Chapter 73 : The Hero's Trial
(Is Elucia... comforting me?)
Realizing this, Lonis's mood had already improved considerably.
And Elucia didn't say much more, just led Lonis all the way down into the underground commercial street.
Neon-colored lights, noisy sound systems, and in the corner tavern, there was even a student band singing passionately... Though this wasn't her first time here, every time Lonis could discover something new.
"Boss, the usual, Room 9."
Elucia handed over the ticket, but at this time, this burly man scratched his bald head and showed an embarrassed expression: "Um, really sorry, customer, Room 9 is currently unavailable for rent."
"What?!"
Elucia raised her eyebrows, her naturally imposing expression having such pressure even when facing the burly man: "Didn't we agree? We're renting for a whole week?!"
"Customer, that... it's, it's leaking, currently under emergency repair."
"Hmph, it's already been rented by someone else, right? How much did they pay?"
"Ah..."
The boss also knew he was in the wrong and could only smile apologetically: "Ah, it's not much more money, it's just that they have some... um, unavoidable circumstances. Ah, right, customer, I can rent Room 66 to you. No one's using it right now, and to express our apologies, we'll give you a 70% discount. How about it?"
"Room 66?"
"Right, it's a very auspicious number, isn't it?"
"Hmph, 90% discount."
"Eh? 90%... 90% discount would make us lose a lot of money!"
"Then 89% discount, no more."
Like this, tonight Lonis didn't go to the familiar Room 9 with Elucia, but came to Room 66 instead.
Originally Lonis didn't have any expectations—after all, if Room 9 was so shabby, then Room 66 would definitely be even more difficult to tolerate, right?
But the moment she entered...
"How, how can it be so beautiful!"
Lonis was stunned, because Room 66 was like a presidential suite—not only was the space very large, but it was also gleaming.
The bed was an extremely large double bed, with sofa, long table, kitchen, living room—everything was complete... Even the pleasure devices numbered two!
(Is it because it's expensive, so no one wants to rent it?)
Just as Lonis was thinking this, Elucia snorted coldly and said: "This room is really interesting."
"Elucia?"
"There's not much time left, Lonis... Tomorrow we have to register, then adjust our schedule for the exam. So tonight is the last time to use the pleasure device."
"Eh?"
"Hurry up, you don't need me to help with the restraints this time, right?"
"Mm..."
Lonis's cheeks flushed as she sat on the "electric chair."
Having used it so many times, the silver-haired girl already knew what the belts on the electric chair were for... They mainly served to protect the user.
After all, with consciousness in the virtual world, the real world body might react due to stress, and could even cause accidental interruption of the pleasure device. So restraining the user's limbs was an essential action.
And Elucia walked to Lonis's side after she was already bound to the chair, looking at the silver-haired girl with interest.
"Oh~~ It's a bit loose here? Needs to be tighter."
"Eh?"
"Hmph, irregular places are just inferior. The belt here has also aged... Sigh, I can only reluctantly reinforce it a bit~"
Though saying "reluctantly," Elucia hummed a little tune and pulled out a coil of hemp rope from her Storage Ring.
"E-Elucia?"
"Hehe, Lonis, see how much I care about you? I was so afraid you'd hurt yourself that I specially prepared 20 meters of hemp rope~"
"N-no, that..."
"Lonis is also very happy, right? (You're not allowed to be unhappy)"
"Uu uu..."
Though nominally for her safety.
But actually, there was completely no need for so much rope!
Lonis looked down at her body tightly bound by 20 meters of rope, simply reminded of the rice dumplings from Dragon Boat Festival in her previous life... No, even the rope on rice dumplings didn't have so many knots.
But on her thighs, below her chest, on her lower abdomen, at her neck... There were more than a dozen sturdy rope knots, making it so that if Lonis even slightly wanted to move, it would affect her whole body, making her entire body feel shameful.
"Elucia, wh-why tie so much rope?"
"That's naturally for your safety."
"Eh?"
"This pleasure device probably isn't clean... Simply put, people might have died here."
"People died?!"
"Yes, some people got too HIGH using pleasure devices and might die during use. And if they die in the virtual world, part of their consciousness remains in the pleasure device, becoming monsters that attack later users... So no matter how luxuriously this room is decorated, no one wants to use it."
"????"
"However, our maid Lonis was a hero who saved the world in her previous life, right? In the virtual world, dealing with suddenly appearing terrifying monsters should be no problem, right?"
"!"
Lonis was stunned—she suddenly understood... This was an excellent opportunity to prove herself!
After all, though her physical body had now become a girl's, her mental realm hadn't changed much: in the virtual world, as long as she wasn't afraid, didn't feel fear, then no monsters could bring her substantial harm.
So...
"Elucia, watch my performance."
"Oh, you look quite confident~"
"Of course, quickly put the helmet on me."
"No, before that, I should correct your manner of address. You seem to not understand the rules..."
"Master Elucia, please put the helmet on this servant QAQ."
Seeing Elucia raise the remote control, Lonis surrendered before the battle even began.
(It really is different?)
Unlike the previous blank world, as soon as Lonis's consciousness entered the virtual world, she saw a very magnificent castle.
It stood on a mountain peak, entirely jet black.
Dark clouds rolled in the sky, with thunder occasionally striking down.
Lonis looked around and found herself standing on a weed-covered path, facing the castle's main gate.
"It looks like there aren't any monsters around? And this sky is so strange—why is it deep purple?"
This scene inevitably reminded Lonis of some games she'd played in her previous life: like Dark Souls, Dante, Castlevania series—they liked to set the game's opening scene in such places, firstly to make players instinctively feel fear, secondly to be immersive, making players feel like they were heroes.
And Lonis didn't need to "feel" like she was a hero, because she originally "was" a hero.
"Spirits of Augunis, please answer my call and grant me power!"
When she was formerly a hero, Lonis used this method to summon various strange powers, and the current situation was as she expected—a white light blade appeared at her side.
But when Lonis wanted to condense armor, she discovered a problem.
Her body was still a girl's!
No matter how much Lonis wanted to become a magnificent boy, even pressing down her chest, the self appearing in this world was still a delicate and graceful girl.
Silver-white long hair, milk-like skin—everything about her appearance was exactly the same as her appearance in the real world.
"Uu... D-damn? Can't the self-image be changed?"
Lonis pouted, could only very "dissatisfiedly" use a female body to begin the hero's trial.