Their commission was suspicious.

"Deposit." Chen Luo once again stretched out his blank hand.

"..."

"One free fortune-telling session is included."

"Here you go." Bronya was still hesitating, but as soon as Chen Luo said this, she took off a medal from her body and gave it to him. It was a medal personally awarded by the city builder, with a blue, highest-purity earth marrow crystal embedded in the center.

Seele watched quietly from the side without saying a word.

Xi'er knew that Chen Luo had already given enough to the lower district, and the upper district had nothing to do with Chen Luo, so the energy center given to the upper district could not have been given away for free.

Is that enough?

“That’s enough. Strictly speaking, even selling the entire Belleburg wouldn’t buy you the core, but I’ll sell it to you cheap this time. Since it comes with a free divination opportunity, do you have any questions? It seems you’d rather have this divination opportunity than that energy center whose effectiveness is unknown.” Chen Luo said after accepting the medal.

Chen Luo wasn't interested in money, but he was very interested in collecting things.

This medal was originally meant for a little boy named Eric to save his father, but... a couple of days ago, the Firemoth free clinic seemed to have saved him on the spur of the moment.

So, in order to avoid altering history, Chen Luo accepted it with embarrassment.

[Just admit you have a collecting habit. You even collected Bronya's gun.]

The "humanized plugin" comment is accurate; Bronya's current gun has been copied by Chen Luo.

I can give it to Exusiai when I go to Terra later.

"...Actually, I've always felt that something important has been hidden. Whether it's the actions of the City Builders, Mother, or the Silvermane Iron Guards, there's always something unnatural about them. That's my doubt."

Because of the increased activity of monsters from the rifts above and the tense situation at the front, the Builders had to redeploy all their Iron Guards to the front lines to defend against the monster invasion. The High Guardian explained to Bronya that if they couldn't hold the surface defenses, the underground would collapse due to the loss of resources.

But both the blocking of the connection between the upper and lower districts and the dispatch of more Silvermane Iron Guards to the front line exude an eerie atmosphere.

"I'm asking you what you want me to divine, not what wishes you want to have fulfilled. That's beyond the scope of divination."

“…Is that not okay?” Bronya lowered her eyes.

[Ding! You have a new request!]

"Fortune telling won't work, but I can. However... it'll cost extra."

“No problem.” Bronya didn’t even ask about the price.

"Let's go, we can talk as we walk." Chen Luo lifted his foot and walked towards a certain place.

Chapter 1540 Chen Luo: You guys work hard, and next year, I'll give you a sister-in-law!

"It's the Star Core's doing. Your mother knew about the Star Core's existence and had made some kind of agreement with it. That's all I can say." Chen Luo's answer was very brief.

"Impossible, you don't understand my mother at all, my mother, she..."

"Who says I don't understand your mother? On the contrary, do you know that your mother, Cocolia, sometimes gets headaches?"

"Hmm? I do know that. But how did you know?"

"Anyway, it's not that I don't understand Cocolia, it's that you don't understand the Star Core. That thing is called the Cancer of All Worlds, and so far no one has been able to destroy it; they can only do their best to seal it away. It's terrifying. *slurp*" Chen Luo took a sip of milk tea.

The Herrscher of Corruption's powers have returned, and I can finally continue to replenish my nutrients and gnaw on the star core.

“…I see. That star core is truly a formidable enemy,” Bronya murmured.

"What's wrong, Xing? Are you staring at my milk tea because you want a sip?" Chen Luo asked, turning his head.

"Don't drink this milk tea in front of me! Can't you choose a different kind?" Xing complained loudly.

Why would someone eat a star core right in front of them? Why?

I think you don't respect my star at all.

"Oh, that's true." Chen Luo nodded.

"Snap!" Chen Luo snapped his fingers.

A gap suddenly appeared beneath Xing's feet, then swallowed her whole, leaving only her screams echoing through the space.

Then Chen Luo picked up the milk tea and took another sip.

Great, now that the star is gone, we can eat the star core.

"Where did you take the star?!" March stared intently at the spot where the gap had disappeared.

"It's nothing, I just let her experience the feeling of freefall. She'll be fine in a bit. I'll finish this cup of milk tea."

"...So, do you really have the right to talk about the terror of the Star Core while you're drinking this milk tea?" March 7 tilted her head.

"What's wrong with this milk tea?" Seele asked.

"No, it's nothing."

March 7th had already learned from Xing what kind of heinous substance Chen Luo had put in his milk tea, but in order to prevent those who didn't understand the Star Core from misunderstanding its terrifying nature, March 7th didn't tell everyone the truth.

Chen Luo is able to devour star cores because he is Chen Luo.

Good kids shouldn't learn this, and they can't learn it anyway.

When faced with the unknown, the most terrifying thing for humanity is losing its sense of awe.

Even in the vast universe, only one and a half of the three-month-old stars have been seen to be able to restrain the star core in this way: one is Chen Luo, and the other half is Xing.

“This is…” Bronya stopped and looked at the building in front of her.

“The school, the school I founded,” Chen Luo said.

Why did you bring us to school?

"Because if you want to return to the upper area, you need to go through that energy core." Chen Luo pointed to the huge, towering pillar that could be seen from here, running through the entire underground world.

"But what does this have to do with us coming to school?"

"Because that pillar is the one that connects the upper and lower levels, and it used to be used to transport people. To return to the upper level, we need to restart this furnace, and to restart it, we need the consent of Schwarz, who is already stationed there, and to get Schwarz's consent, we need the help of a little girl."

"The plan is to use Clara to control Swallow!"

"You're really despicable right now!" Seele said with disgust.

"That's exactly what I meant. Besides, I didn't say it behind anyone's back; I said it to their faces," Chen Luo said, pointing to the white-haired girl in red who came out of the school.

"Clara, it's been a long time."

"Big brother, it's been a long time. But you can't use me to blackmail Mr. Schwarz."

"I just made a suggestion. Anyway, I can freely move between the upper and lower levels."

“Then why don’t you take us back?” Bronya asked.

"Seriously? You haven't investigated anything yet, you haven't done any side quests or main quests, and you're already going back to the upper district like this? What are you planning to do? Rebel?" Chen Luo looked at Bronya in surprise.

"Or are you planning to go back to the upper district alone, face your mother who possesses the power of the Star Core, and get punched by her while you're whimpering?"

“I don’t know if it’s dangerous or not, but if your mother insists on letting the Star Core consciousness be infused into your body, then you will become the second Cocolia,” Chen Luo said.

"That's too dangerous! No way!" Before Bronya could say anything, Seele objected.

“So you have to convince Schwarz to let you pass through there, so you can at least gather more people for the battle,” Chen Luo said, pointing to the energy core.

“To persuade Schwarzkopf, we need Clara’s help. But how to get Clara’s help is none of my business,” Chen Luo said.

“Um… big brother, actually Mr. Schwarzlo wants to see you.” Clara couldn’t help but raise her hand and whisper as she watched Chen Luo talking eloquently.

"Huh? What's that?"

"It's like this," Clara said. "Because of the Firemoths' activities, they've started spreading underground. The Firemoth members are casually pulling out technology far beyond what's currently available underground, technology that even Mr. Schwarzro has never seen before. This makes Mr. Schwarzro think you might be the variable underground."

"That's why Mr. Varro was willing to meet with you."

"Great, let's go right away!" March 7th breathed a sigh of relief.

"No way! How can we let them off so easily? They should at least go through eighty-one battles, fight one fight after another, and finally have to fight Mr. Schwarz before he agrees to activate the energy core! They can clear the game so easily? I don't agree!" Chen Luo shouted.

"Huh, why? Aren't we on the same side?" March 7th didn't quite understand Chen Luo's logic.

"Why is there any 'why'? Schwarz wants to see me, but I won't. So you all have to work hard to get yourselves to meet Schwarz!"

"Besides, Schwarzlo wanting to see me and him agreeing to open the energy core so you can return to the ground are two different things."

"Why does it have to be so complicated? Can't we just be straightforward?" Seele whispered.

“Well, if you really want to take a shortcut through me, that's fine too. I have 10 commissions here. After you finish them, I'll take you to see Schwarz.” Chen Luo took out 10 commission sheets.

Everything was exactly as Chen Luo had predicted!

These 10 wishes were received by Chen Luo during the half hour he spent waiting, as he walked through the streets and alleys.

Total value: 1800 raw stones.

On average, a mission yields less than 200 Primogems, but that's normal, since there aren't as many life-or-death situations in the lower tiers now.

Chen Luo usually earns a lot from 10 tasks, possibly even more than 3000 primal stones.

But they don't even look at the kinds of tasks Chen Luo usually takes on.

Those tasks are generally very difficult to complete. For example, Chen Luo only completed Seele's request to make the lower zone surpass the upper zone after he had just installed the energy core, and it took him more than three days.

One commission takes three days.

These 10 tasks are not difficult; they just may require the train crew to spend some time running around the lower levels.

Chen Luo, on the other hand, can simply collect the raw stones.

"So, is this condition acceptable?"

"It doesn't look like a difficult task. It should only take a day or two to complete," said March 7 after showing the task list to Seele, a local.

“No problem,” March 7th agreed.

“But I only have three stickers here, so these tasks can only be done by three people. We can add two more keychains at most!” Chen Luo took out three stickers.

"I don't know why, but okay." March 7th did not refuse.

【Tool Person Sticker】: A tool person is also a person, but a tool person is also a tool. Since the task was completed using a tool, the reward belongs to you.

These are the extra items Chen Luo received after completing his daily quest yesterday, in addition to the 200 Primogems.

There are three stickers in total, which can be used by three people. Each sticker can be used for three days.

This is why Chen Luo distributed these wishes.

Under normal circumstances, Chen Luo would not be able to obtain the raw stone without putting in the effort.

The more commissions Chen Luo completed, the deeper his understanding of his talent became. The process of completing commissions and obtaining rewards was less about getting rewards after achieving the result, and more about Chen Luo touching the wishes of the other party by helping them achieve the result, thereby gaining the "power of wishes".

Therefore, the process of realizing a wish is very important.

However, the determination of a wish is actually quite flexible. A process is necessary, but there are no rules about how the process should be conducted.

The fact that Chen Luo provided the treasure map for Julian to dig up the marbles was because Chen Luo himself provided the map, and Chen Luo was going to deliver the marbles to Julian later, so it doesn't count that Chen Luo did nothing.

With these three "tool" stickers, Chen Luo could delegate tasks.

So even if completing the daily quest for 200 Primogems is only equivalent to a low-level three-star mission, it's still not to be missed. If you happen to get some amazing extra reward, you'll make a fortune.

"Then what are the two of us going to do?" Seele asked.

And we are naturally referring to Seele and Bronya.

“Seele, don’t you need to help out at Earthfire anymore? Earthfire needs manpower right now.”

"Bronya, go help Seele in the Earthfire area and make your presence felt in the Lower District. The Lower District's resentment towards the Upper District is growing stronger, and your help might change their minds."

Chen Luo quickly assigned suitable tasks to Seele and Bronya with just a few words.

"But what about Mother..." Bronya was worried about Cocolia after Chen Luo told her the truth.

"Don't worry, I've got your mother's back. I'll see if I can find a chance to help her clear her head."

When Chen Luo was halfway through his sentence, Möbius's eyes turned dangerous. Fortunately, Chen Luo reacted quickly.

Cocolia was actually one of the reasons why Chen Luo was delaying things.

Chen Luo's inner demon clone is still working over there, too busy to cause trouble for the country and its people. You're all planning to go back?

How could I then bring disaster to the country and its people?

Actually, Chen Luo wasn't very satisfied with the script this time, mainly because the plot had been modified too much in the early stages, resulting in a terrible visual style.

It was originally supposed to be about the rise of a planet, but it was changed at the last minute to Bronya's coronation as the new queen. That's definitely not up to par.