"Damn it, that stinking bastard! How dare he humiliate this young lady like that!"
Kiana rubbed her stomach. Having skipped breakfast, she was now so hungry her chest was caving in. And so, she directed the full force of this resentment toward Ye Feng.
It was all his fault, after all. She had eaten way too much sausage and milk last night; seeing them again this morning, she had absolutely no appetite.
Originally, Kiana could have comforted herself by saying it only happened in a dream and didn't count. But now it was seriously affecting her real life—there was nothing more agonizing for the Tuna than an empty stomach.
And besides...
"That was the breakfast Mei made for me... I left so much and just ran off. Mei must be really sad."
After all, no one could remain in a good mood after seeing the meal they prepared get rejected.
It wasn't that she disliked it. No, on the contrary, Kiana loved Mei's cooking more than anything. It was just that this morning, she really couldn't stomach any more sausage and milk.
"It's all that stinking bastard's fault!"
Why call him a stinking bastard?
Because Ye Feng was always releasing a sticky, pungent substance onto Kiana. In any case, Kiana didn't like the smell; she found it disgusting. But that stinking bastard always released so much at once. Sometimes it would even come out of her nose, filling her entire nasal cavity with that awful smell.
This was only natural, of course, as Ye Feng was unleashing the terrifying energy he had accumulated over 100 days each time.
---o---
"Good morning, Kiana."
"Auntie Himeko?"
On the path, she ran into the crimson figure carrying a greatsword, Murata Himeko.
She was wearing her Valkyrie armor, steam rising from her entire body. Her clothes were soaked with sweat, making them look as if they were coated in gel, gleaming under the light.
Himeko threw an arm around Kiana's neck and gave her a noogie.
"How many times have I told you? You have to call me Teacher at school."
Whether she was called Teacher or not wasn't the point. The key was that she couldn't be called Auntie.
"Aahhh, it hurts, it hurts! I get it, Teacher Himeko!"
"That's more like it."
Himeko let Kiana go, patted her on the shoulder, and then her gaze fell upon the Tuna's abdomen.
Himeko's eyes flickered slightly, and she led Kiana to her office.
Kiana stood there awkwardly, looking at Teacher Himeko with some unease, trying to recall if she had done something wrong again.
Himeko took off her jacket. A puff of steam rose from her fair shoulders before quickly dissipating into the early summer morning. She hung her jacket on a rack, took a bottle of whiskey from the fridge, popped the cap, and took two big gulps, her face instantly glowing with renewed vigor.
"Theresa told me you've been having strange dreams?"
"Teacher Himeko, you know too?"
"Mmm, Theresa only told me. As soon as I heard the news, I rushed back overnight after clearing out the Honkai beasts."
"No wonder I haven't seen you these past few days, Teacher Himeko. You were on a mission? When can I ride the Hyperion and fight Honkai beasts?"
"The annual Valkyrie exams are coming up soon. As long as you become a B-Rank Valkyrie, Kiana, you'll be qualified for frontline combat. I have high hopes for you."
"Yay!" Kiana cheered. "B-Rank Valkyrie? Teacher Himeko, you're underestimating me. I'm going to become an A-Rank Valkyrie in one go this time!"
"Then you'll have to work hard for it. Alright, lift up your shirt. Let me see."
Himeko closed the door tightly and locked it before turning around.
"Huh?"
"Your... uh, Stigma."
"Oh, okay."
Kiana pulled up her shirt, revealing the bright red pattern imprinted on her flat, white stomach.
Himeko was slightly taken aback when she saw the mark. She immediately knew that the person named "Ye Feng" from the dream was not a serious character. A moment later, she felt a sense of relief. If it were the Herrscher of the Void, it probably wouldn't have left this kind of mark.
So, what was going on with Kiana's situation? Could it be a natural Stigma?
Natural Stigmas were too mysterious and extremely rare, with many unsolved riddles surrounding them.
I hope Kiana isn't being influenced by a Herrscher.
Himeko stared blankly at Kiana's abdomen. Kiana grew a little shy under her intense gaze.
She curled her toes slightly and asked, "Teacher Himeko, that guy said your body..."
"Oh, the Valkyrie experiment, right? That 'Ye Feng' person seems to know quite a bit."
Himeko took another two gulps of whiskey. "Haha, he really underestimated me. Don't I know my own body? I can still wrestle with an Emperor-class Honkai beast. Alright, pack up and get ready for class."
"Eh? We have to go to class now? Teacher Himeko, I'm so hungry..."
---o---
He hadn't felt it before. Kiana had always given off a dorky impression. Her braided pigtails were also very plain. Her personality was definitely not what you would call outstanding. Among the many beautiful girls of the 2D world, she didn't have any particularly striking features.
But now, the more Ye Feng looked at Kiana, the more he liked her.
In the short span of two days since Friday, her usage count had already surpassed Da Mei-yi's and was rapidly closing in on Da Yaya's.
Ye Feng looked down at Kiana. The crimson pattern stood out against her fair white skin, and her flat abdomen was slightly raised.
He couldn't help but recall last night. Just by lifting a fingertip and gently pinching that raised part of her abdomen, Kiana would start flopping around like a fish out of water.
Kiana's waist, in particular, was the most perfect Ye Feng had ever seen. Because of that, her thrashing looked even more alluring, like a mermaid.
It was like the Herrscher of Finality's swimsuit—despite being a Fire-type damage dealer, she could spray a large amount of water.
But the NPCs wouldn't do that. They gave no feedback at all.
NPCs only reacted reflexively when the pink progress bar reached the heart, and their reaction was very monotonous.
Thinking back to the Tuna, Ye Feng felt like shouting that Kiana was the cutest in the world.
Ye Feng looked at the Kiana before him and used [Change Outfit] to dress her as the Herrscher of Flamescion.
To be honest, before Flamescion came out, Ye Feng couldn't really get excited about Kiana. But now, even when Kiana was wearing her [White Comet] battlesuit with her plain braided pigtails, Ye Feng found her incredibly charming.
Aesthetics really were an ambiguous thing.
Ye Feng pondered whether he should add some little things to Kiana's body. When she came back in, she would surely be in for a big surprise.
However, just then, the NPC list showed a [+2].
"Yae Sakura and Higokumaru?"
Not only that, but the [Map] had also been updated—[Senba High School].
The eternally looping seven-day school life, this unchanging world, had finally undergone a slight change.
The summer sky was high and clear. On the empty sports field, a giant, ferocious fox materialized. Its body was nearly half the size of a soccer field, but the presence of the young woman beneath it was even stronger.
She was a sword-wielding miko with long, sakura-pink hair. Her feet, clad in white thigh-high stockings, were shod in red-strapped geta sandals. A pair of long fox ears stood erect. At this moment, she stared blankly at this world...
---o---