A beast-like roar of pain erupted from the flames. An ice-blue dagger had pierced the uncle's right arm, and frost quickly spread down toward the hand gripping the stun baton.
The uncle spun around violently, swinging his frozen right arm like a club. Standing behind him was Eula, teeth gritted, coughing as she poured the very last of her strength into the silent ambush.
Amber, barely recovered from the paralysis, threw herself in front of Eula to block. The uncle's heavy blow landed, sent both girls flying backward.
"Ugh!"
"Cough!"
They slumped against the wall in pain. The uncle, still partially wreathed in flickering flames, swayed on his feet. He began to close in, one heavy step at a time, looking like a fire demon from the depths of hell.
"It... ends... now..." his voice rasped.
Though the two officers refused to give up, staring back at him with defiant eyes, the situation felt utterly hopeless. In a moment like this, what else could possibly be done?
THWACK!
As if struck by a heavy projectile, the uncle's flaming head snapped forward.
The two officers stared in shock. Standing behind the wobbling man was Ren Tsukasa. He was gripping a second stun baton with both hands like a baseball player who had just swung for the fences.
"I told you," Ren muttered, "I should have just given this guy a sucker punch from the start."
Amber and Eula were stunned. Amber, suddenly remembering Ren's physical stat was only a 9, shouted in panic:
"Run! You can't possibly take him—"
"Let's see... this button should do it, right?"
Ren stood right in front of the flaming uncle, who was slowly turning around. The baton in Ren's hands began to crackle with violent purple electricity.
Everyone realized what was about to happen.
Ren raised the baton again, taking a classic batter's stance. A smirk played on his lips.
"Batter up!"
BOOM!!!
Electro met Pyro. The resulting Overload explosion sent two figures flying in opposite directions.
Ren was lucky—he hit the wall. The uncle, however... was blasted straight through the high-rise window.
Falling through the night sky, the uncle let out a roar of fury and terror before his survival instincts finally kicked in. The series of heavy blows had left him nearly paralyzed, but he remembered one thing—
His car had an autopilot and flight mode! It was parked right in the garage below!
If he could just survive the fall and reach the car, he could flee Mondstadt and start over.
"Car! To me!" he screamed.
"..."
"..."
"WHERE IS MY CAR?!!"
Ren didn't know much about what happened after that.
The point-blank explosion had knocked him unconscious instantly. He only had a vague memory of his pillow being incredibly comfortable—soft, warm, and smelling wonderful.
Sigh... it smells so good.
It was like the scent of lavender basking in the summer sun. He took a long, satisfied breath and drifted back into a deep sleep.
"Is it just me, or is this guy pushing his luck?"
Amber poked Ren's forehead with a slender finger. He was currently fast asleep, his face buried in Eula's soft lap with a look of pure bliss.
Eula didn't seem to mind. She looked up at the doctor. "Doctor, is he going to be alright?"
"Just some minor shock. The stun baton he used had a built-in protective barrier that absorbed most of the explosion's force. He just needs some rest."
As the doctor spoke, he couldn't help but look at Ren with a mix of surprise and envy. This kid was actually using the eldest daughter of the Lawrence family as a pillow.
"That's a relief."
Eula let out a sigh of comfort. Then she turned to Amber, who was busy trying to tweak Ren's nose. "So, why were you at the hotel in the first place? And how did you know to sabotage my uncle's car?"
Amber had asked her about her plans earlier, but specifically preparing for a getaway was more than just a coincidence.
"Hehe, for that, you have him to thank."
Amber, her face still slightly smudged with soot, gave a sunny smile and pointed at the sleeping Ren.
Eula looked down, surprised. "Him?"
Amber excitedly explained the whole story—how Ren had a "hunch" thanks to his high Mental Power and how he had convinced her to check it out.
"So you're saying I owe him more than just those two hits he took for me?"
Eula gave a wry smile. This was a massive debt of gratitude. It wasn't going to be easy to pay back.
"Hehehe."
Amber was about to mention how Ren had been staring at Eula's back at the police station earlier, but Eula suddenly stiffened.
"Sorry, someone is contacting me."
The sophisticated terminal on Eula's wrist glowed. She closed her eyes, and her consciousness entered the virtual space of the Second Void.
The hospital room vanished, replaced by a classical, elegant study. Eula expected her father to be on the line given the family scandal, but standing before her was a mature, regal woman with long, ice-blue hair.
It took Eula a moment to recognize the face from the family portraits. "Matriarch?!"
There was only one person who held that title in the Lawrence family: Vannilaie Lawrence, the legendary first matriarch and the Priestess of the Primordial Archon.
A series of system authentications popped up, confirming the woman's identity and the high-level security clearance of the virtual room.
"What happened tonight is not as simple as you think," the Matriarch said, her tone noble and detached. "Your uncle was being manipulated by the Abyss Order. More importantly... the 'Gentleman' who helped you tonight has a significance beyond your imagination."
"Huh?"
Eula's head was spinning. Did the Matriarch just call Ren a 'Gentleman' in a tone of such reverence?
Before she could process it, another figure appeared in the room.
Dazzling blonde hair, an aura of sacred holiness, and a sense of timeless wisdom.
"You... you are... Lady Gunnhildr?"
In modern Mondstadt, the Acting Grand Master was Jean Gunnhildr, and the beloved Deaconess was Barbara Gunnhildr. But the woman standing here was the original Gunnhildr, the first Great Priestess of the Church.
"We are here to give you a very important mission," Gunnhildr said gently. "For this purpose, this virtual sector has been monitored and locked down by Greater Lord Rukkhadevata herself."
Eula was officially floored.
Even the gods are involved? Just how big of a mess have I stumbled into?!
By the time the meeting ended, Eula's mind was a complete blur.
With the Anemo Archon being famously hands-off, Vannilaie and Gunnhildr were the two most legendary figures in Mondstadt's history. Combined with the personal appearance of the Dendro Archon, Eula left the virtual world with only one thing clear:
Many "Great Ones" were watching this situation. They would contact her again, and she must complete her mission perfectly.
As for what the mission actually was... she was still trying to wrap her head around it.
Returning to reality, Eula looked down at the young man still snoring happily on her lap.
I guess... it all revolves around this Ren Tsukasa...
"Eula."
The hospital door opened, and a stern middle-aged man stepped in.
"Father?" Eula said, surprised. "Did you also—"
As the heir-apparent to the Lawrence family, her father's every move was scrutinized. She expected a phone call, but she never imagined he would rush to the hospital in person.
Her father shook his head once, then gave a tiny nod. Eula understood.
The shake meant "don't talk about it out loud." The nod confirmed her suspicion.
She was speechless. There was no room for doubt now.
So... what exactly is the mission the Matriarch and the Gods gave me?
[ Congratulations, Host, on brilliantly completing your first mission! ]
[ Mission Reward: Anemo Essence is currently in transit. Please check the 'Character Card' via your dashboard. ]
[ Eula Romance Sub-plot: '[Redacted]' series quest has been unlocked! ]
Ren slowly opened his eyes to the cheerful voice of System-chan.
Staring at the unfamiliar ceiling, his first thought was: Why isn't this pillow as comfortable as the one in my dream?
[ Things in dreams are always better than reality! ]
Wow, you're even eavesdropping on my thoughts now?
Ren bickered with the System while checking his surroundings. It was a high-end apartment bedroom, not the temporary housing the police had promised. Since Amber was handling it, he felt safe enough.
He turned his attention back to the rewards.
"Anemo Essence... in transit? What kind of System 'ships' its rewards?"
He scrolled down. "The Character Card is here, but wait..."
Ren's lip twitched.
"Can I ask why the Eula sub-plot is called 'The Uncle's [Content Restricted for Community Guidelines]' series?"
I get the placeholder, but isn't that a bit too weird?!
The System-chan's voice took on a spooky, storytelling tone:
[ The shadow of the Abyss Order is spreading! To prevent the Host from being targeted and eliminated while you are still weak, we must maintain the illusion that the uncle successfully completed his plan! ]
"Come again?" Ren asked, bewildered.
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