Chapter 2254 - 829: Zhu Meili’s Metamorphosis

Hill couldn’t dare imagine how chaotic it would be when those emotionless, task-focused Magic Tomb creatures, along with the mechanical beings they control, charge out to battle against the Undead Tribe racing across the sky with Slaran.

Especially when the leading friends of those toads from the Undead Tribe might log off halfway through, never to return.

Animal Companions bring chaos within chaos, along with unrelenting pursuers... Accepting Slaran means facing constant ambushes. Although most of the Undead Tribe would shy away, there will inevitably be those who seek thrills among the Undead Tribe that join midway.

Then, those thrill-seekers who can endure for a year or so are truly strong-willed.

Thus, they inevitably choose to delete their account and start anew.

According to William’s original rules, if one wishes to delete their account and rebuild it, it is not impossible, but there are many constraints involved.

For instance, if someone wants to relinquish an account while owning an Animal Companion and without breaking the contract with the companion, they will have to bear a portion of the forced contract termination costs.

Of course, for the Undead Tribe, such costs wouldn’t be calculated in money but rather as the time to rebuild their account.

Normally, rebuilding an account would take around two weeks for cleaning time... which is a basic requirement in virtual games.

After all, an identity can only have one account at a time, and with the abundant information recorded in virtual games, deleting an account is akin to deleting a Chapter of one’s life.

These two weeks, in essence, serve as both the game company’s organization time and the account owner’s reconsideration time.

However, William’s Space-Time Company, due to players violating certain contracts, might extend this period significantly, to the extent of three months at times... And harming an Animal Companion is one of the most severe penalties.

Many people don’t quite understand Space-Time Company’s rationale and criticize it heavily, while many rival companies amplify such actions as illogical... believing the company is PUA-ing players.

Yet, Space-Time Company completely disregards these lively discussions, remaining indifferent to the external buzz and storms.

Moreover, their players seem supportive of such stringent requirements... For virtual companies, critiquing other companies as moronic is their job, but criticizing other players as morons is self-destructive.

Plus, these contracts are ones they signed themselves within the game... Player contracts in virtual games hold legal effect.

After all, virtual assets are assets too.

Thus, if some members of the Undead Tribe truly need to change their account, they would generally explain things clearly to their Animal Companion.

Many even promise certain secret communications if their reasons are understandable to the companion, to meet again under new circumstances.

Only those truly deciding to never return would act in such boring and cold-blooded ways... but who could bear to threaten their indifferent friend’s company under such circumstances?

So, after the initial chaos, even if choosing to leave, members of the Undead Tribe are accustomed to completing a ’farewell ritual’ for themselves.

By now, even those without Animal Companions would put on a genuine farewell performance for their Otherworld journey, beginning and ending with happiness.

However, these wonderful stories, Slaran could never understand.

Even the not-yet-awakened Slaran wouldn’t grasp what it means to say... I’m switching accounts, can we meet again in the rivers and lakes, or never meet again?

They would only know that the person providing them food plans to disappear halfway.

How could that be acceptable?

In Slaran’s view, there are only alliances they themselves tear apart, never stories where the other party stops!

If they don’t want the story to end, it won’t!

Therefore, all those who enter the lives of Slaran among the Undead Tribe... their final fate is predictable.

If they can withstand the never-ending assaults from Snow Cloud Peak and the Proud Sky Alliance, and endure the incessant ambushes from the Mechanical Realm, why would they even want to change accounts?

However, if a game restricts you from creating accounts for three months, is there still a need to continue playing?

The world outside is exciting, with new surprises every day.

If they can bear deleting their account, they can bear never returning to that game.

Of course, if after leaving for some time one feels that this place is still more interesting, returning wouldn’t be unusual.

But such players would already be like different people compared to their last time.

Many times, players’ madness is actually influenced by those around them.

And in games, you can truly perceive what it means when things change, a single day feels like three autumns apart.

That is truly like living two different lives.

Finally realizing all of this, Hill didn’t feel as tense as when he first discovered it.

After all, it is all under the God of Time and Space’s control.

At most, William might be a bit tired, needing to constantly monitor the developments of the Undead Tribe.

Hill suddenly realized something, turning to look at Shaer... the Lady of the Night never seemed willing to withdraw this avatar, using excuses here and reasons there, probably also worried that William might not withstand it?

A being as well-versed and experienced as her certainly understands the huge commotion that occurs when the Magic Tomb and Slaran collide.

After all, one acts on instinct without a brain, and the other is unfelt, only following instructions.

It’s only in this world that these two can even encounter... After all, humans generally reside in the Magic Tower, and as long as they don’t step out of the safe zone, they won’t be accidentally hurt.

The real battlefield is naturally in that vast wilderness... where not even a single blade of grass grows.

This brings the possibility of accidental harm to the lowest level, and even if there’s a sudden incident, William can handle it.

It’s just a bit tiring, that’s all.

As for Shaer, one of the culprits who attracted that nagging creature from the Clockwork God’s Singularity to his Divine Kingdom, the old man naturally doesn’t bother with other people’s children.

Their country’s ancient tradition has always been to scold their own children first when something happens.

As for whether his own child’s little lover would feel heartbroken or unwilling because of it, that’s a matter between them.

The old man neither wants to intervene nor needs to.

Shaer, quite apparently, is unwilling to part.

So, she can only bear the burden together.

No wonder she has been making so many things happen.

Shaer is probably quite distressed too... She dislikes others discerning her intentions the most.

However, as long as these events appear bit by bit, those who can connect the causes and effects can naturally understand what happened.

Just like her contradictory statement, ’Just like that~ it’s not my fault.’ which is something she would never have said before.

"Ah~" Lansendel suddenly shouted, "Wait, what did you say to William that made that guy from Singularity come?

Isn’t that old guy indifferent to anything except Custer?"

Though not as clear-headed as Hill, the Great Peacock still grasped the key point.

"Didn’t say much." Shaer said emphatically, "It’s just that William mentioned some merits of the God of Time and Space, which resonated with the Singularity on the other side of the Magic Tomb."

"Hmm... huh?" Lansendel pondered deeply before asking, "The Singularity, though emotionless, has always cared a lot about those stray Magic Tombs accidentally severed from the Mechanical Realm.

To make him come out on his own... Does the God of Time and Space have a way to prevent those wandering Magic Tombs from affecting the Mechanical Realm?"

"How would I know? You think I can understand? That’s very pure mechanical knowledge!" Shaer said unhappily, "William actually just casually mentioned the God of Time and Space’s research when seeing something chaotic.

Who knew there would be a Magical Tomb from the Mechanical Realm lurking there pretending to be a wandering one!

Truly... those old things, none of them are any good!"

Lansendel hesitated a bit as he looked at Shaer... does this woman even know what she’s talking about?

But his intuition told him that it’s best not to provoke Shaer right now.

Which makes sense, having to explain to him and Hill about what happened leading to the current results must indeed be painful for the always mysterious Lady of the Night.

However, if she doesn’t speak now, waiting until they figure it out... Lansendel can imagine the brutally honest words he would utter as he peeled back these layers of fog... it would be better to clarify things now while he too has his vulnerabilities that he’s afraid of exposing.

As for Hill... heh, Hill has never been a problem, that child would never ridicule anyone unless angered!

Indeed, long-term pain is better than short-term pain.

Lansendel sighed in his heart... however, he could only choose to make himself uncomfortable.

Damn Amanata, causing trouble both dead and alive!

When will his Path of Destiny begin?

-----------------

"I still don’t understand, what on earth is Zhu Meili up to?" ’Perfect Bald’ pondered endlessly, "Though that toad was pushed by him to a group of suitable fools, but... it’s still eating insects, and it’s a toad that’s eyeing his Night Butterfly hungrily.

Even if raised, wouldn’t it still pose a threat to his family?"

"Though a Night Butterfly only needs one mating to have lifelong memories, it isn’t that it can’t change this genetic trait of hers!" ’Snow Cloud Peak’ sneered, "Haven’t you noticed that the current Zhu Meili truly has a male body?

Yet back in Aesces, he was undoubtedly female.

Our game allows character appearance changes with the same account, but it cannot change gender!"

"Hmm... Transformation effect of the Night Butterfly?" ’Magic Sword’ peered and asked, "Don’t tell me that just differing mating partners can make a Night Butterfly change its host’s gender, how’s that possible?"

"This is the real him. The one from Aesces was the possessed form of the Night Butterfly." ’Snow Cloud Peak’ shook his head, "We all forgot, that thing is a semi-virtual creature."