This Chat Group's Vibe is a Bit Off

Talulah: How could you tell?

Steel Prison Big: Because if she were translating something from Shenzhou, it should be "Kings and Nobles, Are They Born Superior?" Oh, no, wait, that saying doesn't seem to apply very well on Terra Continent.

"Kings and nobles, are they born superior?"

Those words were like a bolt of lightning splitting the sky of history. Two thousand years ago, someone had shouted them on a long street, their voice piercing through layers of time. Two thousand years later, people were still roaring them. One could imagine it would be the same two millennia, twenty millennia, even forty millennia from now.

But on Terra Continent, such a question seemed especially ridiculous.

Because on this land watered by blazing flames and blood, kings, nobles, generals, and ministers truly existed on an entirely different level.

"Sunflame" Barsa was one such being.

Before ascending the throne, he had already incinerated over ten Divine People Overlords with raging flames.

On the day he ascended the Demon King Throne, all of Terra Continent burned in the literal sense. The sky was dyed blood-red by flames, and the earth became an ocean of lava. This was no metaphor, but a scene that had truly occurred.

During his Three Expeditions, fire served as his brush, freely splashing across Terra Continent's map. Every advance left permanent scars upon the land, and every victory came with the reshaping of mountains and rivers. Wherever he walked, even the air was burned into nothingness.

Even at the moment of death, Barsa had retained his posture of looking down upon the world.

His final words became one last blaze, evaporating a vast ocean and exposing the desolate seabed beneath. That was the power of a true king, enough to alter the world's terrain.

Perhaps some Dobermann Instructor from the Perro Race would never have imagined that on this continent, individuals truly existed who could turn an entire army group to ash by themselves.

Steel Prison Big: This is troublesome. In a world where kings and nobles really are born superior, messing around with the emperor and letting whoever has the strongest army take the throne might actually cause problems.

I want to eat Mei-flavored instant noodles: What kind of problems?

Customer Service Xiangzi is at your service: The consequences would probably be as severe as the Oath of Luoshui. A king who breaks faith with the world would lose their legitimacy and be reduced to a powerful warlord. Everyone coveting the throne would set their sights on them, resulting in countless major rebellions.

Customer Service Xiangzi is at your service: If we had no legitimate reason to inherit the throne, then having the strongest army seize the throne would indeed be a good idea. But since Talulah is here, we can inherit it legitimately and directly.

Child of Prophecy: Xiangzi really gets it.

Customer Service Xiangzi is at your service: No, not at all. I've just happened to be studying this sort of thing recently.

Little Silver Worm Wunan: So, are Qianyi and Talulah really getting married?

Steel Prison Big: It's definitely fake. Are you expecting me to get married twice out of nowhere at seventeen, before I've even reached the legal marriage age, and then get divorced twice afterward? My marriage hasn't even officially begun, and you already want to stick two criminal records on me?

How is that any different from getting a tattoo in Civil Service Exam Province?

Talulah: It's only pretend, and we'd be getting married in my world. The other girls in your world wouldn't know about it.

Customer Service Xiangzi is at your service: I'm in the same world as Qianyi.

Steel Prison Big: You people always manage to come up with something new. I don't really care, but the question is, do you think someone as proud as Morgan would accept a throne obtained this way?

Lower District Flying Head Barbarian: Why not just ask her?

Child of Prophecy: I'll go ask her.

After Morgan, who was in the middle of bathing, learned the news, she did not even have time to put on clothes. Wrapped in a bath towel, she hurried out, leaving two rows of damp footprints across the floor.

The cold night breeze blew gently, curling between her legs. The white bath towel that barely covered her chest and thighs occasionally lifted as the fairy ran, like an epiphyllum lightly blooming open. Yet such elegance came at the cost of Morgan feeling chilly and utterly insecure between her legs.

Swimsuit Ash.jpg

She kicked open Qianyi's bedroom door, her face full of urgency.

"Qianyi, you're going to become King of Victoria?"

"Marry me! Now! Immediately! This instant!"

Clearly, Morgan did not care in the slightest about using marriage to drain her husband's wealth and seize Great Britain. Rather, if she could inherit the Great Britain she had longed for simply by getting married, wasn't that a little too dreamlike?

Could she really inherit Great Britain just by getting married?

Maybe I should give you a child too. Otherwise, I won't feel secure taking that position.

"Calm down, Morgan. The one with the Victoria Claim is my friend. She hasn't taken Victoria's throne yet." Qianyi sighed. Why was everyone around him a lunatic?

"Your friend?" Morgan frowned. "Are they reliable?"

"Uh..." Qianyi thought of Talulah's behavior and answered uncertainly, "I suppose she's reliable."

"Then she isn't reliable. Qianyi, you shouldn't rely too much on others. If the mountain won't come to you, you must go to the mountain. If the throne won't come to you, you must go to the throne. Since your friend isn't reliable, we can replace her entirely!"

With a flip of her hand, Morgan suddenly produced a pink potion from her previously empty palm, glowing with the radiance of love.

"What is that?" Artoria asked.

"The Elixir of Love. No matter the reason, no matter the feelings involved, no matter the race, anyone who drinks it will love you with all their heart and be willing to do anything for you. Even killing their father or child would leave them with no psychological burden," Morgan explained.

Qianyi froze. "Where did you get that?"

"I found it in your refrigerator." Morgan continued, "Melusine almost drank it, thinking it was milk. Luckily, I recognized it."

Artoria's expression changed drastically.

Earlier, when she had been rummaging through Qianyi's refrigerator, she had hesitated for a long time between that bottle of what looked like strawberry-flavored milk and a yogurt. In the end, she remembered how Qianyi had once asked whether expired milk could still be drunk, so she chose the yogurt.

If she had drunk that bottle of "strawberry milk" then, wouldn't that mean...

"Why would you keep something so important in the refrigerator?!" At that moment, Artoria clearly felt that Qianyi and she were not the same species.

"What if it had an expiration date?" Qianyi felt that the Elixir of Love probably had a shelf life too, so refrigerating it was most appropriate.

"But if you put it in the fridge, aren't you afraid someone might drink it by mistake?"

"I put a label on it that says, 'Personal item, do not touch.'"

"I feel like the more you label it like that, the more people will want to drink it."

Artoria silently complained. If you simply left it there, maybe no one would pay special attention to it or drink it, but once you put on that kind of label, wouldn't it give people the feeling of, "This bottle of milk actually has a do-not-drink label on it. No, I have to find out what it tastes like"?

Clearly, that was exactly what Melusine had thought.

"Using something like this on Ata would be such a waste." Qianyi snatched the Elixir of Love from Morgan's hand. Love was the strongest driving force in the world; at critical moments, it could create miracles. Using it only for romance and lust was truly wasteful.

"What were you planning to do, then?" Morgan asked.

"What else? Torture Theresis until he hands over Victoria's throne, then hang up the Eight Dukes and whip them. If they refuse to cooperate or pay up, whip them harder. Simple enough."

"I'll help too." Morgan rubbed her fists together, eager to get started. "Should we bring Lancelot, Gawain, and Tristan too?"

"There aren't that many tickets for bringing people across worlds." Qianyi equipped Ksitigarbha, Void Archive, the Persona Summoner, and other gear, then sent Talulah a message in the group.

Steel Prison Big: Ata, I'm coming in. Are you ready to set Ursus ablaze?

Talulah: Ursus? Didn't you say we were going to Victoria?

Steel Prison Big: It's just something to do along the way.

Reunion Is Handing Out Gold Bars, Come Back Quick

To the world's greatest nation, Ursus!

When Qianyi crossed worlds through the Dimensional Chat Group's portal and set foot upon this snow-covered land, he saw densely packed Reunion members gathered together in numbers so great they almost gave him autism.

Why were there so many people in Reunion?

He gave them a rough scan and found that most of them bore symptoms of Originium Infection. Quite a few had devil-like horns growing from their heads. Most gathered around bonfires, roasting the food they had been given or holding the Originium Inhibitors they had just received and asking their companions to help administer them.

Was this still Koschei's territory?

How had I ended up in a slum?

"Greetings, Lord Qianyi. I am Mudrock. The leader sent me to receive you." When a Sarkaz Mercenary clad head to toe in armor saw Qianyi's group arrive, she set down her massive hammer, promptly stepped forward, stood at attention, and gave a military salute.

Hearing Mudrock's name, Qianyi curiously gave her a few more looks.

Mudrock's thick, airtight armor was even less breathable than leather high-top boots when it came to sweat and odor. Working inside it would surely multiply the fermentation index, concentrating the sour smell until it became unbearable. And as a Sarkaz girl who was naturally a Gargoyle, she also carried an innate earthy scent, making one wonder what exactly she smelled like beneath those clothes.

Could it be like Swedish fermented herring? Or fermented stinky tofu? That would be far too intense. Or perhaps there was no need to be so particular about these anime-world matters—maybe the Sarkaz girl had no sweat smell at all, only a strange, fragrant scent of earth.

"Is there something on me?" After being stared at and scrutinized for so long, Mudrock's whole body grew hot. She subconsciously drew her feet back.

"No, I was just wondering—aren't you hot wearing something that thick?"

"Hmm? You find it strange? Actually, Miss Alina reminded me that it was best not to walk around Reunion in full armor, but showing my true face, I'm a little... not used to it..."

"I imagine you must have lived in a very difficult place until now, always having to stay vigilant. You've worked very hard. Relax a little—Reunion respects every member's freedom and life." Qianyi exchanged ten doses of Originium Inhibitor and placed them in Mudrock's hands.

"I-I can't accept these..."

"Reunion is one big family where all the Infected share the same fate. As companions, helping each other is only natural." Qianyi forcibly stuffed them into Mudrock's hands, then patted her shoulder.

"My lord..." Mudrock's eyes welled up with tears.

As an Infected group primarily composed of Sarkaz, the Mudrock Squad had always struggled to survive beneath the two behemoths of Leithanien and Kazdel. They were often brutally hunted by the tower nobles and used for certain inhumane Origin Stone Arts experiments. Along the way, they had suffered unimaginable torment and devastating losses, leaving them with no choice but to abandon their homeland, come to Ursus, and join Reunion.

She had thought that after enduring so much, the version of herself hidden beneath thick armor had become strong enough. Yet she had never expected to break down simply because someone said, "Your journey here must not have been easy."

Fortunately, this was Reunion, not the Land of Light. Otherwise, she might already have been weeping, raising both hands over her head, and singing praises of Father of Ultra's great feat of single-handedly bringing down Juda, the commander of the Guar Empire's legion.

Led by Mudrock, Qianyi's group headed toward the meeting room where Talulah and the other officers were discussing their next strategy. Along the way, Sarkaz Mercenaries were everywhere, making Qianyi wonder whether Reunion ought to rename itself Kazdel.

Skipping all unnecessary formalities, Qianyi's group headed straight for Talulah's headquarters.

Inside the meeting room, Talulah stood before the officers in a military uniform adorned with medals. Behind her, a cloak embroidered with Reunion's emblem reflected the newborn morning sun on the horizon. Her eyes were deep and bright, blazing with fighting spirit. Together with her heroic features, she perfectly matched the fantasy of the prince charming that heroines in Mary Sue novels dreamed of.

If she attended a ball, every noble young lady there would probably cast aside her reserve and invite her to dance.

When she saw Qianyi, she walked over beneath the gazes of all the officers and opened her arms. "Isn't this my dear friend, Qianyi?"

She eagerly stepped forward for a hug, but Qianyi bent at the waist and dodged aside, leaving the handsome Dragon Girl embracing empty air. "Ata, hugging me right off the bat—don't you think that's a little too gay?"

"Why would it be gay? Don't you think this proves the friendship and bond between us?"

"Can I take it back? I'm kind of regretting agreeing to marry you. That's disgusting." Qianyi said with disdain.

The moment those words came out, everyone in the meeting room widened their eyes.

Wait, did something with an absurd amount of information just drift past them?

Marriage?

The leader of Reunion was going to marry the man in front of her?

After their greetings, Talulah pulled Qianyi along and introduced him to Reunion's new members. Then Qianyi met the Born of Night trio, who had joined Reunion as Sarkaz Mercenaries.

The leading man had an exceptionally burly build and dark red hair. From his appearance alone, he looked like a brute, but intelligence gleamed in his eyes. Clearly, he had studied and was highly educated. He was Frost, the leader of the Born of Night trio.

As for the other two, they were Ines, with black hair and golden eyes, and the Guangdong Big Cockroach, Vishdale, whose repeated use could gradually make one's gaze dull and vacant and leave one drooling.

Oh, no. Vishdale was still W right now. That made Qianyi lose all interest.

Frost, who stood at the head of the group, rose and bowed. "Lord Qianyi, it is an honor to meet you. Your arrival is like the sun, illuminating the path forward for the Infected."

"Are you getting used to life in Reunion?" Qianyi asked casually. "How does it compare to Kazdel?"

It was an utterly unremarkable question, yet it made Frost's scalp tingle. Though the other party looked like a very young boy, his easy composure and the confidence that came so naturally, as though everything were firmly in his grasp, made Frost clearly understand one thing.

Whether it was Talulah, Patriot, or anyone else, they were merely the leaders in plain sight. The boy before him was Reunion's "leader above all leaders."

"This place brings joy; I do not long for Kazdel," Frost said after carefully choosing his words. The moment he finished, he felt something heavy appear in his hands.

Lowering his head, he saw a black plastic bag. Inside were enough Originium Inhibitors for three people to use for a month, along with chocolate, cigarettes, alcohol, and other supplies. There was also a palm-sized gold bar.

"Huh?" Frost failed to react for a moment.

By the time he came to his senses, Qianyi had already handed one out to everyone in the room—even Ines and W, who were standing guard at the door.

Wait, Reunion just handed out gold bars?!

He could not help wondering whether, after working himself to the bone as a mercenary for an entire year, he could even earn everything he held in his hands. No—perhaps even all the money he earned would not be enough to buy the Originium Inhibitors in this bag, let alone everything else.

Even the operational funds Theresis had given him were not this much!

His hands trembled slightly.

What did the future of the Infected mean? This was the future of the Infected!

Kazdel had better be able to bring back Theresia, or he would not be going back!

Qianyi Points, I Strike There