If You Dare Betray Me, I'll Tear Open Your Heart☆

☆

Inside the Treehouse, the lights were bright. There was not much furniture or many daily necessities, but more than half of the items had been brought back from human towns near the forest by the Silver Dragon King's Fierce Beasts. As an honored guest of the Soul Beast Clan, Sirin naturally would not be neglected in either food or lodging.

On a soft wooden bed, Lu Xueling held Sirin in his arms while she nestled against his chest, her arms wrapped tightly around him.

"Hu-human?" Sirin raised her head slightly, her expression somewhat tense.

Lu Xueling tightened his arms around her a little. "I'm here."

Back at Babylon Tower, he had used the excuse of observing the "test subjects" to enter those sunless rooms, comforting the girls and bringing them food and water. Not just Sirin, but Bella, Aphra, Agatha...

Only Sirin had always been given an extra portion, because he knew she would become a Herrscher.

His position as deputy chief researcher had also been granted to him by that damned scammer bishop.

When they first met, Lu Xueling had managed to intimidate that incredibly troublesome fellow with some future knowledge from the scripts in his head.

After learning from Otto that the Second Great Eruption had yet to occur, he had proactively requested to go to Babylon Tower. The bishop had been generous enough, giving Lu Xueling the position of second-in-command.

But Lu Xueling knew that if he did not want to disrupt the main course of the future, Sirin's death would ultimately be unavoidable. Still, he had other methods.

With the Honkai God Simulation System, he had copied a complete set of research data that Otto wanted, then left Schicksal with Sirin, whose body had been shattered and who had been reduced to nothing but a consciousness.

But good times did not last. Just as the research into the Soul Steel Body he had obtained from Otto was nearing success, Anti-Entropy and World Serpent came knocking again!

There had been no choice. At the time, he had only one final escape route left. Who could have known that just as he fled into the Sea of Quanta...

A flash of fire swept past, and Lu Xueling tumbled into this universe with Sirin.

Forget it. He did not want to go back anyway. Whether he was there or not, the future story would not change much.

At least here, he could still go fishing for small fry.

"Human, I missed you so much..."

Free from the disturbances and pressures of the outside world, Sirin could finally voice the longing buried deep within her heart without restraint.

For Ten Thousand Years, she had awakened for one year every thousand years. Aside from teaching the Silver Dragon King and studying basic Honkai Energy knowledge, all she did was stay at Lu Xueling's side, hoping he would awaken soon.

The trembling body in his arms made Lu Xueling's heart ache. After silently cursing the "damned system," he cradled the back of Sirin's head and kissed the Honkai Queen on the lips.

Their lips and tongues entwined, warm breaths spreading through each other's mouths as they poured all their longing and emotions into that kiss.

Sirin froze for a moment, then returned his kiss tightly. With a thought, the Herrscher of the Void's battle suit slowly dissolved, replaced by a white gauze dress.

Her mother was gone, and her friends had left as well. Sirin did not want to lose the only man still willing to protect her.

"Human (Sirin), I love you." They spoke almost at the same time, only to both fall silent at once.

Tears overflowed from the corners of Sirin's eyes. She raised a finger to wipe them away, then leaned forward and took the initiative to kiss Lu Xueling again.

The white gauze fell away, and snow-white skin glowed with an alluring sheen under the moonlight. At that moment, Lu Xueling's reason was finally completely destroyed.

"Hmph~ Human, if you dare betray me, I'll tear open your heart☆"

"Never, my Queen."

It was the height of summer, and cicadas chirped outside the window, yet they could not drown out the delightful sounds within the Treehouse.

At dawn the next day, Lu Xueling was already awake. Sirin was curled up in the crook of his arm, her sleeping face sweet, her slightly puffed cheeks making her look just like a pufferfish.

Let her sleep in a little longer.

Lu Xueling bent down and kissed Sirin's forehead before getting out of bed and leaving the Treehouse.

The moment he stepped past the threshold, a gentle breeze brushed against him. Lu Xueling noticed the Silver Dragon King, who had been waiting beneath the tree for quite some time, as well as Qian Renxue beside her.

"You came early." Lu Xueling greeted them simply, then climbed down the tree along the vines. The two women before him smiled at him at the same time, though the Silver Dragon King's smile seemed somewhat forced.

"Are you in a bad mood, Silver Dragon King?"

The Silver Dragon King shook her head and spread her hands. "Just some mess involving my subordinates. Di Tian reported that the great tonic they captured a hundred years ago escaped, and there has been no trace of it since."

A great tonic?

Lu Xueling's mouth twitched. He could guess what that meant with his feet.

Still, the Silver Dragon King's words gave him an important clue. He had awakened at just the right time, because this planet's Child of the Plane was only just ready to begin his journey.

The Silver Dragon King cast aside her chaotic thoughts and asked, "Will you and Miss Sirin be leaving today, Your Excellency?"

Lu Xueling nodded. "I know about the matter between Sirin and you, but my power has not fully recovered yet. For now, I cannot produce a ready-made Valkyrie Armor."

"I am not in a hurry. I have waited Ten Thousand Years; I do not mind waiting a little longer." The Silver Dragon King appeared quite magnanimous.

Lu Xueling smiled and added, "Then the Silver Dragon King will have to wait a while longer. But before I leave, I can let you witness the power of another Herrscher..."

The Silver Dragon King's eyes lit up. "Which one?"

Over the years, Sirin had already taught her about the known Herrschers. There were fourteen in total, and each one was the ultimate manifestation of a certain physical law!

For instance, the Herrscher of Reason governed construction, comprehension, and replication. Once one fully understood an object's principles, one could recreate it through one's own power. By touching an object, the ability could analyze its structure.

Or the Herrscher Authority of the Void possessed by Miss Sirin: absolute control over space!

And there was one Herrscher Authority that currently interested the Silver Dragon King most: the Herrscher of Consciousness, who could manipulate consciousness, put people into deep sleep, and inflict severe mental damage!

Lu Xueling kept her in suspense. "You'll see before we leave."

His gaze shifted to Qian Renxue, who had remained silent. After sighing softly, he asked, "Miss Qian Renxue, have you decided whether to stay or leave?"

Qian Renxue raised her eyes and clenched her fists. "I want to go with you!"

Lu Xueling thought for roughly three seconds, staring intently at Qian Renxue as he asked sternly, "Are you sure?"

"Yes. I don't want to keep hiding anymore. I want to see the sunlight again! I want to... fly once more!"

"Even if I make you carry out extremely difficult missions, even if you must face painful choices?!" Lu Xueling's voice involuntarily grew much colder.

Qian Renxue gave a self-mocking smile. "Difficult missions? It's not as though I've never carried them out! Pain? I have already experienced despair!"

"Good! Once you board my ship, you are one of mine. I will make sure not a single one of you is lost!" Lu Xueling promised solemnly.

Qian Renxue looked at Lu Xueling with unwavering eyes and said word by word, "I believe you!"

Lu Xueling smiled in satisfaction and held out his hand. "Welcome."

Fallen Angel God, Qian Renxue, Loyalty: 20%

The system left behind only that one line, but Lu Xueling did not pay much attention to it, because what came next was the real main event.

"Silver Dragon King, I remember Sirin brought back Rakshasa God's corpse Ten Thousand Years ago, didn't she?"

"Of course. I have kept it well."

Lu Xueling nodded slightly, his tone unconsciously turning several degrees colder. "It's time to put it to use."

System, begin drawing for a Herrscher.