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Inside Cosmic Juggernaut's inner world, the sky was adorned with blue heavens and fluffy clouds, while lush greenery stretched as far as the eye could see.
Zeke, Kevin, Fu Hua, and Su sat gathered around a stone table.
With a warm and inviting smile, Su gracefully poured tea for everyone from a teapot.
Fu Hua, present only as a consciousness, initially lacked the ability to enjoy the aroma of tea. However, since Otto managed to store his consciousness within Herrscher of a Thousand People's body, creating a temporary Soulium form for Fu Hua posed no issue for Zeke.
"Sip~"
Fu Hua took a gentle sip of tea, her face adorned with a warm smile akin to spring's gentle breeze.
She seemed quite content.
In truth, she should have returned to her body as soon as possible. However, first, the two individuals present were old friends whom she hadn't seen for an incredibly long time. Second, after Kiana unleashed her ultimate technique, addressing issues within the consciousness domain was unavoidable—in this regard, Fu Hua held even more expertise than Zeke. Third, her physical body, guarded by the Book of Fuxi and Ji Lin deep within Anti-Entropy Headquarters, was perfectly safe—there was no chance it would wander off on its own, right?
Considering these factors, Fu Hua decided to stay for a few days, both for Kiana's well-being and to catch up with her old friends while exchanging insights on consciousness power with Su—who himself was a formidable authority in this field.
"Sip~"
Continuing to enjoy her tea, Fu Hua felt deeply comforted simply by seeing her two old friends safe and sound.
"Ahhhhh!"
Suddenly, from inside the nearby mansion, an intensely agitated scream echoed.
"Bang!"
A girl clad in white hospital attire kicked open the door and rushed towards them.
"Zeke! My face is ruined!"
Kiana clutched torn-off bandages in one hand and a mirror in the other, her face covered with various burn marks as she wailed hysterically.
Zeke glanced at her sidelong, leisurely taking another sip of tea before replying, "What did you expect given the extent of your injuries? My focus was on repairing internal damage and genetic-level issues; I didn't have time to address superficial skin problems. Once your body's functions recover, they'll gradually heal."
"But my appearance is most important! Zeke, you big dummy!"
"Whoosh!"
In her agitated state, Kiana wildly waved both hands. Whether intentional or not, the mirror flew from her grasp.
The unexpected airborne projectile struck Zeke squarely on the forehead.
"Thud!"
Zeke remained seated, unmoved like a mountain, but his expression gradually turned colder.
Then Kiana dashed back inside, slamming the door shut with a loud bang—whether due to her inability to accept her disfigured state or realizing the trouble she'd caused was unclear.
Zeke touched his forehead, feeling little impact, and looked down to see the shattered pieces of the mirror by his feet.
Expressionless, he slowly set down his teacup.
Fu Hua and Su both reached out simultaneously to rest their hands on Zeke's shoulders.
"Zeke, you must stay calm! She's still young; try to be more understanding!"
"Kiana is injured, Zeke. At least wait until she recovers before discussing this further."
"...Hm." Zeke glanced at them briefly, paused for a moment, then nodded silently and picked up his tea cup again.
The two mediators exchanged glances, collectively sighing in relief. They were about to resume their earlier conversation when suddenly, Zeke turned towards Kevin.
"I need a sample of your blood."
"...Sure." With a detached nod, Kevin extended his arm.
Zeke promptly drew a vial of blood—holding it carefully with both hands. The size of the syringe was so large that Fu Hua and Su couldn't help but twitch slightly at the sight.
Even Kevin felt a brief moment of unease, but having already agreed, he maintained his composed demeanor throughout.
As Zeke gently placed the massive syringe beside him, barely fitting under the table, Kevin nonchalantly asked:
"What do you plan to use it for?"
"To compensate for that idiot's genetic flaws and optimize her physique. Oh, and next time you see her, remember to tell her—I acknowledge your name as Kiana Kaslana."
"...I'm not your subordinate; don't come to me with all these bizarre requests."
"I helped save Su, and I also rescued Fu Hua. Shouldn't you repay me somehow?"
"Fine, but no more of this."
"Mm-hmm."
As everyone knows, "Mm-hmm" doesn't equal "Yes."
With their conversation concluded, Su couldn't help but gently nudge Fu Hua's elbow, sending his thoughts telepathically.
[Um, is Zeke always like this...this...]
[You mean ruthless and cutthroat?]
Fu Hua's amused voice resonated in Su's mind.
He nodded slightly, feeling somewhat guilty about whispering behind someone's back.
Smiling, Fu Hua silently responded to Su.
[Basically, yes. If one day Zeke treats you exceptionally well or gives you a gift, be cautious. Every favor he extends comes with a clearly marked price tag—you'll owe him.]
Su internally marveled at this revelation.
Fu Hua continued: "I was just joking. As for his true nature, you'll have to observe him closely over time. All I can say is that Zeke is indeed trustworthy—nothing more."
Su turned to look at Zeke.
He was frowning intently, studying a complex blueprint, fully absorbed in his work.
Quietly sipping his tea, Su inwardly expressed his approval.
Facilitating reconciliation between two major organizations, silently driving societal progress, promoting scientific knowledge, advancing technological levels, and vigorously suppressing Honkai—one achievement after another rendered the specifics of such a person's character irrelevant. He undoubtedly deserved trust and unwavering support from others.
Moreover, in the not-too-distant future, this young man, despite his tender age, would bear the immense responsibility of guiding the entire civilization. His importance would surpass anyone else's, making it crucial that no mishaps occur.
"Sigh..."
With a meaningful sigh, Su picked up the teapot and refilled Zeke's cup.
Zeke glanced up briefly before immersing himself back into deep analysis, casually responding:
"Thank you."
"My pleasure," Su replied warmly with a smile.
Inside Kiana's bedroom of the elegant mansion, the door suddenly opened, and Zeke walked in carrying a tray.
"Wake up, time for breakfast."
Zeke addressed the lump under the bedcovers with a stern expression.
The white blanket stirred slightly, followed by Kiana's muffled voice.
"Just put it down and leave," she said, sounding exasperated.
"...Is it because I haven't given you a good beating lately?"
"Ah!! My face is ruined! I don't want you to see me like this!" Kiana's voice from beneath the covers was frantic.
Suddenly, her hands felt empty as light flooded her vision.
Zeke had flung away the blanket, standing beside the bed now, expressionlessly gazing at her.
What Zeke saw was a naked, scarred little figure with white hair, curled up tightly. Her body displayed graceful curves, but the grotesque scars marred the overall beauty. She stared back with large, teary eyes, looking both pitiful and somewhat frightened—overall, undeniably cute yet awkward.
A smile tugged at Zeke's lips as he commanded, "Lie flat and lower your arms."
"No way!"
"Haven't I seen every part of your body already?"
"That's not the issue! I'm so ugly right now; I don't want you to see me like this! Idiot!!!" she exclaimed.
"Three, two..."
"I'm lying still."
All her stubborn resistance faded away as Zeke indifferently counted down. Yet again, Miss Kiana maxed out her survival skills points today!
Zeke extended his hands and methodically examined various areas—her forehead, side of the neck, chest, abdomen, waist, thighs, and even the soles of her feet—with gentle pressure. After a while, he nodded in satisfaction and tossed back the blanket Kiana had been longing for.
"Your bodily functions are recovering well. Just avoid using Honkai Energy for now and take some time to recuperate slowly."
Kiana remained silent.
"Not speaking up? Feeling wronged?"
"╭(╯^╰)╮ Hmph!"
With a huff, Kiana lifted the blanket once more, covering herself entirely beneath it.
Silence filled the room for over a minute.
After a while, hearing no further response from Zeke, Kiana cautiously peeked out from under the blanket, revealing her sparkling eyes.
"If...if I can't change back and stay looking this ugly forever, would you reject me?" she asked hesitantly.
"...No," Zeke replied after a brief pause.
After a brief pause, Zeke responded. The hesitation wasn't due to any uncertainty about his answer; rather, he knew from experience that acknowledging this topic with Kiana would inevitably lead to relentless questioning and entanglement.
Honestly, it seemed quite bothersome.
However, the sensitive Kiana picked up on this short delay immediately. She swiftly threw off the blanket, her eyes reddening as she exclaimed:
"You hesitated! So you really do find me undesirable, right? You shallow man! Big jerk! Super colossal dummy... mmph!"
Three minutes later, the sulking white-haired girl, with her face still flushed beneath the blanket, cautiously peeked out through her wandering gaze.
Eventually, her eyes met Zeke's warm smile.
Kiana took a deep breath, pondering for a moment, then stealthily glanced at Zeke's expression while slowly pulling the blanket down.
Throughout this, Zeke maintained his gentle smile.
Just before fully revealing herself, Kiana, now beet red, stopped, hesitated briefly, and then pulled the blanket back up again.
At that moment, Zeke gently held onto the blanket, halting Kiana's movement.
"Um, I'm feeling a bit shy. Can I cover back up?"
"Weren't you curious if I'd be bothered by it?"
"Can we discuss this another time?"
"What do you think?"
"I don't look my best right now; it might affect your experience... Hmm?!"