Chapter 287: Chapter 287: Ningguang: “Fox Spirit!”

With the return of the Star-Shattering King Insect,

Mikoshi Chiyo—who moments ago had looked ready to charge into battle against the swarm—immediately lost her momentum.

The blue insect radiated an aura even more overwhelming than Raiden Ei’s.

The sense of danger it gave her far surpassed even the swarm itself.

In an instant—

The fierce "Tiger Chiyo" looked more like a frightened kitten.

Kitsune Saiguu wasn’t much better.

She resembled a startled little dog.

Fortunately, the swarm didn’t seem interested in them.

It merely hovered nearby.

"Could they... be on our side?"

Seeing the swarm remain motionless, Chiyo couldn’t help thinking that.

Otherwise—

With the oppressive presence of that massive blue insect—

They would already be inside its stomach.

Not standing here perfectly fine.

"As long as we’re still alive, they’re probably friendly."

Saiguu glanced nervously at the enormous blue insect once more.

Then quickly looked away.

She didn’t dare look again.

Just from sensing its presence—

She could tell its power exceeded any god they had ever encountered.

In fact—

Even if Ei herself appeared—

They suspected that insect might still win.

"...Maybe we should hide near your benefactor?"

For perhaps the first time in her life, Chiyo admitted defeat.

She had never been afraid before.

Even when facing gods many times stronger than herself—

She had never backed down.

But this time—A single insect terrified her.

"I think that’s a great idea."

Saiguu immediately agreed.

Those terrifying bugs were better left unseen.

If she kept staring at them—

They would definitely appear in her nightmares tonight.

"Benefactor~"

Ningguang had just returned when she suddenly heard a soft, delicate voice.

She frowned and turned—Only to see a fox-eared girl rushing forward and throwing herself directly into Su Ran’s arms.

"There are so many big bugs outside. I’m really scared."

Saiguu trembled slightly as she clung to him.

Watching the fox girl acting frightened in his arms—

Ningguang silently cursed:

Fox spirit.

She had never disliked another woman so much before.

But this one—She felt an instinctive irritation.

Even Yae Miko annoyed her less.

At least the Guuji of the Grand Narukami Shrine would never shamelessly throw herself into Su Ran’s arms and act cute.

But Ningguang wasn’t the only one thinking that.

Chiyo was silently thinking the same thing.

In the past—

She had never thought Saiguu capable of being this shameless.

But somehow—

The moment Su Ran appeared—

She became like this.

Was it simply fox nature?

"The swarm really is dangerous, so you should avoid getting close to them. I may control Skarakabaz, but I can’t constantly monitor every insect."

Su Ran gently patted Saiguu’s back while comforting her.

Regardless of how much of her fear was real—

Since she had already acted this way, he could only offer a warning.

Because the swarm was genuinely dangerous.

So dangerous that Su Ran didn’t even dare leave them on Teyvat.

Instead, he kept them in outer space.

If their instincts were triggered—By the time he noticed, it would already be too late.

He could control Skarakabaz—

But that didn’t mean he could command every single insect.

"That’s the name of the blue one?"

"Yes. The Star-Shattering King Insect. Don’t worry—the space station is safe. The swarm won’t approach."

Feeling the warmth of the white-haired fox in his arms—

Su Ran almost felt tempted to indulge in the moment.

But he restrained himself.

Not because of moral virtue—

But because he had more important work to do.

For example—

Designing the Equivalent Exchange Machine.

He had already decided to let the swarm mass-produce materials—

And then use the exchange device.

That way, Star Gates could be produced at zero cost.

After all—

The swarm’s reproductive ability was extremely reliable.

They didn’t even need food to multiply.

"What are you doing, Benefactor?"

Saiguu noticed the screen in front of him filled with strange symbols.

"Inventing something."

Inventing?

Saiguu stared at the lines of characters.

There were no drawings.

No blueprints.

Just text.

How was that inventing?

Had the world changed so much during the five hundred years she was gone?

"Can you teach me? I’d like to learn too."

She suddenly realized that although she had only been gone for five centuries—

The generation gap seemed enormous.

For a thousand-year-old yokai, five hundred years wasn’t that long.

Yet everything now felt unfamiliar.

"That’s pretty difficult. To even understand it, you’d need to walk the Path of Erudition. And to truly learn it, you’d have to join the Genius Society first."

Saiguu wasn’t Herta.

And Su Ran didn’t have the patience to teach her.

Nor did he think she could learn it.

"How can I join the Genius Society then?"

The word genius intrigued her.

She wouldn’t mind becoming one.

"That might be a little difficult."

Ningguang stepped forward and interrupted.

"Rather than joining the Genius Society, Miss Fox might find it easier to defeat the Seven Archons first."

The Genius Society wasn’t easy to enter.

Even now—

There were only 85 members.

"If that’s the case... how could someone as weak as me defeat the Seven Archons?"

Saiguu didn’t even dare imagine fighting gods.

"But that would still be infinitely easier than joining the Genius Society."

Saiguu fell silent.

Was it really that exaggerated?

Defeating the Seven Archons—

Easier than joining that club?

She looked at Su Ran for confirmation.

"Yes. Instead of trying to join the Genius Society, you might as well defeat the Seven Archons... or overthrow the Heavenly Principles. Those are simpler goals."

To Su Ran—

Defeating the Seven Archons really wasn’t that difficult.

"Well then..."

Saiguu sighed softly.

"I think I’ll just remain a little fox by my benefactor’s side."

She gave up.

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