Chapter 25: The Corruption Herrscher and the Previous Era's Elysian Realm Are a Perfect Match
Kiana entered the "world" and went straight to the restaurant, gleefully grabbing her favorite foods.
Kiana is simple, valuing only delicious food and Mei.
In this world, she can take whatever she wants to eat without any restrictions. At first, she felt guilty, but when she thought, "This is Ye Feng's world," she felt at ease.
After all, after being tormented by him like that, she definitely needed to eat a lot to get back at him!
Moreover, no matter how much she eats here, even high-calorie food, she doesn't have to worry about gaining weight—it's perfect. Kiana was having a great time, holding fried chicken in one hand and a fizzy drink in the other, thoroughly enjoying herself.
"Looks like Kiana is already getting used to this place," Ye Feng said, sitting across from her. Kiana ignored him. She had already told him not to call her Kiana.
"Want to meet Yae Sakura?" Ye Feng asked.
"Can I?" Kiana responded.
"Depends on your performance," Ye Feng replied.
Kiana looked around. The restaurant was bustling with people. "Not here," she said.
"I'm not suggesting anything inappropriate," Ye Feng responded.
Kiana gave him a disdainful look. "What else could you be thinking of?"
"Making you solve some advanced math problems," Ye Feng teased.
"..." Kiana was speechless. This guy truly is a devil.
Hearing about math problems, Kiana immediately felt overwhelmed and frustrated. Ye Feng laughed, "Don't pull that face. How could I possibly force you to do something uncomfortable?"
Kiana relaxed, realizing he wasn't serious about the math. She quietly finished all the food in front of her, then leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes in satisfaction.
After some time, Kiana finally emerged from her state of indulgence and said, "Let's go to the bedroom. I have some questions to ask you."
"No rush. You can ask anything right here," Ye Feng replied.
"Just so we're clear, no matter what, nothing happens outside the bedroom," Kiana insisted.
"Agreed," Ye Feng promised. Only after that did Kiana ask, "This place isn't my Stigmata Space?"
Ye Feng was momentarily surprised. "Didn't I tell you that the first time you came here? Someone must have explained it to you later, right? Who was the little genius that enlightened you?"
"Uh... never mind that," Kiana said.
"Okay, but you can fully trust my words here, Kiana," Ye Feng asserted confidently. Then, looking at Kiana, he added, "After all, there's nothing about you that would be worth me lying about."
That was true. He could do whatever he wanted without lying. Still, that comment hurt her pride a little. The earlier remark had been somewhat touching.
"You said earlier that you wanted me to meet Yae Sakura. Do you have some ulterior motive?" Kiana asked.
"Hmm?" Ye Feng seemed surprised that Kiana was finally starting to think critically. "Yes, there is a reason. She's a Pseudo-Herrscher, and her identity makes it difficult for her to exist in the world. If possible, I hope St. Freya Academy can take her in."
Feeling that wasn't enough explanation, Ye Feng added, "Don't worry, her consciousness is perfectly clear, just like Mei's."
Kiana looked at Ye Feng with some surprise, then fell silent. Her expression was complex as she finally said, "I'm surprised you would consider someone else's well-being."
"What do you mean? Didn't I help you improve your grades and become an honor student?" Ye Feng countered.
"Oh, I see now," Kiana said, her eyes showing a look of realization.
---
In Nagazora City, after the Honkai Eruption, the once-prosperous city had become a desolate wasteland. The skyscrapers that stood over the flooded city now resembled tombstones, commemorating human civilization.
Yae Sakura stood on the rooftop of the tallest building, her pink hair flowing in the bleak sky.
She was carrying an unconscious girl on her shoulder, her gaze fixed on a massive chasm in the distance, a "scar" on the city caused by the Herrscher of Thunder's sword. The strike had severed the continental shelf, causing the crust to tilt and the sea to flood the entire city.
Afterward, Yae Sakura's gaze traveled beyond the ruins and toward a building engulfed in red flames, burning fiercely.
Originally, she planned to leave this ruined city with Yuno, but they were suddenly attacked en route. If it weren't for the warning from Hiromaru, she would have at least lost an arm.
"Hmph, don't misunderstand. I'm not helping you. If you were injured, I don't know how that demon would torment me," Hellmaru said.
"I know. I can't see where the attacker is. Can you sense them, Hellmaru?" Yae Sakura asked.
"Whoever was hit by my Hellmaru Bomb is either dead or long gone," Hiromaru replied.
---
"Damn it, what kind of monster was that? A Herrscher?" Raven retracted her Seven Thunders of Retribution, clutching her injured right arm. She turned into a shadow, fleeing through the flooded buildings of Changkong City.
After the Honkai disaster in Changkong City, she had built a "Base" here to shelter orphans. Today, while delivering supplies as usual, she noticed an abnormal Honkai energy fluctuation. There was no doubt—it was a Pseudo-Herrscher.
Having suffered greatly from Honkai Eruption, Raven immediately brought out her strongest weapon, intending to deliver a fatal blow. But the enemy's strength far exceeded her expectations.
"No, that was definitely not a Pseudo-Herrscher level of power..." A new Herrscher had been born? But no one had heard of it. Could a Herrscher's birth happen so quietly? She didn't know. She had also lost contact with her terminal from Gray Snake.
Forget it, it's impossible to turn back now.
"Regardless, I can't stay in Nagazora City. I need to relocate the Base as soon as possible," Raven thought to herself.
---
Yae Sakura arrived at the building where they had been ambushed earlier. The raging flames had subsided, leaving behind nearly vitrified, charred remains of the structure. In front of the building lay a black feather, quietly resting on the ground.
"Is this... a crow's feather?" Yae Sakura picked it up and examined it closely.
"Wait a minute," Hiromaru suddenly looked toward the scorched building. "There are still electronic components functioning inside? Let me take a look."
A shadow floated out, invading the device. "There's still a network?"
Hellmaru was overjoyed. As long as she could access the network, she could grow stronger and possibly break free from that demon!
Hellmaru wandered through the vast virtual space of information, entering a massive database. She quickly locked onto one of the signal sources from the device. It was a cyborg with a skull mask holding an umbrella on a sunny day.
The cyborg noticed Hellmaru and, startled, tried to delete all the data, including her.
"A mere cyborg thinks it can erase me? How arrogant!" Hellmaru unleashed the power of "Corruption," instantly seizing control of the database.
"Gray Snake's Network? So this is just a peripheral access point, with the core hidden deeper inside. Hmph, just a bunch of small fries. But since I'm here... Huh? What's this?"
Through the "Gray Snake Network," Hellmaru discovered a virtual space with an information density so high it was almost tangible.
"No... can this still be called a virtual space?" Hiellmaru was stunned. She had a premonition that even if she were fully complete as the Herrscher of Corruption, entering this space might be dangerous.
Hellmaru lingered at the entrance of that space, hesitating. If she could control the information here, she might be able to turn the tables on that demon.
"Should I go in and try? If it doesn't work, I can just exit. Could they actually trap me?" Hellmaru decided to try entering the dense information space. As she approached, a massive whale surged toward her.
"A firewall? Hmph, it can't stop me," Hiromaru thought confidently as she began to corrode the whale, attempting to unlock the gateway to the information space.
At the same time, a shadow appeared on Ye Feng's map panel.
"Elysian Realm?"
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