Ye Chui wrapped Evans’s mangled remains in light magic and hurried back to the castle with his companions.
On the way, Celcith mentioned the old emperor confiscating all of Dragon Battle’s wealth for the royal family. She sighed regretfully. “Dragon Battle must have been filthy rich. We put in so much effort too. We should have got a share.”
“The old emperor only let us off because of big sis Debbie,” Reisha comforted. “Destroying a major guild like that would normally be unforgivable. At least none of us were hurt. But little brother, are you really sure you can save Mr Evans?”
Ye Chui answered gravely, “I’d say seventy to eighty per cent certain. But it’s going to cost me dearly this time.”
He had already decided. Magic alone could not restore Evans. While many films and anime contained items that could raise the dead or regrow flesh, Ye Chui felt they were unreliable. The safest route was a mechanical body. He had resolved to spend a colossal number of points unlocking an ultra-powerful sci-fi film series.
Once unlocked, he could purchase anything from those films in the mall and even summon their characters. The point cost scaled with the power level involved. The Fast & Furious series he had already unlocked was merely an exaggerated real-world racing movie, so it cost very little. But sci-fi or fantasy films with high technology and supernatural powers required astronomical points.
The series Ye Chui now intended to unlock would cost a staggering fifty-five thousand points!
He had hesitated, but the current need, combined with the massive roster of summonable heroic spirits he would gain, finally convinced him.
His heart still ached a little, but that pain quickly eased when he spotted a comforting sight. Dragon Baby was clutching several platinum gold-coin cards, playing with them and whispering something in Turtle Baby’s ear.
“Gold-coin cards? Platinum ones!?” Ye Chui’s expression changed. He reached back and hoisted Dragon Baby up by the collar. “Where did you get those?”
A horrifying thought flashed through his mind: news stories from his previous life of bear children secretly using their parents’ money to shower gifts on streamers. He hurriedly checked his magic book. The guild treasury was untouched. Only then did he relax.
“That old guy gave them to me,” Dragon Baby said, kicking his little legs. “I only asked him to pay for the pastry, but he threw these cards at me. Free stuff, why not take it? How many honey pastries can these buy?” He added proudly, “When we left, I grabbed them all. We still owed the pastry shop!”
“…”
A single pastry cost a few coppers at most. Was this kid planning to settle the bill with three platinum cards? The level of profligacy was off the charts.
Ye Chui examined the cards. Each was fully loaded with ten thousand gold coins. Thirty thousand in total. He glanced at his companions. Celcith had just been lamenting their empty-handed return.
Given Dragon Battle’s strength, their total wealth was probably around a hundred thousand gold coins. Thirty thousand was a full third. Ye Chui stored the cards in his magic book and exchanged smiles with his friends. Yep, still profitable.
He took out a dozen gold coins and handed them to Dragon Baby. “Go pay the pastry shop owner later.” A dozen gold coins was a fortune to a small vendor; enough to double the size of his shop.
The group returned to the guild. The moment Ye Chui closed the gate, a loud boom echoed from the courtyard. Space cracked like glass. Ye Chui tensed, then relaxed with a chuckle when he realised what it was.
From the fractured space emerged a bald head. It was Green, wearing a Turtle School gi, clutching a brick. His figure was reflected in the shattered spatial fragments as he smashed the barrier separating him from reality, slowly crawling out panting and drenched in sweat.
Turtle Baby looked surprised. “Not bad. He actually shattered the pocket dimension I sealed him in. With his current realm that should have been impossible. His spatial magic talent is awakening.”
Hearing this, Ye Chui gave the twin-tailed girl a flat look. “So you lot deliberately locked Green away so you could go cause trouble, right?”
Turtle Baby’s face flushed. She huffed tsundere-style and turned away. “This turtle has high hopes for him. Only through challenge does one grow strong.”
This turtle…
Had she picked that up from Dragon Baby?
“What happened? Mr Ye Chui, why are you all back? Was I trapped for a long time?” Green asked, exhausted and confused.
“We just wiped out Dragon Battle Guild. Minor stuff…”
Ye Chui said casually, walking over and patting Green’s shoulder. “Keep training. You’ll become a Super Saiyan soon.”
Green: “?”
Ignoring the bewildered Green, Ye Chui carried Evans toward the castle. “For the next three days I’ll be in the basement. Do not disturb me unless it’s urgent!”
…
The castle basement was huge. The portal to the secret realm lay in the centre, with several side chambers. The former president of the Skeleton Walkers Guild had conducted vile magical experiments here; some rooms still reeked of blood. Ye Chui entered the largest chamber, cleaned it thoroughly, took a deep breath, and unlocked the fifty-five-thousand-point film series.
As the unlock completed, several new summonable heroic spirit apps appeared on his magic book screen. After a moment’s thought, he selected a few.
Beams of white light flashed. Several clearly otherworldly figures materialised in the room.
“You lot are the smartest people on Earth. I need you to save him and build him a brand-new body. Tell me whatever equipment you need; I can redeem it from the mall.” Ye Chui smiled at the four who had appeared. “Tony, Banner, Vision, and Ultron.”
The series he had spent fifty-five thousand points on was the Marvel Cinematic Universe (excluding X-Men, Fantastic Four, and Blade; MCU only).
Countless films and anime featured mechanical bodies, but after careful consideration Ye Chui chose the MCU.
It contained all manner of high technology. When it came to cybernetic bodies, Iron Man, Ultron, and Vision were undisputed experts.
Most importantly, unlocking the MCU meant that in the future Ye Chui could summon the entire Avengers roster to fight for him!
…
Three days passed quickly.
Percy appeared at the gates of the Whatever Goes Magic Guild. She had come to say goodbye. As a prince-king magister, she would soon leave the Star Empire and return to the Magic Alliance in the Holy Heart Kingdom.
Before departing, she needed to discuss some matters with Ye Chui. And, of course, to part with Green.
Originally she had intended to end things with Green. Half a month ago she had prepared for a clean break. But Krian’s appearance had disrupted everything. In the end she found herself unable to let Green go. Had Krian never shown up, she would already have parted from Green forever, perhaps even forced by Krian’s prince-king father to marry that worthless second-generation heir. The current outcome was entirely Krian’s own doing.
Her future with Green would doubtless be full of obstacles, yet facing such challenges now filled Percy with hope. This kind of life story was pretty good too.
She approached the guild gate, about to knock, when she spotted someone storming over in fury.
A burly man in his thirties with an odd topknot, clearly not of Star Empire style. His clothes were strange too, adorned with cherry-blossom petals. Percy had studied the major powers when she first arrived in the imperial capital. Recognising the markings, she murmured, “That’s… the eldest son of Flower Village Guild’s president, Bart. Evans’s older brother, the one Ye Chui gravely wounded three days ago.”
Bart, the firstborn of Flower Village president Sheral, shared the same bloodline.
Rumour said he had a fiery temper. A year ago he single-handedly annihilated a four-star guild in a nearby city simply because they had stolen a contract from Flower Village. His enraged father had immediately sent him on a dangerous mission far from the capital.
He must have only just returned in these three days!
With his personality, he clearly could not swallow the grudge from three days ago. Though Ye Chui had been completely innocent in the Dragon Battle incident, to outsiders it looked as if Ye Chui had manipulated Flower Village into destroying Dragon Battle.
Flower Village probably saw it the same way.
Ye Chui had promised Sheral three days to heal Evans, yet judging by Bart’s furious approach, he had run out of patience and come alone to challenge the Whatever Goes Guild.
Percy watched with great interest.
Bart glanced at her but paid no further attention. He stopped before the guild gate, drew a massive bow from his back, and nocked an iron arrow.
Taking a deep breath, he drew the string.
A mysterious divine dragon phantom began coiling around him.
“So this is the Tidal Empire’s unique phantom beast?” Percy whispered, eyes wide.
The divine dragon on Bart grew increasingly real and ferocious. He let out a mighty roar and loosed the iron arrow. A terrifying cyan dragon phantom spiralled around it. Boom! The iron gate shattered. The attack tore straight toward the castle, clearly intending to destroy the entire building in one strike.
Then, at that moment, a white figure burst from the castle.
A person completely covered in armour, its design rather bizarre to Percy’s eyes. He wielded a two-foot slender sword and instantly blocked the oncoming ferocious dragon.
As the armoured figure swung his sword, a divine dragon phantom also began flowing across his body. He let out a strange, incomprehensible shout.
“Something something pulling my zipper!”
The dragon phantom Bart had released tangled with the armoured man’s own dragon phantom, was somehow redirected mid-air, and both dragons came roaring back toward Bart.
Bart’s face filled with shock. He crossed his arms to block the impact. “A divine dragon phantom… how is this possible! That armoured man…”
“That’s your younger brother, Evans,” Ye Chui’s voice suddenly sounded beside him.
Bart instantly raised his bow toward Ye Chui, arrow nocked and ready.
Ye Chui looked Bart up and down. He appeared rather dishevelled after three days in the basement; cyan stubble covered his chin. His eyes gleamed with the intense fervour of a mad scientist as he studied Bart.
“Your style and moves are a bit non-standard. Want me to give you an upgrade too? Also, how about changing your name to Hanzo?”
