The fact that Mobius had the audacity to play the NTR card right in front of them was something Fuli could endure, but Mei absolutely could not.
With a flick of her wrist, the young woman plunged her tachi into the earth. Perception signals spread out in all directions through the magnetized soil, a method distinct from Cold River Reflects the Moon, searching for the damned woman who had turned her into a cuck.
Fuli, the embarrassed victim, was about to say something when he felt a tug on his clothes from behind.
He turned his head to see Prometheus, whom he hadn't seen in a while.
[You can appear in the real world now, babe?]
He looked at the corner of his clothes held by the girl, amazed and gratified.
[I'm just achieving a similar effect through light and shadow effects and sensory suggestion. I'm still a hundred and eight thousand miles away from appearing in the real world in the flesh.]
After a quick explanation, the little AI swiftly got to the point: [Host, look at the system store!]
Fuli was confused, but based on his trust in her, he opened the system panel.
"Holy crap!"
He too was immediately blinded by the glittering gold items.
The system store would randomly refresh with five items every 48 hours. Since there was no "refresh button" and it updated automatically, Fuli couldn't hand it over to Kiana, the incredibly lucky Nordic young lady, like he could with ten-pulls.
His own luck was just so-so. To date, the best he had ever gotten were a few B-rank materials.
But this time—
Imaginary Branch (B)
Starforging Furnace (A)
Mineral Transmutation Box (A)
Extra Ability: Command (A)
Planetary Cracker (SA)
"Is... is this for real?"
A material like the Imaginary Branch, which could stabilize space, was already super rare, yet it was the lowest-ranked item among the five that had just refreshed.
Unable to contain himself, Fuli immediately had the urge to 'return to the Hyperion, get some Well of Fuli water, and exchange for all of them.' Fortunately, the charged ions in the air jolted him back to his senses.
[The top priority is to meet with Raiden Ryoma. That's what's most important.]
The boy closed his eyes and murmured to himself, [The items in the store aren't going anywhere. There's plenty of time. No rush, no rush.]
Despite saying that, he couldn't help but check the only skill among the items.
[Name: Extra Ability: Command]
[Rank: A]
[Type: Permanent]
[Effect: This ability can only be mastered by Bronya's alternate-universe counterparts. The critical hit rate of basic attacks is increased to 100%.]
[Note: "I really don't understand why MiHoYo would give a Harmony character like Randuck such a ridiculously overpowered passive that guarantees crits on basic attacks."
"It's precisely because she's Harmony that they gave it to her. It's called the developers of Star Rail defending against each other's shenanigans."]
The fewer the words, the bigger the deal.
Critical hit, a gaming term, refers to a sudden, massive amount of damage, sometimes substituted with terms like critical blow, rage attack, or lucky strike.
Translated to reality, it meant that the effect of the attack would be optimal.
The permanent 100% critical hit rate of Extra Ability: Command, even if it only applied to basic attacks, was so overpowered it was jaw-dropping.
[The only question is, why can only Bronya and her alternate-universe counterparts learn it? What kind of bizarre requirement is that?]
Fuli was very confused. He imagined the scene after his little sis learned this skill, and his pupils shook violently.
Basic attack, also known as auto-attack.
It meant a direct slash without any active abilities, like when Fuli fought with his longsword without adding Instant Sword or Divine Evasion.
In high-level battles, such attacks had little effect, at most serving to keep each other in check.
But that was for a traditional swordsman like Fuli. If a new-age, firepower-focused warrior like Bronya, who relied on guns and heavy cannons, learned Extra Ability: Command—take Project Bunny 19C's Frost Rain for example. The machine gun was nearly two meters long, looked cool, and accelerated physical needle-like bullets via impulse.
None of that mattered. What mattered was that its maximum firing rate was seventy thousand rounds per second.
Every bullet was a basic attack. Every bullet was a 100% critical hit.
"Little sis is rising up..." Fuli stroked his forehead. "Looks like I can't casually play with—I mean, bully her anymore."
Prometheus leisurely said, [The host can also choose not to give it to her. That way, you'll always have the advantage.]
"What are you saying! That's my dear sister from another mother!"
The boy pouted, then his thoughts turned. "But I can't just give it to her directly. It's an A-rank skill, after all. I should get something good from her in return."
[Like marrying the host as a little wife when she grows up?]
The little AI said profoundly, [Considering Bronya Zaychik's childhood experiences, she has a much lower resistance to polygamy compared to others.]
Look at the timeline where Fuli isn't present. She married both Seele and Dark Seele (crossed out).
"The little girl is too flat," Fuli said, shaking his head. "To move my heart, she'd need at least a C-cup."
Bronya, who was playing Se-K.I.R.O.: Blossoms Die Twice in the Hyperion's recreation room, annihilated the invading online enemy in a few moves and muttered while swinging her little feet, "Is that all?"
Of course, the Duckling couldn't eavesdrop on the conversation between Fuli and the system AI, but this coincidental response was as if the future Silverwing was mocking her stinky brother for only caring about bust size.
Just you wait, I'll show you what the pinnacle of pure desire looks like. You'll be bowing at my OL skirt in minutes!
...
"Speaking of which," Fuli said after closing the system panel, his gaze on Prometheus turning mischievous. "You look pretty, and since you look so much like Bronya, if I were to ever eat her, would that count as eating a substitute for you?"
His gaze was as sharp as a hawk's, as if it could pierce through her thin clothes and see the shape within.
[Gross! You shrimp!]
The little AI was both annoyed and angry at him. She huffed, then vanished, returning to the lunar surface.
Just then, after a fruitless search, Mei returned to Fuli, fuming.
"That damn green-haired old hag!"
She gritted her teeth and shot a look at the little Kallen who had been following her. Kallen immediately shook her head like a rattle drum. "Anti-Entropy's highest-ranking executors have Femirins to help hide their tracks. In my current state, I can't break through the defenses she's set up to find Mobius."
Due to Britain's status as an offshore balancer and a semi-neutral territory, neither Ella nor Femirins could completely control the area.
But that didn't mean they were just spectators; providing some convenient assistance was still possible.
"This is their turf, after all. It wouldn't be good to make a big scene," Fuli tried to change the subject. "Don't forget we have important business to attend to. Mr. Ryoma must be getting impatient by now."
"Father... That's right! Let's go find Father!" Mei's eyes lit up.
It wasn't that Fuli had succeeded in changing the subject, but that in her anger, she had forgotten that her own father was also an Anti-Entropy executor.
If he was willing to help, he could at least counteract Mobius's access privileges with Phyllis!
And then, hehehe~
Mei could already imagine the ridiculous scene of her playing a gourd flute, forcing Mobius's body to dance to the music.
Who told you to fuse with Sesa's genes while I'm the (former) Herrscher of Thunder?
Taking a few deep breaths to force herself to calm down, the girl took out the Chameleon Cloth she had scrounged from Pardo's bag.
She combined it with other items from her spatial inventory, and after some quick assembly, handed Fuli a silver Omega watch.
"What's this?"
He took it and put it on his left wrist.
"Previously, due to a lack of key materials, I couldn't finish assembling this Raiden Type II Soulium Battlesuit, which was based on the White Comet battlesuit."
Mei's slender fingers pressed a button on the side of the watch. Hundreds of millions of Soulium nanobots stored within swarmed out, completing the suit-up on Fuli's body in a tenth of a second.
The girl took two steps back to admire her crush's new look.
His slender figure was silhouetted against the light. The Sun-Swallowing Armor had transformed into a black inner lining that hugged the lines of his neck, worn under a sharply tailored light gray overcoat whose hem swayed gently with his steps.
A sliver of his fair wrist peeked out from the cuff, the silver watch glinting coldly under the newly lit streetlights. A small, discreet "MEI" lapel pin, signifying he was taken, was fastened to his collar, exuding an air of understated luxury.
Mei stroked her chin, nodding in satisfaction. Most of the anger from being NTR'd to her face had dissipated.
Originally, she had planned to take Fuli to Savile Row to have a few suits custom-made. It was the first time she was bringing her boyfriend home to meet her father, so she couldn't be lacking in etiquette.
But now, it seemed this outfit designed by Kiana was quite good.
Little Kallen, flapping her angel wings, immediately read the girl's thoughts and couldn't help but inwardly comment that having her little brother wear clothes designed by Kiana to meet her own father was a case of "who NTR'd who?" that was hard to figure out.
It does look good, though...
While the girls were admiring him, Fuli activated the third rated output of Jizo Mitama and began reading the details of the Soulium Battlesuit.
Before he could get a good look, his expression became particularly strange.
"Powered by a trial-type nuclear fission battery?"
"Yeah, it has tons of benefits! It's enough to support the suit in continuous combat at full power for three hours!"
Miss Raiden, having regained her composure, was full of confidence, her curved eyebrows especially delightful.
The boy was unmoved. "So, Mei-Mei, what's the catch?"
"There is one tiny little drawback."
"Specifically?"
"It explodes."
The fission energy storage technology the girl had mastered was not yet stable. If it encountered a sufficiently high impact, there was a significant chance it would go 'BANG!' and turn its owner and everything within a hundred-meter radius into a furnace on the ground.
"Don't worry, the Soulium Battlesuit has strong impact resistance. Its structure can withstand a blow that could pierce a hill without damage, and it also dampens the impact on the wearer. It shouldn't be a problem in an A-rank battle."
Mei nonchalantly turned her head away. "If it really comes down to it, just think of it as a final trump card. If you run into an enemy you can't beat, you can set off a big firework and use the chance to dig a hole and run."
As she spoke, her tone turned slightly sour.
She knew, of course, that Fuli, with his Sun-Swallowing Armor, couldn't be hurt by the explosion. It was just... the fact that not everything her man wore was provided by her.
Just thinking about it put Mei in a bad mood.
She shook her head, casting aside her budding possessiveness. "Try the other functions, like the invisibility module."
"Invisibility module?"
Fuli's attention was immediately diverted.
"The HUD, anti-gravity light wings, and other functions are all guaranteed to work. This is the only one that relies on the newly installed Chameleon Cloth. Although it's been run through hundreds of thousands of simulations on the Hyperion's central computer, practice is the only true test of theory."
"Got it."
The boy gave a mental command.
[Stealth Mode, activate!]
Pulsating ripples spread across the casual-wear-style Soulium Battlesuit, which quickly entered optical stealth mode.
"This mode can evade conventional C-rank detection skills and technology, and it won't fail due to temperature changes or entering liquids," Mei said with her arms crossed. "Theoretically, Kiana's Tracer Flares shouldn't be able to detect you while you're invisible."
The spatial ripple perception from the Herrscher of the Void's powers was another matter entirely.
"Wow!"
Fuli, having gotten a new toy, also activated his C-rank Presence Concealment. This skill was essentially a way to hide one's aura and couldn't achieve optical invisibility, so it perfectly complemented the suit's stealth mode.
"A true master of stealth is like this," little Kallen recited in a poetic tone. "Walking down the street, no one notices, no one cares. You watch movies alone, eat alone, shop alone, with no extra gazes focused on you."
That's right. That's you, my friend.
A spark of lightning flashed in Mei's eyes. A moment later, her face showed 'confusion.'
"Yuan?"
She was faking it. She could see him.
Fuli didn't know.
"Hehehe."
The playful boy chuckled mischievously and sidled up to Mei. First, he reached out and playfully tugged at her beautiful purple hair, tied in a high ponytail, then blew a puff of air on her cheek.
"Hmm?"
Mei turned her head with a 'puzzled' expression. The arc of her crimson-purple hair changed its trajectory, and the warm breath naturally shattered against the porcelain-like skin just inches away. The inertia of their contact quietly broke some equilibrium, and the breath held in mid-air happened to catch the other's rolling tremolo.
An intertwining crisp sound broke the stagnant air. In the distorted halo of the streetlight, two elongated silhouettes were imprinted on the wall, forming an overlapping closed loop.
"!!!"
Fuli, ambushed for the second time after Mobius, subconsciously wanted to struggle, but his body was imprisoned by a backdoor program Mei had woven into the Soulium Battlesuit.
It wasn't until a satisfied Mei let out a cute little burp that he managed to hastily retreat.
'Bro, you're way out of your league!'
Little Kallen, who had watched the whole thing, was thoroughly disappointed.
She had long since figured out that her little brother was the type to talk a big game, teasing this one and that one, but when it came to the real deal, he would immediately chicken out.
If you had just shown a fraction of the determination you had when you burned three Divine Keys to fight the King of the Virtual World, or just whipped out your Partial Expansion Jutsu, a mere Raiden Mei would be on her knees singing "Conquer" in a matter of seconds!
...
Fuli, having escaped Mei's clutches, quickly moved away.
He walked out of the alley, planning to take a stroll to test the suit's effects.
SCREECH—!
The harsh sound of tires scraping against the ground suddenly erupted in his ears.
Did you know? Big trucks are actually very timid, especially at night. You can hide on the side of the road and jump out to scare them when they come by!
When the unlucky Fuli, who had been sent flying the moment he left the alley, returned holding his waist (faking it), he saw the truck driver walking around frantically, anxiously searching for whatever unlucky thing he had hit.
"Uh, this is awkward."
The boy scratched his head in embarrassment.
"What are you standing there for?" Kallen smacked him on the head. "Go explain to him!"
"I got hit, and I have to apologize to him? How can I swallow this injustice?!"
Fuli was furious and stalked over aggressively.
"I'm sorry."
He looked utterly well-behaved.
After all, it really wasn't the driver's fault. Who told him to run into the middle of the road just because he had invisibility?
A normal person couldn't see Fuli in his optical stealth + presence concealment state. A normal drive, a sudden 'CLANG!'—it was a miracle the driver didn't have a heart attack.
"You poor kid, why are you apologizing after being hit!"
The truck driver was a middle-aged man with a good temperament, a sturdy build, and handsome features.
He had rare gray-gold hair and was surrounded by a peculiar fragrance, the lingering scent of someone who had worked with flowers for many years.
"Come on! Let's go to the hospital for a check-up!"
The older man's eyes were red, his Adam's apple bobbing violently.
His slightly rough hand grabbed the boy's wrist without a word and turned to lead him to the truck.
"Huh?"
The middle-aged man's enthusiasm made Fuli a little uncomfortable. He quickly pulled his hand away. "I'm fine, sir. I was just blown a little by the wind. I'll be fine after a moment."
In truth, he didn't even need a moment. Even without the Soulium Battlesuit and the Sun-Swallowing Armor, a mere dump truck posed no threat to an A-rank, especially since it wasn't even carrying steel coils.
Fuli spun around a couple of times and hopped up and down.
Mei, who had arrived at some point, even presented a video modified by Kallen. Seeing that the boy in the video had indeed only brushed past the car, did that finally dispel the kind uncle's suspicions?
Not at all.
The impact inside the cab and the sound from the front of the truck couldn't be faked. With over twenty years of driving experience, the man trusted his gut.
His precious daughter's profession had made him, as her family member, aware of the disaster known as the Honkai. The young man and woman before him were clearly from that world, so he naturally wouldn't expose them.
However, not exposing them was one thing; hitting someone was an undeniable fact.
"Kensington Gardens? You're going there?"
During their chat, he clapped his hands. "What a coincidence! My home is there too. As compensation for scraping this young man, I'll give you a ride."
Considering they had already refused the man's kindness once and they were indeed heading to central London, Fuli and Mei exchanged a look and didn't refuse the free ride.
As soon as they got into the back, they were hit by a rich floral scent.
"My family owns a flower shop. I just went to the seaside flower market to restock."
The uncle in the driver's seat fastened his seatbelt and chuckled as he stepped on the gas. "The shop used to be in Manchester, but my daughter is so successful that she moved old Alexander and her mother here to London to retire."
"Uncle Alexander, your daughter is amazing," Mei praised.
This wasn't just flattery. Kensington Gardens was one of the most expensive residential areas in the UK, with an average property price of £36 million.
From Alexander's age, it could be deduced that his daughter was at most 20-30 years old. To have started from scratch and bought a mansion for her parents to retire in at such a location and age, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call her a child of fortune.
"I wish the child didn't have to work so hard..."
Even though nobles and officials of all ranks lined up to pay their respects during holidays, and the Rossweisse family's doorstep was practically worn down by talented young suitors, Alexander still missed the days when the three of them were in Manchester.
But soon, he tucked these precious memories deep into his mind and, displaying the talkativeness of an English gentleman, began to introduce the city of London to Mei.
The girl had been here a few times with Raiden Ryoma, so she responded gracefully and without disrespect.
As for Fuli, he felt that although Alexander was chatting with Mei, his eyes would occasionally land on his own face.
There was always a sense of exploration and confusion in them, which made him feel uneasy all over.
Time flew by, and the truck soon entered Kensington Gardens. The guards in full uniform on both sides of the road stepped forward simultaneously. Their hawk-like gazes first swept over the three people in the car, then took the credentials Alexander handed over.
On it, the gold-stamped words "Alexander Rossweisse" glittered.
At the same time, Mei, sitting in the back, also presented Raiden Ryoma's invitation.
Alexander chuckled at the sight. "I was going to use my old face to ask them for a favor, but it seems I was overthinking it."
The guard who finished the inspection nodded slightly. "Thank you for your cooperation."
He took a step back and waved to the guard post, signaling them to pass.
"Guards of the British Royal Dragoon Guards. They are selected and trained from a young age from all over the country, then sent to the SAS for training after they come of age. Their tactical skills, psychological fortitude, teamwork, and emergency response capabilities are all top-notch."
In a private channel opened with electromagnetic force, Mei, sitting in the back seat, explained to Fuli beside her, "These people have a certain degree of Honkai energy adaptability and undergo specific training. With the support of modern firepower, as long as the intel is in place and tactics are formulated with logistical analysis, a six-man team can theoretically hunt a B-rank combatant. And the guards have indeed done so, though sacrifices were inevitable."
That was the reality. The countries of the world where Honkai energy existed couldn't possibly let such a convenient energy source go unresearched, nor could they entrust their safety entirely to Schicksal and Anti-Entropy, especially the major powers with centuries or even millennia of history.
After driving for a little longer, Alexander stopped the truck at the location Mei had specified. After letting the two youths out, he stepped on the gas and drove away.
With one hand on the steering wheel, the old man recalled Fuli, who had been sitting in the corner during their chat.
He felt as if he had seen this very agreeable black-haired boy somewhere before, but after thinking for a long time, he couldn't place it. Seeing that he had already arrived at his estate, he decided to put the matter aside for now.
"I'm back!"
Alexander carried a cardboard box and used his other shoulder to nudge open the flower shop's door.
The bell on the door chimed crisply. The shop was filled with a rich, fresh fragrance, and the various flowers looked particularly vibrant under the soft lighting.
As a way to curry favor with Alexander's daughter—Rita Rossweisse, one of Schicksal's three S-rank Valkyries—the female relatives of many noble officials liked to buy flowers from the Rossweisse family's shop, which meant he often had to go to the flower market to restock.
Alexander, who had expected to de-thorn and tidy up the flowers with his assistant as usual, suddenly felt that the shop was quieter than usual today.
He held his breath and subconsciously wanted to leave the room.
The moment he stepped on a viscous liquid, his pupils shrank to pinpricks. He saw that Maria, the retired B-rank Valkyrie assigned by Schicksal to act as his bodyguard, who could easily handle a 30-meter-class Honkai Beast, was now lying in a pool of blood!
The shattered back of her head indicated that she had been killed by a weapon similar to a firearm. The scent of blood, brain matter, and flowers mixed together. The visual shock and greasy smell made Alexander vomit until he was dizzy!
"Ugh!!!"
But at this inopportune moment, footsteps sounded.
The man, kneeling on the ground, managed to look up. The first thing that came into view was a pair of shiny leather boots, similar to a cowboy's.
Looking further up, he saw a revolver with smoke rising from its barrel, a signature shark-toothed grin, and—
"Damn it all! Of all the times to show up!"
"Sorry, old pal. If you have to blame someone, blame yourself for being that woman Rita Rossweisse's father."
BANG!
And the sound of a gunshot.
...