A Late-Night Talk

"Finally home! Tonight it's just the two of us, no Wu Wen, I'm going to give you a good scolding!"

Who told you to be so bold as to have an affair with the mistress of the Formless Villa? Don't think I don't know; I've seen you two going downstairs to the back mountain several times in the middle of the night.

They say it's hunting, but they're probably doing something much more exciting.

"Stop looking at strange things, Hua Yuan."

"Tsk! This is just a reasonable guess."

"Alright, get off the bus."

Crow colt recycling

The familiar Sisterhood Apartment was right in front of me.

The arm pendant worn on the chest immediately sensed that Grandmother had returned.

The two had barely entered the apartment and hadn't even had a chance to greet any of their sisters when a dense mass of arms appeared beneath their feet, dragging them toward the abyss.

About half a day passed.

Hua Yuan was the first to be expelled, while Luo Di remained trapped in his Grandmother's domain.

She returned to her bedroom alone, waiting for Luo Di to come back for their appointment. But the wait was fruitless; the whole night passed, and even with her eyelids drooping and her eyes bloodshot, no one knocked on the door.

Mountain hut, late at night.

The scene tonight is different from the past; there is no one in the depths of the cabin.

On the contrary, on the mountain path outside, amidst the grass that was covered with arm-like structures, Luo Di was walking at night with his Grandmother, who was four heads taller than him.

Luo Di had also noticed early on that his Grandmother's usual behavior seemed to be a bit stronger than before.

"Congratulations, Grandmother, on your promotion."

"Luo Di, you can tell that? You've really improved a lot while I was away, especially your understanding of [hands]."

You got it, right?

In the Origin Event corresponding to the videotape, you obtained something deeper than the Bright Side reward, something that many monsters dream of, and you gained "qualification"?

There's no need to deny that your understanding of "hands" couldn't possibly improve so quickly in such a short time.

Moreover, this qualification was somewhat related to the hands, which is why I could vaguely sense it.

Luo Di took a deep breath.

He had actually guessed long ago that his Grandmother might know about the existence of the "fingers," since the essence of his Grandmother's Fear Essence was the "hands."

Grandmother then said, "What are you afraid of? Are you afraid I'll steal it? If it were five years ago, I might have actually been tempted."

After returning from the dungeon this time, I've found my own way to ascend, without needing any external qualifications.

These words completely put Luo Di at ease, and he took the opportunity to ask, "Is there also a way to ascend and touch divinity in the dungeon?"

"Of course!"

The qualification item you have is not something everyone can encounter, and even if you do, you're unlikely to get it... For most monsters, the only option to advance further after the Plant Maturity is to Dungeon Exploration.

Upgrade opportunities can be obtained from the rewards of the deep dungeons, and if you're lucky, you might even get a perfect match for yourself.

After being upgraded, you can cross the dungeon and go to the deepest corner.

"Luo Di, since you're already qualified, you can choose to develop cautiously. There's no need to take further risks, and there's no need to rush to explore the dungeon."

Luo Di immediately rejected his Grandmother's prudent advice.

"We still have to go to the dungeon."

After all, the most direct benefit comes from completing the Movie Event.

If you just wander around in the corners every day, you might occasionally get lucky and encounter a special event, but most of your time will be wasted.

I have to be fast; any delay could mean I'll fall behind.

Luo Di's words made his Grandmother stop and turn her tall body to face him.

Although separated by a thin white veil, the exaggerated proportions of her figure could be glimpsed through the moonlight.

Grandmother also squatted down at the same time.

His unique squatting posture was perfectly aligned with Luo Di's height.

The white veil hanging from the bowler hat slowly moved aside, revealing the Grandmother's face. Hands that grew from the sides of her cheeks covered her eyes, with the gaps between her fingers serving as eyes.

"It seems you not only obtained the 'qualification' but also touched upon it in advance, seeing what was behind it and glimpsing the 'essence' of the corner."

To be honest, you are not qualified at this stage. Trying to get involved in advance will only cause irreversible cognitive damage.

How did you do that, Luo Di?

Or, could you show me what the "qualifications" you obtained from deep within the videotape actually look like?

If my Grandmother wanted to take it by force, she would have done so long ago.

Luo Di didn't hesitate too much. He opened his palm, and gray tentacles delivered the special ring.

"Hmm? It's been processed... What kind of craftsmanship is this? It can actually process 'qualification' into a tool for your use."

While I wouldn't say I know everyone in the corner, most of the organizations have some connection with our sorority. Even Mr. Question Mark couldn't do that.

Who did this?

"Mr. Kraft."

"No wonder... I never expected Mr. Kraft to go to such lengths for you."

Now that you've glimpsed part of the essence, keep up the good work and try to catch up with me as soon as possible. I'll be waiting for you in the deeper layers.

"Yes, Grandmother."

Luo Di put the ring back into his body, and his Grandmother also got up from her crouching position.

"You have something else to say, right?"

"Yes, I plan to take Hua Yuan somewhere."

Instead of directly stating where he was going, Luo Di reached under his Grandmother's curtain and drew a spiral under her palm.

I thought my Grandmother would ask for the details, just like at the Formless Villa.

To everyone's surprise, Grandmother gave a direct response:

"Go."

"Oh? Grandmother, aren't you going to ask us what we're going to do?"

"Your judgment is sound, given how quickly you've developed and qualified."

Besides, Hua Yuan really needs to go out and 'stabilize' for a while, and I need to observe her again.

The thing she came into contact with by accident was dangerous and unstable.

She was no longer suited to stay in the sorority, much less to work alone in the Flower Garden.

Luo Di frowned. "Grandmother knows about that ' Manga Shop '?"

Grandmother also shook her head slightly.

"They don't know much about it; it's neither an organization nor a permanent institution."

It doesn't belong to the middle level of the corner, and it might not even be a monster... Perhaps it comes from the deeper level like Mr. Kraft.

However, the two are also very different.

Krafts are relatively friendly and rarely come into contact with monsters. You're the first human I know of whose pituitary gland is associated with Kraft.

But this Manga Shop is different; it appears much more frequently, and it always involves contact with monsters.

The appearance of the Manga Shop foreshadows the selection of a monster.

Related memories of contact are largely erased; one may only vaguely recall entering a Manga Shop.

Most of these monsters associated with Manga Shop will disappear within a week.

Those monsters that survived and did not disappear will also undergo Personality Transformation, becoming bizarre and potentially causing damage to their original organization.

Although Hua Yuan doesn't seem to be in any trouble right now, it doesn't mean she won't run into problems later.

"Keep a close eye on her for me, Luo Di."

"I will definitely keep an eye on it. When I went to deal with the ring before, Hua Yuan came with me and met Mr. Kraft. Perhaps she got some help."

"Hmm, that's possible."

In any case, Manga Shop are definitely not good places; be careful next time you encounter one.

"I know."

"Alright, come back with me~ The rest of the night will be the same as usual, let my body feel how much you have grown."

Luo Di had already started his warm-up exercises, especially stretching his fingers.

Grandmother was somewhat surprised, "You're being so proactive and confident today?"

"Give it a try."

Half an hour later,

mountain hut,

I could vaguely feel the whole room shaking.

The sounds of birdsong echoed through the mountains.

Luo Di used a special technique to massage his Grandmother's back and tendons, going beyond a superficial massage. The asymmetrical nature of the massage, combined with his understanding of killing, allowed him to reach deep into her body.

Although the Grandmother was pleased, she quickly realized, "This is not like your usual method. This incoherence and asymmetry, could it be the technique of that woman from the Formless Villa?!"

"You're an outsider, how could they be willing to teach you such a High-Grade Fear Structure?"

"I have a very good relationship with her son..."

The Grandmother, lying on the bed, looked slightly displeased.

She suddenly sat up, abruptly ending what she considered her most enjoyable massage.

"You're leaving the day after tomorrow, right?"

I'll also teach you something in the remaining time.

And also, you have to be careful with the women outside. A young man like you can't handle them. You might ruin your health, what a waste of such good talent.

"Uh~ okay, thank you, Grandmother."

At the same time,

The Back Gate of the Formless Villa.

The woman who was alone at home had just returned from hunting in the mountains behind the house. She had a vague feeling that someone was talking about her and seemed quite uncomfortable.