Chapter 112 Chapter 112 Aquaman Dad 1
Knowing that this separation had brought many grievances and sorrows to Zhuozhuo, 9972 was ready to comfort the crying little baby when he returned to the system space. However, he noticed that Zhuozhuo was only depressed for a moment, so he grabbed him and said enthusiastically, "Tongtong, let's go to the next world, hurry up, hurry up!"
9972: […Okay, baby, you choose.]
9972 explained it to Zhuozhuo as quickly as possible and then projected the task page.
Zhuozhuo was really anxious. Before all the stars could light up, he slapped his little hand on the nearest star, not even looking at the text and picture information that popped up, "This!"
It turned out to be a small world with hazy golden light.
The emission of golden light indicates that the operating rules of the small world are approaching perfection, and it is possible that it has given birth to its own gods.
This small world has a high tolerance for error, and while most evolutionary errors can be resolved on their own, only serious crises require the intervention of the main world. Not only is the difficulty significantly increased, but it's also very dangerous, so the points rewards are also very generous.
Of all the missions Zhuozhuo had completed so far, the one with the highest points was Yan Bufan's world, almost the sum of the previous three. And the one Zhuozhuo had chosen now was expected to earn at least twice as many points as Yan Bufan's world.
9972 praised the baby for his good luck, then glanced at the small world's basic information, and his smile faded. For a moment, he considered persuading Zhuozhuo to abandon the mission. Because the object of this small world's mission was so difficult to describe, he worried that Zhuozhuo would be influenced by it and his values would be damaged, and he also worried that Zhuozhuo would be harmed.
But before she knew it, 9972 had gotten used to following Zhuozhuo's decisions, even though she was only three years old.
After explaining the basic information about the small world and his concerns to Zhuozhuo in detail, 9972 said worriedly, "Baby, why don't we leave this world for last? If you don't have enough points, then do it. If you have enough, then forget about it."
Zhuozhuo blinked slowly, thought carefully for a moment, and finally understood. Her face was full of disgust, and she said firmly, "I don't want this daddy!"
[Okay, okay, let’s not do this anymore. Pick another one…]
"But, but, but there are so many points."
Zhuozhuo was very reluctant to let go. After struggling for a while, he held the cat's head and asked eagerly, "Can't I complete the mission without Daddy?"
[Of course.]
When completing a quest, the host's identity is not fixed and can choose the most suitable one based on their own conditions. Similarly, the way to complete the quest is also up to the host to play.
For the sake of simplicity and speed, most hosts will exploit emotions to achieve their goals, most often through family, friendship, or love. That is, they will fall in love with the opposite-sex mission target, become friends with the same-sex, and become family members if the mission target is not of the right age.
Zhuozhuo's age is not suitable for other things, so he always acts as a family member with the mission targets, but it is not impossible for him to choose other identities and methods.
Zhuozhuo was relieved to know he didn't need another badass daddy, but 9972 was worried. Zhuozhuo didn't like the new mission target and didn't want to get close to him, so how could he complete the mission? Did Zhuozhuo have to become the strongest person in his small world and beat him with every punch?
Zhuozhuo, on the other hand, had already forgotten the initial sense of urgency. He lay on the light screen and chatted with the supporting characters in the small world, his face full of excitement. "All of them, I like this, I like that, they are so beautiful, I like them all!"
Seeing Zhuozhuo finally smile again, 9972 quickly said, "This one is an elf, that one is a demon. Baby, look behind you. There are also beastmen, mermaids, dragons, undead skeletons, and little skeletons."
"The beast tribe is similar to the demon tribe in Daddy's place." Zhuozhuo stared at the picture, unwilling to blink, and suddenly said, "Zhuozhuo also wants rabbit ears, a cat tail, big wings, and a fish tail."
As she spoke, Zhuozhuo's mood began to darken. Yan Bufan and Dayan were not here, so no one could give her what she wanted. She shouldn't ask for this or that. She should go and complete the mission immediately so that she could go back to see them earlier.
"Woo, Zhuozhuo misses daddy and Fengfeng."
Zhuozhuo whimpered and then suppressed it, but 9972, heartbroken, shouted, "We have them all. Everything is yours. Baby, tell me what else you want and I'll buy it all for you!"
As soon as she finished speaking, she spent 9972 points to unlock more small world characters, and all of them piled up in front of Zhuozhuo, which was bound to leave her no time to think about Yan Bufan.
"Wow... Eh? This is Bunny, and this is Fish... They're both so pretty..."
Zhuozhuo's attention was indeed diverted, and he continued to look at the pictures with great interest.
9972 counted the points he had spent with a series of "yes, yes, yes," his heart pounding as he kept asking, "Baby, what else do you want? Look at this tree demon, it's really fun..."
Zhuozhuo's eyes lit up, and he pointed with his little hand and said in a baby voice, "Zhuozhuo wants to be a tree demon too!"
[Good! Buy!]
By the time Zhuozhuo finished reading, 9972 had completely calmed down. She didn't care how she completed the mission; at worst, she would fail. Someone above her could protect her! In this world, as long as Zhuozhuo could have fun, that was all that mattered.
After sealing the memory, 9972 took Zhuozhuo to the new world.
*
Hidden among the mountains, the forest stretches as far as the eye can see, the chirping of birds, beasts and insects can be heard endlessly, and the steaming mist looks like colorful gauze in the morning sun, changing shape gently in the wind.
Deep in the dense forest stood a massive tree, blotting out the sun. Its massive trunk was wider than a house, and its branches crisscrossed at the top, forming an impenetrable web. Emerald green leaves filled nearly every gap, creating a carpet of green when the wind blew. Occasionally, a leaf would fall, swirling and dancing onto the water below, stirring up ripples.
The reflection in the water twisted and swayed, and when it returned to calm, a fruit wrapped in golden light appeared among the reflected leaves. It quickly grew larger and fell from the branch.
Boom.
The fruit fell into the water, and the water surface there shook for a long time without stopping. The waves even became bigger and bigger, until a small head with black hair and black eyes broke out of the water.
"Wow—it's so beautiful here!"
Zhuozhuo floated on the water, holding a cat head the size of a basin. He wiped the water off his face and touched his ears, saying with surprise and joy, "Bingzhuo, Zhuozhuo's ears are pointed and so long!"
9972 quickly lowered his voice and said, "Sh ...
Zhuozhuo suddenly felt the excitement of doing something bad. He covered his mouth with his hands and whispered while secretly looking at his ears from the surface of the water: "Okay, quietly, don't let anyone see."
Cathead stealthily carried Zhuozhuo on his back as he swam towards the shore. Zhuozhuo was dazzled by the dreamy forest world. Curiously, he looked around and couldn't help but reach out to the branches that hung low over the water. He whispered, "Hello, are you the Mother Elf Tree? You gave birth to me, so you are Zhuozhuo's mother."
The silent giant tree trembled, startling the birds perched there. Leaves scattering profusely resembled a heavy, green snowfall. Zhuozhuo tilted his little face up to catch the leaves, a gurgling laugh emanating from his lips.
9972 helpless, [Baby, just smile normally.]
Otherwise, if someone heard it, the elves would think that the mother tree was haunted.
"No, no!" Zhuozhuo shook his little head, suddenly grabbed a leaf to look at it carefully, and then calmed down.
When they reached the shore, Zhuozhuo stood by the water and shivered in the wind. 9972 panted and moved over to block the wind for her, but Zhuozhuo jumped and caught him.
[Ouch! Baby, come down quickly, don't fall.]
After calming the excited little one down, 9972 began looking through the clothes he had frantically bought in the system space. He shook his cat head and said, "Baby, shall we wear elf clothes?"
"Okay."
9972 was about to click "One-click change of clothes" when she suddenly saw the elf mother tree shake more violently. The fallen leaves floated towards Zhuozhuo, dancing around her, and finally turned into light and disappeared amid Zhuozhuo's laughter.
When the light faded, Zhuozhuo was wearing a green dress in the style of the elves. It was better looking than the one 9972 had spent a huge amount of money to buy. It was cute and elegant and did not affect her movements.
[Hey, no, did you ask me before you sent clothes to my baby?]
9972 glared at the Elf Mother Tree.
Zhuozhuo looked down at her new clothes, raised her arms and legs, touched them here and there, and was extremely satisfied. She touched the gem pendant on her forehead, stood on the side of the Elf Mother Tree without hesitation, and said softly, "Tongtong, don't be mean to Mommy."
9972 Grief and indignation, [You call her mom?!]
"Yes, the mother tree gave birth to Zhuozhuo~" Zhuozhuo ran over and hugged the trunk of the mother elf tree with open arms, put his little face on it, and called out affectionately; "Mom, mom, I am Zhuozhuo~"
A thin and soft branch hung down and gently touched Zhuozhuo's head, and more branches hung down to hug Zhuozhuo, which really looked like the love between a loving mother and a filial daughter.
9972 was furious. Although Zhuozhuo was born from the Elf Mother Tree, it was just a formality. From the fruit to Zhuozhuo, it took all the energy it consumed. Elf Mother Tree, you baby thief!!!
shameless!
9972 rushed forward angrily, ready to expose the ugly face of the Elf Mother Tree, but then he thought, the Elf Mother Tree also liked Zhuozhuo's appearance, and it would be nice if calling her "Mom" could get her protection in return.
Alas, for the safety of the baby, the mature cat head endured the humiliation.
I held back my temper and waited for Zhuozhuo to interact with the Elf Mother Tree for a while. When Zhuozhuo opened his arms to become a small tree, 9972 had to remind him, "Baby, we have to leave. There are still many fun things to do outside."
Zhuozhuo couldn't remember what kind of plush ears and fish tail she wanted, but her preference would definitely not change. 9972 showed her the picture in his mind, and it really attracted her attention again.
But Zhuozhuo also liked the Elf Mother Tree very much. He was extremely conflicted for a moment and couldn't make a decision. His little eyebrows were almost wrinkled into pimples.
9972 looked at the Elf Mother Tree with eyes that looked like a bewitching vixen. Just as it was about to use another powerful move, it suddenly grasped the scorching branches and pushed her out.
Zhuozhuo felt the force and stood still, asking eagerly, "Mom, do you want Zhuozhuo to go out and play?"
9972:[……]
Leaving Zhuozhuo behind and pretending to be generous at the critical moment, this tree is a very clever tactic.
The branch gently pushed Zhuozhuo's shoulder again.
“Okay!”
Zhuozhuo no longer had to worry about it and happily said goodbye to the Elf Mother Tree, "Mom, Zhuozhuo and Tutong are going out to play."
The branch paused, then swayed up and down, as if nodding. But just as Zhuozhuo was about to turn and run away, another branch dropped from the mother tree.
The branch fell off the trunk and turned into an exquisite little bow in a ball of green fluorescence.
Zhuozhuo didn't know what it was, so he waved the bow twice and said happily, "It looks great!"
The leaves of the Elf Mother Tree rustled, as if laughing, and then the branches lifted up the fountain of life. The water flew towards the small bow, transformed into a feathered arrow, and was placed on the bowstring, and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Zhuozhuo widened his eyes and touched the location of the feather arrow. The feather arrow reappeared with rippling water. "Wow—how magical."
9972 looked at the bow and arrow with a hint of surprise. Perhaps the Elf Mother Tree was being a little too kind to Zhuozhuo. As far as it knew, only the Elf King and warriors who had made significant contributions to the elves could use bows made from the Mother Tree's branches. As for arrows made from the Fountain of Life, they existed only in elven legends.
The unusual importance attached to it only means that the Elf Mother Tree has an unusual demand for Zhuozhuo. This bow and arrow is very hot to hold.
And Zhuozhuo doesn’t know how to use it!
Pretty waste.
Just as he thought of this, 9972 saw Zhuozhuo fiddling with the bowstring and pulling the bowstring. The fountain of life arrow automatically appeared and shot forward.
Tap!
Deeply rooted in a tree.
Zhuozhuo didn't notice and was still playing with the bowstring.
Knock knock knock——
The poor little tree was pricked like a hedgehog, and its leaves were shaken and fell to the ground.
9972, [Tsk.]
This bow does not require much force to be pulled open, and this water arrow has unlimited refills. Tsk tsk tsk tsk, Mother Elf Tree, what on earth are you trying to do!
But it doesn't matter what the purpose is. If it goes too far, the worst that can happen is that it will take Zhuo Zhuo away from this small world. Hehe, you never thought of that, you scheming and stinky tree!
Zhuozhuo found the miserable little tree. After the water arrows disappeared, only holes that were almost through the trunk were left. She thought that this was how the tree looked and was full of admiration. "Little tree, little tree, you are so amazing! You have so many holes on your body, doesn't it hurt?"
When Zhuozhuo didn't get a response, he thought it didn't hurt and asked curiously, "You have so many holes, do you like holes?"
[……]
“…”
The little tree cannot speak, cannot cry out in pain, and cannot cry out in injustice.
9972 couldn't bear to see Xiaoshu suffer such physical and mental injuries for no reason, so he told Zhuozhuo the truth, and also let her know the dangers of bows and arrows so that she wouldn't accidentally hurt anyone when she went outside.
When Zhuozhuo heard that it was his fault, his eyes immediately turned red. He ran over and carefully touched the hole on Xiaoshu's body, apologizing with tears in his eyes, "I'm sorry, Xiaoshu, Zhuozhuo didn't mean it. Are you in pain? Zhuozhuo will find a doctor to cure you."
Perhaps it was her sincerity that had its effect. Her burning palms glowed milky white, and the areas she touched grew at a visible pace, quickly filling the trunk and sprouting new bark, as if the holes had never been pierced. A gentle breeze blew, and the branches and leaves seemed to become more vibrant.
Zhuozhuo spread out his hands, looking at it curiously and blankly, "Zhuozhuo, Zhuozhuo's hands are glowing!"
9972 knew that this was the merit Zhuozhuo had accumulated from completing missions. In reality, the main world was helping those small worlds on the brink of death in order to save the world. Normally, the merit earned by the host completing missions would go to the main world, and the main system would award points to the host. However, Zhuozhuo's fathers had such a high degree of favorability towards her that it influenced the world consciousness of the small worlds, forcing them to give her some of the merit.
This amount is very small and has almost no effect before it accumulates into a large amount and causes a qualitative change. However, in the previous small world, Yan Bufan became the way of heaven. His favoritism was unscrupulous, and he bestowed merits on Zhuozhuo in a flash, turning him into a little golden man shining with golden light.
9972 looked at the excited Elf Mother Tree thoughtfully, vaguely understanding what the tree wanted.
This small world is a Western fantasy worldview, but the protagonist, the son of destiny, traveled here through time. Before traveling through time, the protagonist's original name was Cheng Su. After arriving in the Western fantasy continent, he was an ordinary knight named Angus.
Cheng Su is also a Dragon Aotian, gifted with a golden finger upon his journey through time, capable of cultivating both magic and martial arts. After his journey, he traveled the continent, encountering numerous adventures and achieving astonishing success, becoming a Sword Saint and Holy Magician. Standing at the pinnacle of the continent's military power, he led the various races in a fight against the demons on the other side of the continent. Finally, he discovered the secret of the gods' fall and became a new god himself.
During this process, Cheng Su encountered countless romantic encounters and flirted with women everywhere, a true sea king. He flirted with almost every decent woman he met, and almost every attractive and charming woman had a fleeting romance with him. When he finally became a god, there were seven women accompanying him: the Holy Maiden of the Church, the Elf Queen, the Orc Priest, the Mermaid Princess, the Demon Queen, the Dragon Princess, and the Dryad Priestess.
The reason for the failure of this small world's evolution wasn't a race war caused by harem discord, but rather its unstable foundation. Much like hastily laying bricks and walls before a solid foundation, the original author of this small world rushed to write without properly setting the scene, patching in whatever came to mind. Even if they managed to build it, the house would be shaky and ready to collapse at any moment.
As for the solution, there is one, and that is Cheng Su himself.
The world consciousness has the instinct of self-preservation. It was able to bring Cheng Su to this small world because the rules of his original world were complete, and the world consciousness hoped to use the rules he brought to fill its own shortcomings.
However, filling the gaps in the rules requires plunging into the Earth's core, where flesh, body, and soul are burned to ash by the Earth's core fires, ultimately merging into every inch of the land. Putting aside the pain involved, who would be happy knowing they were once alive and well, abducted across boundaries only to be burned to death? Save the world, save the world. If the lives of this world matter to him, then save it.
Thinking of this, 9972 quickly checked Zhuozhuo's binding contract and triggered protections. When it had previously arrived in this small world, the world consciousness had desperately tried every possible means, throwing its host into the Earth's core. However, because the host was bound to the main system, its soul belonged to the main system, and the rules it carried were no exception, thus thwarting the world consciousness's plan.
Unfortunately, the host was actually burned by the fire of the earth's core, and the pain he endured was transmitted to 9972 through the contract, almost causing its system to become disordered.
The Elf Mother Tree is one of the creatures closest to God in this world. It can sense the crisis facing the world. Seeing Zhuo Zhuo covered in golden light of merit, it probably regards her as the hope of salvation and hopes that she will grow up quickly.
[Tsk.]
Zhuozhuo will never save the world.
9972 decided never to take Zhuozhuo back to the Elf Forest, nor to let her get close to the other saints on this continent.
Zhuozhuo said goodbye to the Elf Mother Tree reluctantly, and skipped out of the Elf Forest with the cat's head in his arms.
The elves are few in number, and a stranger who suddenly appears will be discovered immediately. Furthermore, the elves are very strict in their care of their young, and are strictly forbidden from leaving the Elf Forest until they reach adulthood. Baby, we must be careful and not be discovered, or you'll have to wait eight hundred years before you can go out and play.
"Eight hundred years?"
[Elves have long lifespans and grow slowly, reaching adulthood at eight hundred years old. Baby, do you remember how old you are now?]
"Zhuozhuo is three years old!"
Zhuozhuo counted on his fingers the difference between three years old and eight hundred years old, but his fingers were fighting and he couldn't count clearly, so he simply gave up and started chasing butterflies.
Zhuozhuo had always been a favorite of small animals, and now that she was an elf, she felt even closer to living creatures. The forest was often teeming with ferocious beasts, with poisonous insects, snakes, and ants lurking in the shadows, and even carnivorous plants that were hard to guard against. However, none of them attacked Zhuozhuo, and some were even very friendly to her, making her feel completely safe even when she was alone.
With 9972's guidance, Zhuozhuo perfectly avoided the elves' sentries and remained undetected. She stopped and started along the way, played and joked, drank mountain spring water when thirsty, ate fruit when hungry, slept on the belly of tigers and foxes when sleepy, and even had wild beasts carry her when tired. It was more joyful than a spring outing.
Three days later, Zhuozhuo was riding on the unicorn's back, hugging her neck and stretching her hands to reach for her horn, when she suddenly heard intermittent human voices. She froze for a moment, shook the unicorn's neck, and said, "Nana, run!"
She remembered the feeling she had when she first met the unicorn. Unicorns are timid and sensitive, but they are full of treasures. They have no ability to protect themselves and have been hunted many times by races other than elves. Therefore, they live in seclusion and never appear in front of people. Even the elves who live in the same forest with them rarely encounter them.
Zhuozhuo was very worried that his new friend would be captured and killed. When he heard the voices, his first reaction was not the joy of meeting a fellow creature.
The unicorn Ariana raised her hoof and looked in the direction of the voice. "Zhuozhuo, don't you want to know who is coming?"
Zhuozhuo shook his head, "Why do you want to know?"
"Because of curiosity. I heard that elves are very curious and often sneak out of the forest to see the outside world."
As she spoke, Ariana actually took a step towards the voice, a gossipy look appearing on her beautiful horse face.
Seeing that she wanted to go, Zhuozhuo also wanted to go, so he said, "Let's go quietly and take a look."
"good."
Ariana approached stealthily, her stealthy movements appearing graceful. Clearly experienced, she hid behind the bushes, poking her head into the underbrush. Through the gaps between the branches and leaves, she peered with her large, dark eyes, exclaiming, "What a handsome man!"
Zhuozhuo was quietly picking at the bushes, trying to get her face in there. 9972 was worried she'd get scratched, so he tried to stop her. The people arguing in his head heard this, one confused and uninterested, while the other shuddered, suddenly remembering a scene.
When Cheng Su first became Angus, he joined a mercenary group, earning money while traveling and exploring new worlds, with companions providing added security. While hunting for a hurricane wolf, Cheng Su was tragically injured and separated from his companions. Lost in the forest, he collapsed beside a lake.
Cheng Su had a dream. In the dream, an elegant and beautiful unicorn with eyes as clear and pure as a child brought him a magical fruit. After eating the fruit, not only did his injuries heal, but his control over magical elements also increased.
After waking up, Cheng Su discovered that his injuries had healed, and he could now manipulate the elements more freely. However, he felt a burning sensation throughout his body, and couldn't move. Surprised and delighted, Cheng Su lay there, recalling the details of his dream. As he struggled to see clearly into those pure eyes, he groaned, feeling refreshed and relaxed.
I don't feel hot anymore and can move around.
Cheng Su searched around the lake for a long time but couldn't find any trace of the unicorn. In the end, he could only leave in despair.
Those eyes had a profound impact on Cheng Su. The eyes and expressions of the women he interacted with in the early days were more or less similar to his.
9972 was so shocked that it was speechless. It stared at Ariana's eyes, which were pure, clear, and as innocent as a child.
Moreover, Ariana's curiosity is very strong, so strong that it can overcome the unicorn's timid and sensitive instincts. She is also relatively friendly towards humans and tends to take the initiative to contact humans.
So, the unicorn in the plot is Ariana?
The man she praised for his good looks...
9972 detected it and found that Cheng Su was indeed among the group of people walking by.
[…Zhuozhuo, we’re leaving. Why don’t you say goodbye to Ariana and let her do whatever she wants.]
Although 9972 had a bad impression of Cheng Su, it didn't want him to die early. If Ariana couldn't save his life because she was playing with Zhuo Zhuo, it would feel guilty.
Of course, the probability of this is not high. The more likely possibility is that Cheng Su and Ariana are destined to meet, causing Zhuo Zhuo, who is traveling with him, to meet him as well.
Although it was an exception that Yan Bufan in the previous world had the memory of every mission, and 9972 also rigorously checked countless times to ensure the safety of Cheng Su's memory before entering this world, but Cheng Su finally became a god. It's better to be safe than sorry. What if he noticed something that hurt Zhuo Zhuo?
It’s better to be as far away from the main characters as possible.
Zhuozhuo didn't want to be separated from Ariana so soon, but he thought she was busy, so he said, "Nana, what do you want to do? Take Zhuozhuo with you."
9972 instantly exploded, [No! Baby, you can't go!]
"ah."
Realizing that his excitement had frightened Zhuozhuo a bit, 9972 calmed down and said, "Baby, you forgot, there are elves in the forest. After I take you back, they won't be able to come out for eight hundred years."
"But……"
"Baby, Ariana lives here and won't leave. The world outside is changing every day. Let's go out and play first. We can come back to see her when we miss her. We can also visit the Elf Mother Tree by the way."
"Um... okay."
Zhuozhuo hugged Ariana's neck and said slowly, "Nana, I'm not going again. I want to leave the forest."
Ariana was about to chase the group of mercenaries who had just passed by. She was a little disappointed when she heard this. However, the little unicorn, accustomed to being alone, didn't know the taste of parting yet. She hesitated for a moment and said, "I'll take you to the edge of the forest."
"No, there are people outside, Nana, don't go."
"But it's still far, and Zhuozhuo is too tired to walk alone."
9972 silently grew bigger, letting Zhuozhuo get down from the unicorn's back and sit on itself. Then it carried her up and down, left and right, and performed some cool and exciting drifts and rolls in the air.
Zhuozhuo giggled and hugged the mechanical arm that stretched out from the cat's head, repeating 9972's words, "When I go out, I hide my ears and wear a very long robe that covers everything. When others see how tall Zhuozhuo is, they think Zhuozhuo is an adult and won't dare to bully me."
Aliana thought about it and decided it was feasible. She finally nodded in agreement and said reluctantly, "Zhuozhuo, I like you so much. Please don't forget me."
"Zhuozhuo will come back to see Nana!"
"I'll wait for you. Don't forget to come find me quickly."
"I won't forget it, Zhuozhuo is smart, I've remembered it."
The man and the beast said goodbye to each other for a while, and finally separated. One of them started chasing the mercenary, while the other rushed out of the forest with a laugh.
There are many people stationed outside the forest, including mercenaries, students from the Magic Academy and the Warrior Academy who come to gain experience, and ordinary people who risk their lives to sell food.
The sun was blazing, scorching the earth. Everyone was lazing around, some dozing, some chatting and joking, and some shouting their battle cry. Suddenly, a clear, tender child's voice rang out from the forest, and everyone started, their weapons in hand, and they stared at the forest warily.
Everyone could tell that it was the laughter of a young child, but the problem was that this was the Warcraft Forest, and those coming in and out were adults who were capable of self-protection. Even students who were training under the supervision of a teacher were at least fifteen years old. How could there be a child around three years old?
It was most likely an unknown magical beast, capable of mimicking the sounds of a human child to lure prey. Its combat power was unknown. Some of the more resourceful ones had already begun to speculate on who might be interested in this unique magical beast and how much they could profit from it.
The laughter was getting closer and closer. In the eyes of everyone who was looking at them as if they were facing a great enemy, a tall, twisted, dark ghost rushed out, and before everyone could help but attack, it stopped at a safe distance.
In the sunlight, everyone saw Shadow's true identity: a woman in a black magic robe. She was tall, delicate, and beautiful, with innocent eyes and a friendly, lovely demeanor. Under normal circumstances, she would be loved and pursued by many.
However, this is not a normal situation, because this head looks like it is only three or four years old.
With a height of 1.7 meters and a head of a three or four-year-old, the weird and disproportionate feeling is creepy.
To be cautious, no one spoke or attacked, everyone just watched silently.
Zhuozhuo and the group stared at each other for a while, thinking that everyone was playing the game of "Who is the Statue?", but he immediately became eager to win and joined in seriously.
[Baby, we're not playing games.] 9972 was so adorable that he reminded her with a mechanical voice.
"Oh, Zhuozhuo knows."
Just as the little fellow was about to softly ask where he could get food, 9972 started to lecture him in his head, forcing him to try to imitate its fierce voice: "What are you looking at? If you keep looking, I'll dig out your eyes!"
After learning, she took out her small bow and arrow from her magic robe, shot an arrow at the ground in front of everyone, and said in a baby voice: "Humph!"
Everyone took a step back as if frightened, looking at the scorching gaze with a bit of horror.
9972 thought they were intimidated by Zhuozhuo, and was smug and praised him lavishly. "That's right, baby, we need to be a little aggressive outside so others won't dare mess with us. Awooo awooo!"
Zhuozhuo was so amused that she giggled as she sheathed her bow and arrow into her magic robe and placed it on the cat's head, then made a fierce face at everyone. Before she could express herself further, she caught a whiff of a sweet, rich aroma. She instantly forgot everything else and urged 9972 towards the scent.
"It smells so good. I'm so hungry! Zhuozhuo hasn't had a meal since he was born!"
When the system heard it, it immediately felt that the baby was very bitter, and immediately increased its speed and rushed towards the fragrance.
After one man and one group left, the stagnant atmosphere relaxed. Everyone broke away from the impact of the monster's cuteness and looked at each other silently, their eyes full of shock and disbelief.
"What the hell!"
"It's taller than me, and has the head of a three-year-old. Is it a human? Is it original or assembled?"
"Not only her head is three years old, but her arms and hands are three years old too! Didn't you see? Her arms were exposed when she was shooting arrows! Oh my god, I was scared to death!"
"Her arms are so small, are her body and legs 1.7 meters tall?"
Everyone imagined a 1.7-meter-tall man with a three-year-old's head on his neck and two three-year-old's arms hanging on his shoulders...
Ugh, so scary and disgusting, I can’t eat just thinking about it.
"Maybe she knew that her appearance was unsightly, so she covered it up with a loose robe."
"Is that the point? The question is how can a person look like this? What disease does he have?"
"Maybe it's not a disease. Those wizards, necromancers, and magicians love to tinker around. I wonder how they came up with such a freak product."
"Watch your words, the magician is listening. If you keep talking nonsense, I'll give you a set like this and let you experience it for yourself."
"Looking for trouble, huh? I'll beat you to death—"
"Hey, hey, hey, don't be impulsive. Why did you get so angry just chatting? Calm down..."
"I heard that a monster with a messy appearance was discovered in Anding City. It has a dog's head, a fish's tail, bird's wings, and eight legs on its belly, and each leg is different..."
"Brother, who told you that? Do you believe it yourself?"
The one who ran away was unaware of the conversation, otherwise 9972 would be furious. They ran two miles following the scent and stopped in front of an ornate tent. The fragrance was blocked by thick cloth curtains, but it still stubbornly squeezed out through the gaps and into their burning noses.
But just as she stopped for a second, a group of people surrounded her and tried to drive her away, shouting "How dare you, a bold pariah, offend the Countess!" When they saw that she did not leave immediately, they shouted "Assassin! There is an assassin!" and were about to draw their weapons to fight.
Zhuozhuo had never been driven away in such a ferocious manner. He was scared, wronged and confused. He didn't dare to ask for food. He urged 9972 to leave quickly.
9972 ran fast, leaving the others far behind. He stopped on a bumpy road and comforted the depressed Zhuozhuo. "Don't be afraid, don't be sad, baby. This time it's not your fault, it's mine. I didn't realize the smell wasn't coming from the restaurant, and I forgot to tell you we have money. We can buy food at the restaurant and even hire someone to cook it for us. Baby, we can make whatever you want, as much as you want!"
9972 felt very guilty. In the past, it had always been tasked with taking care of Zhuozhuo, so it had no awareness of this and even took Zhuozhuo into other people's bases, causing her to be driven away and frightened.
Zhuozhuo is too young, and even if she can disguise herself as an adult, she still needs someone to take care of her.
Zhuozhuo wasn't actually too sad, because she didn't know these people. She was just a little scared. After she recovered, she still felt it was exciting. She reflected on the situation in frustration, "Zhuozhuo forgot to shoot the arrow to scare them."
[I'm taking the babies back now to shoot them!]
"No, I want to eat." Zhuozhuo was a little wilted, and his desire for food was infinitely increasing.
[Okay, I'll take the baby to find a restaurant.]
This time, 9972 was much more cautious. He would first detect the route and personnel situation ahead before taking Zhuozhuo there.
This is the town closest to the Warcraft Forest. Its name embodies the simple, beautiful wishes of adventurers: Rich Town. It's a bustling, bustling town, populated primarily by mercenaries, travellers seeking training, and hunters. Consequently, there are numerous inns and taverns. Even the restaurants are filled with drunken men boasting and boasting.
9972 took Zhuozhuo to the exchange first. Zhuozhuo had picked up many small items in the forest, including beautiful stones, oddly shaped branches, fragrant fruits, and lovely little bones. Some of these items were very valuable in human society and could be sold for a good price.
Zhuozhuo entered the exchange and, struggling to lift a package from Maomao's head, placed it on the counter. The clerk opened the package and saw the contents. His eyes widened. "Seven-Star Grass, Life-Extending Fruit, and the skull of a Level 6 Violent Bear!"
As he flipped through the books, the waiter's expression gradually calmed down from his enthusiasm. With an uncomfortable smile on his face, he acted like he was trying to bargain and said pickily, "But these things aren't fresh. You didn't pick them yourself, and you didn't kill them yourself, did you?"
Zhuozhuo nodded, looking at the guy with a "how did you know" look, and said softly, "Zhuozhuo picked them all up."
"Tsk, what a stroke of luck." The clerk covered the package with a cloth, pressed his hands on the counter, tilted his head back and looked down. "If it's not fresh, the effect will not be good. I can only give you this price."
The clerk casually held up two fingers and said, "These two are twenty green magic crystals each. This, this, this, the rest of the junk is worthless. I'll take them all for one hundred and sixty, and I'll give you one hundred and fifty."
This price is extremely low, even less than one-fifth of the normal transaction price, and it is rounded down to zero, which is obviously a scam.
9972 was about to remind Zhuozhuo when he heard Zhuozhuo say in a baby voice, "No. You have to..."
She counted on her fingers and quoted a price. Each price was twice what the clerk said, but it was still far below the normal price.
9972 was immersed in the joy of her baby's cleverness. She watched her bargain with pink bubbles in her eyes and was unwilling to care about the loss.
The guy sneered, "Forget it, you're not selling. Fifty dollars is the most you can get for these things. No other exchange in this town can sell them for more than me!"
Zhuozhuo didn't understand the subtext, but he heard the clerk's refusal. He thought the deal was off, so he sighed and said dejectedly, "Okay."
She held the package and placed it on the cat's head with a grunt, "Tingtong, let's go sell it somewhere else."
[……]
9972 glared at the waiter. "What the hell, you look down on me? What's wrong with finding something? Does it mean it's inferior?" "My baby is so adorable, how could you not agree to her price?"
Zhuozhuo left the exchange without a second thought, leaving the clerk, who thought she was playing hard to get and ready for a 300-round tug-of-war, dumbfounded. The clerk came out from behind the counter and gave chase, then leaned against the doorframe with his arms folded across his chest. He spat on the ground with a malicious spit, "Let's see where you can sell it."
Zhuozhuo was not discouraged at all by the failure of her first business. She enthusiastically exchanged experiences with 9972. When 9972 was looking for the next exchange, she suddenly grabbed a scarred warrior.
The man was wearing simple cloth clothes, with a knife slung across his back. His arms, waist, abdomen, and neck were all wrapped in bandages. The bandages were dark red, a mixture of blood and dirt. His steps were slow and tired, like a rusty machine.
After being grabbed by Zhuozhuo, the man looked at Zhuozhuo calmly, as if he was looking at a dead person, or as if he himself was a dead person.
Zhuozhuo was shocked by the breath of death for a moment. She was scared and regretted holding him. She shrank away from the warrior. To others, she suddenly became shorter and her upper body moved horizontally. It was terrifying.
But the warriors facing this scene remained calm.
Seeing that he didn't take the next step, Zhuozhuo hesitated and said, "Do you want to take medicine?"
The warrior looked away and prepared to move forward. Zhuozhuo had already nimbly brought out a bright red fruit. The guy just now called it the life-extending fruit, but Zhuozhuo had tried it and didn't think it tasted good. He brought it with him simply because it was round.
The warrior's gaze fell on the life-extending fruit for two seconds, then moved to Zhuozhuo. He finally spoke with his lips moving, "Give it to me?"
His voice was dry and he had difficulty speaking, as if he hadn't spoken for a long time, and he didn't sound like a normal person.
Zhuozhuo was completely unaware and nodded, "Yes, go eat quickly."
She stood on tiptoe and pushed the fruit towards the warrior's mouth. The next second, a shadow approached and left at a very fast speed, leaving only an arrogant voice, "Give it to me!"
Before he finished speaking, the warrior disappeared.
Zhuozhuo stayed where he was, staring blankly at his empty hands, then staring blankly up at the two people chasing after him. After a moment, he uttered a puzzled, "Huh?"
9972, who also didn't react, was both angry and amused. "Baby, we were robbed in the street."
"Ah, we were robbed."
Zhuozhuo scratched her head. Everything happened so quickly that she didn't feel much. She was just a little worried about the warrior and said anxiously, "Will he die?"
[He can still run this fast, he won't die.]
9972 doesn't like this person. If it weren't for him, Zhuozhuo wouldn't have taken out the life-extending fruit on the street. It was also because he was too slow that the fruit was snatched away, and Zhuozhuo failed to do any good deeds.
Alas, the world outside is too dangerous. Nothing good has happened since we left the Elf Forest.
Zhuozhuo wasn't reassured by 9972's response. She felt like the warrior looked like he was going to collapse and die at any moment; he just looked okay. It was like an elephant: even if it was about to die, a single step would still be enough to make ants marvel and praise its greatness and strength.
However, the person ran far away and could no longer be seen. Zhuozhuo couldn't catch up with him, so he had to let the matter go.
9972 quickly found another exchange, and as expected, the bid was even lower than the first one. The exchange also acted like "if you want to sell, sell; if you don't, get out." It shook its legs, squinted its eyes, looked impatient, and kept mocking people.
Although Zhuozhuo didn't understand, she couldn't let 9972 suffer this injustice, so she immediately said she didn't want to sell it, and went directly to the hotel to use these things to exchange for a room with the owner.
Zhuozhuo tilted his head and asked, "Why don't you sell it?"
9972 said he would not let middlemen profit from the price difference.
Not surprisingly, the hotel owner ripped me off massively, making me lose more money than if I had sold it at the exchange.
9972 was so angry that the cat's head turned pale. He jumped around the room, threatening to collapse the floor and run away without paying. Zhuozhuo knew from his reaction that they had been wronged, so he also became angry and said in unison: "We can't live here anymore, Zhuozhuo can't live here anymore! Everyone, we won't sleep in the house anymore, we'll sleep on the floor outside!"
9972 immediately calmed down. They'd fallen asleep before because the forest didn't allow them to, so how could they let Zhuozhuo sleep on the floor in this human town? It began to soothe the irritated Zhuozhuo, "Don't be angry, baby. We didn't suffer any loss, we just paid the tuition. We now know that the bosses in Duojin Town are a bunch of scoundrels. We won't support their business tomorrow. You see, we've gained something, too."
Zhuozhuo didn't quite understand such complicated things. Seeing that 9972 had calmed down, she also calmed down and quickly put it behind her. She began to explore the room where she would sleep tonight and soon became happy.
9972 secretly regretted it. Children's emotions are easily influenced by adults. Previous mission targets had always been powerful figures who were impassive and possessed exceptional camouflage abilities. They were perfectly composed around Zhuozhuo, who remained unaffected and acted as she pleased. It also needed to control itself. It had come to this world to let Zhuozhuo have fun, but it couldn't let her become sensitive and uneasy.
Zhuozhuo didn't know that 9972 was reflecting on himself and was still diligently studying parenting. She hadn't eaten properly for several days and was already very greedy. After the waiter brought over the meal that 9972 had spent a huge amount of money on, she grabbed a piece of bread and stuffed it into her mouth without even looking at it carefully. "Ah Wu——"
"Wow—my tooth hurts—"
Zhuozhuo put the bread back on the plate, covered his mouth, raised his head and started crying.
The bread was too hard, and she bit it too hard, almost knocking out a mouthful of small teeth. The pain was transmitted through the dental nerves to her cerebral cortex and back, making her shiver and tears immediately flow.
9972 rushed over to comfort Zhuozhuo, accidentally knocking the bread over, making it bang on the ground. He almost couldn't help cursing. He had so many herbs and fruits, he could have bought this shabby inn, and yet they were only given this dry, inedible bread. How could that be?
This is too much!
When the pain passed, Zhuozhuo stopped crying, but she became even hungrier, with a rumbling stomach.
He carefully observed the two remaining things on the table, a thick piece of meat, the type of which could not be identified. Zhuozhuo leaned over and took a cautious bite, but could not bite it.
A bowl of brown, sticky, unknown substance exudes a strange fishy smell, which makes people dare not try it easily.
Finally, Zhuozhuo drank a bowl of water with a pursed mouth, and took out two wrinkled fruits from the package and ate them, which made 9972 feel very sad.
After coaxing Zhuozhuo to play in bed, 9972, having shrunk, found its way to the hotel kitchen and smelled the rich aroma of food. Without hesitation, it grabbed a bunch of freshly baked cookies and cakes, along with milk and eggs. It wrapped them all in a large piece of cloth, carried them on its back, and proudly walked back through the window to the room.
In a short time, Zhuozhuo fell asleep on the bed. Maybe he didn't get enough rest in the past few days and was very tired, otherwise he wouldn't have fallen asleep so quickly in this unfamiliar environment.
9972 did not wake up Zhuozhuo, but stayed by her bedside to watch over her. He also reviewed how the mission targets in the previous worlds raised children, taking the essence and discarding the dross, and strived to do better!
Zhuozhuo woke up hungry after sleeping for a short while. Before he opened his eyes, he heard a commotion outside. People were shouting that a thief had broken into the hotel and stolen a lot of gems, gold and silver. The owner had already reported the matter to the police and guards would be here soon to arrest the thief. Now no one in the hotel was allowed to leave.
This stirred up a hornet's nest, and the passengers protested and clamored to leave. The staff didn't dare to stop the person who looked difficult to deal with, so they reluctantly let him out. The rest of the people were blocked in the hotel lobby, shouting and cursing at the staff.
After 9972 heard it clearly, he was gloating. [Evil deeds will eventually lead to their own destruction. This boss has done too many immoral things and now he's getting his comeuppance. I don't know which thief stole all the boss's money. Hahaha, the boss must be heartbroken.]
"oh……"
Zhuozhuo answered sleepwalkingly, climbed out of bed, and glanced at the table full of food. He woke up instantly and cheered in surprise, "So many delicious foods. Tongtong, did you buy all this? Do we have that much money?"
9972 felt sad. Zhuozhuo didn't know how much money could buy before, and he didn't value money. It was only after he suffered with it that he became so cautious about money. It must let Zhuozhuo live a good life!
[Baby, come eat, this is all ours, eat as much as you want.]
As he finished speaking, there was a sound of footsteps approaching, and the door was suddenly kicked open. The boss rushed in with a large group of people. Seeing the food on the table, he raised his eyebrows, smiled meaningfully, and started scolding.
"Well, that's all! I was wondering why we were robbed for no apparent reason. Turns out you were checking in disguised as a tourist! Luckily, I caught you early and didn't let you get away. Hand over all my gems and gold now, or I'll make you pay for it!"
"ah?"
Zhuozhuo was completely bewildered. He looked at the menacing boss, the waiter, the city guards, and the other passengers, then at 9972. He subconsciously said, "I didn't steal anything."
"You didn't steal? I lost the food, gems, and gold. Now the food is right here. I've caught you red-handed, and you still dare to quibble! Hand over my gems and gold too! A total of three hundred taels of gold and thirty gems of various colors the size of pigeon eggs!"
Zhuozhuo was startled and yelled back even louder, "I didn't steal, I didn't steal, I didn't steal! You're the bad guy, you're trying to extort money!"
9972 understood the boss's wishful thinking. It stopped Zhuo Zhuo from jumping up and said wisely: "Don't be angry, baby. I have a solution."
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