King Room, Cheap!

Old Wang had no idea what to say.

Just two lines. That was it.

Wasn't that cutting corners a little too much? Couldn't they add a few more lines?

Norgannon, it seemed you'd never played any of the dozens of games I developed with the gnomes back then!

"This is the initial interface."

The young woman's explanation was somewhat feeble, her voice timid. "The Heart of Azeroth actually has many functions, including the blessings of all the Titans. They're very powerful. But they can only be unlocked after enough blood has been stored. Right now, you..."

Old Wang felt exhausted.

Yes, I'm poor right now. I haven't even gotten the first drop of blood. You don't need to remind me...

Old Wang stared at the spherical space beneath his feet. "It's so small. How much of your blood can it hold? One drop? A tenth of a drop?"

The young woman smiled. "Don't worry. Norgannon gave it the ability to expand automatically. It may look small, but as long as it's filled with blood, it will grow. It could hold all the blood in my body even if I were drained dry. You know Norgannon's mastery of magic. The self-expanding space he created theoretically has no limit."

It grew when filled with blood?

So the spherical space was made of sponge?

"How many rings do I need to activate to travel through time?" Old Wang asked the question he cared about most.

"You're too weak right now, not even one ten-thousandth of your peak state. Your energy intensity isn't high, so five rings will be enough." The young woman claimed she was not lying. It was the truth.

The key part of that sentence was "you're too weak," and she had emphasized it.

"So few?" Old Wang was actually quite happy.

If that was the case, wouldn't it take me long to get home?

How much Azeroth Blood did five rings consume per second again?

He couldn't work it out. In any case, it wasn't much!

"Yes, but there are a few problems." The young woman's voice became weak again.

"Go on." Having no problems would be the biggest problem. Old Wang was already used to it.

"First, there was a problem with the last crossing. Aman'Thul, Norgannon, and the others are recalculating it. That will take time."

Fuck, I really am a test subject... Old Wang pursed his lips. "Go on."

"Second, an unknown existence interfered back then. To eliminate that interference this time will take ten or even a hundred times more effort than before."

I'm guessing it was the Queen of Blades... Old Wang scratched his head. "Go on."

"Third, your crossing won't consume much, but if the Heart of Azeroth doesn't cross with you, you won't be able to return. And as a Supreme Artifact, it must use the highest-level Time-Space Channel to cross."

You're reminding me again, in a roundabout way, that I'm too weak and worthless... Old Wang rubbed his temples. "Go on."

"That's all for now." The young woman blinked. "I'll tell you more when I remember."

That was already plenty... Old Wang spread his hands. "So?"

For the second time, the young woman became serious. She extended a finger and pressed it against Old Wang's head. "So, work hard, Wang!"

The moment she finished speaking, Old Wang's head flattened, then was pressed straight into his body.

Then his body flattened too.

"Sorry, I didn't expect you couldn't even withstand one finger." The young woman hurriedly withdrew her finger.

That's the third time you've mocked me for being weak... Old Wang quickly recovered.

Suddenly, he felt a powerful repulsive force. The Heart of Azeroth was rejecting him.

"The True Qi you provided is too little. Its total energy is less than 0.01 micrograms of my blood, so it can only last this long."

The young woman waved her little hand. "Goodbye!"

"Goodbye." Old Wang vanished.

Inside the battered truck.

Old Wang opened his eyes in the passenger seat.

Looking down at the dull, lightless Heart of Azeroth, Old Wang sighed. "The road ahead is long. Work hard, young man!"

"Mm, work hard and make money, then pay me back—with interest," Skye agreed.

She began silently calculating exactly how much Old Wang owed her.

Old Wang turned to look at Skye, who was driving. "Take a break. I'll drive!"

Skye jolted in fright and stalled the engine.

"Please spare my car!" she said through gritted teeth.

"I'll treat it gently... I have something important to do."

Old Wang shifted his butt, squeezing Skye out of the driver's seat, and started the engine. "Help me find Robbie's home... No, find where he works."

"...Why are you looking for him?"

Unable to squeeze past Old Wang, Skye reluctantly climbed into the back seat and opened her laptop. Then she suddenly saw the truck make a U-turn and froze. "What are you doing? We're not going back to New York?"

Old Wang turned the steering wheel. "No. Isn't your car about to fall apart? Isn't Robbie a mechanic? Have him fix it for you. We helped him out today, more or less. He probably won't charge us, right?"

"Cheapskate." Skye did not believe him at all. As she searched for information, she asked, "Tell me the truth!"

Old Wang slammed his foot on the accelerator. "I'm curious about Ghost Rider... And while I'm at it, I'll ask whether he has any ways to make money."

"You really should make money. You owe me three hundred... five hundred... one thousand... 7,426 dollars. Hurry up and pay me back! Wait, what money-making channels could a mechanic possibly have? You still haven't told me the truth!"

Skye snorted, then asked, "Then where are we staying tonight?"

Old Wang answered without hesitation. "Find a hotel and get a room."

Skye instantly felt the pain in her wallet. "That's expensive. Two rooms would cost at least..."

Old Wang frowned. "Diligence and thrift are traditional Chinese virtues. You're half Chinese too, so you need to learn to be frugal... One room is enough. A king room is cheap."

Skye took a deep breath and clenched both fists.

Considering she definitely could not beat him, she forced down the urge to strike. With her teeth clenched, she spat out one word.

"Wang!"