T0 Gaming Guild Saves the World.

Chapter 481, Question 480: I don't understand, but I'm deeply shocked.

The group chat for the Stars Bonfire event was buzzing with excitement. Chen Shaoyu had just given away a 5000 RMB red envelope.

He was the one who lit the candles.

Candlelight's private account has a considerable amount of funds, which will be automatically replenished simply by contacting various countries.

She herself never abused her power, just as promised when she was born.

Based on its own assessment, the Starfire employees around the world who assist in operating the game will be paid salaries.

Players who receive dividends are regularly given "meal tickets".

The only benefit she gained for herself was to use Chen Shaoyu's account to buy all sorts of vinegar.

Chen Shaoyu believed that those important figures who paid attention to the changes in the accounts would be extremely curious about these small but frequent expenditures.

"Chen Da, is the boss still at the company?"

Chen Shaoyu glanced at the candlelight sitting on the rooftop, looking up at the starry sky, and replied.

"She has also found a place to spend the New Year."

After Zhu Huo used teleportation to take him back to his hometown, he never left again.

The parents immediately provided a precise description of this beautiful girl.

"Ah Yu, how did you find her? She's as pretty as a doll. You're not very sweet-talking, how did you manage to win her over?"

Our parents' generation's understanding of dating is stuck decades in the past. It's no longer the era where you can find a girlfriend just by being sweet-talking and offering emotional support.

Besides, a candle flame is definitely not a girlfriend.

She's not even human.

There's no way to explain it.

If you say it out loud, you're guaranteed to lose your job.

"It's okay, I can erase their memories, but not yours."

The candlelight spoke so casually that Chen Shaoyu could only feel grateful.

Therefore, in his parents' eyes, this disappointing child had a stroke of good luck last year, found a good job, had a stable career, and was about to reap the rewards of love.

The two women, who had been worried about him working hard in the city, smiled with relief knowing that he never shared his bad news.

From the day the candlelight arrived, I've been busy taking care of everything, afraid that this exquisitely beautiful young woman might find the home environment unpleasant.

Actually, the candlelight doesn't matter.

A three-story cement house built by the owner in the countryside, with simple industrial-style decoration and sparse furnishings.

It's at least better than the mushroom nest she lived in on the Mushroom Planet—she didn't like beds, blankets, or rooms that moved on their own.

The character "烛" (zhu) is too uncommon as a surname, so Chen Shaoyu emphasized that his parents' surname is "竹" (zhu).

"Bamboo Fire, where are you from?"

My family won't let me tell them.

"Can't I even say where I'm from?"

"Deep within the stars".

"Oh, he's mixed race, from abroad. His foreign language is quite fluent. Ah Yu, you should learn from him."

Candlelight can overcome awkwardness and obstacles to complete communication, but Chen Shaoyu cannot.

The scene of talking at cross purposes caused him to scratch his toes on the ground several times.

I really want to escape.

Fortunately, after the initial questioning, her family got used to her presence, and the probing phase was over.

Chen Shaoyu didn't know what others thought, but if important figures from various countries saw candlelight at home, they would voluntarily help with the pre-New Year's cleaning, secretly using magic to stir up the dust in the house and let it flow out the window when no one was around...

Are these people going crazy?
He once asked Candlelight how he proved to be an extraterrestrial being, an extraordinary being, in front of world leaders.

“Perform what they want to see without harming them,” Candlelight replied.

"For example, the Americans..."

“They shot me in the head, but I’m still alive,” Candlelight said. “I took my head off, removed the spent cartridge case myself, and healed my wound in front of them.”

"Then, the Russians?"

"Similarly, trying to prove that the limits of one's own power can give humanity a sliver of initiative, killing me is the fastest way, but your weapons can't do that."

"On this planet, only the dead, the original fairies have any hope of achieving this."

The power of the candlelight was beyond Chen Shaoyu's imagination.

Such a "person" has no desires.

At least she said she didn't.

He went to the edge of the rooftop, and like a candle, dangled his feet in the air and supported himself with his hands behind him.

The first night was no different; she stared at the night sky, her gaze fixed on it for most of the night.

Perhaps she wandered off into the heavens and returned to the Proof of the Stars, but to outsiders, she seemed like a wandering ghost, which really startled her family.

Therefore, the candlelight was sent away after Chen Shaoyu's family fell asleep, and he continued his meditation.

"Homesick?" Chen Shaoyu asked.

The candlelight nodded.

"You've always known me inside and out... Tell me something about yourself, or about your family."

As time went on, his curiosity could no longer be hidden.

Sometimes he gets the illusion that... asking won't get him into trouble with the candlelight, and maybe she's hoping he'll ask?

Recalling the initial tense probing and exchange of questions, he felt as if it were a lifetime ago.

Seeing the candlelight turn its head and stare at him, he quickly added.

"Anyway, once everything settles down, you will leave this place, taking with you traces of your existence and the memories of us. At least until then, when I watch the stars with you, I can have a vague idea of ​​that distant world."

The candlelight asked, "What do you want to know?"

What kind of place is your home?

The candlelight seemed to be searching.

"This conflicts with our regulations when we are on missions abroad, and I cannot describe the dwellings of the rulers to anyone in detail."

"But as compensation, I can tell you my story."

Candlelight, manufacturing code name—606.

From the moment a doll is born, it has only a hazy and vague subconscious mind, and everything it does is guided by supreme power and triggered by instinct.

It is not human, nor is it any life form naturally born in this world; it is naturally rejected by the world itself.

Their weak thoughts entered their bodies, and they underwent trials and assessments in a daze.

She passed the test, but signs of a mismatch between her inner core and her physical body emerged.

A halo of light emanated from the candle flame and enveloped Chen Shaoyu.

When he opened his eyes, he found himself inside a palace made of crystal.

The light is crystal clear and mesmerizing, shimmering with a captivating brilliance.

"Should we destroy it?"

"The test results are not ideal; it is a defective product."

Looking in the direction of the sound, two women, their faces blurred by the halo of light, were talking. Both were wearing white and green coats, and looked like doctors.

The former had a languid voice, his hands tucked into his coat, looking sleep-deprived, yawning, with a huge mosquito floating beside him.

Another source of the female voice has eight slender spider legs.

With a spit, she actually used her mouth to spit out silk and brought a crystal ball from a distance over.

"See for yourself."

"Hmm, all abilities are at the baseline, no outstanding strengths, just average... Hah~~~"

"The dolls have a lifespan of 150 years. The last batch has already reached the end of its lifespan and is being replaced in large quantities. This time, we must ensure that the newest and best dolls are sent to ■■■ and ■■■■■."

She yawned again.

"■■■, they asked us to help screen this batch. They said there's a high chance of finding outstanding children, but it seems only two are suitable?"

"What about her?" The two of them looked at the newly lit candle at the same time.

"If the core is unstable, from the perspective of resource utilization, it is better to rework it."

"That's all."

Zhu Huo stood beside Chen Shaoyu, looking back at the past with him.

His eyes were full of respect for the two of them.

"I..." The woman with spider legs thought for a moment, "■■■ has set very high standards. Since we meet the requirements, why don't we let someone try to claim it?"

She coughed: "Cough cough, I have a friend..."

"Why don't you just say you want to receive it?"

"what……"

"After all these years, will you still freeze in place after being exposed?" The woman who kept mosquitoes as pets was still yawning. "Is it because of the child you adopted?"

"An alchemical genius! His future achievements will surely surpass mine." The eight spider legs swayed excitedly.

"■■, alright, I've filled it out for you. Master, you should say hello yourself. As an alchemy master, you know how to prevent potential accidents caused by defective products… Okay, since I helped you fill out the form, you'll cover my shift today~~"

The soft glow of memories recedes like the tide.

Chen Shaoyu stared ahead, remaining silent for a long time.

After a long silence, he organized his thoughts.

"So, these big shots are usually this casual?"

"The master said that when they reach their level, they can do whatever they want with their words and actions."

"You almost...died."

Candlelight nodded: "I am one of the first batch of puppets created after the Sovereign roamed the starry sea, responsible for replacing the old puppets that could not be replaced."

“My role is more special, as it gives me the opportunity to meet the true ruler.”

"Therefore, the selection process for our batch was particularly rigorous. All those who did not meet the average standard in the trials were sent down to lower levels, and the defective ones were reworked."

The true ruler?
Are there fakes?

Through the candlelight, Chen Shaoyu glimpsed a corner of that distant world.

In the realm of domination and rule, the number of puppets is fixed.

A technological iteration cycle takes 150 years. During this period, although there may be innovations in puppetry and magic, only a limited number will be piloted.

Unless the "lord" in charge of logistics grants permission, a forced replacement will not be made.

Although the world does not recognize the Doll race, the Overlord does.

Although the puppets were their creations, the ruler granted them the rights of "human beings".

Powerful dolls have a clear promotion path—due to the scarcity of battles, the most common promotion path is housekeeping.

They need to compete with powerful creatures such as slimes and sirens for the opportunity to work in the area they dominate.

"You mean, these races that beat up players in the game can only be maids to the Overlord?"

"The promotion of head maids is locked. One head maid is refusing to move, which means the ruler can only add a second-level honorary head maid."

No, wait a minute?
Chen Shaoyu sorted out: "So, the Overlord is actually so easy to talk to. The head maid just had to act cute, and he locked up one path to advancement, forcing him to take a roundabout way to achieve his goal?"

"The Lord is a sentimental person, and they don't want to be clung to by the head maid and crawl around everywhere."

"..."

"Did you see it with your own eyes?"

He still held onto hope, anticipating that it might be a case of misinformation.

"My master was fortunate enough to see it, recorded it with the photographic jade, and shared it with me."

"And she had me try it out."

"..."

The fact that the photograph of the precious jade could be preserved is truly a testament to boundless kindness.

If a different tyrant were in charge, everyone who witnessed this scene would die.

So all you incredibly talented people are comedians?

Chen Shaoyu's grand vision of that powerful world ruler was shattered in an instant.

How could such a dignified image crumble so quickly?

Is this still the epic civilization that suppressed an entire planet with just candlelight?

How can a ruler be so indecisive!
So unreasonable!
No matter how many times he had doubted the master's morality and character before, he would never doubt them again after this.

Chen Shaoyu took a deep breath and caught his breath.

"Let's continue talking about dolls."

"it is good."

Even under the ruler's dominion, there are soulless dolls.

Unlike individuals with "human" rights, these are products of an unconscious collective, forming, along with golems and giants, the visible workforce in daily life.

The creation of soulless dolls is not subject to the control of the ruler, but only to the management of the lord.

"Something's not right... Your lord can be above the ruler?"

"Yes, some things."

What do you usually mean by "certain things"?

"In matters related to money, the ruler's word sometimes doesn't count, and the lord will rebuke him."

"This is also recorded?"

"Yes," Candlelight said firmly. "I'm here this time."

Candlelight, tasked with delivering good news about the progress of alchemy to his master, overheard the argument between the lord and the sovereigns outside the sovereign's study.

In terms of voice, the lord has the upper hand.

Several rulers were lectured with their fists slammed on the table, and in the end, they reluctantly rejected a certain expenditure proposal.

The character "川" (river) is clearly visible between Chen Shaoyu's brows.

He struggled to apply the Warhammer universe to try and explain away the points that were simply incomprehensible.

But the thought of the High Lords reaching into the Emperor's purse and standing before the Golden Throne, pointing at the Emperor and cursing him, is unbearable.

"You weasel, you son of a bitch, you want to touch the purse strings? Did you even ask me first..."

"Money? No. Life? I've already died several times while fighting alongside the empire!"

hiss……

The fact that the Imperial Guards didn't send him to immortality on the spot suggests they were all suspected of being accomplices in the rebellion.

Chen Shaoyu knew he was courting disaster.

But this time he really couldn't help himself.

"Your ruler hasn't been... usurped, has he?"

The candlelight paused for a moment, then suddenly burst out laughing, growing more and more unrestrained until finally, it roared with laughter.

A few candles lost control of their emotions.

Her calm face was completely filled with smiles, as radiant as a sky full of stars.

"The Lord wouldn't mind such an offense. He cherishes everyone under his protection equally and is willing to give everything for that peace."

Chen Shaoyu didn't understand, but he was deeply shocked.

He suddenly realized that he was no different from his parents.

His family couldn't understand what he was talking to, and he was quite similar to Zhu Huo.

What seemed perfectly normal to the candlelight appeared to him like a fairy tale... beautifully unreal.

Could the candlelight be right?
"The order of this universe was established by the first powerful beings."

"The atmosphere of this universe was also established by them."

The Overlord has put this into practice, so he can confidently issue a declaration to the entire universe while sending puppets outside the universe.

(End of this chapter)