Chapter 108

This is the second time I've taken leave this month...

Sigh, as the title says.

I just got home and was about to start writing when I opened the door and suddenly saw a group of relatives I barely knew sitting around the table, practically dragging me over.

Wait a minute, things have already resumed at work, and students have all gone back to school. Why are some relatives still coming to my house at night out of boredom?

And it happened for two days in a row, damn it.

Yesterday was already a nightmare; I even had to sneak into the bathroom to frantically type on my phone to finish writing. Today, when I tried to do the same, my family immediately pinned me down in a chair, telling me to stop working all the time and that eating with relatives was more important than work...

No, seriously, I don't even know the faces or names of these guys. Talking to them feels less important than chatting with the lovely readers in the group chat. Even now, as I'm writing this, I can still hear them nagging me about not using my phone while eating and having a couple of drinks with them...

Explanations seem pointless; they're just determined to get someone to drink with them... as if not doing so would be a major taboo. I hate drinking culture.

(By the way, I've roughly figured out my writing rhythm over the past two months.)

(I took two days off last month, and I was supposed to only take one this month, but I got ganked today, so that's also two days off. Thinking about it carefully, I'll set a standard for myself.)

(I'll only take leave twice a month at most. If I exceed that number, I'll add two extra chapters for each additional day off.)

(Anyway, I feel like I'm going to get fed today... I'll get up early tomorrow and write more to make it up to everyone.)

Finally, I'd like to say one more thing.

Drinking culture! Stupid relatives!

What the hell?! (Deafeningly loud)

Chapter Sixty-Three, Requesting Leave... Screw it, let's get to the coding!

"Hey, who are you swearing at, Victoria? Let me tell you, we're not the kind of people you can just talk to today..."

The burly man, who had been standing quite close, walked up to the Bloodfiend Great Lord and looked down at the somewhat thin man before him.

"If you don't want to die, hurry up..."

However, the words had barely left her throat when a sharp pain in her chest overwhelmed her consciousness.

Duhkare flicked a drop of bright red blood from his fingertip and glanced at everyone in the aisle with a hint of disdain.

His gaze then settled on Aiden, who was surrounded by the crowd.

"Mr. Duhkare?! It's you? What are you doing here?!"

Aiden stared incredulously at the suddenly appearing Duhkare, but the next moment, he realized something was amiss.

"Run! Mr. Duhkare, there are too many of them, you can't handle them!"

Although Aiden witnessed the latter easily subdue a burly man, from Aiden perspective, that should only have been in a one-on-one situation, and Mr. Duhkare possessed some special skills.

However, facing such a large number of thugs alone would undoubtedly put him in a dangerous situation.

However, he was unaware that these very words served as a subtle reminder to the somewhat hesitant thugs around him.

Yes!

There are so many of them!

This guy doesn't look particularly strong! The way he easily took down their companion must have involved some special methods.

If they all attack together, do you think this guy can handle it?

It's impossible that they encountered something like that monster woman twice in a row, right?

No way, really?

"* Victoria's swearing*, let's all go for it! This guy looks way easier to deal with than that woman! Let's all attack together and make his little tricks useless!"

Come out!!!"

The thugs roared and then charged at Duhkare with all sorts of weapons.

The latter simply stood quietly in place, without saying a word.

Only those scarlet eyes silently watched the thugs whose shouts grew louder and louder before them.

"Pfft... Ahahaha..."

Looking at the Victoria man before him, Duhkare seemed to recall something and unconsciously let out a chilling laugh.

He remembers that scene.

Many years ago, how many years ago was it?

He forgot, but he remembered the scene nonetheless.

Back then, there were quite a few Victoria like that group of hooligans who charged at him on the battlefield.

However, those people back then had better equipment and more coordinated tactics.

However, after all these years, Duhkare remains Duhkare, and the group that launched this attack on him again... was actually a bunch of Victoria thugs?

Hahaha... Hahahahaha!

"It's really... it makes me laugh involuntarily."

The Bloodfiend Great Lord's lips curled into a smile, and he began to recall the fate of the Victoria soldiers who had charged towards him...

"How I miss that magnificent sight."

He smiled and began to construct his own Originium Arts in the palm of his hand.

"Mr. Duhkare! I never knew you were so amazing!"

On a bench in the street, Aiden spoke with some gratitude to Duhkare was sitting upright there.

"Oh, how lucky I am to have met you, otherwise I really don't know what I would have done."

"I didn't know you were a martial arts expert! I saw you just slap those guys down with one palm strike! I remember this; I read quite a few similar books when I was studying in the Flame Kingdom!"

"This is called... Inch Force! Yes, Inch Force strike!"

Aiden launched into a long, rambling monologue.

Duhkare, standing to the side, simply smiled, letting the former freely imagine his own abilities.

However, he only stood up and spoke when the other person's tone gradually softened.

"No, Aiden, rather, I should thank you for letting me enjoy a farce again after so long."

"Farce...?"

Anyway, let's say goodbye here.

"By the way, don't think you'll run into me again sometime. If there's a next time, you'd better avoid me."

Duhkare waved his hand, leaving Aiden standing there somewhat puzzled.

After he had walked for a while, his servant, who was covered in sweat, suddenly followed him from the crowd on the side of the street.

"All done? That's very efficient."

Seeing the other party's terrified expression, the Bloodfiend Great Lord felt a long-lost sense of familiar pleasure.

"It's... all done..."

The servant's attitude was noticeably more respectful, or rather, fearful, than before.

In the cold, dark alley, a group of thugs lay sprawled out, seemingly "knocked out."

When the attendants who arrived to handle the situation thought that this member of the Sarkaz Royal Court would actually show mercy, they were surprised.

A servant who had started moving the "unconscious" thug suddenly screamed.

The guy they were carrying began to wither and shrivel rapidly. In just a few seconds, he was like a deflated balloon, transforming from a sturdy body into something resembling withered old tree bark!

Then, a sound like leaking air, like a symphony of demons, rose and fell among the corpses scattered everywhere, echoing in the ears of everyone in the alley!

Not a single person survived... The Bloodfiend Great Lord's actions were almost too considerate.

Not a single drop of blood was left.

Some were just dried, bark-like objects with human faces on them; a single suitcase could easily roll them all up and stuff them inside.

"Come on, lead the way. I'm suddenly interested in sitting on one of those little gadgets you've prepared."

Duhkare's voice interrupted the servant's thoughts, forcibly pulling him back from his trembling.

"Well..."

"Mr. Duhkare, you're really impressive! You subdued those thugs so easily."

Sitting on the bench, Aiden, unaware that some unfortunate souls had just vanished into thin air, couldn't help but think to himself.

の

But then, he suddenly sighed.

What can he possibly do?

Full of ideas, yet unable to accomplish anything.

He arrived in Londinium, but he couldn't even afford to cover his daily expenses.

The money his father gave him was far from enough to survive in such a central city long-term; he might starve to death before he could even witness firsthand the signs of life emerging in the country's capital.

"I need to find a job that can at least sustain me for now."

As Aiden spoke, he glanced again at the box he was holding.

He only found out when he arrived in Londinium that his father had packed up some of his belongings and shipped them over... Honestly, it was like he couldn't wait for him to get lost.

But... it seems like all of this stuff comes from his university days... it really brings back memories.

Aiden paused, stunned, when he saw an old-fashioned camera sitting in the box.

Back in the fields

During their internship, their group will need to record the growth of the experimental rice.

In addition to notes, you will also need accompanying pictures.

This task was initially assigned to Aiden.

The same goes for this camera; after his internship, his senior praised him for his talent in photography and gifted it to him.

What else is there to say... this is some kind of Victoria import...

It is indeed strange that a Flame Kingdom would give a Victoria person a camera imported from Victoria.

However, he accepted his senior's kindness nonetheless...

Farming skills... are definitely useless in Londinium... but photography... do I really have a talent for it?

Aiden had hardly ever received a word of praise from his hot-tempered father since childhood, muttered to himself while holding his camera.

"How about we try... for example, finding a temporary job related to videography?"

Inside a Victoria office building.

The Doctor sat down at his workstation with some curiosity.

"Hey boss, why are all these workstations so clean? Shouldn't a newspaper office be piled high with manuscripts, materials, and film rolls?"

Although the Doctor didn't know the exact situation at the newspaper office, it certainly wasn't like it was now, with so many workstations so clean.

Could it be that these employees took all their belongings from their workstations back to work during the Chinese New Year holiday?

Are you kidding me? That's impossible.

"Ah, this... it's alright, soon, soon someone will be back at work. Yes, right now we're mainly short a reporter... it's alright, soon someone... oops, soon they'll be back!"

The bald boss trembled at the Doctor's words, and then stammered.

He was also hiding something behind his back.

However, he underestimated the Doctor's dynamic vision.

This level of memory and vision was effortless for her.