The warmest black body (top)

At 4:36 PM, Rin woke up and brought everyone to the rooftop of a city in the Otherworld.

Nok’er realized that the city was exactly the same as the one in her own world, whether it was the architectural style or the clothes people wore—except dragons were flying in the sky.

“Queen, I’ve suppressed all my own energy to zero. Have you and Bella also suppressed your Honkai energy to zero?”

“Mhm, but why suppress it?”

“Last time Nok’er and I came, the evil aura on me made others wary very easily. In this world, even ordinary families know some kind of magic, and Honkai energy isn’t considered a good power. Unlike Nok’er, who is just slightly stronger than normal people.”

“I understand now.”

“As for me, I don’t use my original body. The evil aura can be minimized. It’s generally better to use Mio’s body.”

Suddenly Nok’er grew curious.

“Rin, just how terrifying were you in the past?”

“Words can’t really describe it. I’ve literally ripped people apart before, just like spicy shredded chicken. Especially girls your age with soft, tender skin.”

“Did you ever recruit any subordinates?”

“No, but there were a few obedient acquaintances. Back then I never even considered humans as worthy subordinates—unless they were evil gods. I still remember a saintess named Nai. I dragged her into my mental realm and tortured her for an entire year. And that was simultaneous torture in both the real world and mental space. She didn’t even go insane—I kind of admire her.”

“What happened afterward?”

“She lived just fine. I remember her race looks identical to humans on Earth, and they’re immortal. I let her go because she chose death over submission. At that time, I didn’t have much emotion. But now? Even a flat-chested girl, I’d play with her just for fun.”

“Feels like all of us here have villain backgrounds.”

“I’m a Witch of the Abyss. But after we go back, I plan to visit her.”

“To bully her again?”

“Relax, I’m just joking. But let’s change the subject. Didn’t Xiaofeng give me that card before? The one that looks like a transit card? She said as long as I show it to someone, I can get anything for free—even lodging.”

“I want one too.”

“One is enough. It’s meant to be shared with friends, didn’t you hear?”

“But what if we split up? Wouldn’t that be a hassle?”

“True. Anyway, let’s head downstairs to see what food there is.”

When they got downstairs, they saw a milk tea shop and walked over. They wanted to buy something, but couldn’t read any of the text.

“Anyone here understand this?”

“You’re the oldest among us. If you don’t understand it, we definitely don’t.”

Nok’er teased.

“Excuse me, is there anything you’d like to order?”

The milk tea shop clerk spoke, and surprisingly, they could understand her.

“Do you have any delicious milk tea?”

“Yes! Our signature drink is called ‘Dragon Tea’, and it’s currently on sale for just 200 gold coins.”

“We don’t have that, but we do have this.”

Rin took out the card Xiaofeng gave her, and the shop clerk immediately bowed deeply upon seeing it.

“My apologies! I’ll prepare it for you right away!”

“Also, for my three friends.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

Rin looked at the card and saw a dragon design on it. She could feel a strong power coming from it.

(I remember Xiaofeng said that even if I lose this, it’ll automatically return to me. Must be magical.)

The clerk handed over the milk tea, but Rin noticed she seemed afraid.

“Can I ask you a question?”

“Of course! If I can answer it, I will.”

“What exactly is this card? My mom and Feng Linyin are sworn sisters, and a few days ago I came to this world with friends. Feng Linyin gave me this card and said I could get anything for free.”

“You’re not from this world? No wonder. That card is essentially a symbol of the Progenitor herself selecting tribute. Even nations or city-states would bow to it. And there are fewer than three people who possess one. You’re now the third.”

“Wow, so I can literally buy anything?”

“Yes. But if I may ask, who exactly is your mother?”

“My mom didn’t say much about that. But I want to ask—how are disputes usually handled in this world?”

“There’s a special order of dragon knights and patrol knights who handle conflict. But you and your friends, holding this card, are untouchable—only the Progenitor herself could interfere.”

“Thanks! If this tastes good, I’ll come again.”

“You’re always welcome!”

As they drank their milk tea along the road, they found it incredibly delicious—flavors they’d never experienced before.

“Queen, should we find a hotel? Maybe stay in this world for a while and memorize everything about it?”

“Sure. But make sure to go back tonight after dinner to inform Lir or Anyue. We don’t want them thinking you disappeared.”

“Understood! But something feels off.”

“What is it?”

“I remember Xiaofeng said no one but the magic dragons knows she’s the Progenitor. But that clerk clearly recognized it, which contradicts that.”

“I don’t remember hearing that.”

“It was when we went to find Vampire Xilin. You hadn’t arrived yet.”

“The vampire version of me?”

“Same name. But since we can’t read the writing here, how are we supposed to find a hotel?”

“We could ask someone. Look, there’s someone in black armor across the street. And beside them is a big red dragon with wings.”

“Alright. But honestly, riding dragons—Bella, would that be a problem?”

“For you guys, it’s fine.”

“Thanks. I’ll go ask.”

Rin approached the person in armor and started to speak.

“Um…”

“Go away, brat. Scram.”

Rin got a little annoyed.

“Is this how you treat people? I just want to ask for directions.”

“Are you from the countryside? Don’t you recognize my armor?”

“I’m an officer of the Fatui. Show some respect.”

“Fatui? What’s that? If you don’t leave, I’ll have you thrown in jail.”

“I’m reporting you for bullying a kid.”

Rin ran off.

“Stupid brat.”

Back with Xilin, Rin was fuming.

“That guy had a terrible attitude—refused to speak properly and even threatened to jail me. Hmph!”

“Don’t be mad. People in armor are usually soldiers or generals—they naturally look down on commoners. Let’s ask an ordinary person instead.”

“Fine! At least my temper’s better now. In the past… that scumbag wouldn’t even be alive anymore.”

After walking a bit, they spotted a cute blonde girl in a mage robe, even cuter than Eve. But when Rin looked into her blue eyes, she instantly felt uncomfortable.

(What is this feeling? Why does my whole body feel so uneasy?)

Still, she forced herself to walk over.

The girl smiled sweetly as Rin approached.

“Hello! Can I help you with something?”

Though she looked only around 15 or 16, Rin could sense a tremendous power.

“Hi! I’m from another world, and I’m not familiar with this city. Do you know where I can find a hotel?”

“A hotel? The thing is, the hotels here aren’t affordable for regular people. Even the cheapest ones cost at least 10,000 gold coins per night.”

“No problem—I have this card.”

Rin pulled out the card and showed it to her. The girl smiled.

“Oh, so you know Feng Linyin?”

“More like… my mom is her sworn sister. She brought me a bunch of books last time she visited.”

“You must be Kamikoshi Mio, then—the daughter of the Progenitor’s sister.”

“Strictly speaking, I’m the third daughter, Kamikoshi Rin Wescott. But your reaction to the card is different from the milk tea shop clerk’s. Who exactly are you?”

“My name is Alice, one of the three Progenitors of this world, and also its strongest Saintess.”

“No wonder I felt so uncomfortable when I saw you.”

“Uncomfortable?”

“I used to be a lifeform formed from numerous evil gods and malicious will from other worlds—a purely evil entity. Something happened later, and I became who I am now.”

“That explains it. I naturally emit purification energy. Are you basically darkness itself?”

“Yeah. I am evil and darkness. Xiao Feng fought me once, and I lost miserably. But what about you? Could you beat Xiao Feng?”

“Hard to say. But one thing’s for sure… I’m cuter than her!”

“Fair enough. By the way, where is this place exactly? And one more thing—I remember Xiao Feng said that aside from the magic dragons, no one knows she’s a Progenitor. So why did that milk tea clerk recognize the card immediately?”

“Some things have happened lately, and now everyone knows—except for one person. Also, the city you’re in now is the shared capital of us three Progenitors.”

“Figures. The prices are ridiculously high, and I have no idea how your currency system works.”

“It’s simple. You can go to the guild and take monster hunting requests to earn money. Since you’re from another world and unfamiliar with the local economy, I can give you a book. It records the standard prices across all regions and planets, along with the universal gold currency.”

“Looks like we’ll need time to study it. That inn you mentioned earlier—where is it? We plan to stay in this world for a while.”

“Why bother staying at an inn? Just live with Feng Linyin.”

“The issue is… if I remember right, she lives on a floating island. Wouldn’t shopping be a hassle?”

“Not really. Every area has teleportation stones. Just touch the stone and tap the icon, and you’ll be teleported. Though the place we live in can’t be accessed by normal stones—only special ones can get you back.”

“Got it. Thanks for the info.”

“No problem. I just came back from a monster hunt myself today. It’s basically like mowing grass now—getting a bit boring.”

“You went personally? Isn’t that dangerous for someone of your status?”

“It’s fine. Plus, there’s a luxurious banquet at noon today. With that card, you and your friends can attend. We three Progenitors will be there too!”

“Noon? Guess time moves differently on your planet. What do you think, Your Majesty?”

“Let’s go. I’ve been wanting to try some new food anyway.”

“Understood!”

“By the way, Alice, what kind of food will they have at this luxurious banquet?”

“Too many to count. And before the banquet, there’ll be a fighting tournament. The three of us usually enjoy watching those.”

“Can I join? I want to enter as a Fatui Harbinger and show everyone what true terror looks like.”

“That’s no problem. But I should warn you—the matches can be fatal.”

“Fatal? Why would a tournament be like that?”

“Because participants all have special resurrection rights. We three can revive the dead, so everyone fights with full force. Even if someone surrenders or gets injured, we’ll heal them.”

“That’s a relief. Nok’er, want to use this chance to train?”

“I’ll pass. Even if I can be revived, I don’t want to get beat up for no reason.”

But Alice covered her mouth and laughed.

“Didn’t you know? Win or lose, all participants get to learn one top-tier magic skill. And since you have that card, you’re all eligible. Ordinary people can’t join no matter how much money they have. Only candidates designated by royal families can enter.”

“Then I’m in! But what does the winner get?”

“They get a planet! Any one of us three Progenitors can replicate a planet from thin air. You can duplicate an entire planet—technology and all. There’s no life on it, but still, owning a planet? Sounds awesome, doesn’t it?”

“I’ll pass. I’ll probably just get eliminated.”

“Don’t get discouraged. Just take it as experience. Alice, do you have any fun places to recommend? We’re free right now anyway.”

“Sure. Playing with kids is part of being a Saintess too.”

“I’m not a kid! I might act like one now, but don’t treat me like one!”

“Are you in your rebellious phase?”

“Of course not. Beings like me don’t have rebellious phases, puberty, or menopause.”

“Then do you have a mating season? Ever had a boyfriend?”

“Excuse me, Miss Saintess! What kind of nonsense are you saying?”

“Sorry, I was just bored and teasing you a bit. But I do need to warn you—there are sadistic maniacs in the tournament. There are no rules. Unless you surrender, it could get brutal.”

“Simple. If I can’t win, I’ll just surrender. Also, Your Majesty, I’ll return to our world for a few minutes. I’ll be right back.”

“Alright.”

Rin returned after nine minutes, her clothes slightly torn.

“Sorry, Your Majesty. Mio asked me to help her out. I got delayed.”

“It’s okay. By the way, Alice just unlocked all of our bodies’ hidden potential. I feel super energized now.”

“Nice. I already did that with Nok’er last time. Bella, how about you?”

“Hard to say, but I feel dozens of times stronger. I can now better protect you, Her Majesty, and Nok’er too.”

“That’s great! Thanks, Alice.”

“No big deal. Also, I heard from Celine that you have another body. If you show it to me, I can help you strengthen it.”

“Alright.”

Then Rin instantly transformed into Eleya. Alice found her so cute that she felt like hugging her.

“You’re really beautiful! What do you usually eat?”

“Same stuff as everyone else. I make curry rice sometimes—just regular beef. Or I order delivery. But don’t get me wrong—I was born this way. I don’t use makeup or anything.”

“I can tell. But that evil aura on you… it’s seriously dangerous.”

“Sorry. For me, power matters more than good or evil. My main goal is to protect my friends and family.”

Alice could tell Rin was being sincere. If someone lied, she could usually detect it without reading minds. Still, Alice was puzzled—how could someone with such a personality radiate such terrifying evil?

“That was a good answer. You’re still suppressing your power, right?”

“Yeah. Better to stay low-key. Being flashy doesn’t help. Only Xiao Feng knows my full strength.”

(And my mom, of course. Thank goodness I didn’t lose control and hurt her back then. I’d regret it forever.)

“Then let me get started!”

Alice pressed her hand to Rin’s chest. Rin’s body glowed, and her power skyrocketed!

“Whoa!”

“How’s that?”

“Even better than before.”

(With the netherfruit I ate earlier, this body is already incredibly strong. Still, better to keep it hidden. Being too powerful might make me lose friends. I’ll keep holding back.)

“Glad to hear that. By the way, can I ask each of you for one favor?”

“Each of us? What is it?”

“Go all-out in the tournament. I want to see what you can really do.”

“Sure. But one thing—Nok’er is just a regular person. She doesn’t know how to unleash her power. Can you help with that?”

At that, Nok’er looked a bit lost.

“Sorry. I only recently got these powers and don’t have any real training.”

But Alice still wore a gentle smile.

“It’s fine. That’s the most basic of basics. I’ll explain and teach you on the way. It’s just like learning to fly. Everyone in this world can actually fly. Though some areas are no-fly zones.”

“Thanks in advance.”

“If you’re bored, I’ll take you to Feng Linyin now. Maybe there’ll be something fun to do.”

Ten minutes later, everyone arrived at a castle. After opening the door, they saw a massive table filled with food.

The walls and floors were made of crystal, making everything look luxurious and noble.

“So luxurious!”

At the side of the table, Feng Lei Yin walked over after seeing Rin.

“Welcome, welcome! But how did you end up with Alice?”

“We ran into her by chance. Our main goal in coming to this world was to try foods we haven’t eaten before. We also want to pack some to bring back for my little sisters.”

“You should’ve told me earlier. I could’ve arranged for it to be delivered. But Alice must have told you about the combat tournament here, right?”

“She did. By the way, are there any beings in this world who can rival me, besides the three progenitors?”

“In terms of strength, I’ve seen what you’re capable of.”

“Thanks to Alice, my latent abilities have all been drawn out.”

“Congrats, you’re instantly in first place!”

“First place?”

Alice looked confused.

“You didn’t know? I used to spar with this little one. In terms of power, over 60% of otherworldly beings can’t defeat her.”

“Don’t joke. Even a prodigy couldn’t reach that level.”

“You don’t believe me? Rin, go ahead and unleash your full power to show Alice.”

“Alright. Your Majesty, you and the others move behind Xiaofeng. Xiaofeng, put up a protective energy barrier around here so my energy burst doesn’t destroy the city.”

“Got it.”

After Feng Lei Yin set the energy barrier, Rin suddenly released a terrifying surge of energy, stunning Feng Lei Yin.

(This energy is over 800 times stronger than before! How did it increase so much?! Maybe it’s because Alice drew out all her latent potential. She’s already reached 82% of my strength. Looks like I’ll have to train again.)

Within seconds, the evil aura Rin emitted caused all the plants in the city and even tens of thousands of miles away to begin withering.

Everyone felt an overwhelming fear and sense of life-threatening danger. However, Xilin clapped her hands.

“Didn’t expect it to be this powerful! Now we’re not afraid of those gods anymore.”

“Yeah, and it’s all thanks to Alice.”

Alice chuckled softly.

“It was nothing. But what do you plan to do with this power?”

“My unchanging goal is to protect Her Majesty and everyone. As for what I want to do… I’ll leave that to Her Majesty. We’ve been through a lot. I failed to protect my companions, and they were killed by gods.”

Feng Lei Yin looked puzzled.

“Given your past strength, and from my investigations into your world’s gods, that shouldn’t have happened.”

Nokel shook her head.

“That friend who died was me. But I was revived by a god. The reason I was killed was because Rin happened to not be with us at the time.”

“So how did things turn out afterward? If it’s not settled, I’ll help.”

“It’s been handled. And now that all of us have been strengthened, we won’t be bullied by some gods again. Although I may still be in danger, I won’t provoke mysterious enemies easily.”

Feng Lei Yin sighed.

“Why is it always like this? Rin, your mother died in an accident after I left. Your friend died because I wasn’t there. If I had stayed, maybe those tragedies wouldn’t have happened.”

“Don’t blame yourself, Xiaofeng. Many things are unpredictable. But I do have a request… I wonder if you can help.”

“Go ahead.”

“I really miss my mom. I hope that once my mom and dad grow up, you’ll give them the ability to restore their original bodies at any time, including their memories. I truly miss them.”

Xilin also understood that feeling. Back then, even as the Herrscher of Death, she couldn’t revive her own mother.

“Rin…”

“I promise.”

“Thank you…”

Bang bang bang bang bang!

At that moment, someone knocked hard on the main door.

“Come in!”

The one who ran in was the knight they had met earlier. Upon seeing Rin’s full-power state, he was instantly terrified.

“It’s you!!? What are you doing here?”

“Sorry, I forgot to tell you. My mother is Xiaofeng’s sworn sister.”

Feng Lei Yin looked at the knight with a smile.

“You know my sister’s daughter?”

“My deepest apologies! I was disrespectful with my words earlier. But something big just happened outside the city.”

“What happened?”

“Everyone in the city felt a sense of impending death. And not just the city—plants for tens of thousands of miles outside have all withered!”

At that moment, Feng Lei Yin remembered that Rin’s evil aura naturally devours all life. Fortunately, Rin hadn’t done that deliberately—it’s just that her aura is especially harmful to plants.

Rin panicked a little.

“Sorry! I didn’t expect the plants to all die. I’ll suppress my evil aura back to zero right now.”

“It’s okay. I analyzed your evil aura before. Besides devouring life, it has many functions. If I’m not mistaken, you can transfer absorbed life force, stamina, and even lifespan to others, right?”

“Pretty much. Actually, I have a great idea. I could absorb the lifespan of flies, mosquitoes, and cockroaches and transfer it to cats and dogs. That way, our pets could live forever—environmentally friendly and hygienic. Much better than killing the pests.”

“That’s a great idea.”

“But can I ask a question?”

“Hm?”

“Right now it’s just you and Alice. Where’s the third progenitor?”

“Probably still deciding whether to eat as a man or a woman.”

“What do you mean?”

“The third progenitor is named Zhen. They have no gender. From birth, they were more like an elf, but they can switch freely between male and female human forms. So, essentially genderless. Most of the time they use a female body. The male form is only for heavy labor. Oh, and they’re a bit of a pervert—they enter both male and female bathhouses. Aside from the knights, Alice, and me, no one else knows they’re a progenitor.”

“Sounds like Barbatos, the Anemo Archon. No gender, just different avatars.”

“Anemo Archon? Another god friend of yours?”

“No, it’s a game character. One of the Seven Archons of Teyvat.”

“Then I’ll visit your world in a few days. Alice, you coming?”

“No, I still have to entertain the kids.”

“Xiaofeng.”

“Hmm?”

“Can we eat now? I’ve been drooling since we walked in.”

“Go ahead. But you should deactivate your full-power mode. It consumes a lot of energy.”

“True. Your Majesty, let’s go!”

“Okay!”

While eating, only Bella remained elegant. Everyone else was wolfing down food, and everything tasted new and unfamiliar.

“So delicious!”

“Yeah. But Rin, everything you said earlier—was it all true?”

“Yes. I genuinely want to protect everyone. Even if I’m evil by nature, my loyalty to Her Majesty will never change.”

“Using your world’s terms, it’s like chunibyo. Where’s the evil in that?”

“You don’t understand, Your Majesty. Compared to your past hatred, I’m pure evil. Even now I still have a killing instinct. But for you, I’ll do everything I can to change.”

“No rush. Take it slow, like I did.”