The moonlight outside seeped through the gap in the curtains, casting a long, slender sliver of silver-white light on the floor.
Su Yu leaned against his floor pallet by the bed, his gaze fixed on Kiana's quiet, sleeping face.
Her breathing was even, her eyelashes occasionally trembling.
But he himself couldn't sleep.
The scene on the rooftop replayed endlessly in his mind—those molten-lava-like golden pupils, and the condescending, mocking tone of the Herrscher of the Void.
Su Yu clenched his fists.
He had won.
Through rhetoric, psychological warfare, and a bit of luck, he had beaten that arrogant queen back into the abyss.
But he knew better than anyone—it was just a fluke.
What about next time?
Kiana turned over in her sleep, the corner of the blanket slipping from her shoulder.
His wrists were still wrapped in bandages, and the bruises on his knees made every movement a dull ache.
This was his limit as an ordinary person.
If she did something foolish again, he wouldn't even be able to chase after her.
Just then, the air before him distorted slightly, and a semi-transparent light screen appeared without a sound.
[Congratulations, Host, for completing the achievement—Defeating a "God" with the body of a mortal!]
Su Yu's brow twitched.
[Calculation complete! Congratulations, Host, for creating a miracle! You may now choose one of the following two rewards:]
[A. Cash Reward: 5,000,000 RMB, deposited immediately. Can be used to improve quality of life, purchase equipment, or invest in game development!]
[B. Body Enhancement Potion x3: Upon injection, can significantly enhance physical constitution, eventually reaching the level of a Valkyrie. Each injection requires a 72-hour cooldown period. The injection process will cause... uh... 'mild discomfort'.]
The text on the light screen flickered with a garish golden border, strongly resembling the top-up page of some web game.
Su Yu stared at the words 'mild discomfort', the corner of his mouth twitching slightly.
"Speak plainly," he said in a low voice, keeping the volume to a minimum.
[...Alright, in plain terms: Each injection will cause the excruciating pain of having every cell in your body torn apart and reconstructed, lasting for about fifteen minutes. The pain is roughly equivalent to being burned alive three times. The tolerance threshold for a normal human nervous system is ten minutes; exceeding this time carries a risk of permanent neurological damage or death by shock.]
[Of course, if the Host chooses A, you won't have to worry about any of that! Five million! You can buy lots and lots of iced tea!]
Su Yu's gaze shifted to Kiana on the bed.
The moonlight outlined the contour of her profile. In her sleep, that face had finally let go of its daytime vigilance and stubbornness.
He remembered the white figure falling from the rooftop.
He remembered how he had desperately managed to just barely grab her wrist. He remembered the fear of his heart almost stopping at that moment.
What if she jumps again next time?
What if the Herrscher of the Void returns, and he doesn't even have the right to stand before her?
Su Yu gave a cold laugh.
"You should know my choice better than I do."
He looked up at the light screen floating in mid-air.
"You son of a bitch System."
[...]
A slender syringe materialized by Su Yu's hand. The liquid inside the barrel was an unnatural silver-red, glowing faintly.
Su Yu picked up the syringe.
Without hesitation, he plunged the needle into the inside of his forearm.
The moment the silver-red liquid was pushed into his vein, his pupils contracted sharply.
—Pain.
The pain erupted from the injection site, spreading along his blood vessels like countless red-hot iron wires slithering beneath his skin.
Muscle fibers were tearing.
Bones were restructuring.
Nerve endings were screaming.
Su Yu's forehead was instantly covered in cold sweat.
He bit down hard on his own sleeve, refusing to let any sound escape his throat.
His entire body curled into a ball, trembling uncontrollably.
Burned alive three times.
The System hadn't lied.
Kiana's breathing had long since changed its rhythm.
She had woken up the moment Su Yu started looking at the light screen.
The Kaslana intuition never lied; she could perceive even the slightest change.
But she didn't open her eyes.
She didn't know what was happening.
She could only sense that Su Yu was going through something terrible.
That desperately suppressed, intermittent muffled groan.
That sound of teeth grinding, as if they were about to be crushed.
That rustling sound of his body rubbing against the floor pallet from the violent tremors.
Every sound pierced her ears like a needle.
Kiana's fingers clutched the corner of the blanket tightly.
She wanted to turn over.
She wanted to ask him what was wrong. She wanted to see what he was going through.
But she didn't dare to move.
Because that idiot was desperately trying to keep his voice down.
That idiot didn't want her to know.
That idiot didn't want her to worry.
If she opened her eyes now, if she showed any sign of awareness—that idiot would definitely put on an even stronger front, definitely force that infuriatingly relaxed smile and say something stupid like, "It's nothing, just had a nightmare."
So she could only pretend to be asleep.
She could only bite her lip until she tasted iron.
She could only clutch the blanket in the darkness, her nails nearly digging into her palms.
Idiot Su Yu.
—You big idiot.
She didn't know how much time had passed.
Maybe ten minutes, maybe a century.
The trembling gradually subsided.
The breathing slowly returned to a steady rhythm.
Then she heard Su Yu take a soft breath, like someone who had just surfaced from underwater.
The corner of her blanket was tucked in again.
A hand, wrapped in bandages, was as gentle as if handling something fragile.
With her eyes closed, Kiana felt that hand linger on her shoulder for a moment.
Then, Su Yu turned over and lay back down on his floor pallet.
The moonlight continued to spill through the gap in the curtains.
The room returned to a deathly silence.
Kiana lay in the darkness, her eyes burning.
She didn't know what he had gone through.
But she knew it was definitely for her.
Just how many more stupid things was this idiot going to do for her?
—Another reason to live in this world had just been added.
She thought to herself silently.
—And that is to protect this idiot.
To not let him get hurt for her again.
To not let him face those terrible things alone again.
Even if the Herrscher of the Void were to return, even if the whole world were to become her enemy.
As long as this idiot was by her side.
She had a reason to keep on living.
Kiana's lips curved into a slight smile in the darkness.
The tear that slipped from the corner of her eye was quickly absorbed by the pillow, disappearing into the night.
Morning light squeezed through the gap in the curtains, drawing golden stripes on the floor.
The moment Su Yu sat up from his floor pallet, he paused.
—It doesn't hurt anymore?
He tried to move his wrist. The joint, which had been faintly aching yesterday, was now as flexible as if it had never been injured.
The same went for his knees; the piercing pain from the bruises had vanished completely.
His body had indeed recovered.
Su Yu looked down at his arm; something seemed to be flowing under his skin.
The sensation was subtle, as if a more vibrant fluid had replaced the blood in his veins.
It seemed the enhancement potion's effect had also "refreshed" his previous injuries.
He silently gave that son of a bitch System a point in his mental ledger.
But in the next second, Su Yu realized a problem.
If he acted all hale and hearty now, how would he explain last night's events?
He quickly glanced at the bed.
Kiana was already awake, leaning against the headboard and staring blankly. Her heterochromatic eyes were fixed on some unknown point.
Su Yu cleared his throat.
"Kiana."
The white-haired girl's shoulders trembled slightly, as if she had been startled awake.
"Ah... you're awake."
Her voice was a bit hoarse, as if she hadn't slept well all night.
Su Yu didn't pay it much mind.
After all that had happened yesterday, nearly dying on the rooftop, anyone would need a few days to recover.
He deliberately frowned and spoke in a weak tone.
"My leg feels a bit weak... can you help me to the bathroom?"
Kiana's gaze fell on him, lingering for two seconds.
Her expression was a little strange.
It had an extra layer of something indescribable.
It was like she was looking at someone who knew the answer but was still playing dumb, and also like she was holding something back.
But she quickly looked away.
"...Got it."
Kiana threw off the blanket, got out of bed, walked to the edge of the floor pallet, and bent down to offer her hand.
Su Yu took the opportunity to place a hand on her shoulder and use her support to stand up.
Her hand was a little colder than he expected, but very steady.
The two slowly made their way to the bathroom.
While pretending to limp, Su Yu secretly observed Kiana's profile.
She wasn't looking at him.
Her eyes were fixed straight ahead, her lips pressed into a thin line.
A flicker of doubt rose in Su Yu's mind.
What's with this girl today?
They reached the bathroom door.
Su Yu leaned on the doorframe and turned to smile at her.
"Alright, I can handle the rest myself. You go get something to eat first."
Kiana nodded without saying a word.
The bathroom door closed in front of her.
"I'll go heat up some milk."
Kiana's voice came from outside the door, carrying a deliberately calm tone.
Then, the sound of retreating footsteps.
Su Yu turned on the tap, listening to the rushing water, his mind still pondering Kiana's strange behavior today.
—She's probably still recovering from yesterday's events.
He comforted himself with this thought.
In the living room.
Kiana stood in place, looking at the closed bathroom door.
The countdown for her Absolute Freedom Time ticked before her eyes.
She didn't go to the kitchen to heat the milk.
She turned and walked toward the floor pallet where Su Yu had slept last night.
The bedding was still as it was, the blanket messily piled to one side, with a clear human-shaped indentation on the pallet.
Kiana crouched down.
Her fingers touched the surface of the pallet.
—It was wet.
A cold, damp sensation spread from her fingertips.
She froze.
Then, she leaned down, getting closer.
The smell hit her nostrils.
Sweat.
A lot of sweat.
And a faint, almost imperceptible smell of blood.
Kiana's pupils contracted sharply.
Her hands began to tremble.
The traces absorbed into the bedding told her more clearly than any words what had happened here last night.
Kiana covered her mouth with her hand.
A broken sob was stifled in her throat.
Tears streamed down uncontrollably, slipping through the gaps between her fingers and dripping onto the sweat-soaked pallet.
She couldn't imagine it.
She couldn't imagine what kind of pain could make a person sweat so much in silence.
She couldn't imagine how that guy, who usually talked nonsense and acted so lackadaisical, had shouldered all of this alone in the dark.
Kiana knelt before the bedding, her shoulders trembling silently.
This idiot.
This big idiot.
She repeated this sentence over and over in her mind.
But she couldn't say it out loud.
In the bathroom, the sound of water was still rushing.
Su Yu faced the mirror, looking at the slightly tired but otherwise spirited face reflected back at him, and nodded in satisfaction.
"Not bad acting," he muttered to himself. "Should be able to keep it up for another two days."
He had no idea that the white-haired girl outside the door was currently kneeling before his bedding, crying like a fool.
Morning light fell on the sweat-soaked bedding.
Kiana knelt there, tear tracks still on her face, but her eyes had gradually calmed from the initial shock.
Her thoughts began to rewind.
From the rainy stairwell to now, what had really happened these past few days?
System.
Contract.
Anchor.
The one-meter limit.
Absolute Freedom Time.
Su Yu was the one bearing all these unbelievable rules.
He was the one who figured out a way for her to gain a foothold in this world.
He was the one who planned the game, found the artist, and handled the livestreams.
And he was the one who risked his life on the rooftop to pull her back from falling.
And what about her?
What had she done?
Eat his food.
Live in his house.
Use his money to buy clothes.
Use the thirty minutes he refreshed every day to shower and use the bathroom.
Like a... parasite.
Kiana's nails dug into her palm.
No.
Not just a parasite.
She had also almost gotten herself killed on the rooftop, almost letting all of Su Yu's efforts go to waste.
What was even more laughable was that she had never seriously considered—how could Su Yu do all this?
He was just an ordinary person.
No Honkai energy, no Stigmata, no armor, no supernatural powers whatsoever.
Yet he had confronted that arrogant Herrscher of the Void head-on, forcing her back with words and psychological warfare.
And then-
Kiana's gaze fell on the bedding again.
Then he endured some terrible price alone in the dark, just to make himself stronger.
An ordinary person had done what she, a Valkyrie, had failed to do.
Kiana slowly stood up.
Her legs felt a little weak, but her back was ramrod straight.
Su Yu's heart was stronger than hers.
This realization was like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing the last of her self-pity.
In the past, she had been immersed in her own pain.
Teacher Himeko's sacrifice, the separation from Mei and Bronya, the torment from the Herrscher of the Void, the endless pursuit and escape—she felt she had endured too much, that she had no extra energy to think about anything else.
But that was just an excuse.
An excuse to be a parasite with a clear conscience.
Kiana took a deep breath and wiped the remaining tear tracks from her face with her sleeve.
She had to change.
She raised her head, her gaze fixed on the bathroom.
That idiot was still in there pretending his leg was weak, thinking he had her fooled.
So stupid.
But it was precisely this clumsy gentleness that made her even more certain—
She had to become someone who could stand by his side.
Or even protect him.
The bathroom door creaked open.
Su Yu walked out leaning on the doorframe, still wearing that weak expression.
His acting was on point, limping along, looking just like an adventurer who'd taken an arrow to the knee.
Then he saw Kiana standing in the middle of the living room and paused.
Her eyes were a little red, but her expression was unusually calm.
That calmness was the complete opposite of the despair on the rooftop yesterday, as if she had found her Anchor again after going through something.
"What are you spacing out for?" Su Yu joked. "Standing there like a streetlamp."
Kiana didn't retort.
She just turned to face him directly.
In those heterochromatic eyes, something had changed.
"Let's continue our work."
Su Yu's movements froze.
"...What?"
"The game," Kiana said. "Honkai Impact 3rd. You need my memories, right? I can tell you more."
Su Yu stared at her for a few seconds.
Ever since he picked her up, although she had been cooperating with his work, that cooperation felt more like a reluctant necessity.
An active request like this was a first.
And now...
"What's wrong?" Su Yu dropped the joking tone and asked seriously. "Did something happen?"
Kiana shook her head.
Her lips curved up slightly, holding a certainty Su Yu had never seen before.
"Didn't you say it?"
Her voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear.
"—This is my way of fighting in this world."
Su Yu was stunned.
He had said that when he was persuading her to sign the contract.
At the time, it was just to give her a reason to live.
But now, hearing those words from her own mouth, they carried a completely different weight.
Kiana lifted her chin, her eyes bright.
"Valkyrie Kiana, starting today—"
She took a deep breath.
"—is returning to the battlefield."
The morning light poured in from the gap in the curtains, falling on her white hair, plating it with a faint golden brilliance.
Su Yu looked at the girl before him.
He didn't know what she had gone through in the few minutes he was washing his face.
But he could feel it.
The child who had fallen in despair from the rooftop, the child who had curled up in her blanket to escape her nightmares, the child who had bitten her lip, refusing to admit she was afraid.
She had stood up.
Su Yu was silent for a few seconds.
He smiled.
It was a different smile from his usual cheeky one.
It was a genuine, gentle smile.
"Alright."
He nodded.
"But—"
Su Yu's tone shifted, and he jerked his chin toward the kitchen.
"An army marches on its stomach. Let's eat breakfast first, then we can start."
He deliberately emphasized the words "eat breakfast," as if announcing a major decision.
"The milk I bought yesterday is still in the fridge. Didn't you say you were going to heat it? I saw you standing here spacing out for ages. Where's the milk?"
Kiana's face froze.
She had completely forgotten about that.
"I..."
"You what?" Su Yu sighed, limping toward the kitchen. "Forget it, I'll do it. Your housekeeping skills are worse than Chongchong's. Last time you almost burned the milk and didn't even know to turn off the stove."
"That was an accident!"
"An accident? You can't even set the timer on the microwave properly, and you call it an accident?"
"That's because the button was too small!"
The sound of their bickering faded into the morning sunlight.
The hum of the microwave soon started in the kitchen, along with the rustling of Su Yu looking for bread.
Kiana stood where she was, watching the back of the man who was limping but still insisted on busying himself in the kitchen.
The corners of her mouth curled up unconsciously.
This idiot was using this method to diffuse the heavy atmosphere from just now.
She had seen right through him.
But she didn't call him out on it.
Because this clumsy gentleness was exactly what she wanted to protect.
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