Hell Game: Starting from Metropolis

"Nothing happened, they just went to take a nap."

Red Ghost shook his head.

"They even take afternoon naps?"

He breathed a sigh of relief, then asked curiously.

“They weren’t like that before, but they’ve become much more lively since they drank the hell honey yogurt you brought.”

A slight smile appeared on Red Ghost's lips.

Everything is both contradictory and unified; just as things can be lively, they can also be tired.

"Haha, then you're going to have a headache, since you're the only daycare teacher and babysitter."

Liu Zheng also laughed.

"I'm willing. Come in."

Red Phantom made way.

Upon entering the classroom, the children were all asleep in their seats, some even snoring, and the loudest snorer was Tonya.

Liu Zheng chuckled and pinched her nose, scraping off a layer of skin.

"Uh"

He casually pasted it back on.

Red Ghost's lips twitched slightly, but he didn't say anything. Anyway, the kids often dropped some scraps when they were playing around.

"Let's talk in the warehouse."

It took Liu Zheng to the warehouse.

Where is my coat?

Red Ghost asked.

"here."

Liu Zheng took out his overcoat from the broken mandarin duck pouch.

Red Ghost took the coat and ran his large hand over the texture of the fabric.

"You've found a good tailor."

It commented.

"That's right, I never cut corners when I do things."

Liu Zheng said proudly.

"Indeed. What do you want?"

Red Ghost asked.

"Two things. The first is that I want to borrow some fire."

He explained the request made by the tomb keeper.

"My fire is not suitable for it."

Red Ghost shook its head.

"Alright then. The second thing I'd like to ask you to help me with is this."

Liu Zheng took out a bamboo wine ladle.

"He really favors you."

Red Ghost glanced at it and said.

"No, I should say you're really good at... well, courting death."

It used a relatively trendy and precise word.

Even ordinary Christians don't receive this much "attention" when they hold large-scale ceremonies, so Liu Zheng is practically living under the noses of the gods, which is outrageous.

"How can you blame me? I didn't ask Him to favor me."

Liu Zheng pursed his lips.

“You will receive His favor if you become His offspring, whether you like it or not.”

"But do you really want me to take care of it?"

It pointed to the bamboo wine ladle and said.

"How to say?"

“That Dukang winery is indeed quite capable, extracting a lot more of what He has hidden deep within your essence, which brings you one step further away from complete transformation. But at the same time, the power you receive from Him will also be weakened as a result.”

Red Ghost explained.

"Let me try."

Liu Zheng acted immediately, severing a small section of the tentacle with a single stroke.

"It has really been weakened."

He frowned as he watched the wound gradually heal.

Although this recovery speed is still incredible compared to the average person, it is at least one-third slower than before.

"So you still want me to solve it?"

Red Ghost asked.

"Please allow me to think about it for a moment."

Liu Zheng paced back and forth.

Red Ghost nodded and didn't bother him any further.

"Let's deal with it."

After thinking for a moment, Liu Zheng said.

First, he does need to pay Nightmare for alcohol purchases.

Secondly, as Red Ghost mentioned before, with the current concentration of Black Goat Cub bloodline, if he absorbs that "Dark Algae," he will definitely irreversibly transform into a true Familia.

If we reduce the concentration of his bloodline first, then we can absorb the "Dark Algae" relatively safely.

Although reducing the recovery speed by a third is painful, as long as the ability to "regenerate flesh and blood" remains, there are always other ways to make up for it.

"Since you insist."

Red Ghost plunged his hands into his chest and pulled out a hammer and a sickle.

He scraped the blade of his sickle against the hammer, and a spark flew out before falling into the bamboo wine ladle.

A deep blue flame ignited, and the rich aroma of wine filled the warehouse.

"Um"

Red Ghost couldn't help but sniff.

"You'd like a drink too?"

Liu Zheng said upon seeing this.

"Ordinary wine is no good for me."

Red Ghost used denial to express affirmation.

"Dukang Winery has fine wines specially made for spirits."

"Hmm, stocking up on some wine wouldn't be bad."

Red Ghost immediately changed its tune.

Are there any specific product categories?

"Strong liquor, the stronger the better."

Red Ghost said.

"Row."

As the two were chatting, the flame in the bamboo wine ladle gradually went out.

The originally pitch-black liquid turned into a translucent, misty vapor, which condensed and did not dissipate in the wine ladle.

"Is this done?"

Liu Zheng asked.

"nailed it."

Red Ghost nodded.

"Okay then. I'll be leaving first."

He turned around and prepared to leave.

"Wait a moment."

Red Ghost called out to him and then took a book out of the warehouse.

"I don't have much here that would suit you, but you can use this to trade with the remnants of the Third Reich for something."

It handed the book to Liu Zheng and said.

Liu Zheng took the book. The cover featured a middle-aged man gazing ahead, sporting a mustache and slicked-back hair parted in a side part.

Next to the portrait is a string of letters handwritten, presumably the artist's signature.

"Thank you, Red Ghost."

Liu Zheng expressed his gratitude.

"I never cut corners when I do things."

Red Ghost seemed to smile.

After leaving the sewers, he drove his sports car at breakneck speed back to Dukang Distillery.

After knocking on the stone tablet again, Feng Jizi quickly appeared at the door.

"Young friend, you've got it sorted out?"

he asked.

"It should be sorted out. Please take a look."

Liu Zheng took out a bamboo wine ladle.

"Yes, the impurities have indeed been refined. It's just that this method is a bit too crude, even refining a lot of the 'wine essence'."

Feng Jizi said with some heartache.

This is "wine essence" refined from the nightmare of an evil god; a mere wisp of its aroma is enough to brew a bottle of premium wine.

"There's no way around it, it's too difficult to have the best of both worlds."

He didn't feel any heartache.

Liu Zheng is not a businessman; he doesn't have the mentality that losing a dollar is a loss. As long as the gains exceed the expenses, that's enough for him.

"Hmm, your magnanimity makes this old man feel ashamed. Very good, very good. Please come in."

Feng Jizi said approvingly.

Liu Zheng stepped into Dukang Winery again, but before him was no longer the bamboo forest, but countless huge wine jars, and he and Feng Jizi were standing on the edge of the wine jars.

The wine jars stretched as far as the eye could see, one after another.

Beneath the wine jars were various raw materials used for brewing, such as wheat, grapes, juniper berries, agave, and so on.

As for what lies beneath the raw materials, he cannot see that.

"Given the exceptionally high quality of the 'wine jars' provided by you, young friend, I have specially requested a buyer's benefit from the shop owner. These wine jars lead to different wineries, and you can purchase the first bottle of wine from the first winery you visit at a 90% discount."

Feng Jizi said.

"The senior is mighty! Long live the senior!"