Chapter 467 End

The demon was quite wise; realizing it had no other choice, it immediately chose to surrender.

Then, it was fitted with the familiar collar by Ling Mo.

Guan Ling just watched from the side with a somewhat unexplained expression.

She probably thought another companion was about to fall into the deep pit.

However, when Ling Mo informed her of their intention to have her take over as the next demon leader, her thoughts shifted to intensifying her efforts.

After all, when they first captured her, Xia Xinyan and Ling Mo told her that as long as she was obedient and cooperative, they would help her rise to a higher position—not just a city-state, but even the entire Demon Kingdom.

For humans, they needed a demon leader willing to comply, and for Guan Ling, she wanted to be that leader; it was a win-win plan.

As for that three-meter-tall brute, it could just be a worker under Guan Ling—perhaps it was more suited to become the so-called National General.

The big guy seemed quite happy—escaping a dragon’s lair only to enter a tiger’s den, no big deal.

After all, it had held onto its life.

After successfully persuading the heavyweight demon, the support team from Xia Jincang’s side also withdrew completely, and next, humans, under the cooperation of Guan Ling and the big guy, charged into the core area of the demon forces with a considerable number of demons who had also been persuaded and were positioned at the front lines.

However, leading the charge remained the elite battle armor unit Ling Mo had assembled—regardless of how high the level of the battle armor was, even if something went wrong, they could retreat immediately and find Ling Mo to repair their gear… or rather, directly refresh the battle armor, and then they’d be back on the battlefield with full combat power. This nearly infinite refresh method was, even for demons, a nightmare.

Moreover, this time, what they were doing wasn’t segmenting the battlefield, but rather creating chaos—so long as they could scatter the demons and push the enemy demons over to their side, they could convert these demons at an incredibly fast pace.

These demons were essentially opportunistic traitors; they switched sides at the first sign of strong momentum—those whose brains were a bit slow had already been wiped out right away, leaving behind the relatively smarter ones. This even filtered out some excellent genes for the demon race.

Still, Ling Mo felt these guys would definitely end up in a military tribunal if they were in the human world.

As the ratio of converted demons began to climb higher and higher, the battlefield situation gradually tilted overwhelmingly in favor of the humans. The remaining demons either chose to join or fled in despair; under such conditions, the process of pushing into the core area of the demon forces was much smoother than Xia Xinyan had imagined.

However, the defenses in the demon core area were pretty solid—these were probably among the few truly loyal demons. Unfortunately, loyalty didn’t extend to humans, so… there was no need for them to remain.

“Pull everyone back,” Ling Mo ordered in the expeditionary force’s communications after realizing the charge against the demon core defenses was making little headway, “I’ll make a big move…”

As he spoke, while many others were still somewhat confused, some noticed a sudden appearance of a large amount of white threads in the sky.

That was the signature phenomenon of Ling Mo’s manifestation ability, meaning he was manifesting a… seemingly enormous thing in the sky.

Xia Xinyan also noticed this and had a rather strange expression.

Although it wasn’t fully manifested yet, she could already tell what it was, as she had seen it in her past life—

A massive airship.

The very thing that had once made her lose her life.

And now, Ling Mo was manifesting this thing again.

She had personally experienced the terror of this object; describing it as apocalyptic was not an exaggeration. The last time this thing was used, the human forces had only one member left—her. But now, this phenomenon represented a fireworks display of victory.

Once the silver-white, several kilometers long giant ship was fully manifested, a thin bead of sweat appeared on Ling Mo’s forehead. Even though his strength had increased several times, the sheer scale of manifestation since the beginning of the battle had still consumed a lot of his physical stamina. However… at least this battle was coming to an end.

He tilted his head to Xia Xinyan with a self-satisfied smile: “This is my strongest attack method now, let’s show Xinyan—”

As his words fell, he snapped his fingers.

Almost simultaneously, the cannon at the front of the giant ship suddenly coalesced into a dazzling white light, then, the white light exploded, forming a white torrent rushing toward the front demon core troops. In that instant of contact with those demons, the entire heaven and earth seemed to plunge into darkness.

When the long light faded and the dazed people opened their eyes again, they saw a deep gully stretching endlessly before them.

And those demons… had probably turned to light.

The terrifying power astonished even Ling Mo: “…Whoa, that’s too strong.”

Xia Xinyan tilted her head to look at him: “Can you fire another shot?”

“No, maintaining the giant ship’s existence consumes a lot of stamina,” Ling Mo shook his head, then smiled again, “But if Xinyan is willing to help me replenish some stamina, then there’s no problem.”

Xia Xinyan: “…”

After a pause, she replied indifferently, “I don’t think another shot is necessary; the size of the current expeditionary force probably means no remaining demon is our match.”

What she said was indeed correct.

This battle had converted over half of the demons into their allies, and the ones directly controlling these demons to maintain “loyalty” were Guan Ling, the big guy, and Meat Can. If the first two still had grievances due to being controlled by Ling Mo, after seeing that previous shot, they no longer had any more thoughts—while they didn’t know how many shots Ling Mo could fire, they did know they certainly wouldn’t last through many more.

In terms of power disparity, it didn’t seem shameful for them to become Ling Mo’s vassals.

As for Meat Can… it just yearned for love and peace.

With such a vast number of demons as a foundation, even without human expeditionary forces’ involvement, it was likely the remaining demons wouldn’t stir up much of a storm. Not to mention that there were so many human expeditionary forces accompanying them, so this expedition operation, after the decisive victory at the beginning, proceeded without any resistance. In just half a month’s time, all demon strongholds were completely subdued.

Thus, the expedition officially ended, but the process of recovery after ravaging the entire world would still take a considerable amount of time. However, after resolving the biggest troubles, no one cared about the remaining issues, even if they took time.

A new day arrived, with splendid weather.

A new life also signaled a good beginning.

[End of Text]

Next is the Extra

Here, the main storyline comes to an end.

Somewhat abrupt.

Although it had been said at the beginning that it would wrap up once sugar was given, as the plot unfolded, it turned out it wasn’t so simple to distribute sugar. The broader storyline ate up too much of the daily space, and writing too much of the day-to-day led to breaks in the main plot.

The initial setup was a problem.

So why didn’t I just start with a slice-of-life story?

—Thinking about this led to deciding to conclude this book to begin writing such a daily narrative. However, all the pits that needed filling have been filled, and it truly should conclude.

In the future, I will update a few extras to supplement the last bits of the storyline and also truly distribute some sugar in the extras, as a way to compensate for this book’s regrets.

As expected, daily life is the most joyful; from now on, I am a steadfast supporter of slice-of-life stories.

Wuwuwu.

—

Extra 1 Hope

After the expedition operation concluded, the Dark Zone world… no, it should now be called the real world, underwent a tremendous transformation.

With the help of the expeditionary forces, Guan Ling gained control over all the demons, truly becoming the Demon King—though the bomb collar around her neck remained unremoved, indicating she was still under human control.

At the same time, while the expeditionary forces helped Guan Ling manage the demons, they also gained a clear understanding of the distribution of demons, facilitating future regional divisions.

Humans and demons signed various unilateral treaties to restrain the demon race from causing too much interference and destruction to humans. In exchange, humans would assist demons in accelerating their evolution and development path—as a result, this also increased human control over the demons. For Guan Ling, she actually preferred this arrangement.

After all, demons… or rather, high-level demons were no longer just beings that existed for killing. Moreover, killing wasn’t something they enjoyed; they merely struggled to control the proportion of killing in their daily lives—just like how humans might unconsciously curse.

Therefore, what humans now needed to do was to help them build a civilized society for civilized demons.

On the other hand, after coming to a reconciliation with the demon race, the world’s emergency protection mechanism no longer needed its facade. Within a few days, an announcement was released in the game system, informing all humans to return to the Dark Zone world, which is now truly the real world. Additionally, it would begin transferring other beings into the real world in batches, and a shutdown countdown for the original “real world” was set for half a month.

This announcement not only confirmed all the speculations Ling Mo and Xia Xinyan had, but also silenced everyone who had previously laughed at their ideas.

Predictably, the tightly-wound society stirred again because of this announcement, but now, instead of confusion about the future, most were just bewildered at the thought of heading to a wholly new world—even if this world was one they had once inhabited, it was now just a ruined world that hadn’t been rebuilt yet.

Fortunately, the Ability Bureau and the state had long since prepared, quickly formulating appropriate plans—some for relocating, some for comforting.

Fortunately, although people were a bit confused, they cooperated well. The relocation plan was even smoother than expected, taking just a week to finalize.

Afterwards, the world’s emergency protection mechanism began to gradually close, first shutting off the routes to return to the virtual world, then closing the game system’s summon, effectively cutting off players’ connections with the game—by now, they were no longer players.

Of course, at this time, no one cared about that; the issue they faced next was the reconstruction of this ruined world—although major factions had already allocated considerable living spaces in this world, it still wasn’t enough for the nationwide population. Therefore, the main task ahead was to clear out abandoned cities and rebuild new homes upon them.

Before that, temporary encampments filled the wilds surrounding all factions’ territories.

The Chicks Stronghold was no exception; initially, Ling Mo and Xia Xinyan had established their base around what used to be their home, surrounded by vast amounts of villages and fields, indicating it was a great place to start anew. They dismantled the defensive walls of the stronghold, and Ling Mo mobilized his team to lead people in clearing out the surrounding area, repurposing abandoned buildings, and reviving neglected fields.

With the absence of the former constant danger and tension, even though everything was still in the early stages of reconstruction, one could feel a sense of peace and hope.

Notably, many villagers who once lived there returned, including Ling Mo’s family. Ling Mo specifically arranged residences for them, and his family moved back to their home.

Everything was gradually getting back on track.

Atop a building, Xia Xinyan gazed at the distant fields, where numerous individuals were busy clearing weeds, reminiscent of the harvest seasons she had witnessed as a child, making her quite nostalgic.

“Done with your tasks?” Monica, not knowing when she had appeared by her side, greeted her.

Xia Xinyan turned to look at her: “No need for me to do anything; they are doing quite well.”

“True.” After a pause, Monica added, “I’ll probably leave in a few days.”

“…Yeah.”

“Is that it? No reluctance to see me go?”

“Nope.”

“…You really are heartless.”

“If you could be a bit more normal, I wouldn’t be so heartless.”

Monica was quiet for a moment, then shrugged: “Alright, but I still believe you two would be a great match. You know, we’re both women…”

“Got an issue?” Xia Xinyan shot her a sideways glance.

Monica shrugged: “Okay, I get it—still, I stand by my statement: after you live your life out, I’ll come back and ask again. I genuinely think we’re a good fit.”

Xia Xinyan ignored her.

A proposal, huh…

—

Extra 2 Proposal

Since several factions were located in Linjiang City, this city was one of the fastest to be rebuilt, with the villa area being the first to complete reconstruction.

The Summer family also returned to this place, not too far from the Chicks Stronghold.

The city’s reconstruction progressed smoothly. Apart from the densely populated central area, the outskirts were almost completely cleared, and some sections had already resumed operations—like small shops selling basic necessities, which were a good sign.

Of course, the Chicks had contributed significantly to the reconstruction, and during this time, everyone had witnessed Ling Mo’s impressive performance. Coupled with his outstanding actions during the expedition, he was nearly revered as a savior, even more so than some heroes promoted by the Ability Bureau.

Thus, no faction dared to underestimate the Chicks anymore. While they hadn’t become the number one faction, being among the strongest factions was not an exaggeration.

After all, aside from the Chicks, no other faction could produce an airship capable of delivering bombardments; that thing could literally erase an entire faction or even a whole region from existence.

However, Ling Mo was not particularly concerned about such superficial accolades; after all, the world had been saved. The time when he needed prestige had passed. Rather than being a big star, he preferred to be an ordinary person, at least that felt freer.

But… being a star wasn’t too bad either.

It could add quite a bit of value to what he was planning next.

For some time after the expedition ended, Ling Mo had been helping to rebuild Linjiang City. Besides wanting to do so, part of the reason was to show off in front of the Summer family.

What he had always wanted to do was finally coming to fruition.

So, taking advantage of a moment when Xia Xinyan wasn’t around, Ling Mo went to the villa area by himself.

Young members of the Summer family were usually holding key positions in the New Dawn, busy using their powers for rapid city reconstruction, while the older generation had more leisure time. When Ling Mo found Xia Xinyan’s parents, they were sunbathing at the entrance.

“Hey, Ling Mo’s here,” Xia’s father stood to greet him. “Why didn’t you give us a heads up? We weren’t prepared.”

It was evident that compared to before when he bore some displeasure towards Ling Mo, Xia’s father now genuinely recognized Ling Mo’s position and showed him greater respect.

Xia’s mother remained her ever-warm self: “Why’s Xinyan not with you?”

“She had some matters,” Ling Mo smiled, “Recently, she has been busy with city reconstruction and has little free time. She expressed her regret at not being able to accompany you, Uncle and Auntie.”

“Ah… that’s alright,” Xia’s mother replied happily, “She’s contributing to the country; missing a few visits is fine. We have plenty of time, no need to rush.”

Ling Mo observed them for a moment, and his expression gradually turned serious: “I came this time… to discuss something with you, Uncle and Auntie.”

Upon hearing this, the couple seemed to have guessed what was coming and returned the seriousness: “Go ahead, we’re listening.”

“Xia Xinyan and I… had a previous agreement, that once everything settled down, I’d propose to her.” Ling Mo didn’t beat around the bush and went straight to the point, “I feel it’s time now; I want to marry Xinyan, and I hope Uncle and Auntie can approve.”

Xia’s father was silent for a while, then sighed and asked, “I only have one question for you—will you treat Xinyan well for a lifetime?”

“I will.” Ling Mo nodded.

He wouldn’t say too many flowery words in front of the couple; he had consistently proven himself through actions, in the past and in the future.

Just like he had told Xia Xinyan countless times before—he had always been there.

“Good,” Xia’s father sighed deeply, sinking back into his chair, “That’s all I wanted to hear. But… if we ever hear Xinyan say you mistreated her, no matter how capable you are, we won’t let her suffer.”

“Rest assured, Uncle,” Ling Mo nodded.

“Well then,” Xia’s father’s expression was somewhat complex, “As for Xinyan… that’s up to you now; we won’t be speaking on your behalf.”

Ling Mo smiled faintly: “Thank you.”

As mentioned earlier, this would be a plus point for him based on his increased reputation as a prospective son-in-law.

However, the rapid agreement from the couple did truly take him by surprise.

And he felt quite pleased.

After Ling Mo left, Xia’s father gazed at the large gate to the yard and sighed once more, “Our daughter is getting taken away…”

“Wasn’t she already taken away a long time ago?” Xia’s mother glanced at him, “We should be happy for Xinyan to meet such a good child; I can finally rest easy.”

Xia’s father’s expression grew even more complex.

Once leaving the villa area, Ling Mo found Xia Xinyan; at that moment, she was teaching Guan Ling how to use a computer—ever since they had first met Guan Ling, the girl had shown a strong interest in the humans’ marvelous creations, and that interest remained undiminished.

So what Xia Xinyan was doing was indeed contributing to the city’s reconstruction—by helping stabilize the current demon leader through such means, she was indirectly maintaining peace and stability in the human world, right?

In fact, Guan Ling was quite adept; when Ling Mo approached, she was already capable of operating the device independently.

Thus, Ling Mo left her there to continue studying the matter.

Ling Mo brought Xia Xinyan to the rooftop of the tallest building in Linjiang City, where, at dusk, the city that had once been in despair now glimmered with life, displaying a unique allure.

“What’s up? You called me over suddenly,” Xia Xinyan asked.

Ling Mo gazed at the distant sunset, feeling somewhat emotional: “It feels like we haven’t spent time alone together for quite a while.”

Since they started preparing for the expedition, they had been wrapped up in countless tasks.

Xia Xinyan paused slightly: “Um… what’s going on?”

She felt an inexplicable premonition.

And it came to fruition soon—

Ling Mo turned to her, smiling slightly: “Xinyan, do you remember our previous agreement? After the expedition, we would be together.”

Xia Xinyan bit her lip and said nothing.

Of course, she remembered.

“Look at this city,” Ling Mo’s tone was somewhat nostalgic, “It’s our joint efforts that brought life back to it. People may view me as the one leading the expedition and call me a hero, but I believe the real hero should be you, Xinyan. I’ve always said I’d be with you, and you’ve always been with me, right? Linjiang City, transitioning from a virtual world to a real one, is the best testament to our bond.”

“…Yeah.”

“So, will you marry me, Xinyan? …I know this proposal might seem rather casual, but I’ve thought it through. Now that people are all working hard to restore normality, making a big fuss seems rather out of place before we overcome these difficulties.” Ling Mo’s tone grew more nervous.

“It’s indeed quite casual,” Xia Xinyan assessed, raising Ling Mo’s anxiety, but her latter words left him stunned, “But hasn’t Mo Mo forgotten? I agreed to you even before the expedition.”

After a long while, Ling Mo finally processed this: “So, Xinyan means… you agree?!”

“Yeah.”

“Then… can we get married tomorrow? The wedding’s already prepared.”

“…Yeah.”

“After we marry, can we go on a honeymoon? The new home is already set up.”

“Yep.”

“Then… can we sleep together? The bedsheets are all ready.”

“…Yeah.”