Luo Ning blinked and looked at everything around him. This is a very strange place. The sky is gray, surrounded by pure black soil. There are only a few green plants, and dense withered vines not far away. City flowers and so on. No one could see it, it was a gray and desolate scene.
The place where he was staying at the moment was just a simple hut made of stones. There was nothing but wooden boards, and he was only wearing a piece of linen clothing.
Luo Ning didn't expect that the world she came into would be so poor. He was confused for a while and then opened the door in front of him. The scenery he saw in the distance was limited, like a gray cloth covering it, and it was not clear at all.
Luo Ning was sensitive to the fact that something was wrong here, because there was air and temperature here, but there was no breeze at all, and it was a semi-static state.
He stepped back a little uneasily and said to the system, "Xiaoba, where is this?"
"Ningning, have you ever played games? You are now equivalent to an NPC in the game. This is the game world."
Luo Ning was stunned, "but why did I become an NPC? Don't I even deserve to have an entity?"
Xiaoba was embarrassed to say that he had recently become obsessed with training games, so he made such a mistake. He explained: "This is also for the sake of the mission, so that we can get closer to the villain. I will send the information about this world to you!"
Luo Ning took a look at the background of this world, and it was indeed like this. If he approached the male partner in a human way, it would be difficult to gain the male partner's trust.
The supporting actor's name is Gu Hansheng, the eldest son of the Gu family, one of the top wealthy families in the capital. Logically speaking, he should be born with a silver spoon in his mouth and have no worries about food and clothing in the future. However, Gu Hansheng's life is very hard, and everything stems from his father.
Father Gu got married because of a business alliance, but he could not forget his first love in college. The red flags at home were flying outside. After giving birth to Gu Hansheng, he failed to fulfill the responsibilities of a husband and father and only cared about his love with his first love and gave birth to his own son, Gu Yuanfei, who is the male protagonist of this world.
The two children were treated like heaven and earth. Gu Hansheng had never been cared for by his father since he was the governor. Birthdays and hugs all belonged to Gu Yuanfei, and Gu Yuanfei was treated as a treasure.
Even without the love of his father, Gu Hansheng should still be a young master. But after Mother Gu committed suicide during a depression, Gu Hansheng completely became a weed that no one cared about. Within three months, Father Gu welcomed his first love into the house. Gu Hansheng's life was completely plunged into a nightmare. He watched the illegitimate son being pampered, and faced his father's disgust, and even his stepmother's private scolding and scuffles.
Gu Hansheng was young and became taciturn after suffering this. He thought about telling his grandfather.
But Father Gu was disobedient, and he was still the old man's only son. He was confident. Gu Hansheng had no backer, and if he complained, he would only suffer worse consequences.
Gu Hansheng gradually fell silent. The only warmth he felt was his grandfather. But when his grandfather also passed away, he had no relatives. When he was twenty years old, before Gu Hansheng had fully grown up, a car accident injured his legs. He became disabled and withdrew from the struggle for heirs. He knew that it was his evil stepmother who did it, but he underestimated his father's cruelty. The stepmother's illegitimate son was still complacent.
Gu Hansheng's voice turned completely dark. He was not restrained by his disabled legs. On the surface, he looked gloomy and pitiful.
In fact, he secretly plotted revenge. His IQ can be said to be a genius, and he secretly developed a new type of medicine with secret biological knowledge. He used this as a bargaining chip to accumulate a large amount of wealth, launched a crazy attack on the Gu family, and in this way gained the focus of the country.
The Gu family was defeated. He sent Gu's father and stepmother to prison, and turned Gu Yuanfei into a mental patient and tortured him continuously.
The hatred was vented, but Gu Hansheng was not happy because he had nothing left. He lit a fire and walked towards death alone.
After Luo Ning finished reading, he only felt depressed. Gu Hansheng had had a hard time. He had done nothing wrong, but he had been treated unfairly from the beginning.
He didn't know how he could comfort Gu Hansheng, and he didn't know if he could give Gu Hansheng what he wanted.
Luo Ning slowly squatted down and looked at the gray sky, "but I am locked in the game now. How can I see Gu Hansheng? We are separated by a dimension."
Xiaoba smiled and said, "Don't worry, Ningning, I will find a way to send you there."
......
The heavy curtains blocked the sunlight outside the window, with only the slightest crack letting out a little light. In the dark room, a gentle creaking sound was heard. It was not loud, but it seemed particularly harsh in this silent space.
Gu Hansheng pushed the wheelchair and walked to the window. His dark pupils were as bottomless as a deep story, and it seemed that no movement could cause the slightest ripple.
His small house seemed to be isolated, and the lively sounds in the distance could be faintly heard.
There was a hint of ridicule in Gu Hansheng's eyes. Ever since he became disabled, he had been thrown here. The best he could do was to keep him alive. Do you think that by driving him out of the company and destroying his body, he could control him?
Ridiculous...
Gu Hansheng knew that not letting him die was just to humiliate him better. He would not accept his fate easily. If he waited a little longer, he would pay everything back tenfold and a hundredfold.
Gu Hansheng calmed down, not wanting to be tainted by the excitement. He rolled his wheelchair and disappeared into the darkness.
The phone flashed dimly, and Gu Hansheng frowned, just because a strange game suddenly appeared on the screen, with pink hearts shining brightly, "Strategy For Developing Lovers."
Gu Hansheng deleted it impatiently. He had never been interested in games and had never downloaded such a game. He just felt extremely disgusted with this game that appeared out of nowhere. But strangely, this game could not be deleted.
Gu Hansheng looked at the shining light of love, a flash of irritation flashed in his eyes. After several attempts, he was sure that this was a stubborn virus that had come from unknown sources and had taken root in his phone anyway.
Gu Hansheng clicked on the game. In the first few seconds, in the dark blue curtain, dots of hearts were floating, shining extremely dazzlingly. The game was introduced in one sentence, "if you sow a gold coin today, you can harvest a wife tomorrow!"
Gu Hansheng snorted lightly, feeling bored. Compared with the gorgeous painting style at the beginning, the scene inside was very simple and gray. Slowly, a simple stone house could be seen appearing on the gray land. A Q-version villain is in his field of vision.
The little man was very small and delicate, with slightly curly black hair hanging down, slightly bulging cheeks, fair and pinkish skin, a shimmering light in his maroon eyes, small lips, and chubby limbs. Like a little angel, the little man was frowning for some reason, and he looked very cute.
The picture quality was very clear. Gu Hansheng was confused. Is gaming technology so advanced now?
Looking at this little man, Gu Hansheng would never admit that it was quite interesting. He tightened his fingers and felt that the light in the little man's eyes was a bit dazzling.
I Need Krypton Gold To Support My Wife 2
A sentence popped up on the screen, "your little lover is very hungry. Would you like to give him something to eat?"
The villain looked languid, the hair on his head was no longer so straight, and his watery eyes were filled with grievance and confusion, as if he could cry in the next second, which looked strangely painful.
Gu Hanchen glanced at it casually and closed the screen. He would not play such a boring game.
Facing the extra virus, Gu Hanchen was silent for a while, planning to find a way to buy another mobile phone. However, raindrops fell outside the window in the middle of the night, and his legs were in unbearable pain. When he struggled to get up, a chill came over him, and he could no longer stand up or fall asleep.
He stared at the ceiling and lay quietly on the bed. There was an annoying darkness in his field of vision. Thinking of that game, he opened it again for no reason.
The cute villain in the game is still there, but he doesn't know what he is doing. He is being chased by an ugly black thing. His hair is messy and he looks panicked.
The random villain hid in the small stone house, finally locked the monster out, and collapsed on the ground in exhaustion.
Luo Ning gasped, his round eyes still filled with uneasiness, beads of sweat sliding down his crystal skin. Through the gap, he found that the black lizard monster had left, and then he breathed a sigh of relief. He had never expected it, as a virtual character, he actually feels hungry and has to go out to find food, but there is nothing to eat outside.
Weeds were scattered sparsely. He dug them out tentatively, and a string of data popped up in front of him, "green vines, edible wild vegetables."
Luo Ning didn't care to complain, but as soon as he dug out the green vines, an unpleasant feeling swept over him. A lizard suddenly sprang out from the seemingly calm black soil behind him. The data showed that "a first-level lizard monster, low attack power."
It was difficult to deal with only the first-level ones, let alone the higher-level ones. Luo Ning's head was getting big. He really didn't know what kind of world he was in. Not only was he hungry, but he was also in danger.
Luo Ning couldn't think of a way to defend himself. He got a golden finger in the last world, but it was a strange thing called "the coveted buttocks." What's the use of such a golden finger?
Luo Ning complained a hundred times, and then told himself to be strong. He looked at the unseen wild vegetables in his hands, the permanent fire in the house, and a small iron pot.
Luo Ning couldn't find the water source now. He roasted the wild vegetables directly and tasted it like chewing hay. There was no taste at all. It tasted like chewing wax. It could only ensure that his stomach was full. Luo Ning deeply felt how hard it was to live here. Except for the basic life cannot be satisfied. Just being alone here is enough to drive him crazy, and he doesn't know when he can leave here.
"Xiaoba, is it possible that I will stay here forever?" Luo Ning was unhappy.
The system apologized and comforted: "Ningning, no, it's stipulated by our program that the host can only be released once into the world. I didn't help you find a suitable and suitable body. I can only find permission to buy a body for you. This It's a very troublesome thing, please be patient and wait."
"Okay." Luo Ning was in a bad mood.
At the same time, a sentence flashed on the phone screen, "your little lover is feeling lost right now. Do you want to comfort him?"
"He's still a little thirsty now. Would you like to buy him a sweet apple?"
The little man in the picture is standing in the center of the room. His whole body seems to be surrounded by dark shadows, and his eyes are slightly red. He looks pitiful and helpless, like a weak little animal, without support and in panic.
Gu Hanchen frowned. He thought he would no longer have such ridiculous things as sympathy, but he didn't know if it was because the picture quality was too clear and the villain was too fragile. By the time he reacted, his fingers were already full of energy. It's worth it. After clicking on that sentence, a shopping bar popped up. Two of the gray boxes were lit up.
Apples are very cheap, five gold coins, which converts to five yuan, followed by bread, six gold coins.
This small amount of money is nothing to Gu Hanchen. On the surface, his bank card is restricted by the Gu family, but privately, he has long made money in foreign stock markets, perhaps because he is now just someone who can't stand up in the eyes of that family. An ant, so there is no restriction on his travel.
Gu Hanchen usually doesn't like to go out, but that doesn't mean he accepts all this. No one in the Gu family knows what he has done, and no one knows how much money he has accumulated in his personal account.
Now he just bought an apple. Gu Hanchen bought it very happily. When he saw the screen shining brightly, his movements froze. He actually played such a boring game? Forget it, the villain in the picture is about to cry, just buy it.
Then, an apple appeared out of thin air in front of Luo Ning. He looked around in surprise, where did it come from?
A dialog box popped up in the air, "your lover gave you an apple, please check it carefully!"
Luo Ning was shocked, where did he get his lover? Now the system is trying to find a way to buy him a body. If he is not online, he can only guess by himself.
Since this is a game, the one who can make money must have players. He remembered that the system said that it would send him to the male partner. Could it be in this way, but a male partner with that kind of personality would have a sense of the game? Interested?!
As if to verify his guess, a sentence appeared in front of Gu Hanchen, "your lover Luo Ning is very fond of you. He likes sweet apples and would like to know your name. Are you willing to establish a further relationship with him?"
Gu Hanchen brushed over the two characters with his fingers. It turned out that this was the villain's name. He looked at the villain holding the apple, his bright eyes flashed with curiosity, and after a moment of silence, he chose to enter the two characters "Han Chen."
He wondered if he was stupid to be so childish as to communicate with an avatar. He wanted to uninstall the game immediately and throw away his phone, but deep down he was curious about this villain's next reaction.
Luo Ning was surprised when he saw the name Han Chen. Sure enough, he was now with the male partner.
He was a little happy. He wanted to talk to the male partner, but couldn't find a way to communicate. Then he found that this game was too smart. As long as he was thinking, he could usually pass it on.
"Your lover wants to say hello to you and wants to chat with you. Are you willing?"
Gu Hanchen clicked "YES" and saw a bubble popping up on the little man's head, "the apple is delicious, thank you!"
He saw the little man smiling sweetly, with shallow dimples on his cheeks, and a pair of crescent-shaped eyes. He was innocent and lovely, and extremely soft, so he typed and asked, "are you still hungry?"
Luo Ning's cheeks bulged, "that's enough, this apple is big and enough to fill me up."
"I'm glad to meet you."
Gu Hansheng pursed his lips and glanced at the villain's simple and shabby house. Thinking of the only options in the game, he asked again: "Want some bread?"
Luo Ning was full now, but he considered the basic problem in the future. If he was hungry again, he would have to risk it and go out to find food, so he said weakly: "I think so."
A few pieces of bread were no problem for Gu Hanchen, so he brushed a lot of bread neatly.
Luo Ning looked at the bread surrounding him and quickly waved his hands. If there were more bread around him, he would be flooded with bread.
Gu Hanchen looked at him in a hurry, with a smile on his lips. It was very childish to play this kind of game.
But it was able to divert his attention. His legs didn't seem to hurt that much anymore. "Are you the only one around you?"
Luo Ning wanted to have more contact with Gu Hanchen, so she responded: "Yes, there is no one else here. There is only a house and a few monsters. I can only eat and sleep alone. I feel very lonely. Can you stay with me more?"
Gu Hanchen's heart was touched. When the villain asked obediently, his face was full of anticipation, and his eyes were shining like stars. He suddenly recalled that this was a love game, and couldn't help but chuckle. How old are you? He wanted to fall in love, so he said vaguely: "Let's talk about it later."
Then he saw the villain hanging his head in despair, with the word "dejection" written all over his body. Another sentence flashed on the screen, "your little lover is unhappy now, do you want to comfort him?"
Gu Hanchen clicked "Reject." He might not play this game again in the future, let alone making a promise to an avatar. This was not his character.
Luo Ning said: "You just need to come and talk to me occasionally. There are monsters outside, and I'm afraid of them alone."
"I want to meet you."
Gu Hanchen thought of the monster that chased him before, and replied: "Monsters can't come near your house. Remember to close the door when you sleep. If I have time, I will bring you food."
Luo Ning's eyes lit up, "you are so kind, thank you!"
Gu Hanchen felt that this game was poisonous and too smart. Although the basic functions were to lure him to spend money, every expression and every look in the eyes of the villain in the picture were so real that he unconsciously regarded it as a real person. Come and communicate.
But in fact, it was ridiculous that he was so bored that he talked to a non-existent person for so long.
Over there, Luo Ning yawned. He felt a little sleepy. He discovered some patterns, although the surrounding environment was very different from the real world.
But the night and day, as well as his physical characteristics, are relatively normal. Now it's suddenly dark outside, and there are only dim lights in the house. His life should be a regular one. He needs to eat, drink, and sleep. Fortunately, he can sleep. It's so boring in a place like this, so sleeping is the only way to pass the time.
So the little man in the picture yawned slightly, his big bright eyes drooped, there was a cartoon bubble on the tip of his nose, and a bunch of zzzz floated out of his head;
"Your lover wants to sleep. Do you want to coax him to sleep?"
"Are you willing to buy him a quilt, pillow, and blanket to make him sleep more comfortably?"
At this time, Gu Hansheng discovered that three items in the shopping column were unlocked. He chose to buy them without looking at the gold coins. The empty room was suddenly filled with fluffy quilt covers with small cloud patterns.
Luo Ning hugged it comfortably. He really wanted to sleep. He didn't even know him. Gu Hansheng bought these for him. He was really a gentle person.
Even though he wanted to spend more time with Gu Hanchen, he didn't have the energy anymore, so he thanked him gently, "I'll see you tomorrow, good night."
I Need Krypton Gold To Support My Wife 3
"Good night." Gu Hanchen watched the villain sleeping soundly, lying on his side on the pillow, with the flesh on his cheeks squeezed out. His eyes softened for a moment, and he quit the game and searched for relevant information. But something strange happened. This game does not have any data, even if it is a broken mini-game, there will not be any traces at all.
What's more, that love game was extremely advanced in production, but it seemed to appear on his mobile phone out of thin air.
Gu Hanchen couldn't figure it out. Now his legs no longer hurt. Seeing the little man sleeping so soundly, he felt strangely calm and slowly closed his eyes.
After dealing with the relevant documents the next day, Gu Hanchen turned his eyes to his mobile phone and unconsciously opened the game. The background of the game was now very bright. The villain was sitting in the center, holding the bread in his arms and biting it, with round and bulging cheeks, so cute that people want to touch it just by looking at it.
"It's another beautiful day, would you like to say hello to your lover?"
"Your lover will be happier when he hears sweet words."
Gu Hanchen refused and did not disturb Luo Ning. He secretly told himself that this was just a game that appeared suddenly and appeared on his phone out of nowhere. He should be on guard. He should not waste too much time with a dummy.
Only half an hour passed, and an hour passed. It seemed very boring to be in this depressing room.
When he came to his senses, he clicked on the game again, as if there was a piece of honey hanging on him in the game, making him always miss it.
This time he found that the villain actually went outside, carrying a small pot and not knowing what he was doing.
Gu Hanchen frowned. He remembered that there was danger hidden in the black soil, and he quickly wanted to pull people in. He typed, "stay inside."
Luo Ning turned around in surprise and curled his lips in excitement, "You're here!"
He thumped into the house and put the pot on the ground.
Gu Hanchen asked: "What are you doing out there?"
Luo Ning smiled and said, "I'm thirsty. I want to drink water and make vegetable soup."
Only then did he realize that although there was no water source here, there was a heavy rain in the morning. As if it was a necessary procedure, the heavy rain suddenly stopped after half an hour.
Luo Ning thought about getting water just in case. If Gu Hanchen forgot about him one day, he would have to eat the green vines to make soup.
"Your little lover is thirsty. Are you willing to buy him some water? With water, your lover will be healthier."
Gu Hanchen clicked on the shopping column, and this time many boxes were lit up. There was juice, milk, and ice cream. Gu Hanchen bought apple milk juice, and the empty room was immediately filled.
Luo Ning was frightened by his rich man. When he saw the milk, his eyes lit up and he said happily: "I like drinking milk the most!"
"You're so good to me."
Luo Ning took advantage of him but couldn't repay him. He was a little embarrassed. He thought about it and realized that he couldn't see Gu Hanchen.
But Gu Hanchen could definitely see him, so he couldn't give anything away, so he blushed and made a careful gesture.
"Your lover's affection for you has improved, and he is acting coquettishly towards you. Are you willing to show more?"
Gu Hanchen didn't notice that the game showed his face to seduce him for money. He only knew the word "coquettish." The villain was originally tall and delicate, with fluffy hair. Now his face was covered with a layer of pink, delicate and soft. Like a lingering cake, it's so sweet that he can't wait to take a bite.
Gu Hanchen's fingers were not bent, so he couldn't touch them no matter how cute they were. His eyes dimmed and he bought more milk. He found that the milk had more flavors, so he bought a little of each.
Gu Hanchen didn't know that raising a little cutie would be addictive, and he was now a precursor to addiction.
When he found the extremely shabby house, he bought some more blankets and quilts.
Luo Ning is almost full of things. He doesn't have to worry about food rations for the next month.
"Your lover's favorability continues to rise. As a qualified partner, you should let your lover eat well and sleep well, and the quality of life is guaranteed. Please keep up the good work."
Gu Hanchen suddenly felt that this game was no longer boring and had some fun.
Luo Ning looked at the air and asked softly, "are you leaving?"
There was obvious reluctance in the watery eyes, like a deer, with wet eyes.
Gu Hanchen's heart felt slightly itchy, "no."
Luo Ning's expression relaxed. He was alone here. He didn't like being alone. Gu Hanchen's presence gave him a sense of security in a short period of time.
The game also reminded at this time: "Your lover is very bored now. A qualified partner must know how to pamper his partner. Are you willing to buy him toys?"
At this time, Gu Hanchen discovered that he had added novels, dolls, chessboards and other things to pass the time, so he naturally bought them readily.
Luo Ning hugged the novel that just came out with joy on his face, and was very moved, "although I also like these, I am even more happy that you can accompany me to chat."
"I can't do anything for you. If you have anything unhappy, you can tell me."
"You can share what you are happy with, but don't keep it in your heart if you are unhappy."
Luo Ning knew that Gu Hanchen was unhappy. The unhappy Gu Hanchen was really a good person who was willing to release so much kindness for him. He wanted Gu Hanchen to bring a little warmth.
Gu Hanchen's eyelashes trembled slightly. He didn't need any comfort, and he didn't need to complain about any unhappiness. He had long since stopped caring. But looking at the villain's serious look, his sharp eyes still softened for a moment.
He wanted to stay with the villain again, but it was time for him to get busy. He told Luo Ning not to go out casually, and the phone went dark.
Luo Ning asked again to make sure that the person was gone. He felt that the space suddenly became silent again, giving him a feeling of loss.
He sat down on the blanket glumly, hugged a doll, and was alone again. He shouldn't be so pestering, but the only one he knew was Gu Hanchen.
Luo Ning took the novel. Fortunately, it was not an academic novel. It was all about love. He liked to read such silly things, and he read it while drinking milk.
Gu Hanchen went for a check-up, with a deep irony in his eyes. His leg was injured, and doctors would come to check on him regularly.
But his stepmother didn't have that kind of kindness. She put on a gentle face and showed concern in name, but in fact she wanted to control his situation and prevent him from having any possibility of recovery.
Gu Hanchen covered the shadows in his eyes. This kind of doctor has no professional ethics. If this woman can bribe him, so can he. Now every time he comes for a check-up, he hears only one result.
His legs are not completely disabled now, and he is still willing to accompany him in the show. He just wants to lower the Gu family's defense and give the Gu family the most painful blow when they are most proud. Only then will it be exciting.
Gu Hanchen would never underestimate the viciousness of this woman. When he heard the doctor say that the condition was not improving, and even his legs were not recovering well.
Stepmother Lin Shuangshuang shook her lips, but her eyes were full of pride, "oh, how could this happen?!"
"Xiaochen, it's because Auntie didn't take good care of you. Otherwise, Auntie would find a massage doctor for you."
"No need." Gu Hanchen said calmly. He had hired a doctor to take care of him before, but his leg injury became more serious.
Lin Shuangshuang secretly snorted, expecting this loser to be unable to stand up. Who would care about him without legs? She believes that the Gu family would not leave the family fortune in the hands of a disabled person. Her son is so high and mighty, and Gu Hanchen will only deserve to step in the mud in his life, thinking about it made her happy. She didn't care about Gu Hanchen's waiting, and the smile on her face was a little more real.
"Xiaochen, look at you, you are so depressed, your dad will dislike it even more when he sees it."
"Oh, by the way, Yuan Fei is getting engaged in three days. She is a very good girl. Your dad said he wanted to have a grand event. It's a pity. I'm afraid you won't be able to come, so you can only recuperate at home."
Gu Hanchen sneered, "Really? I think the day Yuan Fei got engaged happened to be the day I had a car accident. It seems unlucky that day. Since it is the most important wedding banquet, Yuan Fei should be careful and not get too excited."
Lin Shuangshuang's face suddenly fell. It was because a dog's mouth couldn't spit out ivory, which sounded like bad luck. She had chosen this day specially to use Gu Hanchen's misery to set off this happy event, but after Gu Hanchen said it, she felt that those days were not good anymore.
She glared at Gu Hanchen and went to discuss changing the time with an ugly expression.
Gu Hanchen rolled out indifferently. He established a scientific research institute. It looked like an ordinary villa on the outside, and the two underground floors were used for research.
His research plan is already halfway through, and will enter the experimental stage soon.
If this research is useful, he believes that with this bargaining chip, he can get the attention of the country. Even if the Gu family is very capable, they will not be able to blackmail him.
Gu Hanchen looked at the wheelchair beneath him, his dark eyes unable to see any light.
......
When Gu Hanchen started the game again, a day had passed. He looked up from the complicated data, and suddenly the soft little man popped into his mind.
He wonders what the other party is doing. Is he sleeping? Still reading, he felt more and more unusual about this game.
Generally speaking, the characters in it follow the set procedures like puppets, but Luo Ning behaves like a normal person.
Just when he was about to take a look, he saw that Luo Ning was not in the house, and a monster jumped out from behind, and it ran like Luo Ning. Luo Ning felt the warning, his expression changed drastically, and he ran quickly. The system modified the game data, but why did it forget to solve this weird thing!!
He couldn't contact the system, so he could only run away frantically towards home, his hair disheveled and his figure like the wind, but the lizard was quite smart, and the black soil was its cover. It suddenly jumped out from the front, Luo Ning didn't know what to do with the lizard, so he turned around in a panic.
"Your lover is in danger, do you want to help him quickly? Try to unlock new props."
Gu Hanchen couldn't let go of the lizard. He could only quickly click on the shopping bar to find a solution, and quickly bought the newly lit shield and mallet.