Chapter 820: Chocolate

Chapter 820: Chocolate

Spectres’ Mansion, second-floor bedroom, early morning.

“Ah!”

Nainai suddenly shouted in her sleep. She jerked awake, kicking her blanket off and sitting on the bed.

She had a dream.

She dreamed of herself growing a pair of rainbow-colored wings of a fallen angel, her eyes brilliant like gems of the same multicolors. She gracefully glided across the sky, looking down at her land and subjects. They all lay low on the ground, chanting her esteemed name deferentially, bathing in her divine glory and awaiting her grace.

Suddenly, she heard a familiar sob ringing in the sky, which did not fit the situation at all. She was going to find out who was crying when her wings disappeared. She suddenly plunged toward the ground and looked down to find her land and subjects gone. There was only a giant abyss that sucked her in like a black hole.

Then she started awake.

Sob.

Nainai turned around to find Hong Xiaoxiao’s side on the bed empty, yet something was in the blanket, and Hong Xiaoxiao’s sobs were coming from a short distance.

“You...” Nainai paused before realizing. “You acquired Invisibility?”

Two seconds later, Hong Xiaoxiao appeared on the bed.

Holding onto her legs, she buried her face in her knees and couldn’t stop crying. “I, I dreamed of Can. She told me...she told me to take care of Captain well for her...sob...”

Nainai wasn’t sure what to say.

She tugged at the collar of her pajamas slipping down her shoulder and looked down at her palms.

With a thought, she curled her finger and conjured a soft breeze to rustle Hong Xiaoxiao’s hair. It was level 1 Gale.

Nainai curled her legs and held onto her knees, lowering her head and pressing her shoulders to Hong Xiaoxiao’s.

She thought ruefully, From now on, this Empress has to make my own wind effects.

...

Meanwhile, in the forest behind the mansion.

A grave was added to the original nine graves for Can. Since her body had been rendered into nothing, everyone found some of the belongings she had left behind as a replacement.

There weren’t a lot of things, only a few clothes and everyday items, as well as an old handheld console with the game Tetris and a box of chocolate—Can had anemia, so she always had some chocolates on her for energy.

Gao Yang didn’t feel like sleeping, so he visited Can and sat before her grave. The start of the day crept up to him.

Dawn saw a faint mist weaving through the forest. Soft morning sunlight shone down at a diagonal angle and lit Can’s grave just right. White dust particles waltzed in the flowing mist, painting a dreamy scene.

Today was the day Liu Qingying’s restaurant officially closed down.

The Walled City of Ten Dragons had become a ghost district since members of the Qilin Guild moved to the underground base of the former Hundred Rivers Union. There was no reason for Liu Qingying to stay here. After dismissing her employees, she started to clean up the office and pack up what little important items there were. Although the documents held little value, she still decided to burn them all.

Tearing the documents into pieces, she cast them into the small brazier at her feet.

Caw!

An ominous, grating bird call pierced through the silence. Liu Qingying turned around with a pause to find a crow perching on her windowsill. It flapped its wings and looked at Liu Qingying quietly.

Liu Qingying hesitated before coming up to the window, observing the crow through the glass. Two seconds later, a breeze entered her head.

She was silent for a minute.

Then she smiled and returned to her office desk, taking a dark red gummy candy from the drawer. She had prepared it beforehand.

She opened the window and threw the gummy candy out. The crow craned its neck and caught it before flying away.

...

Underground basement, sewage of Li City, night.

In a brightly-lit living room with a warm design, Gao Xinxin, Raven Shark, Gregor, and Wang Weiyan were playing a tabletop roleplaying game called Anything Anywhere All At Once[1].

Vermilion Bird sat in her wheelchair, quietly “spectating”.

Gregor was the creator of the game and the DM. Wearing a red blanket like a cape, he had a featureless mask on with a thick game manual in his hands. He narrated vividly with hand gestures.

“Dragonslayer Gao Xinxin! Magical Girl Little Yan! First Mecha Pilot Raven Shark!”

“The three heroes from different worlds have overcome great difficulties, obstacles, and trials to arrive at the chaotic space at the intersection of the multiverse. Together, they killed the greatest boss, the Almighty Evil Dragon!”

Gregor lifted the blanket and swung his fist. “The ultimate victory belongs to you!”

“Hooray!”

“Whoa!”

“We won!”

The three players were ecstatic. Wang Weiyan even turned around and threw her arms around Gao Xinxin, sharing the joy of victory with the dragonslayer, who had been taking care of her particularly closely.

“Danger!!” Gregor suddenly exclaimed.

1. The raw is a play on the translated title of Everything Everywhere All at Once. ☜