Chapter 191: Your Good Days Are Over
"Rovel, are you alright?" Fu Hua looked at him, her usually stoic expression softening with a distinct hint of concern.
For the past two days, Rovel had been entirely out of commission. His body had felt completely out of sorts, forcing him to take a leave of absence from his usual duties. He had spent forty-eight hours resting quietly at home, waiting out the heavy lethargy until he finally felt a semblance of his normal strength returning.
"I am fine. My body just hit a bit of a snag, but I am almost finished adjusting," Rovel replied, offering a reassuring smile. He reached into his inventory. "By the way, Class Monitor, could you do me a small favor?"
He withdrew a smooth, metallic Soulium sphere from his backpack. This particular sphere was a synthesized product, forged from the three individual Soulium fragments he had extracted from the belly of the massive Honkai beast, Chiyou. According to the information Klein had provided, this sphere contained highly classified data regarding [Armed Doll Construction].
For a long time now, Rovel had harbored a specific ambition: he wanted to transform Ji Lin's Xuanyuan Sword into an Armed Doll, allowing the ancient warrior's legacy to fight alongside him in a new form.
"Of course, I can help. But this is..." Fu Hua trailed off as she stared at the Soulium sphere resting in his palm. A strange, unexplainable sense of familiarity washed over her, tugging at the edges of her sealed memories.
"This Soulium sphere is deeply connected to your past, Class Monitor. Because of that, you are the only one who can unlock it," Rovel explained softly, placing the heavy sphere into her hands. "It stores specialized knowledge from the Previous Era. I believe it will be incredibly helpful to me."
Fu Hua did not hesitate, nor did she press him for further details. She simply accepted the sphere. Rovel had told her a long time ago that he never wanted her to dwell painfully on her forgotten past; he only hoped she would walk toward the future by his side.
Recalling the quiet intimacy of that particular night, a faint, involuntary blush crept up Fu Hua's cheeks, painting her fair skin with a dusting of pink.
Fortunately, the moment her fingers wrapped around the Soulium sphere, it reacted. A dazzling, brilliant blue light erupted from the metal surface, illuminating the room. The ancient, encrypted knowledge hidden within the sphere finally saw the light of day again after five thousand long years of silence.
"Is this enough?" Fu Hua asked, tilting her head slightly as the glow subsided. She handed the now-unlocked Soulium sphere back to him.
"Thanks, Class Monitor. Love ya."
Rovel grinned, quickly stuffing the unlocked sphere back into his system backpack. Without wasting a single second, he spun on his heel and sprinted out the door, making a beeline straight for the dormitory shared by Mei and the others.
He left Fu Hua standing alone in the middle of the room, completely dazed. His casual, affectionate parting words echoed endlessly in her mind. Had Rovel stayed even a moment longer, he would have been treated to the incredibly rare and stunning sight of the Red Kite Immortal flustered beyond belief, her face burning red.
While Rovel had a decent grasp of computer programming and system mechanics, his skills were absolutely nothing compared to Bronya's genius. Therefore, it was only logical to hand this highly complex technical project directly to her.
"Armed Doll technology left behind by the Previous Era?" Bronya murmured. She scratched her head, taking the Soulium sphere from Rovel and immediately connecting it to her terminal to export the massive waves of data.
Her gray eyes widened slightly as she scanned the scrolling holographic text. "To think that conventional weapons can be combined with programmed Soulium to create autonomous robots capable of independent combat... and these Armed Dolls can even inherit the original weapon's combat data, making them natural-born warriors from the moment of activation?"
The deeper Bronya explored the files, the more deep her shock became. It was an absolutely brilliant conceptual design. Her mind immediately began racing with possibilities. Could her Project Bunny 19C be modified using these exact same principles?
"So, Rovel," Bronya said, tearing her gaze away from the screen to look at him curiously. "Do you want to turn Jizo Mitama into an Armed Doll?"
"No," Rovel shook his head. "I can perfectly control Jizo Mitama as it is, and its unique, corrupted nature does not require it to be converted into an Armed Doll."
He reached into his inventory once more. "The weapon I want to build is this one."
With a heavy thud, Rovel brought out the golden, ornate blade of the Xuanyuan Sword.
"Is this the Xuanyuan Sword you acquired before? Did you not mention that it had not been activated yet?" Bronya asked, her confusion deepening. According to the Soulium records she had just read, weapons brimming with active combat data and resonance were the most suitable candidates for Armed Doll conversion.
"It is not mine. This one... is Ji Lin's personal Xuanyuan Sword," Rovel explained, running a hand over the cold metal. "Generally speaking, a Xuanyuan Sword changes its physical form depending on the wielder, provided there is a subtle connection between them. Unfortunately, I seem to be completely incompatible with my own Xuanyuan Sword; it has not changed its shape at all in my hands."
He pointed to the blade on the table. "Normally, after leaving its wielder's hand, a Xuanyuan Sword reverts to its original, dormant form. But Ji Lin's sword is special. Although it connected deeply with her, it never changed its outward form. It seems that because it followed her into the darkness for so long, it has completely locked itself into her shape and combat style."
Rovel sighed. "And even though I inherited Ji Lin's Stigmata, I still cannot command the blade to fight for me. So, my only option is to give it a new life by turning it into an Armed Doll."
Bronya listened quietly as Rovel detailed the complex situation surrounding the ancient weapon.
"...Understood," Bronya finally nodded, her expression returning to its usual stoic determination. "As payment for providing this very useful knowledge, Bronya is willing to help you modify the Xuanyuan Sword."
"That is great news," Rovel laughed, clapping his hands together. "I was originally going to use a limited-edition Homu plushie as a bargaining chip to bribe you, but I did not expect you to be so generous right off the bat. Thank you, Bronya."
He shoved Ji Lin's Xuanyuan Sword into the hands of the suddenly dazed Bronya, then immediately slipped out the door before she could process his words and back out of the deal.
Standing alone in her workshop, Bronya instantly felt a crushing weight in her chest, as if she had just missed out on a massive fortune. A limited-edition Homu plushie had been right within her grasp!
However, after a brief moment of deep dejection, her professional instincts took over. Bronya quickly threw herself into the complex research and development work required for the Armed Doll.
"Rovel!"
The moment Rovel stepped through the doorway into the main living room, a small figure launched herself through the air and collided with his chest. Wendy wrapped her arms tightly around him, rubbing her cheek vigorously against his shirt and taking deep sniffs of his scent.
She had missed him terribly after not seeing him for two whole days.
Coincidentally, the kitchen door opened, and Mei stepped out into the living room. On the couch, Kiana, who had been furiously mashing buttons on her game controller, paused her game, her eyes lighting up as she prepared to watch a good show unfold.
The result, however, was chillingly quiet.
Mei did not yell. She did not scold. She simply stood there, smiling gently at Rovel without saying a single word.
Seeing that perfectly serene smile, Rovel felt his blood run cold. His mind flashed back to something utterly terrifying that had occurred during his weakened state, and his body involuntarily shivered.
"Wendy, could you get down first?" Rovel whispered softly, trying to pry the Herrscher of Wind off his torso.
"No! I want to hold Rovel!" Wendy protested, puffing out her cheeks and acting entirely like a spoiled child.
Rovel sighed internally. Sometimes, having too much charm was a heavy cross to bear.
Desperate to shift the terrifying focus away from himself, Rovel's gaze swept toward the couch, landing squarely on Kiana, who was grinning like an idiot.
"What are you looking at, you single dog?" Rovel snapped, launching a vicious verbal attack out of nowhere.
Kiana's jaw dropped. She felt as though she had just been minding her own business, walking peacefully down the street, only to be brutally kicked into a ditch for absolutely no reason.
Despite the chaotic household dynamics, Rovel had not been entirely idle during the days his body suffered under the [Ash Extinction] debuff. He refused to just lie around all day doing nothing.
Alongside practicing his Basic Kendo and Basic Fighting forms to maintain his muscle memory, he had also begun rigorous training in [Basic Sniping]. After all, the primary weapon system of the [Godslayer Armor: Hell Knight - Moon Ember] was a heavy sniper rifle. It was only natural that he master the fundamentals of marksmanship before donning the armor.
Life in the dorm moved forward. Bronya remained buried in her research for the Armed Doll technology, having already begun the initial construction phases.
As for Kiana, ever since she officially passed her exams and became a B-rank Valkyrie, her attitude toward the classroom had completely regressed. Her frequency of skipping classes was now even higher than before, carrying a smug sense of retaliatory rest. Rovel often wondered what kind of face Kiana would make when she eventually discovered that Valkyrie ranks could, in fact, be demoted for poor performance.
Himeko, meanwhile, was actively searching for a new hobby, desperately trying to find something healthy that could replace her excessive drinking habits.
Wendy continued to cling to Rovel every single day. Wherever he appeared, she would manifest right beside him, occasionally providing him with unexpected bursts of fan service that tested his self-control.
And then there was Mei. Recently, she had been taking private lessons in medicinal cuisine from Fu Hua. Whenever she found the slightest opportunity, she would brew a steaming bowl of 'All-Inclusive Tonic Soup' and present it to Rovel. He was forced to drink every last bitter drop while his heart pounded with absolute trepidation, terrified of what she might do if he refused.
But those days of weakness and submission were finally coming to an end.
Rovel clenched his fists, feeling the heavy, suffocating chains of the [Ash Extinction] debuff finally shattering within his system. The familiar, surging warmth of his full strength flooded back into his veins.
He took a deep breath, a confident smirk touching his lips.
I am now the complete Rovel once again. My strength is more than enough to completely suppress Mei and the Thunder Queen residing within her.
The good days for you two are officially over.
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