Apocalyptic Era: Starting from picking up a Bishoujo
Chapter 413 - 386 Zhu Shi’s Attempt

Chapter 413: 386 Zhu Shi’s Attempt

Mazao and Zhu Shi are both gathered in my room at the moment.

The purpose of handing over the extra ownerless Divine Seal fragments to the two of them is to prevent the Master of Divine Seal from being able to collect all the fragments through us Void Envoys. Because the Master of Divine Seal has the possibility of surveillance through the fragments bound to us Void Envoys, they can’t be hidden just by me, even in a secret location.

However, if both of them carry the Divine Seal fragments with them and are later recruited as Void Envoys, this strategy would have failed. For my part, I don’t want them to follow me into such uncertain areas.

According to what the Master of Divine Seal said before, a new round of recruitment for Void Envoys won’t happen immediately after vacancies appear, but rather when the number decreases significantly.

The two of them don’t seem to plan on avoiding the possibility of being recruited.

"Mazao, I can understand. She cares a lot about Little Bowl and would naturally want to enter the Void Realm to reunite with her... But Zhu Shi, what about you?" I asked, "Do you also care a lot about Little Bowl?"

"Of course. That Little Bowl might very well be the future me, or at least a Dream Avatar equivalent to me. Generally speaking, you care enough that you can’t sleep well, don’t you?" Zhu Shi said matter-of-factly. "But that’s a secondary issue. Since Zhuang Cheng has entered such a potentially dangerous place, I must go in as well.

"In the past, I was weak and couldn’t participate in battles; now it’s different. Although it will take some time, I will soon be strong enough to fight alongside you. With that in mind, there’s no reason for me to let you fight alone.

"Besides, to ensure the Master of Divine Seal cannot collect all the Divine Seal fragments, we only need to ensure at least one fragment escapes its control. Let’s not discuss the fact that other Void Envoys are surely doing the same. You still have a third ownerless Divine Seal fragment to hide, as long as you don’t plan on trading it with the Master of Divine Seal for information."

This third Divine Seal fragment is not without other uses.

To harness the Power of Divine Seal Fragments, I must further understand my connection with the fragments. One possible direction is to increase the number of Divine Seal fragments bound to me, which would increase my connection with them quantitatively, enhancing my perception.

However, the connection with the Divine Seal fragments might also be a connection to the Void Realm, increasing the Master of Divine Seal’s control over my life and death. Although I once bound two Divine Seal fragments simultaneously, I didn’t trade for answers with the Master of Divine Seal before, so the connection didn’t deepen; binding a new fragment now could have unknown issues.

At the very least, I should consult with Little Bowl next time before deciding. No matter how much I love adventure, I won’t recklessly step into a losing scenario.

"Also... since you know Mazao will want to enter the Void Realm after receiving the Divine Seal fragment, don’t give it to her." Zhu Shi pointed this out directly.

"Those are two separate things," I said.

Mazao nodded vigorously.

I don’t want Mazao to encounter danger—therefore, I should not only avoid giving her the Divine Seal fragment but also refrain from telling her about obtaining the ownerless Divine Seal fragments. She’ll definitely suggest taking advantage of this opportunity to attempt entering the Void Realm for Little Bowl.

However, right now, I don’t want to hide anything from Mazao, nor exclude her from my adventure under the guise of protecting her.

Admittedly, I know very well that concealment and protection are the most logical strategies, but she once said she’d accompany my adventure, to the ends of the earth, till I’m utterly satisfied, and then wait for me to choose her...

Will there be a day when I’m satisfied enough not to want adventure anymore? I really can’t imagine. But I can’t say that possibility doesn’t exist.

And just like she accepts everything about me, I must also accept her intentions when she clearly expresses them.

Mazao silently held my hand.

Zhu Shi seemed to read many meanings from my expression, then said, "Judging by this trend... You’re not planning to take Mazao to attack the Human Bureau Headquarters, are you?"

Mazao shook her head first and said, "No, doing so will only hinder Zhuang Cheng’s combat performance. At least when it comes to battle, I can’t share his risks right now. I can distinguish this, and I definitely won’t make unreasonable demands."

"Good to know you’re not letting romantic feelings cloud your judgment," Zhu Shi sighed in relief.

Mazao earnestly corrected her, "Zhuang Cheng and I aren’t dating right now."

"You’re holding hands and yet claim you’re not dating?" Zhu Shi retorted sharply, "Do you know how often I feel totally irrelevant when standing with you two?"

Let me reiterate, Mazao and I indeed haven’t formally entered a romantic relationship yet.

Mazao said we should wait until she grows into a body "comfortable to hold like Zhu Shi" before truly becoming lovers, and I’ve accepted her promise. Although I know that given our current interactions, saying "we’re not actually dating" lacks credibility, sometimes even I forget, and to outsiders it might seem like some kind of peculiar romance.