Despite Seele's verbal abuse, the Automaton paid no attention. As a mechanical soldier without self-awareness that operated solely based on programmed functions, it lacked the capacity for emotions like anger.
"Huff… huff…" After her tirade against the automaton, Seele was somewhat exhausted. Just as she was about to give up and consider another approach, a faint chuckle suddenly reached her ears.
The laughter was extremely subtle, as if deliberately suppressed. Following the sound, Seele widened her eyes in surprise—Yun Fan had somehow appeared right behind her.
Noticing that Seele had spotted him, Yun Fan raised the camera in his hand and flashed her a teasing grin.
"Y-you…!" Seeing the camera pointed at her, Seele instantly realized what he was doing. Her face flushed red, but fortunately, she hadn't completely lost her composure.
Stealing a glance at the Automaton and confirming that the hunk of metal hadn't noticed the commotion, Seele let out a relieved sigh before gritting her teeth and whispering, "Hey, what the hell are you up to?"
"What am I up to?" Yun Fan feigned a look of 'confusion' before putting on an expression of 'mock disdain.' "Isn't it obvious? I'm just documenting some blackmail material of the great Wildfire boss, Seele!"
Seele: "…"
Haa… Don't get mad, don't get mad! We're still in Svarog's territory, can't afford to lose my temper now—aaargh!
Whoosh! With a sharp sound, Seele's eyes narrowed as she spun around and delivered a swift kick toward the camera in Yun Fan's hand, aiming to shatter it in one strike.
"Whoa! No honor among the young!" Yun Fan hadn't expected Seele to suddenly attack him. Instinctively, he reached out with his right hand and caught her slender ankle mid-air.
Seele: "…"
Yun Fan: "…"
The two stared at each other in silence, and for a moment, the atmosphere grew strangely ambiguous. After a few seconds, Seele finally snapped back to reality, her face burning red as she whispered in a voice as soft as a mosquito's hum, "L-let go of me, or we'll be dis—"
She had been about to say "discovered by the enemy," but to her shock, she realized that all the automatons—including Svarog—had eerily frozen in place, as if… time itself had been paused for them.
"This is…" Seele was momentarily dazed. "Did you do this?"
Gulp. Yun Fan swallowed hard. He suddenly found Seele incredibly… cute.
Her well-proportioned figure, her fair and delicate skin that seemed as smooth as fine jade, the beads of sweat trickling down her purple hair, her long, slender legs now fully exposed due to him gripping her ankle—and that adorably bewildered expression on her face…
Hiss—
Yun Fan sucked in a sharp breath and released her ankle. If this went on any longer, the excessive Yang energy in his Yang Spirit might surge uncontrollably again.
Ahem. "Let's go. I'll get you out of here."
——————————————
Goethe Hotel…
Natasha leaned back in her chair, exhaustion evident on her face. She had been waiting here for a full three hours, yet there was no sign of Yun Fan. If not for the certainty that he would return by evening, she wouldn't have had the patience to keep waiting.
With Seele's fate unknown, Yun Fan and his group of visitors from the Overworld were essentially her only hope.
Earlier, she had spotted a few girls dressed in a manner completely out of place for the Underworld entering the Goethe Hotel. After a brief conversation, Natasha learned their general identities—though, naturally, it was March 7th who had spilled the details. That girl couldn't keep a secret to save her life.
When they found out Natasha was looking for Yun Fan, March 7th and Stelle had exchanged surprised glances—especially March, whose expression carried not just shock but also a hint of wariness and hostility.
Does Yun Fan… like this kind of gentle older sister type? Does that mean Himeko is also a target? Does that put me in an awkward position…?
After some contemplation, the girls nodded and invited Natasha to wait with them in their room. However, she declined, preferring to stay in the lobby. Seeing her insistence, March 7th and the others didn't press further.
Time passed slowly. A long while later, the sun was nearly setting—though, in Belobog's Underworld, the sun was never visible to begin with.
Exhausted from the day's stress and fatigue, Natasha's head kept drooping as drowsiness overtook her. After a brief moment of zoning out, she ended up dozing off right there in the chair.
Seeing this, Gertie, the receptionist, sighed and fetched a blanket from the cabinet behind her. She carefully draped it over Natasha. Staring at Natasha's sleeping face, Gertie's cheeks flushed slightly. After checking that no one was around, she stealthily pulled out her phone.
Just as Gertie was about to snap a few covert photos, a voice suddenly spoke up behind her.
"Miss Gertie… What are you doing?"
"Ah—!" The sudden voice startled her, but she quickly composed herself. "N-nothing! I just didn't want Miss Natasha to catch a cold, so I covered her with a blanket, and— Oh! Mr. Yun Fan! You're finally back! Miss Natasha has been waiting for you for ages."
"Yun Fan?!" As if triggered by a keyword, Natasha instantly jolted awake, the blanket slipping off her. When she saw Yun Fan standing before her, her voice became urgent.
"Mr. Yun Fan! Please—you have to help me save Seele! She's been—"
"Seele's already back at Wildfire," Yun Fan interrupted before she could finish.
"Huh?" Natasha froze, a wave of inexplicable disappointment washing over her. She assumed Yun Fan was just brushing her off to avoid helping. After all, how many coincidences could there possibly be in the world?
Yun Fan just happened to be at the Robot Settlement today, just happened to find Seele and rescue her? That sounded nearly impossible.
"I'm not lying to you," Yun Fan said, shaking his head slightly as he noticed her dejection. "I went to the Robot Settlement earlier, so…"
Natasha's disappointment vanished instantly, replaced by excitement. "You're serious?!"
"Mhm. Truer than gold." Yun Fan chuckled. Right now, Natasha seemed more like a child than the leader of Wildfire. Stripped of all her titles, she was just an ordinary girl next door.