Goddess Kaleidoscope

But this seemingly magnificent armor was not flexible at all when worn. Mochi had often heard his father complain after returning from bandit suppression that the bandits could not hurt him in the slightest, but this armor almost cost him his life.

So Mochi had an idea: could he make a suit of armor that had the defensive capabilities of heavy armor while also being lightweight and agile?

So Mochi found Charlotte, a dwarf friend he met at the research institute. Charlotte happened to have mastered rune carving techniques and possessed magical power equivalent to that of a mid-level mage. So the two formed a research team to try to develop an ideal set of armor.

As it turned out, Mochi's approach was absolutely correct. The defensive runes didn't actually need to cover a large area, so the two of them could boldly reduce the weight of the armor significantly.

However, halfway through the project, a black-haired nun who wished to remain anonymous happened to pass by and provided them with a design drawing, asking them to make a set of "ultra-lightweight armor" based on the design. The two young people, as if possessed, actually did it.

So the final product is this "bikini armor" full of flaws. Although it looks almost like you're not wearing anything, Charlotte guarantees that it has all the necessary defensive runes. Its defensive power is definitely at the plate armor level, and it doesn't affect your mobility at all when you wear it.

Incidentally, before someone gave them advice, Mochi had even considered giving the completed sample to his father as a birthday present, as a way to show his filial piety. He figured the Viscount would be overjoyed to receive "women's clothing" from his son... just kidding!

Lude was at a loss for words about the two men's "masterpiece," but he had to admit that the project was indeed a success.

"This thing... let's not make it public for now."

At Lude's request, the avant-garde design of the magical equipment was temporarily confiscated and kept by him for a period of time. Publicity for their project was temporarily suspended, and they would go on to do some other research.

Carrying the equipment in a wooden box, Lud returned to the temple before dark. Aina and Shanis, who had been out on missions the day before, also returned. The two greeted Lud at the gate with such enthusiasm that it made one a little suspicious.

After dinner, Ludwig prepared to rest early. Hume had been in Yanmu City for the past few days, so Ludwig had fewer private entertainment options in the evenings.

Lude was a virgin until his death in his previous life. After transmigrating, he finally had the chance to lose his virginity, especially with a goddess-level, dark-skinned, mature woman like Hume. Naturally, he was incredibly sexually aroused. Whenever they had a chance to be alone, he would shamelessly sneak up on her and get close. Although Hume would say, "You're so annoying," she always managed to get Lude to have his way.

Lying in bed, Ludwig felt a little lonely thinking about Hume's trip, which would take at least seven or eight days to return. Lately, he had gotten used to the comfort of having the "black flesh pillow" in his arms.

However, as Ludwig drifted off to sleep, he was unaware that someone was waiting for him in his dream.

Lud, lost in his dream, could never have imagined that his dream would be invaded, especially on his own theoretically safe territory. The Primal Fire only granted him immunity to divine magic, but necromancy was not immune, and Elijah easily succeeded.

Elijah was unaware of Shanis's "evil plan." She naively thought that Shanis was simply concerned about her master and wanted to give Master Ludwig, who was busy with official duties every day, a little "relaxation" in her dream.

Because they lacked the necessary precautions, Eliven's intrusion went very smoothly. With her help, Aina and Shanes, who had mastered the power to suppress their own divine abilities, easily entered Rudd's dream.

As a result, when the three girls—one ghost and two gods—entered, they were astonished by the dreamlike scene that appeared before their eyes.

In Lude's dream, they saw a city on Earth. Although it wasn't a super-first-tier metropolis like Beijing, Shanghai, or Guangzhou with its towering skyscrapers, it was just Lude's hometown, a small, fourth-tier city.

Even so, the ten- or twenty-story residential buildings, the wide and flat asphalt roads, and the endless stream of cars still left the three girls from another world speechless with amazement. They looked left and right, filled with curiosity about this city of their dreams.

"Good heavens! Master, what kind of place is this dream?"

"This must be the master's hometown, right? Many people dream of returning to their hometown, but this is the first time I've seen such an incredible city. Could it be the heaven the master mentioned before?"

Just as they were engrossed in sightseeing and almost forgot about their "main business," the sharp-eyed Shanis suddenly spotted Lud's figure walking towards them and quickly pulled Aina and Elijah behind a newsstand on the side of the street.

In the dream, Lude was wearing a short-sleeved summer police uniform, but his appearance was still the same as after he transmigrated, which is why Shanis spotted him immediately. Several girls, hiding behind a newsstand, saw Lude walk straight to a stall run by an old woman and speak to her very familiarly.

"Aunt Wu, give me a set of egg dumplings, two eggs and a sausage!"

"okay!"

Holding a steaming hot egg fritter in his hands, Lu De leaned against the roadside railing and devoured it. The aroma of the food, which originally belonged only to his personal memory, was successfully transmitted to the three girls who had "illegally entered his dream" through his dream experience.

After finishing his egg fruit, Lude continued strolling down the street, with the three girls following behind him. They watched as Lude, in his dream, greeted all sorts of people on the street, his face always beaming with a warm smile.

"It seems that Master Ludwig served as a town guard in his hometown for a while when he was young, right?"

"But he wasn't wearing any armor, he wasn't carrying any weapons, and he even paid for his food. What kind of town guard is like this in the world!"

Upon discovering that Lud was having dreams related to his hometown, and out of curiosity about his past, Shanis and her companions, who had originally planned to team up with Aina to "ambush" their master, decided to hold off on taking action and observe for a while longer.

And so, the three girls followed Lu De, watching him argue with street vendors obstructing traffic, help an elderly woman cross the street, and mediate between arguing couples. The more they watched, the more puzzled they became, feeling that this kind of master didn't match the "blood-handed, soul-severing" legends circulating among many people!

What happened to the promise of "killing one person in ten steps"?

In fact, the three of them did not know that the Lud in the dream was not his real past experience, but the life he had always longed for.

In his previous life, Lu De graduated from the police academy and only interned in the local area for less than a year before being selected by his superiors to become an undercover agent. He remained in this position for eight years, dismantling numerous criminal and criminal organizations.

Although Lu De repeatedly performed outstanding deeds and was highly valued by his superiors, he also suffered tremendous psychological pressure, and each undercover mission was an easy one.

The bureau chief had promised him that after completing his final undercover mission, he would be transferred back to his hometown police station. But just like many classic plot twists, Lu De, who had never made a mistake in his eight years of missions, used up all his good luck at the last moment.

Because time and space are very subtle in dreams, the three people with conscious minds felt that less than an hour had passed. What was originally a sunny and hot afternoon had turned into dusk in the blink of an eye.

The three followed Lude to a strange two-story building (police station). They watched him go in and come out a short while later. He had changed out of his police uniform and was wearing a very casual outfit. He was holding a shiny little board (a cell phone) in his hand.

"Master... has he finished work?"

"Hmm! And judging from their appearance, they seem to be preparing to have some fun. Let's hurry and follow them; we might just catch something interesting."

Shanis's eyes shone as she spoke. Based on her years of observation of the working class in Pine Town, many single men would rush to taverns or other places for entertainment as soon as they finished work. Luther, in Pine Town, would naturally not do that to maintain his saintly image, but that might not be the case in a dream.

However, Shanis, who was following Lud, was soon disappointed, because Lud did not go to the place she thought he was going to, but instead went into a very strange shop.

Lude went straight to the front desk and exchanged a few pieces of paper for a stack of coins. Then he walked into the lobby, came to a gleaming wooden box, gripped a joystick in one hand, and frantically pressed several buttons with the other, seemingly enjoying himself.

Just as the three were wondering what Lude was doing and why he was having so much fun, Lude, who was playing King of Fighters, suddenly spoke without turning his head.

"Want to come over and play together?"

"???" x3

"Stop hiding, I've already spotted the three of you."

Although it was a dream, Lude's professionalism was not lost, and his counter-tracking ability was still excellent. He had discovered the three people following him a long time ago, and thus realized that he was dreaming.

But Ludwig didn't wake himself up immediately; instead, he decided to savor this rare and beautiful dream. So he pretended not to notice the three little tails and, in his dream, once again became a busy but fulfilling neighborhood police officer.

As for whether this dream would expose his identity as a "time traveler," Lud wasn't particularly concerned. After all, the three people behind him were trusted companions, and if they were truly interested in his past, Lud wouldn't mind telling them the truth.

Realizing their whereabouts had been discovered, the three finally emerged from their hiding place. Ludger glanced back at their timid expressions, which, combined with the current scene, reminded him of elementary school students caught red-handed by their parents sneaking into an arcade.

Okay! Most elementary school students aren't even that big!

The three men bowed their heads before Lud, mentally prepared to be scolded, but after a moment of silence, Lud chuckled and said...

"Come on! I'll teach you how to play this."

Seeing that Lude wasn't angry and even invited them to play, the three exchanged glances, instinctively assuming that Lude was awake but not fully awake. At times like this, it was best to go along with him and not let him notice anything amiss.

So the three of them immediately smiled and played arcade games with Lud, while Lud saw through their misunderstanding but didn't say anything; the master and apprentice understood each other perfectly.

This arcade is part of his childhood memories. He and his younger brother often went there when he was in elementary school. They played all the games there, and the hall was often filled with their happy laughter, though occasionally their parents' roars would also be heard.

Unfortunately, the arcade eventually failed to survive and was squeezed out of business by the rising popularity of internet cafes shortly after he entered high school.

However, dreams are not reality. Ludwig's dream brought together almost all the beautiful places in his memory, so this arcade, which should have disappeared into the annals of history, appeared on Ludwig's way home from get off work.

The group played in the arcade for a while. The three girls, who initially knew nothing about the game, quickly became engrossed in it under Lude's guidance. Meanwhile, the setting sun outside the arcade had not yet fallen, as if time had stood still at that moment.

After rewatching all the games in the store in one go, Lud finally breathed a long sigh of satisfaction. He felt that he had mentally prepared himself enough and it was time to go to the place that haunted his dreams.

"It's getting late, we should go."

"Sigh~! Can't we play a little longer?"

"There will be other opportunities in the future. Come with me somewhere first."

After leaving the arcade, the group first went to the market, where Lude personally bought a lot of meat and vegetables. Seeing that Aina was very interested in the ice cream at the market entrance, he bought one for each of the three girls. Afterwards, they went to a clothing store across the street so that the three girls could change their clothes.

Although the three intruders could change their appearance with a single thought in the dream, Lude felt that even in life in a dream, there should still be some sense of ritual, so he insisted on going to the clothing store to buy clothes.

The group entered the store, and the girls, who had never seen a clothing store like this before, stared wide-eyed. Lu De couldn't help but sigh inwardly, this was the first time he had come to such a place with a woman other than his mother, even if it was just in a dream.

As Lud was reflecting on this, he suddenly caught a glimpse of "special clothing" hanging on a shop rack not far away, clothing styles that were completely different from the ready-made clothes around him. Lud, who had been in a relaxed and peaceful state of mind, was almost startled awake by these things.

Lude discovered long ago that there are subconscious projections in dreams. These projections are like Easter eggs, appearing randomly in certain places in the dream and are not under the control of the dreamer. These Easter eggs often reveal some thoughts that the dreamer is not comfortable revealing to the outside world... such as XP or something!

So, while the three girls were distracted by other clothes, Lude quietly approached the special shelf, covered it with a curtain, and then, under the guise of helping them choose, dragged the three away from this "dangerous area".

At Lude's recommendation, the three of them quickly chose their new clothes. Although the styles were all very proper and ordinary, the girls' figures were so stunning that they were still very pleasing to the eye.

The one who surprised Ludwig the most was probably Elijah.

This ghost girl was always semi-transparent in the real world, a hazy gray with a hint of green, her knee-length hair always covering most of her face. Although she herself didn't think it was obstructing her vision, it was somewhat creepy for others to see her.

In the dream, Elijah is alive. With the help of Aina and Shanes, she uses a hairpin to part her hair, revealing her delicate face. She is wearing a snow-white chiffon dress and looks particularly pure.

Seeing that the three were almost ready, Lude led them out of the store and then, after a series of twists and turns, arrived at a slightly old-looking residential building.

Looking at this familiar scene, Lud tried hard to control his emotions. He dared not let his heart beat too fast, for fear that he would suddenly wake up. The three girls behind him saw Lud standing in front of the door, not knowing what was wrong with him.

"master?"

"It's okay, I'm calming down, and I'm fine now."

Taking a deep breath, Ludema stepped into the apartment building, quickly arriving at the familiar door. He then reached into his pocket and pulled out a key.

However, just as he was struggling again and hesitated to open the door, the door suddenly opened by itself, revealing an elderly couple with graying temples standing inside. They were taken aback when they saw Lud standing there dumbfounded, and then spoke in a slightly reproachful tone.

"You brat, what are you doing standing at the door? You scared me!"

Looking at the elderly couple before him, Lu De could no longer hold back his emotions, and tears welled up in his eyes. He hugged them tightly and called out that long-lost name.

Although it was in a dream, Lud was finally home.

After that, Lud was in a daze. A huge sense of happiness made him feel dizzy as if he had been drinking, so much so that he couldn't remember what he had said or what the two old people had said to him. Emotions that had been sealed for years were completely ignited at this moment, even if it was just an unreal dream.

However, precisely because it was a dream, even though it felt incredibly long, there was always a moment when he would eventually wake up. When Lude's consciousness returned to normal, he was already dressed in a black police uniform and standing at the entrance of the residential building.

The snowflakes falling from the sky reminded him of the night he said goodbye to his parents and younger brother before his first undercover mission.

Lud realized that if he took just a few more steps forward, this beautiful dream would end, and he would return to reality.

However, just as Ludwig was about to take a step, he suddenly heard his mother's voice behind him, which was clearly filled with reluctance.

"My son! When will you come back?"

Lud stood there blankly, not replying for a long time...

After a long dream, Ludwig returned to his reality. Instead of punishing the three perpetrators, he pretended that nothing had happened and that he did not remember anything that happened in his dream the night before.

But the more he acted this way, the more frightened Aina and Shanes became, and Elijah even hid back inside the pendant, pretending to be dead.

It wasn't that Lude didn't want to punish these guys. It would be a lie to say that Lude wasn't angry at all, since the skill of entering dreams, which allows one to peek into the inner world of others, was used on him. However, he trusted Aina, Shanis, and Elijah and believed that they would never do this to harm him. So, after thinking it over, he simply pretended to be confused and let the matter go.

Two days later, Hume returned from his business trip to Flamewood City with good news for Rudd: the Black Hand Brotherhood had successfully weathered the growing pains of its transformation and was operating normally under Trin's management.

This massive criminal organization has now transformed from a criminal organization to a legitimate one. Although the cost of this transformation was that about 40% of its members left the organization, and one of the former elders, Maxie, even led his mercenary group to join Duke Kruder's ranks, becoming a fully-fledged regular army, the departure of these guys who were only interested in being thugs and hooligans is not necessarily a bad thing for the transformed Brotherhood. In fact, it can even help them get rid of some of their bad historical baggage.

Under Lud's remote control, Brothers Pictures has built more than fifty cinemas within the Kingdom of Duran. These cinemas are generally small in scale, originally poorly managed small and medium-sized theaters, which were directly acquired by the wealthy Brothers Pictures and converted into cinemas with little effort.