I Can Control Resources

Besides, and most importantly, this was the Blood Race Royal City.

But Gao Neng needed to make Wu Dingxiang understand...

Things were just that bizarre.

"Wu Dingxiang, I can’t believe you’ve gotten dumber after just a few months. Do you still remember the matchmaking tournament?" Gao Neng spoke again.

"Matchmaking tournament?" Wu Dingxiang’s eyes widened as she frantically searched her memory. "You mean the last one? But the Blood Race didn’t send a Prince to propose, did they?"

"That’s right. The Blood Race didn’t send a Prince, so you chose the Thirteenth Prince of the Wood Elf Race, isn’t that right?" Gao Neng said with a smirk.

"The Thirteenth Prince of the Wood Elf Race... Th-That was..."

"A fake, one that you and your mother cooked up together, right?" Gao Neng cut in.

"You... How could you..."

"Some things are just such a coincidence. A few months ago, you chose me in the Elf Royal City. Now, a few months later, I’ve chosen you in the Blood Race Royal City!" As Gao Neng finished speaking, a Flying Earth Dragon instantly appeared behind him. "Recognize this?"

"You!!! That’s the one from last time... You... You’re Gao Neng?! No... This is impossible!" The color finally drained from Wu Dingxiang’s face.

"Nothing is impossible. I’ve come to meet you again, right here in the Blood Race Royal Hall." With that, Gao Neng spun around.

A gene weapon appeared in the room.

It was a trick of perspective.

The gene weapon appeared exactly where he had been standing, and Gao Neng seized the opportunity to dart into Wu Dingxiang’s blind spot.

Of course, Wu Dingxiang lacked the ability to tell the real Gao Neng from the fake.

All she saw was the Fourth Prince of the Blood Race transform into Gao Neng right before her very eyes.

This was no illusion!

Because there was no way the Flying Earth Dragon in the room was a fake.

"No, Gao Neng... How are you in the Blood Race’s Royal Hall?! Last time, you ruined my matchmaking tournament, preventing me from becoming a Princess Consort of the Celestial Race and nearly dragging my reputation through the mud! I finally made it into the Blood Race, and now you’re here to ruin me again... What kind of grudge do you have against me?! What did I ever do to you?!"

"Our grudge doesn’t matter. What matters is... tonight, I’m going to torture you to death!" Gao Neng made the gene weapon flash a sinister smile.

"You... Don’t you dare!" Wu Dingxiang made her move.

She pulled out a dagger.

It was her personal sidearm. After all, at this close range, the bows the Elf Race excelled with were useless.

’She’s finally fighting back, and she’s confirmed my identity. This should work now, right?’ Gao Neng thought, delighted to see Wu Dingxiang attack.

After all that talk, the "truth" was finally out in the open.

So what was there to hesitate for?

THWACK!!!

Another dull thud rang out.

Gao Neng, having concealed his energy signature, struck from right behind Wu Dingxiang.

It was a crisp, clean blow.

Right to the back of the head.

In the final moment before she passed out, Wu Dingxiang turned her head to see the beaming face smiling at her from behind.

In that instant, Gao Neng read a mixture of emotions in Wu Dingxiang’s eyes: indignation, pain, despair, and humiliation.

But it didn’t matter.

Gao Neng was very happy.

Because the mission should finally be complete.

’Idiot System, give me the prompt!’

"No."

"..." Gao Neng was speechless.

He opened his quest panel again.

Quest: Once is an accident, twice is a coincidence, but what about three times? (Variant). It was still there.

Goddammit!

’What the hell is going on?’

’The target is Wu Dingxiang, so that’s not the problem.’

’The tool, the ’Little Iron Hammer,’ and the quest, ’Once is an accident, twice is a coincidence, but what about three times?’ are all the same, so that can’t be it either.’

’So, where’s the problem?’

’Could it be that this ’Variant’ part means...’

’I need to take her down three times in one day?’

’Yeah, that’s possible!’

SPLASH!

A basin of cold water splashed onto Wu Dingxiang’s face.

The humiliated Wu Dingxiang groggily opened her eyes once more.

The Gao Neng gene weapon was still standing before her.

She looked behind her.

’The Fourth Prince is here too?!’

She was furious, terrified, and helpless. She had no idea what to do. All she could do was scream for help.

"Hel—"

But she didn’t get much of a chance to speak.

Gao Neng decisively swung his hammer.

THWACK!

Wu Dingxiang, who had just woken up, collapsed again.

And so, the beautiful Seventh Princess of the Dark Night Elf Clan now had three large, swollen lumps on her forehead, all in a rather neat row.

’That’s three times! Idiot System, that’s three times!’ This time, instead of asking for a prompt, Gao Neng immediately opened the system’s quest panel.

And there it was.

The quest—Once is an accident, twice is a coincidence, but what about three times? (Variant)—was still there.

"..." Gao Neng was speechless.

This was getting really frustrating.

’Does that mean the first one didn’t count?’

’So, I need to wake Wu Dingxiang up and do it again, is that it?’

Damn it!

’I’ve come this far. I have to give it one last shot.’

SPLASH!

Another basin of cold water was poured on Wu Dingxiang’s face.

But this time, Wu Dingxiang clearly wasn’t going to wake up so easily. After one basin of cold water, her body only trembled slightly.

As the saying goes.

If one basin of cold water isn’t enough, then use two.

SPLASH!

Another basin of cold water.

She didn’t wake up.

Then another basin it was.

SPLASH!

After the third basin.

Gao Neng tried pinching the spot under Wu Dingxiang’s nose.

This time, Wu Dingxiang’s reaction was more intense. Her body shuddered violently, and her eyes finally, slowly, fluttered open.

"Gao... Gao Neng?!" Wu Dingxiang looked bewildered. Then, her expression twisted. "You demon! Why are you doing this to me? I... I’ll fight you to the death!"

THWACK!

A fourth lump appeared on Wu Dingxiang’s forehead.

And right on cue, she passed out.

It was no surprise.

After all, compared to the current Gao Neng, Wu Dingxiang was as weak as a chick. He could crush her however he pleased.

’That’s four times. If it’s still not complete, I’ll...’ Gao Neng casually opened the system’s quest panel, then sank into thought.

Because the quest—Once is an accident, twice is a coincidence, but what about three times? (Variant)—was still there.

It hadn’t disappeared!

This was getting really awkward.

The Idiot System was a troll, but it wouldn’t make a completable quest impossible. The only possibility was that he was going about it the wrong way.

’So, should I try a different approach and do it a few more times?’

Gao Neng looked at Wu Dingxiang, who was out cold on the water-soaked bed, and felt a pang of dismay.

He didn’t mind trying a few more times.

But if he did, Wu Dingxiang would most likely die.

He didn’t care whether she died or not.

The main problem was, if Wu Dingxiang actually died, how could he complete the quest? How was he supposed to finish the quest if the target was dead?

’Wait a minute.’

’If I can’t complete the quest even after beating Wu Dingxiang to death, doesn’t that mean there’s something wrong with Wu Dingxiang as the target?’

’Could it be that the target of the ’Once is an accident, twice is a coincidence, but what about three times? (Variant)’ quest isn’t Wu Dingxiang at all?’

’Not Wu Dingxiang? Then who else could it be?’ Gao Neng’s brow furrowed. He’d originally thought this quest was a little too simple.

But now, it looked like it wasn’t just not simple; it was damn difficult.

Even for an academic prodigy and super genius like him to make such an embarrassing mistake as getting the wrong target...

’It’s actually not Wu Dingxiang?’

’This makes no sense!’

’The ’Once is an accident, twice is a coincidence, but what about three times?’ quest was triggered by my encounter with Shen Ning’Er. So even with the ’Variant’ tag, it should still fundamentally refer to someone I’ve already taken down twice.’

’This line of reasoning...’

’...should be sound.’

’Wait.’

𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

’If my reasoning is sound...’

’I think I know who it is!’

"Holy shit... it’s her?! Of course! The Idiot System never gives a simple quest!" Gao Neng was jolted by the realization, his mind finally certain.