Little Ye pulled a pitch-black crystal from the enemy's body, and the enemy's form quickly collapsed.
The Dinosaur Body, Little Ye, and Alice all vanished from the spot, leaving only Mia and Little Guardian by Lin Ye's side.
"That was fast."
Mia gathered the black ring fragments, glancing around as if checking for hidden enemies nearby.
"Do you know what organization is behind that enemy?"
They had attacked Lin Ye two and a half times now, but he still didn't know who they were.
"How would I know? I leave the asylum occasionally, but I don't run around much. Still, judging by those collectibles, the people behind the enemy are definitely no joke. You could ask your old flame—she knows this place inside out."
Mia looked a bit embarrassed. She had originally planned to drag Lin Ye along to make some money, but instead, they'd stumbled into such a huge mess.
"Should we go clean out the stuff in that storage point later?"
Lin Ye preferred to root out his enemies entirely.
Right now, he was starting to regret not using the Blessing of the Lord of Emerald Capital for something practical.
"I don't want to go back and die with you. Your old flame's situation is even messier than yours. The princess can only come out for fresh air occasionally, and that little girl's condition is unstable. I'm just a useless coward who can only run away. What are you going to fight with? Rely on those gods who can't even save themselves? Or that system that can only operate within its rules?"
Mia flashed a slightly mocking smile.
"Then I guess it's better to stop here."
Lin Ye wasn't angry. He could tell Mia was warning him that his situation wasn't as good as it seemed.
Actually, he didn't need anyone's reminder. He understood his own circumstances better than anyone.
"When we get back this time, I plan to rest at the asylum for a while. You'd better be careful, in case they come after you to cut their losses. The other items are valuable, but they probably won't risk their lives over them. That bookshelf from the ancient library, though—that's a different story. Its value might be beyond what you can imagine."
Mia spoke seriously.
"Don't worry. This is the mental world. If it were anywhere else, I'd make them understand what happens when you mess with me for no reason."
Lin Ye was good at card games, so he knew the importance of keeping his hand hidden. He had plenty of cards he'd never played, and his trump cards for survival were so many he had to think about which one to use first.
"Your side is actually still pretty safe. As long as you don't go out without the system like this time, you won't run into enemies far beyond your ability."
Mia reminded him.
"I got it. Next time, I'll try using that Boat Ticket through the system."
Lin Ye decided he'd drop by that general store to ask about it. If that didn't work, he'd have to ask Xiao Bai.
Mia suddenly turned to look into the distance. The Dinosaur Body, Little Ye, and Alice had reappeared beside them.
"We took care of the nearby enemies, but the information in their heads was wiped clean. This organization is deeply hidden—I didn't find any relevant data."
Little Ye glanced at Little Guardian and casually reached out to pat her head.
"I have a rough idea of what organization they belong to, but I'm not certain yet. Once I am, I'll let you know."
The Dinosaur Body flicked its tail, wearing a rather peculiar smile.
This was the first time Lin Ye had seen a smiling dinosaur.
"As expected of you. You haven't lived that long for nothing. Only an elder like you would know a little bit about everything."
Little Ye smiled back, locking eyes with the Dinosaur Body.
"Aren't you going back yet? I heard you've run into some trouble over there. Need this old elder to lend you a hand?"
The Dinosaur Body leaned its head close to Little Ye's face, nearly pressing against it.
"Let's divide the spoils first. I put that bookshelf with the Gray World relic. You guys split the rest."
Lin Ye interrupted their standoff. He pulled all the items out of his pocket, and Mia and Alice also produced a few large objects.
Most of these items were way beyond his current reach. Taking them back would just turn them into collectibles in the basement. Better to let those who could actually use them handle them.
Besides, the bookshelf he'd taken was probably the most valuable thing here.
"I'll take these. You can use these three items. I have some things to deal with, so I won't stay long."
Little Ye picked up several items and placed three more in Lin Ye's hands before vanishing without another word.
"I can use a few of these. I should be heading back too."
The Dinosaur Body disappeared after speaking.
"I'm running too. You have the Boat Ticket—just wait here to board."
Mia also grabbed a few items she could use, including that spiritual Rule Fragment.
"See you next time."
Lin Ye watched Mia disappear into the distance, leaving only Little Guardian and Alice by his side.
"Is there anything here you can use?"
Lin Ye looked at Little Guardian.
"This one should work."
Little Guardian picked up a container holding a heart and replied.
"Then you handle the rest, Alice."
A cruise ship was approaching in the distance. This trip was finally coming to an end.
"I like the snacks you bring me, but I don't like grilled organs."
Alice packed away the remaining items and handed a bag of potato chips to Lin Ye.
"How did you get here?"
Lin Ye had already sensed something off about this Alice.
"Consider this a fee for using my image. I like to go out and see other places sometimes. Your illusion taught me how to fight in the mental world—I'm pretty suited to being here."
Alice replied with a smile.
"I'll probably come back into the mental world tomorrow. Oh, right, I also have a Dream World. Want to come check it out?"
If Alice could come help, Lin Ye felt he could speed up his exploration of the Dream World.
"Sorry, I'm pretty busy over there. I can't go out often."
Alice answered with some regret.
This was the first time she'd ever received an invitation to travel.
"That's alright. I have a lot of things to deal with too. If you ever need help, you can contact me through that illusion."
Lin Ye had no choice but to reluctantly give up on the idea of speed-running the Dream World.
"Okay. Goodbye, then."
Alice vanished after speaking.
The cruise ship docked. Lin Ye took Little Guardian aboard and returned to the shelter.
..............................................
Lin Ye climbed out of bed in the shelter. The little Crocodile lay motionless on his chest, resting with its eyes open.
This trip hadn't taken too much time. It was six in the evening now, and the sky was just beginning to darken.
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