Zongman: Evolution Paradise

Because it doesn't think it will become a consumable.

Having value oneself and actively surrendering based on one's own strength naturally earns one a favorable impression.

More importantly, Miss Hong discovered that the chairman was not entirely a bad person.

This can be seen from the number of members of the Ghost Story Association. If the association could arbitrarily strip ghost stories of their abilities and give them to another ghost story, then why keep so many ghost stories?

According to Miss Hong, the Ghost Stories Association only needs to retain seven official member seats.

It's like raising poisonous insects; the identities of the other ghost stories are merely food for the official members!

Only the surviving ghost stories can seize the seat and devour the losers!

Just imagining that scene made Miss Red feel a faint electric current running through her shoes, and water droplets formed when the Queen's fair toes touched the tips of her shoes.

It's already hyped up.

However, after calming down, Miss Red realized that if the Ghost Stories Association really followed this pattern, then she, who was here, might already be food.

Regardless, the fact is that it saw Jolyne, who possessed such power, still allowing Kallen and other weak ghosts to exist, and that the atmosphere between them was very casual. This led Miss Red to conclude that the president of the Ghost Story Association was not a purely evil person, and that his attitude towards his own people was unbelievably good.

With these external conditions, Miss Hong felt more and more that her decision to join the Ghost Stories Association was the right one, and she couldn't wait to make a name for herself and enter the inner circle of the association president.

However, there is one more thing it needs to figure out before that.

That is the "world" that Jolyne spoke of.

Upon noticing this term, Miss Red realized that the Ghost Story Association probably didn't belong to the fairy tale world, which meant more possibilities and troubles.

Faced with Miss Red's question, Jolyne answered honestly: "Just as you think, the Ghost Stories Association and I do not belong to this fairy tale world."

However, Miss Hong doesn't need to worry about leaving her homeland, and neither will the Ghost Story Association and I suddenly disappear mysteriously one day, because the Ghost Story Association is a cross-world force, and I have decided to focus the future development of the Ghost Story Association on this world.

Therefore, this can only be a good thing.

"another world?"

Calcifer couldn't resist emerging from the fireplace and eagerly asked, "Does that world have a sun?"

Jolyne: "Yes."

I wonder what Calcifer went through to care so much about the sun in the sky.

“…Yes.” It paused for a moment, wanting to say something but restrained by Jolyne’s aura, and finally turned its eyes to Ilya, intending to ask this future colleague later.

Compared to the vastness of each world, the number of players in the park is still very low. In a world like the Strange Tales Fairy Tale World, which is already distorted and closed, it is even more difficult to spread information.

Only the Magic Mirror and Miss Red have a slight understanding of the strange tales in the Pumpkin Carriage; otherwise, Miss Red wouldn't be so sensitive to certain terms.

"I understand, Chairman."

Due to some personal matters, I am not yet able to completely leave this world.

I felt relieved after hearing what the chairman said.

Miss Hong's favorability is going up! Up!

Just like the difference between governing a province and governing a city, the former has higher prestige, which will naturally attract more civil and military officials to join, and the initial value and stability of loyalty will also be much higher.

The more you learn about the Ghost Stories Association, the more your favorability towards a smart and ambitious ghost story like Miss Hong will increase.

Of course, the level of goodwill here is not romantic love, but rather respect or other forms of goodwill.

Jolyne noticed that the Alchemist's favorability rating hadn't changed much, perhaps because she was rather laid-back, or perhaps she was simply not smart enough to realize it.

"What are the president's requirements regarding the territory?"

"Hmm... It's easy to defend and difficult to attack. It's best if there aren't any strong local forces nearby. Once it's developed, it should ideally serve as a transportation hub to radiate influence to the surrounding areas..."

Jolyne's meaning was very clear.

Simply put, there are only two points.

Firstly, it allows one to survive without sufficient strength.

Secondly, having the strength gives them the potential for war.

Miss Hong began to ponder, "I wonder if the president has ever observed the regions of the fairy tale world?"

Jolyne: "No, in fact, I only arrived here today."

"It is truly my honor."

As usual, Miss Hong offered a compliment, saying:

"The world of fairy tales is very unique, a special case similar to building blocks."

Hmm... 'Building blocks' is my theory.

My understanding is that this world is like a broken castle made of building blocks. Each block is scattered and piled up on the ground to form the world we see today. This world of building blocks, which has not been carefully assembled, results in each block being quite loose. So loose that the life forms living in this world of building blocks can actively pick up some blocks and put them together.

The power that represents each block and can be used to control it is called the land deed.

As she spoke, Miss Red pulled out a faintly glowing contract from beneath her elaborate skirt.

Jolyne reached out and took it. "Hmm?"

He didn't understand the pattern on it, but the feel of it gave him a familiar feeling.

"The land title deed represents control over a block of building blocks."

They are divided into levels 0 to 5 based on size, but level 0 is a special miniature plot of land that can be moved, which is the plot of land in the pumpkin carriage.

The real classification should start from level 1.

The first level is a town.

The second level is the city.

Level three is a kingdom.

Level four is the Empire.

Level 5 is a divine kingdom like the Green Grassland.

A true divine realm where even a blade of grass on the ground possesses the power of legend.

"So what you just said, putting the blocks back together, is the way to advance in level?"

After hearing Miss Red's explanation, Jolyne's interest in this world grew even stronger.

"That's right, building blocks were just my metaphor; the word 'territory' would be more appropriate for the actual situation."

Land deeds are the core of territory. They merge five territories of the same level together; that is, by using one land deed as the main body to absorb four other land deeds of the same level, one can advance to the next level.

Miss Red: "Territory hierarchy is very important; most of the battles in the fairy tale world take place here."

Chapter 378 Lettuce Collar

"That does sound important."

Jolyne inexplicably thought of the Paradise's [territory], already sensing that this fairytale world was not as simple as it seemed.

Miss Hong nodded and continued, "Their problem is where to set up a base."

"Because this world has no sun and some deeper reasons, most life forms such as humans and animals can only rely on ghost stories as derivatives of ghost stories to survive. In addition, with the existence of territory and land deeds, ghost stories that occupy a territory basically do not go out casually."

If we want a base of influence, then all we need to do is seize territory.

However, the choice of this territory is more complicated due to the need for future expansion.

It is easy to defend and difficult to attack, possessing war potential...

Of these conditions, I did think of a territory nearby that fit the criteria very well.

That's the Lettuce Territory I'm heading to.

Lettuce Territory is a level 2 city, surrounded by relatively uncomplicated forces. The nearby Strange Whisper Forest and Dead Sea form a perfect natural border. Even the nearest level 5 divine kingdom, [Bear Ridge], is at least a three- to four-year journey away. Barring unforeseen circumstances, it's unlikely to attract the attention of these large powers.

Miss Hong uses time as the unit of distance, after all, given the worldview of this fairy tale, there probably wasn't a Qin Shi Huang to standardize weights and measures.

Hearing the name "Bear Ridge" really annoyed Jolyne; it's like all the cartoons from her childhood have suddenly turned into dark and grievous works.

"In that case, let's proceed with the original plan to Lettuce Territory. I think that witch will willingly hand over the land deeds to us."

Jolyne clasped her hands together, her dark eyes sweeping over the strange tales. "Gentlemen, I like to keep things within my control, whether it's preparing a new tube of toothpaste before it runs out or checking the amount of toilet paper before going to the bathroom."

Now, I have come into this world.

It has no sun, and danger can lurk in the surrounding darkness at any moment.

Miss Hong likened this world to a shattered castle made of building blocks, so let our Ghost Stories Association be the ones to rebuild it.

And what about the building blocks we assembled?

Jolyne rose to face her subordinates. The aura of the [Demon] and the [Endwatcher] ruthlessly drew the air out of the inner hall, replacing it with an aura of iron and blood—the red and black that represented war.

"That will no longer be a castle, but a divine kingdom inscribed with the name of the Ghost Story Association."

Miss Red's shoes became increasingly red, and the water droplets inside the shoes gathered into a stream.

It wasn't until Jorogumo cheered and clapped that she realized she was manipulating the Queen's body to collide her palms together, making a slapping sound.

Rin Tohsaka watched from a distance, telling herself that this was just Jolyne's trick to deceive the ghost, but her racing heartbeat never slowed down.

"However, if it's him, becoming the overlord of this world doesn't seem difficult."

Rin Tohsaka thought to herself.

After that topic was settled, Jolyne took a book out of the workshop.

It was the [Snail Annihilation City Textbook], and crumbs of biscuits still clung to the edge of the mouth on its cover.

The land deed felt like human skin to the touch, and it gave him a familiar feeling. Upon careful recollection, Joryon remembered that it felt like the [Snail City Textbook].

"What do you want from me?"

Luoyan City asked, "The timeline of the fairy tale world is 24 to 1 compared to the main world. It was just back at Ganlu Temple Mitsuri's place."

Do you recognize this?

Jolyne placed the land deed in front of it, and the Church of the Desolate City opened its mouth to bite it, but Jolyne had already reacted and held the land deed high.

"I want to eat, I want to eat..."

"So what's the point of you eating it?"

Xu Lun asked, a question that quickly extinguished the fervor of the Luoyan City cult.

Thinking of the atrocities he had suffered, the Luoyan City cultist stiffened his nonexistent neck and said, "I don't know. I can't see what this thing is. I can only sense that swallowing it will be beneficial to me. As for what the benefits will be, I can only be sure after I taste it."

"You're probably just trying to freeload, aren't you?"

Xu Lun complained that he felt the Luoyan City cult only wanted to swallow the land deed first.

This guy kept clamoring to eat food "rich in spirituality," so Jolyne tentatively fed him a few power seeds. As expected, the Snail Annihilation City Tome didn't produce any reaction at all.

I really don't understand how Fate's Noble Phantasm ended up like this after Yukino Yukinoshita opened it from the treasure chest.

"I do not lie to mortals."

The Luoyan City Cult was unwilling to admit it.

"Let's talk about it next time then."

Without giving it a chance to explain, Joren threw the Snail Annihilation City textbook back.

The land deed in his hand was a very rare level-zero territory, as Miss Red had mentioned. The Pumpkin Monster created this pumpkin carriage, and then Miss Red placed this movable territory inside the pumpkin carriage, thus carrying the land deed to various places in the fairy tale world.

For the experiment, I'll just go to Lettuce Territory later and find a regular land deed to feed to the Snail Annihilation City's teachings.

"Then I'll leave this matter to you."

Jolyne looked around again, making sure there was nothing left for her to decide. She then took Saeko Busujima's arm. Today, she was dressed in a white Taoist robe that gave her an ethereal and otherworldly look. The red rope hanging around her neck made her collarbone appear exceptionally white and alluring.

"Miss Hong, where is my room?"

"The room is on the top floor..."

“No,” Miss Red asked, “shouldn’t we continue discussing the association’s development strategy now?”

"The next strategic step has been determined."

Jolyne waved his hand and, under Saeko Busujima's alluring gaze, said, "I think Miss Red is more than capable of handling something as trivial as taking over Lettuce Territory."