Volume Six: What She Lost, What I Gained - The Game Begins

Is it alive or dead?

Does it possess intelligence?

How does it maintain such a massive size?

How does it make a living?

Where did it come from?

Just how enormous is it in its entirety?

I no longer have the time or inclination to verify everything carefully.

All I could think about was "getting away as soon as possible."

But just before I fled this unknown space, I realized something.

This enormous, indescribable creature is incomplete.

It is precisely because its presence is so overwhelming that the emptiness hidden within it is so apparent.

It's missing something crucial.

It's like a top-of-the-line computer without an operating system installed.

"..." "Xiao Ye?"

"..." "Ye?"

"..."

"Miss Ye?"

"..."

What are you spacing out for?!

"... Feel sorry."

I looked at the amulet in my hand; it was red and didn't have a fancy appearance, just like a small piece of wax.

Who could have imagined what kind of existence was hidden inside?

Humans tend to feel an almost instinctive awe towards excessively large objects. This fear of being swallowed up by a colossal presence is one of the most primal fears. If I were to stay with that thing any longer... I'd probably go crazy.

Should I tell them about its existence?

"You look terrible. What did you see?"

"Something... Blood Fiend put some kind of dormant creature inside."

After thinking about it for a moment, I decided to give a general explanation.

"Biology?"

They looked at each other, seemingly surprised that the amulet contained some kind of living creature.

"But I've tried to investigate many times before, and I haven't found any signs of life."

Neumann tilted his head in confusion, and I mumbled, "Because you are not her after all. That thing is probably only visible to people connected to her."

"What kind of creature is it?" Little Ying asked curiously.

"Uh... I can't really explain it, but it's huge and looks pretty fierce, that's all."

"But how can it resist the world's curse? And how did it manage to receive such a small amulet—"

"That's why I need to investigate further!"

My tone became uncontrollably harsh, and Neumann seemed startled; her amber eyes instantly filled with tears. Was she so afraid of being yelled at?

"... I'm sorry, I was too hasty, but I do have some general ideas. I'll need to investigate further to find out the specifics."

If I ask Yusuo Zai, will he tell me what it is?

"Since Miss Ye says so, I'm relieved. As for this amulet..."

"Can I keep it for you for now?"

I thought she would hesitate or politely decline, but she readily agreed.

"If Miss Ye really needs it, please accept it."

"... You trust me that much?"

"Because... although this amulet was a gift from Blood Sister, if I wear it, it will only slowly improve my physique and have no other use. Perhaps it would be better to give it to you, and..."

She blushed slightly and looked away.

"... Miss Ye has a similar feeling to Blood Sister, which makes people feel very at ease."

Am I just imagining things?

For a fleeting moment, a hint of a smile seemed to appear on that perpetually expressionless face.

My meeting with Neumann brought me some new insights... let's call them insights for now?

But I don't even know what that super-giant, super-abnormal bug is.

Unfortunately, Neumann could not offer us any further assistance.

"--What? You don't need my help? Really?"

"Yes, Neumann- chan, you heard me right." The eloquent Miss Haoyue explained to her.

"I can definitely help! Although I'm not good at combat, and I'm probably already on the defector list, if I can provide ranged support, such as altering the Earth's magnetic field, changing the polarization of light to interfere with vision, or altering ground friction, or--"

"We appreciate your intentions, but can you guarantee that your methods will only affect the enemy and not others, including us?"

"Eh..."

"And if you use your abilities and they find a trace of it, they might very well notify the organization's headquarters."

"Eh..."

"Right now, our only enemies are the Extra Weapon and Yu He, who's behind the scenes. But if they find out you're here too... they'll probably send at least one more high-ranking official, right? That would be really bad, so don't worry about our safety. Just focus on hiding yourself."

"Eh..."

Neumann was almost in tears.

"But, but! Because it was Yu He who set the restrictions in the contract, I can't directly rewrite your capital amount to make you rich... If I do that, then I'll... I'll..."

"It's useless"—I almost said that, but thankfully I swallowed it back in time.

This is when I'll have to use my protagonist's signature move!

Eat my Flying Mature Girl's Flowing Moe Flowing Sky Breaking Head Pat!

--touch!

"... Miss Ye, why are you pinching me there?"

"How does it feel to give someone a gentle head pat?"

"It feels numb, itchy, and a little painful... If possible, please don't pinch my... breasts, especially those two points on my breasts! Not even through my clothes!"

That's strange, why doesn't my head-patting technique work? Even though nipples are still part of the head!

The daylight hours passed in the blink of an eye, and the hunters and the hunted, filled with all sorts of thoughts, welcomed the dusk.

The second floor of the Business Capital, on the edge, is currently being used as a racetrack for the Gray Starling Song Festival.

"Please maintain order and enter in order through the West Gate 1, West Gate 2, and East Gate 2. Those with children, please take good care of them..."

As dusk fell, the area outside the venue transformed into a sea of people, with all sorts of spectators eagerly holding up their tickets, impatient to enter. Among them were people wearing t-shirts emblazoned with the images of their favorite stars, dressed formally in suits, fervent idol fans adorned with banners and badges, and ordinary fans who had already prepared glow sticks. A few others wore rather unique outfits, exuding an air of rebellion and decadence; it was easy to guess which band's die-hard fans they were.

Security guards and ticket inspectors are struggling to maintain order. In such a large crowd, any small disturbance is magnified many times over. Fortunately, so far there have been no major problems.

Standing in the highest room of the venue, Selena's expression was complex. He looked at the sea of people below through the floor-to-ceiling windows, occasionally wiping the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief. Normally, he would have been very excited at this moment, but now he only felt uneasy.

He wasn't stupid. He had already sensed it when Fisher brought his so-called "friends" to visit yesterday. None of them were good people, and they weren't there to visit; they were there to scout the place.

Tonight, the concert that was supposed to go smoothly... will probably turn into a battlefield.

As the organizer, he should present the audience with the grandest concert and maximize economic benefits.

But as a member of the Gray Starling Group, he was obligated to unconditionally support all the actions of these Big Figure.

A dual identity, conflicting responsibilities.

Selena felt like he was being torn in two.

"At least..."

He didn't have many extravagant hopes.

"At the very least... we must carry out the most comprehensive emergency evacuation work, evacuating the audience as soon as possible in the event of an incident to minimize casualties..."

In the open-air venue--

The venue features a flat, figure-eight-shaped racetrack, with the stage located at the center of the larger circle. The stage is currently empty, but the audience is bustling in, and the surrounding stands are already more than half full. The stands are large enough to accommodate 200,000 people, with 50,000 seats in the covered permanent stands, which are already packed with people.

Buzzing!!!

The concert hasn't started yet, but the performances have already begun.

Several top-of-the-line race cars adorned with the grey starling logo roared past on the track, their continuous sharp turns and drifts eliciting cheers from the spectators already in the stadium. This was an entertainment program designed by Selena before the official start of the race, which also served the original purpose of the racetrack and featured one of the world's most sought-after racing teams.

Boom boom boom boom boom!!!

The roar of multiple engines overlapped as seven race cars simultaneously executed a spectacular drift at the intersection of the two circles on the figure-eight track. Just when it seemed they were about to collide—and many spectators gasped in disbelief—they narrowly missed each other by a hair's breadth, completing a perfect performance.

A device mounted on the roof of the vehicle sprayed out narrow, gaseous streams that wove two logos in the air. One was a bird with outstretched wings, the logo of the Gray Starling Group, and the other was a running silver wolf, the logo of the Ferruggio Silver Wolf Team, which had been hired at great expense to perform.

There's a little anecdote here. Ferruggio Silver Wolf Team initially declined Selena due to concerns about a conflict with the race, but readily accepted when they heard that Nighteluveitie would also be performing. Nighteluveitie's drummer was one of the key figures who helped the team revive after retiring... What a strange cause-and-effect relationship.

"Dear viewers, welcome to Tomato TV's live coverage--"

"--This is Azure Dragon TV. There is only one hour left before the concert officially begins. Mr. Selna has just finished his speech--"

"--The invited singers and bands are all in place, ready to begin the countdown. Lakeside News brings you this report--"

"--As is tradition, the invitees will have one last meeting with their fans before the event begins--Look, they're here!"

In the hall closest to the ticket check line, flashbulbs went off everywhere as performers strode confidently down the pre-laid red carpet, eliciting screams from the crowd. Some were dressed in evening gowns, others in the uniforms of idol groups, and still others exuded the fresh, artistic air of their respective groups. Regardless of their appearance, they all possessed both good looks and charisma, radiating unparalleled charm.

Two groups of people were the most eye-catching among them.

One group is a five-member all-female band. Their clothing exudes a rebellious, wild, and dark vibe, making them stand out from the rest of the group. However, in terms of looks, everyone around them pales in comparison.

The other group was a female idol group so large they could fill several Dota tables. They exuded youthful energy and followed a typical mainstream path. Surrounded by them like stars around the moon was a charming and adorable girl whose smile was as bright as spring.

Her stage name is Su Mengli.

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