Fan Zhuo’s heart skipped a beat. That person from Zone A?
The warden of Zone A, the one who single-handedly suppresses the entire prison, the one Old John describes as a “walking sun”?
She wants to see him?
Why?
He was just a lowly assistant warden in Zone C, an unlucky fellow who’d been exiled.
No matter what earth-shattering trouble broke out in Zone B, it shouldn’t be his turn to go to a meeting in Zone A, right?
In an instant, the image of that endlessly talkative terminal maiden “Lina” flashed through Fan Zhuo’s mind.
[“And… you even set the time forward by a whole hour… That’s falsifying records, you know~ If the Honorable Inquisitor finds out, that’s a serious crime~”]
[“Next time you have any ‘little secrets’ you don’t want him to know, you can come straight to your big sister for a chat~”]
Could it be… that terminal maiden betrayed me?
A cold sweat instantly broke out on Fan Zhuo’s back.
He’d falsified records, had “in-depth communication” with the Mother Tree, and even tricked Lucien into standing watch in Zone B… If any of this was reported to that warden in Zone A, he’d probably be sent straight to the Tribunal…
“You brat, still trying to act with me.”
Old John looked at his shell-shocked face and completely misunderstood.
He leaned in, gave Fan Zhuo’s shoulder a hard slap, and grinned slyly, waggling his brows, “Not bad, eh? You usually look so upright, but I didn’t expect—”
“Didn’t expect what?” Fan Zhuo was stunned, his mind not quite catching up.
“Don’t pretend, kid. Did you sneak off for a ‘prayer session’ last night?”
Old John wore a look that said, “I know what’s up,” his gaze sweeping back and forth from Fan Zhuo’s slightly pale face to the faint dark circles under his eyes.
“Look at you, drained dry… Tsk tsk, young man, you really need to learn some restraint!”
Fan Zhuo:
He could only force out a polite smile.
He wanted to say, You’re about eighty percent right, but it’s not what you think.
It was a lot more exciting than a mere “prayer session”.
That was… actual combat.
But if the “actual combat” was with the Merciful Angel… cough, cough…
“I… was just performing devout prayers last night, seeking enlightenment in the Holy Light,” Fan Zhuo explained without changing expression, trying to salvage his teetering image of holiness.
“Alright, alright, everyone was young once. Can’t see anything anyway, nothing to be embarrassed about.”
Old John waved his hand impatiently, clearly not believing a word.
“Hurry up and get changed. That person from Zone A doesn’t have the patience to wait. We need to go now. Lucien’s probably already on the way.”
With that, Old John clamped a cigarette in his teeth and turned to leave, waiting for him at the door.
Fan Zhuo closed the door, feeling a faint tremor in his fingertips.
Not because he was actually weakened, but because he was thinking of the impending, uncertain Zone A meeting, and on the other side…
He looked back at White Rabbit, lowered his voice, and pointed at the blanket-wrapped figure on the bed. “She… tonight, is it going to…?”
White Rabbit walked to Fan Zhuo’s side, straightening his slightly messy collar, and nodded.
In those pure blue electronic eyes, there was a trace of worry.
“Based on physiological data analysis, Miss Milina’s internal energy disorder… has almost reached its peak. Tonight… the likelihood of an outbreak is extremely high.”
She paused, lowering her voice even more, “During that time, she’ll desperately crave… energy replenishment. She’ll become… very assertive.”
“But, as long as she makes it through this critical period safely, her body will gradually adapt to the sealed mana state and return to normal. She won’t be stuck in bed anymore.”
Fan Zhuo’s inner thoughts: Mm… but after helping her through it, I’ll probably be the one stuck in bed…
Right now, half his heart was ice, the other half fire.
The ice was because whether he’d survive his trip to Zone A was still unknown.
The fire was, if he did make it back… Tsk~ A succubus’ “special period”… could be even fiercer than a fox demon’s “ritual”, right?
Fan Zhuo took a deep breath, forcibly pressing down the indescribable images in his mind.
Survive first, then talk about output.
He quickly changed into his white priest’s uniform, symbolizing holiness and abstinence, and fastened the holy bell Lucien had given him back at his waist.
He glanced once more at his bed, hesitated, then took the heart-shaped leaf gifted by the Mother Tree out of his innermost pocket, and carefully placed it in his desk drawer.
When the heart-shaped leaf left Fan Zhuo’s side, the life energy within it noticeably dimmed.
After finishing all this, Fan Zhuo solemnly instructed White Rabbit, “I’m counting on you. Watch over her today, and until I get back, absolutely do not let anyone in.”
“Yes, Master.” White Rabbit bowed slightly, her long legs in stockings under her skirt tracing a graceful arc.
She looked up, as if remembering something, “Master, there are many ‘sisters’ in Zone A as well. If you need help, White Rabbit can try to contact them for you…”
“Sisters?”
“Yes, same model as White Rabbit… different appearances… quite a few of them are working in Zone A in different roles…”
Fan Zhuo’s heart skipped. He nodded, saying nothing more.
White Rabbit’s sisters?
So… there are other automata in Zone A…
He left the room and caught up with Old John, who had already grown impatient waiting.
The two walked one behind the other, silently moving through the familiar corridors of Zone C.
This time, they didn’t head toward the prison’s upper or lower levels, but followed a main passageway neither of them had ever taken, heading straight for the prison’s deepest, highest area—Zone A.
There were only two ways to reach Zone A. One was the freight elevator for large cargo, destination unknown, somewhere deep inside Zone A…
The other was this long corridor they were walking now.
Fan Zhuo noticed that the further they went up, the more… overbearing the sacred aura in the air became.
The holy power in Zone C was like thin air.
But here, the holy power was like an invisible wall, full of scrutiny and majesty, pressing down on everyone who entered.
“Kid, first time in Zone A, nervous?” Old John, walking ahead, seemed to notice the silence behind him and asked without turning his head.
“No.” Fan Zhuo replied, but his heart was a mess of thoughts.
How could he not be nervous? It felt just like a student who got caught skipping class and was about to be hauled before the headteacher—except this headteacher probably had evidence of his forged report cards in hand.
And then, “Students like you need to be properly punished—”
No, more like sent straight to the Tribunal…
“Don’t be afraid.” Old John exhaled a smoke ring; the smoke quickly dissipated in the dense holy light.
“That person in Zone A… is pretty reasonable, as long as you haven’t actually done anything over the line…”
Saying this, Old John gave Fan Zhuo a meaningful glance.
Fan Zhuo frowned slightly.
Had what he’d done counted as “over the line”?
Using the chief assistant’s creation from Zone A as a “toy”, “exchanging academic knowledge” with the nine-tailed fox demon all night, and causing trouble for the Mother Tree in Zone B…
It didn’t just cross the line—it probably blew the line up…