The eighteenth reload...

Ren Suo instantly opened the character interface, using the Experience Points gained from collecting Silver Moon Crystals to upgrade "Moon Step" to Level 4!

Although no other Derived Skills appeared, after "Moon Step" advanced to Level 4, its name remarkably changed to "Stealing Star Moon Steps." This not only increased speed, significantly reduced fall damage, and provided a higher Dodge rate but also enabled Luna to tread on the moon in mid-air!

Luna instantly burst from the bed and rushed to the window, grabbing a windbreaker and throwing it on. WITH A WHOOSH, she flew out from the balcony, only then awakening the other two people on the bed.

However, Ren Suo didn't have time to let Luna explain—the silver-white column of light had already descended, leaving Luna little time!

In mid-air, by alternating between "Stealing Star Moon Steps" and "Mage's Death-Defying Feather," Luna immediately left the cruise ship.

During the third round of Moon Phase changes, the Moon Masked World underwent significant alterations again. For instance, snowflakes now drifted down from a cloudless night sky, and the map had changed massively. Places like the Dragon Carving Pavilion and the park—sites where Silver Moon Crystals had previously descended—had transformed into something resembling circular stadiums.

I don't know about other places, but the changes at the Silver Moon Crystal descent locations are definitely the work of other Apostles of the Moon God, Ren Suo mused.

It was only then that Ren Suo realized he could use his Dream Quota to alter the terrain of certain locations or even directly acquire ownership of a place—much like possessing a city in an online game.

So, what if multiple Apostles of the Moon God tried to claim the same location?

Ren Suo believed the highest bidder would win; the changes implemented by the Apostle of the Moon God who spent the most Dream Quota would take effect. In the Moon Masked World, although Dream Quota couldn't directly aid the Apostles in their struggles, its scarcity and terrifying reality-distorting power made it the highest priority resource.

Furthermore, the doctor's house where Luna had been hiding had now become a luxurious suite on a cruise ship. Ren Suo only then discovered that an ocean lay outside the Moon Night Market. It wasn't filled with dark, treacherous unknowns, but rather with glittering, clear currents.

The cruise ship seemed to be sailing around the Moon Night Market, not far from the shore. Otherwise, just returning to the city center would take one or two Moon Phases.

Ren Suo was so anxious because Luna was quite far from the silver-white column of light. He had tried seventeen times before, and by the time she got back, everyone was always gone.

But Luna *does* have a chance to get this Silver Moon Crystal; she just needs a little more time! That's why Ren Suo, after pulling an all-nighter, continued the challenge.

With "Stealing Star Moon Steps," Luna sprinted through the night sky. Suddenly, Ren Suo remembered—

Luna has the "Silver Moon Crystal: Dragon Heart"!

Although this Silver Moon Crystal limited its Recovery ability to her non-combat Status, traveling *was* a non-combat Status!

Realizing this, Ren Suo immediately had Luna explosively activate "Mage's Death-Defying Feather." She would only pause for a moment when she suffered moderate internal injuries, allowing the Dragon Heart to heal her, then continue to Teleport, sustain injuries, and repeat the cycle.

Watching Luna get injured, recover, and then get injured again, Ren Suo felt neither sadness nor joy. I've tried this method before. And I don't even have a Dragon Heart yet.

But the method was indeed effective. Luna arrived just before the Silver Moon Crystal was picked up by someone else. This location was also one where a Silver Moon Crystal had appeared before. About seven or eight people were fighting—it was unknown how many were Apostles and how many were attendants.

The battle had already reached its climax. Most combatants were practically beaten into incapacity. Only one man wielding a Greatsword of Moonlight was charging toward the silver-white column, but another man with a large shield blocked him. Behind the shield-bearer, a black-haired girl was rushing toward the column, on the verge of picking up the Silver Moon Crystal...

"Moonlight Pulse!"

A massive burst of Moonlight Energy carved a deep trench between the black-haired girl and the silver-white column, forcing her to stop and retreat, halting her attempt to snatch the crystal.

The next second, Luna Teleported into the silver-white column and picked up the Silver Moon Crystal.

"Luna obtained the 'Silver Moon Crystal: Strife'."

"'Silver Moon Crystal: Strife': Possessing this Silver Moon Crystal grants you the Strife Aura. All creatures affected by the aura have their magic resistance reduced by 10%. All Supernatural Abilities are enhanced by 5%, and Moon-Related Supernatural Abilities are further enhanced by an additional 25%."

"Current Silver Moon Crystal count: 6/25."

An offensive Silver Moon Crystal, and a rare debuffing type rather than a buffing type, Ren Suo noted.

"It's the Blue Witch!"

"She's stolen a lot of Silver Moon Crystals!"

"From what I saw, the Blue Witch grabbed at least three Silver Moon Crystals!"

The Apostles of the Moon God started clamoring, urging others to act quickly. However, most onlookers held back, refraining from action. They had already expended too much in the earlier battle, even using Miracles, and now Luna had arrived in peak condition. If they charged in as the spearhead, they wouldn't be able to escape even if they won.

"I'm not called the Blue Witch. My name is Luna," Luna suddenly declared. "Don't get it wrong."

The black-haired girl, who should have captured the Silver Moon Crystal, now had a face as dark as a pot lid. She glared fiercely at Luna but shouted to her companion, "Let's go!"

Among those present, she and her companion had the highest combat power. But facing the incredibly fast Luna, and without any Miracles to restrict her movements, she didn't want to engage.

Ren Suo saw through the thoughts of these Apostles of the Moon God. Since Luna was also in combat Status, he had her use Moon Step to leave swiftly and silently, not wanting to complicate matters further…

BOOM!

Suddenly, dozens of Moonlight beams, like gigantic swords from the heavens, plunged into the earth, forming a circle tens of meters in radius. Where the colossal swords connected, Boundless Radiance formed a barrier, severing all paths in and out!

Luna crashed into the barrier, but it remained steadfast; even her Moonlight Pulse couldn't break through!

"What's going on?"

"This is a Miracle! A Miracle of this scale must come at a great cost, and it's probably immobile! Don't be afraid!"

The Apostles of the Moon God tried to leave the encirclement but found it impossible. At that moment, four figures stood proudly in the sky, looking down on everyone. The red-haired woman in a Nanotech Combat Suit leading them glanced at the Apostles of the Moon God and said, "Hand over all your Silver Moon Crystals. I won't kill you, nor will I kill your companions. I will only ensure the Apostles of the Moon God enter Dream Death, allowing you to pass this trial safely."

"I am Lilian Grey, the fifth Watcher of the Federation. I swear on the name of the Watchers, I will not go back on my word!"

They're the Watchers' premade team of five! Ren Suo realized.

Although Lilian's goals aligned with his own, Luna had now become one of Lilian's targets. How can I let Lilian succeed like this? If the others surrender their weapons, Luna will end up fighting a dozen of them alone in this sealed area!

"Eat shit!" Luna shouted, firing a beam of Moonlight before turning to flee.

The other Apostles of the Moon God were also unwilling to comply. The risk of being forced into Dream Death was too great; even if Lilian was a Federal Watcher, she couldn't be trusted.

Now that Luna had struck first, they naturally didn't hesitate—

They all scattered and ran.

Are you kidding me?! Ren Suo practically jumped. There are seven or eight of you and only four of them, and you're all running?!

However, Ren Suo didn't try to stop them. They definitely can't escape anyway. Their only hope is to find the Apostle of the Moon God casting the Miracle and interrupt them to avoid being killed.

Thus, Luna undoubtedly became the sole standout target. Having previously snatched a Silver Moon Crystal from the Watchers' premade team, old and new hatreds combined. The four Watchers immediately howled and rushed toward her, unleashing countless Spells and Miracles!

"Surrender!"

"Hand over the Silver Moon Crystal, and we'll ensure you pass the trial safely!"

"You have great potential. Why not join the Watchers with me?"

They threatened and enticed, but their assault of Spells and Miracles was relentless. Ren Suo was quite Depressed. This Waning Gibbous Moon's Miracle isn't impressive at all; it contributes nothing to the battle:

"Your Miracle is: You can breathe underwater."

"But your Price is: You can only remember what happened in the last seven seconds."

This Miracle, both its effect and its Price, is meaningless to me, Ren Suo thought. Although I've never used this function, the true purpose of the "Goddess Jade Pendant" is underwater breathing, not recognizing relatives or gaining Experience Points from killing Strange Creatures. And Luna only remembering things for seven seconds? That doesn't matter, as long as I'm not affected by the Price. It's not like Luna would ignore the controller's commands just because she can only remember the last seven seconds, right?

Facing the ferocious Watchers, Ren Suo didn't believe the "Gauze Clothing" could withstand many hits. Miracles were cast almost instantaneously, and dodging their attacks through physical maneuvering was extremely difficult. Thus, Ren Suo could only have Luna activate "Mage's Death-Defying Feather" to Teleport and escape the pursuit.

Currently engaged in combat, the Dragon Heart wasn't effective. After Ren Suo had Luna Teleport a few times, she sustained internal injuries that wouldn't heal.

Ren Suo had no choice but to have Luna fight while using "Stealing Star Moon Steps" to run, only using Teleport to escape when she was on the brink of death. Soon, Luna's internal injuries became severe, leading to negative effects such as Attribute decline and reduced Recovery capability.

Just as he was about to reload, the barrier quietly dissipated—it was unclear whether the Miracle had been interrupted or its duration had expired. Ren Suo immediately had Luna Teleport twice in a row to escape the scene!

Luna's internal injuries worsened, her skin turning blood red all over, but the Watchers' team didn't catch up—they knew how Transcendent Luna's escape Ability was.

Ren Suo didn't let Luna stop to heal. The League of Legends members have probably arrived by now. It's best to leave early.

Besides, with the Dragon Heart, Luna's injuries gradually healed on the way; it was no big deal.

It must be nice. I wish I had a Dragon Heart too... Ren Suo mused enviously. If I had the "Silver Moon Crystal: Dragon Heart," wouldn't I be able to use "Mage's Death-Defying Feather" to my heart's content?

...Actually, no, that's impossible, he then thought. Having strong Recovery capability is one thing, but getting injured still hurts. I'm no masochist; I have no interest in getting hurt. However, combining the Dragon Heart with the Feather would essentially give all game characters a Teleport Ability... I wonder if it's possible to get the Dragon Heart...

Just as Ren Suo was fantasizing, Luna had hurried back to the beach and used Moon Step to return to the cruise ship.

Ren Suo didn't remember which suite the NPC doctor and Little Nurse were in. It seemed like everyone on the cruise ship was active, as all the rooms were lit. Luna landed on a balcony and observed the rooms one by one:

"HMM... AH..."

Why does this game even have a censorship filter!? The entire room is filled with Holy Light, only speech bubbles, and no sound?

"Big Brother… SOB..."

"Master, my body can't take much more..."

"HEE HEE, it's so nice to play with Big Sis!"

"What's so nice about it, you fool!"

Incredible! Ren Suo thought. There are so many speech bubbles in this room, and they all seem to be from females... I remember in this Moon Masked World, things only happen if the dreams of both parties merge. That means everyone involved must be willing for it to occur... Isn't anyone in their suite reading a book to cultivate their mind?! Playing Flying Chess would be fine too!

However, Ren Suo glanced at the poolside buffet on the cruise ship's deck. Those playing Flying Chess or Mahjong probably aren't in their rooms anyway...

As he continued his search, all he found were dialogue bubbles filled with moans and grunts, leaving Ren Suo utterly uninterested.

"HMM... HARDER..."

As Ren Suo had Luna pass by a certain room, he assumed it was just another couple getting frisky, but there was no Holy Light inside.

Most importantly, Luna didn't follow the movement commands from the controller and stopped instead.

Could it be...

Ren Suo sat up straight, his expression stern. He directed Luna to enter, his eyes critically examining the scene on the large bed in the bedroom—

Sure enough, the NPC doctor Luna knew was on top of the Little Nurse!

His hands were pressing down on the Little Nurse's shoulders!

He was kneading and pressing fiercely!

No wonder there's no Holy Light, Ren Suo thought. While everyone else is getting frisky in their rooms, you two are just in here giving a massage...

"You're back?" the doctor said, glancing at Luna. "You didn't eat anything when you left earlier. We saved some food for you. Want some?"

The Little Nurse shot Luna an unfriendly look and snorted.

Good. Ren Suo thought. I've found the doctor. Now I can start role-playing the character tag.

That's right, the character tag Ren Suo had ultimately chosen was "Pet Girl." This tag was different from "Environmental King," which required everyone's approval. The "Pet Girl," however, only needed her owner's approval—and Ren Suo had chosen the doctor, the only NPC Luna knew, as her owner.

The "Pet Girl" tag consumed less Dream Quota than "Environmental King," though not by a huge margin. Ren Suo didn't dare use up all his Dream Quota at once, as he had no reliable way to obtain more and needed to spend it sparingly.

The "Pet Girl" character tag is pretty great, he mused. Not only can she run out and fight anytime, but gaining Experience Points isn't time-restricted either; as long as she finds her owner, she can grind EXP. Moreover, nothing the "Pet Girl" does will cause her persona to collapse.

The only problem now was—

How is the "Pet Girl" supposed to gain experience?

Ren Suo scratched his head. He controlled Luna to approach the doctor. Facing the doctor's puzzled look, Ren Suo glanced at the top right corner of the screen, wondering if a quest prompt would appear.

Suddenly, Luna's inner voice surfaced: (I'm feeling down.)

A prompt popped up in the game: "Would you like to act coquettishly?"

Huh? The game even helps with role-playing character tags? Ren Suo decisively chose "Yes."

Then, Ren Suo watched Luna pounce. Meeting the doctor's feigned composure, she pinned him down like a tigress, shredding his clothes with her claws. All the while, dialogue bubbles popped up:

"It hurts so, so, so, so much—it's killing me—"

Ren Suo nodded in deep sympathy. Using the Feather really does hurt a lot.

I thought "Pet Girl" was a service-type character tag. Turns out she's meant to use her owner as a punching bag to relieve stress. That's not bad either.

Faced with Luna's frenzied venting, the doctor remained impassive, neither sad nor joyful, like a delicate flower being ravaged by a storm.

"'Pet Girl' role-play successful. 100 Experience Points awarded."

「Later that evening...」

Unknowingly, evening had arrived. Ren Suo, shuffling in his slippers, headed to Dong Chengling's house. He anticipated a lavish dinner tonight—after all, Gu Yueyan's advancement to the second turn was cause for celebration.

Reaching the ground floor of Dong Chengling's building, Ren Suo habitually glanced at the steps but saw no Black Bell. That's strange, he thought. His nose twitched; he caught a faint feline scent from the nearby bushes. Walking over for a look, he saw Black Bell and a small white cat lying in the grass.

The little white cat's left hind leg seemed to have been cut by something sharp. It was covered in blood, its white fur stained crimson. Black Bell was diligently licking the wound, attempting to treat it with the old folk remedy of cat saliva.

Hearing footsteps, both the little white cat and Black Bell instantly tensed. However, upon seeing it was Ren Suo, they relaxed again.

Ren Suo glanced at the injury and casually flicked his hand, sending a stream of green energy to envelop the little white cat's leg. After a short while, the little white cat tentatively lifted its hind leg, then joyfully stood up, ran around twice, darted out of the bushes, and affectionately rubbed its head against Ren Suo's calf.

"HEE HEE, good kitty," Ren Suo said, stroking the little white cat. Its fur was very soft and pleasant to touch. He glanced at Black Bell, who was watching from the side, and reached out to scratch its chin. "See? Aren't I amazing? Sticking with me is the right choice, isn't it? Now, hurry up and lie down, show me your belly so I can rub it—"

"MEOW!"

"OUCH! Damn it, you're still scratching me!"

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