Favorability

Feng Chen retreated as Hiyori Maru had said, but Yae Sakura had not yet woken up. It was obvious she already knew Hiyori Maru was behind this and was currently scolding her.

"Wah! Feng Chen, save me!" Hiyori Maru floated out of the black box and hid behind Feng Chen.

Feng Chen didn't know how badly Yae Sakura had dealt with Hiyori Maru inside Sakura Cycle, but it was probably unavoidable that she'd be made into Feiyu Wanzi.

"Jun Chen, could you please move aside?" Yae Sakura asked with a smile, her right hand resting on her sword as she walked over. Dark energy swirled around her; this was clearly a sign of her going berserk!

With a girl in front and a cute creature behind, Feng Chen was in a difficult situation.

"Um... Sakura, calm down. Hiyori Maru didn't cause any major trouble, right? Besides, we need to find a way to leave here first, or it'll be troublesome when Schicksal shows up."

"Yeah, big sis, you should calm down first..." Hiyori Maru seconded, but after being stared at by Sakura for a moment, she shrunk back behind Feng Chen.

"Since Jun Chen is speaking up for you, I won't dwell on it any longer. You child..."

Hiyori Maru looked wronged and didn't dare to speak.

"Come here." Yae Sakura beckoned Hiyori Maru, her terrifying smile gone.

Hiyori Maru still didn't dare to approach, as if going over would truly result in her being made into Yae Village's famous dish—Feiyu Wanzi.

"Alright, go over," Feng Chen said, grabbing Hiyori Maru by the scruff of her neck and bringing her next to Sakura.

Meanwhile, at St. Freya Academy in the Far East Branch.

"Principal." The red-haired woman knocked on the Principal's office door.

Inside sat a little girl with silver hair, appearing to be only twelve or thirteen years old.

"Major Himeko, is there something?"

"Science Department reported a massive Honkai Energy fluctuation detected in Changkong City just now."

"A new Honkai Beast?"

"No, the fluctuation is stronger than a Honkai Beast... Science Department suspects it's—"

Stronger than a Honkai Beast's fluctuation, then it could only be...

"A Herrscher's fluctuation!"

"Impossible!" The silver-haired little girl slammed the table and stood up. "Only one Herrscher is born each time Honkai occurs! Isn't the Third Herrscher already under our surveillance?"

"Science Department says the fluctuation observed this time is indeed weaker than the Third Herrscher's. They suspect that because Changkong City lost its ruling Herrscher, the remaining large amount of Honkai Energy has gathered—"

The woman paused, then continued, "The Honkai Energy is attempting to nurture a new Herrscher. However, Science Department believes this Honkai Energy is insufficient to form a new Herrscher Core. The Herrscher's formation speed is very slow."

"But if this continues, it will eventually pose a threat to us."

The woman's lips curved into a charming arc. "Then, do you need me to clean it up?"

"No, you stay here and watch Kiana and the others. I can handle it myself."

The little girl, named Theresa Apocalypse, who looked twelve or thirteen but was actually over forty, looked at a giant Golden Cross leaning against the wall.

If Feng Chen were here, he would definitely see that this was the same cross the System had given him when he first entered Sakura Cycle! The only difference was that the one Feng Chen left in his World Box was only the size of half a palm, while this cross was already taller than the one-meter-fifty-something girl.

Returning to Feng Chen's side, Yae Sakura, feeling a bit tired from just waking up, sat in a corner to rest.

Beside her, Feng Chen was asking the System some questions about affection levels.

"System, what's Sakura's current affection level towards me?"

"Yae Sakura Affection Level: 90, Rank: Friend."

"Why is it still Friend?"

"Although the rank is the same, the degree is different. At 80 affection, it's Friend (Trust); at the current 90 affection, it's Friend (Dependence)."

"What happens when it reaches 100?"

"When Yae Sakura's affection reaches 100, it becomes Confidant (Dependence); at 95, it becomes Confidant (Trust)."

"Isn't my current level Trust? Why is there still a Trust degree at 95?"

"Confidant's Trust is greater than Friend's Dependence, understand?"

"Understood. What's after Confidant?"

"After Confidant comes Perfect Conquest, determined by the current rank. The Perfect Conquest rank after Confidant is 'Infatuation,' followed by 'Adoration,' then 'Lover.' After Lover, it's free development; there's no rank."

"If it's someone else, is 100 affection also Confidant?"

"Not necessarily. There's a certain foundation. For example, with Raiden Mei, if the Host hadn't saved them, even after getting acquainted and gaining 15 affection, it would still be the lowest rank, 'Acquaintance.' As the Host has saved Raiden Mei twice, gaining 15 affection makes the rank 'Concern'."

"I see. So, which girls currently have affection towards me?"

"Yae Sakura: Affection 90, Rank: Friend (Dependence); Raiden Mei: Affection 15, Rank: Concern (No Degree); Bronya Zaychik: Affection 30, Rank: Friend (Trust); Kiana Kaslana: Affection 5, No Rank."

Looking at it this way, Yae Sakura should be the first choice if I want to pursue a conquest? But Bronya also seems like a possibility, considering she's already Friend with only 30 affection.

"Wait, why is Bronya Friend? Isn't this rank jump too large?"

If 30 is Friend, then wouldn't 40 be Confidant? 50 Infatuation? 60 Adoration? 70 Lover?

"Please don't daydream, Host. Who told you that Friend is followed by Confidant? Did you forget Yae Sakura's Good Person Card?"

Thinking about it, that's true. Yae Sakura first gave him the Good Person Card, and only after gaining a lot more affection did she reach the "Friend" rank.

Meanwhile, aboard the Hyperion.

"Principal, Changkong City is below us."

"Mmm... Himeko, I suddenly don't want to do this mission anymore. I feel a bit unwell..."

"Theresa, what do you think this is?"

In the red-haired woman, Himeko Murata's, hand was a comic book.

The latest issue of Hohmb Adventures.

"What's that? I have no idea... Don't think you can make me do the mission with this..."

"Is that so? I found this in your office, Principal~ It seems it doesn't belong to you, so I can just throw it away." She then extended her hand holding the comic book outwards, slowly loosening her fingers.

"Wait... Wait! Fine! I'll go do the mission right now!"

"That's more like it... Anyway, let's go down." Himeko threw Theresa off the bridge. The Hyperion was already docked on the ground in Changkong City, and Theresa, with her S-rank Valkyrie strength, wouldn't be harmed by such a fall.

"My Judas!"

Himeko dragged the Golden Cross, saying as she threw it down, "So heavy... I really don't know how she carries it."

This throw, however, was wildly off course.

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