Ruan Mei Decides to Investigate. / Awakening.

Ruan Mei said expressionlessly, "I need to leave for a while, so I won't be participating in the upcoming tests."

"No problem."

Herta didn't ask what was wrong, but Ruan Mei's reaction was unusual; she couldn't even maintain a smile, so she probably had no interest in sharing it with him.

157

Chapter 157 Ruan Mei decides to find out the truth.

"Miss Kiana?"

It wasn't surprising to see Ruan Mei on the space station; Himeko knew about the collaboration between Herta and the other geniuses.

To her surprise, this Ms. Ruan Mei actually asked her about Kiana.

That's really surprising.

"She told me that the Stellaris Train had run into trouble in Izumo and needed her help."

Ruan Mei spoke slowly, her expression revealing nothing of her thoughts. "Since then, I've lost contact with her. Ms. Himeko, can you tell me what exactly happened?"

"So that's how it is."

Kiana told Ruan Mei about this, so it seems that Kiana and Ruan Mei have a very good relationship.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have taken the initiative to contact him.

"That's right. In order to explore that kind of energy called Honkai energy, we set that planet as our next stop and stayed there for a while."

Ruan Mei nodded slightly and continued to ask, "Where is Kiana now?"

Kiana went there to help, and now that the Stellaris Train has left Tenhutou Rock, Kiana should have left too.

But she still didn't reply.

This is not like her.

"She's still on that planet."

Himeko answered Ruan Mei's question truthfully, while also asking with some curiosity, "Ms. Ruan Mei, is there something important you need to discuss with Miss Kiana?"

If it were a collaboration or something, Himeko would have to tell Ruan Mei that Kiana has shown no signs of waking up since she fell into a deep sleep that day.

If you ask how I know...

Little March seemed quite concerned about this matter, since Kiana had fallen into a deep sleep only after accepting their invitation.

Although Yomi said it wasn't a bad thing.

Is there something you need Kiana for?

Ruan Mei knew what Ji Zi was thinking; Himeko had no intention of hiding her thoughts, so it was easy to understand.

She sees Kiana as her partner, perhaps just as she does with the Herta now.

"She is my partner."

Ruan Mei stated the facts in a calm voice.

She doesn't need a reason to find Kiana.

"... companion?"

The mature and composed Himeko was slightly taken aback, looking at the calm Ruan Mei with disbelief.

Himeko had guessed about collaborators and friends, but this kind of close relationship was something Himeko hadn't expected at all.

After all...

Kiana has been spending a lot of time with that Miss Yomi; if we're talking about a close relationship, the two of them seem to be more like that kind of...

Why is she still there?

Ruan Mei frowned, somewhat puzzled, and said, "I remember she said she would come back after she finished helping out."

Are they really in that kind of relationship?

Himeko suppressed her inappropriate gossipy thoughts and tentatively asked, "Ms. Ruan Mei, haven't you thought about contacting Miss Yomi, who's always with her? She and Miss Kiana have been spending a lot of time together."

Ruan Mei fell silent. "..."

Because she and Yomi did not get along well, they avoided communicating with each other whenever possible.

The relationship is complex and difficult to explain.

If I had to describe it, even with Kiana's connection, she and Yomi could only be considered familiar strangers.

This also meant that they had no way to contact each other; without contact information, how could they communicate?

Before today, Ruan Mei had never thought of finding Kiana through the Yomi; she never imagined such a day would come.

"I'm not familiar with her."

Needing to know exactly what had happened from Himeko, Ruan Mei patiently answered her questions.

"This..."

Himeko was speechless. Yomi and Kiana seemed to have an unusually close relationship. If Ruan Mei and Kiana were partners, how could she not be familiar with Yomi?

That Miss Yomi stayed by Kiana's side the whole time, and after Kiana fell into a deep sleep, she stayed by her side without leaving for a moment.

Etc...

Is it simply because they have such a good relationship?

Himeko suspected something in her heart, but remained outwardly calm. After thinking it over, she ultimately believed Ruan Mei's story.

Since Kiana told Ruan Mei about her trip to help, even if they weren't lovers, they must be good friends.

"I wonder how much Miss Ruan Mei knows about Izumo."

Himeko said.

"I've never actually been to that world. From Kiana's description, it seems to be... a Honkai world."

Ruan Mei also had the idea of going there to find out, but she had a lot of things to do and wasn't in a hurry to explore, so she put it off.

"Yes, it's a very special and dangerous world. The Stellaris Train has been to many worlds and encountered many disasters, but a place like Izumo..."

Himeko paused slightly, recalling the awe she felt upon first arriving in Izumo and seeing that planet. "Never heard of anything like it."

But all of that is in the past.

Ruan Mei, who had been listening attentively, looked up. "What do you mean?"

What is the past tense?

"The place has returned to normal. The superficial peculiarities have all vanished; whether it was nothingness or Honkai, it has disappeared from that planet."

Ruan Mei frowned.

Why couldn't she understand some of what she was saying?

What does it mean that everything has disappeared?

Is this normal?

"Miss Kiana fell into a deep sleep as a result; that happened several months ago."

Sleeping?

The first thing Ruan Mei thought of was her first meeting with Kiana. When she met Kiana, Kiana was in a very special state.

No wonder, no wonder she suddenly disappeared.

Several months have passed?

In other words, shortly after Kiana finished speaking to him, she encountered an accident in Izumo and fell into a deep sleep as a result?

"Miss Yomi said that's a normal phenomenon and that we don't need to worry about it."

Ruan Mei instinctively hugged her arms, lowered her head, and pondered for a moment. She nodded to Himeko to express her gratitude. "Thank you for your information; it was very useful to me."

After learning the truth from Himeko, Ruan Mei felt slightly relieved, but also more uneasy.

Yomi's words can still be trusted, but what is the reason Kiana fell into a deep sleep?

Is it the same as before?

The energy that once enveloped a world suddenly vanished; this seems very strange.

Izumo is almost a completely Honkai world, dominated by the forces of Honkai and nothingness.

It is an extremely special place.

The sudden disappearance of Honkai energy and the power of nothingness—how is this different from the sudden complete disappearance of Penacony's Ido?

This is by no means a trivial matter.

She had to set off immediately to explore that world.

To find out the whole story, she had to go to the Yomi to investigate.

Kiana returned to that world last time, so why didn't anything unexpected happen last time, but something unexpected happened this time?

What are the differences between the two?

Ruan Mei couldn't stop speculating.

158

Chapter 158 Waking Up.

Yomi wasn't surprised that Ruan Mei had come to Izumo. In fact, she felt that Ruan Mei had arrived a little late.

After all, several months have passed.

Ruan Mei quickly checked Kiana's current condition, then turned to look at Yomi: "She only left this one sentence?"

That's all I had time to say.

Yomi watched from the sidelines, and she had to admit that there was nothing she could do in the face of Kiana's situation, but Ruan Mei was different.

Ruan Mei silently looked at Kiana lying on the bed, her eyes deep as she withdrew her hand. "This is not good. What's lying here now is just an empty shell; her consciousness isn't inside her body."

Yomi, who had been relatively calm, changed his expression and stared intently at Ruan Mei, who had spoken. "What do you mean by that?"

"Completely different from when I first met her, her consciousness is no longer in her body."

Ruan Mei looked at Yomi: "Can you tell me what exactly happened that day?"

"... After finding Welt that day, we..."

Yomi Quan was so affected by Ruan Mei 'Ruan Mei words that he told her everything that had happened that day without missing a single detail.

After hearing Yomi's words, Ruan Mei immediately realized what was going on.

"Promotion..."

They arrived so quickly?

And it happened without her noticing.

Missing such an important event left Ruan Mei feeling somewhat frustrated. If she had known this unexpected turn of events would occur, she should have insisted on coming along that day.

What are you talking about?

Yomi didn't hear what she just said.

"I've always believed that Kiana is on the path to becoming a 'Aeon'."

Yomi remained silent. She knew about Ruan Mei's thoughts; back on the planet Jarilo-VI, Ruan Mei had made no attempt to hide them.

But Honkai energy is...

No, Kiana's choice came first, and then Honkai energy appeared in this world.

Thinking about this, Yomi, who hadn't initially agreed with Ruan Mei's ideas, began to waver.

"If I'm not mistaken, she should have officially embarked on this path by now."

"... So, when she wakes up, she'll be... Aeon? How is that possible?"

"No, I think you haven't understood what I mean. It refers to beings similar to Aeon, but not necessarily the Aeon we are familiar with."