Uncle here isn't your average office worker!

As she spoke, she added,

“I reminded her to carry the sword on the back.”

"Thank you. Without the sword's back, I reckon I'd be split in two by now."

Roy rolled his eyes and muttered a complaint.

Goodness, you guys really know how to time things! It was so close! Do you even know what it feels like to be interrupted halfway through a story? I feel like I could come knocking on your door with a knife and demand more updates.

However, could this be considered some kind of omen?

Roy glanced sideways at Skadi, who stood apologetically to the side. Why was it that when Margaret hit him, he felt nothing at all, but when Skadi hit him, he immediately snapped back to reality, just as he was about to see the true face of that dark figure?

The first person he saw when he opened his eyes was Skadi.

It can't be that Skadi was more ruthless.

Roy couldn't help but smile wryly. "Titi, it's not me who's possessed, it's you."

Now I dare not let you run around anymore, so stay obediently by my side.

"It's alright, just take this with you, and our mission will be over."

“Hey, but there’s so much treasure here.” Margaret pointed into the cave, next to the stone coffin, where piles of gold coins and antiques lay like mountains. “Just left there?”

Roy pondered for a moment and said, "That's true, we need to find a way to deal with this. I've thought of a good place."

Whether I can play virtual reality games on Terra depends on this.

Volume 1: Chapter 173 The Men and Women of the Gu Family

If there's one place on Terra that's most suitable for a transmigrator's birthplace, Colombia certainly deserves a mention. As one of the few truly authentic emerging capitalist countries on Terra, Colombia is much closer to Earth in terms of its national system, ideology, and social living conditions. Born in Victoria, you might be bombarded with dirty bombs by the Grand Duke's army; born in Letania, you might be used as magical material by the Tower Warlocks; born in Rembiton or Ursus, you might end up in a black market mine. But born in Colombia, this country doesn't care about your background and is happy to accept any outlaw.

Furthermore, if you are talented enough or ruthless enough, you can even do quite well in this country where wealth, rather than bloodline, determines social status.

When Roy first transmigrated, he considered escaping to Columbia. The work with the Unarmored Alliance was far too dangerous; he knew little and his abilities were limited. Standing in such a near-villainous position, if he were to encounter the legendary park bench scenario, he wasn't sure he could survive his uncle and Shining's swords. However, the unlocking of the [Kal'tsit's Riddle] module and Xuan Tie's almost indulgent attitude towards Qingjin made him abandon the idea—since he had a relatively high and safe starting point, why abandon everything and start over in a foreign land?

After all, as a local, the predecessor could live a relatively comfortable life in Casimir. If he had really lived a comfortable life, who knows what Columbia would be like now? What if he accidentally got caught up in the Great Pioneer team?

Forget about finding Rhine Lab, he'd probably have to figure out how to save his own life.

However, despite this, he still kept a close eye on some of Columbia's developments. For example, Seria and Christen founded Rhine Lab; the old goat Palvis and Ferdinand, who was more like a businessman than a researcher, joined the company as authorities in Originium research and life sciences; and Rhine Lab's rapid expansion, with the Originium Arts Application Department being established last, headed by a young scholar from Zalak who had switched jobs.

This mouse is the one Roy has been keeping an eye on.

In Roy's previous life, humanity's concept of a virtual world had never disappeared. Various television programs, novels, and anime works have put forward endless speculations and fantasies about virtual worlds, but without exception, they all belong to the category of "science fiction". Only in Terra, Dorothy Franks, the head of the Originium Arts Application Department, truly did this - he created the prototype of a virtual world.

The people of Terra may not yet realize the great significance of this achievement. Even a cunning man like Ferdinand only sees it as an add-on to the creation of superweapons. But Roy knows that a scientific product that can connect human consciousness and allow them to live together in a "world" is epoch-making in every respect.

Scientists can use it to refine experiments, soldiers can use it to test weapons, and politicians can use it to expand into new "territories." Even from the perspective of the Originium Arts, which are intertwined with Terran science, this invention inevitably evokes another taboo ability—the ability to aggregate people's emotions, also known as the "Demon King."

Compared to the Demon King, virtual reality technology can even go further...

Of course, it's too early to say all this now. Rhine Lab was founded less than ten years ago, and Dorothy joined just a year ago. The situation of ten departments standing side by side has not yet been formed. This is the best time to poach talent.

Roy rubbed his chin, gazing at the mountain of wealth.

If these gold coins, jewelry, and antiques were sold, they could instantly multiply Roy's net worth several times over. This is not an exaggeration. After all, even Big Bob, who is infected, was able to open a brewery in Colombia after obtaining a portion of this treasure, and his business was booming.

It's important to understand that it's not easy for foreign companies to stand out in the highly competitive Colombian market. Big Bob is just an infected person, and Roy doesn't think he has that much business talent. The only answer is "he has enough money."

“I’ll call Marner… no, never mind.”

After thinking it over, Roy decided to abandon his plan to reveal the fortune to Marna.

My uncle seems to be short of money lately. He just finished repairing the house and recently spent all his annual leave, so he has no savings left. He'll probably have to rely on Zofia for support for the foreseeable future, so I'd better not give him the money to manage.

It's not that I thought Marna would take it, it's just that Roy is a kind-hearted person and couldn't bear to show off in front of Marna.

After thinking for a moment, Roy pulled out his long-unused anonymous phone, gestured to Margaret and Skadi, and walked to a corner to dial Monique's number.

The call connected quickly, but instead of Monique's voice, it was Hintraya asking excitedly on the other end:

"Master, is that you?"

"Little Platinum?" Roy was taken aback, then asked nervously, "Why are you answering the phone? Is Monique in trouble?"

Hinterlea explained with a hint of jealousy, "Lady Monique is washing up; she just returned from a mission. We live together in your old apartment."

Roy breathed a sigh of relief and asked curiously, "Wasn't that a hotel? How did it turn into an apartment?"

Hinterlea said, "It's all because you've been making too much noise lately, Master Roy. The Great Knight Territory has been packed with tourists these past few days, and the hotels are full every day. This hotel is also a property of our Wuzhu Alliance, and it has a lot of secrets. It was originally opened to keep things under wraps, but now that there are too many people, it's become troublesome. So Boss Xuan Tie took over this building and converted it into our company's employee dormitory. You know, it's Yuanshi Cloud home products."

Roy was genuinely surprised. He had stayed at that hotel for so long, and this was the first time he had known it was actually owned by the Wuzhou Alliance. That old man Xuan Tie certainly had a lot of things hidden away.

However, he is quite shrewd. Through the acquisition, he laundered the business by transferring assets from one hand to the other. On the surface, he said it was converted into apartments to provide employee benefits, but he probably also skimmed a lot of money off the Business Federation. After all, those people are now trying to find ways to annoy the Wuzhou Alliance.

I wonder what their expressions would be if they knew that the person who acquired the Wuzhou Alliance's assets was actually Xuan Tie Dawei of the Wuzhou Alliance.

A smile played on Roy's lips as he steered the conversation back on track: "Since you're here too, Little Platinum, I won't bother making another call. To make a long story short, I've struck gold. I have a sum of money that I don't trust to others, so I'd like you guys to keep it safe and also help me make an investment. As for the amount..." Roy estimated, "It'll probably come to several million."

The prices of gold coins and jewelry will not fluctuate much, but antiques are not as easy to sell as one might imagine. There are not many people who know their value, and even fewer who know their value, want to buy them, and happen to have the money to buy them. Roy's estimate is already an underestimation. If there were no rush and an auction were held, these treasures might be worth tens of millions.

Hinterlea felt a chill run down her spine, but also felt a surge of joy.

The reason why Roy was so shocked was that he had gone out for a stroll and actually made so much money. Could it be that he had secretly robbed the treasure trove of that business association director?

The joy stemmed from the fact that, despite having such a large sum of money, Master Roy hadn't considered entrusting it to anyone else, but instead chose to have him keep it safe. What a testament to that trust!

As expected, my master is a good family man!

Hinterlea immediately agreed, her tone already showing the self-awareness of a family woman managing Roy's money: "I'll inform Lady Monique later, and then arrange for someone to go and count and transfer the funds. Would Master Roy like to keep some working capital?"

Roy shook his head: "No need."

Having already obtained the key to the Last Knight, his biggest goal in this journey, money was no longer so important.

He's heard Rhodes Island has a great kitchen, so he's going to Rhodes Island to freeload!

Volume 1: Chapter 174 Let's Speak Frankly

Rhode Island, Medical Department.

Shining doesn't usually go to work; her visit to Kal'tsit was for another purpose. Kal'tsit had just finished surgery, and although she looked slightly tired as she emerged from the operating room, she stubbornly refused to show it. Seeing Shining waiting in her office, she wasn't surprised; as if she had expected it, she washed her hands, sat down, and asked:

"Are you here to say goodbye?"

Shining reached for the longsword lying beside the sofa. Its withered, wooden blade emitted a soft, green light, brimming with life. She slightly drew the sword from its sheath, allowing a wisp of mysterious soul energy to seep out and mingle with the green light, imbuing the ordinary healing spell with a calming and relaxing quality. The green light then drifted towards Kal'tsit, who didn't dodge, allowing the light to surround her. She let out a long sigh, her tired face instantly vanishing, her spirits renewed.

Shining then sheathed her longsword, her gentle voice and soft tone accompanied by a soft whisper:

"I can't hide it from you."

“You didn’t mean to hide it from me. You’ve been buying supplies for the long trip all this time. How could Kroos not know?”

Kal'tsit said. She knew everything that happened on Rhodes Island, not only because she had memorized every detail of the ship, but also because Kroos, the head of purchasing and chief engineer, acted as her eyes and ears.

It's worth mentioning that, given Kroos's unreliable personality, this responsibility shouldn't have been given to her. Unfortunately, the other Blood Demon chosen by Kal'tsit was even more unconventional, making Kroos seem much more agreeable in comparison.

But there was no need to explain these things to Shining. Kal'tsit picked up the medical diagnosis report for the newly infected patient and continued, "..."

"Aren't you going to wait for Margaret Nearl to come back?"

Shining smiled slightly and shook her head: "Isn't she already being taken care of?"

Kal'tsit glanced at Shining and nodded.

Indeed, the commotion in Kazimierz has been so great recently that almost the entire land knows about it. Although Shining mainly focuses on the affairs of the Sarkaz and the Infected, he is not completely isolated from the world.

Knight Roy and Knight Margaret Nearl led the Conquest Knights, decisively defeating the Ursus Empire's Third Army at the Whitewave River, shaking Terra to its core. Although most people, including Kal'tsit, felt this achievement was exaggerated and embellished, the Ursus people undeniably suffered a crushing defeat, didn't they?

Otherwise, the nobles in Ursus wouldn't have remained silent about the ongoing purge in their country—they were originally enfeoffed based on military merit, and after such a devastating war, they simply had no face to speak up.

It's estimated that Fyodor will be able to suppress a lot of opposition forces this time, and perhaps another powerful Ursus will emerge on the land.

Kal'tsit frowned slightly, her expression unreadable, whether it was sadness or joy.

But she quickly brought her wandering thoughts back on track and nodded to Shining:

“I have no reason to stop you. You can leave at any time, but before you leave, you need to inform Amiya.”

"No matter where you go, Rhodes Island will always have its doors open to you. This has always been our attitude, Amiya's and mine."

Shining nodded. She could hear the solemnity in Kal'tsit's words, a solemnity that also stemmed from the dying wish of another leader of Rhodes Island, or rather, the Tower of Babel, who was no longer with them. Kal'tsit had never forgotten.

Kal'tsit made herself a cup of instant coffee with hot water, and watching Shining get up to leave, she said:

"Although it's not necessary, out of curiosity, I'll ask anyway, where are you planning to go?"

Shining turned his head and replied, "Lentinium."

Kal'tsit's expression suddenly turned serious. Her brows furrowed, and her tone visibly turned cold as she asked, "Go find your family, or Theresis?"

The power struggle within Victoria led a near-defeat Grand Duke to take a desperate gamble. His act of bringing Sarkaz mercenaries into Londinium to quell a rebellion was exploited by the usurper Regent Theresis, and he ultimately died in a battle of dubious cause. Theresis and his Sarkaz forces seized the opportunity to occupy Londinium, the capital of the Victorian Empire, the largest mobile city on Earth, and manipulated the city council. Through a series of deceptions, they sought to rebuild Kazdel, the home of the Sarkaz, on Victorian soil.

At this critical moment for the nation, the Grand Dukes of Victoria once again displayed their utterly immoral character, disregarding the capital and its people, and carrying forward the tradition of infighting. As a result, Victoria, which was once known as the strongest nation on earth, became a disorganized mess, with its territory fragmented. The dukes, though nominally dukes, were in reality kings, and with endless internal strife, not a single one of them raised an army to come to the rescue.

I wonder if the nobles in Londinium who strangled the Lion King back then, now facing the Sarkaz's sword hanging over their heads, would miss the days when Victoria was still a united nation.

Now, Theresis has issued a summons to all Sarkaz across the land, inviting the ten Sarkaz royal courts and all those who aspire to revive Kazdel and restore the glory of Sarkaz to Londinium for this grand event, in the name of the "Demon King." Given that Shining is heading to Londinium at this critical juncture, even Kal'tsit, who prides herself on trusting Shining, has to be wary.

Shining naturally understood what Kal'tsit was worried about, and was about to explain when there was another knock on the door of the medical department office, and Amiya's clear voice came from outside:

"Teacher Kal'tsit, are you there?"

Kal'tsit glanced at Shining, pursed her lips, and said to Amiya outside the door:

"Amiya, come in."