Mini World Game Console-Chapter 652 - 653: There’s No Chance Left

Staring at the new black and white icon on his phone, Ren Suo fell into deep thought.

Although he had anticipated it, Ren Suo still felt a bit of surprise when he saw the "Light and Dark Traitor" game app on his phone.

It seemed that he had found his entertainment for the New Year's visits with his parents.

It was actually quite normal for "Light and Dark Traitor" to be played on a mobile phone. The game's play mode mainly consisted of 'props collection' and 'card chaos battle.' Although the card battles were 'burst into fight in five seconds,' requiring significant player attention and analytical skill, they also substantially reduced the demand for operational dexterity. Ren Suo, for instance, could easily complete most operations with one hand on the mouse.

Playing this game on a mobile phone posed no operational barriers at all; it was even more convenient—comparing clicking cards with a mouse to directly pressing them with a finger, the latter was indeed a bit faster.

Although Ren Suo was curious to check the quality of the mobile version of "Light and Dark Traitor," the situation didn't seem to allow it now...

"Class President, how is your cultivation speed so fast? You've reached the third turn already, aren't you about to graduate?" Lin Xianyu clasped Gu Yueyan's arm with a face full of envy, looking up to her like an underachiever to a top student.

"I can continue to cultivate spells in school. I only have third-turn Cultivation now, but I don't know any spells. However, I'll apply to the academy to see if I can be an advisor or a Cultivation Instructor…" Gu Yueyan laughed. "As for the cultivation speed, that's because of an opportunity on The Dark Side of the Moon..."

"That's great, Class President! Why didn't you choose me to go to The Dark Side of the Moon then?" Lin Xianyu sighed as if she had missed out on a sweepstake jackpot.

"I couldn't choose by myself at that time; maybe The Dark Side of the Moon has its own requirements for candidates..." Gu Yueyan glanced at Ren Suo and said, "Like being a bit dumb, unfocused, impulsive, but cute..."

Lin Xianyu said gloomily, "I think I meet all those criteria..."

"So, you still want to work in the academy after you graduate?" Ren Xingmei raised her eyebrows and asked. "Have you considered working somewhere else? Tactical Bureau, Liaoyuan Transcendent Company, Healing Cultivator..."

Gu Yueyan pursed her lips and smiled. "Of course, but there's no rush. I'm still young. I'll focus on Cultivation and learning in the next few years to see if I can advance further in my Cultivation."

"However, I don't really have any specific goals. Before, I was just thinking about doing my best in my studies. If you ask me what I want to do in the future, I really can't answer... At most, I have a short-term five-year goal, but as for a lifetime's ambition, I really don't have one."

Lin Xianyu asked curiously, "What is your five-year goal?"

Gu Yueyan smiled and said, "My current plan is to find a leisurely job at the academy after graduation, then settle down, cultivate properly, and see if I can find a career I am willing to dedicate half of my life to."

Lin Xianyu continued to ask, "Why half a lifetime?"

Gu Yueyan blushed slightly and glared at Lin Xianyu. She then sneakily glanced at Ren Suo, who was still looking at his phone, and awkwardly changed the subject, "We've been walking for a long time, Xianyu. Have you thought of where to take us next?"

Lin Xianyu felt mentally exhausted. The Class President enjoyed these intellectual romantic overtures that required sharp wits to appreciate. Unfortunately, your Big Brother Ren just didn't seem to get it... I'm setting you up for an easy layup to say some plain and simple love lines, and you glare at me!

Lin Xianyu casually said, "I do have many places to go, but we just finished eating. Those places aren't suitable now... Little Star, do you have any good suggestions?"

"Hmm?" Ren Xingmei blinked, went over to embrace Gu Yueyan's other arm, pushing Ren Suo to the side, and pondered aloud, "Today is the twenty-ninth already, what shops would still be open... Plus, I rarely go out for fun. Most of my outings are dinner gatherings with classmates, and I used to go out with my brother to the gaming lounge to rent a console for a few hours to play some brawl games..."

Ren Xingmei was also on alert. She originally thought Qiao Muyi was the most dangerous and calculative Guile Witch among the known contenders, ready to swoop in at any moment with a binding spell and a burst of power to eliminate Ren Suo in a single combo.

However, she hadn't expected that Gu Yueyan, who usually appeared gentle and quiet, also had a Second Form. After her romantic awakening, Gu Yueyan's ideological enlightenment and motivation rose drastically. Her intentions were firm, and her background was solid. She just needed to develop until the late game to possibly give Ren Suo a coup de grâce.

If it weren't for Ren Xingmei witnessing Gu Yueyan's transformation and the fact that Gu Yueyan had no intention of following her brother's ridiculous ideas, Ren Xingmei would definitely have thought of keywords such as 'Hypnosis,' 'brainwashing,' or 'infatuation.'

Because Ren Xingmei knew Gu Yueyan's true intentions, she realized Gu Yueyan's terrifying aspects. Gu Yueyan had diligently cultivated to the third turn, at least securing the qualifications to 'allocate' Ren Suo. She had boldly traveled to his city and shown up at his door, undaunted even when her mother hinted at Qiao Muyi's intelligence, firm in her belief that she would be the final victor. Furthermore, she was secretly pressuring Ren Suo with her father's and brother's power, demonstrating that her side's high-end combat power was not inferior to others.

Gu Yueyan's five-year goal was clearly to continue developing and accumulating resources so that as soon as she hit marriageable age, she could completely secure and "stabilize" Ren Suo.

With her personal conditions, external circumstances, and internal desires all perfectly aligned, not to mention her youth, beauty, ample bosom, and other advantages...

Ren Xingmei's arm brushed against Gu Yueyan's oppressively soft and bouncy bosom. She couldn't help but look down at herself—able to see her own belly, belt, and shoe tips in a single glance, her line of sight as unobstructed as silk.

Ren Xingmei truly felt like a small soldier about to be crushed by a max-level hero with full gear.

Fallow land lies uncultivated until it's opened up, and then when it is, those who come to compete are much stronger than her, in so many ways!

Ren Xingmei couldn't help but turn her head and glare at her elder brother, saying sarcastically, "Stop looking at your phone while walking. What if you don't watch where you're going and 'again' bump into a beauty..."

Ren Suo was speechless. "With such a big group of us walking together, everyone else is avoiding us. Besides, if I'm going to bump into someone, why would it specifically be a beauty? I'm not some kind of lipstick, BB cream, or magical essence..."

Although Ren Suo said this, no one believed him anymore—actions speak louder than words, and his impressive track record made everyone suspect that his silly demeanor was just tactical camouflage.

Gu Yueyan reached out her left hand to him. "Mr. Suo, use your left hand for your phone."

Ren Suo thought it sounded reasonable, so he took Gu Yueyan's hand, letting her lead him. Gu Yueyan also intertwined her fingers with Ren Suo's, declaring her sovereignty over this hand of Ren Suo's.

Ren Xingmei, out of competitive spirit, took hold of Ren Suo's left arm.

Lin Xianyu couldn't help giggling and also took Gu Yueyan's right hand. Together, they formed a human wall, dominantly crushing the single men they faced on the sidewalk. This inflicted a mental critical hit that would last until the sixth day of the new year, while also drawing longing glances from shops at Ren Suo—under the powerful aura of the three girls, everyone thought Ren Suo must be very wealthy.

Now that he was completely locked in, Ren Suo didn't hesitate. Under the bright sun, in full view of the public, accompanied by the three girls, he bowed his head and opened the "Light and Dark Traitor" app on his phone, continuing his game.

The last game session had Uncle Los, in endless anger after witnessing his sister being forcefully taken by the wickedly wild Prince Sony. Teaming up with Lydia the Oathbreaker, he fled Rift Fortress through a spatial tunnel.

When Uncle Los woke up from bed, he saw Lydia in full armor sitting by the bedside. The room was filled with brass-colored devices, and the monotonous grey-white stone slabs were paved with bright golden circuit patterns. A huge roaring noise came from outside.

Lydia looked at him and said, "Did you sleep well? The spatial movement I used was Grand Duke Menelerus's Annihilation Transport. It can be quite... um, you only passed out and didn't suffer bodily tear, so you're quite lucky."

"Where is this?" Los immediately asked.

Lydia, in her brass armor, stood up, pulled back the curtains, and let Los see the darkness of the ceiling outside and the brilliant, flowing light on the ground.

Los walked to the window. Above him, the vast world was capped by a pitch-black ceiling, sparsely adorned with bluish mushrooms. On the ground below, warm yellow lights glowed everywhere. Brass buildings were common, and huge brass machines with bright golden circuits transported goods. Tiny brass spiders climbed the exteriors of buildings, using energy lasers to repair structures and clean dust.

The rumbling sound Los heard was produced by several huge furnaces in the city. The bright golden circuit patterns on all buildings seemed to originate from these constantly working furnaces, functioning like the heart of this world.

In the distance, there was a brass machine even larger than several giant furnaces stacked together, almost as large as Rift Fortress but filled with aesthetic beauty, looking like a weaving machine. Inside, dense gears ticked away.

"Welcome to Dark Descending, Dragonborn."

"This place... is it Oathbreaker territory, Dark Descending?" Los exclaimed, thinking to himself: Dark Descending, belonging to the Oathbreakers. The realm, existing as an Inner World attached to the Outer World; each of the Sixteen Great Monarchs controls a realm, and it's the dream of countless Divine Descendants to enter a Great Lord's realm to achieve immortality. My former dream was to enter Duke Fakas's Hunting Domain. A realm is completely enclosed. The Oathbreakers have full control over the Dark Descending realm; not even the Great Lords can enter it, which is the real reason why the Oathbreakers have not been eradicated. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Los asked, "Why do you call me Dragonborn?"

Lydia shook her head. "The Dragon Priests say you are the legendary Dragonborn... If you have any doubts, come with me. The Dragon Priests told me to take you to them once you woke up. Also, the Dragon Priests said they could grant your wish."

Entering move mode, Ren Suo first checked Los's status.

"Los, Dedra Human Race, 29 years old"

"Equipped Cartridges: Death Breath, Wraith, Oath of Victory Angel"

"Equipped War Armor: Didra Elite Armor"

"Hatred Heaven Xuanjun Level II: Anger and regret turn into endless fuel, constantly burning in Los's heart, significantly speeding up his spiritual energy recovery, and allows him to draw an extra Action Card each turn (though after consuming three Action Cards, he still has to reshuffle)."

After leveling up Hatred Heavenly Mysterious Monarch, the biggest change was the removal of the 'when Los is injured' condition, allowing the effects of Hatred Heavenly Mysterious Monarch to be triggered even if Los was in perfect condition during combat.

The mobile version of "Light and Dark Traitor" also had a simplification: Ren Suo didn't actually need to foolishly walk slowly following Lydia. The game gave him three options: "Meet the Dragon Priests," "Stroll around," "Talk about feelings with Lydia..."

Um!?

Ren Suo was startled for a moment and subconsciously chose the third option—don't get it wrong, he was simply adopting a learning attitude, eager to see how game characters handle romance.

Speaking of which, Ren Suo had never played a game where characters were involved in a romance plot. The closest thing to a romance plot was "Inverted World," but both the master and the Maid in that were female. Plus, the protagonist, Young Master Mu, was a dominant older sister type, while the Maid was soft and cute... There was no reference point in a Yuri romance.

As for "Night of the Hunt," well, at that time, Ren Suo was looking at it from Luna's perspective, only thinking about how to squeeze the last bit of value out of the NPC doctor...

Ren Suo was curious about what romance guided by the Mini-World Game Console looked like, and Los provided a perfect answer:

No way! While Lorifes suffers unending agony in the hands of demons, how could I indulge in fleeting pleasure and waste time!? What feelings are there to talk about? What love is there to speak of? Those are activities for cowards!

Being morally lectured by his own character, Ren Suo was exasperated and chose the second option, "Take a stroll."

Lydia exclaimed, "You want to visit Dark Descending...? It's possible, but there isn't much to see. I'll show you around some of the more interesting places here."

Los asked, "Without the Great Lord's help, how do you manage to run this city? I can sense that there's abundant spiritual energy here, but how do you utilize it?"

Los explained to himself: Whether in the Outer World or Inner World, the greatest energy source is naturally the omnipresent spiritual energy. However, nobody can harness the rampant spiritual energy unless using a Great Lord Cartridge or waiting for a Great Lord to establish a stable Spiritual Power Hub to allow city-scale utilization. Many of the Divine Descendants' tasks involve guarding these power hubs as warriors.

Lydia said, "Those spiritual energy furnaces, and that Difference Engine, combined, form the Spiritual Power Hub of Dark Descending."

Los looked at the beautiful, gear-meshing, giant knitting machine. "Difference Engine?"

Lydia responded, "Don't ask me; ask the Dragon Priests. I only know that the Difference Engine is a legacy of the ancient Dragonborn. Or rather, the entire Dark Descending is a massive legacy; we can only use it, not replicate it. Otherwise, we would have overturned the Didra Empire long ago... Here we are. This is the most interesting place in Dark Descending."

The cell phone screen displayed a huge brass Mirror. Many people were stopping in front of the brass Mirror to watch. Soon, images appeared in the Mirror, and Los exclaimed, "Is there such an ugly display? Is this...the central channel's news?"

Lydia commented, "You're not very lucky. If you arrived later, you might have been able to watch the drama 'The Energetic Maid.' Now you just have to listen to their praises."

In the Mirror appeared a resplendent Female Divine Descendant with radiant eyes, and a distorted voice was heard as subtitles appeared on the screen:

"...The Bayonet Plan was a great success. His Majesty Xides' journey in the Armor Cloak has marked an important step, earning the recognition of all Didra citizens. The vacant position of Young Lord has finally been temporarily filled. When His Majesty conquers the different dimensions, Didra will welcome its seventeenth great Guardian Lord...

"...After stepping down from the Bloodline Great Law held by Grand Duke Menelerus, Grand Duke Menelerus has decided to bestow the honor of the Bloodline Great Law to Prince Sony, who made significant contributions during the Bayonet Operation by capturing the coordinates of the different dimension worlds! Rewards for contributions, that's the rule of Didra!"

Then the image in the Mirror shifted, revealing the figure whom Los longed for—Prince Sony!

"Prince Sony... oh sorry, I should now refer to you as Sony the Great," a Female Divine Descendant was interviewing Sony, smiling as she said, "Sony the Great, now that you have received this honor, how do you plan to repay the Great Lord's favor?"

Sony spoke very seriously, "The Great Magistrate already has a comprehensive plan. Currently, the most important goal for Didra is to conquer different dimensions. However, before that, there are still many pests within the empire hindering His Majesty, hindering the Great Lord.

"Thus, I will use the rights and responsibilities bestowed by the Great Lord to ruthlessly eliminate the pests within the empire, to create a worry-free rear for His Majesty, for the army.

"For example, General Black Thorn, I, the Great Magistrate, did not expect that, as a Divine Descendant, he would secretly collude with the Oathbreakers, indulging their departure. It's truly regrettable. But rest assured, I have already had the soldiers execute him on the spot, stripping him of his political rights for life, and removing him from our pure ranks of Divine Descendants. To ensure the purity of the Divine Descendant ranks, the Great Magistrate will continue to make efforts."

The Female Divine Descendant kept nodding as she asked, "Truly worthy of being Sony the Great, to have discovered such a huge pest. General Black Thorn had been in charge of the Rift Fortress for many years, truly concerning..."

"Therefore, to ensure the security of the empire, the Great Magistrate will soon inspect various locales."

The Female Divine Descendant suddenly asked, "Sony the Great, do you have any plans for marriage? Unlike before, you're frequently seen with a female companion at various events."

Sony waved his hand, laughing. "Not at all; now that I have more work, I need a secretary to handle some trivial matters."

The Female Divine Descendant chuckled. "So, our Bloodline Great Law, Imperial Prince, the position of Queen Consort is still vacant; there's still a chance for outstanding females..."

Sony, however, shook his head, calmly saying, "No, there's no chance anymore."

At that moment, Los suddenly thought: Sony is visiting various locales this time; will he bring Lorifes along? If he does bring Lorifes... at least I'll have a chance to kill him and rescue Lorifes.

It was evident that Los was troubled. If Sony didn't bring his sister, it meant he had no interest in her, and naturally, she wouldn't suffer. But he wouldn't have a chance to rescue his sister. On the other hand, if Sony did bring his sister out, although he would have a chance to rescue her, it also meant that Sony was highly fond of his sister…

At that moment, Ren Suo felt his right palm being scratched. He looked up to see Gu Yueyan handing over a sample. "Open your mouth."

Ren Suo chewed and commented, "Not bad, this pork jerky is pretty tasty."

"I think it's tasty too. Let's buy two bags." Under Gu Yueyan's command, Lin Xianyu immediately picked up two bags of pork jerky and placed them in the cart.

It was only then that Ren Suo realized they were in a supermarket—if he wasn't mistaken, this should be the large supermarket that took up two floors of a building near his home. Until he went to college, every holiday he would be forced by his mother to push the cart and carry heavy items, the reward being that he could buy anything he wanted in the supermarket (under one hundred yuan).

"Why are we at the supermarket?" Ren Suo wondered.

"Nowhere else to go," Gu Yueyan said. "Xianyu only knows places to eat, Little Star knows KTVs you definitely wouldn't be interested in, and I'm not interested in internet cafes... So we discussed it and decided to just come here to shop. Don't look at your phone; it's all for you. See if you want anything."

"I don't really need anything... Oh, I haven't eaten Ferrero Rocher in a long time. Let's get a box."

"Do you like snow cakes?"

"They're okay. Let's buy a small bag. Wow, they have macadamia nuts here, and they're already shelled! This is good!"

"Are they tasty?"

"Tasty! Try some later when we open them; the shell is just really hard... Sister Xianyu, Little Star, have you eaten these before? Trust me, they're good. Brother Suo wouldn't lie to you."

Suddenly enthused, Ren Suo, who initially had little interest in browsing the supermarket, began recommending his favorite snacks and side dishes to Gu Yueyan. After touring the snack area and reaching the household section, it was Gu Yueyan's turn to ask if there were any tools missing from the academy, and if so, to note them down for online shopping back at the academy.

Ren Xingmei and Lin Xianyu, who thought they would be third wheels, felt especially weird. Not only did Ren Xingmei feel a bit jealous, even Lin Xianyu was a bit envious. Luckily, Ren Suo remembered the two of them whenever he saw tasty foods, and the four of them browsing the supermarket together managed to exude the vibe of a Successful and Showy Person.

Today being the twenty-ninth, the supermarket was crowded with people buying New Year's goods, and the checkout lines were incredibly long. Naturally, it was Ren Suo's turn to be the man of the hour, responsibly waiting in line, while the others continued to browse for anything else they might want to buy.

Leaning on the cart, Ren Suo hadn't even unlocked his phone when his shoulder was tapped. "Excuse me... are you Ren Suo?"

Ren Suo turned around and saw a strikingly beautiful woman in line behind him. She looked vaguely familiar, but he couldn't for the life of him remember. "You are...?"

"I'm Ji Mujie, your middle school classmate. Have you forgotten?" the beautiful woman said with a smile.

Recollection dawned on Ren Suo. "Little Fatty! Long time no see!"

Ren Suo was a bit surprised to encounter a middle school classmate, but since he attended a public middle school close by where placement was computer-allotted, it made sense to run into a classmate here.

The beautiful woman giggled. "I'm not fat anymore. Maybe high school was too tough; I slimmed down after senior year... It's been what, five or six years since we've seen each other, right?"

"You never came to the middle school reunions, so that's three plus four, at least seven years."

After chatting for a bit, Ji Mujie playfully punched him in the chest and laughed, "You've made it big now, ranked 39th in the national third-turn rankings, the only member of the Bai Yun People in the rankings. It's just that you're not in our overtime group. A few days ago, many from our middle school group wanted to meet up."

"So many years without seeing each other, there's nothing much to catch up on." Ren Suo scratched his head. "I'm not fond of gatherings either."

"That's true. You were always focused on games in middle school. The first whole-grade reprimand our class got was when the homeroom teacher caught you faking an illness to go to the internet cafe," laughed Ji Mujie. "Who would have thought you'd be the most successful among us from middle school, having made a career so early... Are you married yet?"

"No."

"I see... Should we add each other on WeChat?" Ji Mujie took out her phone, displaying the WeChat QR code on the screen.

Ren Suo had no objection. As he unlocked his phone, Ji Mujie suddenly asked with a smile, "Then do you think there's a chance for your old classmate?"

Ren Suo looked at Ji Mujie in surprise as she shrugged. "We've been talking for so long and you never thought to ask for my contact information. I knew there would be no story between us if I didn't take some initiative. Plus, I don't like to probe back and forth. Better to be straightforward."

Looking at this middle school classmate, who had transformed so much and become increasingly beautiful, her personality now refreshingly direct, Ren Suo felt slightly dazed—he really hadn't anticipated finding himself in this kind of situation.

He didn't mind that a middle school classmate approached him because of his success. Looks, career, physique, intelligence, performance, and personality were all attractive points that naturally drew people. Ordinary people's feelings were like mirages built on these glittering points. Where in reality is there ever such undying, steadfast love?

However, spotting Gu Yueyan, Ren Xingmei, and Lin Xianyu approaching, he smiled, put down his phone, and calmly told his middle school classmate, "No, there's no chance anymore."