Not a Good Thing

In one of Hyperion's rooms, Theresa rubbed her eyes and groggily climbed up from the floor. "What... happened here?"

A pile of decorations had fallen over, and the tables and chairs had been smashed beyond recognition.

Judah was lodged diagonally in the wall, while the circuits inside still crackled with sparks.

"Someone!" Theresa shouted.

Hyperion's staff quickly arrived, and several repair workers began dealing with the room Theresa had destroyed.

"What happened here?" Theresa crossed her arms and asked the staff.

"Principal, you told us not to come near this place these past few days. You said you had something important to do and didn't want to be disturbed. We heard loud noises several times, but whenever we asked over the comm channel, you said everything was fine," a staff member replied quietly.

Theresa tilted her head, looked up at an angle, and tapped her lips with a finger. "Is that so?"

Meanwhile, Han Jiang also woke up, and a string of system chimes immediately rang in his mind.

"Ding: Theresa's favorability +60!"

"Ding: Yae Sakura's favorability +80!"

"Ding: Yae Rin's favorability +80!"

"Ding: Host performed an unauthorized action. 700 crystals deducted!"

"Ding: ..."

Every one of those system notifications was good news, except for the one about deducting crystals, which left him deeply irritated.

Still, saving Rin had made it worth it.

"Is anyone there? Where is this? Is anyone there?!" Han Jiang shouted.

Several iron chains bound Han Jiang to the bed, and most importantly, everything before his eyes was pitch-black.

"He's awake, he's awake." Kiana's voice came from outside the room.

The door opened, and the lights in the room came on, glaring so brightly that Han Jiang couldn't open his eyes.

"What is this? Why am I tied up?!" Han Jiang couldn't make out who was standing in front of him.

"Herrscher energy was detected in your body. After identification, it was found to be related to the Erosion Herrscher." Himeko's voice sounded beside Han Jiang's ear.

"Over the past two days, you also did many incomprehensible things. We all suspected that you had been controlled by a Herrscher, so we detained you here."

As Han Jiang gradually adapted to the light, he finally saw the people standing around him: Himeko, Kiana, Mei, and Bronya.

"Beep, beep!"

"Wait a moment. Principal Theresa is calling." Himeko spoke to Han Jiang.

"Principal, did you see the report we sent you two days ago? Why did you wait until now?" Even when speaking to Principal Theresa, Himeko showed none of a subordinate's deference.

"Yaaawn..." Theresa yawned on the other end of the communicator. "Han Jiang is fine now. These past few days, we were brought into a Stigmata Space by the Herrscher's energy, and the Herrscher inside has already been eliminated."

"That'll be all." Theresa wiped away the tears squeezed out by her yawn and was about to end the call when she suddenly remembered something. "The Key of Erosion stored at St. Freya may be able to be completed. After you return, keep an eye on that project. I'm exhausted. I'm going to sleep."

"Is he really all right?" Himeko looked at Han Jiang doubtfully.

Han Jiang shook his head like a rattle. "I'm fine, really fine. Nothing happened at all. I'm Han Jiang. I wasn't controlled."

"What? Han Jiang, you actually went to fight in the Stigmata Space with Auntie? Why didn't you take me with you?!" Kiana couldn't restrain herself the moment she heard words like Herrscher.

"Yes, how did Han Jiang end up with the principal?" Mei asked in confusion.

Han Jiang didn't know how to explain, so Himeko said, "The principal was worried about your combat training, so she specifically docked Hyperion above Changkong City to protect you."

Kiana puffed out her cheeks. "What's there to worry about? Auntie is just playing favorites because she took him and not me."

"Combat isn't a game. The Erosion Herrscher is mysterious and unpredictable. One careless mistake, and your mind could be eroded. Do you want to end up like Han Jiang?" Himeko glared at Kiana.

Now that they knew Han Jiang was all right, Mei and Bronya began untying him.

Han Jiang looked thoroughly depressed. "What happened to me? What was I like?"

"Pfft!" Kiana burst out laughing. "That was too funny! If St. Freya ever has a school festival, you absolutely have to perform!"

"What happened?" Han Jiang stared at Kiana in confusion, but she only kept laughing while clutching her stomach.

Han Jiang looked at the others. Himeko gave a soft laugh without saying anything. Bronya remained expressionless, though the corner of her mouth twitched as if that counted as laughing.

Finally, his gaze landed on Mei. Her pretty face reddened slightly as she said, "Don't ask. It's not a good thing."

Seeing everyone's reactions, Han Jiang decided to keep his mouth shut.

The group left the room, and Himeko said to Han Jiang again, "You missed three days of training. Individual training is already over, and the second stage, squad training, is beginning. You'll be on the same team as Kiana and the others."

"I don't care! I don't want Han Jiang on my team! Auntie took him but not me!" Kiana turned her back on Han Jiang.

"Welcome to the team, Han Jiang." Mei dutifully greeted him.

Han Jiang was still somewhat dazed, so he would follow Himeko's arrangements for squad training.

But what he was most curious about was what exactly had happened over those three days. During those three days in the Stigmata Space, could Hiyori have controlled his body again?

"That'll be all. The four of you will leave together for training tomorrow. I need to learn the specifics from the principal." After saying that, Himeko left the room.

Han Jiang got up and followed Mei and the others out of the little dark room. Outside was a row of cage-like rooms, making the place look like a prison.

As they left, Han Jiang saw that the other rooms held Honkai Beasts and deadwalkers. Then he thought of the little dark room where he had been kept.

"This isn't the camp's laboratory, is it?" Han Jiang couldn't help asking.

Mei nodded. "It is. After the Honkai outbreak in Changkong City, there were many different kinds of samples. Everything held here is experimental material."

Han Jiang swallowed. Good thing Hiyori had been dealt with. If she hadn't...

Han Jiang saw a corridor beside them. At the very end stood a nutrient tank, inside which floated the corpse of a Scythe Queen.

"Your dorm was changed. Three mornings ago, you suddenly attacked someone. Fortunately, Teacher Himeko arrived in time, or you'd have had to stand trial before a Schicksal court, you know?" Kiana poked Han Jiang's arm with her finger, pressing hard with every word.

She couldn't fight a classmate, and scolding him wasn't ladylike enough, so Kiana could only express her dissatisfaction this way.

Han Jiang returned to his newly assigned dorm. The only difference from the little dark room earlier was that this place had every daily necessity.

Most notably, the door couldn't be opened from inside the room. Someone outside had to open it for him.

"They still don't trust me." Han Jiang gave a bitter laugh and climbed onto the bed.

When he had first woken up, there had been a whole pile of system notifications he hadn't finished checking. Now he could finally see exactly what he had obtained.

Aside from the notification about losing 700 crystals, he couldn't remember anything else beyond the word ding.

"What kind of lousy system doesn't let the host act on his own?" Han Jiang sat on the bed, clenched his fists, and repeatedly punched the neatly folded blanket.

Thanks to [Don't Stop Updating] for the 100 reward!!!