Monster Paradise

In a flash, several days had passed again.

Soon, the day of Lin Huang and Virtuoso’s appointment arrived.

At 8.50 in the morning, Lin Huang arrived at the agreed location after breakfast—a cafe by the beach, located quite far from Shelter No. 3.

It was mid-June at the moment; in this region where the café was located, it was already the beginning of summer.

A glance showed swimsuit-clad men and ladies everywhere at the beach. Lin Huang, who was in a black robe, looked out of place among them. He even received judgmental glances directed at him every now and then.

Lin Huang ignored the stares from those people. He found himself a table in the alfresco area and took a seat. He then ordered a cup of coffee and waited patiently for Virtuoso to show up.

Very soon, his coffee was served by a young female attendant in a short serving maid outfit.

Lin Huang lifted the cup and took a sip. He could not help frowning slightly, putting down the cup.

He thought there were probably two words that could best describe this cup of coffee – utterly undrinkable.

It was not an exaggeration to say that this was the worst cup of coffee he had ever tasted since he traveled to this world.

He even had some suspicions as to how this café had survived until now.

‘Don’t tell me those pretty girls in maid attire are the only appeal?!’

At 9 a.m. sharp, none of the several team members that Virtuoso mentioned to him had arrived.

“Did that fellow blow me off?” Lin Huang raised his brows. However, after some careful consideration, he felt that he had nothing to lose since he had already obtained a Sword seal fragment.

After thinking about it, he figured he would send Virtuoso a message. “Where are you? We agreed to meet at 9, where’s everyone?!”

“We’re on the way. Wait for a few more minutes,” Virtuoso replied almost immediately.

Lin Huang could only continue to wait patiently. After all, he had accepted the deposit. There was no need for him to rage-quit just because they were a few minutes late.

What he thought strange was that not only was Virtuoso absent, but the rest had yet to arrive as well.

Right after he turned off his communication page, Lin Huang sensed a dimensional wave coming from not far away.

A black whirlpool opened up, and two figures walked out of it.

One of them was a burly, bald man who was over two meters tall. He had a face full of stubble and was clad in golden armor.

Meanwhile, the other figure was a thin, small lady in a blue robe, whose height did not even reach 1.4 meters. She looked a little like an adolescent girl.

Lin Huang had a rough idea of their identities.

The two newcomers noticed Lin Huang sitting outside the cafe as soon as they teleported in. They walked directly over to him.

“I suppose you’re Xiu Mu? I’m Tu Tong,” the burly man in golden armor extended his hand immediately.

Lin Huang stretched out his own hand as well and gave Tu Tong a handshake.

The lady in the blue robe seemed to be a little timid. Her gaze at Lin Huang was somewhat fugitive.

“This is Lan Ling.” Noticing what was going on, the man in golden armor immediately introduced his companion.

“Hello,” Lin Huang greeted with a smile.

“I heard that you’re a sword cultivator?” Tu Tong seemed to be rather interested in Lin Huang’s status as a sword cultivator.

“Yes, that’s right,” Lin Huang nodded in acknowledgment.

Although Xiu Mu’s status in Death Sickle was only that of a psychic, Virtuoso had seen through him completely. Therefore, there was no need for him to hide his sword cultivator status in front of the duo.

“I’m a combat cultivator. Let’s spar when we have the chance. Sparring with sword cultivators and saber cultivators is what I like best.” Tu Tong looked eager to try this.

If not for the unsuitable time and location, he might just have sparred with Lin Huang right away.

In comparison with Tu Tong, Lan Ling, who had remained on the sidelines, was quiet throughout.

She had been listening to their conversation, but she did not show any signs of wishing to contribute at all.

As Lin Huang and Tu Tong were chatting, another dimensional wave suddenly came out of nowhere.

The three of them looked toward the source of the dimensional wave at almost the same time.

A figure in a green robe slowly walked out of the black whirlpool.

Lin Huang did not even need to think about it to know that the third team member had arrived.

This was because he sensed an overwhelming saber intent within the man’s body. It was at least as powerful as his own sword intent—perhaps even more powerful.

“Sword cultivator?” The man in the green robe raised his eyes and looked at Lin Huang as soon as he stepped out of the whirlpool.

The next second, he took a stride forward and appeared before the three of them.

“Senior Saber.” Tu Tong and Lan Ling stood up almost at the same time.

“Just call me Saber9, that will do.” Only then did the man in the green robe shift his gaze from Lin Huang to look at the pair in front of him.

Clearly, the three of them knew each other.

Noticing this, Lin Huang stood up immediately and took the initiative to introduce himself, “This humble one is Xiu Mu.”

“I know you—Virtuoso has mentioned you before.” Saber9 nodded slightly.

He appeared to be in his early 30s but was the kind who looked young. If he were to say that he was 27 or 28, people would still believe him. However, his aura was coldly arrogant and extremely elegant.

“Isn’t he here yet?” Saber9 glanced around and asked Tu Tong and Lan Ling.

“I don’t think so…” Tu Tong answered immediately, but he secretly wondered, ‘Why ask me when I wasn’t the first one who arrived here?’

“I’ve messaged him already to prompt him,” Lin Huang spoke up as well, “Why don’t all of you order something to drink first? Not coffee though—this cafe’s coffee tastes like crap.”

The three ordered one after the other, then all four of them sat together at a table and waited patiently for Virtuoso.

When the drinks were served, the three of them merely took a sip, then put down their cups.

“Are they terrible too?” Lin Huang could not help asking when he noticed this.

“Just like you said, it tastes like crap,” Saber9 gave the same comment.

Beside him, Tu Tong and Lan Ling nodded immediately.

None of the three had ordered coffee; they had even ordered three different drinks.

The fact that the cafe had managed to make four different drinks that were equally terrible made Lin Huang feel a slight trace of dubious admiration.

He was even more doubtful now. ‘How in the world has this cafe survived?!’

The four of them waited until 9.15 a.m. but there was still no sign of Virtuoso.

Lin Huang did not mind, but Saber9 had on a long face the entire time. Tu Tong and Lan Ling stole glances at him every now and again; they were clearly anxious.

“Let me hurry him up one more time.” Seeing this, Lin Huang called Virtuoso again. They picked up almost immediately.

“Could you hurry up a little? The four of us have arrived; we’re all waiting for you.”

“Right away! Right away!” Virtuoso ended the call immediately after saying that.

Virtuoso said that they would be there right away, but the four of them still waited for over ten minutes more.

At 9:30 a.m., the white-robed Virtuoso finally arrived.

“My apologies, everyone. I’m late.” Although he said that, Virtuoso’s expression did not seem to indicate he was sorry.

“Of all the good qualities you could have learned, you had to pick up on your Primordium’s bad habit of being late,” Saber9 said, angrily.

“Ah Jiu, don’t be angry.” Lin Huang had goosebumps when he heard how Virtuoso addressed Saber9.

However, the odd thing was that Saber9 merely registered his protests with his eyes instead of verbally correcting the term of address.

“Ahh, Tutu, and Lanlan, it’s been a while!” Virtuoso greeted Tu Tong and Lan Ling in a sappy manner.

The pair looked helpless, but neither did they correct the endearments.

At that moment, Virtuoso looked at Lin Huang.

Before they could speak, Lin Huang spoke up first, “We’re not that close, don’t you dare do that to me.”

Only then did Virtuoso drop the matter rather sulkily.