Chapter 38 (Two-in-One)

The little cub had no idea what the Main System had broadcasted to the other candidates for the title of "Soldier King." At this moment, he was sitting in the arms of the Myriad Underworld Demon Lord, allowing the Demon Lord to carry him through Plane No. 25838.

The little one felt as though there were simply too many beautiful sights around him to take in; his eyes could barely keep up!

Yes, just like the scenery he had witnessed earlier by the Mirror Lake, every corner of Plane No. 25838 possessed a unique charm.

There were vast, sprawling grasslands where a colossal, flower-shaped umbrella bloomed in the center, its brilliant petals so dazzling that one couldn't help but feel mesmerized from afar.

There were also rivers of a clear, jade-green hue that looked like jelly, transparent to the very bottom, bubbling as they flowed. Wisps of blue smoke and white mist rose from the water’s surface, creating an ethereal, dreamlike beauty.

Furthermore, there were fruits shimmering with radiant colors under the light, towering trees that reached the sky, and dappled shadows cast upon the grass through the massive canopy.

This world also held ordinary, non-sentient creatures, like birds and butterflies, wandering freely through such beauty, making the land look like paradise itself.

[Oh, this sub-plane is just too beautiful...]
[If the Black Universe Group were willing to develop this place for tourism, I think I would be willing to visit it in person!]

In the viewer area of the virtual broadcast spheres, the spirits of the audience watched the scene before them. Many activated the paid "Virtual Space Recording" feature, preparing to project their consciousness into the virtual environment to experience the atmosphere, just in case the Black Universe Group didn't open it to the public.

[Still... I really don't know who placed a curse on this plane—those disgusting monster forms are truly nauseating.]
[Oh, yes! Although this lifeform called the Myriad Underworld Demon Lord is very friendly, if he keeps that disgusting appearance, I certainly won't be satisfied with the scene before me!]

...

After Su You’s "Eye of Truth" skill had pierced through all illusions, the audience in the virtual broadcast spheres had completely relaxed. They even had the leisure to critique the live feed.

As for the "diode" fans of the cub within Sub-space No. 001, it goes without saying that with the revelation of Su You’s new skill, they had entered a new round of "cub-flexing," with each one wishing they could empty their very brains to find the perfect praise for the little one.

...

Back on Plane No. 25838, the Soldier King candidates who had heard the Main System's announcement had composed themselves after a brief mental collapse.

After all, no matter how powerful Candidate No. 001 was, it had nothing to do with them. What they needed to do now was simply—survive.

The monsters of this plane were too powerful for the vast majority of the remaining candidates, and to make it through, they had to pull out all the stops.

Candidate No. 076 was one such individual who, having exhausted every effort, finally managed to hide in a secluded corner and temporarily secure a sliver of safety.

Just as No. 076 finished hiding, he saw, about two hundred meters away, a humanoid lifeform in purple robes with a pair of black horns, walking brazenly through the dangerous Plane No. 25838 while cradling a cub in his arms.

Candidate No. 076 had only just calmed his nerves—after all, he had recently seen the most disgusting creature he had ever encountered in his life and had nearly died at its hands.

And yet, in such a dangerous and harsh environment, someone was strolling by so nonchalantly?!

At that instant, Candidate No. 076 thought of many things. A flash of inspiration crossed his mind, and he suddenly posed a question to his linked system: "076, is that Candidate No. 001 and the leader of the Netherworld Clan from Plane No. 25838 that he conquered?!"

In the void beside him, the System for No. 076 was also immersed in shock. As a system, this was the first time it realized that Candidate No. 001 was actually such a cub.

Of course, what it hadn't expected was that its not-so-bright host would immediately hit upon the key possibility.

Although a system cannot proactively mention the identities of other candidates unless the host thinks of it, it is permitted to answer if the host discovers it and asks for confirmation.

Therefore, after Candidate No. 076 asked, the Soldier King System 076 decisively replied: [Yes, that is Candidate No. 001 and the leader of the Netherworld Clan he has tamed.]

Before System 076 could offer further commentary, it heard its host grit his teeth and remark:

"No wonder 001 tamed the leader of the Netherworld Clan so easily. Who would have thought the leader of the Netherworld Clan was actually a cub!"

System 076: ???

The audience spirits in the main broadcast hall, who happened to be watching No. 076's performance, were also: ???

Even the green-skinned Maka Maka on the main stage fell into an eerie silence, momentarily forgetting its duties as a host.

The main issue was... this was a massive misunderstanding, yet at the same time, it seemed so reasonable.

After all, compared to the even more outrageous answer—'The candidate is actually that cub, and the purple-robed adult is actually the Netherworld leader tamed by the cub'—most people would obviously attribute the identity of 'Candidate No. 001' to the purple-robed Myriad Underworld Demon Lord, right?

Soldier King System 076 had just been about to comment—wondering how 001 had chosen his candidate to have dug up such a cub—but upon hearing its host's comment, it slammed on the emergency brakes and remained silent.

Candidate No. 076 was perhaps a bit of a chatterbox. Even though he was hiding in a secluded corner, he couldn't stop rambling to his System 076.

"This 001 is a lucky guy. How did he manage to tame so many native lifeforms in both the previous 12768 plane and this 25838 plane?"

"Could his personal racial ability be mental control?"

Just as 076 was prattling on, a sense of danger suddenly emerged from the depths of his heart—Candidate No. 076’s racial talent was danger perception, which was precisely why he had been able to dodge the monster attacks and find this safe spot despite his own combat power not being particularly high.

At that moment, a feeling of peril surged, and Candidate No. 076 saw the disgusting monster that had been chasing him relentlessly emerge in the space between him and Candidate 001—

Oh, damn it!

An unprecedented sense of crisis washed over Candidate No. 076.

The location he had chosen was too isolated. To ensure his rear wouldn't be attacked by monsters, he had specifically found a dead-end spot to hide. But because of this, with the monster suddenly appearing before him, Candidate No. 076 had lost his best escape route.

Danger!

Danger was about to descend upon his head!

A great panic, born from the threat to his life, welled up from the bottom of No. 076's heart. Just as he prepared to grit his teeth and draw his weapon to face the monster head-on, Candidate No. 001, who had been two hundred meters away, suddenly appeared before the monster with the 'cub monster leader' he had tamed!

The monster, which had been snarling and baring its teeth, suddenly stopped in its tracks upon seeing the purple-robed 'Candidate 001' and the 'cub monster leader' in his arms. It looked at the purple-robed youth and the 'cub leader' and fell into a silent, quiet state.

In that instant, Candidate No. 076 felt his scalp tingle, a sense of luck at having escaped death erupting within him.

—Great!
—He was likely saved!

Next, under the gaze of Candidate 076, the purple-robed 'Candidate 001' set down the cub and let the 'cub monster leader' reach out to touch the incredibly disgusting monster.

...Oh, what a terrible sight.

Even though he was in the midst of a crisis, Candidate No. 076 couldn't help but complain internally.

It was truly such a tiny cub and a two-meter-tall monster covered in disgusting slime and a dozen pairs of eyes... the two looked so mismatched.

So much so that for a moment, 076 couldn't help but doubt—is this cub really the king of monsters?

But before he could continue doubting, he saw the cub extend a hand, and the massive monster actually reached out a finger with extreme caution, placing it into the 'cub leader's' hand.

...Hmm, if that thing the monster extended was indeed a finger.

Of course, before this, Candidate No. 076 would never have expected that he could see the expression of 'extreme caution' on such a terrifying monster.

But regardless, all these miraculous changes appeared right before Candidate No. 076's eyes.

It was too amazing!

Truly, it was too amazing!

When the monster placed its finger in the 'cub leader's' hand, the monster, which had been disgusting to the extreme, suddenly shed its layer of sickening skin and fur, transforming into a regular humanoid lifeform that only looked slightly tall and possessed a special ancestral bloodline...

Candidate No. 076 watched this in a daze, and only after 'Candidate 001' left with the 'cub monster leader' and the 'newly tamed monster' did he suddenly let out a strange cry—

"Oh, damn it! I should have followed them!"

After all, that Candidate 001 looked so powerful, being able to command the 'cub monster leader' to tame monsters so easily!

Yes, just as that massive monster began to revert to a humanoid form, Candidate No. 076... and all the other candidates on Plane No. 25838, heard a new broadcast from the Main System—