Man on the ark, forced to become king

"Don't be shy, take whatever you need, Lao Wei will reimburse you in full!"

The Emperor spoke with great confidence. Even though she couldn't see him in person over the phone, Lin Lu could imagine him standing on the bar, gesturing wildly. No wonder this tightwad was suddenly so generous; he must have found a sucker.

"Then prepare a good car suitable for driving in the wild, as well as a batch of spare weapons and wilderness survival supplies. Boss, you know what I mean?"

"Hey, don't worry, they're all the best."

The Emperor chuckled and hung up the phone. Through the phone, the two of them simultaneously revealed a knowing smile.

It's obvious that this penguin will inflate the bill several times over when he reports it; he never hesitates to rip people off.

But what does that have to do with Lin Lu?

When he takes the goods, the emperor gains the benefits, and everyone benefits, wouldn't that be wonderful?

"However, being able to travel with Xiao Mo is a pleasant surprise."

After hanging up the phone, Lin Lu cautiously glanced at the motionless Lani doll on the windowsill, a wide grin spreading across her face.

Who would rather travel alone and feel lonely than go on a journey with a beautiful girl?

Lani can only remain in doll form right now and has to sleep every few days. If only Melina could wake up right now, unlike Lani, she can manifest a physical soul...

"Hmph! Don't go crazy here!"

Suddenly, a slightly hoarse female voice rang out from the depths of her heart, startling Lin Lu so much that her face froze instantly.

"Mei, Melina?! When did you wake up?"

"Just now, when you were having these wild thoughts."

Melina's voice came from the depths of her heart. The small golden tree on the windowsill swayed, casting a faint golden glow. The blurry shadows gradually became clear in the glow, outlining the appearance of a girl with brown hair and one closed left eye.

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Who doesn't like to be close to a beautiful girl?

Melina!

My Melina!

Upon seeing the girl emerge from the golden light, Lin Lu was overjoyed and opened her arms to hug her.

Mmm, soft and cool, it tastes just like before!

"Don't suddenly hug me!"

Before she knew it, she was pulled into someone's arms. Melina's eyes widened slightly, and she looked disgusted, but she didn't push him away.

"Hehe, it's so good that you're awake."

With the beauty in her arms, Lin Lu lowered her head and nuzzled Melina's hair before letting go, her face full of silly grins.

For him, Melina, who had accompanied him from Nymgford to the royal city, across snow-capped mountains, over sacred trees, and even nearly sacrificed herself on the giant's cauldron to burn the golden tree, was undoubtedly one of the most important people. When he stepped into the stars and came to a completely unfamiliar world, all the old friends from the borderlands were separated, but only Melina and Lani remained by his side.

Now that the two of them have awakened from their slumber, how could he not be happy?

Moreover, unlike Lani, who is currently in a somewhat awkward state, Melina can materialize her soul...

"The power of the Golden Tree awakened me; otherwise, it would have taken me a while to wake up."

Melina glanced curiously at the night view outside the window, and then saw the Lani doll placed next to the golden tree flowerpot, her brows furrowing slightly.

"Has Lani not woken up yet? She should have woken up earlier than me. Is something wrong?"

"She was awake all day, but fell asleep again because she was too exhausted. It may take a few days for her to recover."

Lin Lu followed her gaze and felt a little regretful. If Lani had been awake, the three of them could have truly reunited today.

"Is it because this little doll's body isn't suitable? Haven't you found the materials to make her another body?"

Perhaps because she had been acting in a soul state for a long time, Melina could see the problem with Lani at a glance, but she didn't know how to solve it. After all, Lani's condition wasn't actually that good. If it weren't for the sudden growth of the Golden Tree, it would have taken a long time for her to awaken.

“This place is quite different from where we are, and I don’t know much about it, but I have found a clue to solve Lani’s problem.”

Lin Lu thought for a moment, counting on her fingers: "I plan to continue cultivating the Golden Tree. If it can reach the form of the Life Furnace, even if it's a little smaller, it will be enough to reshape Lani and you into real bodies. This may take a long time, so I have prepared a temporary alternative."

"This world also has the technology to transfer souls to inanimate objects and to create spiritual dolls. I have some clues. If I find them, I should be able to create a temporary doll body. Although it won't solve the problem at its root, it will still be usable, and it will be much better than it is now."

"I knew you would have a way."

After hearing Lin Lu's idea, Melina smiled and nodded, not surprised at all.

This is exactly the kind of fader she chose; no difficulty can defeat him, and no powerful enemy can hinder him.

He grew stronger with each step, fighting against countless heroes and demigods, defeating gods, slaying beasts sent by the Supreme Will, and even daring to challenge the Supreme Will itself in the end.

He has not failed, nor will he give up; he has simply not succeeded yet.

This is her true hero.

"So, are we about to embark on a new journey here?"

Melina asked this question, but Lin Lu just smiled, extended her palm, and said softly, "There is no new journey, Melina. We are no longer burdened with missions. This time, we will live for ourselves, live more freely and more wonderfully. I have no ambition to conquer the world. All I want to do now is to let you be resurrected as real people. You will be with me, right?"

"of course."

With her eyes curving into shallow crescent shapes, Melina placed her hand on Lin Lu's and answered without hesitation.

"No matter when or where, I will always be with you, just like... you will never leave me, will you?"

Their hands touched, they smiled at each other, and everything was understood without words.

They had fought alongside many heroes and warriors, and traversed towering mountains and perilous cities together. Their bond was so deep that it could not be described in simple words. How could they possibly be separated?

"There are no mountains, no mausoleums, no rivers, no thunder in winter, rain and snow in summer, heaven and earth are in harmony, so I dare to be with you."

Lin Lu smiled and opened her arms, wanting to embrace Melina, but then she heard a faint cough coming from the windowsill, and her outstretched arm froze.

The two turned their heads at the same time and saw the brim of the little doll's hat trembling next to the golden tree. It raised its head and stared straight at them with its azure eyes.

"Lani, you're awake?"

Seeing the little doll sway and stand up, Lin Lu was overjoyed, while Melina, standing to the side, was a little embarrassed. What was this feeling of being caught in the act?

But she quickly regained her composure and met Lani's gaze without flinching. They were equals, so why should she be afraid?

"Humph."

Lani snorted and turned her head away, saying sarcastically, "If I hadn't woken up, who knows what you would have done in front of me."

"How could that be! I only hugged him, hugged him..."

Lin Lu gave an awkward laugh and muttered under her breath, "You guys don't even have real bodies, so even if I wanted to do something else, I couldn't..."

"Shameless!"

"Pooh!"

The distance was so short that even the softest voice could be heard clearly. This statement immediately drew unanimous condemnation from both of them. Melina looked disdainful and immediately brought up her embarrassing past.

"Is this your reason for lifting Marlenia's skirt and stripping her of her Exalted Knight armor?"

"An accident! It was just an accident! And about stripping the Corrupted Knight's armor... I was just trying to collect a set of armor!"

Lin Lu looked completely innocent and argued loudly, "Fighting, fighting, how can that be called stripping!"

"He's done this kind of thing before?"

Even though the doll's body couldn't make any expressions, Melina could feel Lani's gaze becoming dangerous. She shrugged, her expression quite subtle.

"He's done a lot of shameful things, like sneaking into the battlefield of Rataen at night to take home spears and other weapons to use as arrows, stealing and hiding Fia's clothes, and even begging Xiugu to enhance them for him, enhance them..."

As she spoke, a blush crept onto Melina's face, and her voice became so low that it was almost inaudible.

"That's all in the past!"

Just as she was about to be killed on the spot, Lin Lu's eyes darted around. She clapped her hands, drawing the attention of Melina and Lani, and said loudly, "Ahem, that was all because conditions were bad before. I won't do that kind of thing anymore! Listen to me, now that Melina has woken up, I have a new plan..."

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Kazdel's Little Lesson in Mostima

10:10 A.M. Weather: Sunny.

Southwest of Longmen, a desolate wilderness.

The gray-green off-road vehicle sped along the dirt road, its large tires crunching over gravel ruts, kicking up clouds of dust and leaving a dim yellow trail behind it. The direct sunlight in the wild shone on the vehicle's outer metal armor, reflecting a dull luster. The large 'RAYTHEAN' lettering on the vehicle indicated its manufacturer—Raytheon Industries.

Raytheon Industries Wilderness Series T-08 Armed Vehicle - Raider.

Unlike ordinary off-road vehicles, this vehicle, designed specifically for special operations and war support in the field, is entirely covered with robust metal armor. Even the windows, equipped with specially designed explosion-proof glass, appear quite small under the armor.

Considering its protection against direct attacks from armed forces and Originium Arts, the vehicle's armor incorporates a certain proportion of heterometallic materials. The specially formulated alloy provides considerable resistance to both physical impacts and Originium magic. The powerful Originium engine and composite tires specially designed for complex terrain in the wild ensure that it can move freely in most areas.

While taking into account defense, the vehicle also has multiple weapon platforms reserved on its body, making it highly expandable. Its adapter interface can accommodate all of Raytheon Industries' light weapons, and can even install a few heavy weapons if needed, turning it into a mobile firepower platform.

Of course, if you really need that kind of service, you'll have to pay extra. Even without weapons, the price of this vehicle is enough to deter most individual buyers—its price per vehicle is a staggering 320 million Lungmen dollars, enough to buy a small apartment in Lungmen's city center near the inner ring road outright.

However, after actually driving it, Lin Lu exclaimed that it's good to be rich, but could only give the assessment that it was worth the price.

This vehicle's performance certainly justifies its high price. The mutated Originium Bugs, which often roam the wilderness and cause headaches for lone travelers, can be rammed directly without any fear of damage. The moment the Originium Bugs explode with their juices flying everywhere upon impact with the armor is incredibly satisfying and exhilarating.

Furthermore, the powerful engine provides enough power to crush ditches and ravines on the road and run freely in the wild. This brutal and savage thrill is simply irresistible to every man.

What's even more exciting is that from the moment he drove out of the Dragon Gate, the car truly belonged to him. Whenever Lin Lu thought about this, he had an urge to sell the car and buy a house.

But we'll talk about that after we get back to Lungmen, and he's also a little reluctant to leave.