I must emphatically state that the cover circulating on the wireless network was not my creation. Regarding that cover, all I can say is: Damn it, what a rip-off!

...

The Sky City was livelier than usual that day; not only had the master returned, but the number of people was also greater than before. Lin Luo roughly counted that, including Onyxia, who came daily to freeload meals, and the two little dragon lolis, Dingdang and Linglong, who were almost inseparable from her, the total headcount exceeded twenty.

By evening, the dining table, capable of seating fifty, was nearly half full. With so many people eating, and several known gluttons among them, the maidservants naturally had to work even harder to prepare such a lavish banquet.

Watching the busy figures of several hundred maidservants moving about the Sky City—their cooking superb, their demeanor utterly proper, humble, and courteous, handling every task with flawless organization—Sakuya felt a sudden, inexplicable sense of loss. It wasn't for herself, but rather a thought crossed her mind: if the demon maids back at the Scarlet Devil Mansion possessed even a fraction of the competence of these mechanical maids—no, even just one-tenth of their capability—she wouldn't have to stop time every day just to get the work done.

Eating the food prepared by the maids, Chou Rinne felt immensely inspired. While she was a scientist, she was also a culinary creator; at least in those two fields, she felt few could surpass her. Yet, the dishes before her were in no way inferior to her own cooking. More importantly... all these delicacies were made by mechanical maids.

Three hundred self-aware mechanical maids, each with distinct personalities, were utterly indistinguishable from humans save for their mechanical bodies. They didn't even require energy!

Chou Rinne felt that coming to the Sky City this time was absolutely the right decision. A place like this could undoubtedly unleash the full potential of all her talents. She was already itching to begin her experiments.

Konomi and Setsuna were also visibly excited. This place filled them with novelty and an atmosphere of adventure. In just half a day, let alone the entirety of the Sky City, they hadn't even finished touring the main hall. They resolved to explore every corner of the Sky City in the coming days, including the twelve floating cities outside and the world below... Of course, this decision was issued by the young mistress; Setsuna found it awkward, but since it was her lady’s suggestion, she could only comply.

As for the others, there were generally no major changes; having lived in the Sky City for several months, they had all grown accustomed to it. If anything notable needed mentioning, Lin Luo felt the Black Dragon girl’s gaze towards him had become stranger, as if looking at a creepy uncle trying to trick little lolis, and she had erected a solid barrier between him and the two adorable dragon lolis beside her.

This left Lin Luo speechless. Was he really that unscrupulous? How could he possibly lay a hand on such young lolis?

In short, although this dinner appeared outwardly harmonious, under the surface, the currents were turbulent, especially the ravenous, whirlwind eating style of those few gluttons, which turned the entire dining table into a battlefield... Lin Luo felt a headache brewing.

After dinner concluded, everyone recounted their recent experiences: the adventures in the magic world, the young mistress Rin’s treasure hunt across the Sky City, Misaka Mikoto’s life in the virtual city, the Bersekers’ legends of dominating the Dragon City, the necessary tales the soft-spoken Leafa had to share, the path to strength for the three-zero, naturally dense Black Rock Shooter girl, Maiya Satori’s weight loss exercises, and the Queen’s philosophical life lessons for her maids... Of course, most of these details were revealed by others.

Though the poor young mistress was no longer poor—in fact, quite wealthy, to the point where she could have anything she desired—her impoverished roots remained. Even with money, the little Midas was still a little Midas.

The virtual city beneath the Sky City, though merely a data projection of Lin Luo’s, was a real, existing place. Looking down from above, skyscrapers towered, and streets bustled with people; superficially, it was indistinguishable from the real world. Lin Luo and the others could enter it, much like an immersive virtual reality online game, except there were no monsters to fight, levels to gain, or bosses to challenge—just a normal modern metropolis... In a way, it bore some resemblance to the magical world projected by the Creator.

Misaka Mikoto spent her days frequenting the virtual metropolis below. She had already enrolled as a student in one of the noble girls' schools there, continuing to enjoy a queenly status. Naturally, the others visited occasionally, just not as frequently as she did.

As for the residents of the virtual city, while they could engage in normal conversation with Misaka and the others, they remained unaware of their true identities and could not see the Sky City. To them, that city was their entire world, much like how ancient people once believed the Earth was flat.

The three Berserkers frequently visited Dragon City during Lin Luo’s absence. They were all warriors; regardless of their differing goals, they possessed a warlike bloodline. Dragon City was undoubtedly the optimal "battleground" for them. In less than two months, they had established a formidable reputation there.

Besides these things, there were numerous other interesting tidbits, too numerous to list. After catching up on domestic news, Lin Luo had to face the most crucial matter: the destination of the next world.

There were still three choices for this journey: the Rose Maiden Plane of Souseiseki, the Rebellious Prince Plane of ..., and the Gensokyo Plane belonging to the Head Maid.

Although he had previously promised Sakuya a trip to Gensokyo, matters required proper sequence. Sakuya did not object to this arrangement; she had plenty of time, and it had been two months since they left Gensokyo. If the Scarlet Devil Mansion truly needed her, they would have managed by now; there was no need to rush.

"I only need Father," when Lin Luo asked, Souseiseki stated without hesitation. "I don't want to return to that world right now."

She was an unfinished doll, her body flawed. The Rose Mother was a power she wouldn't obtain until much later. She was often looked down upon, even unrecognized, by the other Rose Maidens, which stoked her anger alongside a deep-seated inferiority complex. Though she wouldn't admit it, this self-doubt subconsciously existed, indirectly fueling her arrogant, proud, and overbearing personality, which had only slightly improved since meeting Lin Luo.

Thus, she harbored a small secret desire: she wanted to return to her world only after becoming the perfect "Alice." This way, she could face her sisters with greater justification and pride, declaring to them herself that she was Father’s most beloved, perfect Rose Maiden.

I can certainly do it, because I have already gained Father’s love, so I will definitely become "Alice"... Souseiseki firmly believed this in her heart; her father's love was the greatest source of her confidence.

"I see... Very well then," Lin Luo nodded. Although he held some anticipation for the Rose Maiden plane, since Souseiseki didn't wish to go, they would set it aside for now. He then turned to ... "What are your plans?"

She lightly sipped her tea, set the cup down, looked up, and smiled faintly. "You choose one of the other worlds. I don't feel like going either right now; the things I need to do are not yet finished."

"Say, what exactly are you doing?" Lin Luo had always been curious about this. He had asked the other girls and learned that during this period, besides occasionally offering 'great guidance' to the maids using her vast life experience, she hadn't done anything else particularly extraordinary.

"That's a secret," she replied with a faint smile, saying no more.

Her only wish was to end this eternal life. But she didn't want to die yet, at least not until she had completed all the things she never had the chance to do before.

Life leading to death was a complete existence. She had endured countless 'deaths' but never a true 'life.' Therefore, she wanted to live here once as an ordinary girl; in the end, death would be her best destination.

If she didn't want to go, only one world remained as a possibility.

"Sakuya, we are going to Gensokyo in ten days."

...

After the "meeting" concluded, everyone returned to their respective rooms. Lin Luo didn't seek out any particular girl to discuss life or ideals; he returned to his own room and immediately began cultivating.

The journey to Gensokyo, though seemingly lacking in immediate danger and quite beautiful, was actually a place of great peril. With his current strength, reaching Gensokyo would put him at most at the peak of the Spirit Rank (). However, peak Spirit Rank power was worthless there; it only put him on par with Sakuya, and he wouldn't even make it into the top tier, let alone the ultimate echelon of combatants.

As for the highest-tier fighters like Yukari Yakumo and Yuyuko Saigyouji, given their inherent laziness, as long as he didn't provoke them, there was little to worry about. Reimu could be placated with money—no trouble there. If he accidentally ran into Yuuka Kazami, she might be a nuisance, but... Lin Luo’s greatest concern was Remilia. He had effectively abducted her Head Maid, and given that girl's personality, she likely wouldn't let the matter rest. He needed to be prepared.

Among his current allies, only Evangeline, in her complete form, could contend with Remilia. However, Remilia intensely despised other vampires, even wiping out all the vampires in Gensokyo at one point. If she encountered Evangeline... the consequences could be disastrous.

After all, Evangeline was merely a minor noble, whereas Remilia was an ancient true vampire. Even setting aside the disparity in strength, their status was fundamentally different by a whole tier. How could the haughty Remilia tolerate such a thing?

Moreover, Remilia had a good friend and a dear sister. Flandre’s asthma wasn't necessarily scary; with his healing magic, he might even be able to forge a close bond with her. But... if Remilia decided to treat the Second Young Lady badly, Lin Luo would be doomed.

Given that cruel sister’s ruthlessness, he would absolutely be played with until he broke!

"This is truly a bit troublesome. It looks like I'll have to borrow Evangeline's time room. If I can break through to the Earth Rank, then I won't fear anything."