Chapter 88

While waiting for Lord Dragon's next move, Richardson was having a blast.

Thanks to Helen's persuasion, he finally got it.

Living in the moment was way better than stressing about the future.

"That's the spot, feels great. In a bit, work on this leg too," Richardson said, enjoying his water while Lily massaged him.

Karen had already crafted weapons for everyone and was now working on armor.

The second baby dragon's hatching was halfway done, so it would be a while before the little Candle Dragon arrived.

Losing the perfect zombie-killing spot in the underground parking lot slowed everyone's progress, but they didn't slack off.

Except for Richardson, who occasionally snuck into Karen or Lily's room at night.

Other than that, things were pretty chill.

Even Iris was surprised, since Lord Dragon didn't seem like the patient type!

Why was he taking so long to make his next move?

What was going on?

"Enough! Stop picking on Lily."

Anna angrily pulled Lily away, interrupting her maid duties for Richardson.

Richardson shrugged, "I'm not picking on her. Lily saw I was tired and offered to help with the massage!"

He gave Lily a knowing look, hinting he'd visit her that night.

Lily got the message and nodded.

"I volunteered, Anna," she said quietly.

Anna, not dumb, stormed off in a huff.

With Helen around, Anna hadn't been seeking out Richardson.

So, even though her period was over, she hadn't enjoyed the fun Karen and Lily had.

Anna was pretty annoyed!

"Alright, enough fooling around. We're heading out this afternoon. If you got nothing to do, get some rest. There's a high school east of Tower City, and I feel like there's a strong presence there. Helen thinks so too, but we didn't find anything when we cleared zombies yesterday."

Richardson stood up, hugged Anna from behind, and grinned, "I don't pick on Lily. How about you give me a massage next time?"

Anna had a fiery temper but was easy to calm down.

With someone as shameless as Richardson, she was putty in his hands!

"You're so annoying!" She pushed him away and ran to her room. "Who wants to massage you, jerk!"

Hearing her yell, Richardson was even happier.

Life was good.

Eating, sleeping, killing zombies, and teasing the beautiful women around him.

Overthinking just brought stress.

Feeling the midday sun, Richardson went to the window and stretched out his arms.

Ah, this is the life!

"You just pick on Anna! Jerk!" Lily mimicked Anna's tone, teasing him.

Richardson turned and hugged her.

"Then I'll be even more wicked."Rolling from the window to the sofa, Richardson and Lily were about to get cozy when Iris suddenly coughed.

"This is the living room, you jerks! If you two want to play games, go to your own room, okay?" Iris snapped.

She used to think Richardson's crew was warm and welcoming, making her feel right at home.

But this past week had been different!

Every day she stayed here, Iris was reminded she was single!

That feeling would make anyone irritable, not just Iris.

"Alright, we won't interrupt your sunbathing, Ms. Garcia." Richardson scooped Lily up princess-style and, before leaving, couldn't resist taunting Iris.

She was so mad she almost grabbed a knife to chase after that jerk Richardson!

"Ignore him. Even if he had more guts, he wouldn't dare do anything crazy at noon. Iris, let's get back to yesterday's topic about fusing Magic crystals into weapons. I'm still struggling with it."

Karen glanced at Richardson, knowing his ways all too well.

With action planned for the afternoon and the chance of another surprise attack by Lord Dragon, Richardson wouldn't do anything too wild at noon. At most, he'd just kiss Lily.

"I'm not an expert either. It's best to wait until we go to Battlefield World and let Little Fruit guide you. But communicating with that guy might be tough."

Iris grabbed some paper and a pen, starting to sketch.

"Each Magic Crystal has different energy levels and types of magic, showing distinct patterns. To fuse a Magic Crystal with other objects, you need to make the object match the crystal's pattern. That's why many Magic weapons don't embed the crystal directly but dilute the magic within it, integrating the weapon with the magic's power."

"Although this weakens the strength, it allows for mass production, and regular folks can use the weapons. As for why my bow exploded, it's simple: I messed up the weapon's original pattern, making it not match the crystal's pattern, and then forced the crystal's energy. The higher the crystal's level, the more complex its pattern, making it harder to forge into a weapon." Iris explained the basics of Magic weapons to Karen.

Karen, who had been quietly learning, finally showed a hint of understanding.

"I forge weapons using mysterious energy, so I don't need any material and can easily create various patterns! So now, by observing and understanding the patterns of Magic crystals, I can also forge Magic weapons and armor! Iris, show me how to see the patterns you mentioned. These Magic crystals all look the same to me; I haven't noticed any special patterns at all!"

Hearing Karen's words, Iris was surprised.

But she was used to the wonders of genetic evolution.

It had to be admitted that the reason why the Creator Organization dared to gamble with all of humanity, and why even the government hadn't intervened, was because genetic evolution was truly powerful and miraculous.That civilization with its unique rules was slowly taking shape before everyone's eyes and was destined to eventually surpass the Magic system! Even Iris suspected that the government might already be considering sending legions back to Earth for training, creating batches of genetic warriors, known as the Legion of Adepts.

As for the Creators, those lunatics might have already started researching how to turn other creatures into zombies, enriching that world and the newly emerging civilization! Or they might be researching methods of breeding zombies to ensure there was enough nourishment to cultivate more adepts for humanity.

"This pattern stuff might sound complicated. First, you need to have the power of Magic to feel the operating rules of Magic crystals in the world. Think of it this way: the pattern is a subtle existence on a level above atomic molecules. To see this level, you don't need a microscope, you need the power of Magic! Of course, adepts like you can also cultivate the power of Magic. So, what do you say? Want to learn from me?"

Iris had great confidence in Karen. Mainly because her bow had exploded, and even if they returned to Battlefield World, Iris would have a hard time getting an exact replica. So, with Karen's potential to forge Magic weapons, Iris was naturally willing to invest in her.

"Learning the power of Magic?"

After thinking about it, Karen decisively nodded, "Then I'll rely on you, Ms. Garcia!"

Hotel, 9th floor.

Jasmine was fighting alone against Number One and Number Zero simultaneously. Under the pincer attack of Number One's doppelganger and Number Zero's illusions, Jasmine struggled to hold on.

"Don't rush; feel your breath and command your body's movements with care. In battle, the brain doesn't have time to think too much—the only thing that can save your life is the instinct honed through training. As we attack your vital points countless times, it's the best opportunity for you to cultivate your survival instinct. Number Zero, keep attacking; this time, target the back of the head!"

While guiding Jasmine, Number One also had to command Number Zero. Yet he seemed to adapt perfectly to this task, and he even enjoyed it.

Maybe the former Number One was a different person, Jasmine didn't know. She had only heard some stories about the past from Cathy or Lily. But during the time Jasmine was with the team, Number One had always been a warrior willing to sacrifice himself at any moment.

Yet, this willingness to sacrifice wasn't the reckless charging like Karen but a cautious and careful protection of oneself, always ready to give everything for Richardson with full effort. Number One was a servant, and maybe this was his responsibility. But it was precisely this sense of duty that Jasmine most aspired to.

So, during this peaceful week, Jasmine made her decision.

After talking with Richardson, Jasmine decided to ask Number One to be her combat mentor.

To guide her on how to fight, how to safeguard herself in battle, and how to better sacrifice for Richardson.

To fulfill this promise, determination alone wasn't enough; she also needed the corresponding ability.Just like now, facing Number One's doppelganger and Number Zero's illusions, with multiple real and fake attacks on vital points, Jasmine was learning how to distinguish and protect her vital points!

Only those skilled in combat could dare to fight.

This was the lesson Number One taught her.

"Very good, keep training for another half hour, then you can rest. Your current mental state is excellent, so maintain this level of tension at all times. Danger lurks everywhere; if you get injured accidentally, it means you lose the qualification to sacrifice for the master. I rarely get injured, but that doesn't mean I'm timid."

Jasmine almost wanted to take notes of Number One's words.

She now realized that the role she had been searching for all along was actually Richardson's servant!

Well, that was a joke, but from the perspective of repayment, the phrase "sacrifice for Richardson" had become Jasmine's belief and support after Cathy's enlightenment, helping her to survive.

"Very good, that's the position. Blocking with a weapon is more reasonable than dodging. However, avoid blocking head-on; even if the opponent's strength is weaker than yours, it's easy to make mistakes, and this move is too dangerous."

The training continued, with occasional comments from Number One, indicating that Jasmine was making continuous progress.

Tower City.

Avery High School.

A muscular man suddenly jumped out from the sewer.

He broke into the cafeteria, found some food in the warehouse, and ate a few big bites directly, not caring if it was raw or not.

Only when the hunger in his stomach was less pronounced did he sit on the ground, panting heavily to rest.

This man was Amon, the first disciple under Lord Dragon!

After barely escaping the zombie siege that day, his injuries had already healed in less than three days. After all, the physical fitness of a 6th-tier Sorcerer was no joke.

Amon was indeed very strong.

Even with terrifying injuries, as long as he got enough rest and food replenishment, recovery was quite easy.

But the current situation was that even after his injuries had healed, he was still in such a sorry state, emerging from the sewer like that.

So, what happened?

"Damn it, I knew Lord's usual arrogance wasn't a good thing. This is bad; I came out to carry out a mission, and now the four disciples of Lord are coming to hunt me down! Why are you bastards trying to kill me when Lord Dragon has conflicts with your leader?" Spitting out some saliva, Amon cursed as he stood up from the ground.

In those days, he neither sent any information back to Lord Dragon nor visited the Richardson team.

The primary reason was that the disciples of the other Lords were relentlessly pursuing him!

The so-called Creators were not united.

Especially after the appearance of the Dragon Clan that Lord Dragon had been pursuing, many sought to thwart his efforts.

The battles between the disciples were tacitly approved.

"Ox, Horse, Sheep, Dog, I'll remember you all! This time, let me return to Battlefield World alive, you guys just wait!"

Picking up a large bag of food and carrying it on his shoulder, Amon hurriedly returned to the sewer.

Only here, he wouldn't be found by the disciples of Lord Dog following the scent.