For a job of this scale, Topaz couldn't work alone, but it wasn't a big issue. She discussed the contract with her superiors and—voilà! It went through.
From the company's perspective, there's no reason not to collect such a staggering sum.
The Annihilation Gang is basically public enemy number one across the universe. If, with Silver Wolf's help, they could locate the hidden assets of the Annihilation Gang, the company wouldn't mind lending a hand.
As for consequences? Pei Guang wasn't really affected: after all, the Annihilation Gang had no idea he was behind it from the very beginning.
What happens to the Annihilation Gang in the future… that's future business. As far as Pei Guang was concerned, it didn't affect him at all.
Right now, Pei Guang's greatest joy was experimenting with the lockpicking toolkit he'd crafted himself. With nothing pressing going on lately, he decided to take some time to hone his lockpicking skills.
Time flew by as he studied the toolkit. After a few days, he had already figured out its functions. This wasn't just for unlocking standard locks.
Besides conventional and electronic locks, the tools could theoretically open precisely sealed boxes, password-protected bank cards, even doors that were closed but not technically locked.
Compared to standard locks, those other uses were a bit more complex, requiring a combination of crowbars or other tools from the kit to get the job done.
Because it was so intricate, Pei Guang had been obsessively studying it, progressing from basic wires to hacking devices. With enough proficiency, he could open any chest or door. The fact that he had to experiment and practice by hand made it even more addicting.
And since no one was bothering him lately, he stayed home—unusually reclusive—just grinding his lockpicking skill. To outsiders, this kind of repetitive skill farming might seem dull.
But to a player? Watching your skill level steadily rise and your character grow stronger brings immense satisfaction.
While Pei Guang was happily immersed in this, his phone rang. It was a message from March 7th.
March 7th: "Ah Guang~ Come quickly~ Today's the Belobog Festival Celebration, and it's also the Aetherium Wars Championship Final~ Let's meet in my room. Stelle is waiting for us at the Goethe Hotel~"
Attached was a selfie she had taken.
Hearing Pei Guang's voice, March 7th turned around: "Hey~ You're here~ Hmph~ So? How do I look?"
Today, March 7th wore a beautiful formal outfit. A combination of ivory and blue fabric highlighted her fair skin, and the little crown-like decoration on her head made her look quite regal.
But what truly caught Pei Guang's eye were the over-the-knee stockings. Her left leg had a garter, and her right thigh had a pastel pink and blue four-leaf clover tied around it. The gradient from white to blue, paired with her perfect legs—an absolute killer look.
Noticing Pei Guang's gaze, March 7th beamed with excitement: "So? My new outfit—what do you think?"
Pei Guang: "You look amazing~"
His compliment made March 7th smile even brighter. She did a little twirl and said proudly: "Of course~ It's not every day we get an occasion like this. I had to go all out!"
Pei Guang mused: "You've got a point, March. So, what do you think I should wear?"
March 7th thought seriously: "I think as long as you dress up sincerely, anything will work. Or just wear your most valuable outfit? I remember you bought quite a few clothes, didn't you?"
But the moment she said that, she paused.
Because she suddenly remembered Pei Guang's player aesthetic. And a player's fashion sense is…
Pei Guang: "Say no more! Time for everyone to witness the glory of player aesthetics."
March 7th instantly regretted opening her mouth. She wanted to slap herself: why did she even bring it up?!
But it was too late. Pei Guang had already equipped his most ridiculous—and most powerful—gear.
He slung on every unassigned Light Cone he had. On his head was the Albinauric mask, adorned with an accessory modeled after a cutesy emoji. Combined, the look gave him massive bug-eyed derp energy.
On top of that was a trash can lid—wait, when did he even stick a chicken feather into it?
His formerly normal outfit was swapped out for the Abundant Ebon Deer Set: leather armor inside, bone armor outside. A wooden sword in his right hand, an ancient shield on the left. Around his waist hung consumables made from Phantylia's body.
In just a moment, Pei Guang was fully geared up. He looked at March 7th with satisfaction: "Honestly? I think there's a unique kind of beauty in this level of power! Plus, this really is my most expensive set. I had Asta appraise it: if I auctioned this off, I could trade it for a few Imperial-class warships."
March 7th: "…"
No exaggeration, if Pei Guang walked out the door like this, people would probably call him a walking monstrosity. But March 7th thought back… yeah, this was his rarest and strongest gear.
Especially that cutesy effect: it could sell for an astronomical sum in the Xianzhou Alliance alone. The Abundant Ebon Deer Set massively boosted HP and even had self-repair. It was a serious win-rate booster in same-level combat.
And those consumables from Phantylia's flesh? Priceless.
Just one bite when near death would fully restore you—literal life-saving miracle pills. Unauctionable at market.
So yes, this was Pei Guang's most expensive loadout. For min-maxer players, it was also the most beautiful set available. But…
March 7th grabbed him: "Promise me! Don't wear that! I wouldn't ever look down on you. Honestly, I think you're the most handsome when you're serious… but I'm worried you'll scare people…"
What could she say? March 7th truly appreciated Pei Guang's serious attitude. Even though he often goofed around, like her, he always gave things his all when it counted.
But this time? Maybe not. Belobog had too many tourists right now: scaring them wouldn't be great.
Pei Guang: "Alright, fine~ But honestly, don't you think there's a kind of raw, powerful beauty to this? With this kind of aesthetic, even if the Aeon of Beauty were still alive, they'd totally give me a like."
March 7th: "…"
Under March 7th's earnest pleading, Pei Guang removed his most expensive and powerful gear and opted to wear his regular outfit instead.
Thanks to her storage space, March 7th had already prepared everything in advance: what, who cares aboutAether Coins, where's Piggy Hero? That was with Stelle. These past few days, Stelle had been sweeping through the Aetherium Wars with Piggy Hero.
Pei Guang also checked his storage space to make sure he had everything he needed before heading to Belobog. Upon arriving, he could feel how different the city was from before.
On the streets, the people of Belobog wore expressions of joy. For their generation, the snow and ice would finally end, and they would witness Belobog's rise to prosperity. Their new Supreme Guardian was young and capable, and more importantly, life was steadily improving.
What could bring more happiness than that?
Normally, this joy would belong only to individuals, but when it was a holiday and everyone was celebrating together, the joy spread across the entire city.
Due to various reasons in the past, traditional holidays had been canceled. Now, with the crisis behind them, this was the first proper celebration. Even people from other planets had come to visit and cheer, making the whole of Belobog lively.
Compared to a month ago, the city had found new life.
Seeing the changes around him, Pei Guang felt a sense of ease. The only thing that bothered him was: how come he couldn't find a single lootable trash can in this entire city?
Since there was still a lot of time before the competition started and they had arrived in Belobog via the Echoes dungeon teleport, Pei Guang and March 7th had the chance to stroll around.
They listened to overworked employees complaining about mandatory shifts after a rare day off, watched Pela explain history to children, chatted a bit with Gepard on patrol, and freeloaded some Belobog specialty snacks.
The two of them wandered about, eating, drinking, and having fun, like they were on a date. After half a day, they arrived at the entrance to the Goethe Hotel. Stelle was there playing on her phone, with Piggy Hero sprawled on her head, watching her gaming like it was entertainment.
"Hey~ we're here! Ready to go?"
March 7th was the first to greet them. After several days of preparation, Stelle felt more than ready: "All set! But your outfit…"
"Looks good, right?"
Stelle nodded. "Yeah, it looks good~"
Pei Guang: "Of course! Our March looks good in anything. Alright! Let's go! By the way, did you guys look into how the finals are going to work?"
Stelle nodded. "I did! The format is pretty much what you predicted, Ah Guang. In the finals, we need to defeat the Four Heavenly Kings first, and then challenge Topaz to win it all. Any player who has collected four badges can enter the final challenge.
The winner of each round can proceed to the next defender, and finally face the reigning champion. If no one wins in the end, the defenders will battle among themselves to determine who gets to challenge the champion."
But I'm super confident. Based on the team comps you suggested before, Ah Guang, I've optimized a lot of lineups these past few days. Hehe~ Just let me and Piggy Hero lead us to victory!"
As Stelle said this, Piggy Hero lifted its head in excitement: it was clear that all the battles these past days had filled it with confidence.
Pei Guang: "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!"
He had gotten a little bored messing around with all sorts of locks lately. Time to switch games and enjoy something new today.