I, Herrscher Slayer

Shen Gonglin's brow twitched. Kiana looking up at the moon like some game heroine had already surprised him enough, and now she was saying something like that. Could this be one of those tropes? No way, even Kiana had someone she liked? Meanwhile, he had nothing and was still single as a dog. It was like everyone had agreed to stay single, only for her to secretly get herself a partner. Shen Gonglin immediately felt unbalanced.

This girl had always had questionable values, and seeing Kiana like this made Shen Gonglin feel utterly unhappy. So irritating, so irritating! Yet he did not even know why he was angry. It was infuriating!

Chapter 195

"Who were you trying to find again?"

His actions followed his thoughts. Shen Gonglin was not one to wrong himself in everyday life, so he did whatever he felt like doing. At this moment, he seemed to have forgotten that he was high up in the air; even his fear of heights could be put aside for now. Unless he figured out who Kiana had been talking about, he would not feel better. He had to make her say it.

Then bury that person.

Pressing down on Kiana's shoulders, Shen Gonglin pushed the girl onto the steel beam. Under the moonlight, his deep violet eyes stared intently into Kiana's. Within that sea of blue, he could even see his own reflection. Since it was nighttime, Kiana was not wearing her signature twin braids. Her white hair hung loose, giving Shen Gonglin an entirely different impression. This girl really did look good with her hair down.

"My dad. Auntie said she'd tell me where my stinky old man is once I become an A-rank Valkyrie. Who else could it be? Why are you pinning me down? This steel beam is cold. Let go of me already."

Kiana stared up at Shen Gonglin with a baffled expression. She could not understand why he had suddenly gotten so worked up. Had she said anything strange just now? Probably not. Then it had to be Shen Gonglin's problem. What was wrong with him? Why was he holding her down? And that expression on his face... it was kind of cute.

Fortunately, this was Kiana. If it had been a smarter girl, she probably would have guessed what Shen Gonglin was thinking. But Kiana did not think in that direction at all. She only felt cold where her pajama top had been pushed up against the steel beam. Was this guy trying to get revenge on her like this?

That was quite possible. After all, he was afraid of heights, and she had brought him to a place like this. It made sense that Shen Gonglin might want to get back at her.

"...Your dad? It's nothing. I was just worried you'd catch a chill. Nothing, nothing."

This was rather awkward. Once he learned who Kiana meant, Shen Gonglin rarely felt this embarrassed. He tugged her clothes back into place. So she had been talking about her father. Shen Gonglin had wondered who it was. If it was her dad, then there was no problem at all. He awkwardly tried to climb off Kiana, but she made another move. Thinking Shen Gonglin had been getting revenge on her, Kiana naturally intended to retaliate.

Her long legs wrapped around Shen Gonglin's waist. There was no awareness of gender between Kiana and Shen Gonglin at all. She had seen everything while he was unconscious, so this level of contact did not bother the eldest daughter of the Kaslana family in the slightest. Did this guy think she could not handle him just because he had become S-rank? How naive.

With ease, Kiana reversed their positions. She did not have a fear of heights, and a place surrounded by steel beams was practically her home turf. But why did Shen Gonglin seem emotionally unchanged even now that she had him pinned down?

By rights, Shen Gonglin should have looked unwilling to submit, yet helpless to resist.

What was there to resist? The girl on top of him was fragrant, soft, and springy, much more comfortable than sitting on a steel beam. This girl might not have enough brains, but she certainly had a good body. Not just anyone got to enjoy treatment like this.

"This is boring... Listen carefully. I'm not playing with you right now. If you want to play, wait until I'm done talking."

Shen Gonglin's reaction bored Kiana greatly. She let him go and sat beside him again. She did not want to say these things to Mei. Usually, she digested them by herself, but this time, she wanted to tell Shen Gonglin. Once Shen Gonglin realized she was talking about her father, he quieted down as well. So Kiana had a dad. He had thought she was an orphan like him.

Come to think of it, was he really an orphan? Shen Gonglin could not say for sure either.

"My dad... I can't really say whether he treated me well or badly. If I had to say, he probably treated me well. After all, he gave me this name, and I promised him that I'd protect the people I love. So when he got lost, of course I, as his daughter, had to find him. But no matter how hard I looked, I couldn't find him. Auntie seems to know something about him, though. Maybe because I'm still too weak, she doesn't want to tell me where my stinky old man is. We made a deal: once I reach the level of an A-rank Valkyrie, she'll tell me the whole truth... Shen Gonglin, after all that, did you understand?"

As she slowly told Shen Gonglin these things, Kiana rested her chin on her knees and stared into the night sky ahead. She did not know why she was telling him this. By rights, telling Mei would have been better than telling him. Yet for some reason, Kiana simply wanted to tell Shen Gonglin. Perhaps, deep down, she saw him differently.

"Mm... To be honest, I didn't catch all of that. It's too high up here, and I've been scared of falling, so I wasn't paying attention. How about this? Let's go back and talk slowly under the covers, okay?"

As expected of Shen Gonglin. A girl was confiding in him, and he still dared to zone out. But it was not entirely his fault. The place Kiana had chosen was simply too excellent. Sitting on this steel beam, Shen Gonglin could not stop himself from looking down. As for what Kiana was saying, he had only caught the general idea. What could not be discussed under the covers? Why did they have to talk here? He was getting dizzy. No, no.

"...I always thought my stinky old man was the dumbest person in the world. I never expected you, Shen Gonglin, to be even dumber. What exactly do you take a girl's feelings for? I should just push you down and let you start over. Don't you reset at midnight anyway?"

Her pretty little face immediately darkened. Her sincere feelings had been wasted after all. Just how out of her mind had she been to think of confiding in Shen Gonglin? Kiana stretched out her hands as though she were about to push him off. The girl was only joking, but Shen Gonglin took it seriously. He hurriedly grabbed Kiana's hand and hugged her tightly. This height was not something a reset could save him from. Besides, the only thing Shen Gonglin could reset was his first kiss. He could not reset a human life.

"Just kidding, just kidding. I was only joking. Kiana, you'll definitely become the strongest Valkyrie. I'll stay with you, always and always."

With life and death on the line, Shen Gonglin's emotional intelligence seal finally loosened a little. If he did not say something sweet to placate Kiana, he was genuinely afraid this silly deer would throw him off.

Chapter 196: Call Me Dad

What was with him suddenly saying something like that? Staying with her always and always... Did he mean something else by that?

Held in Shen Gonglin's arms, Kiana forgot to resist for a moment. In this position, she could easily smell him. His shampoo and body wash smelled rather nice, though his body temperature seemed a little low. Shen Gonglin's temperature was lower than that of ordinary people. Naturally, Kiana reached out and hugged him too. At least she still had her stinky old man, but Shen Gonglin... he was probably hurting even more than she was.

It felt like family. She, Mei... and Bronya were all his family.

Closing her eyes, the white-haired girl rested her chin on Shen Gonglin's shoulder. At this moment, she felt incomparably safe. She unconsciously murmured something, but Shen Gonglin's expression suddenly turned strange when he heard it. Why was Kiana saying something like that? It was kind of embarrassing to hear. He had always thought she was a lively idiot, but even Kiana had a side like this. In the end, he simply had not understood a girl's heart. To make up for it, Shen Gonglin felt he needed to do something.

Had Kiana not said he was family? Then Shen Gonglin would act like family for once.

"...Although this may not be very appropriate, since you've put it that way, Kiana, then it's fine. Call me whatever you want. But it's better not to call me that in front of other people, or I think I'd get embarrassed."

Scratching his cheek, Shen Gonglin said this. He spoiled Kiana, after all. The Class President was always saying other people spoiled him, but this time Shen Gonglin wanted her to see that he could spoil other people too.

"What are you talking about?"

Kiana had felt a long-lost sense of security, but Shen Gonglin's words confused her again. The feeling just now had been nice. Though Shen Gonglin's embrace was not particularly warm, Kiana had still been comfortable. What was he talking about now? What did he mean by embarrassment? Would he be embarrassed by contact like this? What was that supposed to mean? With their relationship, what had they not been through? She had even held him while she peed.

"After saying all that, don't you just want to call me Dad? I permit it. If you want to call me that, go ahead. Good daughter, whatever you want to do... Ow, ow, ow! What are you doing? I don't have a daughter like you!"

Shen Gonglin put on a loving expression and patted Kiana's shoulder. This was what a father was supposed to be like, right? In games, besides being called an orphan, Shen Gonglin had also been called Dad before, so he felt there would not be any problem playing this role. Was being a dad that difficult? Kiana only needed to lie back and relax. He could handle the rest.

He would carry Kiana to victory.

Then Kiana exploded. I told you all these personal things, and you want to be my dad? My dad isn't even dead yet, and you're already so eager to take his place? What is Shen Gonglin's brain even made of? She was usually just too lazy to think, but Shen Gonglin's brain did not seem to have thinking as an option at all. He almost made her laugh from anger. Kiana grabbed his wrist and twisted him into a hold.

She had finally wanted to change her image and tell Shen Gonglin something personal, yet he was this out of it. Kiana seriously suspected she had chosen the wrong person. Shen Gonglin actually wanted to be her dad. In his dreams!

I treat you as a friend, but you want to be my father. The fact that she had not pulled out a gun and put several holes in Shen Gonglin already showed the excellent upbringing of the eldest daughter of the Kaslana family. And was this guy really S-rank?

It felt like she could bully him senseless with one hand. Did that mean she was really strong too? The day she learned where her stinky old man was probably was not far away.

Kiana drifted off again, but that made things miserable for Shen Gonglin, who was constantly begging for mercy. Physical fitness had never been his strong suit, and they were on a building's steel frame right now. Being restrained by Kiana like this, even a clay figure would have three parts anger, much less Shen Gonglin. He had finally agreed to be Kiana's dad, yet she still treated him like this. No, this Kiana needed a shock!

Crackle, crackle. Orange currents flickered around Shen Gonglin's body. The dancing electricity passed through where their bodies touched and into Kiana. In an instant, the merciless shock fried Kiana crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Kiana, who had been spacing out, never expected Shen Gonglin to suddenly flare up. Watching Kiana collapse limply, Shen Gonglin fell silent.

It seemed he had not controlled the current properly. He had used this level of electricity on Durandal before. It had not worked on her, so Shen Gonglin wondered whether it might not work on Kiana either. But now it seemed... S-rank was still S-rank. Kiana, a mere B-rank Valkyrie candidate, was physically nowhere near Durandal's level. Perhaps shocking Kiana more often in the future could help improve her pain tolerance?

As expected of him, even at a time like this, he was still considering Kiana. But the first thing he needed to consider now was how to get down. Kiana was out cold, and if it was only him...

Shen Gonglin craned his neck to look down below. Heh, this height could kill several hundred demon hunters. Without a second thought, Shen Gonglin rejected the possibility of climbing down. He would just wait for Mei to wake up in the morning, notice he was gone, and come looking for him.

So dealing with Shen Gonglin was quite simple. As long as he was put somewhere high, he basically posed no threat. Even though Shen Gonglin could summon wings, he would not do so. Being able to fly and being afraid of heights were two separate concepts.

He lay down on the steel frame. After being Kiana's understanding old father for so long, Shen Gonglin was tired too. He yawned and pulled Kiana over, letting her lie on top of him. On one hand, he was afraid of the cold. On the other, Shen Gonglin knew his godawful sleeping posture. Without something weighing him down, he would probably roll right off the edge in his sleep. Kiana was important, at least as a blanket and something to hold him in bed. Hopefully, he would not have some nightmare about sleep paralysis tonight. Seriously, she had casually brought him to a place like this and would not even take him back down. Kiana's heart was truly black.

After adjusting their positions back and forth, Shen Gonglin finally placed Kiana beside him on her side. Then he comfortably used one of her arms as a pillow and pulled her other hand over himself. This was the safest position. Time to sleep. If anything came up, they could call him tomorrow. Today's unhappiness... Pah, what was he thinking? How strange. Why was his mind wandering like this?

Chapter 197: You Don't Need to Take It

They could finally return to St. Freya. This mission had really been long, but meeting a Shen Gonglin like him had made it worthwhile, right? After returning, he would be her student. Student and teacher... how exciting!

Early in the morning, Valkyrie Murata Himeko stretched lazily. Having slept comfortably through the night, she woke full of energy. She had had wonderful dreams all night. Once Himeko fully woke up, she instinctively looked toward the other bed. Her only regret was that Kiana had gotten to sleep with Shen Gonglin. Valkyries did not care much about minor details, but boys and girls their age still... Eh? Eh? Where had they gone?

"Teacher Himeko, you're finally awake. Come help quickly. Shen Gonglin and Kiana are gone. I didn't see them when I woke up, and I don't know where they went."

At that moment, Mei hurried out. The girl, who had awakened before Himeko, had been the first to discover that Shen Gonglin and Kiana were missing. Fu Hua had already begun helping search, and now that Himeko was awake, Mei needed to pull her in as well. They had only slept for one night, so how had the two of them disappeared? Could something have happened again?

Shen Gonglin was already very good at causing trouble. Add Kiana to the mix... and it could not get any worse. Two troublemakers together made one super troublemaker.

"What? They're gone? When did that happen?"

Himeko hurriedly climbed out of bed. Her lovely figure, clad only in underwear, bounced before Mei. She had planned to casually show off her body in front of Shen Gonglin when he woke up in the morning, letting him properly see the difference between a mature woman and those little girls. Who would have thought that after waking up, even Shen Gonglin was gone? Had he gotten lost again?

According to Fu Hua, things like this seemed to happen to Shen Gonglin quite often.

"I don't know either, but their bedding is already cold. They must have been gone for a while... It's okay. With Kiana beside him, there probably isn't anything serious going on."

Mei tried to reassure Himeko, but those words could not put Himeko at ease. This child was so scared that she was talking nonsense. Even Kiana could make her feel safe now. That showed just how bad things were. Could Anti-Entropy have intervened again? Shen Gonglin was quite important. Maybe they had secretly stolen him away last night.

"Stop looking. They're here... Come up too. I can't get the two of them down by myself."

Just as Himeko was speculating about Shen Gonglin and Kiana's whereabouts, Fu Hua's voice came through the window. Mei and Himeko looked at each other. Himeko grabbed a piece of clothing and threw it on before climbing out the window. For a Valkyrie, this was as ordinary as eating and drinking. Fu Hua had found them already?

As Shen Gonglin's master, Fu Hua felt she had some sort of connection with him. Sure enough, he was up here on the rooftop.

Fu Hua helplessly looked at the scene before her. Himeko and Mei had also come up behind her. Before the Valkyries' eyes, Shen Gonglin and Kiana lay on the steel frame, sleeping soundly. Who knew why the two of them had come to a place like this? Both had terrible sleeping habits, so it was rare that neither of them had fallen off yet.

"Here, Shen Gonglin. Take this."

At the station, Fu Hua waved a white pill before Shen Gonglin's eyes and stuffed it into his mouth. Then she opened a bottle of water and held it to his lips. The guy had slept outside all night. If he did not take something to prevent a cold, Fu Hua could not feel at ease. Shen Gonglin's physical condition could not compare to a Valkyrie's. If he was not careful, he would definitely get sick.

"Oh... Class President, what did you give me?"

Obediently taking the bottle and gulping down several mouthfuls to wash down the pill, Shen Gonglin only drowsily remembered to ask what it was after swallowing it. But since the Class President gave it to him, it should be something good, right? Maybe it was some miraculous medicine that would grant him years of cultivation with a single pill. If that was the case, Shen Gonglin would not mind if it tasted a little bitter.

"Poison... I'm joking. Stop trying to make yourself throw up. It's only cold medicine. You slept outside without any precautions at all. If you don't take something to prevent it, something will definitely go wrong. Take your medicine properly now, or if you get sick, someone will have to take care of you again."

Fu Hua shot Shen Gonglin an annoyed look. Did this guy really think it was poison? If she actually wanted him dead, why would she need to go through so much trouble? All she needed to do was serve him a plate of Sichuan food, and Shen Gonglin would probably be finished. This guy was truly troublesome. If she were not around in the future, he would definitely get himself killed.

Cough, cough. So she had been joking... Even such an honest person as the Class President could make jokes. Shen Gonglin secretly wiped the saliva from his fingers on Kiana. Jokes from honest people really were scary. But as for someone taking care of him, either the Class President or Mei would do. Shen Gonglin was not picky.

"Class President, give me one too. I slept outside all night too, and I don't want to catch a cold."

Kiana energetically hopped over to Fu Hua's side. After waking up, she had returned to her usual lively self. Having listened to Fu Hua and Shen Gonglin talking all this time, she wanted some medicine too after seeing Fu Hua feed him one. She was just like a child, wanting some of whatever she saw someone else having, even medicine.

"It's fine. You're healthy, so you don't need medicine. That's enough."

Yet Fu Hua turned away and ignored Kiana. That was how it was. Kiana was so healthy, so why would she need medicine? Even if someone tossed her into Siberia and froze her for an entire day, she probably would not have a problem. Why give medicine to someone with such a strong body? She would not give Kiana any.

Who told her to bring Shen Gonglin to a place like that? If she caught a cold from freezing, it would serve her right.

"You're right, Class President... But why do I still feel like you're targeting me? Class President, look at me when you talk. Don't turn your head away."

The cockroach's instincts were quite accurate. Fu Hua turned her head and refused to look at her. Meanwhile, Himeko and Mei, who had been watching the whole time, exchanged surprised looks. Fu Hua like this was indeed rare. And... was she not spoiling Shen Gonglin a little too much? She had fed him medicine and water right to his mouth. After being at St. Freya for so long, they had never seen Fu Hua treat anyone this way. Perhaps she had not noticed it herself, but her completely different attitude toward Shen Gonglin weighed heavily on Himeko and Mei. She had only gone to headquarters with Shen Gonglin. Why did it feel like Fu Hua had become an entirely different person?

Chapter 198: Interesting

The train wheels rolled steadily onward. Because Shen Gonglin was afraid of heights, the group could not fly back to St. Freya and had to choose this relatively slower method of travel. Shen Gonglin, however, was especially calm on the train. Perhaps the cold medicine had something to help him sleep. Not long after making a fuss on the train, he became sleepy again. After babbling noisily for a while, he finally fell asleep. That was good. It would be bad if he got motion sickness.

"What are you all looking at?"

Her fingers stroked Shen Gonglin's brilliant blond hair. Even in sleep, this guy did not forget to trouble people. Fu Hua's lap happened to be his most suitable pillow. Instead of choosing somewhere else, Shen Gonglin chose to sleep on Fu Hua's lap. Fu Hua hesitated briefly before letting him. If he slept somewhere else, he might roll off, but if he slept with her, she could keep an eye on him. Still, why were the three people across from her looking at her so strangely? Was there something wrong with what she was doing?

"...Class President, were you two like this at headquarters?"

Kiana's blue eyes rolled around as though she were thinking about something, while Himeko was so envious and resentful that she was practically biting a handkerchief. In the end, only Mei could speak. The girl watched Shen Gonglin and Fu Hua with complicated eyes. She had noticed it. Shen Gonglin's motion of wobbling onto the Class President's lap was extremely practiced. It was clearly not the first time he had done this. And the Class President had allowed it. Her earlier feeling had been right. The Class President really did spoil Shen Gonglin, so much that even Mei was surprised.

What exactly had happened for them to become so close? Mei was beginning to regret not insisting on joining this mission.

"This... It's only to stop him from falling. Kiana, you slept with him. You should know his sleeping posture is bad too, right?"

Fu Hua explained calmly. Once Mei said it, she felt a little surprised herself. Yes, why had she so naturally offered Shen Gonglin her lap? Once was unfamiliar, twice was routine. She had been very resistant at first, but now she somehow felt there was nothing wrong with it... She needed a suitable excuse. She had always said Rita spoiled Shen Gonglin too much, yet without realizing it, she had become like this too. This would not do. If this continued, Shen Gonglin would become useless sooner or later.

Though Shen Gonglin was already rather useless.

So Fu Hua pushed Shen Gonglin's shoulder, making him sit up. This was indeed important. If she became like that maid, Shen Gonglin would truly be beyond saving. Starting now, she needed to become stricter. At the very least, she could not let him sleep so comfortably anymore.

Those who cultivated themselves had to face hardship head-on... head-on, not head-male. She could not let Shen Gonglin keep enjoying himself so comfortably.

"Fu Hua, are you sleepy? Let me take care of him, then. The train is shaking so much. It would be bad if he fell and hit something. If you're tired, let me do it. I'm not sleepy at all."

Yet when Himeko saw Fu Hua's actions, she immediately leaned over. She squeezed in and took Fu Hua's place, forcing Fu Hua to move to Himeko's former seat. What was going on? Why were all these women interfering with her education of her disciple? She had finally made up her mind. What if her disciple became completely useless in the future?

Like the kind of useless person who sprawled on the sofa, threw liquor bottles at his master, and yelled for her to go out and make money to support him.

The road ahead was long and arduous. There were always so many obstacles in this world preventing her from cultivating an outstanding disciple. Fu Hua sighed softly and turned to look out the window. Himeko, meanwhile, watched Shen Gonglin expectantly. As the train swayed, Shen Gonglin slowly fell back down again. Yes, yes, just like that... It was a little cold.

Shen Gonglin flopped back down again. Himeko, who had been waiting eagerly, finally received the same treatment Fu Hua had received before. She spread her hands and innocently looked at Mei and Kiana across from her. See? It was not that she pressed him onto her lap. He fell down by himself. There was nothing she could do.

Tch, every one of them... Did they not know who had taken care of him while he was unconscious?

Though Mei still wore a smile, her tightly clenched little fist revealed what the girl was thinking. If the Class President was not there, why had it become Himeko's turn? To be honest, Mei cared more about Himeko than the Class President. The Class President was an honest person, but Himeko had a record. What should she do now? It was not good for her to speak, so she could only place her hopes on Kiana.

"Hey, hey, Shen Gonglin, look! A huge bird just flew past!"

Not disappointing Mei, Kiana suddenly jumped up from her seat. Her little hands smacked him several times in rapid succession. Before Himeko could even react, she had slapped Shen Gonglin awake. Then she dragged the confused Shen Gonglin to the window, and the two peered outside. Still groggy from sleep, Shen Gonglin looked where Kiana was pointing and opened his mouth in surprise. It really was a huge bird.

Now awake, Shen Gonglin no longer wanted to sleep. He and Kiana leaned against the window together, watching the scenery. Behind them, Himeko expressionlessly stared at Kiana's back.

Heh. Interesting, Kiana. You were very interesting.

Chapter 199

At St. Freya Academy's Valkyrie dormitory, a white-haired girl was sprawled on the sofa, quietly playing dead. Only two people remained in what had once been a lively dormitory. Staying here was no different from staying in her office. Theresa was so bored. With only Bronya around, it was not lively at all. Everyone had been gone so long. Being bored for this long could kill someone. Fortunately, they should all be returning together today, right?

"Bronya, it's about time to leave. If we're any later, I'm afraid we won't be able to pick them up."

Theresa lifted her head and called out to Bronya, who was bustling about in the kitchen. Bronya had been preparing ingredients since early that morning. Though she looked like an emotionless girl on the surface, Bronya cared quite a lot about everyone else. Otherwise, she would not be preparing welcome-home dishes for them so early.