Chapter 106: The Comprehensive Evolution of Chess, the Wind at the Top of the World (asking for monthly votes)
A snow-white paper dragon formed right above the attic, its body ten meters long, its scales made of paper sheets opening and closing in the night wind, making rustling sounds. It folded its wings, its huge body crawling on the roof, looking from afar like a tent made of paper sheets.
The girl in the ochre-red kimono climbed onto its head first, glanced sideways at Xia Pingzhou, and stretched out her hand to him.
"Come here," she said.
It took Ji Minghuan a while to come back to his senses from the huge monster in front of him.
She looked away from the paper dragon and slowly reached out her hand to take the right hand that Ayase Origami handed over. The girl's white skin was as cold as snow, and her whole body seemed to be cold, which matched her appearance like a Japanese doll.
Ayase Origami silently pulled him and made him step on the paper dragon's head.
In the evening breeze, the girl's ochre-red kimono swayed like waves. Her cold face lowered, her eyes looked at Xia Pingzhou's palm, then looked up at his face.
"I'll give you a suggestion." She said indifferently.
"What?"
"You'd better not let go of my hand."
"Tell me, do I dare to let go?"
Ji Minghuan raised his eyes to meet her gaze and said expressionlessly, feeling quite speechless in his heart: Aunt, don’t you see how high this place is?
The next moment, the paper dragon suddenly flapped its wings and shot straight towards the sky with a sound of breaking air.
The overwhelming air pressure almost made Ji Minghuan want to kneel down, but Ayase Origami held his hand tightly and used a paper curtain to protect him from the strong wind. The girl's white and cold body temperature was transmitted from his palm, as if he was holding a piece of ice, which made his heart move slightly.
In just a moment, the paper dragon rose to a height of 500 meters above Tokyo.
It no longer rose up, but instead restrained the amplitude and strength of its wings' vibrations, maintaining a smooth track, and floated lightly under the dark sky like a white cloud.
They walked through the brightly lit downtown area, past the myriad crisscrossing cables and the tall towers in the city center. At this moment, prosperous Tokyo seemed very small, as if they could reach out and hold the entire world in their palms.
Xia Ping Zhu and Ayase Origami were very close to each other, like two tumblers, motionless in the huge wind pressure over the city. The strong wind blew their black hair, and their hair fluttered in the night. When they looked up, they saw fish-scale clouds, and the shadow of the moon flickered between the clouds.
The boy and the girl stood on top of the dragon's head, overlooking this colorful world.
Their pupils reflected the lights of thousands of houses, and the neon signs piled up together, forming a sea of stars in Tokyo. For a second, it seemed as if the entire city belonged to them.
Ji Minghuan suddenly understood what Jack felt when he stood on the open deck and shouted "I am the king of the world" to the endless ocean with his brothers in the classic old movie "Titanic" - this unprecedented spectacle can really make people excited, and even forget that the person standing next to you is a murderous female devil.
Ayase Origami raised her hand to lift the black hair dancing in the corners of her eyes, glanced at Xia Pingzhou's fascinated expression, and said lightly:
"I should carve a line of words on the dragon's body."
"What word?"
"Ayase Origami is walking her cat, please do not disturb her."
Ji Minghuan was stunned for a moment, and then realized that he was teased by the young lady again. She was always like this, even when she was joking, her tone was light and indifferent, and there was no difference from other times, so it was easy for people to miss the meaning.
He shrugged his shoulders, not bothering to pay attention to Ayase Origami, and turned to look at the densely packed figures on the long street. Looking down from above, the crowd seemed as small as ants on a branch.
"Those people look like trash." He muttered with no expression on his face.
"Then what do we look like in their eyes?" the kimono girl asked softly.
"Flying garbage." Ji Minghuan answered casually.
Ayase Origami laughed softly, and a faint smile appeared on her white cheeks. It was hard to tell whether her voice sounded angry or cold.
"It's obviously the owner who's taking the kitten for a ride, what do you mean by 'flying garbage'?" She said indifferently, "The kitten is rebelling."
Their whispers were covered by the clouds. The paper dragon carried the two of them across the dazzling downtown area, across the brightly lit Tokyo Bay Rainbow Bridge, and flew towards a forest not far away, startling the animals in the forest.
The "huge red exclamation mark" reflected in Ji Minghuan's eyes was getting closer and closer - this meant that he was about to reach the location of the card incident.
The paper dragon slowly folded its wings, like an airplane slowing down before landing, and stopped in front of a shrine on the top of the mountain.
The world in my eyes suddenly turned dark. Far away from the lights of the city, the forest was pitch black, with only a little moonlight pouring down from the sky to keep me company.
A black and white prompt box popped up in his eyes.
[The card event No. ③ in Tokyo, Japan has been triggered - "Yaksha and Shura". 】
"Is this the place?" Ayase Origami looked around and asked casually.
"Yes." Ji Minghuan nodded.
There was a huge red exclamation mark right above his head, and the light spots in the Exorcist's internal system also showed that there was more than one demon here.
Ayase Origami hesitated for a moment, slowly let go of Xia Pingzhou's hand, walked down from the dragon head, passed a crimson torii, and then walked into the shrine.
The main hall of the shrine was in a desolate state, with rusty pillars and old offerings piled up in a dirty mess, looking like it had not been cleaned up for many days.
Ji Minghuan stepped into the shrine. The two rows of torches on the aisle lit up one after another. Then, two demons sitting cross-legged on the ground with their eyes closed came into their sight.
[The task that has triggered the "Card Event": Clear the B-level demons in the shrine within five minutes - "Shura Demon" and "Yaksha Demon". ]
On the left is the Shura demon, with three faces and six arms.
The front side shows a human face with eyes wide open and a third vertical pupil between the eyebrows; the left and right sides show green-faced and fanged ghosts; the six arms hold a Japanese sword, a vajra, a flaming wheel, a chain, a broken arrow, and a skull cup respectively.
On the right is a Yaksha demon, with a body as slender as a bamboo.
The skin is grayish blue, covered with layers of snake scales. The joints are curved like those of a wild animal, and the fingertips have bone blades like eagle claws. There is only one huge eye in the middle of the face, with a vertical pupil, and a big mouth that is split to the roots of the ears and is full of spiral sharp teeth. There are bat membrane wings on the back, and wings mixed with peacock feathers.
"Just looking at the appearance of these two things, they feel like they are a whole level stronger than the spider demon." Ji Minghuan thought, "According to the system's introduction, they are both B-level demons, equivalent to the strength of a dragon-level ability user. It's really hard to say if I can defeat them alone."
While thinking, the Shura Demon and the Yaksha Demon slowly got up from the ground.
"Just them?" Ayase Origami said expressionlessly.
"What else?" Ji Minghuan also had a blank expression on his face.
Yaksha and Shura came running over with roars, torches flickering and flickering, and their figures looked as eerie as ghosts.
Ayase Origami waved her right hand, and the paper dragon crawling outside the shrine suddenly spread its wings and rushed into the shrine like a white cloud curtain.
The strong wind forced Ji Minghuan to raise the back of his hand to cover his forehead. After a moment, he opened his eyes, but his vision was blocked by a cloud of flying confetti and he could not see anything clearly.
When the confetti that fell like rain dispersed, two heads were seen flying in the sky. The bodies of Shura and Yaksha were headless and covered in blood.
The paper dragon bit the two flying demon heads in the air as if it was catching an apple that had fallen from a tree, and crushed them into pieces in an instant with its sharp paper teeth.
With a "click", blood spurted out from the white teeth, as if biting a tomato, dyeing the jaw of the pure white dragon red.
"Is that so?" Ji Minghuan raised his eyebrows slightly.
He thought to himself: These are two B-class demons, equivalent to two dragon-class ability users. For example, they are two Xia Pingzhous, two Yingwus, and two Su Zimais. Miss, can you please not kill two Su Zimais so casually? As a brother, I will feel bad.
"What else?" Ayase Origami said, "They are not dead yet, I have left them alive."
As it spoke, the paper dragon spat out two mutilated heads like watermelon seeds.
The heads of Yaksha and Shura rolled on the ground of the shrine, their eyes wide open, half of their foreheads had been bitten off by the paper dragon and disappeared in the white sea in the dragon's belly, accompanied by a cloud of fluttering paper scraps.
Ji Minghuan silently moved forward, summoned Tianqu, and grabbed the chess piece of the queen's stone statue.
The phantom of the chess piece shattered with a "crack", and the queen came in response.
She flashed in front of the two heads like an arc of light, leaned forward slightly, raised her hand and slashed with the long dagger and short dagger in her hand, cutting off the heads of Yaksha and Shura respectively.
The demon's head broke into pieces like fish on a chopping block, dissipating in a cloud of hot steam.
Immediately afterwards, a series of densely packed prompt boxes appeared in Ji Minghuan's eyes.
[It was detected that the second unit has killed the B-level demon - "Yaksha Demon". The training progress of the "Wild Hunt Winter" system has been updated: 13/18 kills. 】
[It was detected that the second unit has killed the B-level demon - "Shura Demon". The training progress of the "Wild Hunt Winter" system has been updated: 14/18 kills. 】
[The current progress of the second character's Sky Drive "Chess" is: 80% (after reaching 100% progress, your Sky Drive will automatically evolve to the second-level form. After the advancement, you can make a contract with a brand new demon to fully enhance the ability of the Sky Drive)]
"I just need to kill a few more demons and I can be promoted to the second level." Ji Minghuan thought.
[Completed card event: "Yaksha and Shura". ]
[You have received an event card as a reward: "Yaksha and Shura". The card has been added to your storage. ]
Ji Minghuan called up the system panel, pressed the "Event Card Library" option, and clicked on the card on the first row of the card slot page.
The card introduction interface pops up.
[Event Card Name: Yasha and Shura]
[Event card effect: Consume this card to temporarily change your form into either "Yaksha" or "Shura", but you only have 50% of the ability of a demon.]
[Tip: Selling this event card can be exchanged for a total of "1" skill points. ]
"It's too ugly. I don't want to experience the feeling of turning into a demon. I might as well sell it and learn the skill of a 'Demon Hunter' to save up some disposable demon chess pieces..."
Looking at the card effects, Ji Minghuan thought silently and moved his fingers.
[Sold event card in exchange for "1" skill point. ]
He called up the [Character Skill Tree] and without a doubt focused his attention on the skills in branch two.
[Branch 2 (Brave): Chess evolution (Condition: You need to consume a total of "3" skill points in other branches before you can learn this skill) (Learning this skill requires "1" skill point) → Unknown → Unknown...]
【Note: The learning conditions have been met. 】
Raise your hand and press and hold "Chess Evolution", and then a black and white prompt box pops up.
[1 skill point has been consumed, and the skill of the branch "Courage" has been successfully acquired - "Chess Evolution" (which allows all your chess types to evolve to "Silver Body", and the attack and defense power are improved). ]
[The next skill of the branch "Courage" has been opened for learning. 】
At this moment, the body of the queen's stone statue suddenly changed. The elements that made up her limbs gradually changed from black iron to gorgeous silver, and the two daggers in her hands were also covered with a layer of noble silver.
The stone statue of the queen lowered her eyes and looked at her hands. Her black iron-colored battle skirt was now silver-white, like a layer of hazy moonlight.
Ji Minghuan looked at this scene, raised his eyebrows slightly, and called out all the chess types on the black and white circle in one breath.
His eyes swept over them, and he saw that whether it was the stone statue of the soldier, the stone statue of the cannon cart, or the stone statue of the king, they were all covered with a layer of luxurious and eye-catching silver. The original gray and black were completely covered, as if they were covered in silver in winter.
"The cat resembles its master." Ayase Origami commented calmly as she looked at the evolved silver chess pieces.
Ji Minghuan glanced at her and said expressionlessly, "Your paper is white, and my chess pieces are silver. How can you say that I look like you?"
"...I'm angry."
"Everything you say will be taken as a breath. Don't make your cat dumb." Having said this, Ji Minghuan paused for a moment and thanked calmly, "Thank you... you have been of great help."
"No thanks, I told you."
"What?"
"My cat, I keep it."
Ayase Origami yawned, raised the back of her hand to cover her mouth, lowered her eyes and said, "I'm sleepy. I never go to bed before twelve o'clock."
"Then let's go back quickly. It's only 11:30 now, so we still have time." Ji Minghuan thought for a moment, "But your paper dragon is too conspicuous. We must have been seen when we flew from downtown Tokyo. If we fly back the same way, we will easily be photographed, which will easily expose the location of the cafe opened by No. 4."
"So how do you want to get back?"
"she."
As he spoke, Ji Minghuan raised his hand and pointed at the stone statue of the queen.
The stone statue of the queen nodded slightly and respectfully nodded to Ayase Origami.
Ayase Origami looked at the stone statue of the queen and was silent for a moment. The paper dragon crawling inside the shrine slowly disintegrated and turned into a fluttering paper rain, falling in all directions with a rustling sound, carrying pieces of the devil's blood.
Ji Minghuan silently took back Tianqu, and all the chess pieces except the Queen disappeared along with the black and white ring.
The stone statue of the queen leaned over slightly and carried Ayase Origami on her left shoulder, while Ji Minghuan was carried on her right shoulder.
The Queen statue held the two of them in its arms, then tiptoed to the ground and rushed out of the shrine. The faces of the two people in its arms were very close, like two robot heads, with no expression on their faces, as if they were participating in a carrot head imitation competition.
Ayase Origami was slightly stunned. It was the first time in her life that she was so close to someone.
The stone statue of the queen is covered with a layer of luxurious silver, and its jumping posture under the moon looks like a white deer.
She held the two of them and quickly left the dark forest, weaving between tall buildings, crossing the Tokyo Bay Rainbow Bridge like a gust of wind, and finally jumped from the rooftop of a nearby tall building and landed lightly on the attic of the cafe.
Then she slowly loosened her arms and put Xia Pingzhou and Ayase Origami down. After that, she returned to Xia Pingzhou's Tianqu without hesitation.
Ji Minghuan's legs softened, and he slowly sat down on the corner of the attic eaves, sighing:
“So tired…”
Ayase Origami sat down next to him and said calmly, "A kitten is also complaining of being tired? Shouldn't the one who is tired be the owner who took the kitten for a ride?"
Ji Minghuan took a deep breath of the cold air and quietly lay down on the roof of the attic. The night sky of Tokyo was reflected in his eyes, and the stars hanging high in the sky sparkled in the night.
He suddenly said, "In the past... I often chatted with someone on the roof of the attic and watched the stars."
"Who?" Ayase Origami asked curiously.
"A friend. A childhood friend..." Ji Minghuan said softly.
Ayase Origami was silent for a moment: "I'm different."
"What?"
"It's still..." She paused, "the first time I've ever talked to someone on the roof of an attic."
The girl in the ochre-red kimono did not lie down like Ji Minghuan, but sat quietly by the eaves, lowered her eyes to look at the long street in the evening breeze, and then raised her eyes to look at the sky. The stars tonight are beautiful, brighter than the neon lights in Tokyo.
"It's normal. Who would come to a place like this to chat?" Ji Minghuan said.
"No. No one talks to me normally in other places. Growing up, because I was the heir of the underworld, everyone around me catered to me and was afraid of me. Later, when I left the family and joined the brigade, I found that everyone was the same... Whether it was the people I killed or the people who wanted to kill me, they were all equally boring."
"Aren't you afraid of killing someone?"
"I have seen many people die in front of me since I was a child. They taught me not to have emotions because of death. This will affect the judgment of the future head of the family."
"Such an extreme education... Is this the Japanese underworld?"
Ji Minghuan thought for a moment and asked again: "In your eyes, not only am I not boring, but I am also the first person to have a serious chat with you? I am really honored."
"Just a little kitten...you're quite bold." Ayase Origami was stunned for a moment and said lightly.
"I'll sleep here tonight." Ji Minghuan closed his eyes. "Good night."
"Whatever you want..."
After saying that, Ayase Origami fell down to the attic windowsill and then returned to the attic.
Her footsteps came from the attic, getting farther and farther away, and lighter and lighter. Finally, a cold voice sounded:
"Goodnight, Kitty."
(End of this chapter)
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