Is the person you sculpt as cute as me?

"Then we're in big trouble."

He appeared in front of Yu Man and became their enemy.

Senior Cat cursed a few extremely dirty "meow meow" words in a low voice, took a deep breath, and then became rational.

"I've been feeling this was amiss. It was a good idea for us to go to the Branded Lands to practice, but then you added Bird Old Five. Wasn't that what I was worried about back then?"

"really."

After "Time" joined the team, Yu Man canceled his plan to go to "The Land of the Past" for training.

This is to prevent the owner of the "Land Branded with the Past" - the ancient god in charge of "gambling" and "fighting" - from smelling the fragrance and rushing in to disrupt the situation.

In his hands, he holds the marks of many powerful men’s failures.

If He knew that even Time was playing a game, He would definitely not be idle.

But now——

He came uninvited.

"...But, isn't that contestant a man?" Yu Man asked.

"I guess it's something like summoning a spirit to possess me. The contestant is just an insignificant shell, used to carry the mark of my past life."

This is always a good news in the bad news. Yu Man originally thought that Senior Cat was actually a boy.

She folded her hands and pondered the matter.

Think...think.

"Is it a lie?" Yu Man first picked out a suspect.

"It doesn't seem like it... If it was Lie, the esteemed Third Secret, who personally intervened to stop it, it would be a million times more awkward. Besides..." Senior Cat hesitated, hesitating, "I don't think... she would use my... past self for this kind of purpose. At least... she respects me."

Yu Man didn't understand the twists and turns between them, but since it was said it wasn't, then it wasn't.

But no matter what, this is a huge trouble.

"I'm going to fucking fight you, what should I do?" Yu Man was very worried.

"I'm troubled too... Anyway, let's analyze this rationally—"

Cat Senior, still acting like a coach, first listed the known information—

"That brand was after I crushed my way to victory in the first summer season. I received an invitation to the 'Land of the Branded Past,' stepped inside, and was defeated by a powerful being—in short, that's what happened around that time."

"...That's nearly three months faster than my current progress."

"Yes, but it's still a bit behind you. After all, it's my first round." Senior Cat thought for a moment and suggested another name. "Generally speaking, in all aspects, he's about the same level as Xiaolu."

However, just by watching the battle just now, the refinement and overwhelming strength in it were as clear as a bright light.

Xiaolu is a bold and daring player, and Senior Cat's Mark of the Old World is also in this style, but it also has a very high level of delicacy.

"Anyway...Xiao Man, that thing is going to be hard to deal with. It's me after all."

"...I didn't expect that the battle between you and me would come early."

Cat Senior and she looked at each other, and the bathroom fell silent.

Uneasy and depressed.

But at the same time--

A little bit of excitement and rare fighting spirit are burning in my heart.

Cat Senior said, "I'll study my opponent carefully and think of a countermeasure. But rather than that... let's go visit their team's lounge. I'm afraid that deity is waiting for us."

"Too."

……

"Time" is not interested in other teams' games.

But she is very interested in comics.

She has been secretly observing——

After watching the game, Yu Man took "Nifu Wanwu" away with a sullen face to the bathroom for a meeting. Then "Shi Guang" looked back at the game to see what was bothering her so much.

Ok?

"...The failed copy of 'Reverse All Things' from that time... huh? It actually managed to sneak into the Spring Split."

"Time" squinted his eyes, and the rare game administrator's mentality was correct.

She wanted to deal with this obviously unfair contestant - but then she thought, she was not a good person either.

That's it.

"——Squeak." It was the sound of the toilet door opening and Yu Man and Cat Senior walking out.

Yu Man explained a few words to his teammates, and under the pretext of going to talk to someone he knew, he left the lounge of "Snake Restaurant" with Senior Cat in his arms.

Time knew clearly that these two players were going to cause trouble for the god.

But—this is reality.

"..."

After a moment of thought, Time stood up.

"I'll go take care of them."

After saying this, she slowly followed Yu Man and went out.

In the lounge, which had lost half its liveliness in an instant, the remaining people couldn't help but talk about it.

"No, there really is something wrong with Bird Old Five and the eel..."

"Boss Lu, so you don't know about the relationship between them?"

"Well... Blackbird's conversation with Captain Eel was obviously different. Chatting with us... was a bit like chatting with strangers, but with Captain Eel, it felt like... a long-lasting relationship... I can't really put my finger on it, but it felt like we'd known each other for years... many years."

So much so that, in the eyes of Liu Tong Qi Hua——

It's like any emotion will eventually dissolve and transform into—

Affectionate.

It was very strange, but that was how she felt.

……

Yu Man was wearing an extremely loose sweatshirt, a hat and a mask, covering most of his face.

Yu Man put Senior Cat into a handbag and hung it on his shoulder like a load, which was the most labor-saving way.

There is no way. If we let this guy out, there will be no peace along the way.

Even though this is behind the scenes of the organizer, their fame is really huge now.

"BMS lounge..." So, she was even reluctant to ask for directions.

"Turn left."

It’s “time,” she responded to Yu Man’s mumbling.

Yu Man looked at her in surprise, but not in surprise.

"Don't worry, I'm your teammate, Yu Man."

"Time" walked to Yu Man and followed her in the winding corridor of the players' lounge - searching for the door that belonged to the target.

They didn't say anything, just knocked on the door.

Amidst the tense atmosphere of many teams preparing for the match, the dull knock on the door sounded unexpectedly solemn.

"...Who is this?" an unclear voice asked from inside the door.

"You know who it is." Yu Man responded clearly, "Let's find trouble."

After a while, the footsteps were getting closer.

The door lock clicked and the door opened.

The empty players' lounge appeared before Yu Man.

Different from theirs—no, different from any other team’s.

This spacious and well-maintained room was filled with nothing but swirling smoke and the lone coach. The players, who were supposed to be celebrating their victory, were nowhere to be seen. Furthermore, there was no sign of any living being.

It was like opening a coffin.

It was the coach who opened the door - at least on the surface.

"It's a real pleasure to have you, the customs clearance experts, here."

The female coach responded to the visitor's hostility with this brief, hypocritical greeting.

——Found the right one.

The sound of gears meshing resonates in my heart.

"As you two know, as you two see, I am a traveler from the Old World, on business in this world, haha."

She has a hoarse voice and a good-looking appearance to match.

Her wrinkled skin is consistent with that of an aunt in her thirties.

Tall stature, graceful figure.

She wore a casual long dress and had her black hair in a complicated bun.

A beautiful woman with great charm, with large tattoos faintly visible on her body, indicating that she is not to be messed with.

Most people's tattoos seem to be an attempt to cover up their ugliness with small advertisements that can be seen everywhere, highlighting their inferior self that is metaphorically called personality.

But she wasn't—far from it. She loved competition and gambling, so much so that she would imprint those wonderful moments on her body, forming large, vast paintings, cloaked in epic poetry.

She——the owner of the "Land Branded by the Past".

A god so ancient and powerful that he can even travel between the two worlds.

"My regular customers call me 'Beater' Italia," she said lazily. "And you two, we call you 'Clearers.' Do you mind if I call you that too?"

Yu Man was formulating his words.

She wanted to have a wonderful conversation with this god... no, with Italia, she was very good at it.

This was the stage that advanced the plot, and she knew it well.

but--

"Call you blood mother, idiot."

A cat leaped out of the bag with sharp claws and dirty, embarrassing words.

Senior Cat didn't scare anyone.

Italia smiled brightly and said, "Look at my dear old guest. It's been so long since we last met that you've become like this."

"Fuck your mother—"

"Senior Cat, please restrain yourself."

In order to avoid being discovered by anyone while cursing here, Italia invited them into the house and closed the door.

as well as--

"Greetings to you, 'Time', who controls time and the flow of all things." Italia cast off all her laziness and performed an ancient ritual with great seriousness.

"I'm not 'Time', I'm just their teammate - can we talk about that?"

Italia was a little nervous and a little scared.

But she was prepared.

"I know the significance of this Spring Split. It's just a show organized by Lies to welcome back All Things Against All Odds."

Italia stepped back and rummaged through the cabinet for the glass box.

She continued:

"I'm not trying to hinder you. I simply want to pay my respects to the greatest of the great arena, to see her glory shine once again. And... to see if you're still you."

"So you're going to use my old ways to play with me?" Senior Cat was very annoyed.