The mascot of the wishing shop is a cat.

(Me: What should we do? There are so many people in the slums!)

Lin Xiyue was terrified. Yes. If she hadn't been to the slums, hadn't walked that dark road that night, and hadn't met An Qing's family...

So, if a disaster were to occur in the slums, she might only feel regret and pity at the moment, lamenting how many people had died. Because she hadn't experienced it firsthand, she wouldn't feel much empathy.

However, she has experienced, seen, and come into contact with them.

She witnessed the evil of the slums, with parents and children eating each other, but she also witnessed the good of the slums, with An Qing's family showing mutual love and care.

Therefore, Lin Xiyue couldn't just stand by and watch if disaster struck in the future, telling herself that it was just a number; she couldn't let it go.

(Dream: Yueyue, don't worry.)

As if sensing Lin Xiyue's anxiety, Mo Luos immediately began to comfort her.

(Me: But those are human lives.)

Lin Xiyue was very anxious; she wanted to do something for these people.

(Dream: How about this, let's look for clues together, and I'll go with you to do what you want to do. (Smiling kitten.jpg))

As if he could see into Lin Xiyue's heart through the light screen, Melos said what she wanted to say but was too embarrassed to say.

(Me: Won't this interfere with your plans?)

(Dream: No, you are the most important.)

(Me: Ah! This...)

(Dream: Okay, it's settled then. I'll come find you this afternoon.)

(Me: Ah, okay.)

Lin Xiyue looked at the conversation and suddenly laughed. This was the first time someone had told her that she was the most important person!

Lin Xiyue got up, humming a song as she went to find her clothes for going out.

..............................

On the other side, in the other world.

The once passive and dormant nest suddenly became active, began to expand outwards, and frantically hunted down all the low- and middle-level alien races in the inner world.

"Ahhhh!"

"Help! Why did he suddenly move?!"

"Didn't they say he'd reached his limit? That he wouldn't expand anymore?!"

"Run! It's coming again!"

"Run!"

……

All sorts of bizarre and alien races were frantically fleeing outwards, for if they were even a step too late, they might be devoured.

This expansion lasted for about half an hour. After slaughtering a large number of alien races in the surrounding area, the nest shrank back to its original size.

The nest seemed to have remained silent as if nothing had happened, with only the remaining bloodstains and the sounds of fighting and struggling telling the story of the carnage that had taken place there.

"Is it over yet?"

Standing on the edge, the group of alien races who had escaped death looked at each other in a panic, their eyes filled with a mixture of relief and fear at having survived the ordeal.

"Probably. Does anyone know what level of adult this is? This sudden outburst is terrifying."

We didn't do anything, did we?

"Probably not. We used to live around here, and high-ranking officials never came here."

"..."

The scene suddenly fell silent, as if all the alien races had suddenly realized something.

"Why do you think the higher-level beings don't come here? This place is perfect for us to live in; the energy levels are so high..."

"And...and there are also many lower animals and plants living here..."

"I heard that the High Lord was planning to come, but was delayed for some reason..."

"..."

The discussions among the various races grew quieter until a voice suddenly shouted out.

"Could it be that even the higher-ups can't afford to offend this big shot, so they tricked us into being cannon fodder?!"

The moment that sound was uttered, all the alien races panicked.

Without prior arrangement, all the alien races immediately turned around and ran quickly towards the place they had originally thought was dangerous. Obviously, everyone had realized that this was the truth: the owner of this nest must be a particularly high-level alien race, otherwise so many people wouldn't have been deceived into coming here.

They were cannon fodder, food, and a natural barrier separating this adult from others.

In less than ten minutes, this once prosperous area was reduced to desolation. Only in the very center stood a huge, black, eerily glowing lair, now temporarily silent.

....................................

3pm.

"Jingle Bell--"

The doorbell rang, and Lin Xiyue looked up expectantly, only to see Mo Luosi standing at the shop entrance, smiling at her.

Today, Meros was wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt, dark black sweatpants, and black and white sweatpants. The only thing that hadn't changed from his usual outfit was the chain pendant with a small moon on it that he wore around his neck.

"What a coincidence, you're wearing sportswear too! ?*??(ˊ?ˋ*)??*?"

Lin Xiyue was also wearing sportswear, but she was wearing a pink and white tracksuit.

Melos smiled and extended his hand to Lin Xiyue, who then jogged over and offered her hand in return.

"Little Sunny Sky, do you want to come with me?"

Lin Xiyue extended an invitation to An Qing with a bit of embarrassment.

"I'm not going! I hope Mo-ge and Yue-jie have a great date~ (?????)"

An Qing looked at Lin Xiyue and Mo Luosi, and a maternal smile appeared on her face. She even waved her hand repeatedly, telling them to hurry up and leave.

"No, not at all! (＊／w＼＊)"

Lin Xiyue's face turned bright red instantly, so red it looked like it was steaming, like it could be used to fry an egg.

"Okay, let's go."

Moros gave An Qing a "well done" look and then pulled Lin Xiyue away.

..............................

An hour and a half later, at the edge of Slum Area A.

Moros and Lin Xiyue stood there, just one step away from entering Area A.

"Let's go in, shall we?"

Lin Xiyue noticed that Molos was standing at the boundary and hadn't gone in, which puzzled her.

"Don't rush, we won't get the information we want by going in like this."

Moros calmed the somewhat agitated Lin Xiyue down, then slipped a gold coin into a gap in the metal mesh at the boundary.

"Ding--"

The sound of a coin hitting a metal plate inexplicably travels very far here.

Soon, a person darted out from a nearby alley.

The man was completely wrapped in a patched cloth, his hair was covered by a dirty, unrecognizable hat, and his face was covered in a thick beard. It could be said that apart from his eyes, nothing else could be seen on his body.

The man came over, said nothing, picked up the coins from the ground, and then scanned the area with a small device. Suddenly, a crack appeared in the very hard metal mesh—a small door only 1.5 meters high.

"come on in."

The man opened the small door and uttered this one sentence in a hoarse voice.

Melos bent down and pulled Lin Xiyue inside.

"Come with me."

After the man saw them come in, he closed the door, scanned the metal mesh again with the small device, restored it to its original state, and then turned around and led the way without looking back, as if he didn't care at all whether Lin Xiyue and Molos could keep up.

Moros pulled Lin Xiyue along, signaling her to keep quiet for the time being, and then followed the man.

Even though she wasn't constantly watching the man, Moros was taking care of Lin Xiyue, but she still followed him skillfully, step by step, through the complex alleys of the slum.

Meros must come here often; he knows this place very well.

Lin Xiyue followed Molos as she walked, releasing her own thoughts along the way.

After walking around for about twenty minutes, the man who was leading the way stopped in front of a very inconspicuous house that looked no different from the houses next door.

He finally extended his hands, which had been hidden beneath the patches of cloth. They were typical hands from the slums.

His hands were covered in thick calluses, the backs of his hands were dark, while his palms were red—these were the hands of someone who frequently did heavy physical labor.

However, this hand wore a ring that shouldn't belong to a laborer from the slums—a ring with a solid gold base, engraved with ornate vine-like patterns, and in the very center of the patterns was a dark red, oval ruby ​​with a few cracks. —This ring alone would be enough to feed a family of three in this slum for five years.

The guide tapped the door in front of him several times with the gemstone of the ring, each tap hitting a different spot on the door and producing a different sound.

"crunch-"

After the guide knocked, the door opened from the inside, but no one was inside.

The guide stepped aside, handed Lin Xiyue and Molos two pure black cloaks, and then gestured for them to proceed.

Meros took the cloak and first put it on Lin Xiyue. Then, as he was putting the hood on her, he whispered in her ear, "Think of this as a black market. You can get a lot of things inside. Don't let go of my hand when we go in, or we'll get separated." He then gently squeezed Lin Xiyue's smooth little hand.

? ! ! !

Then, with a serious expression, as if he hadn't done anything, Moros put on a black robe and then took Lin Xiyue's hand and walked inside.

……

Upon entering the door, there is a seemingly bottomless staircase leading underground. The only light comes from small lamps on the walls of the passageway, which can only illuminate a small area underfoot.

We slowly descended, and after about ten minutes, a huge cave appeared. Even before we reached the entrance, we could already hear a cacophony of noise.

Upon entering the cave, the first thing you see is a massive stalactite column. Looking up from the column, you see a vast natural underground cavern. It seems endless, filled with platforms of varying sizes and heights, each connected by man-made steps. High-powered lights are embedded in the column, illuminating the entire cavern as if it were daytime. At the forks in the path, there are directional signs made of scrap metal, giving it a relaxed and carefree feel. Numerous people dressed in black robes move about on the platforms, creating the atmosphere of a huge and bustling market. If everyone weren't concealing their identities, it would be indistinguishable from an ordinary market.

On the largest platform, there were people dressed in black robes.

Some of these people sat on the ground, setting up stalls, while others wandered around, looking here and there, searching for something they wanted to buy or something they wanted to find at a bargain.

The other smaller platforms were dotted with huts, each bearing a different sign. The pictures on the signs indicated their different purposes: a sign with a medicine bottle meant it sold medicine; a sign with a hammer meant it was an auction house; a sign with a human figure meant it was a slave market; and a sign with a single eye meant it sold information…

There aren't just one of these little houses, but many; it feels like many different shops are selling the same thing.

Lin Xiyue's eyes were dazzled when she came in. She looked around like Grandma Liu visiting the Grand View Garden, and occasionally made "wow" sounds.

"Hehe, newbie, want a strategy guide?"

Suddenly, a voice that was clearly being deliberately lowered came from next to Lin Xiyue.

"!!!"

Lin Xiyue was startled and moved closer to Molos.

Meros stepped forward and blocked Lin Xiyue's path, squinting at the person who had suddenly spoken.

"Kid, don't try to be mysterious. We need some information. Come to a reliable place with us, and you'll get your share of the benefits."

Meros directly exposed the child's deception, demonstrating that he was not a newcomer who could be easily fooled.

“(⊙o⊙)…Okay, okay.”

The child raised his hands in surrender, and then his voice returned to its clear, childlike tone.

"This way, please. What kind of information do you need? The accuracy and price vary depending on the location and the store."

The child led the way, quietly asking Meros and the others what they needed.

"We need some information about the slums, preferably the exact locations."

After thinking for a moment, Meros stated his request and then handed him a hundred-yuan bill.

“! (wДw) Oh, I know, I know, boss, come with me. This is the place I know the most about in the slums. They're backed by the biggest gang in the slums, and most people in the slums have dealt with them.”

After seeing a whole hundred-dollar bill, the child became even more enthusiastic and proactive, and even added some background information.

"Here we are, right here."

The child led them to a relatively high platform. This platform was quite large, so the house on it was also quite large, with three floors.

The child first spoke to the guard standing at the door, then came over and gave Lin Xiyue and Mo Luosi each a paddle, saying, "This paddle signifies that you were referred by a regular customer, so you won't be deceived by false information and will be assured of the truth. However, the price is quite steep. If you don't bring it, false information will be mixed in, and you'll have to discern it yourself, but the price will be much cheaper. It's up to you whether you bring it or not."

After the child finished speaking, he turned around and left quickly, disappearing into the crowd.

Lin Xiyue glanced at Molos, then at the cards in her hand, hesitating. It was her first time there, and she had no idea what the prices were. What if she couldn't afford it? The law enforcement officers didn't seem likely to reimburse the expenses.

"Take it with you, I have money."

Moros saw through Lin Xiyue's dilemma, found her adorable, and smiled as he spoke to her.

"Okay. (? ???w??? ?)?"

……