Chapter 41
Lin Ran used the Time Mirror, the Q-version plushie briefly glowing. It looked the same, but felt different. He glanced at the camera, wanting to examine it, but the livestream wasn’t a good place for that.
“It’s getting late. Let’s end the stream here,” he said. He had earned 30,000 gold, far exceeding his expectations.
[Why? Stream longer! I wanted to watch until bedtime!][I want to see who gets fourth place! It’s a close fight for third too.][Where’s the Luna Clan? They’re usually in the top 3.][Are they being low-key this time?][Are you new here? We were disqualified… Otherwise, we would have won! [screenshot]] A Luna Clan demon shared a screenshot:
[Each clan can only receive one rare reward per update. Please give other players a chance~] They were forced to watch helplessly.
The other demons, seeing this, felt a bit better.
[So, the game is fair. Even whales don’t always win.][It’s only fair. Otherwise, it would always be the Luna Clan.] The Luna and Scythe Clans being disqualified gave others a chance.
[Beep—Leaderboard finalized! Rewards sent via mail!][NO1: Administrator (Race: Unknown)][NO2: A Fox Who Wants to Kiss A-Ran (Race: Arctic Fox)][NO3: My Feathers Will Be on the Leaderboard Today! (Race: Feather Clan)][NO4: Goodman, the Strongest on Earth (Race: Serpent Demon)]
The top 3 names caught everyone’s attention, especially the second one.
[What’s with that name?! Who changed it? Is that even allowed—][Why didn’t I think of that? I’m buying a name change card! Too slow! Someone in my clan already took it!][A Red Panda Who Wants to Kiss A-Ran: Check out my new name~] The demons realized the potential for creative names. Most had simply used their full names.
The second-place winner’s suggestive name sparked a trend, and name change cards became hot sellers. The forum was filled with similar names.
“What is this nonsense?” Shao Mian, however, frowned, looking at the leaderboard. He recognized the second-place winner as Wen Er Man, the Arctic Fox Clan leader, a flamboyant playboy. How did he get into the top 3?! The mere thought of that name disgusted him. And the copycat names were even more annoying.
“What are you doing with your time? These ridiculous names! What kind of image are you creating for ‘Demon World’?” he asked the app’s manager, his displeasure evident.
Tao Shu, the manager, a hamster who had risen through the ranks with his technical skills and political savvy, felt a chill down his spine.
“We’ll handle it immediately! This is unacceptable!” he said, his furry ears almost popping out.
Before the demons could enjoy their new names, they were all censored.
[What happened to my name? It’s *** now! And they gave me a free name change card? I want my old name back!][Lol, even the second-place winner’s name is censored! It’s banned!][If they hadn’t banned it, we would have seen even weirder names! Imagine using those names to interact with A-Ran!] Though some appreciated the quick action, most were outraged.
“Tsk, so petty,” Wen Er Man, the Arctic Fox Clan leader, muttered, leaning back in his chair. He was a handsome demon, with charming eyes, long hair, a well-built physique, and a beautiful white tail, making him popular in the demon world.
“Can’t even make a joke. Time for a new name,” he said, reaching for his phone, then pausing, a thought striking him. “Demon World’s” recent behavior reminded him of someone.
[Beep—Reward sent via mail.] He opened the mail, his curiosity piqued.
[Item Description: Test Version A-Rank Interaction Card. May trigger an A-Rank interaction (beast form only). More features in development.] He examined the silver card, sensing spatial magic. Could it teleport him to the NPC? Was the first-place reward an S-Rank card, and the third a B-Rank one? Different levels, different interactions?
Shao Mian also received his golden S-Rank card.
[Beep… Test Version S-Rank Interaction Card. Due to its high level, this card is still in development. Forced activation may cause instability.]
Shao Mian: ??? He had spent the most, and his reward was an unfinished product?! Was the game targeting him? He felt a surge of anger. He didn’t even want a plushie. It was childish. He had nowhere to put it. Though his tail was swishing furiously across the carpet, fraying the intricate design.
“I feel like I’m forgetting something,” he muttered, his mind preoccupied, completely forgetting about Abyss.
Lin Ran, after ending the stream, examined the “quest item” plushie, finding nothing unusual. Perhaps it would change after he gave it to Atylanthos’s grandmother? He finished the other two merfolk plushies, then started working on Yuanbao’s needle-felted figure, a much more challenging project. He ruined several attempts before creating a passable version.
“Fortunately, Yuanbao sheds a lot,” he muttered, playing with the soft fur.
“Cheep!” Sootball, watching, was glad it didn’t shed.
Just then, a camera shutter clicked, and they both looked at Snowball, holding the camera.
“Mew…” An Xun, embarrassed, scratched its paw.
“Taking pictures, Snowball? I’ll teach you!” Lin Ran said, picking it up along with the camera. Sootball also flew over, curious.
“Wow… these are amazing! When did you take these?” Lin Ran exclaimed, looking at the pictures. A close-up of him working on the plushie, the setting sun creating a warm, gentle glow, every eyelash visible. The photos captured the moment’s essence, the care and concentration, the quiet intimacy.
“Our Snowball is a future photographer!” he said, impressed. His own photography skills were amateurish compared to this.
“Cheep cheep!!” Sootball also felt its screenshots were inferior. Snowball had captured A-Ran’s beauty perfectly! It wanted to use them as wallpapers!
“Mew…” An Xun, in Lin Ran’s arms, looked at him, its blue eyes shining. It had always preferred photography to acting. And taking pictures of A-Ran was even more enjoyable. It wished it could be A-Ran’s personal photographer in the real world, capturing every moment.
“Mew—!” It nuzzled against Lin Ran’s cheek.
Lin Ran chuckled, hugging it. It was getting bigger, its paws thicker, its tail even fluffier.
“It’s almost time. We need to visit Atylanthos’s grandmother,” he said, checking the time. The mermaid’s song would be good for Snowball’s ear.
“Cheep!” Sootball, ready for an outing, grabbed its little backpack and perched on his shoulder.
But as they walked, Lin Ran noticed smoke in the distance.
“Do you smell smoke? A forest fire?” He had never encountered one in “Demon World.”
“Mew!” Snowball sniffed the air, confirming it.
Sootball flew up to investigate, worried about the fire spreading to their house. It saw a familiar figure.
“Cheep cheep!!” It’s that little flame! But it looked distressed. It gestured frantically, and Lin Ran finally understood: “You’re saying that little flame is in trouble?”
“Cheep!” Sootball nodded.
Lin Ran decided to check. It was just a cub, lost and alone, its parent nowhere in sight… or perhaps its parent was… gone?
Sootball and Snowball followed.
“Abyss—!” Abyss was desperately trying to rekindle its flames, fending off a miasma. But a larger threat loomed: a giant Tuck Beast, waiting for the miasma to weaken the flame sprite before claiming it.
Abyss knew its intentions, but the miasma was relentless. He had never faced a real fight before; Shao Mian’s presence had always deterred other demons. He struggled to attack and flee.
“Roar—” He narrowly escaped the Tuck Beast’s claws, landing on a branch, his flames dwindling.
“…Ooh!” He closed his eyes, bracing for the next attack.
“Sootball! Grab its paw!” a familiar voice shouted, and a purple aura restrained the Tuck Beast’s claws.
“Cheep!!!” Sootball strained to hold it back.
“Mew—” Snowball, using its newly awakened ice magic, grabbed Abyss and flew away.
Sootball, seeing Abyss safe, released the Tuck Beast’s paw and fled. The beast, losing its balance, fell with a thud. When it looked up, they were gone.
“Roar—!” It roared in frustration, startling the birds.
Lin Ran, having reached safety, held Abyss, its flames weak, its body cool to the touch.
“Are you okay? Do you need magic? You seem weak,” he asked gently.
Sootball offered him a magic crystal from its seemingly bottomless backpack.
“A…” Abyss, opening its eyes, started crying.
“Why are you crying, baby? Are you scared?” Lin Ran asked, surprised to see a flame cry.
“Waa… A-Abyss…” Abyss didn’t know it could cry. It hadn’t cried even when it was almost captured. But being held so gently, his concern so evident, made it burst into tears.
“Don’t cry, baby. Want a magic crystal?” Lin Ran offered it the crystal. It was a high-quality Luna Clan crystal, perfect for restoring magic.
“Ooh…” Abyss sniffled, enveloping the crystal in its flames, absorbing its energy.
Lin Ran’s heart melted. Even a flame could be cute and vulnerable.
He carried Abyss, who was slowly recovering, towards the cove. Sootball and Snowball, seeing it almost eaten, no longer felt hostile, only pity. Did it not have a parent?
Abyss, after absorbing the crystal, felt stronger, its flames brighter. But its temperature remained low.
“Abyss…” It chirped, trying to get Lin Ran’s attention.
“What is it, baby?” he asked.
A rune appeared, as if waiting for his confirmation. Snowball, unsure of its meaning, looked at it curiously, but Sootball, recognizing it as the harsh slave contract rune, lunged at Abyss.
“Cheep?” But then it paused, confused. The rune was targeting Abyss, not A-Ran. Why would a demon willingly enter such an unequal contract?
[Contract Description: This is a Slave Contract. Since the dawn of Demon World, every Abyssal Flame Sprite has signed this contract to provide magic to their master. The higher the sprite’s level, the greater the magic provided. They are among the most valuable subordinate demons.] Lin Ran also checked the encyclopedia.
So, this little flame had such a powerful origin? Abyssal Flame Sprites, in their full form, could incinerate all magic. But why would it willingly become a slave?
“You’re so powerful. Why would you want to be a subordinate?” he asked.
“A…?” Abyss, seeing its offer rejected, looked at him, confused. Its instincts had always been to form this bond. It had never been rejected before. It felt unwanted, perhaps because it was the weakest flame sprite ever.
“I’m not rejecting you, baby. Don’t cry. Wouldn’t it be better to be free and powerful?” Lin Ran said, wondering why it was so desperate, like a puppy offering its collar, then crying when it’s refused.
“…” Abyss considered his words. But this was how it was supposed to be!
“How about a different one?” Lin Ran said, offering a new contract, a golden light emanating from it.
Abyss instinctively entered the light. But instead of chains, a thin string with a pretty bow tied them together.
“It’s a Partner Contract. You can call for help if you’re in danger,” Lin Ran explained. This contract was equal, with no life-binding clauses, and either party could cancel it. This way, the little flame’s needs were met without forcing a lifelong commitment upon it. He felt “Demon World’s” definition of Abyssal Flame Sprites was cruel. Though powerful and sought after, they were treated as mere tools.
“But you cry, you feel sad and happy. You’re a little cub,” he said, seeing Abyss stop crying.
“Abyss—!” Abyss, looking at the invisible string connecting them, was overjoyed, as if holding hands with A-Ran. It had the prettiest string!
“But how did you get here? The Abyssal Canyon is so far away,” Lin Ran asked, looking at the map. The canyon was on the edge of Demon World. Abyss must have been brought here.
“Your parent is so irresponsible! I should scold them!” What if someone had tricked it into signing a Slave Contract?
Lin Ran’s serious tone made even Sootball and Snowball nervous. A-Ran rarely got angry.
But Abyss, happy with its new string, just bounced along beside him, no longer resenting Shao Mian. It had A-Ran now~ Could it visit him even outside “Demon World”?
“Cheep…” Sootball, knowing Yuanbao had brought Abyss, hesitated. Should it tell A-Ran? He would be angry with Yuanbao. He knew A-Ran couldn’t defeat Yuanbao, but he also knew Yuanbao would be the one suffering the consequences.
