I'm in Terra

"Then where is your home? Can I take you there?" After a few seconds of silence, Awei asked again, like a warm and sunny young man.

Alina shook her head and gently pointed to the roadside: "Don't bother me, brother. Just drop me off in the downtown area."

"How can that be?" Seeing that Alina couldn't tell him the address, Awei was even more certain of her thoughts. "Let me tell you, Longmen's Lower Town is not safe at all. It's full of vicious gangsters. You're a pregnant girl, and you'll probably be kidnapped by those scumbags right on the spot. Listen to Brother Awei. I'll send you to my house for a while. Once you find a place to stay, I can send you there."

"Really? Then I'll trouble you, little brother."

Ah Wei thought Alina would insist on refusing, but she unexpectedly accepted his proposal. He was happily thinking about how to enjoy this rare beauty when he got home, but he turned around and saw a group of people blocking the road ahead. Frightened, Ah Wei had to brake several times before he finally stopped the car.

After finally stopping the car, an enraged Wei rolled down the window and yelled, "What the hell are you doing? If you want to die, just jump into the river and don't block the road!"

Who would have thought that as soon as the words came out, the people blocking the road ignored them. Only a woman standing on the roadside wearing a mask snorted coldly and showed the dagger at her waist: "Routine inspection, if you don't want to die, cooperate. How many people are in the car?"

Ah Wei was furious: "Which gang are you from? Can't you see the Fengchi Logistics logo? Speak politely, or do you guys really want to quit working in Longmen?"

Snap————

Before Wei could finish his words, he saw Alina unbuckle her seatbelt, open the car door, and jump out. The next second, he felt dizzy, as if he had suddenly lost weight...

Blood flowed along the car window, and the body with its head and body separated did not cause any commotion. The two younger brothers quickly opened the car door and sorted out the body, while the rest of the people all gathered in front of Alina tacitly.

"Master Military Advisor, why did you come in alone? If we hadn't received the letter, we wouldn't know how to receive you."

The leading girl removed her hood, revealing herself to be the Kingslayer, who had long been lurking within Dragon Gate. Standing beside her were members of the Reunion Movement who had infiltrated from Dragon Gate's outer ring.

Alina waved, a gesture of greeting. "We've basically taken care of Tallulah. I was worried about you guys, so I came in to guide you. Alex... Where's Broken Bones? Did you find your family?"

Upon hearing that Alina had come specifically to help them, the Kingslayer breathed a sigh of relief. "We just got a clue. We should be able to find them in a few days. We've already infiltrated thirty or forty of our brothers, but unfortunately, the local recruitment efforts haven't been going smoothly. After all this time, only forty or fifty are willing to continue with us."

Alina nodded. "Forty or fifty is already impressive. The fact that someone's willing to join us proves the situation inside Longmen isn't as bad as they claim. As long as we keep expanding, more people will soon join us... By the way, is there a way to control the smuggling channels? With their help, our troop transport speed will be much faster."

"Yes." The King Slayer rubbed his nose, a proud smile on his face. "I have thought of this and am already trying to recruit more stowaways."

"Recruiting stowaways?" Alina glanced at the corpse on the ground, a little puzzled. "Then why don't you just forge an identity and become a stowaway yourself? That would be faster and more efficient than recruiting those hungry guys."

The Kingslayer froze. She had never imagined she could do this. With her intelligence, using stowaways to increase efficiency was already the limit.

"It's okay. There's still time to start now." Alina sighed softly, not wanting to delve into the details. "Go help Broken Bones complete their mission first. I'll handle the transport of the soldiers. We're not planning on capturing Longmen this time, so we don't need too many people. Completing our respective objectives is our top priority. As for the customs checkpoint and the stowaways... I'll keep them company."

"Yes, I understand!"

Wine pond and meat forest: 82 Tallulah, Tallulah

Fall into the abyss.

What does it feel like?

Was it the suffocation of falling into a lake, unable to rise? Or the heartbreaking loss of seeing loved ones say goodbye forever? Or perhaps... being discarded like a tool by so-called loved ones?

Huijie's tearful face was vivid before her eyes, and Wei Yanwu's silence seemed like yesterday. Her beautiful childhood had been destroyed by two ambitious men, leaving only debris. And those debris, in turn, thrived under his malice, wantonly absorbing the power of hatred, taking root and sprouting, eventually growing into the woman she is today.

For Tallulah, the abyss began the day she left Longmen, and now is just the curtain call of the grand drama.

'Do you hate Kosice?'

She opened her eyes. Ever since Alina left for Dragon Gate, Tallulah had woken up suddenly every night. Sometimes she was woken by herself, and sometimes she simply couldn't sleep.

But no matter what the cause, she will eventually choose to have a deep communication with herself.

"Of course I hate him, otherwise I wouldn't have pierced his chest with a sword."

By now, Tallulah had come to terms with her defeat by Kosciuszko. She had indeed failed to fulfill her promise to Kosciuszko, but she also realized that that promise might have been the true seed Kosciuszko had planted deep within her heart, and that those so-called spells had merely integrated her dark side, forming a new, filthy self.

"So do you hate Wei Yanwu?"

This is crap.

Both Tallulah and she knew the answer to this question. Yet, she continued to ask it with relentless enthusiasm, wanting to hear the answer she would never tire of hearing.

"The next person to have his heart pierced by my sword will be him."

Not surprisingly, Tallulah gave the same answer again.

"Very good! Very good! As long as your hatred and anger never die out, I will exist forever and ever."

"So what? Aren't you me too?" Listening to the mocking yet delighted cheers in her ears, Tallulah's heart calmed down like a pool of stagnant water.

"Alina isn't the only one who's made progress during this time. Although my brain isn't as sharp as hers, I've figured things out a bit. The reason I'm so naive and stupid isn't just because of my old-fashioned upbringing; Kosice's magic also played a big role, right?"

Tallulah didn't answer, nor did she need to. When she realized this, it meant she had already taken the initiative to step into the darkness.

This also means that that day is coming.

Seeing that 'herself' didn't respond, Tallulah didn't care, continuing to analyze the cause and effect. "Kosciuszko's education was just a prelude, intended to make me foolish and arrogant. The spell and the bet were the precursor, blocking the outlet for my emotions. As long as I wander this land, the darkness I ignore will continue to accumulate in my heart, until one day it will completely destroy me."

"That's the Tallulah Kosice wanted."

As the girl pondered and spoke, the fireplace beside her gradually began to light up. Unlike the usual orange flames, this time the flames were dark and quiet, like a maggot on the tarsus, and like a shadow that would never dissipate behind her.

Suddenly, the increasingly vigorous flame trembled violently and then quickly went out.

"But if that's the case, then Koschei won the day Alina died. There was no need for him to create complications, and there's no need for you to hide in my heart any longer." Tallulah opened her eyes and stared calmly at the ceiling. "You guys were clearly victorious, so why did you suddenly let me go? And why did you let me notice all this?"

In Tallulah's thinking and questioning, He gave the answer.

'Because of potential.'

"Kosche is a short-sighted fellow, foolishly blinded by failure. He would rather see the man he hates perish in regret than a rare and perfect new companion. This is his limitation and his stupidity."

"And I hope you can truly awaken."

Yes, Kosice is stupid.

Although he considered himself a military strategist and thinker, his actual level was appalling. Before he encountered a true genius, he was still complacently admiring his own greatness and wisdom.

But a young man completely shattered His ridiculous mask. He was a god, a demon, an immortal black snake, and He possessed infinite life and unique powers.

This is His advantage and also His disadvantage.

God who possesses eternal life will not understand the preciousness of time, and the devil who can play with people's hearts cannot understand the greatness of wisdom. Unless someone slaps Him hard in the face in front of Him and shatters His self-esteem and fantasies, He can understand this truth.

Therefore, He understood His own greatness, but also His own imperfections. At the same time, rather than spending more time to fill these gaps, He chose a more convenient and quicker approach.

He does not understand wisdom, but He can respect wisdom.

So He gave up those hopelessly stupid plans and started planning something more meaningful.

For example, transforming a fully awakened Drake, instigating the holder of wisdom to capture more territories while he is still young, or... planning to kill other "gods".

These are the things that a conspirator like Him should do.

Therefore, after he understood these principles, he ruthlessly separated his past self from his present self.

What does the stupid thing you did, Kosice, have to do with me, Kasheina? .jpg

"Truly awakened? Do you mean that you want me to truly accept you and myself?"

"Fool, I am you! The moment the spell was cast, you and I were already one. I simply absorbed all your dark thoughts, ensuring that you can still act according to your original thoughts."

Tallulah fell silent. After a long period of reflection and study, she had accepted her failure. But she hadn't expected that her failure was doomed from the very beginning.

"What kind of spell is that, and who am I?"

"I'm glad you're considering this question; it means I'm one step closer to you. Since you're curious, let me tell you. It's a special 'ability,' different from Originium techniques. It's closer to instinct or a 'miracle.' You can simply understand it as the power of a god, and its effect is simple: it allows the recipient to continuously assimilate, eventually becoming a part of it."

"Assimilated into a god?" Tallulah laughed mockingly, "It's a demon, right?"

'Whether gods or demons.'

"Heaven or hell."

'The end result is the same.'

"You're not dead or eaten."

"It's simply accepting yourself, accepting yourself as God."

"This is the truth you long for."

'Now, there is only a thin gap between you and me.'

“As long as you accept yourself.”

'You and I will become one.'

"Really? I'm in."

Wine and Meat: 83 Stirring Up the Storm

There was no pain as imagined, nor any so-called regret. Everything happened naturally in the dream.

Pitch-black flames appeared out of nowhere, enveloping Tallulah's body and devouring everything around her without restraint.

Ah~~~

It should have been so long ago. Why didn't we figure it out sooner? Why didn't this day come sooner?

When Tallulah woke up again, it was daybreak.

A breeze blew by, and everything around her disappeared. Clothes, furniture, houses, and even the flames themselves were swallowed up silently, leaving only her lying naked in the sea of flames.

She was surrounded by circles of infected people, who stared worriedly at the girl who was half-submerged in the dark sea of fire, with only worry and regret in their eyes.

"I'm fine." Tallulah raised her right hand, and the dark flames instantly gathered together, looking from a distance like a dark and luxurious long dress.

"This is awakening." The monster as tall as an iron tower let out a barely perceptible sigh of relief, but his hand still tightly grasped the halberd.

"Yes, I'm fine, better than ever." Tallulah nodded, acknowledging the Patriot's guess.

She simply waved her hand lightly, and a cluster of black flames condensed into a flaming magic sword.

"Except Yelena, everyone step back and do what you should do."

The Blazing Demon Sword was far less regal than the original, and the girl in her jet-black dress wasn't as serious as she'd been in her military uniform. But for some reason, everyone who heard Tallulah's command instinctively shuddered, then obediently followed her orders and left the ruins.

If the original Tallulah was a serious fighter, then the current Tallulah is a dark tyrant, an almighty tyrant who practices violence surrounded by flames.

"You have changed." Just as thousands of people were retreating, Yelena took the initiative to come to Tallulah. A chill unconsciously surged from her body, trying to extinguish the fear brought by the dark flames.

A breeze blew across her face, the temperature of the flames melted the snow, Yelena's pretty face flushed slightly, and the vigilance in her heart disappeared.

"Yes, I've changed. But I'm still me, right?"

Tallulah smiled, a beautiful smile far more charming than her earlier, bitter and resentful expression. As if oblivious to Yelena's wariness, she gently took the girl's hand.

The flames that were powerful enough to destroy everything rubbed against Yelena's clothes, but only made a series of tempting rustling sounds.

"How about you accompany me to the residential area? I remember there are a few clothing stores there."

"You're not going to wear that pretentious military uniform of yours anymore?"

"No, as a girl, it's better to be more beautiful. Did you see the expressions of those soldiers just now? Let's go together and you can help me with some reference."

Yelena rolled her eyes, but a faint joy filled her heart. Tallulah no longer had the bitterness and vengeance she once had, but instead looked more three-dimensional, more like a leader.

"Let's make it clear in advance. I don't know how to dress up, so if I'm not satisfied when I get back, you can't burn me."

"Hehe, I promise."

Tallulah nodded nonchalantly and strode towards the residential area. The flames that had originally condensed on her skirt scattered to the soles of her feet, gently lifting the girl's jade feet.

Looking at the girl's lively yet elegant back, Yelena couldn't help but feel a sense of confusion, as if the Tallulah of the past and the Tallulah of the present were completely different people.

"What are you waiting for? You're the only one I can consider a best friend."

As if noticing Yelena's hesitation, Tallulah turned her head curiously.

Yelena thought for a moment and tentatively asked, "...Are you still going to continue working on Longmen?"

Tallulah tilted her head. "Why not? I'm going to kill Wei Yanwu myself."

"It's nothing. Maybe I was scared by the way you looked last night." Realizing that Tallulah's thinking logic had not changed, Yelena breathed a sigh of relief and quickly caught up with Tallulah.

..........

"You mean to say that Penguin Logistics doesn't intend to accept this commission?"

The smoke was curling up, and still at the bar of Penguin Logistics, a man and a penguin were facing each other silently.

The emperor puffed out a puff of white smoke in dissatisfaction and crushed the cigarette butt on the bar. "Even if I wanted to take it, there's nothing I can do. The girls are all away from Longmen, and I'm the only one left. What can I do?"

"They have left the city? When will they be back?" The rustic pipe cut through the smoke and tapped lightly on the table, and the figure hidden behind the smoke also revealed its true face.

It was the governor of Longmen, Wei Yanwu.