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[Genshin Impact] Chapter 616: Invisible Exploration (2-in-1 Chapter)

Join the Defense Division, huh?

Sounded like a guard-type position — something Nolan had absolutely no problem with.

Being able to stay here and learn more about interstellar society was already worth it, and this kind of work was right up his alley.

After all, he’d taken plenty of adventuring commissions before — protecting merchant convoys and the like. So, he nodded and said,

“No problem at all, Miss Asta. I’ll follow your arrangements.”

“Then let’s go handle your Defense Division assignment now,” Asta replied, brushing a pink strand of hair from her cheek.

“Alright.” Nolan nodded again, then turned toward the elegant mechanical gentleman beside him. “Mr. Screwllum, I’ll go on ahead with Miss Asta, then.”

“When you have time, do come visit Screwllum Prime,” Screwllum said, adjusting his hat slightly. “I should also be paying Lady Herta a visit soon.”

“Come on,” Asta said, turning to him. “Before we head to the Defense Division, I’ll need to get you registered.”

She took the lead, her white legs stepping lightly forward.

The young adventurer who had just arrived at Herta Space Station followed after her, and after a few minutes walking side by side, he asked curiously,

“Screwllum Prime — is that Mr. Screwllum’s home planet?”

“That’s right. In fact, Mr. Screwllum is the ruler of that planet,” Asta replied with a bright smile.

“Ruler…” Nolan blinked in surprise. He had sensed Screwllum wasn’t ordinary, but he never would’ve guessed that such a gentle person was actually a king.

That was quite unexpected.

“Anyway, since you’ve just entered galactic society, you probably have a lot of questions,” Asta said as they reached the central control sector — essentially the station’s command hub. “I’ll give you a smartphone later. You can look up anything you want on the Galactic Peace Network.”

She intended to use her authority as station master to fast-track a long-term ID for him.

“A smartphone?!” Nolan’s eyes lit up.

Even in such an advanced interstellar civilization, they were still using smartphones? That meant this form of terminal had some irreplaceable advantages.

He suddenly found himself looking forward to it.

Ever since arriving in Teyvat, he hadn’t touched a phone again, and the “Akasha Network” there was still in its infancy. So the “Galactic Peace Network” truly sparked his curiosity.

After all, even Earth’s internet contained countless papers and knowledge databases — surely a galaxy-wide network would be on a whole other level.

If he could browse and bring that information back to Teyvat… in no time at all, the whole world might experience a true technological revolution!

And then — building his own star-faring vessel would no longer be a distant dream!

“That’s right,” Asta said, tilting her head. “Oh? Does your homeworld also use smartphones?”

Seeing that he didn’t seem unfamiliar with the term, she took out her own phone and showed it to him, stopping beside the command bridge of the monitoring sector.

“Yes, exactly the same!”

Nolan looked at the cute device — printed with a small white dog mascot — and nodded slightly.

Putting the phone away, Asta began operating the monitoring system, pulling up the temporary ID record created for him aboard the dreadnought, and with a few quick authorizations, converted it into a permanent status.

As she worked, she said,

“So your homeworld has already begun its first steps into space, right? If you remember how to get back, the Space Station could even cooperate with your people — help them expand beyond your planet faster.”

Nolan could indeed roam through space on his own, but individual strength had its limits. Even reaching beyond a solar system was already a major feat.

So it was natural Asta assumed his homeworld must still be somewhere nearby.

“Uh… that’s kind of complicated.” Nolan thought for a moment and then gave a simple explanation.

“I ended up in outer space through a random teleportation… and just happened to appear inside the stomach of the Giant True Stringer.

“During that time, the creature made two separate warp jumps. So honestly, if you asked me where my planet is… I really couldn’t tell you.”

He wasn’t lying — just leaving out some truths. He didn’t mention that he could use space transmission to return to Teyvat at any time… or that his real homeworld was actually Earth.

Since he still didn’t understand the nature of Asta or this galactic society, it would’ve been foolish to reveal everything — even to a kind and cute girl.

There was no guarantee someone couldn’t extract information from her against her will.

He’d at least wait until her affection level reached six or seven before trusting her with anything critical.

After all, Asta wasn’t just adorable and pretty — she was the station’s master.

Whether for convenience in daily life and work on the Herta Station, or for unlocking new “affection skills,” Nolan definitely hoped to stay on her good side.

Once her affection rose high enough, he could equip her with all sorts of protective techniques — “Interstellar Travel,” “Divine Maiden’s Purity,” “Grace of the Night’s Opulent Splendor,” and more — ensuring she’d never be in danger, and couldn’t leak any information.

It wasn’t that he wasn’t being sincere — it was simply smart to think ahead and choose a path that benefited everyone.

“That’s really unfortunate,” Asta said sympathetically, finishing the ID registration and glancing at him with gentle eyes.

She didn’t doubt him. After all, the Herta Station’s super-range radar was capable of detecting gravitational waves from any planet within several hundred light-years.

All potentially life-bearing worlds in that range had already been flagged by the AI scanners and then confirmed through human observation.

And none of them had any trace of intelligent life.

If Nolan’s homeworld truly existed nearby, then the scanners must have somehow missed it — unlikely, but not impossible.

After all, it was beyond human capacity to manually examine every single star system within hundreds of light-years. Even advanced AI screening could overlook one or two.

“Well then, your ID status has been updated.” Asta smiled. “Let’s go. It’s getting late — I’ll take you to the Defense Division so they can arrange your quarters and other details.”

“Alright.” Nolan nodded lightly.

Judging from the station’s atmosphere, it was probably closing time already.

Back in Teyvat, it wasn’t even noon yet — getting up in the morning only to find it’s already evening here… that was definitely a strange and novel experience.

The two of them walked down the corridor of the space station, the dull clack of Asta’s black heels echoing softly against the metallic floor.

Before long, Asta led Nolan to the Defense Division’s main office.

The door automatically slid open as the access system recognized Asta’s identity. Inside, the lighting was bright, and many uniformed officers in gray and white were working at their stations.

This was the Defense Division’s command hub — all orders for response and security operations across the station originated here.

The department’s leader was a young man with dark skin and short silver-white hair. When he saw Asta, he looked slightly surprised.

“Miss Asta? What brings you here?”

“Woof woof!”

At that moment, a small, lively white dog came running over, circling Asta twice and wagging its tail with cheerful barks.

“Peppy! I knew you’d be here!” Asta laughed and scooped the dog into her arms, scratching its head affectionately before turning toward the silver-haired youth.

“Arlan, let me introduce someone — this is Nolan. I’ve found you guys a super powerful helper for the Defense Division!”

Even as she stroked Peppy’s fur, Asta found time to give Nolan’s shoulder an encouraging pat.

“A… super helper?!”

Her words immediately caught everyone’s attention — the entire division turned their curious gazes toward Nolan.

Being stared at by so many people at once, Nolan felt a little awkward, so he simply responded with a polite smile.

“That’s right.”

To prevent the Defense Division from accidentally offending him, Asta gave a brief overview of Nolan’s “achievements.”

When they heard that he had single-handedly exterminated the insect swarms of an entire planet, everyone — including Arlan — was stunned.

Someone this powerful was practically unheard of. Aside from Lady Herta and her few peers, they had only ever read about people like that on the Galactic Peace Network.

No one had expected that their own station master, Asta, would actually manage to recruit such a person to the Defense Division.

Had she… used the power of money again?

Everyone on the station knew Asta was incredibly wealthy. It wasn’t unusual to see entire transport ships from the Galactic Peace Company docking here, delivering massive shipments of goods — all purchased by Asta herself.

So spending a fortune to hire a top-tier powerhouse to guard the station… wasn’t too far-fetched an idea.

“In any case,” Asta continued, “Nolan is now officially part of the Defense Division. Arlan, please see to his arrangements.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Arlan replied immediately, then turned toward Nolan. “Mr. Nolan, I’ll take you to your quarters first. As for your duties… I’ll think about it and finalize the details tomorrow.”

Truth be told, Arlan was a bit troubled. Someone this strong couldn’t possibly be assigned to routine patrols or gate duty — that would be a complete waste of talent.

He also worried that if Nolan got bored with such trivial work, he might simply leave.

To honor Miss Asta’s goodwill, Arlan decided he’d find him something easier and more fitting — but he’d need time to think about what exactly that would be.

After all, most Defense Division work revolved around patrolling, guarding, and training — not much room for creativity there.

He’d figure it out later, after clocking out.

Nolan, unaware of Arlan’s dilemma, simply nodded.

“No problem. I’ll leave it to you.”

“Then, Mr. Nolan, please follow Arlan. I’ll take Peppy back for now and come find you later.”

Asta had promised to give him a smartphone, and she planned to fetch one from her office.

“Alright,” Nolan replied with a nod.

As Asta departed with the little dog in her arms, Arlan led Nolan toward the Defense Division’s living quarters.

The dorms weren’t far — close enough for quick mobilization during emergencies, since the division handled all the station’s security affairs and needed to respond at any time.

They soon arrived.

As they walked, Arlan explained,

“Our dorms usually house four people each, but there are a few empty ones. How about you take a room to yourself?”

Strong individuals were given special treatment wherever they went, and since there were free rooms, it was only natural to make Nolan comfortable.

“Thank you,” Nolan said sincerely.

He appreciated Arlan’s thoughtfulness — after all, he often returned to Teyvat or the Wonderland Space at night, so sharing a dorm would be inconvenient.

“This way, please.”

Arlan brought him to an empty unit. Everything inside was clean and fully equipped — no need to prepare anything extra.

After settling him in, Arlan told him to rest well and left.

Now alone in the quiet dormitory, Nolan found himself with nothing to do. So, he decided to take a stroll — or rather, to explore the space station while remaining unseen.

Activating the Golden Eye of Judgment, he entered an unobservable invisible state and slipped out of his room.

If he was going to live here, he might as well learn the lay of the land — and make sure he didn’t accidentally offend anyone dangerous.

He first summoned a Sword God of Lumine to stay behind in his dorm, just in case someone came looking for him while he was gone.

Then he quietly vanished into the corridors.

He passed several Defense Division officers returning from their shifts — their levels, displayed above their heads, mostly hovered around Level 20.

Comparable to Mondstadt’s Knights of Favonius or Liyue’s Millelith after proper training.

However, instead of blades or spears, they carried advanced energy rifles — high-tech weapons that likely made them far stronger than an ordinary knight without a Vision.

Returning to the division’s command center, Nolan spotted Arlan again — and through the vision of the Golden Eye, saw that Arlan’s level reached an astounding 67!

The gap between him and his subordinates was enormous. That could only mean one thing: Arlan possessed some kind of extraordinary power.

In Teyvat, that would naturally be a Vision.

But here, across the stars — where no Visions existed — what form did their extraordinary abilities take?

Nolan pondered the mystery, intrigued.

Silently, he continued his invisible exploration of the station. Before long, he found himself back in the main control sector, where groups of researchers chatted leisurely — clearly off duty.

Scanning their levels, he found most ranged from below 10 up to around 30. Understandable, given their scholarly professions.

Now, he was curious about Screwllum’s strength. Earlier, it would’ve been rude to activate the Golden Eye in front of him — but now, while invisible, no one could tell.

He remembered seeing Screwllum head left after exiting the space elevator, saying he was going to meet Lady Herta, the station’s owner.

So finding him shouldn’t be too difficult…

(End of Chapter)

[Game] Chapter 470: Game Optimization Status

Before Titanfall officially launched, Ichin sent the final build of the game to several gaming media outlets both in Japan and overseas for review.

After a week of hands-on experience, those media outlets all gave it extremely high scores.

“Excellent storyline, tightly paced progression, the evolving bond between the protagonist and the Titan is deeply engaging, and the game’s optimization is remarkably well done. The only shortcoming is that the campaign feels a bit short—it leaves you wanting more.”

— IGN, 9/10

Besides IGN, other major rating sites and domestic game media outlets also gave the game very strong ratings—mostly above 8/10 or 85 points.

As a result, Titanfall’s hype skyrocketed to new heights almost instantly.

Of course, in this day and age, game review scores don’t exactly carry much weight with players.

But given the track record of Ichin’s previous releases, players still placed a good deal of trust and anticipation in this one.

In particular, every single reviewer praised the game’s optimization—something that gave players confidence that it would actually run well on their systems, rather than being one of those games that stuttered or crashed after purchase.

Still, along with the excitement came some skepticism.

Especially because Titanfall was a first-person game.

On that point, Ichin couldn’t really do much—he could only optimize the game as much as possible to make sure performance was smooth and stable.

Even then, there were bound to be players who avoided it purely because of the first-person gameplay.

Ichin had anticipated that, so he wasn’t too disappointed.

Fortunately, even before release day, pre-orders had already exceeded 500,000 copies. The promotional PVs showcasing massive Titans had built up a strong wave of anticipation.

On launch day, streamers across various live platforms began broadcasting Titanfall.

Many of them initially assumed the game was just a straightforward “shoot-and-stomp” kind of title—run around shooting enemies and pilot a Titan.

But they were surprised by how good the story actually was.

Right from the start, the tutorial mission helped players get used to the controls while letting them compete for record times.

Some challenge-loving streamers immediately got hooked on speedrunning the tutorial course.

Meanwhile, others who preferred story content advanced to the next chapter—

—and soon discovered that the protagonist, Jack Cooper, was actually just a regular grunt.

Just like the PV had hinted, he wasn’t some elite Titan pilot from the start.

During the next drop operation, his squad’s landing pod was ambushed. Most of his teammates were wiped out, and Cooper himself was gravely injured and knocked unconscious.

The Titan pilot who saved him ended up surrounded by enemy Titans and sacrificed himself. His Titan—battered and nearly out of power—was left behind.

Even though this was just the opening act, both players and viewers watching the streams were already hooked.

“Wait, so the protagonist gets a Titan for free?”

“This looks so smooth! And the environments are awesome.”

“Hey, what’s the framerate like?”

Noticing the chat’s curiosity about performance, some streamers opened their FPS display tools and began testing.

“Okay, I’m running at 2K resolution. Let’s see—turn off motion blur, turn off depth of field, leave everything else default. DLSS off, ray tracing off. Frame cap is 60 by default… let’s push it to 144.”

After tweaking the settings, the streamer’s FPS shot up from 60 to a steady 144, maxing out his monitor’s refresh rate.

“Damn! This optimization is solid!”

“If I turn on ray tracing and drop the framerate a little—say, to 90 FPS—I’d still call that perfectly acceptable!”

And that was just the PC version of Titanfall.

Players who had preordered the console editions also discovered upon launch that the game’s optimization was excellent.

Within half an hour of the game’s release, discussion threads about Titanfall flooded gaming forums everywhere.

“I’m using [hardware model]…”

“If you switch to performance mode and dial down the graphics a bit, the framerate shoots up even higher!”

Even without mentioning gameplay or story, one thing was clear to everyone—the optimization was outstanding.

And not just for high-end PCs or consoles.

Even players with mid-range or weaker rigs could run the game smoothly at 1080p medium settings, holding a stable 60 FPS after a bit of tweaking.

Inside the office, Ichin scrolled through the forum posts and livestream chats, finally letting out a quiet sigh of relief.

He picked up his phone and called Umiko, who was over in Shanghai.

“Umiko,” Ichin said with a smile, “you’ve worked really hard these past few weeks before launch. The optimization turned out amazing. Now we just wait for the players’ feedback.”

Though it was already night, Umiko was still at her office with her team, monitoring the online response to Titanfall.

Holding her phone, she smiled. “Yeah… feels like I can finally breathe a little. All that effort wasn’t for nothing.”

Optimization had always been one of the toughest challenges in game development—especially for first-person shooters.

But thankfully, the dev team had pulled it off, pushing Titanfall’s performance to its limits without sacrificing much visual fidelity.

Hearing her words, Ichin replied, “All right. For the game’s first week after release, keep your team on standby and make sure no hidden bugs slipped through. Once we get past this week, I’ll give everyone some time off.”

“Got it,” Umiko said.

After hanging up, Ichin stretched his arms, then called out to Utaha, Kō Yagami, and Rin Toyama, who were still in the office.

“Let’s go meet up with Haruno—she’s still working late. We’ll grab some late-night snacks together.”

But the moment he stepped outside the office building, a sudden chill made him shiver.

“Ah-choo!”

Seeing Ichin sniffle repeatedly, Utaha frowned in concern.

“Did you catch a cold? The temperature really dropped these last few days.”

Shaking his head, Ichin replied, “Not sure. I’m wearing plenty of layers though.”

Utaha thought for a moment. “Could it be you got chilled during your morning run?”

“No way, right?” Ichin muttered, frowning as he sniffled again.

Rin glanced at him, thinking for a moment before suggesting, “Maybe we should skip the late-night meal. Your health’s more important, Ichin.”

“It’s fine—I can still eat.” Ichin waved his hand dismissively, then sighed. “But Rin’s right. I’ll pass tonight. Utaha, go with them. I’ll head home, take a hot shower, and rest.”

“How about I go back with you?” Utaha offered.

“No need. It’s probably just a minor cold. You’ve had a long day—classes, your work at the publishing house, and then coming here to keep me company. Go enjoy some good food with Kō and the others.”

Saying that, Ichin turned toward Kō Yagami.

“Kō, I’ll leave Utaha in your care. I’m heading back first.”

---

[Genshin Impact] Chapter 615: Station Master · Asta (2-in-1 Chapter)

The 76th member of the Genius Society…

So this Mr. Screwllum was also part of the same organization as the one who invented that “Synesthesia Beacon,” huh?

Nolan rubbed his cheek. He didn’t really know much about this so-called organization, nor what it truly represented.

But since Screwllum himself was clearly someone extraordinary, this “Genius Society” must be equally remarkable.

“Please open the door,” Nolan said toward the desk.

“Understood,” replied the AI embedded in the table. The room’s door slid open automatically.

Standing there was none other than the elegant mechanical gentleman, Screwllum.

“Mr. Nolan, I trust you rested well?” Screwllum tipped his hat politely, his tone light and courteous.

“Good morning, Mr. Screwllum,” Nolan nodded. “I have a personal storage space, so I slept in a familiar environment. It was quite comfortable.”

“I see.”

Screwllum had already guessed as much — after all, one could hardly wander the cosmos without abundant supplies or a star-faring vessel unless they possessed some kind of special spatial ability.

Not dwelling on the point, Screwllum went on,

“The aftermath of the Giant True Stringer has been dealt with, and we’ve confirmed there are no remaining swarm traces nearby. The ship is preparing to warp back to the Herta Space Station. If you’re interested, you may accompany me to the command room.”

“Thank you, Mr. Screwllum. I’d love that.”

Nolan’s eyes brightened with genuine curiosity.

He had never seen a “warship” — something that usually only existed in science fiction — let alone witnessed how such a ship performed a warp jump. Naturally, he couldn’t resist.

It seemed Mr. Screwllum had considered that, too. What a thoughtful gentleman!

“No trouble at all. Please, follow me,” Screwllum said with a gentle smile.

Nolan nodded and followed him toward the ship’s command deck.

He had been there the previous day, so the place felt familiar. The control crew were already at their stations, screens and consoles humming with activity.

On the main holographic display, the image of the Great True Stringer had disappeared — either completely obliterated or simply out of sight due to a change in heading.

Since they were preparing to return, Nolan was curious how exactly this warship would traverse twelve light-years back to the Herta Space Station.

Especially… what would a warp jump actually look like?

“Mr. Screwllum, the engines are fully charged. We can begin the jump anytime,” the ship’s commander reported, saluting.

“Very well, Commander. Let’s begin our return.”

Screwllum nodded.

For a high-performance warship like this, twelve light-years could be crossed in a single jump.

“Yes, sir.”

The commander turned to the console and relayed the system checks. After confirming all systems green, he initiated the warp sequence.

The holographic screen before them shifted — the starlight in the void elongated into brilliant streaks, like a shower of meteors.

Nolan could feel the space ahead of the ship bending and twisting, a powerful spatial force pulling the entire vessel forward.

The warship suddenly shuddered, and then — darkness. The display went black for a few seconds.

Moments later, the warped space smoothed itself out. The warship emerged from the distortion, and the starfield reappeared.

Before them now hung a massive cerulean planet, with a sleek white space station hovering serenely in its orbit.

Nolan, familiar with the workings of space, quickly grasped the principle:

The warp engine distorted the space in front of the ship, using energy to bend reality so that space itself carried the ship forward — like digging a hole in space, and the ship “above” that hole naturally fell through it.

The more energy supplied, the deeper and farther that “hole” — that is, the wormhole — could extend, letting the ship “fall” to a more distant point.

By controlling the engine’s output, one could precisely determine the warp distance.

Nolan could do something similar himself, thanks to his “Void Starsea” dimensional traversal and the “Interstellar Travel” teleportation skill.

He didn’t really need to rely on such a mechanical method.

After all, entering a wormhole physically would subject one’s body to immense spatial pressure — tolerable for brief moments, but fatal over time.

No matter how durable he was, his body couldn’t compare to the hull of a warship.

“That planet is The Blue, and the space station in its orbit is the Herta Space Station,” Screwllum explained.

“Oh? The Blue looks beautiful,” Nolan remarked, gazing at the vast blue sphere — it looked surprisingly similar to Earth.

“It’s Lady Herta’s homeworld — quite technologically advanced. You may visit if you wish, though entering requires an immigration permit.

“The specific requirements can be learned at the Herta Space Station.”

Seeing his guest’s interest, Screwllum added this helpful reminder.

“Understood. Thank you, Mr. Screwllum.”

Nolan nodded slightly.

Of course he was curious — this was the first extraterrestrial world he’d encountered apart from Teyvat.

He wondered how different it might be from Earth. Visiting someday would be fascinating.

“Identity confirmed. This is Space Station Herta. Welcome home, White Star.”

As they spoke, the warship completed identification with the Herta Station and switched to fusion-drive propulsion for approach.

The display showed their distance — within a thousand kilometers now — so the warp engine was no longer necessary.

Since docking required precision, the ship slowed significantly.

It took over ten minutes to close the last thousand kilometers, most of which was careful deceleration.

Soon, the warship positioned itself beneath the Herta Space Station. The display showed a specialized docking port — unsurprising, since a warship this large required substantial space.

Following the guidance of the virtual arrows, the vessel aligned and docked perfectly with the station.

“Return successful,” Screwllum said with a satisfied nod. “Lady Herta’s commission has been fulfilled.”

Then he turned to Nolan with a smile.

“Come, if you intend to stay on the station for a while, we’ll need to ask the station’s owner — Lady Herta herself — for permission. Or perhaps… you may speak with the station master, Asta.”

The Herta Space Station wasn’t a commercial hub but rather Lady Herta’s personal facility — a vast repository for curiosities and a center for research.

Most of its inhabitants were scientists.

So for outsiders with no connection to research, money alone wasn’t enough to earn lodging rights.

Still, with Screwllum’s recommendation, he was confident that Lady Herta — or perhaps that station master — would find Nolan quite intriguing.

Staying here wouldn’t be a problem.

“Thank you so much, Mr. Screwllum,” Nolan said sincerely. He truly felt grateful toward the mechanical gentleman.

Without his help, meeting anyone else in the vastness of space would have been almost impossible — nothing but a matter of luck.

But being able to meet Screwllum at all was proof that his luck wasn’t bad.

“You’re a kind man,” Screwllum said with a small nod. “Someone like you should put your abilities to use in the right environment, rather than drifting through the stars and wasting your time.”

From what he’d observed, Nolan possessed extraordinary power. If someone that strong were to wander aimlessly through the galaxy, then by his calculations, the first factions he’d likely encounter would be the likes of space pirates, the Abundance faction, the Annihilation Gang, or the Anti-Matter Legion — all groups that roamed the galaxy plundering resources.

If Nolan were to join one of them for any reason, it would be like dropping a grain of sand into the gears of interstellar order — small, but still an undeniable disruption.

Since fate had brought them together, Screwllum figured extending a helping hand could prevent a potential threat to order and instead turn him into a force that upheld it.

From that logic, his actions benefited the stability of galactic society — and as a member of that society himself, not a proud isolationist, he naturally preferred peace and order.

To reach the Herta Space Station from the warship, they needed to head to the central docking area and take the elevator.

The ship had its own internal transport pods, and after boarding one, the two quickly arrived at the elevator section.

They stepped inside and Screwllum instructed the onboard AI of their destination. The elevator began its rapid ascent.

Soft background music played during the ride. After about ten minutes, the cabin started to slow, and a few seconds later, came to a gentle stop.

“Main control sector reached. Please mind the doors,” announced the elevator’s automated voice.

With a hiss, the door slid open.

A passageway lay before Nolan.

The floor was black and perforated with dense patterns of small holes — oddly enough, it didn’t trigger any sense of discomfort.

The walls on either side gleamed like polished alloy, and from ahead, several figures approached — apparently waiting for them.

“Mr. Screwllum, welcome back to the Herta Space Station. That mission must have been exhausting,” said a cheerful voice.

The speaker was a girl with shoulder-length pink hair, wearing a white sleeveless collared shirt and asymmetrical long arm covers that revealed her pale arms.

Around her waist, layers of well-coordinated skirts framed her graceful figure. Her legs were slender and fair, stepping lightly in black heels that exposed the white skin of her insteps.

She gave off a perfect balance of rebellious charm and well-behaved poise.

“No need for formalities, Miss Asta,” Screwllum raised a hand politely and smiled. “Lady Herta is busy with her research projects. As a collaborator, it’s only right that I help with a few minor matters while I’m free.”

“Even so, it was a mission for the station after all…” Asta looked a little embarrassed — but then her eyes fell on the man standing beside Screwllum, and surprise flickered across her fair face.

He was standing right next to the 76th member of the Genius Society… could he be a member too? But she didn’t recall seeing him before.

Puzzled, she turned toward Screwllum and asked curiously,

“Mr. Screwllum, may I ask who this gentleman is?”

Noticing her gaze, Nolan returned a friendly smile, while Screwllum explained,

“This is Mr. Nolan Walker — a traveler who has just ‘stepped out from his homeworld.’ He was of great help in eliminating the swarm earlier.”

“Stepped out from his homeworld” — in galactic terms, referred to an intelligent being who had left their native planet for the first time and had yet to integrate into interstellar society.

Screwllum briefly summarized Nolan’s background and his remarkable feats.

Once he was done, Nolan extended his hand at the right moment.

“Hello, Miss Asta. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

—Then it struck him that local etiquette might not include handshakes.

“Hello, I’m Asta,” she replied, smiling as she lightly shook his hand. “I didn’t expect you to be so strong — to think you handled an entire planetary swarm alone.”

【Asta Has Developed Good feelings Towards You, Obtained 320 Affection Points. Current Affection Level: Lv.3 (20/300)】

Seeing the prompt pop up on his status screen, Nolan let out a small sigh of relief.

So it seemed that no matter the world, as long as humans shared the same brains and the same bodies, their cultures still held something in common.

“Miss Asta,” Screwllum said warmly, “would you perhaps be interested in a man of such strength? As you know, he’s just ‘stepped out from his homeworld’ and needs a place to settle down within the galaxy.”

If Asta, the station master, agreed, there’d be no need to seek out Lady Herta. After all, the woman known as Herta — to put it in human terms — lacked empathy.

If she wasn’t interested in Nolan, she might not agree to anything.

And if she was interested… well, catching Herta’s attention wasn’t necessarily a good thing either.

“Oh, I see.” Asta smiled brightly. “It’s rare for Mr. Screwllum to recommend someone. Most of our personnel here are researchers, and our security department really does lack strong combatants.

“Out in open space, we have our fleet of warships to protect us, so there’s no problem. But if an enemy ever found a way to infiltrate the station itself, it would be a serious issue.

“With Mr. Nolan joining us, that weakness will finally be covered!”

As the true administrator of the Herta Space Station, Asta knew very well where the station’s strengths and weaknesses lay.

Funding was never a problem — anything lacking could be ordered through the galactic network in an instant.

But internal defense was another story. The number of Pathstriders on the station was small, and relying solely on technological weaponry wouldn’t be enough against powerful foes with unique abilities.

If Nolan joined the Defense Division, the overall strength of that department would soar sky-high overnight!

After all, according to Screwllum, this was a man capable of roaming the cosmos with nothing but his own body.

Such power was rare even across the galaxy — and since he came with Screwllum’s personal endorsement, he was completely trustworthy.

(End of Chapter)

[Game] Chapter 469: Bargaining, Job Fair, and New Game Release

Evening, at Ichin’s home.

Looking at the table full of delicious food before her, Haruno narrowed her eyes slightly, glancing toward Ichin, who was walking out of the kitchen with the last dish—a plate of crispy fried pork.

“Mmm~~”

With a graceful, teasing sway of her hips, Haruno walked over to him, laid her hand on Ichin’s shoulder, and smiled mischievously.

“Offering a feast for no reason? You must be up to something. Come on, Ichin, tell me—what do you need my help with this time?”

Setting the dish on the table, Ichin chuckled. “Let’s sit down and eat first. We can talk while we eat.”

“Well~~ fine.”

Once everyone sat down and poured their drinks, Haruno first picked up a piece of her favorite crispy pork, nodded in satisfaction, then looked curiously at Ichin.

“All right, spill it. If you don’t say it soon, I won’t even be able to enjoy my meal.”

Hearing that, both Utaha and Yukino were already holding back their laughter.

Having spent so much time with Ichin, Haruno’s personality had mellowed a bit, but her quick wit remained as sharp as ever—never giving Ichin a chance to butter her up unchallenged.

With no other choice, Ichin could only explain his plan about the new company office building.

“Oh, so that’s what it is.”

Haruno took a sip of juice, smiling as she recalled something.

Ichin had mentioned this before, but since the timing hadn’t been right, it was left as just a passing thought.

Now, however, with the University of Tokyo about to host a job fair and Ichin’s company needing to expand recruitment, the new office building had become a pressing matter.

In fact, Haruno had already helped Ichin look for an office back then, but none of the places she found were suitable, so she never brought it up again.

But now, it was time to put in some real effort to find a good location.

After all, both she and Yukino held shares in this company—it was their business too.

Once they had a proper new space and more people onboard, the company’s reputation would naturally grow even further, which could only be good for its future development.

Although Haruno had already decided internally to help Ichin wholeheartedly, she wasn’t about to miss the perfect chance to “shear some wool” off her little brother.

With a playful, devilish smile curling on her lips, she rested her chin on her hand and said, “I can help you, and I’ll even give you the best deal possible—but, Ichin, you’ve got to show a little sincerity too, right?”

Before Ichin could say anything, Haruno pointed at the table full of food and smirked.

“This alone isn’t enough, you know~”

Good grief—she saw right through him immediately.

Ichin sighed helplessly, then raised his right index finger.

“All right, how about this—I’ll make you lunch for a month. On weekdays, I’ll prepare your bento, and on off days, as long as you’re in Tokyo, you can come over for dinner.”

“Mmm~~ one month, huh?”

Haruno shook her head, spooned some mapo tofu into her bowl, and then raised three fingers.

“Three months. Three months of lunches—and I also want midnight snacks for the nights I come home late!”

“Two months!”

“Eighty days!”

“Sixty-five days! Final offer!”

“Deal. Sixty-five days it is.”

Haruno agreed, satisfied. She had originally been aiming for about a month and a half, but now she’d wrangled an extra two weeks out of him—sixty-five days in total.

A clear win in her book!

“I’ll take care of finding your new office building, Ichin. Leave it to your big sister!”

Seeing the smug, triumphant look on Haruno’s face, Ichin couldn’t help but purse his lips.

Her conditions were exactly what he’d expected. After all, Haruno wasn’t the kind of person to demand money from him—their relationship didn’t work that way. So naturally, her “payment” was going to be something food-related.

But sixty-five days... that was going to drain him dry. Just thinking about what dishes to make for the next day was enough to make his scalp go numb.

And sure enough—

As Ichin’s gaze shifted toward Utaha, she said, “Since you’re making lunch for Haruno-senpai, you can’t forget about me and Yukino, right?”

Knew it.

Ichin didn’t even dare to refuse; he immediately nodded. “Of course. I was planning to make for all of you anyway.”

“Eh? I-I don’t really need any…” Yukino started to protest.

But Haruno held down her sister’s arm and grinned. “Come on, Yukino, just accept it. Your big sister’s going to be working hard for this deal, you know! But if you’re feeling guilty about it, you can come over in the evenings and help with dinner—that way you’ll be easing Ichin’s workload, right?”

“If you were willing to shave off a few days from the deal, that would actually ease my workload.”

“That’s absolutely impossible~~~”

And just like that, Ichin’s life as a bento master began.

Every day, he had to plan the next day’s lunch boxes. Since they were for his own family, he also had to ensure a balanced diet and account for everyone’s different tastes.

The first month went smoothly enough, but as time went on, Ichin gradually started to run out of ideas. He began hunting everywhere for new recipes, even consulting his mom—and Utaha’s mom—for advice.

Days passed one after another.

By late October, the University of Tokyo’s autumn job fair officially began.

For this round of recruitment, the company had prepared openings for over a dozen positions, aiming to hire forty graduating students.

Of course, that was only the target number. If the actual qualified candidates didn’t reach that figure, they’d just take however many met the standard.

Ichin didn’t have to involve himself too much in the recruitment process. The company’s HR department was more than capable. In addition, Umiko from the programming team had specially come back to help, the art team was led by Kō Yagami and Rin Toyama, and other positions had their respective leads in charge.

All Ichin had to do was quietly observe from behind the scenes—particularly focusing on a few key interviewees he was personally interested in.

After three days, the job fair came to an end.

Although they didn’t fill all forty positions, the thirty-two interns they recruited were more than enough to make Ichin satisfied.

As long as they could adapt during their internship, there was a high chance they’d get a full-time offer afterward.

Of course, Ichin wasn’t about to let these fourth-year seniors think they could just coast. The tasks he assigned them were going to be intense—bug fixes, network optimization, visual-effects tuning, and other challenges far more complex than anything they’d done in university. And there’d be no time for them to flip through textbooks.

Moreover, Ichin selected some of the most outstanding recruits and had Sakura Nene lead them in developing a new game projectCastle Crashers—following up on BattleBlock Theater.

That project had always been intended as a training assignment for newcomers, and now was the perfect time to test these near-graduates’ abilities.

And just as Ichin expected, even with Nene guiding them, the interns still ran into plenty of issues.

Time flowed by, and before anyone realized it, December had arrived.

Titanfall—was released.

---

[Genshin Impact] Chapter 614: A Hall Filled with Gentle Breeze (2-in-1 Chapter)

Wonderland Space; hot spring bathhouse.

Hearing Nolan still try to wriggle out of it, Xianyun shot him an annoyed glare, struggling for a bit but unable to break free, so she only snorted coldly and turned her face away.

Neither Xianyun nor Ganyu said a word. Nolan could only keep stroking their bellies while talking about all the advantages of the Wonderland Space.

“Hmph, my own cave-dwelling isn’t any worse than yours,” Xianyun bluffed, not wearing her usual red half-frame glasses.

“But if you and Ganyu live here, then the three of us—master and disciples—could see each other whenever we want, right? That’d be great, wouldn’t it? Wouldn’t your cave-dwelling feel lonely if you lived alone? Here it’s lively, lots of people,” Nolan coaxed with a smile.

He understood Xianyun pretty well—even though she seemed to be a reclusive immortal, she actually liked having company.

As expected, Xianyun hesitated, a flicker of uncertainty crossing her face—but she quickly shook her head.

“Hmph. It doesn’t matter if it’s good or not. The point is I just can’t let this guy have his way! How dare he act so rude to this immortal!” She thought stubbornly to herself.

“Fine, fine, if that’s how you want to play it... then don’t blame me for not letting go of either of you.” Nolan, having partly expected Xianyun’s reaction, kept hugging the two, hands still enjoying the soft feel of their flat bellies, but he couldn’t help a trace of helplessness.

No surprise, truly a tsundere immortal. Persuading her wouldn’t be easy.

With that thought, his hands moved tentatively toward the pale slopes of their hips and thighs.

“...You!”

Xianyun clapped a hand over her chest, slapping Nolan’s paw away with the other, though she could have easily stood and walked off while he loosened his grip—yet she didn’t. Obvious: deep down, she didn’t really want to leave.

A faint curl tugged at Nolan’s mouth. He kept caressing Xianyun’s soft skin, but didn’t forget Ganyu either.

Ganyu, by contrast, didn’t resist at all; when his hand touched her hips or her snow-white thighs, she only clung more tightly to his arm.

Still, her cheeks blushed crimson, and she pressed her legs together, not allowing Nolan to get too frisky.

Nolan could feel the heat radiating from the insides of Ganyu’s pressed-together thighs—a pleasure in itself.

Seeing her like this, he figured: all it would take was a bit of coaxing and Ganyu would agree to live in the Wonderland Space.

After all, she’d always been the softer type.

Meanwhile, Xianyun had already slapped his hand away from her hips and thighs several times. Evidently not so easily subdued.

Nolan contemplated for a moment, then turned to Shenhe beside Xianyun, seeking help:

“Shenhe, why don’t you try persuading your master? See if she’ll stay.”

“Alright.” Shenhe nodded gently, and of course she hoped to live together with her master, so she hugged Xianyun’s arm and pleaded, “Master, please. Stay here with us?”

Faced with her disciple’s invitation, Xianyun hesitated again, but ultimately turned her face away.

Hmph—calling Shenhe to help wouldn’t get an easy answer either.

“Master...” Shenhe shook her head at Nolan helplessly—she too had no solution.

“Well then,” Nolan decided. Clearly, soft tactics wouldn’t work—time for something a bit harder.

Just as Xianyun turned her face, he grinned, and with a sudden move, stole a kiss.

"…Mmh!"

Staring at Nolan’s face brushing hers, Xianyun’s eyes widened in shock. She couldn’t deny the soft, warm sensation on her lips—she realized exactly what had happened.

He actually, actually...

Xianyun was stunned, never expecting Nolan to suddenly kiss her. She forgot to cover her chest, frantically pushing against his shoulder to move her face away.

Just as she was about to curse him, she felt a hand cradle the back of her head, guiding her lips back to his again.

“Mmm!”

She whimpered. Caught off guard, Xianyun couldn’t defend herself and fell to Nolan’s deepening kiss.

She pressed her hand to his chest to shove him away, but with his hand steady at the back of her head, getting free was impossible.

After a brief struggle, Xianyun’s strength failed her, and she could only give up, cursing the bastard inwardly:

[Xianyun Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 320 Affection Points. Current Affection Level: Lv.9 (600/900)]

Seeing the notification on her profile, Nolan thought smugly—so it was as he suspected; with tsundere women like Xianyun, tough love did the trick.

Gradually, he relaxed his right hand. Noticing Xianyun didn’t take the opportunity to move her head away, he slipped his palm down her back.

He dipped his hand into the hot spring water and trailed it endearingly along her elegant, creamy skin. As she became consumed by the kiss, he quietly slid his hand from her armpit around to the front.

“Mmh!”

Xianyun instinctively squeezed her arms together, trying to shield her chest again, but it was already too late.

Next to them, Shenhe—watching the kiss grow feverish—wet her lips, pressed her knees together, and crawled into Nolan’s lap:

“Husband, I want some too...”

“Mmm, I’ll thank you for your trouble.” Since Nolan’s mouth was occupied kissing Xianyun, he could only “speak” telepathically through the Waymark.

“Mmm.” Shenhe slid her arms around Nolan’s waist and planted a soft kiss on his neck.

“Ah, you guys...”

On the left, Ganyu blushed, wanting to cover her eyes at the sight of Shenhe clinging to Nolan.

But her arms stayed folded before her, so she could only squeeze her eyes shut.

She never imagined Shenhe could be so bold...

At that moment, her tightly pressed thighs grew tired, and Nolan’s left hand—so far well-behaved—stayed put.

Perhaps because he was occupied kissing Xianyun, he hadn’t paid much attention to her.

So, taking the opportunity, Ganyu relaxed her strained legs a little.

Just as she did, Nolan seemed to sense the slackening and slid his hand down toward Ganyu’s hips.

“Mm?!” Ganyu’s eyes flew open, her pale cheeks flushing a deeper red.

“S-stop, stop...”

She withdrew her hands from her chest, quickly grabbing his wrist—yet as soon as she did, she felt all her strength drain away.

...

Time slipped by—half an hour passed.

Whether it was Xianyun, slumped against Nolan’s shoulder after being kissed; Shenhe straddling his lap; or Ganyu, overwhelmed with sensitivity—all were left breathless and exhausted, draped across his body.

“Hmph!”

Xianyun propped herself on Nolan’s shoulder, still turning her head away in stubborn defiance.

Clearly, she had no strength left and could only lie beside him.

Nolan smiled faintly. It seemed there was no way—he had to be a little more forceful to subdue her!

He kissed the forehead of Shenhe, who was lying on top of him, telling her to get up for a moment. Although Shenhe was a little puzzled, she still got up.

Once Shenhe got up, Nolan also stood. Xianyun was leaning against the edge of the hot spring. Seeing Nolan approaching, she covered her chest somewhat nervously and said:

“What… what do you want?!”

“I want to try a new cultivation method with you.”

Nolan embraced Xianyun, letting her bend her knees to press against the bottom of the pool, her snow-white thighs leaning against the wall, lying prone at the pool's edge, only her body and hips exposed above the water.

Xianyun hadn’t regained her strength yet and couldn’t resist, so she had no choice but to let this guy fondle her buttocks.

Just as Nolan was pressing his hands onto her hips and getting closer, he saw Ganyu, panting gently beside him. As if he’d thought of something, he picked Ganyu up as well.

He then had her lie on Xianyun’s back.

“Eh, Master?” Ganyu rubbed her eyes, confused about why she was lying on her Master’s back. Nolan looked at Shenhe, who was behind, and said:

“You get on your senior sister’s back too.”

“Okay.” Shenhe had done many similar sticky, cuddly postures like this before with other girls while keeping Nolan company, so she was quite practiced and easily lay down on Ganyu’s back.

“You wretch…” At the very bottom, Xianyun finally understood what embarrassing thing Nolan was planning to do.

She was just too exhausted, with Ganyu and Shenhe piled on top of her, so she could only look back at him in shame and anger, glaring at him fiercely.

Nolan smiled slightly, hugging them all from behind.

【Xianyun Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 520 affection points. Current affection level: Lv.10 (Max)】

Over an hour passed. Xianyun, Ganyu, and Shenhe, who were stacked up, hung their arms down in exhaustion and could only let Nolan pick them up one by one to soak them back into the hot spring.

Xianyun was panting, too tired to even speak. Ganyu was about the same, only Shenhe, who often snuggled with him, was still in decent shape.

So Nolan and Shenhe helped dry off Xianyun and Ganyu and carried them back to Shenhe’s room.

After so much training, the girls were indeed exhausted. It was time for rest.

Nolan embraced Xianyun and Shenhe to his left and right, letting Ganyu lie on top of him, and quickly drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, Nolan woke up.

Xianyun, Ganyu, and Shenhe were all still asleep, so he stayed nestled among the girls, enjoying their body warmth.

At this moment, Nolan remembered that Xianyun had reached max affection with him the night before, and the character panel had popped up with a new affection skill notification.

But he’d been too busy snuggling and training to check.

Now that he was free, Nolan opened the character panel to take a look:

【Through genuine feelings and tireless effort, you and the girl, whose fates were once unrelated, are now deeply connected. From now on, the girl’s destiny star will shine together with yours. Gained ability: “A Hall Filled with Gentle Breeze.”】

What kind of affection skill would “A Hall Filled with Gentle Breeze” be?

Nolan clicked it curiously:

【A Hall Filled with Gentle Breeze: Area-of-effect buff skill. Under the gentle breeze, all buff effects on allies are comprehensively enhanced. The numerical cap, area (meters), and duration (hours) are equal to the combined levels of Xianyun and Nolan.】

A buff-skills-boosting buff skill… Nolan felt the information feedback from this affection skill, and found it to be quite incredible.

For example, if he used Yelan’s affection skill “Exquisite Dice of Fate,” rolling a lucky blessing buff—let’s say the duration is a hundred minutes.

If he then activated “A Hall Filled with Gentle Breeze,” the effect and duration of the lucky blessing buff would both increase by 208% based on initial values.

His current level was 111, and thanks to last night’s snuggling cultivation, Xianyun’s level had also risen by one to 97.

So, the increase was more than double.

Similarly, this skill applied to all beneficial effects, such as cultivation results, internal energy refinement, and also worked on others.

Looks like in the future, when cultivating with the girls, everyone’s growth speed would be much faster!

Nolan thought with some delight and wanted to try out the effect right away.

A gentle breeze rose in the room. He pulled his arm out from under Xianyun and Shenhe, who were using him as a pillow, then gently rolled over and pinned Ganyu beneath him.

After a dozen or so minutes, Xianyun and Shenhe woke up as well, so Nolan simply did a little morning training with them too.

An hour passed, and with last night’s efforts, his progress had increased significantly again:

【Level: Lv111 (155236/21000000)】

In the meantime, Nolan once again invited Xianyun and Ganyu to live in the Wonderland Space, and this time they finally agreed.

After all, after having done such embarrassing things, there was no choice but to let Nolan take full responsibility.

At 7:30 in the morning, after lingering together lazily for a while, they finally got up, had breakfast, and Shenhe led her master and senior sister to prepare their new rooms.

The other girls also got ready for work. Lumine and Paimon prepared to go to the Fontaine Adventurers’ Guild to take commissions and explore the region.

They also wanted to check in case Charlotte had left a message.

Nolan explained to them that he’d met a helpful person outside the starry sky who was willing to take him to experience interstellar society.

So, for the next day or two, he wouldn’t be able to accompany them to adventure in Fontaine.

Lumine and Paimon understood this and decided to go explore nearby by themselves for now, while the “Sword God of Lumine” avatar that Nolan had left on the Starship sensed someone approaching.

And so, he transported himself back.

Near a dim planet, inside the Starship’s room.

Nolan’s figure appeared silently and retrieved the “Sword God of Lumine” he’d left there; just as he sat at the table and chairs in the room—

Suddenly, a virtual screen popped up above the desk, accompanied by a synthesized female voice:

“Dear guest, it is now 3 PM Herta Time. Would you like some afternoon tea?”

“3 PM Herta Time?” Nolan was momentarily stunned, then realized, “So, I slept all the way from morning to afternoon?”

Apparently, Teyvat’s time and Herta Space Station’s time zones did not align. Before he left, it was about 7:30 AM Teyvat time, but here it was 3 PM, more than an eight-hour time difference.

“Yes. If you feel unwell, please visit the nearest medical office,” the synthetic female voice said again.

“No, I’m fine,” Nolan replied offhandedly.

It seemed this AI system only had simple interaction functions; after all, it didn’t consider the possibility that this guest might experience a time difference with Herta Space Station.

Perhaps it was deliberately designed this way, since this was a guest room and privacy likely took top priority.

Probably there weren’t any cameras either, or it wouldn’t have failed to notice that the one here was just his avatar.

At that moment, the synthesized female voice from the desk said again:

“Visitor detected outside the door, identity confirmed: Genius Society member number 76, Screwllum. Would you like to open the door?”

(End of Chapter)

//TN: Sorry for the late upload, kinda sick from 2 days ;)

[Game] Chapter 467-468

Chapter 467: Sticking to Free Meals Until the End

The next morning.

As usual, Ichin was the first one up, waking early to prepare breakfast.

Considering how much Haruno had drunk last night, and the fact that she still had to go to work today, Ichin figured he’d better make her a bento as well.

After a night of drinking, the following day’s meals had to be carefully prepared, otherwise it wouldn’t be good for the body.

Celery and white radish were both excellent for relieving hangover discomfort, so Ichin had bought them. He planned to cook stir-fried shredded pork with celery, along with a pork rib and radish soup.

At half past eight, Ichin pressed the doorbell at Haruno’s place next door.

“I’m coming!”

Almost thirty seconds passed, and it wasn’t until Ichin followed up with a phone call that Haruno finally appeared, wearing pajamas, yawning as she opened the door.

Seeing her still half-asleep, Ichin said, “Haruno, wash up and come have breakfast. It’s already eight-thirty. You drank quite a lot last night, so you should eat something this morning.”

Haruno nodded and turned back inside to change and wash up.

Ten minutes later, she came over to Ichin’s place and sat at the dining table.

Today’s breakfast was simple—plain porridge and steamed buns. Since Haruno didn’t need to be exactly on time at the office, it was perfect for her.

“Let’s eat!”

Taking a sip of porridge with pickled vegetables, Haruno let out a contented sigh.

“Having millet porridge in the morning… this is the best!”

After that, she picked up a bun and bit into it.

Ichin had made both meat and vegetarian buns; the one in Haruno’s hand was vegetarian.

“Mmm, even the veggie ones are good.”

Before long, half a bowl of millet porridge and a bun were gone, and Haruno leaned back, satisfied.

“If I keep coming over like this, I’m really going to get fat.”

“That’s not going to happen.”

Utaha smiled from across the table. “Look at me—after being with Ichin for so long, I haven’t gained any weight. As long as you get proper exercise, you’ll be fine.”

Haruno shook her head, unconvinced. “You can manage proper exercise, Utaha, but I can’t. After all, I’ve always been single.”

“...”

Seriously? How did she manage to twist it that way?

Ichin rolled his eyes at her. “Come on, can’t your thoughts be a little purer? Or is it really just that you’ve been single too long? Looks like Auntie and my mom will still have to keep arranging blind dates for you.”

“No, no, no! I’ll stop talking!”

At the mention of blind dates, even Haruno immediately surrendered and obediently focused on eating.

As for Utaha, Haruno’s risqué joke only caught her a little off guard. After all, Haruno only ever joked about these things, while she herself had already been on the road for quite some time in reality.

By the time breakfast was finished, the soup on the stove was nearly ready as well.

Ichin ladled the freshly simmered pork rib and radish soup into two thermos flasks, handing one of them, along with a bento box, over to Haruno.

“Here, your lunch and soup. It’s pretty light today.”

“Light is good. If it’s from little Ichin, I can always trust it.” Haruno accepted the food happily, smiling as she headed back to get ready for work.

After feeding the cats, cleaning the litter box, and taking out the trash, Ichin and Utaha also finished getting ready to head to the company.

Yukino, however, wasn’t coming today. She planned to stay home with the cats and finish the books she had borrowed from the library yesterday.

Ichin changed into the dress shirt his mom had bought for him back in Shanghai—when she had gone shopping with Utaha and the others—and then turned to Utaha.

“Let’s go. Time for work.”

That morning, instead of focusing on the Tales of Berseria project plan, Ichin joined the Dark Souls programming team to research AI behavior for several bosses and discuss some visual effect optimizations.

Before long, noon arrived.

Meanwhile, over at Haruno’s company, after hosting a meeting and then two online conferences with business partners, she was finally able to take a break and eat lunch.

Since graduating from university, she had recruited a few outstanding classmates and even some older peers into her company, making them the core of her team. Together, they’d been achieving solid results lately.

Calling everyone together, she led them to the company cafeteria.

Seeing that Haruno had once again brought her own lunch, a girl with glasses and a side ponytail asked curiously, “Haruno, are you sure you haven’t gotten yourself a boyfriend?”

“I told you already, I haven’t.”

Rolling her eyes, Haruno opened her bento box as she explained, “It’s my godmother’s son. I recognize him as my younger brother!”

As she opened the neatly packed bento and then the thermos, the rich aroma spread through the air, making all the girls gulp involuntarily.

“Are all Chinese guys this good at cooking?”

“Hearing this makes me want to find a boyfriend who can cook too. The cafeteria food is fine, but after a while it gets tiring.”

“Why don’t you cook for yourself then?”

“No talent for it. I just can’t learn.”

Haruno chuckled at their complaints, ladled some rib soup into her bowl, then glanced at how much was left. “Help yourselves if you want—there’s plenty of soup.”

“Yay!!!” ×5

Drinking soup and eating the bento, Haruno quickly felt her spirits lift after a tiring morning.

She might not have found a boyfriend yet, but Ichin was a pretty great little brother. No messy boyfriend problems, and she still got delicious meals.

Perfect. Tonight, she’d go freeload dinner again. She would stick with freeloading meals until the end!

Hmm… but to avoid little Ichin getting annoyed with her, she’d better have someone buy some good beef this afternoon. That way, he couldn’t accuse her of just mooching.

Haruno grinned as she picked up some stir-fried celery and pork with her chopsticks, her little abacus clicking away in her head.

At that same moment, over at Ichin’s company cafeteria, he suddenly shivered for no reason, goosebumps running up his arm.

Seeing him, Rin asked, “What’s wrong? Did they set the air conditioning too low?”

Ichin shook his head. “No… just suddenly felt a strange wave of malice. Feels like someone’s plotting against me.”

“For real?”

Yagami Kou gave him a doubtful look. “Did you offend someone? Hmm… oh wait, you did. You trolled Aoba and Eriri in games so many times they were cursing at you.”

“That doesn’t count.” Ichin frowned, thinking it over, then shook his head. “Messing with each other is just part of Fall Guys. If you don’t like it, don’t play. And I even warned them beforehand—it’s their fault for not being prepared. But who could be plotting against me? Akane? …No, that doesn’t fit either.”

Kou tilted her head, puzzled, then turned to Utaha.

“Don’t look at me, I don’t know either.” Utaha swallowed her food before adding, “But I think it’s probably not work-related. More likely it’s just Eriri and the others. Or… maybe Haruno-nee?”

And truth be told, women’s intuition was often spot on.

---

Chapter 468: A New Office Building Plan to Match the Schedule Upgrade

September. The new school term began.

During the rest of August, Ichin and his team continued their projects steadily, and by the end of the month successfully launched the very first season of Fall Guys.

As one of the activities to keep the hype going, the season pass was released free of charge, with plenty of great rewards tied to season levels.

Of course, alongside it came paid skin packs, giving less-skilled but well-off players a chance to grab premium cosmetics.

For the big spenders, the price of a skin pack in Fall Guys was nothing—just fifty or sixty yen-equivalent, not even close to the kind of ¥648 packs common in mobile games.

Since the skins were of high quality and couldn’t be unlocked through grinding, sales turned out surprisingly strong.

That morning, Ichin arrived at school with Utaha.

After they split up, Ichin had barely walked into class before several guys surrounded him with questions about the game.

Though Fall Guys didn’t look as large in scale as action or RPG games, it was undeniably fun—and even several girls in class, who normally didn’t play games much, had gotten hooked.

After Ichin dropped them a few hints about upcoming updates, the bell rang and everyone settled into their first lecture after summer break.

The second half of sophomore year meant classes much harder than freshman year, but for Ichin—who constantly engaged in practical work and research—it wasn’t particularly challenging.

After class, the professor called him into the office.

“A recruitment fair for graduating students?”

Ichin nodded and immediately agreed. “Of course. Our company’s already planning to expand. Hosting a recruitment fair right here on campus would be perfect.”

Plenty of fourth-year computer science students had excellent skills, and Ichin had already been planning to scout a few of them after term started. A job fair was inevitable anyway.

Compared to public job fairs, an on-campus event might draw fewer candidates, but Tokyo University’s graduates—even fresh ones—were guaranteed to be high-caliber.

And thanks to his good relationship with professors, Ichin could even learn in advance about students’ abilities, making recruitment much easier.

Besides programmers, Ichin also wanted a few economics majors to form the future business department—handling the company’s integrated online merch store and managing business partnerships for upcoming games.

But there was no rush. That could wait until fall, a couple months away.

After a quick discussion with the professor, Ichin left the arrangements to the school. All he had to do later was bring his people to the assigned venue.

At noon, Ichin picked up Utaha, then met with Yukino, and the three headed to the cafeteria together.

On the way, Yukino said, “During break, my sister messaged me. She said she has no lunch today.”

Ichin chuckled. “Haruno already came pestering me this morning, but unfortunately we used up all the ingredients last night—and she herself ate quite a lot. Looks like she ran to you to complain instead.”

Yukino nodded, a small smile on her lips. “Yes. She said you didn’t reply to her message at all—not even a read receipt.”

Ichin pulled out his phone and tapped it on. “Well, obviously. Who checks their phone during class? I’m a model student!”

Both Utaha and Yukino rolled their eyes in unison.

Ichin’s grades were indeed stellar, but no one would ever believe he behaved properly in class.

Back in high school, Utaha had seen him many times ignoring lectures to sketch out game project plans.

Even in university, when she occasionally sat in on his classes, he’d busy himself with side work or whisper conversations during lessons he already knew by heart. And even when called on, he’d stand up and answer perfectly, without missing a beat.

Utaha poked his arm. “I might believe that from someone else, but you, Ichin? Don’t embarrass yourself.”

“Fine, fine.”

At the cafeteria, after ordering, the three sat down to eat.

Between bites of fried rice, Ichin told them about his talk with the professor regarding the job fair.

“Ahh, job fairs… true, it’s about time for seniors to start job hunting.” Utaha nodded. “And yeah, the operations side really does need more people. Right now it’s mostly Hazuki handling partnerships with her own connections. That can’t last forever. Still, beyond fresh recruits, you should bring in a couple experienced hires to lead the teams.”

“Don’t worry. Public recruitment already started at the end of August.”

Still, with expansion continuing, the company would need to lock down a new office space by next year—

A dedicated office building.

It didn’t have to be huge, but it had to be independent—better suited for the company’s future.

In Japan, the company would need at least three development groups, plus an online operations team, a business department for partnerships, and a whole set of support and logistics teams.

All of that together would make the company more structured and push it step by step toward becoming a true major studio.

Right now, its internal organization was still too simple.

Snapping his fingers, Ichin decided he’d ask Haruno tonight to scout for potential locations.

If an existing office building was available, they could start renovations step by step. If it was empty land, construction would take longer, but that was fine.

Financially, the company was in great shape. Such an investment was no problem.

Watching Ichin’s shifting expression, Utaha leaned toward Yukino and said knowingly, “Looks like he’s plotting something new again.”

Yukino thought for a moment, then said, “Recruitment, expanding staff… is this about moving to a new site?”

“Oh? You figured it out, Yukino?” Ichin looked at her with surprise. “I didn’t even say anything yet.”

“It was just a simple deduction from what you’ve been saying.”

Yukino smiled and shook her head. “If that’s the case, you’ll need to go through my sister. I’d say be ready to get taken advantage of.”

Ichin spread his hands helplessly. “On that point, I’m already prepared. She won’t gouge me on price—but she’ll definitely squeeze every other advantage she can out of me.”

---

[Game] Chapter 466: Haruno Coming Home After a Drinking Party

After work, Yukino didn’t come over for dinner today—she went straight back to her own place.

On the way home from the supermarket with groceries, Utaha asked,

“Ichin, did Haruno-san have a drinking party tonight?”

“Yeah, so it’s just the two of us for dinner.”

“Mmm~~”

Utaha tilted her head.

“Then should we prepare some sobering tea for her later?”

“Yeah, we could. Just not sure when she’ll be back.”

They already had tea for that at home—once Haruno came back, they could brew it for her. Still, Ichin hoped she wouldn’t drink too much.

After dinner, both Ichin and Utaha sat in the living room with their laptops, working on their own things while occasionally teasing the cats to relax.

Typing away, Utaha said,

“Ichin, the new semester starts in about ten days. Got any new plans?”

“New plans, huh…”

Ichin thought for a moment.

“Not really. Same as before—classes and then the company. Dark Souls’ development is at a crucial stage now, so I can’t relax. Why? Do you have something in mind?”

“Not really. I just wanted to ask.” Utaha smiled.

“We already have enough on our plates—collage and work. But once the semester starts, don’t spend every weekend working, okay? I want you to take me out.”

“Don’t worry, of course I will.”

Ichin reached over and gently touched her cheek.

“There are a few new movies coming out in September—some sci-fi, some romance. Want to go watch?”

“Yes!”

Utaha knew Ichin was always focused on game development, so she never made many demands. She understood, since she herself also had times when she was completely absorbed in work and tuned out the outside world.

But at the same time, she hoped Ichin would cherish their relationship as well.

So, with just a few words, Ichin set their next date, and Utaha was overjoyed. After all, they had been together for years now—they didn’t need the clingy kind of dates from the beginning. A simple stroll or a movie was enough.

Around nine, nearly ten, Ichin was in the living room playing Zelda on the big TV, while Utaha was in the bedroom playing Fall Guys with Eriri and Yukino.

After slaying a Lynel, Ichin glanced at the time.

“Haruno’s still not back?”

Even though Haruno said she had an assistant and driver to take her home, Ichin still pulled out his phone and called.

After about ten seconds, the line connected. Haruno’s voice was slightly slurred.

“Ichin?”

“Haruno, you’re not back yet?”

“Mhm, almost. Just turning at the intersection ahead. My head hurts a little, Ichin—do we have any sobering tea at home?”

“Yeah, I’ll prepare it. Want me to come down to meet you?”

“Sure, thanks!”

After hanging up, Ichin told Utaha to brew the tea once she finished her game, then went downstairs.

As soon as he stepped out, Haruno’s car was already parked outside the apartment.

Ichin recognized her assistant and greeted her. She opened the door, and Haruno slowly stepped out of the back seat.

Ichin rushed over to support her, immediately smelling the alcohol.

“How much did you drink?”

“Hehe, not much, not much.” Haruno leaned against him, laughing.

“Relax. It was a family elder with me at this dinner, so nothing dangerous~~~”

After reassuring him, Haruno turned to her assistant and driver.

“Alright, it’s late. You two head home and rest. No need to pick me up tomorrow morning—I can go in a bit later.”

Once they left, Ichin took Haruno upstairs—not to her place, but to his.

Inside, Utaha had already brewed the tea and was holding her phone, video chatting with Yukino.

Through the camera, Yukino saw her sister and frowned.

“Why did you drink so much? It’s bad for your health.”

“Hehe, don’t worry, Yukino. I know my limit. Just a little dizzy, not drunk!”

Her face was flushed, but she smiled.

“And I wasn’t meeting clients alone, so no problem. Anyway, it’s late—you should rest too. I’ll drink some tea here with Ichin and then go to bed.”

Yukino nodded, then said to Ichin and Utaha,

“Brother, Utaha-san, please take care of her.”

“Don’t worry,” Ichin said with a smile. “She’s fine.”

After ending the call, Ichin handed Haruno the cup of tea as she sat on the sofa.

“Thanks~~”

She took a sip, her expression softening into a lazy smile.

“Moving here was the best decision ever.”

Ichin sat down, giving her a helpless look.

“You’re managing the company now. Do you really need to drink this much at dinners?”

“Hehe, today we landed a huge project, so I got carried away.”

Haruno hugged the cup, face glowing with happiness.

“Tired, sure—but I love this feeling. It’s just like how you love making games, Ichin.”

Although her upbringing played a role, Haruno truly had a knack for business. The Yukinoshita family’s company wasn’t small, yet she took control in little time and pushed it to further growth.

Starting a business or inheriting a family one were both hard—one meant building everything yourself, the other meant earning the trust of entrenched veterans.

But Haruno managed both, earning trust and respect from everyone in the company.

Closing his laptop on the coffee table, Ichin looked at her.

“I can tell you’re happy. But still, don’t drink so much. Alcohol isn’t good for you. Health is more important than work.”

Utaha chimed in,

“She’s right, Haruno-san. If you keep drinking like this, in a few years your body will definitely suffer.”

“Alright, alright, I get it~~~”

Haruno chuckled, ruffling both their heads, then took another sip of tea.

“Ah… I’m kind of hungry now. Ichin, do we have anything to eat?”

---

[Genshin Impact] Chapter 613: Imaginary Energy (2-in-1 Chapter)

The notification flashing across his panel filled Nolan with excitement. Every breakthrough that granted a Racial Specialty had always been powerful.

What would it be this time? He looked at the first option:

[Devouring Body: Cells evolve a new organelle named the “Devouring Body,” capable of consuming any substance or energy that enters the body to strengthen itself. The degree and nature of enhancement depends on what is devoured.]

“Devouring Body…” Nolan stared at it, stunned. Cells that could swallow all matter and energy to empower him? Ridiculous. Truly worthy of a level 110 breakthrough specialty.

But perhaps the second option was better. He shifted his focus:

[Mimetic Nightmare: Abandon the physical body, evolving into a memetic being that roams freely through the dreamworld. Become the dream itself, master dreams, and within them all abilities are drastically enhanced.]

“…Uh.” Strong, certainly. But sacrificing the body? Then he wouldn’t be able to embrace girls. What was the point of strength without that?

Nolan shook his head.

If a Racial Specialty ever forced him to abandon his body, he’d rather skip it altogether. Missing one or two specialties wasn’t fatal—he could just wait for the next breakthrough to refresh.

He turned to the third option. If it didn’t suit him either, he’d settle for the first:

[Imaginary Energy: Gain the ability to connect to Imaginary Space, drawing from it a form of energy known as “Imaginary Energy.” Anything covered in this power can be transferred from Real Space into Imaginary Space and later released at will. Imaginary Energy can distort reality to a limited degree.]

“Oh?” Nolan blinked in surprise.

He knew a little about Imaginary Space. Before transmigrating, he’d played another game by the same company that made Genshin Impact. That game had explained the concept.

The spatial aspect didn’t impress him much—he already had his Wonderland Space and the Void Starsea.

But the energy from Imaginary Space—that was invaluable!

Imaginary Space was the negative counterpart to Real Space. Theoretically existent, yet with no natural points of contact with reality.

Reality was expanding, infinite and vast. Imaginary Space was collapsing, infinitely small, tending toward nothing.

It “didn’t exist,” at least not in any tangible sense—only hypothesized by science as a necessary mirror to reality.

There should be no intersection between them. Unless one mastered an extraordinary ability that could bridge the two.

As the mirror of reality, where heat, nuclear, chemical, and other energies existed collectively as “Real Energy,” so too Imaginary Space possessed its own forces—Honkai energy and the like—collectively called Imaginary Energy.

To tap directly into it was akin to drawing power straight from the entire universe’s reservoir of particle motion, potential, chemical, ionization, nuclear energy—everything reality contained.

That meant nearly limitless energy on demand.

And more importantly—

In the real world, matter and energy are finite. But if reality is finite, then its opposite—Imaginary Space—must be infinite. In other words, Imaginary Energy was infinite!

If he could draw on it, then Nolan was effectively a walking perpetual motion machine—never running out of fuel.

Such an outrageous power could not be ignored!

A pity, though: this specialty only allowed him to access unlimited ammo.

If he himself were a gun, Imaginary Energy gave him infinite bullets. But it didn’t change the caliber—the destructive force of each shot still depended on his current strength.

He couldn’t simply compress enough “bullets” into a nuclear warhead and fire it. His body wasn’t a large enough vessel to channel such force.

Otherwise, he’d already be invincible. A level 110 Racial Specialty was strong, but not that broken.

Still, if he ever encountered a universe-destroying weapon that required immense energy to activate, he could serve as its perpetual battery. Provided, of course, that the weapon could accept Imaginary Energy.

Without hesitation, Nolan selected the third option: Imaginary Energy.

The moment he chose, he sensed it: a space that was infinitely small, with no position, no coordinates—yet now he could feel it. Within lay boundless power, waiting to be drawn.

He tried pulling a bit into reality. A faint, dark-colored glow appeared in his palm.

This was Imaginary Energy.

As the negative twin to Real Energy, its most basic manifestation in reality was distorting reality itself.

Exactly how it distorted things would need experimentation.

Aside from that, he noticed Imaginary Energy neither merged with nor rejected his Harmonizing Energy or Adeptus Power.

But it did occupy the same storage space as Harmonizing Energy. Best to leave it outside his body and pull directly from Imaginary Space when needed.

Adeptus Energy was external reinforcement anyway, not something stored inside—so no conflict there.

After experimenting for a while, Nolan glanced at his updated character panel:

Name: Nolan Walker

Level: Lv.111 (0 / 21,000,000)

Race: Human

Titles: Honorary Knight, Distinguished Citizen of Liyue, Legendary Adventurer, Honorary General of Watatsumi Island, Sumeru Sage

Innate Talent: Entangling Affection

Skills:

- Lumine’s Musou · World Lv.10 ( Void Starsea Manifestation, Boundless)

- Flowing Sky Shot: Arcane Level Lv.10 (Frostglow Arrow)

Specialties:

- Beloved by Maidens (Exclusive)

- Unmoving Gospel of the World Tree (Exclusive)

- Threads of the Northern Wind (Exclusive)

- Spiritual Core (Exclusive)

Adventure EXP: 2,305,176

The next level required 21 million points.

Looking at the mere two million left, Nolan couldn’t help but feel troubled.

He didn’t know if there would ever be another chance to find a place where he could quickly rack up Adventure EXP, so he decided to just leave it to fate.

Nolan closed his character panel, stood up, and stretched. Given the time, he figured he’d wash up and then head to bed.

Thinking as he walked, he made his way toward the hot spring bathhouse on the second floor.

He’d originally intended to see which of the girls hadn’t turned in for the night yet, so he could pull one over to bathe together. But recalling the last time he’d gone to Mona’s room—finding her already asleep, but cuddling up with her anyway before drifting off himself—he remembered that bath time ended up getting pushed quite late.

This time, Nolan figured he’d better take a bath first to relax his body, and then go snuggle and cultivate with the girls afterward.

Before long, he arrived at the hot spring bathhouse on the second floor.

But as soon as he walked into the changing room, he was surprised to see several sets of clothing resting on the shelves.

One was a short cheongsam top in a gradient of black and white, accompanied by a black, form-fitting bodysuit—it had to belong to Shenhe.

He saw her wear clothes like this often enough that there was no mistaking it.

Next to that was a set consisting of an ornate, gold-trimmed short white cheongsam, an open-back black leotard, white arm covers, and a pair of black tights with attached garters.

If he remembered correctly, that was Ganyu’s outfit. Could it be that Shenhe had invited Ganyu to the Wonderland?

Nolan felt a bit pleasantly surprised.

Since Ganyu now possessed the “interstellar travel” ability, it was indeed possible for Shenhe to bring her over here through teleportation.

If she really had come, well, since her affection for him was already maxed out, Nolan reckoned he might as well take this chance to invite her to move in.

But then he noticed a third set of clothing—a teal cloud collar, a black dress, and another pair of black tights with vertical red stripes.

Nolan’s lips curled with amusement. Looks like Shenhe had brought her master, Xianyun, along too.

If it were just Ganyu alone, he was confident he could easily persuade her to stay. But with Xianyun here too… tsk, this task looked a bit more daunting.

Nolan quickly undressed, then stepped out of the changing room toward the hot spring pool.

Steamy mist engulfed the entire bathhouse, blurring everything in a hazy fog, but conversation still carried clearly.

“Master, is the water temperature alright?” he heard Shenhe’s voice.

“Mhm. Shenhe, this place is really quite nice. Soaking in here, both body and mind are at ease. Next time, bring me again,” came Xianyun’s response.

Silently, Nolan slipped into the water, drifting toward the chatting women until he caught sight of their blurred forms grouped ahead.

“It’s that Master got a bit obsessed while researching that ship. I saw scholars on the ‘Akasha Forum’ discussing how difficult the project is. For you, Master, to surpass so many scholars’ progress in just a few days, you must’ve pulled a string of all-nighters to get this tired.”

Ganyu often worked overtime herself, so she was very familiar with her master’s situation.

She also knew her master was highly competitive—if she saw others making breakthroughs, she’d never let herself fall behind.

“Hmph. I am an immortal fairy. How could I be outdone by mere mortals?” Xianyun lifted her chin with a touch of pride.

Listening to their conversation, Nolan pieced things together.

It seemed Xianyun ultimately decided to remain in Liyue Harbor and had indeed taken a keen interest in the starship project.

Once she started, she often stayed up late to be the research leader, so Shenhe invited her here to relax and unwind.

Nolan drifted beneath the water, sneaking up right in front of the three women as they chatted.

Spread out before his eyes were fair, slender legs stretched out along the spring’s floor—he savored the view for a long moment before finally surfacing.

The women chatting above were startled by his sudden emergence. Ganyu yelped, instinctively pressing her legs together and covering her pale chest.

“Ah! Why’d you pop up out of nowhere?!”

A blush bloomed across Ganyu’s white cheeks. Even Xianyun, the usually composed master, blushed, though she struggled to appear unperturbed:

“Hmph! How rude, barging into the bathhouse while ladies are bathing!”

“Cough, pure accident,” Nolan faked a cough to cover for himself, then added, “It’s just that the steam’s so thick I didn’t realize anyone was here.”

“Well, since I’m here already, let’s bathe together! Is that alright, Shenhe?”

He turned to Shenhe for her answer.

“If husband wants to join, of course it’s not a problem,” Shenhe tilted her head. Though she didn’t quite get why he asked her, she agreed naturally, since the two of them often bathed together anyway.

With Shenhe’s go-ahead, Nolan, wholly at ease, wedged himself in between Xianyun and Ganyu and sat down.

He reached around naturally, his hands settling at the girls’ waists, and began idly massaging their soft bellies.

“H-hey, wait… mm.” The warmth on her waist and stomach left Ganyu’s mind spinning, her body slack, unable to process her feelings—something about this felt… a little off.

Xianyun was taken aback as well. She’d never expected Nolan to just crowd in and touch her so boldly.

The unfamiliar sensation made it impossible to hold her forced composure; her pale cheeks flushed instant red.

But after a moment, catching up to her own reaction, she hurriedly tried to remove his hand, her face shifting from embarrassment to shy indignation:

“You and Shenhe are close, so of course she consents—but did you ever ask me or Ganyu?!”

“In Liyue, we say: ‘Guests follow the host’s lead.’ Since Shenhe invited you, she’s the host, and you, the guests. That means her decision goes for everyone.”

Nolan retorted, a sly smile tugging at his lips.

Seeing Xianyun still not quite recovered, he pulled both her and Ganyu tighter to his side, making them lean gently, snuggled against him.

“Ah—!”

Ganyu collapsing onto Nolan, unable to think, her body limp and powerless.

“You’re just twisting logic!” Xianyun protested, prying at Nolan’s hand and trying to flee his grasp, her words squeezed out between clenched teeth.

That’s the gist of the saying—but is now really the time for it?

“Of course, if you two decide to move in and become members of the household, then there’d be no more ‘guests following the host’s lead.’ You’d have a say in everything.”

Nolan grinned.

After all, one of them already had maxed out affection for him, and the other was pretty close; they must have genuine feelings for him deep down.

From Nolan’s experience, girls tended to be shy.

They seldom confessed or took the initiative outright—instead, they acted by implication, like accepting his markers of affection, or responding to Shenhe’s invitations to the Wonderland.

Even being hugged, they only struggled a little out of formality. Clearly, these were their forms of initiative.

Given that, he wouldn’t miss a single chance to move things forward.

(End of Chapter)

[Fan] Chapter 36-40

Chapter 36: Reward! The Furious Chuunibyou Gil! A World of Jet-Black Bullets!

【The Sixth Holy Grail War has now concluded】

【Fate world ended】

【Ding! This round’s contestants—none answered correctly】

【This video has ended】

【Timeline settlement in progress—】

【Character settlement in progress—】

【Reward settlement in progress—(Note: The grand prize goes to the video’s protagonist, distributed in the way most fitting for them)】

【Reward: Fate World, Gilgamesh — Enkidu’s Chains of Heaven, the shackles of tragic fate are released (gender may be chosen freely)】

As the reward was announced, silence fell across all realms.

It wasn’t that the reward was bad.

The Chains of Heaven, that legendary weapon forged by the gods themselves to counter Gilgamesh, had always borne countless restrictions and shackles.

Those shackles had once caused Enkidu’s tragic death.

Now, with them broken, it was undeniably a good thing.

But… what was with this “choose gender freely” part?!

Everyone knew Enkidu was without gender. Now they were being assigned one?

What kind of bizarre reward was this?

Wait—everyone suddenly remembered, the reward always manifested in the way most aligned with the winner’s wishes. Could it be… this was Gilgamesh’s wish?!

Hiss… Thinking deeper was terrifying. I treated you as a brother, and you—wanted to f me?!*

……….

[Oregairu World]

“This… this counts as a reward?!” Hachiman stared at the screen in shock, his dead-fish eyes conjuring all sorts of indescribable scenarios.

“Has Hikigaya-kun already fantasized about becoming a girl in the future? In that case, please don’t appear before me again. Those DNA-filled eyes of yours make me feel physically ill. Thank you,” Yukinoshita Yukino said icily.

“Of course not! It’s To—” Hachiman clamped a hand over his mouth mid-word. But Yukino’s widened, horrified eyes said it all.

Ahhhhh! Even if he dove into Mount Fuji, he could never wash this clean!

……….

[Fate World – Fourth Grail War]

“Humhahahahaha!!! Such a reward was beyond even this king’s expectations!” The oldest Hero King roared with laughter.

As the most ancient Hero King, no reward could move him. In fact, on some level, such things were an insult.

Does the King need charity?

And yet—

“Good. Very good!” Gilgamesh laughed, reaching to claim the reward.

But then, as if struck by realization, he immediately donned golden armor. With a single sweep, his golden hair flared skyward. He leapt atop a conveniently placed streetlamp, arms folded, gaze aloof and majestic.

Only once this absurd ritual was complete did Gilgamesh press to claim the reward—quietly setting Enkidu’s gender to—

But a moment later… nothing happened.

For the first time, confusion flickered in his crimson snake-like eyes. Where is he?

The almighty Eye of Heaven confirmed it: his dearest friend’s existence was real.

But… not here?!

“You mongrel!!! How dare you steal the King’s most precious companion! Damn you, filthy mongrel!!!” The ancient Hero King’s fury shook the heavens.

……….

[Absolute Demonic Beast Front – Babylonia]

“Gil…” Enkidu, their form clearly altered, looked hesitantly at the Gilgamesh seated upon the throne, face stern, pretending to work diligently.

“What is it? Changed bodies and now you can’t face your king?” The Wise King spoke with forced indifference. “Your gender wasn’t chosen by me. Some mongrel seized the chance while I was distracted.”

Enkidu’s face blossomed into a gentle smile. The beautiful green figure stepped forward, taking the clay tablet from Gilgamesh’s hand. “I don’t mind. I only worry that if you keep working like this, one day you’ll suddenly collapse from exhaustion.”

“Hmph.” The Wise King snorted, but his eyes held a joy he had never shown before.

Siduri quietly smiled and slipped away, leaving the two undisturbed.

……….

[Magical Girl Illya World]

“Aiya, seriously, I can’t believe I didn’t get them!” Young Gil pounded his fists in frustration. The female version of Enkidu was his absolute favorite!

But soon he broke into a gleeful grin. “Still, watching that guy get openly cuckolded—he must be livid by now!”

………

【Blue-Hair: “What a shame. They should’ve given a reward that lets you change forms at will—like an office-lady boss, a pure junior, a cool senior, a married woman, or even a petite loli!”】

【Sakata Gintoki: “Hiss… bro, your idea is dangerous… but I like it!”】

【Sanji: “Count me in!”】

【Mystique: “…Is that really how this ability is supposed to be used?”】

【Kyousuke Kosaka: “So it’s like unlimited trial cards versus a fixed role? I think I’d rather stick with fixed roles…”】

【Haruno Sakura: “Ahhh! There’s a pervert in the group chat!”】

【Tsukuyomi Komoe: “Blue-Hair! Sensei doesn’t remember teaching you to be this bad!”】

【Blue-Hair: “Wrong, Teacher Komoe, this was all Kamijou’s idea.”】

【Kamijou Touma: “Damn it! No it wasn’t!!”】

【Satania: “Um… what is a loli anyway? Last time, some old man called me that and invited me to his house to see goldfish.”】

【Gabriel: “…As expected. This filthy world really should just be destroyed.”】

【Hanma Baki: “Alright, alright, enough bickering. Hurry up and start the next video already.”】

……….

[Baki World]

The room was scarred with inhuman marks, clear evidence of a fierce battle that had shaken the very air.

“Kaoru… no, Kozue, thank you,” Baki murmured from the tatami, slipping in strange words even he didn’t understand.

“It’s fine. As long as Baki is happy,” Kozue, drenched in sweat, still showed no signs of exhaustion. In fact, she shifted as if ready to resume the fight once more.

“Ahem… next time. The video’s about to start.”

“…Oh.”

……….

Meanwhile, the screen began to shift, a new round of footage slowly emerging—

【World of Black Bullet】

【A Dirge of Blood and Tears — The Last Hope】

...........

[Black Bullet World]

“They… they actually chose us?!!” On the streets, protesters froze, their eyes suddenly igniting with hope.

Wonderful. With divine aid, surely they could finally wipe out the Gastrea once and for all!

In an instant, the people of this bleak world raised their banners higher, voices united in righteous fury.

“Die! Die! Die!”

From within the safety of their monolith barriers, they roared defiance across the sea at the monstrous horde.

……….

[Code Geass World]

“A dirge of blood and tears, the last hope?”

Lelouch, draped in royal robes upon his throne, gazed coldly at the words on the screen.

What was the “last hope”?

Had that world already fallen into true despair?

Were these monsters… or some other unknown existence?

Or perhaps… someone like him?

He closed his eyes, long fingers drumming softly on the armrest, thoughts concealed behind his mask of calm.

……….

[Black Bullet World]

“Rentaro! If we fight for the world, everything will turn out alright, won’t it?!” Enju Aihara’s crimson eyes shone with hope as she saw their world had been chosen.

“As long as we keep fighting, everyone will accept us!”

“Y-Yeah…” Under the dim light, Satomi Rentaro met the girl’s hopeful gaze and found himself unable to speak further.

---/---

Chapter 37: Should We Fight for the World? Shocked Reactions Everywhere!

Across the multiverse, everyone keenly sensed that this video felt different.

Could it be… this time, the question was about fighting for the world itself?

【This round’s question—Should we fight for the world?】

【Only three contestants may claim answer slots】

【Now beginning buzz-in—Ding! Selected: Uzumaki Naruto, Fujimaru Ritsuka, Emiya Kiritsugu】

Fight for the world? That was the question?!

A Dirge of Blood and Tears, The Last Hope.

For a brief moment, many across the universes seemed to understand something.

Their lips curled upward, and sinister smiles broke out across their faces.

Interesting. Too interesting!!!

——

[Bleach World – Hueco Mundo]

“Heroes who fight purely for the world… do such people truly exist?” Aizen put away the Hōgyoku, his gentle features carrying an unreadable expression.

He too wondered—just how dark could human nature become?

——

[Naruto World]

“Hahahahaha! I got it! I really got it! This is great, awesome! Sakura, did you see that?!” Naruto shouted, ecstatic.

But Sakura ignored him completely, turning toward Sasuke.

“Sasuke-kun—”

“Get lost.”

His three-tomoe Sharingan continued to evolve as Sasuke cast a cold glance at her. Terrified, Sakura collapsed to her knees.

Right now, Sasuke wanted only one thing—the truth behind those broken memories!

Uchiha Itachi… what were you truly fighting for?!

——

【Merlin: “Arah should we fight for the world? That really is such a sharp, weighty question. But if you ask big brother here—of course we must! The world is so beautiful; I could never bear to lose it.”】

【Merry: “You sure it’s not just because you’re afraid you’ll have nothing fun to watch?”】

【Kyubey: “The annihilation of the universe is irreversible. Is the ‘world’ here truly referring to the world?”】

【Riku: “Perhaps… it means fighting for humanity itself…!”】

【Emiya Kiritsugu: “No matter who it’s for, once chosen, you fight for the world.”】

【Uzumaki Naruto: “Heh, saving the world is such a cool thing—of course I’ll do it!”】

【Fujimaru Ritsuka: “You can’t just stand by and do nothing. Even if the pressure is crushing, it has to be done.”】

【Mash: “Senpai, I’ll follow you forever!”】

【Chaotic Evil Gudako: “? Why the hell do we have to save the world? Which bored idiot made up this quest?”】

——

At the same time, the three contestants’ answers lit up on the screen—

【Fujimaru Ritsuka: “Fight for the world.”】

【Emiya Kiritsugu: “Fight for the world.”】

【Uzumaki Naruto: “Fight for the world.”】

【Ding! This answer will be matched against the collective consciousness of the Black Bullet World. The correct answer—‘Yes, we… must fight for the world!’】

——

【

This is a world where doomsday has arrived.

This is a world where order has collapsed.

This is a world that sings a dirge of hell itself—

Colossal monoliths rise to the heavens, emitting strange magnetic fields, scattered through the cities as though fending off some great horror.

On the coastline, ragged and bedraggled young girls stared blankly into the distance, their eyes void of hope.

And at the edge of the sky, an uncanny band of light slowly spiraled, as though bearing witness to it all...

】

——

【Eren: “Don’t tell me… does your world also have Titans? No, wait—if that were the case, wouldn’t those walls have been built without a single gap?!”】

【Reiner: “Eren, calm your lychee. Don’t get too egg-cited.”】

【Eren: “Reiner! How can I lychee at a time like this?! This could be something just like our world! What if they’ve found a way to defeat—or even wipe out—the Titans?!”】

【Conan: “It should be some sort of powerful monster. If humanity could actually resist them or even win, they wouldn’t have fallen into such a state.”】

【Orochimaru: “What interests me is… what’s with that band of light in the sky?”】

【Red A: “Hiss… does that mean your world also has magic?”】

【Tendou Kikunojo: “That band of light’s been there since long ago. And magic? Of course we don’t have it. If we did, those monsters would’ve been dead long ago!”】

【Smoke Mirror: “Hiss… now that’s real fun. Fascinating, far too fascinating!”】

……….

[Fate World]

At the very first moment the video appeared, the being known as Humanity’s Evil lifted its head. Its expression was unreadable—confusion, suspicion, and a haze of doubt.

That stench—unconcealed, suffusing an entire world—needed no guessing.

That world also held…

“An origin-twin…? Or a parallel existence?”

……….

[Chaldea]

“Senpai?!” Mash stared at the light band spiraling across the heavens in the footage, eyes wide with shock.

“This is…” Fujimaru Ritsuka frowned deeply. That light—it was far too familiar.

But in a world completely different from theirs, how could it exist?

“This is impossible!” Doctor Roman trembled, staring at the screen, his entire body quivering.

Unlike Ritsuka and Mash, Romani knew this phenomenon all too well.

It wasn’t just that their world had the light band—more importantly, it was once the Noble Phantasm he had controlled himself!

But why… why was it appearing in that world?!

……….

[Avalon]

“What a… development. Not in a thousand lifetimes would I have imagined this.” Merry nearly pressed her face to the screen, pupils quivering with feverish excitement.

“Why? Why would such a theatrical scene unfold here? This is… this is simply too marvelous!”

“Interesting! Far too interesting! I can’t hold back any longer—!!”

……….

[Fate World – Fourth Holy Grail War]

The enraged King suddenly froze, eyes widening in disbelief. He looked again—and the result was the same.

“I see now… the King understands! Humhahahahaha!!!”

“A world where human history itself has ended, where mongrels writhe in their ugly desperation—what then?! In a world even the future cannot glimpse, how shall mongrels struggle?!”

Delight—pure, unrestrained delight!

Kotomine Kirei silently closed his Bible, empty eyes locked on the screen without wavering.

What was it… that the King had seen?

---/---

Chapter 38: A Post-Apocalyptic Romance World? Bewildered Onlookers

【

Morning cicadas sang, warm breezes drifted in, and brilliant sunlight poured into the room.

“Good morning, Satomi, I’m coming in,” said a voluptuous black-haired girl in a tight black outfit as she pushed open the door.

“Morning, Kisara,” came a drowsy reply from the tatami floor, where an odd pair—one black-haired young man and one orange-haired loli—stirred awake.

Tendo Kisara didn’t even blink at seeing them sleeping together.

“By the way, where’s Tina?” Kisara looked around but saw no sign of the other girl.

Just then, the blanket beneath Rentaro shifted. To Kisara’s shock, a blonde loli crawled out from under it!

Her hair was a tousled golden mess, her fair skin flushed, and her eyes sparkled with joy—while her innocent lips spilled words far from innocent!

“I—I’m calling the police!” Kisara whipped out her phone, glaring at Rentaro as if he were garbage.

“Wait, wait! I just had a little late-night chat with Tina in ‘night mode,’ that’s all!” Rentaro shouted in panic.

“Night mode my ass! You giant pervert!”

“Ugh, Tina beat me to it!” the orange-haired girl, Enju, groaned regretfully.

】

……….

【Blue-Hair: “Damn it! Someone’s already putting theory into practice?!”】

【Sakata Gintoki: “No… come on, anyone who makes a move on girls that young is just human scum.”】

【Sanji: “Aaaaaah! How dare you lay a hand on such adorable ladies! You rotten bastard! You perverted copper-smelter!!”】

【Emiya Kiritsugu: “…And what exactly does this have to do with saving the world?”】

【Rimuru: “Even in another world, stuff like this gets you executed for crimes against humanity. Sir, please turn yourself in immediately.”】

【Satomi Rentaro: “It’s not like that! You’ve got it all wrong!”】

【Kasugano Sora: “Scum.”】

……….

[Fate World]

Kotomine Kirei silently turned his gaze from the screen toward Gilgamesh.

He said nothing, but the emptiness in his eyes conveyed everything: So this is what you’re into?

The Oldest… Loli King?

“Fools!!!” Even Gilgamesh, the Ancient Tiger himself, looked flustered under that gaze. The King roared, “Keep watching!”

……….

[No Game No Life Zero World]

“Riku, what is a ‘copper-smelter’?” Shuvi tugged at him curiously.

“Uh…” Riku’s face turned crimson. He’d never heard the term, but after seeing that scene, he didn’t need it explained.

Damn that Satomi Rentaro, to pull something like that!

Wait…!

Riku quickly lowered his head, meeting Shuvi’s eyes.

Shuvi… surely doesn’t count as a loli, right?!

……….

[One Piece World]

“AAAAHHH! That guy is too envi—no, too hateful!” Sanji dropped to his knees, raging at Rentaro’s conduct.

To live so closely with three lovely ladies at once—Kisara with her perfect figure, the mischievous Enju, and Tina too!

“If it were me, I’d happily live in a villa, eating fine food and drinking good wine, as long as I got to stay with such beauties!”

“Pervert, drop dead!” Nami smashed him with a punch, sending him flying.

……….

Marine Headquarters

“Pathetic.” Akainu snorted, turning his scarred face away.

This… disgusting nonsense was actually worthy of the multiverse broadcast?

Utterly laughable!

……….

[Crown Time Temple]

“…Could it be I was mistaken?” Goetia’s expression twisted in doubt, questioning his very existence.

But no—the footage clearly showed…

He clenched his jaw. Better to keep watching.

……….

【Scene shift】

【

Amidst ruins—

A group of little girls sat patiently on stools, as though waiting for their teacher to begin class.

And indeed, that was exactly the case.

Satomi Rentaro and Tendo Kisara stood at a blackboard, introducing themselves to the children.

“I’m Satomi Rentaro. From today, I’ll be your teacher.”

“My hobbies are observing insects, collecting plants, I also like microbiology… and I know some martial arts. Do you have any questions?” Rentaro’s words stuttered awkwardly—clearly, this was his first time teaching.

But the girls didn’t mind in the slightest. Their jewel-like red eyes sparkled with excitement, and when his words ended, they all raised their hands at once.

“Me! Me! Me!”

“Okay, you on the right,” Rentaro pointed, startled by their enthusiasm.

“Teacher! I heard you and Enju are living together with marriage as the goal. Is that true?” a blue-haired girl asked curiously.

“Of course it’s true!” Enju turned around and declared proudly.

The pink-haired girl next to her looked instantly jealous.

“No way! She’s just a freeloader!” Rentaro protested. “Ahem, let’s switch to the other teacher.”

Kisara stepped forward without hesitation, introducing herself confidently, then called on another girl at random.

“Teacher! I heard your chest is so big you can’t even see your feet—is that true?” a white-haired loli blurted.

“H-Huh?!” Kisara recoiled, blushing furiously.

“Is Kisara-sensei dating Rentaro-sensei?”

“Will you two get married?”

They weren’t crude jokes, but pure, innocent questions straight from the heart. The children were simply curious~~

】

……….

【Sanji: “Aaaaaah! My eyes! I can’t take this anymore! Is this guy the protagonist?! He’s too enviable!!”】

【Origami Tobiichi: “So, using the apocalypse as a cover, he builds himself a crystal harem? Shido, do you want that too? I can turn into a little girl if you like.”】

【Itsuka Shido: “No way!!”】

【Kyubey: “…Girls, would you like to become magical girls? I can grant your wishes.”】

【Natsuki Subaru: “So that’s it—this is basically like the pure slice-of-life world I landed in!”】

【Satou Kazuma: “Damn it! Why didn’t I reincarnate in that world?! Even if Aqua came along, I wouldn’t mind!”】

【Misaka Mikoto: “If this were a manga, it’d be a romance drama in doomsday skin. But… aren’t those kids a bit too young?”】

【Conan: “Could it really be that simple? Then what do ‘A Dirge of Blood and Tears, the Last Hope’ actually mean?”】

……….

Across the Multiverse,

Many spectators, realizing this was some sort of post-apocalyptic romance world, didn’t show disgust or impatience.

After all, watching others fall in love could be entertaining, and the kids really were adorable.

Hearing their blunt, wolfish words had even made the audience laugh—such pure children were rare these days.

And yet… something didn’t feel right.

……….

[Detective Conan World]

“Could it be they all took that drug too?” Conan glanced suspiciously at Haibara Ai.

“Yes, yes. I crossed over, gave all the kids the drug, and turned them into lolis,” Haibara rolled her eyes.

“I was just joking. But those kids are oddly precocious,” Conan admitted awkwardly.

“Precocious? Or strange?” Haibara’s voice grew oddly heavy.

“Eh?”

“They’re seven or eight years old, yet their minds are so simple. Why is class being held in the middle of ruins? Wasn’t there a city at the beginning?”

“And compared to Satomi and Tendo, aren’t the kids’ clothes far too plain? Why are they so overwhelmingly excited just to meet a teacher?”

“And why… are they all girls?” Haibara’s eyes narrowed at the screen.

Yes… why indeed?

Conan suddenly realized—it might not be as innocent as it looked.

……….

[Fate World – Chaldea]

“Could it be… I was overthinking?” Doctor Roman fell silent, staring at the screen.

His instincts screamed that world was hiding something monstrous. But the reality seemed ordinary. Aside from that strangely familiar light band, nothing was amiss.

“I hope… it isn’t what I think.”

……….

[Black Bullet World]

“Monster! Get out!!!”

“Damn Gastrea! Because of you slaughtering everywhere, my family—!!”

“Get out! You’re not welcome here!”

“Begone, monster!!”

“Can’t you see?! Even God wants you wiped out!”

“That’s not true… I’m human too!”

When Rentaro arrived, he was met with furious shouts and one child’s desperate protests.

And there, amidst the chaos, he saw her—broken, devastated.

“Enju…” Rentaro began, but stopped at the sight of her eyes, brimming with blood and tears.

“You lied, Rentaro.” Her face was drenched in sorrow. She choked out through sobs, “You promised… you promised if I fought for the world, everyone would accept me.”

“Even so… even so, do I still have to fight?!!”

---/---

### Chapter 39: The Truth! Is This Hell?!!

[

The pitch-black night sky.

Rentaro Satomi and Enju Aihara were riding in a helicopter, searching for the “Five-Star Legacy.”

“Wait… what is that?!”

The pilot suddenly stiffened, staring down in shock.

Amidst the dark night, a monstrous spider was sprawled across a vast web that drifted with the wind!

“It’s a Gastrea! It actually wove its nest into the shape of a parachute to drift through the air. It can really fly into the sky using that principle…” Rentaro’s eyes widened at the scarlet-eyed creature.

]

---

[Eren: “So it’s finally here? A monster invading the human world! Gastrea? Looks like they’re monsters that attack humans too.”]

[Naruto Uzumaki: “Uwaaah! Is that still a spider?! So creepy—why is it that huge?! How do you even fight something that big?!”]

[Saeko Busujima: “That world doesn’t look completely overrun yet. And they still have helicopters. They must be using firearms to bring those things down.”]

[Chitose Karasuma: “No, that would waste far too much ammunition.”]

---

[

The next instant, a fierce gust tore through the cabin.

Rentaro spun around in alarm.

“Enju! Wait—Enju!”

To his horror, the orange-haired loli leapt from hundreds of meters in the air!

The roaring wind howled past her, but her expression was cold and resolute.

]

---

[Shirou Emiya: “Hold on—?! What’s going on?! Why did she suddenly jump?!”]

[Kiritsugu Emiya: “…Could it be…”]

[Naruto Uzumaki: “Aaah! She doesn’t want to live anymore?! Jumping from that height in one go?!”]

[Yukari Yakumo: “Doesn’t look like despair to me.”]

[Orochimaru: “Either a fool… or a true powerhouse. But for such a child? How baffling.”]

---

[

The girl plummeted like a meteor.

In the darkness, her eyes suddenly glowed blood-red.

Her body shot straight toward the flying Gastrea—

“ROOOOAR!!”

The monster shrieked, only to be slammed down by the crushing force of the girl’s dive.

Rentaro hurriedly slid down on a rappel line to the ground. By the time he landed, the girl was already facing off against the terrifying beast.

A body dozens of meters tall.

Every leg like a sharpened blade.

Eyes burning with malice and killing intent.

And against it, the girl looked no more than a fragile doll.

“Shhhhk!”

Dozens of webs fired at her like cannon blasts—

But to everyone’s shock, her figure flickered like a phantom, slipping past every single strike.

Her right leg braced.

The ground split beneath her heel.

She launched herself like a bullet straight at the Gastrea—

One devastating whip kick shattered the monstrous spider apart in an instant!

In the blink of an eye, the battle was over. The girl stood without a scratch.

From the monster’s torn abdomen, a white case tumbled free.

Mission complete.

]

---

[Sanji: “Damn it! Not only beautiful, but that strong too?! Just what kind of insane luck does this Satomi guy have to make Enju-chan choose him?!”]

[Iskandar: “Magnificent! A splendid battle! Little girl, have you any interest in becoming one of my retainers?!”]

[Artoria: “That was… a beast’s instinct.”]

[Satania: “Awawawa! With that power, Great Demon Lord Satania acknowledges you! Become my vassal, Aihara Enju!”]

[Orochimaru: “That reaction time, battle sense, and sheer striking power… it rivals a Chūnin, perhaps even a Jōnin. To see such skill from a mere child—astonishing.”]

[Eren: “So this is that world’s secret weapon against the monsters… but hasn’t this already surpassed the boundaries of humanity?!”]

[Vice Admiral Tsuru: “So the adults are just auxiliaries… and the true fighters are the children?”]

[Hashirama Senju: “No… no matter what, sending children this young onto a battlefield is too cruel. Not even in our chaotic era did we go that far.”]

---

[

The battle was over.

But the imagined joy and admiration never came.

Instead, the deep darkness seemed to breed only despair and twisted emotions.

“Enju!” Rentaro Satomi called anxiously.

“Rentaro… I beat it. The mission’s done. How about it… I fought, right?”

The scarlet in the girl’s eyes faded away, leaving only a faint shimmer in her gaze.

In the silent night, her small figure looked so lonely and fragile.

“…Yeah.” Rentaro couldn’t even bring himself to meet her eyes.

“I protected my classmates, and everyone at school…”

Tears streamed down, unstoppable. Aihara Enju sobbed in pain.

The hurt in her body was nothing compared to the agony in her heart—

unaccepted, misunderstood, mistrusted.

That child’s heart, once pure as a blank sheet of paper, was now layered with sorrow.

She threw herself into the boy’s arms, crying with all the anguish of her soul.

]

---

[Sanji: “Ehh?! Why is this adorable lady crying? Is she hurt?! Bastards! How could anyone bear to make such a cute girl cry?!”]

[Aizen: “Not physical pain… but mental torment. Gentlemen, we are drawing closer to the truth.”]

[Kiritsugu Emiya: “Could it be… they’re being forced to fight?”]

[Merry: “Hehe, who knows? Maybe the truth goes far beyond that.”]

Across the multiverse, even the dullest spectators realized something was wrong.

Why was the girl crying?

What was the truth?

Was what they were seeing even real?

Silence fell. Eyes turned to the screen, deep and searching.

---

[Fate World – Fourth Holy Grail War]

“What a child… so young, so lost in pain.”

Kotomine Kirei pressed a hand to his chest. For the first time, he directly experienced pain… and the strange pleasure it brought.

[Naruto World]

“How could this be…” A bad premonition gnawed at Naruto’s heart.

---

[

In a shopping mall corner, a heavy, mournful song echoed.

A girl—dirty all over, her eyes covered with a white cloth—held up a wooden sign.

On the sign: “I am a Cursed Child from the outskirts.”

Rentaro froze, staring with solemn confusion.

“Your eyes… what happened? If you’re a Cursed Child, you shouldn’t get sick, right?”

The blind girl stopped singing at the sound of voices.

At his question, she slowly pulled away the cloth.

The sight made Rentaro and Tina flinch in shock.

Yet the girl still smiled faintly.

“My eyes… were filled with lead. My mother hated my red eyes, so she abandoned me.”

Reaching out, she touched Tina’s cheek.

“You’re a Cursed Child too, aren’t you? You’re really pretty.”

“I can only survive by begging others… so other than this smile, I don’t know what face I’m supposed to make.”

Her expression never changed.

A metallic clink. The girl bowed, thanking—

but it was only the pull-tab of a soda can.

Two thugs laughed mockingly nearby.

]

---

[Kushina Uzumaki: “Because she hated them… she poured lead into her eyes?! What kind of sick logic is that?! That trash mother deserves to die!”]

[Rin Tohsaka: “Another one, just like the last—parents who are nothing but scum. Absolutely unforgivable.”]

[Artoria: “Unforgivable!”]

[Orochimaru: “I fear the truth runs even deeper. What are Cursed Children, truly? What link do they have to the Gastrea?”]

[Homura Akemi: “This world is already rotten.”]

---

[

In 2021, humanity lost the war against the viral parasitic creatures called Gastrea.

Driven into shrinking territories, people lived on with nothing but fear and despair.

Ten years later, hope resurfaced—in the form of girls who could control the Gastrea virus inside them: the “Cursed Children.”

They were mankind’s final weapon.

But scars from the past carved an unbridgeable rift.

---

In the bustling center of the city, faces twisted by hatred snarled with rage.

Banners were raised:

“For humanity—kill the monsters! Kill the Cursed Children!”

Driven out.

Exiled.

Because they carried the virus within, the girls were treated as tools, forced into endless battles.

Even when they hid in sewers, the world still closed in on them.

Why don’t you just die?

Why do you live?

Why must you exist alongside monsters?

Trampled.

Despised.

Hated!

All the fury of humanity was poured onto the Cursed Children.

]

---

…Is this Hell?

In that moment, countless watchers across worlds froze.

The screen chilled them to the bone.

Cursed Children.

Tools.

Monsters.

The ragged girls, the crying warriors—all the fragments now connected.

As a corner of the truth revealed itself…

No one could believe the world could be so cruel.

]

---

[A Certain Magical Index World]

“AAAAHHH!!! Those filthy bastards!!!”

Electricity crackled violently from Misaka Mikoto. In her eyes burned a fury like never before.

A girl bathed in light—yet forced to face a darkness she had never imagined.

This unreasonable world.

A world drowning in resentment.

A filthy world that would never change.

---/---

### Chapter 40: Hope? No, It’s Despair! Die as a Human

[

The city’s buildings loomed under the gloomy sky, oppressive in their silence.

Towering skyscrapers and colossal stone monuments whispered of loneliness and helplessness.

Under the blanket of dark clouds, the world seemed swallowed by shadow.

The howling wind lashed against windows like the melody of a breaking heart, leaving no peace.

On the streets, people marched with torches, shouting grief and despair—

yet never once did they face the abyss of fear itself.

Instead… they only pushed the children step by step into the pit.

When Rentaro Satomi arrived, a pale mist hung low in the valley.

Shattered corpses piled into a mountain of flesh and blood.

And at the deepest point…

lay a small, lonely figure, drenched in blood.

]

---

[Sengoku: “Such carnage… are you telling me this was the work of that child alone?!”]

[Orochimaru: “Hard to believe, but reality leaves no room for doubt. The only bodies here belong to Gastrea.”]

[Ash Ketchum: “Too cruel! They actually left this little girl here all alone!”]

[Tsunade: “Haven’t you realized? These people don’t see the girls as human. To them, they’re monsters—tools, nothing more.”]

[Tanjiro Kamado: “No matter what, please, save her quickly!”]

---

[Demon Slayer World]

“Yes! Mister Satomi made it in time!” Tanjiro’s eyes welled with tears.

Looking at this girl, no bigger than his own sister, forced to face such terrifying monsters, Rentaro’s heart trembled.

But thank goodness… she lived. She survived!

Yet—

Tanjiro’s joy froze on his face the next moment.

---

[

Rentaro stood before the girl, his voice heavy.

“Why didn’t you run?”

“I… was caught,” Enju whispered weakly.

“Didn’t you say, if things turned against you, you’d escape?” Rentaro pressed.

“Mr. Satomi… where’s Mr. Kanzen?”

Her bloodstained face looked up at him, her right arm shredded to ribbons, blood soaking half her clothes.

That had been her partner.

“…He’s fine.” Rentaro faltered, averting his gaze.

]

---

[Naruto Uzumaki: “Why are you just standing around talking?! Save her already! Isn’t she your comrade?!”]

[Kakashi Hatake: “A hero… who sacrifices herself for the sake of the whole.”]

[Madoka Kaname: “She’s this badly injured, she should be taken to a hospital right away.”]

[Kisara Tendo: “…Hospitals don’t accept Cursed Children.”]

---

Across the multiverse, silence fell.

No one had expected this—that the Cursed Children not only lacked human rights, but that even heroes of battle would be denied aid.

Then what meaning was there, in that girl slaying all those monsters and holding on until now?!

---

[Fallen Angel/Gabriel Dropout World]

“Hey… Gabriel, this has to be a joke, right?”

Satania crossed her arms, laughing in her usual chuunibyou style.

“Even the great Demon Lord Satania couldn’t do something this cruel!”

Her anxious yet hopeful gaze turned to the most outstanding representative of the angelic world.

Gabriel said nothing. She didn’t even dare look into Satania’s innocent eyes.

“…Maybe.”

---

[Fate World – Fourth Holy Grail War]

“They actually placed the world’s hope on children…”

Kiritsugu Emiya’s face twisted with disbelief.

What were the adults of that world doing?

In the face of a global crisis, all they knew was to wave banners of rage?

“Such young, fragile children…”

Artoria’s eyes softened with sorrow.

She already understood that girl’s fate.

No need for fear—as a hero, even if misunderstood, one could die with pride.

Her saintly blue eyes lowered.

But the very next moment, the scene on the screen made the king’s eyes snap wide open.

---

[

At the boundary of light and shadow, the girl had reached the end of her path.

From the stump of her severed arm, hideous cells writhed outward.

The Gastrea virus infection rate had already surpassed 50%.

The more she used her power, the faster the infection spread.

No fear, no desperate struggle.

The girl calmly accepted the truth.

A faint sense of release crossed her face as she whispered:

“Please… let me die as a human.”

Her pale cheeks were stained with black blood, yet her eyes carried no ripples.

]

---

[Naruto Uzumaki: “Wh—why can she say something like that so easily?! She’s kidding, right?! She can live! What do you mean die as a human—don’t joke around!!” ]

[Makunouchi Ippo: “Damn it! Don’t give up! Believing in miracles is already a miracle in itself! You better live on!!!” ]

[Tanjiro Kamado: “No… no, this can’t be real. How can she say that so calmly?! Please, live! The world really is beautiful!” ]

[Shirou Emiya: “As long as you’re alive, there’s hope! You can definitely be cured!” ]

---

[Demon Slayer World ]

“What… what do you mean, die as a human? Every life is so precious!”

Tanjiro collapsed to his knees, tears flowing uncontrollably.

In that moment, he understood the girl’s plight.

Discrimination.

Fear.

Hatred.

Loathing.

His thoughts flashed to Nezuko.

Ever since she became a demon, everyone’s eyes held only malice—hunts, threats, terror, hatred.

And these girls…from the moment of birth, they had known nothing else.

No one trusted them.

No one loved them.

So for them… had life always been hell?!

---

[Fallen Angel World]

“I don’t want to die—I don’t want to die!!!”

“Satania may be stupid, but she’s not an idiot!”

The girl shouted with tears in her voice.

“I saw it! I saw the light in her eyes—she wants to live!!”

---/---

[Game] Chapter 465: Next Wave of Collaboration Skins

When Utaha and Yukino finally had their fill of fun at the Fall Guys dev team and came back, Ichin was already back at work, and at this moment he was deep into making Velvet’s 3D model.

Looking at Velvet’s character design on Ichin’s screen, Utaha tilted her head thoughtfully and said,

“This outfit is pretty torn up, huh. And those black stockings on her legs are practically see-through. Tsk, tsk, tsk, once this design is released, I guarantee it’ll attract a whole bunch of pervs.”

“Isn’t that the point?”

Ichin didn’t feel embarrassed at all, calmly continuing his modeling while replying,

“A heroine’s design has to grab attention and stick in people’s minds. I can’t exactly make her look like a random NPC with no distinct traits, right?”

“That’s true.”

Utaha nodded, then glanced at the screen again.

“What about the other two playable female characters in the game?”

“Them? Their styles won’t be as bold as Velvet’s.”

Ichin opened a drawer, pulled out a stack of written notes, and handed them to her.

“These are just some preliminary settings I drafted—basic backstories, personalities, things like that. The detailed designs aren’t started yet, so no rush.”

Taking the notes, Utaha quickly flipped through them.

“Mmm~~ all the main party members look pretty interesting. Combined with the story bits you told me yesterday, I’ve already got a rough idea.”

She snapped her fingers, immediately grabbed her laptop, and sat down at the side to jot down her inspiration.

Even though Ichin hadn’t given her a full outline of the main plot yet, she could still build subplots based on these character profiles. With their personalities intertwining, she could create plenty of fun little side stories.

Glancing between Ichin and Utaha, Yukino realized she couldn’t really help much with game development. So she simply pulled out her law textbooks and immersed herself in study.

Once she graduated and became a licensed lawyer, she’d be able to handle the company’s legal affairs herself.

After afternoon tea, the rest of the workday slowed into its usual rhythm. Everyone was used to this: after a break, they quickly threw themselves back into focused development.

Aside from dropping by the programming team once to help solve a small issue, Ichin spent the rest of his time in the office working on modeling.

Near closing time, Hazuki came into Ichin’s office.

“Ichin, Nintendo has confirmed the Fall Guys collab skins. Basically no problem anymore.”

“Oh? That fast, already got a reply?”

Ichin paused his work and looked at Hazuki in surprise.

“So, do you guys have any ideas for the skin designs? Nintendo must have given some requirements, right?”

“Yeah, they did.”

Hazuki nodded.

“The Zelda and Mario skins will only be available in the Switch version of Fall Guys. They can’t be logged into on PC or other consoles.”

“Knew it.”

Ichin scratched his head, not particularly surprised.

“Really not possible to put them on other platforms?”

Hazuki sat down beside Utaha with a smile.

“Well… not entirely impossible. On PC, Nintendo isn’t that stingy. It can still be released there.”

At that, Ichin understood.

“In other words—”

“Mainly—”

Both of them were thinking along the same lines. If one platform had collab skins but the others didn’t, it would be hard to keep things balanced for players.

“Alright then, Hazuki, reach out to them again. See if we can arrange another collab IP to balance things out.”

“Got it. I’ll get in touch and see what we can line up.”

After Hazuki left, Utaha asked curiously,

“So what skins are in the Nintendo collab? Zelda and Mario really made the cut?”

“As long as Nintendo agrees, at least a Link skin and a Mario skin are guaranteed. If they’re feeling generous, we could even split it into two waves—one themed around Zelda, since Breath of the Wild alone has tons of characters to pull skins from. And Mario? That’s endless—Luigi, Princess Peach, Toad, even Bowser could all work.”

Honestly, Nintendo had a ridiculous number of IPs. If they were lenient, Ichin could ride their catalog for twelve straight months, churning out collab skins nonstop.

But of course, that was impossible. Once or twice, sure. More than that, Nintendo would never be that generous.

Still, there were plenty of other publishers to collaborate with.

“First let’s secure Zelda and Mario. As for others, we’ll eventually have to talk with Capcom anyway. Might as well ask about collab skins too. Capcom loves crossovers—just look at Monster Hunter, they’ve done collabs with both their own series and plenty of outside IPs.”

And that wasn’t all. Ichin’s public collaboration inbox had already received proposals from domestic developers too. For example, the creators of Gunfire Reborn had reached out asking if he’d be interested in a collab skin. Ichin was still considering it.

But right now, his games had far more hype than most small or mid-sized studios in China. That meant the terms wouldn’t be equal—details of such collaborations would have to be negotiated carefully.

Stretching lazily, Ichin smiled.

“No need to rush the collab skins. We’ll take our time. So, do you two have any skins you’d like to see? You can tell me.”

Utaha and Yukino exchanged a glance, thinking it over.

Utaha spoke first: “Pokémon! Maybe Pikachu or Gardevoir?”

Then Yukino chimed in: “I’d like Doraemon.”

…Well, that was unexpected. Who knew Yukino had such a childlike side?

Then again, it made sense. Doraemon was still a cat, after all. Of course Yukino would like it. And honestly, who doesn’t love Doraemon? Probably not many.

Hmm… maybe it was worth negotiating for.

---

[Genshin Impact] Chapter 612: Annihilation (2-in-1 Chapter)

He was still troubled over ordinary star-vessels for cosmic travel, and suddenly someone had shoved a planetary annihilation-class warship before him. Wasn’t that too big a leap?

Judging by the materials of Nolan’s clothing, Screwllum could infer that the industrial level of his world was quite decent.

With that, its cultural development shouldn’t be too shabby either.

At times like these, storytellers from such worlds were often the first to imagine the starry seas. For Nolan to know of planetary annihilation warships wasn’t surprising.

Screwllum gave a small nod.

“Next, Mr. Nolan, please follow me aboard the ship. As for luring away that Worm, that will be handled by the commander.”

Although he had been dispatched by Lady Herta, it was not his role to directly fight the worm.

He was here merely to oversee things—just in case.

After all, the Great True Stinger Worm they observed was only a lower-tier transport within the swarm hierarchy. Who could know if it hid something more dangerous within?

Losing an annihilation warship just to kill it would hardly be worth it.

But when preparations were made to strike, energy fluctuations on this planet drew both his attention and the worm’s.

That was why Screwllum had come down to investigate.

“Then I’ll trouble you to lead the way, Mr. Screwllum.” Nolan was about to put away Baron Bunny and his bow to follow, when he suddenly remembered—there were still many swarms left uncleared.

Once the annihilation ship destroyed the worm, he would have nowhere to grind for Adventure EXP for some time.

He couldn’t waste the chance. So he said:

“By the way, Mr. Screwllum, these insects devour all things. If left unchecked, they may consume this entire planet.

“Allow me to leave some avatars behind to clean them up.”

He summoned a dozen “Sword Gods of Lumine”, sending them in all directions under his control.

“As you wish.” Screwllum nodded.

In truth, the ship carried insecticide weapons especially effective against weaker individuals.

But since Nolan was so eager, Screwllum wouldn’t trample on his good intentions.

Later, when leaving, if the ship’s biosensors detected surviving swarms, they could still deploy the insecticide.

“Alright, let’s go then.”

Nolan followed Screwllum, teleporting into outer space.

With Screwllum guiding, they arrived directly beside the annihilation warship.

It resembled the cosmic warships Nolan had once seen in science fiction: entirely silver, rectangular in shape. Likely in standby mode, as no thruster flares were visible.

It stretched for more than ten kilometers—large, yet not among the biggest class of warships.

But as a planetary annihilation ship, meant only for short-term elimination missions, smaller size was a reasonable design.

The power consumption would be much lower.

“This is the White Star, a standard-model annihilation ship procured from the Company for Herta Space Station. Let us teleport aboard.”

Seeing Nolan’s curiosity, Screwllum gave a simple explanation.

“Huh, so annihilation ships can actually be purchased? Mr. Screwllum, how much would one cost?”

Nolan’s eyes lit up. He hadn’t expected such vessels could be bought in galactic society.

If the price was right, he could simply buy one—no need to wait for Teyvat to research it slowly.

“Hehe. The Interastral Peace Corporation welcomes guests from all corners, but a dangerous warship such as an annihilation ship cannot be casually sold to individuals.

“However, the Company does sell ordinary starships—cheap ones can be had for only tens of billions of credits.”

Screwllum’s teal eyes projected a holographic screen. It looked like a shopping site, with star-vessels of many shapes displayed like merchandise.

A quick glance showed that even a few-hundred-meter craft, using chemical propulsion for short-range travel within a single star system, cost at least thirty billion credits.

He didn’t know how credits compared to Mora in purchasing power, but that “thirty billion” figure already sounded ominous.

Not to mention, ships limited to one star system didn’t meet his needs at all. And besides, he didn’t have a single credit to his name. For now, the pictures were just pictures.

Forget it. Buying a ship could wait until later. For now, he’d place his hopes on Teyvat’s own research.

Even if they succeeded in building one, he might still lack the credits to buy even a local-range vessel.

And those with warp drives capable of crossing the galaxy cost astronomical sums.

If possible, he would want one. After all, Teyvat had no theoretical foundation for warp technology.

Elemental power wouldn’t help—warp jumps crossed light-years at a time.

“Mr. Nolan’s interest in vessels is understandable. But our current location...” Screwllum noted how fixated Nolan was on the shopping screen, and had to remind him.

“Ah, my apologies.”

Nolan realized they were still in the void of space, and gave a sheepish look.

Speaking of which, he wondered at the workings of the “Synesthesia Beacon.” How could voices carry in the vacuum of space?

Curious as he was, he held back the questions—asking too much might make him seem like a child pestering an adult.

Better to save the questions for later, at Herta Space Station. A station that docked annihilation ships surely had plenty of residents.

He could find someone talkative there and casually pick up knowledge about galactic society.

For now, he followed Screwllum, teleporting into the ship. They appeared in a corridor.

The corridor gleamed silver-white, likely forged from some alloy.

Nearby, soldiers patrolled. Startled at the sudden appearance, they relaxed upon recognizing Screwllum and hurried over.

“Mr—Mr. Screwllum! Why are you here? And this gentleman?”

The soldier glanced at Nolan. His concealed scanner failed to identify him—clearly not in the ship’s database.

As a patrolman, encountering such a suspicious figure demanded questioning.

“Greetings, soldier. This gentleman is a human I discovered on Uninhabited Planet No.-712. He can freely enter and exit the cosmos with only his body.

“He is a rare talent. I wish to recommend him to the Space Station. Could you register a temporary identity for him?”

Screwllum understood the soldier’s duties, so he didn’t make things difficult—just offered a clear explanation.

“Of course, Mr. Screwllum.” As a member of interstellar society, this soldier had even seen planet-destroying powerhouses online, so he wasn’t overly shocked.

With Screwllum vouching, he had no reason to refuse.

“Sir, please look here for a photo.” The soldier addressed Nolan.

Nolan naturally cooperated, also filling in his name, age, and other basic details.

The process was quick, only a few minutes.

Once uploaded, the patrol soldier left. As he said, the temporary ID would remain valid for three days.

During that time, if anyone questioned him, a scanner could display Nolan’s temporary identity certificate—no need for suspicions.

“Mr. Nolan, come with me to the command room. I imagine you’d also like to see the power of a Starbreaker Cannon.”

“Of course.” Nolan smiled.

The mechanical gentleman led the way. On the path to the command room, they encountered many soldiers, all showing great respect to Screwllum.

Which made sense—anyone who could be a guest of the Space Station’s master had to be prestigious.

Before long, they arrived at the command room of the warship.

Inside, many operators were at their stations. A middle-aged man in a white uniform, clearly the commander, looked up.

Seeing Screwllum, he greeted politely:

“Mr. Screwllum, the ‘decoy’ is prepared. We can commence at any time.”

“Very good, Commander. Proceed as planned.” Screwllum nodded.

Nolan had nothing to do here, so he curiously observed the surroundings.

The command room gleamed in silver-white alloy. He and Screwllum stood on the high command platform, overlooking the control stations below, where personnel were busy at work.

In midair, holographic screens floated. Several were large and lined up side by side.

The center screen showed the live image of the Great True Stinger. To the left seemed to be ship system statuses; to the right, a radar scan of the surrounding space.

Nolan couldn’t fully make sense of them.

“Prepare to launch the decoy!” the commander ordered.

“Understood.” An operator tapped the holo-panel before him. “Decoy ready for launch!”

Another virtual screen appeared above the worm’s image, showing the launch bay.

There sat a capsule-shaped craft. Data readouts for its systems glowed green—all normal.

After a moment of inspection, the commander nodded. “Launch.” A five-second countdown appeared.

Five, four, three, two, one—

The unmanned craft ignited and fired. Its virtual feed changed to a trajectory chart calculated by the ship’s system.

It clearly wasn’t aimed directly at the worm—the plotted course never intersected its coordinates.

The screen showed the craft accelerating to thirty kilometers per second. After flying at that speed for more than ten minutes, it began to decelerate, flashing with multicolored lights like those in a nightclub.

Curious, Nolan asked. Screwllum explained: the lights, pulsing at specific frequencies, mimicked pheromones that attracted the swarm.

Interstellar society had studied the True Stinger Worms deeply—such tricks were simple.

Sure enough, once it sensed the special signals, the massive worm near the gray planet began to slowly drift toward them.

Perhaps it wasn’t especially fast in space. Nearly half an hour passed before it moved far enough from the planet.

That was the minimum safe distance for firing the Starbreaker Cannon without damaging the planet.

By then, the cannon was fully charged. When the worm entered the target zone—

FWOOSH!

A blue-white beam, traveling at light speed, struck it head-on. This was a weapon made to slay planets. Against a Great True Stinger Worm, the result was inevitable.

The beam wasn’t even at full power. As expected, the worm’s body split open, a massive hole blasted through. Around the wound, its form unraveled into dissolving light.

Whatever the principle, it was dead beyond doubt.

Unfortunately, since Nolan hadn’t struck the blow, he received no Adventure EXP.

But at that moment, his dozen “Sword Gods of Lumine” had already wiped out the remaining swarms on the gray planet.

His character panel now displayed an unprecedented figure:

[Adventure EXP: 41,251,925]

Seeing the number, Nolan felt he could easily level up twice more. But in the crowded command room, he held off.

Screwllum turned to him:

“Next, the warship must recover the decoy drone and collect biological samples from the worm’s remains. Estimated duration: more than ten hours.

“I’ll arrange a room for you to rest. When it’s time to warp back, I’ll notify you.”

“No problem. I’ll trouble you then, Mr. Screwllum.”

Nolan nodded.

It was nighttime back in Teyvat anyway—the perfect chance to rest and level up.

“Very well.”

Screwllum had a soldier escort Nolan to a comfortable room, while he himself returned to the command deck to discuss further operations with the commander.

Nolan didn’t mind. Once inside the room, he left a “Sword God of Lumine” behind, then returned to his Wonderland Space.

—Wonderland Space—

Because of his unexpected encounter with Screwllum, much time had passed. It was now deep night; everyone else was asleep.

Nolan sat on the sofa, opening his panel to level up.

As he poured Adventure EXP into his level, the familiar process repeated. He swiftly advanced two levels in succession, reaching Level 111.

[Your level has risen to Lv.110. Evolution has reached a new stage. You may select a new “Racial Specialty.” Please choose.]

(End of Chapter)

[Game] Chapter 463-464

Chapter 463: Lunch

After finishing up with Kō Yagami, Ichin went to check in with the programming team. Their progress was a little slower, but still within the estimated schedule.

As for Fall Guys, there was no need to check. A big update had dropped in early August, and the game’s popularity remained sky-high. All they needed to do was steadily prepare the next wave of content. Future update plans were already laid out with generous cycles, and with Hazuki overseeing things, Ichin didn’t need to worry.

Back in his office, he returned to drafting the Tales of Berseria project plan.

By the end of the morning, he had finished it. That afternoon, he could finally dive into the battle system, building a rough demo.

“But before that, I need to finalize Velvet’s character design and 3D model… plus a few monster models for combat testing.”

Those, he would have to make himself. If they managed to negotiate a partnership with Capcom later, he would have to handle the talks personally. If not, then he had to rely on his own research all the more.

“Better to get a head start on the new project while development’s smooth and before optimization and integration eat up all the time.”

He was just about to begin when there was a knock at the office door.

“Come in.”

The door opened, and Hazuki appeared.

“Still busy? It’s already lunchtime. Take a break.”

Only then did Ichin glance at his watch—it was already noon.

“Alright, let’s eat.”

He got up and headed out.

In the break room, he grabbed his packed lunch from the fridge, heated it up in the microwave alongside the other employees, then went to the art department to eat with Hazuki.

Besides the two of them, Kō Yagami, Rin Toyama, and Hifumi had also brought lunches. Narumi, Momiji Mochizuki, and Ruri Gokou were still in line waiting to heat theirs. The others had gone out, or ordered delivery to avoid the sweltering summer sun.

Aoba and Nene had chosen delivery—just five minutes away, apparently.

As they waited, Aoba noticed Ichin opening his lunchbox. A mouthwatering aroma wafted out.

“Oh! That smells amazing!”

Kō twitched her nose and leaned closer.

“Squid! Ichin, let’s trade. Rin made sweet-and-sour pork ribs today. I’ll give you two pieces for some squid!”

“Sure. But my stir-fried squid’s pretty spicy—go slow, Kō.”

He took two ribs from her box while she picked some squid from his, no need for extra chopsticks since no one had started eating yet.

“No problem. After mooching from you this many times, I’ve built up my spice tolerance!”

She grinned and eagerly ate.

“Mmm~~ delicious! The squid’s fresh, isn’t it?”

“Yep, bought it first thing this morning,” Ichin replied, biting into a rib.

“Not bad at all. Honestly, Rin, your cooking’s already on par with my mom’s.”

Rin smiled softly at the compliment.

“Not that good. I still have a lot to learn. Your mother taught me plenty of dishes, but I haven’t mastered them yet. By the way, Ichin-kun, why the sudden bento today? That’s rare.”

“Blame Haruno.” Ichin ate a bite of rice. “She pestered me for one last night when I was making dinner. So I just made enough for myself, Utaha, and Yukino too. If you’re cooking, might as well make a few more, right? Speaking of them, why aren’t they back yet?”

Just as he reached for his phone, Utaha and Yukino walked in together.

“Ichin, we’re back~!”

“Hot out there?” Ichin asked. “Your lunches are in the break room fridge. Heat them up and come eat. Drinks are in the fridge if you need them.”

“Got it. Let’s go, Yukino.”

Soon, the two returned with their warmed lunches, along with Narumi and the others. The lunch circle grew even larger.

Opening her box, Yukino took a sip of chilled orange juice and smiled.

“Even though it’s summer and a weekday, the city library was still pretty crowded.”

“Did you find everything you were looking for?”

“Yes.” Utaha patted her bag. “I also borrowed two books on creative writing. I’ll read them tonight.”

“I found my references too,” Yukino added. “And borrowed a professional text.”

Opening her lunchbox, Yukino inhaled deeply, lips curving slightly. She murmured a polite itadakimasu and began eating small bites.

Seeing everyone eating happily, Aoba propped her chin on her hands, sulking.

“Nene, where’s our food?!”

“Soon… I think.”

She didn’t sound confident.

Luckily, five minutes later, the delivery call came. The two rushed out to the front desk to grab their meals.

“Woohoo! Cold noodles!”

Because of the heat, they’d ordered chilled noodle sets from a nearby restaurant. Ichin and the others had eaten there before—it wasn’t perfectly authentic, but the flavor was good and worth having.

After lunch, Ichin poured himself an iced coffee and returned to work.

Despite the early start, he felt fine thanks to a full night’s sleep—no nap needed.

Yukino, though, was a bit tired. She grabbed a blanket and lay down on the office sofa for a nap.

Utaha pulled her chair to Ichin’s desk. While he worked, she read the book she had borrowed.

Ichin had just sketched a rough line draft for Velvet’s design when his phone buzzed.

It was a message from Haruno—a photo.

In it, she sat with her coworkers, holding the bento he’d made.

Alongside it came a text:

Lunch was delicious! Make me another tomorrow, okay?

Ichin stared at it for three seconds, then quickly replied:

Cook it yourself. Self-sufficiency is the key to a full stomach.

---

Chapter 464: Afternoon Tea Time

Ichin ignored all the follow-up messages Haruno sent, slipped on his headphones, and focused on work.

When she got no reply, Haruno turned her attention to Utaha instead.

Utaha! Ichin’s ignoring me!

Utaha chuckled at the complaint and replied:

Haruno-san, don’t bother him. Ichin’s working.

Haruno: Working already? It’s not even afternoon office hours yet, is it?

Utaha: He’s in good spirits today, so he skipped his nap. But Yukino’s resting right now.

Utaha then mischievously snapped a picture of Yukino’s sleeping face and sent it over.

Armed with her sister’s sleeping photo, Haruno the sis-con stopped pestering both Utaha and Ichin. She didn’t even reply again.

At last, Utaha could quietly enjoy her book.

It wasn’t until two o’clock that Yukino slowly woke from her nap on the sofa. Rubbing her eyes, she saw Ichin still working at his desk while Utaha was nowhere in sight.

Catching her stirring, Ichin smiled.

“Awake? Go wash your face. Afternoon tea will be here soon. Since you were sleeping, I went ahead and ordered you a taro milk tea, half sugar.”

“Thank you, Onii-san.” Yukino stretched her neck. “Where’s Utaha-san?”

“She finished her book and went to hang out with Hazuki. If you’re bored, you can join them—they’re brainstorming some weird skins again.”

That caught Yukino’s interest, but instead of going right away, she washed her face first and touched up her makeup.

Like Utaha, she was naturally beautiful with fair skin, but both of them still wore light makeup when going out. Especially in summer, with the sun blazing, even if they drove everywhere, sunscreen was non-negotiable.

After freshening up, Yukino told Ichin she was stepping out and headed over.

A quarter of an hour later, Ichin also left his office—afternoon tea had arrived.

Grabbing his milk tea, he strolled over to sit behind Eriri and Aoba, watching the two of them sip their drinks while playing Fall Guys in co-op.

Afternoon tea breaks were perfect for a couple of rounds.

Lately, Eriri’s luck in Fall Guys had been terrible. Her win rate was low, and out of the two GARO crossover skins, she’d only unlocked one—she still hadn’t gotten Garo’s. So today she dragged Aoba into teaming up.

The two were currently in the tail-tag minigame. On a trap-filled map, players were divided into red, yellow, and green teams. A set number of tails were on the field, and everyone had to grab tails from opponents and keep them until time ran out. The team with the fewest tails was eliminated.

“Ahhh! Three people are chasing me! Aoba, help!”

“I can’t, I’ve got people on me too!”

Their shouting drew a crowd.

Soon both girls scrambled onto a platform, each with a line of enemies on their heels. After a chaotic scramble, the tails they had worked so hard to snatch were stolen.

Just as the timer hit zero, their red team was wiped out.

“Lost again…”

Dropping her controller, Eriri slumped and took a sip of milk tea.

“I just want one win. Just one win so I can unlock the skin. Why’s it so hard?!”

From behind, Ichin chuckled.

“The longer a game’s been out, the more skilled players it attracts. And there’s no shortage of talented gamers these days. You two don’t grind for hours daily, so it’s natural you can’t beat the hardcore crowd.”

“Fair point…”

Eriri nodded, then asked:

“I heard from Hazuki-san that the first season pass will go live at the end of the month? And ranked mode next month? But why is the pass free? No paid content at all?”

“What, free’s not good enough?”

Ichin smiled.

“We discussed monetization, but decided against charging for the pass. The game’s not a hardcore competitive title—it’s more for fun. Paid passes would probably just drag down reviews. The pass will stay free. But bundled skin packs? Those will definitely come later.”

Running Fall Guys long-term would be costly. Game sales alone could cover the short term, but for ongoing support, they’d need extra revenue streams. Paid skin packs were inevitable—whether or not many people bought them, it was still income.

“Paid skin packs? Now that I like!”

Despite being a console gamer, Eriri was also a long-time gacha addict. She’d been playing FGO for years, and Ichin had often caught her charging quartz in the office. She’d had more disastrous pulls than lucky ones.

So of course she had no resistance to the idea of paid skins. And with her small-rich-girl status, spending a little extra on cosmetics barely registered.

After another sip of milk tea, she and Aoba jumped back into Fall Guys, determined to win before break ended.

But the more she wanted victory, the further it slipped away. Twice in a row, just before reaching the goal, griefers yanked her back, ruining her run.

“AAAAAHHHHH!!!”

Her wail of despair marked the end of the break.

Watching from start to finish, Kō Yagami gave her a sympathetic pat on the head before returning to her desk.

Eriri, meanwhile, stayed frozen in her seat, sulking with frustration written all over her face.

---

[Genshin Impact] Chapter 611: Screwllum (2-in-1 Chapter)

Nolan manipulated a Cryo Element arrow, weaving threads of frost to bind Baron Bunny onto it—thus, an intercontinental missile was completed.

He pulled the bowstring taut, aimed for a dense patch of insect swarms, and let it fly.

Blessed by Flowing Sky Shot, the ice-white arrow streaked across the sky like a meteor, crossing dozens of kilometers in an instant and striking the heart of the clustered horde.

First came the burst of Cryo Element, then Baron Bunny detonated under Nolan’s remote command. A massive surge of Pyro Element erupted outward, colliding with the melting Cryo Element.

Such an attack was no different from a natural disaster. Everything within a radius of ten or so square kilometers was instantly reduced to ash.

The shockwave swept across tens of kilometers beyond, annihilating the weaker insects outright. Only the stronger ones barely clung to life within the blast zone.

Meanwhile, Nolan’s character panel frantically popped up with Experience notifications:

- Adventure EXP +4265

- Adventure EXP +2371

- Adventure EXP +3547

The flood of prompts lasted for a long time before finally stopping. When he glanced at his panel, he saw that in just one strike he had gained more than two million Adventure EXP:

[Adventure EXP: 6,715,572]

If the swarm had been denser, he would have earned far more than two million.

The sheer destruction caused by the blast stirred the hive into chaos. The insects frantically searched for the enemy.

Because Nolan wasn’t flying especially high, they spotted him quickly.

The swarm roared up toward him, wings buzzing furiously. But Nolan slipped away with Spatial Blink, reappearing tens of kilometers away.

Another Baron Bunny was summoned. Another Ice Arrow was notched to his bow, fired back toward the place he had just been.

The point of avoiding the swarm head-on wasn’t fear—it was to avoid alerting the colossal Great True Stinger Worm lurking in orbit.

If it recalled the swarm, there would be no more farming Adventure EXP. As for combat, Nolan wasn’t concerned.

Even at level 130, terrifying as it sounded, Nolan had never witnessed such power firsthand. He didn’t fully know how strong that tier was.

But no matter how strong, he had plenty of life-saving skills. No single blow could erase him.

If things turned bad, he would just run. The only real problem was if the worm pulled the swarms away.

So, his next moves had to be fast and discreet, making sure not to alert the swarm enough to signal the colossal worm.

The second arrow fell where he had once been. Fire erupted again, transforming the area into a sea of flames for tens of kilometers.

Once more, his panel filled with notifications:

- Adventure EXP +6421

- Adventure EXP +5217

- Adventure EXP +6562

[Adventure EXP: 9,881,223]

By the time the messages stopped, his Adventure EXP had nearly reached ten million.

At this rate, he was confident he’d have enough points to level up before the night was through—maybe even jump two levels in one go.

That would be the upper limit though. Last night, after wiping out swarms by the thousands, he had only managed to gain two levels.

A day later, while the swarm had somewhat recovered, the planet wasn’t crawling with them again.

Nolan shifted locations, repeating the same cycle—summoning Baron Bunny, conjuring Ice Arrows, loosing them to create massive Meltdown reactions.

Each time, waves of Adventure EXP poured in.

After about twenty minutes, his Experience had already exceeded twenty million:

[Adventure EXP: 22,140,893]

With more than enough points, Nolan considered resting a bit, maybe even leveling up.

But at that moment, his spiritual perception caught something vast approaching from orbit—

The colossal Great True Stinger.

He let out a quiet sigh. So, it had noticed the disturbances after all.

His Baron Bunny plus Frosted Arrow combo was devastating against swarms, but against this creature? Not necessarily useless, but…

Its outer shell looked absurdly tough. Meltdown reactions only spread over a dozen kilometers.

Against a worm thousands of kilometers long, such attacks might not even scratch the surface.

His Sword Intent carried the trait of “Sharp Intent.” With the “Sword God of Lumine,” maybe he could penetrate its defenses.

But the sheer difference in scale… His attack might feel no more than a mosquito bite.

Even though he had already cursed it with a “Death Spell” while inside its stomach, the gap in power meant the effect was slow to take hold.

Buzz!

A wave of invisible sound fell upon him. From midair, Nolan saw the ground below shatter in an instant, the destruction spanning over a hundred kilometers.

This planet had no atmosphere, no medium to carry sound—yet the worm had used sonic waves as a weapon, packed with terrifying energy.

Even so, his “Wholehearted Guardian Shield” absorbed the attack entirely. Not even a tremor got through.

So its attack wasn’t as fearsome as he had imagined.

Nolan summoned another Baron Bunny, ready to give it a shot. After all, it had attacked him—it was only polite to return the favor.

Baron Bunny was once again tied to the Ice Arrow. He pulled the bowstring back, just about to release—

When suddenly, a voice rang out beside him:

“Please wait.”

Nolan blinked, tightening his grip on the arrow.

If he remembered correctly, this planet was supposed to be lifeless. So why was someone suddenly telling him to wait?

And just now, he hadn’t sensed a single presence nearby.

Able to suddenly appear at his side, the other party was clearly no simple figure—their mastery of spatial teleportation was at least on par with his own.

Nolan instinctively turned his head. About five or six meters away stood the figure, who gave him a polite nod.

“...A robot?” he blurted out in surprise.

Indeed, the one who appeared was a robot—humanoid in shape, wearing a black top hat.

Its head was metallic, mainly black, with the face and ears crafted in a metallic teal sheen.

Its eyes were round—pupils, or at least what looked like pupils—glowed faintly teal. On its right eye perched a golden monocle.

Dressed properly in a tailored suit and tie, it exuded the air of a refined gentleman. Despite the metallic head, the attire and demeanor felt so natural that there was nothing out of place—almost as though it was meant to be this way.

“Correction: In academic terminology, robots generally refer to metallic constructs that act according to programmed instructions. My kind should be called Inorganic Life.”

The robot in the black hat spoke in a gentle tone.

“Uh...” Nolan realized that he may have been unintentionally rude. He quickly apologized:

“Sorry, sir, I meant no offense.”

The voice was calm, unmistakably masculine, and the demeanor was that of a gentleman. Nolan didn’t know whether Inorganic Life had genders, but given the figure’s presentation, “sir” seemed the safest form of address.

“No harm done. Those outside the scholarly or technical fields rarely distinguish between robots and Inorganic Life. Think nothing of it.”

The elegant gentleman shook his head lightly.

Nolan let out a quiet breath. Fortunately, he hadn’t angered him. Though courteous and refined, the man also carried an aura that was unfathomable—clearly far stronger than himself. He had no wish to earn such a being’s displeasure.

For a moment, Nolan was tempted to activate his Golden Eyes of Judgment to appraise the being’s level, but doing so would turn his eyes gold before the other’s gaze. That would clearly be interpreted as probing into private information—grossly impolite.

Suppressing his curiosity, he instead asked:

“Mr. Inorganic Life, my name is Nolan Walker, an adventurer. May I know how to address you?”

“Oh, forgive my oversight, Mr. Nolan. You may call me Screwllum.” The mechanical gentleman adjusted his monocle with a gloved hand as he spoke.

“Screwllum...” A strange name, though “screw” certainly evoked machines. Nolan smiled politely.

“Hello, Mr. Screwllum. May I ask, why did you stop me just now? And also—why can we communicate so seamlessly?”

When he first crossed into Teyvat, he had been able to converse effortlessly with Amber, likely due to some “transmigrator’s perks.” Perhaps he had unconsciously absorbed the world’s linguistic framework, just as Lumine could communicate with locals despite being an outsider.

Or maybe it was a hidden ability granted by his character panel, simply never shown.

Or the 'Descender' Specialty.

Could it be that this ability worked not only in Teyvat, but across the universe with other civilizations as well?

“Allow me to answer your two questions in order.” Screwllum’s tone remained gentlemanly. Though his face was metallic, one could still feel the sense of a smile.

“First: the strike you witnessed earlier was the True Stinger probing the area. It has not yet pinpointed your location. If you counterattack now, you will reveal yourself and draw its full assault.

“As for why we can converse freely—it is because my body is equipped with a Synesthesia Beacon. This device is the foundation of interstellar communication.

“It was originally invented by No. 56 of the ‘Genius Society,’ Elias Salas. Forgotten for centuries, it was later refined and distributed galaxy-wide by the ‘Interastral Peace Corporation’ and the ‘Intelligentsia Guild.’”

“Wait—hold on. Did you just say galaxy? And what are these groups—the Genius Society, Interastral Peace Corporation, Intelligentsia Guild?”

Nolan felt his head spin.

“Hehe. From your reaction, Mr. Nolan, I surmise you have not encountered interstellar society before. Hypothesis: an extraordinary individual from an undeveloped planet, who by his own power wandered into the cosmos.”

Screwllum chuckled softly, folding his arms.

“You have no experience with the galactic community, and it would be difficult to explain fully here. I am currently a guest at the Herta Space Station.

“If you wish to learn of interstellar society, I could bring you along when I return.”

As a gentleman, he didn’t mind helping a newcomer to the universe save some time in adapting. In his mind, even if he didn’t help, someone like Nolan—capable of traversing deep space with only his physical body—would inevitably encounter interstellar civilization sooner or later.

“Herta Space Station...”

It sounded like a hub of intelligent life, akin to a city. Such an opportunity was not one to refuse. Nolan’s eyes lit up.

“Then I’ll be in your care, Mr. Screwllum!”

“A trifling matter.” Screwllum nodded lightly.

“By the way, Mr. Screwllum—you said you’re visiting Herta Space Station. Then why did you come here? Is it because of this giant insect?”

Nolan asked curiously.

“Precisely,” Screwllum replied. “I am a scholar, collaborating with Lady Herta, the station’s master, on a certain project.

“Two days ago, Lady Herta suddenly noted that a Great True Stinger had jumped from twelve light-years away into this star system.

“She worried it might jump again—this time near Azure Planet below her station—bringing calamity to her mother world. She wanted to eliminate the ‘disaster’ beforehand.

“However, Lady Herta is willful by nature. She was unwilling to act herself, and so instructed me, her guest, to handle it.”

Hearing this, Nolan could already picture the kind of person this “Lady Herta” must be.

How could someone push such tasks onto a guest? Truly bizarre.

“I see.” Nolan nodded. That explained why Screwllum had intervened just as he was loosing arrows.

Looking at him curiously, Nolan asked:

“Mr. Screwllum, how do you intend to defeat this giant worm? Do you need my help?”

He himself could not handle the creature, so he was intrigued as to Screwllum’s method. From the way he spoke, he didn’t seem to regard it as troublesome.

“That won’t be necessary, Mr. Nolan.” Screwllum shook his head. “The Herta Space Station has no shortage of planetary annihilation-class warships. I borrowed one from the station master.

“With the power of a Starbreaker Cannon, a single strike should suffice to slay the Stinger Worm.

“The only issue is that it is currently too close to this planet.

“Though lifeless, I would still prefer not to reduce it to cosmic dust. Thus, I plan to lure the worm away before striking.”

“...Planetary Annihilation Warship...” Nolan fell silent. Until now, he had only seen such terms in science fiction.

(End of Chapter)

[Game] Chapter 462: Progress on Dark Souls

By the time Ichin rang the doorbell, Haruno was already up and about—she had to head to work anyway. She quickly came running to open the door.

Dressed neatly in a form-fitting office outfit, she looked ready for the day. Ichin handed her the bag of lunchboxes he was holding.

“Morning, Haruno. Here’s your lunch for today. Have you had breakfast? If not, I’ve got some extra sandwiches. You can take one to the office.”

“Good morning, Ichin!”

Taking the bag with a smile, Haruno said happily,

“Give me two minutes, I’ll grab my things and head out. Make me a sandwich, please—I’ll eat it at the office. There’s a morning meeting and I need to hurry.”

“Alright, I’ll wrap one up in foil for you.”

Back inside, Ichin wrapped a still-warm sandwich and handed it to her. Haruno tucked it into the bag with her lunch, her mood even better now.

“Moving here really was the best decision I’ve made. At my old place, there wasn’t anywhere good for breakfast. I always had to settle for a convenience store rice ball or some bread at home. Only when I stayed with Yukino sometimes did I get a decent breakfast. Come on, Ichin, let your big sister give you a hug!”

Ichin immediately sidestepped with a look of polite refusal.

“Enough already, Haruno. It’s just a sandwich. You’d better get going—you said you had a meeting.”

“Oh, right, time to head out.”

After fixing her hair, Haruno smiled.

“Then I’m off. Oh, by the way, I won’t be back for dinner tonight. I’ve got to meet with a business partner. There’ll be drinks.”

“Tonight?”

Ichin frowned slightly.

“If you’ll be drinking, will someone drive you back? Do you want me to pick you up?”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got an assistant and a driver. They’ll bring me home.”

Pleased by his concern, Haruno left for work with a smile.

After she was gone, Ichin looked around the house. Utaha had just dragged herself out of bed and was shaking off her drowsiness. After telling her Yukino would be arriving soon, he also headed out for the company.

He arrived right on time, as everyone else was getting in. A few were still munching on breakfast, but Ichin didn’t mind. As long as the work got done, he wasn’t the type to be strict about such things.

Grabbing a cup of coffee, he sat down next to Kō Yagami.

“Kō, the monster and NPC models should be mostly done by now, right?”

She nodded, picking up a task sheet.

“Pretty much. We’ve still got four bosses, three mobs, and two NPCs unfinished. Plus, two bosses are being reworked. If I count it up, we should be done by the end of August. But the maps are still far from finished—at least two more months to rough them out. After that, fine-tuning and placing monsters will take even more time.”

“About what I expected.”

Ichin checked the task sheet.

“Let everyone keep working at this pace. We haven’t set a release date yet anyway. We’ll finalize one in October.”

By October, once monsters and maps were done, he could accurately estimate how much time would be needed for integration and optimization.

His projection wasn’t far off: release around March or April next year.

As for Titanfall, once the Shanghai studio’s report came in next week, and if it confirmed release within the year, they could announce a launch date and open pre-orders.

Just as Ichin finished reviewing the sheet, Kō received a modeling file from Hifumi—it was the rework of the Devourer of Gods, Aldrich.

“Oh! Hifumi, you’re quick!”

A few desks away, Hifumi replied shyly,

“I had it mostly finished yesterday, but Aoba and Nene dragged me out to dinner. So I wrapped it up right after getting in today.”

“I see.”

Kō nodded, opening the file. She and Ichin examined it together.

The rework was mainly for weapon design, and improving the texture of Aldrich’s robes and crown.

After Hifumi’s changes, the adjustments were solid.

“What do you think?” Kō asked Ichin.

“Looks good. No problems. Send it to the animation team for the next step.”

“I think so too.”

Closing the file, Kō smiled at Hifumi.

“Alright, approved. Get back to your other tasks.”

Hifumi finally breathed a sigh of relief. The game’s style didn’t really match her strengths, and this was the fifth time one of her models had been sent back. The changes were never big, just small tweaks—but it was obvious to both her and Kō that she wasn’t fully suited for this kind of dark, grotesque design.

After a bit of hesitation, Hifumi walked over, mainly addressing Ichin.

“Um, Ichin-kun, I have a request.”

Seeing her expression, Ichin chuckled.

“Let me guess—it’s about the style not fitting you?”

“…Yeah, a little.”

Hifumi lowered her head.

“I feel like I’m better at modern or fantasy styles, like Persona. This darker aesthetic, especially the twisted monster designs—I can manage, but I can’t bring out the same ease I had back then.”

Ichin had noticed this too, though he hadn’t expected her to admit it outright. Clearly, her social anxiety had improved a lot.

Rubbing his chin, Ichin said,

“I understand. But you know the company’s situation. We’ll have to finish Dark Souls before the next project. After Fall Guys launched, most of the team was shifted here—only a small group stayed for operations and post-launch content. Here’s what we’ll do: for now, hang in there. Kō can assign you to tasks that better suit your strengths. Once the new projects start, it’ll be your time to shine.”

Hifumi could take the lead on designing protagonists and humanoid villains for GARO, and she could also contribute to character designs for Tales of Berseria.

Hearing this, Hifumi smiled, thanked him, and went back to work.

---

[Genshin Impact] Chapter 610: A Way to Meet the Hydro Archon (2-in-1 Chapter)

At the entrance of the Hotel Debord, Nolan saw the twin magicians lingering outside. They looked a little surprised to see him and his companions emerge.

Are they… waiting for us? Nolan wondered silently.

“Huh? Lyney, Lynette, what are you two doing here?” Charlotte waved at them.

“Charlotte, I thought it was you! During the performance, I caught sight of a familiar figure in the crowd—didn’t expect it really was you. What a coincidence,” Lyney said with an easy shrug, adjusting his tall black hat.

Beside him, Lynette—dressed in sheer black tights and short boots—cast him a calm glance. Her soft lips parted as she added quietly:

“What he means is, he noticed you were with some very well-known adventurers, and thought he’d take the chance to make their acquaintance.”

“I knew it!” Charlotte said with her hands on her hips, as if she’d expected as much.

“Eh? Charlotte seems awfully familiar with them, huh?” Paimon blinked at Nolan and Lumine.

“I’ve interviewed them a few times. After a while, we became friends,” Charlotte explained.

“That’s right,” Lyney nodded, then turned to Nolan’s group. “You must be the famous adventurers everyone’s been talking about lately. A pleasure to meet you—I’m Lyney, and this is my sister, Lynette.”

He gestured to the quiet girl beside him.

“Hehe, nice to meet you! Paimon is Paimon, this is Lumine, and that guy’s Nolan,” Paimon introduced brightly.

“Your performance earlier was excellent,” Nolan said with a smile. Lumine nodded in agreement.

“Much appreciated,” Lyney replied politely, while Lynette only dipped her head slightly.

[Lynette Has Developed Good Feelings towards you, Obtained 300 Affection Points, Current Affection Level: Lv.3 (0/300).]

Nolan noted the system prompt. Though Lynette appeared calm, distant, and sparing with words, she clearly appreciated genuine praise. And thanks to his “Beloved by Maidens” trait, her first impression of him leaned positive.

“Well then, we still have a tour to finish. Do you two have other matters to attend to?” Charlotte asked.

“No, don’t mind us,” Lyney shook his head.

“In that case, we’ll be on our way. If you ever need to commission us, just leave a message at the Adventurers’ Guild.”

Nolan nodded. With that, the group bid farewell and walked off.

Watching their backs disappear down the street, Lyney rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Lynette gave him a sidelong glance and said calmly:

“Brother, aren’t they the Travelers ‘Father’ mentioned? Should we introduce them to him?”

“Mm. ‘Father’ did say the prophecy crisis would be difficult for the House of the Hearth to face alone—we’d need allies. And those travelers who’ve stirred nations with their deeds are exactly the ones he had in mind,” Lyney murmured.

“I didn’t expect to meet them today. But… inviting them straightaway, without preparation, to take on something that heavy—feels a bit abrupt. Especially with Father’s… identity.”

He rubbed his forehead in mild frustration.

“Mm.” Lynette nodded lightly. “Then let’s go back and tell Father first.”

“Good idea. Let him decide,” Lyney agreed without objection.

---

Fontaine, Liffey District.

Guided by Charlotte, Nolan and the others made their way from the Quartier Narbonnais District to the Liffey District, learning more about the city along the way.

“It’s getting late,” Charlotte said. “For the last stop today, why don’t we visit the Adventurers’ Guild? As adventurers, you’ll be familiar with the place.”

“Right. We can also start picking up commissions whenever we explore Fontaine,” Paimon declared, floating with arms crossed.

For adventurers, knowing where the guild was in any city was essential—without it, there’d be no way to earn money through commissions.

“Speaking of which, Charlotte,” Nolan interjected, “we’d like to meet the Hydro Archon. Do you know of any way?”

He hadn’t forgotten their main purpose in Fontaine: to work with the Archon, primarily to make use of her Oratrice Mecanique d’Analyse Cardinale.

“Well…” Charlotte’s pale face showed hesitation.

Seeing this, Lumine quickly clarified: “We’re not asking you to take us directly. Just if you know the proper channels.”

After all, Charlotte was a journalist—hardly someone with direct access to a god.

“I do know,” Charlotte nodded, then explained. “It’s actually simple: if you want to meet Lady Furina, just make an appointment at the Palais Mermonia.”

“Eh? That easy?!” Paimon exclaimed.

“It sounds simple, but I haven’t finished,” Charlotte said with a wry smile. “Because it’s easy, everyone in Fontaine wants to see Lady Furina. The number of appointments is astronomical.

“Unless it’s a special case, she receives visitors strictly in order of the queue.

“For example, I put in an appointment when I was a child. But even now, the number of people ahead of me is beyond counting.

“And Lady Furina doesn’t even meet petitioners every day. Only when she has free time—and when she feels like it—will she schedule them.

“Sigh… I may live my whole life without ever meeting her face to face, let alone interviewing her.”

Her voice carried deep regret. For any journalist, an interview with the Hydro Archon herself would be the highest honor imaginable.

“A whole lifetime and still no chance? That’s ridiculous!” Paimon said, stunned.

“Seems we can’t rely on normal methods,” Nolan sighed, rubbing his cheek.

“Well, if you just want to see Lady Furina from afar, there are ways…” Charlotte said with a small smile.

“What way?” Lumine asked curiously.

“Lady Furina has a well-known hobby,” Charlotte explained. “She never misses a single trial. Whenever there’s a hearing at the Opéra Epiclese, Lady Furina is always present.

“So if you wait until a trial is scheduled there, you’ll be able to see her.”

“…Wait, wait,” Paimon interrupted, confused. “How do the words trial and opera house even go together?”

Even with her limited education, she knew that trials were supposed to take place in a courthouse, not a theater. Opera houses were for operas!

“That’s just Fontaine’s quirk,” Lumine said with a sigh. “Didn’t we ask Ningguang about this before coming? Sounds like you were too busy eating the snacks Baixiao and the others prepared.”

Paimon shrank a little under her gaze. “Hehe…” She did vaguely recall Lumine asking Ningguang about Fontaine.

“That’s right, it really is Fontaine’s specialty.” Charlotte adjusted her monocle and continued:

“In other countries, trials are solemn events, and holding them in an opera house would be unthinkable.

“But in Fontaine, watching trials is a pastime beloved by the people, like attending an opera. Some cases are more dramatic than operas themselves, with endless twists and reversals.

“To them, it’s great entertainment.

“And while it may seem absurd, for Fontaine it’s necessary. Seeing criminals convicted and punished strengthens the people’s faith in justice.

“That faith, converted into Fonta energy, is what keeps Fontaine’s many cities running.”

“Well… each nation has its own ways. Outsiders really shouldn’t judge,” Nolan said with understanding.

“Exactly. So, as long as there’s a trial, Lady Furina will be at the Opéra Epiclese. If you want to meet her, that’s when to go,” Charlotte concluded.

Nolan found this acceptable. All he needed was to see her—then he could find a chance to appear before her directly. He had the strength for that now.

“Got it. Then Charlotte, do you know when the next trial is?” Paimon asked eagerly.

“That I don’t,” Charlotte admitted. “But whenever a trial is scheduled, the opera house posts notices a few days ahead. When that happens, I’ll let you know.”

“Alright. Just leave a message at the Adventurers’ Guild,” Lumine nodded. “We’ll be there almost every day anyway.”

In every new nation, they always traveled widely and took commissions—it was the best way to explore, and to earn mora. Not that she was short on money with her guild shares.

“No problem,” Charlotte agreed, nodding her pale chin.

Talking of the Adventurers’ Guild, the group walked on until Katheryne’s familiar figure came into view.

“Hi, Katheryne!” Paimon called brightly.

“Ad astra abyssosque! Welcome to the Adventurers' Guild.” Katheryne greeted them with a gentle smile. “It seems you already know me well from other cities. How may I assist you here?”

“Hehe, nothing for now. We just arrived in Fontaine and wanted to look around,” Paimon replied.

“I see. Then I wish you a pleasant journey through Fontaine. I’ll be here whenever you need me,” Katheryne said with a serene smile.

As it was getting late, the group chatted a little more, then left.

Paimon suggested dinner, and neither Nolan nor Lumine objected. To thank Charlotte for guiding them all day, they insisted on treating her.

Charlotte declined politely a few times, but in the end accepted, her favor rising slightly:

[Charlotte Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 300 Affection Points, Current Affection Level: Lv.5 (360/500).]

After dinner, Nolan and his companions bid Charlotte farewell and returned to the Fairyland Wonderland Space.

It had been a long day. Lumine and Paimon, exhausted, went to bathe and rest.

Nolan, however, still had work to do—namely, farming EXP on the gray planet. He wondered how much the swarms had multiplied in a single day of “breeding.”

With curiosity, he opened a portal and stepped through.

Like walking into another room, he emerged on the distant gray planet.

It wasn’t large. Gravity was about a third of Teyvat’s, with no oxygen or sunlight—no star nearby, only cosmic radiation.

Of course, that posed no problem for him.

By activating Noelle’s favor skill, Wholehearted Guardian Shield, he could block radiation and other hazards perfectly. Even though his own body could endure it, there was no need to expose himself unnecessarily.

Shield active, he hovered a hundred meters above the ground and swept the land with his spiritual sense.

What he found surprised him. Despite yesterday’s heavy culling, the swarms had not only recovered but multiplied further.

This “breeding” power… truly outrageous. These Stingers really can spawn endlessly!

He grew intrigued. Could any natural species truly reproduce so fast? Given food, they simply ate and spawned without end. On a living world, such creatures would mean catastrophe.

Fortunately, the gray planet was lifeless. Yesterday, while purging the swarms with his Lumine's Sword Gods, he’d confirmed there was no native life to be endangered.

And because it was uninhabited, Nolan decided to try a new method today.

A bow appeared in his hand—the old hunting bow once gifted by Draff. He stroked its string fondly, then drew upon Cryo energy to conjure an arrow of pure frost.

But he had no intention of clearing swarms slowly with arrows. Instead, he willed Amber’s affection skill into being, and a Baron Bunny appeared.

At level 109, with Amber now at level 93, the summoned Baron Bunny’s explosion packed the force of over 2.02 megatons of fiery destruction.

One bunny could devastate a radius of seven or eight square kilometers—far more efficient than sending Lumine's Sword Gods to carve through the bugs one by one.

(T/N: Go Go Mega Baron Bunny!)

(End of Chapter)

[HP] Chapter 181-182

Chapter 181: This Woman Really Holds a Grudge

Lockhart only provided a measly 200 Trick Points—less than what a few minor wizards could give.

Utterly disgraceful.

But compared to the extra reward he handed out, those points weren’t even worth mentioning.

The bonus was truly delicious: a legendary-level Memory Charm!

“This basically means I can do whatever I want now. Hypnotizing the whole school or something… cough cough! No, no, don’t go down that path!”

Louis stroked his chin, quite pleased with this unexpected windfall.

This time, it had been a rather complex fraud.

He had borrowed Mage Hand to use his teleportation ring and stuffed all those Cornish pixies inside.

To keep them from keeling over inside the storage space for various reasons, Louis even topped them up with a burst of Dog Talisman power.

Afterward, he released the pixies right out of Lockhart’s “Four-Six-Three” notes, used illusions to enrage them, and neatly redirected all their fury onto Lockhart.

It sounded simple, but in practice it took quite a bit of effort. Still, the results were worth it.

“What on earth just happened? That was amazing! How did those Cornish pixies just vanish—and then pop out again?”

Leaving the classroom, Ron looked positively delighted as he watched Lockhart being carried away on a stretcher.

Harry, however, had a different reaction. He hadn’t seen anything specific, but his instincts told him that such a miraculous stunt had Louis’s fingerprints all over it.

He had no proof, though—and Louis clearly had no intention of admitting anything.

And so the last class of the day ended abruptly. Fortunately, there were no major losses—apart from the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor’s handsome face, which would take several days to recover.

Sure enough, that evening as everyone gathered in the Great Hall for dinner, the prefects from each house came around to announce that Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons would be self-study for the next few days.

Although a certain Potions Master was itching to swoop in as substitute, his own workload left him no such time.

Unless he resorted to a Time-Turner—but such large-scale public use clearly violated its rules.

So, self-study it was.

The moment the news spread, groans filled the hall. The girls in particular were devastated—their idol had managed to land himself in the hospital wing on his very first day. And apparently, quite badly too.

“That’s rubbish. His injuries aren’t that serious. Madam Pomfrey could’ve patched him up in no time,” Ron scoffed.

Harry nodded, then added slyly, “But I suppose Lockhart will still need some time to repair his thick skin.”

It was obvious Harry wasn’t talking about the skin on Lockhart’s face.

“Well said,” Ron agreed with a grin.

Over at the Slytherin table, Cassandra—who seemed to have taken up permanent residence at Louis’s side—turned to him.

“What exactly happened in class?” she asked.

“I’d rather not say.” Louis shot her a sidelong glance. “What, are you a Lockhart fangirl too?”

“Fangirl? Hardly. His books are entertaining, yes, but far too flashy. Still, I can understand it. A petty clown trying to dress up his tiny discoveries with theatrics.”

Her sharp tongue caught Louis by surprise.

“You think those words count as elegant?” he asked dryly.

“Elegant?” Cassandra gave him a dazzling smile—one that left Blaise Zabini, sitting nearby, utterly spellbound.

“Let’s hope you can be just as elegant when you’re talking to your little girlfriend.”

Louis felt a chill run down his spine. He jerked his head around and found Hermione staring at him with a blank expression, her knife and fork viciously sawing a German sausage on her plate. The method was brutal.

Poor sausage… just put it out of its misery!

The murderous aura rolling off her made Louis break into a cold sweat.

That woman had set him up!

His lips twitched. Staring straight down at his own plate, he muttered quietly, “You really hold a grudge, huh? Just because I wouldn’t tell you what happened in class?”

“I never said that.” Cassandra cheerfully dabbed her mouth with a napkin—her dinner consisting of just a small slice of bacon and a few vegetables. “Enjoy your meal.”

With that, she rose gracefully and left, stealing the gaze of half the boys in the hall along with her.

That girl…

Louis glanced at Hermione. Seeing she was about to leave too, he quickly finished his own dinner and hurried after her.

…………

Thankfully, Hermione wasn’t the unreasonable type. She had only been momentarily dazzled by Cassandra’s smile and felt a twinge of worry.

With a little reassurance from Louis, that worry was soothed, and no real conflict broke out.

Still—Cassandra’s intentions were vile. Absolutely despicable.

But Louis couldn’t do anything about her.

He, Louis Wilson, had always walked the line straight and narrow: doing every wicked deed possible and yet never punished—because he still had principles.

And bullying a girl? That crossed the line. Too vile, not something he could do.

A week slipped by quietly, and soon it was the weekend—time for Quidditch team practice.

“So, Gryffindor’s training now. But the two of us? One Slytherin, one Ravenclaw. What are we going there for? We’ll just be treated like spies and kicked out.”

Louis looked at Hermione after she suggested they go watch.

“There’s really such a rule?” Hermione blinked in confusion. “Isn’t it just flying on broomsticks? There are strategies to that?”

“Of course there are…” Louis might not like Quidditch, but he knew at least some basics. After all, he’d read Quidditch Through the Ages.

But before he could finish explaining, a pair of twins suddenly popped up and grabbed him by the arms.

“No need to worry! If you want to watch Quidditch practice, go ahead.” Fred winked at Hermione. “Right now Slytherin’s hogging the pitch, and trust me, they don’t care who’s watching.”

“Yeah, it’s not like they’ve got any plans. Just a pack of thugs,” George added.

“As payment—” Fred grinned. “We’re borrowing your boyfriend for a bit.”

But before they could even take two steps, Louis hoisted both of them up with ease.

“And just what are you two planning to do?” he asked suspiciously.

The twins might have been two years older, but Louis was already taller. Picking them up was child’s play.

“We want to show you our technical breakthrough!” they said excitedly, unfazed by being dangled in the air.

“Technical breakthrough?” Louis’s eyes lit up.

Could it be… a breakthrough with their Transforming Canary Cream?

Had they finally developed a product that could trigger full transformations?

---/---

Chapter 182: The Queen’s Aura

The original date plans seemed to be going up in smoke.

Louis was far too curious about the “technical breakthrough” the twins had mentioned—after all, it directly concerned his plan to replicate their Transfiguration Candy.

“Sorry, Hermione…” Louis told her. “I’ve got to take care of something. You’ll have to go watch Quidditch practice on your own.”

“That’s fine, go on.” Hermione was gracious about it. After all, she sometimes did the same—when inspiration struck, she would throw herself completely into her studies.

Louis was dragged away, but Hermione’s interest didn’t fade. She still wanted to see how Slytherin trained.

So she went to the Quidditch pitch alone, intending to watch from the sidelines.

From what the twins had said, there should be plenty of spectators around. If others could watch, why not her?

Sure enough, when she arrived at the pitch, there were already quite a few onlookers.

Besides a number of Slytherins, students from other houses had also gathered, including some Quidditch players trying to spy. Not that the Slytherin team cared in the slightest.

After all, their edge was in sheer hardware.

Nimbus 2001s. Every single one of them. Which house in Hogwarts could possibly compare?

Let the others seethe with envy!

A few Gryffindor players were there too, standing stiffly as they stared at the gleaming new brooms, jealousy practically written across their faces.

Hermione found a spot and sat down, looking up at the Slytherin players zipping aimlessly through the air. She frowned slightly.

What is that supposed to be? No system, no coordination—it looked more like they were just showing off their new brooms.

That made Hermione worry for her own house’s team. Ravenclaw’s Seeker was her friend Cho Chang, after all.

And these new brooms were far faster than the Cleansweep series used by the other houses.

“Mind if I sit here?” A voice rang out, slightly familiar.

Hermione turned and saw Cassandra, shading herself with a pointed witch’s hat.

Every time Hermione saw Cassandra, she couldn’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy. The girl exuded an innate sense of hauteur, and her wizard-like attire only added to the aura of mystery.

Her friend Padma had warned her more than once to be careful around that girl.

Still, Hermione wasn’t the type to be rude without reason. Smiling, she said, “Of course, go ahead.”

“Thank you.” Cassandra removed her hat, setting it aside. She smoothed her hair with an elegant motion, golden waves cascading softly over her shoulders.

Hermione’s envy spiked again. “Your hair looks amazing,” she admitted, eyes full of admiration.

Her own bushy curls always stuck up like a lion’s mane. Every morning, it took ages to tame them into something manageable.

“My hair, hm?” Cassandra looked very pleased at the topic, especially with Hermione’s admiring gaze.

“It’s not bad, though sometimes I use Sleekeazy’s Hair Potion—it makes it much smoother.” She reached out and touched Hermione’s curls, then shook her head. “Yours are so dry. Like straw. Careful, or you’ll end up losing it.”

Her tone was as lofty and sharp as ever, but then she added, almost casually, “I still have a few unopened bottles. I’ll give you one sometime.”

“Really? That’d be great!”

And just like that, once the conversation turned to girl talk, the two of them grew lively. Within minutes, the tension was gone, and they were chatting happily together.

As the two girls chatted pleasantly, the Slytherins on their brooms couldn’t resist circling them, or else diving down at full speed right over their heads.

“Let’s move somewhere else,” Hermione muttered, annoyed at the interruptions. “They don’t even look like they’re training for Quidditch, just showing off their brooms.”

Cassandra was about to agree when a mocking, drawling voice rang out.

“Well, well. A Ravenclaw Mudblood who thinks she’s too good for the Slytherin Quidditch team!”

Draco Malfoy, astride his Nimbus 2001 and flaunting it like a sports car, pulled up right in front of Hermione and Cassandra.

He glared venomously at Hermione. “You filthy Mudblood—what do you know about Quidditch?”

Soaring through the air on his new broom, Draco felt a rush of heady pride. It made him think Harry Potter wasn’t so great after all; once the real matches began, he was certain he could leave Potter far behind.

In his eyes, Louis’s earlier warnings meant nothing—just pointless stabs at him. His simmering dissatisfaction boiled over, and Hermione’s offhand remark had been the spark.

And of course, this was the perfect chance to show off in front of Cassandra.

Smug, Draco failed to notice the slight furrow in Cassandra’s brows.

“What do you mean by that, Malfoy?” Hermione’s hand darted to her wand. She remembered clearly what Louis had told her: if anyone ever called her “Mudblood,” she was free to retaliate with magic—no need to hold back.

And that was exactly what she intended to do.

But Draco, oblivious to how close he was to a hex, carried on, puffed up with self-satisfaction.

“I said you’re a Mudblood. What, you think clinging to Wilson makes you something else? No way, not a chance. What, going to run crying to him?”

He was crafty enough to jab where it hurt—trying to stop Hermione from tattling to Louis by goading her instead.

The rest of the Slytherin team hovered closer, their faces full of malice.

From the stands, the Gryffindor players—who had been scowling enviously at the new brooms—immediately stepped forward, ready to close ranks. Compared to Slytherin, the other houses stood together. Backing up a friend was only natural.

The tension built.

Hermione glared at Draco, her voice cold.

“I won’t tell Louis. But…”

She drew her wand, preparing to silence him on the spot—when Cassandra moved first.

Smack!

A white glove struck Draco Malfoy square across the face.

Cassandra stood tall, almond-shaped eyes blazing, one pale, slender hand still frozen in the motion of throwing.

“Pick it up!” she commanded, her voice like steel. “Do you need me to teach you what pure-blood pride really means, Malfoy?”

The queenly aura she radiated froze the crowd in awe. Even Ron, watching nearby, couldn’t help blurting out, “She’s amazing!”

“You… what did you say?”

The sudden blow left Draco reeling. He stared blankly at the glove lying on the ground, utterly at a loss.

“Hmph. Disrespecting women—is that what passes for Malfoy family pride?” Cassandra tilted her chin high, her tone imperious. “Pick it up. I think it’s time I taught you what honor really means.”

---/---

[Game] Chapter 461: Can’t You Learn From Your Sister?

With the clay pot covered, the braised pork only needed a little more simmering before it was ready. The pork rib and winter melon soup was about done too, so Ichin turned to preparing the two vegetable dishes—or rather, one purely vegetarian and one mixed with meat.

Just as he finished washing the pan and added oil, the kitchen door opened again.

He turned his head and, sure enough, it was Haruno again. Only this time, her hairstyle looked wild—like the kind of bedhead one woke up with after a rough night’s sleep.

Seeing her like this, Ichin chuckled.

“Really now? You went and bragged about that kiss? You really think Utaha doesn’t mind?”

“Hehe, you heard that?” Haruno grinned. “Don’t worry, Utaha wasn’t angry.”

“Then what are you here for?”

“Hehehe~”

Seeing her mischievous smile, Ichin instinctively shuffled a step aside—creepy.

After quickly fixing her hair, Haruno tugged on his arm.

“Ichin, can you make me a bento tomorrow?”

“Huh?”

Ichin blinked in surprise.

“Doesn’t your company have a cafeteria? Can’t you just eat there?”

“I’m sick of it!” Haruno declared. “The cafeteria only rotates through the same few dishes. When they try to make Chinese food, it’s a poor imitation—honestly, better not at all. As for the restaurants around the office? I’ve eaten at all of them already. I can’t stand them anymore!”

“I see… so moving in next door really did have a lot of motives.”

Scratching his head, Ichin switched off the stove, then pulled Haruno out of the kitchen. Looking over at Utaha and Yukino, he said:

“Utaha, Yukino, Haruno wants a bento. What are you two planning for lunch tomorrow? If you want bentos, I’ll make them all at once in the morning. I’m not going to make just one for her—it’d be too much trouble.”

Utaha smirked at Haruno.

“See? I told you, Ichin wouldn’t make you a solo bento.”

Haruno pouted, though not too seriously.

“Fine, as long as there’s a bento, I’m happy.”

Then Utaha smiled at Ichin.

“Ichin, we’ll trouble you then! Yukino and I were planning to go to the city library tomorrow morning for some research, so you can just bring the bentos to the office. We’ll meet you there at noon.”

“Alright, it’s settled then.”

Seeing Yukino hesitating, Ichin reassured her.

“Come on, it’s just a bento. Don’t refuse. If I’m making one, I might as well make enough for everyone.”

Before heading back into the kitchen, Ichin rolled his eyes at Haruno.

“Seriously, can’t you learn from your sister? Being thick-skinned isn’t something to be proud of.”

Haruno stuck out her tongue at him, then plopped herself on the sofa to watch dramas with Utaha and Yukino.

Dinner was three dishes and a soup, enough to fill the four of them comfortably. Even the two cats got some scraps—chicken breast mixed with broth and kibble—after which they sprawled on the floor, stuffed.

Patting her stomach, Haruno leaned back on the sofa with a satisfied smile.

“Not bad at all. That braised pork was amazing. I think my taste buds are shifting toward Chinese food. Haven’t touched miso soup in days.”

Miso soup was nice, sure, but compared to the rich soups she had at Ichin’s or his mother’s, Haruno had no contest—she’d choose the latter every time.

Yukino nodded silently in agreement, then started counting on her fingers. She’d had three pieces of braised pork and quite a few ribs. That meant at least an extra half-hour of Ring Fit tonight.

Ichin, chewing on a toothpick, was also lost in the daze that came with being overly full.

Without realizing it, his cooking had improved a lot. He had originally just wanted to learn a few dishes so he wouldn’t be stuck eating takeout while living alone. But years later, with the household situation having changed so drastically, he had also picked up most of his mother’s recipes that she had developed over more than a decade.

It wasn’t a bad feeling at all. Being a foodie himself, he genuinely enjoyed making delicious meals and sharing them with those around him. It was just like making games that players loved—it gave him the same kind of joy.

Since she had eaten a lot in Shanghai, Utaha was more restrained this evening and ended up being the only one not completely stuffed.

She brewed some tea and brought it over with a smile.

“Drink some to help digest. Oh right, Ichin, will you have enough ingredients for tomorrow’s bentos?”

“Don’t worry.”

Ichin waved her concern aside.

“There’s still some meat in the fridge. I’ll go buy fresh ingredients in the morning, maybe some fish too. Actually, now that I think of it—I kind of want seafood. If there’s fresh squid, how about I stir-fry some tomorrow? Spicy dishes are perfect in summer—they really whet the appetite.”

The three girls all nodded in unison. Seafood was always welcome.

After resting an hour, Yukino drove back to her apartment to look after her own cats.

Haruno, of course, had no intention of heading back so early. She stayed at Ichin’s, linking arms with Utaha as the two of them watched an evening idol drama, tossing out commentary as they went.

Ichin wasn’t interested in that, so he retreated to his room to continue working on the unfinished Tales of Berseria project plan, while also sketching out ideas for the combat system.

The next morning, since he had to prepare bentos, Ichin set his alarm for 6:30 and went to bed early at 11. Early to bed, early to rise.

The alarm woke Utaha, who blinked at Ichin already out of bed. Pulling the blanket over her head, she mumbled,

“Ichin, it’s so early…”

She and Haruno had stayed up past midnight watching TV, and by the time she washed up and got back to bed it was nearly one. She definitely hadn’t had enough sleep.

Ichin gently ruffled her hair.

“Keep sleeping. I’ll go do some exercise, then buy groceries. What do you want for breakfast?”

Hiding under the blanket, Utaha stayed quiet for a few seconds before replying,

“Anything’s fine, just save me a little.”

“Alright, I’ll make you a sandwich. You can grab the milk yourself when you wake up.”

With that, he left the room—morning workout, wash up, buy breakfast, finish it, then prep the bentos. By the time he was done, it was almost nine.

Calling Yukino to confirm she was up and on her way, Ichin packed several bentos into two bags, then stepped out and rang the doorbell of Haruno’s apartment next door.

---

[Genshin Impact] Chapter 609: Magic (2-in-1 Chapter)

Fontaine, Hotel Debord.

After finishing the interview, it was already noon by the time Charlotte led Nolan and his companions to the restaurant, intending to treat them as thanks for the exclusive.

The interior of the Hotel Debord was spacious. At its center was a wide open floor, with dining tables arranged along the walls and at the back.

Looking up, one could see the second floor. Likewise, diners upstairs could look down—the middle section of the upper floor was open to provide a full view.

“That signboard outside mentioned a magic show, right? Paimon bet it’s going to happen in that open space,” Paimon guessed, pointing.

“That’s right,” Charlotte confirmed with a nod, her monocle catching the light. “The restaurant was designed specifically so that diners on both levels could watch performances from anywhere.”

A waitress approached, smiling warmly.

“Welcome to the Hotel Debord. Please, this way.”

She led them to a vacant table, set menus before them, and added:

“Here are your menus. Please take your time—if you’re ready to order, just signal me.”

Then she stepped back about five or six meters, standing attentively in a spot clearly chosen for servers to wait discreetly, ready to respond at once.

As expected from a high-class restaurant with live performances, the service was refined. Guests were given space to choose without pressure.

Charlotte pulled out a chair, sat down, and handed the menu to Paimon with a smile.

“Order whatever you like. Don’t hold back.”

“Hehe, then Paimon won’t!” Paimon’s eyes lit up as she eagerly scanned the menu.

“Duck confit, Fontaine foie gras, harbor tripe, cream of mushroom soup, rainbow macarons—oh, Paimon want to eat everything!”

Drooling over the illustrations, she looked ready to order the entire spread.

“If you want them all, then let’s order them all,” Charlotte laughed, resting her chin in her hand. “There are four of us, so it won’t go to waste.”

“Mhm!” Paimon nodded, then glanced at Lumine and Nolan. “What about you two?”

“Anything is fine. What you’ve picked already is plenty,” Lumine answered calmly, sitting with poise.

Nolan nodded in agreement.

With the decisions made, Charlotte waved the waitress back and placed the order.

Just then, the clock on the wall chimed with a crisp bird-like sound. Nolan glanced at it—it was exactly noon.

Suddenly, the restaurant’s lights dimmed. Guests murmured in confusion. Thensnap!—a sharp finger snap echoed through the hall.

All eyes turned instinctively toward the sound—at the center of the hall.

And there, where moments ago the floor had been empty, two figures now stood under a bright spotlight.

Both wore tall black top hats. Their ash-golden hair made them look like siblings.

The girl at the boy’s side, however, drew more startled looks: dressed in a black leather dress with a plunging neckline, sheer black tights, and short boots, she bore a long, gray-brown cat’s tail swaying behind her.

A tail? Could she be of the same race as Diona? Nolan thought, noting how lifelike it appeared. He refrained from probing with spiritual sense—it would be impolite toward strangers and might be mistaken for something sinister.

“Good afternoon, everyone! We’re so happy to be back performing at the Hotel Debord. I am the magician, Lyney.”

The young man, dressed in black, tipped his hat with a flourish.

“And I am his assistant, Lynette.”

The girl removed her hat as well, her voice cool and reserved. Sure enough, a pair of catlike ears—ash-golden like her hair—trembled atop her head, fuzzy and adorable.

“Ah, I saw the signboard outside about a magic show—I knew it had to be them!” a guest on the upper floor exclaimed.

With their sudden appearance, chatter rippled through both floors. Many were thrilled at the chance to witness their act.

“So they’ll be doing today’s performance? Judging by the crowd’s reaction, are they famous in Fontaine?” Paimon asked Charlotte curiously.

As a seasoned reporter, Charlotte knew them well. She smiled and explained:

“Lyney and Lynette are among Fontaine’s finest magicians. Every performance amazes the audience, and they always unveil new tricks—never the same routine twice. That’s why they’re some of the most renowned magicians in Fontaine.”

“W-whoa, that amazing?!” Paimon, who had never seen a magic show before, perked up with interest.

Nolan and Lumine, hearing Charlotte’s high praise, also looked forward to what these two could do.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Lyney’s voice carried smoothly through the hall, “to enjoy a magic show, it’s best to dine leisurely while watching.

“But since dishes are served in order, some tables already have food while others are still waiting. Those without anything to nibble can’t experience the full delight of eating while watching.”

He tipped his hat back on. “So before the show begins, Lynette and I will serve you all a cup of coffee. Sipping coffee while watching magic—surely that will do as well.”

He rubbed his hands together, and when he opened them, a playing card appeared between his fingers. A coffee cup was drawn on its face.

“Oh? Is he going to pull coffee out of a card?” Paimon whispered in wonder.

“Maybe. I don’t know how he’ll do it,” Charlotte murmured back.

Lumine glanced at them and gently shushed, “Paimon, you have to stay quiet during performances. You’ll disturb the other guests.”

Realizing her mistake, Paimon quickly covered her mouth.

“Now then, everyone, don’t blink,” Lyney said with a smile, raising the card.

Nolan watched intently as the magician directed all attention to the card in his hand.

He pinched at the little handle drawn on the coffee cup in the card’s image, and to everyone’s astonishment, the picture actually moved as if being tugged out of the card!

The crowd gasped.

Paimon’s eyes went wide—she had never seen anything like it. A printed picture, pulled out by hand? Did this magician have some mysterious power in his fingers?

Nolan, however, with his sharp eyes and ears, didn’t need spiritual sense to spot the trick.

The hand pinching the “handle” was indeed doing nothing suspicious.

But at the cuff of the hand holding the card, he noticed something: a near-invisible filament, finer than a strand of hair, was attached to the side of the card, pulling out the “cup” image bit by bit.

The principle was simple—the card was hollow, and the coffee cup was actually a thin, separate insert that could slide out smoothly without wrinkling.

Ordinary eyesight wouldn’t catch it. Only people like him and Lumine, with sharper senses, could spot it at a glance.

Seems I’m not cut out for magic shows, Nolan mused.

Everyone knew stage magic wasn’t real. If true supernatural powers were used to perform a “real” miracle, people would actually lose interest.

The appeal lay in watching a magician, without any divine power, pull off the impossible in plain sight—knowing it was fake, yet still being astonished.

If someone flaunted a Vision and conjured flames between their palms, it wouldn’t impress anyone—it would be expected.

So now, with his keen perception, watching the tricks felt less like wonder and more like watching a practiced swindle.

Still, Lyney continued with flair. As he pulled the cup free, the flat image turned into a real coffee cup, drawing gasps of delight from the crowd.

But again, Nolan noticed the method: the small insert was palmed, and with a deft distraction, Lyney unfolded a collapsible paper cup hidden in his sleeve.

Simple enough.

Lyney handed the cup to his assistant, Lynette, and conjured another card—this one showing coffee beans.

While attention was on him, Lynette smoothly switched the paper cup for a real one.

Lyney showed the cup empty, then placed the “coffee bean” card over its rim. With a shake, the printed beans seemed to tumble out—and in the next instant, the cup filled with steaming coffee.

The audience erupted in astonishment.

Nolan saw through it again: Lynette had swapped in a gimmicked cup, one with a false bottom disguised by a card. The paper “beans” merely provided a cue, while the hidden mechanism released liquid, giving the illusion of coffee appearing out of nowhere.

“And one cup isn’t enough for everyone, is it?” Lyney smiled, draping a black cloth over the cup. “So let’s share it among all your tables.”

“Please, watch the cups on your tables,” Lynette announced.

Indeed, every table already had cups set out along with cutlery.

As the diners looked, dark liquid began to rise within each one, filling them to the brim.

“Wha—? Is there some kind of switch underneath?” Paimon exclaimed, lifting her cup. But the tabletop was solid, no holes or channels in sight.

“I know there must be some mechanism, but I can’t see a thing. I’m curious too!” Charlotte admitted, inspecting her cup and the table beneath without finding anything.

Visually, it was flawless. Yet Nolan’s sharp hearing picked up faint gears turning beneath the floor.

Ah. So it’s the tables, he thought.

Extending a touch of spiritual sense, he confirmed it: a narrow pipe from beneath delivered coffee straight into the cup. A clever valve system prevented spillage or backflow.

The trick required careful pre-arrangement—the cups had to remain exactly in place for the mechanism to work.

Still, it was a successful illusion. The crowd broke into loud applause for the twin magicians.

“Thank you all! And now, let the main performance begin,” Lyney said with a bow, Lynette mirroring him.

Just then, the dishes Nolan’s group had ordered began arriving, rich aromas filling the air. They settled into a pleasant rhythm of dining while enjoying the show.

About half an hour later, the magic performance came to an end, just as their meal did.

After a brief rest and settling the bill, Charlotte led them back outside to continue exploring the Court of Fontaine.

At the restaurant’s doors, they spotted the magicians Lyney and Lynette again, now standing by the roadside as if waiting for someone.

Their eyes lit up slightly when they noticed Nolan and the others emerging.

(End of Chapter)

[Game] Chapter 459-460

Chapter 459: The Script of Tales of Berseria

At around three-thirty in the afternoon, Utaha and Yukino finally arrived at the company.

Of course, afternoon tea time at the company was already over, but the two had bought iced milk tea on the way, so there was nothing to worry about.

Since both Utaha and Yukino were fond of Fall Guys, the first thing they did after arriving was head over to the Fall Guys development team. After checking out the new skins under development, they came to Ichin’s office.

Seeing Ichin working hard in front of his computer, Utaha walked over with a smile, stood behind him, and gently kneaded his shoulders.

“Ichin, don’t tell me you’ve been working the whole day?”

“Pretty much. I just had something to eat and rested a little.”

Without stopping his hands, Ichin chuckled. “By the way, Hazuki brought me two slices of cake earlier. I already ate one, so you and Yukino should share this cheesecake. If it’s not enough, I’ll have someone bring in another piece.”

“Cake, huh. Just perfect—we only bought milk tea and didn’t grab any snacks.”

Picking up the cake, Utaha said cheerfully, “But one slice between the two of us is fine. Milk tea already has plenty of calories.”

She then sat down on the office sofa with Yukino, and together they polished off the cheesecake.

Watching Utaha sip her milk tea after the cake, Ichin thought for a moment and asked,

“Utaha, would you be interested in writing another script for one of our games?”

“Oh? You’re calling on me again?”

Putting down her milk tea, Utaha’s interest was piqued. “So, what kind of game is it this time?”

“Tales of Berseria. I mentioned it to you before.”

“Oh right, the one from the heroine’s perspective? A revenge-themed story?”

After recalling, Utaha reached out her hand.

“Do you have the world setting, an outline of the plot, and character drafts? Let me see them first.”

“Yeah, I’ve already written most of that part.”

Ichin printed out the document from his computer and handed it to her.

“It’s not in its final form yet, but it should give you a clear idea of what the game is about.”

Taking the material, Utaha began reading.

This time, the game was set in a fantasy world of swords and sorcery—completely different from the novels she usually wrote, or even the Persona story she had previously worked on.

Accepting this task would be a brand-new challenge for her.

But Utaha never feared challenges. By the time she took the documents from Ichin, she had basically already decided to accept.

Yukino, sipping her milk tea, also curiously leaned in to read along.

Although Ichin was a science student, Yukino knew he was also very talented in creative work. Whether it was building world settings for games or giving Utaha advice for her novels, he was always impressive.

She herself read plenty of novels, but all she could really do was offer critiques—pointing out strengths or weaknesses. She could probably make a good editor if she ever abandoned law in the future. But to become a creator like Utaha or Ichin? That wasn’t realistic for her.

Half an hour later, both Utaha and Yukino had finished going through the documents.

Utaha set the papers down, her eyes sparkling with a creative fire.

“Ichin, I’ll take this script. I’ll write you a main story you’ll be satisfied with!”

Seeing her willingness to take it on, Ichin felt relieved.

He could write it himself if needed, but Utaha’s delicate prose was leagues ahead of his. And with the protagonist being Velvet, it was far more fitting for a female writer like Utaha to capture her perspective.

“Alright, once I refine the project proposal a bit more, we can discuss the details of the main story. But before that, make sure you handle your own novel properly. I don’t want Sonoko coming after me for stealing your writing time.”

Utaha smiled and nodded. “Don’t worry, I’ll manage.”

At this point, Yukino picked up the document on the coffee table and flipped through it again before looking at Ichin.

“So, about the game’s ending—you don’t plan to write one?”

“I’ve thought about the ending,” Ichin said with his arms folded. “But after weighing it all, I decided this conclusion works best. After all, this character was created solely for revenge. Nothing can stop her, and she has no room left in her heart for other emotions. For a character like that, what would count as a good ending? Meeting someone she loves, completing her revenge, and then living peacefully ever after? That wouldn’t really fit, would it?”

Yukino furrowed her brows, thought for a while, then sighed and nodded.

“True. Since you’ve already set the tone for the character, this ending may indeed be the best. So after Tales of Berseria, do you plan to make a sequel?”

“A sequel? Not for now.”

Ichin tapped his chin. “But I am considering building on this battle system to create more Tales titles in the future. The sword-and-sorcery setting is versatile, with a lot of room to expand. Even if it’s not a direct sequel, I could write a prequel set hundreds or thousands of years earlier, or a story set centuries later, or even tales from another world within the same universe.”

As long as the scripts were solid, the system could be reused for a long time. Making three to five games with it would be no problem at all.

Ichin had already planned the company’s future teams: one focusing on small to mid-sized boutique games, one on Souls-like titles, one on the Tales series and other RPGs, and finally, the Titanfall/Apex group—which, besides developing new titles, also had to run Apex’s online service.

But if the studio was to split into four groups, more recruitment would be necessary.

Hearing Ichin’s vision for the Tales series gave Utaha new ideas.

“Ichin, in that case, this could totally become a full-fledged IP. Have you considered expanding into anime, light novels, or manga as well?”

“Of course.”

Ichin snapped his fingers. “That’s all in the plan. Since I intend to make the character designs top-tier, it’d be a shame not to expand. Anime and manga, sure. As for light novels, that’ll need more thought. I won’t dump that work on you, Utaha, and I don’t trust just anyone else with it either.”

For anime, they could continue discussions with Kyoto Animation, or if they were unavailable, ufotable and similar studios were also possible options.

For manga, there were plenty of mangaka under Fushikawa’s label to choose from.

In short, there were countless possibilities to explore.

---

Chapter 460: Is This Game Training Masochist Players?

Ichin didn’t need to share this whole string of ideas with the rest of the company just yet. After all, the Dark Souls project still wasn’t finished. No matter how much they sped things up, the earliest release date would be around February or March next year.

After briefly discussing some details of Tales of Berseria with Ichin, Utaha pulled Yukino away, not wanting to disturb his work in the office.

Once outside, Utaha headed straight for the Fall Guys development team again. Tales of Berseria wasn’t at the point where her script was needed yet, so she figured she might as well spend more time with the team brainstorming new skin designs.

Yukino, on the other hand, walked over to the art department and sat down beside Eriri.

At the moment, Eriri hadn’t noticed Yukino’s arrival. She was frowning intently as she worked on modifying the model of a pitch-black monster that looked as though it had been coated in oil.

Just one glance at the model made Yukino frown.

“Eriri, is that also a monster from Dark Souls?”

Only then did Eriri realize Yukino was sitting next to her. She glanced over and nodded.

“Yeah, it’s one of the Dark Souls monsters. I’m reworking it right now. The first version didn’t meet Ichin’s standards, so he gave me some notes. I’m making the changes now.”

As she spoke, Eriri added a glossy sheen to the monster’s black surface, making it look even more repulsive.

“Ugly, isn’t it?”

Yukino still frowned.

“Mhm, it really is unpleasant. I don’t know much about Dark Souls. Are there a lot of monsters like this?”

“There are plenty. Hardly any of them are beautiful designs. This game leans heavily into dark aesthetics. A lot of monsters are downright nightmare fuel. The one I’m revising now is actually one of the tamer ones—it’s mainly just twisted limbs and disgusting color tones.”

“What’s this monster called?”

“Pus of Man,” Eriri explained. “According to Ichin, it’s basically the result of being corrupted by abyssal power in the Dark Souls setting. The body turns into this thing, like it’s wrapped in tar. In the game, it doesn’t appear often, but it’s strong. Its weakness is fire. Honestly, this one’s not too bad. Hey, Yun, show Yukino the Basilisk, will you?”

“Hm?”

Hearing Eriri, Yun Iijima smiled and nodded.

“Sure, I’ll send you the picture.”

She forwarded an image, which Eriri opened on her computer.

Yukino found herself staring at a frog-like creature with grotesquely oversized eyes. Just a couple of glances made her feel deeply uncomfortable.

Eriri closed the image after a few seconds and returned to her work.

“To be honest, I don’t like looking at these monsters either. But the game’s type makes it addicting. Once development is done, I’m definitely going to play through it. Sigh, what a sin. Yukino, do you want to try it with me? It has co-op!”

Yukino shook her head immediately.

“No thanks. Just seeing these monsters kills any desire I might have had. I’d rather play The Binding of Isaac. Compared to this, Isaac’s art style looks almost cute.”

“That one’s 2D pixel art, so of course it feels different.”

Eriri shrugged, still tweaking the monster model.

“Not playing might be for the best. One of Dark Souls’ maps was designed personally by Ichin—it’s full of malice. That Basilisk you just saw shows up there, along with huge poison swamps. Just stepping in them builds up poison. Running and rolling are all affected. It’ll definitely disgust a lot of players. Who knows what’s going on in his head, always trying to torment players.”

Although Eriri said that, the look on her face made Yukino feel like she enjoyed that kind of player-trolling design.

Recalling the company’s previous playtests, Yukino couldn’t help but think: once this game releases, just how many masochistic players are going to be trained?

After watching for a while, Yukino decided not to bother Eriri anymore. She found a quiet spot and began reading a book.

As the time drew close to six o’clock, Ichin finally finished his work, shut down his computer, and left his office.

After gathering Utaha and Yukino and bidding the others farewell, they left for the day.

In the elevator, Ichin turned to Yukino.

“Yukino, Haruno is coming over for dinner. You want to join?”

“I knew it…”

Yukino finally confirmed her sister’s true motive for moving in next door—to freeload meals!

Thinking it over, she nodded.

“Alright. I’ll impose then.”

Since they still had plenty of ingredients left from yesterday, there was no need for a supermarket run. They drove home in two cars.

While Yukino and Utaha played with the cats in the living room, Ichin headed into the kitchen to prepare dinner.

Cradling the increasingly plump Peppa in her arms, Yukino glanced toward the kitchen.

“Shouldn’t we go help? He’s been working all day.”

“No need. If Ichin needs help, he’ll say so.”

Utaha, feeding George a small treat, smiled.

“He invited you to eat, not to cook. It’d be ridiculous to have you in the kitchen. I’ll check on him later. If he’s struggling, I’ll lend a hand.”

Yukino nodded. Her attention was soon stolen by Peppa, who was stretching its head longingly toward George’s snack.

By six-thirty, Haruno had also returned from work.

After putting her things away and changing into casual clothes, she came next door.

“I’m home~!”

She greeted Utaha and Yukino in the living room, then slipped into the kitchen.

There she found Ichin focused on cooking. Looking into a bowl of blanched pork belly slices, her eyes sparkled.

“Braised pork for dinner?!”

Ichin nodded while heating the pan.

“Yeah. Braised pork, dry pot cauliflower, asparagus with shredded pork, and a winter melon rib soup. Three dishes and a soup should be enough, right?”

“More than enough!”

Hearing the menu, Haruno was delighted. She hugged Ichin’s head and planted a kiss on his cheek.

“That’s your reward from your big sister. Keep it up! I’ll head back out.”

Ichin rolled his eyes as she left. Less than a minute later, laughter and noise floated in from the living room.

With a helpless shake of his head, he went back to cooking.

---

[Genshin Impact] Chapter 608: The Steambird (2-in-1 Chapter)

Wonderland Space.

After returning home, Nolan immediately poured the more than thirty million EXP he had farmed into level-ups, pushing himself up two levels to 109. Then, he headed straight for Mona’s room, intending to do a little “training” with her.

When he opened the door, he thought she’d still be awake, but the room was already dark—she seemed to have gone to bed.

Walking to the bedside, he saw Mona curled up, fast asleep.

Better not disturb her, he thought.

Nolan bent down and planted a gentle kiss on her cheek. He meant to leave quietly afterward—but the soft sensation on his lips made him lean lower, and before he knew it, his lips brushed against hers.

Mona, deep in sleep, noticed nothing.

Softly kissing her, he lifted away the blanket patterned like a starry night. Beneath it, Mona’s body was clad in a white checkered nightshirt.

The buttons weren’t fully fastened, exposing the smooth white of her chest and the soft cleavage in between. For comfort’s sake, she hadn’t worn any undergarments.

Nolan eased her from her curled position to lying flat, adjusting her legs so they wouldn’t jolt against the mattress and wake her. Carefully, he straightened them, then moved on to unfasten her nightshirt.

Her delicate skin was revealed, white and smooth from chest to stomach.

He rested his face against her warm belly, savoring the gentle heat, like washing one’s face in warm water on a cold morning. Then, translucent threads of spiritual energy slipped beneath her waistband, pulling it down.

Her hips and thighs came into view.

Noting she wore nothing underneath, Nolan lifted her legs, resting her knees on his shoulders, and pressed another kiss to her lips.

“Mm—!”

Mona stirred faintly, frowning in her sleep, fingers clutching the bedsheet—but soon relaxed again, not yet fully awake.

Ten minutes later, she blinked her eyes open, rubbing them groggily. Seeing Nolan over her, she bit his shoulder in embarrassed protest.

Unbelievable—taking advantage of me in my sleep!

But since he was already on top of her, there was nothing to do but let him finish… and then settle accounts later.

Nolan, seeing her shy, indignant gaze, only grew more excited and held her closer.

“You…” she started, but her protest was cut off as his lips silenced her again.

Half an hour later, Mona lay limp and breathless, too exhausted even to scold him.

“Come on, let’s go take a bath.”

Smiling, Nolan scooped her into his arms—one hand on her back, one supporting her hips—and carried her toward the hot spring bath on the second floor.

They trained further while bathing together, not returning to their room until after one in the morning.

By then, Nolan’s progress had risen again by tens of thousands:

> Level: 109 (53,251 / 19,000,000)

Mona’s level had also advanced through the cultivation. She had reached level 96, not far now from the archon-tier of level 100.

---

The next morning.

Nolan woke beneath the blankets with Mona still draped over him. Taking the chance, he once again pulled her into close practice.

This time, Mona woke after only a few minutes. She gave him a glare, then pushed him down and took control herself.

By the time they finally climbed out of bed, half an hour had passed.

The day before, he and Lumine had promised to meet a reporter from The Steambird for an interview. So after breakfast, Nolan, Lumine, and Paimon made their way once more to Fontaine.

It was about 8:20 in the morning—ten minutes before their agreed time. Perfect.

When they reached the front doors of The Steambird, Charlotte was already waiting for them.

Just as yesterday, she wore a rose-colored hat over long pink bangs swept left, partially covering the monocle on her eye.

A white sleeveless blouse was tucked into a rose-red suspender skirt that matched her hat. White legs extended from beneath the hem, ending in dark red boots.

The overall impression was one of lively, professional charm.

“Mr. Nolan! Miss Lumine! Miss Paimon! Over here!” Charlotte waved enthusiastically, her gloved hand beckoning as she jogged up to greet them.

“Hehe, good morning, Charlotte! No need for all the ‘Mr.’ and ‘Miss’—just call us by name,” Paimon grinned.

“That won’t do! For people as accomplished as you, I must show proper respect—or else I’d seem unprofessional,” Charlotte insisted, shaking her head.

“Uhh… okay. Just feels a little strange, that’s all,” Paimon muttered, touching the little crown floating over her head.

Lumine nodded quietly in agreement.

“It’s fine,” Nolan reassured her. “Since we met yesterday, we’re already friends. Call us however you like.”

Charlotte laughed, delighted. “Alright then! Nolan, Lumine—let’s head inside for the interview! Afterward, I’ll give you a tour of the Court of Fontaine!”

Beaming with excitement at befriending two legendary adventurers and their companion, she ushered them toward the building.

[Charlotte Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 360 Affection Points. Current Affection Level: Lv.4 (80/400).]

“Come on, let’s go inside,” she said cheerfully, leading the way into the newsroom.

Perhaps because word had spread that the famed adventurers were here for an exclusive interview, many people inside the newsroom peeked over curiously.

Some, like Charlotte, carried cameras at their side, and they shot her envious looks.

If only they could land such high-profile adventurers for an interview—if the article made waves, they might even have a shot at this year’s Lavirel Prize!

Unfortunately, the opportunity hadn’t fallen to them. After all, they weren’t Charlotte. Only a reporter as skilled as her would have the connections to secure an exclusive with two legendary adventurers.

The others could only sigh and daydream.

Nolan, unaware of their thoughts, returned their glances with polite smiles.

Had he known what they were thinking, he would’ve told them it wasn’t true.

He’d be thrilled to make the news. Even a chance meeting on the road—if someone asked for an interview and he wasn’t busy, he would almost always agree.

These others had just been unlucky, not bumping into him first at Port.

Of course, Charlotte’s success also came from her diligence. Few reporters would go as far as Lumidouce Harbor to chase a story.

Before the official interview began, Charlotte introduced them to The Steambird’s chief editor, Euphrasie.

She was a graceful lady in a long dress, clearly delighted that her paper would feature two legendary adventurers. She personally arranged the interview room, then stepped aside to watch Charlotte begin.

Interviewing adventurers usually meant asking about the path that led them to this life, the hardships they’d faced, and the memorable moments of their journeys.

For Nolan and his companions, Charlotte pressed further: why travel all seven nations? Why intervene in crises like Stormterror or the ancient god Osial? What motivated them to risk so much for others?

And of course—how did they first meet, and why travel together?

Lumine didn’t embellish. She simply said she was searching for her brother, and along the way wished to see the lands and peoples of the seven nations.

Nolan gave a similar answer.

As for their meeting, Lumine made sure to recount the incident where she had fished Paimon out of the sea. That earned her an indignant tug on the hair from the little companion.

Charlotte, meanwhile, looked thrilled, scribbling rapidly in her notebook.

Nolan half-suspected she was already brainstorming a sensational headline like: “Breaking News! Legendary Adventurer and Companion Fall Out—The Truth Revealed…” After all, that sort of title would grab attention.

Not that it mattered much either way.

The interview lasted more than an hour before finally wrapping up. Charlotte beamed as she rose to her feet.

“Thank you! The interview is complete. I have a feeling that once this goes to print, it’s going to explode in popularity! After all, everyone loves a good story—and yours will be loved for sure!”

[Charlotte Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 380 Affection Points. Current Affection Level: Lv.5 (60/500).]

Nolan glanced at the panel and chuckled.

“I hope so. As adventurers, the more our names spread, the more commissions will come our way.”

“Exactly,” Lumine and Paimon agreed.

“Don’t worry,” Charlotte said confidently, thumping her chest. “In a few days, all of Fontaine—no, all of Teyvat—will know your names!”

The Steambird was indeed the most widely subscribed paper on the continent, with readers in every nation.

All of Teyvat, huh… Nolan could almost see the flood of “Spirituality” points waving to him already. Just what he needed for empowering his skills with new traits.

“Well then, as promised, now that the interview’s done, I’ll be your guide. Let’s go explore the Court of Fontaine!”

Charlotte slung her camera across her shoulder.

“Great! Let’s start with the food! Paimon can’t wait to try Fontaine’s cuisine!” Paimon exclaimed eagerly.

“Of course,” Charlotte laughed. “I’ve covered nearly every restaurant in Fontaine. I know exactly where the best dishes are!”

“Then let’s go!”

Leaving the newsroom, Charlotte led them through the city, chatting as they walked.

“Fontaine is divided into several districts: the Court of Fontaine proper, the Quartier Narbonnais District, the Liffey District, the Palais Mermonia, and the Fleuve Cendre.

“In Quartier Narbonnais there’s the famous Debord Hotel. Dining there, you’ll often see artists from across society performing live. It’s one of Fontaine’s most popular establishments. As thanks, let me treat you to lunch there.”

“Eh? A restaurant with live artist performances? Sounds super fancy. Isn’t it expensive?” Paimon asked, scratching her head.

Though a foodie, she didn’t want her new friend footing a heavy bill.

“It’s true the Debord is pricier—about twenty or thirty percent more than a typical place—but it’s well within my budget,” Charlotte reassured with a smile.

“In that case, we won’t hold back!” Paimon gave in to temptation instantly.

Nolan and Lumine exchanged an amused glance.

“There’s still some time before noon, but if we head over now, it should be just about right,” Charlotte suggested.

“Sounds good,” Nolan agreed.

Together they set off toward the Debord Hotel in Quartier Narbonnais, with Charlotte pointing out sights along the way—like the ever-present patrol automatons.

These machines, powered by fonta energy, replaced human soldiers for patrols, saving immense manpower. A true Fontaine specialty.

By midday, they arrived at the restaurant.

It was a grand two-story building with fountains flanking the entrance.

Outside stood a signboard announcing today’s performance. Curious, they stopped to read it:

> “What secrets lie hidden within cards and coffee cups? Can you discern the truth beneath the magic?

> Fontaine’s brightest twin stars will reveal it to you!”

(End of Chapter)

[Genshin Impact] Chapter 607: The Gray Planet (2-in-1 Chapter)

> Lumine’s Musou · World Lv.10 (Void Starsea Manifestation, Boundless)!

Nolan gazed at the new skill that had fused on his status panel. The name hadn’t changed, but the properties were now subtly different.

The original Starsea Manifestation was essentially a virtual starfield that he could freely shape and control—a mental landscape, much like “One Heart Pure Land.”

But when the skill rose to the level of “World,” its trait became Void Starsea Manifestation. At that point, it was no longer just an illusory cosmos, but a real starry sky governed by complete laws of its own, one he could also freely command.

The difference was stark: when it was still his mental domain, Starsea Manifestation could imprison enemies within. If the enemy also possessed a mental world, or if their strength far exceeded his, they could resist or break free.

But once it became a real cosmos, things changed. It wasn’t enough to simply surpass Nolan’s strength—one would need the might to shatter worlds.

Alternatively, they would have to locate him within the Starsea and defeat him directly. If they couldn’t find him, then even if he faced an enemy he couldn’t handle, he could simply trap them within the Starsea.

Now, after merging his divine-tier stealth skill, it transformed again into Void Starsea. The feedback told him this starry domain had gained the “unobservable” trait from the stealth ability.

He could appear anywhere within the starfield at will, render vast objects invisible, dive into deeper layers of space or projection realms, and more.

Essentially, the stealth skill’s properties had fused with the Starsea. And because it had the foundation of a world-class skill, the fusion produced subtle, fascinating reactions.

For example, before, when using the stealth skill to sink into the projection space, his coordinates constantly shifted because of that realm’s nature. But now, with Void Starsea, he could set it as an “anchor,” fixing his location and ensuring he’d return to the same spot later.

That meant even if he encountered something in the projection space, he wouldn’t lose track of it the next time.

Though at first glance the projection space seemed barren—just strange, indecipherable projections—he had always been curious about it. Until now, he lacked the means to deal with its shifting coordinates.

So, when he used it to exit into outer cosmos before, he hadn’t explored much further. After all, what use was finding something only for it to vanish the next moment? Now that he had an anchor, he could come back and explore at leisure.

Nolan had the feeling that projection space wasn’t as simple as shifting coordinates.

Having completed the fusion, he turned invisible, opened a “door” to his fairyland dimension, and once more returned to an unknown corner of the starry sea.

When he arrived, the colossal Great True Stinger was nowhere in sight. He’d half expected that—it had no reason to wait around for him. And since he’d fled in a hurry last time, he hadn’t marked it in any way.

Still, its flight speed through space wasn’t especially fast. Without space-warping methods, it shouldn’t have gone too far. Hopefully, he could encounter it again.

Casting out his spiritual sense like a radar sweep, he scanned linearly through the void.

Soon enough—perhaps thanks to Ganyu’s qilin blessing on his luck—he spotted the giant worm roughly five thousand kilometers to his left.

Without hesitation, he teleported via spatial traverse.

The next instant, he appeared about a dozen kilometers from the beast, close enough to observe its titanic form.

Its bulk was staggering—its height easily over a thousand kilometers, perhaps three to four times the size of its own stomach. A terrifying creature.

From the perspective of cosmic scale, its flight speed was sluggish: in several days, it had traveled barely five thousand kilometers.

Just as Nolan prepared to wait for it to open its maw so he could teleport inside its gut again, he sensed spatial waves ahead.

Gravity around the worm wavered, and countless meteors suddenly rushed toward it—like a black hole had opened before it.

The space in front of the worm seemed to sink inward. Nolan frowned instinctively.

Was it about to teleport away?

Spatial teleportation could take many forms depending on the principle used. The colossal stir it caused suggested it was the kind that consumed vast energy for long-distance transport.

That explained why, since its last teleport, it had taken this long to perform another—clearly it had been charging up.

Nolan couldn’t just let it escape. The universe was far too vast; if he lost it now, where would he ever find it again?

He decided quickly: before it vanished, he’d teleport onto its body. Entering the distorted space around it should allow him to follow through its teleportation.

Without hesitation, he disappeared again—reappearing atop the worm’s immense form.

Hidden by the unobservable stealth, the beast didn’t notice him. Even if he hadn’t been invisible, it might not have—the meteors falling on its carapace were all far larger than him.

But the worm suffered no harm from the barrage. Unlike the stomach’s soft interior, its body was armored with a shell as hard as steel. Meteor impacts were like pebbles bouncing off a fortress wall.

The violent spatial distortion continued for half an hour. Then, at last, the Great True Stinger abruptly vanished, as though flung from space itself.

All that remained was the warped gravity, pulling the meteors into collisions. Shattered fragments scattered, rebounded, and were slowly drawn together again—gradually coalescing into a sphere.

Given time, as the gravitational disturbance settled, this place would likely birth a new asteroid, formed of broken stone.

—Unknown Starfield—

A gigantic Great True Stinger appeared. Though it had teleported through space, it still carried some strange inertia.

As soon as it emerged, it beat its wings in reverse, yet its massive body still hurtled forward into the void ahead.

Fortunately, there was nothing ahead—no asteroids, no debris—so after flapping its wings for more than ten minutes, the massive Great True Stinger finally came to a halt.

Standing on its back, Nolan couldn’t help but wonder:

Could it really have used space itself like a slingshot? Otherwise, why would there be inertia after teleportation?

The universe was indeed full of wonders—things beyond imagination were always possible.

The worm, having just finished its teleport, seemed to be resting. Meanwhile, Nolan looked around the surrounding starfield.

Dim starlight dotted the void, but there was little else—very few asteroids in sight.

Then he looked upward and froze.

Hovering above was a gray-colored planet. Nolan’s face lit up with surprise. He hadn’t expected the Goddamn Worm to reappear right next to a planet!

Could there actually be life on that world?

Suddenly, the worm’s enormous maw parted slightly.

From within, countless swarms of insects poured out, surging toward the gray planet above.

With no atmosphere to stop them, they streamed forth like a living tide of locusts, sweeping straight into the planet without hindrance.

When the swarms reached the planet, they wasted no time. They devoured everything in sight—soil, stone, whatever lay before them.

Nolan guessed this was a kind of resource-harvesting, a way for the worm colony to replenish.

And he realized this was his chance.

With so many swarms descending to feed, he could slip down to the planet, ambush them, and harvest Adventure EXP. Compared to what he’d encountered inside the worm’s stomach, the numbers here were far greater.

If he wiped them all out, another wave of level-ups was guaranteed.

Excitement surged through him. Farming EXP on a planet like this was far safer than grinding inside the worm’s gut.

He instantly teleported to the planet’s surface.

The ground was scorched black, as though fire had consumed it long ago—no wonder the planet looked so dull and gray from afar.

He watched the insect swarms devour everything indiscriminately—soil, rocks—then, after gorging themselves, they began birthing new young Lesser Stingers.

Nolan was a little taken aback.

Eat your fill and instantly spawn offspring… truly the mark of a species that wields the power of “Breeding.”

He summoned dozens of “Lumine's Sword Gods,” directing them to quietly sweep through the planet, thinning out the swarms.

He deliberately avoided the larger True Stingers capable of spawning hordes of offspring—the more bugs, the better. Those he could save for later.

Soon, the Lumine's Sword Gods were spread across the planet, cutting down insects under Nolan’s control. He himself drew his weapon and joined the fray.

> Adventure EXP +4521

> Adventure EXP +6525

> Adventure EXP +4764

With dozens of Lumine's Sword Gods hunting simultaneously, the kill notifications flashed so fast across his panel they left afterimages.

In less than five minutes, his EXP soared from six million to over ten million. And this was only from sub-worms and larvae—once he moved on to the True Stingers, the growth would be even faster!

Half an hour later, though he was slightly drained from controlling so many Sword Gods at once, most of the swarms on the planet had been cleared.

The leading True Stingers had sensed something was wrong, but they couldn’t locate the culprit.

It was getting late, and to avoid spooking them too much, Nolan decided to retreat for now. Better to let them recover. Tomorrow night, there would surely be even more swarms to harvest.

He wasn’t worried about them fleeing—the colossal worm’s space-jumps required days of preparation.

Satisfied, he returned to his fairyland dimension.

> Adventure EXP: 38,652,090

He had broken past thirty-eight million—approaching forty million, another record high.

Settling on the sofa, he immediately invested the points.

> EXP -33,974,538

> Lv.107 (1,025,462 / 17,000,000) → Lv.109 (0 / 19,000,000)

Two levels gained in succession. Power surged through his body, strengthening flesh and soul alike.

Nolan had undergone another full transformation.

Now, he felt confident he could suppress either Raiden Ei or the Shogun one-on-one. Facing both at once would still be difficult, but this was already an overwhelming leap in power—he had surpassed the pinnacle archons of Teyvat, perhaps even Zhongli himself.

> Status Panel

Name: Nolan Walker

Level: 109 (0 / 19,000,000)

Race: Human

Titles: Honorary Knight, Distinguished Citizen of Liyue, Legendary Adventurer, Honorary General of Watatsumi Island, Sumeru Sage

Innate Talent: Entangling Affection

Skills:

- Lumine’s Musou · World Lv.10 (Starsea Manifestation, Boundless)

- Domain of Objective Illusory Shadows · Divine Level Lv.10 (Unobservable State)

- Flowing Sky Shot: Arcane Level Lv.10 (Frostglow Arrow)

Specialties:

- Beloved by Maidens (Exclusive)

- Unmoving Gospel of the World Tree (Exclusive)

- Threads of the Northern Wind (Exclusive)

- Spiritual Core (Exclusive)

Adventure EXP: 4,677,552

---

Four million remained. Another fifteen million or so, and he’d reach Lv.110—likely unlocking a new racial specialty.

Tomorrow, a sweep of the gray planet should be enough.

The thought filled him with anticipation.

It was already past eleven at night. After a long day, he planned to relax with a bath, maybe even share a little “training” time with the girls.

But since he’d returned late, everyone seemed to already be asleep—except, perhaps, those who always indulged him when it came to late-night “training.”

Alone, he slipped into the hot spring baths. Without a soft girl in his arms, it felt… lacking.

And training couldn’t be neglected—for him or for them.

Nodding to himself, Nolan resolved to see if anyone was still awake and invite her for another soak, along with some cultivation practice.

Mona, for instance—she often stayed up late with her astrology studies. That couldn’t be healthy. He decided he’d help her unwind tonight.

With that thought, he headed toward Mona’s room.

(End of Chapter)

[HP] Chapter 179-180

Chapter 179: A Proper Professor Wrote This Test?

The moment Louis barked his order, the golden trio fled past him like they’d just been pardoned, scrambling into the classroom.

Right after, a kid popped out of the crowd, eyes shining at Louis.

“Wow, cool! Are you Louis Wilson? I’ve heard of you! They say you’re a descendant of Merlin! You mean the Merlin? The legendary archwizard?”

Before Louis could answer, another chatterbox appeared, yammering so loudly Louis’s head throbbed.

Who is this kid again? Louis eyed the camera in his hand and recalled vaguely—yes, a Muggle-born wizard, the first one attacked by the Basilisk.

“Nice to meet you! I’m Colin Creevey,” the boy said eagerly. “Can I take your picture? And maybe you could sign it?”

Now Louis understood the source of the earlier commotion.

“He asked you for a signed photo, and Malfoy overheard?” Louis tilted his head at Harry.

“Exactly. He even said he’d brew a potion to make it move—like this one.” Harry handed Louis a photo, taken at Flourish and Blotts. It showed Lockhart tugging at a very unwilling Harry.

“Excellent shot,” Louis nodded in approval. A photo that captured the subject’s state of mind—brilliant.

“Right? Right? Want me to take one of you?” Colin chirped.

“As much as I’d love to, you’d better check the time,” Louis pulled out his pocket watch, showing the eager boy. “Five minutes until class. First-year Gryffindor should be in Potions, which is in the dungeons. And right now you’re on the fourth floor. Think you can make it?”

“Oh no—it’s Snape’s class! Colin, you’re doomed. He’ll dock loads of points from Gryffindor,” Ron gasped.

“So, run, boy. If luck’s on your side, maybe a shifting staircase will show mercy and dump you straight in the dungeons.” Louis patted Colin’s shoulder, watching him squeak and bolt.

As Colin dashed away, Harry let out a breath of relief.

“Thanks so much. You saved me twice—got rid of Malfoy, and Colin,” he said gratefully.

“I didn’t save you,” Louis shot back flatly. “You lot were too noisy, interrupting my thoughts. Now get inside—unless you’d prefer a cozy chat with Lockhart?”

Harry shuddered. “You’re right—I’m going in…”

He didn’t get to finish. A hearty laugh rang out.

“Hahahaha! I hear there was some trouble here,” Lockhart strutted up with his fixed smile. “Harry Potter handing out autographs? Well now, how could I miss out?”

“Sorry, Professor, no one’s handing out autographs. Please, everyone’s waiting for you to start class,” Louis said smoothly.

“Oh, of course, of course! I know plenty of you can’t wait to learn from a great wizard such as myself. Come along now, let’s begin!”

Grinning, Lockhart herded them all into the classroom.

Louis returned to his seat, Ron and Harry naturally settling nearby.

This class was shared between Gryffindor and Slytherin—twenty students total, split evenly by gender.

The moment Lockhart entered, more than half the eyes in the room locked onto him like magnets. Nearly every girl, and a few boys besides.

Ron muttered bitterly, unable to decide whether he was disgusted or jealous, grumbling under his breath without pause.

“Good afternoon! I am Gilderoy Lockhart, your new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.” Lockhart stood beneath a massive portrait—of himself painting himself.

The classroom, Louis realized with a twitch, had been transformed into a gallery of Lockhart portraits, moving and still alike, plastered across every wall.

Lockhart stopped by Neville’s desk, lifted a copy of Travels with Trolls, and jabbed at his moving picture. “I, Gilderoy Lockhart, winner of the Order of Merlin, Third Class—”

“Merlin Medal? But we’ve got Merlin’s descendant here—Louis!” Neville blurted.

Every gaze snapped to Louis, even the lovestruck girls.

Louis: ???

Why me? Look at the teacher, not me!

Neville’s remark left Lockhart awkwardly stuck—go on, and it sounded like boasting; stop, and he’d lose face.

“Well, yes, of course. But a Merlin Medal and Merlin’s bloodline are different things—one is honor by heritage, the other honor by achievement. Not that young Wilson lacks ability, of course! He is still growing. With time and polish, he might reach my level.”

Shameless, Lockhart continued his self-praise.

“I am also an Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defense League, and a five-time winner of Witch Weekly’s Most Charming Smile Award! Not that I boast of such things—I didn’t drive away the Wagga Wagga Werewolf with a smile, after all.”

“If this isn’t boasting, what is?” Ron muttered under his breath.

Harry nodded grimly. Louis, meanwhile, had zoned out, still brooding about how to obtain that book on Horcruxes.

“Now then, I see you’ve all bought my complete works. Splendid. To test your knowledge, let’s have a little quiz to see who’s been doing their reading.”

He turned and began handing out stacks of parchment. Every girl he locked eyes with beamed with delight.

Louis scowled. Not because of Lockhart’s constant winks and grins—but because he knew Lockhart would be just as insufferable in Ravenclaw’s class later. Maybe it was time to knock him down a peg.

He glanced meaningfully at the cage on the desk, covered with a red cloth.

Soon, all the parchments were distributed.

“You have thirty minutes. Begin now!” Lockhart declared.

The room filled with the frantic scratching of quills—especially the girls, scribbling so fiercely their pens nearly sparked fire.

Louis answered half-heartedly. The questions were enough to make him want to gouge out his own eyes. Still, with his perfect memory, he filled the parchment with ease.

Favorite color? Biggest dream? Birthday wish?

What proper professor would set a test like this?!

---

Chapter 180: A Legendary Memory Charm

The agonizing thirty minutes finally ended. Lockhart gathered the parchments, his expression less than pleased.

“Look… just look at this. Most of you don’t even know my favorite color is lilac? I mentioned it in Chapter 18 of Wanderings with Werewolves! Clearly, none of you have read carefully.”

“Oh! Oh! Look here!” Suddenly, Lockhart brightened, pulling up a sheet with glee. “See this? Proof that I still have true fans! Look at Mr. Wilson—he’s answered every single question perfectly.”

He beamed as if he’d uncovered irrefutable evidence. “See? Though Mr. Wilson is shy, he’s poured all his admiration for me onto this paper. Only he knew that my greatest ambition is to vanquish evil—and to promote my Occamy Egg Yolk Hair Tonic!”

The Occamy was a marvelous magical beast, serpent-bodied with wings and a bird’s head. It could grow enormous or shrink small enough to fit inside a teapot. Its size depended entirely on its container. Its shells were silver, once making the species endangered.

And its yolks? Poisonous. Dangerous.

Obviously, Lockhart’s so-called hair tonic was nothing good—use it and you’d be lucky to keep half your life.

Harry and Ron, unfamiliar with Occamy yolks, stared at Louis in shock.

“Louis, I thought you didn’t like him,” Harry whispered. “But this looks like you’re his number one fan!”

“Don’t say it,” Louis groaned, rubbing his eyes. “Have a little pity on someone cursed with perfect memory. Once I see garbage like that, I can’t forget it.”

What else could he do? He was helpless.

“Well done, Slytherin earns ten points!” Lockhart declared loudly, closing the farce of a quiz.

“And now, onto real Defense Against the Dark Arts.” He struck a dramatic pose with his wand.

“I shall introduce you to the most fearsome, most evil creatures in the wizarding world. Prepare yourselves! You are about to behold horrors unseen before—but do not fear! With me here, you are safe. All I ask is silence, and no panic.”

Lockhart really ought to have been an actor—or at least a radio host. His expressions and tone painted a picture of some unspeakable terror.

The students held their breath. Even Ron, usually scornful, looked tense. Neville on the front row nearly curled up into a ball.

The cage on the desk rattled from time to time, underscoring Lockhart’s ominous build-up.

“Never, ever anger them…” he intoned darkly. “Allow me to present to you—Cornish Pixies!”

With a flourish, he whipped off the red cloth like a stage magician.

Inside… nothing.

Just an empty cage.

“Cornish Pixies? But there’s nothing in there—and they’re not scary anyway,” Neville protested, annoyed at having been frightened by an empty box.

Lockhart himself was baffled. He’d purchased these Pixies from another wizard specifically as teaching aids. How could the cage be empty?

But Lockhart was Lockhart. With a forced cough, he pressed on. “Mr. Longbottom, don’t be fooled. They are dangerous. Look—they’ve vanished with some wicked trickery!”

“Or maybe it was empty from the start?” Draco Malfoy muttered.

He disliked Gryffindors, yes—but he disliked show-offs even more. Draco always believed he should be the one in the spotlight, and anyone stealing it became his target.

“No, no, of course not! I’ll prove it to you!” Lockhart opened the cage. “They must be invisible—just watch, once I open it, they’ll rush out in a frenzy! Behold!”

He flung the door wide.

Nothing.

Again, nothing.

Flustered, Lockhart shook the cage upside down. Still no Pixies.

Where are my Pixies?! he thought wildly. I bought a whole cage of them—where could they have gone?

Just as he was about to lose the act completely, a shrill buzzing erupted from his hand.

Before he could react, the red cloth came alive and smothered his face. A swarm of furious Pixies burst forth, clawing at his nose and ears.

“Ahhh! Stop! Don’t ruin my handsome face!” Lockhart shrieked, flailing, while the students roared with laughter.

Strangely, the Pixies ignored everyone else, swarming only Lockhart. Even when knocked aside by their kin, each one fought back to reach him, determined to keep biting and scratching.

Louis watched with deep satisfaction, calmly estimating Lockhart’s injuries.

When a Pixie snatched Lockhart’s wand and jabbed it into his arm, Louis finally nodded in approval. Raising his own wand, he aimed at the chaotic scene.

“Petrificus Totalus!”

A flash of white light. Instantly, Lockhart and the attacking Pixies froze in gray stone-like stillness and toppled to the floor.

The farce was over. The class erupted in cheers and applause.

“Well done, Louis!” Ron clapped with glee, laughing so hard it was unclear whether he meant the Pixies’ capture—or Lockhart’s petrification.

Maybe both.

Louis modestly lowered his wand, making no move to release Lockhart, and smiled graciously at his audience.

> [You used illusion to fool a twisted adult wizard.]

> [Profound impact.]

> [You gained 200 Trick Points. Current total: 180,970.]

> [You obtained Memory Charm (Legendary).]

The system notification rang in Louis’s ears. He blinked, stunned—he hadn’t expected to walk away with a legendary spell!

---

[Game] Chapter 457-458

Chapter 457: Back to the Company, Collaboration Data

Since Haruno had moved into a new home, of course a housewarming party was in order.

A few phone calls later, Hazuki, Hajime, and Aoba all agreed to come, along with Yagami Kou and Rin from downstairs.

As the host, Haruno had to entertain the guests, so grocery shopping fell to her little brother Ichin.

Luckily, Yukino was sensible enough to tag along, and with Utaha as well, the three went shopping together.

After more than an hour in the supermarket, they returned lugging several large bags filled with ingredients, drinks, and plenty of snacks.

Since Haruno’s new place came with an oven, Ichin even planned to bake some cakes for the evening.

When he returned, the girls were already gathered together, chatting animatedly.

“Remember the class reunion Godmother hosted the other day? At first we were just waiting to pick her up later, but I got bored and went over early. Turns out, reunions for parents are just like ours—only instead of comparing careers, they compare their children. So I called Ichin, Utaha, and Yukino over. It was lively! Godmother’s classmates looked at us with envy. Quite a few even said they wanted to introduce their sons to me or Yukino—but I turned them down flat.”

“Oh!”

Aoba’s eyes went wide.

“But Haruno-senpai, are you really not planning to date at all?”

“Date? How can I date if I can’t find someone suitable?”

Haruno smiled, pulled Aoba into her arms, and teased:

“But if I didn’t limit myself to men, I wouldn’t mind trying. What do you say, Aoba, interested?”

Aoba shivered, immediately wriggled free, and hid behind Hazuki.

“No way!”

Dumping the snacks on the table, Ichin said irritably:

“Haruno, stop scaring Aoba. And Aoba, don’t take her seriously. If Haruno really wanted a girlfriend, she’d have ended up with Hiratsuka-sensei already.”

“Oh, right!”

“What do you mean, ‘right’?!”

Haruno shot Aoba a glare, then walked over to swat Ichin’s arm.

“You know what Shizuka’s like, don’t you? I don’t want to be around her cigarette stench all day.”

That was true.

Haruno liked cleanliness—she wasn’t a neat freak, but being around someone who reeked of smoke was unpleasant.

Looking at her, Ichin said thoughtfully:

“Haruno, it doesn’t matter if you want a boyfriend or a girlfriend. Just don’t set your sights on anyone from the company, especially the likes of Aoba. They’re all pure-hearted and too easy to trick—you really might bend one of them.”

“Relax, I won’t, I won’t!” Haruno waved it off breezily.

“I was only joking. Besides, no girl is cuter than our Yukino anyway.”

Hearing that, Yukino, who had been about to step closer, instantly retreated to Ichin’s other side, clinging to his arm and glaring at her sister warily.

“Big sis, you’re getting more dangerous by the day. From now on you’re banned from my apartment. I’ll change the locks the moment I get back.”

“Eh? I was just kidding, Yukino! Don’t take it seriously!”

In the kitchen, Ichin, Utaha, and Yukino were busy prepping dinner.

Seeing Yukino still on edge, Ichin chuckled.

“Relax. Even if she did swing that way, she wouldn’t go after you. You don’t like girls anyway, right?”

Yukino nodded, a little relieved.

“Still, I’ll tell Mother when we get back. She should keep arranging blind dates for Sister. I’ll help her screen the candidates. Let’s marry her off sooner.”

“Not marry off—bring in a son-in-law.”

“Ah, right, that’s what I meant.”

Meanwhile, Utaha sliced meat with practiced ease, smiling.

“Even if you keep finding candidates, matching Haruno is tough. Harder than getting Hiratsuka-sensei married, I’d say.”

“I’d call it even. Both are near impossible.”

Somehow, teasing Hiratsuka had become part of their daily routine—not a good habit, but one hard to break.

After a lively housewarming dinner, Haruno was officially settled into her new home. With Ichin, Utaha, and Yagami downstairs, the place was bound to get even livelier.

---

The next day was Monday. Though it was summer break, Ichin headed to the company.

Utaha, meanwhile, accompanied Yukino to fetch her cat from the Sawamura family, then the two of them went to Fushikawa Publishing.

Having taken half a month off with Ichin, Utaha figured it was time to show her face at the publishing house and talk with editor Machida Sonoko about her novels and anime adaptations.

The Love Metronome anime had been a huge success. Ratings, BD sales, and overseas licensing had brought great profits to Kyoto Animation, Fushikawa, and Utaha alike. As a result, her next work’s adaptation had already been signed with Kyoto Animation.

But since KyoAni still had one TV series and a movie in production, Utaha’s anime had been pushed back slightly.

Now that those projects were finished, it was finally her turn.

While Ichin worked at the company, Utaha brought Yukino along to keep her company. Yukino was also curious about anime production and was glad to sit in.

---

At the company, Ichin was greeted with a warm welcome.

After saying hello to everyone, he headed straight to the Fall Guys dev team.

It was already August, and the early-August update had rolled out—a major patch adding several new maps and, besides skins, a crossover with GARO.

Though GARO wasn’t as popular as the “big three” of tokusatsu (Kamen Rider, Ultraman, and Super Sentai), it still had a loyal fanbase.

The Fall Guys GARO skins were especially well-received—chibi versions with the distinct armor of Garo and Shinga. Players went all-out grinding to unlock them.

Just the other day, when Ichin logged in from Shanghai, he saw plenty of players running around in those golden skins. They looked flashy and cool.

Hazuki handed him a report with a smile.

“Thanks to the GARO crossover and our promotions, this update brought in a lot of new players. Plus, in the patch notes we advertised Toei’s new GARO project, so their series got extra attention too. A win-win.”

Looking over the collaboration data report, Ichin nodded again and again.

With results like this, negotiating future collaborations would be much easier.

---

Chapter 458: The Game’s Action System

When he entered his office and sat down, Ichin stretched lazily in comfort.

Aside from home, this was his favorite place—quiet, where he could think freely about projects, then step outside to check on the team’s progress.

Booting up his computer, he began working on his next proposal.

The GARO game proposal was already finished, and Tohokushinsha was very satisfied with it. Once Ichin wrapped up his current projects, development could begin.

Now, it was time to write the plan for Tales of Berseria.

The Tales series had many entries. Ichin hadn’t played them all, but he had played plenty—especially the most acclaimed ones, both old and new.

To remake all the ones he liked would be a huge effort, especially since everything needed to be reimagined in modern 3D. So, instead of starting from the oldest, he chose one he knew best to set the tone.

Berseria, despite having a female protagonist, had excellent combat. Ichin planned to push it further, refining the system to make battles even more exhilarating than in the original.

Arise had a decent system, but it simplified too much compared to its predecessors. That might work for GARO, but not for Berseria.

So Ichin wanted to keep part of the classic input-command system—letting characters unleash a wide variety of moves and create dazzling combos.

Still, he’d need a simpler option for less skilled players. The ceiling, however, would remain different.

“Combo systems, huh…”

Rubbing his chin, Ichin decided that once the proposal draft was done, he’d build the combat system first. He’d model the heroine Velvet and create her moveset, so the dev team had a clear direction.

Flashy battles were fine, but there was another crucial element—impact.

The “feel” of combat came from many details: hit stop, sound and visual effects, screen shake, even controller vibration.

Of the studio’s released games, only Hollow Knight had any real sense of impact, but even that wasn’t perfect.

“Looks like I’ll need outside help. I can muddle through, but it’d be better to learn from the best and avoid pitfalls.”

And who better than Capcom, the king of action?

Street Fighter, Devil May Cry, Onimusha, Monster Hunter, Sengoku Basara, plus countless arcade hits—Capcom was legendary.

Outside of Nintendo titles, Capcom games had shaped most of Ichin’s childhood. Even Resident Evil 4, 5, and 6 carried solid action mechanics.

For Berseria, his goals went beyond story and open-world exploration. Combat had to shine: exhilarating combos, team synergy, stylish animations, and visceral impact—none of which could be compromised.

For delivering fluid moves, satisfying impact, and visual spectacle, Capcom was his ideal model.

Snapping his fingers, Ichin made up his mind.

“Once Velvet’s combat demo is ready, I’ll ask Nintendo to connect me with Capcom. We’ll collaborate on the system and learn from them properly.”

Nintendo and Capcom had been close ever since Monster Hunter moved to the 3DS, even developing Monster Hunter Rise and its Sunbreak DLC for the Switch’s limited hardware.

Thanks to Capcom’s optimization magic, those games still ran smoothly at 30 FPS on seamless maps. Visuals took a hit, but fluidity was flawless.

Optimization wasn’t what Ichin needed, though. He wanted Capcom’s expertise in action design—the way Devil May Cry blended flow, impact, and spectacle into one perfect whole.

Dark Souls had slower pacing, with bosses built around big, sweeping attacks—not high-speed action.

Could he really get Capcom onboard? Ichin wasn’t worried. His ties with Nintendo were strong, his games sold well on Switch, and Nintendo had profited greatly. Acting as an intermediary would be trivial for them.

As long as he paid enough, Capcom would come.

“Alright. With a clear goal, time to work.”

Flexing his hands, Ichin dove into the proposal.

That afternoon, Hazuki brought him milk tea and cake for tea time, only to find him still working tirelessly, just as in the morning.

Peeking at his screen, she saw Tales of Berseria’s proposal.

She’d heard him mention it before—an ARPG with a female lead. It sounded right up her alley.

“This is the next project?”

“Exactly. Once Dark Souls is done, some of that team and the Fall Guys team will handle updates, while the rest move to GARO and Berseria. GARO’s combat is simpler, but Berseria… my standards are higher.”

Ichin explained his ideas, including seeking Capcom’s guidance.

“Working with Capcom to polish the combat system? That’s a great idea. We definitely need to strengthen our skills—especially since you plan to make so many action-heavy games.”

Hazuki nodded in agreement, already excited for what was coming.

“But first, eat something.”

She set the milk tea and cake on his desk.

---

[Genshin Impact] Chapter 606: Interview (2-in-1 Chapter)

Fontaine, Lumidouce Harbor.

The sun had already set, leaving only a faint afterglow in the sky… night was drawing near.

Yet even at this twilight hour, one corner of the harbor was still lively.

Nolan and his companions, curious, wandered closer.

“Miss Navia, thanks to you and your Spina di Rosula just now, those fellows failed to sneak into Fontaine!”

Amid the crowd, a pink-haired girl in a red hat held up a camera, aiming it at a woman beneath a wide black hat who also carried a parasol.

Beneath that black hat spilled long golden curls.

From the looks of things, someone had just attempted to enter Fontaine illegally, but was exposed by the blonde lady. The pink-haired girl—likely a reporter—was now conducting an interview.

That was Nolan’s guess.

Events quickly confirmed it.

“Our members at Spina di Rosula are professionals in every regard. For petty crooks like these, we can spot them at a glance.

“If anyone faces trouble, please don’t hesitate to seek help from our trained personnel.”

The golden-haired young lady seized the opportunity to promote her organization.

“Haha, of course, Miss Navia. If anything serious comes up, we’ll be sure to look for your Spina di Rosula!”

So spoke the bystanders.

Everyone knew Spina di Rosula was a guild spanning many trades, occasionally cooperating with the authorities.

Like tonight—when manpower ran short, they patrolled Lumidouce Harbor in place of the soldiers.

That the government trusted them made the people trust them as well.

The pink-haired reporter asked a few more questions, then wrapped up the interview.

With that, the crowd gradually dispersed.

“I’ve heard Fontainians love liveliness and theater—it really is true. Just a simple interview, and so many people came to watch.

“What, did they expect something dramatic to happen?”

Paimon spread her hands.

“But weren’t we curious too? People just like excitement,” Lumine smiled.

“Uh… when you put it that way, I guess so.” Paimon scratched her head.

“Alright, the boat’s nearly here. Let’s get going, or we’ll have to stay the night.”

Ahead, a ship was slowly gliding into the dock along the waterway. It had no sails—most likely powered by a reciprocating hybrid engine.

“Mhm.” Lumine and Paimon both nodded.

They could return to the Wonderland at any time, so staying the night didn’t matter.

Still, they needed to reach the Court of Fontaine eventually; better to catch this ship than not.

Just as they turned to buy tickets—

“Ah!”

A surprised cry came from behind.

They turned to see the pink-haired reporter again. She was staring at them with delight, hurrying over:

“Could it be—you’re the legendary adventurers, Nolan and Lumine, and the little flying companion?!”

“What the—why don’t Paimon have a name?!”

Paimon puffed her cheeks in protest.

“Hehe, I know! You’re Paimon, right?” the girl laughed.

Nolan knew their fame preceded them. Being recognized by someone in the press was only natural. He nodded.

“That’s right. May I ask what you need from us?”

“It really is you—wonderful!” the pink-haired girl exclaimed.

【Charlotte Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 320 Affection Points. Current Affection Level: Lv.3 (20/300).】

The prompt appearing on his interface didn’t surprise Nolan.

As a well-known legendary adventurer with countless good deeds to his name, most people, even if not fond of him, would not dislike him.

And once they met in person, a good first impression often blossomed into genuine goodwill.

The pink-haired girl parted her cherry lips, excitement in her tone:

“Hello, I’m Charlotte, a reporter for The Steambird. I’ve heard you’re traveling the Seven Nations, leaving behind incredible feats wherever you go.

“I’ve always hoped for an exclusive interview with you. That would be the biggest headline ever—guaranteed front page of The Steambird!

“To think I’d go out today and not only meet President Navia of Spina di Rosula, but also you! This must be my lucky day!”

Charlotte could practically see a blockbuster story waving her over. As far as she knew, Nolan and Lumine had been written about before, but had never granted anyone an exclusive interview.

If she could land one, the report would no doubt become the very definition of a big scoop.

This was a chance she could not afford to miss.

Behind her, Navia noticed Charlotte—who had just been interviewing her—abandoning her without even a goodbye to rush over to someone else. A tinge of jealousy stirred, and her curiosity toward Nolan and his group deepened.

She strode forward, her black knee-high stiletto boots clicking crisply against the stone.

Just in time to hear the little white floating creature shaking her head:

“Ugh, let’s skip the interview. It’s already so late, we’ll miss the last ship to the Court of Fontaine.”

Nolan, however, was quite interested in an interview.

After all, appearing in the papers would spread his name even wider, and the more renown, the more Spirituality he could gather. But admittedly, it was getting late.

He was about to suggest arranging another time when Navia arrived.

She too recognized them immediately.

As the president of Spina di Rosula, she frequently dealt with Charlotte from The Steambird.

After every interview, Charlotte would always rush over days later with the paper featuring Spina di Rosula’s coverage.

Thus Navia was well aware of the paper’s stories.

She remembered that long ago The Steambird had reported on the adventurers who repelled the Stormterror attack on Mondstadt.

Later, they had even helped drive back an ancient demon god at Liyue Harbor. That adventurer named Nolan… he had even faced a strike from the Raiden Shogun in Inazuma.

Such a remarkable legendary adventurer—of course Navia recognized him. In fact, anyone who read the paper regularly would.

No wonder Charlotte was so excited—she lived for chasing big news. An exclusive interview with two legendary adventurers and their little companion? Of course she’d be thrilled.

Navia, for her part, was inclined to help. After all, Charlotte often gave Spina di Rosula some free publicity.

So she smiled gracefully and said to Nolan and the others:

“Ladies and gentlemen, Charlotte is a legend in the press world, winner of Fontaine’s highest media honor, the Lavirel Prize, many times over.

“Legendary heroes with a legendary journalist—if you accept her interview, the story might set Fontaine ablaze.

“Plenty of merchants would line up asking you for endorsements; you’d be so rich you’d never have to worry about mora again!”

“Eh, really?!”

Paimon’s eyes went wide, her starry pupils sparkling like she could already see piles of mora.

Food required mora, after all—and that was what she cared most about! Lumine cast her an exasperated glance. For her, the interview didn’t matter either way; she turned to Nolan.

“What do you think?” she asked.

“Well… sure, we can. But let’s set another time. Right now isn’t ideal.”

Nolan agreed easily.

Endorsements didn’t interest him—he already had shares in the Sweet Flower Merchant Association, and mora was no longer a concern.

“Really?!” Charlotte nearly burst with joy. “That’s wonderful! Please, tell me when you’re free—I can come interview you anytime!”

【Charlotte Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 380 Affection Points. Current Affection Level: Lv.4 (100/400).】

Her feelings toward Nolan deepened further.

Navia, too, felt pleased. She had spoken up for Charlotte, and the adventurers had agreed—she sensed genuine respect from them, and goodwill bloomed in her heart.

【Navia Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 300 Affection Points. Current Affection Level: Lv.3 (0/300).】

Seeing two affection prompts appear back-to-back, Nolan’s mood lifted. He turned to the pink-haired girl:

“As for the interview, how about tomorrow? We’re heading to the Court of Fontaine next. We can meet there.

“This is our first time in Fontaine, so we’re not familiar with the city. Miss Charlotte, you can pick the location.”

“Mm-hmm, no problem.” Charlotte nodded eagerly. “In that case, leave it to me! Our Steambird has dedicated interview rooms—you can just come to the newspaper office tomorrow.

“And since this is your first visit to Fontaine, you’ll need a guide, right? As thanks for the interview, I’ll accompany you for the next few days to help you get familiar!”

As a reporter, she was always out and about chasing stories and uncovering truths. Guiding them wouldn’t slow her down.

“Hehe, then we’ll trouble you for that, Miss Charlotte,” Paimon said cheerfully.

By then the boat was ready to depart. Nolan and his group hurried to buy tickets. Charlotte and Navia were also bound for the Court of Fontaine, so they came along.

When purchasing tickets, Navia generously paid for Nolan and his companions as well.

She said she was simply happy to make new friends.

She even bought two extra tickets—for her butler and attendant. They were escorting the captured stowaways to Lumidouce Harbor’s temporary holding cell and would return shortly.

With tickets in hand, Nolan’s group boarded the ship. Just before it set off, Navia’s attendants finally returned.

One was an elderly man with a head of white hair but still sharp in spirit—this was her butler, Melus. The other, far younger, was a navy-haired man named Silver.

Both wore black suits and hats, glasses on their faces—Melus with round frames, Silver with dark shades.

Aboard the ship to the Court of Fontaine, introductions were exchanged.

The journey would take several hours, so they passed the time learning from Charlotte and Navia about Fontaine—its culture, geography, history, and current affairs.

Nolan found the conversation easy and engaging, without a single awkward pause.

By around nine that evening, they finally reached the Court of Fontaine. After disembarking, Navia, her butler, and her attendant took their leave—they had a commission fee to collect.

Seeing how late it was, Charlotte offered to help them find an inn.

But Nolan and his companions declined politely. With the Wonderland, they had no need to waste mora on lodging.

Instead, they asked Charlotte to simply show them the way to the Steambird office, so they wouldn’t risk being late tomorrow.

Once there, they said their farewells and slipped back into the Wonderland.

At this hour, most inside were already bathing or asleep. Before seeking out the girls for cultivation, Nolan planned to first check on the Great True Stinger.

Opportunities to farm such vast amounts of Adventure EXP were rare. If it slipped away, it would be a huge loss.

The sea of stars was vast—it wasn’t easy to find another farming spot so lucrative.

To be safe, he cloaked himself in his Stealth Domain before going, reducing the risk of detection.

After all, he still couldn’t defeat the giant stinger outright.

His stealth skills had reached their current peak; to push beyond the divine-tier into the world-tier, as he had with swordsmanship, would be a difficult, troublesome task.

That required at least two additional divine-tier stealth skills.

But there was another option: integrating Domain of Objective Illusory Shadows into the world-tier skill Lumine’s Musou.

That old “Sword Foundation” trait still retained its usefulness.

If he fused the stealth skill into it, stealth would become part of Lumine’s Musou—thus attaining a world-tier essence.

Though divine-tier stealth already left no risk of detection, strengthening it further could only help.

Nolan began merging the two skills:

Domain of Objective Illusory Shadows · Divine Lv.10 (Unobservable State) + Lumine’s Musou · World Lv.10 (Starsea Manifestation, Boundless) → Lumine’s Musou · World Lv.10 (Void Starsea Manifestation, Boundless)

(End of Chapter)

[HP] Chapter 178: Slept Well, Did You? Get Inside and Go to Class

With the Twelve Talismans fully integrated into him, plus his mastery of basic spellwork, Transfiguration was no challenge to Louis anymore. He didn’t even need to rely on illusions.

But since what he used wasn’t the kind of magic wizards recognized, his Trick Points kept rolling in regardless.

By the end of the class, Louis had earned two thousand Trick Points, bringing his total to 189,500. If Ron’s broken wand hadn’t kept belching foul, egg-smelling smoke and drawn so much attention, Louis would have earned even more.

With such a healthy balance, Louis was already planning another lottery draw soon—better to stockpile rewards steadily rather than gamble at the last minute when something critical was needed.

After Transfiguration, only one class remained for the day: the first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson of the year.

Louis split off from Harry and Ron on the way, because he felt the presence of Chuan—finally back after being “offline” all summer.

Inside the Room of Requirement, Louis looked at the ornate ring cradled in Chuan’s hands, its large gemstone glinting ominously.

Its aura was strangely muted, unlike any Horcrux Louis had seen before. He suspected the Deathly Hallow embedded within suppressed Voldemort’s taint.

“Has the curse on it affected you?” Louis asked.

“Not at all, Master,” Chuan replied. “The curse only targets whoever wears the ring. Its core is what you called the Resurrection Stone. The ring magnifies the wearer’s desire for the Stone, compelling them to put it on. But I feel no such desire.”

“Good.” Louis accepted the ring bare-handed, staring at the Resurrection Stone with a complicated expression.

He wondered if the Deathly Hallows were tied to that stone door he’d seen. The Tales of Beedle the Bard claimed the Hallows were crafted by Death himself, and that the one who united them would become the Master of Death.

“Clearly that legend’s nonsense. According to the story, Dumbledore once held all three Hallows, at least briefly, yet nothing happened.” Louis toyed with the gemstone as he spoke skeptically—but deep down, the thought nagged at him.

He had seen a figure that might have been Death. Maybe becoming its master required meeting Death face-to-face.

And surviving that gaze.

“Whatever the case, mastering Death can’t be that simple. Harsh conditions would make sense.”

With a flick, he tossed the Resurrection Stone ring to the Mercury-like homunculus of Volumen Hydrargyrum, which swallowed it whole.

That made two Hallows in his possession now. By the end of the year, he’d likely have a third. Time to start planning how to “share the benefits” with Voldemort’s fragments.

Keeping them trapped in Horcruxes forever wasn’t healthy. Better to let them stretch their legs now and then.

“Well done,” Louis said casually. “Now, is there anything you want?”

“Following you is my greatest honor,” Chuan bowed.

“Keep it in mind, then. Tell me when you think of something. For now, I have another task.”

“Please give your command.”

“Monitor all of Hogwarts’ pipes. Can you manage that?”

“No problem. In fact, I’ve already started.”

“Excellent, promising as always.” Louis gave a thumbs-up. “Off you go.”

“Yes.”

Chuan dissolved into water and vanished. Louis pulled out his map, checked the coast was clear, and opened a door that connected straight to the Defense classroom.

The Room of Requirement was practically a teleport gate within the castle—once mastered, it made moving around effortless.

After taking his seat, Louis’s thoughts drifted back to Horcruxes.

From what he knew, feeding them soul-energy could gradually make their occupants tangible—true resurrection, not just shades. That was the terrifying wonder of Horcruxes.

But a Voldemort reborn that way would be hard to control. Influencing the Horcrux souls themselves was nearly impossible. Only the Killing Curse backed by the Elder Wand, or the destructive Fiendfyre, could force change.

Their nature rejected any outside influence unless willingly accepted—even nourishment had to be consensual.

“In the end, I know too little. If only I had a detailed study on Horcruxes,” Louis frowned.

But no such tome existed in the Restricted Section. He’d searched already. Most likely Dumbledore had removed it, not wanting another Tom Riddle rising from Hogwarts.

Just then, Draco Malfoy’s mocking voice rang from outside the classroom.

“Harry Potter’s handing out autographs!”

“Shut up, Malfoy, I am not!” Harry’s weak protest carried through the door, backed by Ron’s equally ineffective support.

But Malfoy had his two hulking cronies, Crabbe and Goyle, itching to rough up the red-haired “sidekick.” Wands were forbidden in the corridors—but fists weren’t.

The childish squabble grated on Louis’s nerves. His train of thought broken, he rose, stormed to the door, and kicked it open.

Outside, Harry and Ron were hemmed in by Malfoy and his goons, while a ring of mostly Slytherins jeered and laughed.

The laughter died the moment Louis appeared.

Malfoy shrank like a frightened quail, and Crabbe and Goyle fared no better.

Harry and Ron, shocked, turned to see Louis’s expression—and instinctively recoiled. They’d never been on the receiving end themselves, but they’d heard the stories.

Three punches to kill a troll. Even Hagrid would struggle to match that.

“Well, well. You all seem lively. Slept well last night? Looking for some extra-curricular thrills?” Louis’s few words drained the fight from all five boys. The older Slytherins scattered like startled birds.

“What are you waiting for?” Louis’s eyes swept over the cowed crowd. “Get inside and go to class!”

---

[Game] Chapter 455-456

Chapter 455: Returning, But Something Feels Off

An hour later, Ichin drove back with Hiratsuka Shizuka, who had her luggage with her. After greeting Ichin’s parents, they went downstairs to the place where Haruno and Yukino were staying.

“Wow~~ so this is where you’ve been living the past few days? Not bad at all!”

Looking around at the place, Hiratsuka was impressed.

“Your mom really treats you two well. Perfect, I’ll just freeload for a while. Sorry for the intrusion!”

Since the apartment was mainly for living, it hadn’t been fitted with a study—just three bedrooms. The spare one was now Shizuka’s.

After dropping her luggage, she joined everyone in the living room and explained why she’d suddenly appeared.

“Simple. My mom wanted to drag me into more blind dates. After seeing the profiles of the three candidates, I couldn’t be bothered—I just ran away. Summer break is long for teachers, so I figured I’d vacation in Shanghai instead.”

She bit into freshly cut watermelon with satisfaction.

“I was bored after dinner and thought I’d call Haruno, since she hadn’t sent me a single update. Didn’t expect to find out you’re all in Shanghai too.”

“I see.”

Utaha nodded, then asked:

“So, Hiratsuka-sensei, have you been wandering around alone today?”

Finishing her watermelon, Shizuka wiped her hands.

“Yep. I was planning to tour around Shanghai for a while, maybe head elsewhere after. But after one phone call I find you’re all here—finally, some company! So, what about you guys? What’ve you been up to? Ichin didn’t tell me much after picking me up.”

As soon as she finished, Ichin, Utaha, and Yukino all turned their eyes on Haruno.

“…What are you looking at me for?”

Meeting their stares, Haruno shrugged.

“It was just a blind date, nothing worth hiding.”

“Huh? Haruno, you went on a blind date?!”

Shizuka was stunned. Haruno calmly nodded and gave her a brief rundown of what had happened.

By the end, Shizuka looked both shocked and thoughtful.

“As expected, this godmother of yours really does care for you. Worrying about your love life makes sense—finding you a partner is probably harder than finding me one. At least if I lower my standards a bit and fix some bad habits, I could find someone. You? Not so sure.”

“I know. That’s why I’m not in any rush. I’m still young, aren’t I?”

Haruno, completely unfazed, grabbed another slice of watermelon and grinned.

“Anyway, enough of that. Shizuka, have you thought about where you want to go tomorrow? Ichin has to check in at the company, and Utaha and Yukino want to rest at home—they wore themselves out today.”

“Then we’ll need to plan properly. By the way, how long are you staying?”

“About half a month.”

“Perfect. I brought my laptop. Let’s look up some travel guides and plan our trips.”

The two friends quickly got into arranging their schedule.

Meanwhile, Ichin, Utaha, and Yukino broke out a deck of cards and started a game of “Dou Dizhu,” sticking slips of paper on their faces as penalties.

Half an hour later, Ichin was completely plastered in notes after the two girls teamed up against him.

Once Haruno and Shizuka finished planning, Ichin suggested the four of them switch to mahjong while he went upstairs to his room to busy himself. Even on vacation, he just couldn’t stay idle.

---

The half-month holiday passed in a flash.

Ichin spent two days at the studio to check on progress, then spent the rest sightseeing with Utaha and the others. After touring around Shanghai, they also visited a few places outside the city.

Sakura Nene didn’t stay long—after a week she flew back to Tokyo. With the company’s group trip over, she had to return to work. Still, her goal had been achieved. She’d spent almost every day with Umiko, even celebrated her birthday with her alone. Of everyone, Nene left the happiest.

She’d arrived with just a backpack but departed with an extra suitcase stuffed full of random purchases.

Haruno and Yukino were similar—their luggage grew from two to three cases, the extra filled with clothes, gifts, souvenirs, and snacks.

Shizuka was no exception—her suitcase was packed to bursting, plus a new backpack.

The longer you play, the more you buy.

Thankfully, with a car, hauling everything to the airport wasn’t a problem.

Two hours later, the five of them were back on Tokyo soil.

After collecting their bags, Ichin turned to Shizuka.

“Hiratsuka-sensei, did you park your car here?”

She waved him off.

“Of course, don’t worry. I left it here.”

Haruno leaned over, bumping her shoulder with a grin.

“Still, you should be worried. Like… what do you think your mom’s going to say when she finds out you vanished for days?”

“What could she say?” Shizuka replied with a resigned look.

“She’s used to it. Probably won’t say much. Anyway, that flight wore me out—time to head home.”

After saying her goodbyes, she hopped into her car and drove off alone.

Ichin pulled out his keys and looked at Haruno.

“Are you two going back to Chiba, or staying in Tokyo?”

“Tokyo. I’ll rest today, then get back to work tomorrow. No point running to Chiba. Next week I’ll probably go back once with Yukino.”

Loading her suitcase into the trunk, Haruno walked over and patted Ichin’s head with a smile.

“Thanks for keeping us company these days, Ichin. I had a great time. Remember to invite your big sis next time you go traveling!”

“Of course.”

Getting into the driver’s seat, Ichin and Utaha left the parking lot first.

Watching their car go, Haruno smirked at her sister.

“Come on, let’s head home!”

But seeing that smile, Yukino couldn’t help feeling a strange unease.

Somehow… something didn’t feel quite right.

---

Chapter 456: The “New” Neighbor?!

On the drive back, Utaha, sitting in the passenger seat, smiled happily.

“We’re home, Ichin. Once you’ve dropped off the luggage, let’s go next door together. We need to bring the gifts we bought for my parents.”

“Of course. I can also tell Uncle about the tea I brought back.”

Nodding, Ichin glanced at Utaha beside him, then said after some thought:

“Utaha, how about I talk something over with you?”

“Mm? What is it?”

Choosing his words carefully, Ichin said:

“We’re sophomores now. In two years we’ll graduate. I want to talk with you about settling down and getting married after that.”

Hearing this, Utaha immediately understood.

Though they rarely spoke about marriage, it was something both knew they would eventually face, and they both looked forward to that future.

The only complication was that Ichin was studying abroad. After graduation, even with a career here, he’d still need to shift his focus back to Shanghai—he’d mentioned that before.

After marriage, a decision on where to live would have to be made.

Utaha had long since thought about this, though she’d never said it aloud.

Looking at him, she smiled.

“That’s simple. Whatever you decide, I’ll follow. My career path is novelist and scriptwriter, and that kind of work isn’t tied to location. I can write anywhere. As for my parents, it’s not like we’d never come to Tokyo again. You’ll still have your company here. We can visit whenever we want.”

Her answer brought a broad smile to Ichin’s face.

It was what he expected, but hearing it from her own mouth made him even happier.

“Then it’s decided. Maybe we can arrange to spend part of every year here with your parents. Or once they retire, we could bring them to Shanghai for vacations. As long as the company keeps growing steadily, we won’t have to worry about finances. The elders can enjoy life however they like.”

Utaha nodded, and they began chatting about future plans.

It was still a few years away, but it was fun to picture the future together.

But as they talked, Utaha glanced at the rear-view mirror and noticed a familiar car.

“Ichin, isn’t that Haruno’s car behind us?”

“Hm?”

Ichin looked in the mirror and blinked in surprise.

“It is… but this road doesn’t lead to Yukino’s place. She should’ve turned two intersections back. No way she took the wrong turn.”

“I’ll give her a call.”

Utaha dialed Yukino.

“Yukino? Didn’t you say you were going home? Why are you on this road? Huh? Haruno said she had some errands? She didn’t tell you the details? Okay, I see. We just noticed your car behind us and got curious. Bye.”

Putting down her phone, Utaha said:

“That’s it. Apparently Haruno has something to do.”

“Well, if it’s Haruno, nothing strange about that.”

Ichin shrugged and went back to chatting with Utaha.

But six or seven minutes later, as they neared home, Haruno’s car was still behind them.

Frowning, Ichin muttered:

“What is Haruno doing near our place?”

Utaha shook her head.

“No idea. Maybe we should ask later.”

“Yeah. I’m curious now.”

Soon they pulled into their apartment complex.

Haruno’s car entered the parking lot right after.

As Ichin and Utaha got out, he looked over and asked,

“Haruno, what’s going on? If you were coming here, you could’ve told us earlier.”

Closing her car door, Haruno grinned.

“You’ll find out soon enough! Yukino, grab the luggage.”

“Huh?”

Yukino, just as confused as Ichin and Utaha, still obediently took the suitcase from the trunk.

“Come on,” Haruno said cheerfully, “I’ll explain upstairs.”

They went up together.

But instead of stopping at Ichin’s door, Haruno walked right to the apartment next door, pulled out a key, and—

Click!

The door opened.

Turning around to their dumbfounded faces, Haruno beamed.

“I’m your new neighbor, Yukinoshita Haruno. Please take care of me~~”

Five minutes later, Ichin and Utaha stepped into the apartment.

Looking at the freshly renovated interior, Ichin suddenly understood.

“So that’s it. The place that was for sale before—you bought it, Haruno?”

“Exactly! It’s all mine!”

Haruno folded her arms proudly.

“The old place I lived was closer to work, but boring. No friends nearby. I’d been thinking of moving. When I visited here before, I learned this apartment was up for sale. So I bought it and renovated it.”

Yukino frowned.

“Why didn’t you tell us earlier? You could’ve stayed at my place.”

“I didn’t want to bother you, little Yukino.”

Haruno hugged her sister.

“You’re always studying so seriously. If I lived with you, I’d just distract you. That’s why I stopped coming over much. But now it’s perfect. Next door are Ichin and Utaha, downstairs are Aoba and the others—I won’t be lonely at all!”

Ichin and Utaha exchanged a glance and shook their heads with a wry smile.

They didn’t mind Haruno moving in—in fact, it’d be livelier.

But her secrecy… waiting until she had the key in hand to reveal it? That was just like her.

Glancing at the sparsely decorated living room, Ichin said with a smile:

“Even though it’s renovated, it doesn’t feel very homey yet. You’ll need to add more personal touches.”

“I was thinking the same!”

Haruno nodded vigorously.

“This will be my permanent home now. I’ll be busy with work this week, but next weekend you two have to come shopping with me to decorate!”

---

[Genshin Impact] Chapter 605: Lumidouce Harbor

Volume 7: Court of Fontaine Starts !

Fontaine was a nation of water.

Its geographical environment was rather unique within the continent of Teyvat. If one were to view the continent as a flat plane, then the entire Fontaine landmass would appear as a raised plateau, protruding dozens if not hundreds of meters above the rest.

It was as though the peak of a colossal mountain had been leveled flat, its altitude towering over the neighboring nations.

From the edges of Fontaine, vast quantities of water poured down ceaselessly, forming an encircling, colossal waterfall.

These waters flowed outward in all directions, linking together the continent’s river systems. Nearly all of Teyvat’s waterways originated in Fontaine, only to eventually return there in the end.

Thus Fontaine was revered as the Nation of Water, and Lumidouce Harbor had been built along the cliffs marking Fontaine’s borders.

It was divided into two tiers.

The lower tier lay beneath the cliffs of Fontaine’s rim. Covering a wide expanse, it bustled with activity as countless merchant vessels docked there to unload their cargo.

Ascending via the great lift from the lower tier led one to the upper tier.

The upper tier sat atop the cliffs, smaller in area, yet also hosting many vessels—these ships came not to unload, but to take on goods.

It seemed that the lifts of Lumidouce Harbor were unable to raise entire ships, making it necessary for merchants above to load goods onto awaiting vessels.

Standing on the solid stone ground after disembarking, Nolan and his companions marveled not only at the sheer number of ships nearby, but also at the unbelievable sight of the waterfall that encircled the entire island.

“So this is Lumidouce Harbor?”

Lumine sighed in wonder. Even having wandered across the stars and witnessed countless marvels, geography like Fontaine’s was truly rare.

“Mhm!”

Nolan nodded in agreement.

Back when he first crossed into this world, the Fontaine map had not even been unlocked, so this was his first time laying eyes upon the nation. He had never imagined it would look like this.

Every other land of Teyvat appeared relatively normal, only Fontaine was so peculiar. There must be some special reason behind this, Nolan mused.

It didn’t feel like a naturally formed landscape.

“Let’s head toward the lift. Looks like we still need to register.” Paimon pointed ahead.

Entering another country usually required proper registration.

In time, once Nolan became familiar here and obtained some form of long-term residency, whether he registered or not would hardly matter.

But for now, it was best to follow the rules.

Otherwise, with the fame he and Lumine carried, if they were spotted in Fontaine without entry records, it would be obvious they had entered illegally.

Even setting aside the inconvenience, such rumors would harm their reputation.

And that, in turn, would hinder the collection of “Spirituality.”

Recently, Nolan had accumulated enough “Spirituality” to bestow hundreds of new attributes, though he had yet to expend them.

In the Wonderland, the girls—including Kitsune Saiguu, who had only just awakened from the Phantom Bell—already had attributes well-suited for them.

Having just awakened, Kitsune Saiguu was still in the state of a weakened spirit body, so naturally her Spirit Attributes were focused on accelerating recovery.

At the same time, the Great Lord Rukkhadevata’s spirit body had stabilized as well. Together with Nahida, she had slightly revised their earlier plans, and the two had successfully implemented the “Akasha” system within the Wonderland.

The method was simple: by leveraging the Waymark’s link, Nahida continuously transmitted everything she perceived of the Akasha System directly to Rukkhadevata.

Then Rukkhadevata only needed to use her authority over dreams to project it as a virtual dream-interface.

This approach consumed far less than having her bear part of the Akasha System herself, while also allowing everyone in the Wonderland to experience the full “Akasha Network” without needing personal terminals.

It was a new solution devised after days of discussion between Nahida and Rukkhadevata—and to Nolan, it carried a strangely familiar sense of déjà vu.

He soon realized why.

Isn’t this exactly the principle of cloud gaming?

Nahida’s “Akasha” system handled all the computation, while Rukkhadevata simply projected it into the Wonderland.

Before long, Paimon was flying ahead, with Nolan and Lumine following behind, and the three of them arrived at the lift.

Several staff in blue soldier-style uniforms were stationed there, along with a few pale-golden mechanical sentries.

Clearly, they were meant to prevent anyone from forcing their way through.

“Hello, we’d like to enter Fontaine,” Paimon said to one of the blue-uniformed staff.

“No problem, please show me your documents.”

The uniformed staffer nodded.

It seemed this checkpoint mainly verified travel documents—only after a proper inspection could one proceed.

Naturally, Nolan and the others had their papers. Back when they became honorary knights of the Knights of Favonius, Acting Grand Master Jean had arranged Mondstadt’s travel documents for them.

Their documents carried a special note of their status as Honorary Knights.

“Very well, no issues. Honorary Knights of Mondstadt, Fontaine welcomes you. After taking the lift up, please head over to the harbor office for registration.”

The staffer gestured for them to enter a lift shaped like a round house. The doors shut automatically, and the mechanism began to ascend.

A gentle upward force pressed against their feet—they could feel how fast the lift was rising.

After just over a minute, the lift stopped, and the doors opened.

At the doorway stood another blue-uniformed official, hat on his head, who addressed them:

“Welcome to Fontaine. Please follow me to complete registration.”

“Alright,” Nolan nodded.

He and Lumine stepped out and followed him to the nearby harbor office.

Inside, the staff member was a young woman with orange-red hair. Her hands folded before her waist, she looked at them and said,

“Welcome. I’m Yalard, the harbor officer here. For new arrivals, please fill out this form and show your travel documents again.”

“Of course, thank you, Miss Yalard.”

They handed over their documents. On the counter lay a thick stack of forms—clearly the ones meant for new entries.

Each of them took one and began to fill it out.

The questions were simple—basic identity information, where they came from, their occupation, and so on.

In no time they were finished, and with official papers granting them legal stay in Fontaine, they left the harbor office.

Stepping out through its doors, they found themselves at the upper docks. From here, if one wanted to reach Fontaine Court or other parts of the nation, the usual way was by ship.

“Wow, there are so many people here!”

The dock’s center was a broad waterway, and on both sides throngs of people waited for boats.

Since Lumidouce Harbor was close to Liyue’s Chenyu Vale, most of the crowd were Liyue natives rather than Fontainians.

Some were ordinary travelers; others were merchants here for business.

“Huh? Look over to the left—why are so many people gathered around?” Paimon shaded her eyes with her hand and peered, puzzlement in her voice.

(End of Chapter)

[HP] Chapter 177: Professor Kitty Just Kicked Someone!

Harry quickly got rid of Lockhart—or rather, Lockhart released him himself.

“This is awful,” Harry muttered to Louis and Ron. “He seems to think I’m just like him and wants to pass down his ‘wisdom’ to me.”

“That really is awful,” Ron nodded in sympathy, but Louis saw it differently.

“Harry, set aside your bias. You might actually learn something useful from him,” Louis said. “Gilderoy Lockhart may not be much as a person, but he knows how to market himself. He understands fame and how to wield it. In that regard, he’s a master—enough to teach even Dumbledore a thing or two.”

That was Louis’s assessment of Lockhart. He didn’t particularly like the fraud, but he had to admit—fame couldn’t have been built on just a stack of books and a few Memory Charms. If Dumbledore had half of Lockhart’s publicity tricks, the Ministry would never have been able to suppress him so easily later on.

Clearly, though, Harry wasn’t listening. He kept grumbling under his breath.

Louis, on the other hand, was actually considering whether he should learn a thing or two from Lockhart…

Forget it. Too disgusting. Lockhart must have been clever before he became famous, but after gaining celebrity status and a Merlin Medal, he completely lost sight of who he was. He genuinely seemed to believe all those stories in his books were his own.

No sense of self-awareness at all.

Herbology went smoothly. Though Professor Sprout was a little injured, it didn’t stop her from teaching perfectly well.

Repotting mandrakes was child’s play for Louis. With clean, practiced movements, he yanked one out, dropped it in another pot, packed in the soil—done in less than thirty seconds.

Professor Sprout praised him warmly and generously awarded Slytherin twenty points.

The rest of the class was spent replanting the shrieking roots. Even Louis couldn’t avoid getting dirt on himself, and by the end everyone was exhausted. Louis couldn’t help suspecting that this lesson was really just free labor for the greenhouses.

When Herbology finished, the morning still had a second class. The sudden workload had Ron and Harry looking like wrecks.

“Blimey, next year will they pile on so many lessons we’ll have to learn a duplication spell just to keep up?” Ron whined, still grimy since he hadn’t bothered to wash or change.

“You don’t need to worry about the future right now, Ron. Just think about Transfiguration. Do you think your wand can handle turning a bug into a button?” Louis had already changed into fresh clothes. “Hurry up, we’re about to be late.”

With that, he left the two behind and strode off.

Before long, Louis reached the Transfiguration classroom. Quite a few students were already seated.

And there, on the desk, sat Professor McGonagall—transformed once more into a tabby cat.

She hadn’t taken her Animagus form in class since that very first demonstration last term. Was she planning to revive the old tradition of opening class with a transformation?

Louis paid it no mind at first—but then his heart skipped. That silly Merlin-template curse… it wouldn’t affect Animagi too, would it?

The thought had barely formed when the cat’s eyes suddenly sharpened. It bristled, fur standing on end, and locked Louis in its murderous gaze.

[Curse: High chance of being kicked when encountering felines.]

[Herald of Fear: Any hostile target will feel fear.]

The tabby sprang forward in a flying kick aimed square at Louis’s face, hissing a furious “Mrrrrow!”

The entire class froze in shock.

They were second-years now—everyone knew that tabby cat was Professor McGonagall. But why—why on earth—had Professor Kitty just launched herself at a student with a dropkick?

What unforgivable sin could that student have committed?

Then they saw who it was. Louis Wilson.

Oh. Never mind then. Kick away.

Meanwhile Louis, though half-expecting it, still gaped inside.

Professor! Your dignity, Professor!

His mouth twitched as he stepped back, dodging the airborne strike. That seemed to snap McGonagall back to herself mid-pounce.

She transformed back into her human form before landing gracefully. But her face was… odd. After all, how could a professor possibly explain attacking her own student?

“Forgive me, Professor,” Louis said quickly, stepping in to cover for her. “I suppose my holiday homework didn’t quite meet your standards.”

Quick, give her an out. The poor woman’s face was already flushed red.

“Ahem… yes, quite right, Mr. Wilson. Your homework was acceptable, but it did fall short of my expectations. See that you do better next time.”

McGonagall gave him a look of approval, as if to say, Good lad, you’re very tactful.

The rest of the class, however, went pale.

Louis Wilson’s homework wasn’t up to standard? Oh no… would that mean each of them would be kicked by Professor Kitty in turn?

Well… maybe that wouldn’t be the worst thing.

McGonagall’s face remained strained, but she said nothing more and returned to the desk. This time she didn’t dare transform again. When she’d been in her cat form, she’d felt an overwhelming urge to kick Louis—as if it were some solemn duty. She’d acted on it almost instinctively.

It was bizarre, and it left her unsettled. Worse still, during that strike, Louis had seemed terrifying—enough to spook a cat.

Fortunately, Ron and Harry’s late arrival soon broke the tension. Once they’d settled in, McGonagall began the term’s first test: to see whether her students had remembered they were wizards over the holidays.

The task: transform a beetle into a button.

Each student was given a lively, skittering beetle. It was no easy feat—harder to transfigure something so tiny and moving than something still. A perfect exercise in spell accuracy.

“Mr. Potter, focus your aim—and believe in yourself. Without confidence, even a hit won’t change it,” McGonagall instructed as she paced the room.

“Very good, Mr. Wilson. Slytherin earns ten points,” she added, stopping by Louis’s desk and admiring the perfectly still button. “Now, Louis, can you reverse it?”

It was a test to ensure no one was cheating—a little extra step.

“Of course,” Louis tapped the button with his wand and lazily muttered, “Revert.”

In the blink of an eye, the button turned back into a skittering beetle.

---

[Game] Chapter 454: The Sudden Appearance of Hiratsuka Shizuka

After heading out in the morning, everyone first went to the go-kart track for a proper racing experience.

They were all used to driving sedans, but this was everyone’s first time in a go-kart—even Ichin had only ever tried bumper cars before.

Though small, the karts packed surprising speed, and the tracks were complex enough to feel almost like real professional racing.

Ichin, Utaha, and the others all had a blast.

Even Yukino, usually the one with the fewest expressions, was shining with excitement.

After they’d had their fill of karting, they found a seafood restaurant for a feast. In the afternoon, Umiko led them to a shooting range, where they spent hours practicing.

That part mainly appealed to Ichin and Umiko. The others weren’t as interested, though Yukino tried the archery section.

Since she had once practiced kyudo, she picked it up surprisingly quickly.

Utaha and Sakura Nene weren’t bored either—they spent the whole time taking photos and videos on their phones, thoroughly enjoying themselves.

By evening, after a quiet, high-end dinner, Umiko and Nene went home, while Ichin drove Utaha and Yukino back.

On the way, Utaha stretched with a tired sigh.

“Today was non-stop fun… I don’t want to move tomorrow. Ichin, let’s stay home and rest, and go out again the day after? Yukino, what do you think?”

Yukino nodded.

“It was fun, but exhausting. I’d like to rest too.”

Her stamina was never great, and a whole day of excitement had nearly drained her. Once she bathed and lay down, she’d probably be asleep instantly.

Hands on the wheel, Ichin chuckled.

“Then you two stay home and rest tomorrow. It’s Monday, so I’ll stop by the studio here. This boss hasn’t shown his face in ages—it’s about time.”

“I see. Alright then.”

Utaha didn’t insist he stay, nor did she suggest tagging along.

Clinging to Yukino’s arm, she smiled.

“Yukino, let’s binge a drama at home tomorrow?”

Yukino nodded. That sounded nice. If she got bored, she could always play games—she still hadn’t unlocked some Fall Guys skins she wanted. And with August around the corner, new maps and skins were coming. She’d need to set aside time to grind, or the backlog would just keep piling up.

Who would have thought—the once aloof, bookish, cold beauty had, bit by bit, become something of a gamer girl?

Soon, the car pulled into the neighborhood.

Instead of heading to her own place, Yukino followed Ichin and Utaha upstairs.

When they opened the door, the lights were already on—his parents and Haruno were there.

Changing his shoes, Ichin asked,

“Mom, when did you get back?”

“Haruno and I came home after dinner. Your father got back maybe ten minutes before you.”

As she spoke, Haruno was slumped on the sofa, motionless, looking utterly defeated with life.

Ichin walked over, smiling as he sat down.

“What’s wrong, Haruno?”

She shook her head.

“Looks like the single life continues.”

“Huh?”

Ichin glanced at his mom in surprise.

“Today’s blind date didn’t go well?”

His mother spread her hands helplessly.

“More or less. The boy was nice, but after talking it through, both he and Haruno agreed—they’re just not compatible.”

Yukino sat beside her sister, curious.

“Not compatible? In what way? Though honestly, with my sister’s personality, that’s not surprising.”

Haruno rolled her eyes.

“Yukino, you’re getting less and less cute, saying that about your sister. It’s just that our ways of handling things don’t match. He’s a good person—as a friend or business partner, fine. But as a partner? We’d break up in less than half a month. No point continuing. Today was less a blind date, more like a business discussion. In that sense, it went well.”

Her mom sighed.

“I thought you two would be a good match. Guess I was wrong. At least it didn’t end badly.”

“I see.”

Rubbing his chin, Ichin guessed with a grin.

“Let me guess—the guy was too domineering, no flexibility?”

“Pretty much.”

Haruno nodded in agreement.

“He looked fine, capable, ran a solid company. But like I said—fine as a colleague, not as a partner. How to put it… a vibranium straight man. Too stiff to be called just straight. He has no idea how to talk to women, can’t even manage a joke. That’s not the kind of relationship I want.”

True enough—with Haruno’s personality, her partner needed not just ability but also fun.

Boring people weren’t even worth a second glance.

Her mom shook her head.

“With you like this, I don’t even know if I should keep arranging dates for you.”

Haruno just hugged her arm with a laugh.

“No need, Godmother. I’m still young, there’s no rush! Instead of worrying about me, why not look forward to Ichin and Utaha’s kids in a couple of years?”

“That’s a sure thing. Nothing to look forward to. You just don’t want to go on blind dates, admit it.”

Her mom’s words made Haruno stick out her tongue awkwardly.

Luckily, her phone rang, saving her from the moment.

She picked it up—it was a voice message from Hiratsuka Shizuka.

“Good evening, Shizuka. What’s up? Feeling lonely tonight? Huh?”

Haruno froze, glanced at Ichin and Utaha, and said in surprise:

“Shizuka’s… in Shanghai.”

What? Hiratsuka Shizuka?

How had she suddenly turned up—without the slightest warning?

---

[Genshin Impact] Chapter 604: Arrival

Chenyu Vale, Qiaoying Village

Just after leaving Qiaoying Village, Nolan and Lumine’s group encountered a caravan being robbed by hilichurls. After helping to drive them off, they were warmly thanked by the caravan.

One of the young guards introduced himself as Jiaming. As a bodyguard and a Vision holder, he naturally wasn’t afraid of mere hilichurls, but he still expressed his gratitude for their aid. He offered that once he finished escorting the goods, he would guide them around Chenyu Vale.

“Great! Having a local as a guide will make things much easier for us,” Paimon said cheerfully.

“And who was it that forgot who the real best guide in Teyvat is~?” Nolan teased with a grin.

“You—!” Paimon stomped furiously in midair at the jab, then turned to Lumine. “Look at him, always picking on me!”

Lumine crossed her arms and shot a disdainful look at Nolan.

“Alright, alright, my bad,” Nolan conceded, then turned to Jiaming.

“In that case, we’ll trouble you.”

“No trouble at all. I happen to have another delivery headed that way,” Jiaming replied with a smile.

“You all go on ahead—I’ll see Uncle Yuanming and the caravan safely to the shop, then catch up.”

“No problem,” Nolan agreed with a nod.

With that, Jiaming departed with the merchants, while Nolan and the others set out again toward Yilong Wharf.

The distance between the two places was not insignificant. Now that they were in the automobile era, there was no need to trek the whole way on foot.

Driving would be faster—and more fun.

Since Jiaming needed some time anyway, Nolan had just enough opportunity to fetch a car.

He shared the idea with Lumine and Paimon, who both nodded slightly.

“Sounds good—then we’ll leave that task to you,” they said.

“Alright then.” Nolan chuckled, then vanished, reappearing moments later at Ningguang’s side.

The Merchant Association had plenty of new test vehicles, including a recently developed off-road “Adventurer’s Special” model with exceptional terrain handling.

Perfect for him to put through its paces.

He stored the steam-powered off-road car in his Mindscape World, then teleported back to Lumine’s side.

She and Paimon had walked to the edge of a clear river. A light mist rose from its surface, giving the scene an ethereal beauty.

“Come, let’s get in,” Nolan said, summoning the steam car. Its roof folded back into a convertible design that could be opened or closed at will, ready for any weather.

“Nice! Now that Paimon think of it, we’ve barely ridden in cars before,” Paimon said excitedly as she zipped into the vehicle.

Only… instead of sitting, she hovered awkwardly above the seat.

“...” Nolan gave a speechless laugh. “So little Paimon wants to test whether she flies faster than the car runs?”

With the car in convertible mode, once it started moving she’d be left behind instantly—and at her flight speed, catching up would be nearly impossible.

“Hehe…” Realizing the issue, Paimon sheepishly settled into the seat.

“Let me drive,” Lumine said, clearly intrigued.

“Sure—but let’s wait for Jiaming first. Otherwise, he’ll never catch up,” Nolan replied with a nod.

“Mm. I’ll just practice nearby in the meantime.”

Though Lumine had never driven before, with her strength, a little practice was more than enough for her to master it completely.

After about ten minutes, Jiaming finally caught up, panting slightly:

“Phew… didn’t expect you all to move so fast.”

He sighed in relief when he saw them.

“Hmph! For adventurers, climbing mountains and crossing rivers is daily routine. Of course our pace is faster,” Paimon said proudly, hands on her hips.

“I see… eh?” Jiaming nodded, thinking it was about the same for him as a bodyguard constantly traveling the wilds. But then his eyes widened as he spotted the steam car parked by the roadside.

“Is that yours? How come I didn’t see it before? So cool!”

“Just picked it up,” Nolan said, already starting his sales pitch.

“This is the newest model from the Sweet Flower Merchant Association. Exceptional off-road performance—perfect for someone like you, escorting caravans. If you’re interested, I could even get you a hefty discount.”

“Well… I’ll pass for now. We bodyguards don’t always get to decide whether to use a car. It mostly depends on the caravan or the merchants we’re with,” Jiaming replied, shaking his head.

He knew about the new steam cars being sold in Liyue Harbor. They ran on Pyro crystals—and as a Pyro Vision holder, he wouldn’t even need to pay for fuel. For him, energy was free.

He was indeed interested, but the price was steep. Even if he could afford one by gritting his teeth, not having savings in his pocket left him feeling insecure. Better to wait until he had built up more funds—then he could buy the car he really wanted.

“No worries. I’ll get you a purchase voucher from the Merchant Association sometime. Then you can buy one whenever you like,” Nolan said with a smile.

“Haha, thanks then!” Jiaming accepted his goodwill.

“Alright, you two—get in already, stop dawdling!” Paimon called from the passenger seat, waving at them.

Lumine was already in the driver’s seat, ready to go.

Nolan nodded, then climbed into the back with Jiaming. The Pyro-powered steam engine purred quietly to life.

With a hiss of exhaust and a spray of vapor, the car shot forward down the paved road.

As they traveled, Jiaming pointed out the landscapes of Chenyu Vale and shared knowledge about its many teas.

After speeding along for quite a while, nearly noon by then, they finally reached Yilong Wharf.

There was a Sweet Flower Chamber branch here, so they parked the car there. The branch staff could drive it back to Liyue Harbor later.

Once at Yilong Wharf, Jiaming helped them buy tickets for a ship departing at 2 p.m. toward Port Romanthe. Then, acting as a guide, he showed them around the wharf.

By around one o’clock, Jiaming took his leave—time to prepare for his own work. Thanks to the car, he had arrived far earlier than expected, but arriving early just meant starting early.

The sooner he completed his escort job, the sooner the client could rest easy.

After Jiaming left, Nolan, Lumine, and Paimon strolled around Yilong Wharf on their own. When it was nearly two, they headed to the docks and boarded their ship.

Nowadays, Chenyu Vale’s passenger ships were also fitted with steam engines, making them much faster than before.

After several hours at sea, just as night was falling, they arrived at Port Romanthe.

(End of Chapter / Volume 6 : Grand Infrastructure Development Start!)