While Lin Ling and Dean Theresa were arguing, the usually the loudest Kiana remained silent.
She even put down her bowl and chopsticks after eating only a few bites of rice.
This made the others who knew her well a little worried.
Kiana usually eats like a starving ghost, but now she couldn't finish more than six bowls of rice today... This was highly unusual.
Mei and Bronya had the same thought.
They could both tell that Kiana was still worried about Himeko.
"Kiana, don't worry too much about Major Himeko." Mei also put down her bowl and chopsticks, gently pulling Kiana's hand to comfort her. "The academy has advanced medical technology, and they'll definitely be able to heal her."
"..."
However, despite hearing similar reassurances from Mei and theid teacher yesterday, Kiana still couldn't shake her anxiety. It had been an entire night, and there was still no news, which made her feel even more uneasy...
Beep beep~
Just then, Theresa's phone rang.
"Hello? Who is this?... Oh, the emergency center... What?!... Himeko?!..."
"!"
Upon hearing Theresa's conversation, everyone immediately stopped what they were doing and stared at the Dean, holding their breath...
Except for Lin Ling.
She was still eating non-stop, making somewhat awkward and noisy sounds in the tense moment.
This made Mei feel a bit disgusted with her.
Himeko had just saved her life the day before, yet Lin Ling didn't seem to care about Himeko's condition at all.
Were all her words about caring for everyone, especially Himeko, just empty talk?
Meanwhile, Theresa's call didn't last too long.
After hanging up, she stared at her phone, her expression dull and distracted...
"I have some bad news for you." Theresa struggled to get the words out.
Everyone present felt a jolt of anxiety, and Mei nervously covered her mouth.
But the next moment—
"Hehe!" Theresa suddenly burst into laughter, the gloom on her face vanishing, as if her previous expression had been an illusion. "Himeko is completely out of danger~"
"Huh!?" The abrupt change stunned Mei and the others.
Before they could even react, Theresa pouted and said, "But she won't be able to get out of bed for now. She'll need a month of rest to regain mobility. It's such a pity. I was hoping the woman would get a good lesson and cool off her hot temper. Looks like there's no chance this time. So~"
Theresa pulled out a bottle of wine and a Homu manga from somewhere.
"So let's have a celebration!"
"Oh? You can drink alcohol?" Lin Ling asked, surprised.
"This isn't al..." Theresa was about to refute, but then recalled something and admitted, "Yes, it's alcohol. Want to try some?"
She poured a glass for Lin Ling.
"Wow, why is this wine green?" Lin Ling asked curiously. She then raised the glass and drank it all, but her face turned green the next moment. "Yuck! It's bitter melon juice!?"
Damn, she was fooled. She forgot that this old woman only likes bitter things.
"Haha." Seeing the little troublemaker who teased her get defeated, Theresa laughed proudly. "Bitter melon juice is so delicious, and yet you still dislike it."
But as she laughed, Theresa noticed something was wrong. Kiana was still frowning.
Feeling a bit apologetic, she gently poked Kiana's waist and said, "Don't be like this. I was just joking."
However, Kiana clenched her fists, her eyes a little wet. "When I was in Jiuyou, Himeko was right next to me, but I couldn't save her at all! Otherwise, she wouldn't have been hurt!"
"It's not your fault. Everyone has limitations..." Theresa tried to comfort her. "And you're still young..."
"But!" Kiana stood up excitedly. "I swore to my father that I would protect the people important to me. I can't stay confused like this anymore. Aunt! I want to get stronger, and fast!"
"You want to get stronger quickly? No problem, Kiana!" Hearing this, the small, white figure confidently put her hands on her hips. "Do you remember the hellish devil training I mentioned to Lin Ling earlier? If you want to get stronger, come and challenge it!"
"Okay!" Kiana agreed without hesitation. "I'll take the challenge!"
"But, I have to remind you, this won't be the same small fights you've had during your daily training. You have to be mentally prepared."
Kiana didn't respond, but the determination in her eyes was clear.
...
Theresa then took Kiana for a special, isolated training session.
Lin Ling and the others continued with their normal classes.
However, by the time they had finished a full day of lessons and returned to the dormitory for dinner, Kiana and Theresa still hadn't come back.
"It's so late, and they're still training? It seems the hellish devil training really is tough," Mei sighed.
"Of course. If you want to become stronger quickly, you naturally have to pay a higher price," Fu Hua nodded solemnly. "But since Kiana is working so hard, we can't afford to slack off."
"Yeah~" Lin Ling nodded in agreement.
Himeko was in the hospital, Kiana was in special training, and all the events leading up to the Anti-Entropy invasion had already happened.
They would probably come for Mei soon...
Maybe even tonight. It looks like she has to work harder to tease everyone!
"Hmph!" At that moment, Mei snorted, a little dissatisfied. "You were distracted in class all day today, and yet you're still nodding."
"Oh? Have you been watching me all day? Mei, do you like me that much?~"
"..."
Mei didn't reply, but the disgust in her eyes deepened.
As the eldest daughter of the Raiden family who used to be aloof and proud, Mei only showed her gentle side to Kiana and a few others she was particularly close to. Lin Ling's frivolous behavior in recent days had made her uncomfortable, and unconsciously, she had reverted to her old self, treating Lin Ling with cold indifference.
[Ding~ System prompt: The host has successfully made Mei Raiden moderately annoyed, increasing Honkai energy manipulation ability by 5%.]
Sigh~ As expected, talking nonsense does offend people~
Lin Ling sighed inwardly.
Still, since her Honkai energy manipulation ability had improved, and she had spent the entire day reviewing muscle repair knowledge and practicing how to use the power of the Herrscher to heal herself, the damage inflicted by the immortal yesterday was nearly gone.
Even if something happens tonight, she should be able to handle it...