Chapter 80-The Manga Pariah's Guide to Self-Salvation
Ye Zheng glanced at the four people present, smiled, and said, "Sorry to keep you waiting."
The youth took his seat, and the five of them gathered around the table. Directly opposite her was Percy.
Although Percy was smiling, his face looked a bit weary.
"Percy, you look a little tired. Have you not been feeling well lately?"
The youth blinked his green eyes and asked with concern.
"It's nothing. We were just talking about the recent changes in the Lower District's Demonic Domains. You came at just the right time."
Percy changed the subject. Everyone began to discuss the matter of the Demonic Domains, and the faces of the youths all turned serious.
"Although the Empire hasn't released official data yet, I'm sure that the Demonic Domains are appearing more frequently, and they're getting stronger."
Roy laid out a large pile of newspaper clippings on the table, pointing to the data reported on them.
Lucy nodded. Usually optimistic and cheerful, she too lowered her eyes, worried. "My parents were caught in two Demonic Domains recently. The domains in the West District have become more frequent as well."
The West District, due to its complex terrain and climate, was vast and sparsely populated. In the past, even Demonic Domains rarely descended there.
Ye Zheng listened in silence. She had long heard about these changes and had obtained more accurate data from the Sei Curia. The losses caused by the Demonic Domains were even beginning to overwhelm the Empire.
In the midst of the silence, Caleb suddenly clutched his head in frustration and sighed, "I've been hesitating whether to tell you guys... Cloud-Soaring Academy recently received a notice of suspension."
"What?"
Everyone looked at Caleb in disbelief. The tall, sturdy boy was the reliable shield of the team and also the son of the principal of Cloud-Soaring Academy, where they were all students. The principal had always been very supportive of their activities.
Percy quickly asked, "Caleb, what exactly happened at the school?"
"Have you guys heard about the group that has risen up in the Lower District recently? They claim to be The Disciples, followers of the true Daughter of the God. The Daughter of the God has golden hair just like the God of Hope, and she will execute the false heretics, using pious faith to summon the God of Hope back to the world."
"Some students from our school have joined that group, and now the entire academy is being suspended for investigation!"
Percy pressed his forehead as if a headache was coming on. "I know about this group. They are mostly people who have lost their families and property in Demonic Domains and are disappointed with the Sei Curia and the Royal Family. These 'Disciples' have been active for a long time. The Pope's incident might have been what spurred them on."
Caleb said nervously, "They've already caused considerable damage. They burned down a church in the South District and killed several Priests. I never thought there would be people like that at Cloud-Soaring Academy."
"I'm a little curious, who is this Daughter of the God they speak of?"
The black-haired, green-eyed youth suddenly joined the conversation.
"From their description, she sounds a bit familiar."
Percy pondered for a moment before uttering a name, "Sierra?"
Lucy's eyes widened. "Who? Sierra? The Daughter of the God?"
She tugged at her own orange hair. "If my hair were gold, I'd look more like the Daughter of the God than she does."
Lucy suddenly heard a soft chuckle and turned to glare at Zhao Mei, who hadn't managed to hide his smile in time.
"Ahem, it seems Sierra's actions have coincidentally aligned with the doctrines of those 'Disciples'. However, if Sierra were to truly join them, things might get a bit troublesome."
This group of Disciples was mostly composed of ordinary people and ability users with low-rank talents. Although their ideas were radical, they lacked real destructive power. But if Sierra were to join, this group would likely become a threat the Empire could not ignore.
The System speechlessly watched its host, who was saying "things might get a bit troublesome" with a grave expression. Who would have thought that she was the true culprit behind this turn of events...
[This never happened in the original plot! Although Sierra escaped, she was always a lone wolf, occasionally causing trouble for the government, the Sei Curia, and the protagonist team.]
[You strengthened Sierra, and she's hostile towards you. This isn't good!]
Ye Zheng already understood. It was the "execution" she had staged with Sierra that had attracted The Disciples' attention. So far, she couldn't see Sierra's hand in The Disciples' actions, and she wondered if Sierra would even be interested in joining them.
"Zhao Mei, what's wrong? You don't look too well."
Percy looked with concern at the youth sitting opposite him. Zhao Mei was looking down, seemingly deep in thought, his usually gentle face expressionless.
The youth shook his head at him. "I just feel that the situation is getting more and more chaotic. It's really... hah."
Percy was curious about Zhao Mei's unfinished sentence, but he saw him turn his head away as if unwilling to say more.
Ye Zheng wondered. She had used Sierra to cause a lot of trouble for the Pope, but in doing so, she had also introduced the variable of Sierra into her own life. This wasn't the first time she had done something like this, and she had no idea what kind of outcome it would ultimately lead to.
The group talked for a long time, well into the night. The competition was set to officially restart tomorrow, and everyone returned to their rooms to rest with their own worries.
Just as Ye Zheng was about to return to her room, she heard a slight noise in the hallway. Following the faint sound, she leaped onto the roof.
On the roof, the black-haired youth was sitting, looking up at the starry sky with a bottle of wine beside him.
"Percy, I'm confiscating this bottle. You're not of age yet."
The wine bottle beside him was picked up. Percy turned his head to see Zhao Mei sitting down next to him.
Percy smiled helplessly. "It's actually just juice inside?"
"My sense of smell is very good."
The black-haired, green-eyed youth smiled at him, a little mischievously.
"What could be so serious that a minor needs alcohol to cope? It seems this country is quite derelict in its duties."
The youth swirled the translucent bottle, his green eyes staring at the sloshing liquid with a hint of curiosity, yet he spoke like a mature adult.
"Zhao Mei, I think you want to drink it more than I do, right? Don't let me catch you hiding it for yourself later."
Percy teased, but his smile was a bit forced, as if many things were weighing on his mind.
"I'll be able to drink in three months. I'm curious about its taste, but I don't expect it to solve any of my problems."
"Instead of drinking, why not talk to me? I've always been a good listener."
The youth put the bottle down and looked at him seriously.
Percy was slightly taken aback. He had indeed been through a lot recently, and none of it was as he had imagined. He kept it all bottled up, unwilling to confide in Roy and the others because he was the captain of this team. If even he showed weakness, wouldn't Lucy and the others become even more anxious?
But in front of Zhao Mei, perhaps because they weren't as close, or perhaps because Zhao Mei showed a more mature side than him, he felt a stronger urge to speak.
"Lately, I've been having a recurring dream. In the dream... very strange scenes appear, like prophecies."
"I used to have dreams like that when I was a child, but they were never as clear as they are now. The dream seems to be calling me to do something."
Ye Zheng lowered her head and listened intently, a trace of surprise crossing her face beneath her short black hair.
She had a feeling that the "strange scenes" Percy mentioned might be related to the scene she saw in the manga spoiler.
"From your description, the dream doesn't sound bad, does it? Dreams often reflect the troubles and desires deep within one's heart. If you choose not to worry, perhaps the dream that troubles you will naturally disappear."
Percy let out a laugh. "Why don't you ask me what I dreamed about? Aren't you curious?"
"Dreams are very private things. I don't like to pry into other people's privacy."
Hearing Zhao Mei's reply, Percy's desire to confide grew even stronger. He sighed and said, "Actually, there's nothing to hide. I dreamed that I was holding up a sword, like the God of Hope. The sword seemed to be calling out to me, telling me to find it and master it."
Percy lowered his head in frustration, thus missing the strange expression that flickered across the youth's face for an instant.
"If it's a heroic dream like that, then what are you worried about?"
"Are you worried—about having to bear such a grand responsibility?"
Percy's head shot up as if he had been struck, and even his words became a bit incoherent. "It's just a dream. Maybe I've been under a lot of stress lately, always thinking about strange things..."
Suddenly, the black-haired, green-eyed youth moved closer to him, and a warm hand rested on his head—Zhao Mei was stroking his hair.
Percy's body froze completely. Ever since his mother died, no one had ever touched his head like this.
"Percy, you're still just a kid. It's normal to feel pressure and want to escape. You don't have to blame yourself for it."
"N-no, as the captain, people are counting on the Cloud-Soaring Squad. I can't back down, I can't be timid..."
"You can back down, and you can be timid. That is your right."
Percy's mind felt like a chaotic mess. He heard his own voice ask, floatingly, "Shouldn't you be encouraging me? Like Roy, Lucy, Caleb, and the principal... so many people. I can definitely do it, I will definitely succeed, you all believe in me like that..."
"Look at me, don't look down."
Percy looked up at his words and met that pair of gentle, compassionate green eyes, holding the gaze for a long time. They were eyes with warmth, as warm as the hand he felt on his head, so warm it could make a person weak.
"You're not the only one who wants to change this world."
Zhao Mei said softly.
"Right... I still have you guys, a group of great companions..."
Percy murmured.
"That's right. So if you're feeling tired, let others help share the burden once in a while."
Percy's blue eyes reflected the youth's concerned face, and he heard Zhao Mei's ethereal voice drift past his ear.
"Even if it means taking on all the glorious, unbearable responsibilities for you, that would be no problem at all."
The warmth on his head vanished. The black-haired, green-eyed youth withdrew his hand and met his gaze quietly.
Percy's body trembled. He knew this was wrong, but perhaps it was because the night was a little cold and the sky was especially dark. In that pair of shimmering green eyes, he clearly saw his own wavering, cowardly face.
[Ahhh, PerMei is scoring big time!]
[Oh my god, how did our PerMei suddenly drop so much content?]
[I fainted at the line "taking on all the responsibilities for you." What kind of trust and intimacy does it take to say something like that... Creator, are you sure you're just drawing them as regular friends?]
[Zhao Mei has such strong vibes of a beautiful, powerful, and tragic white moonlight character... This kind of second male lead always ends up sacrificing himself to become the male lead's eternal white moonlight...]
[Ahhh, Zhao Mei, stop jinxing it! Everyone in our Cloud-Soaring Squad has to live!]
[I apologize for ever badmouthing Zhao Mei before. He's just a sweet baby. Finally, someone who can care about our Percy's mental health, sob]
Li Yixin looked at the final scene of the latest chapter, her phone screen almost completely covered by bullet comments. She had a feeling that the PerMei CP would become a huge hit for some time to come.
Ahhh, even though she was briefly a Percy and Zhao Mei CP fan, now she was more of a Zhao Mei yumejo! No, this can't be happening!
[Rushing here to screenshot the famous scene. This head-patting scene has already been set as the avatar for the PerMei Super Topic!]
[Checking in at the famous scene +1]
[Checking in at the famous scene +2]
[Checking in at the famous scene +3]
...
Although this update was a transitional chapter, the amount of information was surprisingly large, and there were many famous scenes. Not only Zhao Mei and Percy but also Ye Zheng and Sykes from the other side of the story made an appearance. The forums must be buzzing.
But for the first time, Li Yixin really didn't want to open the forums.
Li Yixin could already imagine opening the forums and being bombarded by PerMei fans. Zhao Mei's 'momo' fans have probably already started producing content—maybe even some 'gonggong' fans (a term for fans who see their fave in a dominant seme role), though that species is rarer.
The girl struggled for a moment before clicking on the forums, her expression extremely complicated.
At that moment, the heartbroken Li Yixin couldn't have imagined that this PerMei scene, which was giving her a figurative heart attack, would soon be dubbed by readers who later understood "the most infamous scene in King of the Demonic Domain." (A pun on 'famous scene'(名场面, pinyin as ming chang mian) using a character(冥, ming) that means 'underworld' or 'dark', implying it's a scene that becomes chilling in hindsight)
Author's Note: I was so moved by all of your encouraging comments babes... The next chapter will be about the forums. A little spoiler, the identity reveal is coming soon.
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