Great, we're doomed now!

Secondly... we can arrange surgery to turn you back into men. As for whether you stay or leave afterward, that's up to you."

Turning back into a man?!

The news exploded in the minds of the three of them like a thunderbolt.

In an instant, the self-esteem that had been forcibly suppressed, along with nostalgia for the past, surged up wildly.

"R-Really?!" Airi's voice trembled with excitement.

"You're kidding, right? We... we've already cut it off!" Mari covered her mouth in disbelief.

"Can it grow back?"

“Of course.” Mann nodded. “Prosthetic technology is very advanced now, and we can also artificially cultivate organs… I’ll give you a day to think it over. Come find me when you’ve made up your mind.”

And that was the end of Mann's work.

Is it really okay to get such a high salary for doing this kind of work? — Mann sometimes couldn't help but think this.

-

Leaving the office, the three walked down the street at night, their feelings complicated and hard to describe.

"Finally... finally I can turn back!" Chika clenched her fists, her voice choked with emotion.

"I'm going to find my girlfriend! To tell her I'm not dead!" Marina's eyes were filled with tears.

"Don't get too excited yet," Airi said, relatively calmly. "We need to make peace with the past."

Yes, in any case, this period of time as a girl idol is also a part of their lives. Apart from the painful memories, there are also some beautiful things.

"It's like a dream... I can really turn back into a man!"

"And it seems the boss can't be released either. The gangsters who know us are either back in society or in prison." Airi couldn't help but cheer. "That means we can start over!"

"That's right!"

"Life! A new life awaits us!"

"Hey everyone, what will you all do after you turn back into men?"

"That's for sure—"

"..."

"..."

"..."

The three of them fell silent simultaneously, then a question occurred to them:

If they can't be idols or gangsters, then what can they do...?

Chapter 258: How did the Shang and Zhou dynasties become the Zhou dynasties? (Bonus Chapter)

I wonder how many Destiny Coins those three brothers (sisters) will give me?

Ye Shou momentarily lost focus during the battle, but quickly refocused on defeating the BOSS.

The main feature of the instance is a breathtakingly beautiful starry sky, with a magnificent Milky Way stretching across the heavens, as if you were right there in the middle of it.

The enormous World Tree, like a vast landmass, embraced all the players. Its leaves seemed to be woven from silver threads, and its branches stretched out far and wide, reaching into the boundless dark universe with no end in sight.

The only backdrop is a cluster of stars, with pale blue and silvery light flowing quietly through the veins of its branches and leaves. The players are positioned on one of the thicker, mountain-like main roots.

The roots extend in different directions, randomly assigning players to teams or solo players, allowing them to fight against various monsters.

There are tree spirits made of rocks and moss, and ethereal birds that shimmer with starlight, but the main force consists of twisted shadow monsters that exude an ominous black aura.

—Beneath all of this, in the unfathomable darkness, a far greater shadow is writhing.

It's Nidhogg the Black Dragon!

Despite being a dragon species, its appearance doesn't show many dragon characteristics; it looks more like a crouching mass of chaos, which puts immense psychological pressure on people.

It slowly and steadily climbed upwards along the trunk of the World Tree, gripping the bark with its claws and tentacles. Wherever it passed, the roots that had once shone faintly quickly turned gray and withered, as if all life had been drained from them.

Some NPCs, dressed in gold or silver armor and radiating a divine glow—the "gods" of this instance—are gathered on the main branch above the black dragon, constantly hurling light spears and unleashing magic to create silent bursts of energy flames in an attempt to stop its devastating counterattack.

The plot is that players must clear out the monsters on different root systems to activate the giant statue sealed in the temple and help the gods defeat the black dragon. This is a closed beta test; when the game officially launches, the player faction will definitely lose, thus triggering Ragnarok.

"The tree spirits on the left side have been cleared!" Asuna's voice was crisp and clear.

The white figure leaped lightly across the rough tree roots, its slender sword flashing like lightning, striking precisely at the core of the last tree spirit. The monster let out a wail and collapsed to the ground, slowly decaying into a pile of powder that was absorbed by the tree roots.

Along the way, with her superb reflexes and agile skills, she almost single-handedly dealt with all the small monsters that rushed behind the lines, creating a stable rear for the team.

The girls didn't seem to care much, but Ye Shou observed her with considerable surprise:

That's some serious skill!

No matter how realistic a game is, its action requirements are different from reality. The more experienced the player, the more "standardized" their poses will be. But an expert like Ye Shou can tell at a glance that Yuuki Asuna has definitely put in a lot of effort in this aspect. It's not just a simple game skill; she could probably pull off a few moves in real life.

Although he had known for a long time that she was talented... because SAO was stillborn and she didn't go through the process of breaking out of her cocoon and becoming a butterfly, Ye Shou thought she would continue to be a well-behaved girl.

Was it the Crow Man incident that made her "awaken"?

Indeed, some birds are destined to be caged...

"The main force has arrived."

With a flash of white, Asuna landed gracefully beside Ye Shou, standing guard on either side of the road.

"(I'm in charge of the monster on the left... Kuze-kun? What's wrong? Is there something on my face?")

"Do not."

Ye Shou shook his head: "It's just a bit unexpected. I feel like... Yuki-kun, your demeanor has changed."

"Huh?" Asuna turned her head, her big eyes full of doubt. "Really?"

"Well, to put it simply, she was originally just a well-educated and sensible young lady, the kind of girl raised by a wealthy family. But now... well, when fighting monsters, your eyes don't flinch at all, and you don't even flinch at bloody things. Even many male players can't do that."

Ye Shou laughed: "She's just like a real female swordsman."

"Don't make people sound so fierce..." Asuna blushed, feeling a little flustered.

She did exercise, even sacrificing some of her study time, which is why she kept it a secret from her family. Her father and brother probably wouldn't say anything, but her mother likely wouldn't approve.

Her mother loved her very much, but she was a serious person who believed in elite education and would never allow her to waste her precious time in such a place.

Asuna has always been a good girl, never disobeying her mother's teachings and always perfectly meeting her mother's requirements... But as expected, deep down she still hides a passionate and adventurous side.

Whether in the game or the real world, she feels an unprecedented thrill and satisfaction when fighting enemies or practicing swordsmanship, and an indescribable sense of accomplishment arises after victory.

She's already tasted the pleasure, and it'll be hard for her to go back to how she was before...

She even changed her future aspirations from attending a prestigious university and marrying into a wealthy family to joining TPC—she believed that this would make her life more meaningful.

However, she did not dare to reveal her true thoughts, whether to her family or outsiders. So when Ye Shou mentioned the changes in her body, she felt inexplicably embarrassed that her pretense had been exposed.

"Actually, I'm just... a little addicted to action games." Asuna scratched her cheek. "What's this called... oh, hardcore gamer?"

Ye Shou didn't mind. Seeing her hesitate, he stopped asking and turned to look at the densely packed monsters crawling up: "Ready, Sword Master."

"it is good!"

Asuna drew her silver rapier, then suddenly paused, glancing instinctively at Ye Shou.

Isn't it "Yuki-kun" or "Asuna"?

The girl, whose profession was [Sword Master], gripped her sword tightly, her eyes hardening as if encouraged.

If I encounter such an emergency again, I can protect others in my own way, just like the person next to me!

【Ding! 】

[Fate Coin +4 (Asuna)]

Upon hearing this unexpected joy, Ye Shou couldn't help but slowly curl up the corners of his mouth...

Lord Ye Shou looked very happy—Ruri caught this scene from afar, then looked at Asuna with a thoughtful expression.

"Hey, don't get distracted, what's wrong?"

Lucy tugged at her, but the hacker girl was so engrossed that she didn't notice the subtle changes happening in the distance.

Liuli turned around and abruptly asked, "Lord Ye Shou isn't going home today, he must be at your place, right?"

"Yeah, what's wrong?" Lucy tilted her head, not understanding what Ruri meant.

Jealous? That shouldn't be the case.

The two of them had spent a year together with Ye Shou in "Iron Blood," and had long since built mutual trust. They had even tried being a threesome... so they wouldn't be jealous of such low-level things anymore.

By the way, the one who is suffering the most in this relationship right now is Qianhua, because she is usually a bit reserved in front of others, and she hesitates for a long time even when she holds hands with Ye Shou.

In private, although she could be intimate with Ye Shou, there were many restrictions:

She lived at home, but the Fujiwara family was very upright, so she could only find an excuse to stay out overnight in order to take the opportunity to have sex with Yoshinobu...

That's right, this girl who claims to be very innocent actually has a rather lewd side, and she has quite a thirst for knowledge when she does it.

"We can't rely on rich heiresses. You and I must be very careful and not let anyone take advantage of our weaknesses, so—"

"so?"

"You'll be the one to defeat him."

Ruri pressed down on Lucy's shoulder: "Let's exhaust him!"

Huh? Seduced Ye Shou? Me...

-

【Ding! 】

[Destiny Coins +3 (Airi, Mari, Chika)]

...How come it's only three?

Ye Shou and Lucy were snuggling on the sofa watching an old movie together. The girl had fallen asleep, while Ye Shou, who was half asleep, heard a notification sound and frowned.

Less than he expected!

Turning back into men should have completely changed the fate of the three of them, even if they were just characters in a comedy comic. They should have had more than three Destiny Coins.

Does this mean they can't truly reintegrate into society?