Chapter 763 - 484: King of the Grind

"You don't remember me?"

Qin Yan was baffled by Zhou Chen's reaction. "We've worked together three times, and you even saved my life once."

"Tell me more," Zhang Tao said. Zhou Chen had no memories of the Old Era. Now that he'd finally run into an acquaintance, they had to get some answers.

Qin Yan gave Zhou Chen a strange look, then explained, "The first time was in Sea City. The Star Association named that incident [Downspin]. It was caused by a Transcendent who had lost control... In today's terms, that's what we call corruption. A corruption of the mind and personality, leading to a loss of sanity and a descent into madness.

A corrupted Transcendent has a high probability of generating an Extraordinary Item upon death, so many freelance Transcendents actively handle corruption incidents. This effectively eased the pressure on various national governments and the Star Association.

The danger of that incident was beyond anyone's imagination. A total of eleven people entered that bizarre apartment, but in the end, only you, me, and another lone-wolf Transcendent survived. We worked together to kill that out-of-control Transcendent, but he didn't generate an Extraordinary Item after he died."

"The second time was in Dongchuan City. The incident was named [Purple Resentful Ghost] and was classified as a major disaster; over a hundred thousand people died. The local lone-wolf Transcendents and government officials cooperated, paying a heavy price to kill the source of the haunting. It was during that incident that you saved my life.

The third time was abroad. The [Demon-Destroying Buddha] incident occurred in Siam. The local Transcendent forces were hit so hard they had no choice but to ask for international help. Many lone-wolf Transcendents accepted contracts, and the Star Association also sent a few Investigators to assist.

We worked together one last time in Siam. After that, I never saw you again, but I'd see news about you from time to time.

The [Yellow River God], [Mothman], [Shadow Demon], [Endless Parking Lot]... all those incidents were your accomplishments."

At this point, Qin Yan paused, frowning. "My memory... it's getting blurry. I can't remember a lot of what happened after that."

"That's normal. The history of the late Old Era was sealed away. Only when the Divine War Ruins appear and the seal is broken can those histories and memories return," Zhang Tao explained.

Realization dawned on Qin Yan. She looked at Zhou Chen. "So that's why you don't remember me."

"More or less, but my situation is a bit special." Zhou Chen shrugged but didn't elaborate.

"The two of us have worked with you, too."

Just then, Ma Youcai spoke up. "Soon after you joined the Star Association, you became a C-Class Investigator. You also volunteered for field assignments and traveled all over the world, so a lot of people know you.

In the European Mediterranean Region, we worked together to resolve the local [Vampire Beldam] incident. In Egypt, we joined forces to kill the resurrected Pharaoh and stopped his army of Undead from slaughtering the city. In Yingzhou, we fought off the Night Parade of Hundred Demons together... hmm... I can't remember anything after that."

Tang Ling nudged Zhou Chen with her elbow and whispered, "I never knew you had such a legendary past."

"To be honest, I didn't expect it either..." Zhou Chen was stunned. 'I never would have imagined I was such a model agent back in the Old Era. A Legendary Investigator might not have even solved as many incidents as I did, right?'

"No wonder you're such a slacker now. Turns out you used to be the king of the grind," Tang Ling quipped.

After the brief reunion, Ma Youcai and the other two were taken for medical checkups and a series of other necessary procedures. The most important of these was, without a doubt, the recounting and recording of the history of the Old Era. As more Divine War Ruins emerged, the history of the Old Era was being pieced together bit by bit.

The memory extraction process for the two True Gods and three Demigods began simultaneously and was expected to conclude in about three hours. At that point, the memories of these five individuals would be presented to everyone in written form.

Meanwhile, Zhou Chen was called over by No. 9. He used three Tiny Miracles to help three Crowned Kings traverse the final steps of the Ascension Ladder, reach the gates of the Divine Forbidden Area, and achieve the rank of Demigod. These three were only a step away from becoming Demigods; the Tiny Miracles simply filled the final gap. Otherwise, it would have required much more Prayer value.

As the Prayer System gradually expanded, the rate at which he gained Prayer value skyrocketed. Sometimes, when the harvest was good, he could receive 100,000 Prayer points in about two hours. That came out to about 1,200,000 Prayer points a day—enough for one Great Miracle, or twelve Tiny Miracles.

The Star Association and those High-level Ascenders who had been stuck at their ranks for decades were just short of worshiping Zhou Chen like an ancestor. This was a stable, express ticket to a royal title and a Divine Position!

It wouldn't even take a month—in just half a month, the number of True Gods could break double digits, and the number of Demigods and Crowned Kings would also soar. When that time came, Fallen Paradise, the Old Gods of the Old Era, and the Abyss would all be reduced to dust.

Right now, the Star Association was treating Zhou Chen with the utmost care, as if he were a priceless artifact. They were desperate to send him to the Fourth District under heavy guard, just to prevent any unforeseen problems.

In fact, Zhou Chen had the same idea. He had already made a public display of his power, establishing his fame and the foundation of the Prayer Church. Now, news headlines all over the world were filled with his heroic figure performing miracles to save the city. Without a doubt, the Prayer Church would soon be overflowing with new believers.

Now that he had farmed his reputation, the next step was to quietly wait for the fruits of his labor to ripen and develop steadily, not to make waves. Noah's example was a clear warning: a tall tree catches the wind. Being too conspicuous would only attract assassins. Of course, it was useless for him to try and keep a low profile now; Fallen Paradise and the Abyss had gathered intel on him long ago. These past few days, a bone-chilling cold would often wash over him. 'Those bastards are probably plotting something,' he figured.

'To prevent a repeat of the Night of the Sun's Fall, I'd better keep a low profile and stay inside the Star Association.'

One word: caution.

"BEEP. Authentication successful."

Zhou Chen swiped his card to leave Zone One. As the door opened, he saw Tang Ling leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, a rose held between her teeth.

"...What are you doing?"

"Asking you out," Tang Ling said, holding out the rose. "You've gone on dates with the others. It should be my turn now, right?"

"Don't you have a mission?" Zhou Chen asked in surprise. Tang Ling was an absolute workaholic. She was so versatile she was like a brick, moved wherever she was needed.

"I used my precious vacation time," Tang Ling said, her expression pained. "These guys are more capitalist than capitalists. They wish I'd work 24/7. One day, I'll make them see what it's like to clock in but never clock out!"

"Alright, let's not talk about unpleasant things. Let's hurry up and go on our date!"

Tang Ling looped her arm through Zhou Chen's, her voice full of anticipation and excitement. This was something she had been looking forward to for a long time—a date, just like a normal person.