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[Just then, the vanguard squad on their soldiers' round-the-world journey passed through the village again. Facing these soldiers you'd met once before, you sighed and suddenly realized that being a soldier wasn't so bad after all.]
The vanguard team is the driving force of the circumnavigation group, responsible for clearing the way and using their strong teeth and stomachs to find edible things along the way, leaving marks (teeth marks) on them.
Each squad consists of three people. Besides the soldier Ah Mao, whom you might vaguely remember, the other two are a middle-aged man with smelly feet and a woman with painted faces. When they saw you like this, they very enthusiastically asked you what happened.
After hesitating for a moment, you forced a smile and said, "The little griffin's cold-blooded pursuit couldn't hide its defeat, but I, though defeated, displayed honor and brilliance."
Hearing that you were alright, they left very quickly, before you even had a chance to stop them.
[You remained silent for a long time, then slapped yourself twice. Why did you have to play mind games with an innocent warrior? You deserved it. You sighed and led the still-questioning Freyko back to Going's Hut.]
The next morning, when you woke up, you were horrified to find that Frico's dark circles had increased fivefold, and she was standing in the doorway as if she were sleepwalking.
You quickly slapped her twice and encouraged her by saying that becoming the first mage in history to die from overworking would bring eternal infamy. She stared blankly at the ceiling, seemingly looking for a beam to hang herself.
[After thinking for a moment, you took out the contract with her, pointed to the clauses, and said, "The long-term contract hasn't expired yet. Dying prematurely is considered a breach of contract, and you'll have to pay me 200,000 yuan in damages."]
[Freiko immediately glanced at you with a look of horror, then ran off to catch up on her sleep as if fleeing. She had never imagined that even the dead would be charged a penalty for breach of contract.]
[I don't know when you betrayed your class; alas, it's truly lamentable.]
"Damn it, wasn't it you who simulated it?!" Latis felt like he was about to pee his pants from anger at the simulator.
Three months have passed quickly. During this time, you finally got Frico to accept the fact that monsters can also log onto the magic network. She also finally understood why the Enlightenment spell failed. For monsters that "run" their own magic power in the cloud, such subtle magical fluctuations were beyond the scope of the Enlightenment spell.
[After much deliberation, you taught Frico the old-school mage path at her pleading. Just as you were feeling both joy and sorrow at spreading the half-elf way, poor Frico's already meager circumstances were further compounded.]
Another year has passed in the blink of an eye. You've advanced to a third-ring mage and a level five warrior. This is probably your fastest level up ever; perhaps Ateliers' soul is truly blessing you from the starry sea.
[Freiko painstakingly inscribed two sixth-circle spells, Disintegrate and Pre-cast Illusion, working tirelessly for a whole year to prepare the inscription materials for these two spells.]
And you? You're enjoying life.
If Frico could paint, she would definitely paint a picture of herself struggling and title it "Latis Enjoying Life." Unfortunately, she can't, and can only follow your will to avoid paying an exorbitant penalty for breach of contract.
[However, you weren't truly enjoying life. Instead, you were constantly searching through the chat logs of mages fighting monsters on the magic network. After reaching the third ring, you were finally able to enter the beacon and, as a cyber police officer, sneak into the most active group chats. You were absolutely thrilled with this.]
Unfortunately, despite your best efforts, you haven't found the information you're looking for, aside from tens of thousands of erotic images. But thinking about it, it makes sense; the chances of a mage encountering a monster cyber police officer surviving are probably smaller than your chances of successfully abstaining from masturbation for 100 days, Latis.
However, you didn't come away empty-handed; at least you learned about griffins from a beacon called "Little-Known Facts Planet."
[Griffin, a high-level magical creature, with the head of an eagle and the body of a lion, capable of continuous flight for twenty-four hours. An oviparous mammal, born at least at the third rank, possessing dozens of magical abilities and up to three bloodline powers. Its weaknesses are its wings and tail, and the mother griffin.]
Driven by curiosity about the final weakness, you stealthily lurked within the beacon, finally obtaining the explanation you were waiting for.
Griffins don't just share characteristics with eagles and lions; they also have similar habits. Normally, male and female griffins live as a single pair. However, during mating season, due to their lion-like behavior, male griffins will seek out at least ten females to breed with. To avoid detection by their primary mate, male griffins will fly thousands of kilometers, mating in quick succession.
At this moment, the male griffin's sense of devastation intensifies; they are like utilitarian lions forced to be squeezed dry and rushed to fulfill the mission ingrained in their blood.
[By the way, at this time of year, the female griffin waits in her territory for the arrival of male griffins one by one; this vibrant racial custom is truly hard to judge.]
In short, while the fact that monsters could connect to the magic network shocked you, it didn't have a major impact on you. You remained confident that you could avenge Ateliers.
As for whether you can summon the Elf Mother Goddess later and use her seed to grow a completely new Arte, you haven't thought that far ahead yet.
[Soon, the griffins' month-long mating season will begin. Just as you're about to call on Frico to track down the cyber police griffin, someone unexpected arrives in Roughroot Village.]
[This person is Ge Ying, no, it should be said that she is now Ge Ying Little Corn. Having awakened her bloodline and become a bloodline warrior, she exudes confidence and health, as well as a strange and alluring charm.]
As for why her surname is so strange, you can only blame it on the fact that her father was born to ride a corn snake.
Chapter 56 The Future of Civil Engineering Students (Part 2)
"Gao Ying can really awaken his bloodline?"
Latis scratched his head, feeling slightly incredulous.
"Then her father really did cross a snake..."
"Heh...this has certainly ignited my fighting spirit..."
Latis's eyes suddenly sharpened, and he clenched his fist with unwavering conviction:
"Others can transcend racial boundaries, so I can't fall behind!"
He then looked down.
[When Ge Ying saw you, she seemed very happy. She enthusiastically clung to you and spun around a few times before telling you that she had advanced to a level four bloodline warrior and now possessed powerful bloodline abilities.]
She demonstrated her abilities: Swallowing and Venom Spray. The former allows her to completely absorb the energy within her prey, and her strength has increased rapidly since awakening this ability; the latter involves spraying out a liquid containing deadly toxins, which, although requiring a considerable amount of water, is extremely powerful.
At the same time, her mother's bloodline granted her powerful regenerative abilities, as well as the ability to freely regulate her blood temperature and adapt it to the environment. This reduces the chances of being detected by monsters and conserves her internal energy.
[However, the cost is that if this state isn't lifted in time, she might fall into hibernation due to hypothermia, or suffer organ damage due to hyperthermia.]
You are delighted to see her return after completing her studies and explain your plan to ambush griffins during their mating season. She immediately decides to join your team.
That evening, as you were taking stock of your belongings and equipment, Ge Ying knocked on your door.
Your first reaction was to calculate her age, then you instantly tensed up and immediately pushed Ge Ying, who was about to speak, out the door.
Thankfully, your wicked thoughts didn't come true. You sat down in front of Ge Ying's hut, looking down at the seemingly unchanged Cough Root Village on the hillside. She hesitated for a moment, then began to tell you her story.
[It turns out that Going, as the first child of a human and a monster, possesses a human appearance but actually exudes a monster aura, and this aura of a young snake is most attractive to griffins.]
She remembered the day her father took her out of the village for a stroll, only to encounter a griffin. Her father died saving her, and her mother rushed to her aid just as the griffin's talons were about to tear at her abdomen. Both mother and the griffin fought a fierce battle, both sustaining serious injuries.
[Goying didn't know her mother very well, but as she grew up in loneliness, she gradually came to understand how painful it was for her mother to send her back to human society. Therefore, she didn't hate her mother, but vowed to take revenge on that griffin one day.]
"So that griffin has been bothering you near Root Village for so many years just because your mother almost killed it?" You involuntarily clutched your head, muttering to yourself, "Damn it, what a petty, hypocritical, crazy landmine guy! If he's mentally unstable, he should get his brain lobotomized instead of coming around spreading rumors!"
In short, Ge Ying was very grateful for the years you spent planning this revenge, even though it wasn't for her sake, she found solace in it. She then told you that if the revenge was successful, she would give you a gift.
[You returned to your room, puzzled. After briefly reminding Frico of the various precautions for tomorrow, you tossed twenty gold white into the donation box where the stone statue of Ateliers stood.]
[Didn't you treat him like a god of wealth? Why are you even praying to him for battle now? Are you going to ask him for help with finding a partner in the future?]
"I didn't! Don't frame me!" Latis immediately retorted. He paused, then stroked his chin hesitantly and said:
"It doesn't seem like it's impossible... No, no, no, I still need to be mentally prepared for this."
The next morning, as you set off with Going and Frico to find the mother griffin's nest, you suddenly saw a robin, covered in dew, waiting all night at the door of Going's hut.
You were utterly astonished; you never imagined you'd meet her again. She still looked as she hadn't yet differentiated, but she radiated sixth-ring level magical energy. In just a few years, she was already on the verge of becoming a legend!
The robin smiled gently and said she wanted to go with you to find the mother griffin. You considered her extensive knowledge and agreed.
On the road, looking at the robin's still serene face, you suddenly realize that although she seems similar to before, her sixth-ring strength is undeniable, and a pitifully thick barrier has already separated you.
"Brother, it's right there," the robin suddenly said after searching for hours among the cliffs.
"Master... oh, what?" You instinctively identified with Runtu, but then realized that although you had only spent a short time with her, she, like Ateliers, also regarded you as an older brother.
[You cautiously made your way into the mother griffin's nest. Fearing that the magical fluctuations would alert the other monsters who were also cyber police, you didn't draw your staff. Instead, you called on Ge Ying to rush into the nest and used brute force to poke around wildly, leaving the mother griffin's nest in a complete mess.]
After easily subduing the level 4 female griffin, you were about to place a triggered alchemical trap on it when a robin suddenly called to you.
"Brother, ever since I learned that you killed the demon, I've wanted to repay you. This opportunity has finally arrived..." As she spoke softly, a delicate, box-like object slowly appeared from her chest. At the same time, her magical energy began to diminish rapidly, eventually settling at around the first ring.
Your pupils dilated in shock. You recognized this thing; it was the magic engine upon which the mages of the Civil Engineering Academy depended for their livelihood! Was she really going to abandon the magic engine she had painstakingly cultivated to the sixth ring?
She hands you the engine and tells you that she hasn't used the engine spell for two days, and that this magical engine could explode at any moment if it is subjected to any external impact.
You stare at the box, which could be described as the perfect trigger device, in a dilemma, unsure where to put it. After all, your alchemical device has a fixed stand, while this… Suddenly, your eyes light up, and a brilliant idea comes to mind.
You drove the women and girls out of the cave, then looked at the still unconscious mother griffin with a cruel, inhuman smile.
"Since this is the mother griffin's nest, I'll just put it there!" With that thought, you forcefully shoved the constantly vibrating magic engine into its little nest, carefully finding a discreet crease in the cave wall to hide it.
[Your actions have made the already chaotic nest even worse. Soon, due to the violent tremors, the mountain spring water connected to the nest began to trickle out, nearly splashing you.]
"Ah!" Latis screamed silently, covering his eyes, staggering a few steps, and hoarsely calling out:
"Mais, Mais!"
He barely managed to open his eyes and quickly ran to a small ditch by the roadside to wash them, but the simulated text ignored his pain and continued to relentlessly imprint itself on his face.
Just then, you heard a familiar cry, realizing the male griffin had arrived. You quickly spread your arms, pulling everyone into your embrace, and hid in the grass, leaving four pairs of eyes peeking out to watch the commotion from the nest.
[A short while later, the male griffin landed. At the same time, the spell information and the caster's name appeared before you. You confirmed that this was indeed the internet police griffin named Lili Lili. Suppressing the urge to disconnect it from the internet, you awaited the female griffin's victory.]
[After landing, the male griffin's keen sensitivity to magic caused a slight tension within it. However, the overwhelming scent of mountain spring water dispelled its worries. It eagerly rushed into the nest, and upon seeing the scene of the flooded mountain, it couldn't help but let out a loud howl.]
The shout startled the female griffin awake. She looked in terror at the still-trembling nest and tried to flee with her limp limbs. The male griffin, having never witnessed such a scene, mistook it for a dramatic reenactment common in human society. He became extremely excited, letting out another howl as he pounced.
[A skyscraper rises from the ground up, and the key is in laying the foundation. This foundation can be hard or soft, and often the piles need to be driven deep into the muddy clay. One drive isn't enough; they need to be driven hard until they reach the deepest point so that the piles won't settle further.]
You recall the knowledge you gained in the civil engineering department of your past life. The scene before you seems to mirror the content of your textbooks, vividly depicting the arduous future of civil engineering students.
The male griffin was also reflecting on its piling-driving career. As a griffin that needed to rush to drive piles, it had never driven piles during an earthquake.
[In the violently vibrating clay, each pile driving test tests the strength and stability of its piling machine. Sometimes it even requires a firm press and the combined strength of the waist and hips to control the direction of the machine. All of this is so novel and exciting. Soaked in mountain spring water, it is like a petrel in a storm, soaring bravely!]
No civil engineer knows what it feels like to drive piles during an earthquake, but the male griffin did. As its strength waned, it struggled to open its eyes through the onrushing seawater. It felt it—it felt the hardness of the deepest soil! It saw it—it saw the black bedrock, the symbol of the ultimate!
This was the highest honor of its life. Although the hard soil hurt its pile driver, it didn't care at all. Ahhh, let the storm rage on!
"Damn it, I showered too early!"
Latis, who had just left the ditch, rushed back and continued washing his eyes.
After a deafening explosion, you brushed the dust off your head and looked at your nest, now reduced to nothing but its foundation.
The life of the female griffin is magnificent. She has carried countless pile drivers, yet she has never succumbed to any of them. Her foundation is solid and resilient. Had she not been exploited by evil humans, she would have sheltered hundreds of millions of lives, becoming fertile ground for love and hope.
To your surprise, the cyber police griffin was still alive. Its legs clamped around the hole in its lower body, it stared at you hatefully through the dust and smoke, let out a sharp growl, and turned to flee.
However, it miscalculated. Its gaze had been fixed precisely on the "pre-set illusion" released by Frico. Because it was cast using a spellbook, the caster wasn't displayed on the cyber police's client. Therefore, amidst the chaotic magical field, it completely missed this crucial magical fluctuation!
You watch the griffin flying straight towards you, grin coldly, and shout, "Girls, it's our turn now! Activate your cards!"
In an instant, disintegration spells, venom sprays, alchemical devices, and magic scrolls all appeared, hurtling towards the griffin. Meanwhile, you calmly shut down the griffin's magical net.
Watching the griffin crash to the ground in the violent collision, a mixture of satisfaction and wistfulness appeared on your lips. You knew that with the griffin eliminated, your biggest goal in this simulation was over, and what followed was a long period without Arte.
Although you firmly believe in your heart that you are not lgbtqiapkdxrew, you still can't figure out your feelings for Ate. It can't be just lust at first sight, can it?
Thinking about it that way, it's actually quite possible. After all, in your past life, you did the same thing—obsessively licking photos of Xiao Nanliang.
"Bullshit! There are haters! Help!"
Latis immediately shouted. He looked around, and after confirming that no one was there, he took a deep breath, slowly squatted down, and whispered:
"It's a simulation, but please don't expose my embarrassing past, okay? Even though no one can see it, I, La, still have some self-respect!"
The simulator did not react at all and continued to print the text rapidly.
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