When Ye Qing, Lan Ranyan and Leito Alcantara heard that Zhang Shan is coming to them, they paused for a while as Ye Qing said
"Since he's coming here, it's better to wait for him..."
The three nodded in agreement and waited for him to come to them instead.
Five minutes through waiting, Lan Ranyan dropped her bag and started stretching.
Seven minutes through, the others followed suit.
Ten minutes through the four were sitting in a circle talking about what to do with Ye Qian's predicament. Around them is a savanna with sparse trees and on the horizon, wilderness can be seen.
Thirty minutes passed as Ye Qian logged back in and reported that the G.A.I.A chip could not be ejected.
After an hour waiting Leito was the first to see a silhouette of a bat in the sky, as it drew closer, they noticed it was a winged humanoid.
As they have yet to recognize it they prepared themselves thinking it may be a new monster who ended up wandering in the area, while Leito prepared his pheromones.
As it drew a bit closer, the four recognized the build and demonic reddish skin color but were suprised to see a different face while Ye Qian murmured in confirmation "It's him!"
Zhang Shan recognized the three, except for Leito though as this was his first time seeing him.
He dropped down slowly as they marvelled at his wings. Zhang Shan then spoke.
"Fancy meeting you here, I thought it was only Ye Qian who missed me as she was the only one who showed up on my interface." He said smiling
Suddenly, Leito dropped on the ground on his knees as he said
"Looter God Zhang! Leito of the Spanish Division Pays his repect, I brought news and friends!"
Zhang Shan heard him but did not pay heed as he observed the facial expression of the three.
He saw Ye Qing was on guard, Ye Qian was curious and Lan Ranyan was cold as Ice.
"They're not exactly friends... But my in-game tormentors" he smiled teasingly
Ye Qing laughed as he said "Ha Ha Ha! you're glad we're here aren't you?"
"Damn you got me! Ha Ha Ha!" Zhang Shan said as he laughed as well.
"How come you were able to change your appearance?" Ye Qian asked
"I'll tell you later, they'll be here any minute, I rushed as soon as I saw you on the interface... I'm not exactly sure where we are though-"
"There's two more coming..." Lan Ranyan cut Zhang Shan off as she saw two more silhouettes appeared in view.
When the two Royal Blood Demons landed, The Three were surprised to see a familiar face.
"T-titiana? You've become a d-demon too?!" Ye Qian blurted out
Zhang Shan turned to Titiana and said " You know these guys?"
"Yes, I taught Ye Qing and Lan Ranyan about micro control way back when they were still starting out..." Titiana answered
"What's that? How come you never taught me those?" Zhang Shan asked
"You never asked befo-" Titiana shrugged
"Don't worry Zhang Shan..." This time Lan Ranyan finally spoke
"I'll teach you now." Lan Ranyan smiled an ever sweet smile with blood lust that can be felt through the air as she glowed a bluish aura.
Ye Qing grabbed Ye Qian, Leito and their bags as he moved back very fast, he then disappeared with the two and left a sonic boom.
*BBBOOOOOOOMMMMMM*
Ye Qian asked Ye Qing as she saw Lan Ranyan smile "Is that the Denarian Smile?"
"No... I feel it's much worse" Ye Qing answered
"What's the Denarian smile?" asked Leito
When Titiana saw Lan Ranyan smile and emanate blood lust, she grabbed Carnalia and told Zhang Shan
"Try to not die too much..."
*BBBOOOOOOOMMMMMM*
Titiana and Carnalia disappeared as well.
Carnalia asked "Are they going to fight?"
"No... It's a tutorial..." Titiana answered back
Mean while in Zhang Shans eyes, everyone started to move in super slow motion and it was barely that he was able to catch their message as it ended up sounding low, slow and hoarse.
As Zhang Shan looked at the ever smiling face of Lan Ranyan, he felt goosebumps rising. When Lan Ranyan disappeared, he was extremely surprised as he saw memories from his past from childhood moving towards adulthood... He remembered this feeling, the feeling of near-death.
Zhang Shan fought off the memories as he shook his head to ward them off and felt something from his back.
As he moved and twisted around to look, he saw Lan Ranyan's head and hands reappearing slowly like she was passing through an invisible film of water, ripples of unknown substance emanated slowly outwards until her whole body fully reappeared.
Zhang Shan moved back as Lan Ranyan tried to touch him. He knew that Lan Ranyan specializes in ice and would rather not be frozen solid. As he was retreating, he suddenly felt as if he was advancing forward. He felt that Lan Ranyan's left hand was a magnet that was attracting his whole body to her. Zhang Shan braced for the inevitable.
When Lan Ranyan's soft hands touched his torso, he was expecting the bluish aura to be cold as ice. However, it didn't felt that way. Instead he felt warmth and then... nothing.
Nothing?
Yes, Zhang Shan then felt nothing, as he tried to look down, he saw a gaping palm size hole in his chest, blood started dripping and spraying from his internal organs.
Surprised as he was, he tried to move back again, this time it was successful. When he looked at Lan Ranyan, she was looking at him with feiry eyes full of anger.
Zhang Shan was now thinking what made her this angry at him and recalled that he was only cursing at them when they were stepping on his dismembered body way back.
When Zhang Shan gained a bit of a distance, he tried to concentrate on his wounds to make it heal faster and then he saw Lan Ranyan move her hands and clasped them together as if she was going to sing in an opera.
He could've sworn she heard him say in slow motion, "D-ie you Ass-hole" as she opened both of her hands and spread her arms apart.
Zhang Shan Felt a pulling sensation from the center of his wounded torso as it tried to crack apart from inside out. As soon as Lan Ranyans hands were pulled apart. So, did Zhang Shans body. He felt being dismembered as he saw all of his body parts flying away in all directions.
*Sppppllleeerrrgggkkkksshhh*
He thought it was the end or he wished it was, but Lan Ranyan didn't stop there.
From her arms and hands position that were spread like as if she was to embrace someone. Her hands clenched into a fist as it punched back against each other in front of her.
*Sppppllleeerrrgggkkkksshhh*
Along with this "hulk-like" smashing motion. All the body parts that flew out congregated back to the center and crashed against each other like a mushy lump of meaty patty.
As everyone saw this unbelievable scene they were amazed, shocked and horrified how finely attuned Lan Ranyan was with her skills.
Leito saw everything happening as if it was a blockbuster movie with special effects. The sparse trees, the ground, the vegetation and rocks were all crushed and devastated as if a typhoon had just hit.
As the lump of flesh which was once called Zhang Shan hovered like a patty in the air, Lan Ranyan moved her hands upwards and then in an instant, gestured it downwards in full force, as she did, the mushy paste called Zhang Shan splattered to the ground like a freshly killed road kill.
*Sppppllleeerrrgggkkkksshhh*
Everyone looked at Lan Ranyan as she slowly walked towards the bloody pasty mess.
Carnalia with a look of worry gazed at Titiana, seeing that she was composed, she steeled herself knowing that, if she wasn't disturbed by this scene. His Lord must still be okay.
If Zhang Shan could hear what Carnalia is thinking right now, he would be shouting. "Okay? Okay your head! Does this look okay to you? What would I need to look like to be far from fine then?"
When Lan Ranyan was directly in front of the bloodied mess of flesh and blood. She lifted her right foot, stomped downwards and with the ball of her foot, rotated sideways continuosly in a bug squishing motion as she was murmuring to herself.
When the others saw that everything was over, they slowly approached her.
Ye Qian was the first to hear her murmuring and discern what she was talking about.
*Squish* *Squish* *Squish*
"Damn you, you f*cking insect! Die! Die! Die!"
*Squish* *Squish* *Squish*
"My parents now think I'm crazy because you left me hanging with our marriage! Die! Die! Die!"
*Squish* *Squish* *Squish*
"Let me see you survive this foot! Die! Die! Die!"
The others finally heard her as well and they were surprised how much hatred Lan Ranyan has against Zhang Shan.
*Squish* *Squish* *Squish*
"Don't tell me you forgot me, your-"
Lan Ranyan finally noticed that everyone was around her and said.
"Oh, you're here!..." She then tried to feign ignorance of what transpired and what she was saying as she continued
"Well, Zhang Shan, first lesson is over!" She said as she talked to the unresponsive bloody paste.
Then she walked away as if she wasn't part of anything that happened and approached Titiana.
"How was it? Did I get better?" She asked expectantly.
"Uhn" Titiana nodded "A lot better than expected. I didn't know yow can now control your Spatial manipulation to that extent!"
Carnalia backed away a bit as Lan Ranyan went nearer but Titiana held her back and introduced her.
Ye Qing, Ye Qian and Leito, slowly crowded around the bloodied residue called Zhang Shan as Leito asked.
"Is he dead?" Leito asked unsure of what happened
"I doubt it, but we may need to get used to his appearance like this..." Ye Wing said as he looked at the pulpy mush and then at Lan Ranyan
Ye Qian asked them "Did you hear something about being married too?"
Hearing her ask like this, Ye Qinq and Leito shook their head vigorously in denial. They thought that they may have heard something that they weren't supposed to, which could cause them to suffer the same fate. Better safe than never.
Suddenly, the still mush started to move and form back into something more human like. The whole process was like looking at a video in rewind as Zhang Shan reappeared slowly albeit naked. Good thing that Ye Qing foresaw this and took spare clothes from his bag to cover the recovering Zhang Shan.
As Zhang Shan came to, he said
"You're so merciless Lan Ranyan! That was my "nuts" you were stepping on!"
Lan Ranyan was talking for quite some time now with Titiana and Carnalia when she heard Zhang Shan and looked at him.
"Is that the way you should talk to your "baobei?"." Lan Ranyan said teasingly and with a naughty gaze
Ye Qian, Ye Qing and Leito were stunned.
Did she just say that she's his treasure?
Before the three could react, Zhang Shan stuttered.
"B-baobei... L-laopo?"
Treasure? Wife?
The three were stunned further after Zhang Shan added a new word. Wife? What's really happening?
Before the three could register what was happening. Lan Ranyan spoke again and said.
"It's good that you remember, I was told that you've been using your "Sword" quite a lot for the past few days!" after which she looked at Titiana and Carnalia.
Titiana suddenly spoke and said "We should go to the village first, this way you guys can rest and we can catch up, we still have a few things to discuss with Carnalia's parents"
The four nodded in agreement as everyone started to move back to the settlement.
To make things faster, Titiana took Lan Ranyan and Ye Qian as she flew off. Zhang Shan took Ye Qing and Leito while Carnalia took their bags and followed behind.
Once everyone was at the Village, The four were surprised that it was truly a demon village with blue skin.
As they landed, they went to Carnalia's house and met her parents who kept bowing to Zhang Shan and Titiana.
Ye Qian said "Zhang Shan, why do they call you Emperor and Empress?"
"You can understand them?" Zhang Shan asked
"Duh! Of course I can, they're using Demon Language." Ye Qian answered
"But last time you didn't understand what my "doppleganger" said?" Zhang Shan asked.
"It may be a different dialect for all I know, but I was able to get bits and pieces right?" Ye Qian reminded him
"Which ended me being bits and pieces as well!" Zhang Shan said as he rolled his eyes
Zhang Shan then explained to the four that they have yet to clarify it with them why they call them Emperor and Empress.
When Titiana heard that they couldn't fully understand what the demons are saying, she started kissing them which ended up with the four fainting due to information overload.
When the four woke up, it was already evening and Leito immediately looked for Zhang Shan, When they met, Leito presented the scrolls which contained the reports on the current trade movements. Zhang Shan happily accepted it as he read the scrolls.
Ye Qian and Ye Qing were very curious as to how Zhang Shan is going to interpret the report as they have seen it themselves and it didn't explain with anything much aside from buying, selling and trade. Lan Ranyan on the other hand was with Titiana and Carnalia asking about the culture and livelihood of the demons. It can be said that her passion is truly to discover new things.
Zhang Shan read the reports while Leito sat at his side waiting for orders.
After a while, Zhang Shan said loudly for everyone to hear.
"The kingdoms are mobilizing for war, all trades indicate that "metals" for weaponry are being transferred in bulk. There is also traces if panic buying for "leather" used in armor making as well..."
"These records indicate that there is free trade with all kingdoms, there are currently no trade embargoes, I'm assuming they are now in an alliance with one common enemy."
"The record shows that the movement of purchases started from the Kingdom of Sylvannas, I'm assuming their King is heading the alliance after which, specific intervals of dates show that each Kingdom followed suit. I'm assuming a messenger has rallied the Kingdoms"
"Some of resources being gathered came from products produced by hunting powerful monsters, which indicate that they acknowledge players assistance and not their enemies..."
"The only possible explanation I can think of right now is that, it is related to the recent appearance of this body's previous owner. It seems that their fear against the "Royal Demons" is much more than expected..."
The three were surprised by how he identified the current events of the Kingdom after reading the trade reports for a while.
Zhang Shan then asked when they left the last kingdom and how they managed to reach here and how they found him after Ye Qian installed the G.A.I.A. Chip
Leito explained while Zhang Shan listened when he was presented with the "sausage" looking "Signal Thrower". After a while, Zhang Shan asked Leito to fetch Titiana, Lan Ranyan and Carnalia.
When everone was gathered he said.
"It's most likely that you've been followed and they would be here in less than 24 hours."
"We need to prepare, and at the same time, I'd like to ask Ye Qing and Lan Ranyan on your decisions regarding the G.A.I.A chips?"
Everyone looked at the two... After a while Ye Qing said.
"I can't leave my sister here, I'll install the chip, I'll just make arrangements at home."
"How much time do you need?" Zhan Shang asked
"Maybe 12 hours or less." Ye Qing answered.
Next everyone looked at Lan Ranyan.
Lan Ranyan was silent for a while and then said
"If you promise to look after us in this world... In Gaea... I won't worry about the future."
Zhang Shan was silent for a bit and said.
"I can't promise that but I'll do my best."
"Great! If you said that abruptly and promised, I would have killed you... At least now I know you're being honest...."
Zhang Shan looked at her, amazed and then nodded as he said.
"This is what we'll do..."