When Bronya woke up, she found her bed... soaked. Not with urine, but with her own sweat. Even so, she couldn't help but recall the strange "dream." No... it wasn't a dream.
The proof?
Thud!
She leaped from the bed and landed firmly on her feet.
"It's true... my legs are healed!"
She ran her fingers through her pale gray hair. The biological chip in her brain had also been modified; Cocolia no longer had a backdoor into her mind. Recalling how Luo Hong had held her while showing her the "future plot," she made a firm decision: she would no longer follow Cocolia's orders.
Bronya treated you like a mother, and this is how you treat Bronya?
She would have to carefully reconsider every report she sent to Cocolia from now on. Even though Luo Hong said she could act as normal, she could no longer forgive her. If it weren't for the years of being raised by her, she would have defected immediately and helped Theresa capture Cocolia. Otherwise, who knew how many more tragedies that woman would cause?
"Whew..."
Exhaling all the lingering anger from her chest, Bronya sat back down on her bed, trying to steady her racing heart. Once she regained her composure, her delicate, doll-like face couldn't help but turn crimson again—a flush that spread down to her slender neck and earlobes.
D-Did Bronya really... stay "connected" with that man for an entire night?
From the moment they entered the alleyway, she and Luo Hong hadn't spent a second apart. What was even more infuriating was that whenever she reached her limit and was about to collapse from exhaustion, Luo Hong would simply "reset" her state, making it impossible for her even to pass out.
Of course, Luo Hong didn't take her for free. He provided every piece of information she sought, one by one.
But... Bronya is no longer "pure."
She stood up, wanting to take a shower. However, remembering that Fu Hua—the Overseer's mole—was also in the dorms, she had to continue operating Project Bunny 19C to pretend her legs were still paralyzed.
Come to think of it, I forgot to ask that guy exactly what's going on with Class Monitor Fu Hua. She made a mental note to ask Luo Hong about it tonight.
Just as she opened her door, she saw Mei standing there, her hand raised as if about to knock, yet looking hesitant.
"Bronya... are you okay?" Mei's eyes instinctively flickered toward Bronya's legs, but she quickly looked away. She had rushed upstairs upon hearing strange noises, not even pausing to take off her apron. Now that she was at the door, she was worried about hurting Bronya's pride, so she had frozen in place.
"Sister Mei, Bronya is fine." Bronya shook her head. She wanted to smile to reassure Mei, but she remembered she couldn't expose her current state yet. "Bronya just turned over and accidentally fell out of bed. It's nothing serious," she said expressionlessly.
"That's a relief." Seeing that Bronya seemed her usual self, Mei pressed her hands to her chest and exhaled in relief.
"Bronya is covered in sweat and is going to take a shower. Sister Mei doesn't need to worry about me." Since the dorms had a communal bathroom, Bronya had to leave her room to wash.
"Covered in sweat?" Mei's concern deepened. "Was it a nightmare?"
"Uh..." Bronya was stumped. If she called it a nightmare, Luo Hong did give her real information, restored her emotions and legs, and even blocked Cocolia's backdoor programs. But if she called it a "sweet dream"... she wasn't quite willing to admit that either.
"Say no more." Seeing Bronya's conflicted expression, Mei waved her hand. "I shouldn't have made you relive painful memories. Go ahead and shower; I'll tidy up your room."
Mei looked at her with genuine pity, clearly assuming her question had touched a raw nerve and that Bronya was struggling to find a way to lie just to keep her from worrying. What a kind child, Mei thought.
"Sister Mei..." Faced with such warmth, Bronya found it hard to refuse. Since she couldn't explain the reality anyway, she simply said, "Then I'll leave it to you, Sister Mei."
She was certain it was just sweat, so she let Mei handle the cleanup. If she refused now, who knows what kind of extra "care" Mei would insist on giving her later.
After Bronya left, Mei whispered a compliment to the empty hallway, "Bronya really is such a strong girl," before stepping into the room.
The first things she saw were game cases scattered across the wooden floor and a bed that was unusually messy. The sheets and quilt were soaked through. She couldn't imagine how much Bronya must have suffered in that "dream" to end up in such a state. Her heart ached for the girl.
As she began to strip the bed, she caught a scent that was distinctly different from Bronya's usual smell.
Is this... the scent of heather? She looked out the window, trying to recall if there were any heather plants at the academy. But the scent was only similar, so she soon put it out of her mind.
Meanwhile, on Luo Hong's massive bed.
Lying there with Kiana in his left arm and Mei in his right, Luo Hong looked profoundly disappointed.
"It's so lonely..."
It's easy to go from rags to riches, but hard to go back. After experiencing the "real" Bronya, even having these two by his side felt hollow. His only consolation was that the first wave of attacks had ended under Himeko's greatsword, giving him enough resources to pull.
"Now, it's time to witness a miracle!"
He summoned the gacha interface. He suddenly felt this moment was a bit overdue. If he had pulled before Bronya went offline, he might have been able to use a "relic" to pull Seele in one go. The look on Bronya's face while he was "pulling" her would have been priceless.
But no matter. Now that the first wave was over, he wouldn't have to wait another month for the next one. The second wave would arrive tomorrow.
"Come forth!"
He clicked the ten-pull button. The familiar animation played out. Just as he thought he was going to hit the pity timer as usual, a golden light flashed on the ninth pull.
"Cangxuan!?"
And then—
"Danzhu!?"
Immediately after the ninth gold, another golden light appeared. He had actually pulled a double SSR!