Chapter 358: Who is Our Master

Duan Fei was a little distracted during lunch.

The scallops were delicious, and the prawns were too.

In short, everything was delicious.

But what surprised him most was Jinghong.

‘Has my childhood friend always been this beautiful?’

Jinghong had worked up a sweat while cooking, so she took a quick shower before they ate. A fresh jasmine fragrance now wafted from her.

She had tied her slightly-too-long hair into a ponytail with a hairband. Below the playful braid was her fair neck, exuding a captivating allure.

Noticing Duan Fei staring at her neck, Jinghong touched her ponytail. “Is it that fascinating?”

“Um… Jinghong?”

“Hm?”

“Could you call me Daddy?”

“If you dropped dead right now, I might consider it.”

Jinghong wasn’t angry. She was just making her stance clear.

And that stance was a firm “no.”

But today, Duan Fei wasn’t going to give up so easily.

He put down his chopsticks and asked seriously, “Then what would it take?”

“Why are you so fixated on this?” Jinghong asked, her brow furrowed.

“Because… well… it’s just…”

Watching Duan Fei stammer, something suddenly clicked in Jinghong’s mind.

‘This guy’s finally getting a clue!’

‘Grandma, thank you!’

Wiping her mouth, Jinghong crooked a finger, beckoning Duan Fei closer. Then, she whispered in his ear, “One day, when you realize the right place and time to ask, I’ll say yes.”

The warmth of Jinghong’s breath on his ear was like a gentle spring breeze, flowing through him and making his head spin.

Looking at Jinghong’s mischievous smile, Duan Fei covered his burning ear and felt his heart begin to race.

After lunch, Duan Fei washed the dishes. Once everything was settled, they logged on together to prepare for the game.

But today, Duan Fei received a special piece of mail.

A letter from Merlin.

The letter’s contents were simple, just a few short words: “It’s time to fulfill your promise.”

Along with the letter, the mail contained a green key.

Holding the key, Duan Fei knew what promise Merlin was referring to.

In a previous event dungeon, Merlin had given Duan Fei three Fixed Stones in exchange for helping his granddaughter, Yue Hua, in a Holy Grail War.

It seemed the preparations were complete and a new war was about to begin. He just wondered if it would be like last time, with everyone fighting to the death over four thousand bucks.

This Holy Grail War was also a 5v5 event. Two allied teams would battle each other for a specific prize.

The key from Merlin was a high-grade item. It allowed players to pass through a door and automatically form an alliance, guaranteeing that all teammates would start in the same location.

Realizing this, Duan Fei thought Merlin was being quite generous.

Duan Fei opened his friends list and checked who was online.

Little Fatty was editing videos and Cuihua was testing a Divine Artifact. The only friends online were Lone Ranger, Flora, and the Maid.

After a moment’s thought, Duan Fei sent them invitations. Before long, the three of them arrived.

The moment Flora arrived, she pounced on Jinghong and started clinging to her.

“Jinghong, you must have been the one to invite me! I knew you missed me as much as I missed you.”

Looking helplessly at the ever-clingy Flora, Jinghong replied wearily, “But I don’t miss you.”

“I get it! You’re just being a tsundere, right?”

“Could you please get a new brain?”

The Maid, in contrast, politely gathered the hem of her skirt and curtsied to Duan Fei. Pushing up her glasses, she said, “Thank you for inviting us. If no one speaks with my lady for much longer, I suspect she’ll fall ill. Honestly, I recently saw her talking to dolls she made of Jinghong and the others. I was about to call a Priest for an exorcism.”

“Making dolls of people… that’s a little creepy,” Duan Fei said, nodding in agreement. “Jinghong, what do you think?”

Jinghong, who had once done something even more extreme, stiffened for a moment before saying hesitantly, “I think… it’s understandable, I guess.”

“I knew we were on the same wavelength!” Flora exclaimed, hugging Jinghong excitedly.

Leaving Flora and Jinghong to their reunion, Duan Fei turned to Lone Ranger. “You agreed pretty quickly this time. I thought you’d play hard to get, and I’d have to send you some blackmail material before you’d show up.”

“You already told me what would happen if I didn’t come. Why wouldn’t I?” Lone Ranger said with a sigh.

The Maid glanced at Lone Ranger, the corner of her mouth twitching.

She looked like she wanted to do something but restrained herself, stood up straight, and performed a flawless curtsy.

Sensing the Maid’s unusual behavior, Lone Ranger silently readied his weapon.

He didn’t trust anyone outside of his own guild.

If Duan Fei hadn’t repeatedly assured him that these two were fine, he never would have come, let alone team up with a pair of strangers.

But even with Duan Fei’s guarantee, he remained wary of the two, ready to sacrifice them at the first sign of trouble.

Once everyone was ready, the group went to a lower level of the city, found a fire door, and inserted the green key into the lock.

With a mechanical whirring, the fire door began to change color. A line of text appeared on it, indicating the instance had been converted.

“Multiplayer Instance, PVP, Recommended Level 10-20.”

After confirming the information, the five of them stepped through the fire door and found themselves in a luxurious office.

The office was on a high floor. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, the vehicles on the ground below looked as small as ants.

Outside, various flying vehicles zipped between the skyscrapers, and delivery couriers with insulated boxes on their backs constantly brought food to every corner of the office buildings.

“They have food delivery in a fantasy world?” Flora asked in surprise.

“Teleportation Magic can also be used for deliveries, but couriers are cheaper. So, a lot of the time, you’re not indispensable—you’re just the cheapest option.”

As a calm voice spoke, a middle-aged man pushed open the office door and, under the watchful eyes of the group, sat down behind a large desk.

Just as before, Merlin had a full head of silver hair and wore a white suit. The light of Magic Power constantly emanated from him, marking him as an incredibly powerful Mage.

Even Duan Fei, who had seen other Mages in previous instances, had to admit that Merlin’s power seemed to be on a completely different level.

He clapped his hands, looked at Duan Fei, and said, “It’s good to see you, Duan Someone. Thank you for coming, and thanks to the rest of you for your assistance.”

“Alright, cut the chatter. We’re here for a war. Where’s our master?”

“Right here.”

Tapping his foot on the floor, Merlin announced to them, “Merlin Company. That is your master.”