Chapter 257 – Extra 6 : Journey in Search of Memories (6)

A book

The three of them walked out of the City Lord’s Mansion. This time, even the staircase seemed unusually cooperative, no longer swaying about with constant “creak–creak” sounds.

At the corner, the suit of armour lightly tapped its weapon against the ground, as if bidding Lu Mingze farewell.

After leaving the City Lord’s Mansion, Cao Qian felt her heart lighten. Unlike Lu Mingze, to her the mansion was like an enormous demonic den, its oppressive aura keeping both Cao Qian and Guan Ling nervous, as if at any moment they might be attacked by walls, windows, stairs, or even the air itself.

Only around Lu Mingze did it seem as though there was a layer of purification barrier—standing close to him made everything feel more comfortable.

With the heavy atmosphere gone, Cao Qian reached out and tapped Lu Mingze on the shoulder, frowning as she asked, “Did you really not notice that everything in the City Lord’s Mansion was a demonic creature? They’re not as kind-hearted as you described. They only want to devour innocent people who enter the mansion.”

Lu Mingze looked straight at Cao Qian. His eyes sparkled like scattered starlight in the night as he said seriously, “I know.”

Cao Qian was slightly stunned.

Lu Mingze continued, “There were bloodstains inside the armour. They were probably left behind by someone trapped inside it, struggling desperately. The dangerous scenes the armour described—about the clock, the table, the chairs, and the sofa—must have really happened before. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have known such details so clearly.”

Guan Ling couldn’t help but say, “I thought you didn’t know. Then why did you say all that to them?”

“I wanted to know their true intentions,” Lu Mingze clenched his fist, then slowly relaxed it, speaking softly. “I don’t think we can judge them by human standards. They aren’t human.”

Cao Qian thought for a moment and understood what he meant. She said, “To them, humans are no different from ants or insects to us, not of the same kind. And those demonic creatures act entirely on instinct. Each of them is like the result of some trait being magnified. They didn’t willingly gain the attribute of being ‘alive’; some force brought them to life, and it’s a single-purpose existence.

“I get it now. You satisfied their previous single obsession and then used words to give them a new one—protecting the town. You transformed their evil obsession into a protective desire. This approach really is more effective than violently dismantling the City Lord’s Mansion. After all, our goal is to rebuild the town, not destroy it…”

She stroked her chin, looking enlightened, and her impression of Lu Mingze improved. This little prince, floating with imaginary pink sparkles around him, was far smarter than she had expected.

“Huh?” Lu Mingze blinked, then said quietly, “I didn’t think that far ahead… I just thought that they hurt humans because they were in trouble. If the trouble was solved, maybe they’d be willing to rebuild and protect the city with me. If they were willing, then let bygones be bygones, and they could redeem their past sins by using their abilities to punish criminals. If they weren’t willing and still wanted to hurt people, then as a human—and as the new lord of this town—I can’t let them keep harming others. Even if I don’t have much offensive power, I’d still eliminate those hidden dangers!”

After saying this resolutely, Lu Mingze chuckled, “But I’ve always been lucky. I only run into good demons. They’re willing to help me.”

He glanced at his personal stats on the wristband and thought to himself that a 100% luck stat really was amazing.

Guan Ling, watching from the side, said weakly, “I don’t think this is about luck…”

He agreed more with Cao Qian’s explanation—it was Lu Mingze who had forcibly stuffed a new desire into the minds of those emotionally single-minded demons. The demons probably didn’t even understand why they’d become guardians.

Cao Qian and Guan Ling exchanged a glance and silently swallowed the words they wanted to say.

Fine. If Lu Mingze thought it was luck, then it was luck.

Lu Mingze didn’t immediately go look for gold. Instead, he climbed up to the statue and greeted it—this was basic courtesy.

He was covered in dust after being inside the filthy City Lord’s Mansion. Apart from his still-bright eyes, the rest of him was gray all over, yet this didn’t diminish his looks in the slightest.

The moment he touched the statue’s base, a voice suddenly appeared in his mind: “You’re not dead?”

“Huh?” Lu Mingze froze briefly, then smiled. “Thanks for your concern. I’ve already got the map.”

Statue: “I wasn’t concerned. I was just wondering how you survived… Never mind, that’s not important. You’ve seen the gold shop’s location on the map. This time I must warn you: the gold shop at night is even harder to deal with than during the day. It’s best to go in daylight.”

Lu Mingze was someone who accepted advice humbly. He nodded and said, “Alright then. I’ll deal with the bandits first.”

“Bandits?” the statue asked in confusion. “How do you know there are bandits outside the city?”

Lu Mingze said, “The armour in the City Lord’s Mansion told me.”

Statue: “That armour that runs around at midnight? The one that drives everyone who wears it insane?”

“Yes, that armour—the one that protects the City Lord’s Mansion and patrols the town.”

Statue: “I think we’re talking about different armours… Forget it. Bandits do need to be eradicated, or the town can’t prosper. But remember one thing: you must never show mercy to bandits. They’re different from the demonic creatures in the City Lord’s Mansion.”

Lu Mingze listened carefully.

The statue added, “On the day disaster struck, the most terrifying thing wasn’t the demons—it was the human heart. Once malice is amplified and freed from moral and legal restraints, some people change completely. Under the corruption of a mysterious force, some of them are no longer just bandits. They’ve become half-demons—half human, half demon. Half-demons are extremely powerful at night, but… I think you’re better suited to attacking them at night.”

“Why?”

“During the day, they can disguise themselves as ordinary residents and deceive a little fool like you. At night, they can’t. Once their demonic nature is activated, they can’t hide their half-demonic bodies,” the statue explained seriously. “However, they’re stronger than the demons in the City Lord’s Mansion. You’d best find weapons and magic capable of purifying half-demons.”

So it really was a sword-and-magic world! Lu Mingze felt a bit excited and asked while holding the map, “Where can I find weapons and magic?”

The statue was almost amused by Lu Mingze’s silly grin. “How could treasures like that be marked on a map? I only know that such things definitely exist and are somewhere in the city. Finding them is up to you. I can tell you this much: the weapon is a sword once inlaid with gemstones—no, the gemstones are gone now. It’s an ordinary iron sword that used to be my personal blade.”

Lu Mingze heard a “ding”. A narration prompt informed him that his task progress had reached 0.3/6, and a new Task Three appeared on his wristband with a progress of 0.1: Find the statue’s lost sword.

To already have a lead on the third task made Lu Mingze happy, but also worried—this city was huge. Where was he supposed to find weapons and magic?

At that moment, the wristband engraved with the name “Xing Ye” began to heat up. Was Xing Ye coming?

Lu Mingze felt a surge of anticipation. He’d only been able to enter the game world thanks to the old mirrored phone case Xing Ye had given him. He believed Xing Ye must know something—and he really wanted to see him.

He quickly slapped the wristband, hoping a person would appear.

Instead, a book materialized out of thin air.

Lu Mingze: “???”

The book was thick, but every page was blank—there wasn’t a single word.

Cao Qian and Guan Ling had also expected another person. Seeing only a book, they found it strange and gathered around Lu Mingze to see what was special about it.

“What is this?” Lu Mingze frantically slapped the wristband.

The “Challenging Fate Game” wristband spoke hesitantly, as if saying one more word might cost it its life. Only after repeated slapping did words finally appear.

After a long while, a page surfaced showing Lu Mingze’s personal stats panel. He noticed a new section labelled “Items.”

Item: A book that will make you a winner in life if you understand it. To use it, you must love it. It possesses an unbelievable thickness and can answer 99% of your questions—but to make it speak, you must love it.

Lu Mingze: “……”

Xing Ye’s wristband was really bizarre…

Left with no choice, he held the book and asked, “How do I find swords and magic?”

Without any wind, the book flipped open. On the blank first page, a line of text appeared:

‘The city has suffered a great calamity, and bandits have plundered it. Most buildings have been destroyed; even the City Lord’s Mansion was no exception. In a looted city, if no special power protects them, buildings cannot remain intact. Seek out structures that are relatively well preserved.’

“I see,” Lu Mingze said to the book. “You’re really smart!”

The book didn’t reply. The words on the page slowly faded away.

Guan Ling sighed. “Even a book is smarter than me. How did I not think of that?”

Lu Mingze asked, “The wristband said that if I like you, you can unlock more of your potential. It also used ‘he’ rather than ‘it’ to describe you—does that mean you’re a human male?”

The book lay quietly open. No words appeared on the blank pages.

Lu Mingze didn’t feel discouraged and continued, “Why is it that only by liking you can your potential be developed?”

This time, the book answered. As if someone were writing by hand, lines of beautiful standard script appeared on the page one after another—

‘Because I love you.’

Lu Mingze’s face flushed instantly. He had been confessed to by many people before, but he had never felt his heart pounding like this.

It was clearly just one sentence—only five characters. Compared to the love poems and love letters he had received in the past, it was far simpler, yet it made Lu Mingze’s heart race.

“Who are you?” Lu Mingze asked. He actually had someone in mind, but he needed the book to confirm it.

The book replied: I can’t say.

After this line disappeared, the pages closed automatically. No matter how hard Lu Mingze tried to flip it open, he couldn’t.

“Let’s go,” Cao Qian said. “Let’s divide the areas according to the map and split up to look for buildings in the city that are relatively intact.”

She was faster on her feet and could cover more places.

“Wait,” Lu Mingze said. “I might have another way.”

He closed his eyes. About five minutes later, he opened them, scanned the map for a moment, and placed his finger on one of the buildings. “Here—the only church in the city. It’s the only one still intact.”

“How do you know that?” Cao Qian asked.

It had only been five minutes. What had Lu Mingze been doing while his eyes were closed?

“I asked the mirrors in the city,” Lu Mingze explained. “My starting skill, ‘Eye of Truth,’ allows me to see the scenes that each mirror has reflected. In this entire city, only the mirror inside the church remains intact.”

 

Translator : DarNan