After Jun An and Vita came to an agreement, he brought her back to Salt Snow Holy City.
"Captain, you're back!"
Seele ran over worriedly, repeatedly checking the Captain's body. "Let Seele take a look at the injury! Seele can heal it for you!"
At this moment, Seele had already become the Herrscher of Life and Death, and a directly ascended one at that, with no one competing with her for consciousness.
Evidently, Jun An's strategy had been very successful.
"Relax, that little scratch should have healed in two hours anyway."
Jun An turned around, letting Seele see his back. Although slightly stained with blood, beneath the stains was smooth skin with no wound.
"Besides, compared to me, Vita, don't you have something to say?"
"Vita!"
Hearing this name, everyone's gaze converged on Vita, who had followed Jun An out. Everyone immediately showed expressions of vigilance.
"Oh my, don't look at me like that. I was only acting under Sa's orders, I was forced to attack."
Vita said with a wronged expression, "I'm truly innocent in this matter. And innocent me was even severely punished by the Captain for two whole hours! If you don't believe me, ask the Captain."
"Mm, I've administered all the necessary punishment,"
Jun An also nodded in confirmation. "Considering there's still a big boss behind her, and that she did seem to cherish the chance I gave her to recognize and correct her mistakes, I didn't beat her to death."
"See? I was hit quite a few times."
Vita looked at the group, who still didn't seem satisfied. "Alright, alright, hiding the fact that I was Sa's agent was indeed wrong of me. I apologize to you all."
Dark Seele frowned. "As an accomplice in destroying worlds, your apology truly lacks sincerity."
"Then what does Seele consider sincere?"
Vita apologized with a sincere look. "Do I need to kneel? If that would appease Seele, I'm willing."
"Forget it, forget it, just hearing it is disgusting." Dark Seele was just complaining casually and didn't actually intend to make her pay any price.
Prometheus, however, stared intently at Vita, and her gaze was quickly noticed by Vita.
Vita asked, "What is it, Prometheus? Do you also require a formal apology?"
"No, I am not human, so I feel no 'anger' towards your actions. Moreover, your stance has been somewhat strange ever since you returned to Salt Snow Holy City. You've probably been dealt with sufficiently by the Captain already."
Prometheus sized up Vita, her electronic voice tinged with great confusion. "It's just that my data indicates you seem nervous and excited. Could it be you were actually looking forward to the punishment?"
Vita's pupils contracted. She instantly realized everyone was looking at her with even greater shock than before. And the Captain, the culprit responsible for her "inconvenient movement," was now looking at her with a gaze of 'disgust.'
Vita wanted nothing more than to kick him right then and there. Whose fault did he think this was?
She was aching all over right now, and something had been stuffed inside her; how could she possibly move normally!
"Haha, how could that be possible?"
Vita struggled to maintain her usual smile. "I'm a Venusian, after all. My body data might be a bit different. Maybe fear and excitement got mixed up."
"...But your current body data, compared to before, certainly doesn't count as 'normal'."
Prometheus immediately began monitoring without another word. "To be safe, I should use my equipment to perform a basic X-ray scan on you."
"Wait a second..."
Jun An tried to intervene, but his reaction speed was certainly no match for the AI Prometheus. Instead, his very action drew everyone's attention towards him.
Undoubtedly, everyone knew there was something fishy going on.
"...Ah."
Even the usually unflappable Prometheus let out a sound of shock. A foreign object, and its shape...
She stared blankly at Jun An, but fortunately, her computer used quantum technology and could process it.
But this didn't stop her from looking at the Captain with contempt. "If this is part of the punishment, I have no objection."
Vita: I do!
Herrscher of Sentience: "Punishment? So, Captain, what exactly did you punish her with?"
"Er, I just placed Precepts on her."
Jun An reacted quickly. "Just to ensure she won't do evil again."
Jun An couldn't help but sigh in relief. Good thing the Herrscher of Sentience wasn't physically here.
"Mm, the Captain placed Precepts on me for two whole hours."
Vita also added complainingly, "See? Now I have no choice but to obey the Captain. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call me the Captain's slave."
"Let me make it clear, I absolutely never asked her to be my slave!"
Seeing Vita trying to stir up trouble, Jun An immediately proclaimed his innocence.
—Besides, I'm not lying!
Prometheus (side-eye): Just based on your practice of treating women like toys, you should be dragged out and beaten.
Jun An: Venusians don't count as people!
Vita: Venusian dignity is still dignity!
The Herrscher of Sentience saw the three exchanging glances. Being physically absent from Salt Snow Holy City, she couldn't directly read minds, which was damn inconvenient. "Hey, you lot, punishment is punishment, what's with the sudden eye contact?"
"Ahem, it's nothing. Anyway, if you guys still feel unsatisfied, just make her run seventeen or eighteen laps around the tower outside."
Jun An really didn't want to waste more breath on this matter.
The others felt this punishment might be too light, but they noticed Vita's face instantly turn deathly pale.
—What if it leaks out? Does this guy ever consider others' dignity?
Prometheus inwardly cursed him as a devil, while the Herrscher of Sentience, able to read Vita's expression, looked eager to see what would happen.
"Let's put her matter aside for now,"
Jun An got straight to the point. "Seele, what's the situation in Salt Snow Holy City now? It should be fine, right?"
He had worked so hard and cut off Sa's control over this world bubble; it should be okay now.
However, Jun An noticed Seele was still staring blankly at Vita.
Seele looked at Vita with a somewhat strange feeling. She didn't know if it was her imagination, but she seemed to feel Vita constantly emitting a provocative aura.
Seele thought about it, comparing it perhaps to the feeling of smug triumph Bronya-oneechan might have shown Kiana after doing bad things with the Captain.
Except now, Vita was the one doing the bad things, and Seele was the target of the showing off.
"Seele?"
Jun An waved his hand in front of Seele's eyes. Only then did Seele snap back and begin explaining the current situation in Salt Snow Holy City.
It was pretty much as Jun An expected. Because Jun An had extinguished Sa's power, the "Wish" rule was nullified, and the two worlds stopped colliding.
A sign of this was that the two Seeles' powers as Tower Sages were also fading.
As the world bubble became anchored near Earth, the Honkai phenomena would gradually disappear, and everyone would no longer need to worry about attacks.
Then there was the Iron Sand Nation, the world of the deceased. Because it was born from the "Wish" rule, it would disappear immediately after those souls returned to Salt Snow Holy City and were "resurrected." The Iron Sand Nation would cease to exist.
So far, it was exactly like the plot described.
"But problems still exist."
Prometheus stated, "Because the Tower Sages are disappearing, they no longer have inexhaustible supplies. In the short term, they cannot easily obtain free food."
"Therefore, I need to stay here and coordinate for a period until this world bubble becomes self-sufficient."
Seele also nodded. "Seele and I will also use the remaining Tower Sage powers to create as many supplies as possible, ensuring everyone doesn't have to worry about food and warmth before new crops can grow."
Jun An nodded. "Mm, looks like you have a plan. This way, I can leave with peace of mind."
"Leave? Go where?"
Dark Seele asked sensitively. "You just got back, we haven't even had a chance to talk properly, and you want to leave?"
"Oh my, Seele is really cute."
Vita looked at the contrasting Dark Seele, hugging Jun An from behind with a mischievous smile. "Of course, he's going back with me to meet the parents. You guys wouldn't object, right?"
"Correction: I'm going to give Sa a beating."
Jun An coldly slapped Vita's hands away, stating flatly, "Don't forget, we only have a transactional relationship. Don't act so close."
"Oh my, but I want to get along well with you."
Vita couldn't help but grumble internally, Tch, this guy pulls out and feels no emotion, why act so aloof?
Jun An, possessing mind-reading abilities, frowned and ordered directly, "You, go run ten laps around the tower."
"You...!"
Vita fidgeted awkwardly. Seriously run?!
How did such a sadistic/perverted guy become a savior!
Jun An: "Grumble again, and you'll run through the city district for me."
"..."
Vita gritted her teeth internally, but she still needed his help to deal with Sa, gain her freedom, and save the seven Little Vitas.
—Endure. Anyway, I've endured Sa for so many years, there's no rush now.
"Yes, Master. Vita obeys your command." Although Vita was grinding her teeth, she still went to run.
Prometheus: "If this is also part of the punishment, I have no objection."
"Ahem, now that the troublemaker is gone, let's get back on topic. Anyway, I have to set off soon. Time waits for no one."
Jun An needed to hurry and retrieve Griseo now.
Although Jun An wasn't familiar with Big Griseo, Little Griseo had called him Dad, after all. He had to save her somehow.
Besides, Big and Little Griseo...