Atlas Studios

  Atlas Studios

  Dungeon Lord Onionhead surveyed all the guests and inhaled deeply. He announced solemnly, “The No Price Cut supermarket will be officially open for business in Winterfell next month. We’ll provide 100 VIP cards with a 10% discount, which can be obtained with a single top up of 1,000,000 Magic Stones. WashCutBlowSteamDyePerm salon is offering bald head care sets to make your hair shiny, the perming of hair will last a lifetime. Winterfell Dungeon Sale Department is offering benefits for a 150% price increase. The original price of a Dungeon Core was 20,000,000 Magic Stones. The price has increased to 30,000,000. Don’t miss the chance. If you don’t buy now, it’ll be 40,000,000 tomorrow.”


  After Onionhead finished reading a piece of paper, the elderly Orc by his side passed him another piece of paper. Onionhead started reading the paper again.

  After reading a few pieces of paper, Onionhead looked at the crowd. He clapped his hands, and two Goblins walked forward and pulled open a horizontal banner:

  “First Winterfell Dark Rider Tournament”


  Onionhead said, “I have other matters to announce. As one of the ten judges of the Merchant Alliance Northern Area, I would like to thank everyone for your support and continued development of Winterfell. I have applied to the Merchant Alliance for money to organize a Northern Underworld Tournament. The final winner will be named the Dark Rider.”


  “I’m taking part, I’m taking part!”


  “I will be the Dark Rider.”


  “Arthur, register for it!”


  The gamers behind Sherlock cheered wildly in support of the Tournament. But after a while, they discovered no other creatures were cheering, so they stopped shouting.

  Besides the 40 Goblins, Gnomes, and Houndhead Men who were excited, the other creatures didn’t have any reaction. Onionhead quickly said, “The winner will get a 5% discount shopping in Winterfell and have a chance to have dinner with my daughter. She’s already divorced and is currently single.”


  “Me, me, me!”


  “It’s time for a Furong egg roll like me to step forward!”


  “Humph, nobody can compete with a tenderloin meat patty like me. I’m the final Dark Rider!”


  “Don’t think too much. Only I, the chicken meat roll, is the real victor!”


  The number of applicants increased, and they registered on-spot. The gamers also signed up.

  After the participants had registered, Onionhead nodded at the long list of names. Then he signaled for the musicians to start playing.

  Melodious heavy metal music reverberated in the Ballroom. Onionhead raised his wine glass happily and shouted, “Please enjoy yourselves!”


  The nobles and Devil Lords went to the dance floor and started dancing.

  Some creatures carried Orcs like a stick and danced wildly, some creatures stepped in a messy rhythm while shaking the head, and some creatures did break-dance twirling on the spot. Everyone was dancing very elegantly.

  Multi-colored lights complemented the elegant heavy metal music. The atmosphere became highly charged.

  Sherlock didn’t dance on the dance floor. He held a cup of bloody chrysanthemum tea and stood at the side. He got Evelynn to be his dance partner, but there was no rule to indicate that he had to dance.

  Moreover, he had to watch over the 40 gamers to prevent them from doing strange things.

  Evelynn looked like she wanted to speak but couldn’t.

  “Are you feeling alright? Drink more warm water,” Sherlock said with concern.

  Evelynn blushed, lowered her head, and said, “No, it’s nothing.”


  Brainiac looked at Evelynn and then Sherlock. Finally, he looked at other places without emotion. Yoda held a cup of bubbling green beverage and drank noisily.

  Eggface had gone into the wooden barrel containing the bloody chrysanthemum tea. He gulped noisily, and the level of the tea dropped rapidly.

  The other gamers didn’t indulge themselves. After registration, they returned to Sherlock’s side to perform their bodyguard duties.

  Evelynn hesitated for half a day. Then she drummed up her courage and shouted to Sherlock, “Lord Sherlock! Shall we……”


  “Wait a moment, Evelynn.”


  Sherlock interrupted Evelynn and looked at a figure that flashed by outside the hall.

  That was a cloaked Beast who was hiding his figure.

  “I’ll be back.”


  Sherlock walked over as 40 bodyguards followed him.

  Beast sat on the outside steps sadly. The Ballroom didn’t have many lights. Even the security guards were at other distant locations. He removed his hood dejectedly and said, “Why? Why did he lie to me……”


  Sherlock moved beside him and consoled him. “Perhaps, there’s going to be a twist of events?”


  “No, it’s impossible. I already know Onionhead’s reasons for doing it. He knew about my belief in Sacred Light and felt that I’m a hopeless freak. So he used such a method to chase me away. I resigned from the Merchant Alliance and divorced my wife. I no longer have a chance.”


  Beast lowered his head as tears dripped down from his eyes.

  “Before I left, I had tens of Sacred Light exercise books at home. He burned them in front of me and said it was good for me. Now I understand……”


  “Think on the positive side. Onionhead didn’t lodge a complaint against you. Don’t you think he’s good?” Sherlock comforted him.

  An elderly Orc passed by with a few guards. He was Onionhead’s assistant. They walked and said, “Yes, that supervisor Senior Beast. We have sufficient evidence to lodge a complaint against him for believing in the Sacred Light. He has broken the highest law in the Merchant Alliance. If you see him, kill him on sight.”


  “I got it!”


  When the group of Orcs passed by, Beast hugged his knees and cried like a child.

  “Ooo wah wah!”


  The gamers behind Sherlock walked up to comfort him.

  “I finally understand that your father-in-law abandoned you because your learning results were too good.”


  “High score, low intelligence?”


  “Even your wife isn’t helping you. Did she divorce you straight away? Perhaps she had a lover outside.”


  “Yes, you’ve been cuckolded. But you’ve gained instead.”


  “Do you have kids? Is the child dark-skinned?”


  “What dark skin? Perhaps there’s a change in DNA. Who says that an Orc must be green-skinned? Is your child red-skinned?”


  The gamers comforted him warmly, but it didn’t achieve the desired effect.

  There was one more sad Orc in this Dungeon……

  In a beautiful manor, a Slime Butler was checking the manor environment to see if there were any improvements to be made. He was a professional Slime Butler.

  Three Hamsters darted rapidly past the courtyard.

  The Slime Butler knew that they were the confidantes of Miss Lilo, so when he saw the running figures, he pretended not to see.

  The three Hamsters ran to a closed door, and each of them knocked once on the door.

  “Dong! Dong! Dong!”


  Then they shouted.

  “Lady! We found out that Lord Sherlock is attending a Ball!”


  “He brought along a dance partner!”


  “The clay at the Ball is delicious!”


  “Swoosh—!”


  The door room was opened.

  Lilo, who had golden curls and wore a white teddy bear sleeping gown and cap, held a teddy bear in her right arm. The black wings extended behind her back.

  “Tens of dance partners!” the three Hamsters said in unison.