Because of the system's inexplicable sinister laughter, Tang Han had a nightmare that night.
He dreamed that he had been locked inside a basement, his whole body bound in iron chains, unable to move even an inch.
In front of him sat Symboli Rudolf, leisurely watching him from a chair, as though considering what method she should use to make him submit.
Tang Han said, "Ghk... kill me! Don't waste time!"
Rudolf smiled faintly. "What a tough trainer. Let the program I prepared for you begin."
She snapped her fingers, and a vigorous song immediately began to play. It sounded like some very old tune by a group called the Village People.
At that exact moment, four figures appeared behind Symboli Rudolf.
Tang Han looked closely.
Good grief! They were four Tokai Teios dressed in different outfits—school uniform, stage costume, Beyond the Horizon, Joyful Peak. From the lovestruck look in their eyes, the sickly smiles on their faces, and the way they steadily closed in, it was obvious they were the cream of the crop among yanderes.
"I know you're afraid of horse girls," Rudolf said, "so I picked the most terrifying Tokai Teios in the entire horse-girl world to torment you. And there are four of them!"
"I even gave them a nickname: the Imperial Four. I'm sure they'll bring you endless joy. Don't underestimate them. In the yandere world, they rank among the very best."
"Each has her own outstanding qualities. Each has her own special move. Their speed and stamina will leave you utterly shaken. And their secret weapons will bring you delightful little surprises~"
To Tang Han, these four Tokai Teios were more horrifying, more dreadful, than ten billion murderers.
"Damn it, you can't do this... you can't!" Tang Han cried in despair.
"Why can't I? I'm going to film it too, then make billions of copies and send them to every horse girl in Tracen to enjoy."
"At them," Rudolf ordered.
At once, the four Tokai Teios with heart-shaped eyes lunged at Tang Han and tore all his clothes to shreds.
"Oh, darling~ Look! Your whole body is packed with solid MUSCLE~"
"Sniff, sniff... oh, the scent is so strong and powerful, so powerful~"
"Heehee, I want to eat a hot dog~"
"AAAGHHHHHHHH—!" Tang Han screamed in agony.
"System! Save me!"
But the system could neither save him, nor did it want to.
System: "Huh? Host? (Merciless)"
And just like that, Tang Han was jumped for a full three months.
...
"AAAAAHHHHHH—!"
Overcome with terror, Tang Han jolted awake from the dream and frantically looked around, only to discover that he was still in the trainer dormitory, not in some gloomy basement.
He immediately switched on the light, afraid that a Tokai Teio might burst out from some dark corner.
With the room bathed in light, his fear gradually receded.
"So it was just a dream..."
Tang Han panted heavily, his back already soaked through with sweat.
That nightmare had been truly horrifying. Being jumped by four Tokai Teios had left an indelible scar on his fragile heart.
"Whew... thank goodness it was just a dream..."
Tang Han relaxed a little and lay back down.
It looked like he had just been too stressed lately. Every second of every day he had to stay on full alert to keep from being targeted by horse girls, all while dealing with a system that was constantly trying to screw him over. With his mind so full of worst-case scenarios, it was no wonder he had ended up having such a nightmare.
Fortunately, it was only a dream. In reality, Tang Han was so cautious that he always ran far away the moment he saw Tokai Teio. There was no way he would ever end up locked in a basement.
What, was she supposed to sneak into his room while he wasn't paying attention and then lie right next to him?
"Haha, as if."
Tang Han felt the image was too absurd to ever actually happen.
Rather than wasting his strength imagining bad endings, it would be better to empty his mind, think about nothing, and get a good night's sleep so he'd have the energy to train Urara tomorrow.
After a few deep breaths to calm himself, Tang Han lay down again and tried to continue sleeping.
But the instant he settled back onto the bed, he realized there was someone else in it besides him.
"Hello there, Trainer-san~" Tokai Teio was lying beside him, staring straight at him.
Tang Han's heart stopped on the spot.
"Y-You! Why are you here?!"
"Trainer-san, I've been watching your sleeping face this whole time~"
"Watching the whole time~"
Tokai Teio pinned down both of Tang Han's hands and climbed on top of him.
"Let's do something fun together~"
"AAAAAAAGHHHHHHH—!"
...
"AAAAAHHHHHH—!"
Tang Han woke up from the nightmare again, staring blankly at the empty room.
What the hell? A dream inside a dream?
Knock knock knock—
Someone was knocking on the door outside.
Tang Han checked his phone. It was three in the morning. Someone was visiting him at this hour?
He put on the Doctor's Coat, crept quietly to the door, and cautiously peeked through the peephole.
It turned out to be the dorm manager, the old caretaker.
But Tang Han still did not dare open the door. Leaning against it, he cautiously asked,
"What do you need?"
"Checking the water meter," the old man replied.
"Checking the water meter at three in the morning?" Tang Han naturally did not believe that explanation in the slightest.
At this point, he seriously suspected the old man was actually a horse girl in disguise.
He even wondered if he was still dreaming, and opening the door would just lead to Tokai Teio jumping him again.
"I'm going back to sleep. Come check the water meter tomorrow." Tang Han flatly refused the old man's utterly unreasonable request.
He had already roughly judged the quality of the door. It seemed to be on the same anti-tank level as the school bus. As long as he did not open it, even if there really was a horse girl outside, she should not be able to break in.
So Tang Han decided not to open the door. He would be a turtle hiding in its shell if necessary.
But even though Tang Han did not open it, the door still opened anyway.
Click.
Tang Han saw the old man holding a ring of spare keys as he pushed the door open and walked in.
"Why... didn't you open the door..."
The old man's eyes were full of killing intent.
"Wh—"
Before Tang Han could react, the old man charged straight at him.
"Don't come any closer!" Tang Han, terrified out of his mind, fell to the ground, already imagining himself being ravaged.
But the old man's target did not seem to be him at all. He simply went around Tang Han and began inspecting every corner of the room.
"Huh? So you're not here to jump me?"
The old man searched Tang Han's room from top to bottom, as though looking for something. Failing to find it, he turned to Tang Han in confusion.
"Your room doesn't have a horse girl in it?"
"No," Tang Han answered.
"What's your name, then?"
"My name is Tang Han."
"I didn't ask your name! I asked why you were screaming like that just now!"
"Uh... I had a nightmare."
"A nightmare..."
The old man seemed thoughtful. When he looked at Tang Han now, there was a trace of pity in his eyes.
"I thought a horse girl had broken into your dorm. But still, you should be careful. If you scream like that in the middle of the night, you'll scare the other trainers. Just now, one trainer heard your shrieks and had a PTSD episode. He jumped right out the window and nearly broke a bone."
"Luckily he'd broken his legs so many times before that they'd already been replaced with titanium alloy, so this time he only sprained his ankle."
Tang Han fell silent.
"Sorry..."
"No need to apologize. I understand. I've seen a lot of people like you."
"I imagine you've been through a lot too, huh..."
Tang Han was speechless.
Just what kind of terrifying things had those senior trainers gone through?!
"Well, since there's no horse girl here, I'll be leaving. I really thought I'd have to use this."
As he said that, the old man pulled a handgun out of his pocket.
Tang Han: ?
Seeing Tang Han's expression of utter shock, the old man burst out laughing.
"Haha, don't worry, kid. It's just a tranquilizer gun." He patted Tang Han on the shoulder, signaling him not to make such a fuss.
"When you're dealing with those little ladies, this is about the only thing you can rely on. Otherwise you simply can't beat them."
...
"I'm off, then. If you really can't fall back asleep, I've got sleeping pills here."
"Thank you, but I'm fine." Tang Han politely declined the old man's kindness.
"If anything happens, call me. I may be weak, but I'll do my best to protect you young folks!"
The old man turned and left, leaving behind a frail yet dependable silhouette.
Such small words, yet so full of warmth.
"All right!" Tang Han was moved.
Who would have thought that in a hellhole like Tracen, there would still be someone like this old man? Tang Han's constantly fearful heart had finally found a place of refuge.
Old man, you are my god!
If you will not abandon me, I am willing to acknowledge you as my foster father!
"Oh, right. One more thing."
The old man suddenly turned back.
"Please, go ahead," Tang Han replied respectfully.
"Hehe..." A bizarre smile suddenly spread across the old man's face.
In a flash, he transformed into the horse girl Tang Han was fated to encounter.
"It's actually me, Tokai Teio~"
"AAAGHHHHHHHH—!"
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 138)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter155)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter98)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter172)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 158
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 144
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 100
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 165
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 140
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 120
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player 69
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 90
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 66
Uma Musume: From Beginner 95
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 70
Uma Musume: I Want All 80
I Can Copy Unique Skills 65
Summoning an Evil God, but the 52
Supernatural Multiverse 65
My Harem Is Indescribable 50
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 55
"I'm just a Valkyrie passing through." 40
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 50
Still playing traditional Honk 30
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