Looking at the Remnant in front of him that had suddenly gone quiet, Zane slightly furrowed his brows, a hint of confusion appearing in his eyes.
'Why did this thing stop? Logically speaking, shouldn't Rover's daughter have a temper like hers and explode at the slightest trigger? Did her genes mutate?'
But this was a rare opportunity. It wasn't often you came across a Remnant with a human female appearance, and it was just standing there like time had stopped.
Even though this thing wasn't human, not female, and not even a living being…
But it didn't seem completely impossible?
Just look at that beautiful body curve, the snow-white exoskeleton, those cool black wings. And the combination that no boy could resist, time stop plus defeat.
Just as Zane was about to let this Remnant experience what it meant to be a walking disaster in the realm of human morality, a sudden unease rose from his chest.
The next second, a sword sheath rapidly grew larger in his vision…
Thud!
Does it sound good? If it sounds good, it's because it hit your head well.
A black figure entered Zane's sight. Enduring the pain on the top of his head, he focused and saw a delicate face flushed with anger, yet those crimson lips curved slightly upward.
But that curve carried a hint of cruelty.
Zane never expected that every time he met Rover, it would begin with him breaking into a cold sweat.
"Um… Miss Rover, I can explain…"
"Explain?"
Rover gave a cold laugh, a trace of amusement appearing in her golden eyes.
"Fine, explain. After all, I have a bad temper and an ugly Remnant daughter, don't I?"
'Oh no, I'm done.'
Zane never expected that a moment of running his mouth would lead to a lifetime of suffering.
At this moment, how much he wished he could just slip away and escape at 100 kilometers per hour.
But unfortunately, this was the simulation field.
Even if he grew wings, he couldn't get out.
"Well… um, my lady, I've been wronged."
"Oh?" Rover raised a brow.
She paced forward step by step, slowly approaching Zane as the swift blade in her hand gradually left its sheath.
"Didn't expect you to have both a current girlfriend and an ex-girlfriend? Zane, impressive. How come I never noticed you were into that sort of thing?"
'Help, someone!'
'What kind of protagonist gets cut down in chapter nine!?'
'If you're going to kill me, at least wait ten chapters!'
Seeing Rover getting closer step by step, Zane's not-so-bright brain spun rapidly. Finally, a flash of inspiration struck.
"…Don't hit my face…"
Rover, "..."
"Finished your last words? Then you can choose how you want to die."
"No." Zane shook his head. He dropped his earlier submissiveness, his eyes suddenly firm as if he were about to join a political party. "I want to choose my way of dying."
"Oh? Go on, I'm listening."
"I hope to be stepped to death by you wearing black stockings."
Rover, "..."
"I've been too nice to you!"
"Wait, wait, wait!"
Seeing the blade about to come down, Zane immediately dropped to his knees and hugged Rover's leg tightly.
"I think we should hurry and get out first. You don't know this, but just now there was a fat guy outside trying to take advantage of you while you were unconscious…"
"I know."
Rover's calm response completely threw Zane off.
"Uh… you know? Then why aren't you going out to beat that bastard up? What are you still doing here?"
Actually, Zane had already noticed earlier that Rover didn't seem to be trapped in this simulation field, but was staying here voluntarily. As for the reason…
Zane turned to look at the Remnant nearby and the massive moon in the sky that flickered between real and unreal. Perhaps she wanted to investigate what these things represented.
Facing his question, Rover smiled slightly. Feeling the sensation coming from her leg, her pretty face flushed faintly.
"Aren't you outside? Can't you protect me?" She smiled, her bright expression seeming to make even the moon in the simulation field tremble.
"You'll handle everything for me, won't you?"
"Uh..." Zane froze. What she said actually made sense.
'Where did this strange sense of trust come from?'
"But how did you know I would come to the institute? What if Chixia notified me too late, or what if I got the message but didn't come in time?"
This time, Rover didn't answer immediately. She paused, thought for a moment, then said firmly, "Intuition… my intuition told me you would definitely come."
In truth, even she couldn't explain where this certainty came from. It was like two people who knew each other well. When one needed help, the other would appear without hesitation, even without words.
Just like right now.
"Intuition… huh?"
Zane tilted his head up, looking at her face. Her gentle gaze brushed across his heart, making it tremble.
'This is bad, this is bad. Is this what they call end-of-life care?'
'Is she going to chop me up the next second?'
'But… it seemed like she smiled just now?'
'Was that my imagination?'
'Would someone this fierce really smile?'
'Since things had already come to this, forget it… might as well enjoy it… hug a little longer.'
Thinking this, Zane hugged her leg again and took a deep breath...
'Smells great.'
How he wished time would stop right here. But as Rover took the initiative to leave, the simulation field gradually began to shatter, and both of them returned to reality.
———
Rover woke up from the bed. The first thing she saw was the worried eyes of Yangyang and Baizhi.
"Rover, you're finally awake. Did something happen in the simulation field?"
"Mm." Rover nodded and told them what had happened inside the simulation field.
Of course, everything after Zane appeared was brushed over.
"A Remnant holding a giant scythe, a massive moon that shifts between real and unreal…" Baizhi murmured, her brows slightly furrowed.
"This description is very similar to a scene that appeared during a past battle in Jinzhou…"
Hearing Baizhi's words, Rover froze. Just as she was about to ask more about that battle, a miserable cry came from the bed next to her.
"What's wrong, senior?"
Zane looked at Rover with teary eyes, crying pitifully.
"The bottle I used to collect water in the simulation field is gone…"
"Water? Bottle?"
Yangyang and Baizhi exchanged confused looks, then turned toward Rover, only to see the veins on her forehead bulging. If she had known, she should've just drowned this guy in the simulation field.
Zane, who was mourning his unfortunate lost water bottle, had no idea that he had just walked past death's door again.
At that moment, Zane suddenly received a message from the system.
[1 bottle of water soaked by Rover's feet can be exchanged for 10 Star Sounds]
Zane, "!"
From that moment on, Zane felt like he had grasped the future.