The maid drove.
Mo Yu sat in the co-pilot seat.
Elise sat in the back seat.
The car was very quiet.
With Elise not speaking, Mo Yu wouldn't go looking for trouble, lest he say too much and slip up. He only occasionally glanced at Elise through the rearview mirror.
She was staring blankly out the window, as if thinking about something, worry visibly creasing her brow.
Mo Yu's attention was on the world outside.
Black City was prosperous; skyscrapers lined both sides of the road, along with all sorts of high-end shops.
Halfway there, the car stopped.
Ahead was a line of traffic with no end in sight.
The in-car map display showed that the street ahead was completely jammed. A picture popped up on the screen showing a crowd of people walking down the road, all dressed identically and holding up signs, as if in a parade.
The maid silently switched routes.
The car quickly got moving again, taking a detour down another street.
Elise spoke up. "Those people again. How many times is this now?"
The maid answered, "The seventh time. zz hasn't issued any announcement, so this is likely another illegal gathering."
Elise snorted coldly. "Certain people are getting more and more out of hand."
Mo Yu asked curiously, "Who are they? What are they protesting?"
"It's not a protest, it's a cult's promotional event," the maid explained. "The Kissing Cult. It appeared in Black City three months ago. This is their seventh event, and the crowd keeps growing."
"Hm... wait, called what?"
Mo Yu's voice rose, thinking he'd misheard.
The maid repeated, "The Kissing Cult."
"What kind of half-baked name is that? Are they brothers with the Flying Spaghetti Monster faith?" Mo Yu muttered.
The maid also wore a look of distaste as she explained, "Exactly what it sounds like. Their doctrine preaches freedom to kiss — members can kiss anyone they like, and group kissing is their main activity."
Mo Yu: old man, subway, mobile phone.
"How could there be such a... such an... interesting cult?"
His voice trailed off halfway through his complaint.
Because the car was approaching the block where the event was held, he could see the street packed with people. Above the crowd, a string of blood-red text floated, marked with numerous arrows.
【A total of 112 Head Spiders, weak in strength. Killing them will unlock the Monster Compendium.】
"I see."
Mo Yu struck his right palm with his left fist, suddenly understanding — monsters causing mischief explained everything. His eyes lit up. He'd been worrying about how to unlock the Monster Compendium, and here was a free bag of experience delivered right to his doorstep.
His odd reaction drew puzzled looks from the maid and Elise.
Mo Yu pointed at the crowd outside the window. "Can I come join later?"
The maid and Elise both looked at him like he was something filthy.
Elise warned, "Go, and don't bother coming back."
"I'm joking! Young Miss is my eternal, unchanging faith!"
Mo Yu let out a laugh and kept playing up his simp persona, professing his loyalty to Elise.
Elise scoffed and said nothing more.
The car fell silent again.
The only change was that the maid's driving posture had gone a bit odd — she was pressing herself as close to the door as she could.
Ten minutes later.
The car stopped in front of an imposing school gate. The sign on the gate read:
First Elite Middle School.
Mo Yu stayed seated, unmoving.
Because he'd spotted more blood-red text, this time pointing at a male student.
【This is a Werewolf, somewhat dangerous. Killing it will unlock the Monster Compendium.】
He looked in another direction.
【This is a Ghoul, somewhat dangerous. Killing it will unlock the Monster Compendium.】
【This is a Parasitic organism, somewhat dangerous. Killing it will unlock the Monster Compendium.】……
This private school sure had no shortage of monsters.
The maid walked around to open the door for Elise.
Elise straightened her clothes, picked up her bag, and headed for the school gate. She'd barely taken two steps when a girl ran up from the side and affectionately looped an arm through hers.
It was a beautiful girl with pale, light-colored hair, sweet and adorable, her looks a match for Elise's own.
The two seemed to be on very good terms.
Mo Yu's attention, meanwhile, was on the blood-red text.
【This is a Spirit Rabbit, extremely dangerous! Immediate flight is recommended!】
The same warning level as Elise's — a monster on par with a Vampire Baron.
Were pretty girls really this dangerous?
The maid got back in the car and scolded him:
"You're supposed to open the car door for Young Miss. Don't you even know basic etiquette?"
"Next time, for sure."
Mo Yu brushed it off, then asked, "So what's next?"
The maid said, "Whatever a butler is supposed to do. Shopping for household supplies in the morning, then tidying the villa in the afternoon."
"That's it? Shouldn't we be doing something bigger? Like wiping out enemies, fighting for the Great Emperor's cause." Mo Yu put on a righteous, solemn expression.
The maid snorted coldly. "Don't rush. There'll be a time when you're needed."
"Sure thing~" Mo Yu didn't press further.
The maid never spoke unless she had to; her attitude was completely cold, treating Mo Yu as though he weren't even there. Mo Yu found that just fine — he wasn't particularly eager for meaningless small talk with vampires either.
The two of them began the morning's shopping. By the time they'd loaded everything into the car, it was already 11:05.
They drove back to the villa.
Mo Yu sat in the co-pilot seat playing with his mobile phone. He'd found some information on the Kissing Cult and spoke up. "The Security Team dispersed the Kissing Cult members at nine. They headed to the Star Guest Grand Hotel — tch, a huge outdoor swimming pool party, so many people."
The car swerved slightly out of control.
Mo Yu turned back and caught sight of the maid's disgusted expression as she raised her voice:
"Cut it out with those dangerous thoughts of yours."
"I'm just looking."
"Just looking, just touching, just rubbing up against them, then off outside to buy medicine. Is that how it goes?"
"Please just drive properly!"
"Or maybe big sister should give it a try on you?"
"No thanks, I don't deserve it."
"Hmph, good, at least you know your place."
The maid snorted coldly.
Mo Yu just smiled and said nothing.
Vampires, in truth, were quite arrogant, viewing themselves as a superior species and regarding humans as food.
Mo Yu was no longer the least bit afraid of Elise. Her bringing him along had been a mistake on her part — with this many Rewind points at his disposal, he had countless ways to slip away.
The maid added another warning. "If you don't want to die, don't go to a place like that."
"Yes, yes, yes~" Mo Yu answered half-heartedly, his manner careless.
Judging by the maid's furrowed brow, she was clearly displeased, but she said nothing more.
They returned to the villa.
12:10.
Once Mo Yu had put everything away, he made an excuse to use the toilet, and went over the morning's events in his mind. He was ready to make his real move.
His own time was just about to begin.
Rewind!
6:51.
In a deserted corner outside the villa, two Mo Yus appeared.
This time, for the Rewind, he chose to generate a Mirror Image.
Within this fixed timeline, the Mirror Image would take his place, repeating all his actions — taking Elise to school, then going to the supermarket — and as long as he didn't interfere, everything would play out exactly the same.
He was the only variable.
A Rewind could duplicate a mirror copy of an item, but with strict limits, determined by how much influence that item held over the timeline.
Anything high-value, irreplaceable, or one-of-a-kind couldn't be duplicated.
For now, Mo Yu could only duplicate simple clothing.
Things like mobile phones, ID cards, and keys couldn't be duplicated at all — the Mirror Image had to carry the real items.
The Mirror Image headed back to the villa.
Mo Yu retrieved a bundle from the corner and walked off in the opposite direction. Inside the bundle were things he'd prepared in advance: an Automatic Pistol, a Titanium Alloy short blade, and a pair of stockings.
The stockings were new.
Taken from the villa's walk-in closet, still unopened in their packaging — judging by where they'd been stored, they were Elise's.
He tore open the stockings and pulled them over his head.
Steering well clear of the villa where Elise was, he deliberately headed in the opposite direction from the school, to avoid his upcoming actions accidentally interfering with the Mirror Image. Along the way, he Rewound several times, sending out Mirror Images to walk in different directions as counter-surveillance, making sure no one was tailing him.
What came next was a real-life version of GTA.
He needed a vehicle, a mobile phone, weapons.
His target: Head Spiders.
This was a wealthy neighborhood, large villas everywhere — plenty to loot.
After all, he had a perfect alibi and unlimited room to try, fail, and try again.
Time for some zero-cost shopping.
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