At the headquarters of the Security Force Police, "Bridgehead," Zuke established another coordinate for "Army of the King."
In the Dragon Ball world, he replaced Frieza's old fortress ship with Super Starslayer—TY-PHON.
After completing these two tasks, Zuke had planned to dive straight into the One Punch Man world to explore whether it followed the original story or the remastered version.
But an unexpected interruption forced him to halt—he was shaken awake in the real world.
This was the first time something like this had happened. Only now did Zuke realize that if he was about to be disturbed in the real world, he would be forcibly pulled back.
It reminded him of the "VR games" from web novels he'd read, where external interruptions would forcibly log players out.
Who would've thought this "Infinite Terror VR Game" would include such an archaic setting? Zuke couldn't help but feel exasperated.
.....
He opened his eyes to see Gabriel sitting on top of him, gripping his pajama collar with a mix of indignation and frustration as she shook him.
The moment he saw Gabriel, Shin immediately understood the situation and nearly laughed.
He grabbed his phone from the bedside table—6:00 AM. She came way too early.
Putting a finger to his lips to signal silence, Shin carefully got out of bed, making sure not to wake the other girls sleeping nearby.
Then, he led the fuming Gabriel out of the bedroom and closed the soundproof door behind them.
The door was originally designed to keep noise inside from leaking out… but today, it served the opposite purpose.
"Shin! Why did you awaken a Stand for Vignette but not me?! What about mine? Huh?!"
The moment the door shut, Gabriel—who had been holding back her voice in the bedroom—immediately exploded.
She stared at Shin with a look of utter betrayal, as if she'd been blatantly snubbed.
She was here first!
"Ah, so that's what happened. Vignette actually went that far…"
In the living room, Shin explained the events of last night—how Vignette had come to him, desperate to retrieve Gabriel's Horn of Apocalypse by borrowing money from friends.
Out of pity, Shin had awakened her Stand, giving her the power to keep Gabriel in check.
"Feeling guilty now?"
Shin smirked as Gabriel fell silent. After hearing the full story, she stopped making a fuss.
Even someone as carefree as Gabriel couldn't remain shameless after learning how much Vignette had done for her.
"Tch! Who asked her to meddle?!"
Gabriel still tried to act tough, refusing to admit she'd gone too far.
But after a pause, she let out a resigned sigh.
"Fine… maybe I did worry Vignette a little…"
For once, Gabriel actually felt a pang of guilt. Now she understood why Vignette had used her Stand to "torture" her yesterday.
She must have been really fed up with Gabriel's antics.
Despite being a demon, Vignette had a kind heart. She couldn't stand the thought of a dangerous relic like the Horn falling into human hands.
Her urgency to retrieve it had pushed her to act uncharacteristically strict toward Gabriel.
"I remember Vignette's Stand ability was 'Balance.' What did she do to you?"
Shin looked at Gabriel curiously.
After awakening Vignette's Stand last night, Shin had naturally absorbed a fraction of it, gaining access to her ability.
Though not combat-oriented, the Balance Stand was perfect for restraining Gabriel.
Might come in handy later, Shin mused.
"She linked my sleep schedule to my gaming gear. Now, if I don't maintain a proper routine, my equipment disappears."
Gabriel's face twisted as if she'd bitten into a bitter melon. To her, losing her precious gear would be an unbearable tragedy.
"Damn it… that was top-tier equipment I worked so hard for…"
"You mean the gear you bought by selling the Horn?"
Shin couldn't resist pointing out the obvious—every piece of Gabriel's account had been funded by him.
If he didn't know better, her dramatic tone might've fooled him into thinking she'd grinded for it herself.
---
Later, at breakfast…
"Gabriel's working unusually hard today."
Irisviel remarked with genuine surprise as she ate.
As a part-time maid hired by Shin, Gabriel had left a strong impression—though not a positive one.
Her usual half-asleep, sluggish work ethic had been memorable in the worst way.
But today was different. Not only was Gabriel unusually diligent, but the dark circles under her eyes were gone.
"Probably because she slept well last night."
Shin chuckled.
With her gaming gear tied to her sleep schedule, Gabriel had no choice but to fix her habits. Staying up all night to play games was off the table now—Vignette must have forced her to get proper rest.
As for her sudden work ethic?
She's probably trying to earn enough to buy back the Horn.
Gabriel likely believed that if she could just reclaim the Horn of Apocalypse, Vignette would stop tormenting her.
Shin almost pitied her naivety.
She's in for a rude awakening.
Vignette's strictness wasn't just about the relic.
More than anything, she saw Gabriel as a friend—one she wanted to drag back to a healthy lifestyle.
At this point, "friend" might be an understatement.
She's basically Gabriel's mom now.
To be continued…
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