The outside air hit Mo Wang like a physical blow. The official temperature was a scorching 43 degrees Celsius, hot enough to fry an egg on the pavement.
But as he stepped out of the dormitory, a refreshing coolness enveloped him.
Tucked away in the inner pocket of his shirt, resting against his chest, was the Core of the Herrscher of Ice. He had turned the powerful Gem of Stasis, an artifact capable of freezing an entire continent, into a personal, high-efficiency, zero-emission air conditioner.
He also used it to power his fridge. And occasionally freeze a six-pack of beer in under thirty seconds.
If the scientists at Anti-Entropy, the agents of World Serpent, or the higher-ups at Schicksal ever found out about this egregious misuse of a world-ending artifact, they would probably flay him alive.
What's the big deal? he would argue. My monthly salary isn't even enough to cover the electricity bill for Kiana's gaming marathons. The Herrscher Core is energy-efficient and environmentally friendly. It was practically made for this.
He even had plans to use the other Herrscher Cores to power his other appliances. The Gem of Haste for a super-fast microwave, the Gem of Serenity for a t... the possibilities were endless.
But as he opened the heavy oak door to Theresa's office, he was blasted by a wave of suffocating heat.
"What the hell? Are you guys running a sauna in here?"
The sight that greeted him was pathetic. Theresa was slumped over her desk, her face flushed a worrying shade of crimson. Her usual black nun's habit was gone, revealing a simple white shirt that was now almost completely translucent with sweat.
"Principal, are we that broke?" Mo Wang asked, a familiar sense of dread washing over him. "We can't even afford to turn on the AC?"
Is St. Freya Academy on the verge of bankruptcy?
He could already see the headlines: World's Cutest Principal Becomes Idol to Save School, But Ends Up in Debt to Loan Sharks. Students Work Tirelessly in Honkai-Infested Zones to Pay Off Debts, Led by Kiana Kaslana.
Hmm, and if I were their teacher, a former slacker leading them on this noble quest... the plot seems oddly familiar...
"Go to hell, you damned salted fish!" Theresa shrieked, her voice cracking. In a sudden burst of heat-induced rage, she leaped over the desk at him.
"Theresa Flying Kick!"
In that split second, Mo Wang's mind raced.
He had two options: dodge, and let the tiny principal crash into the expensive-looking bookshelf behind him, further exacerbating St. Freya's financial crisis; or, catch her gracefully, like a prince in a fairy tale, and solve all the problems.
He chose a third option. He didn't move an inch.
THWACK!
"Aaaargh!"
Theresa crumpled to the floor, clutching her knee and wailing. "Waaaaah! I think I broke my kneecap! Are you made of iron?!"
"Hehehe! Surprised, aren't you, Principal? I've been training!" Mo Wang said, proudly flexing his abs. "My body is now harder than Soulium steel!"
"These two are so much trouble," a calm, weary voice said from the corner.
"And their antics are making it even hotter in here."
Fu Hua and Himeko were also in the office, sweating profusely as they tried to tackle a mountain of paperwork that threatened to consume the entire desk.
"So, is St. Freya really going bankrupt?" Mo Wang asked again, genuinely concerned now.
"No, it's more complicated than that," Himeko said, rubbing her temples.
"The reason we're like this is because the Principal has accumulated a paperwork backlog that could rival the Great Wall of China."
Fu Hua nodded stoically. "And the air conditioner broke down because she ran it on full blast for three consecutive weeks trying to survive the last heatwave. The equipment department won't be able to fix it until tomorrow because it's summer vacation."
Mo Wang was speechless.
Why is the equipment department on vacation? They're not students! And can't Bronya or Ai-chan fix a simple AC unit?
Deciding it was a humanitarian issue, he silently channeled a minuscule amount of power from the Herrscher Core, subtly lowering the temperature of the room from a sauna to a merely uncomfortable summer day.
He couldn't let Schicksal's strongest Valkyries die of heatstroke.
"What are you looking at? Is it my fault?!" Theresa whined from the floor, and slammed her hand on the leg of her desk, leaving another clear, five-fingered imprint in the solid wood. "I'm the principal! I deserve a summer vacation too!"
"Principal, please stop hitting the furniture," Himeko sighed. "That's the third desk you've broken this year. We really can't afford this."
"Heh, I'm just laughing because I don't have to work this month," Mo Wang said with a smug, punchable grin. "I'm a student, after all. And the acting captain of the Hyperion. But technically, I'm on vacation."
Three pairs of eyes glared at him with murderous intent.
Fu Hua:I'm a student too, but I have to do all this work. Why does this slacker get to be so carefree?!
Himeko:Acting captain, my ass! I'm the one who ends up doing all the paperwork! Just you wait, I'm going to resign this week and make you the official captain!
Theresa:I can't even hurt this guy anymore! And he gets to spend all day cooped up with Kiana! It's not fair! I want to lie in bed all day, play games, read manga, and have a handsome guy cook for me! (So who are you really jealous of?)
"Ahem, so, what did you call me here for? If it's paperwork, the answer is no," Mo Wang said, quickly changing the subject before they could form a lynch mob.
"Thankfully, no," Himeko said, pushing a thick file across the desk towards him. "This is a direct order from Schicksal HQ. The Nine Realms Exploration Project."
Mo Wang blinked, picking up the file. "Isn't this... from last year? Where did you dig this up from? I thought this was resolved."
He had already beaten Cocolia, and they were just now opening the Chiyou dungeon? What had these Valkyries been doing all this time?
Theresa guiltily looked away, whistling innocently. It wasn't just last year's files. She had files from three years ago buried in that pile.
"So, why are you digging this up now?" Mo Wang asked. He knew the story; the place was just a ghost town with a sealed Honkai Beast, right?
"Well, Mo Wang, have you heard of Chinese mythology?" Himeko asked, launching into her prepared speech.
"Are you serious, Auntie Himeko? I'm Chinese. Of course I have."
"Good. Then you must have heard the story of the legendary hero, Ji Xuanyuan. It is said that she wielded a mysterious weapon called the Xuanyuan Sword and sealed the monstrous Chiyou in a place called the Nine Realms."
"Yeah, I know the story." He glanced at Fu Hua, whose expression remained as stoic and unreadable as ever.
"Well," Himeko continued, "Schicksal's historians have recently discovered that the Xuanyuan Sword may be a Divine Key. To prevent it from falling into the hands of Anti-Entropy or World Serpent, the Overseer has ordered us to investigate the area. This is a top-priority mission."
Mo Wang could barely contain his laughter. This was all just too ridiculous.