Shen He panted, struggling to steady his breath. His fists clenched involuntarily, and his heart pounded in his chest.
It turned out to be Two Rites!
The second follower he summoned was actually Two Rites!
Could this be fate? He had spent over 10,000 yuan before crossing worlds, all for Miss Man Baoshi! He had collected all the novels, the manga, and even bought four of her figures.
Calm down. Stay calm.
Shen He inhaled deeply, forcing himself to think rationally.
First, he needed to determine which period of Two Rites he had summoned. Regardless of the version, there was a high chance she would reject the summoning.
Unless… it was that special state.
Just as Shen He was deep in thought, he felt something heavy press against his arms.
It was a short-haired girl clad in a white medical gown. Her delicate face was serene, her eyes shut as if she were in deep slumber. She looked around eighteen or nineteen years old, her soft body completely relaxed in sleep.
Shen He's heartbeat slowed.
With just a glance, he knew—this was Two Rites after the accident, the version that had remained unconscious for three years.
He carefully picked her up and laid her gently on the bed, his movements light and cautious, as if cradling the most precious treasure in the world.
Qi Mu Nanxiong stood nearby, silent, sensing the heavy responsibility weighing on Shen He's heart.
"…Alright. The card draw is complete. The European luck is off the charts. I might just be the happiest summoner in the world."
Shen He grinned contentedly, then turned his attention to the other girl he had summoned. The first thing he needed to do was give her a bath.
However, as he took two steps forward, he suddenly stopped.
An elegant girl with blond hair, a weapon, as radiant as the full moon…
A possibility flashed through Shen He's mind.
Could she be the war girl—
The one who had been stuffed into a sack and handed to Major Gilbert by his brother, Dieter Bougainvillea?
"…Violet Evergarden."
The moment Shen He spoke the name, the three-dimensional image of the girl on the summoning interface flickered.
The question marks slowly transformed into a name. A golden star materialized behind the three existing stars.
New information surged into Shen He's mind.
True Name Unveiled. Potential Upgraded.
It was confirmed—this was Violet Evergarden! The heroine of Violet Evergarden!
This was a jackpot!
His ten consecutive summons had paid off beyond expectations!
"Shen? Are you here? I need your help—I just found—"
Tony burst into the room excitedly but froze at the sight before him.
On one side, Shen He had his hand gently placed on the head of a filthy little girl. On the bed, a simply dressed girl lay motionless, seemingly in a deep sleep.
"Oh my god! I only locked myself in the lab for a few days, and you've started kidnapping girls?!"
Tony stormed in, shoving Shen He. "Do you have any idea? In this country, crimes against minors are absolutely unforgivable!"
Before Tony's hand could even touch Shen He—
The dirty little girl moved.
Like a wild animal, she sprang up, her thin, pale fingers shooting toward Tony's eyeballs.
Her speed was inhuman. Her instincts lethal.
In that split second, there was no doubt—this strike was meant to pierce straight through Tony's skull.
"Stop!"
At the same time as Shen He's command, Qi Mu Nanxiong used his psychic power to halt her mid-air.
Tony staggered back, his face pale.
In that moment, he had genuinely believed he was going to die.
"What… what the hell is she?"
Her skills and speed defied the limitations of her frail body. Even more disturbing—she attacked without a trace of hesitation. No fear. No emotion. Just pure killing intent.
"She was sent to me by a… colleague. A helper." Shen He gently embraced the girl, who was still suspended in mid-air by psychic force. "A special girl picked up from the battlefield. Right now, she's nothing more than a weapon that follows orders… But I will change that."
"…And you're keeping her in my villa?" Tony's voice sharpened. "She almost killed me just now!"
Tony Stark wasn't afraid of death—if he were, he wouldn't be Iron Man. But even he couldn't ignore the fact that this girl had nearly ended him in an instant.
"…I'm sorry." Shen He tightened his hold on the girl. "We'll move out. We won't trouble you anymore."
Tony opened his mouth, then closed it, his gaze shifting toward the unconscious girl on the bed.
"…And her? Another 'helper' sent by your colleague? Does Chaldea just pick up people everywhere and send them to you?"
"Yes. But she was in an accident. She's been unconscious since then, practically in a vegetative state."
Shen He looked down at Two Rites lying on the bed.
He couldn't afford to laze around like before.
The relationship between a Master and their followers—he didn't fully understand it yet.
But he did understand one thing.
It was his responsibility to protect the people he had summoned into this world.
"…So, let me get this straight." Tony folded his arms. "You're planning to take a girl who could snap at any moment and kill someone, and another girl who's completely unconscious… and just go live somewhere else?"
Tony sighed, rubbing his temples. "Man, I must be out of my mind. Fine. Fine. You're lucky I like you."
He exhaled deeply before continuing, "I'll find some top-tier doctors and nurses for your friends. But on one condition—"
His expression darkened.
"You watch that girl. If she so much as twitches aggressively, I will throw you out of here. Understood?"
Although he had only known Shen He for ten days, Tony felt like they clicked.
There was something strange about this guy—he seemed to know a lot about him, things Tony never shared with anyone.
But oddly enough, it made Tony feel like he didn't need to hide his thoughts around him.
"Of course. Violet is actually very well-behaved." Shen He smiled, ruffling the girl's hair. "If you hadn't pushed me all of a sudden, this wouldn't have happened."
"Right. Blame me." Tony rolled his eyes. "Anyway, what I wanted to tell you—I found it! The new element my father left me!"
Shen He smirked. "Oh, I know."
"…You knew? And you didn't tell me? I spent six days staring at that stupid video!"
"Haha, well—" Shen He chuckled. "I thought it'd help you better understand your father's love for you."
Tony groaned. "You always have a damn excuse for everything. Whatever. Just come help me—I need to build a particle collider to synthesize the new element."
Over the past six days, Tony felt as if something in his heart had lightened.
For the first time in years, the burdens he carried felt… a little less suffocating.
"Get Qi Mu to help you. I need to give Violet a bath." Shen He waved a hand dismissively.
Though Tony had agreed to let them stay, what had just happened served as a wake-up call.
As more followers arrived, he would need a place of his own. A base. A force.
No matter how well he got along with Tony, this wasn't his place.
But how? What storyline could he use to make it happen?
As Shen He pondered, he felt something tug at his sleeve.
Violet.
She stared up at him, her large sapphire-blue eyes unblinking.
…Forget it. First, a bath.