Because Bronya knew that Penglaiji Ryn had dreamed of Raiden Mei, she was certain that Penglaiji Ryn had met Mei before losing her memories, and thus firmly believed that Mei was still alive.
For this reason, Bronya had been sending people to intensify the search of the surrounding area for the past few days, trying to find Raiden Mei.
However, having not seen Raiden Mei in the five years since the Great Honkai Eruption, how could it be possible to find her now just by looking?
Perhaps she had been hiding somewhere all this time, waiting for someone to find her.
The cannon blast from Gray Moth's return a while ago had nearly wiped out all the personnel of Fire Moth's Combat Squad. To make up for the personnel shortage, some people from the Medical Department and Engineering Department were transferred to the Combat Squad, and Seele took on the duty of training them.
Without Seele, their squad leader, to guide them, Ryn and Penglaiji Ryn began to independently select bounty missions posted by various members of their "family" to complete tasks and conduct daily patrols.
During a patrol in the war zone one day, Ryn and Penglaiji Ryn discovered a magical little creature.
"Meow~"
A small, skinny orange kitten, yet full of life and vitality.
Its agile figure darted through the ruins, and meowing, it ran to Ryn's feet, rubbing its body against his shin.
Ryn and Penglaiji Ryn were immediately captivated by it, and they instantly squatted down and began to happily pet the cat.
In this desolate world, Ryn couldn't help but marvel at the greatness of life. Even in such harsh living conditions, even a fragile little kitten like this would persevere and survive on its own.
Penglaiji Ryn gently stroked the kitten's belly and fed it a small biscuit from her hand.
Suddenly, Penglaiji Ryn thought of something and said to Ryn beside her.
"Big brother, do you like cats?"
"Mhm, I prefer dogs a little more, but I also really like Kiana-cat~ She's so soft and cuddly, and very clingy. Not only does she often wreck the house, but she also likes to sleep on your chest and drool…"
Thinking of Kiana, Ryn couldn't help but reveal a happy smile.
"Kiana-cat? I've never heard of that breed…"
Penglaiji Ryn searched her mind for all the breeds of cats, only to find it completely blank; she had no clue what a "Kiana-cat" was.
"But… Big brother, look at this kitten…"
"It's impossible, don't even think about it. We don't have the ability to keep a pet. Besides, since it has already managed to survive on its own amidst the Honkai, it must have its own way of life. There's no need for me to disturb it…"
Ryn rubbed the kitten's head, then took out the rations he carried with him and gave some to the cat.
After all, as a Herrscher, he only needed to absorb energy to survive. He always saved the food distributed by the base and fed it to Penglaiji Ryn.
The girl was in her growing years. Although she was already developed enough to put most people to shame, eating more was never a bad thing.
"Actually… I can share some of my food with it, that should be enough…"
Penglaiji Ryn looked at Ryn with pleading eyes. She knew that Ryn always saved his food for her, so she felt both respect and affection for him.
"Foolish. This isn't a question of whether it's enough or not. Everyone in Fire Moth is already struggling to survive. How could they possibly allow you to share your food with a cat? The most likely outcome is that if this cat enters the base, it'll be immediately caught and turned into emergency rations…"
"…"
"Let's go. It has its life, and we have ours. Not disturbing each other is actually the best outcome for both of us."
"…"
Penglaiji Ryn looked at the kitten reluctantly, squatting down to stroke its soft fur one last time.
"Well then… goodbye. I hope to see you again in the future."
Penglaiji Ryn waved at the kitten, and the kitten, in a very human-like manner, meowed its farewell to the two of them.
It was a pity the Authority of Creation couldn't work on this little kitten. Otherwise, Ryn would have just snatched it up and taken it away, without a care for those guys at the base.
But if the Authority of Creation could work, things like cloning, genetic modification, and species cultivation would be a piece of cake. The idea that the ground couldn't support life was nonsense to Ryn; he alone could feed the entire Fire Moth, and even the whole world.
Penglaiji Ryn smiled and nudged the daydreaming Ryn with her hand.
"Is Big Brother lost in some daydream again?"
"Don't be silly. I was just thinking about the future prosperous days of Fire Moth…"
"You're an even bigger dreamer than I am."
"Who's to say what's real and what's a dream, anyway?~ By the way, I know a very magical woman. To her, the difference between dream and reality is just a matter of her will. Fantastical things like dreams becoming reality... if she really wanted to, she could turn dreams into reality, and reality into dreams."
"Oh, that's amazing… It sounds like you really admire her. I'm curious, is she my sister-in-law? Or rather, do I have a sister-in-law?"
"Mhm, not only do you have one, you have more than one. Speaking of which, now I'm getting excited! I have to tell you about your several sisters-in-law. Each of them has her own distinct personality…"
As soon as this topic came up, Ryn immediately became animated and started telling Penglaiji Ryn about the fun daily life he used to have with Kiana and the others.
"Mhm, mhm, mhm, mhm…"
Penglaiji Ryn responded perfunctorily. It was obvious that what Ryn was saying wasn't what she wanted to hear. But the more Ryn talked, the happier he became, thoroughly enjoying himself.
In the end, growing increasingly unhappy as she listened, Penglaiji Ryn chuckled, reached out her soft, boneless little hand, slowly found Ryn's waist, pinched the soft flesh there, and gave it a vicious twist.
The next moment, Ryn's pig-like squeal of pain could be heard.
"More than one, you say. Big Brother, you're really good at making things up. Go drown in your sweet dreams!"
Penglaiji Ryn turned her head, flipping her hair and slapping Ryn hard across the face, then walked ahead in a huff.