Chapter 67

Since this month, I've noticed many readers have been voting for updates of 9000 and 12000 words, and I've been avoiding them. Whether to accept these votes is ultimately the author's decision, and there's not much to say about it, but I feel guilty about not meeting these readers' expectations, so I'll explain here.

Firstly, my writing speed is relatively slow. If I were to frequently burst out with updates now, I would be exhausted by the time the book goes on sale. After all, the infinite flow, especially anime, requires a lot of time to find materials. Readers who are familiar with me know that I have a bit of OCD; I don't dare to write about things I don't understand. Sometimes, just one sentence can take me a long time to research. For example, to write about Historia, I had to endure the terrible art style to read the "Attack on Titan" manga. Eren's face is simply unbearable to look at. What a handsome young man, turned into a giant! What is this heavy and thick art style? I feel terrible!

Secondly, the fourth group has been quite tragic recently. Over a dozen veteran authors have started new books, all clustered around the end and beginning of the month for strong promotions. I won't get my strong promotion until August 10th, which means the earliest I can go on sale is August 15th.

With my current update speed of around 6000 words per day, plus the bursts during the strong promotion and the promised additional updates, I estimate I'll have over 300,000 words by the time it goes on sale. That's already a considerable amount for the public version. I also need to prepare some stock chapters for the sale, so I don't want to accept large amounts of催更 (urge for updates) tickets during the public period. I hope everyone can show some mercy.

That's the general situation. Now, let's get to the main text.

...

Historia never expected that Tang Cheng would actually throw her off the cliff. She thought he was just scaring her. Now, with the wind howling past her face and the hard ground just a few feet away, she realized that at this height, without the 3D Maneuver Gear, she was definitely going to die... and no one could save her in time.

I'm going to die, I'm going to die!

At this thought, fear suddenly filled the young girl's heart. She, who had been determined to die, finally understood that death was terrifying, especially when you see it coming. The fear was indescribable... cold, trembling, loneliness, helplessness, and... longing.

I don't want to die, I don't want to die!

The girl silently screamed in her heart, closing her eyes in despair.

Suddenly, she felt a jolt, but the expected pain and death did not come. Instinctively, she opened her eyes and saw the ground just thirty centimeters away, and her body was being held by someone.

Looking up, she saw a familiar face.

Tang Cheng smiled at her, "How does it feel to face death? Isn't it wonderful?"

Historia didn't answer. When Tang Cheng put her down, her body was completely limp. Her legs trembled, and she collapsed to the ground, hugging herself and lowering her head.

"Sniff, sniff, sniff..."

Tang Cheng's hearing was incredibly sharp. Even from ten floors away, he could hear the sounds of lovemaking. Historia's sobbing was clearly audible to him. He instinctively looked down and saw tears streaming down her face, her sad expression evoking deep sympathy.

Tang Cheng frowned. Had he gone too far? This girl was only fifteen, not even finished with junior high school in the previous world, still the age when she should be cuddling with her parents. Suddenly making her a queen was indeed too much to ask. Scolding and scaring her, he had bullied her to tears, which seemed quite tasteless.

Sigh, I should comfort her.

Tang Cheng thought this and immediately grabbed the girl's collar, pulling her up and glaring at her fiercely, "Stop crying! If you cry again, I'll strip you naked and rape you right here, do you hear me!"

"Sniff!" Historia quickly closed her mouth in fear.

See, his comfort was indeed effective. Even a kindergartener would cover their mouth and listen obediently after hearing his comfort, let alone a half-grown girl like her.

"So, will you be the queen or not? If you say no, I'll rape you eighteen times!"

"I'll do it! I'll do it! I'll do it!" Historia nodded frantically in fear.

"Very good." Tang Cheng put her down, patted her head affectionately, and smiled, "That's the good girl I like. If you keep being this obedient, by the time your hair reaches your waist, you'll be able to conquer me. Now, let's go back."

Historia felt immense pressure from Tang Cheng's rapidly changing expressions. Her small mind couldn't understand his actions. He claimed to be thinking for her, yet he scolded and scared her, even throwing her off a cliff where she almost died. But he hadn't truly harmed her.

Looking at Tang Cheng's face, Historia suddenly realized he was a very mysterious man. He could be fierce, kind, crazy, and wise... It was hard to imagine that these vastly different traits could coexist in one person, yet it felt natural.

What has this man experienced? He calls himself a half-assed person... but she was indeed a half-assed person.

Historia couldn't help but think.

"What are you staring at me for?" Tang Cheng noticed the girl's intense gaze and asked.

"Ah!" Historia snapped back to reality, her face turning red as she lowered her head guiltily, "N-nothing, I was just thinking about how we should get back up."

Although it was to change the subject, this was also something Historia wanted to know. The cliff was very long, and if they took a detour, it would take half a day. By the time they returned, it would be dark. Without the 3D Maneuver Gear, they couldn't climb such a high cliff.

"However we came down, we'll go back up. Such a simple question... come on." Tang Cheng, annoyed by the low IQ question, pointed to his back and said to the girl.

Historia understood and was even more surprised, "This high?"

"Only 58 meters. This height is nothing for me; I can jump up easily. Hurry, if we don't go back soon, those kids will think we're having a wild fight." Without waiting for Historia's response, Tang Cheng grabbed her by the buttocks and hoisted her onto his back.

"Ah!" Feeling the intimate contact, the girl let out a startled cry, her face turning red again.

"Hold on tight. If you fall, I'll have to save you again." Tang Cheng warned, his hands already reaching for the cliff face.

"O-Okay!" Historia nodded quickly, no longer thinking about the chaotic thoughts in her head. She wrapped her arms around Tang Cheng's neck, and when he jumped, the sudden feeling of being airborne made her instinctively close her eyes, clinging tightly to the only man she could rely on, a sense of security filling her heart.

"Alright, we're here. Get down."

"Huh?" Hearing Tang Cheng's familiar and calm voice, Historia was momentarily stunned. So fast?

Opening her eyes, she was indeed on the cliff!

"Amazing!" Historia sincerely praised, her voice filled with surprise and admiration. For someone from the Training Corps, a fifty-meter cliff wasn't a difficult obstacle, and she could easily do it with the 3D Maneuver Gear. But without it, even the strongest, Levi, would find it challenging.

But Tang Cheng had climbed the cliff in just a few seconds. This was too incredible!

Thinking about this, Historia's perception of the man in front of her rose even higher. When she got off his back, she felt a strange sense of loss.

"Although you've agreed to become the queen, and various arrangements are underway, we can't announce it publicly yet. Don't tell anyone else. Continue using the identity of Historia in the group..." On the way back, Tang Cheng instructed the girl.

"Okay." Historia was somewhat absent-minded, nodding to whatever Tang Cheng said.

After Tang Cheng finished all the necessary instructions, Historia suddenly remembered something and couldn't help but ask, "Earlier, you said your sister died at twelve, your younger sister at thirteen, and your family at fourteen. Is that true?"

"Of course."

"But I heard your family was eaten by Titans when Wall Maria was breached five years ago, and you said it in front of over a hundred Garrison soldiers." The girl looked at Tang Cheng, her expression cautious.

Tang Cheng sneered, "Of course, I was lying to them... Ignorant crowds are easy to deceive. Just say a few passionate words, and you can guide their thoughts. You need to learn this skill; it will be useful when you become the queen."

"Okay." The old Historia would have likely advised him that lying was bad and urged him to change, but now, as Historia, she didn't see any problem with it.

Hristo was a very hollow personality, with a rather indifferent worldview. Of course, since she could portray a saintly personality like Historia, her nature was ultimately inclined towards goodness. In other words, she was like a damaged piece of white paper; under the guidance of a certain person, she would gradually be covered with that person's worldview... of course, on the condition that this person had enough weight in her heart.

Although Tang Cheng hadn't spent much time with her, his impact was unparalleled. His every word and action had left an indelible mark on her heart, enough to influence her future growth.

"So, how did your family really die?" Historia asked curiously.

"Do you really want to know?"

Historia hesitated for a few seconds, then nodded firmly. She didn't know why, but she just wanted to know.

"Although it's not an interesting story, I'll tell you." Tang Cheng scratched his head, indifferent, "My sister died in a terrorist attack at a mall. She saved me and was blown to pieces by a bomb, leaving no trace. My younger sister died on the beach, swept away by a wave and never returned. My parents died in a plane crash, also leaving no bodies."

"..." Historia's face was blank. Terrorist attacks and plane crashes were not concepts she clearly understood in her world, and they didn't seem to fit within the walls. But she understood one thing, "So, you never saw your family's bodies, right?"

"Yeah, so what?"

"Maybe they're still alive?" Historia said instinctively. Of course, she didn't really believe it. In the Trost District battle, many missing soldiers were actually eaten by Titans. Missing usually meant death, a common understanding. But she said it anyway.

However, upon hearing her words, Tang Cheng suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Almost instinctively, Tang Cheng followed Historia's words and thought, then... headache!

As usual, Tang Cheng's mind had no option to "continue thinking."

Holding the girl's shoulders, Tang Cheng looked at her with utmost seriousness, "Remember, they are all dead. Don't make me repeat this again!"