Chapter 64: Eriyi: Where’s Godzilla?

Japan, Genji Heavy Industries Building.

This was a traditional Japanese room with a tatami floor and a kotatsu table in the center. The plain white walls had minimal decoration, with just three paintings hanging, depicting Amaterasu, Tsukuyomi, and Susanoo from Japanese mythology. 

Against the wall were several neatly arranged small boxes containing various dolls. There were plastic Ultraman and Kaiju figures, plush Rilakkuma, and Hello Kitty toys. Each toy had a small label, like "Eriyi's Duck," suggesting that their owner was a girl with a strong sense of possession.

Opposite the kotatsu table was a wall-mounted LCD TV with a PSN console beneath it.

The girl wore a red and white miko outfit, consisting of a juban, a white kimono, and a red hakama. The wide sleeves and red cords of the miko attire couldn't conceal her graceful curves. Her dark red hair cascaded like a waterfall, with a few strands falling over her chest. Her proper seiza sitting posture added a touch of demureness to her.

Her presence seemed to bring life to this simple, dry space. Her bright, natural beauty was like the finishing touch of a master artist, filling the room with vitality.

Eriyi ended her game session on the screen, feeling a bit bored. She put down the controller and stretched slightly, her transparent juban revealing a glimpse of her beautiful, butterfly-like collarbones as she leaned back.

She glanced at her PSN friend list, which only had two avatars: a tortoise and Godzilla, but neither was online.

She tried sending a game invite to "Godzilla," but there was no response. Of course, someone offline couldn't play with her.

She tilted her head, seemingly in thought.

Godzilla had been gone for several days.

She sent a "let's play again" message, essentially leaving a note, knowing the other party wouldn't reply. Then she turned off the PSN.

Slowly, she stood up and skillfully untied the large red obi at her waist, removing the white kimono top. Next, her semi-transparent juban slid down along her graceful curves, revealing smooth shoulders and stunning butterfly bones.

Her skin was pale, with a translucent quality like alabaster. She then stood up from her red hakama, her slender, pure skin exposed to the air, except for the white lace guarding the final frontier.

She bent down to the side, taking a yellow rubber duck from a box, placed it on her head, and tiptoed to the bathroom, ready for a bath.

With no one to play games with and no interesting anime to watch, she liked sitting in the huge bronze bathtub. The enclosed bathroom was her little kingdom, and the rubber duck was her good friend, playing games with her.

She knew her brother was busy and would behave, not demanding he play with her.

But... where had "Godzilla" gone?

...

At the Kassel Academy, underground in Vatt Alheim.

Fortunately, the Equipment Department wasn't entirely careless about the life of an S-Class. They promptly stopped the gas release and opened the chamber to let Lu Chen out. The large ventilation system above the chamber also kicked in, ending the farce.

Oh, except for some who finally took off their helmets, rubbing their swollen, bruised eyes, looking much more subdued. Lu Chen rarely indulged in the childish act of hitting people; he usually killed when he acted. But today, he couldn't resist. These maniacs were truly toxic.

Afterwards, he adamantly refused to go back in. It took Deputy Minister Carl a lot of persuading and repeated assurances. Only after testing the high-voltage current in front of Lu Chen did he agree to continue the experiment.

The next few days left Lu Chen mentally and physically exhausted. He swore that no matter the reason, he would never come to this damned place again.

The experiment was finally completed successfully. The Equipment Department systematically tested the Third Generation dragon's resistance to various weapons, claiming it would help improve the academy's new equipment.

After drawing a large amount of spinal fluid and storing numerous blood samples, Minister Akadura handed Lu Chen a stylus.

The stylus was cast from alloy, its unattractive exterior a clear product of the Equipment Department, with a beautiful red tip.

"The Philosopher's Stone. Only this can completely kill a dragon's spirit. If you use your alchemy weapon to kill it directly, it might still have a chance to revive," Deputy Minister Carl explained.

After these inhuman experiments, the once noble Third Generation dragon's eyes had dimmed. When Lu Chen approached with the stylus, a hint of relief appeared in her eyes.

In the last moment before the stylus struck, her eyes showed a bit of amusement as she looked at the lowly people daring to experiment on her. These lowly people didn't realize they were raising a greater monster, and her purpose had already been achieved.

*Ding*

Lu Chen heard a prompt in his mind, indicating he had completed another step on his path to godhood. However, being in the Equipment Department, he couldn't extract the reward in front of these maniacs.

"Minister Akadura, can I go now?" Lu Chen asked.

"Go, go, go. Get out of here. You're not needed anymore. It's our work time now," Minister Akadura waved dismissively, eager to dive into deeper dragon studies, showing no intention of keeping this brute around.

Lu Chen barely restrained his urge to punch Akadura again and headed straight for the exit. He had to leave this cursed place quickly, fearing he might go mad if he stayed any longer.

"Wait, leave your sword here," Deputy Minister Carl called out to Lu Chen, who turned back, puzzled, thinking, "You're confiscating my weapon after I helped you?"

"Your mentor said Red Maple was severely damaged in battle, which I see as the Execution Department's negligence. How could they let an ace agent fight pure-blood dragons with a subpar alchemy weapon? Although this sword isn't from the Equipment Department, weak gear during missions is still our fault. We were going to prepare another alchemy weapon for you, but it needs time. Leave Red Maple here, and we'll repair and reforge it," Deputy Minister Carl's words delighted Lu Chen, realizing he didn't work for nothing. Still, he worriedly reminded, "Just repair it; no need to add bomb functions."

Deputy Minister Carl took Red Maple and patted Lu Chen's shoulder, "Don't worry, we'll just strengthen the material and coat the blade with a bit of Philosopher's Stone. No random functions."

He then seriously confirmed with Minister Akadura, "Right, Minister?"

Minister Akadura nodded and smiled at Lu Chen.

Though Lu Chen still felt something was off, Red Maple did need repairs. He had to trust the Equipment Department.

"Then I'll take my leave."

With everything settled, Lu Chen headed into the elevator without looking back, eager to escape!