Chapter 313

"Hey, Rita, what are you doing...?"

Only after belatedly wrapping herself in a bath towel did Durandal look in surprise at the maid lying next to Shen Gonglin. The maid placed her hands together on Shen Gonglin's chest and made a few symbolic presses before switching to another first aid measure. She pinched Shen Gonglin's nose and leaned down. Seeing this, Durandal immediately couldn't hold back. What was she doing? Was she taking advantage of Shen Gonglin while he was unable to resist?

Then bring one of yourself!

"As you can see, it's just artificial respiration, Durandal. I know you have a great figure and are very mature, but if possible, please show it to Lady Rin less often. After all, he is still a child and his ability to accept things is not that strong. Now, please speak less and do not disturb me."

Lifting her head to catch her breath, the maid was now exuding an imposing aura. She glanced at Durandal, then quickly caught her breath and lay back down. Despite being the strongest Valkyrie and the current leader of Schicksal, Durandal was completely suppressed and speechless in front of this maid. You could sense the slight resentment in the maid's tone. Durandal sullenly remained silent. After all, she had indeed acted dishonestly, so it was only natural for Rita to mock her a little.

"This, this isn't what I wanted to show him... It's just because of this unexpected situation, Rita, is he alright?"

Durandal spoke with no confidence at this moment. The girl squatted beside her, watching Rita perform first aid on Shen Gonglin. She was helpless against Rita's blatant attempt to take advantage of her. In fact, she might not be as good as Rita in this kind of situation, since maids are especially useful. Durandal looked at the unconscious Shen Gonglin with some concern. Shen Gonglin was quite impressive to be able to hold her breath like this.

"I don't know. I'll try a few more times. If it really doesn't work Durandal, please take him to my room. I estimate I'll need some basic medical treatment to save him... Also, don't talk now, I'm busy."

Yes, I can't beat her, but I can get Shen Gonglin to hold her down. I can just see who Shen Gonglin is willing to listen to.

Well... intimidated by Rita's aura, Durandal could only nod weakly. Was that seemingly simple medical procedure legitimate? Durandal dared not ask or speak. She could only watch helplessly as Rita performed CPR on Shen Gonglin, but the more she watched, the more uneasy she felt. Was this really CPR?

Why does this feel different from what we learned in Valkyrie Class? And Rita, are you serious about licking your lips? Why do I feel like I should have green hair instead of blonde hair?

"Hey, hey, he's awake! Shen Gonglin seems to be awake... Rita, he's already awake, so we don't need to continue, right?"

The doubts in her heart grew stronger and stronger. Finally, after Rita's "relentless efforts", Shen Gonglin slowly woke up. Durandal keenly noticed that Shen Gonglin's somewhat hazy eyes had opened. She quickly reminded Rita, "Alright, alright, there's no need to continue."

"You're awake... It's better to consolidate your knowledge a bit more. I told you not to talk, shut up, be quiet, watch carefully, and study hard."

Rita also noticed Shen Gonglin's movements, or rather, Rita already knew about Shen Gonglin's condition before this. Now she suddenly felt that this woman next to her was so troublesome, and she really wanted to send her to Siberia as well. At this moment, the roles of maid and Durandal seemed to have been reversed. This girl is so noisy. If she didn't bother her for the time being, she could kiss her at least three more times.

"Oh oh..."

Durandal nodded pitifully. Was there such a thing as "consolidation" during artificial respiration? She dared not ask or speak. The girl could only watch helplessly as Rita collapsed again. Durandal turned to look at the mirror in the bathroom. Another blonde beauty exuded a pitiful aura. Durandal reached out and twirled the wet blonde hair hanging in front of her.

I've decided to dye this thing green; it seems like that would suit me better.

"I feel like my lips are a little swollen... Durandal, do you see any swelling? What did you do to me while I was unconscious?"

In Durandal's room, Shen Gonglin sat on the bed wrapped in a blanket, touching his lips. Finally, he asked Durandal, who was dressed neatly, with a puzzled look. She was blow-drying her hair. Since regaining consciousness, Shen Gonglin had found himself in Durandal's room. Rita was outside doing something, and Durandal seemed preoccupied. What was wrong?

"I didn't do anything, Rita did it all... Shen Gonglin, I'm sorry, I'm so useless."

Durandal's voice sounded somewhat muffled. After coming out of the bathroom, her mind cleared up again. The more she thought about it, the more she felt something was wrong. Artificial respiration shouldn't involve sticking out the tongue, right? Rita had clearly done that. Durandal finally came to her senses. This maid was indeed not to be underestimated.

"Ah... it's okay, you didn't do it on purpose."

Shen Gonglin thought she was referring to the bathtub incident. Shen Gonglin felt he couldn't blame Durandal, since he had thoroughly enjoyed it. If given the chance again, he would still choose the same thing, as such an opportunity was extremely rare.

Chapter 81 Bullying Honest People

To everyone's Durandal shook her head after hearing Shen Gonglin's words. The girl's eyes were filled with indescribable complexity. Her large blue eyes looked at Shen Gonglin, hesitant to speak, but in the end, she opened her mouth and said something that made Shen Gonglin feel puzzled.

"That's not what I was talking about... Shen Gonglin, I'm sorry, I'm so useless."

These words left Shen Gonglin completely bewildered. What was wrong with Durandal? The girl's behavior gave Shen Gonglin a bad feeling, like a spineless husband who could only watch helplessly as another man took his wife right in front of him... What was this? Why did she have such terrible thoughts? Was her brain messed up because she was drowning?

Shen Gonglin quickly patted his head; his brain was the most useful part of him, and he couldn't afford to have any problems with it.

"How are you feeling, Lord Rin? I think you should be fine. After all, you haven't been underwater for long and your blood loss hasn't reached the danger level. You should be able to recover easily with some rest."

At that moment, Rita walked in from outside. The maid smiled at Shen Gonglin, holding clothes that had already been dried. Her rose-colored eyes, which were only partially hidden by her hair, gave off a very gentle feeling, especially her bright red lips... Staring at Rita's lips, Shen Gonglin suddenly had a strange thought. It seemed that something very exciting had happened when she was in a daze.

"Oh... Anyway, Rita. Durandal told me that you saved me. Thank you so much."

Without figuring it out, Shen Gonglin took the clothes from Rita's hands. Rita was quite reliable in these everyday situations; the clothes that had been soaked in the bathroom earlier were now perfectly clean. The maid didn't say anything but just gave a faint smile. The girl stood quietly with her hands folded in front of her. It has to be said, this maid had elegance ingrained in her very bones.

But... why don't either of them seem inclined to go out?

Spreading her clothes out on the bed, Shen Gonglin was about to change quickly. After all, she needed to understand the various data of the Father Mech and the Guardian Mech in Schicksal. Kiana and the others would worry if she left Anti-Entropy for too long. But then Shen Gonglin realized that neither Durandal nor Rita seemed to have any intention of avoiding the issue. Couldn't they have been a little less self-righteous?

Feeling like a monkey in a zoo, Shen Gonglin put down her clothes and wrapped herself tightly in the blanket again, her purple eyes glaring at the two Valkyrie with annoyance.

"What are you standing there for? Get out, I need to change my clothes."

Pointing to the door, Shen Gonglin urged her on. Durandal pursed her lips and slowly stood up. What's so great about it? It's like I didn't see anything. It's just changing clothes. It's not like anyone hasn't changed before. Fine, I won't look... Wait, why am I the only one who came out?

Realizing something was wrong, Durandal quickly turned around, but was greeted by a tightly closed door. What did this mean? Why was she being excluded? Rita, didn't you hear me? Shen Gonglin told us to come out. This is our bedroom, isn't it?

Why am I the only one who listens obediently? Is it because I'm an honest person that they're bullying me?

"Durandal, please wait outside for a moment. I need to help Lady Rin change her clothes."

These lighthearted words made Durandal almost cry. Why hadn't she thought of such a good excuse? Looking at the closed door, Durandal could only puff out her cheeks and sulk. Sure enough, this world is too cruel to honest people. Durandal decided she wouldn't be an honest person anymore. From now on, she would learn to be bad!

But what exactly does "going bad" mean? Being willful? Being a picky eater? Being lazy? Not training... Wait, isn't that exactly what Shen Gonglin does every day? So, going bad means learning from him? He's such a rotten guy, it's terrifying.

"Durandal, Rita, you... Hey! Isn't this Shen Gonglin? You're back to play?"

After tidying everything up, Durandal and Rita led Shen Gonglin towards the Helheim Laboratory. The Schicksal Floating Island was quite large, and just as they left the living area, they encountered a familiar face. Alvit spotted Durandal and Rita from afar, and after running over to greet them, she noticed Shen Gonglin beside them. The girl was slightly surprised; when had Shen Gonglin arrived?

Alvit wasn't surprised at all that Shen Gonglin was at Schicksal Headquarters. In her eyes, Schicksal was like Shen Gonglin's hometown. When the bishop was around, he had come here many times even though he was a wanted criminal. Now that Lady Durandal Schicksal, in a sense, Shen Gonglin was also in charge. So there was nothing wrong with him being at Schicksal Headquarters.

Didn't you notice that Alvit always uses the phrase "come back to play"? Schicksal is her home.

"Well, I need your help with something, so I came."

Shen Gonglin smiled at the Valkyrie in front of her, a polite gesture that flattered Alvit. These members of the Immortal Blade were all good kids, and Shen Gonglin got along quite well with them. Back on Coral Island Shen Gonglin had saved many of her teammates who had been frozen by the rampaging Anna, and they had also fed Shen Gonglin a lot of delicious food in Sky City. They were quite familiar with each other.

But what was the name of this Valkyrie in front of her? She seemed so familiar, but Shen Gonglin just couldn't remember. She only remembered that the Shen Gonglin could only laugh awkwardly, feeling like she was about to go numb from laughing.

"Alvit, you've come at the right time. Shen Gonglin needs the data on the defense mech and the Father Mech captured and recovered from Anti-Entropy. You should have it, right? If not, use my privileges to retrieve it. Is there a problem?"

In the end, it was Rita who came to Shen Gonglin's rescue. She knew Shen Gonglin's problem. As his personal maid, she naturally knew what she should do in this situation. Alvit, yes, Alvit. Why couldn't she remember other people's names?

"Understood. You mean the specific data for the mecha? I'll get it over in a bit."

Not at all surprised, Alvit replied crisply, "Maybe one day the entire Schicksal will belong to Shen Gonglin. What does it matter if we pull out some data now?"

Chapter 82

Several days later, at night in a certain part of the town, a white figure flew by. The girl's long, silver-white hair made her look like an elf in the night sky. Her heterochromatic eyes were bright and determined under the night sky. This should be the place.

[Seele, I've reached the other exit. You should be in position by now. Attack from both sides, don't let any of them escape! Seele is very capable, she'll definitely be fine, unlike some idiot!]

After connecting the communication through the headset and learning about the soil analysis on the performance ticket, Kiana and Seele immediately set off for the crime scene. The dolls would issue a crime warning before launching an attack, and Anti-Entropy had been busy with these things lately... Kiana was furious just thinking about it.

At a time when manpower is so needed, Shen Gonglin went out to play, ostensibly to study hard as an international student, but everyone knows what he was actually doing. Kiana could tell just by looking at his radiant face when he came back. This guy is a complete jerk with no sense of propriety.

[Huh? Okay... okay, next we just need to lure those guys to the designated location and then retrieve them. Einstein us to collect more samples... Also, I, I'm not as good as you say, Kiana... and I'm definitely not as good as Shen Gonglin. I'm not quite there yet...]

A girl's timid voice came through the earpiece. Seele couldn't bring herself to speak ill of someone in front of others. This well-behaved girl was destined to be unlike Kiana. Perhaps only Kiana would say such a thing about Shen Gonglin. Maybe her other self would say the same thing.

"No problem, Seele, you need to be more confident. You might not be as good as Shen Gonglin in fighting, but when it comes to being a person, you're way better than that scumbag. And what's with this talk about being an exchange student? Does he really think I didn't see the hickey on his neck? Seriously... Anyway, the out-of-control mech is here. I'll take care of things here!"

The girl hung up the phone angrily, while Seele was in an awkward situation. Kiana spoke frankly, but she didn't consider her own situation at all. Shen Gonglin was with her, and she had heard Kiana's Shen Gonglin chat cursing clearly. Looking at Shen Gonglin's dark face, Seele felt a lot of pressure.

Is this guy going to take his anger out on me? It's not impossible for someone as despicable as Shen Gonglin to do something like this. Seele is so scared. I should have known better than to go on this mission with Shen Gonglin today.

"God... Shen Gonglin, don't worry... Kiana must have misunderstood something. I still believe you, I believe you are really serious about studying abroad."

The atmosphere was incredibly awkward. To ease the suffocating tension, Seele could only force a smile. A few days ago, Shen Gonglin really acted strangely; even Einstein looked grim. This guy suddenly disappeared, saying he went to Schicksal to study abroad when contacted, and when he came back... Seele cautiously glanced at Shen Gonglin's neck; it was red there—probably the hickey Kiana mentioned.

That's why, after Shen Gonglin returned, even Sister Bronya, who doted on him so much, didn't give him a good look or go on missions with him. Seele is under a lot of pressure now.

"Really? If you believe me, swear it. If you're not sincere, may you never get a drop in dungeons again and may you always get the pity system in gacha pulls... Seriously, Seele, you can't believe what that idiot Kiana says. What kind of hickeys are these? They're clearly marks from scrubbing in the bath. If you don't believe me, I'll scrub you in the bath sometime... Really, you have to believe me. Look at all these marks. What kind of shark girl would leave hickeys like these?"

Trying to maintain her image in front of Seele, Shen Gonglin lifted her clothes to show Seele the bloodstains on her back. The maid had somehow learned a back-rubbing technique, and the first time she tried it on Shen Gonglin, he was in so much pain that he couldn't speak. As a result, Rita thought Shen Gonglin was having a hard time, so she increased the pressure, resulting in her current state of being tortured. How could it be a hickey? The hickeys were on the maid's neck and chest.

They all don't understand anything. How could a real hickey look like this? I really can't explain it to these country Valkyrie Shen Gonglin.

"Ouch... That's scary, Shen Gonglin. Did those people from Schicksal bully you? It looks like it hurts."

Naïve Seele believed Shen Gonglin's words, after all, the evidence was right there. Shen Gonglin's behavior reminded her of the heroes she had seen on TV who were hung up and beaten. All the people of Schicksal are so evil. Scrubbing a bath, so this is how a scrubbing can turn into a bath?

"It's not bullying. Although it hurts a bit, it's actually quite comfortable. I wasn't just playing around during my time in Schicksal. I had a lot of information to gather. In short, don't listen to Kiana's nonsense. We're such good friends, you have to trust me."

Remembering Rita's scrubbing technique, Shen Gonglin was truly experiencing both pain and pleasure. Unlike Kiana and Bronya, Seele was more naive and easily fooled, so Shen Gonglin planned to develop her into her wingman. Perhaps she had been a bit willful this time, because none of them had given her a kind look since she returned. Even Einstein was all business. It was really infuriating. She could only slowly break through her defenses by working with Seele.

Shen Gonglin, put his arm around Seele's shoulder, trying to get close to her. This action was quite a shock to Seele. The girl blushed and her heart pounded, and she didn't even realize what Shen Gonglin had said. She could only nod sullenly. Shen Gonglin was hugging her, and he even had his arm around her shoulder.

"Seele, Seele understands. Seele will explain to Sister Bronya and Kiana... Ah, a mech is coming. Shen Gonglin, Seele is about to fight. Please watch carefully and see if Seele has grown."

Just as Seele's blushing brain was about to shut down, the out-of-control mechs finally came into view. Finally, she didn't have to endure this strange atmosphere anymore. Seele quickly escaped from Shen Gonglin's grasp, and the girl ran towards the mechs with her scythe in hand. It must be a misunderstanding. Shen Gonglin such a good person; she shouldn't be treated like this by Kiana and Sister Bronya.

I'll talk to them properly when I get back; it's a misunderstanding.

Chapter 83 The Reasons for the Attack

Seele was quite adept at dealing with these out-of-control mechs. There was no need for Shen Gonglin to intervene in this level of combat. Despite looking like a very delicate girl, Seele was very skilled at using a scythe. Watching the girl's figure flitting between the mechs like a butterfly, Shen Gonglin suddenly thought of Rita. She also fought with a scythe. However, although the weapons were the same, the personalities of the two girls were completely different.

I feel like I, as the master, have been bullied by that maid. I must find a way to get back at her next time.

"Phew, done... We didn't find the doll or the new notice. They might have ended up with Kiana. Shen Gonglin, let's go meet up with Kiana."

After clearing away all the out-of-control mechs, only a pile of immobile scrap metal remained on the ground. Special personnel would then carry out the retrieval. Seele carefully searched the surrounding area but did not find the usual trinkets. The only possibility was that they were with Kiana. She had asked Shen Gonglin to join the operation just in case, so that he could react immediately if a situation like the Domination Theater were to occur again. However, it seemed that no unexpected events had occurred today.

"Okay, let's go... But Seele, remember what you said earlier? You have to explain for me. I really went to Schicksal to study, not to do anything else."

Feeling like a mascot, I accompanied Seele to Kiana's mission location. Shen Gonglin, worried, gave Seele some instructions. If Seele hadn't intervened, who knew how long that Kiana would have been angry? She'd run off to play more than once or twice, so why was she so agitated? I already told her it wasn't a hickey, why wouldn't she believe me?

Seele nodded with a smile and said nothing. The two quickly arrived at Kiana's mission location, where the girl was already waiting. Beside her was a broken doll, so it seemed that she had indeed appeared at Kiana's side.

"You've arrived... I've found the puppet and the tickets, just as Einstein guessed. But unfortunately, the Domination Theater you mentioned didn't happen this time. Also, a report from the other side has arrived. The man who was missing for two weeks in this incident has been rescued. He was an ordinary office worker who locked himself in the basement after being fired. He seemed a bit crazy... Hey! What are you doing!"

Seeing the two approach, Kiana nodded to Seele, then spoke businesslike as if she hadn't even seen Shen Gonglin. "She's still angry, as expected," Seele thought with a wry smile, trying to say something nice to Kiana. But Shen Gonglin had already walked over. When had he ever been treated like this?

Is Kiana being a bit arrogant? Being a little arrogant is fine, but she can't afford to give me attitude. Shen Gonglin has never been treated like this before. He grabbed Kiana's cheek, making Seele flustered. She was about to say something nice to Shen Gonglin when he started bullying Kiana again.

"You still dare to ignore me? Even the Class President wouldn't dare to be so arrogant. Kiana, don't you have any self-awareness? I already said that's not a hickey, it's a scrubbing mark. If you don't believe me, I'll scrub you tonight and let you see if it's a hickey or not. Honestly, Bronya said you've matured, but you haven't changed at all."

Perhaps she's matured a bit. Whether it's Bronya, Theresa, or Fu Hua, they all think Kiana is different from before. But in front of Shen Gonglin, Kiana still acts more like a Kiana, as can be seen from her current flailing arms and legs while her cheeks are being pinched.

"It hurts... Can't I throw a little tantrum? You're allowed to do whatever you want, but I can't even be a little Shen Gonglin? Rin, you're so hypocritical... Seele, Seele, help me! This guy's serious! He can't take this lying down, but now he's really serious!"

Kiana's cheek pain quickly broke her defenses, and she hurriedly sought help from Seele, who was standing nearby. The girl, both amused and exasperated, quickly ran over and separated the two. She didn't even need to say anything nice; one second they were arguing, and the next second they were back together. Seele felt like she had been shown up again. Let's get down to business first.

"Just like last time, the sculptor named Mira Rimer was also in a daze after being rescued and knew nothing about what the doll had done. Based on the previous experience, he should be able to slowly return to normal after the crystal inside the doll is removed, right? I hope it will work this time too... Shen Gonglin, stop pinching me, Kiana's face is all red."

Seeing that Shen Gonglin was about to attack Kiana, Seele could only stand in front of him. It seemed like she was the only one thinking about serious matters. These two were so irresponsible.

"The current question is why the perpetrator would target such an ordinary person? His phone and emails were all stolen. If the victim hadn't reported it to the police, we would never have discovered that his identity had been stolen."

After stopping Shen Gonglin from bullying Kiana, Seele raised some suspicious points about the incident, all of which seemed rather inexplicable. These events... didn't seem to fit the image of Herrscher.

"According to the police, the criminal impersonated him and just scammed everyone he knew, worsening his interpersonal relationships. What's the point of all this... I really don't understand. How many similar incidents have happened this month? This guy hiding behind the scenes is really strange. Why use such an awkward method? He even sends out a notice before launching an attack, making everyone panic. If he's so capable, he should just show himself."

Rubbing her cheeks, Kiana was very confused about everything that had happened recently and couldn't understand it at all.

"Perhaps one of the enemy's goals is to create panic and stress, which is quite unpleasant."

Shen Gonglin shrugged. The same thing had happened on Schicksal's side. Many similar things had occurred during the few days he was there. They had all recovered the dolls and performance tickets. He had initially thought that only Anti-Entropy was like this, but now it seemed to be a global impact. The key was that no one knew how many incidents had not yet been discovered. As Seele said, the impact of such things... might be quite significant for individuals, but it was far too small on a global scale. It was simply unrealistic to expect every single case to be tracked.

Chapter 84

"If the goal was to create widespread panic, then they have already achieved their objective. Dr. Tesla is a perfect example. I heard Dr. Tesla roaring as I passed through the conference room this morning. Let me think, she must have said something like this..."

Kiana interjected at this moment, and the girl cleared her throat. This rare, cheerful voice made Seele and Shen Gonglin feel much more relaxed. Was she imitating Dr. Tesla? It sounded so good.

"To issue a crime notice on Anti-Entropy's territory is blatant provocation! I must find this bastard and blast him to smithereens with my own hands!"

Kiana's performance was so lifelike that Shen Gonglin and Seele could almost see the red-haired Dr. Tesla jumping up and down in anger. Seele couldn't help but smile. "Wow, that's amazing!"

"It's very much in Dr. Tesla's style, and Kiana really has a talent for imitation. Or is this just Kiana's personality... Ah, let's take a look at what's written on the ticket for this performance."

Afraid that laughing out loud would be impolite, Seele quickly focused her attention on the performance ticket in her hand. Miss Kiana was indeed very lively, and seeing her like this made Seele happy too. Sister Bronya's task for her was to make Kiana happy and relaxed. Seele felt that she hadn't done anything. As long as Shen Gonglin was by Kiana's side, she would basically be happy and relaxed.

"Hmm... The rusty tin lamp is shining, children are making noise in the dark, the audience below the stage is clapping and laughing, and heterochromatic eyes are popping out... It's still as eerie as the previous plays."

He read out the program title on the ticket. Calling it a program title was a euphemism for a crime. After hearing it, Kiana felt goosebumps all over her body. What was this? It sounded really creepy, just like the previous programs. Just hearing it gave her a very uncomfortable feeling.

"It even rhymes a little strangely... Let me think, what information can these scenes be pieced together to convey? Tin lamp... Tin... Could it refer to a rampaging mecha? Child in the Dark... As for the audience not understanding, but what about heterochromia..."

Shen Gonglin rarely put his mind to work. He tried to deduce something useful from these bizarre performances. Could it be that there would be more mecha attacks next? As for the child in the darkness, Shen Gonglin glanced at Seele. Her other personality was somewhat similar to that. As for the audience... the one Domination Theater could be connected to the audience. And as for the heterochromatic eyes at the end...

Shen Gonglin looked at Kiana. The girl hadn't yet exited her half- Herrscher state, and her heterochromatic eyes shone brightly, making her incredibly beautiful. Besides Kiana, the only other person who could be associated with heterochromatic eyes was himself. Shen Gonglin would also turn into a heterochromatic-eyed person when he used the power of the Time Spirit, but he always felt that those puppets wouldn't dare to harm him. There were too few clues, and the conclusion he drew from this reasoning was hardly convincing.