Making a Childish Promise

Gray Serpent dared not even imagine the possibility of the two Flame-Chasers breaking off their relationship, nor did he know how to deal with it.

However, Skyfire, retaining the enigmatic nature of an elder from a previous era, offered no further explanation and instead said:

"The matter of the Gem of Serenity can only end here. Let's wait for the next opportunity to make a move. After my intervention this time, the World Serpent can no longer develop in a low-key manner. But everything has two sides. I suppose Anti-Entropy and Schicksal will not dare to provoke us easily again. So, it may not be all bad."

"That's right. Their respect will make our actions much smoother."

"You'll have to keep up the good work from now on. If you ever need my help, just come to me. At least in terms of force, I've proven my worth in this era and can be a reliable ally."

"Yes, Skyfire!"

The Gray Serpent respectfully touched its chest and bowed.

But for someone as conscientious as him, the less he was criticized, the more he felt guilty about his dereliction of duty.

'The work ahead must be done with even greater care and rigor; there can be no more negligence!'

The Gray Serpent silently recited in its heart.

At this moment, the Jackal was dismantling the Gray Serpent's recently damaged body. Seeing that the two had finished their conversation, she raised her head, a dangerous glint in her golden eyes.

"Skyfire, may I examine this? I am very curious about the mental power of mechanical beings!"

"Jackal, show some respect!"

Gray Serpent wanted to rebuke, but he had grown accustomed to the Jackal's unbridled behavior in recent days, and his words were filled with helplessness.

Then Skyfire nodded.

"Okay. I need to make up for my weakness in terms of mental injury. In addition, I feel some incoordination in my body when I exert myself to the limit, which will affect my strength limit and ability to fight continuously. I hope you can make some adjustments."

"Are you serious? That's a restriction for the protection of the machine. If you remove it completely, your lifespan will be greatly shortened."

"It's alright, I just need to hold out until Kevin returns. That'll be about three years, make sure I can use that timescale, and then maximize my potential."

"Alright! I'll study this Gray Serpent's body and relax my mind. See you in the lab in three days!"

The Jackal seemed excited about the subject, then lowered its head and continued to disassemble the Gray Serpent's clone in front of him, studying its structure and weaknesses.

Every now and then, a few eerie, terrifying low laughs could be heard, making him look exactly like Frankenstein's monster.

The Gray Serpent wanted to ask, "Are you being polite?"

After thinking about it, I decided against it. This colleague didn't care about these things at all, and asking would only result in being rebuffed.

'Fine, we're all on the same side. Let them study me if they want. They can't possibly find my weaknesses and then use them against me, can they?'

Gray Serpent shook his head and began to think about what to do next.

First of all, this collaboration with Cocolia was quite unpleasant, and I offended her to some extent, so I need to make some appropriate compensation.

Secondly, we need to communicate with Great Void Mountain. To be honest, the World Serpent did play a role in pushing and guiding things in Changkong City, so they can't really be blamed for it. But anyway, we should still explain things properly. We can't afford to break ties with Hua Daren's forces over this.

After that, we'll have to deal with the possible actions of the Schicksal, and the official authorities of Shenzhou will probably also put us in a bit of a test... Sigh, these are all troubles that can't be avoided once things get out of the public eye!

However, Lord Skyfire is willing to take risks for greater power, and Jackal must also focus on scientific research. Everyone is working so hard, so in order to continue to advance the Stigmata Project, I, Gray Serpent, must also put in more effort!

"Crimson Kite, I'm so sorry!"

I'm so sorry!

At the St. Freya Academy, Fu Hua finally saw the Hyperion slowly row into the harbor. Then, the Ji Lin sisters slid down to their knees at her feet, tearfully expressing their apologies.

The beautiful young sisters were kneeling like this, Fu Hua's lips twitched. He could already feel the strange gazes coming from all directions.

"Wow! Who's that? Why is he kneeling at my sister's feet?"

"Could it be that my sister already has someone else outside?"

"No!!!"

Fun fact: Fu Hua, a serious, upright, and heroic figure, is very popular in St. Freya, and fans of all ages affectionately call her "Big Sister".

But Fu Hua couldn't worry about that for the time being. The commotion before was so exaggerated that she had been worried and scared for a long time. When she heard that Anqi was in trouble, her heart almost stopped beating.

Where is she now?

"Over there, they said they were going to send him to the infirmary."

Ji Lin sniffed, and said with deep remorse.

Fu Hua paused, then breathed a slight sigh of relief.

If it's just serious injury, that's fine. I'm just afraid of hearing Ji Lin say that all that's sent back is ashes or something—ugh! What a jinx!

Fu Hua shook her head and helped the two of them up.

"Come on, take me to see it."

Fu Hua kept a straight face and controlled her emotions as she strode to the mobile hospital bed and followed the medical staff.

Then I saw what Anqi looked like.

Her small face was as pale as paper, revealing an unusual fragility, like a vase swaying precariously in the wind, making one's heart clench.

Even in his deep sleep, his brows were tightly furrowed, as if he were enduring intense pain or trapped in a terrible nightmare.

Fu Hua had never seen Anqi so fragile. Even when she was hospitalized due to the Honkai Sickness, she had never been so weak, as if her life was about to dissipate.

"What happened? Why did it turn out like this?"

Fu Hua's lips trembled.

Kiana and Raiden Mei, who had followed, were even more unable to control their emotions, and tears streamed down their faces uncontrollably.

However, no one explained it to them.

Himeko and Bronya had no intention of explaining; they were simply incapable of thinking or speaking until the doctor declared that Anqi's condition was stable.

Theresa didn't know how to explain. Since it concerned Changkong City, she needed to find a quiet place to talk. Too many people would cause more trouble if word got out.

Anqi was taken into the operating room for further examination and treatment.

"The World Serpent made its move. Cocolia used the events in Changkong City to make Anqi lose control, forcing Ji Lin to help her out. Anqi fought with the World Serpent's people, and then, that's how it happened."

Theresa briefly explained the situation, then grabbed her hair in frustration and helplessness.

The air outside the operating room suddenly became eerily quiet.

The problem that no one dared to face, and didn't know how to face, was now before them.

Chapter 202 Making a Childish Promise

Anqi slept for three days and three nights straight.

While the script may be written behind the scenes, the performance must be authentic and flawless. Anqi's rise from a lowly, precarious Thousand-Person Ruler to a powerful figure who dominates the world can be attributed to one word—authenticity!

There's one more word—ruthless to oneself!

Therefore, Anqi was really badly injured, only slightly better than Yae Sakura who was beaten into her Divine Key. It would have been normal for her to die if she didn't have the protection of Thousand-Person Ruler.

"I'm fine now. You guys go to work and school, you don't need to stay here."

Anqi, with a stern face, sincerely offered her advice.

Looking at the red-rimmed eyes, worried gazes, and silent atmosphere of guilt of the people around her, Anqi really wanted to give them a smile.

But if they laugh, they'll probably be seen as forcing a smile, which will only make them feel worse.

This is a burden that makes one feel both guilty and happy.

"Well then, you get some rest. We'll head out now. Contact me immediately if anything happens, okay?"

"Yes, Himeko."

Anqi nestled obediently in Himeko's arms, gently stroking her back, trying to soothe her sorrow and unease.

Then the girls who had stayed by the bedside for several days finally left, and the slightly crowded intensive care unit returned to its proper quiet.

"Well..."

Anqi leaned back, looking at her slender arms wrapped in bandages, a hint of helplessness on her face.

"We can only wait and see."

Time will allow everyone who cares about me to let go of their worries and return to normal.

Other than that, probably no other tricks will work; they will only be seen as feigned strength, making them even more upset.

After a period of worry, Anqi looked at the empty ward and her eyes gradually became vacant.

With the scriptwriting project nearing completion, she could finally take a short break, a rare moment of peace she hadn't had before.

However, just as her mind was blank for a moment, the door quietly opened, and a white fluffy ball tiptoed in.

"Aren't you going to class?"

"Because Himeko said you probably wanted to be alone, Mei and the others went to help with some work, so there weren't any classes at all. Who's going to have classes now? Most of the teachers went on the ship for this expedition and are on leave to recuperate after they came back. The whole academy was closed for a week!"

"Then you don't need to go help?"

"Because Himeko and my other aunt said that I would only cause trouble if I went, they told me to go play outside by myself. Hehe!"

Kiana scratched her head sheepishly, her bright blue eyes revealing a clear sense of foolishness.

Anqi was speechless, then patted the seat next to her, gesturing for Kiana to sit down.

Kiana casually took off her shoes, climbed onto the hospital bed, and leaned against Anqi.

"Actually, I know I should let you have some peace and quiet. But then I thought, when you're feeling down, being alone can actually make it even worse... That's how I used to be."

"You before?"

"Yes, didn't I tell you? I've been running around the world by myself since I was very young, looking for my stinky dad's whereabouts. Back then, I had to find my own way to get rid of hunger, thirst, and fatigue. I often hid in a corner all alone and cried. It was so painful."

"That sounds terrible."

Anqi's eyes softened, and she raised her hand to gently stroke Kiana's hair.

Kiana chuckled, reached out, and gently embraced Anqi.

"Back then, I thought, if only my dad were here with me, I could hug him and cry, and then go to sleep. But I never got to do that. Later I realized that when you're sad, you need someone to be with you, otherwise you'll only get more and more miserable."

"So, you're worried I'll cry alone in my room?"

"Yeah, I'm worried. We're people who share secrets, after all, so we're a little different from others. I thought I could stay here with you. Does that make you feel any better?"

Kiana looked down uncertainly, her clear eyes sparkling with pure concern.

Based on this alone, Anqi felt that all the effort she had put into her was completely worthwhile.

This girl is the type who will turn around and be completely devoted to you if you treat her well.

Anqi nuzzled against Kiana's chest, without a trace of impure thought, and simply sighed contentedly.

"I feel much better, thank you, Xie Li."

"Oh, we're practically family, don't be so polite! I'll be happy if you get better soon, no need to thank me!"

"Um."

"The doctor said your injuries this time were very serious. Your entire body was almost Honkai Energy destroyed by the Honkai energy. If it weren't for Sister Ji Lin protecting you with that kind of true energy the whole way, you might not have made it back. The doctor also said that you must never act recklessly like this again, it will shorten your lifespan, you know?"

Kiana rambled on about her worries, revealing her heartache without reservation.

Especially when the topic of "shortening one's lifespan" came up, Kiana couldn't help but feel a lump in her throat and almost burst into tears again.

Anqi quickly comforted her:

"The Taixu Sword Qi is very magical, don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

"You're kidding me! I heard them all. That guy called Skyfire took down Durandal and Delta like they were slicing vegetables. You just charged at such a terrifying enemy like that, are you stupid?"

Kiana got a little grumpy as she talked, and kept poking Anqi's forehead with her finger.

Anqi was touched, but also felt a lump in her throat, and weakly said:

"Although, but, I just don't want you to call me stupid..."

"Hey! What do you mean? Are you looking down on me?"

Kiana understood the unspoken meaning and immediately felt that her good intentions had been taken for granted. She glared angrily at Anqi.

Anqi looked back with an innocent expression.