"Are you really going to chase the star chart by yourself? No backup and no relic tracking… that's way too dangerous!"
The shelter director, Beatrice, stood in front of Zane with a grim expression. She had heard the Shorekeeper mention this legendary Flower Executor who only existed in records, but that wasn't a reason to let Zane go off alone and take risks.
"Relics?" Zane let out a snort and pointed at himself. "I alone can locate an escaped star chart. Besides, this is the best strategy to minimize Black Coast's losses."
Beatrice frowned slightly, the twin ponytails on her head swaying a little.
"As expected, you're exactly like the one in the records."
"In the records? How did you record me?" Zane stopped walking, suddenly a bit curious. Since he was recorded into stories, then he must have been heroic and mighty.
Either he led three hundred Flower Executors to resist a remnant army, or he roamed the star seas with a group of retainers, conquering Tethys. Otherwise, why would they specifically record him…
"In the records, that Zane doesn't follow orders, dares to charge straight into a Elite–level remnant alone, then gets beaten to tears and runs back."
———
"Did you eat today?"
"Don't try to change the subject!"
Zane curled his lips. His little trick had actually been seen through.
To see through my disguise so easily, this Beatrice really isn't simple! Looks like I'll have to use two hundred and fifty percent of my power.
Zane recalled a book he once read, The Ultimate Guide to Asking for Favors. It seemed to have detailed advice for situations like this.
So, under Beatrice's shocked gaze, Zane straightened his body, kicked his legs, and instantly flopped onto the ground, starting to roll around, "No no no no, I'm going, I'm going, I'm going!"
Watching the white-haired guy throwing a tantrum and rolling around in the middle of the shelter, Beatrice instantly felt her head splitting in two. So this is what a brat looks like.
"Who is that?"
"He's pretty handsome… just doesn't look too bright."
"…Could he be the director's boyfriend?"
———
Beatrice, 'What grudge do you have, why are you insulting me?!'
Zane's loud voice echoed through the shelter hall, drowning out the murmurs of the onlookers. Beatrice, standing closest to him, felt like a swarm of Zanes were buzzing nonstop around her head.
She quickly covered her ears, shaking her head, trying to use her twin ponytails to kill off the endlessly buzzing Zane beside her.
"It's not that I won't let you go. I told you already, it's too dangerous for you to go alone!"
"Danger? The word 'danger' doesn't exist in my dictionary!" As he spoke, Zane quietly shifted his gaze toward the star gate.
"And when it comes to danger, what could be more dangerous than stealing Rover's stockings right in front of her, putting them on Stelle's head, then snatching them back and jerking off?"
"Ah?" Hearing Zane's outrageous claim, Beatrice's face twitched uncontrollably. Her small brain nearly shrank, the folds of her brain seeming to smooth out.
'Do you even hear what you're saying!?'
'That sounds like something that could start World War III.'
Taking advantage of the moment Beatrice was stunned, Zane flashed forward and slipped into the opened star gate. By the time Beatrice reacted, his figure had already disappeared on the other side.
At that moment, Beatrice even felt like the sky had collapsed.
Someone who should have only existed in stories had suddenly appeared in front of her, and she had actually let him run off.
The key point was that there were rumors this Zane was very close to the leader of Black Coast. There were even quite a few BL booklets circulating within Black Coast about Zane and the leader.
"Today's story is about Zane going berserk after failing to get his wages, battling the evil leader who withholds employee salaries.
———
The evil leader who withholds wages is defeated!"
Of course, it could also be used the other way around.
What? You say the leader is a woman? Have you seen her? Even the authoritative Shorekeepers haven't told anyone whether the leader is male or female. How do you know?
But the leader's… top had just slipped into the star gate right under her nose.
At this rate, forget annual leave, she'd probably have to use her monthly salary to pay medical bills.
While Beatrice was spinning in anxiety, Zane had already used the Tethys system's permissions to successfully locate the star chart that was fleeing in all directions.
"Heh heh heh, little star chart, don't be afraid. Big brother's a good person. Let big brother see what you've got down there, okay? Don't worry, it won't hurt."
Hearing that, how could the fleeing star chart possibly comply? It immediately sped up even more.
Not running wasn't an option. Who could have expected Black Coast to send a pervert to chase it?
If it got caught by other Flower Executors, at worst it would just be locked back in the Fallacy Shelter. But if it got caught by this pervert, its entire star chart life would be ruined.
Even if it returned safely to the shelter, it would be laughed at by other star charts for a lifetime.
So one man and one star chart began a chase in this space. It ran, he chased, it couldn't escape even with wings.
Seeing that it had nowhere left to run, the star chart used stray data to create a group of remnants to block Zane's path.
But what the star chart didn't expect was that its counterattack turned into Zane's excitement fuel.
"Heh heh heh, little girl's pretty fiery. Starting to resist now that you can't escape? But that's exactly what big brother likes."
'Help! There's a pervert!'
These data remnants couldn't even delay Zane for a second before he smashed them into data and absorbed them into the system.
"10 data remnants exchanged for 10 star sound."
"!"
Seeing this, Zane became even more excited. The corners of his mouth lifted high, and his gaze toward the fleeing star chart grew clearer. His manic laughter echoed through the entire space.
The star chart was terrified.
The star chart ran.
The star chart got caught.
But what Zane didn't expect was that the moment he grabbed the core of the star chart, a strange frequency began to ripple outward from it.
The piercing frequency echoed in his ears. When he came back to his senses, he realized he had arrived in another place.
Zane's expression changed in shock, then relaxed.
No need to think. This star chart core must have panicked and tried to use an illusion to trap him, then seize the chance to devour him.
But who was he?
How could someone like Zane be taken down so easily?
Facing such a simple trick, Zane chuckled. "Little star chart, struggle all you want. The more you struggle, the more excited I get."
But the next second, a familiar sword sheath appeared at the edge of his vision. The black sheath grew larger and larger…
Then it struck his head.