I Hope You Can Win

The train continued its journey; the trip was not yet over.

After handing the plague bones to Canaan, Xue Ming drove the truck back to the complex where David Mr. Bourne was located.

He didn't wait for Hasben and Shooting Star because he had more important things to do.

At seven o'clock in the morning, the King of Cinder illuminated the entire fossil forest, making the hollow dome and the earth blend into a silvery-gray. Xue Ming pushed open the office door and saw David and Afeng, who had just woken up.

They looked like they had slept well and were full of energy. When they heard the door open, they immediately jumped up from their chairs without even trying to fall back asleep.

Mr. Mr. Bourne: "The gunsmith."

Xue Ming raised his hand, signaling Mr. Mr. Bourne to be quiet. He walked over to Afeng, settled all the laborers' wages, and gave him some overtime pay.

"Please help Mr. Mr. Bourne build his activity room, I don't have time to do these things."

Afeng was a little confused, and after a moment of realization, he replied blankly, "Oh! Leave it to me! Boss, did something come up? Are you leaving early?"

Xue Ming took off his coat as he spoke to the two men.

"Yes, there's a mission."

Mr. Mr. Bourne immediately pressed, "What task? Can you..."

Halfway through his questioning, the safety officer finally realized he had been too talkative and had asked something he shouldn't have.

The tasks of an anonymous person are not something ordinary people can concern themselves with.

Jiang Xueming did not answer. He grabbed a set of carrying gear from under the weapons cabinet, sent Mr. Mr. Bourne's first wife and second wife back, put on a soft bulletproof vest, did not take a helmet, took a rainproof plastic cloak from the wardrobe, and hid his face in the shadows.

Fang Feng hasn't experienced Spirit Calamity caused by the Madness Butterfly for several years. These spare weapons are covered in dust and have a musty, damp smell, but if the sunlight is strong enough, it will quickly kill the mold in the nylon material.

After browsing through the weapons cabinet, Xue Ming finally took an antique gun for self-defense—a Sig Sauer P210. Judging from the nameplate on the trigger lock, it was an old thing from seventy years ago.

He pulled the slide stop, checked the gun's condition, and expertly opened the drawer, taking thirty bullets from Mr. Mr. Bourne's inventory.

After loading both magazines with bullets, Xue Ming called out to Mr. Bourne, "I'll return them to you later."

"Hey!" David Mr. Bourne wanted to say something more.

Jiang Xueming: "You can't bear to part with it?"

Mr. Mr. Bourne: "You should at least choose a more powerful one!"

Jiang Xueming: "That's enough."

As Mr. Bourne frantically searched under his desk for some personal collection—he usually hid his beloved wife there to prevent her from being groped by the two team members next door—the gunsmith vanished like a ghost when he looked up.

Mr. Mr. Bourne hurried off to look for it, peering out the window at the truck.

The truck remained motionless; the gunsmith had no intention of leaving and was unwilling to reveal his next move.

"Young man, where did your boss go? Do you know?"

Afeng, a cigarette dangling from his lips, looked utterly bewildered. "I was just about to light a refreshing cigarette, and he vanished in the blink of an eye. Was he Batman?"

"Oh no! Oh no! This is terrible!" Mr. Bourne felt a great calamity was about to befall him. "If he didn't report to the station and didn't plan to buy a ticket, and instead wandered around the underworld, reporters would be coming to investigate immediately! The gunsmith disappeared while I was here."

The train to [DD· Dead Puppet Agency] is still the TOP5013 express train. Its VIP carriage belongs to David Victor.

However, Professor Victor wasn't here at the moment; perhaps he was traveling elsewhere gathering information. Xue Ming hitched a ride on a train without a ticket, changed trains at four stations, and sneaked into Professor Victor's VIP carriage, heading towards the Dead Puppet Agency.

He left in such a hurry, without saying goodbye, to avoid the ticketing system and the eyes of the transportation department—all at the behest of the BOSS.

The purpose of going to Fang Feng was to obtain new equipment materials. Inside the box containing the Plague Bone, Ming De passed a letter to Xue Ming in a document bag. The contents of this letter gave Xue Ming the idea to travel alone.

He sat back down at Professor Victor's desk, picked up two pure silver paperweights, and twirled them in his hands, following the bright light of the electric lamp, spinning them round and round.

He reopened the file folder and read aloud the handwritten letter left by Ming De.

"Jiang Xueming, I hope you can go to the core area of [Dead Puppet Agency - Royal Court]. After David Victor's repeated investigations over the years, there is a group of people in the inner city and the ruins of the Royal Court."

"They are the Stardust Warriors, and also the unsung heroes who have been silently working on the front lines of the United Nations' exploration of the underground world since the Philosopher Foundation was founded."

"Perhaps you've already learned about these warriors from Jessica and Nanami, but those sisters are merely security personnel in the Ironworks area; they know very little about the Stardust Warriors. I hope you can have close contact with them."

"There are twelve military camps in the inner city. Victor didn't explore the entire area. After venturing deeper into the Royal Court ruins, besides the Flower Gallery Greenhouse where Lord Mads of Maddes resides, there's also the Bullring, the Great Bathhouse, the Observatory, the Bronze Bell Tower, the Central Courtyard, and the Pankrasin Palace. Within these ancient ruins, many bizarre and terrifying creatures are still imprisoned by the runes of death."

"We don't know who the owner of this palace was, but historians, paleontologists, and researchers in the Arcane Library all agree that it was most likely Mountain Giant that escaped from Muspelheim or somewhere else."

"It established a palace here, becoming the emperor of mankind and a god worshipped by the dwarves."

"However, the Death Rune on its body affects all living things in the region. The natural disasters of the Dead Puppet Agency were not caused by Lord Maddes Cinder, but merely by the giant's dying struggle and lingering breath before his death, which caused the earthquakes to continue for many years."

"The trolls and giants that serve it are all its offspring. The trolls then interbreed with various wild beasts, giving birth to many Chimera hybrid monsters. This is also the origin of species in the natural ecology of the underground world, and one of the sacred blood elements upon which the Madness Butterfly Sect relies for its survival."

"Even before this Mountain Giant completely died, it had already begun to rot while it was still alive—the death runes it emitted corrupted all living things within the Royal Court's boundaries, freezing their time on a certain day."

"The disaster quickly began to spread, and more and more humans became undead. They stayed in the city to live, and in order to maintain the city's original appearance, they had to fight against the mindless monsters in the Royal Court, who were dominated by the fear of death—just like the Soviets stayed at the Red Star Hill front-line base."

"They themselves cannot be killed, nor can the monsters. Warriors have to deal with monsters that are huge, fast, and strong, far exceeding the speed and strength of Homo sapiens. At first, they had the support of equipment to seal these monsters in the ruins, but even metal and steel will eventually rot and decay."

"These warriors began using primitive tools to fight the monsters. Without them, the Dead Puppet Agency would have become Unmanned Zone more than fifty years ago. This trading post would not only be downgraded, it would lose all its value and be removed from the map."

"Apart from Victor and Maddes, no other expedition has seen them. The city of the Dead Puppet Agency is very large. The people bound by Death Runes call them Stardust Warriors. I am merely suggesting, only suggesting that you go to this place and learn the combat techniques for subduing demons from these warriors—it is not mandatory."

"The engineers at the Ironworks can forge divine weapons for you because they have been engaged in the metallurgical industry for nearly a century. The unique environment of the Dead Puppet Agency has honed their steel-forging skills to an unparalleled level. Stardust Warriors cannot leave the Dead Puppet Agency, so their monster-hunting skills are naturally superb. You need this skill to fight against the demons of Shambhala."

"The Immortals have sown the seeds of power among the leadership of the Madness Butterfly Sect, using the Chaos Egg as the psychic catalyst—speaking of this meatball, I have to tell you something unrelated."

"The legend of the Dagda's Cauldron, and the Holy Grail that can help people fulfill their wishes, does indeed exist; I once obtained it."

"But it's not what you think. It's not a vessel, not Twelve Shining Stone Golden Cup, but the contents of the goblet. It's a vast aggregate of psionic energy, the very essence of the aspirations of billions of beings."

"The power of collective karma is immense, making individuals seem so insignificant in comparison. In the mortal world, many magnificent projects and great discoveries are the result of the collective efforts of countless people— the Dagda's Cauldron is like a psionic energy collector. The original Lord of Cinder witnessed its power, which is why he adopted the same configuration to simulate the sun."

"The very structure of life itself is similar; it doesn't conform to the laws of thermodynamics. In our actions such as breathing, eating, sleeping, and reproducing, we are actually collecting and organizing energy, which is a decrease in entropy. But the emergence of intelligent life has brought about an increase in entropy, which is contradictory."

"The sun's entropy is much lower than Earth's, so it shines on all things, and all living beings are equal."

"The Dagda's Cauldron is the same; it gathers complex psychic energy into one place, transforming it into pure willpower, which allows me to complete a small ritual."

"I said this in front of the wishing cup: I hope that everyone in the world can be happy, healthy, and joyful."

"Now that it sounds like this wish, it seems absurd, doesn't it?"

"So if I told you that before I made my wish, the average lifespan of dwarves was less than thirty-five years, the infant mortality rate was seventy percent, and the mortality rate for women during childbirth was around fifty percent, would you still think that way?"

"It seems like nothing happened. The Dagda's Cauldron didn't respond to me, and the brilliance stones on the Twelve Stone Cups lost their psionic power and turned into powder."

"It's kind of funny, I've always told you all to break free from superstition, break free from superstition, but I myself can't fight this inner demon. I've always firmly believed that something must have happened, that something must have changed the moment I made my wish!"

"After countless years, looking back at this wish today, it seems to have always been at work, only the process of fulfillment has been rather slow. From my lifespan, and from the perspective of the ferocious beasts' time scale, it seems insignificant—but from the perspective of humanity itself, it is a colossal lie."

"Let's get back to the Chaos Egg."

"Its primordial structure is identical to that of the Dagda's Cauldron and the Lord of Cinder. This unfortunate creature had been pursuing [the truth of life] all along. If the beast had a personality, it would be a complete riddle-maker. It enjoys chaotic environments and people who distort right and wrong, making simple things complicated and blurring the lines between good and evil. It once stirred up trouble in the mortal world, was punished, and was brought back to its original form by an unknown, enthusiastic mob."

"As you know, it has now become a flesh-and-blood POS machine. Its innate abilities can support the entire underground financial transaction system. Its computing power can replace bloated banks, allowing people's payments to flow to distant places quickly and without hindrance to complete the settlement."

"This is its way of seeking the Tao, and also its way of serving its sentence after being punished—money is the most powerful symbol in the world. It is a medium in modern society. Every purchase, every loan repayment is a ritual."

"The money in one's hand is not money; it has been elevated by people to all sorts of desires and all sorts of material things."

"The consumer goods we purchase also become objects of hatred, separation from loved ones, unfulfilled desires, greed, anger, and ignorance."

"The Immortals quickly noticed this versatile elemental substance with powerful psychic energy, the Madness Butterfly Sect controlled by the Seed of Chaos. They looked like a cult, but in essence they were commercial companies. Those that couldn't reach the scale of a commercial company became small workshops or local gangs."

"Various desires, mixed together and fermented by the tools used to fulfill those desires, have turned into all sorts of human flesh businesses."

"But why does money, this general equivalent, possess such great Magic Power?"

"I won't go into the complicated theories here. To put it simply— Jiang Xueming, the Immortals are indeed very close to obtaining the Holy Grail. Perhaps in Shambhala, they have already gathered the necessary materials for its contents. The enemies you will face are demons and monsters that have used the Chaos Egg as their power source."

"That's why I suggested you come to this place to find the Stardust Warriors. You're extremely efficient at killing humanoid creatures, but that doesn't mean you can deal with demons that have completely lost their minds and know nothing of fear."

"My railway cannot reach the other side of the ocean, and my blessings will be ineffective on that barren and savage land. Lady Luck will no longer favor the brave."

"You must be prepared for a one-way trip. It's cruel, really cruel."

"Your children should only be seven years old, right? It seems a bit rushed. You're only thirty, and I also hope you can rest for a while, but the reality doesn't seem to allow it—the Holy Grail in Pellegrini Tuan's mind doesn't lie; these Immortals do indeed want to use this power to turn the tide. It's like a time bomb, ready to explode at any moment."

"Including the Royal Court area of the Ancestral Palace, that's an extremely dangerous and unknown area. I hope you can keep a low profile and not tell anyone where you've gone. Passengers always follow VIPs around, so they're not afraid of any death threats."

"I won't talk to 9527 about this. Before you come back, no one will know you went to study and practice. This journey will be very lonely, with only your soul power accompanying you."

"I saw FE204863 again in the mission log of Shinto City, which makes me wonder if this higher-dimensional being has become your guardian angel—like a doting father, constantly correcting your timeline. Perhaps the journey to Shambhala will be fraught with danger but ultimately safe, which is the best outcome."

"But who knows? We can't keep asking the gods for help, can we?"

The letter ended with only a question, indicating that even the boss had no confidence in this trip.

It was rare for this cat to recount the past in such a serious tone. Xue Ming had always thought that the BOSS had a very accurate self-positioning, as a comedic mascot character similar to a comedian.

This letter reveals that Ming De is still too conservative. His wording is very restrained. He hopes that Xue Ming can understand the seriousness of the situation, but he doesn't want to put any mental pressure on him.

But when the phrase "Dagda's Cauldron" appeared, it was like a nuclear bomb.

It could almost change human history, although the process would be incredibly slow—even the boss said the Holy Grail might be fake, but who knows if it actually works? What if it is? The dwarves of the underworld could emerge from their caves and become the dominant species there; could they really achieve this with just a single wish?

This whole thing is full of nihilistic implications, as if all of Homo sapiens' efforts were arranged by God.

Jiang Xueming considered himself not very bright, so he automatically ignored those words and focused his attention on the Immortals.

These guys use the power of chaos. Wood Plark and Luo Ping'an both come from that remote and desolate place. Their soul power and combat skills are terrifyingly strong, which shows that the native demons of Shambhala are not to be trifled with either.

We must follow the BOSS's instructions and go to the Royal Court to level up—it's been far too long since he's beaten up a Transformation Flash Butterfly. The last time he beat up an Apostle was two years ago, when he was dealing with the Flash Butterfly's derivatives.

He couldn't refuse this kind of mission. You have to understand that there are many VIPs in the station system. Although these psionicists possess soul power, their functions must be differentiated. Not everyone is suitable for combat—that's what the Nameless One does.

With that in mind, he made a phone call to A Hao.

"Xiao Hao."

"Ah! Teacher! Me!"

"Don't say anything yet. I don't mean to blame you. I contacted you so late because I thought the defeat in the Moon God Cup must have affected your mood quite a bit."

"Hahahaha! No, no! No!"

On the other end of the phone, Shao Jinghao started laughing and then began to cry.

"Hahahaha. Hehe... Waaaaah! Why did you hurt me!~"

Jiang Xueming smiled apologetically, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought that up, haha."

A Hao's cries grew louder and louder. "It's my fault! It's all my fault! I'm so weak!~~"

Jiang Xueming: "Hao, I have something to say."

A Hao finally regained some of his energy. "Yeah."

"I'd like to have another practice match with you, so we can spar a bit," Jiang Xueming said, fiddling with Victor's paperweight. Sitting in this spot, he finally understood David Victor's feelings completely.

Hao Bro immediately refused. "No! Every time I lose to you, I feel so unwilling! It's like I'm just so close! Just a little bit more and I could have won! It's always like this!"

"Actually..." Xue Ming seemed speechless for a moment. He licked his lips, thought for a long time, and finally spoke, "Actually, I hope you can win."

Shao Jinghao seemed to sense the teacher's anxiety, but before he could ask, he did.

Jiang Xueming immediately added, "I hope you can win. You're twenty years old, right? I really, really hope you can win—you are the future."

Shao Jinghao: "Teacher, where are you?"

Jiang Xueming casually gave a call number, "I'm in Seventy-first District. Listen to the sound of the cold wind; it's so cold here. I was bored being out alone, so I called you all one by one."

"Teacher, you're so weird!" Hao Bro hadn't finished speaking when the phone was hung up.

Jiang Xueming then dialed Daniel's number.

"--How have your studies and practice been lately?"

Daniel was still in the bathhouse when his waterproof smartwatch lit up with a call from the gunsmith. He immediately grabbed a towel and ran out.

"Teacher! Is there something important you want to tell me?"

The young man looked serious as he picked up his phone to ensure the best possible call quality.

Jiang Xueming: "Little Vlagrak, I'm on a mission out there and just wanted to call you to ask how you're doing?"

"Oh," Daniel said blankly, "I've never been able to control the muzzle climb of the Eagle's gun to within nine degrees. It's like a wild horse, teacher. I'm even a little frustrated. The weapon you made for me seems to be insulting me. It's mocking me. I feel like a piece of trash."

Jiang Xueming: "You need to be patient. You must remember to sleep. The human brain is amazing. If you don't get enough rest, you can't form muscle memory. Like learning a musical instrument, playing the piano or guitar, this gun is very suitable for your hand shape—I won't misjudge you."

Daniel: "Hmm"

Jiang Xueming: "There's a lot of work to do. You won't become stronger immediately just by practicing. Let's get a good night's sleep, and we'll be able to feel the subtle changes the next day. Don't rush, taking it slow will be faster."

Daniel: "Can I beat Mali Pero? Teacher, I've been reviewing the Moon God Cup reports, and the more I look at them, the more powerless I feel."

Jiang Xueming: "I hope you can win."

Daniel: "Really!"

Jiang Xueming: "I hope you can beat me, little Fragerak. I only hope you can beat me. Don't compare yourself to Mali; you two are different."

Daniel seemed lost in thought, but before he could ask anything, the call ended again.

Jiang Xueming called the Hedland Hotel.

--The receptionist transferred me to Mrs. Clare, the accompanying waitress.

"Mrs. Clare, could you please hand the phone to Mali for me?"

"Oh!" came the sound of a baby crying on the other end of the phone. It seemed that Little Barton had just woken up. The crying was strange, like that of an eight or nine-year-old child still babbling. Mrs. Clare handed the phone to Mali was sitting on the side of the recreation room.

This kid lost an arm and deliberately sealed away the power of the Storm Eye. Pellegrini's eyes never left his body; he despised this superpower.

Mali Pero was quite surprised when he received the gunsmith's call. When he received the freezer, he didn't understand what was inside at first. But when he saw the fingers inside and the letter the gunsmith had written to him, he hid in the VIP solitary confinement room and cried for a long time.

His voice trembled; he didn't know how to address the gunsmith, having never received personal instruction from one. But in the end, he said—

"--teacher"

Jiang Xueming: "Are you adapting to the environment in Hedland?"

Mali: "I don't know. I'm not sure."

"Unfamiliar places always make people feel scared." Jiang Xueming put down the paperweight and continued, "The holy blood in your body makes you overly sensitive, but you'll get better soon."

Mali: "Me, me."

Jiang Xueming: "Don't let fear destroy you, Mali. Your chance to survive wasn't given to you by me; you saved yourself—I think you have a more important mission."

Mali: "Can I do it, teacher? I don't know. Mrs. Clare said I'll be here for eight years, and even if I get a reduced sentence for good behavior, it'll still be at least five. What will I be like after five years?"

"You decide for yourself," Jiang Xueming interrupted. "Next time in the knightly tournament, I expect you to give it your all. Don't fucking come to me to borrow a gun and kill yourself."

"I'm sorry," Mali said, bowing his head. Even though the gunsmith couldn't see him, he still looked timid and submissive.

Jiang Xueming: "I hope you can win, Mali Pero —I hope you can win. Even I can't beat you. You have to go to the underworld to find rare treasures, to resurrect your loved ones, and to give yourself an explanation. That's going to be very, very difficult. I can't bring the dead back to life either. You have to beat me before you can go see the outside world."

Before Mali could reply, Jiang Xueming hung up the phone, removed the SIM card, and stuffed it into Professor Victor's desk to prevent the station's communication network from tracing her location.

He stuffed the rest of his cigarettes in with it. After the end of the expeditionary era, while waiting for fish to bite by the pond, anxiety forced him to develop the bad habit of smoking—this time he had to give up cigarettes and the fleeting pleasure.

We waited quietly for the train to arrive at the station.