Honkai Impact 3rd, Paradise Typewriter isn't for making this kind of game.

Fragments of memories of being bullied by Bronya in the workplace flashed through his mind, and in one of those fragments, he vaguely glimpsed an ankle wrapped in black stockings slowly stepping on his body.

[I. Never mind... no one can stop me from leaving this forest!]

[II. Try to continue recalling]

Faced with two options that appeared out of nowhere, Xia Yuan chose the second one without hesitation in order to satisfy everyone's preferences, leaving him to bear these painful memories alone.

But then...

[Dear human, I regret to inform you that you have not yet met the conditions to unlock the second option, accompanied by a message from the pink fairy: Hmm~]

You subconsciously and forcefully suppressed the urge to awaken your memories.

"......"

Accompanied by deep silence and sighs.

At this moment, Xia Yuan realized that this option was deliberately used by Ai Li to tease him.

Xia Yuan silently clenched his hands. Once he met Ai Li, he would settle the old score with her for knocking him out and the new score for just teasing him.

Xia Yuan looked up at the full moon in the forest night sky and muttered to himself.

But he still has to face the reality of getting lost. Whether he punishes Ellie or punishes Bronya, the prerequisite is that he must first get out of this somewhat gloomy forest.

Xia Yuan compared his location with the map at the foot of Mount Taixu and examined his current position.

But after a moment...

Xia Yuan put the map down as if he were sighing, because he couldn't understand the coordinates marked on it at all.

I guess I was abandoned by Ellie near the forest after sunset. I recalled the last road sign I saw in my memory, when the sun had not yet set.

Xia Yuan confirmed that there was still a considerable amount of fuel left in the tank. This fuel should be enough to get him out of the forest, right?

Two and a half hours later...

The more Xia Yuan looked at the map, the more serious the deviation from the route became.

We have almost completely deviated from the original route, and have been on the wrong track for a full two and a half hours.

Ninety percent of this area is mountainous, so it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a desolate wilderness. The surrounding scenery consists of nothing but mountains; it's practically a paradise of trees and forests.

"Is it really that difficult for villains to get off to a good start?"

Xia Yuan now regrets it somewhat. Rather than saying that it was Ai Li who altered his manuscript that led to this situation. In his original script, the beginning wouldn't have been so bumpy.

Should we continue?

Let's see what's at the end of this narrow path first. If all else fails, we can just camp by the roadside... He didn't believe that Ellie would just abandon him here in the forest and leave him there.

Then... Xia Yuan discovered that this place was not suitable for camping at all.

Putting aside the possibility of strange Honkai beasts lurking in the unknown forests at the foot of Mount Taixu, the wolf howls coming from the nearby jungle alone are enough to send chills down one's spine.

If they camped in a place like that, Bronya might end up in the belly of those big bad wolves before she even met them.

But now that things have come to this, it's impossible to go back the way we came.

As darkness fell, Xia Yuan had no choice but to press on. Gradually, the road ahead became flat, and it seemed as if they had already passed through the mountain path.

Although the surrounding area was still an endless expanse of mountains and forests, Xia Yuan saw streetlights and signs, which was undoubtedly good news.

He emerged from that forest.

The continuous travel had left Xia Yuan exhausted, and he needed to find a place to rest as soon as possible.

Just then...

A building that stood out starkly from its surroundings came into view before Xia Yuan.

A dazzling sign hangs above the building, and on one side of the sign is a small black kite.

【Xiaoshi Convenience Store】

[The convenience store opened by the great Herrscher of Knowledge]

[Original price 3 yuan per serving, special offer 3 servings for 10 yuan; original price 128 yuan, special offer 648 yuan. In short, you won't lose out, you won't be cheated! Long live the great Herrscher of Knowledge!]

[The data above has been maliciously altered. Please do not trust it. If you have been scammed, please download the latest version of Tianming's anti-fraud app.]

"Convenience store? Xiao Shi! I've finally found you."

Xia Yuan recalled the hard-earned money he had been swindled out of in the game "Honkai Adventure," and his exhausted body was filled with almost limitless energy. He forced his way through the door.

At this moment, Lady Herrscher of Knowledge was idly rubbing the Black Crimson Kite in her hands.

How could anyone possibly buy anything from a small shop set up in this desolate place at the foot of Mount Taixu? I really don't know what those old folks were thinking.

The infrastructure development of Taixu Mountain is not something that can be achieved by building a small shop in this desolate wilderness!

Ring ring ring—

Just then, a doorbell rang, breaking the silence of the convenience store and also disrupting the thoughts of the Herrscher of Knowledge.

"Wow... people actually come to this godforsaken place?!"

Lady Shizhi, abandoning her previous languid demeanor, rubbed her hands together and smiled broadly as Xia Yuan entered.

Chapter 259 Either pay back the money or repay with your body

"Welcome, sir! Are you here for a quick meal or to stay the night?"

Ms. Shizhi, the Lawyer, suddenly remembered that she was in a convenience store and quickly corrected herself:

"Ahem... Dear traveler, welcome to Xiaoshi Convenience Store. What do you need? We definitely have something you'll like here, guaranteed to be your best choice for travel, picnics, and camping."

The Lady of Knowledge, wearing gray sunglasses, rubbed her hands together, looking every bit the ruthless businesswoman.

[First, they directly named and carried Ms. Shi Zhilu away overnight.]

[Second, spending 648 yuan at Xiaoshi Convenience Store resulted in being ripped off...cough cough, earning the title of the top spender on Xiaoshi Convenience Store.]

As the saying goes, enemies are especially hostile when they meet.

The hard-earned money lost to telecom fraud can finally see the light of day again. There is no need to even consider which of the two options to choose.

"I want you!"

Xia Yuan pointed to the Herrscher of Knowledge behind the convenience store clerk's counter.

"Ahem... Sir, you must have mistaken me for someone else. I'm not a commodity, I'm not for sale! Pshaw, that doesn't seem right either!"

The Lawyer of Knowledge looked at the man who pushed open the door with a somewhat dazed expression, feeling as if she had met this guest somewhere before.

While the Herrscher of Knowledge was stroking her chin, carefully recalling what she had just said, Xia Yuan had already stormed up to her in a rage.

thump—

Xia Yuan slammed his hands heavily on the counter. The violent vibration caused Shi Bao's sunglasses to fall off, and Shi Bao also shuddered, causing the black chicken in his hand to roll to the ground.

"It's so rare to encounter a living person in this desolate wilderness, but it turns out they're here to rob us."

"They even dared to rob me—the great Herrscher of Knowledge! Do they really think I'm someone to be trifled with? It's a game of thieves taking turns, and who will get the last bite is still uncertain."

The Lawyer, sensing the hostile intent of the visitor, thought to herself.

"Xiao Shi, I've finally found you! Give me back my hard-earned money!"

Xia Yuan's resentful voice sounded like a demon from hell as he forcefully grabbed the almost flat collar of the Herrscher of Knowledge and dragged her in front of him.

"Hard-earned money?!"

Lady Shizhi seemed to recall where she had encountered the man before.

I think I accidentally rounded down an extra zero back then...

So the other party came to collect a debt. What a twist of fate! I'm really having a run of bad luck. But I've already used that money to supplement my old man's household expenses and to open this deserted convenience store in the middle of nowhere.

Faced with Xia Yuan's aggressive attitude, and remembering that she had made a mistake, the Herrscher of Knowledge's initial arrogance vanished instantly, replaced by a forced smile:

"Oh dear... sir, calm down, calm down, let's talk this out, let's talk this out~"

The Herrscher of Knowledge raised her hands, preparing to use her Herrscher powers to temporarily calm the other party's extremely agitated emotions.

However, when the Herrscher of Knowledge attempted to invade the other party's mind, she was met with rejection and resistance. This was the first time she had encountered such a situation; her Herrscher powers were ineffective...

"Either pay back the money, or pay with your body to settle the debt. Choose one."

Xia Yuan gave the other party two choices.

"Payback...pay with your body?! You're a pervert! Cough cough...I'm just a baby who's only a few years old. At the very least...a person shouldn't be interested in a newborn, right?!"

A blush returned to Lady Herrscher's cheeks, a color she hadn't seen in a long time. She struggled to break free from Xia Yuan's hands, surprised that he would be so direct, not even sparing her.

"Then give me my money back."

It seems that at this point, the only option is to make a hasty retreat.

Just as the Herrscher of Knowledge was about to slip away, Xia Yuan grabbed her wrist.

Do you think you can escape?

Seeing that the escape attempt had failed, the Lawyer of Knowledge hurriedly replied:

"Oh dear... sir, what are you saying? I was just about to go get the money for you~"

"But you know who carries cash these days, especially in the middle of the night in the middle of nowhere... Even if you want to withdraw money, you'll have to wait until tomorrow morning when the Chiyuan Bank on Mount Taixu opens for business."

Seeing that Shi Bao was still acting like he wasn't afraid of being scalded by boiling water, Xia Yuan dragged him back and forth in the convenience store.

"Sir, may we sit down and have a proper chat? Aren't you tired of running around all this time?"

But Xia Yuan acted as if he hadn't heard him. Finally, he found what he wanted in the toolbox in the corner of the shelf—ropes and burlap sacks.

A very strong rope.

This is a rope made specifically from Mount Taixu. It is sturdy and durable, and can be used to bind objects effectively. However, please note that it is for legitimate purposes and refrain from using it for anything unusual, such as bondage play.

A simple, unadorned burlap sack

[A specialty of Taixu Mountain's Xiaoshi Convenience Store: essential for murder and robbery. Tie a few stones to it, then throw the person in the sack into the river to feed the fish, and no one will ever know their whereabouts again.]

Ignore the strange introduction of the fairy Ellie for now.

Xia Yuan used the rope he found to wrap it around the hands of the Herrscher of Knowledge again and again.

"Sir, everything is negotiable~ Ouch, don't hold on so tightly, it hurts."

Xia Yuan sat on a rocking chair he found in a convenience store, holding onto the other end of the rope. Due to inertia, the Herrscher of Knowledge fell right in front of Xia Yuan.

"Hey, don't go too far. I already told you I didn't do it on purpose that time."

The Lawyer of Knowledge, who owed money and refused to pay, showed anger at Xia Yuan's actions of binding her.

"Then pay me back. Leaving aside the principal you owe me, Xiao Shi, plus several months' worth of interest, Xiao Shi, you owe me a total of..."

Xia Yuan tightly wrapped the rope around his hands and picked up a calculator from the counter. The crisp sound of numbers entered the ears of the Herrscher of Knowledge.

"How much...how much?! Are you kidding me? This is even more outrageous than loan sharking!"

"You're even more heartless than me. Don't you feel any remorse?"

Even if you sold me, you couldn't get that much money back. As for your initial investment, well, I'll lay it all out... Aside from a small portion going to the old man to pay his utility bills, the rest was invested in this convenience store."

Ms. Shizhilu recounted the fact that she had spent all her money.

“My conscience doesn’t hurt. Besides, I think… Xiao Shi, you’re actually quite valuable. After all, a living, breathing Divine Key could probably fetch a good price if sold to Destiny for experiments.”

Chapter 260 What?! They're even going after treasure hunters?!

But before Xia Yuan could finish speaking, he was interrupted by the Herrscher of Knowledge.

"Pah! You're the key to Godhood! Your whole family are the keys to Godhood!"

The Lady of Knowledge struggled to loosen the ropes, preparing to deliver a lash to the other party.

But she hadn't expected the rope to be so strong.

She clearly remembered that she only kept the cheapest items at the convenience store, so how come there were still genuine products there?

Xia Yuan remained silent, simply wrapping the rope around the other woman's body once more. The great Herrscher of Knowledge ultimately succumbed to Xia Yuan's tyranny.

"Oh, oh, oh, I was wrong, I was wrong... Stop bothering me, or I really can't breathe! Sir, if you really strangle me to death, who's going to pay you back?"

The great Herrscher of Knowledge is lying on the pure white floor of the convenience store, pretending to be dead.

"嘁~"