Chapter 240

Thinking of this, Mei gritted her teeth. No, she couldn't think like that. She would never believe it without seeing it with her own eyes. Now was not the time to let her mind wander. It was more important to deal with the immediate problem.

"Xiao Kong, hide and protect yourself."

Lightning flashed in her eyes. Although the core had been taken by the Herrscher of the Void, the power of lightning still lingered in Mei's body because the Herrscher of Thunder's core had resided there for a long time. Looking at the Judgment-class Honkai Beast in front of her, Mei breathed a sigh of relief. She had always been the one getting the short end of the stick, and it was time to face it head-on. During this time, Mei had been working hard, and she was no longer the little girl who could only be bullied.

With lightning crackling on her longsword, Mei faced Belenaus without flinching. So what if it's a Judgment-class Mei Judgment-class Honkai Beast? Mei wasn't afraid at all. This dragon had been bullied by the Class President and by Teacher Himeko before. Now it wanted to bully her? No way!

Judging by this, it should be over there... Tsk, did I go the wrong way again? That shouldn't be the case; it feels like this is the right way...

On the other side, watching the raging lightning in the sky, Shen Gonglin sadly confirmed a fact: she seemed to have unknowingly taken the wrong path again. This discovery instantly made Shen Gonglin's mood collapse. It seemed that her terrible sense of direction was deeply rooted in her bloodline. It was a hereditary disease, it must be, it had nothing to do with her. It must be hereditary fault.

Looking at the massive lightning bolts on the horizon, You sighed and could only change direction and continue approaching. It seemed that the Bebe Dragon was fighting someone. Who could it be? Who in this city could fight it? Could it be the Valkyrie Squad, or... the organization of that person in the distance, World Serpent?

Suddenly, a dark figure appeared ahead. Seeing someone in this desolate city ruin surprised Shen Gonglin, especially since the person wasn't a stranger. A black cloak concealed a stunningly beautiful figure. It was definitely someone she knew; her name seemed to be...

"Ya Ya... what are you doing here?"

Upon hearing the sound, Raven was already on high alert. This city was fraught with danger; apart from the children she cared for, almost everyone else was an enemy. Raven had just returned from North Africa and hadn't even had a chance to relax when she sensed something approaching. Suddenly, she heard this sound, and Miss Raven stumbled and almost fell to the ground.

What is a crow? Is it calling itself?

The voice sounded somewhat familiar. Shen Gonglin Raven around and saw Rin Jingu running towards her. It was him. It seemed the intelligence was indeed correct. His presence here proved that the Herrscher of the Void was here, and this strange movement... Indeed, the existence of Herrscher is a disaster.

"Crow... Is that calling me? And what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be with the Herrscher girl? And... never mind, is your injury serious?"

Sheathed its claws, Raven rolled its eyes in exasperation. The title sounded strange no matter how you looked at it. Looking at the now all-alone Shen Gonglin, Raven didn't find any trace of the Herrscher beside her. There was a reason why it had let her go in the desert. Without her by its side, Shen Gonglin wouldn't have been able to get out of the desert at all. But now that Shen Gonglin seemed to have regained her mobility, it would be time to execute the Herrscher.

"It still hurts when I exert myself, but it's okay as long as I don't do anything strenuous. Kiana is still sleeping. I came to investigate because I noticed that the Honkai Beast were behaving strangely. What are you planning to do? You're not planning to cause trouble for Kiana again, are you?"

This World Serpent executive doesn't seem to have any ill intentions towards me, or rather, she's quite kind to me. Back in Sky City, she didn't attack me. Later, when Shen Gonglin was fighting Kevin and was suffering from the backlash of her power, unable to leave the desert, it was she who brought me medicine and food. Shen Gonglin didn't know why she did this, perhaps because World Serpent, like Schicksal, is completely rotten.

Does she also want to be a double agent? Well, she can ask the people on the Hyperion; everyone there is a double agent.

"Don't worry, I'm not in the mood to cause her trouble right now. I'm going over there to take a look. Do you want to come with me?"

Not wanting to hide Shen Gonglin, and knowing that her current explanation was acceptable, Raven pointed to the sky raging with lightning not far away. If her estimation was correct, Xiao Kong and Raiden Mei should be there, and Shen Gonglin's presence here was likely due to this very issue.

"Okay... cough cough, if two people act together, at least they can look out for each other, don't you think...?"

Shen Gonglin's eyes lit up. Wouldn't it be great to have someone to guide her? Shen Gonglin had given up hope of having any sense of direction. If she were to walk on her own, who knew where she would end up? Now that Raven was leading the way, there would be no problem. However, despite this thought, Shen Gonglin still had to maintain her composure and not let her see that she was afraid of getting lost.

"Hehe, yes, you're right, two people together can look out for each other."

Raven chuckled silently. The information about Shen Gonglin had highlighted the words "easy to get lost" in red. The tactical plan against him even included a plan to put him in a maze and let him get lost and die. How could a perfectly normal person become like this because of getting lost? It's really speechless.

Having made her decision, Raven turned and led the way. It was clear that Raven was very familiar with the environment. She knew exactly which way led to which place and which way to go. It seemed that she often wandered through the ruins of this city. Putting aside her doubts for the time being, Shen Gonglin followed Raven toward the battlefield. Before long, a beautiful figure appeared before Shen Gonglin's eyes. How could it be her?

Chapter Twenty-Four

Before Shen Gonglin, the person fighting Benares was none other than Mei. The girl was holding a long sword and was desperately resisting the Honkai Beast's attacks. It seemed that they were evenly matched. This big guy really didn't have much of a presence, or perhaps... it was because he was injured?

It seems like it's been getting beaten up the whole time it's been around. It's been beaten up by the Class President, by Himeko, and now by Mei. It's really pitiful.

As if sensing that Shen Gonglin was offending her, Belenaus suddenly let out a sharp roar, and rampant lightning began to spread across the field. Mei's pupils shrank. If it were just her alone, it wouldn't be difficult to dodge this attack, but now Xiao Kong was right behind her. If she dodged, Sora would be finished. It seemed that she could only grit her teeth and endure it!

Mei held her sword in front of her, bracing herself for the lightning. Just then, a golden halo suddenly unfolded in front of her. The lightning struck the halo and was redirected to another location. Then, Shen Gonglin emerged from the halo, her purple eyes sparkling with starlight. Having finally seen Mei again, Shen Gonglin didn't want to see her charred and battered by lightning.

"Shen Gonglin! What happened to you...?"

Mei exclaimed in surprise, her purple eyes filled with delight. She had searched high and low, only to find it so easily; Shen Gonglin had appeared right before her eyes. A surge of joy filled Mei's heart. She had found Shen Gonglin Kiana, but what about Kiana? Kiana should be nearby too.

Mei looked around anxiously, but she couldn't see the white figure. Suddenly, a shadowy figure stood next to Shen Gonglin. Mei was struck by the familiar attire. Wasn't this Raven from World Serpent? What was she doing here?

"Teacher!"

Xiao Kong, who had been hiding behind Mei and trembling, suddenly cried out in surprise. Mei was stunned. Teacher? Raven was the teacher that Xiao Kong had been talking about. She never expected that the teacher was her. It was hard to imagine that this cold-blooded mercenary would do such a thing. It was really... unbelievable.

"Shen Gonglin, take them... never mind, Raiden Mei, take them back to a safe place, I'll handle things here."

The red claws in her hands reflected a cold light. Raven looked at the Honkai Beast in front of her and a slight smile appeared on her lips. She originally wanted Shen Gonglin to take them away, since only in that way could she fight the Honkai Beast without Shen Gonglin's incurable terrible sense of direction, Raven ultimately chose someone else. After all, if Shen Gonglin took them away, she might not be able to find them again.

"Hey! I feel like you're offending me. Tell me, what are you thinking? Look me in the eyes and tell me the truth..."

Sensing that he had been underestimated again, Shen Gonglin raised an eyebrow and was about to seek justice for himself. However, Mei grabbed his hand at that moment. Although the situation was still unclear, they should listen to Raven's advice and move Xiao Kong away first.

"Shen Gonglin, Xiao Kong, let's go!"

Mei quickly left the battlefield with Shen Gonglin and Xiao Kong. She glanced back at Raven, who was fighting Belenaus. The girl was preoccupied with her thoughts. Was that teacher Raven? And why was Shen Gonglin with her? And it seemed that their relationship was... not bad.

What on earth is going on? Could it be that he turned all the World Serpent's executives against him? I really underestimated him.

Mei looked at Shen Gonglin with complicated eyes. Why did she suddenly want to drown him? This wasn't the first time this thought had crossed Mei's mind. When they weren't together, Mei always missed him. But why did she want to strangle him now that they met? What was going on? Shen Gonglin, what a strange guy.

"Phew... We should be safe here now. Shen Gonglin, what exactly happened? Why are you with Raven? Where is Kiana now? And you... what happened to these injuries on your body?"

Mei finally felt relieved after returning to the nest with Xiao Kong and Shen Gonglin. Now she finally had time to figure out what had been bothering her. The girl asked a series of questions, even forgetting about not seeing Tesla in the nest. Before she could get an answer, she noticed Shen Gonglin's condition. His arm was wrapped in bandages and bloodstains were faintly visible. What happened to him? Why was he injured like this?

"In short, a lot has happened. Kiana is safe now. I think she should be under a cloud... And my injuries... I was beaten by a man named Kevin. It was terrible. Mei, you must avenge me sometime."

Rin patted Mei's hand reassuringly, hearing the girl's deep concern in her voice. Shen Gonglin started blaming Kevin again. Even though it was Kevin's body that couldn't handle the pressure of Angel Mode, she was trying to shift the blame onto Kevin. She'd already complained to Durandal, Shen Gonglin wouldn't mind complaining to Mei as well. Who knew if she'd have a chance to trick him later? Complaining now was definitely the right thing to do.

"Under the clouds? What does that mean... Don't worry, I'll remember it. If anyone dares to bully you, I'll definitely make trouble for them."

Mei didn't quite understand what Shen Gonglin was saying, but Mei had already remembered the complaint Shen Gonglin had made to her: Kevin. She'd heard that name a lot lately. The leader of the World Serpent, the ancestor of the Kaslana family... Whoever he was, how dare he bully Shen Gonglin like this? He'd really be out of his depth.

"Yes, yes, Mei, you must avenge me sometime in the future."

He reached out and patted Mei's head. Although he said that, he didn't really intend for Mei to avenge him. After all, Kevin was quite strong. Durandal was so powerful that she would definitely be able to do it, but Mei was clearly not strong enough to hurt him yet. However, he would still enjoy the idea of tripping up Kevin and making a Shen Gonglin resent him.

That's right, he's just such a petty person.

"Don't worry, I'll definitely teach that Kevin a lesson later... Also, I'm not Bronya, don't touch my head without permission."

Mei felt instantly relaxed. She pulled her hand away from Shen Gonglin's Mei placed it on his head. She always felt really safe and secure when she was with him.

Chapter Twenty-Five

"I've been waiting for you, Raiden Mei."

Without much conversation, a dark shadow flashed by, Raven appeared before the two. The moment she appeared, Mei became wary. In her memory, this person was still an enemy. Although her "teacher" status had slightly changed Mei's opinion of her, it did not make Mei lower her guard. She remembered that in Sky City, it was this woman who stood in front of her and Kiana and stopped them.

If it weren't for her, Kiana wouldn't have had to face the Honkai energy that could erode the entire city alone, and things wouldn't be like this now.

"Mei, we arrived first, but she still said something about waiting for us for a long time... Does she think it sounds cool to say that?"

Shen Gonglin whispered to Mei, but he only thought he was being quiet. In reality, even Xiao Kong could hear what he was saying. The little girl almost burst out laughing. She covered her mouth and tried desperately to be serious, but unfortunately, it was too difficult for a little girl like her.

"Xiao Kong, go back to your room and tell everyone not to come out."

Perhaps out of embarrassment and anger, Raven coldly told Xiao Kong to leave. What was about to happen wasn't suitable for children to get involved in. It was clear Raven held considerable authority here; as soon as she spoke, Xiao Kong immediately ran back to her room. Now only Shen Gonglin Mei were left with her. Raven glared at Shen Gonglin. If it were only Raiden Mei, she would have confronted her directly, but with Shen Gonglin ...

Don't be angry, don't be angry. After all, he's my creditor, even though he himself doesn't know he's a creditor.

"I had already returned here before, and only went to look for you after I learned that Xiao Kong and you had gone out... So, I didn't misuse the phrase 'waiting for a long time'."

To her surprise, the problem was actually corrected. The image of this Raven was somewhat different from what she remembered. Mei pondered this in her heart. Perhaps it was because of Shen Gonglin? However, she said that she had already returned to this place before. What about Tesla? She should be here too, but she had been here for so long and had not seen Tesla at all.

Where is Dr. Tesla?

Worried about her companion, Mei asked directly, "The Doctor doesn't have the ability to fight head-on. If she encounters Raven, things will be bad."

"Huh? Godzilla's here too? Raven, what did you do to my Godzilla?"

So that red-haired twin-tailed girl came too. Shen Gonglin really misses her. Come to think of it, it's been a long time since they last saw each other. Where is Tesla now? Shen Gonglin really wants to see her. When she was in Haiyuan City, she could still talk to Ai-in, but she hasn't seen Tesla in a long time. Come to think of it, it seems like she hasn't seen her since the division of forces.

"Godzilla... Okay, you mean that red-haired girl? Another woman you're on good terms with, huh? That's really... Don't worry, I just knocked her out, she's safe. Anyway, Raiden Mei, I thank you for helping the children, but you're here for the Herrscher of the Void, right?"

Very perceptive, Mei noticed that Raven secretly rolled her eyes. The image of this ruthless mercenary was becoming increasingly unreliable in Mei's mind. However, in an instant, her eyes turned cold again. Her attitude towards the Herrscher had always been like this.

"That's right, Xiao Kong said you have a way to help us find Kiana."

I have no confidence in Shen Gonglin's sense of direction. He said Kiana is under the clouds... then why not say she's under the sky? So, if we want to find Kiana's trail as soon as possible, relying on Raven is more practical. But will the World Serpent's executives help us? Although Mei's opinion of her has changed slightly, they are still enemies.

"Indeed, but this is probably not good news for you, because I'm here to deal with her."

She said this without any hesitation. She had let her go before because Shen Gonglin needed her to get out of the desert, but now that her mission was complete, according to her judgment, the Herrscher girl needed to be killed immediately.

As expected, this person is still an enemy!

Mei's eyes narrowed slightly, and her hand quietly rested on the hilt of her sword. Raven paid no attention to Mei's actions. Raiden Mei did have a good foundation, but she was only at the level of A-rank Valkyrie. She didn't have Herrscher Core now, only some of her remaining power. Raven had no problem dealing with Mei like this. However, it seemed that she could tell her some information because she was taking care of the children.

"As a way of thanking you for helping the children, I'll tell you something. In Sky City, that girl fell into the hands of the World Serpent. She was subjected to inhuman torture by some madwoman... Don't look at me like that, it has nothing to do with me. The World Serpent is full of strange people, and I consider myself one of the more normal ones. We only found out afterward that all her screams and pain were just an act; she didn't actually feel even the slightest bit of pain..."

She quickly distanced herself from the situation. Although Raven didn't know why she had to, that's what she did. And that was indeed the case. At the time, she had only brought her back to the research lab, and that was probably her own plan. Then Jackal tried to study her. Although he didn't get anything of value, he was certain of one thing.

"She lost the ability to feel pain long ago because of the corruption of the Herrscher Core. Don't look at me with that surprised expression. Haven't you thought about it? A single Herrscher Core is enough to destroy a city, and she has three sealed inside her body. How could she possibly be unharmed?"

Raven, with a smile, uttered some incredibly cruel words to Mei. Indeed, Kiana's body was already in a terrible state.

"But... I feel fine."

As soon as Raven finished speaking, Shen Gonglin's questioning voice came over. A flash of light appeared, and two Herrscher Core were floating at Shen Gonglin's fingertips. This was a manifestation of the power within him. One was the core of the Herrscher of the Void, and the other was the core of the Herrscher of Reason. The two Herrscher Core began to circle around him. Forget about any corruption, Shen Gonglin felt that they wanted to be his dogs.

What's going on... Raven and Mei remained silent, erosion... These two cores should be grateful if they don't want to become Shen Gonglin's dogs, how could they possibly erode him?

Chapter Twenty-Six: The Annoying Boyfriend

"People's physical constitutions cannot be generalized. Just because you can do it, Shen Gonglin, doesn't mean that the Herrscher girl can do it too. Even the Lord himself cannot explain your constitution... In short, her current situation is very bad."

Raven couldn't explain Shen Gonglin's problem either. Shen Gonglin was just too strange. He clearly had Herrscher Core in his body, but neither the Herrscher of the Void nor the Herrscher of Reason was affected. It was as if half of it appeared out of thin air, and it wasn't some kind of copy. Shen Gonglin couldn't be explained by science. But Kiana was different. At least Kiana's explanation had some basis in reason.

"All along, that girl has been suppressing the Herrscher within her with a shackle, barely maintaining her sanity. However, she is unable to resist the erosion of Honkai. Now, the shackle is gone. Although Shen Gonglin absorbed most of the Honkai energy from the explosion in Sky City, a small portion still entered the Herrscher girl's body. She has now reached her limit."

Explaining Kiana's current situation, Raven pointed to the sea level, causing the seawater to rise, monsters to swarm, and even Judgment-class Honkai Beast to be summoned. The anomalies happening in Changkong City all pointed to one fact: Kiana's consciousness was fading, while the Herrscher's consciousness was awakening. Killing her was the only solution now.

Although the organization said they would observe her, given the current situation, Raven believes Kiana is beyond saving. She probably had a premonition herself, which is why she hid in such a sparsely populated place. Raven must eliminate the danger before things become irreversible.

Shen Gonglin stroked his chin thoughtfully. He hadn't considered this before, but Raven's mention of it made him realize it. He had secretly touched Kiana several times without her reacting. Shingu had thought she was used to it, but now that Shen Gonglin Raven ... maybe she hadn't even noticed. Why didn't this girl tell him? He could just drain Honkai energy from her body... but Kiana wouldn't agree to that, would she?

Putting aside whether they Honkai energy, if they really did, Kiana would probably be unable to fight, which would be more painful for her than killing her. Is there any way to preserve her fighting ability while keeping her body unharmed? It's not that I'm discouraged; Shen Gonglin always has full confidence in herself. She is sure she can solve this kind of problem.

"So, I want to solve the problem at its root... Oh, Raiden Mei, do you want to use a knife?"

Before she could finish speaking, Mei had already pointed her knife directly at Raven. Raven was not surprised by the anger and fighting spirit in the girl's eyes. She knew that Raven would not agree to her method, but she did not need Raven's agreement. The red claws in her hand flashed with a sharp light. If it was time to fight, Raven was ready to oblige.

"Although you have been kind to the children, if you insist on influencing my decision, then that's another matter."

The shadows flickered, and the mercenaries' style was to strike without warning. In the blink of an eye, Raven and Mei were engaged in battle. However, Mei was already at a disadvantage from the start. Raven was strong, and she was no match for Mei at the moment. This girl wanted to stop her, so it seemed that she would have to let her go to sleep first.

"What are you two doing? You're bullying my cook right in front of me. Do you think I'm dead?"

The Spear of the Void appeared, its sharp tip blocking the Raven's claws and stopping her attack. She had only been thinking for a moment about how the two of them had started fighting. Mei wasn't alone; how could she just stand by and watch her get beaten? She shielded Mei Shen Gonglin the Spear of the Void in her hand, forcing the Raven back. Mei was one of her own, and Shen Gonglin wouldn't let her be bullied.

"Cooking lady..." Mei's cheeks flushed red at first, then the girl lowered her head and fell silent. She was indeed too weak. If it weren't for Shen Gonglin being here, she would definitely have been defeated by Raven again. How could she talk about saving Kiana when she couldn't even defeat Raven? What right did she have to talk big?

"... Alright, for your sake, I won't lay a hand on her. If you want to know where she is, just follow me. I won't hurt you, but don't even think about stopping me... I'll go first. Looks like you two need to talk."

"Just to give Shen Gonglin some face," Raven retracted its claws. Looking at Mei's dejected expression, Raven curled its lip in disdain and left. What happened next was none of its business.

"Mei, what's wrong... Why are you crying? It's nothing, it's nothing. Did Raven hit you too hard just now? How about we hit her back later? Don't be sad, I'll hit her back for you, okay?"

Shen Gonglin looked at Mei, who kept her head down and didn't say a word. Shen Gonglin looked down and noticed that her eyes were glistening with tears. This discovery immediately made Shen Gonglin uneasy. He was flustered. He was good at bullying girls, but he wasn't so good at comforting them. Why was Mei crying? Shen Gonglin quickly wiped away her tears. "Don't cry, don't cry. Mei such a strong girl, how could she cry?"

"Shen Gonglin... Am I really that useless? You've always been the ones protecting me... All I do is cry..."

Raven departed, Mei finally couldn't hold back anymore. She took a step forward and hugged Shen Gonglin, sobbing softly. Ever since the War of Schicksal, Mei had been under immense pressure. Kiana and Shen Gonglin had been in danger several times, and she couldn't do anything about it. The Class President was missing, and Theresa and Bronya weren't around either. Yet, she always needed help from others when facing difficulties. Mei hated her own weakness; she felt powerless to do anything.

"How could that be? Who said you can only cry... You can cook, and your cooking is super delicious. And... and you're so pretty, how can you say you're useless? Don't cry, there's always a way. Please stop crying, okay?"

He really doesn't know how to comfort people. Even after racking his brains, Shen Gonglin couldn't cheer Mei up. On the contrary, Mei seemed to feel even worse after he said those words. Did he mean that she was just a pretty face who could cook? How infuriating! Even though she knew that Shen Gonglin didn't mean it that way, Mei was still really angry.

What's the point of having someone so useless who can't even comfort his girlfriend? Mei is thinking of donating him away.

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Comfort?

"Don't talk... If you can't talk, then don't talk. Just stay quiet and let me... let me hold you for a little while..."

Seeing how hard he was trying to comfort her, Mei burst into laughter through her tears. She knew he wasn't good at comforting people, but seeing how worried he was about her greatly eased Mei mood. Even though she hated herself for being useless, she still felt comforted and loved by him even in her most useless state.

She wouldn't remain useless forever. Despite the constant setbacks, Mei was working hard and firmly believed that one day she would be able to help them. At that time, she could help both Mei and Shen Gonglin. But for now... she should take a good rest.

Just for a little while, just hold him like this for a little while.

Mei closed her eyes. It was truly amazing. Just by simply holding Shen Gonglin, she felt incredibly relaxed, as if her whole being had calmed down. All the psychological pressure she had been under for so long had been released. This guy was really useful. Even disregarding his indispensable combat power, he could be used as a mascot. Is it true that cute-looking people always give off this feeling?

For example, the headmistress is very cute and reliable. Mei feels at ease when she's around her.