Mini World Game Console-Chapter 803 - 804: Experience the Future

1999, Tibet, Yamdrok Sacred Lake.

"Battle failed."

"This is so humiliating! It's all your fault! I'm done fighting!"

Wearing a baseball cap, Elder Sister Meng, cradling the swollen face of Pretty Soldier Dragon King Zhao Huo, cried out to the Supreme Supreme.

Behind them, on the vast lakeside meadow, were 998 other children who had also been thoroughly beaten by the pandas.

With a casual flick of his hand, the Supreme Supreme restored everyone to their original state.

However, Ren Suo noticed that the "Critical Value" in the upper right corner of the screen had changed to "49/50".

When the Critical Value reset to 0, the first batch of Ark Troops from the year 2049 in the Centauri Star System would transfer to the Solar System of 1999, marking the start of the actual battle.

Before this, Ren Suo couldn't save or load his game, meaning once the Critical Value was gone, it was truly gone.

However, failing the "Tibetan Panda" battle would only cause a loss of 1 point of Critical Value. Conversely, successfully clearing the "Tibetan Panda" battle would cost 8 points of Critical Value.

The "Critical Value" mechanic was clearly related to time, perhaps even directly representing the remaining days, though there might be methods to replenish it. However, Ren Suo, in these early stages, naturally had no way to do so.

Although a failure only consumed one point of Critical Value, Ren Suo currently had no way to replenish it. This means… if I lose two more times, dropping the Critical Value to 47, then even if I can later clear the "Tibetan Panda" instance, I'll, at most, only be able to replay this instance five more times.

Of course, Ren Suo could choose to play other panda instances, but if these children couldn't even clear the simplest one like "Tibetan Panda," then "Liangshan Po Panda," "Wolong Ridge Panda," or "Piaomiao Peak Panda" were even less likely to be cleared.

Glancing at the screen where the kids, excited to touch the pandas but fearful of being hit, were getting lively again, Ren Suo scratched his head.

The Future Cultivators are all children. Ren Suo quickly accepted this reality.

Thinking about it, it made sense. The resurgence of Spiritual Energy began, at the earliest, in the 2010s. So, the few powerful individuals in 2049 would have logically started their Cultivation in the 2010s. In Cultivation, young people have a significant advantage, not necessarily due to Talent, but because middle-aged and older people are already settled into their careers, making it challenging to find enough time for Cultivation. Naturally, those who got the first taste of it were the young people born in the 1980s and 1990s—this is what's called a generational bonus. Perhaps the real powerhouses will emerge from those born after 2000 or 2010. Although the first generation of Cultivators from the 1980s and 1990s were half a step ahead of their time, this was akin to pioneering a new field; they were bound to make mistakes and take wrong turns. In contrast, the second and third generations of Cultivators will inherit more mature Cultivation Techniques and cultivate with a more perfect rhythm. Indeed, this was the case at Heavenly Lotus Academy. Never mind that Gu Yueyan and the others cultivate slightly slower than Dong Chengling; that's because Dong Chengling is too… exceptionally gifted. However, compared to other teachers on campus, the students' Cultivation speed has already caught up with the teachers'. The teachers have to constantly keep up with the latest updates in Cultivation Techniques and Spells to maintain their lead in Cultivation. If I could draw a Future Cultivator who wasn't young, they would likely be at least at the seventh stage or eighth revolution—middle-aged individuals who began cultivating in the 2010s would mostly become the trendsetters of 2049. In fact, I know two such individuals: Gu Wenyi, Gu Yueyan's father, and Elder Zhao, Zhao Huo's father. However, this game doesn't offer me the functionality to specifically seek out individuals, and I'm not planning on looking for these two. After all, Gu Wenyi is Gu Yueyan's father, and Elder Zhao is Zhao Huo's father. The Seek Visit Spell requires Celestial Origin Stone to be activated, and it's completely random. Perhaps another feature, "Open Recruitment," could also recruit Future Cultivators, but it's currently grayed out and unselectable. It probably requires some conditions to be met before this feature can be used.

Returning to the present, Ren Suo looked back at the screen showing Yamdrok Sacred Lake.

It was through this failed battle that Ren Suo finally understood what the "Unity Level" in the cultivator information meant—

When they hadn't Joined the Way, these children… were truly just a bunch of kids.

Only after successfully Joining the Way with the Spiritual Energy Points in cosmic space could they activate the "Future Echo" bestowed by the Supreme Supreme, thereby possessing the combat power of a Fourth Transformation Future Body.

Thus, Ren Suo had to get these children, aged 1 to 10, to defeat over ten thousand pandas, each weighing more than 100 kilograms!

Near Nam Co Sacred Lake, it turned out there were over ten thousand pandas. At a glance, the lake seemed full of playful pandas, with many rolling on the grass and others eating grass!

But the children had no combat power whatsoever!

The only advantage was that, under the "Future Echo," the Future Cultivators' pain was suppressed to its lowest point. The Supreme Supreme also kept an eye on the battlefield, directly evacuating any injured child.

So, Zhao Huo looked severely beaten merely because he thought he had become a Pretty Soldier and got caught in a brawl with pandas. Since there was no pain, the fight was thrilling, and by the time the Supreme Supreme withdrew him, he was already in this state...

At first glance, it seemed like there was no chance of winning. But apart from them, there was one other combatant in the game, the strongest one—the Supreme Supreme.

Of course, the Supreme Supreme couldn't directly participate in the battle. It seemed the children had to subdue the pandas themselves for the pandas to become their companion spirits. If the Supreme Supreme had directly beaten them, they would have just become a bunch of pets.

However, at times like these, the Supreme Supreme also had another role: transforming into Immortal Origin.

Though not comparable to true Immortal Origin, the Supreme Supreme could form an Immortal Origin force field, creating Spiritual Energy Points in the surrounding area to strengthen Future Cultivators. However, the Spiritual Energy Points created by the Supreme Supreme were limited; currently, there were only two small Spiritual Energy Points, just enough to accommodate a thousand people.

But unlike the original game, these Spiritual Energy Points weren't fixed, so the Supreme Supreme could arrange them however he wanted.

Future Cultivators located at these small Spiritual Energy Points could probably gain the First Transformation Future Body Cultivation, and their combat power would be barely sufficient... to endure a few more kicks from the pandas.

Initially, Ren Suo followed a logical approach, dividing the children into two groups: one led by Xiao Meng and the other by Dragon King Zhao Huo. Dragon King Zhao Huo could activate the "Little Dragon King Celestial Power" and confront the pandas head-on, while Xiao Meng would lead her group to a distant high ridge, activating the Trait "Assassin's Arrow" to attack the pandas from afar.

The "Future Echo" truly was the Supreme Supreme's Core Spell. After the Spiritual Energy Points were triggered, even though these children could only temporarily gain First Transformation Future Body Cultivation, they actually materialized armor and weapons!

Dragon King Zhao Huo materialized a spear and a set of children's armor, while Xiao Meng materialized a Silver Moon longbow!

Only then did I understand why only Seventh-Stage Future Body Cultivators could command a Monk Soldier Troop. The equipment of Xiao Meng and Dragon King Zhao Huo directly outclassed that of all other Cultivators!

With Xiao Meng holding a longbow, all Future Cultivators around her received a Silver Moon longbow. As for the Vanguard Cultivator Dragon King Zhao Huo, holding a spear, behind him was also a group of vanguards wielding spears!

So, after the battle ended, Dragon King Zhao Huo approached the Supreme Supreme, asking if he could change his armor to a sailor suit, as wearing armor didn't make him a Pretty Soldier.

The Supreme Supreme said it was impossible. After all, it seemed that when Zhao Huo grew up, he was no longer fond of Pretty Soldiers—wait, Ren Suo recalled; although Zhao Huo's figure cabinet did have sailor-suited soldiers, he no longer liked wearing sailor suits himself.

This might just be what they call the relentless march of time; as people grow up, they forget their original aspirations.

Originally, seeing the two teams of fully equipped child Cultivators, Ren Suo had felt confident: Dragon King Zhao Huo would hold the front, and Xiao Meng would shoot from behind. But then, they were instantly overwhelmed the moment the Panda Legion charged.

It has to be said, the Seek Visit Spell indeed has something to it; the children strictly followed the Supreme Supreme's commands, formed arrays, and obeyed orders without fail. They launched the attack under the command of Xiao Meng and Dragon King Zhao Huo.

Nevertheless, they were scattered by the Panda Legion.

Five hundred children were swarmed by hundreds of pandas; Dragon King Zhao Huo Team was instantly dissolved. Right after Xiao Meng's Team fired three volleys of arrows, they too were overrun and trampled by the pandas.

As Ren Suo was thinking, he suddenly noticed that the Deployment Cost for the Cultivators Legion had dropped to one-tenth of its original.

That's normal; how could interstellar legions traveling light-years compare to an ordinary teleport on the grass? Which meant...

After pondering for a moment, Ren Suo once again challenged the "Tibetan Panda" instance.

This time, he first positioned Xiao Meng's Team far away, having them launch arrow shots at the panda group from a distance, although the arrows seemed to be made of water...

The pandas immediately burst into a fury, sending a thousand of their number rushing toward Xiao Meng's Team. A thousand pandas stampeding shook the very ground, and even the surface of the lake rippled endlessly!

As for why the tens of thousands of pandas only dared to send out a thousand, I figured out the answer right away—because the Supreme Supreme was watching. With someone capable of tearing stars apart with their bare hands nearby, if the pandas dared to gang up, they would have to face a one-on-one fight with the Supreme Supreme.

After Xiao Meng's Team shot five volleys of arrows, just as the pandas were about to break through, Ren Suo deployed the Dragon King Zhao Huo Team!

The thousand charging pandas suddenly performed an exquisite drifting maneuver, completely abandoning the nearby Xiao Meng's Team and charging towards the distant Dragon King Zhao Huo Team instead!

Xiao Meng's Team took this opportunity to shoot five more volleys of arrows; several pandas were already shot down and paralyzed on the ground!

Just when the pandas were about to reach the Dragon King Zhao Huo Team, Ren Suo suddenly withdrew them. He checked the summoning list and found that he could resummon the Dragon King Zhao Huo Team in just 13 seconds!

Just as I thought! Dragon King Zhao Huo's "Little Dragon King Celestial Power" has extremely high priority. The pandas wouldn't dare to charge the Immortal Origin (they probably wouldn't dare approach the Supreme Supreme anyway), acting like a swarm of angered, headless flies. So, when Dragon King Zhao Huo appears, the pandas abandon the nearby Xiao Meng's Team and turn to charge the Dragon King Zhao Huo Team! Because this isn't outer space, not only is the Deployment Cost greatly reduced, but the redeployment time is also significantly shortened. Thirteen seconds is nowhere near enough time for these pandas to run back to Xiao Meng's Team!

As expected, just when the pandas were a hair's breadth from impacting Xiao Meng's Team, Ren Suo redeployed the Dragon King Vanguard Team to the same old position!

After a back-and-forth exchange of twenty volleys of arrow rain, most of the pandas had been shot down. The small remainder failed to break through the Dragon King Zhao Huo Team and were instead annihilated by a pincer attack from Xiao Meng's Team and the Dragon King Zhao Huo Team!

Looking at the grassland littered with defeated pandas, the little whippersnapper Dragon King Zhao Huo stood on a panda's back, held his spear high, and bellowed, "Perfect score!"

"Victory in Battle"

That was a win? Although the battle strategy this time was quite clever—repositioning the Dragon King Zhao Huo Team back and forth to make the pandas run themselves ragged, weakening them enough for Xiao Meng's Team to pick them off—but... The Supreme Supreme used large-scale Space Spells at least four times. It felt like using a cannon to swat a mosquito, using a quad-Titan graphics card setup to browse forums, or using SK-II to clean a toilet—a sense of utter extravagance.

However, Ren Suo soon understood that all of this was worth it.

Firstly, among the defeated pandas, over a hundred radiated a golden glow. They voluntarily approached some children. After gently licking the backs of the children's hands, they shifted from solid to ethereal, shrank in size, and turned into toy-sized golden panda companion spirits. They became these children's partners, some even vanishing directly, transforming into golden light that adhered to the children's bodies.

Is this the "Interstellar Assault Armor" that allows them to travel freely through the universe?

Meanwhile, all the children simultaneously sat down cross-legged. Their bodies began to emit fiery rainbow flames that shot up into the sky, looking like a thousand rainbows connecting heaven and earth.

"Contracted 175 Spirit Beast Pandas"

"Obtained 3 Fantasy Experience Crystals"

Fantasy Experience Crystal? A new prop?

"Fantasy Experience Crystal: Future Cultivators who have gained Future Echo can obtain this crystal after a battle victory. It is formed by collectively condensing their wisdom and memories, harmonized through dream Spells, and allows them to glimpse into the future. Allowing Future Cultivators to use the Dream Crystal will let them experience their own future, thus improving their Unity Magic Level."

The Unity Level is the true Level of a Cultivator. Even though Dragon King Zhao Huo might be an impressive Nine-Turn Cultivator in the future, right now, after Joining the Way, he's still at most a Fourth Transformation sailor-suited kid. I had just been wondering how to improve their Unity Level. It turns out they need to engage in battle and, after a victory, condense Dream Crystals for Strengthening.

Ren Suo looked at the Heaven-Connecting Rainbow Pillar in the scene. No wonder clearing the instance consumed 8 points of Critical Value; it was probably used for the time these children needed to condense the Dream Crystals.

Opening the character interface, Ren Suo saw that the only ones whose Levels he could enhance with Dream Crystals were Xiao Meng and Dragon King Zhao Huo. The other 998 children had a maximum limit of a Fourth Transformation Future Body, with no room for improvement.

If I use all three Fantasy Experience Crystals on one person, I can raise their Unity Level from Fourth Transformation 0% to Fourth Transformation 20%. And every 10% increase in Unity Level slightly strengthens a Future Cultivator's Attack Power and defensive power.

Ren Suo thought for a moment and chose to prioritize strengthening Xiao Meng.

Compared to Zhao Huo, Xiao Meng contributed more in this panda instance and had higher damage output. Temporarily increasing her output Level seems like a wise choice.

Xiao Meng, consume three Fantasy Experience Crystals!

The scene changed. The children were no longer emitting Rainbow Light on the grassland but were back at the base's amusement park, frolicking.

Three white crystals dissipated in front of the baseball-capped Xiao Meng, transforming into a stream of light that merged into her body. Xiao Meng's eyes looked dazed for a few seconds, then she suddenly let out a loud "Ah!"

"What's wrong with Elder Sister Meng?" asked Dragon King Zhao Huo, who had returned to the base and changed back into his Princess Dress, trotting over to Xiao Meng.

Xiao Meng looked at Dragon King Zhao Huo for a few seconds, then suddenly blushed. She boldly hugged Dragon King Zhao Huo and smacked a kiss on his little mouth.

"Wow!" the children immediately burst into an uproar.

Hearing the others' teasing, Dragon King Zhao Huo's little face turned red. As if feeling he had been taken advantage of or had lost, he also hugged Xiao Meng and smacked a kiss on her lips.

Ren Suo was speechless. Why do I have to endure these kids' public displays of affection...

「...」

After shutting down the computer, taking off his headphones, and turning off the desk lamp, Zhao Huo blinked. He didn't put on his slippers, instead stepping barefoot onto the floor, trying to leave silently.

"Where are you going?"

Xiao Meng's laughter came from the bed. Zhao Huo stopped in his tracks and asked awkwardly, "Did I wake you?"

"I was waiting for you to come to bed."

With no way to avoid it, Zhao Huo reluctantly lay on his side on the bed, facing Xiao Meng in the dark. He felt as if he could feel her orchid-like breath and hear her pulsating heartbeat.

A bit awkward. I must say something.

Zhao Huo began, "Picking up from last time, I led a response team into the Crystal Mirror Secret Realm. At that time, despite my Eight Transformations Cultivation, I nearly had my head lopped off by the Third Eccentric using a Dark Spell..."

Xiao Meng chuckled, "You still remember that epic TV drama dream where you were the main character?"

Zhao Huo said, "I'm almost dreaming of becoming a Nine-Turn Cultivator. Of course, I remember."

Xiao Meng asked, "Did you dream about me?"

Zhao Huo replied, "Yes. I dreamed I often led many people to explore Secret Realms and save the world. Whenever something unexpected happened, I would take responsibility for covering our retreat. And then I dreamed you all would join me in covering the retreat."

Xiao Meng asked, "You all?"

Zhao Huo, pretending not to understand, said, "Yeah, yeah, we all cover the retreat together. Since you all were with me, although we fell into traps numerous times and I was beaten half to death dozens of times, we never failed a single retreat. We always managed to keep everyone safe."

Xiao Meng laughed, "So, we would never get hurt as long as you hadn't fallen?"

Zhao Huo said, "Of course! Oh, right, it seems because it was always us few covering the retreat, everyone started calling us by some kind of group name..."

Watching Zhao Huo rack his brains in the dark, Xiao Meng laughed, "I've had similar dreams, you know."

Zhao Huo said excitedly, "Dreamed of fighting side by side with me!?"

Xiao Meng said, "No, I dreamed about right now. I dreamed you'd be playing games tonight, dreamed you'd play until 2 AM and then try to sneak away. I also dreamed that you… wouldn't do anything tonight."

The bedroom fell silent for a moment, making Zhao Huo's breathing sound even heavier.

MWAH.

"You dreamed wrong," Zhao Huo said, trying to sound calm, but his ragged breathing betrayed his flustered heart.

"Kissing can't be this gentle. You should first loop your arms around the other person's neck, pull them close. And remember, when expressing love like this, you need to kiss their lips. It's not like our childhood play. Don't be so gentle, like a dragonfly skimming water. Like this, let me show you once…"

"...Did you learn?"

"Learned it, learned it."

"Sigh, if this were twenty years ago, you would have known what to do already. How come Elder Sister Meng still has to teach you now?"

Zhao Huo said profoundly, "Maybe this is maturity."

"So-called maturity is having a foot in three boats at once?" Xiao Meng sighed softly. "If it were twenty years ago...

"Then your pants would have already been off by now."