"What are you doing?"
Vil-V rubbed her reddened forehead, standing very obediently. Ryan was the big financier; she couldn't afford to offend him. And on reflection, there was a tiny bit of waste.
Especially since Ryan hadn't been around lately, and Mei was busy with the tempering plan, she had a tendency to let loose.
She had been building fortifications during the day and working on small inventions at night, having hardly slept for half a month.
The Magician personality.
Ryan glanced at her, sighing. The Magician was the most frequently appearing personality, characterized by not listening to reason. Scolding her would be forgotten in just a lunch break, then it would be an endless cycle.
"I heard you have a 'Pleasure' personality recently?"
"Oh, her? She prefers to watch the show. Should I call her out?"
Ryan was silent for a moment, then nodded. He was also very interested in this personality that didn't exist in the original world line, and casually checked the time.
"Sakura, you go pick Rin up from school. I'll go home after I've briefed Vil-V."
Ah, this... I originally wanted to wait for you to finish your business and go together.
Sakura took a light breath, nodded, and left. Anyway, there would be plenty of opportunities, no need to rush for this one day.
Ryan turned his head and saw Vil-V already sitting in a swivel chair, her plump, long legs crossed, her right hand propping up her tilted head, a faint smile playing on her lips, and her gradient-colored eyes looked very strange.
She seemed to be smiling, yet also filled with desire and curiosity about the world.
"You are Pleasure Vil-V?" Ryan frowned slightly. Vil-V most peculiar aspect was this: despite having identical appearances, their inner selves were completely different.
"Hmm, I wouldn't say it's our first meeting, but this is the first time we've talked face-to-face." She leaned forward slightly, her chest protruding more due to gravity, making the cleavage point towards Ryan, which instinctively made him glance.
She clearly noticed his gaze, raised her hand, and squeezed inwards, making the cleavage appear deeper.
"It's big, isn't it? As expected, you are filled with desire for women, but it's astonishing that you can restrain yourself. You truly are a wise man who considers the bigger picture."
Cough, cough.
Ryan, who was drinking coffee, his hand trembled. He looked intently, thinking, Can you please not use such a serious tone to say something so suggestive? He narrowed his eyes.
"What are you saying?"
"This is a compliment to you. With the power and authority you possess, you are capable of attracting all women, letting that gentleness consume bones and souls. There are countless similar examples in history books. But you can still maintain restraint for your career. This kind of composure is not something everyone can achieve. And you are also very gentle. If you developed too deeply with one person, you would be afraid of hurting others, wouldn't you?"
The flattery came out of nowhere, making one involuntarily puff out their chest, but Ryan saw a hint of pleasure in those peculiar eyes and immediately realized.
Oh, you're teasing me, aren't you?
Ryan was not a weak person. If he had a thousand faces, upon discovering that this Pleasure Vil-V had a terrible personality, he wouldn't be as playful as he was with the Magician.
He put down his coffee cup, straightened his back slightly, sat in a commanding posture, and his tone became cold.
"Don't get it wrong, Vil-V. This has nothing to do with restraint, gentleness, morality, or fear."
"Oh? Then please enlighten me."
"You think I've confirmed my relationship with Mobius, and Hua or someone else would be sad, so you've been hesitant and restrained?"
"Otherwise?"
"First, I deeply respect their thoughts. Some people haven't even made up their own minds, and I have no intention of interfering, but my actions have no clear purpose. Second, no matter how you answer a multiple-choice question, it can't be perfect. Someone will always be sad once an answer is chosen."
"So you don't make a choice, and wait for time to bring the answer?" Vil-V gently raised an eyebrow, a little disappointed.
"Wrong again. If I absolutely have to make a choice." Ryan leaned forward slightly, clenching his fist, "I choose to have them all!"
It was quite shameless, but it made an expression of astonishment appear on Vil-V face. Her eyes suddenly lit up, and her smile was completely undisguised.
"You truly are a person full of desire."
"What, disappointed?"
"No, no, no, this is what's interesting. It even excites me. Let me reintroduce myself. I am Vil-V, the Vil-V who seeks pleasure." She curtsied again, but this time it seemed very elegant, without the previous deliberate seduction.
Hiss, I'd rather have the Magician.
Ryan eye twitched. He couldn't quite grasp this strange woman. Fortunately, he had generally analyzed her personality spectrum.
Very strange, and a bit evil. Pleasure, huh? The personality can switch back and forth between masochist and sadist. Hmm, I need to suppress her with my aura to make her a masochist so she'll obediently listen.
Ryan was also a shrewd person, which is why he could get along harmoniously with everyone, from the literary young woman Eden to the illiterate Pardo, from the gentle Aponia to the irritable Kalpas. He relied on this ability to adapt to a thousand different personalities.
This didn't need to be learned, nor acted out; it was already an ingrained instinct.
So he placed his hand on his abdomen, and the overflowing Honkai energy began to distort the air.
"Your interests are not within my consideration, and you don't represent the other Vil-Vs, so don't put on an act in front of me." Ryan warned, while taking out the fiery red 'gem'.
"The Seventh Herrscher Core is entrusted to you. You are to make a Divine Key from it. The requirement is simple: ensure maximum destructive power."
"I lack the Magician's whimsical ideas." Vil-V spread her hands, and Ryan leaned forward, almost touching her forehead, which made her teasing gesture pause.
"But you know how to make Herrschers suffer more, and enemies fear more."
Their eyes met, and the air seemed to solidify. After several seconds, Vil-V finally showed a knowing smile.
"Good, I'll do this. Anything else to instruct?"
"Be quick. Don't let the Magician come out and disturb me recently. And I need a defensive gear. You can modify a power exoskeleton. The defense must be strong." Ryan silently got up and reached out his hand towards Vil-V face. The latter froze, then closed her eyes as if both wanting and resisting.
But Ryan took out a miniature voice recorder and annihilated it in a flickering electric arc.
"And don't play mind games in the future. I don't want to be the source of your pleasure."
Ryan left after saying that, walking through the piled-up large machinery, leaving Vil-V dazed in her swivel chair.
After a long time, a pleased smile reappeared on her face, her lips stretched to their limit. She gently stroked her face, over and over again,
"Sorry, you already are!"
Phew, she's even worse than the Magician. This Vil-V, except for her 'id', is completely mentally unstable. She's really hard to deal with.
Ryan finally let out a long breath after leaving the workshop, feeling a bit tired. Anyone who tried to conquer Vil-V was a brave warrior, because it was like dating several people with different personalities, which would surely drive one crazy.
Fortunately, my emotional intelligence is high enough to barely handle her. Pleasure, huh? Will there be a 'Shameless' Vil-V in the future?
Ryan didn't know, but he suddenly found the Magician much cuter. At least she was like a mischievous child with a strong desire to perform, not dangerous.
The underground space reflected a dim golden 'sunlight'. He checked his watch and found it was past six, but he wasn't in a hurry to go home. He stopped on a sky bridge, leaning on the railing, and began to admire the scenery.
City residents slowly increased. Besides the Fire Moth military vehicles, civilian vehicles also started appearing on the roads. Air flowing in from thousands of vents formed currents under the devices, like wind brushing through hair, and rustling the genetically modified plants.
Ryan comfortably narrowed his eyes. He had never seen himself as a savior, or rather, he had always been very realistic.
If a city like Donggong was destroyed, there was nothing he could do. Ryan couldn't be bothered to care. Whether it was the city before him or the entire Earth, what he could do was within the scope of 'what he was capable of'.
That was enough. He was just a Fated Traveler, not a Star God incarnate. To preserve some things, he had to abandon others, just like at this very moment, all he could see was the scenery before him.
Outside the commercial street, Sakura had a plastic bag hanging on her elbow, holding Griseo left hand, and pulling the wildly running Rin with her right hand. If it weren't for her fox ears and the long sword at her waist, she would look more like a young mother.
"Eh, Brother Ryan?" Griseo, who had just started elementary school, still spoke in a childish voice.
"Where is he, where is he?" Rin immediately looked around, but her shoulder was gently patted. Following her sister's hand, she saw the man on the bridge gently waving his hand.
"It really is him!"
Rin was very energetic. She immediately abandoned Sakura, ran to the bridge in a flash, and then pounced, hugging Ryan neck and spinning several times.
"Yay, Brother Ryan, you're finally back."
"How is it, are you used to staying here?" Ryan rubbed the girl's pink hair. Rin was always happy and full of energy.
"I'm used to it, but it's not as good as I imagined. For example, I still have to go to school, do homework, Sister Elysia always likes to tease me, and Brother Kalpas looks a bit scary." The girl counted them one by one with her fingers, but finally she raised her head, her face full of smiles.
"But these don't matter. It's good to be with my sister and everyone, and I heard my sister say that we won't move again in the future, right?"
"At least not in the short term. By the way, where's Pardo?" Ryan looked around, but didn't see the cat's figure. Because Pardofelis didn't know how old she was, she was simply put in Rin's class to attend junior high school.
"Hehe, Pardo was kept after class for sleeping in class. If she doesn't move faster, she'll probably miss dinner." Rin covered her mouth and laughed, then hugged Ryan from behind again, "I got third place in this exam, do I get a reward?"
Before Ryan could think of a reward, he was hit hard in the stomach again. Griseo headbutted him, hugged his waist, sandwiching Ryan in the middle, one in front and one behind.
"Griseo painting was exhibited, she wants a reward too!"
"You two, be moderate, so many people are watching." Sakura walked over quietly, seeing the passers-by smiling kindly.
"It doesn't matter, isn't this the life we pursue?" Ryan put Griseo on his neck, letting the girl hug his head, then casually took the bag from Sakura hand, and held Rin hand with the other.
He walked a few steps, then turned his head to see Sakura standing in the center of the overpass, as if covered with a layer of golden gauze, her expression somewhat dazed.
The man who had just killed the Herrscher with his own hands, covered in blood, smiled slightly.
"What are you dazed for? Let's go home."