Transmigrated as the Mary Sue: The Villainess's Revenge System | Chapter 27 | The Slime Sprinkler and the Summoned Guardian | Novela.app

Chapter 27 - The Slime Sprinkler and the Summoned Guardian “A-Hu, where did you two go yesterday?” The Hero, who had been abandoned in the forest for an entire night, was currently shivering uncontrollably. He huddled piteously within the embrace of his shrine maiden companion, his slime-like body trembling. A translucent, water-drop-shaped icon hovered above his head, vibrating in sync with his pathetic state as he sought warmth. “Tang-sama required medical treatment,” Himiko replied after a brief pause. Her gaze remained fixed on the back of the ninja ahead of them, who had already regained her usual vigor. “She is healed now.” “I see... that’s good, then. I can rest easy,” the Hero stammered through his chattering teeth. “Tang is an indispensable comrade; we could never leave her behind. But A-Hu, where did you take her for treatment?” As he spoke, the Hero felt his own head spinning. It seemed he was the one in need of a doctor now. Usually, he spent his nights tucked safely in Himiko’s arms, but after enduring a full night of the forest’s biting chill, his frail, gelatinous body had finally succumbed to illness. Himiko lowered her eyes, her expression unreadable. Just as she was about to speak, the ninja’s voice drifted back from the front. “I have some cold medicine here.” A white plastic bottle flew through the air, landing with a soft *thwack* as it was absorbed into the Hero’s squishy body. The shrine maiden looked up, catching only a glimpse of the ninja’s retreating back as she quickened her pace. In that moment, Himiko’s heart skipped a silent, fluttering beat. She reached into the Hero’s translucent mass, retrieved the bottle, and unscrewed the cap. After shaking out a pill and dropping it into the Hero’s waiting, expectant mouth, she didn’t discard the container. Instead, she tucked the bottle into the folds of her robes with a gesture that bordered on the reverent. “Tang truly is a reliable partner,” the Hero said, moved to tears. “Our sincerity must have finally reached her, convincing her to truly join our adventure and become one of us.” *“Meow~ Male Lead’s Favorability toward the Host has increased by 20. Current Favorability: 70.”* “Ugh, I knew it,” Que Tang muttered to herself, utterly indifferent to the notification. “These harem-style Hero protagonists have imaginations that rival the female supporting characters. Give them a tiny bit of kindness, and they immediately think you’re in love with them. If the Demon King were a woman, he’d probably try to use some ‘power of the heart’ nonsense to convince her to give up on world conquest and join his harem. Isn’t that how all those web novels on those male-oriented sites are written?” *“Meow~ The Demon King of this world actually is a girl, you know.”* “What? That’s actually pretty cool,” Que Tang remarked, surprised. “But why hasn’t a single villain shown up to stop us yet?” *“Because the only one who has seen through the truth is a certain detective who looks like a cat—Xiao Xianggu! Meow~”* “...You’re just the plot guide,” Que Tang retorted. “Speaking of which, you’ve barely told me anything about the plot of this world. Aren’t you afraid Little Mushroom will surpass you if you keep slacking off?” *“Meow~ Little Mushroom hasn’t even found a Host yet. Besides, I have total faith in your abilities, Host. After all, I hand-picked you myself!”* “That long-winded sentence was just a fancy excuse for being lazy, wasn’t it?” *“Meow~ Life is hard for a cat, don’t be so mean!”* Que Tang ignored the cat and focused on the Ninja Village scouting map in her hands, trying to pinpoint their location. Yesterday, they had accidentally stumbled into the Mist Forest, a place the village had long designated as a forbidden zone. According to reports from scouts, anyone who entered would be separated from their companions. The village had lost many ninjas to those woods, leading to the ban. Que Tang’s only memory was of the moment before she fainted—Himiko lunging forward to pull her away from the base of a tree. She wasn’t entirely sure how the Wood Magic Orb had been obtained while she was unconscious, but it seemed the Great Elder’s suspicions were correct: the Mist Forest had been a manifestation of the Wood Magic Wolf’s power. Now that Himiko had somehow subdued it, the mist had vanished. Que Tang climbed to a high vantage point, holding the map up against the horizon. “Snowy mountains to the right, a river to the front-left. That means...” She rotated the map several times until it aligned with their surroundings. “The closest place now is the Molten Lands. The Fire Wolf is likely lurking there.” She noticed a small footnote at the bottom of the map and squinted to read it. It said: *‘Warning: This area contains high-temperature boiling springs. Useful for interrogating traitors or uncooperative prisoners—simply push them in. Note: Also good for boiling eggs.’* “...If this map ever leaked out, the village would be a laughingstock,” she sighed. She turned back to check on the chuunibyou Hero and the stoic shrine maiden, only to lock eyes with Himiko. The girl’s gaze was flat and devoid of emotion. *Her pupils are black again,* the ninja thought, frowning. *But last night at the spring... they were definitely purple. This shrine maiden is far too strange.* “Tang, is something wrong? Did you find a problem?” The Hero, having caught up, looked at her with concern. He clearly viewed himself as the benevolent leader of their little group. “If you’re stuck on something, you can discuss it with us. We are comrades, after all.” Que Tang gave him a chilling look. She had zero affection for this delusional protagonist who dreamed of a harem. “The Molten Lands are just ahead,” she said, pointing toward the front-right. “The Fire Wolf, which possesses fire-elemental magic, should be inside.” “However,” she continued, reverting to her cold, professional persona, “the temperature inside exceeds what a human can endure. I am currently devising a solution.” *If only I had a fire truck to spray everything down,* she thought. Her eyes drifted to the Hero’s large, watery, "moe" eyes. After a three-second staring contest, she suddenly turned to Himiko. “Can you utilize the energy of the magic orbs?” Que Tang asked frostily. “In my current state... only for ten seconds.” The light in Himiko’s eyes dimmed slightly. Que Tang pondered for a moment before her gaze returned to Aotian the Slime. “Then we have no choice but to rely on the Hero.” Aotian blinked his large eyes. “Whatever I can do to help, just say the word! We are partners, united in our quest to defeat the Demon King and save the world!” In a sudden move that caused a flicker of alarm to cross Himiko’s face, Que Tang pulled down her mask, revealing her breathtaking features. She gave the Hero a gentle, radiant smile. “Aotian, it’s such a hot day. Why don’t you go for a swim?” Before he could respond, she grabbed the slime and hurled him into the nearby river. Standing on the bank, she watched as the absorbent slime soaked up water, swelling larger and larger and larger... Once the Hero could hold no more and had effectively dammed the river, Que Tang leaped behind him. She checked her map against the sun to confirm the coordinates, aimed toward the front-right, and delivered a massive, heavy kick to the Hero’s backside. “AAAAAAHHHHHHH!” Que Tang watched the Hero’s trajectory as he soared through the air. Once he landed exactly where she had calculated, she pulled her mask back up and sprinted toward the impact site. *“Meow~ Male Lead’s Favorability +20. Current Favorability: 90. Female Supporting Character’s Favorability toward Male Lead -20. Current Favorability: 30. Female Supporting Character’s Blackening Value +20. Current Value: 50.”* Que Tang nearly tripped mid-stride. “What kind of convoluted emotional rollercoaster is this?!” *“Meow~ Because the Host is capturing the female supporting character while simultaneously flirting with the Male Lead, it’s causing the female supporting character to darken. Please be careful, Host!”* “Bullshit! When did I ever ‘capture’ her? She’s the one who took advantage of me! And... why do I always have to be careful?!” *“Meow~”* When Que Tang arrived at the Molten Lands, the area had cooled significantly, exactly as she had planned, thanks to the "Hero Sprinkler" effect. Aotian lay to the side, dizzy and dazed, while ahead of them stood the Fire Wolf, snarling in fury at its ruined habitat. The ninja wasted no time, drawing her iron rod to engage the beast. Himiko arrived shortly after, panting as she reached the scene. She saw the Fire Wolf kick the ninja back and open its maw to unleash a torrent of flames. Instantly, Himiko’s pupils bled into a deep purple. The Water Magic Orb drifted out from her sleeve of its own accord. “Pilikapililala, Popolina Peperuto!” Himiko swung her Summoning Banner to the right, instantly conjuring a massive pillar of water that neutralized the wolf’s fire breath. The Fire Wolf bared its teeth, enraged by the interruption, but the shrine maiden continued her chant with an expressionless face: “I summon you back! Be reborn, Zenki! Obey my command and eradicate evil!” She traced a glowing pentagram in the air with her banner. “Release! Break the seal! Be reborn, Zenki! I return you to your true form!” A blue-skinned demon erupted from the pentagram, fangs bared and eyes ferocious. It raised a massive spiked club and brought it crashing down on the Fire Wolf. Unable to dodge, the wolf was slammed into the ground, its strength completely spent. The demon knelt respectfully before the shrine maiden before dissolving into mist. Himiko pulled out a transparent sphere and tossed it at the wolf. “Pokémon, I choose you!” The sphere sucked the Fire Wolf inside, turned red, and flew back into Himiko’s hand. Her eyes faded back to their natural dark hue. She walked over to Que Tang, respectfully helping her up before going to retrieve the Hero. “We... we defeated the Fire Wolf,” the Hero wheezed, exhausted but triumphant. “It was all thanks to your contribution, Aotian,” the ninja said coldly. “Is... is that so? Anyway, I’m just glad you’re safe, Tang.” With those final words, the Hero fainted in Himiko’s arms. *“Meow~ Male Lead’s Favorability is maxed out. Romance Mode initiated. Host, please mind your integrity.”* Que Tang blinked, her expression aloof. “Why does the Male Lead’s max favorability mean I have to mind my integrity?” *“Meow~ Because the Host belongs to the Eldest Miss!”* “Go eat your dried fish and shut up.” “Tang, please do not take off your mask again,” Himiko said, her gaze fixed intently on the ninja. Que Tang gave her a frigid look. “What I choose to do is none of your business.” *“Meow~ Female Supporting Character’s Blackening Value +20. Current Value: 70. This has reached the ‘I love you so much I want to tie you up’ warning zone. Host, please be EXTREMELY careful! Meow~”* Que Tang froze. “What did you just say? ‘Tie me up’? That’s terrifying! Why didn’t you warn me about the dangers of a yandere sooner?!” *“Ah~ I forgot. Meow~”* “When this mission is over and we go back, you are so dead!” *“Meow~”* *** **GLOSSARY OF NEW TERMS** | Chinese | English | Notes | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | 霹雳卡霹雳拉拉，波波力那贝贝鲁多 | Pilikapililala, Popolina Peperuto | A reference to the transformation chant from the anime *Ojamajo Doremi*. | | 我召唤你回来！重生吧，前鬼！ | I summon you back! Be reborn, Zenki! | A reference to the summoning chant from the anime *Zenki*. | | 神奇宝贝，就决定是你了 | Pokémon, I choose you! | The iconic catchphrase from the *Pokémon* series. | | 捆绑 | Tie up / Bind | Used here in the context of a yandere's obsessive behavior. |