Eous hurried over to Nicole and urgently pressed her for an update, desperate to know what was behind all these revelations that had overturned everything they knew.
For once, Billy spoke up before anyone else, recounting all of Anby's earlier deductions in a slightly boastful tone:
"Let me tell you! This is completely insane! Lord Dragon Emperor didn't die in an accident back then. People joined forces to set him up!
"After he died, his body was pinned down by a spear and imprisoned deep in this Hollow, deliberately suppressed for an entire year!"
He pointed at the black-haired young man sitting quietly behind them and continued his explanation:
"We just pulled out the spear that was holding him prisoner, and that's how he was able to come back.
"And Lord Dragon Emperor's condition is really unstable right now. Not only has he completely lost his memory and can't remember a thing, but he can't speak either. His eyes are closed, so he can't see. He's basically mute and blind, no different from an ordinary person."
Nicole added, "Although his eyes have been closed the whole time, Lord Dragon Emperor seems to have some other ability that lets him see us without using them."
The shocking truth sent a jolt through Belle, and she hurriedly asked, "Is Lord Dragon Emperor dangerous right now? Could he lose control and hurt people around him?"
Belle was nearly scared out of her wits. With Lord Dragon Emperor's strength, if he accidentally lost control...
Wouldn't the whole Hollow probably explode?
Nicole shook her head gently, her voice calm and confident:
"There probably won't be any major problems. Lord Dragon Emperor was the one who just wiped out all the Ethereals in the entire Hollow in an instant, but he never showed us the slightest hostility.
"That's enough to prove that even though he's lost his memory and speech and can't see, he still retains most of his reason. His nature has never changed."
Hearing this, Belle immediately cast aside all her worries, and her eyes lit up.
She eagerly steered Eous over to Lu Yingheng and kept circling him.
Belle carefully admired his breathtakingly handsome face from every angle, her eyes full of excitement and awe she could hardly conceal.
(Not nearly as handsome as you esteemed readers, of course!)
Sensing the figure moving around him, Lu Yingheng tilted his head as if he didn't understand. His eyes remained tightly shut, and his face was full of confusion. His innocent, bewildered appearance was especially endearing.
In the livestream:
"Ahhhhhh!"
Xia Linxi was beside herself with excitement, little hearts filling her eyes as she looked like a lovestruck fangirl:
"Aaaaaah! I can't take it! He's so cute! Can anyone actually resist this kind of cute, cold-faced guy?"
"He looks like a cool, aloof handsome guy, but losing his memory turned him into a little airhead! That head tilt is killing me!"
Lin Xingyao was already making strange humming noises. She switched to streaming with her virtual avatar, then turned off her camera, making her real self disappear from the livestream.
In the comments:
[He's so cute! Cold-faced cuties are the best!]
[It's over. Two lovestruck streamers, and they're both in heat.]
[666, what are you turning off your camera for, you pervert Xingyao? Holy crap! Streamer, why are you making those weird noises?]
[Playing Gold Miner, I see.]
Anby remained calm and composed. She spoke up with a timely reminder, breaking the lighthearted atmosphere:
"Everyone, don't get carried away celebrating. No single faction could have ambushed and gravely injured Lord Dragon Emperor. Several top-tier factions must have joined forces to plot against him."
Her gaze grew grave as she weighed the situation:
"Lord Dragon Emperor has lost his memory and speech, and he can't see. All his strength is dormant, reduced to zero. He has no ability whatsoever to protect himself or fight his enemies.
"Once word gets out that he survived, the people behind this will surely strike again to finish him off.
"The only way now is to find a hidden, safe place to keep Lord Dragon Emperor and quietly wait for him to regain his memory and strength.
"Until then, we absolutely can't let him appear in public."
Anby's words immediately put an end to everyone's fooling around, and the atmosphere turned serious.
Nicole immediately stepped forward and volunteered in a resolute voice:
"Let me! I can take Lord Dragon Emperor in! If he hadn't funded the orphanage back then, I never would have survived to this day.
"Now my benefactor is in trouble, with no one to rely on. No matter what, I have to repay him for saving my life and take good care of him!"
The moment she finished, Billy's face fell. He let out a pained wail, looking utterly miserable:
"Don't, Nicole! Things are already tight at the Cunning Hares. We have to pinch every penny every day, and we're almost out of food!
"We can barely feed ourselves. If we take in another big shot, we might as well eat dirt from now on. We just can't afford it!"
Far away, in front of the terminal screen at the video store, Belle's eyes lit up as she listened to their argument.
She turned excitedly to her calm older brother Wise and eagerly proposed:
"Brother! How about we bring Lord Dragon Emperor home to live with us?"
She laid out her plan enthusiastically, her face alight with excitement:
"He may have lost his memory and forgotten everything, but he's so good-looking! He'd be perfect as a clerk at our video store!
"Our store doesn't get many customers, and all sorts of people come and go. That makes it less likely anyone would pay special attention to him and recognize him. It's definitely a good place to keep him hidden!"
Wise, who had remained composed all along, saw through his sister's little scheme at once and mercilessly exposed her:
"Save the excuses. You're not doing this to keep him hidden. You're clearly doing it for yourself."
He smiled faintly and laid bare the truth:
"Your idol came back from the dead, and you could live under the same roof as Lord Dragon Emperor and spend every day with him. A die-hard fan like you couldn't possibly resist that, could you?"
Belle wasn't the least bit embarrassed at having her thoughts exposed. She immediately threw herself at Wise, affectionately hugging his arm and rubbing her head against it.
Belle put on her battle face in an instant!
She went straight into full-on pleading mode, repeatedly begging him in a sweet voice:
"Dear brother~ Just this once! Please let Lord Dragon Emperor stay! He's homeless now, and he's mute and blind. He's so pitiful!
"If he stays with us, we can definitely keep him safe! Working at the store would also give him something to pass the time!"
Seeing how persistent his sister was, Wise, who had always been a bit of a siscon and could never resist her pleading, completely gave in. He could only sigh helplessly and nod.
He said softly, "All right, we'll do it your way. We have enough room at home, and feeding and housing him won't be a problem.
"The video store is in a secluded location, and all sorts of people pass through. It really is the best place to hide him.
"Lord Dragon Emperor can stay with us for now and recuperate while he slowly recovers."
In the livestream:
Xia Linxi was so excited she was almost going crazy:
"Holy crap! The hottest male character at launch can actually come back to the video store with us?"
"I declare this the most satisfying protagonist at launch. The game just opened, and we've already brought a top-tier powerhouse straight into our home!"
In the comments:
[What else is there to say? I'm not eating beef!]
[We're not going to get one of those crooked-smile Dragon King plots later, are we? Someone blind comes to pick a fight, takes one look at Lord Dragon Emperor, and drops to their knees.]
[They won't die that slowly. The moment they speak disrespectfully to the protagonist, they'll be smashed to pieces.]