The Genius Mahjong Girl, Starting Today as the Demon Lord

After staying one night in Baritest, the group set off again around noon the next day, heading toward the Ediru Gardens.

Thanks to the quack doctor’s treatment, Cocowitt’s illness was completely cured, though Grayaz’s expression was less than cheerful. This was understandable; having stood guard outside the infirmary all night, anticipating the quack doctor’s nocturnal advances, anyone would lack spirit the following day.

On the other hand, after escorting the Saint Battle Angel Jia of Hailinggu to the Protection Association’s branch office, Sisska and the others had returned once more. In Sisska’s words, she disliked abandoning a task halfway; even as the driver, she intended to see this journey through to the end.

And since talking heart-to-heart with Grena, Lei’s mood seemed to have brightened considerably. She smiled often, spoke more, and even her volume seemed to have slightly increased—a noticeable transformation of some kind. Honestly, Lin Luo was rather looking forward to the day she turned into a “bad girl.”

Then there were Big Sister Rin and the CNv King. The atmosphere between these two seemed subtly different from how it was initially. It was hard to articulate precisely in words, but Lin Luo had a distinct feeling... something was brewing.

Inside the carriage, CC, Tohsaka Rin, Cocowitt, and Lei—four young women sat opposite each other, every pair of eyes radiating vigilance, as if bracing for a sudden lethal strike. Beneath the surface, the currents were turbulent, and hidden killing intent lurked everywhere.

The atmosphere, so heavy it was nearly frozen, pressed down with the force of ten thousand tons, suffocating them.

“Hmph,” the CNv King suddenly sneered, releasing a palpable, murderous aura in her tone. “A rabble of disorganized rabble! You have no retreat left. Let me crush you all in one sweep!” Shua, something like a beam of light sprang from her hand.

“Don’t assume you can disregard me just because you have a slight advantage. Until the very end, it remains unknown whose fate is sealed!” Big Sister Rin also scoffed, refusing to be outdone, her right hand shooting out like lightning.

“Even if I was suppressed before, reversing the tide in desperate straits is the aesthetic of victory!” Cocowitt flicked out a finger.

“I haven't lost yet either. The contest only begins now,” Lei stated firmly, an unprecedented confidence and determination in her voice.

Affected by the tension among these four, everyone except the driver remained utterly silent, staring intently, watching this dragon-tiger battle unfold before them.

Suddenly, the CNv King flicked her finger high up. A white light shot from her middle finger, moving so fast—like a flash of electricity—that it was almost invisible. As the light descended from the carriage roof, her delicate hand shot out like lightning to strike that electric beam... Pa!

Amidst the violent sound, the entire carriage shook. The CNv King, however, wore a triumphant smile as she swept all the tiles in front of her aside. “This hand is called Haidilao Yue (Pulling the Moon from the Bottom of the Sea)!”

“It’s Haidī again?”

“Haidī again?”

“She has won with Haidilao Yue six times consecutively... This situation is too bizarre, as if we are trapped in the vast ocean and cannot escape.”

The other three young women across the table instantly changed color, exclaiming in shock.

“Hmph. Now do you understand the gap between us? Haidī is where you will find your graves!” CC laughed triumphantly, her powerful Queenly aura permeating the space.

“I told you, I will never give up until the very end,” Tohsaka Rin gritted her teeth, speaking with a resolve as firm as a divine prophecy. “As a proponent of Data Theory, the only thing I believe in... is a miracle.”

Not long after she uttered those words, a look of serene relief spread across her face. A holy angel seemed to faintly flicker behind her. She then snatched a tile from her opponent’s side and dramatically flipped it over. “Ling Shang Kai Hua (Blossom Upon the Mountaintop)!”

“Ling Shang Kai Hua?” This hand not only shocked the others but even caused the CNv King to falter slightly.

One was Haidilao Yue, the other Ling Shang Kai Hua—this was practically... lilies blooming under the moon! Cocowitt’s heart trembled. After a moment of hesitation, a look of fearless determination crossed her face. She thought: These two monsters cannot be dealt with using ordinary methods. There is no other way; my only option now is... to open my eyes.

Cocowitt suddenly glared, black and white gazes intersecting. A moment later, the corner of her mouth curved slightly. “I apologize, but it’s time to take me along as well.”

Huālā huālā, all fourteen tiles in front of her were pushed over. “Three concealed triplets, three melds, accumulated Dora—Yakuman (Limit Hand)... 12,000 points each!”

“This is...” The CNv King’s delicate body shuddered violently, shock filling her eyes. The one who was almost breathing her last was able to reverse the situation at this moment. Has her fortune also peaked? But that’s where it ends.

“One set, one set, one set...” Shortly after the next round began, Lei suddenly tilted her head, counting the values of the tiles in front of her one by one. After counting ten tiles, she suddenly realized, “Ah, it’s Kokushi Musō (Thirteen Orphans)!”

So, this was the luck granted by the home-field advantage of a novice.

“They seem to be having quite a bit of fun,” Grayaz remarked, pointing toward the four girls playing Mahjong to Lin Luo, who was half-reclining in his seat nearby.

“Well, it’s one way to pass the time,” Lin Luo sighed helplessly. “By the way, Grayaz, are there any Orckennard branches around here?”

“That... no, there aren’t. What are you planning?”

Lin Luo clicked his tongue, then turned his head, saying lazily, “Is that so? What a pity. I was thinking if there were any, I could go slaughter one or two to spice things up and add some excitement to this dull journey.”

The latter was left speechless.

Because along the way, aside from playing cards and small games in the carriage to kill time, they hadn't encountered anything interesting. Not even a few bandits trying to rob them. It was extremely boring, exceedingly peaceful... which dashed Lin Luo’s hopes of stretching his limbs.

“Ah~~ Invincibility is also a form of loneliness,” Lin Luo lamented with a sigh.

“Then let me beat you up! Why sigh?” Big Sister Rin couldn't help but turn her head and roll her eyes at him, then quickly turned back. “Ling Shang Kai Hua!”

“Oh my, after driving for days, we can finally see a city!” Sisska’s excited voice drifted from the front seat. Lin Luo instinctively looked over and saw the town in the distance clearly visible.

“Once we reach there, we can finally have a real meal. The food in the carriage wasn't enough, and there are so many of us sharing it,” Chia wiped the drool escaping her mouth.

“What city is this? How far is it from the Ediru Gardens?” Lin Luo asked.

“That is Buffalo City,” Grayaz replied. “Past Buffalo City is the multi-tiered metropolis of Nadriell. After Nadriell is the Ediru Gardens. The distance is at most four or five days, though if we flew, we could reach it in one day.”

“Forget it, where would we find a plane in a place like this? Four or five days will pass in the blink of an eye,” Lin Luo waved his hand dismissively.

“Should we stop at Buffalo City? Our supplies on the vehicle are low and need replenishing. Besides, it should be the Buffalo Festival in Buffalo City right now—we could have some fun,” Grayaz suggested.

“Of course, staying cooped up in the vehicle is too tedious.” Lin Luo immediately nodded, then looked towards the four deeply engrossed in their high-stakes Mahjong game. “Alright, genius Mahjong girls, put away your tiles. Prepare to disembark.”

... The Buffalo Festival was a traditional holiday in Buffalo City. Every resident dressed in various costumes, and the endless stream of performances was dazzling, especially becoming even more lively at night.

This was the first time since arriving in this world that Lin Luo and his group had encountered such a boisterous and joyful scene. They decided to stay for one night before setting off the next day.

Initially, everyone had a wonderful time. Even Lei, who didn't particularly enjoy crowded scenes, was infected by the festive atmosphere. However, this lively scene was interrupted that evening.

“What is this? A challenge letter?” Lin Luo took a letter from Grayaz’s hand, titled ‘Challenge Letter,’ filled with bewildered confusion. What era was this, using such an ancient method for a duel? Were they idiots?

“Yes.” Grayaz nodded. “A child handed it to me. Because it bore the emblem of the Orckennard organization, I recognized it. It must be for you.”

“Are those guys coming to die again?” Lin Luo clicked his tongue, tearing open the letter. It read: “User of the Seven-Jeweled Tree, I have received the mission to take your life. Come now and fight me to the death—Longpul, Head.”

“That’s certainly a straightforward challenge letter,” Lin Luo muttered weakly.

“...It really is simple,” everyone else who read it also looked somewhat chagrined. Such a simple challenge letter made one... reluctant to even bother with it.

“Longpul? It’s him!” Grayaz’s eyes lit up.

“You know him?” Lin Luo asked.

Grayaz nodded. “Longpul is the only person in the Orckennard organization capable of using multiple Kohaku Orbs. He possesses twelve Saint Battle Angels.”

“Twelve Saint Battle Angels for one person?” Longwei exclaimed in astonishment. “How is that possible? It’s already incredibly difficult for one person to achieve synchronicity with even one Saint Battle Angel, let alone achieving synchronization with twelve! That way, their synergy level can’t possibly increase.”

“That’s true in a way, but Longpul is a genius. He achieves perfect synchronization with every Saint Battle Angel individually, and he can synchronize with two or three simultaneously, increasing his power severalfold. Even within the entire Orckennard organization, he is an elite among elites, no less than Hailinggu.” Grayaz explained.

“No less than Hailinggu means no stronger than Hailinggu. So, if even Hailinggu is already dead, what use is sending someone of his caliber?” Tohsaka Rin asked.

“It’s likely the Orckennard organization hasn't received the news yet,” the person who answered was not Grayaz, but CC. “Hailinggu died leaving no corpse behind, and his Saint Battle Angel was secretly taken by the Protection Association immediately. Even with Orckennard’s extensive reach, they couldn't have learned of his death this quickly, right?”

“Hmm, that makes sense. So, will you accept this challenge?”

“Naturally.” Faced with Rin’s question, which sounded like an official mission assignment, Lin Luo answered without hesitation. Imagine this: after all his hard work, his true harem count hasn't even reached double digits, and those with confirmed relationships number only two. And he has to constantly worry about the crisis of his harem members drifting away, living in perpetual anxiety.

But this scrub whose power level is only 5 actually commands a super harem of twelve people, and they are so harmonious, even engaging in trios or quartets... Damn it, this is too unfair! How could he possibly refuse a challenge from such a life-winner? How could he not go beat him until he wets himself and is incapable of taking care of his lower body?

Lin Luo’s heart was filled with envy, jealousy, and resentment.

“But before that, there’s one more important issue...” Lin Luo flipped the challenge letter over and over, scrutinizing it, frowning. “This brain-dead life-winner didn’t write an address.”

...

Because the opponent failed to specify the location of the fight, and Sisska’s Kohaku Radar was malfunctioning intermittently due to her recent modifications, Lin Luo could only temporarily set the matter aside. After all, once they reached the Ediru Gardens in a few days, this enviable life-winner wouldn't be able to escape.

Gradually, he consciously forgot about it until an hour later, when Sisska’s Kohaku Radar finally came in handy, emitting a series of beeping alarms. Lin Luo then recalled the matter.

“Indeed, the radar shows twelve Saint Battle Angels,” Sisska said, her tone laced with slight astonishment.

Lin Luo glanced at the radar display and asked, “Where is the location?”

“A place three kilometers to the east.”

“Three kilometers, hehe... Then let’s go meet him,” Lin Luo stroked his chin, a sinister smile spreading across his face.

Sisska and the others couldn't help but shiver. They knew... that guy was about to have a very bad day.

Five minutes later, the group arrived at the location indicated by the radar. It was a vast, open-air stage square. However, standing at the entrance of the square, they didn't see any challenger opposite them.

“That’s strange, did he get impatient and leave?” Sisska murmured doubtfully.

“I think your Kohaku Radar is being tsundere,” Lin Luo shot back, as Sisska’s Kohaku Radar had reverted to its expressionless state three minutes prior.

“No, I feel... a scent of death.” CC was the first to sense something was wrong.

“A scent of death?” Lin Luo frowned, quickening his pace. After only a few steps, he also noticed something amiss; he caught the faint smell of blood... Since there was no wind that night, unless he intentionally focused, he wouldn't smell blood from over a hundred meters away.

Then, when he reached the open-air stage, he saw thirteen corpses lying there: one man and twelve young women, all dead. Due to the terrain, they hadn't seen the situation from the entrance earlier.

“This is... Longpul and his Beloved Gems?” Grayaz’s face changed drastically upon seeing them. “How is this possible? He... was killed?”

Longpul was the one who had issued the challenge to Lin Luo, and the Beloved Gems was the collective name for the twelve Saint Battle Angels he possessed.

“And it looks like everyone was killed in a single blow, and their Core Stones from the Saint Battle Angels have all been stripped away,” Sisska observed grimly while examining the scene.

“Then, who killed him?” Lin Luo looked at Grayaz. From the fact that all the Core Stones were taken after the murder, he could already conclude it was an internal conflict within the Orckennard organization.

“This...” Grayaz’s expression shifted slightly. He clearly suspected the same possibility. Although Longpul was strong, there were still several people within the organization capable of killing him without him being able to fight back. However, most of those individuals were high-ranking members who generally stayed in the Ediru Gardens and did not venture outside. For non-high-ranking members to possess such terrifying power...

“Their wounds are all sword wounds, so it’s probably... Gratias.” As he said this, a trace of fear flickered in Grayaz’s eyes.

“Gratias?” Lin Luo quietly repeated the name. He had some vague impression of it, but couldn't recall who it was. If he saw the person, he might remember.

“As expected of my subordinate; you deduced it was me so quickly. Truly remarkable, Grayaz.” Just then, a man’s voice suddenly echoed in the air.

Everyone looked sharply toward the source of the sound. A man in a kimono, puffing on a pipe, was leaning against a pitch-black lamppost a short distance away, looking at them with fox-like eyes.

“Gra... Gratias!” Upon seeing the man, Grayaz and Cocowitt subconsciously backed away several steps, their hands tightly clasped together, clearly terrified beyond measure.

“So it was you.” Looking at the man, Lin Luo finally understood. In the original plotline, after Grayaz was defeated by Longwei, he was killed by this man—who took his Core Stone and severed Grayaz’s hands—for failing his mission. No wonder they were afraid; facing their direct superior instilled a primal fear.

Although Grayaz eventually obtained the light-attribute Saint Battle Angel, Manro, who could counter Gratias and easily kill him, at this moment, he was still far inferior to Gratias.

“Hey, hey, what are you all afraid of?” Lin Luo walked over and heavily clapped both of their shoulders. “Your leader is me now. And that Level 5 scrub, even if you went and peed on him, he couldn’t touch a single hair on your heads. To be this scared is truly embarrassing me.”

“Uh, well...” The two snapped back to reality. Having fought Lin Luo once, they didn't know exactly how strong he was, but he was definitely superior to Gratias. Indeed, there was nothing to fear... but peeing on Gratias was still out of the question.

“Did you kill that man and the Saint Battle Angels? Aren’t you from the same organization? Why kill them?” The one who asked was Sisska. As a member of the Angel Protection Association, the brutal murder of twelve Saint Battle Angels was unbearable for her, but what was even more intolerable was that they were comrades, yet they killed each other.

“Why?” Gratias laughed as if he had heard a delightful joke. “I saw them, so I killed them. What need is there for so many reasons?”

“What?” Sisska’s face changed drastically.

“You can’t understand?” Gratias exhaled a ring of smoke. “You all know, right? Saint Battle Angels are extremely rare; even in our organization, only a few possess them. And that idiot held twelve Saint Battle Angels all by himself, only using one or two at a time. It was such a waste. So, I killed him and retrieved the Core Stones, allowing them to fulfill their true purpose as weapons.”

“You bastard... Saint Battle Angels are not weapons!” Although Sisska harbored some displeasure toward Longpul, what angered her more was what this man was saying.

“But they are weapons, tools for human use. That is the value they exist for humanity.”

“You... Humanity is not that great!” Sisska seemed to have reached her limit, shouting loudly. Suddenly, several missile launchers appeared behind her, firing instantly. Over a dozen small missiles streaked toward the opponent.

“You resort to force immediately? Fine. I didn’t want to waste time talking nonsense with you naive people anyway. Those ridiculous ideals amount to nothing in the face of absolute power.”

Facing the attack of more than a dozen missiles, Gratias remained completely calm, unconcerned. Then, in the next moment, a greatsword suddenly appeared in his hand. The blade moved so fast it left almost no afterimage. A flash of steel cut every single missile in half.

“How is this possible?” Sisska cried out in shock that her attack was completely ineffective.

“Only the weak cling to such naivety as you,” Gratias stated calmly. “My mission does not include you people from the Angel Protection Association. I don't wish to do any unnecessary things. If you want to live, hurry up and get out of the way—run as far as you can.”

“This person is too strong!” Longwei and Chia were equally shocked. This opponent’s strength far surpassed that of ordinary Saint Battle Angel users. Even within their Protection Association, they had never encountered anyone wielding such power.

"Actually, what I find even stranger is how that guy manages to pull out things like machine guns and missiles from such a small body. Where does she even hide them?" Big Sister Lin also asked Long Wei and the other with a look of astonishment, pointing at Siska.

"Uh... because of the portable capsule storage," Long Wei stammered, replying instinctively.

"Portable capsule? This isn't Dragon Ball, that's ridiculous!" Lin Luo felt a severe sense of dissonance; he had never heard of such a thing existing in a world of weapon races.

"Wait, that shouldn't be the issue we're discussing right now. That one named Gratias..."

"Ah, I know, I know. There's no need for you two to step in; just being good drivers is enough for you," Lin Luo waved his hand, interrupting him, and pulled the suddenly disoriented Siska back.

"Then, Gratias, I am the contractor of the Seven Shimmering Treasures. Come and try to kill me if you can."

"You're not using the Seven Shimmering Treasures?" Gratias looked at Lin Luo's empty hands, then at the blue-haired girl standing further away from him, and frowned as he asked.

"Don't joke around. Why would I need to use a divine artifact against an enemy I can beat with one hand? Using the strength for swatting a fly is enough to deal with a fly."

"Heh, very confident, aren't you." Gratias didn't get angry, but the killing intent radiating from him intensified.

"Wait a minute, let me fight this person." Suddenly, Big Sister Lin rushed forward from behind.

"Ah, why?" Lin Luo was stunned.

"No 'why,' just let me fight," Big Sister Lin said without turning her head, then pulled out a few gems from her embrace.

"Are you worried about me?"

"Stupid... idiot." Big Sister Lin immediately blushed, and the gems she had just taken out slipped to the ground; she scrambled to pick them up in a flurry.

Shua!

A blade of light, incredibly fast, struck from the opposite side. Gratias seized this opportunity and lunged forward. If it were anyone else in this situation, they would have been in grave danger, but his opponent was Lin Luo, so any sneak attack or maneuver was clearly useless against him.

Just like when dealing with Hailengu, black iron sand rose again... iron sand, which is never in short supply anywhere.

"Ugh." However, Gratias's strength surpassed Hailengu's, and few could match his speed. Under his reaction, he managed to completely evade the slash of the Iron Sand Whip and rapidly retreated.

Lin Luo didn't press the advantage, instead saying to Lin, "See? This kind of opponent doesn't even require moving a hand; there's no need to worry at all."

"Who's worrying about you? I'm just... I'm just too bored and want to steal the kill," Big Sister Lin retorted with a flushed face.

Well, although Big Sister Lin using a gaming term like "stealing the kill" felt somewhat incongruous, after spending so much time with a shut-in like Lin Luo, she was bound to become a little bit of a shut-in herself.

"If you're bored, you can play Mahjong in the car. I don't have that luxury, so you shouldn't even think about stealing the kill," Lin Luo said, and without waiting for the girl to argue, he pulled her behind him while he himself charged forward.

Lin Luo had some idea why Lin was so eager to fight. After all, a few days ago at the church, when he and CC were 'having a heart-to-heart,' she had been hiding behind, eavesdropping. However, an opponent like Gratias was not suitable for Lin to fight against.

Although Gratias was far inferior to Lin in terms of overall power or unilateral destructive capability, there was one aspect where Lin could not surpass him: speed.

Gratias's speed had already exceeded the level of ordinary people, rising to a semi-superhuman tier, and his Seraph, being Dark-attribute, could absorb various forms of energy. Although Lin had reached the intermediate Spirit Rank, her body wasn't particularly strong; it was only her magic that greatly enhanced her physical defenses, maintaining them in an almost semi-permanent state. But there was no guarantee that this enhancement magic wouldn't be absorbed by the Dark attribute.

After all, in essence, Gratias's Dark-attribute Seraph and Evangeline's Dark magic were the same, only differing vastly in power output.

Although Lin Luo believed that given Lin's strength and combat experience, the probability of such a situation occurring was low, it wasn't one hundred percent guaranteed. Why take an unnecessary risk, even if it was only a one-in-ten-thousand chance?

Gratias was startled. Although he had dodged the previous attack in time, it left him shaken. It was iron sand—truly baffling. Facing an ability he knew nothing about, he felt fear for the first time.

Of course, he wouldn't retreat because of this. As royalty among the Seraphim, confronting the Seven Shimmering Treasures inherently carried the risk of being counter-killed; he had long been prepared for such a scenario. The only difference now was that the threat bringing danger to him wasn't the Seven Shimmering Treasures.

In this fight against Gratias, Lin Luo did not opt for close-quarters combat as he had against Hailengu. Instead, he purely controlled the iron sand beneath the ground to attack the enemy.

Although Gratias was fast, his advantage in speed became completely useless against this type of attack. He could only barely use it for dodging. If it weren't for the absorption ability of his Dark-attribute Seraph, he would likely have already been sliced in half by the Iron Sand Whip.

This man... has he become this strong without even using the Seven Shimmering Treasures?

Shock and fear completely replaced Gratias's mind. He truly couldn't believe that facing such an opponent, he still had any chance of victory.

"Let this strike end it," Lin Luo was not using his full power, but there was no need to hold back either. From the start, his intent had been to strike down the enemy. The fact that the opponent held out until now only meant Lin Luo had underestimated him slightly, but that was as far as it would go.

As he spoke, the calculation formulas in his mind completely changed. The Iron Sand Whip instantly dispersed, transforming into thousands of swords made of iron sand. They hung in the sky, surrounding Gratias as their target.

"This is..." Gratias was utterly transformed. If the previous attack had only brought him shock and fear, this was enough to render him numb... thousands of swords—how could he possibly dodge them all?

The battle was without suspense. The moment the thousands of iron sand swords descended, everything ended.

And at the instant Gratias died, his Seraph detached itself. However, this time it was slightly different. The Seraph, about the size of an infant, sat beside Gratias, proactively extending its neck towards the iron sand swords that had not yet receded. Then blood splattered, soaking Gratias's body.

"Why did she..." Seeing this scene, Siska and the others were too stunned to speak.

"Because there are some people in this world who don't distinguish between good and evil, only love and hate," Lin Luo said faintly. He hadn't intended to kill that Seraph, but since it chose death on its own, he wouldn't stop it.

A Seraph dying because of him—this was the first, but perhaps not the last.

Upon reaching the Aediru Garden, those Seraphim who had long been brainwashed to prioritize the interests of the Aediru Garden would surely die by his hand in greater numbers. But... Lin Luo was already prepared for this.

This time, he wasn't here to be a savior.

This time, he was the Demon King.

P: Only two maps left!