Xiang Fan stared at the screen, his expression frozen like a statue. He searched through all the video spheres, finding no useful information about the "Red Flame Crystal." Instead, he found numerous close-ups—hot springs, fairies, splashes of water, and even a few slow-motion replays. His throat rolled, and he swallowed hard, his tone thick with despair and anger.
"What the hell is this?!" He slapped the virtual screen hard, as if he could snap the images back. The screen didn't budge at all. Instead, the operating system inside the mecha made a slight protest, as if reminding him to use gentle force.
Just as he was gritting his teeth, his nostrils filled with anger, the notification sound from the Spirit Realm mailbox rang out, interrupting his resentment. He looked down and saw a new message appear on the screen:
Sender: Shadow Killer
"Boss, yes, yes, sorry! I just sent the wrong link! This is the correct one: [new link.xxx.xxx]"
Xiang Fan froze, his expression rapidly changing from dull, to furious, to gnashing of teeth. His eyebrows shot up like two sharp swords, his teeth clenched, and his fists clenched tightly, as if he was about to burst into the spirit realm and strike someone down.
"Shadow Killer!" He slammed the table, his voice echoing in the empty cabin. "You clearly did this on purpose, didn't you?!"
He typed out his reply quickly, almost growling in his tone:
Zero:
"Shadow Killer, if you make a mistake next time, I will install the Red Flame Crystal on the crotch of your mecha to make you more dazzling. Do you understand?!"
After sending the message, Xiang Fan slumped back into his chair, his face etched with fury. He felt like his lungs were about to explode. The image of the hot springs lingered in his mind, circling like a curse. He covered his face, trying to catch his breath, muttering, "This lousy designer and Shadow Killer are a pair of troublemakers..."
Elsewhere, Shadow Killer and Black Tortoise Guard were happily collaborating on the Spirit Realm battlefield, dismantling a Foundation Establishment mecha. Shadow Killer's mecha's nimble movements, combined with the Black Tortoise Guard's precise strikes, seemed poised for victory. Just then, his communication system suddenly lit up.
"Any news from the boss?" Shadow Killer raised his eyebrows and clicked on it excitedly, but after just one glance, the smile on his face froze.
"What's wrong?" The Xuanwu guard noticed his abnormality and asked casually.
"Boss..." Shadow Killer wiped a virtual cold sweat from his forehead, his voice filled with a strong sense of despair, "He got angry. He said he wanted to install the Red Flame Crystal in the crotch of my mecha."
The Black Tortoise Guard was stunned for a second after hearing this, then burst into laughter, clutching his stomach. His mecha's hull trembled. He clapped Shadow Killer on the shoulder, "Not bad, Shadow Killer! Your operation is truly unprecedented. You've given the Boss a personal taste of 'data culture.' No one will ever surpass this, even if you brag about it for a lifetime!"
Shadow Killer's face was as black as if it had been painted with ink. He controlled the mecha to continue fighting while trying to defend himself: "I... I just slipped! Who knew that link was actually to the hot spring area? Besides, it was the boss who clicked on it himself, so doesn't that count as part of his responsibility?"
"Stop quibbling!" The Black Tortoise Guard laughed so hard his mecha nearly fell apart, his tone tinged with gloating. "The boss has clearly stated he's going to put the crystal in your crotch. Do you think you can still turn things around? Just wait, Shadow Killer. Sooner or later, you'll become the most dazzling mecha in the Spirit Realm, so dazzling that no one can see the direction!"
"Shut up!" Shadow Killer held his forehead and sighed, his tone filled with despair, "Don't add fuel to the fire, I'm already miserable enough..."
The Black Tortoise Guard laughed so hard he could barely stand up straight, then added bluntly, "Honestly, with such a high-level 'mistake', I think even the Spirit Realm designers should write you a thank-you letter. You've made an invaluable contribution to this promotion of 'hot spring culture'!"
Xiang Fan, returning to reality, collapsed into his chair like a frost-bitten eggplant. He fiercely removed his spirit realm helmet and tossed it onto the table with a muffled thud, as if venting his previous frustration.
"These guys are really driving me crazy!" He muttered through gritted teeth, his face looking like he'd just been through a life-or-death struggle. He grabbed the water glass on the table, tilted his head back and took a big gulp, but nearly choked and coughed several times.
"Calm down, calm down." Xiang Fan took two breaths and patted his cheeks, trying to clear his confused mind. He raised his head and clicked on the new link sent by Shadow Killer. This time, the page finally displayed serious content.
A dense display of technical data, modification guides, and detailed instructions for configuring the Red Flame Crystal's energy spread across the virtual screen. Xiang Fan stared at the contents and finally breathed a sigh of relief: "This is the real stuff!"
He quickly browsed the data and backed up the contents to the mecha's storage space, a satisfied glint in his eyes. However, when he thought of the "hot spring incident" just now, his face darkened instantly.
"Shadow Killer!" Xiang Fan muttered the name through gritted teeth, as if he wanted to pull him out of the spiritual realm and give him a beating. Grinding his teeth, he vowed silently, "Once I've modified the Red Flame Crystal, I'll make sure you experience what a truly dazzling life is!"
As he spoke, he unconsciously glanced at the image ball from earlier, and the scene of misty mist and the fairies playing in the air instantly resurfaced in his mind. His face flushed red, and even his ears felt hot.
"What the hell is this!" He couldn't help but mutter to himself, suddenly covering his eyes with his hands, but he couldn't stop the lingering images in his mind. He tried to divert his attention and stared at the data on the screen again, trying hard to concentrate on the technical content.
"Calm down, calm down! I'm a serious explorer, not one of those messy guys!" He patted his face and muttered to himself to cheer himself up.
However, having just sworn an oath, he couldn't help but mutter inwardly, "But... the filming technology of those imaging balls is indeed amazing. The picture effects are comparable to those of top filmmakers..." Thinking of this, he shook his head violently again: "No, no! I have to forget all this quickly!"
At that moment, his expression was as complex as a child forced back from the playground, a mixture of shame for his recent misconduct and eager anticipation for future revenge against the Shadow Killer. He closed the information on the screen, leaned back in his chair, and sighed deeply, "Spiritual realm exploration... When will this kind of trouble stop?"
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