Chapter 3

"Let me go, and I can give you invincible power. I am a near-god, just one step away from ascending. If it weren't for the special environment of the 'Ascension Ceremony,' even all the secret keepers in the city combined couldn't stop me."

"Hehe, will that let me live until next year?"

"Power? Can you eat it? Don't always think about fighting and killing; it's a civilized and harmonious society now."

"......I can give you the wealth accumulated over a thousand years, making your life as splendid as an emperor's."

"Haha, will that let me live until next year?"

"Living a life of indulgence and then dying is quite attractive, but that's all it is. I'm just an ordinary otaku. How much money do I need to play games and watch anime? Would it be more enjoyable to have a group of maids dressed as sisters to play games with me...... Hmm, maybe I should try it. Can I put it on credit, to pay later, like in six months?"

"......I can teach you enchanting spells to make you have the lover of your dreams. No, I can directly enhance your charm, making mortal women unable to resist your allure!"

"Tsk tsk, will that let me live past next year?"

"Ha, girls from the real world? No interest...... It's not because I don't want to drag others down."

"......Lu Ping'an, stop thinking about six months! I'll tell you honestly, the 'Countdown of Life' is the price you pay for your powers, a curse you placed on yourself. No one can save you, not even the great Mother of Life. Change your conditions; money, beauty, power, anything. Let me go, or in six months, you'll die, and I'll be free. You, a mortal, must have people you care about, family, friends......"

"Tsk tsk, will that let you live until next year?"

"Thanks for the reminder! I almost forgot."

"Is this not acceptable? Wait! What do you mean by 'you'? Do you plan to take me with you when you die?! We have no grudges......"

As she spoke, Chris's voice grew quieter. She was also confused; perhaps they had no grudges before, but this threat would certainly create a big one.

"Don't disturb me! You're interrupting my game!"

At that moment, Lu Ping'an was lying in his small room, the door locked, his computer downloading furiously, and the TV playing games.

He was extremely busy, with one side being the game console and a backlog of new games for half a year, another side being classic anime and new series, and yet another side being the delicious food he wanted to eat but didn't dare to.

The floor was already littered with empty cans of "Unclean King" soda. He held a fried chicken leg in one hand and an ice cream in the other, his chin covered in grease, and occasionally exclaimed, "So good."

How would a person who would likely die in half a year treat life?

He would try to smile and face the cruel fate, seize every second to create a brilliant life, or......

"I've given up, I'm done, I can't keep up anymore! Since everything will end in half a year, why not live the remaining days more easily?"

Perhaps there are heroes who, even on the brink of death, can still shine brightly, but clearly, Lu Ping'an is just an ordinary person.

His personality and awareness are shaped by his experiences and memories. In his previous life, Lu Ping'an was just a mortal, a fish that tried to jump out of the pond but failed.

"This power is great, though it can't save my life, it has temporarily freed me from my illness, allowing me to enjoy life."

"Ha, I'm not slacking off. This is just leveling up by sitting still. How can you call it slacking off? I'm just leveling up."

Thus, the slacker Lu Ping'an happily started his life of indulgence.

"So good, cold cola is so refreshing, wuwuwu, I haven't had it for half a year...... By the way, Chris, I have something I need your help with."

Suddenly, Lu Ping'an stopped, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke.

"Mortal, what do you desire? Power or wealth, I can give you both......"

Chris was instantly delighted. This was the first time she was summoned by her "master." Could she still be saved?

"......To be honest, I do have some needs."

"Hehe, you've changed your mind?! I've seen the greed of mortals many times; it's human nature, the foundation of civilization. Speak, except for 'half a year,' I can satisfy you!"

Hearing this, Lu Ping'an sighed in relief. Having a cooperative "personal grandpa" was indeed nice, but he wondered if other穿越者 (穿越者 means "穿越者" in Chinese, which can be translated as "穿越者" in English, but in this context, it means "time travelers" or "people who have crossed over to another world") main characters faced similar predicaments.

"Great, my desire is simple, but a bit hard to say."

"Haha, I've seen the ugliest human desires. You've seen my ceremony and my secret realm, haven't you? Peeling off the grand facade of humanity to see the monsters inside is my greatest pleasure. Come, let me see the depths of your heart, what ugly and dirty desires you have! Humans are a treasure chest full of desires and greed. Come, let me see what ugly and dirty desires you have under your mortal appearance......"

Lu Ping'an took a deep breath. This thing must not be released to harm others. When he leaves, he must remember to take her with him. But now, he indeed needed her help to satisfy his pent-up desires......

"......I want to read some manga, can you avoid it?"

"What? Manga? What is that?"

"Chris" looked puzzled. Was this some new riddle or fable?

"That's a human treasure, the tenth art of the new era, a crystallization of love and beauty created by artists at the risk of imprisonment, it's...... Well, I can't keep making it up, let me show you."

Saying this, Lu Ping'an opened the display, clicked on the folder being downloaded, and then opened a subfolder......

".........Human! %……&%*, you......"

A flood of angry emotions and chaotic characters filled her mind. Lu Ping'an directly blocked them with his "master" authority, then really opened the .jpg file. After a while, he reopened the communication line, and indeed, it was quiet like the sea, and the other side had hung up.

"Tsk, finally quiet. Talking about mortals and life desires all day, she's still in the middle of her middle school syndrome. The most annoying part is this forced binding, non-stop......"

In a sense, Chris was already dead. Her failed ascension ceremony left her in a bind, losing everything.

But because Lu Ping'an inherited her "world," the secret realm, which should have collapsed without its source, was stabilized by a spirit stabilizer, preserving her soul. She became Lu Ping'an's attached spirit... his personal grandpa.

However, this "personal grandpa" clearly had ulterior motives.

"......Perform a sacrifice, offer a few thousand sacrifices, and the Mother Goddess will be pleased, granting you more life...... Really think I'm a fool? You've lived for hundreds of years, always sleeping?"

Now, the relationship between Lu Ping'an and Chris was quite delicate, a kind of "life and death together."

If Chris's existence were to be leaked, Lu Ping'an would be dead, and she would be gone too, this kind of "life together."

And if Lu Ping'an determined he couldn't survive, he would definitely take Chris with him, this kind of "death together."

But from another perspective, she was completely bound to Lu Ping'an, isolated from the outside world, and became the only person he could confide in and seek advice from.

"Blood sacrifice, magic potions, forbidden items, the information Xia Qin gave is not wrong; Chris is indeed a cult leader."

But now, Chris's suggestions were either aimed at killing him or turning him into a public enemy, not to be trusted at all.

The more she tempted him, the more Lu Ping'an became wary of her.

"Indeed, this 'eagle' needs some time to tame...... I'll do it myself first; her advice can't be trusted now."

Lu Ping'an was a newcomer to the extraordinary world, a traveler from another world lacking "common sense." He indeed needed a guide.

Following Xia's plan step by step? Too slow, he didn't have the time.

Having such a near-god-level "grandpa" to guide and help, Lu Ping'an felt his survival rate would be higher.

But now, the master and servant were in a "grinding period," both trying to grind the other to death......

During this period, Lu Ping'an didn't want to reveal too many of his needs, to "grind" the other and make it easier for long-term coexistence.

A near-god couldn't possibly look up to a mortal; she needed time to adapt to the reversal of roles.

Humiliation, teasing, and playing with her were the "feasts" Lu Ping'an prepared for her, to help her quickly understand her current position, figure out who was the boss, and help her vent her inner frustration and anger...... After the rage, she would be more rational, right? Ha, or maybe even more explosive.

"She's not stupid; a few more times, and she'll understand...... Just wait until she really calms down, then we can communicate."

Putting away the game console, he took out the backpack beside him and started preparing for today's homework.

He was slacking off, but not completely. Some things were indeed what he wanted to play and eat, while others were just to show Chris.

Being indifferent and not caring would give him more advantages and initiative in negotiations.

Indeed, she started to offer conditions, showing her urgency!

"Although time is tight, taming an eagle can't be rushed. I'll tease her for a month or so. Seeing her angry but unable to bite me is quite amusing."

Xia Qin and the relevant departments' requirements for Lu Ping'an were: "To grow and progress orderly and positively under the supervision of official organizations."

But Lu Ping'an didn't have the habit of entrusting his future to fate and others.

"......There are six top-notch 'Night Watchman Training Schools' in the city, only one of which is public. With my current level, it's almost impossible to be admitted."

If he couldn't get into an "officially dispatched institution," gaining more autonomy wouldn't be a simple matter of waiting another half a year.

Now, Lu Ping'an's movements were restricted; even going out to buy groceries required reporting. In his view, with limited time and a desire to go out and find fun...... or ways to survive, this was a matter of life and death.

Opening the professional materials and textbooks Xia brought, Lu Ping'an knew the normal path was mostly unfeasible.

"Three years of college entrance exams, five years of mock exams, ten years of professional secret keeper qualification exam questions."

This wasn't a misleading title. Opening the book, it was densely packed with text and diagrams, truly like college entrance exam questions.

A backpack full of test papers, stacked together as thick as six dictionaries, was just for the first-year mock exams.

"Runner? Watchman? Beast Tamer? Don't always focus on the big popular ones; the one that suits you is the best! How to choose the most suitable starting point from the fifty-three common paths based on your awakened power!"

Ha, fifty-three paths? A quick calculation shows at least a thousand powers and professional skills? Just memorizing them isn't something that can be done in a short time, and it requires various practical understandings and insights, ideally with a professional mentor to explain.

"Secret Realm Survival Guide (Beginner Edition): Survive and thrive until you awaken your power."

You're useless! I've already awakened! What? You also need to take the exam, and it's particularly difficult, requiring answers to application questions and situational essays, I %&……%!

These books should be categorized as fantasy, with ISBNs and covers, clearly published by a regular publisher as a set of reference books, even for a special "college entrance exam."

As a time traveler, I'm completely lacking in basic theory, and even many "common knowledge" areas are not up to par. Other candidates have already prepared for at least half a year, and the special college entrance exam is only......

"Fifteen days, not even enough to flip through the books...... It seems I must find a few new targets, preferably mature ones that can move on their own."