LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 242: Kiana's Holdings
"Shouldn't you rest some more? You haven't slept in two days."
Kiana forced herself up from the desk, taking a deep breath. The cool night air refreshed her slightly.
"Class monitor, you know I don't have time to waste." A map lay spread out on the hotel table, covered in markings—potential locations of Himeko.
Since the battle in the Pacific, the world had been severely impacted. However, due to the agreement with Ren, Schicksal and World Serpent had temporarily suspended their pursuit of Kiana.
With Ren's belongings and the information he'd left, Kiana had returned to Arc City.
"Kiana, Himeko-sensei can take care of herself. But you're exhausted."
Though Kiana appeared composed, when she collapsed from exhaustion earlier, she had been murmuring Himeko's name.
Fu Hua could tell that Kiana's current calmness wasn't true composure, but the stillness after the string that had been holding her together had finally snapped.
There was nothing Fu Hua could do for her now. She'd wanted to comfort her, but remembering Ren's advice in the Mindscape, she was careful not to disturb the girl's fragile emotional state.
"Don't worry about me, class monitor. Knowing that Himeko-sensei is still alive is enough to keep me going." Kiana rubbed her face, forcing a smile. "Once we find Sensei, we can bring Mei back, and Bronya too. We can all be together again."
"..." Fu Hua remained silent. As a consciousness, she couldn't wipe away Kiana's tears. She could only watch as the girl pretended to be nonchalant.
"Yes. When this is all over, I'll help you find him."
Him…
"Yes. Thank you, class monitor."
…
Downstairs in the hotel lobby, the same receptionist who'd just seen Li Sushang off quickly greeted Kiana. "Are you going out, ma'am?"
"No, I'm checking out."
"Were you dissatisfied with our service, or…?"
"I just have some things to attend to. Don't worry, I lived in this city for a long time. I won't be in any danger." Kiana interrupted, handing over her ID card. Durandal had given it to her; it was likely prepared by Otto.
"Oh." The receptionist looked down, disappointed, processing the checkout. Two incredibly beautiful girls had checked in tonight, and neither had stayed. One of them looked so much like Kiana-chan! She wondered if she could get an autograph.
No, no. If it really was Kiana-chan, she must be on a mission. Asking for an autograph would be a disturbance.
The receptionist maintained a professional demeanor while countless thoughts raced through her mind. Unfortunately, the checkout process was simple, leaving little time for her internal debate.
As she processed the checkout, she glanced at the screen and noticed that Kiana's ID card had the highest level of encryption. Though personal information was protected by the city's advanced network, and ordinary people couldn't access it, the encryption level alone indicated the importance of the individual.
The highest level recorded in the employee manual was S. Above S-rank was classified, reserved for individuals like the city's administrator.
There was only one possibility: it really was Kiana-chan.
The receptionist nearly fainted from excitement. She was glad she hadn't asked for an autograph; she would have died from guilt if she'd disturbed her.
She quickly completed the process, handing Kiana back her ID card as if it were a button that controlled the world.
Kiana, puzzled by the receptionist's sudden formality, took out some cash to pay, but was told that all her expenses had been automatically settled.
"Probably Schicksal," Fu Hua guessed. She had an agreement with Otto: she worked for him, and he protected Shenzhou. Covering expenses shouldn't be a problem.
"Yes." Kiana accepted the explanation. Leaving the hotel, she headed towards her destination.
Of course, no one realized that this city should be called Thousand Obsidian, and its owner was clearly listed as Kiana Kaslana.
…
Returning to the alley, Li Sushang couldn't find Ren. The unconscious thugs had been taken away by the city's rescue robots.
"Of course. He's injured, he wouldn't just stay there." Scolding herself for being foolish, Li Sushang sighed. Though she could use the handkerchief to track him, that would seem like she was deliberately looking for him.
"Forget it. I'll just walk around."
Without a goal, Li Sushang wandered aimlessly through the streets. Unfortunately, this wasn't the entertainment district. Nightlife here was limited, and most shops were closed this late.
The only entertainment she could think of was the rocking horse ride. She decided to go back and kill some time, but when she arrived, the lights were off, and the shop was closed.
The rocking horse was still outside. She sat on it, but without the lights and music, it wasn't fun.
"Boring…"
Looking up at the moon, Li Sushang twirled a strand of hair around her finger. This era wasn't so interesting after all.
Just as she was about to find a place to sleep on a rooftop, like she used to, a faint Honkai energy reaction rippled through her mind.
After two days of training with Schicksal, Li Sushang knew using Honkai energy as a power source wasn't uncommon. But ordinary Honkai energy was chaotic. This energy was pure, causing no disturbances despite its diffusion. Having mastered Taixuan Sword Qi, she immediately recognized it as the reaction of genuine Qi.
"According to the luocha, the only one who can use Taixuan Sword Qi is Grandmaster. But isn't she recovering at Schicksal?"
"Could there be someone else in this era who knows Taixuan Sword Qi?" The possibility of meeting a fellow disciple energized her. She lightly touched the ground, her body floating up like a leaf caught in the wind, landing on a billboard, then heading towards the source of the energy.
Whoever it was, it was better than being bored.
As Li Sushang pursued the energy signature, Kiana, on her way to her destination, was alerted by Fu Hua and noticed Li Sushang following her.
"That despicable Otto, he sent someone after me after all." Kiana frowned. The information Ren had left couldn't be hidden from Schicksal. She wasn't worried about being captured, but she feared they would find Himeko first.
"Should we eliminate the pursuer?" Fu Hua asked.
Fighting was never ideal, but she knew that Kiana was holding back a lot of anger. Perhaps a fight would help her release some of it.
But Kiana shook her head. "This city… it's finally at peace. I can't let his efforts be in vain."
She closed her eyes. With a snap, a portal opened, and she vanished, leaving Li Sushang's pursuit range.