Before a great battle, there must be resupply.
Lying on MEI's voluptuous, long legs clad in [black silk stockings], Leo only dared to carefully enjoy the softness behind his head. Due to the heavy peaks and ranges above, he couldn't see MEI's expression, so naturally, he couldn't judge what she might do to him. Watching the slender hands on his left and right that were refining [Imaginary Energy] for him, he constantly felt like she might strangle him the next moment.
Of course, to put it bluntly, even if he lay there and let MEI strangle him, she wouldn't be able to hurt him in the slightest. Not to mention that given his current relationship with MEI, she had no qualification or standing to criticize him.
However, he still had to be considerate of the young girl's feelings. So, regardless of whether his fear was real or fake, he had to put on an act to show his attitude.
Finally—
"It is done."
MEI spoke in a calm voice. It was as if she had looked past everything; her voice held no resentment, but also no emotion. It was as if she were merely doing a job that couldn't be more ordinary, nothing more.
"Mm, thank you."
Quickly rising from MEI's legs, Leo finally saw the expression on MEI's pretty face... expressionless. In a trance, he felt as if he had returned to the first time he met MEI. No! It was even more distant than back then, right?
Of course, he could be certain this was MEI's acting. Because—
[Current Favorability: 82 (Lover)]
Possessing a cheating ability, he could determine MEI's true feelings.
—Tongzi, you really are a romance system!
Precisely because of this [Favorability], he dared to attack directly.
"Mm!?"
Seeing Leo rise and actually ignore her poker face, pouncing directly toward her, MEI couldn't help but widen her eyes. She really hadn't expected that this bastard Leo would dare to take the initiative while she was in a fit of anger.
But what surprised her even more was... W-Why am I so disappointing!
When Leo took the initiative to pounce and hug her, a warm current rose uncontrollably in her heart and quickly spread throughout her body. Under the effect of this warm current, she only felt her whole body go soft. Leaving aside that her stamina wasn't dominant to begin with, she certainly couldn't be Leo's opponent. Even if she were a peak existence capable of beating Leo to his knees, she couldn't exert such strength at this moment.
Thus, the ice on her pretty face finally thawed, turning into a pool of spring water. Simultaneously, the resentment she had tried hard to hide erupted at this moment. Coupled with her previous dissatisfaction, it was all revealed on her pretty face. Furthermore, her fair hands, soft as catkins, turned into pink fists, constantly pounding on Leo's solid shoulders.
The current her looked exactly like a little wife who had been bullied!
"Heh~"
Seeing the girl in his arms finally thaw, Leo couldn't help but chuckle softly, hugging her even tighter.
"What happened with Kiana last night was completely an accident. It was all that girl barging into my room on her own, and then... you know the rest."
After saying that, he looked at MEI with sincere sincerity. However—
"Heh!"
Responding to Leo's chuckle, MEI sneered and said, "Why are you explaining this to me?"
"What standing and qualification do I have to criticize you?"
"And who am I to you?"
Undoubtedly, her last sentence was the key. Her beautiful purple eyes carried a chest full of resentment, locking tightly onto Leo's eyes. Just as she said, her current problem was that she didn't have an identity that allowed her to criticize Leo.
To say something funny, even if she wanted to criticize Leo for being fickle, both [Raiden Mei] and Kiana were willing. If she really said that, it would instead make her look like she was furiously raging here because she was the one left out by Leo. Therefore, precisely for this reason, she kept a cold face, wanting to lock all the complaints in her heart.
"Of course you are my dear and respected Lady MEI!"
After answering MEI's question with a smile, Leo suddenly retracted his smile, changing his previous frivolity.
"MEI, I like you!"
"Please be my lover!"
Although his first sentence still carried a bit of a joking tone, when he confessed, his tone was more serious than ever before.
"That... that really is a cheap confession..."
Though she said that, MEI didn't dare to meet Leo's sincere eyes, and even the hands that were pounding Leo's shoulders couldn't help but relax. However, verbally, she still didn't spare Leo.
"You said the same thing to them, right?"
"Correct."
Without evading, Leo spoke solemnly: "Because that is the thought in my heart."
"I like you, and I also like them."
"I will not evade this point, nor can I evade it."
"In the future, even if other girls ask me, this will still be my answer!"
"..."
Looking at Leo's righteous appearance, MEI couldn't help but feel a bit helpless. But she also understood what Leo wanted to express to her... his love for her would absolutely not change under any circumstances! Just—
"How is the current you even lacking in emotional intelligence compared to me?"
"Don't mention other girls at a time like this!"
After saying that, she gave Leo a resentful glare, then buried her head in his chest, feeling that inexplicable sense of security. Admittedly, she had many, many, many complaints about Leo, and she truly couldn't stand Leo being fickle. But leaving aside the current situation where she had no retreat, even if she really did... it was too late, right?
She understood very well that she had long since hung her heart on Leo; there was no turning back!
"Sorry Sorry"
Hearing MEI say this, Leo acted as if he had just realized it, playing dumb.
"So MEI, what is your answer?"
Now that the offensive and defensive positions had switched, he naturally wouldn't let go of the opportunity to tease MEI. Sure enough, he could feel the girl in his arms tremble, and then he saw the girl, her face flushed red, look up and glare at him.
Undoubtedly, this was a sight he had never seen on MEI's face. And unlike [Raiden Mei], he could tell that MEI was still struggling to construct her barrier of rationality, hoping to return to her usual calmness to play chess against him. But if it were [Raiden Mei] at this step, she would have long since been utterly defeated, completely unable to resist him.
One could only say... MEI is more durable to play with!
"You can go figure that kind of thing out yourself!"
Without answering Leo directly, MEI curled her lips with a face full of dissatisfaction. However, as soon as she said this, she immediately realized the impropriety of it and hurriedly wanted to retract it. Just—
"Figure it out myself?"
The corners of his mouth hooked into a pleasant smile. Without any hesitation, Leo lowered his head and printed a kiss onto MEI.
—Figure it out myself? Doesn't that mean handing the right of interpretation over to me?
"Mmph!"
Relying on the last shred of reason, MEI clenched her right hand into a fist and hit Leo's shoulder again. But unfortunately, that was her final struggle. Soon she understood that the matter at hand was far beyond what her water magic could compare to.
—Falling and surrendering was but a matter of an instant!
And just when she thought the wish in her heart could finally be fulfilled, a bustling voice came from outside the door.
"Leo, MEI, I've confirmed the location. You guys should be done refining the [Imaginary Energy], right?"
Holding a [long sword], Kiana barged in.
After waking up, because of the awkward atmosphere in the room, she had hurriedly run out to search for a suitable Honkai erosion point to attack today. Undoubtedly, they couldn't just look for the place with the most severe Honkai erosion right off the bat... what if they couldn't beat it? So this task was very necessary, and naturally, she took the opportunity to slip away.
As for [Raiden Mei], she also couldn't stand that atmosphere, and using the excuse of fearing Kiana might have an accident, she followed along. Since then, only Leo and MEI were left in the room.
Of course, after leaving, Kiana also gradually realized that doing so was a bit disloyal. After all, if not for her tight hug, Leo wouldn't have been targeted by MEI. So finally, after determining a location, she hurriedly ran home, wanting to share some of the firepower for Leo.
It's just... Kiana, you are too gentle, I could cry to death!
Looking at Kiana who shifted all the firepower away, Leo wanted to laugh but didn't quite dare, fearing the aggro would be shifted back.
"Uh, uh..."
Facing MEI's unconcealed resentful gaze, Kiana understood she had caused trouble. It was just that she really hadn't expected that this guy Leo could coax MEI well in such a short time. Otherwise, she wouldn't have rushed in so recklessly. And facing the current situation, she wasn't without a move—
"Sorry... you guys continue!"
After saying that, she brazenly closed the door directly. She believed that with Leo's arm strength, he should be able to keep MEI there.
Immediately, the room was once again left with only Leo and MEI.
—You can actually break the deadlock like this?
Looking at Kiana leaving the pressure to him without any stress, Leo couldn't help but widen his eyes... Is this a idiot's problem-solving method? To be honest, giving him three days and three nights to think, he absolutely wouldn't have thought of this!
"Hmph!"
After calming her mood slightly, MEI snorted softly and said, "Laugh if you want to laugh."
"Also, can you let go of me now?"
Right now, she didn't have the mood to "continue."
"Of course!"
Quickly letting go of MEI, Leo wasn't stupid enough to completely let go of her, but changed from a hug to an embrace around the waist. And although MEI told him to laugh, he didn't dare to really laugh. As if nothing had happened before, he kept a poker face and took the initiative to say: "Since Kiana has already scouted the location, we should move out too, right?"
"Mm..."
Facing the step down Leo offered, MEI didn't refuse. Nodding, she added: "But let's eat this noon meal first."
"The Honkai erosion point is indeed urgent, but not so urgent that we don't even have time to eat."
Since Leo wanted to skip over the previous matter, she naturally cooperated by pretending to have amnesia. Thus—
—?
Looking at Leo and MEI walking out of the bedroom with calm expressions, Kiana couldn't help but put a big question mark in her heart. For a split second, she even thought she had seen wrong when she opened the door earlier, and that actually, nothing had happened inside.
However, seeing MEI intentionally or unintentionally avoiding meeting Leo's eyes at the dinner table, she could tell she absolutely hadn't seen wrong just now! And since that was the case, she understood that she had committed a sin earlier.
Therefore... let's do it like this tonight! Soon, a dark... no, a relaxed and bright idea was born in her mind.
—Hee, hee hee hee hee! This will definitely work!
And after making up her mind, the corners of her mouth couldn't help but hook into a pleasant arc. It was just that she didn't notice that Leo and MEI obviously saw her wicked grin too.
As for [Raiden Mei], she was undoubtedly the first to discover Kiana's abnormality. But with her understanding of Kiana, she also understood that this idiot wanted to make it up to MEI, so she said nothing, quietly eating the lunch Leo had prepared.
But... would MEI also show an expression like Kiana's?
With chopsticks placed in her mouth, she couldn't help but secretly steal glances at that exquisite face identical to her own.
...
After resting for a while after the meal, under Kiana's lead, Leo and the others arrived at the location Kiana had selected.
—A slightly [abandoned park]!
Theoretically speaking, such a place shouldn't appear near Leo's home. However—
"Although ordinary people can't realize [Honkai energy], biological instinct is to seek advantage and avoid harm."
Without waiting for Leo to ask, as the Honkai expert, Kiana took the initiative to explain: "So even if they don't realize the Honkai, they will avoid this place."
"What about the residential area?"
Revealing a curious look, Leo said: "For places they have to go back to every day like that, they can't avoid it, right?"
"Correct."
Nodding, Kiana spoke bluntly: "Seeking advantage and avoiding harm is ultimately just a subconscious act."
"But if it's a place of residence, they can't escape."
"The only thing worth celebrating is that the Honkai erosion in this world is covered by that layer of spatial membrane, so it won't affect them."
"But unfortunately, because of that spatial membrane, once the Honkai starts to leak, then aside from individuals with extremely high [Honkai Resistance], no one will survive."
"Even if they survive, there is a high probability they will rapidly turn into Zombies."
"With the Honkai concentration accumulated to that extent, only women with the aptitude to become [Valkyries] can resist it."
After speaking, she glanced at MEI.
Although compared to herself, MEI's [Honkai energy] resistance wasn't high, she was considered extremely high even among [Valkyries].
—I don't know if she naturally has such high [Honkai energy] resistance, or if it's because the her of this world has the aptitude to become the [Herrscher of Thunder]!
"Then the requirements for survival are quite strict."
Hearing this, Leo's brows couldn't help but furrow slightly. Because the aptitude requirements for [Valkyries] were not low. In all those years of Schicksal, how many [Valkyries] had they cultivated in total? Just looking at the number of people, it was indeed a lot, but that was Schicksal gathering talent from all over the world. They even added Schicksal's black technology to allow women with slightly poorer aptitude to become [Valkyries], which resulted in that many [Valkyries].
But under normal circumstances, there were truly few individuals capable of becoming [Valkyries]. At the very least, right now, if a Honkai erosion point in an area erupted, it would already be a lot if a single-digit number of women survived. If such a thing really happened, it would be no different from the apocalypse!
Therefore—
"Let's look for where the gas pipeline is."
If they were ordinary people, it would naturally be hard to destroy a gas pipeline, but for little supermen like them, it really wasn't too big a problem.
"Mm."
Nodding, MEI spoke up at the right moment: "I found the city's underground planning map. Follow me."
"Hmm?"
Hearing this, Leo froze slightly, tilting his head to look at MEI.
"Um... is that thing open to the public?"
"Theoretically, of course not, but my father had a project before that required it."
Shaking her head at Leo, MEI spoke bluntly: "And I heard him chatting with someone on the phone, so I found it in his study."
"Uh... alright."
Although he still had some questions, Leo understood that subsequent matters were true secrets. Moreover, this matter likely had nothing to do with them, so he naturally didn't ask further. However, after following MEI forward for quite a while, he suddenly froze in place.
"Hmm?" x2
Seeing Leo stop, MEI and Kiana naturally looked toward Leo.
"What's wrong?"
Looking around, Kiana said: "There's nothing abnormal here, right?"
"At most..."
Sensing slightly for a moment, she said: "It's just that it's a bit closer to the core of the Honkai erosion point?"
Although this entire area was within the range of the Honkai erosion point, the degree of erosion varied. Like the location they were in now, it had already been eroded by Honkai quite severely. If an ordinary person stood here, they would immediately feel discomfort all over, as if they had encountered an evil spirit. But as long as that spatial membrane didn't shatter, no major problems would occur. Therefore, in Kiana's view, there was nothing abnormal here.
However—
"Did you discover something again through your system?"
Compared to the empiricist Kiana, because MEI didn't have much cognition of the Honkai, she was instead able to quickly realize the reason Leo froze.
"Mm..."
Nodding with a subtle expression, Leo said: "We don't need to look for the gas pipeline anymore."
"Tongzi, you really have some tricks!"
With a sigh, he manifested the system prompt in front of MEI and Kiana—
[Real World Mission: Cleaning Up Filth (I)]
[Mission Description: A beautiful mood requires a clean environment. The weekend is the time for a big cleanup!]
[Mission Explanation: Please eliminate the Honkai erosion point within five kilometers of your home.]
[Mission Reward: Badge · Sanitation Model, Honkai energy*3]
[—Actually, on the weekend I'd rather sleep... No, you don't want to!]
And besides the mission, there was also an [Instance] entry interface—
[Temporary Instance: Honkai Erosion Point · Abandoned Park (D-Rank)]
[Minimum Level Requirement: None]
[Minimum Player Requirement: 3 People]
[Weapon Restriction: None]
[Weather Effect: None]
[Disturbance Amplitude: None]
[Main Enemies: Guard Zombie (D-Rank), Ranger Zombie (D-Rank)]
[Does player wish to lead the team to enter?]
[Yes/No]
???
Damn it, why is there an Abyss segment?
Looking at this interface that resembled the Abyss, Leo couldn't help but feel a bit of a stomachache.
"Has this become gamified?"
Seeing this, Kiana was the first to complain.
"Probably, should be, maybe... yes."
Shaking his head helplessly, Leo said: "Anyway, being able to resolve the Honkai erosion point without destroying the gas pipeline counts as a good thing."
After all, the intensity of the destruction was also very difficult to gauge. If they accidentally destroyed too much, it would be easy to cause even greater turmoil instead. Therefore, being able to resolve the Honkai erosion point peacefully like this naturally counted as a good thing.
However—
"It seems I have to enter too."
Looking at the [Minimum Player Requirement] being [3], MEI understood she couldn't leave, and she would even become a burden to the team. Involuntarily, she felt a bit unhappy, her desire for power climbing another level.
"Mm..."
Although he understood MEI's mood, Leo still spoke bluntly: "Later, Kiana will protect you, and I will do the fighting."
"It's just [Guard Zombies] and [Ranger Zombies]; we can come out very quickly."
After all, the current him possessed a whopping 30 points of [Honkai energy]! In his view, the Zombies in this Honkai erosion point were nothing but clay chickens and pottery dogs, unable to withstand a single blow! More critically... didn't it have no weather effects or disturbance amplitude?
Moreover, this Honkai erosion point Kiana found first was specifically chosen because she feared they couldn't beat it, so she looked for one that seemed weak. So he believed—
The advantage is mine!
However—
"Hmm?"
Looking at a group of three, two [Guard Zombies] and one [Ranger Zombie] connected by that blood-colored silk thread, he couldn't help but fall into deep thought.
—Starting right off with bloodline monsters, is this correct?
And it wasn't just one group; as the three of them entered the [Instance], five groups of squads were visible right away. Involuntarily, he looked toward Kiana.
"Uh..."
Facing the gaze Leo cast over, Kiana froze slightly, but immediately after, she had a flash of inspiration.
"No... it seems I made a mistake!"
"Hmm?"
"The places about to erupt may not necessarily be strong, but should be weak!"
Rubbing her chin, she analyzed: "The reason it's about to erupt is that there are no Zombies there capable of absorbing so much [Honkai energy]."
"But here, there are so many Zombies absorbing [Honkai energy], so the degree of Honkai erosion manifested is that low."
Smashing her right fist into her left palm, she had a face full of sudden realization.
"Heh..."
Amused by Kiana's delayed realization, Leo said helplessly: "Forget it, anyway, cleaning this place up is also a part of Tongzi's mission."
"In short, you protect MEI, I'm going to fight."
Although there was the bloodline mechanism, he didn't think these Zombies could really threaten him. After all, with his current combat power, cutting down these ordinary Zombies was definitely one cut per kill. And this time, it didn't exceed his expectations—
Taking advantage of the [Ranger Zombie] not yet locking onto him, he invested 1 point of [Honkai energy] into his feet, immediately feeling a flying speed boost. Before, he had too little [Honkai energy] and only dared to use it on the blade, but now that he had 30 points, he could spend it a bit more extravagantly.
Immediately, he was seen like an arrow leaving the string, slashing toward the nearest Zombie squad. The [long sword], which sliced iron like mud, carried [purple thunder] and slashed through the sickle handle the [Guard Zombie] used to block in front of her without any hindrance, simultaneously severing the opponent's head.
It was just that due to the bloodline, this [Guard Zombie]'s head didn't fly up, but solidified in place. If he gave her a moment more, she would immediately recover as before!
—Life Link, a disgusting mechanism where if all monsters connected together aren't eliminated simultaneously, monsters will constantly revive!
It was fine now that Leo was killing small fry with one hit each, but if he encountered a blood cow, he would have to first grind the monsters' health down to be roughly consistent, and then kill them together. Otherwise, he would face endless monsters crawling repeatedly out of hell!
But now there was another problem, which was that he was in reality, not in a game. Unable to see the monsters' HP, he could completely only rely on experience to judge the kill line.
Anyway, what a kusoge!
While secretly cursing the [Instance]'s difficulty, his hands didn't stop. With two more supplementary cuts, he eliminated the first Zombie squad.
[Imaginary Energy +65]
[Imaginary Energy +64]
[Imaginary Energy +67]
Now, only this warm [Imaginary Energy] could make up for the wounds in his heart!
"Looks like I don't need to step in."
Guarding by MEI's side with arms crossed, Kiana watched the energetic Leo, understanding that the other party had fallen into fanaticism for [Imaginary Energy] again.
"Is he like this normally too?"
Watching Leo acting like a ruthless [Imaginary Energy] harvester, MEI's expression couldn't help but be somewhat subtle.
"Correct."
Nodding, Kiana said: "This guy is purest at times like this."
—No!
Actually, Leo had even purer moments, but it wasn't convenient for her to communicate with MEI right now.
"Mm..."
Nodding slightly, MEI revealed a thoughtful expression and said: "Originally, I thought he was fighting desperately in the [Honkai Domain] without fear of death for the righteousness in his heart. But looking at it now, I seem to have misunderstood him somewhat."
Righteousness might indeed exist, but she could also see that Leo really enjoyed the battle before his eyes.
—This guy is an out-and-out battle maniac!
Perhaps Leo himself hadn't realized it, but every time he swung his blade, the corners of his mouth were actually unconsciously turning up.
"Disillusioned?"
Hearing this, Kiana turned her head to look at MEI, blinking.
"That, no."
Shaking her head, MEI spoke bluntly: "Rather, a him like this is even more real."
"I never believed there were any saints who would unconditionally do things for the world."
"Just like my father. His technology indeed benefited many people, but in the final analysis, that was because he had curiosity and wanted to constantly explore, which finally resulted in such amazing outcomes."
"In other words, it wasn't that he wanted to do something for this world, but while he was seeking knowledge, he helped this world in passing, nothing more."
To be fair, if her remarks were spoken out loud, she would definitely be judged as a leaky black-hearted cotton-padded jacket. But as his daughter, she understood better than anyone what her father researched for.
And, she was the same! At least right now, she had no grand wish to save the world; researching quantum mechanics was merely because she was interested.
And Leo's interest... seemed to be combat!
"Mm..."
Nodding slightly, Kiana smiled: "Interest is the source of all motivation."
"Moreover, he is ultimately fighting for this world, isn't he?"
After saying that, she smiled at MEI.
"Correct."
Nodding to acknowledge Kiana's statement, MEI didn't continue saying anything, but locked her gaze firmly on Leo's heroic fighting figure. With the rise and fall of the rabbit and falcon, during their conversation, Leo had already resolved all five Zombie squads they saw at the start.
Happily looking at the extra nearly thousand points of [Imaginary Energy], he couldn't help fantasizing about fighting Lord [Shadow Ninja Zombie] again tonight! Of course, he was just thinking about it, because he understood that the gap between him and the opponent was definitely not something a few more points of [Honkai energy] could bridge.
The experience and consciousness on the combat level were the biggest reasons for his defeat last night! One could say his every strike was seen through by the opponent, unable to cause effective damage to the opponent at all. Before the opponent's simulation could even show its power, he was cut into pieces here and there by the opponent.
Taking Kiana over, he might be able to last a few more moves, but it would merely be a few moves. While Kiana's combat experience was rich enough, her stats were too low. Compared to Lord [Shadow Ninja Zombie], she was a Stinky Medium Cup. Therefore, her final result would be nothing more than serving as an appetizer for Lord [Shadow Ninja Zombie].
So now... prioritize leveling up!
Clarifying the current goal, the hand wielding the long sword became even more powerful. Finally—
"A total of twenty-five squads? That is indeed very strong..."
Having cut down half, he couldn't help but rest for quite a while before continuing to fight. Logically speaking, it was only because the [long sword] in his hand was top quality and wouldn't roll its edge; otherwise, he really suspected whether normal knives would be enough for him to chop like this!
However—
"Five thousand points of [Imaginary Energy]! Awesome!"
Coming out of the [Temporary Instance], he couldn't help having a look of pleasure on his face. However, the time was also approaching evening; the clouds on the horizon had been dyed with a blush, looking exceptionally beautiful right now. There was no helping it; they had gotten up late today to begin with, plus he had to comfort MEI, so by the time they really went out, it was actually almost three o'clock.
Getting to the place, and then cleaning up the Zombies in the [Instance], took over an hour no matter what. So—
"Quick!"
Looking at Kiana, Leo said with a face full of excitement: "Take me to the next Honkai erosion point!"
He naturally wouldn't hesitate due to time issues; right now, he just wanted to complete the system's mission first. Although he didn't know what use that [Badge · Sanitation Model] had, he wanted to improve too much right now!
"Uh... alright."
Kiana, who originally thought Leo would want to go back and rest first, froze for a moment but could only nod in agreement. However—
"Go home!"
Stopping Kiana from leading the way, MEI spoke solemnly: "This mission isn't a limited-time mission; it won't run away if left there."
"We can just come out a bit earlier tomorrow."
Only now did she understand why Leo was both exhausted and excited when coming to her home after his morning run these past few days.
—This guy is addicted to playing!
________________________________________
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