[System Prompt: A new module feature has been detected. You can gain download permissions after research.]
"Hmm?"
Hearing this long-lost sound, Fang Mo raised an eyebrow in surprise.
If he remembered correctly, the last new module he unlocked was something related to motherhood, right?
But that was a long time ago, and he seemed to have triggered the unlock in the X-Men. As for Arad… it seemed he hadn't unlocked a new module here for a while, so much so that he had almost forgotten about it.
However, now, out of nowhere, he received a system prompt.
This piqued Fang Mo's curiosity.
After all, the trigger mechanism for his modules was always a bit mysterious.
Sometimes he had to watch and touch to unlock a module, which was quite a hassle. But then there were other times when it would unlock for no apparent reason, leaving Fang Mo himself unsure of what he had done.
Take now, for instance.
All he had done was throw a vine meteorite down below.
Yet, the system prompt sounded. He really couldn't understand how this thing determined the triggers.
But before he could ponder further, the system prompt sounded again in his mind, interrupting his thoughts.
[System Prompt: The 'Tumbleweed' concept has been researched, and you have obtained the download permission for a new module.]
[System Prompt: The Tumbleweed module is starting to download.]
[System Prompt: The Tumbleweed module has finished downloading. Would you like to load it?]
"Huh?"
Hearing the name of this module, Fang Mo couldn't help but be taken aback.
Of course, it wasn't that he found the module's trigger unreasonable—after all, Summon and getting a Tumbleweed module unlocked when the Summon mentioned it wasn't the strangest thing that had happened.
He had triggered unlocks in stranger ways before, like chatting casually with someone and mysteriously unlocking a module.
What truly puzzled Fang Mo was that he had no idea what this module was. As a veteran Minecraft player, he had often browsed the MC Wiki in his past life, and he had at least a passing knowledge of most modules.
But this one… he had absolutely no idea what it was.
Was it a technology module or a magic module?
Or maybe it was a functional one?
"Seriously…"
Fang Mo tried hard to recall, but he couldn't remember anything about this module, causing his brow to furrow instinctively.
"Hmm?"
Perhaps noticing the change in Fang Mo's expression, the Summon, whom he was holding, looked at him curiously: "Are you… okay?"
"Oh, nothing."
Interrupted from his thoughts, Fang Mo shook his head.
Although he didn't know what the module was, gaining an extra Lucky Block was always a good thing. So, with a thought, he chose to confirm the load.
[System Prompt: The Tumbleweed module has been successfully loaded.]
[System Prompt: Since you downloaded and ran a new module, you have received a Lucky Block. This Lucky Block will randomly draw an item from any known module.]
After unlocking this module, Fang Mo immediately searched its configuration file.
In an instant, his will crossed an infinite sea of data, gaining insight into the new order carried by this module. Every rule and parameter he could control lay open before him.
"…Generation count?"
Fang Mo quickly noticed a specific configuration and narrowed his eyes in thought: "I see, so it's a module for generating new entities? What does it generate? Tumbleweeds?"
Meanwhile, as he was studying this, a message suddenly refreshed on Steve's screen.
[xiaoyao: Did you go to Heaven or America? How did you manage to unlock this module?]
"Hmm?"
Seeing the message from his little partner, Fang Mo was surprised. It seemed the other party knew something about this module. With that in mind, he started typing to communicate.
[mofang: Do you know this module?]
[xiaoyao: Played it before.]
[fangmo: It unlocked out of nowhere on my end. Could you explain it to me, dear?]
[xiaoyao: Well… it's literally what it says. It adds an entity called Tumbleweed, which has no health, disappears upon contact, and drops a random item, usually junk like feathers, sticks, dirt, or gravel… Most of the time, it's garbage.]
[mofang: Damn, so it's a trash module? Who the hell made this? A Floridian, perhaps?]
[xiaoyao: Well, it's not entirely useless. Sometimes it drops something good, like diamonds or gold ingots, but the probability is low… So think of it as a desert loot box. When I have time, I'll make an automatic Tumbleweed farming line and maybe get something good.]
[mofang: Please, for the love of all things holy, stop automating everything. Is your XP modded for automation?]
[xiaoyao: ?]
[xiaoyao: Get lost!]
…
After exchanging a few words, Fang Mo got a general idea of how the module worked.
"Alright, let's head back for now."
Having figured out the basics, Fang Mo didn't feel like staying here any longer. After saying goodbye to the two little ones he was with, he immediately activated Ender Teleportation.
With a flash of black-green light, they soon returned to Ghent.
Once his vision cleared, Fang Mo looked around and realized they weren't in Ghent's palace, but rather in what looked like a wasteland, surrounded by mechanical wreckage and piles of corpses and wounded soldiers.
As for Misha, whom Fang Mo had left behind in Ghent, she seemed to be resting on the ground.
At the moment, she was still wearing the snowman suit made of wool, holding an alloy katana in her hand, while the Light Sword Clausolas that Fang Mo had lent her was strapped to her back. She didn't seem to be using it and had even wrapped it with cloth strips to conceal it.
"Hmm?"
Noticing the sudden appearance of several people, Misha immediately became alert.
She instinctively raised her weapon to attack, but when she saw it was Fang Mo, she sighed in relief and lowered the katana.
"Why are you using a katana again?"
Before Misha could speak, Fang Mo said in a slightly frustrated tone, "Didn't I lend you a max-level greatsword? Why insist on using the katana?"
"I…" Misha seemed at a loss for words.
"Give me a break."
Soon enough, the Summon in Fang Mo's hand couldn't help but chime in: "That greatsword nearly sliced Ghent in two! At least with the katana, she can wait for the princess to return. If she were using the greatsword, the Kartel and the royal forces would be blowing each other up… And you'd be the one to blame."
"But she still shouldn't use a katana." Fang Mo sighed, "It's a disaster. Do you know what the counterphrase is to 'a thief stealing silently'?"
"What?"
The Summon asked reflexively.
"Katana team slashes its own comrades." Fang Mo rubbed his forehead, "They don't target the enemy, just me…"
"I knew you were going to start trouble!"
The Summon yelled with a dark expression, "Can't you behave yourself in front of the princess?"
"Wait, the princess?"
Misha suddenly realized something and glanced at the girl next to Fang Mo, "Is this child the princess? Have you already rescued her?"
"What do you think?"
Fang Mo replied confidently, "I went to save the princess, not to search for lost sheep in the mountains in winter…"
"Huh?"
Misha was clearly confused, blinking in bewilderment.
"Never mind, children don't need to understand." Fang Mo waved his hand, casually changing the subject, "So, what's going on here? Didn't I ask you to guard Ghent?"
"The Kartel have retreated."
Misha explained, "Ms. Zeldine had a meeting and decided to pursue them, aiming to annihilate the remaining Kartel forces. However, their soldiers seemed to be numerous, so at Mr. Light's suggestion, I followed just in case."
"You actually trust that sword?"
The Summon commented.
"Well…" Misha hesitated, then weakly defended herself, "But Mr. Light explained that it was because my potential was too strong that his light power overflowed. He said he would adjust the power settings this time."
"So you believed him just because he explained?"
The Summon pointed at Fang Mo with a hint of exasperation, "This guy claims to be a saint. Can you stop being so naive?"
"Hey, don't drag me into your debunking."
Fang Mo couldn't help but interject, "Why wouldn't I be a saint? I once pinned a patient to a sheep pen, and the sheep surrounded me calling me a saint…"
"Huh?"
Misha seemed taken aback, "But Mr. Light didn't lie to me. He even suggested wrapping the sword in cloth to prevent accidents, and he recommended I use the katana first to get used to the light's power, avoiding unnecessary casualties."
"I get it."
The Summon facepalmed, "Your light sword is a religious fanatic."
"Well, I wouldn't put it that way."
Fang Mo casually raised his hand, recalling Clausolas back into his grasp, "Maybe it just wants you to become warriors of light."
"Wrong, boss."
Clausolas suddenly spoke up, "It's 'magical girls of light.'"
"Enough of that."
Fang Mo chuckled and then stored the sword away, "It's because I lent the light to Tiga that my future was dark…"
After putting away the sword, Fang Mo turned to Misha again, "So what's the situation here? I've already brought the princess back… Are Zeldine and Marlene nearby?"
While speaking, Fang Mo reached out and patted the princess's head, ruffling her hair a bit.
Although he had restrained his strength, it was still a bit much for a little girl. Princess Erje felt a warm hand cover her head, nearly knocking her off balance, and she let out some indistinct noises: "Uh… hmm…"
Of course, her expression was one of surprise.
After all, as a princess, no one had ever treated her like this in the palace.
But in truth, Erje was just a child. While she hadn't expressed it, the rigid palace etiquette had been suffocating her a bit. Now, after Fang Mo patted her head, she felt a strange sensation inside.
But before she could dwell on it, a familiar voice suddenly rang out.
"Your… Your Majesty!?"
Zeldine appeared out of nowhere, and upon seeing Erje, her face covered in dust and gunpowder, she was filled with shock. She practically sprinted over, "Thank goodness! You're safe!"
"What?!"
"The princess is safe?"
"Thank goodness… The princess is alive!"
Hearing Zeldine's shout, members of the royal forces emerged from the bushes around them. It was clear they were genuinely loyal to the royal family. Upon seeing Erje, they were overcome with emotion, some even tearing up, genuinely relieved.
"…Mm."
Seeing this, Erje quickly composed herself, her expression turning serious as she adopted a regal demeanor: "I… I have returned."
Honestly, it was quite strange to see such a young girl trying to look so authoritative.
At least, that's how Fang Mo felt.
But for some reason, the people here in Empyrean seemed to fully accept it, immediately kneeling on one knee and paying their respects as if it were the most natural thing.
"I've heard about the situation in Ghent. Captain Zeldine, you've worked hard."
Erje quickly got into character, speaking calmly, "Thanks to these two… heroes, I'm safe now. The Kartel' headquarters has been destroyed, and I believe peace will soon return to Empyrean."
"Kartel' headquarters has also been destroyed?"
Hearing this, Zeldine felt a sense of disbelief.
But she glanced at Fang Mo, recalling the sword strike that nearly flattened Ghent's outskirts. Suddenly, it didn't seem so impossible.
Since the princess had been rescued, the next step was simple—escort her back to the palace.
Marlene soon arrived after receiving the news, while Zeldine still needed to command the royal forces to continue wiping out the remaining Kartel. Even though it was already dark, this wasn't the time to rest. With the Kartel' headquarters destroyed, it was essential to press the attack.
But Fang Mo didn't follow along.
After all, he had rescued the princess, making him the greatest hero in Ghent. And with Marlene priding herself on Ghent being the city of etiquette, how could they let the hero do the dirty work?
So, they were invited to rest at the palace.
That night was uneventful. After all the chaos, Fang Mo was tired, and the palace beds were quite comfortable, so he had a rare good night's sleep.
As for the next day…
Fang Mo heard that a banquet was being held in the palace, supposedly to thank them. According to Marlene, this was done at Princess Erje's behest.
But Fang Mo had no interest in banquets.
To be honest, the only things that interested him in Empyrean were the Apostles and the princess. Now that Erje was safe and could be patted anytime, his focus naturally shifted to Anton.
After a brief greeting, Fang Mo eagerly flew towards the Energy Center.
After flying for a while, Fang Mo soon spotted a massive living island on the sea. This creature, even larger than the Sky Beast… was the very target of his journey.
The Seventh Apostle of the Demon World, and the pinnacle of this game's raid content: The Flame Eater Anton.