After that night passed...
Bonanus completely abandoned her usual desire to slack off. Every day at dawn, she would rise on time and head out to vanquish demons and eliminate evil spirits in the outer reaches of Liyue.
She had to admit—when Bonanus truly applied herself, her efficiency rivaled anyone's. She wasn't clever, nor did she possess scholarly wisdom. The only thing she excelled at was killing.
Slaying enemies nonstop, gathering karmic debt without pause. This monotonous way of life continued for several months. For the future she dreamed of, for the sake of bringing back Xiao's family, she didn't stop even when her hands were drenched in blood.
Sometimes she asked herself: was it worth it? The soul inside her was nothing but a stranger to Xiao. So why go to such lengths?
Let's just say I'm foolish. Ignore what others think of me. I want to do this, for no other reason than to fill that void in my own heart.
Bonanus's relentless slaughter caught the attention of both Bosacius and Xiao. They were puzzled—what could drive her to such extremes?
To this, Bonanus merely smiled and said:
"We will reunite someday. But before that, someone has to try."
Sometimes, when Bosacius and Xiao weren't paying attention or were asleep, Bonanus would sneak over and absorb their karmic debt. Every time, she felt like a thief. If caught, she'd get a five-to-six-minute lecture.
Just like an adult scolding a child.
This behavior left Bosacius and Xiao caught between laughter and frustration—amusing and tormenting at the same time!
Xiao once tried to stop her, but Bosacius held him back. He took some time to convince Xiao to relax.
Though he said that, Bosacius was still deeply worried about his little sister's curse.
But since she insisted on doing this, there must be a reason. Though worried, though unwilling to let her keep taking risks, as her elder brother, he chose to trust Bonanus.
Besides, Rex Lapis was watching. If danger arose, the archon would surely intervene.
As for Rex Lapis himself, he maintained his characteristic silence. He knew why Bonanus was so desperate. He had already prepared for the upcoming "trial."
Within Bonanus's territory, few monsters dared intrude. The Abyss Order kept their distance too—after all, a god of death resided here.
In the southern region, a large horde of monsters had once gathered. But ever since Bonanus took up her post, their numbers dwindled daily while corpses piled up.
Special personnel handled the remains—unattended bodies would cause problems. Bonanus only needed to defeat the threats; others handled the rest.
She had a bit of OCD, but knowing professionals would take care of things somehow made it better. She trusted they'd arrange everything neatly.
Though this routine seemed smooth, only Bonanus knew how many close calls nearly cost her life. She'd barely managed to avert each one.
She also visited haunted places, seeking out ghosts and monsters to subdue and banish. At first, every encounter made her jump.
They were ghosts! Some were unbelievably ugly—things she'd never encountered in her previous life! And Bonanus was naturally afraid of ghosts. It was truly troublesome.
But though she feared ghosts, ghosts feared her more. Despite her fear, she kept it under control, resolving one paranormal incident after another.
Her first time dealing with such things kept her busy for a while. For someone from another world, it was all new!
Unlike that young exorcist, Chongyun, who practiced daily, she had to learn on the fly.
But regardless, she managed.
Because of her frequent monster hunts, the adepti in the mountains and the people of Liyue began calling her the "Conqueror of Demons"—just one character different from Xiao's title. Who knows what they were thinking?
Bonanus didn't understand the meaning behind the title, nor did she care. It was just a name others gave her. It didn't make her stronger or wiser, so she let it be.
What she didn't know was that her demon-subduing deeds had elevated her reputation among the people to great heights.
In the mortal realm, when "Conqueror of Demons" was mentioned, the first thing people thought of was the kind female adeptus who did it all.
For Liyue's safety, working day and night to eliminate threats for ordinary people. For the safety of merchants and civilians, going to such lengths—truly touching.
Everyone had their own thoughts and opinions. Bonanus's deeds were recorded by writers and passed down by storytellers.
The people were grateful. Having such a responsible, powerful adeptus return to protect them was a blessing.
---
Lisha Area
Lisha was one of Liyue's four major regions, primarily consisting of Qiongji Estuary, Lingju Pass, and Dunyu Ruins. It contained a path leading to The Chasm.
This area was rich in mineral resources. Foremen often led miners here to excavate high-quality stone materials, but danger accompanied them.
A large group of Hilichurls had long been stationed here, along with scattered Treasure Hoarders. But ever since Bonanus appeared, these threats hadn't enjoyed a single good day.
She couldn't wipe them out completely, but reducing the danger level was still good.
The first time Bonanus hunted Hilichurls was in this area—back then, Xiao had captured her, leaving her with barely any karmic debt.
Somewhere in the wilderness...
Bonanus had just finished a battle. She sat cross-legged on the ground, catching her breath, planning to rest awhile.
During this time, she cheerfully proposed some minor changes to the system's lazy mechanics. The system, ever reasonable, politely declined.
System! Can we negotiate? Bonanus roared inwardly.
Your karmic debt upgrade requirements are so harsh. Can't you be a bit more lenient?
Responding to host. The host has raised this issue eight hundred times. This is a mandatory rule—no changes allowed. The system replied flatly.
The host is an adeptus of the land of contracts. You should maintain a strict adherence to rules. Please stop trying to take these shortcuts—the system doesn't fall for that.
System logging off. Do not disturb unless it's important...
With those final words, the system beeped offline. It disconnected too quickly for Bonanus to respond.
"You!" Bonanus sat in the clearing, grinding her teeth.
"What a disaster!" Taking a deep breath, she flopped onto the grass. The past few days of combat had exhausted her.
Repeating the same killing over and over left her uncomfortable. If not for this body's remarkable endurance, an ordinary person would have broken down long ago.
But the past few months of effort hadn't been wasted. Through long accumulation and constant harassment of Bosacius and Xiao, Bonanus had finally raised her karmic debt cap to 100,000.
An undeniable breakthrough!
Current karmic debt: 98,700 / 100,000
These staggering numbers showed just how many monsters she'd slain, how many evils she'd subdued, and how many times she'd bothered Bosacius and Xiao.
Truth be told, her main source of income remained Bosacius and Xiao. As mentioned before, those two were walking ATM machines. Those who understand, understand.
"Almost there. Soon I can bring someone back..." Bonanus looked at her karmic debt count, covering her eyes to block out the sun.
I really want to rest today...
"Sister Bonanus, who do you plan to bring back?"
Just as she was about to lie down on the safe grass and sneak in a few minutes of sleep, a familiar voice sounded nearby.
Bonanus sat up immediately, eyes wide open. Before her stood a young adeptus. It was Xiao, sitting on a barren tree, smiling at her.