"Indeed, it was I who vanquished it," Ming declared nonchalantly. "It was a formidable three-star regal aquatic creature, with whom I engaged in a protracted and fierce battle beneath the waves before ultimately defeating it."
"Alone, you accomplished this feat?"
"Indeed."
"You are truly formidable... And now?"
"Yes, this fish is immense; it has taken me a considerable amount of time to slice it in half, and I reckon it will take even longer to finish the task."
Ming subtly revealed an expression of exhaustion and difficulty, hoping the astute woman would notice his faint cues.
Upon hearing this, Marie tentatively offered, "Do you need our assistance?"
"Oh, that would be most welcome," Ming replied enthusiastically. "I caught a glimpse of the young girl with the colossal blade, and I immediately knew she was the industrious type."
"..."
Marie hesitated, suddenly feeling as though she had been swindled.
this, to her surprise, in a proper social exchange, even if someone eagerly desired help, they would remain polite. However, the man before her seemed utterly devoid of tact.
"Let us hasten, for when the person assigned to collect you arrives, I will once again have to single-handedly tackle this fish. Gather your companions; I have work attire for you all, ensuring your clothes remain pristine."
Ming took the nurses' uniforms.
"You actually have work attire..." Marie's composure faltered, noting the peculiarity of him carrying uniforms.
She glanced at their surroundings, completely exposed, and cautiously proposed, "I genuinely want to assist you, but... Out here in the wilderness, it's rather inconvenient for us girls to change clothes."
"Don't worry; I have a dressing room as well."
"...You have a dressing room?"
Marie gazed at the man before her, perplexed by his thorough preparedness.
Subsequently, she saw him lift his hand and summon a large tent out of thin air.
"It's an exclusive skill!" Marie marveled, familiar with such abilities and now witnessing it firsthand—how impressive.
Ming grinned, "This spacious dressing room can accommodate you all at once."
"..."
Marie felt slightly discomfited.
With a hum, several beams of white light touched down.
Alan, Benjamin, and the others emerged, addressing Ming, "Big brother, we've returned! This time, the teleportation was truly seamless; we reached our destination in a single attempt. You still haven't dealt with the fish?"
"..."
Ming, clutching the nurses' uniforms, hesitated whether to put them away or continue holding them.
Their ill-timed arrival disrupted Ming's plans, shattering his fish-slicing operation.
Following introductions and Benjamin's endorsement, everyone finally understood that the man before them was a good person.
"Everyone, let's hurry with the bridging; we are pressed for time," Alan instructed Benjamin and urged Marie and the others to gather around. "Ladies, for the bridging migration to be quicker and more efficient, we hope you'll cooperate with us and not doubt our intentions, all right?"
"Agreed!" Marie and the others nodded, relieved they no longer had to wear the uniforms and slice the fish.
"Excellent. Then, dear sisters, please begin by removing your clothing."
"..."
Marie and the others were momentarily taken aback. Remove their clothes?
Uncomprehending, she glanced at Benjamin, who gently nodded in confirmation, "Reducing psychic attributes will expedite the bridging process; it's the most time-efficient method. To swiftly complete the grand migration, let's undress. We've all done so before."
"But..."
"Cough!" Ming cleared his throat, gesturing to the tent. Since the skill had already been used, it couldn't go to waste as mere decoration.
"However, apart from our equipment, we no longer have any ordinary clothes!"
"That's right; we discarded those useless garments long ago."
"Indeed, we can't just wear..."
"Cough, cough!"
"For the time being, make do with these work uniforms," Ming coughed again, waving the nurses' uniforms in hand.
"..."
Everyone was astonished! With a tent and uniforms, he was extremely well-prepared. Next, they saw Guttman retrieve several more nurses' uniforms from storage. The group was once again astounded—how did he have so many?
A chill crept through Marie's heart; it seemed there was no escaping the uniforms.
"Please take good care of them after use; I'll need them back," Ming advised, smiling, "You're welcome; it's my duty."
Ming still felt disheartened. He had expended so much effort, yet the fish remained unsliced.
Darn it, it was all Alan's fault... Ming glanced upward at the two giant eagles circling the sky
Marie, holding a thick stack of nurses' uniforms, led her group into the tent.
Thoughtfully, Ming had placed two Sunshine Illumination Flowers inside the tent for lighting before stepping out and closing the tent flap. He approached Alan, "Alan, let me borrow your two birds for a bit."
"Uh..."
Alan hesitated, but after seeing the persuasive gaze and irresistible charm in Ming's eyes, he summoned the giant eagles and told Ming, "Big brother, be gentle with them; don't wear them out."
"Don't worry," Ming reassured him, "They're so adorable; I could never bear to push them to exhaustion."
Ming patted the head of each giant eagle and asked, "Right?"
The two eagles glanced at him, then turned to Alan, their eyes filled with confusion and a touch of reluctance.
At that moment, the girl carrying the massive blade was the first to exit the tent. She looked at Ming, "I heard that, despite being a long-range archer, you're also very strong in close combat. Can you give me some guidance?"
"Well..." Ming hesitated, surveyed her attributes with his Eagle Eye, and instructed, "First, approach that half of the fish and, in your strongest and most complete state, execute your skill. Then, I'll give you some pointers."
"Okay!"
In the next instant, the girl dragged the massive blade with one hand, plowing the ground as she sprinted toward half of the fish. As she charged, a faint white light enveloped both her and the weapon. Then, the girl leaped into the air, raising the blade above her head, and shouted, "Open!"
The blade's brilliance intensified, illuminating the river and grassland, overshadowing the bonfire and starlight.
Boom! The half of the fish split in two. The girl then swung the disproportionally large blade forward in a vertical slash, bellowing, "Kill!!"
The blade was chopped down, with spiritual power flooding the edge, and the fish flesh was divided into quarters.
"Slash!!"
"Rip!!"
"Destroy!!"
"..."
At that moment, the ground served as a cutting board, and the girl was the knife. The shimmering blade danced like ripples on water, and the sharp edge tore through the lingering shadows. In the blink of an eye, the fish pieces doubled, quadrupled, and continued to multiply.
Moments later, the girl sheathed her blade and drank strength and spirit potions. Once she had steadied herself, she looked at Ming.
"Good!" Ming applauded. The fish pieces were neatly and uniformly sliced—it couldn't have been better.
"How did I do?" the girl asked, approaching him.
By now, Marie and the others had exited the tent. Alan, Benjamin, and the others watched them, unable to look away.
Ming glanced at the fish pieces and told the girl, "You're already great. When you go out, be careful. When the opportunity arises, I'll teach you more. For now, you have to follow them back to District 109."
"Okay. When we meet again, can I have a match with you?"
"Sure."
"Goodbye."
The girl smiled and effortlessly hoisted the massive blade onto her shoulder before running over to Marie and the others.
Ming smiled, turning to look at the fish pieces. He had to admit, the cuts were neat and uniform, without any peeling or roughness. The girl was quite skilled.
Counting the pieces, he found there were 32 in total, but each was still a bit large and needed further processing.
"We'll go ahead. You better take good care of my eagles; I'll come back for them. Their meat isn't tasty at all."
"Alright, don't worry."
Ming glanced at the two giant eagles flying over and meticulously slicing the fish with their talons.
Then, white light fell... and everyone vanished. Ming thought that with the eagles cutting the fish here, he could go search for the herbivorous creature. He prepared to throw the frogs into the tent but discovered they had already squatted inside.
[Your frogs seem a bit melancholic; they now doubt the authenticity of the people in the magazine, as it seems difficult to find such individuals in reality...]
[Your frogs see you staring at them and want to tell you, ming, you're late—the people are gone...]
