarface, and Zhou Qingqing were all gathered.
An Mengyue was giving Fatty Wang and Qi Xiaoyu’s Dream-eater a tour of the cabin, while Lim had hidden herself away.
“Big Bro Lin Ran, where’s your sister? Haven’t seen her.”
“Whoa? Boss has a sister? Boss is so handsome, his sister must be a beauty too.”
“Of course, black hair, long and straight! Makes me swoon!”
Lin Ran looked at the group, a bit speechless that the first topic of discussion wasn’t the deceased, but his own mimic form.
“We were originally a five-person team. Now, only three remain—me, Fatty Wang, and Qi Xiaoyu.”
He didn’t continue with the sister topic, instead rubbing his temples as he went on.
“So, have any of you thought about what might happen if we can’t make up a five-person team next?”
As he spoke, Lin Ran deliberately turned his back to Scarface.
Scarface was the only one who didn’t understand what Lin Ran meant, so he wanted to make it seem like the words weren’t meant for him.
With that, everyone fell into thought.
All three had high intelligence attributes and could grasp the meaning in Lin Ran’s words.
In a team battle, numbers were the foundation.
Could a team with fewer members still be considered a team?
In other words.
——If you can’t gather five people, can you really [start the game]?
If you can’t, would you be judged as having failed outright?
He had to prevent that from happening.
Which meant, he had to fill the team with whoever remained.
Of course, Lin Ran’s first reaction was to use the monster girls.
After all, they were more reliable and powerful.
When Lin Ran applied to An Mengyue to change the team, his first choice was Lim.
But she just looked at him like he was an idiot…
Unfortunately, monster girls didn’t count as humans and couldn’t be part of a team match.
So——
“Zhou Qingqing, you’ll have to step up.”
In the corner, Zhou Qingqing was the first to be called by Lin Ran.
“No problem. Just say it, and I’ll do it.”
Lin Ran nodded.
This woman was easy to deal with—his word was almost law to her.
One more spot remained.
Lin Ran’s gaze landed not far away on Scarface, who was teasing a slime, completely oblivious to the situation.
“Hey, Scarface…I still don’t know your name…”
At his words, Scarface trotted over.
“Hahahaha! Boss, that’s right! My name is——”
“Konstantin de Crescent von Wolfsbane Blackflame Conrad Victor von Wolfsbane-Krauser.”
“Alright, you’ll just be Scarface from now on.”
Hearing that name, Lin Ran went blank.
He’d never liked Western novels as a kid—mostly because the names were too hard to remember…
“Stay here for a couple of days. Not too busy, right?”
Lin Ran pointed to a room downstairs.
Since he lived upstairs and the monster girls all wanted to be close, the downstairs had opened up, making it perfect for Scarface.
“Huh? Boss, that’s…that’s too much! With these conditions, you could rent this as a hotel for fifty crystal cores a night in the city!”
Scarface was overwhelmed by the generosity.
“If you want to stay, stay. Don’t talk so much.”
Lin Ran feigned impatience.
Of course, this definitely wasn’t free accommodation.
While Scarface was still happily looking around, Lin Ran found An Mengyue.
“Yes, two new members—Zhou Qingqing and Scarface.”
“But he didn’t agree yet…”
“As long as he’s willing to stay, that’s enough. Anyway, by tomorrow morning, we’ll all be in the same boat.”
With the personnel settled, Lin Ran didn’t linger and headed upstairs.
Night had fallen.
Fatigue crept in.
This apocalypse wouldn’t let anyone rest for even a day.
No stars, no moon in the sky.
Well, not the real world, anyway…
Lin Ran stood alone on the balcony, letting the evening breeze play through his smooth black hair.
Yes, for some peace, he’d switched to his sister Lin Xi’s form again.
Fatty Wang waved at him from below, but he didn’t respond.
Honestly, after becoming a beautiful girl, he even found his mind clearer.
He thought of his parents and sister from his previous life.
That world was ordinary, but at least he didn’t have to think about survival every day.
In this life, he was alone.
But…maybe not.
He looked back at the brightly lit cabin.
Lim had turned back into slime and was playing with the little slimes.
An Mengyue was begging Lin Phantom Box to spit out some treasures for her to see.
In Vera’s Alchemy Workshop, thick black smoke billowed constantly.
He’d gained a new family.
As he was feeling all sorts of emotions, a figure appeared silently behind him.
“Lin Ran.”
It was Vera.
“Jeez, do you walk without making a sound? Trying to scare me to death!”
Lin Ran jumped, losing his form and reverting to his original self.
Vera ignored his grumbling and began her report.
“I have important information regarding the monster side. I believe it’s necessary to report to you.”
“Go ahead.”
“I am a high-level monster and possess access to internal intelligence networks. The latest news is—the Demon King…has been resurrected.”
Lin Ran froze.
Wasn’t he the Demon King…?
No, he was someone who gained the Demon King’s power, not the real Demon King.
“Furthermore, according to Database records, the one revived this time is the Third Generation Demon King—the latest and most powerful known Curse-based Ability user.”
There were multiple generations of Demon Kings?
Wait…curse?
Lin Ran’s DNA twitched.
He was very sensitive to that word now.
“The Third Wave Invasion ‘Thief’ Global Ranking first prize has been confirmed as the [Egg of the Demon King].”
“Form unknown, but from the name alone, it’s clear it has the power to hatch a Demon King.”
Lin Ran fell silent.
Demon King.
He definitely wanted it.
Since it was given as a reward, this Demon King must be the most powerful teammate right now.
And world number one.
This…was a bit tough.
But he didn’t think it was impossible.
However…
“You have more to say, don’t you?”
Lin Ran looked at her.
Normally, she’d finish her report and leave, prioritizing efficiency.
But now, she hadn’t left.
On the contrary, faint white mist kept rising from her head.
“Yes…”
She paused, then spoke in as straightforward a voice as she could:
“The intensity of the Third Wave battle will far exceed the previous two. According to my calculations, your recent Spirit Pressure has greatly surpassed the healthy threshold.”
“In plain language.”
“You’re too tired. You need to rest.”
Vera said bluntly.
Lin Ran raised an eyebrow and chuckled.
He didn’t expect this doll to be so considerate.
He was indeed a bit tired lately.
Well…that was largely due to Lin Phantom Box’s antics last night, which nearly drove him insane.
“So, how about a shoulder massage and a leg rub? Just saying, if you try a night attack again, it’ll only increase my Spirit Pressure…in my current state.”
Lin Ran was direct.
Honestly, another night attack might actually kill him!
“I used my private assets.”
“You have private assets?!”
Lin Ran was shocked—he hadn’t known.
“By disposing of some unnecessary parts, I exchanged fifteen crystal cores with Mr. Scarface.”
Vera explained.
“Then, I used that sum to purchase a [Dreamful Night] service from Miss An Mengyue.”
Lin Ran pursed his lips, a mess of emotions in his heart.
Vera had sold her own equipment just to get some crystal cores and buy him a good dream?
He felt regret for the equipment, comfort from Vera’s care, and was touched by the concern.
“I request permission to accompany you in the dream.”
Vera bowed slightly, stating her ultimate goal.
“I will assist in constructing the optimal rest dream. This sleep will last eleven hours. Please proceed to sleep promptly.”
Looking at the serious-faced doll girl formally applying for a spot in his dream, Lin Ran laughed again.
For the first time, he thought Vera had the air of a silly girl.
Too cute.
Using her little private stash just to let him sleep well, and saying it so officially.
He couldn’t help but feel a bit mischievous.
“Ahem.”
Lin Ran cleared his throat, deciding to tease her.
“Vera, you haven’t forgotten that night attack, have you…?”
“If you already dared to night attack me, sharing a dream is nothing. No need to report it.”
In the next moment, Vera turned away, covering her face, just like the first day they’d met.
“Alright, alright, I won’t tease you.”
He reached out and patted Vera’s smooth hair.
“Of course I agree”