A ray of pure morning sunlight slowly entered through the window. Lu Ze slept until he woke up naturally. Staring at the empty ceiling, a sudden thought of wanting to stay in bed crossed his mind.
He turned to his side and froze.
Someone was lying next to him, tightly clutching his arm. What was going on?
He rubbed his eyes and looked closely.
Well, it was Elysia! How did she end up in my bed? This is not right, not right at all!
"Mmm... *mumble*, don't move... let me sleep a bit longer, just a little while..."
Seeing the girl murmuring in her sleep, Lu Ze didn't know what to do. If he pulled his arm out, he was afraid he would wake the adorable girl. If he didn't move, his arm was getting sore.
"This is making me so awkward. Should I just lie here a bit longer? This is the first time I've seen Elysia like this. Maybe I should watch a little longer?"
Since he couldn't get up anyway, Lu Ze lay back down on the bed, his eyes diligently observing the girl before him, recalling past memories.
He remembered that this was the girl who had received him the first time he entered the Imaginary Tree using the system.
Elysia was truly enthusiastic. Instead of expelling outsiders, she listened to their reasons and would even joke around sometimes.
Even before coming to this world, Lu Ze had already liked Elysia very much. Who could reject a girl like her? But the subsequent shattering of the Imaginary Tree had truly angered him.
Even when thirteen individuals merged into one, it made him cry. The Herrscher of Humanity... the first Herrscher, a Herrscher who helped humanity, yet was not trusted by humans at all. This world is truly comical...
"Hmm?"
Elysia had woken up at some point. Her pink eyes gazed at the person in front of her. Her face suddenly flushed slightly, and she said:
"You, why are you staring at me like that? Is there something on my face?"
Lu Ze shook his head and said:
"Long time no see, Elysia. It's been quite a while since we last parted. By the way, how did you appear in my bed?"
Elysia found it hard to answer this question. She couldn't exactly say she had broken into someone's house after leaving the Imaginary Tree, could she? And on top of that, she was lying in his bed. How could she possibly say that?
"Ahem, this question isn't important! Don't ask about it. I should be the one asking about the situation. Weren't we... supposed to be dead? You're the one who created all of this, right?"
Lu Ze knew this question would inevitably be asked. He had already prepared a plausible excuse. After all, the system's existence was something that absolutely could not be revealed.
Even to the person he trusted most, he couldn't tell them. This secret was best buried deep and never spoken.
After explaining with his prepared excuse, Elysia nodded with a mixture of belief and doubt. Suddenly, the door was pushed open, and someone stood at the entrance, utterly stunned.
"Heh heh! Lu Ze! It's only been a few days? You've already found a new woman? You really know how to make a show of yourself!"
Himeko stood at the doorway with a dark expression. It had only been a day! Who was this pink-haired woman? And why was she lying in his bed?
"Ah, Himeko? What are you doing here? Listen to my explanation! It's not what you think, you have to give me a chance to explain, right?"
Before he could finish speaking, Himeko slammed the door shut and left with a face full of sadness, looking utterly dejected.
"Teacher Himeko, what's wrong? Why do you look so angry? Did Lu Ze make you angry again? He wouldn't be acting like this first thing in the morning, would he?"
Bronya looked puzzled, but Himeko was in no mood to answer. She sat down on the sofa downstairs, annoyance evident. Who was this person?
She had celebrated with him just yesterday, and today he was sleeping with someone else. I can only say, Lu Ze, you've really got it.
Meanwhile, Lu Ze in the room was dumbfounded, realizing that today was going to be another turbulent day.
Suddenly, the door was kicked open again, and Bronya walked in with a frown. Her eyes immediately fell on the pink-haired girl.
"Hmm? Who is this woman? Why is she in your bed? Give me an explanation! Otherwise, you're finished."
Bronya didn't recognize Elysia. They had never met, and even though Mei had described her, it was only a vague overview. How could she possibly remember such details?
"Me? Are you asking me? If you're asking me, then my answer is, I am the cutest girl in the world, Elysia. However... you're not bad either."
The next second, Elysia suddenly appeared behind Bronya and embraced her. Feeling the girl's presence, Elysia became a little excited. It had been a long time since she had been close to a girl. This familiar feeling was wonderful.
"Hey! Why did you suddenly appear behind me? Ah, why are you hugging me there? Hey, let go quickly, Lu Ze! What are you still staring at over there? Aren't you coming to help? She's bullying me."
Early in the morning, Lu Ze was forced to witness something quite revealing, almost to the point of a nosebleed. His masculine aura completely emanated. Alas... I remember I, Lu Ze, wasn't like this!
An hour later, in the crowded main hall, Elysia did her best to explain the events of the Imaginary Tree and introduced the general members. She felt an indescribable emotion towards these people of the future...
"So, you're from the previous civilization, one of the Thirteen Flame-Chasers, Elysia, who possessed the name 'True Self'?"
Himeko looked at the girl with some skepticism. She only knew general information about the previous civilization, as that period of history was vague and difficult to understand in detail.
She only knew that those thirteen individuals had made significant contributions to the fight against Honkai, and much of their weapon technology was inherited from the previous civilization.
"That's right~ I am that Elysia. But why are you all looking at me like that? Lu Ze and I have known each other for a very long time. Sleeping together shouldn't be too much of a transgression, right?"
They didn't know how to answer this question. The group exchanged glances, and from each other's eyes, they understood their thoughts.
"Ahem, if I may say, how about we have breakfast first? And then later, we can all go and meet the Flame-Chasers!"
As soon as Lu Ze finished speaking, he was glared at by someone. He immediately dared not speak. Is this the hierarchy of the household? I've really been wronged.
"Sister Elysia, is everything written in this book true? Did you all even sacrifice yourselves to hold back the Herrscher of God to fight against Honkai?"