Chapter 1 Waking Up

"The Central Meteorological Observatory predicts that a new round of strong cold air will arrive starting tomorrow, which will also be the strongest cold air since the second half of this year."

A hollow broadcast woke Qiao Yu. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in a familiar hospital.

Speaking of which, he was an old customer of this hospital. Qiao Yu smiled wryly, wondering if he should just get a VIP annual package.

He patted his head, recalling what had happened before.

His memory was a little fuzzy. He only remembered that he was extremely angry, and then an extremely terrifying force appeared in his body.

This force was completely beyond Qiao Yu's control. In order to vent it, he seemed to... beat the crap out of Thanatos?

Was it a dream? Or reality?

Qiao Yu slowly closed his fingers into a fist, but that power had disappeared without a trace, as if it had never appeared at all.

"You're finally awake."

Shen Jianshu, holding a thermos cup, had a furrowed brow and a thick, unyielding murderous aura in his old eyes.

"Don't worry, the school will definitely give you justice! The one who attacked you was the Gambling King, one of the Eight Kings. All his casino forces in Kyoto have been uprooted! If he dares to show himself, I will personally turn him into an undead puppet."

"What about Zuo Yu? Is she alright?"

Qiao Yu was startled by his own voice, which was extremely hoarse, as if his throat was clogged with ancient phlegm.

"Alas!" Shen Jianshu sighed faintly, "So you're嫌弃 (xiánqì,嫌弃 means to dislike) this old man for keeping you company? And I was thinking of protecting you here."

Shen Jianshu continued, "Don't worry, your little girlfriend is fine. She doesn't even have a scratch. I'll go get her for you."

Qiao Yu smiled awkwardly.

After Shen Jianshu left, Qiao Yu seemed to think of something and quickly called out in his heart.

"Little Ji! Little Ji, are you still there? Are you okay?"

"She's not too good..."

The Mechanical Empress didn't answer, but a man's voice sounded in Qiao Yu's heart.

"Shusheng Gui (Scholar Ghost)? How is Little Ji!"

"I don't know how to say it... see for yourself." said Shusheng Gui.

Only then did Qiao Yu realize that the Mechanical Empress hadn't hidden in his body as usual, but was lying quietly in his undead space.

The Mechanical Empress was no longer the delicate girl she had been. The clothes and flesh on her body had all been melted away, replaced by a silver-white mechanical skeleton.

"The Mechanical Empress is still alive, I can feel her soul aura, but her body... is too damaged, I don't know what to do." Shusheng Gui shook his head.

Qiao Yu's heart sank.

The Mechanical Empress was an NPC in a dungeon. His real world didn't have enough technology to repair her body. Perhaps he could only return to the Mechanical Kingdom dungeon?

"Shusheng Gui, what exactly happened after I fainted that day?" Qiao Yu asked.

"I don't know!" Shusheng Gui spread his hands, blinking innocently. "I fainted as soon as that scary man made a move. When I woke up, you were already unconscious, and the Mechanical Empress had become like this."

"In my panic, I dragged the Mechanical Empress into your undead space first, and then they found you and took you to the hospital."

Qiao Yu nodded slowly. It seemed that the scene of him beating up Thanatos was real… Otherwise, he and the Mechanical Empress would have been killed, and Zuo Yu would have been taken away.

So, Thanatos was beaten to death by him? So he was that awesome?

Creak!

The sound of the ward door opening pulled Qiao Yu back to reality.

Zuo Yu walked in from outside the ward with fragrant food.

"Are you hungry? You've been unconscious for a whole day."

Qiao Yu was about to speak, but Zuo Yu continued.

"I know you have a lot of questions. Eat first, and I'll tell you as you eat."

Qiao Yu nodded and took the food. He was indeed hungry. A pot of stewed goose with several cornbread pancakes made him eat with relish.

"I didn't tell you before because I was afraid you'd be in danger, but since you're also one of the inheritors, I have to let you know some things first."

Zuo Yu watched Qiao Yu gobble down his food and smiled happily. She opened her mouth and said, "You can ask anything you want now."

"What are inheritors?" Qiao Yu asked, stuffing a piece of potato into his mouth.

"Inheritors of Hades, the King of the Underworld. The seeds of inheritance will choose their own masters. Those who fuse with the seeds of inheritance are inheritors."

Qiao Yu frowned slightly. He had indeed seen a sleeping white-robed man in the Pseudo-Underworld dungeon, and only he could see him.

After that white-robed man passed through him, he gained an S-rank item, the Seed of the King of the Underworld.

This thing hadn't moved since it absorbed the fires of the Underworld once. Was this the seed of inheritance that Zuo Yu was talking about?

Zuo Yu paused and continued, "At the moment of fusing with the seed of inheritance, the inheritor will briefly possess a trace of the King of the Underworld's power."

"You can understand it as getting a temporary trial card for the power of the King of the Underworld, in order to attract inheritors to pursue the inheritance of the King of the Underworld."

"Qiao Yu." Zuo Yu's expression became serious. "Since you are also an inheritor, you have to get stronger quickly, because... there are more inheritors than just you."

Qiao Yu nodded. He finally knew where that mysterious power he had when he beat up Thanatos came from. He continued to ask.

"Do I have to accept the inheritance? Can't I just give up?"

"No, look at your attribute panel. There should be an extra item on it."

After Zuo Yu finished speaking, Qiao Yu looked at the attribute panel and found that there was indeed an item he had never seen before.

Nether Energy Value: 10%

"Only when the nether energy value reaches 100% can you enter the Underworld alive. Otherwise, you will become a dead person as soon as you step into the Underworld. And the nether energy value can only be obtained by hunting other inheritors."

Zuo Yu raised her head with some worry.

"So... even if you don't want to participate in the inheritance, other inheritors will come looking for you."

"Is that so..." Qiao Yu muttered to himself, "Is Thanatos dead? Who is he?"

Zuo Yu shook her head.

"No, Thanatos is still alive and well. To be precise, he can't be considered a person. He is the God of Death who controls death in the Underworld, the right-hand man of Hades, the King of the Underworld."

"What about you? Are you also an inheritor?" Qiao Yu suddenly thought of Zuo Yu's appearance covered in the fires of the Underworld.

"I'm not..." Zuo Yu shook her head, her smile a little forced. "I'll tell you about me after the combat competition is over. Can you not ask about this, please?"

Qiao Yu had actually already guessed something in his heart… But he didn't say much, just gave a smile.

"Okay, then I have one last question."

"Go ahead." Zuo Yu nodded.

"You will always be my Zuo Yu, right?"

Zuo Yu was stunned for a moment, then smiled, as beautiful as a blooming snow lotus.

"Yes, no matter what I become, I will be your Zuo Yu."