Chapter 70: Funahiki Gyō's Opportunity?
Death Soldiers manifesting in the real world?
The implications of Yuki's words settled in his mind like a block of ice. That was truly terrible news. It suddenly made sense why the governments of the world had so strictly forbidden players from converting their in-game race to Death Soldiers. They must have foreseen this terrifying possibility long ago.
If someone actually managed to synchronize with that power and bring raw Honkai Energy out of the game, reality itself would be twisted into a second Honkai-ravaged world. Following that line of thought, it seemed the invasion was no longer a question of 'if', but 'when'.
Rovel sighed. 'Forget it. It has nothing to do with me. As long as Yuki is safe, that's all that matters.'
He wasn't arrogant enough to believe he could change the course of the world. He might be at the forefront of all players right now, but that was only a temporary advantage.
"Oh, right, Brother!" Yuki piped up, her thoughts shifting just as quickly. "World Serpent is also planning to quietly recruit some Descenders. I remember hearing it was an executive named Jackal who came up with the idea. Do you want to join? I can put in a good word for you!"
Her eyes lit up, sparkling with anticipation. "If you join World Serpent, then I can be with you every single day!"
Rovel shot her a deadpan look. For a sister who loved to troll her brother, this was a new level of absurdity. Willingly delivering himself to Jackal to be used as a lab rat? What a brilliant idea.
"The name alone sounds shady, so I'll pass," he said, inventing a quick excuse. "Besides, I'm doing quite well in the Far East right now. I still have an A-rank mission I haven't completed yet."
"Is that so..." Yuki's expression soured. "Or is it that you can't bear to leave that woman, Raiden Mei?! What's so great about her? Is it just because she's a D-cup? Yuki has a C-cup! Look! Look at this!"
As if a switch had been flipped, she puffed out her chest indignantly, shouting at him with a comical pout.
Rovel paused, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "What if... I'm a fan of flat chests?"
Yuki froze. "..."
She went completely silent, her brain visibly buffering. After a long, contemplative moment, she answered with grave seriousness, "I'll go ask Teacher Raven if there's a way to make my chest smaller."
"You need to stop right there!" Rovel surrendered, completely defeated by her logic. He reached out, cupping the back of her head with one hand while using the knuckles of his other to give her a gentle noogie on her temple.
He only let her go when she yelped and cried for mercy, giggling.
But the peace lasted less than two seconds before she looked up at him, her eyes wide with curiosity, and posed a soul-searching question.
"So... are you really a fan of flat chests, Brother?"
"Sigh... I'm not that picky," he answered, feeling utterly helpless. He was probably the type who cared more about a pretty face; as long as someone was good-looking, he was fine. As for their figure, as long as they weren't too thin or too overweight, he could accept it.
"A standard scumbag statement. You'll accept anyone who comes your way," Yuki muttered, covering her mouth as a trace of disdain filled her eyes.
"I'm getting angry now," Rovel said, his face falling. She was the one who asked the question, and now she was the one criticizing his answer. It seemed that unless the romantic interest in question was her, no answer would ever be good enough.
"No matter what you're like, Yuki likes you 100%!" she declared, throwing her arms around his neck in an affectionate hug.
Rovel let out another soft sigh. He was powerless against her. All he could do was pat her head gently.
After they finished breakfast, he finally managed to send his devil of a little sister on her way before logging back into the game.
He materialized on the rooftop to find it empty. Siegfried was gone, and he'd taken everything with him, leaving behind only the half-empty can of beer Rovel had been drinking last night.
Rovel walked over and picked up the can. Tucked beneath it was a small, folded note.
"Kiana is entrusted to you for the time being. But listen here, you brat, you are not allowed to lay a hand on my precious daughter! Otherwise, the next time we meet, I'll let you taste the full power of the Judgment of Shamash!"
"Hmph. Next time, I'll just ride a ghost-fire motorcycle with Kiana to come find you myself," Rovel muttered with a half-joking smirk, crumbling the note until it disintegrated into particles of light.
Meanwhile, in a place Rovel knew nothing about, Funahiki Gyō had just logged into the game. The moment he materialized, his entire body collapsed, slumping to the ground like a boneless pile of mud.
"Ah!!!"
A cataclysm of agony erupted from every fiber of his being, a pain so intense it nearly sent him into immediate unconsciousness. He stared at his status bar in disbelief, his eyes scanning it again and again as if unable to process the information.
[Bone Break (Full): Cannot be cured by ordinary medicine. Remaining duration: 167 hours 59 minutes 43 seconds.]
One hundred and sixty-eight hours. A full week. He was sentenced to exist in this state of a living puddle of shattered bones for an entire week.
"Rovel Suou!!!"
A shriek, like that of a vengeful spirit clawing its way from the depths of hell, echoed across Changkong City. Overwhelmed by the excruciating pain, Funahiki Gyō had no choice but to force a log-out.
Two hours later, he logged back in, hoping for some respite. He discovered the timer was still frozen at 167 hours and 59 minutes.
Funahiki Gyō's face, already pale from the agony, turned a ghastly shade of white.
'Could it be... this debuff only counts down while I'm online?'
A cold sweat drenched his entire body as a wave of pure, unadulterated terror washed over him. He would have to endure seven full days of this inhuman torture inside the game. Not only would he fall behind in progress by an entire week, but he would also be subjected to a living nightmare.
In his despair, a single name surfaced in his mind: Cocolia.
'Yes, Her Excellency Cocolia... she must have a way to save me!'
Funahiki Gyō immediately ordered his men to contact her.
"What is it?" Soon, Cocolia's cold, detached voice crackled through the communicator.
"Your Excellency, save me! Please, save me! All the bones in my body have been broken, and the system says it will take a full seven days to recover!" Funahiki Gyō's voice was a desperate, trembling plea, like a drowning man grasping at a final piece of driftwood.
"All your bones are broken?" Cocolia asked, a hint of detached curiosity in her tone. "If it were a simple fracture, I could offer you several treatment plans. But if it's your entire body... I'm sorry, I can't help you."
She spoke with chilling indifference.
"Only seven days to recover from having every bone in your body shattered? Descenders are truly fascinating creatures..." Cocolia murmured to herself, more a clinical observation than a sympathetic remark.
"Your Excellency, I'm begging you! You must have a way! I... I have money, a lot of it! I can provide you with more Descenders for your experiments! Please, you have to help me!" Funahiki Gyō's voice was cracking, laced with hysteria.
The only reply was the monotonous drone of a busy signal. Cocolia had hung up.
"Ahhh... you wretched bitch!!!" Funahiki Gyō let out a roar of impotent rage that was little more than a pained gurgle.
He could only order his subordinates to scour the vicinity for any possible treatment. But even the most advanced hospital in Changkong City was powerless to remove his [Bone Break (Full)] debuff.
To make matters worse, his excessive movements and frantic orders had drawn attention. News of his condition reached his family.
Falling behind by a week's progress was a catastrophic blow. Even though Funahiki Shin had died twice, a full week was more than enough time for him to close the gap and surpass Funahiki Gyō.
The Funahiki Family acted swiftly. Resources began to shift toward Funahiki Shin, positioning him to take over Gyō's role as the family's representative in their dealings with Cocolia.
Overnight, the once-glorious designated heir of the Funahiki Family was cast aside like a stray dog on the roadside. Only two guards remained by his side—not to protect him, but to monitor him, ensuring he didn't log off. They were going to force him to endure the full seven days of torment in the game.
Just as Funahiki Gyō was sinking into the abyss of total despair, a strange, umbrella-wielding cyborg appeared before him.
"Nagazora Pharmaceuticals can cure your illness," the figure said, its voice a low, synthetic rasp. "But... can you offer your loyalty to the Serpent?"
"I will! I will!!!" Funahiki Gyō agreed without a moment's hesitation.
As long as the debuff was removed, he could reclaim his position! He was still the true heir of the Funahiki Family! Funahiki Shin would never be able to steal what was rightfully his! And then... then he would have his revenge on Rovel!
"Hehe, Executive Jackal has been waiting for you for a long time," the cyborg, Gray Serpent, let out a cold, sinister laugh.
And Funahiki Gyō, blinded by pain and rage, had no idea what truly awaited him.
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