novelnext Chapter 22 Top Demon King's Protection
Chapter 22 Top Demon King's Protection
The Starry Sky Train, observation carriage.
The tense atmosphere was subtly altered by the sudden intervention of train conductor Pam.
The situation is indeed a bit... awkward.
This newly emerged "March 7th" with a completely different temperament—or rather, the Long Night Moon?
She didn't even bother to maintain her disguise; her clothes had changed, returning to a dark-toned outfit with details that exuded a sense of coldness and mystery, as if she had come from the land of eternal night.
Everyone remained wary.
Xing reacted the fastest, pulling the still-dazed March 7th behind her like a mother hen protecting her chicks.
Lin Lin smiled and uttered three words: "Interesting."
—That's not actually the case!
What he was thinking was: Saying this now feels really cool!
This is the perfect opening line from a boss-level figure, perfectly showcasing their hidden depths and an aura of complete control.
The main problem is... we really can't fight this!
The other party is, after all, celebrating March 7th.
Moreover, the interior of the train is so precious, what if it gets damaged?
Just as this "expert" aura was about to crumble, Pam's voice rang out like timely rain:
"No fighting on the train!"
Train conductor Pam had appeared among the crowd at some point, her small body standing straight, her ears perked up, and her tone carrying an unquestionable authority.
This sudden shout instantly shattered the already palpable, tense atmosphere.
Lin Lin took the opportunity to pretend to sigh, shrugged, and casually tossed the other half of the Tiger Talisman in his hand to Chang Yeyue opposite him.
"I didn't say I wanted to fight," he said casually, turning to look at Himeko, Welt, and Danheng, who were still on guard. "Himeko, Uncle Yang, Danheng, don't be nervous! Relax."
That works... I guess.
Lin Lin was making plans in his mind.
This wave.
The Heavenly Rank Battle Skill of March—Possession by Ghost—has evolved into the Top-Tier Demon King's Protection.
It's worth it!
Upon hearing this, Himeko, Walter, and Danheng exchanged glances, their tense nerves relaxing slightly.
They were not fools. Combining the information from the Tiger Talisman and Lin Lin's attitude, they roughly guessed that the "Long Night Moon" in front of them was probably related to the mysterious background of March 7.
Xing held March 7th even tighter, muttering under her breath, "Lin Lin's started playing the riddle game again!"
Pam toddled over to Chang Yeyue with her short legs, tilted her head back, and said seriously, "Now that you're on the Starry Sky Train, you have to follow the rules, Pam! No vandalism on the train! And don't be like that worst passenger—"
Finally, Pam seemed to recall a troublemaker who made the train conductor's blood pressure spike, and she gritted her teeth.
Hearing this "threat," Chang Yeyue was not angry. Instead, a mysterious smile appeared on her lips, and she lowered her voice: "Understood, conductor."
Her gaze, however, kept drifting towards March 7, who was hiding behind Xing and peeking out at her with a curious look. Her eyes... carried an almost predatory quality.
Xing immediately noticed the gaze, pursed her lips, and used her body to shield March 7 even more completely, whispering a reminder: "March, be careful."
March 7th asked blankly, "Huh? What's wrong, Xing?"
Xing narrowed her eyes, not answering directly, but inwardly scoffing: Hmph~ Judging by this, this guy wants to steal March from me!
Who's afraid of who!
With the train conductor Pam's "official warning" and Lin Lin's "safety guarantee," the two elders finally felt relieved.
The others, including Dan Heng, gradually accepted this bizarre and somewhat absurd scene—a "March 7th Dark Night Edition" had appeared out of nowhere on the train.
(P.S.: I'm telling you, Pam is absolutely awesome! Otherwise, I'll eat her up!)
As the atmosphere eased, everyone's attention returned to the pile of dazzling items that Lin Lin had pulled out, and they continued to tidy up.
Changyeyue also put away the dangerous long-handled umbrella and stood quietly to the side, no longer speaking, but her gaze would occasionally follow March 7, like a silent shadow.
Xing followed March 7 closely, and whenever she met Chang Yeyue's gaze, she would glare back without backing down, occasionally even baring her teeth.
Chang Yeyue observed this and found it quite interesting that the "Star Core Essence's" brain circuits were indeed not very intelligent.
……
Gui Naifen's live broadcast room.
The plot has progressed to this point: early in the morning, the three-person train crew, still in the hotel, are mistaken for wanted criminals!
March 7th was furious, his hair practically standing on end: "I'm going to be a prisoner again... I've noticed that this happens about once every three worlds!"
Xing blinked but didn't reply.
Dan Heng, as always, calmly analyzed: "That's because you always act on impulse without any planning."
"I'll grow too, you know!" March 7th retorted, hands on her hips. "Right now, I'm thinking of a plan... a plan..." She looked around, her gaze suddenly settling on an area not far away that was sealed off by a rift.
"I've got it!" March 7th's eyes lit up. "Xing! Danheng! Look at that alleyway over there!"
Dan Heng glanced in the direction she was pointing and said almost without hesitation, "Okay."
March 7th was taken aback by this quick reply: "Huh? Really?"
The comments section erupted in laughter:
"Help! What kind of 'team voice chat' public execution is this?!"
Silvermane Iron Guard: They were discussing their escape plan right in my ear, and I... felt like I was deaf?
"Bronya meme: I'm listening quietly to your conspiracy.jpg"
"Maybe they're speaking the exclusive language of the Star Train?"
"Even if they couldn't understand, wouldn't a normal guard be alert if a few prisoners suddenly huddled together and started talking incoherently?"
……
The story continues.
Xing's face lit up with an excited smile; she absolutely loved this thrilling escape scene.
Just then, Dan Heng suddenly uttered a phrase: "Observe one corner and infer three others—"
Xing blinked blankly: "...Indecisive?"
March 7th quickly made a "shush" gesture and whispered a rapid explanation: "This is the train regiment's old code! Count to 'one' and run!"
At this moment, somewhere far away on the Luofu Immortal Ship.
A general who was watching the live broadcast sighed inexplicably upon seeing this, and the thought that flashed through his mind subconsciously came to mind: "The emperor's command is absolute."
Inside a starship cruising at high speed.
A blond man, whom Uncle Yang couldn't see, was lazily half-lying down watching the live stream to kill time.
Beside him, a former sword master with a cool demeanor and carrying a long sword, his body stiffened almost imperceptibly when he heard Dan Heng's words, and his eyes instantly became extremely complicated.
It was as if something deep inside me had been touched, and the "konjac juice" was about to kick in.
The blond man glanced at his companion, his heart skipping a beat: !! You're not going to jump up and chop me up, are you?
Fortunately, those pent-up, complex emotions were eventually forcibly suppressed.
The former swordsman slowly closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, all that remained in his eyes was a deep longing and a barely perceptible pain.
Unconsciously, almost murmuring, he continued the second half of the sentence: "—By the city... lend me one."
Coincidentally, her almost inaudible voice perfectly matched the last half-sentence that Dan Heng murmured before taking action in the live broadcast.
Blonde man: ???
He silently turned down the volume of the live stream, wondering to himself: Should I... not be watching this live stream next to her?
The operation begins!
"Hey! Oh dear!" Dan Heng suddenly reached out and... pressed down on March 7's head.
At the same time, Xing had already pulled out her signature baseball bat, and with a graceful spin, she accurately swept it towards the nearest Iron Guard behind her!
He was struck hard with a club and immediately collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
With a flick of his wrist, Dan Heng's "Cloud Strike" spear appeared, and with a light tap of the spear, he knocked the surrounding iron guards to the ground.
Taking advantage of the momentary chaos, Dan Heng shouted, "Go!"
On March 7th and Xingxin understood each other perfectly and rushed towards the dangerous alleyway filled with the energy fluctuations of the rift!
The remaining Silvermane Iron Guards then reacted, raising their muskets and aiming.
However, before the trigger was pulled, thick ice crystals instantly formed on the muzzle, completely blocking it!
It turns out that March 7th, while fleeing, did not forget to look back and gesture with his hands to release the power of ice element.
She even had time to make a funny face: "Hehehe! Let's jump first, everyone!"
The next second, the three figures plunged into the distorted, dangerous barrier of rifting energy and disappeared.
Pella, who arrived shortly after, looked at the empty alleyway entrance and hesitated, "They've rushed into the rift... Should we report them missing or dead?"
Bronya closed her eyes in silence, and after a long while, she opened them again, her gaze complex yet resolute: "No. The High Warden's orders are to apprehend criminals. Whether they are dead or alive, I must witness it myself."
Her tone was heavy: "Right now... the only thing I can still do for Belloberg is to personally eliminate these infiltrating 'villains'!"
Pera's eyes showed worry, but she still stood at attention and replied, "Yes, sir!"
The screen was flooded with comments again:
"A Space-themed version of 'You're Going to Fight!'"
"Cultural codes are just different!"
"March 7th's facial expressions are so cute! Even though they were giving each other signals and preparing to run away, he was still acting all flustered."
"I've wanted to say this for a long time! Is Belloberg known for producing women in black stockings? Bronya, Pera, Natasha..."
"I guess it's because black stockings are both warm and stylish? They look great! (✧∀✧)"
……
The perspective shifts, entering the rift.
The three of them moved quickly along the passage filled with unknown dangers, trying to shake off their pursuers completely.
Encounters with monsters spawned by the rift are inevitable on the road, and battles are unavoidable.
March 7th couldn't help but complain again: "What on earth happened? Why did that Great Guardian suddenly turn on us and send people to capture us? Launching a surprise attack while everyone was sound asleep is just too despicable!"
At this moment, in Bellenberg, in the mechanical house.
Cocolia, who was watching the "live stream" simultaneously, fell silent upon hearing this.
She pondered Bronya's complex, pained gaze and words from just now, and finally let out a long sigh.
Hiluva, standing to the side, clicked her tongue and shook her head, mimicking March 7's tone: "Did you hear that? 'That's despicable!' Luckily, Little March and the others aren't grumpy when they wake up."
Cocolia sighed, looking at Hilva with a hint of exasperation: "Could you... please stop carrying that thing around in front of me?"
She was referring to the tiny Cocolia in Silva's arms.
Every time Cocolia sees this mini version of herself, she feels a dull ache in her forehead.
Upon hearing this, Little Cocolia immediately glared at her.
A replica!
I don't want to see you yet!
Seeing this, Hilva stopped joking and said seriously, "For Bronya now, being able to see the world regain its vitality and having her mother by her side is probably... enough."
"As for you—" Hilva flicked her wrist, and tiny Cocolia instantly transformed into a green light, becoming a "green magic bullet," "You'd better stay put and wait until I 'completely forgive' you!"
Upon hearing this, Cocolia did not refute it, but the corners of her mouth turned up slightly in an almost imperceptible arc, and a faint warmth flashed in her eyes.
……
The story continues.
Despite their efforts to sneak through, the three were eventually blocked in a relatively open area of rift ruins by Bronya and her team, who were familiar with the terrain.
After a brief exchange filled with tension and ideological clashes, the two sides parted on bad terms.
Then, the screen shattered, the familiar battle background music started playing, and the battle began again.
Gui Naifen continued her smooth, high-spending gameplay, with Seele delivering a slash that precisely triggered Bronya's 1% health lock-up protection mechanism.
In the game, March 7th exclaimed, "This... is a bit too powerful! Hey, Danheng, hurry up and unleash your hidden power!"
Dan Heng's tone remained calm and even: "...You go first."
March 7th scoffed listlessly, "How boring!"
The comments section is now bursting with creative ideas again:
"The most outrageous 'plot-driven death' is coming! You still can't beat this?"
"Who knows? Maybe my Bronya is just that amazing!"
"Didn't you hear what Danheng said? He didn't say 'I don't have it,' he said 'You use it first!'"
So, does this mean both of them are 'holding back'? Is the official stance heavily hinting at something?
"Maybe it's just the characters playfully teasing each other? Don't take it too seriously!"
……
The plot continues to unfold.
"Surrender, invaders! I assure you you will receive a fair trial." Bronya raised her spear, her tone resolute.
Just when the atmosphere was at its most tense, as if the final showdown was about to erupt at any moment.
"Uh, I didn't mean to ruin the tense atmosphere—"
A slightly slick voice suddenly rang out, coming from afar.
Immediately afterwards, several oddly shaped, suspiciously colored spherical objects rolled to the feet of the two opposing sides.
Bang~ Bang~ Bang~
Several soft popping sounds were followed by a burst of thick, dizzying smoke that instantly enveloped the four people in the room!
"Who goes there?!" Bronya's voice rang out through the smoke, filled with panic.
"Cough cough cough... I'm choking to death!" This was March 7's complaint, which sounded like he was about to cry.
Immediately, a flamboyant figure appeared like a ghost at the edge of the smoke; it was Sambo, who had been following behind.
He grinned and said, "I just wanted to say that Sangbo will never let a friend who helped us suffer a loss!"
Plot development:
Xing, March 7, Danheng, and Bronya's expressions shifted from astonishment to bewilderment; their eyelids began to droop, and their bodies swayed.
Finally, it ended with Sambo's drawn-out sentence.
"See, I, Sangbo, keep my word!"
The four of them collapsed to the ground almost simultaneously, completely losing consciousness.
The screen goes black, and the next loading segment begins.
The screen was instantly flooded with comments:
"Sambo doesn't seem like a good person! Where did he get this drug?"
"The combined effect resistance of four people... is less than that of a fully grown pig!"
"I'm curious, how did Sambo manage to carry four people all by himself?"
Fun fact: In the game, Sambo's score for the Black Tower Space Station's scoring gun is displayed as '0'.
"What does this prove?"
"Either it can't be detected, or... it's incredibly incompetent."
"Judging from the plot, it shouldn't be the latter, right?"
……
Star Train.
The train's "night mode" is now activated.
The lights in the observation cabins are turned down to their lowest setting, simulating a tranquil starry dome.
After spending the afternoon sorting through the various strange and unusual items Lin Lin had pulled out, everyone was quite tired and had already gone back to their rooms to rest.
All was silent except for the almost imperceptible hum of the train as it smoothly traveled through the starry sky.
Lin Lin was half asleep when he felt unbearably thirsty, so he quietly pushed open the door and went to the water dispenser in the common area to get some water.
The motion-sensor lights in the corridor automatically turned on with a soft glow.
He rubbed his eyes, walking forward in a daze, when suddenly his foot tripped over something soft.
"Um?"
Looking down, I saw... a person lying on the corridor floor!
Her gray hair shimmered with a silvery sheen under the light of the corridor wall lamps and the starlight outside the window.
Gray fur?
star?
"Xing? Wake up!" Lin Lin squatted down and gently shook her shoulder.
Some kind person even put a soft pillow under her body, even though her sleeping posture was terrible—her limbs were spread out, and one foot was sticking up against the wall.
Fortunately, she was wearing a black dinosaur onesie pajama, which prevented her from being exposed.
"Ugh...zzZ..." Xing mumbled something unintelligible and groggily opened her eyes.
"What's wrong, March? Are you hungry?" She was clearly not fully awake yet, thinking March wanted a midnight snack.
She was stunned when she saw that it was Lin Lin in front of her: "Huh? I... how did I get here?"
Lin Lin was speechless: "You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask? I thought you were sleepwalking."
Xing sat up, rubbed her hair, and looked bewildered: "Could it be... that I really was sleepwalking?"
As she spoke, she was about to stand up, seemingly intending to take her pillow back to... March 7th's room?
Seeing her dazed look, Lin Lin shook his head and continued walking towards the water dispenser.
But the next second—
"Bang!"
A muffled thud came from behind, followed by a suppressed cry of pain.
Lin Lin turned around and looked.
In the guest room area, the door to March 7th's room was tightly closed.
Xing... was lying on the carpet in the hallway with her bottom on the ground, still tightly hugging her pillow.
Xing clutched her buttocks, wincing in pain.
Lin Lin couldn't help but laugh out loud, and kindly reminded him, "Sleeping isn't allowed here~"
Xing was both ashamed and furious. She waved her fist at the closed door, but in the end, she could only rage helplessly at the air: "Damn Black Seven!!!"
They're willing to do this in order to "dominate" March 7th!
Lin Lin leaned to the side, watching this little farce with great interest.
Xing stood up angrily and patted off non-existent dust from her pajamas.
then……
She got angry and fumed for a moment.
She was holding a pillow, looking around, and her gaze finally settled on... Kaffa's door.
She walked over angrily and tried to push the door open, but it slid open silently.
Xing hugged the pillow and, like a gray shadow, slipped inside in a flash.
Lin Lin watched the whole thing and couldn't help but chuckle and shake his head.
Inside Kafka's room.
The decor is simple yet elegant, carrying its own unique mysterious and languid atmosphere.
Kafka smiled, clearly knowing what had happened.
Xing sneaked in, clutching a pillow and looking aggrieved.
She gently patted the spot next to her.
Xing immediately moved closer like a small animal returning to its nest, tucking herself into Kafka's side.
Kafka naturally reached out and pulled Xing into her arms, gently stroking her hair with her other hand, her voice so tender it could melt your heart: "Sleep now, don't be angry."
She paused, then added softly in a coaxing tone:
"I'll find you one tomorrow too, okay?"
star:"???"
She lifted her head from Kafka's embrace, her sleepy eyes filled with a hint of confusion: "...Looking for what?"
Kafka simply smiled without saying a word, tapped the tip of her nose with her fingertip, and pressed her head back into the crook of her shoulder: "Sweetie, go to sleep."
Although Xing didn't fully understand yet, her grievances quickly vanished in Kafka's comforting embrace.
She shifted closer, finding a comfortable position, and soon her breathing became even and deep.
Kafka looked at her peaceful sleeping face, her smile deepening, her gaze fixed on the endless starry sky outside the window, as if she were also pondering some "interesting" possibilities.