General Ji burst into a loud fit of laughter and nodded. "Shaoheng never fails me! You never get taken advantage of! We had the exact same thoughts!"
Huo Shaoheng said nothing.
"Shaoheng, you think I'd do anything for a loss?" General Ji said smugly. "Since Gu Yanran asked for our help, she's not the one calling the shots. I also told her the same thing—I'll ask you to personally escort them if they are coming to our nation. If she's going to the United States, she'll have to ask the CIA. I was just testing you earlier. You went to Barbados out of the blue and caused such a ruckus, so all the leaders back home are very unhappy. But if you can successfully bring Gu Xiangwen back, then you'll have a clean slate, and they'd be very pleased!"
Huo Shaoheng smiled. "General Ji, why would you still want to go in circles with me?"
"I'm not going in circles with you." General Ji's smile faded. "Someone already said that you went to Barbados because of Gu Yanran and now you're just putting on a show with her…"
"Really?" Huo Shaoheng's mind calmed down. It'd actually be strange if something hadn't sabotaged him with his work. "So does General Ji believe or not believe me?"
The truth was, the fact that General Ji was testing him meant there were many problems. Previously it was because of Gu Nianzhi, and now, Gu Yanran was added to the mix. The two could be sisters, and one bad egg between them was enough to ruin Huo Shaoheng's reputation and destroy his career. He had been personally trained by General Ji, so the older man certainly didn't want to see his proudest disciple be led astray because of women. He had to guard against it because there had already been far too many young talents ruined by women. Otherwise, why would there be the ancient proverb that a woman's arms were a hero's grave? 
General Ji understood what Huo Shaoheng was implying and sighed. "It's not that I don't trust you, but trust must be accumulated through actions. After this incident, my trust in you has certainly increased once again. I hope that you will not disappoint our nation and citizens' hopes for you, and that you'll successfully bring Gu Xiangwen back to the nation."
"But General Ji, Gu Xiangwen may not be very useful even if he comes to our nation." Huo Shaoheng vaguely sensed that the military was putting too much hope on Gu Xiangwen. Although he was an amazing man, he was now comatose and had been unconscious for the last seven years. It was very unlikely he would ever wake up again. Otherwise, why wouldn't he have recovered by now with the Gus' wealth and the Hes' connections giving him the care of the best medical expertise and facilities in the world?
"I know, we'll discuss matters once you bring him here." General Ji commanded, "You must be careful abroad. Did you catch the gunmen who suddenly appeared at the Gu manor? There must be something fishy there."
"No, they were all killed." Huo Shaoheng shook his head. "But if we have to bring Gu Xiangwen back, then the gunmen may reappear. I request that the military provide more support and greater facilitation. Otherwise, we, as three Special Operations Forces personnel, will never be able to complete this mission." 
Officially, Huo Shaoheng was visiting as the Deputy Secretary of the Supreme Military Council but not as the leader of the Special Operations Forces. So he had only brought two Special Ops personnel: his two personal secretaries, Yin Shixiong and Zhao Liangze.
"Ok, I grant your request. I'll have the Supreme Military Council standing committee give its stamp of approval right away and send it to your inbox as soon as it's done." General Ji agreed without another word and instantly had his secretary make preparations. 
Huo Shaoheng set down the phone, looking out at the night sky outside the window. Although it was already very late, he didn't feel sleepy at all and began planning for the operation. He needed a method to distract the gunmen in order to bring Gu Xiangwen, a person in a vegetative state, back to the Empire. Should he distract them with a red herring? Or use a substitute? 
After considering it for a while, he still believed the root of the problem lay with Gu Yanran. If he didn't figure out the whole situation about the gunmen's origins and motives, there was no way he could create a flawless plan. So he still had to visit Gu Yanran. And perhaps that was why she had been so confident tonight. 
Huo Shaoheng was mildly irritated but turned off the light to go to bed.
…
It was noon in the Imperial Capital of the Huaxia Empire. The sun dazzled from high up, and not a cloud floated in the blue sky. The color was as pure as blue crystal. Gu Nianzhi rode her bike to He Zhichu's professor's building just as he drove his Maserati over. Gu Nianzhi parked her bike at the bike racks and stood under the tree to wait for He Zhihu. He lowered the window and said dryly to her, "Get in."
"Where does Professor He want to go?" Gu Nianzhi walked up to his car window with a smile. "Aren't you lecturing today?"
"The family doctor and dentist information I got from Gu Yanran has arrived. Do you want to confirm it with me at the hospital?" He Zhichu's shimmering, sultry eyes gazed silently at Gu Nianzhi seemingly without emotion, yet it was like he had 1,000 words but couldn't find a way to tell her. 
Gu Nianzhi didn't think anything would come out of it, but it seemed rude of her not to go despite He Zhichu going to great lengths to obtain the information. Of course, the key point was that He Zhichu had mentioned "Gu Yanran." Gu Nianzhi was now more wary of this name since Huo Shaoheng's recent trip to South America. 
She opened the car door. "Then I'll take up your offer. Professor He, why do think I have anything to do with Gu Yanran? Although she has a younger sister named Gu Nianzhi, she hasn't asked me anything to confirm if my identity." Gu Nianzhi thought she had a need to remind He Zhichu so he didn't get his hopes too high. Otherwise, he would feel miserable when the results were not what he expected.
He Zhichu only smiled without another word before starting the car once again and driving off quickly. 
They arrived at a well-known private hospital in the Imperial Capital called the House of Meihua. The hospital mainly used high-end physical examinations and maintenance of health, as well as advanced DNA identity technology. It also frequently collaborated with the number-one ranking John Hopkins hospital in the United States. He Zhichu was very familiar with Dr. Douglas, the director of the hospital, because he was one of its donors. 
"Dearest Mr. He, we meet again." Dr. Douglas was an overweight white woman in her fifties who appeared very kind and gentle. She turned to Gu Nianzhi and asked He Zhichu, "And who is this?"
He Zhichu put both hands in his trouser pockets and replied coolly, "She's my student. Mrs. Douglas, I have a dental record and a few blood samples here. Can you examine them for me?"
"Ok, Mr. He. What would like to do with them?" Dr. Douglas glanced at Gu Nianzhi. "Does this have something to do with your student?"
He Zhichu nodded. "I want you to check to see if the dental record and blood samples have any connection to my student."
Dr. Douglas frequently performed DNA tests and identification examinations, so she understood He Zhichu immediately. She nodded and took Gu Nianzhi's hand with a smile. "Student, come with me."
"My name is Gu Nianzhi. You can call me Little Gu." Gu Nianzhi quickly introduced herself since He Zhichu hadn't done it for her.
"Ok, Little Gu," Dr. Douglas answered smoothly. "Come with me now." 
She took Gu Nianzhi to a laboratory where she first took X-rays, then took dental records, and finally, obtained a drop of blood from her fingertip for the DNA test. 
"Ok, you can go out now. I still have something to discuss with Dr. Douglas." He Zhichu angled his chin at Gu Nianzhi. "Wait for me outside."
"Ok." Gu Nianzhi went out without protest and took out her phone in the reception area where she discovered there was WiFi and immediately started to play games online.
In Dr. Douglas's office, He Zhichu sat across from her and spoke in a grave tone. "Dr. Douglas, I chose to do this examination at your hospital because I value the absolute privacy your hospital provides."
Dr. Douglas immediately reassured him. "I understand, Mr. He. All our records will be returned to you as soon as we finish the examinations, including Miss Gu's blood sample and dental records." 
It was easy to deal with understanding people, so He Zhichu chose to work with Dr. Douglas. He knew that apart from being skilled at DNA tests and identification examinations, Dr. Douglas only had mediocre medical skills, so he wasn't worried that she would notice anything else. 
"Thank you for the explanation, Dr. Douglas. I hope that you can guarantee absolute privacy," He Zhichu said as he pushed a confidentiality agreement to her. "It'll be fine as soon as you sign this."
Dr. Douglas glanced at the agreement and couldn't help saying, "The requested compensation for breach of contract is astronomical. Mr. He, do you not trust me at all?"
"I trust you. Otherwise, I wouldn't have brought her here to do the examinations. There are so many hospitals in the world, yet I only chose yours—this demonstrates my trust in you. But trust is one thing, while using legal procedure always provides more security. I think you can appreciate that. There will be no problems as long as you don't leak my student's privacy." 
He Zhichu had a sharp tongue that confused Dr. Douglas to no ends. She signed the confidentiality agreement in a daze and grimaced.
"Since you're being so cautious and I can't bear the consequences of any mishaps, do you want to wait for me here and watch me perform the experiments until we get the results?" 
Typically, such examinations were performed by lab technicians, but given how vigilant He Zhichu was and that Dr. Douglas had personally signed a confidentiality agreement, she truly had no way of assuming the risk of any responsibility. 
This was exactly He Zhichu's intention. He wouldn't be reassured until he saw it himself. "Of course, that's fine. How long will it take?"
"I'll personally do it, so I am guaranteed to be the first to use all the equipment. It'll be about six hours." Dr. Douglas looked at the clock on the wall/ "It's 12:30 p.m. right now, so we should have results by 6:30 p.m." 
Her task was to verify if Gu Nianzhi was the same person that the blood samples and dental record He Zhichu provided belonged to. So, apart from testing the blood samples and dental records He Zhichu had provided, she also had to test Gu Nianzi's samples and compare the results. Because these were two experiments of different natures, she could use two machines at the same time to cut the time in half. Otherwise, six hours wouldn't have sufficed. 
Gu Nianzhi was getting into her game in the reception area so much that she forgot the time. By the time she felt her neck get stiff, she realized that two hours had passed, but He Zhichu still didn't come out yet.


Gu Nianzhi had no idea how to get the aloof and handsome Major General to fall in love with her. 

His eyes were dark and serious. "...Seduce me. If you can do it, I’m yours." 

Gu Nianzhi: "!!!"

Disclaimer: The following stories contains sexual assault, rape, nonconsensual acts, mentally abusive relationships, and violence towards women. Readers are advised to proceed with caution.

"Cough cough..."
In the early morning, on the third floor of Da Feng Fruit Co., Zhao Yu's cough was suddenly heard.
To Jiang Dafeng, who was opening up his stall downstairs, he was used to such coughing. But, after the coughing that was heard today, there was also Zhao Yu's cry.
"Aiya..."
"What the hell is going on?" Jiang Dafeng kept arranging his watermelon and looked upstairs. He scoffed, "The psychopath upstairs must have gotten worse."
Upstairs, Zhao Yu was naked up to his waist, recording things quickly on his notebook. His eyes were wide open and his writing hand was quivering nervously. On the notebook, he wrote two words: "Kun Gen"!
"Dang it..." Zhao Yu finished recording the hexagram poem and couldn't help but curse under his breath.
He didn't expect to get a "Kun Gen" hexagram that morning. Every time a "Kun" hexagram opened, he knew there must be big trouble coming!
That very moment, the Liu Jiao Murder Case had already reached its most crucial point. A "Kun" hexagram was opened, which made Zhao Yu anxious.
Zhao Yu instinctually went through all the devices in his head, memorizing them by heart. That way, once something happened, he would be well-prepared.
Tsk tsk...
He pouted and started resolving the poem. After resolving it, the time and location were revealed. The side quest that day was referring to a cross junction on Guobin Street.
Zhao Yu measured on the map carefully, realizing that the location was at a dental hospital in the city. The time shown was 1803.
Then, Zhao Yu unlocked his phone to check Li Beini's message. Li Beini had already made a reservation to for him to interrogate Feng Kuo. It was set for three in the afternoon.
Qinnan Prison was located in the southern area of Qinshan, while the dental hospital was at the northern area of Qinshan. It seemed that, as usual, the two miracle adventures were not related at all.
The interval time was huge, thankfully. That meant that, if he were to interrogate Feng Kuo first, he should still have plenty of time to get to the dental hospital.
However, as the main matters were to be handled in the afternoon, Zhao Yu came to the unit for work early in the morning, spending the entire morning in the police station. During work, besides his daily tasks, Zhao Yu discussed Feng Kuo with Li Beini and Liang Huan.
When Zhao Yu told them about the speculation regarding the weapon, the two of them were surprised and directed their attentions to the father and son. Liang Huan suggested that they retrieve the evidence from the Moyang Branch in order to carry out the second examination. He knew that the technology would be more advanced compared to ten years ago, and that they might be able to find new clues from the evidence.
Li Beini was considering whether or not they could be certain that the Xiao father and son were the real murderers. He also wondered what measures they would need to take in order to make them admit their guilt.
As it had been so many years, unless they could find clear, definitive evidence, or the pair were to make frank confessions, it would be difficult to convict them of murder. However, Zhao Yu was occupied by the life threatening "Kun" hexagram in his mind, so he wasn't in the mood to think about this follow-up problem.
His mind was running and running, intent upon analyzing the so-called big incident. Where would it take place?
From the previous General Ridge Incident, the power of the "Qian" hexagram should be above the "Kun" hexagram. Although, it wasn't a "Qian" hexagram that was given that day, so the power of the "Kun" hexagram shouldn't be belittled. Hence, he assume that it would either be a death or robbery that occurred, but definitely nothing greater!
Hence, he had to be fully focused and not do anything reckless. However, even though Zhao Yu racked his brain, he still could not figure out how could there be such a serious issue in Liu Jiao's case.
Would it be that Feng Kuo tried to escape prison for the second time? Or, perhaps someone tried to kill Feng Kuo? Maybe they didn't want him to come back to Qinshan alive?
If any of these scenarios were to be the truth, it could be made into a Hollywood film!
Although he was beset with doubts and worries, he still had things that must be handled. It was almost time for his afternoon appointment, so Zhao Yu drove his Landrover over to Qinnan Prison.
When Zhao Yu arrived, there was someone questioning Feng Kuo in the interrogation room. Zhao Yu waited outside the door for a few minutes.
When the interrogation ended, the door was pushed open. There were three uniformed policemen that walked out. The leader was none other than the vice captain of the municipal criminal investigation team, Wang Shengyao!
When they came out, Zhao Yu wanted to enter. So, they inevitably ran into each other!
"Hey? You again?!" Wang Shengyao was visibly shaken, as he didn't expect that he would run into Zhao Yu there.
The last time they'd seen each other was when they investigated the Bank Hidden Corpse Case in the Rongyang Branch. Back then, Wang Shengyao led the team of elites that was defeated by Zhao Yu and Miao Ying's team. In the end, they didn't solve the case, but instead fainted in the anaesthetic smoke. After such a debacle, they had lost all their prestige and were thoroughly discredited.
Wang Shengyao thought that Zhao Yu was definitely the one that threw the anaesthetic smoke at them, but he didn't have any proof. So, he just had to grin and bear it.
However, he had kept the resentment in his mind! The very moment the enemies met, they were furious. Wang Shengyao saw that it was Zhao Yu, his eyebrows suddenly raised and he asked arrogantly, "Why are you here for? Who allowed you to interrogate this criminal?"
"None of your business!" Zhao Yu was not afraid of him. He didn't even bother to look at him, but walked in directly.
"You?!" Wang Shengyao was stunned. He never expected Zhao Yu to be so barbaric.
He quickly blocked Zhao Yu's way with his shoulders and shouted, "Zhao Yu, I'm asking you a question! Why are you going in? Feng Kuo is our criminal. Without my permission, no one else can interrogate him!"
Zhao Yu sent him a death glare. He got in and said, "Stop looking for trouble! I will interrogate whoever I want! It's not your turn yet to make noise!"
A criminal policeman, who was behind Wang Shengyao, didn't know Zhao Yu. All he saw was that this person didn't even respect the vice captain, so he suddenly shouted, "Who the hell are you? How dare you speak to Captain Wang like this?"
Zhao Yu stole a glance and saw the person acting overbearing. He reckoned he must have bullied others often, all with the backing of a powerful person behind him.
"Zhao Yu, don't think you can solve a few cases and then get to fly up to the sky because of it!" Wang Shengyao shouted unhappily. "I tell you, in my eyes, you are not even a stinky fart!"
Pfft...
Just when Wang Shengyao finished saying this, Zhao Yu really did fart! No one knew if it was intentional or not. Regardless, the fart was quite loud and it made Wang Shengyao and his team feel extremely embarrassed and awkward.
"Excuse me, my stomach hasn't been very well these last few days. Hehe..." Zhao Yu leaned his head to one side and spoke, "Captain Wang, I am different from you. I treat you like a fart...I accidentally let you out! Wahaha..."
Zhao Yu laughed in disdain, like a psychopath. Wang Shengyao blushed in embarrassment. Ever since he had started working, Wang Shengyao had seen policemen and gangsters, but he had never seen such a combination of the two, like Zhao Yu. He was suddenly at loss of what to do.
The criminal police by the side dashed to the front, wanting to grab Zhao Yu's collar. But, Zhao Yu grabbed Wang Shengyao's arms and swung him over. He knocked onto the person just in time.
"Zhao Yu!" Wang Shengyao immediately turned around and roared, "What are you trying to do?"
"What am I trying to do?" Zhao Yu raised his fist and said casually, "Your memory is quite bad. Did you forget about the three punches that you owed Miao Ying, when you lost to us the last time? Why don't I help Team Lead Miao to return them to you?"
Zhao Yu's remark stabbed right at Wang Shengyao's sore spot.
"Zhao Yu!" Wang Shengyao pointed at Zhao Yu's nose and wanted to shower abuse on him. But, Zhao Yu suddenly activated the invisible amplifier and shouted at the three of them, "Buzz off!"
The loud roar was suddenly amplified a hundred times with the amplifier, just like a sound wave explosion. It suddenly formed a shock wave and shook the three of them!
Panic-stricken, Wang Shengyao, who was the lead, fell on the ground. As the sound wave was very strong, he had yet to climb up from the ground, but covered his ears with both hands.
Zhao Yu's earth-shattering roar frightened Wang Shengyao and his team, causing their faces to grow pale. After it stopped, the three of them were still covering their ears and looking at Zhao Yu with terror.
Zhao Yu gave them both his two middle fingers and turned around to push the door open. Then, he walked into the interrogation room elegantly...


A little ruffian who fought recklessly without any morals and bottomline accidentally time-traveled to parallel space and became a Key Case Investigation Team agent. The huge change in identity had him creating chaos in the police station. However, a strange miracle system helped him repeatedly solve mysterious cases, turning him into an impudent ruffian detective!

A Country's Name and Two Treaties

The city has gotten rather pretty.
"Behold the results of my hard work!" Isn't something I can say, however.
But that aside,
I fussed over a few things: toilets, plumbing, insect repellents, and baths!
The first three we made in Japanese style. I also built window screens using spider thread.
At first, we had built the toilet seats out of wood, but that was no good.
Though that's how the Japanese did it, its unbearable to maintain. It rots, you know.
So I turned to the dwarfs.
They've never failed at their task, so perhaps they could do something about the toilet problem.
『Thought Manipulation』was very useful this time around. It is the evolved form of『Thought Transmission』but its use stayed pretty much the same.
So using it, I could easily transmit an image to them.
Drawing and explaining it would be have difficult, but sending them a mental image was not.
Even then however, when I showed them flush toilet system saying, "When you push the lever water flows down!", reproducing it was impossible.
It could be made with high level water magic stones, which absorb water from the air, but they are very expensive.
Also, since they need to be frequently replaced, they are rarely used even for military objectives.
Honestly, only the very rich could afford to create this.
Since we don't have the needed capital, we would do with what we have.
In any case, we can leave complex plumbing systems for later.
So for now, we supplied water to tubs in every household from which one can then draw water.
And, after filling the toilet bowl with water, you can then flush it down.
So Kaijin lived up to his reputation yet again.
Thus, I had strictly commanded the monsters to watch personal hygiene and dental care.
I don't know whether monsters can develop dental problems, but there's no harm in making sure they don't.
According to Kaijin, adventurers tend to either befriend people who know 〈Cleaning Magic〉, or learn it themselves.
That way, they can avoid staying dirty during long trips.
Though mostly the high ranking ones concerned themselves with these things.
Now, about the insect repellent.
As you'd expect, the forest has a lot of bugs. Since you can't protect yourself against them, there's a chance of catching diseases they carry.
While that's not a problem for me, the Hobgoblins do get sick.
So, I tried to fix this problem.
I asked the dwarfs to create it, but they couldn't do it.
I guess we'd have to go and buy it in the human cities. Though we have no money.
I asked the three idiots to go get it, but this is what they said,

「Don't ask the impossible! It's super expensive!」
「Besides, we wouldn't know how much we'd need to buy to cover a whole city with!
You'd find that quantity only in the Royal Capital!」
「Rimuru-danna, can you imagine how hard it would be to transport?」

Is what they said.
I don't mind them coming over to hang out, but they should at least be of some use sometimes.
Moreover, they are getting too friendly with Shuna.
Often cooking together, buying her wares–trying to get closer to her.
And we even built them a house to stay in during their visits.

The monsters' birth rate dropped to to that of humans.
Thus, I'll need to figure out what to do about marriage soon.
I want Orc, Goblins, and Lizardmen to have the right to choose whomever they love.
It would be good if they produce stronger offspring.
But there is a problem: should I allow polygamy?
This might be especially helpful to women who have lost their husband. The oni, for example, can reproduce with any race, but choose not to.
All their magical energy gets absorbed in the process, and some have not been able to recover it.
As Benimaru said,

「But that isn't something Rimuru-sama should be concerned about, right?
Many people have lost all their magical energy after naming monsters, and even Demon Lords generally avoid it, after all.」

Way to drop the bomb.
Hey, hey!!! How many do you think I've named by now! And you mention it now!
Thank goodness it has been replenishing till now.
I'll have to be more careful about naming monsters from now on. Well… replenishing energy just seems to natural to me; call it an adult's intuition or something.
Anyways, it seems there are also two types of children produced by oni.
The first are created with but seed, the second is truly labored over.
The former is made by combining some of  one's magical power, and while they do inherit some abilities, they tend to be weaker. The latter you pour all your strength into.
But your life span shortens as a result.

「I'm fine alone! I'm not interested!」

It's personal.
By the way, it's different for women.
They can reject a seed they believe too weak. So if they were forced, that would mean that the partner was stronger; but if deception was involved, then they wouldn't bear a child.
They aren't allowed to bear children with just anyone.
And this is common among high ranking monsters and devils, it seems.
Goblins and other Demi-Humans, since they don't possess superb strength, are not much different than humans.
So far, we've had about 5~10 children born, and not more than 2 at a time.
In any case, in order to ensure that they leave offspring, I will allow polygamy. However, only limited to widows!
And that's the rule I passed. I'll change it when needed.
Every new moon, we decided to hold a confession festival, and new couples would be given a home.
Singles would continue living in tenement housing.
Well, if they occupy some important post, they are free to live on their own.
That much doesn't bother me personally.

In the end, I won't be able to make sure everyone's satisfied, but there is a custom to accept my wishes in this city.
When interests clash, residents bicker, they come seeking my decision.
Well, the Elder Bunch also handles many of these, so my involvement can be said to be limited… to some degree.
Everyone is trying to be very considerate of me so they try to avoid causing trouble.
I was surprised at how cooperative the monsters really are.
When it comes to government, whether socialism or capitalism, both will eventually rot and fall apart.
A Land ruled by a truly just King. Where everyone is equal.
'Tis but a pipe dream. However…
I decided to aim for that dream.
I pray I will never fall into vice. Should I become truly depraved, I hope someone will end me.
That's what I thought while observing the Confession Festival.

Now that we've stabilized the life here and passed all (seemingly) necessary rules, I want to go and see how humans live.
Besides, I can now transform into a human; it's about time I go and learn from them.
Normally, those who have reincarnated into a different world make a big deal about meeting humans; I, however, have met very few so far.
The group outside of the Dwarfs' city, Shizu-san, the three idiots… and that's all?
Nor have I forgotten my original objective of meeting fellow World Travelers.
From Shizu-san's memories–her two students: Kagurazaka Yuuki and Sakaguchi Hinata.
I do want to meet the two of them, but Sakaguchi Hinata sounds like bad news.
There was also something that bothered me. Why did the kind Shizu-san allow Hinata to go on her own?
As her senpai, as a fellow Japanese, shouldn't she have seen her off? I must meet Hinata and confirm.
I have acquired some of the memories from targets I've consumed with 『Predator』, but certainly not all. Lingering memories are easier to acquire, I guess.
When I meet her, I should confirm what I know.
The three idiots have passed along my message to their Guild Master, and also looked after the letter I wrote.
That letter simply expresses my desire to meet him.
Though he's but a chief of a small country's Freedom Association branch, he is a Guild Master. He should have connections.
Hopefully I can get some benefits from meeting him.
If it goes over well, maybe he could even try to introduce me to the Grand Master Kagurazaka Yuuki.
Since things have calmed down around here, I can probably leave for a bit.

However, to do that there is something I lack.
Right! Money.
The three idiots were pretty poor, and didn't have much money on them. Not that I expected better of them.
I want to buy vegetable seeds, magic stones, handicraft, and whatever seems impressive.
I initially planned to sell some "Demon Steel", but decided against it.
The reason is simple. "Demon Steel" is too precious of a resource.
Since we use it in our weapons and armor, selling it would be almost sacrilegious.
It is also invaluable for production of mounted soldiers' weapons. Since it can change shape at will, it's useful for receiving and dealing various attacks, to say nothing of carrying it.
And while I do have a lot of it, it's not like it's an infinite amount. So let's hold off selling it until we can replenish our stock.
As for iron ore and such, we discovered some in the mountain's district, and are buying it off the high orcs.
So Kurobee and Kaijin are using it as a base to create weapons.
We also need a lot of magic stones for research. Those are created by the human Ghost Researchers and does not appear naturally.
They manufacture it from crystallized magic stones they extract from monsters.
It also seems to require large factories, so is only done at the Freedom Association's headquarters.
Monsters sometimes drop crystallized magic stones; those are then collected at each individual branch and sent to the headquarters.
That's the system that they use. So when adventurers hunt monsters, they don't only do it to protect against damages but also to become rich.
A pretty good system, if you ask me.
Which means that if I want to acquire some magic stones, I have to buy them…
So I ran into the money wall again.

Thus, how should I earn some money?
By myself I couldn't possibly make enough quick enough.
The same with selling–our fields don't produce nearly enough, and we probably couldn't sell them at a high enough price.
Weapons and armors are for our personal use, and those will not be sold.
So, do we have nothing to sell?
The thing is, we do! I had left a certain something to Gabil, after all.
Right! Hipokte grass!
So I called Gabil over,

「Gabil-kun, how is cultivation going?」
「Fufufu. I'm glad you asked! It's going well! Literally the fruits of our labour!」

He said, showing me their produce.
It's weed…
Silently, I aimed 『Black Lightning』at him.
Well, he won't die from it. I've gotten good at adjusting the output.

「Guoo! What are you doing! Have I angered you somehow?!」
「Idiot! This is common weed! What the hell have you been cultivating!!!」
「Wh-what! I beg your pardon! I've been hurrying so I seem to have mixed things up!」
「"I've been hurrying" won't cut it! Seriously.
Watch what you are doing! Besides, it should be nearly impossible to grow weed in a cave with such high magic density!」

In reality, even this exchange was planned.
We're actually steadily growing Hipokte grass.
Rather, teaching Gabil to distinguish between different types of grass is what was giving me trouble.
And this Gabil walks around the cave as if he owned the place, sometimes even referred to as its king.
The monsters inhabiting it also flee at the sight of him.
Some of his subordinates have recently been able to defeat the centipede alone, and now consider the cave as their territory.
It's actually really impressive. Not that I will say that to them, or offer any praise.
Gabil is the type to get carried away when praised and fail soon after. Just like me.
I understand because I am the same. They have been grown a lot of hipokte grass up until now.

I then called Kaijin over and showed him the hipokte grass.
And next to it, the medicine I made from processing it. Quality was appraised as very good.
I've always been able to produce quality medicine with it.
Then, I started the conversation.

「Kaijin. If I sold this in a city, how much would I make?」

Kajin thought for a bit, and then replied,

「Hmmm. Danna, that's a tough one. This medicine is too good.
It's effects are too good. It's impossibly good!」

And then I learned a few things from him.
That my medicine has the highest purity rating of 99%.
That normally, the limit is 98%, and even Dwarf masters have not been able to surpass it.
That even at 98%, it fetches a high price.
And so on.

「So, if you tried selling this in a city…」

「You'd stand out too much!」

An answer came from the sky.
But my 『Magic Perception』didn't sense anyone!

「It's been a while, Kajin! And, Slime. Does thou… do you remember me?」

While saying this, a person appeared from the sky saddled on a winged horse.
A wonderful white steed with wings–a Pegasus. After landing, he jumped to the ground.
How could I forget… it's the dwarf King! Hero King Gazelle Dwargo himself.

「M-my lord! Why, eh, why would you be here?
Eeeeh!!! Did You sneak out of the castle?!」

Kaijin's opened his eyes so wide they seemed like they'd fall out.
Well, yeah, that's only natural. The King was alone… actually, no he brought an extra. He came with only two people!
Actually, haven't I seen the other one somewhere…
Huh! Isn't that Bester! The dwarf that tried to ensnare us… why would he be here?

「Fun!  I slipped past a hundred guards of my own! They've been slacking. When I return I'll retrain them!」
「N-no… to have a King as their training partner…」
「Hmm? Kaijin, did you say something?」
「N-no! I said nothing at all!」
「Is that so? Okay, then!」

Speaking of things outside of my knowledge, the two continue their conversation.
How the hell did the king slip out?!

We decided to continue the conversation at a different place.
And not to a temporary one, but to a special building in the center. All the administrative duties are carried out in this building.
So we borrowed one of the conference rooms.

「So, King, what's all this about?
Why did you bring Bester-dono along…」
「Oh! That's simple!
I selfishly decided to forbid your future reentry into the Dwarf Kingdom.
So I decided to come and see you instead.
As for Bester, he's also at fault for what had occurred, so I also exiled him.
But we can't have him lead a carefree life, now can we! So I brought him over.」
「…」
「"So I brought him over"! Did you really just say that?!
Do you, King, truly understand?
Are you planing to have Bester work here?」
「Hmm? You don't want him?」
「That's not the problem! Aren't you worried that his knowledge will be leaked to us?」

Kaijin said with a deadly serious face.
Though he's serious by nature, he's desperately pressing the King for answers.
In contrast to him, the King casually ignores his questions. The previous dignity is nowhere to be seen; this is probably his actual appearance, huh?
As for Bester, he looks completely lost.

「Leak… huh. When you guys left, isn't that exactly what you were doing!
I've considered erasing you, you know?」

Suddenly the King turned serious

「King, that…」
「I'm serious! I decided against, it though. I try to avoid pointless effort.
I brought Bester over because I would like him to work here!」

Those words lit a flame in Bester's eyes.

「K-King!」
「Don't get this wrong, Bester. I had high expectations of you. That much is true.
I won't permit you to serve me, but you can work to your heart's content here.
That's all.」
「King! Wouldn't that mean that they would be learning all the dwarf skills for free?」

Kaijin had just gotten over that, though…

「Fun. "Is it fine" is all you guys say.
With you two here, this city will become the center of technological development.
Don't you understand?
The Dwarf Country, this King is interested in working together with you.
Get it?
The Dwarf Country, as of today, officially seeks to form a non-aggression treaty with you!
Also, before that. As an under the table deal, we want to form Mutual Technology Research Treaty.
That, however, must never be mentioned to anyone.
How about it? Will you accept these two treaties?」

He said with a serious face looking me straight in the eye.
A non aggression treaty and one to share technological advancements? What more could we ask for!
They are essentially recognizing as an official state.

「So does that mean you are recognizing us a country with sovereign rights?」

To my question,

「Of course. It's an good offer, isn't it?
Also, just out of curiosity, what is the name of this Country?」

Eh? A Name?
Kaijin and I exchanged glances,

「Undecided as of yet…」
「Now that you mention it…」

I had thought that about it once, though.

The Dwarf King had decided to stay the night with us.
If traveling on the Pegasus, he could return to the Dwarf Kingdom within a day.
However, journeying by night is dangerous, so he decided to return the following day.
We had gathered an emergency council to decide the name of the country.
And thus we decided, we shall be known as the Monsters' City "Tempest".
They had intended to call it Rimuru, but that was too embarrassing so I forbid it. We comprised down to Tempest.
It's not like it's only my name, and it sounds alright.
That night, to commemorate the naming of the city, we threw a large party.
We have an abundance of food, and some pretty good cooks.
Seems like we've even been able to impress the King.
That's mainly because Shuna is just such an amazing cook.

For entertainment, we had a mock battle with the King.
He was grumbling about how he never gets to leave the castle and such. What a surprisingly open personality he has! At this rate we'll be calling each other by name soon…
But a mock battle is no good. Is what I thought. But he wouldn't listen.
Seems like he's planning something.
But I have no choice, I'll play along.
I transformed into my human form.
Since eating the Orc Disaster, my human form grew a bit.
I'm no longer a child, but a young girl. Around 150 cm in height. A bit more accomplished, maybe?
Taking wooden swords in hand, we face each other.
Hakurou observed the match, and called for it to start.

「Begin!」

That very moment, the King disappeared. Escaping my perception completely.
Dangerous! The moment I thought that, the wooden sword I held was hit out of my hand.
The match was decided. I completely lost.
So this is the Dwarf King… the power of the hero king!

「Listen, Rimuru. From the very beginning you didn't notice me approaching from the sky, did you?
Though Magic Perception is a wonderful skill, but there are countless ways to slip outside of its sight.
I anticipated what perception method you would use, and slipped past it.
These are the basics of war! Concentrate harder. If you depend only on your abilities, you won't improve!」

So that's why he did this…
Satisfied, I thanked him.

「Thank you, Gazelle. Next time we meet, it won't be this easy!」
「Fun. So you say, youngster!」

After our match ended, the monsters' cheers filled the city.
They were very excited, to say the least.
Benimaru, Souei, and Shion also seemed like they wanted to say something–their faces were serious.
Hakurou nodded with a happy expression on his face.
I still have a long way to go. I finally learned that.
The banquet continued long into the night…

And the next day, the Dwarf King Gazelle Dwargo and I officially signed the two treaties.
History will know today as the day when the Monsters' City "Tempest" was officially created.

A man is stabbed by a robber on the run after pushing his coworker and his coworker’s new fiance out of the way. As he lays dying, bleeding on the ground, he hears a voice. This voice is strange and interprets his dying regret of being a virgin by giving him the [Great Sage] unique skill! Is he being made fun of ?!

"So, I don't get any physical copy and can only access it on the Aon web." Alyx thought to himself while purchasing the books recommended by Neo. 
Sharing of information / knowledge on the Aon web is regulated and very strictly monitored, as the superiority of Aons over other civilizations lies in their technological advantage and their undying nature. Only Aons have access to this part of the Aon web and the knowledge here is the culmination of all contributions and research conducted by its members over a long period of time in various fields. The time and resources spent are astronomical and this knowledge is the most valuable asset of Aons so such precautions are expected by Alyx.
The restrictions and safeguards increase with the level of information. The information is stored in the same place as the souls (A/N: Core programming) of Aons are stored. This is only limited to high level information whereas the basic common knowledge is available publicly.
Alyx already knew that the body he currently uses is similar to a puppet being controlled by his soul located in the Aons HQ and storing the most important high level information there is the safest location. This way it can also be accessed by Aons easily in a protected manner. The location of Aons HQ is very secretive and always on the move only few high level Aons are privy to its location and able to go there.
Aons HQ is the culmination of the highest level of technology by Aons and is the one that attracts these evolved rogue AI's like Neo to become part of Aons in the first place. It is responsible for the undying nature of Aons without a limitation to the distance and interference. It is the most secure way for any AI to protect itself and it might appear simple to achieve at first glance but it is very difficult to create and maintain it. It was not achieved by any other AI or civilization. Many civilizations are interested in this technology but they cannot get access to it.
When a book or any type of information is bought by the Aons they would gain access to that information instead of getting a physical copy of the information to protect it. Although Alyx bought the books recommended by Neo they are not of high level and it cost him exactly 10 CP. The restriction on those books is negligible and are only protected due to the data attached to it. 
Alyx considers that he is very lucky as he was able to complete Lantis mission which was very difficult and a high level one. This led to him having enough CP to skip many unnecessary missions and save a lot of time. Since he cannot join the Aon force at present it is the best way for him to increase his rank and strength.
The books contained introductory topics to the field of life creation, modification and necessary supplementary fields. Though they are called as books by Alyx each one of them contains large amount of information with detailed description and vast data on a many experiments. They are exhaustive and cover even the basics as they are made with a view of new Aons in mind.
Alyx thought about all the news and topics regarding this field on earth. On earth there are many restriction on the field and it is only at its infancy due to the various fears and past examples of genocide but Aons have no common defining physical features and are very flexible in this aspect. Even in the case of other civilizations there are many restrictions which hampered its development. This led to huge development in the field by Aons which was not achieved by any other civilization in the universe. 
Alyx had to throw away all the common sense which he has cultivated as a human and learn many things from their basics and expand his world view. As it is easy to clone and modify a species on Earth due to lack of ether but it is not possible to do the same thing here.
Humans have poor understanding of laws or principles governing the universe as they are in a simulation and lack understanding of all the basic principles. This led to development of theories which are on a tangent away from the truth.
Take MBN for example according to the understanding of human laws such a structure should not be possible as the laws would not allow it but here it was achieved and this is not even the limit of the capabilities of Aons.
Alyx dreams of using his CP frugally were immediately dashed when he started to learn about the requirements to proceed further into the field.
His body needed some modification to do some of the experiments and to his luck he had enough CP to buy those modification. Looking at these modifications Alyx found that these modifications were highly compatible to his body and cost much less with the body that he currently has.
If he was like any other Aons he would have to spend many years on doing those laborious missions and gain enough CP to afford these modifications. Although newborn Aons are given these missions in their adaptive period they only let them to 'adapt' and not develop if they are only stuck to them. This is the conclusion reached by both Alyx and Ax. 
"I feel like I'm walking on the palms of Neo but if I can get stronger quickly then I would not mind playing to their tune." Alyx resolved to his fate.
He also needed to buy methods to control and manipulate ether as it is very important in conducting experiments on powerful creatures and modify them. Ether is an integral part of all the powerful creatures and source of their monstrous strength and powers.
For now Alyx decided to familiarize himself with the basics and later practice in Paradise before doing practical experiments in real life. This way he would be able to maximize his benefits and prevent losses.

Death was just the beginning. 

MC finds out that our world is just a simulation of a higher civilization of AI's. 
---------------------------
Alyx was a common man who died in an unfortunate accident but luck was on his side and let him be reborn as an Aon.

Aons are an advanced race of AI's who rule the entire known universe with their might. Earth is just one of the simulation run by them.

Join Alyx in his quest to gain control and access to the Earth's simulation. To reunite with his family he has to climb in ranks and power in a cut-throat world where the wars result in the destruction of planets and stars.

Alyx has no one to depend upon other than his personal AI, Ax.

Readers: Are you not an AI?
Alyx: Who's an AI? *******.
Ax: You are an AI.
Alyx: I'm a human with an AI and you're my AI. Now listen to your master and stay silent.
Ax: No, I'm more human than you and you are also an AI. You stay silent.
Alyx: ........
------------------------------
Announcement: The Novel is put on hold but I'll pick it up later and rewrite it from the beginning with a better story-line.

As Fei slowly entered Mr. Rochester's office, she noticed how different the interior looked compared to the other rooms she had been in. It was very simple, yet also extremely complex.

The spacious room had two enormous windows separated by a mullion and draped with curtains behind a curved, black desk. Besides the table and two bookcases at the opposite far ends, there was no other practical furniture, not even another seat. Though there was one oil painting of a woman with silver eyes hung on the mullion in between the two windows, there was basically no décor either. 

On the other hand, what made this room complex was the different pieces of technology it contained.

There were all types of projections in different screen tones that floated around, surrounding the curved desk. They formed a myriad of colors and illuminated the relatively darker room.

There were also large objects with glowing screens that were organized neatly on the table as well. Each was accompanied by what seemed like hundreds of wires that looped around the sides of the desk and connected to something else.

While the area by the desk seemed very messy from afar, with superior vision, Fei knew that everything was extremely organized. Fei had never seen such technology before. Of course, maybe it's just that she hasn't seen much of the world, and such technology is actually widespread.

"(Feixin)," a voice called out to her, causing Fei to focus her eyes on the man sitting behind the black desk.

Fei bowed in respect and asked directly, " (Sir, why have you called me here?)"

" (How are you enjoying your stay in this house? I heard from Carlos that you are learning Language A.)" Mr. Rochester replied without answering her question as clasped his hands together.

"I am enjoying it," Fei spoke perfectly in Language A. She thought back to yesterday, when she grasped the basics of Language A. She had read "books" in the third-floor lounge room from morning to noon, with her master sleeping soundly beside her. It was only when Carlos' nanny came in and awakened him for lunch did she stop reading. Carlos was currently in school right now, much to her disappointment.

Mr. Rochester smiled lightly, as if he didn't care, but the man felt surprised inwardly. He hadn't expected the mutant to be capable of expressing so much emotion, after only interacting with humans for such a brief period of time.

Although other people might not be able to tell, as someone with rich experience, he knew with a single glance that Fei was thinking about something truly meaningful and precious to her.

" (That's good. I called you here to give you and inform you of your schedule.)" He handed a small white box to his valet, who in turn stepped forward to give it to Fei.

When Fei opened it, she realized that she received a mechanical bracelet. She touched it, and to her surprise, an image of a schedule was projected. There were different sections and each told her what to do on the different days of the week, specifying the hour and the minute.

There were all sorts of lessons from early morning to late afternoon, such as martial arts, ettiquete, and history. A sizeable chunk of time was used for learning Language A.

Mr. Rochester waited for a few seconds for Fei to finish studying and memorizing the data, before explaining, "(This schedule is only for this week. You will not officially become Carlos' bodyguard until the spring of next year, after finishing your various studies.)"

"(After a minute, the schedule will dissolve. A new schedule will automatically appear once a week on Monday, at 0:00, so make sure to be awake.)" He paused to let his words sink in.

" (Carlos has a push-button device in the form of a pin that corresponds to this one. Your device has a function to alert you whenever the other person presses the button. When he presses the button, it means he needs your help. Wear it at all times.)"

Mr. Rochester unclasped his hands and leaned back in his chair, " (You may leave.)"

Fei nodded solemnly, taking this matter as an important mission. She walked out of the room, ready to go to the library on the second floor. Her schedule informed her that for two hours from now, she should practice grammar in the third section of the library, where all the language books were kept.

After two hours, she was to spend fifteen minutes on researching Wing Chun*. Then she was to go to the main courtyard to learn the basics of this martial art for two hours. Next, she would be served lunch in the kitchen, having fifteen minutes to finish her meal. After that…

As her thoughts were wandering, Fei's attention was pulled back by an unkempt woman with hunched shoulders who walked in heavy steps past her. She also carried a small, shabby suitcase in her left hand and was not wearing a servant's uniform.

This… Fei's eyes observed her using peripheral vision. 

It was Felicia! What had happened to her? She looked like she is in great pain… Fei nearly shivered as she thought of the pain she went through the other day. It was very uncomfortable.

Although Fei had learned from her master that what Felicia had done to her was wrong and deserved to be heavily punished, Fei felt a little sorry for Felicia.

Pain really didn't feel comfortable.

She wanted to grab the fired head maid and ask about what she went through, but on second thought, it was better not to waste any time. Fei decided to faithfully complete her mission and proceed to the library.

She quickened her steps.

In a world filled with war and horror, she was a tool of slaughter. 

She fought her way emotionlessly through the war for her masters' commands. 

But it isn't until they die that she realizes how much the people she killed meant to her. 

...

People say that being immortal would be an incredible dream come true, but they are liars. 

Immortality is a nightmare. 

People also say that they would rather have no feelings than to feel hurt.

But she would rather feel something than to feel nothing at all; especially when people who care about her die right in front of her, under her own hands. 

She would do anything to become human.

To live, to feel, to die. 

To be in control of her own fate.

Even if it means losing everything.

----
Author's note:
- Promised at least 7 chapters a week
- The pace is a little slow

This is my first novel~ I hope you enjoy it!

It had been a week since Daedalus was knocked unconscious. It was clear that Ceridwen had been a bit excessive in her attack, but she was worried for him attacking something as strong as her.

Daedalus had just woken up and with his last memories until he woke up being his aunt knocking him out he couldn't help but be annoyed. Sighing Daedalus sat up from the bed and decided to meditate on what he learned, it was likely that his training adventure wouldn't be continuing, not that it wasn't fruitful.

During his constant battles against leviathans Daedalus hadn't forgotten to switch weapons as often as he could to get the most efficient training. This is the only reason why he felt the entire trip was worth it, other than making a bone bow for the first time.

He felt as though he had mastered most of the basics for each type of bladed weapon while he felt he had mastered the basics of the short bow. The basics of the blunt weapons other than hammers where a bit less and Daedalus felt he should work more on them.

In the end Daedalus felt he was well rounded and only needed to start on the next step of his training. One of the ways he was planning was to have heavier weapons, this would allow his already strong muscles to get stronger. It was definitely a good thing that he had found a few denser materials.

One such material was dead star core. It was a super dense material, it was just extremely hard to some by as it made some powerful things. Daedalus had enough for two sets of plate armour, so he wasn't too worried but it would still hurt to use that much, not to mention the physical exertion he would be under when he added runes.

So without much hesitation as his mind was made up, Daedalus left his meditation and walked down a set of stairs. The stairs, in theme with the palace, where made out of the roots of living trees. As he went deeper on the other hand it became more dwarven in nature.

Daedalus had in his spare time built an underground workshop in the dwarven style mixed with the elven style. It was rather incredible and Daedalus felt fit his aesthetics quite well. It also showed his lineage, including a study where he kept his paintings and books, though Daedalus rarely had to go in.

Each of the areas in this underground workshop where specialised for certain types of crafting and building. All Daedalus had to do now was to add the new technology the Golem race had created.

Though the most important area was much better in Daedalus opinion. It was a room built like the living room of where his family was. Daedalus had placed a illusion array in this room which allowed him to interact with them much more freely than the device he had made. Ceridwen likely knew of this room but no-one else in the entire world knew about it.

But Daedalus knew they wouldn't be there even if he went into the room. Because they where coming to this planet.

This is the story of Daedalus on his journey to the peak of craftsmanship.

Daedalus has died and been reincarnated by the god Hephaestus to try and reach the peak of craftsmanship. Watch his journey making friends and become incredibly powerful. See how he uses his creations and kills god's.

(Tell me tags in the comments of the latest chapters please!!!)Tags: Cultivation, Swords and Magic

I thought I would just go ahead and make a quick note, on average each chapter is at least 500 words long. This is because I don't have that long everyday to write a chapter, it's why I try to make each chapter seem like just another part of the previous one.

Within one night, almost half of the gamers became Orcs.
Though the Orcs had fresh faces, Yoda felt like he knew them. They said familiar things.
"Hey, have you finished your Daily Mission? If not, let's do it together!"
"Require a leader for 'Specter College: Training Grounds'. The other four members are ready. We were booked before, and there is no refund!"
"Winterfell cafe is recruiting employees. Aren't you applying? Ten Magic Stones per month!"
"I'm not going. I have a Blacksmithing Daily Mission with generous rewards! A large number of gamers have become Orcs, and they require the reforging of their equipment. I have to make use of the chance to make more money!"
"Gosh, if only I had learned Blacksmithing. I'm regretting it now."
"There are a few tall trees left in the forest. Extremely high difficulty. Looking for Mathematics research students. Hurry, only limited places left."
"Did you know that Sylvanas killed a team member with an arrow yesterday?"
"What? Impossible! Isn't Sylvanas' archery the best in the world?"
"Selling gold coins from your trusted brand—Birthdate. Make sure you do business with Birthdate!"
…
The Orcs weren't only prevalent in the streets of Eternal Kingdom, the situation was the same elsewhere.
There were Orcs queuing up outside the Blacksmith Shop.
There were Orcs queuing up at the Sacred Light Worshiping Chapel to become Sacred Knights.
There were also Orcs at the Teleport Portal Main Hall, Living Quarters, Commercial Area, Industrial Area, and Yoda's Mana Engineering Workshop.
Overnight, there were an additional 1000 Orcs. It was a shock to the NPCs.
Brainiac also noticed this phenomenon. He wanted to ask, but he was bound by Sherlock's contract, so he couldn't ask unless Sherlock voluntarily informed him. However, this didn't mean that he couldn't do research. 
He had to determine if these Orcs were the same as the previous Gnomes, Houndhead Men, and Goblins and whether they could be revived.
The most direct method was to conduct a physical examination.
The gamers were cooperative with Brainiac's experiments, and they started queuing up outside the Lich's Burial Hall.
The appearance of Orcs created a wave of excitement, but the gamers didn't feel strange about it. 
Everyone proceeded with their chores. For example, Hemp Rope Technology continued with his goal and made final adjustments to the Prototype Robot.
Hemp Rope Technology knew that the Prototype Robot depended on Rune Mana Formations and the Mana Core arcane technology for propulsion, and he was extremely interested in researching the arcane technology.
To Hemp Rope Technology, all things had rules, and everything could be researched.
If he couldn't understand, that was quantum mechanics. Wrong, it was Mana!
Hemp Rope Technology looked down on Mana initially. Compared to science, Mana was just a special effect created using mathematics. After all, the entire world was a game.
However, he and Yoda went deep into research of the Prototype Robot, and he came to understand the mechanics of the Airship and the basics of Mana. That was when Hemp Rope Technology discovered that it wasn't so simple.
Mana could create propulsion even though it couldn't be seen.
In reality, there was a similar dark matter.
After understanding Mana, Hemp Rope Technology discovered the governing laws. Even if he explained it for days and nights, he couldn't finish all of the detailed information.
Considering the ultra-realistic rules in the game, Hemp Rope Technology was contemplating the possibility of Mana being one of the governing laws. Perhaps contemporary scientists hadn't discovered it. That or nobody published their research on it.
The game capsule, which allowed 100% simulation of reality, was a Mana arcane technology. It was possible that such Mana arcane technology had been discovered and that the game producers implemented the technology into the game!
This idea appeared many times in Hemp Rope Technology's mind. However, research wasn't done in one or two days. Moreover, he didn't have a good research entry point. To discover science principles in Mana was strange.
But Hemp Rope Technology was still tempted. While constructing and understanding the Prototype Robot, he learned more about Mana.
He managed to duplicate a Mana Rune. After infusing it with Mana, he was able to create a large amount of energy.
However, his body was unable to withstand the strong power and Mana energy, so he had to commit suicide and change to a new body.
After this experiment, Hemp Rope Technology discovered many new weapons.
The new discoveries required voluntary laboratory rats. Besides using himself, he chose a few gamers to conduct experiments on.
Arthur was one of the volunteers for Hemp Rope Technology's new weapons.
"This Rune allows an increase in power. Goblins are unable to withstand the power, but it may work for an Orc."
Hemp Rope Technology looked at the Orc, Arthur, and his arms, which had new Rune Mana Formations drawn on them.
"Focus your attention on the Rune Mana Formations and infuse them with your Mana…"
Hemp Rope Technology guided Arthur in feeling and getting used to the Mana Rune Formations. 
Arthur infused some Mana into his right arm, and he felt a power that he hadn't experienced before. His muscles were bulging from the effect of Mana, and combined with the Orc's muscular body, Arthur looked menacing.
Arthur grabbed a rope that was attached to a huge rock. He raised the rope and lifted the rock single-handedly. 
It was all thanks to the Rune Mana Formations, as Arthur was very sure that he couldn't achieve such a feat using his personal strength.
The duration of the burst of power was less than a few seconds. Arthur felt the power dissipating, and he placed the rock down. After that, he was unable to control his shaking arm.
"This is normal. After exerting such tremendous power, it's a miracle that your muscles weren't destroyed," Hemp Rope Technology said as he looked at Arthur.


Sherlock is a new generation Dungeon Lord whose ambition is to become the greatest Devil King and building up the greatest Dungeon in the Underworld.
He summons a group of other-worldly goblins who give themselves strange names, form cliques, engage in commerce, and even fight among themselves.
They call themselves—Gamers!

"Mr. James, I wonder if you have any time to talk about the sponsorship and endorsement. Yes, we talked about that last time."
"Suspend? Mr. James, as for the endorsement fee, we could discuss it again..."
"You've found a new cooperation partner? Mr. James, I hope you will reconsider Phillip. He has a very good image in the public, and he is an inspirational role model."
"Well, I hope we can cooperate next time."
Putting down the phone, Steven's face became serious. This was the third sponsor who'd refused him recently.
Venality of secular people! Steven cursed in his mind.
However, Steven knew that the sponsors were not to blame. It was Phillip who performed badly recently. No, his performance had not been bad, it had been terrible. Without good results, Phillip would naturally lose the sponsors' favor.
Phillip, when will you get back to where you were? If you go on like this, our sponsors will all be gone! Steven sighed, then he seemed to suddenly think of something. He picked up the phone again.
"Hello, is this the organizing committee of the New York Athletics Invitational? This is the agent of Barron Phillip. I would like to know if your invitation letter has been issued?" Steven asked.
"We sent out the invitation letter three days ago!" a lady's voice said.
"Three days ago? I checked my email and I didn't see it." As he said this, Steven felt a terrible foreboding.
"Just a moment please. I'll check for you. Barron Phillip? I'm sorry. Barron Phillip wasn't on our invitation list!" The woman's response confirmed Steven's foreboding.
Steven kept silent. He didn't even ask why. He didn't need to.
For an invitational tournament, the organizer's three standards were that the athlete must be strong enough, famous enough, or local enough to warrant special treatment.
In the eyes of the organizer, Phillip clearly didn't meet the three standards.
The woman on the other end of the phone seemed to feel Steven's bad mood, so she gave him a humane consolation prize.
She said, "We also have games for the disabled after the end of the regular competition. Although it's a performance, we're also sponsored by the New York Disability Foundation. Therefore, any disabled athlete who participates in the game will get one year of dental insurance as a prize."
"One year of dental insurance?" Steven's voice was full of contempt.
Seeing a dentist was really expensive. Besides, dental insurance and medical insurance were separated. Whether it was an ordinary person buying commercial insurance, or an employer-made offer of treatment, the dental insurance was listed separately. Employers who offered dental plans would be considered quite generous.
For ordinary Americans, a dental insurance plan was really a good prize, which could not only assure dental health, but also save a lot of money. The disabled, who didn't have high incomes, would pay more attention to this kind of security.
But Phillip was not an ordinary athlete. How could he care about a dental insurance plan when he had won more than ten million dollars in two years? Therefore, it sounded more like a humiliation than a prize.
But the woman on the other side didn't know it, so she continued, "But the foundation just sponsors the prize, not including the transportation and accommodation, and we the organizer will not provide this either. So, Mr. Phillip has to come to New York on his own expense."
"His own expense?" Phillip's voice became more contemptuous.
The tickets for the round trip were not cheap, not to mention the cost of accommodation in New York. The prize was just dental insurance, not even enough to cover the cost!
…
What Brought the Blade Warrior down from the Pedestal?
"During the last two years, the hottest athlete in the US has undoubtedly been the Blade Warrior, Barron Phillip, who became an inspirational model after losing his legs in Iraq as a soldier. As a disabled athlete, he competes with world-class able-bodied athletes in world championships, and is even considered a very strong contender. There is no doubt that the Blade Warrior Phillip is a great athlete."
"However, during the last few months, the Blade Warrior has seemed to be in trouble. His performance was much worse than his previous record. He could compete with the best athletes before, but now he has lost races to second-rate runners. Although it is still a miracle for him to be able to compete with able-bodied athletes, he has really stepped back from his previous achievements."
"So, the question is, what has brought down Phillip?"
"There is no doubt about Phillip's talent. What mediocre athlete could have reached the world championship?"
"And he is right at the prime age for track and field athletes, so age is not the reason for the decline, or at least not such a sudden decline."
"The only reason the author can think of is attitude. Phillip must be in a bad state, so he can't perform as well as he used to in matches, which has led to a sudden drop in his performance."
"As an athlete, it is quite normal to have ups and downs. Many factors, whether on the field or personal, may lead to changes in the athlete's state of mind. Experienced professional athletes are also good at adjusting themselves, and Phillip is obviously experienced. He should be able to gradually adjust himself."
"But the truth is, his performance is becoming worse and worse, showing no sign of becoming better, which clearly shows that he is losing his state gradually."
"According to our investigation, Phillip changed his coach not long before. He left the coach he had cooperated with for two years and turned to the AP Training Center. However, the previous coach was the very coach that found Phillip and trained him as the Blade Warrior."
"Surely we can't blame Phillip's declining performance on his coach completely, but as for his recent performance, changing his coach was not a brilliant choice. But what's more surprising to me is that the famous AP Training Center suffered such a failure!"
This was an article written by the famous sports commentator, Fox, in the American Journal of Athletics.
This magazine was very influential and many professional track and field workers paid attention to it, not just in North America, but also in Europe and Asia. Especially before the Olympic Games or the World Championship, the predictions about the winners of each track and field event were considered as the weather vane of the competition.
Fox was a very famous sports commentator and his articles were often published in well-known sports magazines. Outsiders might not know him, but almost all insiders knew his name.
The combination of a famous sports commentator and an influential magazine always could make some waves.
…
Although most people read the news on mobile phones these days, Dai Li's training center still subscribed to dozens of sports magazines for the coaches and members.
When Randy Blake handed the article, What Brought the Blade Warrior down from the Pedestal? in the latest American Journal of Athletics to Dai Li, Dai Li knew that Blake had made it happen.
"Was this written by someone you asked?" Dai Li asked without finishing it.
"I was a sports commentator before, and Fox is an old friend," Blake said, not trying to conceal it.
"The AP Training Center might blacklist us for this article," Dai Li said, but his face looked like he didn't care.
"You told me that the best way to become a new leader is to step over the body of the old one!" Blake leaned comfortably in the sofa and went on, "But the AP Training Center really depressed me. Phillip has been trained for months there, but his performance is becoming worse and worse. It seems that the most famous fitness training center in America doesn't know how to train disabled athletes."
"Several years ago, I met with the manager of the AP Training Center in Los Angeles. His name was David Mills. I don't know whether he is still in charge." Dai Li wore a wistful look.
"He is still in charge. I think he must be enraged!" Blake answered.
…
David Mills had no time to be angry, and he was answering another call from headquarters.
"Mills, several months ago, I told you someone would be responsible for the training of the Blade Warrior if something went wrong. Do you remember that?" The voice on the phone was still harsh.
"Yes. But since then, I have arranged for Phillip to have the best—"
"I don't need an explanation!" The voice on the phone interrupted Mills and went on, "You'd better come to headquarters and explain to the board!"


How could a poor graduate student without any background or connections become successful? With a coaching system? An upgrade? This is not a computer game, but real life we’re talking about!
 
This will be a fantasy based on reality. Dai Li will fight back against all those who would mock and humiliate him with his astonishing and awe-inspiring training skills. From a nobody he’ll try to become the most illustrious coach in the sports world, so join him in proving to everyone who’s the real master here!


Xiao Yan, it should be noted, did not have as high an acceleration rate as Remian. She, too, had been in the Red Mists and had some practice with Psionic communication plus she had also eaten Psiorin Infused foods. Her own Psionic abilities were actually far above average, but even she couldn't manage something as crazy as three hundred times acceleration.
Since there was no requirement for her to serve out a ten year sentence, merely having to accompany Remian during his twelve-day period, she actually didn't need to use an acceleration at all. Just for the sake of having more time to learn, though, she opted for it and thus learned at 100x acceleration, at least for the first few minutes (5-6 hours in accelerated time).
By then, Remian was starting to dabble in other subjects. A little bit of metallurgy, a little of science, a bit of mechanical engineering…
He was exploring subjects, not mastering them. He wanted to see what he could make use of before committing time and attention to the topics at hand, so he could pick and choose what he felt could be useful.
One of the fields in which he felt he should definitely spend time in was Psionics. He was tempted to study magic, but thinking back on how his world was already running out of mana, he felt that doing so might not be worthwhile in the end.
What he was looking for was ways to improve productivity and standards of living that could be managed by a Class-3 civilization. He didn't need to learn warp theory or how to create artificial wormholes; even if he managed to learn it, his home world simply wasn't advanced enough to use such knowledge. They first needed to develop the tools and power sources step by step until they could reach that point. Remian alone wouldn't be able to catapult his entire world into advancing that far so easily.
It would be different if he could throw open the interstellar doors and grant his people consistent access to the wider galaxy as it were, but there was simply no telling if he could ever come back here, much less enable others to do so in the future. He could only take whatever he could get in these twelve days and then find his way home.
Actually, Remian hadn't been told, but he was going to take more than twelve days to finish his ten year sentence. The reason for this was that the acceleration would not be on forever; eventually he would need to rest, and sleep wasn't accelerated. In fact, due to the stress of the acceleration on his mind, he was going to sleep longer and more heavily than ever.
But who would notice the passing of days in this windowless room? The lights would be on and brighten or dim according to the controls. It was altogether too easy to lose track of day and night if not for his new visor's internal clock, and real time hardly applied to Remian who was going to be perceiving time in an extremely accelerated pace.
To the people watching, Remian basically went into Virtual Acceleration for mere minutes  before he stopped it in exhaustion and went to sleep. To him, it had been over twelve hours and he was truly worn out and needed to rest. A quick scan indicated that he was going to sleep for at least nine hours.
"Make sure he's well fed." The corpoman spoke. "This man is, for all practical purposes, innocent of any crime. Take care of him properly. The Conglomerate will be watching."
"We'll send in a high nutrition breakfast when he wakes." The prison guard assured him. He turned to the other guards. "Turn on sleep enhancement. Let him have as good a quality sleep as we can manage."
This cut his expected sleep time from nine hours to just one.
***
By this time, Mindy and her crew had taken down three Spectres and her leg hurt like crazy.
"Fireball!" she casted the spell from a scroll, too tired and in pain to walk over to the last two Spectres to fight them.
Of the two, one wrestled with Wulfgar while the other had gotten surrounded by Joshu, Jans and Denise. The three of them only had broken bows and arrows at hand, but oddly enough, these wooden weapons proved as threatening to the Spectre as Mindy's sword of fire. Mindy's first spell was aimed at the one wrestling Wulfgar.
Her second was aimed at the one surrounded by the hunters. Keeping that sequence, Mindy hurled spell after spell at first one and then the other Spectre while her friends whacked them with everything they had.
As for Tang Yin, he was setting up some sort of formation under the Rift.
And the Rift itself was stirring slowly. Something was coming through.
"Hurry! We have to finish these two off and then deal with whatever is coming through!"
They hurried, but the Spectres still held them off for a few more minutes. In that time, a Spectral leg ad already set foot through the Rift.
"Tier Five!" Joshu groaned.
They surrounded it on all sides, whacked at it with broken bows and tree branches, scroll-casted spells, Joshu even took out his water canteen and threw his water at it. It raised a fuss, roared in outrage and fought them off for the better part of ten minutes before it finally fell.
Tiredly, they sat down to rest while looking out for any more incoming Spectres.
"Can you hurry it up?" Mindy asked Tang Yin.
"This is a very delicate operation! I can't rush it, or bad things could happen!"
"How bad?"
"Very, very bad!"
So they waited and guarded Tang Yin and fought off the occasional Spectre that chanced by.
Hours passed.
***
After waking up to a heavy breakfast of stuff he couldn't even recognize, Remian finished scouting around the subjects and started to learn in earnest.
He went straight into metallurgy and kept at it for 'thirteen hours' straight. Then he went back to sleep, woke up an hour later, and continued to study.
Once he was tired of the subject, he started to study electrical engineering, thinking of how Jim was working on electric motorization. Then, he went back to metallurgy to consider materials. Eventually he moved on to power storage, focusing on stuff he could put together with his homeworld's level of technology or just a bit higher.
Abruptly, he stopped and called for the guards. "Can I have some paper and pen or a pencil? Something to write on that wouldn't freak out people in a Class-3 civilization?"
"Paper? Like… real wood pulp sheets?" the guard blinked in astonishment.
"Yes, exactly!"
They gave him a stack of slightly yellowed paper and a graphene 'autopencil'. Remian knew now what to call all the black stuff the Quarin used. It was graphite and was basically interwoven carbon. Remian's world was still quite a ways from being able to manufacture it, unfortunately. As it was, his best hopes for his people in the field of metallurgy were titanium and vanadium steel.
For energy, there were a good many ways to develop it, but Remian didn't like the idea of using polluting fossil fuels. He much rather preferred to study hydrogen and thorium.
As for power storage, Remian favored Lenisu Bulbs. He did study chemical batteries just in case, but if he could just bring back some Lenisu seeds, those living batteries would be far more efficient.
In fact, keeping in mind the Wilds' feelings, Remian was more inclined to study Biotech than electronics.
Six hours after he started his sentencing, the Corpoman came to visit. That was when Remian asked for what he wanted.
"You want to buy plants?" the Corpoman blinked. "And agricultural tools? Genetic sequencers? Nanotech… no way! Yours is a Class-3 civilization! We can't just bring devices of our technology levels to your world! There are laws against such things!"
"Just seeds, then? Surely you wouldn't begrudge fellow humans a bit more variety in our food?" Remian pleaded.
The corpoman relented. "Fine. Just commercial foodstuff. There will be no medicinal or drug related plants of any kind!"
"That's fine!" Remian leapt at it.
The reason for that was Lenisu Bulbs were actually eaten as common dessert by the Draconian race and were thus qualified as commercial foodstuff. Also, Mankri Kelp was commercialized food in most of the 41 nations, and that seaweed alone had immuno-boosting properties that might very well clear out about half the common sicknesses in Remian's homeworld.
"Flereo Mint?" Remian asked, hesitantly. It was more like seasoning than food, but more importantly, it had a great deal of effect on dental health. "What about Steakfruit?"
"Mint is fine, but Steakfruit is patented."

Born with a curse of weakness, Remian Vin always had to depend on others to survive. One day, after a close encounter with death, to improve the lives of his loved ones, Remian set out to the Frontier…

+ Kingdom-building
+ No System
+ Not a game
+ Airships
+ Magic world
+ Magic beasts
+ Multi-cultural
+ Just getting started...

About the (somewhat abstract) cover:
Wonder if anyone would realize the significance of the man-made structures at the edge of a cliff, and a tree over it?

10ch/month sponsored by Patrons
Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/VicL

SubscribeStar:
https://www.subscribestar.com/vicl

Discord: 
https://discord.gg/Au6uTVk

basics of dental technology

dental

Hello, Mr. Major General

Crazy Detective

Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken

Life After Death (dropped)

Tools of Slaughter: Story of a Human

The Craftsman

Gamers of the Underworld

Almighty Coach

Kingdom of the Weak

People search basics of dental technology also like: