Chapter 23 - The Hero, the Shrine Maiden, and the +10 Iron Rod
“What... did... you... say? My side mission wasn't completed, so I only earned sixteen hundred points?” Que Tang was currently cradling the infant, carefully tilting a bottle of milk, but upon hearing the final tally, she nearly hurled the bottle across the room in a fit of pique.
“Meow~ It is because, in the end, the female supporting character did not consume the treatment serum. Instead, she chose to seek vengeance for the Host in her form as a zombie. It is highly recommended that the Host personally verifies the completion of all objectives before initiating the return sequence next time, meow.”
The revelation hit Que Tang with the force of a physical blow, leaving her mind reeling. She had endured so much—had her personal space invaded and her ‘tofu’ thoroughly felt up by her ‘sister’—only to fall short of that five-thousand-point jackpot. Why was life so relentlessly difficult?
“Please keep up the effort next time, meow~ Additionally, the Host is advised to name the nurtured infant as soon as possible. Otherwise, her Rebellion Value will begin to climb due to her nameless state, eventually transforming her into a troublesome young woman who will oppose the Host at every turn.”
“...It even has a Rebellion Value? What kind of nonsense is this?” Que Tang muttered, a cold shiver running down her spine. Nowadays, she felt a pavlovian sense of dread whenever she heard a noun followed by the word ‘Value.’ “Fine, a name. Let’s just call her Ruan Mianmian.”
Que Tang chose the name—literally meaning ‘Soft and Fluffy’—with zero effort, thinking it suited the baby’s current squishy state. However, the moment the words left her lips, a sharp sting shot through her fingertip. She looked down to find that the infant had somehow spat out her pacifier. The baby was now gripping Que Tang’s hand with surprising strength, gnawing on her finger while glaring up at her with an expression of profound disapproval.
“The infant appears dissatisfied, meow~ Please reconsider carefully. Giving her an ugly name will also increase her Rebellion Value.”
Que Tang, who was notoriously terrible at naming things, knit her brows in frustration. “This isn't a *7D Beauty Dreamland* anymore; it’s a *7D Nanny Simulator*! Where is the ‘beauty’? This kid isn't cute at all! And the fact that she can understand me at this age is terrifying. She’s actually protesting her name... Fine, fine... Let’s go with... Qi Ruolan.”
It was a lazy amalgamation of the names of the female supporting characters from her previous three missions. Despite the lack of creativity, the infant seemed satisfied. She let out a tiny, gurgling laugh, released Que Tang’s finger, and began fussing for her milk again.
“Meow~ Please input it into the interface immediately.”
Gritting her teeth, Que Tang walked over to the cradle and typed ‘Qi Ruolan’ into the system panel, though she stubbornly kept ‘Ruan Mianmian’ as the nickname. Once the baby had finished her milk, she stood up in the cradle, reaching her tiny hands out toward Little Mushroom.
“Oh, look, Little Mushroom. Mianmian wants to play with you.” Without a hint of mercy, Que Tang snatched the cat just as it was about to bolt and tossed it into the cradle. “Go on, Mianmian! Grab his whiskers and swing him around!”
A series of blood-curdling yowls soon filled the room. Que Tang felt an uncharacteristically refreshing sense of satisfaction.
However, the moment of triumph was fleeting. A blinding white light suddenly engulfed her vision. By the time her eyes adjusted, she had already been pulled into the next mission.
“Are you kidding me? You stupid cat, you cheated! I haven't even set Ruan Mianmian to auto-mode yet! What if she gets hungry?” She glared at the disheveled Little Mushroom standing before her.
“I... I set it before we entered. The Host need not worry... Me... Mi... Meow...” the cat replied weakly, its fur still standing on end from the infant’s assault.
Que Tang had intended to complain further, but seeing that Little Mushroom was struggling even to form the sound of a ‘meow,’ she decided to let it slide. She turned her attention to her surroundings. She was sitting by a crackling campfire. Across from her sat two figures, each with a large, floating system label hovering over their heads: “Female Supporting Character of this World” and “Male Lead of this World.”
Wait. One was a girl dressed in traditional Japanese miko attire, but the other... was a translucent pink blob.
“Hold on. I can see the girl is the supporting character, but this pink, jiggly thing is the Male Lead?” She stared at Little Mushroom, eyes wide with disbelief.
“Meow. The story is currently in its prologue. To avoid me misinterpreting the plot again, the Host should listen to the Male Lead’s explanation first. I will provide the full briefing afterward.”
Then, Que Tang heard a high-pitched, cutesy, doll-like voice emanating from the blob: “I am the Hero who came to this region to explore! I read in ancient texts that ruins from the Great War of Gods and Demons a thousand years ago were hidden here. Unfortunately, during my journey, I encountered the Demon King. I fought bravely, but my power was insufficient, and I was defeated. He placed a curse on me, turning me into... this. But even so, I will not stand by and watch the Demon King ravage this world! ‘A-Hu’ told me that a powerful female ninja lived nearby, so we came to seek your aid. We hope you will become our companion, join our quest to find the seven lost Magic Orbs, seal the Demon King, and save the world! Will you?”
The slime looked up at Que Tang and the shrine maiden with large, shimmering, watery eyes.
“...Where did this chuunibyou brat come from?” Que Tang whispered to Little Mushroom.
“This story features a second-year high school student. One day, on his way home, he met an old man who claimed he was the Hero destined to save the world. When asked if he was willing to go, the Male Lead agreed without a second thought. Meow~”
“...So he really is just a chuunibyou kid. And after I spent all that time mocking Ouyang Aotian for being a hot-blooded shonen protagonist, you drop me directly into a hot-blooded shonen anime mission!”
“Meow~ The title of this story is *The Hero of Another World*.”
“How concise... and wait, I just realized something. The female supporting characters all look somewhat similar, even if the art style changes.”
“That is because they are all written by the same Great Author, meow~ Additionally, to fit this world, I have prepared a special name for the Host.”
“The same author? What kind of eccentric person... No, wait. Given your track record of pitting me, I need to know what name you’ve picked first.” Que Tang looked at the cat with total lack of trust.
“Meow-woo~” Little Mushroom pouted its lips aggrievedly. “The name I prepared is actually very good. It is ‘Aoi Sora.’ Isn't that the Host’s secret wish?”
Que Tang froze for a heartbeat. Then, she lunged forward, grabbing Little Mushroom and yanking on its whiskers. “I knew you wouldn't pick anything decent! And what do you mean by ‘secret wish’? What exactly are you mocking me for?!”
“Meow! In the real world, didn't the Host have the nickname ‘Space Girl’? I thought the Host would definitely like the name ‘Aoi Sora’ (Blue Sky)!”
“No thanks! I’ll just go by ‘Tang.’ Now, tell me what my role is this time.” She squeezed the cat’s face.
“The Host’s role is a female ninja. You must adventure with the Male Lead and the Female Supporting Character. Your task is to help the ‘San-wu’ (Kuudere) girl, who doesn't know how to express her emotions, raise her Favorability with the Male Lead. Simultaneously, you must find the seven Magic Orbs to return the Male Lead to his original form.”
“Oh? I’m a ninja this time? That’s actually cool! So I can go *shoo-shoo-shoo* and throw shuriken?” Just as Que Tang’s excitement began to build, Little Mushroom cruelly shattered her fantasy.
“Not quite. This ninja’s designated weapon is an iron rod. Meow~”
“...An iron rod? Tell me, which ninja in history uses an iron rod! Nunchucks I could understand, but an iron rod? Tell me who the author is; I promise I won't beat them to death!”
“Meow~ Due to the Author’s Personal Information Protection Act, I cannot provide any details. However, this iron rod is a +10 Iron Rod blessed by our Great Meow God. It is no ordinary rod; please cherish it. Now, please begin the mission, meow~”
Forced into the role, Que Tang adopted a cold, disinterested expression and looked at the slime. “What does the Demon King have to do with me? Besides, you haven't even introduced yourself. You expect me to help you based on a few vague sentences?”
To her surprise, the Male Lead stared at her in shock. “Do you truly have no concern for the safety of this world? This world is so beautiful! There are so many pretty girls, and the aunties, grandpas, uncles, and grandmas are all so kind! Do you not care for their safety at all?”
*The ‘pretty girls’ part is clearly your main point...* Que Tang inwardly rolled her eyes. “If you cannot convince me, I shall return to the mountains to continue my cultivation. And as I said—state your name first.” She remained cold and ruthless.
The Male Lead tried his best to make an expression of ‘disappointment in a wayward soul’ with his cutesy slime face. “She is the shrine maiden of the Great Shrine, Himiko. And I am the Hero who stands for justice... my name is Aotian Slime.”
“...” It was a good thing she was wearing a ninja mask to hide her face, or Que Tang’s cold-blooded persona would have shattered instantly. The effort required to swallow her laughter was physically painful. She could only vent her amusement by ruthlessly kneading Little Mushroom’s face.
*Aotian Slime... this author... they’ve truly gone insane with the Aotian Virus.*
“My name is Tang. If you want my help, fine. But first, duel me. If you win, I will acknowledge your strength.”
The Male Lead’s eyes went wide. “In this state, I can't even lift a sword! How am I supposed to duel you?”
“I will do it,” the San-wu girl, Himiko, spoke up. Her voice was flat, devoid of any inflection.
“Very well. Let me see what you’re made of.” Que Tang felt herself cringing at the chuunibyou lines she was forced to deliver. She drew her +10 Iron Rod and settled into a combat stance.
Himiko drew a Summoning Banner from her waist. The two stood face-to-face, the air thick with tension. Just as Que Tang raised her rod to charge, Himiko suddenly began to move in a strange, rhythmic pattern, chanting words in a language Que Tang didn't recognize.
“What?! Himiko is using her ultimate technique, the Curse Dance? I’ve never seen her perform it before!” Aotian Slime cried out in cute shock. “I’ve heard that anyone cursed by these steps will suffer a terrible fate! If the target is female, she will be flat-chested for life; if male, he will never have a girlfriend! It’s too cruel!”
Que Tang was equally horrified. She immediately dropped her iron rod and threw her hands up in surrender. “I lose! Your strength is too formidable! I am willing to join you and defeat the Demon King!”
Himiko slowly brought her dance to a halt, her vacant eyes fixed on Que Tang.
Que Tang nodded vigorously. “Really. I swear it.”
“A-Hu, you’re amazing!” The Male Lead hopped happily into the girl’s cleavage, nuzzling against her.
The girl, however, ignored the slime and kept her gaze on Que Tang. “You... understand me?”
She likely meant that Que Tang understood the ‘meaning’ behind her actions. Que Tang continued to nod frantically.
“Meow~ Male Lead’s Favorability toward the Female Supporting Character has increased by 10. Current total: 60. Female Supporting Character’s Favorability toward the Host has increased by 10. Current total: 30.”
“Why did her favorability go up? I didn't even say anything!” Que Tang looked at the white banner in the girl’s hand with trepidation. “And if I offend her, and this world triggers some kind of Sadistic Value or Insanity Value, I’m a dead woman.”
“Meow~ That is because the Female Supporting Character is a genius shrine maiden with immense power, raised in a secluded mountain shrine. Aside from the gods who grant her instructions, her only companion was a mute servant who lived in constant fear of her. She grew up with no one to talk to, which is why she became a San-wu girl who is bad at expressing herself. This has led to many misunderstandings with the Male Lead, causing her to miss her chance at romance. Otherwise, based on her figure, looks, and power, she would be the Male Lead’s first choice. Because of her poor communication skills, she feels an extraordinary fondness for anyone who can understand her actions.”
“That sounds like a tragic backstory... but for the sake of my physical safety, I should probably pretend I don't understand her from now on.” Que Tang deliberately ignored Himiko’s gaze and leaped back onto a tree branch. “Rest up. We set out tomorrow morning to find the seven Magic Orbs.”
“Meow~ The Female Supporting Character has activated her Yandere Value. Current Yandere Value: 10.”
Que Tang nearly fell off the branch. “Wait! Why is this San-wu girl’s blackening potential so high?! A San-wu Yandere? That’s terrifying!”
“Meow~ It is because she possesses a dual identity. She is the Ritual Priestess chosen by the Eight Million Gods. This means she has no absolute concept of good or evil. Please be careful, Host.”
“...I am definitely staying as far away from her as possible.” Que Tang silently resolved to maintain her cold, ruthless persona for the remainder of this mission.
***
**GLOSSARY OF NEW TERMS**
| Chinese | English | Notes |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 傲天‧史莱姆 | Aotian Slime | The Male Lead's cursed form; a parody of "overpowered" protagonists. |
| 卑弥呼 | Himiko | The female supporting character; named after the legendary Japanese queen. |
| 诅咒之舞 | Curse Dance | Himiko's ultimate technique; inflicts social or physical "curses." |
| 三无少女 | San-wu Girl | A "Kuudere" archetype; a girl with no expression, no words, and no heart (seemingly). |
| 苍井空 | Aoi Sora | A joke name suggested by the system, referencing a famous Japanese adult film star. |
| 八百万诸神 | Eight Million Gods | A concept from Shintoism referring to the infinite number of spirits/gods. |
| 病娇值 | Yandere Value | A metric tracking a character's descent into obsessive, violent love. |
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Transmigrated as the Mary Sue: The Villainess's Revenge System | Chapter 23 | The Hero, the Shrine Maiden, and the +10 Iron Rod | Novela.app | Novela.app
