21st Century Necromancer
Chapter 821 - 817: The Monk

When the sun rose from the horizon, Chen Yu, who had been busy in the laboratory all night, finally lifted his head, and glanced at Inomata Naoki, who had fallen asleep over the experimental table, and Kohinata Kaori, who was sprawled on the sofa nearby. He couldn't help but shake his head slightly.

The gap between mortals and the transcendent is, in truth, quite obvious.

Yet, Chen Yu had no intention of pulling them into the transcendent realm. While for him it would merely take a flick of the wrist, at times actions like these could blur the lines between help and harm, making it difficult to judge.

After briefly tidying up the items on the table, Chen Yu sensed the arrival of the ship-girl bringing him clothes and breakfast. Smiling faintly, he avoided disturbing the two sleepers and instead cast a simple spell to allow them to rest more deeply, before leaving the laboratory.

"Commander," Akagi greeted Chen Yu at the laboratory door, her hands cradling a set of clean clothes ready for him.

"Thank you for your efforts, Akagi," Chen Yu greeted her warmly, took the clothes, and headed to the washroom.

After briefly freshening up, Chen Yu changed into the clean attire and walked toward his office together with Akagi.

Gazing at Akagi, clad in her crimson kimono with an elegant and obedient demeanor, Chen Yu couldn't help but take note of her personality.

Ship-girls originate from the Heroic Spirit Summoning Spell, and in theory, all ship-girls are merely heroic spirits born from the vessels they represent.

Heroic spirits, after all, are no more than figures created by humanity's worship and idealization of so-called heroes.

In theory, Akagi's personality and appearance should align, or at least partially resemble, the depiction found in popular ship-girl games.

But in reality, the Akagi by Chen Yu's side neither embodied the yandere, domineering traits of the Nine-tailed Fox nor resembled Ms. Gluttony—externally gentle and reliable but carrying a hint of silliness.

The Akagi beside Chen Yu had a personality more akin to Ms. Gluttony when she wasn't overeating—a gentle, dependable older sister.

Yet, her endearing clumsiness was nowhere to be found; instead, she exuded an impeccable reliability.

Among the ship-girls around Chen Yu, Belfast was the flawless maid, Warspite and Hood were perfect British ladies—one composed and dignified, the other more ladylike. Aside from them, the other ship-girls each bore slight imperfections or quirks.

Enterprise, due to her own incompleteness, was cold to the point of being unapproachable. Missouri, despite her Deity Level power, lacked confidence from her absence in the harrowing battles of her predecessors. Yamato, as the Combined Fleet's flagship, constantly worried about the other ship-girls...

Despite Akagi sometimes seeming overly gentle, from one perspective, she was the quintessential Yamato Nadeshiko.

That's why Chen Yu was curious—why would the Akagi he summoned have this particular personality and appearance, so different from any ship-girl he had encountered before?

After all, in all of the ship-girl settings, Akagi was never depicted wearing a scarlet kimono, nor styling her hair in a matron's updo.

Could it be the influence of her original vessel? Chen Yu wasn't sure. Regardless, there would be plenty of time to explore this later. It wasn't worth pondering over these things during breakfast.

Arriving at his office, the desk featured a traditional Japanese breakfast.

A bowl of steaming miso soup, a golden-crisp grilled fish, a small dish of five different pickles, a plate of neatly sliced tamagoyaki, two freshly molded rice balls, a small bowl of tofu simmered in dashi, and a pot of freshly brewed barley tea.

Compared to a British breakfast, the Japanese one seemed much lighter, and visually simpler.

It was, however, more in line with the dietary preferences of the people of The Orient.

Chen Yu sat down and began enjoying the Japanese breakfast. As he ate, he couldn't help but reminisce about the rice noodles and wontons of his childhood.

Back in school, steamed buns, soy milk, rice noodles, and wontons had made up the bulk of Chen Yu's breakfasts from elementary to high school—twelve years of habit, occasionally joined by a pancake cooked by his mother.

Perhaps he should switch to a Chinese breakfast once in a while? Chen Yu mused inwardly, thinking perhaps it was time to summon some Chinese ship-girls.

The problem, however, was China's modern naval history... Alas, to speak of it is to lament. The best one could dredge up might be the Eight miles.

Speaking of the Eight miles, some relics of The Dingyuan still seemed to be in Japan. Acquiring them wouldn't be difficult. Those relics had spent two centuries overseas; as a Chinese person, one should do something for them, however small.

As such thoughts crossed Chen Yu's mind, he opened his computer and began searching for information on the whereabouts of The Dingyuan's relics.

As the flagship of the Beiyang Fleet during the Qing Dynasty, The Dingyuan had once been hailed as Asia's largest warship upon its commissioning. During the First Sino-Japanese War, which profoundly shaped China's modern fate over the next century, The Dingyuan had fought tirelessly as the flagship.

Sadly, the Beiyang Fleet ultimately suffered defeat in the war, with the Qing Court's feebleness leading to The Dingyuan—Asia's mightiest warship—being scuttled in its home port by its own crew.

The Dingyuan's relics were salvaged by Japanese forces, some displayed in Ueno Park during that era, while others were used to construct the Dingyuan Pavilion, even its rudder reinvented as a table.

As Chen Yu learned this, his mood suddenly turned heavy, a demeanor Akagi noticed beside him, prompting her to ask with concern, "Commander, is something troubling you?"

"Nothing much, I simply recalled some unpleasant memories," Chen Yu glanced at Akagi and shook his head, declining to explain.

Gathering his thoughts, Chen Yu refocused on his breakfast; though his plan to summon The Dingyuan at Dingyuan Pavilion was now firmly decided.

After finishing the meal, Chen Yu asked Akagi to help clear the dishes, then turned his attention to the day's work.

Following the all-nighter at the laboratory, he wouldn't head there today—he would wait for their report. As for his daily routine of seeing patients, it was a custom task posing no challenge.

Yet today seemed different. While focusing intently on a patient record, Chen Yu suddenly paused, lifting his head in the direction of a new presence.

A demigod, one Chen Yu had never encountered before, appeared within his perception.

"This aura… a monk?" Chen Yu's gaze sharpened as he halted his actions, addressing the demigod, "A guest is always welcome—please, let us meet."

"It would be an honor. Amitabha," the other replied, graciously accepting Chen Yu's invitation.