Act 8: Happy Song

[Part 1: Platinum Coins]

The meteor rested for a night, and the next morning, just as dawn broke, Lady Goelia kicked open the bedroom door.

The sudden commotion startled A Xing awake, and he immediately raised his sword to fight.

The fierce battle with Derrick Jokic last night had exhausted his mental energy, so he only slept for less than seven hours, and was now lying in bed with Berloberg.

Faced with the gleaming sword, Gloria spread her arms and immediately shouted for a halt.

"Oh! Wow! Don't get excited!~"

Meteor roared, "What are you doing?!"

Gloria said in a deep voice, "I heard Parker talk about last night's duel, and I also pulled Old Bones aside to find out the details—it was truly spectacular."

Meteor grabbed the blanket and draped it over herself. "So?"

"As agreed, I will deliver the bet to the winner," said Lady Goelia, holding a large plate in her right hand. She lifted the red cloth covering the plate to reveal twelve neatly stacked coins.

"These catalysts are platinum coins cast from a silver-tin alloy during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, and they are also collectibles I found in the mortal world—divided into three types: dragon, tortoise, and horse coins."

"Now that you've won the first round, choose one of these dragon coins and give it to your partner. It can ward off the Magic Power of [Sing For Me]."

Meteor's face was full of doubt, yet he still pointed his sword at Gloria.

Gloria, on the other hand, was all smiles and wearing only a light nightgown. She seemed to have just woken up from a meditative state and, upon learning of the life-or-death duel the previous night, immediately ran over to reward the winner. She slowly followed the sword's edge, lowered herself, and shook a coin from the plate, making no physical contact with the meteor.

"You've got a great figure, my little puppy."

Despite the threat of death, Gloria still had the mood to flirt with the General of Tears.

"The way you raise your sword makes it look like you're baring your teeth at your master, hehe."

Meteor didn't even bother to answer; once Gloria was forced outside by the sword's edge, he immediately slammed the door shut.

--Relieved from that woman's spiritual pressure, it felt like surfacing suddenly from deep water, with a dizzying, pressure-free feeling, a dull ache in my internal organs, and my eye injury, which had been healed with the Universal Elixir last night, started hurting again.

He picked up the platinum coin and carefully examined the patterns on it—there was indeed a warm and pure psychic energy surging forth. This medium tool possessed the power to ward off evil spirits and exorcise demons; even Gloria hadn't dared to touch it with her skin earlier.

Like the fungal-virus chimera derived from the Vita Imprint, both Blood-giving Monster and Immortals fear this kind of silverware with psionic properties. It is the nemesis of evil—both the Spirit Elder and the BOSS like this material, which can be used to create very powerful clubs or radiant stones.

As for the claim that it can make one immune to [Sing For Me]...

"If you're even slightly annoyed by my abrupt entry into the bedroom, or feel I was rude—"

Before A Xing could finish thinking, Gloria barged in again.

She leaned forward, peeking her head through the crack in the door, a mocking expression on her face.

"Then I must apologize to you, General of Tears."

"If this gift doesn't satisfy you, and you still doubt my integrity, then..."

Gloria spat out a die.

I want you to accept my apology.

The result of this persuasive act was [16] points.

In that instant, the platinum coin in Meteor's hand began to glow red and hot, so hot that he immediately let go.

--The coin fell onto the carpet, burning a hideous dragon head mark into the fabric.

Immediately afterwards, Gloria spat out another die.

I'm going to go all in.

The result of the throw was [15].

At this moment, the meteor became out of control; he felt his mind start to wander aimlessly.

--It seems that everything has changed color.

The original bedroom in the church was decorated in a somewhat dark and depressing style. To accommodate the Blood-giving Retinue in the church, the curtains were thick and blackout. The wallpaper and wood materials were also mostly dark-colored to absorb sunlight.

After losing the protection of the platinum coin, Meteor felt cheerful, as if there was a strange sense of security in being in this little house— Gloria Sebastian's spiritual pressure was no longer as annoying and maddening as before.

That androgynous face seemed to overlap with David Victor's, constantly merging and merging in Meteor's mind, as if fate had played a little joke on him, finding a passionate soulmate in the land of Shambhala.

None of that matters anymore—their identities, their entanglement as cannibals and the nameless man, none of that matters.

I accept.

Meteor answered without hesitation.

"I think I can accept your apology, right?"

Gloria's eyes widened as she pressed, "Should?"

Meteor possesses powerful spiritual energy; he is still struggling, trying to fight against the power of [Sing For Me].

"I"

He involuntarily took a step forward, his bare feet stepping on the reddened Wenlong coins, and finally came to his senses!

"Hahahaha! Hehehahahaha! Hehehehehehe!" Gloria laughed triumphantly, her whole body shaking. "General of Tears, it's the real deal. Actually, I'm very curious."

"Would you really use it on your partner?"

Despite the blisters already forming on the soles of his feet, Meteor still dared not move his leg, and he retorted through gritted teeth.

What do you mean by that?

Gloria raised an eyebrow and paced back and forth in front of the door. "You can keep this Wenlong coin with you, or you can give it to your companion. Once you have this token, you can leave the Church of Dionysus —I won't make things difficult for a free soul."

"You can tear up this bet right now and take the money."

Meteor angrily interrupted, "Keep betting! I'm going to win every time! Who do you think I am? Do you think I'd abandon my comrades and desert in the face of battle?"

"Ah ha." Gloria squinted, revealing a strange, alluring gesture—

She leaned closer to the warrior and carefully sniffed his pheromones.

"Hey bro, you smell amazing!"

[Part ②: Sexual Tension]

This strangely intimate attitude made Meteor instinctively turn her head away, but because of the scorching silver coins under her feet, she couldn't move an inch.

"I love a gambler like you! Parker told me—you were going all in last night!" Gloria was in a very unstable state. "I was absolutely ecstatic! My toes were practically glued to my skin!"

"To tell you the truth, this body, blessed with elixirs, doesn't actually need sleep. I like meditation; only by emptying my mind can I fill it with new things and savor new experiences."

"My bedroom is on the top floor; you're welcome to come anytime if you like."

As she said this, Gloria's hand lightly brushed against Berloberg's blade.

Meteor instinctively raised his sword to slash, trying to stop the arm—but he couldn't.

Wisps of blue smoke rose from the duchess's forearm as the greatsword sliced through flesh, struck the humerus, rubbed against the radius, and cut a charred cross-section.

This angle of the cut might cause some damage, but it wouldn't stop Gloria at all.

She first lightly stroked Meteor's chin, then gripped the "child's" throat tightly, her eyes suddenly turning violent and vicious—her fingers slowly tightening their grip.

Meteor lifted the hilt of his sword, using the blade as leverage to strike down towards Gloria's head.

"You'll remember our next duel."

In the blink of an eye, the duchess twisted the blade of Berloberg's sword, holding the limp blade between her fingertips.

"Wake me up, let me have some fun too--"

"--The show in the arena has ended before the guests have even arrived. What kind of nonsense is this?"

She almost met the meteor's right hand head-on, forcefully pushing Berloberg back the way he came.

The two towering figures, both over 1.9 meters tall, remained locked in a stalemate. In this pure clash of strength, Meteor lost once again. This time, his soul power didn't even get a chance to shine; it was a one-sided crushing defeat of his physical essence.

The duchess casually tossed him aside, and with a flick of her wrist, the meteor's throat and upper body were flung back onto the bed.

She was panting heavily, her heart and lungs heaving, as if she had exhausted too much energy. Holy blood was surging through her body, and her excessively high metabolism caused her heart rate to spike. Her face was flushed—she had to exert all her strength to fight against the General of Tears.

Meteor's vision went black. With his neck in a vulnerable position and his brain bleeding, he lost again, and it had nothing to do with the eerie psychic power of [Sing For Me].

Just like a male lion subduing a female lion in nature, he was brutally humiliated and toyed with, then thrown back onto the bed.

At this moment, Gloria Sebastian, head held high and chest puffed out, blushing and heart pounding, squatted by the bedside and took General of Tears's arm—she was so hungry she was dizzy, yet she repeatedly restrained herself.

Because the chip hasn't been put into her pocket yet, the meat hasn't been cooked yet.

Her eyes were full of love, and she wished she could devour Bu Liuxing immediately—but that would ruin the experience.

Sometimes, "meaning" is a very subtle and very important attribute.

How can we resist the relentless sculptor of time?

For Gloria, it's all about the "meaning." If there's no such fun in life, she'd rather just return to the origin and die a peaceful death.

For this duchess, entertainment was more important than life itself—not just food and material desires, but also the thirst for knowledge and lust, all of which brought pleasure and made life "interesting."

She greedily caressed the General of Tears's body until the warrior gradually recovered from oxygen deprivation and blood loss, and began to struggle.

She immediately stepped aside, whistling with her hands behind her back, looking completely innocent.

"--I smell something on you. Hmm."

She found it hard to describe the feeling; it seemed as if someone had already gotten there first and tasted the meat.

"The pungent, fishy stench is from the blood of lapis lazuli."

Bu Liuxing groggily sat up. He didn't know how he had fainted. In just a moment, he was choked unconscious by Gloria.

"That's my fucking wife, what nonsense are you spouting?"

"Have you ever thought about it? General of Tears? Have you ever considered a possibility?" Gloria smiled knowingly, lowering her head and widening her eyes with innocent naivety. "If you lose and truly become my collection, perhaps our souls will be more compatible?"

"I discovered a long time ago that I and the Red Stone People have many common interests and striking similarities."

"We all have a strong sense of honor, and we will respect each other when we encounter a powerful enemy."

"We're all very sensual; we like delicious food, beautiful things, and fun things."

"Perhaps it's a good thing that they've become part of my collection? After all, every single one of these treasures is precious to me, and I would never mistreat them."

"--My heart is broken into many pieces, and I've given them to everyone."

Meteor's eyes went unfocused, revealing a look of incomprehension.

"Enough with the nonsense! Are you planning to roll the dice? To continue torturing me? Humiliating me? Making sure my feet get a few more scars?"

Gloria pursed her lips and shrugged, quickly ending the topic. "Well, since you don't want to hear it, how about we meet again at the betting game tomorrow?"

With that, the duchess solemnly and gracefully closed the bedroom door and left.

Once the terrifying enemy was gone, Meteor began to pant heavily and checked his injuries in the mirror.

There were four deep purple scratches on one side of his neck, revealing bruises to the lymphatic tissue and blood vessels—there was no doubt that Gloria's immense strength could break his cervical spine.

His expression grew increasingly grim, and his resolve began to waver.

Humans are always vulnerable, and when a way out appears, one must accept the test brought by fear.

Yes, he also has a wife, Teacher San San (3301's real name), who is pregnant and waiting for him in their hometown. If he takes the money from Wenlong and withdraws from the gambling, he might be able to go to Sendai to find the nameless man's partner, and then regroup and return to East Horse Port to rescue people—that's one way.

In a one-on-one fight, it seemed that she was no match for her at all. Whether it was a battle of spiritual energy or physical strength, Meteor suffered a crushing defeat more than once.

If it weren't for this little bit of "interest" and "fun," Gloria could have killed and eaten him long ago—he's still alive and breathing, all thanks to Gloria's feline instinct to toy with her prey.

This instinct is actually quite common; even the world's best hunters make this kind of mistake.

To give a more apt example, even a world champion, when faced with an opponent of overwhelming skill, will be tempted to spawn camp and camp, unwilling to end the game prematurely, because the process of conquering the prey is so easy that it becomes boring.

"Wake up! Bu Liuxing! Wake up!"

Meteor washed her face with cold water in front of the mirror, finally managing to cool down her overheated head and drive away her inner fantasies and demons.

For a fleeting moment, he was even captivated by Gloria Sebastian. The power emanating from her strong body forged by holy blood, the sense of security of being completely under someone else's control in the eternal hell.

Although it was only for a brief moment, the song of pleasure woven by desire made him feel lost and obsessed—he didn't need [Sing For Me] to roll the dice of fate; his intense self-destructive urges were enough to break down his defenses.

Unlike his Ming Ge, the 26-year-old Bu Liuxing is still young and still entangled in all sorts of desires. This is also the power of the heart that Ming De has always emphasized - and the reason why the value of the Gunsmith limited card pool continues to increase.

The General of Tears bit down hard on his right hand, on the fleshy mound of his Thumb. This arm had only recently grown back, and its pain receptors were extremely sensitive. The bite made his body tremble and tears well up in his eyes, and he was fully awake.

He changed his clothes, took the platinum coins, abandoned his thoughts of escape, and finally remembered the advantages of his own soul power.

To unleash his full potential, [Mr. Wei Meng Rap] needs a reliable partner.

At this moment, he felt a wave of fear wash over him. If Ming Ge knew about the various thoughts that had arisen from his oxygen deprivation, Ming Ge would probably laugh himself to death on the spot.

If Xue Ming were to see the meteor transform into Blood-giving Retinue, into the collection of the Immortals —and the two meet again—he could imagine what Ming Ge would say.

"Seeing you like this, I'm about to go crazy!"

"It's hard for anyone to resist laughing. Let's do a little mock battle, and when I die, play this battle footage on a loop at my funeral."

"You saw my urn shaking, and it started talking—"

"--This A Xing is such a loser."

"Don't be surprised, that's me laughing."