The next morning.
Mei, whose eyelashes were still fluttering from the previous night's exertion, slowly opened her sleepy eyes.
Just as she was about to cover her mouth for a yawn and a stretch, she felt a ticklish sensation on her chest. Looking down, she discovered that while she had started the night sleeping in Simon's arms, he was now burying his head in her chest.
Mei revealed a soft smile, gently stroking the back of the man in her embrace.
Simon's chest was still solid, his frame strong and upright, but in this moment, he clung to her like a child. His usually sharp features were now written over with peace.
Just like a kid~
Mei lowered her head gently, pressing her cheek against Simon's forehead. She closed her eyes again, listening to her lover's slow breathing, sharing this moment of morning tranquility.
"Mmm..."
Simon, whose senses had become more sensitive, mumbled as he opened his eyes, twitching his nose.
Hmm... What is this?
An overflowing milky fragrance left Simon's just-booted brain a bit dazed. He opened his eyes, only to be greeted by a expanse of snow-white skin.
Morning facial cleanser service... My wife is treating me a little too well.
So, Simon extended his tongue and gave a lick.
Bliss~
Sensing the movement in her arms, Mei opened her eyes and smacked Simon's waist in shy annoyance.
We did it for so long last night, yet he's still restless first thing in the morning.
Thinking of last night, Mei instinctively touched her lower abdomen. She had been filled so completely by Simon that she still felt a lingering soreness and fullness there.
She briefly considered pinching this mischievous man's waist to vent her frustration, but her innate gentleness made her lower her hand.
"You're awake? I'll go make breakfast. We have things to discuss at the company today."
"Thank you, honey~"
Simon remained in bed, answering lazily.
It couldn't be helped. Life with a virtuous wife was just this happy. Waking up to a facial cleanser service, then lying in bed waiting for her to cook.
Mei didn't mind Simon's laziness. She walked straight to the bathroom. Even she felt a bit of discomfort; Simon, who had put in so much effort last night, must be even more exhausted.
Of course, Simon wasn't physically tired at all—his 18 Stamina was no joke. The real reason for his lethargy was Spirit depletion.
Last night's dungeon runs had consumed a total of 7.5 Spirit, nearly triggering the System's forced ejection. especially that last run where [Simon Sauce] was created by three Titan punches—that maxed out his pain value, dropping 2 Spirit in one go. The accumulation of pain and mental fatigue made him feel weak.
I've learned my lesson, families. No more reckless plays. I'm going to grind the Zombie Sister until I become a Ten-Li Slope Sword God before I venture out again.
Usually full of dragon spirit and tiger vigor due to his high Spirit stat, Simon now understood the consequences of Spirit loss. Even if he had plenty to spare, he couldn't waste it. Dungeon grinding shouldn't impact his daily life.
Simon opened the System, only to find an unexpected notification.
[Daily Mission: Perform one Paragon/Toxic Romance operation on a heroine (Completed)]
[Mission Evaluation: Sharing a peaceful morning with the heroine is wonderful / Toxic Man, seeing something beautiful and immediately sexually assaulting it.]
[Mission Reward: 30 Paragon Points, 30 Toxic Points.]
Dog System is slandering me again!
Simon, who had been lying on the bed like a corpse, was shocked back to life by pure anger.
"Let me ask you, what is wrong with me sneaking a lick of my own wife?"
[System detects Raiden Mei's affection for Player is 40. Please do not let fantasies invade reality.]
Sigh. Daily Bot System interaction.
Since he was angered into wakefulness, Simon climbed out of bed to wash up.
"Then let me ask you, what is Mei's second Bond Mission?"
Simon was curious. Was there really something about Mei he hadn't done yet?
[Raiden Mei · Bond Mission 2: Although your relationship has grown intimate since the last incident, Raiden Mei seems to be hiding a small secret. To understand her better, you decide to investigate starting with ME Corp and the Anti-Entropy organization behind it...]
A secret? What secret does Mei have that I don't know? Is it about her being a Herrscher? No, that shouldn't be it; if it were, the mission would likely auto-complete...
Muttering to himself, Simon finished washing up and went to the kitchen.
Mei had just finished making breakfast, so he helped his wife serve the dishes.
"Wife, do you know the relationship between the company and Anti-Entropy?"
After tasting Mei's cooking, Simon popped the question.
He wasn't going to start an investigation from scratch. Even if he couldn't directly ask Mei about her secret, asking about the entry point the System gave him was perfectly fine.
"Hmm... The Anti-Entropy Commercial Alliance?" Mei put down her chopsticks gently, thinking. "Officially, the company has no relationship with them. But I heard Father holds some shares in Anti-Entropy, and Mr. Welt was Father's old superior."
This is also recorded in Honkai Impact 3rd history.
It seemed Mei didn't know much more than he did. Simon focused on his breakfast, deciding not to press further. He would ask his father-in-law directly when he got to the company today. After all, they were son-in-law and father-in-law, and the company was about to be handed over to him. What secret couldn't be asked?
"Wife, your cooking is so good~"
He offered his daily praise.
"You and your sweet mouth."
Mei seemed to rebut him, but the smile on her lips showed she enjoyed it.
Ten minutes later, they drove to the ME Corp Headquarters. Simon shivered as his gaze swept over the first floor of the Right Tower.
"Wife, you go to the office first. I'm going to check on the production floor."
Traumatized, he felt the need to verify reality.
After a lap around the floor, he confirmed that this place was completely different from the ME Corp in the dungeon.
"Sigh. It seems I can't apply the real-world layout to the dungeon. I'll have to find a map of Nagazora City later. Even though traffic routes might differ without Honkai energy, the general layout should still be a valid reference."
Simon remembered the dungeon clear condition was to defeat the 3rd Herrscher. That meant he had to fight his way from ME Corp all the way to Chiba Academy. If not for his high initial Stamina, he would suspect the System was intentionally screwing him over.
Returning to his office, Simon found someone already waiting for him.
"Oh? Kevin? When did you arrive? Where are Ellie and the others?"
"Just arrived. Elysia went to find Miss Raiden. Vill-V is in the technical department looking up data."
Seeing Simon arrive, the white-haired man revealed the smile of an old friend.
"Come, come. Let me get you some tea."
Simon rummaged through his cabinets, looking for the Shenzhou tea leaves his father-in-law had given him.
Regarding this man—whether in the game or in this current world—Simon considered him a close friend.
"Ah, no need. Vill-V should be quick. We have to leave soon. Originally, only Vill-V was coming, but Elysia insisted on meeting Miss Raiden, so I came along too."
Kevin, the Head of Security for the World Serpent Group, spoke calmly.
The World Serpent Group, making its grand entrance!