I am a female swordsman.

It's unclear what Liang Yue's mindset was when she fixed the location of her thought body in this body of water. The drizzle, the mist, the undercurrents, the water vapor and the wind—all the fluids were carriers of sword intent, or rather, derivatives of sword intent, bringing endless troubles of death to Huang Quan.

Tortured by the drizzle, lost in the misty haze, swept into the abyss by the inconspicuous undercurrent, torn to pieces by the wind...

In these waters, Huang Quan endured all sorts of elaborate deaths.

All she could rely on was her own sword intent, which had just transitioned from falsehood to reality. However, the awkward thing was that in areas where there was a huge difference in both quality and quantity, she could only do so much.

A vicious cycle of smoke and waves.

The water vapor on the river surface kept rising, and large wisps of mist spread out like cotton candy. Everything was enveloped in a hazy white mist, almost to the point of complete darkness. Huang Quan was trapped in the center, like a caged bird standing on one leg on the river.

The female swordsman, holding her sword, stood like a banished immortal on the surging river.

This scene can be described as extremely beautiful.

But Huang Quan didn't think his current environment was particularly pleasant, because often, once he was completely surrounded by smoke and waves with no way out, his struggle in the sword domain would come to an end.

Surrounded by smoke and mist on all sides, this seemingly harmless mist could completely disorient a person with normal senses. Huang Quan had only experienced that feeling of complete sensory breakdown a few times and no longer wanted to enjoy it. As for the seemingly calm river and the sky that was being gradually obscured, the murderous intent hidden within was countless times more ferocious than the mist and mist.

Liang Yue's sword domain... is exceptionally unforgiving.

Huang Quan didn't know if it was because he was too weak or because Liang Yue's personality was like this. The sword domain seemed harmless but left no trace of life. This didn't seem to fit Huang Quan's image of Liang Yue.

One can understand what kind of person the sword master is through sword intent.

In Huang Quan's view, Liang Yue's imagery was mostly harmless, natural, and elegant. Even the imagery of natural disasters like thunder, storms, and heavenly fire was in harmony with nature. Huang Quan felt she had vaguely grasped something, but before she could think deeper, her obscured gray vision suddenly went black!

died!

"You've already started thinking... Heh, though you're slow-witted, you have a persistent and determined mind. It's just that you're too weak. How can someone be so weak? I remember when I was young, I didn't send out many invitations. For someone so weak to receive one is truly a stroke of good fortune."

After the Yellow Springs were swallowed by the mist, a small boat slowly sailed out, propelled by the water vapor.

A dim fishing lamp could be faintly seen at the bow of the small boat, where a slender figure sat leisurely, gently tapping out a soft melody.

"When should I destroy this little girl's admission ticket...?"

If Huang Quan were here, hearing Liang Yue's slightly troubled mutterings, his heart would definitely pound wildly in his chest. The expiration date of the admission ticket, which was supposed to be sent by the system, was actually in Liang Yue's hands. Did this mean that Liang Yue was already aware of something?

"Never mind, never mind, let everything take its course... Having such a clumsy little guy to keep me company while I pass the time doesn't seem so bad."

With a secret sense of pleasure, Liang Yue found this kind of beating... cough cough, guiding the dull junior swordsmen to a pretty good life.

Chapter Twenty-Two: The Underworld, Called "Auntie"

Consciousness space, in front of the light screen.

Huang Quan, who had been standing there like a puppet, suddenly snapped back to his senses, staggering as if he were drunk. This disorientation caused by his inability to control his senses would take a long time to recover from, a nightmare for a swordsman who needed to maintain composure and rationality at all times!

At least Huang Quan felt this was a nightmare.

I felt dizzy and almost vomited!

Tragically, this is a space of consciousness, and Huang Quan, though feeling disoriented and wanting to vomit, has no means to do so. If vomiting without regard for appearances could alleviate this ghostly feeling, Huang Quan would definitely have a good vomiting session.

Unfortunately...

Even if you vomit in the real world, this nausea caused by sensory disturbance won't subside anytime soon.

Huang Quan's experience told her that the only effective way to recover at this time was to quickly focus her attention on an unsolvable problem. In focused thinking, the impact of perceptual disorder on consciousness would be minimized, and she could stop thinking when it became acceptable.

There are many questions to consider.

When Huang Quan slowly broke free from a state of inconclusive thought, the dizzying and chaotic feeling finally subsided to a level that he could accept.

You get used to dying after a while...

Unfortunately, Huang Quan never truly adapted to death. She herself couldn't explain it; even after experiencing the same death multiple times without panicking, the terror of death remained vivid, as if it were the first time! In a way, this little quirk was actually indispensable to Huang Quan's ability to maintain that fighting spirit that transmigrated monsters so crave.

'Host, according to system observation, your condition is abnormally unstable.'

The system, which had been constantly observing the host's growth, suddenly spoke.

'Are you just spouting nonsense...? If I were in a stable state, I wouldn't be staggering around like a drunkard.' Huang Quan expressed deep disdain for the system's hindsight-based approach.

'Host, the stable structure of your soul has become partially disordered. If you continue with such high-intensity trials, there is a very high probability of irreversible damage.'

'Is it that serious?'

Huang Quan frowned, his previously dismissive attitude towards the system quickly transforming into a serious and earnest one.

She was quite aware of her own condition. She was definitely exhausted, but she hadn't even realized that she had sustained injuries that were affecting the stability of her soul. Just as she was about to say something, a thought flashed through her mind, and she remembered her Aunt Midis telling her to rest well recently.

coincidence?

Or perhaps it was just an unintentional act?

'Maybe I really need a rest.' Huang Quan pursed his lips and lowered his head somewhat unwillingly. Sometimes, admitting that you've reached your limit is really not an easy thing.

Huang Quan did not leave the consciousness space immediately.

She stared intently at the blank floating light screen in front of her, as if trying to see through something. Huang Quan had never been fond of systems, even during those difficult days when the system was the only thing she could rely on. This system, which was exceptionally knowledgeable and intelligent, Huang Quan was very suspicious of its true purpose.

To cultivate a perfect host.

What will be the purpose of using the host after it has been nurtured? Huang Quan will always keep this question in mind unless the system has an open and honest discussion with her.

Thanks to the anomalies she experienced with the [Demon Contractor] class, Huang Quan had gained some understanding of the soul. However, she still had a long way to go before dismantling the system, but she wasn't completely lost. While the system was plotting, Huang Quan was also secretly preparing; she didn't actually want the final outcome to be a disastrous one of a complete breakdown in relations.

………………

If we remove some elements that seem to be maliciously using memes, this world doesn't seem to be much different from the modern world before Huang Quan's transmigration.

That's right, this world is full of references to a certain element.

I'm not talking about the kind of joke where a handsome guy endorses black tea from a vending machine on the street. I'm talking about jokes related to the game DNF (Dungeon Fighter Online), which can be found in various corners and details of life. For example, the white-haired woman on TV who shouts "Warrior!" with such practiced ease, or that mining fanatic, or that Wind Fist master at some stress-relieving center…

"If I delve too deeply into this world..."

On the bustling pedestrian street, a sophisticated urban woman wearing a beret seemed lost in thought, muttering to herself.

The internal system quickly dissuaded him, and Huang Quan, outwardly calm but inwardly wanting to laugh, lowered his head and brushed aside the bangs that fell across his forehead. He had long been adept at this simple self-control: internally blocking and even deceiving the system's monitoring of his emotional activity.

The system that opposes it.

If Huang Quan were holding a cigarette right now, it would surely be quite fitting...

"Auntie?"

The cute and energetic voice made Huang Quan's dark red eyes behind her sunglasses shift slightly to the side. Although Huang Quan found it unbelievable that she would be called "auntie" one day, this strange occurrence actually piqued her interest in the owner of the voice.

Without replying, Huang Quan merely shifted his gaze.

This action might seem extremely impolite to others, but Huang Quan, with his imposing demeanor, did it openly and honestly, which only added to his imposing presence.

Little red head?

With her hair in pigtails, she stubbornly raised her little head, glaring angrily at her little one, like a kitten baring its tender claws at a lion. She thought she was fierce, but in reality, she had no intimidating power whatsoever; Huang Quan could even see her little fangs showing when she bared them in a show of defiance.

"Thank you for that last time... But, this isn't to thank you! It's just that I did something so embarrassing in front of you..."

"who are you?"

"Huh? Auntie! You haven't forgotten me already, have you... Wait, why has your hair gotten so long?" The little red-haired girl seemed to realize something, her previously shy expression instantly changing. She tiptoed and reached out to take off Huang Quan's sunglasses. To Huang Quan, this slow, tortoise-like movement was nothing more than a game.

"what!!"

The poor red-haired little girl let out a sharp scream. By the time she realized what was happening, she had already been lifted up. The twin-tailed little girl, who was no more than 1.5 meters tall, was lifted 20 centimeters by having her hands pinched and her feet dangling in the air, reaching a height that was barely level with Huang Quan.

"To be honest, I'm a little angry right now." Despite being called an old lady, Huang Quan's scarlet pupils behind her sunglasses flashed with a faint killing intent.

Chapter Twenty-Three: Yuan Su

The red-haired loli, who was being lifted up by Huang Quan like a chick with her feet dangling in the air, kicked her little feet, showing a deep fear as if she had seen the mastermind behind the scenes revealing his ferocious claws!

Children are naturally afraid of facing people they don't like to get along with.

Even if someone is exceptionally beautiful, if their aura is unpredictably fierce, even a child with keen senses would be so terrified that they wouldn't be able to speak properly. A cold gaze swept over her cheeks, neck, hands, feet, and waist, causing the red-haired loli to tremble with fear.

My mind went completely blank!

Unlike the disciplinary or playful manner that comes with when a normal person picks up a child, Huang Quan's attitude when he grabs the red-haired loli is one of scrutiny as an enemy.

Huang Quan, whose mood had been somewhat soured, naturally wouldn't give this brat a friendly look.

Coincidentally, in the ghoul world, an investigator named "Sword Demon" named Yomi had dealt with some ghoul children and subconsciously adopted the same approach as when executing young ghouls. This isn't to blame Yomi for being brutal; she genuinely had very little experience with children, and her actions were entirely subconscious.

People around them pointed and whispered among themselves.

The image of a stylish, silver-haired mature woman effortlessly lifting a cute little girl is quite incongruous. In terms of strength, Huang Quan's effortless lifting of a person is more like something a muscular strongman could do.

"Ok?"

Hearing the suspicion that those around her looked at her with disbelief, Huang Quan uttered a questioning syllable, her sharp gaze sweeping around like a gleaming sword. Passersby who had initially stopped to watch the spectacle, upon meeting her gaze, were instantly overcome by her overwhelming presence and quickly turned their heads away, hurrying off the scene.

They dispersed some passersby who might have caused them unnecessary trouble.

Huang Quan slowly turned her gaze back to the little girl she had lifted up, confident that their conversation would be very interesting.

………………

Inside a casual snack shop on a pedestrian street.

One hand rested on her head, half her body languidly sunk into the beanbag chair. Huang Quan, with a straw dangling from her lips, exuded elegance. Having removed her hat and sunglasses, she resembled a noble snow eagle, casually yet powerfully surveying everything in her field of vision. Under those eyes, there was nowhere to escape!

Although the environment wasn't particularly upscale, Huang Quan managed to transform it into a pleasing and elegant scene with her own charm and appearance!

Sitting opposite Huang Quan, the red-haired little girl in a black dress nervously clutched the hem of her dress, looking uneasy.

Boom!

In the relatively quiet environment, the noise caused by Huang Quan placing a teacup startled the little girl! Her twin ponytails even stood up exaggeratedly! This comical scene amused Huang Quan, making her want to see more of this red-haired girl's disheveled side...

"Auntie..."

Huang Quan narrowed his slender eyes, and the surrounding temperature instantly plummeted!

"elder sister!"

Realizing she was courting death, the red-haired girl immediately changed her tune with a forced smile. Only after she did the surrounding temperature gradually warm up. Her heart was about to give way; the little girl was on the verge of tears. This killing god was simply unreasonable! Even saying the wrong thing gave her the unsettling feeling that her head would be chopped off!

"I mistook you for someone else, please be magnanimous and let me go!" The little girl, in a dejected and bent-over posture, knelt before Huang Quan and earnestly apologized, begging for mercy.

She really knows she was wrong.