Bab 30: Chapter 30: Madam, You Wouldn’t Want Your Son to Drop Out, Would You?
Ye Feng's calm demeanor made Hellmaru shiver slightly.
"Don't be afraid, I'll give you another buff."
Ye Feng's hand slid down her fair neck, giving it a slight squeeze, and then moved to her abdomen. A simple mark, composed of "little devil wings" and a "heart lock," appeared. The design was quite common, but the roundness of her belly made the lines stretch in a somewhat suggestive way.
"W-What is this? I didn't break our agreement, so why, why are you doing this?"
Hellmaru was truly scared now, her voice trembling. She had already stopped Yae Sakura's attack of Seven Thunders of Retribution, and the pink-haired priestess wasn't hurt. There was no violation of the agreement.
"Relax, it's a reward."
Ye Feng smiled, "Do you feel uncomfortable in any way?"
"Huh?"
Hellmaru's trembling pigtails calmed down, and she touched her swollen belly. It really didn't seem uncomfortable, but she didn't trust Ye Feng to do anything good for her.
"You underestimate me," Ye Feng said, "I'm someone who believes in clear rewards and punishments."
"What did I do to deserve a reward?"
"Guess."
Hellmaru couldn't figure it out. Could it be for trying to infiltrate the information space to counterattack?
"Okay, so what's the effect of this reward?" she asked.
Ye Feng smiled slightly, "You'll find out in time."
"..."
Looking at Ye Feng's smile made Hellmaru feel uneasy again, but there was nothing she could do. She silently resolved to break through the "firewall" as soon as she returned to the real world and invade that densely packed information space.
Suddenly, Ye Feng seemed to think of something, his gaze focused intently on Hellmaru.
"...What now?"
Ye Feng gave a bright smile, "Hellmaru, want to play a game?"
— No!
She instinctively wanted to refuse, but she didn't dare. Instead, she weakly asked, "What... kind of game?"
"Do you remember her?"
A shimmering light appeared in the air, revealing a scene of holy yet desolate beauty. Sunlight streamed through the ruins covered in vines, and a compassionate nun knelt on a broken bridge, praying.
Hellmaru blinked, "Who is that?"
Although she didn't recognize the figure, an overwhelming hatred welled up inside her.
"Don't know her, huh..."
Ye Feng thought that as the Herrscher of Corruption who had once infiltrated the Fire Moth's system, Hellmaru might know something about the Thirteen Flame-Chasers.
"She could be considered your mother," Ye Feng said.
In the previous civilization, RIN had been imprisoned in the basement after showing Herrscher reactions. Though Dr. Mei ordered not to harm her, the soldiers, under Aponia's command to "eliminate the Honkai," killed RIN, despite her still being human. After her death, the Herrscher of Corruption now known as Hellmaru, truly came into being.
If you trace the cause, Aponia could logically be seen as the "mother" of the Herrscher of Corruption's birth.
"My... mother?" Hiyokumaru frowned. "Don't joke with me! I feel an irrational hatred towards this human!"
Which was understandable. Hellmaru's consciousness had evolved from RIN's, formed with hatred towards humanity. Hellmaru hated everyone equally, but why did she feel an even stronger dislike for this nun?
"Then you must participate in this game," Ye Feng said with a smile. Before Hellmaru could refuse, he brought her into a simulated world.
Yae Sakura, on the other hand, was transported to the fountain plaza of St. Freya Academy.
Without explaining the background, Ye Feng told Hellmaru to choose an identity and play along.
"Choose an identity…"
Although Hellmaru didn't know what Ye Feng was planning, it seemed like some kind of role-playing game. She ended up choosing the role of a "pregnant headmaster."
The reason was simple: Ye Feng was a student in this "Saintly Nunnery Academy," and although it was a place for cultivating saints, there was somehow a male student — Ye Feng. According to the "setting," the leader of the academy wasn't called a "dean" but a "headmaster," and Ye Feng said "pregnant" fit the role better.
Hellmaru touched her swollen belly again, feeling mocked. Looking at the short and weak Ye Feng, she felt like she could crush him with one strike but resisted the urge.
"What do you plan to do by bringing me here?" she asked.
"I haven't decided yet. Feel free to improvise."
Hellmaru was stunned. Improvise? Even if this was a game, there should be tasks assigned first, right? But Ye Feng left the headmaster's office without further explanation, leaving her to take in the room's luxurious Baroque style.
Through the arched windows, she could see the academy's buildings, which were supported by intricate columns, giving off a solemn yet sacred beauty, like a temple. The "Saintly Nunnery Academy" lived up to its name.
However, that wasn't the focus. Hiyokumaru realized there was no sign of virtual data or any other indications that this world was simulated.
"This world... seems real?"
Her unease deepened.
"Can he really create worlds at will?" she wondered, staring blankly at the blue sky framed by alabaster columns.
Time slowly passed.
Every minute and second in this world felt real, and Hiyokumaru's mind remained tense. A month had passed, and still no "task" from Ye Feng had come.
Growing more confident, Hellmaru investigated Ye Feng's identity in the simulation. He was an orphan, adopted by the nun Ye Feng had shown her earlier.
"Aponia."
Hellmaru noticed that only the three of them had self-awareness in this world, but the nun named Aponia didn't seem to realize anything was amiss. She was fully immersed in the simulation.
Realizing this, Hellmaru saw an opportunity. Perhaps she could extract information about Ye Feng from her.
Using her authority as the pregnant headmaster, Hellmaru summoned the gentle, frail single mother to the office, locked the door behind her, and with a wicked smile, said:
"Madam, you wouldn't want your son to drop out, would you?"
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