Chapter 56

After politely saving the pictures, Ye Zheng did not continue browsing the forum. She put down her phone and lay on the bed properly, finally resting.

Unbeknownst to her, the mysterious “Ye Zheng” ID soon caused a small wave of heated discussion on the forum. Everyone agreed that someone had encountered a rare system bug, and as a result, countless people tried to register character names, all of which failed.

What readers could not imagine was that this bug-like ID named Ye Zheng would later become a prominent figure on the forum.

Ye Zheng remained in the palace, claiming illness for several days, using the time to rest and conveniently prepare certain things.

Sykes’s actions were swift and forceful. The very next day, he departed on a so-called personal expedition into the realm, vowing to bring back that person’s head as a trophy for his hunting ground.

Ye Zheng had even worried that the ill healer teammate might be forcibly conscripted. Unexpectedly, Sykes only brought the Royal Knights and Yu Tianming, his fixed accessory, apparently aiming for a quick and decisive battle.

The entire empire boiled with excitement. Citizens of the lower districts, in particular, spontaneously lined the streets to welcome the crown prince’s team, as if awaiting heavenly troops.

The ugly matter of rioters delivering victims’ remains to the crown prince’s residence was sealed by the empire. In the eyes of ordinary citizens, the crown prince was risking his life for their safety.

In an instant, even the rumors painting him as tyrannical and ruthless were overturned. Crown Prince Sykes was both incomparably powerful and possessed a loving, brave heart. He was practically a prophesied savior.

Everyone believed that with Sykes’s SSS-CLASS talent personally taking action, the blood-colored realm, a terror that had left the empire helpless, would soon be destroyed.

Ye Zheng guessed that Sykes himself thought the same. She wondered what he was feeling now, three days later, trapped inside the realm.

Compared to him, Pei Xi was much calmer, at least not recklessly charging into a place that was obviously extremely dangerous.

『You are still the calmest one. The imperial family is in chaos, and the church is hinting that they want to organize people to aid Sykes.』

The church, or rather the Pope, valued Sykes greatly. On the second day after Sykes entered the realm, contact was lost. The Pope immediately hinted that Ye Zheng should enter the realm to assist. At present, only she was immune to Sykes’s harm and could provide the highest level of support.

Sykes’s Destruction ability was special. Ordinary healers could not treat him and might even be harmed by his power. Fortunately, Sykes was physically robust and almost no one could injure him, so he rarely needed medical attention.

However, the lack of news in recent days made this usually confident group increasingly anxious.

“I have a countermeasure on the Pope’s side,” Ye Zheng said calmly. “After all, I was already preparing to enter.”

She did not say this as the saintess Ye Zheng.

『According to the original plot timeline, Sykes should not have departed this early. This means his encounters during these days are unpredictable.』

“So Sykes has unexpectedly deviated from the original plotline. Does that mean he could be triggered into death or something similar?”

『Based on his ability values, the possibility of death is negligible. Moreover, he is the author’s and many readers’ beloved big son. Manga laws would not allow him to easily meet with an accident.』

The system denied the possibility outright.

Ye Zheng responded with a soft “Mm,” sounding somewhat disappointed.

“So we can only wait for the protagonist to eliminate him?”

The system hesitated and decided not to tell Ye Zheng the truth. In the original plot, although Sykes killed Ye Zheng, he ultimately only lost his status as imperial heir, while retaining immense power and wealth.

The manga author had claimed that losing noble status was the greatest punishment for Sykes. The system suspected this was simply because Sykes was extremely popular and his pairing with Pei Xi was well-loved. The ending avoided offending readers. In the original plot, Ye Zheng died precisely because her popularity was not high.

“Fine,” Ye Zheng said quietly.

Hearing her sigh, the system felt some pity for its own heroine. In the original plot, the author had treated her casually as a disposable tool. Now, even with autonomy, she still could only sigh when facing the villain who might kill her.

『It is fine. With your current popularity, the probability of the plot killing you has been greatly reduced. Even Sykes cannot easily kill you now.』

The system hurriedly tried to comfort her.

Ye Zheng did not truly listen. She responded with a few absent-minded acknowledgments, thinking instead that it might not be bad for Sykes to remain alive a bit longer. He held many secrets concerning the imperial family, the church, and the dragon bone.

Once she uncovered those secrets, it would not be too late to let Sykes go offline. Sykes had to die. Ye Zheng blinked her calm black eyes. His existence already blocked her path.

“Miss, Knight Wende has sent a package,” the maid announced softly from outside the door.

Ye Zheng walked over, opened the door, nodded, and smiled at the young maids before taking the heavy package inside.

“Thank you.”

The maids seemed as though they wanted to say something more, but Ye Zheng had already closed the door. Left outside, the two maids exchanged looks. It had taken both of them to barely lift that heavy package, yet the frail and gentle saintess had carried it with ease.

Ye Zheng placed the package onto the soft carpet and cut it open with scissors. Various items spilled out immediately.

A raincoat, a compass, gloves, a backpack, glow sticks, a lighter.

The system stared in astonishment.

『Why did you suddenly buy all of these things?』

Ye Zheng picked up the lighter and flicked it open. The flame danced at her fingertips, and her pitch-black eyes brightened slightly.

“All of this is preparation for entering that realm. I carefully observed the manga spoilers and found that the environment inside that realm is extremely peculiar, at least unlike anything I have seen before.”

“Based on the information available so far, I estimate that I will stay in that realm for a period of time. Preparation is always correct.”

Although the manga spoilers seemingly only revealed the plot of Sela killing her and Pei Xi saving her, Ye Zheng had scrutinized every corner of the panels and gained much useful information.

She discovered that the realm’s vegetation was extremely dense, with towering trees and rich greenery. It looked very humid.

Such an environment was ideal for the survival of flora and fauna, but not for humans. Especially since aberrant realms were often filled with massive mutated plants and beasts.

『That realm resembles a tropical rainforest environment. The Sacred Citadel Empire does not have such a climate.』

“Tropical rainforest?” Ye Zheng repeated softly.

Aberrant realms were essentially foreign spaces that did not belong to the Sacred Citadel Empire. Ye Zheng had encountered many strange environments within them. Perhaps the higher-dimensional world had specific terms to describe these peculiar terrains.

She continued to think quietly, eyes lowered, already planning her next move.

✧✧✧✧✧

How interesting. If there were a chance to experience the world outside the manga, that would be wonderful. Ye Zheng’s eyes curved slightly as she smiled. Her curiosity toward that aberrant realm deepened further.

『Let me take a look. These items of yours are surprisingly professional. They are essentials for rainforest exploration. You should also bring enough food and water. In tropical rainforests, food and water cannot be consumed carelessly.』

『Unless you are an exploration expert who is extremely familiar with the flora and fauna inside.』

“Is that so? I thought there wouldn’t be a shortage of food and water in there.”

Ye Zheng silently added several new items to her packing list. The system watched Ye Zheng prepare. It felt oddly like a mother watching her daughter pack for a spring outing, and it experienced an inexplicable sense of satisfaction. It searched up several jungle exploration tips and relayed them to Ye Zheng, who nodded seriously and memorized every point.

✧✧✧✧✧

Pei xi had been feeling somewhat stifled these past few days. Even though he always showed reassuring smiles to his companions, the members of the Cloud Soarers Squad could still sense the unease in his heart. It wasn’t just Pei xi—none of them could truly relax.

Lu qi propped her cheeks in her hands, sitting listlessly in the small tavern and staring out the window. Even she had no mood to crack jokes or liven up the atmosphere.

Although she really disliked Sykes, she had to admit that he was incredibly strong. Even if the entire Cloud Soarers Squad fought together, they probably wouldn’t be able to defeat him. And yet someone like that had gone missing in the Aberrant realm?

The blood-red Aberrant realm was still slowly expanding, devouring the surrounding normal regions. If this continued, it would only become harder and harder to deal with.

The residents, who had once been stirred up by Sykes’s presence, were gradually sinking into despair again. Rumors spread that the world-ending Aberrant realm spoken of in the prophecies had already arrived. Everyone lived in fear, and panic once more began to spread.

“Sigh… why hasn’t Zhao Mei arrived yet?”

Lu qi was worried about that Aberrant realm, but not excessively so. Even though she had recently made new friends, she still missed Zhao Mei a little. She wondered whether his body had fully recovered yet.

Just then, a tall black-clad figure suddenly entered her line of sight outside the window. Lu qi hugged her bulging backpack and clapped her hands excitedly several times.

“Zhao Mei’s here!”

Pei xi, who had been deep in thought, looked up at her words, a trace of joy flashing across his face. With Zhao Mei around, he felt a little more confident about this operation.

“Everyone, long time no see.”

The black-haired, black-eyed youth stepped into the crowded tavern, instantly drawing everyone’s gaze. Calm and composed, he greeted them naturally.

Lu qi swung her backpack onto her back and leapt over to him in big strides, excitedly giving his shoulder a heavy slap—so hard that he nearly lost his balance.

The youth coughed lightly and steadied himself. The looks everyone gave him silently took on a hint of pity. Pei xi and the others showed touched expressions—Zhao Mei was clearly not fully recovered yet, and still he had come along, dragging his frail body to face life and death together with them…

Ye Zheng lowered her head, her gaze fixed on the top of Luqi’s head with a hint of confusion. Luqi was clearly small and petite—so why was she so strong? Ye Zheng even suspected that Lu qi’s raw attack power was higher than her own ability, 【Butterfly Dance】

Her eyes suddenly flicked to Luqi’s overstuffed backpack, and a faint smile crossed her fair face.

She sent the list of required supplies to the Cloud Soarers Squad. After all, they would be acting together for several days, and she hoped her teammates would be properly prepared.

Ye Zheng’s gaze shifted slightly as she noticed that, aside from Lu qi and herself, Peixi and the others were carrying extremely simple gear. Their backpacks looked very light.

The youth smiled. Lu qi might seem lively and rebellious, but unexpectedly, she was a well-behaved child.

“Since everyone is prepared, let’s set off.”

The black-haired, black-eyed youth looked refined and elegant. His voice, slightly hoarse yet magnetic, carried a calm, reassuring authority.

As the captain, Peixi listened to Zhao Mei’s words and nodded in agreement, his expression growing more serious.

“We’ll move out now.”

Under the worried gazes and blessings of the tavern’s patrons, the young people departed, stepping onto a new journey filled with the unknown.