A Sister’s Secret and a Treasure’s Awakening

At last, Wang Pangzi, that great Buddha of a man, was finally seen off.

Playing the role of an aloof, sharp-tongued younger sister had proven even more draining than he had anticipated.

The main challenge lay in constantly maintaining his composure, lest he break character and burst into laughter.

“Master, are you all right?”

Lim came up behind him, pressing herself close.

‘Hmm? How did she recognize me?’

As if sensing the surprise in Lin Ran’s eyes, Lim puffed out her chest and lifted her chin, brimming with self-satisfaction.

“I recognized you at first glance! You changed so much, but your scent is still the same!”

Lin Ran looked down at her, a wave of warmth washing over his heart.

He still crouched down, using ‘Lin Xi’s’ hand to gently pat Lim’s head.

“Yes, Lim is the smartest.”

“Yay!”

Pleased with the praise, Lim happily bounced in place a couple of times, as if reliving her days as a Slime Tot.

Having resolved the matter, ‘Lin Ran’ and ‘Lin Xi’ ascended the stairs.

The hour was late, and it was nearly time for sleep.

The moment he returned to the second floor, Lin Ran eagerly dispelled his mimicry, reverting to his original form.

Tiny, on the other hand, seemed to revel in the sensation of mimicry, transforming first into Lim, then into Lin Ran, and then back into the guise of that little girl.

No sooner had he collapsed onto the sofa than he felt his body utterly drained.

He had finally managed to pull it off.

Just as he prepared to catch his breath, his phone buzzed vibrantly in his pocket.

Picking it up, he saw a message from Wang Pangzi.

[Wang Pangzi: Bro, you need a good rest. I was too impulsive today. Those monster girls of yours must be from the first two waves of attacks, right? Man, you’re seriously amazing…]

Despite his rough exterior, the man possessed an unexpected meticulousness in this regard.

Lin Ran offered no further words, simply replying with an [Mm].

It was acceptable; though the fatty was reckless, he at least knew how to admit his mistakes.

Yet, before he could even put his phone down, a second message instantly popped up.

[Wang Pangzi: Hey! Bro, you’re awake!]

[Wang Pangzi: Perfect timing, that… Bro, quick question. Your sister… does she have a boyfriend? Would you mind if I pursued her?]

Lin Ran choked, nearly expiring on the spot from sheer disbelief!

‘I treat you like a brother, and you actually want to be my brother-in-law?’

‘Wait, I was the sister!’

A myriad of absurdities flashed through his mind, leaving him utterly bewildered as to where to even begin voicing his complaints.

Lin Ran’s fingers hovered over the screen for a prolonged moment, his mischievous delight ultimately overshadowing his urge to rant.

He picked up his phone and typed out a line of text.

[Lin Ran: My sister likes me, literally, in a romantic sense. Now scram! I’m a sis-con too!]

Having sent it, Lin Ran immediately silenced his phone and tossed it aside.

The world, at last, was peaceful.

After all, no such sister truly existed in this world, so he was free to spin whatever tale he pleased.

Let’s see you harbor any more improper thoughts after witnessing a live performance of German Orthopedics (TL Note: A Chinese internet slang term, literally ‘German Orthopedics,’ referring to incest, stemming from a popular internet meme about a German doctor treating a brother who broke his leg after an incestuous relationship with his sister.)! Surely, that would extinguish any lingering notions, wouldn’t it?

As the surroundings quieted, sleepiness swept over him, and just as Lin Ran closed his eyes to rest, his clothes were gently tugged.

Lin Ran opened his eyes, only to see…

‘Lin Huanxia?’

‘Oh right, she was staying in his room.’

She emerged from the treasure chest, drawing near to Lin Ran.

The little girl’s face bore a hint of fatigue, yet her large eyes were brimming with anticipation.

“…I ate so much today, and I’m so tired.” she whispered.

He had allowed Lin Huanxia to consume all the spoils from defeating the Treasure Chest Monster earlier that day.

For her, having only recently recovered, this workload had indeed been considerable.

“You’ve worked hard.” Lin Ran gently ruffled her hair.

“It wasn’t hard at all,” Lin Huanxia shook her head, then, lowering her voice even further, she spoke with a hint of a plea:

“As a reward… could you sleep in my treasure chest tonight?”

Once she had spoken, she watched Lin Ran nervously, terrified he might refuse.

Lin Ran recalled his promise—

That he would certainly return to see her.

‘If he hadn’t even visited her treasure chest world, how could he call it ‘returning’?’

He nodded, offering no refusal.

‘Tonight, he would sleep in the treasure chest.’

“Wonderful!” Lin Huanxia exclaimed, instantly delightedly crawling back into her treasure chest and beckoning Lin Ran with a wave.

Her previous fatigue seemed to vanish in an instant.

Night fell.

****

Lying on the soft princess bed, the room was filled with a faint, girlish fragrance and the specially arranged…

‘Incense? That she had such an interest was quite unexpected.’

He settled into a comfortable position, preparing for sleep.

Between the fighting, transforming, and acting, his mental energy had been severely depleted, and sleepiness quickly surged over him.

Before long, he drifted into a deep slumber, falling into the realm of dreams.

…

…

‘No…’

‘No matter how tired he was, he shouldn’t have fallen asleep so swiftly.’

‘He was still a light sleeper.’

‘And besides, where was Lin Huanxia?’

He abruptly opened his eyes, only to discover…

She was lying right on top of him.

A soft sensation instantly spread throughout his entire body the moment he fully awoke.

Only then did Lin Ran realize he had once again been enveloped within a fleshy wall.

However, this time, there was no suffocating pressure.

Instead, he found himself with a shy, rosy-cheeked Lin Huanxia beside him.

She was sprawled across his body, panting heavily, the implications of what had transpired utterly self-evident.

“Huh??? Holy crap???” Lin Ran was instantly wide awake.

“M-Lin Ran…” Lin Huanxia’s body trembled slightly; she had initially seemed poised to call Lin Ran ‘Mama’.

But, she suddenly changed her address.

“Will you get new family members and then abandon me… I’m so scared…”

Lin Ran froze, utterly bewildered by the situation.

“Lim told me you have a sister, and so many Slime Tots, and Little Dolls… They’re all more useful than me, I only know how to eat…”

The ‘landmine girl’s’ (TL Note: A Chinese internet slang term for a ‘landmine girl,’ referring to someone who appears normal but has hidden emotional issues or insecurities that can explode unexpectedly.) insecurities emerged without warning, utterly devoid of logic.

Lin Ran was exasperated. “How could that be? That sister is… and didn’t you think I was your Mama? You, towards your Mama…”

But she shook her head.

“Silly, your voice and Mama’s voice are completely different. I recognized it with the very first word.”

Lin Huanxia let out a giggle, then continued, “My mind was a little muddled when I first woke up, but actually, I just want to be your family.”

“So, I want to be the most special one, to make you remember me in the most special way!”

She declared this as if taking an oath, pouring all her strength into the words.

Then, she continued to embrace Lin Ran, proclaiming her love in her own unique fashion.

As for Lin Ran…?

He could only accept it.

‘Why?’

‘Because he probably already knew what that incense was made of…’

****

The next day, Lin Ran crawled out of the treasure chest, sporting two prominent dark circles under his eyes.

He felt a little like crying.

An ordinary person might never comprehend what it felt like to be tormented to the point of unconsciousness.

‘So that’s what she meant by ‘special way’.’

The good news was that this particular method actually seemed to benefit Lin Huanxia’s body.

The space within the treasure chest grew increasingly vast, and Lin Huanxia’s complexion became remarkably rosy.

Alas, such encounters couldn’t be frequent, or Lin Ran feared his own life would soon be forfeit; this woman was truly merciless.

Coincidentally, he could also use his Talent Detection Eye to observe Lin Huanxia’s growth—

[Target: Lin Huanxia (Special Species Treasure Chest Monster) (Title: Daughter of the Demon King)]

[Loyalty: 99 (She is completely loyal to you)]

[System Evaluation: A powerhouse among Treasure Chest Monsters, her storage capacity is almost unparalleled.]

[Work Abilities: Storage Level (5), Carrying Level (1)]

[Work Attributes: Strength·7, Energy·20, Intelligence·7 (Max 9), Endurance·20]

[Free Allocation Points: 2 (Can be specifically allocated by you!)]

[Storage Level has reached (5), unlocking Special Skill: Everything Hidden is a Treasure!]

[Everything Hidden is a Treasure!: Any item stored by the target will undergo a value renovation (cannot be triggered repeatedly).]

[Example: Iron Sword → Steel Sword]

‘This…’

‘He was going to get rich!!!’