Chapter 41: The True Proxy (1/4)

The moon was bright, and the starlight was thick. The sky was filled with countless stars, like a dream that would never wake.

Liu Mengchao sat in the empty library. The surrounding bookshelves had long since been shattered into pieces by his clash with Qing Yun. Even the roof above him had been blasted open by his gunfire, allowing the starlight and moonlight to pour in and bathe him in their glow.

Liu Mengchao smiled. Under the moonlight, his hair turned a beautiful white. Perhaps due to the Devil May Cry lineage, he did not feel much exhaustion—at least, not like the girl in his arms.

Misaki Mei had stopped crying. Buried in his embrace, her sobs had faded away, replaced only by the faint, rhythmic sound of her breathing, like the soft chirping of cicadas on a quiet night, making the scene all the more serene and poignant.

Lowering his head, Liu Mengchao looked at her face. Traces of tears still lingered on her fair skin, yet he could not help but smile. A faint, carefree smile rested on Misaki Mei’s lips, like a sliver of the moon in the sky, evoking a sense of deep, heartfelt contentment.

Watching her smile, Liu Mengchao closed his eyes. The night was still long; what could be more wonderful than listening to the soft, rhythmic breathing of the girl in his arms as she slept? He could think of nothing else—at least, not for now. He was intoxicated, lost in a night so gentle it could stir even the spring breeze.

The spring breeze can intoxicate, but it can also chill one to the bone.

Izumi Akazawa sat blankly in her home, holding a fruit knife. It was spring, yet her heart felt as cold as winter.

Was she really going to... kill Liu Mengchao?

Biting her lip, the girl fell into a daze. The words of Old Snake echoed in her ears once more. "Akazawa, think about your brother. How did he die?"

"How did he die?" Akazawa instinctively closed her eyes, and the sight of her brother's death flashed before her. His body had convulsed uncontrollably, unable to breathe—like a curse, he had perished from an electric shock.

Can I really kill him?

She looked at the knife in her hand in disbelief. It was just an ordinary fruit knife. Was she truly meant to do as Mr. Zhang suggested, to exploit Liu Mengchao’s lack of defenses and strike him from behind?

The girl was lost in confusion. Where there is confusion, there are those who sow it.

Zhen Qianting sat beside Old Snake, her brows furrowed. "Can we really kill Liu Mengchao?" Her expression was one of disbelief; she felt that relying on a young girl to kill a veteran participant was simply impossible.

"No... I don't think Akazawa can do it either," Old Snake chuckled sinisterly. "But so what?"

"So what?" Zhen Qianting nearly shouted. "If Liu Mengchao finds out we are the ones behind this, can we even survive? You..."

"No, he won't find out. He won't have the chance," Old Snake laughed, his eyes crinkling. He was clearly very pleased with himself. "Because he is a Reincarnator, this is a doomed outcome. No Reincarnator would allow anyone to harm them, not even in the slightest. To them, these plot characters are nothing more than lifeless dolls. If one day your doll suddenly raised a knife against you, would you just stand there and do nothing?"

"No..." Zhen Qianting shook her head, her eyes suddenly brightening. "You mean!"

"Exactly. Whether Akazawa plunges the knife into his chest or Liu Mengchao retaliates and harms her, he will die. The former dies at the hands of a plot character, and the latter dies under the Main God’s mission." Old Snake’s face practically bloomed with joy. "That is the human heart—a human heart that will never change."

After speaking, Old Snake looked out the window at the pitch-black night. The darkness filled him with immense pleasure. Human hearts were just like this night—utterly black, with no light to be seen.

Suddenly, Old Snake’s expression changed. In an instant, the morning sun pierced the clouds, leaping up to cast its light. The night was over.

No... Old Snake shook his head, trying to dispel the inexplicable unease in his heart.

While his heart was filled with anxiety, Liu Mengchao, thousands of miles away, already knew. The pot before him said it all.

Pot balance: 830,000!

Still rising? Or have you prepared yourselves to face me, a true Deputy, in this cycle of reincarnation?

Liu Mengchao smiled, looking down at the still-sleeping Misaki Mei. He found that the lineage he had strengthened was perfect for him. Devil May Cry. Half-human, half-demon.

He drew his twin pistols from his waist—the black Ebony and the white Ivory appeared in his hands.

*Click.*

With two soft sounds, he disengaged the safeties. Aiming left and right, he smiled.

"Whiteia, issue a new mission. Main God mission!"

"First, from now, a ten-day countdown." Liu Mengchao watched the pot before him. "In three days, identify the 'Dead' in the Another world to the Main God. Those who guess incorrectly will have 5,000 Main God points deducted! Negative points mean erasure!"

"As you wish, Lord Deputy."

As soon as Whiteia’s voice faded, the pot before Liu Mengchao changed.

Pot balance: 835,000!

Liu Mengchao laughed. Since he was in the betting mode, every point gained was doubled. The excess was paid by the opposing Deputy. He didn't mind having that person named Qing Yun pay a little more.

"Mission Two: Kill the 'Dead' hiding in the Another world. Success grants a reward of 5,000 Main God points and one D-rank side quest."

As he spoke, the pot jumped again.

Pot balance: 840,000!

"Liu Mengchao!"

Suddenly, Liu Ling’s voice sounded behind him. Misaki Mei was awakened by the noise; realizing she was still in Liu Mengchao’s arms, she turned bright red and buried her face back into his chest, pretending to be asleep.

"Did you see that? The new mission." Liu Ling did not speak herself, letting the doll in her arms speak for her. "The final moment is approaching. Only three days remain."

"Do you trust me?"

Instead of answering, Liu Mengchao asked a strange question. Liu Ling smiled, looking at him.

"As you can see, I trust you."

She bowed slightly. The sun had risen. The morning light slanted down, illuminating Liu Mengchao’s face and the smiling face of the girl in his arms. All of this convinced Liu Ling that the person before her was worthy of her pursuit and trust.