The dragons arrived as suddenly as they departed. Although Rin and Lilli had caused quite the **trouble, overall, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Having such powerful, and moreover, beautiful dragon guardians was certainly a good thing.

Lin Luo had already put away the arrow that pierced the clouds. Although he felt it might not see any use, since it was arranged by Gui Qu Lai Xi as a means of protection, there must have been a reason for it, just like that jade pendant from before; perhaps it could serve an unexpected purpose later on.

Of course, it was too early to speak of such things now. Currently, Lin Luo had two more pressing matters: first, properly **scolding Rin and Lilli, those little troublemakers, and second, the Black Rock Shooter.

After some thought, he decided to prioritize the Black Rock Shooter issue. After all, he had plenty of time to **discipline Rin and Lilli later; there was no need to rush that.

"Hello, Black Rock. My name is Lin Luo. I imagine you already know about my identity," Lin Luo said softly, trying to adopt an extremely warm expression as he approached the girl, who was dressed rather revealingly yet maintained an air of calm composure.

Black Rock nodded expressionlessly.

"What are your thoughts on this matter?"

Black Rock shook her head, her face blank.

"Then, will you enter a contract with me?"

Black Rock remained motionless, showing no sign of reaction.

"..." Lin Luo was utterly speechless. Although he had somewhat anticipated this outcome, the reality of the situation struck him hard. Girls of the 'three-no' type—no expression, no words, no feeling—were the most difficult for him to handle. You couldn't gauge their mood from their facial expressions or tone, nor could you guess what they were thinking; there was simply no way to approach them.

And the Black Rock Shooter was exactly that: a naturally airheaded 'three-no'. While her 'three-no' level wasn't the highest, even so, Lin Luo felt completely at a loss for how to proceed. How could he forge a bond if he couldn't even communicate?

There was only one way to 'conquer' a three-no type: persistence over time.

"Since there's nothing else to do right now, why don't you stay with us for a while? How about it?" Lin Luo continued with a smile.

"Mmm," Black Rock nodded slightly.

Heaven bless him, she finally spoke... Lin Luo felt a surge of emotion, almost to the point of tears.

As the sky was beginning to darken, everyone decided to stay put and rest. The danger had passed. Leilei and Shokuhou were released from the Fourth Space, and Little Saber was also let out of the Command Spell to stretch her legs.

Sitting on the grass, Lin Luo took a quick count and realized their group had swelled to twelve people, not including himself—a full twelve Zodiac signs... While the Crystal Palace had grown to an impressive size over the year, Lin Luo felt a little smug, but beneath the pride, a tremor of fear ran through him. After all, water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it. If he messed up even slightly, causing the Crystal Palace to catch fire or capsize, the trouble would be enormous.

Honestly, he had never experienced the high difficulty of managing a twelve-person Crystal Palace. Even in games, having seven or eight was the maximum; this was far from a game. Games at least had guides and the ability to save/load (SL). If one mistake was made, one could always start over. But the real-world subtleties of a girl's heart allowed for no guide, nor could the SL be applied. If he accidentally offended one and she resorted to the 'hatchet scheme,' this Crystal Palace would completely collapse.

Thinking of this, Lin Luo felt even more panicked. It hadn't bothered him before, but now that he considered it, every shadow looked like an enemy, and every rustle of grass sounded like a soldier.

"Father, are you feeling unwell? You're sweating so much," Souseiseki, sitting next to Lin Luo, asked with concern upon seeing his state.

"No, it's just a bit hot," Lin Luo chuckled awkwardly. He seemed to have miscounted just now. Souseiseki considered him her father, meaning no conquest was necessary, nor was there worry about capsizing or hatchets... Very good, Risk Factor -1.

"MASTER, why don't I feel hot at all?" Little Saber, perched on Lin Luo's head, leaned down and chirped.

Lin Luo glanced at her and breathed another sigh of relief. Due to her size, Little Saber obviously didn't require conquest either; she was sufficient as a mascot. Thus, Risk Factor -2, GOOD.

Then he looked to his right, where the newcomer Black Rock Shooter was seated. Although she was a conquest target, she hadn't reached that stage yet, so no worry there. Risk Factor -3, Yes!

Sitting next to Black Rock Shooter was Black Saber. As the Berserk Knight King, absolutely loyal to her master, she naturally required no conquest either—no hatchet crisis. Risk Factor -4... Lin Luo was getting happier.

Next, his gaze landed on the Tyrant Nero, who was engaged in a lively conversation, boasting to others about her past exploits. This Emperor, possessing the personality of a well-meaning but somewhat clueless elder sister, was actually quite easy to placate—a few compliments would suffice. Moreover, she hadn't yet considered herself a member of the Crystal Palace, and since she was his Servant, the possibility of a hatchet was low. Risk Factor -5... Lin Luo felt he could almost see the gates of paradise opening.

When his eyes moved to White King Lilli, who was conversing with Nero and sarcastically critiquing her ways of ruling, Lin Luo suddenly felt a bit troubled. Lilli was harder to categorize. Firstly, she wasn't his Servant. Secondly, although they hadn't shared any intimate moments, the tacit understanding during battles and their daily interactions suggested high compatibility... perhaps she could be considered a close female confidante.

Seemingly no possibility of a hatchet either. Alright, Risk Factor -6... Lin Luo saw the gates of heaven opening wide for him.

"If you feel too hot, I can freeze you for a decade. Do you require that?" At that moment, a cold voice came from his left—that of Evangeline. Lin Luo looked over and thought he saw a flash of murderous intent in her eyes as she looked at him.

"No need, no need," Lin Luo instantly felt a chill run down his spine... A delusion? It must be a delusion?

Evangeline currently seemed to still favor Nagi. It was unlikely she considered him a member of the Crystal Palace, but she had indeed looked angry just now, though he wasn't sure why... Fine, Risk Factor +1.

"Speaking of which, there are so many more people now than before. The air feels much stuffier too. Do you all feel that?" Suddenly, Misaka Mikoto, fanning herself, remarked.

Lin Luo subconsciously looked across, meeting her gaze just as she looked over. He saw the Queen’s lips curve into a strange smile.

Lin Luo decisively adjusted the Risk Factor to 2.

"Isn't this all because of someone's utter lack of integrity? Even though there was a reason, it’s still quite irritating," said Mugino Shizuri, sitting beside Misaka Mikoto.

Good, this statement was easy to understand... Risk Factor +3.

"Alright, it's ready to eat! You lazy pigs!" Suddenly, Rin, who was surrounded by everyone in the center, abruptly stood up from the ground, brushed the ashes off herself, her tone carrying a slight dissatisfaction.

Regarding the recent incident of being chased by the dragons, although no one blamed her anymore, while the death penalty was waived, a lesser punishment was unavoidable: she had to be responsible for dinner tonight entirely by herself.

Hearing Rin’s words, everyone immediately scrambled to their feet and began to enjoy the long-delayed supper.

Due to time constraints and lack of ingredients, Rin hadn't made anything particularly delicious—just a big pot of stew. Of course, compared to the murderous cooking of Misaka and Evangeline, the taste was infinitely better.

While eating, Lin Luo suddenly felt a sharp pain in his back. Turning around, he saw Rin glaring at him resentfully, seemingly blaming him for why she and Lilli caused the trouble, yet she had to bear the consequences alone?

Lin Luo felt a bit embarrassed, but it wasn't his fault; this was unanimously voted upon by everyone. Besides, Lilli, being a King, how likely was she to cook anything? One only needed to look at Nero to see that even if she helped, she’d likely only cause more trouble. Therefore, to avoid another ordeal for his stomach, he could only delegate this glorious task to her alone.

"You just wait," Rin hissed, pinching the soft flesh around Lin Luo's waist fiercely before attacking the food in front of her as if it were a class enemy.

Evidently, Risk Factor +4.

After dinner, no one bothered cleaning up; they simply returned to their spots around the campfire to rest. Since the tableware was conjured on the spot, there was no need to clean anything.

Leilei, perhaps due to the previous day's battle, hadn't fully recovered her strength. She lay down to sleep right after eating, but before closing her eyes, she shot Lin Luo a lingering glance.

Lin Luo naturally knew what she was thinking—undoubtedly, about the Edil Garden.

Therefore, Risk Factor +5.

Bilibili... bilibili... bilibili...

It has arrived. The biggest headline act is finally making its grand entrance.

Hearing this sound, Lin Luo’s Crystal Palace alarm began to blare frantically. No calculation was necessary: Risk Factor +6.

As Lin Luo's first Contractor and the most highly developed one, Misaka Mikoto was undeniably the reigning queen of the Crystal Palace. However, her position as the main wife was now severely threatened—surrounded by wolves on the front and tigers on the back was an understatement.

If it were any other girl, she would definitely step forward to defend her status at a time like this, but the tsundere Onee-sama would certainly never do such a thing. Yet, the occasional crackle of electricity flashing across her body betrayed her inner anxiety. That current occasionally pulsed through the ground to reach Lin Luo.

Lin Luo endured Misaka’s electric shocks while flashing her a silly smile.

Building a real-life Crystal Palace is indeed difficult; the road ahead is long, comrades must still strive... Lin Luo comforted himself thus.

Just thinking this, he suddenly remembered something. Six instances of Risk Factor +1, and six instances of Risk Factor -1. If they canceled each other out, 6 - 6 = 0... That meant there was no danger at all?

Thus, Lin Luo felt greatly relieved, completely free from any unease. (The actual Risk Factor was 6, but sometimes Lin Luo's arithmetic skills regressed to below kindergarten level, just like now.)

Although everyone was tired from the busy day, it was still too early to sleep. With nothing better to do, they could only chat to pass the time. At this point, everyone set aside their worries and began to talk freely.

As the conversation flowed, they inevitably started discussing today's dragon incident. Hearing this, Rin and Lilli immediately flinched, daring not to speak further. However, the others clearly weren't going to let them off the hook.

"We said we needed an explanation before. Don't think you can gloss over it," Mikoto crackled, glaring intently at Rin and Lilli.

"Indeed. I also wish to hear about your thieving excursion; it must have been quite amusing," Nero chimed in.

"What dragon thieving? We took it fair and square, alright?" Rin retorted unhappily.

"Yes, I would never engage in petty theft," Lilli agreed emphatically.

"Then tell us about your 'fair and square' experience. We are all very interested," Evangeline grinned, revealing her pearly white teeth.

Lin Luo actually wanted to hear about it too, as stealing the egg of a Five-Clawed Golden Dragon wasn't something just anyone could pull off. However, to avoid increasing the Risk Factor, he dared not speak.

Of course, it wasn't like he was the only one curious. Under everyone’s pressure, Rin and Lilli honestly recounted their adventure...

The whole story unfolded as follows: Initially, Mikoto, Rin, and four others went out to look for food. Since the seven Walkers had all been eliminated, there wasn't much major danger in this world, so the six separated into three groups to find more food and explore a bit.

This was normally nothing out of the ordinary; exploring an unknown world was a normal occurrence. The problem arose during their exploration when a giant golden head flew directly over their heads... The others just watched out of curiosity, but Rin, the greedy red devil, couldn't sit still.

It was common knowledge among humans that dragons loved shiny, golden things. Regardless of whether it was true, where there were dragons, there was gold. Thus, Rin, the devil who adored all things glittering, decided to venture toward the dragon's lair after separating from the others.

Naturally, Lilli immediately rejected the suggestion. Although Lilli often behaved mischievously, she maintained good judgment when it came to serious matters. After listening to Lin Luo's analysis of this world's dragons, she had judged that some were even beyond her ability to defeat. Hunting for treasure in the dragon's lair was far too dangerous.

But the devil Rin was not one to be easily deterred. How could she pass up such a golden opportunity? And seeing was believing. While she didn't think Lin Luo had exaggerated, she still had confidence in her and Lilli's strength, and she was keen to test her new abilities. Since the Walkers were gone, why not try her moves on the dragons?

So, she began trying to persuade Lilli... or rather, to bamboozle her.

"Lilli, you are the Perfect King. How can a Perfect King not have a perfect mount? What kind of mount befits you? Only a dragon! Only a dragon!"

"Think about it, the feeling of flying in the sky atop a dragon. As the saying goes, the sky is vast for birds to fly, the sea is wide for fish to leap. Blue sky, vast earth, soaring freely. A sword in hand, the world is mine; a dragon beneath me, I stand at the world's apex..."

It must be said that Rin, as a high-level LV5 schemer, was highly skilled at manipulation, and Lilli was somewhat moved. Like the original Knight King, her favorite animal was the lion, but a lion, however strong, was far inferior to a dragon. Although she already had a dragon-horse as a mount, it was several tiers below a true dragon. If she had a real dragon...

Lilli’s mind immediately conjured the scene Rin had described: a thousand troops blocking the way, and herself—one sword, one dragon—how incredibly unrestrained and elegant!

"But it's hard to make a dragon a mount; dragons are very arrogant creatures," Lilli reasoned, though her heart was tempted.

"An adult dragon would certainly be difficult, but what about a hatchling? You can raise it, nurture affection, and it will be devoted to you for life."

"It's still too dangerous. What if the dragon race discovers us..."

"If we are careful enough, we might not be discovered. Even if we are found out, with our current strength, escaping should be simple even if we can't win the fight..."

Lilli conceded the point; even if they couldn't win, they might still escape. She was confident about that.

Thus, after a torrent of flowery persuasion from Rin, Lilli was completely swayed. The two stealthily followed the scent of that dragon.

The dragon they followed was just an ordinary Gold Dragon. While Gold Dragons were already high-tier among dragons, there were still variations in strength, and that one was relatively weak; in a one-on-one fight, it probably wouldn't even match Lilli. So, they proceeded without any pressure.

Next, they entered the dragon's lair. Of course, there would be giant dragons guarding it, but Lilli, as a Heroic Spirit, was undetectable by even dragons once she materialized her spiritual body. Rin wasn't as capable, but after her power surged, her magic had also exploded. Having embarked on the path of magic, she managed—through the conversion of the five elements, Mirror Image Sorcery, and supplemented by various other magics—to actually slip the two of them, silently, into one of the dragon nests—and the largest one at that.

It was also partly due to their luck; the strongest group of dragons was outside at the time, or it might not have gone so smoothly.

Then, one person grabbed treasure while the other secured the dragon egg. Success!

The matter should have ended so easily, but a dragon's egg is not something one steals lightly. The moment the egg was moved from the nest, the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon in the distance immediately sensed it.

Then, one cloud-piercing arrow brought thousands of armies to meet them, and the two were instantly plunged into a situation where they were being hunted by a mass of giants.

At this point, they had already stolen the items; they couldn't possibly return them. So, they had no choice but to flee.

They were actually quite clever, deliberately taking a long detour and even erasing their trail along the way. But they had underestimated the dragon race, or rather, their power far exceeded their imagination, and they were eventually discovered.

What followed was a continuous escape until they encountered Lin Luo and the others.

"..." After listening to the duo's confession, everyone fell silent, followed by a burst of laughter.

Rin and Lilli's faces instantly flushed crimson; both felt extremely awkward.

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