Chapter 464

"Here, this feels like it would go even better with this. Here you go."

Taking a ring from his person, Shen Gonglin casually pulled Elysia's hand and slipped the ring onto her ring finger. This was something he had taken from Pardofelis, who had been constantly messing with it. Shen Gonglin was giving her a taste of her own medicine. He felt that Elysia, in her current state, definitely needed a ring. A wedding dress and a ring—what a perfect match!

"Look, doesn't it look even better this way? It suits you perfectly."

Shen Gonglin put the ring on Elysia's finger. He genuinely thought it looked good, but Elysia's reaction left him somewhat bewildered. The pink-haired girl's face turned incredibly red for some reason, and even her breathing became noticeably labored. Looking at the ring on her finger, Elysia blushed crimson for the first time. The girl who had been teasing Mei with a smile was now finally experiencing what it felt like to be teased herself.

"I... I'm not ready yet!"

With a Shen Gonglin, Elysia let out a scream. How could this happen so suddenly? She wasn't prepared at all!

Chapter 216 Rainy Night

With a slap, she pushed Shen Gonglin away. In this inner world filled with birdsong and fragrant flowers, Shen Gonglin's figure suddenly disappeared, leaving only Elysia alone. Recovering from her Herrscher of the Human state, Elysia clutched her heart, feeling the rapid thumping inside, and felt quite shy. Wait a minute, this wasn't the first time Shen Gonglin had teased her, so why was she so shy this time? This wasn't right.

Looking at the ring on that slender finger, although it looked ordinary with only a shiny luster, and no one knew where Pardofelis had found it, it was now incredibly dazzling in Elysia's eyes. After looking around and making sure no one was around, Elysia hugged the ring and rolled around on the lawn, letting out that kind of unseemly laughter as she rolled.

"Hehe, a ring... a ring~"

Ignoring Elysia's Shen Gonglin, who had been forcefully pushed away, was somewhat bewildered. He was now standing in a dark alley, the only light coming from the few streetlights, and a chill ran through him... The rain quickly soaked him to the Shen Gonglin. He had never seen rain in the Elysian Realm before, so this was...

Reality?

The dreamlike feeling vanished completely, and the chill of the rain quickly made Shen Gonglin realize that she had returned to the long-lost reality. But where was she? Looking around, she couldn't find anything to help Shen Gonglin figure out her location. The continuous rain, however, made Shen Gonglin shiver with cold.

No, I'd better find somewhere to take shelter from the rain first.

Arriving under the eaves of a building, Shen Gonglin hugged her arms, shivering at the pouring rain. The Herrscher of the Void seemed to be asleep; otherwise, she would have asked her to teleport her precisely to the Hyperion. Shen Gonglin had tried to re-enter Elysian Realm, but no matter how hard she tried, it seemed impossible. Besides, this was Mei's trial, and it wouldn't be good for her to interfere. But that Stigmata Plan ...

Strictly speaking, that was also a way to avoid the Honkai, but it was definitely not a top-notch solution. There must be a better way. I need to tell Theresa and Durandal about this as soon as possible. I am now the Archbishop of Schicksal, and I should take responsibility for this kind of thing.

Thinking about this, Shen Gonglin hesitated and turned around to look at the closed door behind her. Oh well, she decided not to bother others and would just stay here to avoid the rain.

Shen Gonglin was very polite to strangers. Although she really wanted to go in and ask for a light blanket and a sip of Shen Gonglin soup, she knew that knocking on the door at this hour would be a bother to others, so she decided against it. Just then, a small mechanism on the Shen Gonglin piqued her interest. It was... a small bell?

Curious, Shen Gonglin couldn't resist reaching out and gently touching the small bell. Under the rain, the bell emitted a crisp, tiny sound, like some kind of warning device. However, in such a noisy rainy night, it probably wouldn't be of much use. It seems that the owner of this room is a rather vigilant girl.

As for why it was a girl? Why would a boy set up such a trap? Was he afraid of being sexually assaulted? He hadn't thought of any other boys besides himself who would need to do this.

While Rin was engrossed in studying the small mechanism, the window above Shen Gonglin silently opened, and a dark figure flashed out. Immediately afterward, a dagger gleamed sharply in the rainy night. Even while resting, Raven heard the sound of her small mechanism. For mercenaries, there was never a time to sleep soundly. Had someone known about their plan and come to stop them?

Under the cover of the rain, the Raven swiftly approached the suspicious person standing at the door. He seemed to be a novice, not even wearing a raincoat on such a rainy night. A raincoat not only provides shelter from the wind and rain but also conveniently conceals one's appearance to minimize traces. Compared to a professional like himself, he was truly incompetent.

With a cold snort in her heart, Raven launched an attack. Just then, a bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, allowing Raven to see clearly who was standing before her: Shen Gonglin? How could it be him?

Realizing it was someone she knew, Raven quickly sheathed her dagger, but her forward momentum couldn't be stopped. In mid-air Raven couldn't change direction, so she simply crashed headfirst into Shen Gonglin's arms. Hearing the wind, Shen Gonglin turned around and, bewildered, caught a slightly warm body in his arms. Raven had attacked after hearing the trigger click, and since she was only wearing a black nightgown, the impact...

Miss Natasha also has very good shock absorption measures.

"Hmm? Isn't this... Crow? I quite like your welcoming ceremony."

Without the hood to conceal her, Shen Gonglin could clearly see Raven's appearance, as well as the black silk pajamas she was wearing. It seemed that even as a mercenary, Raven still had a girlish side. It was just unknown whether she would use a pink knife when killing.

"Don't call me that! You... how did you get here? Shouldn't you be exploring Elysian Realm with that Mei?"

She rolled her Shen Gonglin. What was with that embarrassing nickname? She was very surprised that Shen Gonglin was here; he shouldn't have come at all.

As she spoke, Raven gently withdrew from Shen Gonglin's embrace. The impact had hurt her a lot. Although the cushioning was good, the cushioning itself was still painful. It was a kind of perk for Shen Gonglin. She had never let anyone else see her like this before. But as for him... he had done even more perks, so this was nothing.

"It's a long story. I was kicked out, probably because I was too good."

Shen Gonglin shrugged. Seeing that she wouldn't be able to enter Elysian Realm again anytime soon, she figured she might as well make the best of it and not worry too much.

"You're out? Well... never mind, come in first. Look how wet you are. Let's talk inside."

Now is not the time to ask about these things. Raven opened the door and led Shen Gonglin inside. So this is where Raven lives. Well, Shen Gonglin doesn't care then.

Chapter 217 How about staying overnight?

Stepping into the room, Shen Gonglin was somewhat surprised by its unexpected simplicity. It was barely habitable. Was this the kind of living environment Raven usually had? No wonder she wanted to buy an island and a villa. Apart from a bed, there was nothing else. It was quite basic.

"It's just a temporary stop during the mission. There's no way to take a shower, so this is the only option for now."

Seeing what Shen Gonglin meant, Raven casually said, taking out a towel to dry Shen Gonglin's hair. She had never been in contact with Shen Gonglin like this before. The last time she was alone with him was in the bathroom, wasn't it? In short, without Mei this time, Raven felt a little nervous.

"What kind of mission is it?"

Obediently accepting Raven's drying service, Shen Gonglin casually asked, but he didn't expect Raven to answer. Although the two had a good relationship now, this mercenary lady was quite professional, and she probably wouldn't tell him in detail.

"I don't know the specifics of the mission issued by Gray Serpent. It's to visit the Nivel Industrial Laboratory under a disguised identity. The actual mission is scheduled for tomorrow. I'm just resting here while I wait for the mission to be carried out."

To everyone's surprise, Shen Gonglin just blurted out her mission. Although Raven still didn't understand her mission, the fact that she would say it so directly... Could it be that everyone she came into contact with had the potential to be a double agent?

"Oh."

Raven knew from Shen Gonglin's response that he wasn't interested in the mission. After drying Shen Gonglin's hair, Raven started looking around. Under Shen Gonglin's puzzled gaze, she pulled out a small pot from somewhere. Then she picked up her clothes that were folded to the side and rummaged through them. Because she often carried out missions in the wild, she always carried a lot of food with her. This was the code of conduct for a professional mercenary.

"You probably haven't eaten yet, right? Wait a moment, I'll make you something... You don't have to worry about the taste, just make sure it fills your stomach."

After plugging in the small pot, Raven enthusiastically threw all her energy bars and snacks into it. Judging from her cooking skills, she was probably just as good as him. However, since she was so kind as to prepare food for him, Shen Gonglin couldn't refuse. Besides, he was indeed hungry.

Soon, Raven brought out the small pot. Looking at the indescribable thing in the pot, Shen Gonglin looked quite troubled, but he still resignedly stretched out his spoon. How to put it, the taste was very average. It was just a high-calorie food that had been heated up. Although it was not delicious, it was still quite warming after being caught in the rain.

"How is it? It should still be edible, right? My cooking skills are no match for your Miss Mei's, but at a time like this, you shouldn't be picky."

This is a rare hobby for me in the wild. Knowing my cooking skills are lacking, even the children are terrified of me cooking. Raven has also received special training. Sometimes I eat like this. Although the taste is still not great, it's not bad either.

"It's alright, do you want some?"

Raven scooped a spoonful of the Raven substance and brought it to her mouth. The girl blushed slightly, but still opened her mouth and licked the jam-like substance off the spoon. The way the two of them interacted was quite nice, and Raven was enjoying it.

"The taste is just so-so."

After giving a fair assessment of her own cooking skills, Raven tossed the small pot aside after finishing her meal. Expecting her to wash the pot and dishes was out of the question; it was just a temporary stop, and someone would clean up after her. The current situation was...

"So that means you can't return to the Elysian Realm right now, and you can't go back to Hyperion for the time being either, is that right?"

Raven turned her eyes to the side. She knew about his current situation when she was chatting with Shen Gonglin earlier. If he couldn't return to the Hyperion for the time being, then this seemed to be the only way.

"Hmm, I guess it will be tomorrow morning. I should be able to use the Herrscher of the Void's ability to teleport back then."

The queen residing in my consciousness is sleeping. That girl, like Shen Gonglin, has a bad temper when she wakes up. Who knows what kind of trouble she might cause if I wake her up abruptly? If I let Shen Gonglin use the teleportation, she will teleport herself into the sea. So I can only wait for her to wake up.

"Well... how about you stay here for the night?"

Raven scratched his face, feeling a little embarrassed to say such a thing, but there was nothing he could do about it. After thinking it over, it seemed that Shen Gonglin would have no choice but to spend the night at his place.

"I can't accept this..."

While politely taking off her clothes, Shen Gonglin slipped into bed. This contradictory action made Raven's lips twitch. Sure enough, she shouldn't have thought this guy would be polite to her. Although this was what she wanted, a girl's modesty is something she should maintain at times like this.

"What are you doing? I let you stay here, but I didn't make you sleep in my bed. You're sleeping on the floor, hurry up!"

She reached out to try and pull Shen Gonglin away, but her weak strength didn't seem serious at all; instead, it gave off a coquettish feeling. She had to be reserved. How could she just sleep with him like this...? She hadn't drunk any alcohol today, so she couldn't blame everything on the alcohol.

"Are you kidding me? I've never slept on a sofa before, let alone the floor. Besides, the only place you have here is the bed. Come on up."

Shen Gonglin grabbed Raven's hand and pulled her up. Raven was caught off guard and only had time to take off her shoes. Of course, this temporary rest room couldn't be equipped with a large bed. The two of them were crammed into a small single bed, so they were really pressed against each other everywhere.

The two people on the bed stared at each other, surprised at how quickly things had progressed. Raven's face turned red at a visible speed. Why had she half-heartedly gone up to him? Why wasn't he saying anything now? The atmosphere was so awkward. What should she do?

"Alright, go to sleep. You have things to do tomorrow."

Raven muttered to herself, while Shen Gonglin yawned and closed her eyes. This action annoyed Raven. Now that the two of them were sleeping together, shouldn't they have an unspoken understanding of what was going on? But Shen Gonglin's words made it seem like she had entered a period of complacency.

They've already become complacent before anything has even happened. Is that acceptable?

Chapter 218 What happened to me?

The rainy night passed by amidst Raven's great inner turmoil. She had been wondering if something blush-inducing might happen, but to her surprise, Shen Gonglin slept soundly all night. However, her less-than-ideal sleeping posture caused Raven considerable distress. In the middle of the night, after realizing that Shen Gonglin really wasn't planning on doing anything, she also intended to go to sleep, but before she could even drift off, Shen Gonglin kicked her awake.

At the time, she was excited, thinking that Shen Gonglin was going to do something to her, but in the end, she found out that he was just a bad sleeper. This made Raven furious. Finally, the mercenary girl had a wicked idea: since you're not going to do anything to me, then I'll do something to you.

Anyway, it's not like we haven't done this kind of thing before.

So when Shen Gonglin got up in the morning, clutching her back, she saw Raven brushing her teeth. Shen Gonglin felt a little uneasy. She had slept quite comfortably, but why was she still so sleepy when she woke up? It felt like something had drained her energy.

"You're awake? If you're awake, hurry up and get ready to leave. Gray Serpent will be coming to find me soon, and if he sees you, it'll definitely be troublesome."

With a toothbrush in her mouth, Raven greeted Shen Gonglin. Seeing how listless she looked, the mercenary felt a sense of satisfaction. If he wouldn't let her sleep, then he wouldn't be able to sleep well either. Having successfully gotten her revenge, Raven was in a great mood, and even her speech seemed much more arrogant.

Why does this sound so strange? Shen Gonglin scratched her head, unable to figure it out. But Raven was right; she'd better not be discovered by Gray Serpent. But this feeling of being chased away...

It's really subtle.

"I'm off then. Be careful on your mission, don't die."

After greeting Raven, Shen Gonglin transferred the Herrscher of the Herrscher of the Void's power to the awakened Queen. A golden halo flashed, and Shen Gonglin's figure disappeared before Raven's eyes. Looking at the room where she was now alone, Raven sighed and began brushing her teeth diligently again. Seeing her own mouth full of toothpaste, the mercenary lady seemed to have thought of something. Raven glanced at the toothbrush in her hand and tried to put it in her mouth, but a wave of nausea made her give up immediately.

Sigh, I must have gone crazy yesterday. Luckily, no one knows.

The Herrscher of the Void's abilities are useful and patient. Just a moment ago, she was in that somewhat dim safe house, but now, in the blink of an eye Shen Gonglin smelled the slightly damp sea breeze. Under the blue sky and white clouds, the rising sun shone. This feeling of being by the sea was very familiar to Shen Gonglin. This was the smell of the Salt Lake Base. She had returned.

Opening her eyes, Shen Gonglin found herself standing on the deck of the Hyperion. This warship, carrying the hopes of many, was now docked on the shore of the Salt Lake Base. In the morning sunlight, the entire warship looked magnificent. "This is my ship!" Shen Gonglin with great pride as she looked at the Hyperion.

"What nonsense are you talking about? This is my ship. The former captain of the Hyperion, but who am I?"

A red phantom appeared behind Shen Gonglin. If Kiana and the others were here, they would be surprised. The red-haired woman standing next to Shen Gonglin also looked up at the warship in front of her. Seeing the Hyperion reminded her of when she led them on missions in the past, the Valkyrie Fifth Squad. Now, it all felt like a lifetime ago.

His students, whom he was so proud of, had all become Herrscher, and he himself was now almost on par with Herrscher. Who could he possibly reason with about this?

"Himeko, you are a thing of the past. Now it's the era of the young people."

He wasn't surprised to see this red-haired woman by his side. Of course, he and the Herrscher of the Void had searched for so long in the Imaginary Space before finally finding her again. She had been residing in his mind ever since, and he didn't know why she was unwilling to come out or let him tell Kiana and the others about her. She was probably the only one who had the honor of attending his funeral.

"Are you implying that I'm very old? And that it's all about young people? You guys are still too green!"

Questions about ship girls always make Himeko so sensitive. It's rare for her to come out, and as a result, Shen Gonglin opened her mouth and started babbling on and on about things that these people didn't want to hear. They're just her students, they're so arrogant.

"Let's put aside the issue of age for now, but it seems that a certain teacher is not as good as his students. Look, Kiana has now mastered the Herrscher energy and become the Herrscher of Flamescion, Mei has Conquest Gem of Conquest, and Bronya has inherited the title of Herrscher of Reason. But some people, after all this time, still can't even figure out how to use the Plague Gem. They're really bad. I won't say who it is."

Shen Gonglin relentlessly rubbed salt into the wounds of a female teacher who couldn't even understand how to manipulate the Plague Gem. Himeko, hiding inside her own body, was focused on fusing with the Plague Gem that had appeared within Shen Gonglin's body. Her Honkai adaptability was truly appalling; even when she appeared before Kiana others, she could only display the power of A-rank Valkyrie. This was something that the fiercely Murata Himeko couldn't tolerate, which was why she had been working so hard. Someone like her couldn't just hide in the background and accept the protection of her students.

Sigh, it really is Herrscher for everyone.

"You... you said things you shouldn't have said! People like you deserve to be treated like that by that mercenary!"

Himeko reached out and angrily grabbed Shen Gonglin's cheek. Shen Gonglin's ability to exploit weaknesses was outstanding; his casual remark struck a nerve with Himeko. Did he think everyone was as monstrous as them? Modifying one's physique was difficult; she had to slowly adapt to the effects of the Plague Gem on her body—a long process. Himeko was very patient, but how dare Shen Gonglin say such a thing... Himeko felt embarrassed too.

His students have all mastered the power of the Herrscher, while he is in this situation. But even so, that is no reason for Shen Gonglin to hurt himself. Couldn't he say something nice to comfort him? No, he hurt himself, so Himeko will hurt Shen Gonglin's heart too. This kind of Shen Gonglin deserves to be treated like that. It would be best to drain all his energy, then he probably won't have the energy to talk nonsense.

"What? Mercenaries... What happened to me? How was I treated?"

Shen Gonglin didn't understand. The mercenary must be referring to Raven. Judging from Himeko's words, she had been bullied without even realizing it.

Chapter 219 Your Sister is Here

"Heh, you want to know? But I won't tell you, or you'll be bored to death!"

Himeko, who knew everything, glanced at Shen Gonglin with a mocking expression. In the end, she was just a silly deer who didn't even know that someone had secretly done such a thing to her. Why should she get angry with such an idiot? The way to deal with such an idiot is to bully him like that mercenary did. Anyway, bullying an idiot isn't illegal... Well, it does seem to be illegal, but as long as you don't get caught, it's not a crime.

That's Himeko for you. She wasn't the only witness yesterday. The Herrscher of the Void was also watching, but she blushed and was incredibly shy. Himeko, on the other hand, was thoroughly enjoying herself and even started gesturing as if she wanted to learn. She was ready for real combat. After all, that's just her personality. She's already died once, so what's wrong with being a little bolder? Can't she enjoy herself?

So, despite her usual loud and boisterous demeanor, in Himeko's eyes, that so-called Queen is just an immature little girl. The two of them used to fight to the death, and Himeko's current state is thanks to her. However, during the time they spent together inside Shen Gonglin's body, they've gotten along quite well.

Shen Gonglin stared speechlessly at the mature red-haired woman before her. Was she really Himeko? She seemed so different from before. Was this what it felt like to let loose? Shen Gonglin wanted to press her for more information, but then a flash of red light appeared, Himeko returned to the Plague Gem. Someone had arrived.

She is not ready to meet everyone yet.

"Huh? Isn't it my turn to be on duty today? Why is someone here... Shrine! You're back?"

A familiar voice rang out not far behind her. Shen Gonglin turned around and saw Fu Hua standing there with a bucket and a broom. Upon seeing him, the Valkyrie immediately put down her tools and rushed over. It had been a while since she had seen Shen Gonglin. Why did this guy always leave and reappear so suddenly?

Fu Hua ran to Shen Gonglin's side and hugged him. Such an "unreserved" action was rarely seen from this Valkyrie. Shen Gonglin was immediately flattered. He hugged Fu Hua back. The girl had a slender waist and a delicate figure. It felt like he could melt her into his body with this hug. No matter what, the Class President always gave people a sense of security. This was true for Fu Hua in the Elysian Realm, and it was even more so for Fu Hua in front of him now. Class President, you are truly my hero.

"I thought you guys should have calmed down by now, so I came back... Class President, they shouldn't be angry anymore, right?"

When he left, the girls were all drunk and sleeping in his room. Not wanting to deal with the situation, Shen Gonglin ran away. He never expected to be gone for so long. Now that he's back, he wonders if they're still angry.

"I'm not angry anymore... but you ran off without a word for so long, are you prepared to face the wrath of others?"

How could she still care about such a thing? Everyone would be happy that he came back. That was what she wanted to say, but Fu Hua felt that she couldn't spoil Shen Gonglin too much. More than one person had already doubted her parenting of Shen Gonglin. Thinking of this, Fu Hua's face hardened again. The previous incident was nothing. Running away from home was the biggest problem.

"It's not like I wanted to run this long... Class President, you'll definitely help me, right? You'll definitely speak up for me, right?"

Muttering to himself, Shen Gonglin then gave Fu Hua a fawning smile. Seeing this, Fu Hua couldn't pretend to be angry anymore. Oh well, if he can't teach people, he can't teach people. What can she do? He's Shen Gonglin. What can she do with Shen Gonglin? He's even acting cute towards her. Who can resist that? However, she still had to be careful.

"It depends on how you behave. Today is my turn to be on duty, so you understand?"