How Am I Still Alive?

The ancient garden exuded a new radiance, as the old, decaying floor tiles were replaced with new white bricks.

Although those bricks were fragile and simple, lacking the historical and artistic sense of the past, they were full of the simplicity and pragmatism that young people loved.

The arena, which resembled a relic of a lost civilization, was transformed into a modern and minimalist style, similar to the Chasers' sports pavilion.

Even the sole high-rise building in the Secret Realm, the three-story church, had become a modern-style hotel.

Perhaps this scene was the reason for the dissatisfaction on Big Cat's face.

"...I really didn't think it would turn out like this. It's not my fault, right?"

"Hmph."

Big Cat didn't respond, but her dejection was unmistakable.

Even though she knew this moment would come eventually, she was still unable to bear it when it finally arrived and the accumulation of centuries became someone else's starting point.

She took a deep breath and her expression became calm again.

"Come on, we may be getting along for a long time after this, so let me, the manager, introduce you to this Secret Realm, your 'Life Bank'."

Her overly calm demeanor, without any hint of reluctance, made Lu Ping'an somewhat uneasy.

"...Have you come to terms with it?"

"Heh, maybe I will in the future, but definitely not right now. Right now, I'm just fulfilling my 'duty' as the manager of this Secret Realm, my respected master..."

The deliberately drawn-out speech was tinged with undisguised resentment and self-mockery, and at that moment, Lu Ping'an relaxed.

Perhaps one day, Chris would finally accept reality and have a serious talk, but not right now.

"Originally, my world was a huge Secret Realm, a complete world, a Super Doomsday Ark."

As they walked, her arm tremored continuously despite her attempts to maintain a calm appearance.

But as an "attendant" of this world, she had to fulfill her service obligations.

"Now the Life Bank only has two parts left, the original Mother Goddess Church, now the bank building, and the original arena, now the sports pavilion..."

The Life Bank was Lu Ping'an's Abnormal Ability, but it was not only his property.

This Secret Realm, this small world, was the real Life Bank!

A Life Bank was not something conferred upon newcomers, because to achieve that level of `self-made rules,' one must have a `world' as a foundation.

From another perspective, only by possessing their own world could one create their own rules within that world and have them spread to the outside world.

In simple terms, this small world was both the essence and hardware of the Life Bank, and Lu Ping'an was merely its owner and user.

Since Lu Ping'an at that time did not have the ability to control this small world (his tier was too low), the bank directly extracted Chris' (a Quasi-God) spirit body, turning her into the manager of the small world.

You could say she was the bank's deputy, or, more bluntly, a built-in management software (AI).

Before Lu Ping'an had clarified his abilities and fully activated the Life Bank, she could sway around and play some tricks.

Now that the entire system was up and running, as the "management AI", she had to obey the commands within Lu Ping'an's bank authority and serve the development and evolution of the Life Bank.

It was like a voice-navigation system with self-awareness - it could only follow the rules, cursing while honestly guiding you along the way.

The Secret Realm Life Bank, Tower Spirit Kerdalais, and owner Lu Ping'an, in a sense, formed a trinity, and the absence of any component would cause the whole to collapse.

On the other hand, it was also a relationship where one's loss affected all and one's honor affected all. The evolution of Lu Ping'an and the Life Bank had only just begun, and this struggle was far from over....

"This is the bank's lobby, and where transactions are conducted. However, if I'm not mistaken, you won't open this Secret Realm to the outside world in the short term. So, this place is just for show."

The not-so-large office hall in the building was completely different from the bank lobby that Lu Ping'an remembered.

The overall decoration style was classical and cozy. In the center of the hall were sofas and classical furniture from the last century, with soothing jazz music echoing throughout the hall.

The atmosphere was like a slightly upscale historical hotel.

There were no glass-separated counters, just a hotel front desk-like service area and a large wine cabinet.

People maintained a certain distance from one another, neither too noisy nor too lonely, creating an environment that made Lu Ping'an feel at ease.

Of course, the area behind the front desk was empty for now... and it would be some time before a second life entered the Secret Realm.

"Right, I can set rules for the Secret Realm, right? Like your original 'exchange life for power, only the winner survives,' and the Forest Secret Realm's 'no death,' can I set my own rules for this Secret Realm?"

"First of all, you can't do it now. Secondly, the rules were set when the bank was created."

As she spoke, Chris's expression was a bit strange as she glanced out the window.

It was one of the only two buildings in the area, the arena that had been originally designed for life duels.

"In this Secret Realm, only transactions are allowed, and violence cannot be used (except for the gladiator events in the sports pavilion)."

Isn't this rule the complete opposite of Chris's Secret Realm?

This time, even Lu Ping'an's expression became subtle, as he felt there was something inexplicable that was particularly targeting poor Big Cat!

"...Alright, my respected master, what do you require? Are you here to show off your victory to the pathetic loser, Kerdalais? Alright, you've seen it all, there's nothing here, after showing off, please leave."

Looking at the resentful "manager," Lu Ping'an was also somewhat helpless.

At this point, both parties were in the same boat and had needs for each other; he didn't want to provoke her for no reason.

"If I say, I'm just here to take a look, would you believe me..."

Chris looked at him calmly, not saying a word.

"...Alright, I'll tell the truth. I used up all my credit points from Lin Nu's Church, and the Demonized Seeds and the Gardener's suit just arrived. I came to plant some crops. Can you help me find a field? Even better, help me reclaim it and take care of it normally. You're an old stager of the Life System; you should know a little about it..."

As he spoke, Lu Ping'an pointed to the bulging sack.

Instantly, the atmosphere became tense.

But the logic was not wrong; Lu Ping'an planting Magic Plants meant that his gardener level would increase, the Life Bank would evolve as a whole, the benefits would be shared by the Trinity, and the Management AI should serve him.

Poor Chris, in the end, could only sigh with resignation and helplessly raise her head.

She covered her smooth forehead, closed her eyes, and forced out a word through gritted teeth.

"Yes!"

Lu Ping'an never imagined that he would one day be able to hear such complex emotions from a single word.

Fury, unwillingness, frustration, and helplessness, mixed with resignation... It was like she was thinking, "Life is hard, marrying a chicken follows the chicken, marrying a dog follows the dog, just close your eyes and think of it as a dog bite."