Forge a path to success

The bait has been taken. The Yeti chuckled to itself.

Card trading is very common among Extreme Battle players; these guileless creatures are natural suckers. They used to frequently use cards with pretty designs to earn Green Branches, and now using these guys is perfect for meeting their quotas…

It pulled out a card with a chibi-style demon drawn on it and pushed it to Gulibo: "The latest trendy 'Entertainment Demon' deck, please take a look."

Gulibo took a big gulp of milkshake and said happily, "Great, it's hooked!"

The Yeti felt a weight on its shoulder, and then it began to tremble involuntarily. A terrifying blonde woman was pressing on its shoulder. Gulibo jumped off the seat, and a slippery eyeball replaced it on the chair.

"Tell me," Vande sneered, "What kind of demon are you?"

·

"I'm a mischievous devil... please spare my life..." the Yeti said pitifully.

Even with Ji Huaisu's extensive experience with demons, he retorted, "Are you kidding me? Playing pranks can make you a demon?"

The Yeti, with a mournful face, said, "There are so many strange and wonderful emotions in the ocean, I also want to have a more memorable name..."

"What are you talking about? Pranks are a terrifying emotion that can cut off someone's escape route while you're laughing and joking." Mr. Gray trembled.

"What kind of standard is that? Is it from a comedy comic?"

Demons are like cults on Earth, specifically targeting naive animals or minors. Chu Hengkong knew this trick inside and out, which is why he brought Gulibo along as a bait.

The Yeti obediently led the way, stopping in front of a manhole cover. It pulled out its identification card, swiped the cover open, and turned around with a forced smile: "It might be a little damp..."

Gulibo exclaimed in surprise: "The lower city area is really connected by the sewers, right?"

"Demons like damp environments, so this kind of passage caters to their tastes." Mr. Gray jumped down first. "The sewage pipes aren't this way, so everyone can come on in!"

Van der peered out and, upon seeing the small boat, life jackets, and the sign that read "Sharp Turn 20 Meters Ahead," jumped up: "This is practically a whitewater rafting adventure!"

"After all, we're an amusement park!"

To be fair, ignoring the sewer-like entrance and Van der Leyen being thrown off during the sharp turn, the rapids ride itself was quite entertaining. They rolled down the steep slopes for hundreds of meters, pushed aside another manhole cover, and peered out to see a dazzling array of lights under an artificial canopy, with flashing neon lights illuminating all sorts of inhuman passersby.

This was an unprecedentedly bizarre, haphazardly constructed piece of land. The roof of the bar was a carousel canopy, Ferris wheel cabins were converted into tiny lodgings for one person, and faded glass panels from a haunted house hung in front of shops, bearing writing as signs. Rusty tracks stretched across the middle of the road, and a small train, laden with passengers, chugged along, occasionally stopping to puff out a large cloud of smoke.

Outdated entertainment facilities from countless years ago stand proudly here; they are houses, vehicles, and everything else available in this underground area.

"Congratulations, you've discovered a hidden area!" Mr. Lan mimicked the system's announcement.

"It has a unique charm," Chu Hengkong said.

He has always been a nostalgic person, preferring old-fashioned craftsmanship to new technologies. The city below the amusement park is like another castle discarded by time, yet it exists vividly in the present: people keep coming out of the passageways, bringing in new, outdated equipment; short, demi-human creatures crawl in and out of the machinery; demon-possessed people sit on scrap metal sheds, puffing away; and loudspeakers play music popular ten years ago, intermittently but always with people joining in.

Just like the dilapidated old town of Huilong City, like the old house he lived in when he was a child, this kind of place that evoked a sense of familiarity suited his taste.

“The demons living in such a dilapidated place, isn’t that a case of the government forcing the people to rebel?” Ji Huaisu muttered.

Vande pointed to the side and saw a new batch of "garbage" rolling out of the transport channel. The demons swarmed forward, tossing aside the obviously recently discarded chairs and leather covers, and instead grabbed a few tattered iron baskets, praising them endlessly.

"A 20-year-old model!" "Awesome!" "Oh, even the smell makes my mouth water..."

Several short demons happily carried the basket away, leaving Ji Huaisu dumbfounded. Van Der explained, "Demons are spiritual beings; what use is material splendor to them? Old, well-used equipment often accumulates longing, and that's what demons need."

“They’re living quite environmentally friendly lives, aren’t they?” Gulibo said.

Just then, they saw another manhole cover open, and a fat man in a leather suit, about two people tall, climbed out with some difficulty. It was the same employee who had handed out balloons at the entrance not long ago. The fat man in the leather suit shook, then suddenly deflated, and a demonic phantom emerged from the suit, chewing something with a smacking sound.

"I'm not hungry. I'm not hungry. Let's change it!"

“This is the Sharing Demon,” Mr. Grey told them. “It’s quite old and weak, but still a respectable figure. It works at the amusement park, feeding itself by sharing happiness.”

"My turn! My turn!"

A cricket-like blur leaped into the suit, and the suit's appearance and shape transformed into a bald, big-nosed, blue-skinned man. It eagerly jumped into the sewer, cheering as it made its way to the surface.

"And this honest good friend is a humor devil," Mr. Lan said with a laugh. "He likes to tell jokes, but the jokes he tells are terrible. So he works as an entertainer at parties and in queues, specializing in the lame joke segment."

Looking at the lively little devils around him, Ji Huaisu felt a headache coming on: "There's really no reason to attack them... They're all more harmless than an old octopus."

"It seems your companions are all decent people." Chu Hengkong looked at the Yeti. "Why is it that you, this prankster devil, have become a lackey and a sycophant?"

The Yeti chuckled and detached itself from the suit, transforming into a demonic phantom. It said, "Brave warrior, you don't know this, but we demons always need contractors to live well. These suits are enough to keep us fed and clothed, but it's hard to get enough to eat... You see."

It pointed to its sunken belly and said pitifully, "I used to be a very plump devil. I've become like this after working for so long. If I keep drifting along like this, who knows, in a few months I'll become like them, having to utter one word at a time when I speak."

"I want to improve myself." Chu Hengkong nodded. "Anything else?"

"And of course, the boss assigned me the job, so I couldn't refuse," the prankster said with a long face. "Besides, even though I'm a prankster demon, I'm actually quite serious and can't do pranks... I have to prank a lot to make a living! Even if I had a job at the amusement park, I wouldn't be happy. But helping to distribute cards, just the profit sharing alone is enough for me to live on. I just can't resist it."

“You really were born into the wrong family,” Vande commented. “It seems your previous contractor was a rigid guy.”

"The last prankster was specifically contracted to prank him..." The prankster demon frowned.

"You brought this on yourself, don't you think?"

Chu Hengkong gave the troublemaker a few words of reprimand, then released him. He knew very well that such a minor character had no concept of good or evil; criticism and education were useless. By nipping the problem in the bud, the troublemaker would naturally stop.

Gulibo didn't quite understand: "Why are you talking about contractors?"

“Because a demon’s personality is shaped by its contractor,” Vande said casually. “Imaginary demons are purely spiritual beings, essentially a mass of emotions given the ability to act. And how can mere emotions have a ‘personality’?”

Therefore, demons are always seeking contractors; they need the contractor's body and experiences. It's like pouring water into a container; after the container breaks, the water returns to the sea. But it still remembers its previous way of life. This memory will gradually make the invisible water resemble the container, giving it a similar way of thinking, a seemingly contradictory personality…”

“And that is the ‘face’ of a demon,” Vand explained. “Only those who deeply influence or even change a demon can become the face of a demon. That guy just now, although he was playing a prank, acted so rigidly. He probably had a good relationship with his former contractor.”

Gulibo read through Vande's explanation, feeling a little sentimental: "That demon is quite pitiful, like a floating weed carrying a dying will... Why are they called heretics..."

Vande stared wide-eyed: "BoBo, you've only had a few days of peace and quiet and you've already forgotten about Golden Leaf City?"

Gulibo immediately recalled the ferocious power of the cursed jellyfish and trembled: "I was stupid, Bo!"

Ji Huaisu grinned wickedly and picked up the little mouse: "Come here, Gulibo, it seems your ideological awareness isn't firm enough. Let me tell you a few classic little stories from my own experience in the swamp..."

"No! I don't want to hear it!"

Gulibo struggled desperately, but ultimately couldn't escape Ji Huaisu's clutches. After hearing just a few words, its nose turned as white as paper, and the blue giant salamander watching from the sidelines shrank in fright.

Mr. Lan sat on the giant salamander's head and said with a smile, "However, I also think that the term 'heretical' is not very good. You see, the demons in the lower city are all law-abiding, but they are firmly confined by the term 'heretical' because of the evil deeds of their own kind. Such a generalization is not very fair."

Chu Hengkong didn't hesitate at all: "I don't deny that there are harmless individuals among the heretical groups, but the number of fantasy demons is so vast that demons like the one in the lower city are only a tiny minority. Moreover, even a mere demon of one lineage has come up with the trick of card corruption. To deny the evil of the group based on the good of an individual is nothing short of generalization."

"A brilliant rebuttal, my friend. It seems you're not just someone who knows how to fight." Mr. Lan seemed quite satisfied. "So, how do you plan to resolve the current predicament?"

Before the words were finished, a loud noise erupted from the end of the street, and a large sedan chair carried by eight men slowly approached. This eight-bearer sedan chair was quite ostentatious, painted in a gaudy gold color, and had two lackeys clearing the way, shouting: "Lord Gutaf is here! Make way for Lord Gutaf!"

The palanquin had no curtains, allowing everyone a clear view of "Lord Gutaf's" nouveau riche appearance. He was as fat as a ball of flesh, wearing a white coat adorned with long feathers, three thick gold chains around his neck, and large sunglasses. As the palanquin passed by the crowd, it suddenly stopped, and Gutaf pointed at the Sharing Demon who had just finished his shift.

Did you pay your taxes today?

The demon trembled as he spoke: "Entertainment, sir..."

"Gutaf!" The person inside the sedan chair suddenly roared in anger.

“Gutaf, sir!” Sharing Demon quickly corrected himself, “I handed it in yesterday.”

"I'm asking you if you submitted it today."

"Hand it over!" The Sharing Demon quickly pounded its belly, spitting out a ball of transparent light—its wages from working at the amusement park that day. "I'll hand it over..."

Chu Hengkong stopped the ball of light with one hand and looked at the man in the sedan chair. The entertainment demon Gutaf responded with a disdainful sneer.

"It's rare to see a righteous hero protecting a demon."

"It's not uncommon for petty people to become arrogant and domineering when they get ahead," Chu Hengkong said. "But I never expected that the ugliness of demons would be even more despicable than that of humans, and that it could certainly amuse people, truly deserving of the name 'entertainment'."

Gutaf's face immediately darkened, and he sneered, "What, you from Huilong City, coming to pick a fight with me? If you're so eager to cause trouble, why don't you just make a move?"

Gulibo couldn't hold back any longer and jumped out, shouting, "We won't fall for your tricks! I want to play cards with you!"

"Ah, it seems you guys are quite clever..."

Gutaf's expression suddenly changed again, and he smiled warmly: "But I don't want to play games!"

“You…” Gulibo was stunned.

"It's your business if you want to challenge me, but I'm not accepting. What can you do about it?" Gutaf sneered. "You can only force me to play with your head! But..."

"Do you low-quality little things have the ability?"

Gutaf's expression turned solemn, and a terrifying aura swept over Gulibo, causing it to freeze in place. The ferocity of the opponent's aura instantly reminded it of its days in the wilderness, of the terrifying minions of the Demon King's army whom it could never resist. Gutaf's laughter sounded like an earthquake to its ears.

"The vice-captain of the Fifth Team is still lying in the temple. The trash of the Divine Guard can't take me down! If you want to show off, have that idiot Harleroya come down and challenge you personally... Otherwise, you lot are utterly useless!"

"If you linger here today, I can simply waive your tax. But what about tomorrow? What about the day after? Can you really waste your days like this, underground in this amusement park?"

"That tax, it still has to be paid eventually!"

The eight-bearer palanquin set off again, Gutaf's arrogant laughter still audible from afar. The Sharing Demon nodded gratefully to the group, then swallowed the ball of light and fled. The surrounding residents all kept their distance, not daring to have any involvement with this group.

Gulibo, still shaken, said, "I should have brought the seeds with me..."

Vande glanced at Ji Huaisu and, seeing her beaming smile, praised her, "Captain Ji, you've maintained a good mood this time."

"Haha, I'm building up my anger." Ji Huaisu counted on his fingers one by one, "Little by little, little by little, I'm building it up."

Van der gazed thoughtfully at the departing entertainment: "I really feel sorry for him."

Chapter 302 Enjoying It (5)

Click-clack, click-clack, the patterns on the screen cascaded down like a waterfall. Bananas, rice cakes, tentacles, and the lucky eye. The student pulled the handle; the first column stopped—an eye. Pulled it again; the second column was also an eye. Breathing became heavy without the student even realizing it, and sweat beaded on their forehead. Just one more and they would win, just one more.

Banana. Tentacle. Wait a minute. Rice cake. Tentacle. Now, he pulled the handle—

"Calm down." The cold prosthetic hand pressed down on the back of his hand. "Look carefully."

The student missed his chance and slumped into his seat. "What are you doing?! I saw it clearly—it was an eye!" "Think again." The silver-armed man's voice brooked no argument. "How much did you spend on this?" "400…" "That's not a small amount." "If you win, you can get double back."

“This is gambling,” the silver-armed man said.

The student, eyes red, stood up and shoved him forcefully, but couldn't budge him. "So annoying! You have to be so bossy even when we're playing a game! Who do you think you are?!" "This isn't a game, it's gambling." "Get lost, you spoilsport!"

The man let go and left. The student eagerly pulled the lever a third time, this time the rice cake stopped in the middle. "Damn it!!" he cursed hysterically, while the little animals next door cheered at the same time, and twigs were spat out of the machine like they were free. On the open-air stage behind several rows of machines, a portly man was smoking and singing cheesy rock music to entice consumers, while monstrous figures danced to his music.

That was the entertainment demon Gutaf, and now, everyone was in his headquarters, a chaotic area that combined bars, nightclubs, casinos, and amusement parks.

Ji Huaisu waved from afar, and Chu Hengkong walked around the slot machine array and the card table, pulling up a stool in front of the table to sit down.

“They’re having a great time,” Mr. Gray commented.

"He's almost lost his mind; this student is more insane than a seasoned gambler," Chu Hengkong said. "How are things on your end?"

“The good news is that we haven’t seen any drug or prostitution business yet,” Ji Huaisu said. “The bad news is that the tourists are having a blast. I’m not making a metaphor; there are a few guys at the card table who have been playing for two days and two nights straight, and some people in the box-breaking game are spending money on prosthetic body modifications to increase their efficiency.”

“I don’t think this is a place for good kids,” Gulibo said, trembling.

“The area we just came down from should be the law-abiding underground district, but this is the troublemaker district,” Van Der said. “The atmosphere is completely different; a lot of these guys are typical daydreaming demons…”

As he spoke, a hook appeared from the shadows and reached for Vande. Chu Hengkong flicked his finger and released a drop of wine, sending the attacker flying along with the hook.

“You’ll have to march in formation for five minutes once you get back to the ground,” Mr. Gray reminded him.

"He attacked first, and I was acting in self-defense for my friend."

Mr. Gray thought for a moment, then hopped over to the unfortunate demon and said, "Get up and march in formation for five minutes."

“Dude, you just wasted your precious first chance to hit someone like that.” Vande sighed. “We’ve all seen Gutaf singing on stage, he’s a fantasy, and the DJ spinning the record is his partner, ‘Indulgence’.”

"His strength doesn't seem like that of a fantasy demon," Chu Hengkong commented.

“I have some speculations about this,” Ji Huaisu continued. “According to the information I’ve gathered, Gutaf is a long-time employee of Flying Swallow Amusement Park. He personally participated in the development of a series of amusement park attractions and was one of the main card designers for the Extreme Battle card game. This is why his Entertainment Demon cards can be used in the game.”

The more something aligns with one's own 'concept,' the more powerful it becomes. Gutaf's power grew after gaining advantages on earth, thus giving rise to disloyalty. A recent event has shaken the stability of the city-state for many, and I speculate that this served as a trigger, leading Gutaf to translate his disloyalty into concrete action.

Gulibo's expression was strange; he wanted to laugh but held it back: "It's not Bill 368, is it, Bo?"

"Judging from the timeline, it's most likely true," Ji Huaisu said. "Don't laugh, everyone. I know the bill itself is incredibly stupid, but quite a few people do support it. Gutaf started his operation in this environment. He resigned, went underground, defeated Chenmian and took him under his command, and began spreading demon cards. There must be someone else behind him pushing things along, but I haven't found out yet due to time constraints."

Ji Huaisu piled several handwritten notes on the table: "That's all I found. Feel free to add more."

Fan De and Chu Hengkong exchanged a glance and whispered, "She's really angry..."

“She’s really, really, really angry…” Chu Hengkong agreed.

"Stop talking nonsense, let's finish this quickly."

“Okay, let me add something. Judging from the aura, Entertainment is a fantasy, but it’s out of line; Indulgence is a classic fantasy demon, but for some reason its aura isn’t very strong… maybe it’s related to how Entertainment defeated it.” Vande said, “Both are complete forms with legitimate contractors, and they’re the type that completely suppress the contractors’ consciousness and monopolize the body. To be honest, they’re not easy to deal with in a head-on battle.”

"Thinking back to when we were chased by a bunch of alien beasts and ran for our lives, it's hard to imagine that now you'd describe a strong level 4 and a weak level 5 as 'difficult to deal with'," Chu Hengkong laughed.

“Traveling with you for so long has greatly improved my endurance. Now, if a point 7 suddenly appears, I'll only give a token scream. ‘Ah! God!!’” Vande said calmly. “So this is the situation. Right now, they're singing over there, and the troublemaker is less than 500 meters away from us in a straight line.”

"Let's force a war," Ji Huaisu suggested, offering a very constructive suggestion.