ALL NOVEL Chapter 940: Repaying the Loan
Lumian and Jenna could deeply relate to Franca's concerns.
They had encountered a Pixie in reality before, a higher Sequence Beyonder of the Painter pathway, but they had never imagined that something as simple as a photo sent through the information network could carry such terrifying supernatural power.
"Yes." Jenna nodded. "We need to think more about what different pathways of Beyonders can achieve in the dream city that they couldn't in reality and prepare accordingly."
Though the dream city suppressed all Beyonder powers to the level of Sequence 7, its unique characteristics and the details of its social functioning had brought about possibilities that exceeded their previous expectations.
Of course, Lumian and the others had already begun to discuss how certain Beyonder powers from the Demoness and Hunter pathways could interact with the dream city in unexpected ways. However, they had yet to thoroughly explore the potential changes other pathways might undergo as a result.
Their current conclusions were:
The Hunter and Demoness pathways, which symbolized calamity, could exploit the unique features of the dream city positively, like using the abundance of mirrors to set up Mirror Mazes and cast different mirror spells at any time and place, or utilizing screens as a medium to access previously unreachable or nonexistent surveillance worlds and other dimensional spaces.
On the negative side, there were many more uses, which, as Franca put it, involved actions that would violate criminal laws, and not just any violations, but those that would warrant severe penalties. Examples included using the Internet to seduce others and spread pleasure, amplifying the destructive power of a Pyromaniac by triggering natural gas explosions, or leveraging the dense buildings and population to better and faster spread diseases, among others.
There were countless other more detailed and everyday uses as well.
Jenna had already had a hunch, and she looked at Franca with a delighted expression, asking, "Have you joined the Intis Group?"
Franca smiled nonchalantly. "Of course."
She then recounted how she had prepared for the interview and how she had adjusted her plan upon seeing Miss Huang also participating.
"When do you both start officially?" Jenna asked with concern.
Franca replied with a hint of pride, "I have three days to sort out my affairs. Lumian has to report tomorrow."
The identity that Madam Justice had created for Franca was that of a 25-year-old white-collar worker with three years of experience, someone who had changed fields right after graduation and no longer worked in her original profession.
Franca had been worried that the work experience on her resume might be an issue since it was fabricated. However, when she pretended to be a background checker from a certain company and made a phone call, she was surprised to find that there really was someone named "Luo Fu" who matched her profile closely.
This led her to suspect that the company might be secretly connected to Madam Justice or other Major Arcana card holders in the dream city. Alternatively, before Madam Justice was expelled, she might have used her ability to weave the dream and pre-embedded some identities that could be utilized. After identifying the bearer of the five lucky coins, she might have painstakingly and time-consumingly altered the names, appearances, and other information.
"Anything you need to prepare?" Jenna asked, intending to find out if she could help in any way.
Franca's expression suddenly fell. "I need to buy a skirt, stockings, and high heels…"
It had been a long time since she had consumed the Witch potion, and the most she had worn was a skirt-pants combination. She had never actually worn a skirt, let alone the other items!
"It's part of the dress code," Lumian explained on her behalf.
Jenna understood Franca's reluctance and, with a flicker of her eyes, said, "Have you forgotten the acting method? Forgotten the roles you've played before?
"This is just another form of acting. It's not about digesting the potion this time but about getting close to Mr. Fool's dream manifestation and secretly dealing with the lurking subordinates of the Celestial Worthy and the evil gods' followers, thwarting their schemes.
"Remember, you're just acting."
Franca had already made up her mind, and now she was just finding more reasons to justify it. So, Jenna's Instigation easily worked, and Franca's expression softened.
Jenna looked at her and smiled slightly. "I'll wear the same kind of outfit as you. If we're all dressed the same, there won't be any awkwardness or shame."
Franca's eyes lit up. "Sure!"
Since she had decided to make this sacrifice, getting some perks was a welcome bonus!
Lumian stayed silent, letting Franca and Jenna continue their conversation, wary of being roped into making a similar promise.
He checked the time on his phone and reminded the two Demonesses, "Even though we didn't confront Luo Shan's sketch directly, the fact that we managed to delete that kind of photo itself is suspicious. If Luo Shan notices it's gone, she'll likely test us again or even take more drastic action. You two need to stay vigilant."
"Mm, I was thinking the same thing just now," Franca and Jenna responded almost in unison.
Lumian waved them off and left.
Once he was gone, Franca plopped down on the couch, relaxing as she smiled at Jenna.
"Let's go shopping for clothes tomorrow. We have money now; the lottery winnings are in!"
Jenna visibly breathed a sigh of relief at this news.
She cautiously suggested, "Should we pay off those micro loans first?"
She had seen many people in Quartier du Jardin Botanique and Le Marché du Quartier du Gentleman who borrowed from loan sharks, only to eventually destroy themselves and their families, dragging down the ones they loved most. So, even after entering the dream city, she was always extremely cautious when it came to taking out micro loans.
"I was hoping to save up some money to rent those good items from Star Dream Provisions Store…" Franca hesitated for two seconds before saying, "Fine, let's pay off the loans first. This might even increase the credit limit, which could come in handy at critical moments when we need to go all in."
Before transmigrating, she had seen many cases of people borrowing micro loans and having their lives ruined as a result.
Now, as a fairly experienced Beyonder, she knew that money could be used to rent the magic mirror Arrodes, and she understood that in the dream city, money was likely a symbol representing valuable resources. The "offense-defense battle" that occurred during the prize redemption process further solidified this theory.
From this perspective, carrying outstanding micro loans indeed seemed risky. While it could serve as an emergency solution in the short term, dragging it out over a long period or relying on them to sustain daily life was not a wise choice.
Jenna also sat down on the couch and urged Franca to repay the online loan on the spot. She then transferred some money to her teammates to help them repay their loans as well.
"Only 120,000 left…" Franca sighed.
Jenna changed the subject, and the two of them chatted about their recent experiences, sharing their thoughts on daily life.
In the end, Jenna couldn't help but ask again, "How exactly can we awaken Mr. Fool?"
They had discussed this question many times before, but still had no concrete ideas. They could only observe and make contact, hoping to find clues and inspiration.
Franca shook her head and sighed.
"I don't know. The Major Arcana have tried everything they could think of, from directly reminding him of the existence of Beyonder powers to filming a movie that fully depicted his experiences in the hope of triggering his memory. None of it worked, and they were quickly expelled from the dream as a result…"
She hadn't known before, but now she understood that the movie they shot was The Great Pirate 3.
"It seems like no one has tried directly telling Zhou Mingrui the truth…" Jenna recalled.
"We're not sure if that would work, but it would certainly lead to being expelled from the dream quickly," Franca replied with a self-deprecating smile. "Still, if we have enough attempts left, we could isolate someone and let them give it a shot."
Late at night, the two Demonesses washed up and went to bed, each occupying a pillow.
They had already discussed how to deal with any probes Luo Shan might carry out next. Now, without saying much, they exchanged a glance and tacitly pulled up their blankets, closing their eyes in the cool air brought by the air conditioner.
Using ice to cool the room would be too easily detected by any potential watchers as an indication of Beyonder powers.
…
Once again, Jenna's Astral Projection ventured out and saw many spirits wandering around, along with the blurry, illusory buildings, the frozen storm, and the semi-transparent barrier.
She didn't immediately check on Luo Shan's situation. Instead, she kept her eyes unfocused and her gaze blank, floating and moving back and forth naturally under the guidance of her spirituality.
During this process, she saw Franca, who was also in a similar state.
Finally, Jenna's body turned toward the semi-transparent barrier adjacent to the deep darkness.
There was no one there.
Luo Shan wasn't there fighting off the monsters trying to invade!
Jenna's heart tightened, but she maintained her previous state, continuing to wander in her Astral Projection.
After a while, her gaze naturally rose, and she saw Luo Shan.
Luo Shan, dressed in a pale yellow skirt-pants combination, was floating high up, quietly watching her and Franca with deep eyes. It was impossible to tell how long she had been watching.
Jenna's nerves instantly tightened, but thanks to her acting skills, she showed no signs of abnormality. Franca remained just as natural.
After a long, intense stare, Luo Shan flew toward the area where strange creatures were attempting to invade. From behind the semi-transparent barrier, she blocked their attacks and drove them back repeatedly.
Neither Franca nor Jenna let their guard down. Like background characters, they dutifully repeated simple actions and irregular movements.
Suddenly, both felt a sense of danger and woke up instantly from their sleep.
They smelled a sickening, foul odor and saw a pair of brown-yellow eyes staring at them from the night clinging to the ceiling.
In the darkness, a pair of wings covered in brown feathers, like those of a giant owl, spread out.