This Trainee Fatui Harbinger is Too Unreliable [77]
After a day filled with traveling, delivering messages, and even boosting Kamisato Ayaka's affection points, it had been a busy and productive day. Fatigue overtook him as he instructed Natalia to reconnect with Theresa and the others the next morning. Then, he retired to his own room.
Lying on the soft tatami, Luo Qing was just about to drift off when he suddenly sensed the atmosphere in the room change. The air became dense with Electro energy, so much so that it made the hairs on his arms stand on end.
Before he could react, a blinding light of Electro flickered before him. An ominous purple eye opened in the air, crackling with electric arcs. From within the eye, a sharp blade of lightning slashed through the space, tearing it apart.
And then, stepping through the rift, a long, slender leg adorned with a dark stocking and wood-soled sandals, tied with two cherry blossoms, appeared. Following this elegant leg was a woman of mature beauty, with a refined and serene demeanor—her hand gripped the hilt of a sword as her sharp gaze locked onto Luo Qing.
"Uh... this..."
Luo Qing's eyes widened in disbelief at the sight before him.
Did she realize I used the affection cards on her? Why would she suddenly show up in my room like this?
Luo Qing forced himself to remain calm. After all, the Raiden Shogun's affection towards him had reached 22.5, so it was unlikely that she would just cut him down outright... right?
"Is there something I can help you with, Lady Shogun, at this late hour..." Luo Qing began, trying to stay composed.
But before he could finish, the Raiden Shogun pointed her sword directly at his face, her voice cold and unyielding.
"What have you done to me?"
"Uh..."
Luo Qing swallowed hard, glancing at the blade just centimeters from his nose. Tension gripped his heart. He considered using his time-stop ability, Time Zero, to escape, but given the Shogun's sudden appearance, she clearly had some way of monitoring him. If he fled now, the next time they met, he might not be so lucky to avoid her blade.
"With all due respect, Shogun, I haven't done anything... yet," Luo Qing said weakly.
"Hm?"
The Raiden Shogun's brow furrowed.
"Nonsense. If you hadn't done anything, why would this body...?"
She paused for a moment, then raised her sword higher.
"You have three breaths to explain yourself. If you fail to provide an answer, I'll sever these inappropriate feelings myself!"
"Uh... this..."
Luo Qing felt the situation getting worse. Who pulls a sword on someone just because they start to have feelings? Is this the legendary yandere behavior?
"Um..."
Thinking quickly, Luo Qing opened his system's inventory, searching for anything that might help defuse the situation. The emotion manipulation cards had been useless against Zhongli, so they likely wouldn't work on the Raiden Shogun either. The rest of his items were enhancement tools or healing supplies—nothing helpful in this situation.
Could running really be the only option?
As he weighed his choices, another thought crossed his mind.
Maybe the issue is that her affection level isn't high enough yet. She's confused by these feelings, which is why she's ready to cut me down. But if her affection was maxed out, surely she wouldn't still be holding that sword!
"Three... two..."
"Could you give me a minute to gather my thoughts, Lady Shogun?"
"..."
"Fine."
The Raiden Shogun's expression remained cold as she held her sword steady, waiting for his explanation.
Luo Qing pretended to be thinking, but his mind was racing as he navigated to the system's gacha interface. Normally, each ten-pull would net him at least one or two affection boost cards. If he used them now, maybe her attitude would change?
Since the incident with Osial, Luo Qing had saved up enough for one ten-pull. Desperate, he ignored his inner hoarder and mentally hit the gacha button.
Instantly, stars shot across his vision.
As expected, no gold. But he didn't care about that—he only wanted the affection cards.
Hurriedly, he skipped through the rewards, and the ten prizes appeared before him in a neat row:
[Affection Boost Card ProMax (Purple) x1]
[Nausea-Inducing Card (Blue) x2]
[Physical Enhancement Card (Blue) x2]
[Weapon Enhancement Card (Blue) x2]
[Ultimate Healing Pill (Blue) x1]
[Affection Boost Card (Blue) x2]
An Affection Boost Card ProMax?!
Luo Qing's eyes lit up as he hurriedly opened the item's description.
Affection Boost Card ProMax:
After use, this item will forcibly increase the target's affection by 15 points, unaffected by the target's mental resistance.
PS: Due to the forced nature of this item, the target may exhibit unpredictable behaviors (such as yandere tendencies) if stimulated by the host's actions.
Affection Stages:
30 - Close Friend
60 - Ambiguous Feelings
90+ - Romantic Partner
PS: Affection exceeding 100 may lead to uncontrollable consequences. Please manage the target's feelings responsibly.
Luo Qing sighed in relief. He understood the description well enough. Essentially, using this item recklessly might lead to yandere behavior and a "bad ending." But at this point, he didn't care about that.
What's the worst that could happen? The Raiden Shogun couldn't possibly squeeze me dry, could she?
[Ding! Affection Boost Card ProMax has been used. Affection increased by:]
[Raiden Shogun: +15]
[Ei: +15]
The next moment, Luo Qing could visibly see the Raiden Shogun's grip on her sword tremble slightly. Her gaze shifted, becoming more conflicted as she looked at him.
"Are you alright, Lady Shogun?" Luo Qing asked cautiously.
"What is... happening to this body... What have you done to me...?"
For someone who had known a person for a long time, even a 30-point affection increase wouldn't cause much change, as it would have developed naturally over time.
But for Luo Qing, who had no prior relationship with the Raiden Shogun, jumping straight to 37.5 affection was like triggering an emotional shortcut.
Without any buildup or gradual understanding, both the Raiden Shogun and Ei were suddenly overwhelmed by feelings of fondness toward someone they had just met—a textbook case of what we commonly call:
Love at first sight.
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T/N: Look I'm not a big fan of these kind of things but Luo Qing is not so bad I guess
( ˘ ^˘ )=3
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