As time passed, the thin mist blanketing the Starskiff Haven port gradually dissipated.
Fuli watched the starskiff carrying Yunli disappear over the horizon. The warmth the girl had conveyed still seemed to linger on his phone screen.
The sea breeze ruffled the slightly messy black hair on his forehead. The complicated expression on his face—a mix of melancholy over the parting and a hint of relief—quickly receded, replaced by his usual, clean, easygoing smile.
Then, he turned around.
"Alright, that wraps up Li-bao's affairs for now."
He clapped his hands to draw his remaining teammates' attention. "Next up, we need to focus on our own problem."
"What problem, Li-bao?"
Hyacine rubbed her slightly red eyes and hugged Little Ica a bit tighter.
"Finding our new teammate, of course."
During the farewell party, out of consideration for the departing Yunli's feelings, the three of them had maintained a tacit agreement not to bring up this sensitive topic. But now that she had officially left, it was time to address it.
"A new teammate..."
Hyacine tilted her head in thought, her finger unconsciously twirling Little Ica's soft mane. "Do you or Cassie have any good candidates in mind? To be honest, I don't really have many close friends on the Luofu."
"I don't either." Castorice echoed softly. Her pale purple eyes, like mist-covered lakes, habitually turned toward Fuli.
The boy, currently burdened with the high hopes of two beautiful girls, fell into a rare moment of deep thought.
He had originally planned to invite Mei. Even though ME Corp and the Hyperion had a mountain of administrative work to handle, it felt wrong for him to be out having a blast while leaving her to manage the ship alone.
But who could have predicted what would happen yesterday? Just after leaving the Schicksal compound, he had excitedly called Mei.
Instead of Mei's cool, elegant voice, what answered the phone was Kiana's energetic, slightly smug voice.
Crap! Fuli's heart had immediately sunk.
Sure enough, the white-haired furball proudly announced that she had beaten him to the punch! She had successfully recruited Mei into her Everlasting Flames team to fill the gap left by Durandal's departure. Sorry, Little Li, you were too slow!
The boy had screamed in frustration. He immediately activated his Reignbow avatar, turning into a gust of wind as he stormed onto the Hyperion. Finding Kiana curled up on the sofa secretly eating snacks, he clenched his fists into drill shapes and mercilessly executed a double-barreled Fang Over Fang grind straight into her temples.
The paramecium shrieked and begged for mercy. By the end, she was a groaning puddle of jelly collapsed on the sofa, her butt sticking up in the air, unable to move for half a day.
Unfortunately, even after venting his rage on Kiana, the fact remained that the Mei he had his heart set on had been snatched away.
Fuli mentally scanned the people he knew who weren't already competing. They were either absurdly overpowered (like Master Jingliu) or drowning in official duties they couldn't abandon (like Qingque at the Divination Commission).
For a moment, he genuinely couldn't think of a suitable candidate.
Seeing his prolonged silence, Hyacine and Castorice exchanged a glance.
Hyacine spoke up quickly, her tone light as she tried to brighten the mood, "Relax, relax, Li-bao! There's no need to rush! The Wardance doesn't end for a few more days. If we take our time looking, we'll definitely find the perfect teammate!"
"We can't afford to take it too slow," Fuli shook his head. "I checked the updated leaderboards recently. With the deadline approaching, a lot of the top teams are starting their final sprints."
Take the obnoxiously named "Robin is Number One Under Heaven!" team, for example. They had been sitting comfortably in first place originally. Although their performance during the Living Planet incident had been slightly lackluster, allowing Team Crychic to overtake them, their points had skyrocketed recently. Clearly, they were coming fully prepared to reclaim the throne.
Kiana's Everlasting Flames team wasn't backing down either. Their roster was already incredibly stacked, and now they had added Mei—a massive powerhouse. It was like giving Aglaea a wheelchair, then attaching rocket boosters and a propeller to it.
Clearly, everyone remembered the private Hyperion bet: "The loser has to grant the winner any one request." Everyone was going all-out, fully prepared to overthrow the current leader.
"I see..."
Castorice murmured softly, her long eyelashes dropping to cast small shadows under her eyes.
She was well aware that the other teams were making a final push. Under her pen name, "Long-Shirt Calling the Purple Dragon", she had been capitalizing on the Wardance hype to write tons of fanfiction, including but not limited to: Boothill x Argenti, and The Secret Affairs of the Sword Champion Yanqing and the Young Widow of the Lin Family...
By nature, the girl was indifferent to fame and didn't care much about winning the championship. Especially after receiving the energy-conversion ring and finally being able to interact normally with others, she cared far more about simply fighting alongside her friends.
But thinking about how Team Crychic had been in first place when Yunli left, only to potentially be dragged down from the throne at the last second... Castorice felt she would be letting down her fiery, fiercely loyal teammate.
What? That Yunli had spent the entire "Living Planet Incident" essentially locked in jail, providing the team with zero combat support whatsoever?
This is exactly why everyone loves our sweet, kind-hearted Cassie.
"Anyway, I'll think of something."
Life was like a box of chocolates; you never knew what flavor your next girl—err, teammate—would be.
Fuli checked his watch. "It's about time. I promised Asta I'd visit the IPC compound. Hya, don't forget about our joint livestream tonight."
"Don't worry, Li-bao!" Hyacine puffed out her small chest, guaranteeing confidently, "I'll definitely do my best! I won't hold you guys back!"
After the Sundial City incident wrapped up, Murasame—the unlucky soul whose ashes were turned into a figure—decided to follow Yunli's advice and start gathering "faith" in hopes of eventually ascending to true godhood. To that end, she had specifically modeled her avatar after the world-famous Hatsune Miku for her activities.
As a rookie VTuber who had just barely broken the 100,000 subscriber mark, Fuli had agreed to do a joint livestream with Murasame to help boost her popularity.
Perhaps feeling his own presence wasn't enough of a draw, he had also dragged in "Great-Auntie Elysia," who boasted millions of followers across the net, to support her.
Upon hearing the news, Hyacine excitedly asked to join in.
Coincidentally, the cheerful healer occasionally streamed herself, sharing medical knowledge and daily vlogs of rescuing animals—using a real-life face-cam, no less.
After all, if you were beautiful, you just became a regular streamer. If you weren't, you became a VTuber.
Thanks to Hyacine's sweet, adorable face and her kind, approachable personality, she had naturally accumulated a sizable, dedicated fanbase as a wholesome, positive-energy streamer.
Thus, what was supposed to be Murasame's debut VTuber stream accidentally morphed into a massive, four-person joint broadcast.
Given how much buzz her "Hatsune Miku" cosplay was generating, maintaining her initial popularity and physical manifestation shouldn't be a problem—
Wait.
Fuli paused mid-step, a flash of inspiration crossing his eyes.
"I think I have an idea for our new teammate," he said thoughtfully.
"Who? Who is it?!" Hyacine leaned in like a curious kitten, her large, expectant eyes blinking rapidly.
"You'll find out tomorrow!" Fuli booped her forehead, then turned and walked away with a dramatic flourish.
"Hmph! Li-bao is always keeping us in suspense!" The girl pouted, shaking her small fist indignantly at his retreating back.
"Duu~ Du!"
Little Ica copied her, rearing up on its hind legs and throwing punches with its front hooves. It was striking the exact starting stance of the Pegasus Meteor Fist. Judging by its proficiency, it had clearly practiced this in secret many times.
Makes sense. Pegasus Seiya was a Pegasus, after all.
After grumbling for a bit, Hyacine turned around, only to find Castorice still standing in the exact same spot, staring blankly in the direction Fuli had disappeared.
A sly, mischievous smile instantly bloomed on the petite healer's face. She tiptoed over, reached out a finger, and lightly poked her friend's slender waist. "He's already far away!"
"...Mhm."
The girl answered unconsciously. A second later, she realized what she had just said. Her pale face flushed bright red, and she frantically waved her hands in denial. "I-I wasn't! I wasn't staring at His Excellency's back!"
"I never said Li-bao was the one who went far away!" Hyacine dragged out the syllables, smiling like a Cheshire cat.
Realizing she had just told on herself, Castorice wished the ground would swallow her whole.
She let out a tiny, pathetic whimper and simply buried her burning face deep into the ample cleavage that threatened to burst out of her top, adopting a perfect ostrich defense. If I close my eyes, it's dark!
Seeing this, Hyacine stopped teasing her. She crossed her arms and offered a mock-serious evaluation: "I gotta say, Cassie, your eye for men is incredibly sharp~"
"Back when I was discussing medical topics with Miss Mei, I had the privilege of 'reading' Li-bao's detailed physical examination reports!" She paused, intentionally lowering her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "To sum it up in four words: He hits like a truck~"
To be fair, while Hyacine was usually a cheerful, wholesome healing angel in public, many girls—especially when around close friends and discussing specific topics—could drive a conversation straight into the gutter at blinding speeds, dropping jaw-dropping remarks without blinking.
Not to mention, she was a top-tier medical student; her theoretical knowledge was exceptionally solid.
"M-Miss Hyacine?!"
Castorice had never heard such wild, unfiltered talk in her life. She was utterly flabbergasted, her cheeks burning so hot they were practically steaming.
But almost immediately, a sudden, inexplicable sense of vigilance crept into her heart.
Miss Hyacine is so energetic, cute, has a great personality, and is petite and adorable... What if she also has feelings for His Excellency...
As if seeing right through her best friend's thoughts, Hyacine preempted her, her expression turning unusually serious. "Relax, Cassie. I will absolutely never fall in love with Li-bao."
It was like she had said before: boys like Fuli were great to "rent" temporarily, but absolutely terrible long-term investments for a single buyer.
If she did date him, her entire future career would likely be spent providing infinite relationship counseling to herself and constantly dealing with getting cheated on.
Life was supposed to be colorful and vibrant; she didn't want her future to only have one color! (Green).
But asking herself honestly, if you ignored the fact that he attracted women like a blooming flower attracted bees, Fuli was nearly flawless as a romantic or marriage prospect: top-tier looks, immense power, incredibly driven, absurdly wealthy, a great sense of humor, and a stellar reputation...
Therefore, Hyacine would never tell Castorice to give up.
On the contrary, if her friend truly wanted Fuli, she was more than willing to act as her tactical romance advisor, helping her besiege and capture that heavily fortified fortress.
Better to tear down ten temples than ruin one marriage!
Besides, Li-bao was technically still a free agent on paper, right?
---||---
As the colossal commercial conglomerate responsible for issuing Stellar Jade and conducting trade across countless worlds, the Interastral Peace Corporation spared no expense. Even a mere branch embassy on the Luofu was decorated with extreme luxury and high-tech flair, exuding a domineering "we have infinite money" aura from every corner.
This was especially true for the private reception room of Asta, the sole heiress of the Board of Directors.
Thick, plush carpets absorbed every sound. The walls were smart screens displaying cascading waterfalls of data. Expensive, stress-relieving fragrances wafted through the air.
In the center of the room, Asta, wearing comfortable loungewear, was sprawled entirely unladylike on the carpet alongside Topaz, playfully teasing Peppy and Numby as they ran happily around them.
"Excuse me."
Having just finished her concert tour, Robin knocked lightly on the door and entered after being permitted.
"Woof! Woof!"
Seeing the superstar walk in, Peppy barked excitedly. His little corgi legs scrambled across the carpet as he rushed over to affectionately nuzzle against the singer's perfect, slender feet, which were strapped into elegant sandals.
"Good work on the tour!"
Seeing her friend enter, Asta called out a greeting, not bothering to change her lazy position on the floor.
Robin was clearly no stranger here. She smiled and nodded, walking over to an incredibly comfortable-looking armchair. She sat down and scooped the clingy Peppy into her lap, gently stroking his soft fur.
"Where is Miss Anna? Is she not with you today?" Robin looked around, noting the absence of the chestnut-haired girl who was usually inseparable from Asta.
"She has writer's block again. She told us not to wait for her," the young heiress said, wiping a crumb of pastry from the corner of her mouth. She then addressed the room's AI: "Play the video."
[Right away, Miss Asta.]
A massive projection lit up on the wall, beginning to play the meticulously edited Team Crychic: Living Planet Wilderness Survival Log, masterminded by Houraiji Kyuushou.
Lord Kyuushou's editing skills were truly at the apex of perfection. She utilized multiple camera angles to progressively build the tension of Fuli and his team's harrowing journey. The pacing was heart-pounding, and the visual impact was overwhelming.
The video currently sat at the absolute top of the Luofu's official trending page, easily surpassing the previous number one, Nightmare at Sundial City. She had truly embodied the phrase, "The only one who can defeat me is myself."
The girls unconsciously leaned forward, completely engrossed in the video.
The near-death ambush as the team breached the atmosphere, the perilous survival of the scattered members, Cangdu's hoarse, furious speech to the Foxian slaves, and finally, the jaw-dropping shock of Fuli deploying the Cleave of Silencing to utterly crush Hoolay...
Every twist and turn made them hold their breath. They unconsciously gripped their clothes, their leg-bouncing and snack-eating coming to a complete halt.
It wasn't until the end of the video—when the various Wardance teams, including themselves, descended as reinforcements, converging three apocalyptic-tier strikes into a single point to execute the Living Planet—that they finally let out a collective breath of relief.
They looked at each other, their faces flushed from the adrenaline rush, their eyes filled with a mix of shock and an unsatisfied craving for more.
There's a saying: Official censorship usually isn't about protecting the secret; it's about protecting the officials.
Kyuushou's technique was flawless. She maximized the visual spectacle while ensuring no genuinely classified information was leaked. Whenever something couldn't be shown, she simply plastered a gorgeous, flashy special effect over it.
For ordinary viewers, this was fine. If anything, it made the video feel even more exhilarating.
But for "insiders" like the girls in this room, who possessed a certain level of strength and background knowledge, it created a frustrating sense of loss—like reading an incredible story, only for the final chapter to be ripped out.
"But it's fine~"
Asta blinked mischievously, an expectant smile spreading across her face. "The male lead of the video is coming over shortly. When he gets here, we'll have him give us the director's cut, complete with behind-the-scenes commentary on his personal experience! Won't that be even more exciting?"
"That's a great idea," Topaz agreed, tickling Numby, who was perched on her shoulder. But then she sighed heavily, as if remembering something annoying.
"Why does the Boss always run into these earth-shattering, world-ending events? The missions I get assigned are either trivial garbage or bizarre, hilarious nonsense! None of them are epic at all!"
"Care to elaborate?" Robin asked, her curiosity piqued.
"My last mission was to process the inheritance of a deceased Critical Class powerhouse," Topaz deadpanned, spreading her hands. "I fought tooth and nail, went through absolute hell to reach the final chamber, and what did I find? A stone tablet that read: 'He who completes this trial shall inherit all my wealth, my power... and my life's memories.'"
"That sounds pretty good, doesn't it?"
"The cost was having your original personality overwritten." Topaz rolled her eyes violently.
"Uh..." The little bird was left speechless. How did you manage to make 'getting possessed by a ghost' sound so incredibly casual?
"That's nothing! The last mission Anna and I took was to rescue a group of ordinary civilians who had been turned into cats by an evil ritual," Asta pouted, ticking them off on her fingers.
"This low-level World Serpent executive had locked them in a room completely covered in catnip. Anna and I finally found them and told them we were there to save them, and they hissed and attacked us! Like we were the bad guys!"
"And then there was the criminal who murdered an entire family. When we caught him, he argued with a straight face that he was just 'ensuring the cycle of hatred ended with this generation'! Or the king of a minor world bubble who ate so much the crown prince started a rebellion just so the citizens wouldn't starve! Or that flat-chested succubus loli with white hair, red eyes, and a miniskirt who went around seducing people into joining World Serpent..."
As the little heiress listed off one bizarre incident after another, a fine layer of sweat began to form on Robin's smooth forehead.
Her expression shifted from curious to completely bewildered, eventually morphing into a perfect real-life reenactment of the [sweating smiley face.jpg] emoji.
But ultimately, Asta let out a soft sigh.
Her tone turned serious. "But if you gave me the choice, I'd rather deal with these trivial, annoying errands every day for the rest of my life than face the kind of lethal, apocalyptic scenarios Little Li runs into."
"Agreed," Topaz nodded empathetically.
Their missions were weird and annoying, sure, but at least their lives weren't constantly hanging by a thread. The kind of crises Fuli faced—especially something on the level of a Living Planet—would have resulted in an instant "Game Over" for either of them.
"I remember he was involved in the Sundial City incident, too," Topaz rested her chin on her hand. "First Sundial City, where he and his team stopped a million zombies from breaking out and saved the coast of Shenzhou and Southeast Asia. Then he crushed Hoolay and the Living Planet, saving the Luofu from a devastating war."
She smiled with great interest. "There's less than a week left until the Wardance ends. What do you guys think... will he manage to pull off one more insane, unpredictable stunt before it's over?"
"Can't you hope for something good to happen to me?!"
The door was pushed open from the outside, and Fuli stepped into the room looking thoroughly exasperated.
He glanced around the room. Well, well. Just like the Little Boy entering Hiroshima—this place is packed with familiar faces.
"Hey, Boss."
"Little Li, perfect timing!"
Topaz and Asta greeted him one after the other. Numby and Peppy didn't even hesitate; they dove straight for him, circling his legs, snorting and whimpering happily.
The former had been saved by Fuli when it was being hunted by the High Cloud Quintet's Fragmentum clones. The latter had been trapped in Yama's spatial device before it even hatched, and would have died if not for Fuli. Naturally, the two pets adored him.
Except for Robin.
Except for the globally renowned superstar, famous for her elegance and kindness.
The moment she saw Fuli, a look of pure, unadulterated disgust flashed across her dream-like, perfect face with lightning speed!
She looked at him like he was the physical embodiment of garbage!
Although the bizarre expression vanished as quickly as a shooting star—so fast you could almost mistake it for a hallucination—it completely failed to escape the sharp eyes of Asta and Topaz.
To make a girl as gentle, elegant, kind, and beautiful (insert 10,000 more positive adjectives here) as Robin instinctively react like that... plus, Robin hadn't explicitly denied having "intimate physical contact" with Fuli during a past interview...
The two girls exchanged a rapid glance, and both gasped simultaneously.
Hiss! These two!
Could it be... the ridiculous gossip and rumors are actually true?!
Is Fuli actually Robin's EX-BOYFRIEND?!!