Chapter 6: The Demon Bus

Slander! This is absolutely slander!

How could Vivian possibly be my favorite type!

You disdainfully reject such absurd knowledge in your heart.

You can’t possibly only like blonde busty girls!

There are obviously pure saintesses, fallen elves, seductive succubi, half-dragon maids, fiery dancing warriors...

Stop, stop, stop!

Ron quickly calmed his thoughts, trying to avoid more self-inflicted mental torture.

And what on earth is this fiery dancing warrior nonsense at the end? Doesn’t that feel completely out of place?!

After settling his mind, Ron began to think calmly about Vivian.

He had to admit, based on her current behavior, she was somewhat eccentric but relatively reliable.

Being able to realize that the graduation exam was a conspiracy against her and destroying the evidence in advance showed a bit of cleverness.

Now he needed to make Vivian understand that the identity of the cat was not simple, and then naturally become her teacher to instruct her in powerful magic.

“You’re not as dumb as you look,” you said, expressing admiration to Vivian.

“Ron, you’re so mean! I’m just a cat,” she replied, testing you with a hint of suspicion about your identity.

You chuckled softly, neither confirming nor denying.

Vivian retraced her steps and began erasing all traces of her arrival.

She needed to create the illusion that the mountain stronghold had already been destroyed when she arrived.

Vivian understood very well that the only person who could have framed her this way was her own teacher.

But she was unwilling to accept this truth.

In her impression, her teacher was a gentle person who had guided her onto the path of magic.

Vivian planned to return and investigate everything thoroughly.

Smart, yet still too naive.

Ron evaluated Vivian’s behavior.

He had seen too many characters perish because they refused to believe the truth.

But he had no intention of stopping Vivian’s plan.

He needed a reason to lead her to willingly help collect the remnants of the demon lord's soul.

Nothing would guide her better than seeing someone corrupted by the lure of these soul fragments, becoming a monster who only pursues power.

***

Afterwards, Vivian took him back to the city, and Ron refocused on reality.

He opened his phone, launching the writing app that Bailu had recommended, intending to rewrite his experience into a novel.

According to the group’s information, creators could adapt or even conceal parts of the true story during creation.

But generally, the closer the characters in the work resembled real people, the better you could unlock the power of their character cards after gaining reading points.

Ron had no intention of making himself the protagonist.

Although the story of the Demon King’s return seemed enticing, it had been over five thousand years since the mad demon lord’s death, and apart from a few immortals, almost none of the characters related to him remained.

Even if he staged the storyline of the Demon King’s return, who in this spiritual realm would truly fear a demon lord who died five millennia ago?

He regretted wiping out those self-proclaimed gods back then. If they were still alive now, they might have praised him.

But regrets were useless now. He had been foolish to engage deeply with Liye back then, and in trying to capture her for training, he ended up destroying the entire divine realm.

If he made himself the protagonist from the start, what if no one recognized him later? He’d just look like a clown pretending to be something he wasn’t.

Compared to that, it was safer to steer the plot toward Vivian’s journey, collecting the demon lord’s soul fragments to protect the world—a kind of road-trip light novel.

As a kind of “cheat,” it would also be easier to guide Vivian, the actual protagonist.

With these thoughts, Ron boarded the bus home.

There were few passengers—just one other rider and the driver.

After swiping his card, Ron naturally chose an empty seat.

The bus rocked and swayed as it moved forward, a bit too violently.

Ron had been ready to write the first chapter of his new book but couldn’t concentrate with the shaking.

He gave up on writing and decided to review the group’s data to better understand the upcoming dangers.

To his surprise, the chat that had been buzzing with over 99 messages suddenly fell silent.

Ron instantly felt something was wrong.

It was one thing for others to be quiet, but “I’m Not a Hero” would never stop posting pictures for so long.

This guy had been flooding the group with images and resources since Ron joined.

I’ve entered the spiritual realm dungeon!

Ron’s mind went instantly alert. The cat in his arms grew restless, leapt onto his shoulder, and started scanning the surroundings.

“Meow~!” the black cat called once.

“Stop it!” Ron scolded, like a pet owner on a shaky bus, gently lifting the cat down.

That brief observation sent Ron’s heart plummeting—he really had entered the spiritual realm dungeon.

[Name: Li Wei]

[Occupation: Bank Clerk]

[Gender: Male]

[Description: On the surface, an ordinary bank clerk, but his soul is that of a mad demon. Facing the approaching frontline resistance, his heart is filled with terror, his reason shattered by overwhelming fear. To gain power, he plans to perform human sacrifices to forge a powerful artifact.]

[Note: He wants to trick you into getting off at the demon’s station.]

Ron almost immediately calmed himself. Though the Demon King’s ordeal ten years ago had been harsh, it had forged a strong mindset that allowed him to remain composed in moments like this.

As the bus moved forward, the interior gradually changed.

The once plain and simple decor shifted to a grim black-and-red color scheme.

The blue seats slowly revealed black wood grain, and the bus stop sign at the upper left transformed into unfamiliar characters.

This was a sign of the spiritual realm’s invasion deepening.

With a creak, the bus stopped at the next station.

As the doors opened, several tall humanoid figures boarded.

They exuded a sinister black mist, their armor seeming to constantly dissolve and reassemble.

Demon warriors.

Ron recognized their class.

These demon warriors appeared puzzled and surprised to see humans on the bus, then sneered and mocked.

Though clearly hostile, their disdain was more toward weakness.

They didn’t bother Ron, instead taking the nearest seats.

When the bus resumed motion, Ron felt the seat slightly sink—someone had sat beside him.

“Brother! This bus is off!” Li Wei said in a panicked voice.

His body trembled, eyes wide with terror, lips pale from nervousness.

Ron stroked the cat in his arms and looked at him, puzzled. “Off? What’s wrong with it?”

Then Ron suddenly leaned forward to look at the sign that should have displayed the bus stop, muttering, “Damn it, did the city officials change route 37 again to fix the roads?”

Ron’s reaction completely baffled Li Wei.

“No! Normal people wouldn’t act like that!”