Chapter 178 (First Release)...

Ning Wanwan felt that this guy must be deliberately picking a fight because he didn't like her.

"If you don't like me, you might as well just kill me." She said casually, a little annoyed.

Jeremy narrowed his eyes, then suddenly drew a gleaming weapon and approached Ning Wanwan.

Ning Wanwan was shocked: "Are you serious?"

The other person raised an eyebrow, and even the freckles under Jeremy's eyes on his face seemed vivid and cunning: "Using a fake one instead of the real one, huh? What, are you scared?"

Ning Wanwan: "If you're scared, put the knife away..."

Jeremy scoffed and said lazily, "Don't worry, I won't use this weapon on a weak human like you. I specially crafted it for the competition three days from now."

"To prepare for the battle against Ansel," Ning Wanwan said casually.

Jeremy: "..."

Ning Wanwan: "Really? So cautious, they've made a lot of preparations."

Jeremy: "..."

Ning Wanwan blinked: "Are you afraid you can't beat him?"

"..."

Jeremy seemed somewhat embarrassed and angry: "Human! Shut your mouth! Can't you speak properly?!"

Ning Wanwan shut her mouth, lest she ignite this person, no, this devil.

Hmm... I feel like I'm not so afraid of this demon anymore.

Who knew that even though Ning Wanwan didn't say anything, this devil had other ways to cause trouble.

"What are you looking at? What are you looking at? Is it something you should be looking at?!"

Ning Wanwan looked innocent: "Didn't you take this weapon out to show me?"

Jeremy: "..."

Jeremy couldn't understand why he had inexplicably shown her the weapon he had just acquired, just like a male human showing off something good to attract a female's attention.

It's quite childish and boring.

Jeremy calmly and rationally assessed his own actions.

At this moment, he should have glanced disdainfully at this weak human and then left immediately.

However, his mouth wouldn't listen.

"If I take it out, you'll look at it? Does that mean you'll look at everything I take out?"

He said such a vulgar thing.

It's really baffling.

It's like they're teasing this human.

Heh, he wouldn't be like his idiotic king, so easily bewitched by ordinary, worthless humans.

Jeremy scoffed inwardly.

“”

Ning Wanwan hadn't reacted yet.

She only saw this demon in human skin, for some reason, stand there with his face turning from pale to red to white as soon as he finished speaking, then stare at her intently, turn around and walk away without saying a word.

He walked quickly, as if something terrible was chasing him.

He himself is a terrifying thing.

Ning Wanwan pondered the last look he gave her, but couldn't quite decipher it. Her feelings were complex—confusion, mockery, ferocity…and terror.

In short, the composition is unknown.

Just like Ning Wanwan couldn't understand why he seemed frightened by his own words and ran away. She hadn't even said anything yet.

"Wait... what did he mean by that? What other knife can he show me?"

Ning Wanwan's expression was a little strange, and she didn't think about it in any other direction. After all, she couldn't imagine that even a demon would stuff yellow garbage into his brain.

Jeremy wasn't there now. Ning Wanwan paused for a moment, puzzled, before continuing to walk forward. As she passed the shop, she felt a wave of heat coming towards her.

She stopped and unconsciously turned her head to look into the shop, where she immediately saw a huge, boiler-like thing that was burning red.

"Want to come in and take a look?" The shop owner sat at the entrance, a pipe dangling from his mouth, and with a slap of his hammer, the nascent metal sparked a dazzling burst of light.

It looks like they're forging a knife.

Normally, Ning Wanwan wouldn't go in, but the image of the newly forged knife that Jeremy had just shown off flashed through her mind, and after hesitating for a moment, she still stepped inside.

The boss continued working, sparks flying from his mouth, and he seemed to have no intention of paying any more attention to the customers.

But there was no intention to mock or scrutinize.

This actually made Ning Wanwan feel much more at ease.

She calmed down and slowly wandered around the shop, focusing on the crafted knives, swords, guns, and daggers hanging on the wall.

They all look very ordinary, without beautiful colors or gorgeous patterns, but the parts used for attack all reveal a hint of sharpness.

Ning Wanwan doesn't use these things much, but she inexplicably developed a slight liking for them.

She even felt a slight urge to buy it. However, upon seeing the price, Ning Wanwan immediately deflated.

How can something have such a huge price difference between its appearance and its price?! I simply can't afford it...

However, these heavy items were not suitable for Ning Wanwan's physical condition. She took a few more steps and saw a round box.

The box is exquisite and brightly colored. The strangest thing is that the box is half red and half blue. Although they are put together, they are clearly distinct. The red half has a dagger pattern on it, while the blue half has a key.

Ning Wanwan couldn't help but lean closer and stare at it for a long time.

I always felt that the style of this box was different from the other things in the store, and even different from the village itself.

It's... not something you'd expect to find in a typical small shop in this remote village.

Ning Wanwan was examining it carefully when she suddenly heard a voice very close behind her: "Guest, are you interested in this?"

Ning Wanwan was startled and turned around to see that the shop owner had stopped sharpening his knives and was standing behind her.

“A little…” Ning Wanwan calmed herself down and added, “The box looks very special.”

The shop owner nodded without saying anything.

Ning Wanwan asked, "Is this also a product? What's inside?"

The shop owner answered simply, "It's a product. I don't know."

ah?

Ning Wanwan was stunned for a moment: "Are you kidding me? How could you not know what's inside your product?"

"I really don't know." The shop owner seemed to have been asked this question many times before. He demonstrated to Ning Wanwan, "This box has been passed down from generation to generation in our shop, and it can't be opened."

"Then why sell it?" Ning Wanwan was even more confused.

Generally speaking, such family heirlooms, which are obviously extraordinary and mysterious, are not something that would be sold casually.

Upon hearing this, a hint of confusion flashed in the shop owner's eyes.

"It was supposed to be bought anyway," the shop owner finally replied matter-of-factly.

Ning Wanwan's heart suddenly trembled. She felt that the shop owner at this moment was like an NPC reciting a fixed line.

NPCs...

How much would it cost to buy it?

Ning Wanwan asked.

"It's very expensive, you can't afford it." The shop owner was also from the village and was well aware of Ning Wanwan's situation, so he said it very bluntly.

Ning Wanwan felt somewhat embarrassed.

The shop owner went back to the shop entrance and started hammering the knives. After thinking for a moment, he said something that sounded like he was issuing a task.

“I own a shop and run a business. If you can bring enough money next time, I might be able to tell you what might be inside.”

...

When Ning Wanwan returned home, Ansel was wiping things down and asked her if she had encountered anything interesting outside.

Ning Wanwan said no.

"Really? Wanwan seems to be in a better mood than before," Ansel said.

Ning Wanwan: "Hmm... maybe going for a walk outside will have some effect."

Her gaze fell on Ansel's hands.

Ansel was wiping a large box, about half his height, when he noticed Ning Wanwan's gaze. He smiled and said, "Wanwan's curious about this 'weapon'?"

"Yes."

“It’s rare for Wanwan to be so curious, and I’d like to satisfy her, but unfortunately, for safety’s sake, we can’t open this for you to see.” Ansel winked at her with his purple eyes.

Ning Wanwan examined the simple box. The box was large, big enough to hold a sword or something else. The whole box looked dusty and unremarkable. It was hard to imagine that this box contained the "weapon" that was brought out from the treasure and was enough to change the status of an ordinary person.

Speaking of which, I've encountered quite a few boxes lately... haven't I?

A mysterious box that has never been opened.

Ning Wanwan stared at the large box that Ansel was holding for a few more moments. Unlike the red and blue box she had seen in the shop before, Ning Wanwan didn't sense anything special about this box, which was supposedly containing the most powerful weapon.

If Ansel hadn't said it, Ning Wanwan would have really thought it was just an ordinary, common rectangular wooden box.

"Ansel, are you going to participate in the competition for a spot in the royal city?"

Ning Wanwan suddenly remembered something.

Ansel paused for a moment: "You knew about this too? Hmm, I'm going to participate."

Ning Wanwan let out a soft breath, not even knowing what she was thinking at that moment.

In any case, she can't participate, and there's no point in even trying. Maybe she can just cheer for Anselga from the audience.

“Don’t worry, Wanwan.” Ansel smiled and looked at her gently. “Soon, everything here will be over.”

...

Even before going to bed that night, Ning Wanwan couldn't help but recall Ansel's smile.

Gentle, elusive, ambiguous.

Will everything come to an end...?

However, Ning Wanwan did not feel that this was a good thing, nor did she find any reassurance in those words.

Even if it's all over, I didn't put that period on it myself.

Since arriving here, she has been being pushed along by some force, feeling lost and disoriented.

Does this mean that even the ending is left to be arranged by others?

But what can she do if she doesn't wait for the ending?

Amidst these conflicting thoughts, Ning Wanwan drifted off to sleep, feeling somewhat agitated.

A few days later, Ning Wanwan got up and suddenly found that Ansel was not there.

"They must have gone to participate in the competition for the royal city's spots." Ning Wanwan hesitated for a moment, unsure whether to go and watch.

She still went.

On the stage, Ansel was in high spirits. He won against his opponent so easily, and his successive victories drew gasps of surprise and cheers from those around him.

When Ansel saw Ning Wanwan, he smiled at her as well.

The box containing the "most powerful weapon" in front of him made it difficult for his opponents to even get close to him. Even without opening the box, Ansel remained invincible.

If someone had told Ning Wanwan before that such a powerful and magical weapon existed in the world, she definitely wouldn't have believed it, but the facts are right in front of her.

"It feels... like a joke," Ning Wanwan muttered to herself.