Chapter Nine: The Next Objective

As the sounds faded away, the surrounding scene began to fragment rapidly. It was clear that the victim’s consciousness had succumbed to the encroachment of a mysterious force and was no longer coherent.

Remaining within such a fractured world of consciousness—especially one tainted by mysterious corruption—was inherently dangerous. However, perhaps because he had already been exposed to the corruption of a deity’s avatar, Chen Zi’ang felt little fear at the prospect of the crisis. He simply listened to Takano Seiko’s intermittent murmurs while silently calculating how much time remained before the world around them shattered completely.

"...This kind of thing... absolutely intolerable..."
"...The mutual aid society I wanted to build... it was never meant to be like this..."
"...It wasn't me... I didn't kill Masao. It was you—it was all of you!"

The room grew increasingly fractured, the very outlines of the objects within it beginning to tremble and blur.

"Senior?" Tsukimiya Reina asked, prompting him.

"Wait a little longer!" Chen Zi’ang gritted his teeth. He had yet to obtain the most critical piece of information. Takano Seiko, what are you going to do next?

"...It’s not my fault, it’s not... Yes, it is my fault, it is..."
"...Correct it. I must correct the error... This monster... I must, I must kill it..."

Chen Zi’ang abruptly activated his power, pulling Tsukimiya Reina away from the consciousness and returning to their hotel in the real world.

Inside the room, two bloated corpses still lay on the waterlogged bed. Because they were so severely deformed, it was impossible to tell what kind of torture they had endured before death. However, based on the fragmented subconscious impressions they had just witnessed, Tsukimiya Reina could make an educated guess: given Takano Seiko’s personality, she was unlikely to resort to elaborate torture. Most likely, once she had extracted the information she needed, she had simply executed them using the "Song of the Drowned."

"Reina," Chen Zi’ang said slowly, "what do you think Takano Seiko’s next target will be?"

"I think there are two possibilities," Tsukimiya Reina analyzed. "First, naturally, Takano Masao’s classmates—especially his roommates and others on the same floor. They likely subjected him to cold-blooded bullying that led to his suicide."

"Second, the members of the Women’s Mutual Aid Society. Based on Takano Seiko’s questions, it’s clear that while the group verified the authenticity of requests in the beginning, it has since completely rotted from within. As the founder, and someone with a pathological sense of moral purity, she might feel compelled to set things right."

"Hmm." Chen Zi’ang pondered for a moment. "Pathological moral purity, you say?"

"Senior, I didn’t mean you," Tsukimiya Reina quickly clarified. "Think about it—someone who goes to the trouble of founding an organization like that... it’s not for money, and it’s not for fame. As a lawyer at a major firm, Takano Seiko has far more efficient ways to make money; she didn't need to do the thankless work of running an internet group."

"The most logical explanation is that she believed in it. She thought she was saving people, and that sense of moral fulfillment outweighed any financial or social gain, making her sacrifices feel worthwhile. Then, one day, she discovers that the group she created has turned into the very thing she hated—the dragon-slaying hero becoming the monster. What would she do then?"

"True," Chen Zi’ang mused. "Based on my understanding of her, identifying and cleaning up the rot in the mutual aid society probably ranks higher on her priority list than avenging her son."

"From a legal standpoint, school bullying cases are often easy to prove, and the crimes rarely warrant death, so they can be dealt with last. But the situation with the mutual aid society is far more complex. Before Masao was victimized, Takano Seiko clearly hadn't been paying much attention to the group. If it was using the name of 'mutual aid' to commit atrocities, she wouldn't have known."

"Others might prioritize revenge for their son, but I think Ms. Takano will investigate the state of the group first."

After discussing it with Tsukimiya Reina for a long time and organizing his thoughts, Chen Zi’ang pulled out his phone to call Xia Qingyu. Tsukimiya Reina listened from the side with a faint smile, her thoughts unreadable.

After briefly reporting the situation, Chen Zi’ang asked for instructions: "What should we do next?"

"Say it again," Xia Qingyu said flatly.

Chen Zi’ang: "..."

"Which part didn't you hear clearly that you need me to repeat?" he confirmed.

"Obviously the content you heard in the deceased’s subconscious," Xia Qingyu replied coldly. "I only care about what Takano Seiko said. As for your so-called 'analysis,' aren't those just obvious facts? Anyone who read the previous case files and understood the cause and effect of the Takano Masao incident could deduce her intentions."

"Uh, if it could be deduced just by reading the files, why did you have us come here in the first place?" Chen Zi’ang asked, perplexed.

"To see if those two were still alive," Xia Qingyu said succinctly. "If you had managed to save them, they would have been excellent bait. It’s a pity, but I suppose one can never expect monkeys to get the job done."

"I have to be clear," Chen Zi’ang said, his irritation rising. "We received your message on the helium balloon platform, and as soon as we reached the spaceport, we headed straight to the location. We didn't waste a single second."

"Judging by the scene, they had been dead for quite some time. To save them, we would have had to arrive yesterday before even going to space..."

"Senior, let me explain it to her," Tsukimiya Reina interrupted, stepping in.

She took the phone from Chen Zi’ang and said with a sweet smile: "If you're so capable, why don't you come up here and save them yourself? If you can't, then stop pointing fingers from down there! You bitch, get lost!"

She hung up the phone with a crisp, decisive motion.

Chen Zi’ang stood there, stunned.

"Alright, that’s taken care of," Tsukimiya Reina said with a sweet smile. "Let’s get back to our vacation~"

The two returned to the hotel, met up with Chen Xiaozhu, and began planning the rest of their trip.

"First, the Zero-G Amusement Park," Tsukimiya Reina said excitedly. "It’s in the central axis of the spaceport. It’s entirely zero-gravity, and there are tons of attractions. It’s a must-visit for any tourist."

"We’ll go there this afternoon, and I’ve picked out three restaurants for dinner. Would you like to take a look, Senior?"

"What’s the difference between these three?" Chen Zi’ang asked as he took her phone.

"The first is known for home-style cooking," Tsukimiya Reina said, pointing at the screen with a smile. "I read the reviews online. The price is fine, but the taste is a bit mediocre."

"The second is a high-end restaurant specializing in fresh sashimi. The reviews are great, but it’s a bit pricey—about a thousand per person."

"The third is an alien-themed restaurant with popular dishes from the Elven realms. Because it’s located in the outer development zone of the spaceport and requires a shuttle flight to get there, business isn't great, so they’re currently running a forty-percent-off promotion."

"Let’s go with the discounted one," Chen Zi’ang said, having no particular preference for food.

"Okay, I’ll call a taxi," Tsukimiya Reina thought to herself with a smirk.

Senior choosing the last option was exactly as she expected. After all, if you give someone three choices—where the first is mediocre, the second is completely unacceptable, and the third is at least decent—most people will choose the third.

What Senior didn't know was that because that restaurant was located in the outer development zone, the cell signal was terrible... If that bitch wanted to ruin her and Senior’s dinner, she would have to come all the way out there herself!