Ryn fell into a coma, once again entering that bizarre dreamscape.
In the dream, the confused her found the sad her again.
Perhaps it was to no longer be alone, or perhaps out of sympathy for her, this time Ryn did not choose to run away, but wanted to wake her up.
Slap, slap—
Ryn opened her dazed eyes to find everyone gathered around her. She touched her slightly sore cheek and said to Ryn and the others with some uncertainty:
"Uh… am I still alive?"
Upon hearing Ryn say this, Bronya Zaychik, who had been very worried, immediately flew into a rage, sternly reprimanding Ryn.
"Is that what you think? What do you take your own life for! If support hadn't arrived quickly, you would be dead! We should have told you that you are allowed to fight, but you must not force yourself to confront enemies you can't handle! Do you have any idea what price we paid to bring you back to the base from the ruins? Your life no longer belongs to you alone! Do you know that in the face of the Honkai…"
"Alright, alright, if it weren't for Ryn, all those people in the medical team would have been sacrificed…" Seele stopped Bronya Zaychik from continuing her scolding and began to speak up for Ryn.
"She worked very hard too. If she hadn't held back the Honkai Beast, I wouldn't have been able to arrive in time, right?" Ryn also spoke up to defend Ryn. After all, to be honest, Ryn hadn't really done anything wrong…
With both Seele and Ryn speaking up for Ryn, Bronya Zaychik didn't want to say any more. She left with a parting word and departed.
"If you don't even know how to cherish your own life, how can you save others? Think about it yourself. Seele, tell them how to survive in this world." Bronya Zaychik glanced at Ryn, then turned and left the room.
Ryn felt a little guilty. She didn't know how much of a price Bronya Zaychik and the others had paid to bring her, with her memory lost, onto the train from the ruins. But even without being told, some things were clear from the daytime battle.
Ordinary people were no match for Honkai Beasts. Even the most common Honkai Zombie girl required two or three ordinary people to suppress.
But was it wrong for me to save people…?
A hand rested on her head and ruffled her hair vigorously. Ryn looked up at the owner of the hand.
"Don't be sad. You did nothing wrong, and Bronya Zaychik did nothing wrong either. Different standpoints lead to different perspectives on issues." Ryn smiled at Ryn. "We just joined, so we don't know them well yet. But as the leader of Fire Moth, Bronya Zaychik is surely angry because you didn't value your own life."
"Mmm…" Ryn's expression softened a little, and she nodded in silence.
"Oh my, it looks like Ryn needs some time to herself. I won't disturb you two then." Seele waved goodbye to Ryn and then patted Ryn. "Sister Bronya just has a sharp tongue but a soft heart. She's actually very concerned about you. Rest well. When you're rested enough, you can come find me in the command room. I'll show you around Fire Moth."
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Ryn sat alone on the bed, lost in thought for a long time. Finally, she made up her mind, opened the inner door, and shouted to Ryn, who was lying on the bed pondering something.
"I'm too weak. Brother, I want to become stronger."
Ryn flicked away the piece of iron he was fiddling with, got up, and looked at Ryn.
"There are many ways to become stronger, but are you prepared to bear the price of becoming stronger?"
"I have lost my memories, my past. Since I have nothing to begin with, what price is there that I cannot bear?"
Ryn and Ryn looked at each other and smiled.
Not long after, blood-curdling, hair-raising screams echoed from Ryn's room.
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"…!? Ryn, I feel like your whole style has changed. Did you… evolve into King Kong…?"
Seele stared dumbfounded at the Ryn before her, who had transformed into a hulk with bulging muscles as hard as steel.
"No, this is just the price of becoming stronger." Ryn covered her face, too ashamed to be seen.
At that time, after she told Ryn she wanted to become stronger, Ryn said to her instead:
"Only a strong physique can contain more Honkai energy. It's simple to get stronger; first, you need to build a body of steel. Here, let me show you something cool."
Then, as Ryn's eyes widened in astonishment, Ryn extended his fist, the size of a sandbag, and punched down.
After being beaten by Ryn for an unknown amount of time, by the time Ryn's consciousness cleared, she found that her body was filled with substantial muscles.
"Although it's a bit scary, is this what it feels like to be full of power?" Ryn clenched her fist. Is this the feeling of having power?
"You're overthinking it. You're just swollen from my beating." Ryn mercilessly shattered Ryn's illusion.
"I've moderately infused my power into you through my strikes. Once your body adapts to it, I will continue to add more energy."
"…" Ryn looked at herself in the mirror. Her strong physique could no longer be contained within one small mirror.
"Since it's swelling… will it go down? Can my body return to normal…?"
"Depends on when you can adapt to it~"
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Duang—
Seele retracted her scythe and patted Ryn's muscles with envy.
"Wow, these muscles are far beyond the range of an ordinary person. You're invulnerable to blades and spears~ Go ask Ryn if this method can be popularized. If all the survivors in the base had such a physique… the survival rate would probably be much higher!"
"Unfortunately, brother Ryn said it's not universally applicable and can't be widely popularized." Ryn stretched her arms, flexed, and showed off her thick biceps. "But, the current me can take on ten of my former self. Seele, want to spar with me?"
"Sure~" Seele said with a grin, dragging Ryn into the training room.
Then, as expected, Ryn was beaten up by Seele again.
Ryn taught Ryn the true meaning of power, but Seele taught Ryn how to be a person again with technique.
However, although she was beaten up by both sides, Ryn did indeed become stronger.
What doesn't kill me makes me stronger!
Ryn, having lost everything, was like a blank slate, but a blank slate is also easier to color.
Ryn's power and Seele's techniques, Ryn absorbed them all like a sponge amidst the beatings.