The night passed without incident.
Morning light streamed through the broken stained-glass windows of the church.
Ying Ping gently moved the small hand wrapped around his waist.
Hestia was still fast asleep, her black hair scattered on the pillow, a sweet smile on her lips.
Ying Ping quietly got up, afraid of disturbing the loli goddess's peaceful sleep.
Looking at her pure and beautiful face, the memories of last night couldn't help but flood his mind.
When Hestia, with a blushing face, agreed to be his lover.
The light in her blue eyes outshone all the jewels in the world.
Although at the last step, the goddess stopped him with a trembling finger pressed against his lips, then apologized and refused with her head bowed.
But those awkward yet sweet other intimate gestures had already left Ying Ping content.
After all, Hestia was one of the three virgin goddesses of the Divine Realm and wasn't ready to dedicate herself in that way.
Ying Ping understood and respected Hestia's feelings.
Aside from the final step that would cross the line, Hestia had given him everything she could.
"This is enough, Hestia, you've already sacrificed so much for me..."
Ying Ping gently kissed Hestia's forehead, muttering in his heart.
More than the physical pleasure, the feeling of being truly accepted and cherished by his goddess made him even happier.
In the kitchen, Ying Ping hummed a tune while frying eggs.
The butter sizzled in the pan, and the aroma quickly filled the entire basement.
He deliberately fried the eggs into heart shapes and drew a smiley face with ketchup.
"Ying Ping-kun…"
A soft, sweet voice came from behind him.
Hestia rubbed her eyes and stood in the doorway, wearing only an oversized shirt.
It was the one Ying Ping had given her to wear as pajamas last night.
The overly long hem just reached the middle of her thighs, revealing two fair, slender legs.
"Good morning, my lovely goddess."
Ying Ping turned around and opened his arms, "Want a hug?"
Hestia's small face flushed, but she still scurried over and pounced into his arms like a little bird.
Ying Ping took the opportunity to lift her up and spin her around. When he made to kiss her, the goddess shrieked and pounded his shoulder: "Idiot! I haven't brushed my teeth yet!"
"What does it matter~"
Ying Ping rubbed her smooth cheek, "Hestia always smells good."
During breakfast, the loli goddess ate her heart-shaped fried egg in small bites, occasionally stealing glances at Ying Ping.
When she noticed he was also looking at her, she immediately blushed and lowered her head, poking at the bacon on her plate with a fork.
"Are you going to the Dungeon again today?"
Hestia asked softly.
"Yes, but I'll finish today's training first, and then go after my abilities are updated."
Ying Ping wiped his mouth and brought up the system interface, "I must become stronger and protect Hestia."
"Hey! I don't need your protection!"
Hestia suddenly stood up, placed her hands on the table, and said loudly.
"Why?"
Ying Ping blinked, looking at the loli goddess with some confusion.
"Ahem, well… what I mean is…"
Her voice grew softer, "You absolutely must not push yourself too hard. If you're tired, take a break…"
Ying Ping's heart warmed. He walked around the table and pulled the petite goddess into his embrace: "Don't worry, I'll definitely be careful in the Dungeon."
He lightly inhaled the scent of Hestia's hair, "After all, I now have someone I love waiting for me at home. I wouldn't be foolish enough to easily throw my life away."
Hestia buried her face in his chest and said, moved, "It's good that you understand, Ying Ping-kun. Today, I'll leave work early… and prepare your favorite dishes…"
...After completing his daily 'Preparation of the Strong' training, Ying Ping once again gained 10 attribute points.
"I'll allocate 5 points each to Strength and Agility again,"
Ying Ping murmured to himself.
[Shadow Monarch Leveling System]
[Level]: LV2
[Strength]: 26 → 31
[Agility]: 11 → 16
[Stamina]: 19 → 20
[Intelligence]: 10
[Magic Power]: 5 → 6
[HP]: 110 / 110
[MP]: 6 / 6
[Skills]: Shadow Step
[Free Attribute Points]: 0
"I've visibly gotten stronger."
"Even without using status recovery, my body can perfectly adapt to Saitama's training method."
"Alright, let's see what today's random treasure chest holds."
A bronze, cube-sized treasure chest appeared in Ying Ping's palm.
He sighed and said, "It's this kind of trash chest again…"
The previous two chests had contained nothing but useless, fashionable trinkets.
But this time, as Ying Ping casually lifted the lid, a dazzling golden light burst forth.
"Wow, a golden legend?!"
A gilded card emerged from the golden light, and a system prompt immediately popped up:
[Obtained: Attendant Summoning Card]
[Effect: You can choose one profession from the six major professions (Warrior, Assassin, Mage, Healer, Tank, Archer) and summon a permanently loyal attendant]
[Note: The attendant's initial level is the same as the host's and has growth potential]
Looking at the system's description, Ying Ping's hand holding the gilded card trembled slightly.
Currently, the Hestia Familia consisted only of him and the loli goddess, making it the smallest Familia in Orario.
Having a trustworthy companion would naturally be excellent.
Although he possessed the Shadow Monarch System,
Ying Ping didn't truly want to 'level up alone'; having a teammate to go into the Dungeon with would be ideal.
So he silently began to choose the attendant's profession in his mind.
"A warrior or something isn't really needed for now."
"Hmm… a healer would be good for a start."
"After all, people who can use healing magic in Orario are a scarce resource."
"Having a healer by my side would allow for a higher margin of error in the Dungeon."
Ying Ping knew the importance of a healer in a party, so he decisively chose the Healer profession.
The system interface suddenly displayed branching options:
? Combat Healer (Offensive and Defensive)
? Support Healer (Buff Specialization)
? Area Healer (AoE Recovery)
"Support Healer!"
Ying Ping chose decisively. A healer who could provide buffs was an even rarer commodity in Orario.
When he saw that there was even a gender option, he nervously glanced in the direction of the church and silently muttered, "…Female."
There was nothing he could do; Ying Ping had his own selfish reasons.
He didn't want another man to join the Hestia Familia; otherwise, it would feel too awkward.
The golden light transformed into a magic circle that spread out on the ground. As intricate runes rotated, a petite figure gradually emerged—
She had silver-white short hair adorned with flowers, and delicate features with beautiful, ruby-like large eyes.
She wore a green and white formal dress and held a staff-spear inlaid with crystals.
Most striking were the pair of slightly twitching elf ears on the child's head.
"Is this… Kokkoro?!"
"Is it really you?!"
Seeing that the person was actually the mascot from "Princess Connect! Re:Dive," Ying Ping couldn't help but blurt out.
He was completely shocked.
He hadn't expected to be able to summon characters from other anime… or even from games.
The white-haired loli blinked her large red eyes, crossed her hands in front of her skirt, and bowed: "It's a pleasure to meet you, Road Roller (Master)-sama~"
Her voice was clear and melodious, "I am Kokkoro. It seems you already know my name~"
Ying Ping's mouth twitched: "Road Roller-sama? That's the right vibe."
"I'm very sorry~"
Kokkoro tilted her head, her ahoge swaying with the movement, "My pronunciation of this world's language isn't quite standard yet…"
[Attendant Profile]
Name: Kokkoro
Race: High Elf
Age: 1X years old
Profession: Support Healer
Level: LV2
Skills:
? Healing Light (Single-target recovery)
? Song of Courage (Attack buff)
? Elf's Blessing (All attribute boost)
"Excellent, truly excellent. This is exactly what I need."
Just as Ying Ping was checking the information, the church door suddenly opened.
Hestia was about to call Ying Ping to update his abilities, but upon seeing Kokkoro, she suddenly froze.
"Ying Ping-kun… who is this child?"
Hestia's expression was quite something; she simply couldn't believe her eyes.
"Hestia, this child is…"
Ying Ping had intended to say that Kokkoro was someone he had picked up.
But then he remembered that he couldn't lie in front of a god, so he couldn't continue.
Kokkoro immediately turned and bowed: "Ah, you must be the Goddess! I am Road Roller-sama's newly acquired attendant…"
"Newly acquired attendant?"
"Ying Ping-kun, what is going on?"
Hestia raised an eyebrow, her gaze unfriendly as she looked at Ying Ping.
"Wait!"
Ying Ping hastily interrupted, "Hestia, let me explain! This, this is—"
"So cute!!!"
Hestia suddenly pounced and hugged Kokkoro, rubbing her face against the other girl's. "Ah, this soft and delicate skin! Ying Ping-kun actually found such a wonderful child!"
Kokkoro blushed deeply from being rubbed and looked at Ying Ping for help.
Unexpectedly, the loli goddess suddenly looked up alertly: "Wait… Ying Ping-kun, you haven't explained clearly yet? Where did you meet this child? Have you two known each other for a long time?"
"Uh, um…"
Ying Ping was drenched in cold sweat, utterly unable to reveal anything about the Shadow Monarch System.
This was his greatest secret, something he could never tell anyone.
"Big liar!"
Hestia, fuming, ran up to Ying Ping and playfully punched his chest. "You said you only liked me last night, but in the blink of an eye, you've already brought back such a cute girl..."
"Ying Ping-kun is a lolicon, a perverted lolicon!"