April 12th, just past 1 PM.
Sharon lounged sideways on the sofa, holding a glass of red wine in one hand and a fork with a piece of grilled steak in the other. She glanced at the adjacent door, ears twitching to confirm no sounds were coming through before swallowing her bite and counting down:
"3... 2... 1..."
Click.
The door opened.
Luo Shu emerged, his legs trembling and his gait severely altered, as he leaned against the wall for support. The moment he cleared the doorway, he shut the door with lightning speed.
Bang— the door closed.
Sharon calmly sipped her wine, eyeing Luo Shu, who could barely stand upright against the door, and remarked with amusement:
"So... how was the fox spirit experience? Not pleasant, I take it?"
Luo Shu shot Sharon a glance but remained silent, merely raising a finger to his lips.
He turned, pressing his ear against the door to listen. After confirming something, he finally relaxed and raised his right hand.
Placing it over his chest, he pressed lightly and murmured:
"Calamity Absorption!"
Instantly, Sharon watched as colour returned to Luo Shu's pallid face, his previously exhausted eyes regaining their spark, and his hunched posture straightening visibly.
Witnessing this, Sharon blinked in astonishment:
"Your misfortune absorption works on this, too?"
"Shh!! Keep your voice down!"
Luo Shu glared at Sharon, finger still pressed to his lips:
"I barely convinced her I couldn't take any more. If she hears I'm fine, we're screwed!"
Sharon froze, then gave the door a strange look before observing Luo Shu's fearful expression. Finally, she burst into quiet laughter:
"You really brought this on yourself, didn't you? Why provoke her like that?"
"How was I supposed to know she'd go that crazy?"
Luo Shu rolled his eyes and strode over to the sofa opposite Sharon. Sitting down, he stabbed a piece of grilled steak with his knife and chewed it thoroughly before swallowing:
"She didn't let me rest all night. If I hadn't secretly siphoned away the exhaustion, I might have died in that bed."
When no response came from Sharon, Luo Shu looked up to find her staring fixedly at his lower body.
Catching her gaze, Luo Shu said incredulously, "What are you looking at?"
"Something that'll definitely come in handy later," Sharon replied with shameless composure.
"All night, huh? Sure it didn't get sore?"
"Bloody hell." Luo Shu cursed under his breath and resumed eating.
Sharon chuckled before asking curiously, "Speaking of which, how did you wind her up like that? When I brought Hagoromo Gitsune here, she looked ready to throw herself off a bridge..."
Her eyes brimming with curiosity, she leaned in, clearly dying to know what trick Luo Shu had used to turn the fox spirit into such an... enthusiastic partner.
The way she was going at it, it was clear she wouldn't stop until Luo Shu was completely drained, utterly relentless like a madwoman. Sharon couldn't help but wonder what exactly he'd done to provoke her like this.
Hearing Sharon's words, Luo Shu's legs trembled slightly as he replied with an unnatural expression:
"I didn't say much, really."
"Just whispered in her ear that I wanted her to bear my child."
Sharon froze at these words, only managing an astonished response after a long pause:
"You told a yokai obsessed with motherhood that you'd give her a child?"
"Are you absolutely certain you weren't actively courting death?"
Luo Shu's face twisted into a pained grimace, utterly unable to refute this, and could only force an awkward laugh:
"It was the fastest method with the highest success rate, wasn't it?"
Hearing this, Sharon looked at Luo Shu with undisguised contempt before sighing:
"Don't say that to me. Save your explanations for the Supreme Chairwoman."
At these words, Luo Shu's heart skipped a beat. Hagoromo Gitsune's obsessive clinging last night had left him no opportunity even to greet Lacus. This was going to be problematic.
Seemingly reading his concern, Sharon chuckled:
"Relax. When I noticed something was off last night, I contacted them. Made up an excuse about you needing recovery time after your promotion and hiding at my place to recuperate. Don't slip up when you see them next."
"Understood. Thanks for covering for me this time." Luo Shu sighed, rubbing his lower back with lingering apprehension.
Seeing this gesture, Sharon clicked her tongue in apparent displeasure:
"Still, having me cover for your womanising is really..."
She shook her head, at a complete loss for words.
Ultimately, he was the deity she served. As long as Luo Shu didn't cross certain lines, she could tolerate it.
At this moment, Luo Shu slowly closed his eyes and took a deep breath:
"Actually, what you said wasn't entirely false. I do genuinely need to adjust my current state."
"If I hadn't been worried about Hagoromo Gitsune's situation last night, I should have started adjustments much earlier."
"How so?" Sharon asked curiously. "Did something change with the Divine Pantheon Reconstruction System after your promotion?"
"There were some changes, but I'll need to examine the specifics back at the Tokyo headquarters in a completely secure environment."
"Before that, I need to organise the knowledge that's flooded my mind properly."
Having said this, Luo Shu looked curiously at Sharon:
"Speaking of which, when you underwent the ritual to reach Hero Rank, you must have gained considerable knowledge, too?"
"I did gain some knowledge, but probably not as much as you're implying?"
Sharon hesitated before continuing: "Just some additional mystical knowledge, enhancements to existing abilities, acquiring a defensive capability called 'Guardian', plus basic guidance on releasing Concept Entanglement and weaving Authority."
Luo Shu seemed surprised: "No miscellaneous or strange knowledge?"
"...None." Sharon carefully considered before shaking her head. "I'm certain it was all knowledge relevant to my Class."
"Then it seems my situation is rather special..."
Luo Shu murmured to himself before finishing the remaining food on the table:
"Go help clean up Hagoromo Gitsune. We'll take her back to Tokyo with us shortly.
"Hearing this, Sharon immediately understood and looked at Luo Shu with pity:
"I can't help but feel that your future days will be quite exhausting."
Luo Shu's lips twitched as he instinctively clutched his waist, his legs trembling uncontrollably.
Finally, he sighed:
"Raising a fox is truly devastating for one's back..."