Love, Gun, Cupid

In mid-air, she remotely activated a function, causing the sword she had discarded on the ground to expand and explode, scattering fragments in all directions. She then used the new foothold to leap out of the temple.

"A hair's breadth away."

Kalxa looked at his re-erected shield and the metal fragments falling in front of it with a sense of dread. In the virtual space, the worst that could happen to a character upon waking was a headache, but the damage to objects was a very real problem.

The significance of a sword to a swordsman is self-evident. In order to win the victory, Mu Mian sacrificed her own sword without hesitation... It's both terrifying and exciting!

Karksa's desire for the kapok tree deepened. She looked up, searching for its figure, but instead heard the sound of cracking stone pillars around her. She glanced around and found that every load-bearing pillar in the temple was broken, bearing the marks of grenades, sword cuts, and flying metal fragments...

From mid-air, Kapok saw the temple collapse and a cloud of dust rise. From the very beginning of the battle, she had devised a tactic to destroy the load-bearing pillars and use the collapse of the building to defeat Kalxa.

She rolled upon landing to absorb the impact, grabbed her weapon, and cautiously surveyed her surroundings, ruling out the possibility that Kalkssa had a backup plan. After waiting three seconds and realizing that the match was still not over, she gripped her sword and headed towards the ruins.

She quickly found Kalxa, whose shield was shattered and whose energy seemed to be depleted, unable to repair the wounds, leaving the area around Kalxa stained red with blood.

Kapok didn't know if Kalkasa was truly seriously injured or if it was a feint. She cautiously stood at what she considered a safe distance, with her sword behind her back. Just as she drew her mini-sniper rifle to finish off her opponent, Kalkasa reached into her own wound.

A miniature ejector device squeezed out from her flesh, and Kalsak raised his hand to fire it, hitting the kapok and injecting her bodily fluids into it. Then, the goblin hybrid used her energy to heal her wounds, stood up dizzily, this feint having exhausted her last bit of energy.

The next development in the plot should be that Kapok immediately loses her fighting ability and is dragged into the ruins to have her fun. The goblin part of her bloodline has distorted Kapok's values, making her believe that conquering prey in front of others is not immoral, but a proof of dominance.

However, the kapok tree still stood there, much to her surprise. A chill spread from the bottom of her heart, and sweat soaked through her clothes. Kalkasa stammered, "Was it...was I off track, or...or was it the overtime magic?"

“Nothing like that,” Kapok said. “It’s just that I’m good at patience.”

Kapok finished off Karksa with a submachine gun; the latter's body collapsed and disappeared into the virtual space, thus Kapok won and advanced to the top 16. As applause rang out, Lin Jiade was faster than anyone else; he took off his equipment, jumped up, rushed into the players' rest room, and found Kapok there.

“See, I told you desensitization training was effective,” he said.

"It worked, but it was infuriating. When Karsak hit me, and what she released made my heart race, my inner thought was, 'That's it?' Her invincible method of arousing desire actually left me feeling bored, because I had already climbed to a higher level before that."

Kapok said in a low voice, "Perhaps I have really become a slave who can only feel for you, which makes me feel... angry. I also have dignity, and I don't want you to trample on my dignity like this."

But now, I feel that perhaps this is my retribution, so everything is acceptable.

"Senior Kapok..."

"You came to congratulate me, didn't you? Then don't say anything discouraging and ruin this wonderful evening."

Lin Jiade nodded. At this moment, the others came in and surrounded Mu Mian, including Mu Mian's brother from FN Company. He returned to his seat. Some of the audience were eating and drinking, while others were discussing the battle that had just taken place. It was the first of the eight matches tonight, and they were discussing it with great enthusiasm.

"Let's discuss something," Lin Jiade said, turning to Wei Ying after taking his seat. "Senior Kapok paid the price of having her main weapon destroyed in order to win this battle. No matter what, it will take more than a week to reorder a weapon and get it working properly again. And the round of 16 is next Saturday."

"so?"

"Therefore, I would like to ask you to allow me to lend the celestial weapon to Senior Mumian."

"No!" the reed warbler answered decisively.

"Can't we discuss this?"

"She has her own main weapon, so why does she need to borrow my things?" Wei Ying asked curiously. "Don't you know yet? You are the sword forged by Kapok."

On June 28th, Belgium vs. Portugal. Cast your vote for which team you think will advance. A bonus chapter for the correct guess.

Chapter 41 A Date Tonight

"No, you've got it backwards. Senior Kapok is my sword, I use it..."

Lin Jiade glanced to the side; the shapeshifter Rafaam was eavesdropping. Who knew if she'd sell his information for a good price? So he said, "Could you buy me three drinks?"

Rafaam didn't want to move, but Lin Jiade's kind eyes triggered her instinct to seek advantage and avoid harm... She wasn't afraid of Lin Jiade, but she was very afraid of Lin Jiade's girlfriend, so she went.

“Alright,” he said, looking at the warbler. “I used it to poke that powerful woman. It’s impossible for me to have hallucinations or memory problems. Senior Kapok later admitted this as well.”

The reed warbler explained, “Does this contradict what I’m saying? The kapok tree is both a swordswoman and a precious sword. As a swordswoman, she forges her own sword for commoners, and the result is you; as a precious sword, she needs to dedicate herself to the swordswoman she admires, so the kapok tree becomes your sword.”

You are each other's reflections, flexibly switching between the roles of swordsman and sword... Otherwise, why do you think I would teach you? I don't even bother with people who have no future.

"When did this happen? When exactly did my relationship with her become like this?" Lin Jiade slammed his fist on his thigh. "I had no idea!"

"What you haven't understood isn't just this one thing. The cradle of happiness is woven from ignorance; to obtain the truth, one must endure the pain. You said you've given up on pursuing the truth, given up on exploring the past between you and Kapok..."

So why are you troubled, confused, and angry now?

Amidst Lin Jiade's anguish, Wei Ying's voice became soft and sweet. Her golden hair was tinged with pink, and pink hearts rose in her eyes. She was Wei Ying, yet she seemed to know Lin Jiade intimately, whispering seductively in his ear: "Can the truth and the past truly be let go?"

"I……"

Lin Jiade looked up at Wei Ying, who crossed her arms and said, "This is just a personal suggestion. Don't think I'm talking badly about Mu Mian behind her back because I hate her."

The reed warbler was still a reed warbler, but the feeling that had just drawn his thoughts away was gone. Lin Jiade wiped his face, thinking he might be overthinking things, so he said, "Can't we really reconsider?"

"No way!"

“Alright, I’ll go be Senior Kapok’s sword then,” Lin Jiade said.

"You haven't understood anything, yet you're going to be someone's tool?"

“I owe my senior a lot of kindness, and this is my way of trying to repay her. Anyway, she won’t harm me, and if we strengthen our connection, she won’t suddenly disappear. Isn’t that great?” Lin Jiade said.

The reed warbler said unhappily, "It seems I've wasted my energy. Anyway, a sword doesn't require thinking; all that's needed is for the swordsman to use it."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

“You’ll regret this,” said Reed Warbler. “Then you’ll come back begging me, and I’ll make sure to see you in such a sorry state and squeeze you for a lot of money.”

What's this? A little girl's jealousy because her toy was taken away?

Lin Jiade was dismissive. He continued watching the remaining matches until the seventh match, when he felt someone sit down next to him. He took off his audio-visual equipment and found it was Kapok.

"You've had a really busy night," he complained.

"Winners are always busy. Have you noticed why the organizers hold the main event offline?" Mu Mian asked.

"To boost the city's economy?"

"No, it's for easier communication. Ultimately, it's just normal competition. People not only make enemies, but also make allies and expand their networks."

The answer came from above Lin Jiade's head. He looked up and met Du Juan's smiling face. After a polite interaction with Mu Mian, Du Juan pulled her younger sister away, leaving Lin Jiade and Mu Mian alone.

"So, has the senior found allies?" the young man asked.

The kapok tree shakes its head.

The young man then asked, "Does the senior understand who his enemy is?"

The kapok tree shakes its head.

Lin Jiade sighed, "Your social skills are even worse than Jasmine's. What about sponsorships or invitations from advanced magic researchers to become like-minded individuals?"

“I dare not answer. I’m afraid this is a roundabout way for my family to control me.”

"What should we do with the damaged equipment? Senior can't just carry around a spare sword and shout 'Thunder Emperor, summon me!' to pay homage to Li Xiaolang every match. That would be too shameful."

Kapok hesitated for a moment: "I have something to tell you."

"Yes, I'm listening."

“I told you before that a swordsman of this era must forge a sword for himself that is made for commoners.”

"I remember."

“My commoner’s sword is you. To be precise, you are a half-finished product. The main body is complete, but it still needs polishing.”

"Oh," Lin Jiade replied.

"Why...why are you so calm?"

"Because I was spoiled. So, when was I turned into your sword?"

"The time you took the enhancement potion—mixed with my blood."

Lin Jiade recalled for a moment and said, "Back then you said it was for teaching magic."

"It is indeed a teacher training program, because I am a sword, so the teacher training magic will also turn you into a sword. However, if you heard that I was going to turn you into a sword at that time, you would definitely resist, but you desperately need combat power. In order to make you stronger, I can only deceive you."

Lin Jiade suddenly realized: "No wonder you always said things like you would do anything to make me stronger. Back then, you were forging me with the mindset of a swordsmith."

Kapok nodded: "You can understand it that way too."

"Then why are you my sword?"

"..."

“I understand. It’s another past you don’t want to talk about, right?” Lin Jiade said in a low voice. “I’m conflicted. On the one hand, I’ve said I would explore our past, but on the other hand, I can’t convince myself to let go completely… I’m in pain.”

"After this knockout stage is over, whether or not I advance, I will tell you everything... This is what I owe you and Jasmine."

"Alright, it's always good to have something to look forward to." Lin Jiade took a deep breath to change his mood. "I do have something to tell you, senior. Can I go to your room tonight after everyone has gone to sleep?"

"?!"

"I...I can't bring you pleasure as a woman for the time being..." Kapok stammered.

"Senior, this is serious business!" Lin Jiade said, both amused and exasperated. "I made a promise with Jasmine that I would stick to one bottom line until the end of her college entrance exams. I've disappointed her many times already, and I don't intend to disappoint her again this time."

"Actually, she gets used to being disappointed after a while," Mu Mian muttered.

"Ok?"

"It's nothing. Come over tonight, but be careful."

Chapter 42 South Gate

After all eight matches tonight, it will be time for the players to socialize. This is not Lin Jiade's stage, but if he aspires to rise higher, he will eventually make his mark again in the future.

So he stayed hidden on the sidelines, watching the protagonists of the night form alliances and schemes. On the surface, everyone appeared to be having a good time, but each of their expressions and actions carried a defensive air, as they carefully chose their allies and enemies.

Is it fun to observe others?

Lin Jiade turned his head and saw that the navy blue trench coat enveloped Du Juan, and the brim of the wide-brimmed hat had black veils hanging down, blurring her face. Her nails were painted dark, and she had a cigarette between her fingers, reminiscent of the so-called "old money" group from decades ago.

From the evening of September 9th to the evening of December 1st, over a period of 82 days, Du Juan had appeared in front of Lin Jiade in over a hundred different outfits, so he wasn't particularly surprised by Du Juan's new look.

“This is a no-smoking area,” he said, taking the cigarette from the other person’s hand. “Where’s your sister?”

Du Juan pointed in a direction: "I ran into a classmate, and we went to play together."

"Are you in the celestial realm interested in such occasions?"

"Of course, I apologize if I have offended you or your race. In our land, we make all sorts of contracts with human individuals and grant them divine protection, just like you humans keep all sorts of pets."

"So, you're here to choose a pet? But why are you intermediate-level magic researchers?" Lin Jiade asked.

"Through your experiences over this period, you should now have some understanding of the different levels of those who possess extraordinary powers—"

Apprentice level: Almost the pro version of an ordinary person, the initial stage of people's exploration of magical/witchcraft knowledge;