A week flew by in the blink of an eye. It was now the final day, and the numbers on the bellies of Bronya and the others were nearly depleted.
Just as Cangxuan had suspected, Luo Hong was a master of "point control." Even though she had the highest remaining points, by the last day, she only had a dozen or so left.
The higher points did have one benefit: her "craving" for Luo Hong wasn't as overwhelming. Bronya and Danzhu, however, were in a sorry state. Luo Hong had intentionally "neglected" them over the past few days, leaving their desires with no outlet. They had even been caught "self-generating electricity" (relieving themselves), only to be mercilessly mocked by that scoundrel.
"S-Sister..."
At Mount Taixuan, Danzhu woke up from the dream with tiny pink hearts shimmering in her eyes, her body flushed with a restless heat. Last night, Luo Hong had played another game of "Placement Play" with her, claiming he was "giving her a chance" to hold out.
Her slender white hands gripped her pillow until her knuckles turned bloodless. Her long legs stretched out instinctively, toes curling like pearls. Her body trembled slightly; with her hazy, unfocused gaze, she looked like a mermaid just hauled onto the shore.
"Calm your heart and breath."
Cangxuan, who woke up alongside her, frowned slightly. She loved her sister, but it was family love, not... that. She could have made some toys for Danzhu—Danzhu could even make them herself, being the goddess of creation—but Cangxuan figured the best she could do was pretend not to notice. Her sister was grown up, after all.
Maybe we should sleep in separate beds from now on, she thought.
Cangxuan got up and looked at the black-and-white orb on the table—the Book of Fuxi. The charging process was nearly complete. Today, they could activate her and head back to St. Freya Academy.
However—
Stepping outside into the cloudless day, Cangxuan's heart felt heavy. Even now, Otto had not come to find them. In other words, the plot of this world had definitely undergone a massive shift. Whether it was for better or worse, she didn't know, and a shadow loomed over her mind.
Fortunately, with Luo Hong around, the path ahead wasn't completely shrouded in mist. It was just... they were now entirely dependent on him. She realized that not only she and her sister, but Bronya and the other Valkyries would eventually fall into Luo Hong's hands; it was only a matter of "sooner or later."
The only consolation was that the man genuinely liked them. Otherwise, he wouldn't even give them a "choice."
—The choice to be devoured through "pure love," or to be devoured through force!
"Phew..."
She exhaled a breath of turbid air, her face slightly flushed, and began practicing the health-preserving martial arts she had learned from Fu Hua. It wouldn't make her stronger, but it helped calm her mind while she waited for her sister to finish "handling" herself.
By the time she finished her routine, a bashful Danzhu finally emerged from the house. Being sisters, and since this wasn't the first time, Danzhu quickly regained her usual energy.
"Sister, we're going back today, right?" She looked around with a lingering gaze; this place held many beautiful memories.
"Without our old friend here, lingering for the scenery is meaningless," the rational Cangxuan pointed out. Without Fu Hua, being here was hollow. And Fu Hua was still waiting for them to wake her memories!
"True." Danzhu's nostalgia vanished, replaced by determination. "We must help Hua recover her memories as soon as possible!"
"Yes," Cangxuan agreed. "Let's prepare some—who's there?"
Mid-sentence, her icy blue eyes sharpened. She turned toward an uninvited guest. A few black feathers drifted down. A woman with a lithe, tall figure and a hood over her grey hair stood a short distance away.
"Relax, you two... friends?"
Raven, wrapped in her black cloak, scanned the sisters with her rose-colored eyes, using an uncertain tone to address them. Knowing their identities as "Ancestors," she wasn't sure if "friends" was appropriate. But she wasn't so socially inept as to call two beautiful young girls "Ancestors" to their faces.
"Raven?" Danzhu tilted her head. "Otto didn't come, but World Serpent beat him to the punch?"
Over the past week, Luo Hong had told them the secrets of the major organizations to ensure they had leverage no matter who found them. They just hadn't expected World Serpent—the most hidden group—to show up first.
"You know me?" Raven looked slightly flattered, but relaxed her posture. "I suppose a fight can be avoided then?"
Despite her words, her internal guard remained high. As a veteran mercenary, she knew you had to be most steady when the mission was near completion.
"Of course," Cangxuan nodded, then looked at Danzhu. "It seems the plan to wake Hua's memories will have to wait. Let's go see the Elysian Realm first."
"Yeah, that's all we can do. I just hope Dr. Mobius isn't too shocked." Danzhu smirked, excited at the thought of surprising Mobius after 50,000 years.
"I appreciate your cooperation," Raven said, bowing slightly and gesturing toward the mountain path. "Please follow me. The aircraft is at the foot of the mountain."
"No need to be so polite..." Cangxuan said in a subtle tone. "We might become very close in the future."
"Hm?" Raven blinked, confused by the comment. Before she could process it, Danzhu spoke up.
"By the way—" Danzhu said with a sincere expression. "If you can sell that little island of yours, I suggest you do it as soon as possible. Otherwise, according to the theory of world-line convergence, your island is very likely to sink due to some strange event anyway."
"Huh?" Raven stood frozen, her heart skipping a beat at the mention of her precious treasure.