The door was pushed open. Alice crawled out, her body twisting in a weak, shadow-like motion as she struggled inch by inch toward the hallway. Her beautiful, large eyes grew brighter, as if she had finally spotted a glimmer of hope.
*Slap!*
Just then, a clean, pale hand with well-defined knuckles grabbed Alice's slender calf.
"Honey, where do you think you are going?"
The voice was gentle, yet it sounded like the low whisper of a demon from the depths of hell.
"Nooo!"
With a mournful wail, Alice was dragged back into the room. The door shut once more with a heavy *thud*.
It was as if all hope had vanished completely at that moment. Everything returned to silence.
"Eh?"
Little Klee poked her small head out from her own room. She peeked around curiously before ducking back in and shouting, "Rei-jieji, let's go out and play!"
"Alright." Rei Miyamoto tossed her high ponytail, revealing a valiant and spirited smile.
Without realizing it, she had also undergone a massive transformation. After Saeko Busujima left, she had become Klee's second playmate.
As Rei Miyamoto took Klee out to play, the "battle" inside the villa continued.
Yuriko Takagi and Rika Minami—those two "ripe peaches"—had mentioned more than once that the "sessions" between Mr. Riku and Lady Alice were always incredibly intense.
By the time the door opened again, Alice was lying on the soft, large bed. If her current state were depicted in an adult anime, she would look like she had been thoroughly ravaged by some sneaking "ugly bastard" character.
Unfortunately, this was the [Longhuang Universe]. On this entire planet... no, in this entire universe... the only living beings left could be counted on one hand.
There were Riku, Alice, Klee, Rei Miyamoto, Rika Minami, and Shizuka Marikawa. Aside from these six, there was no one else.
Saeko Busujima had already been sent out on an assignment by Riku. Once Rei Miyamoto and Rika Minami passed this current stage, they would also be sent out.
As for Yuriko Takagi and Saya Takagi? The mother and daughter were responsible for staying in the [Apocalypse] Universe to manage the [Undead Central Hub], as well as organizing and transporting the "Azure Ore" collected there.
That is right. Azure Ore was a mineral extracted from within the universe that contained "Universe Energy."
As for why it was called that? Alice had come up with the name, of course.
In fact, Alice had even given Riku a title so cringeworthy it could make one fly. She wanted to grant the [Lord of the Universe] of the [Longhuang Universe] a grand title: *Lord of the Crystal Wall Sea!*
Later, Alice even tried to shorten it to something like "Three Days Without Getting Out of Bed..."
And then? There was no "and then." Alice paid the price for her big mouth, just as she was doing right now.
Actually, Alice had once suggested another title for Riku, saying he should be called the "Emperor."
Riku had simply laughed off the other titles, but regarding that one? He fell silent for a moment and then rejected it without hesitation.
"Mr. Riku! Mr. Riku!"
Riku had just left the room, intending to take a stroll, when a loud shout reached him.
Riku turned around and saw Saya Takagi running toward him in a flurry, her pink twin-tails fluttering in the wind. Raising an eyebrow, he asked, "Saya, what is wrong?"
"Mr. Riku!" Saya Takagi ran up quickly, pushed up her glasses after coming to a halt, and said seriously, "Energy fluctuations from the [Apocalypse] Universe have been detected. It is confirmed that a second planet has begun to gestate life!"
Mr. Riku! There was no need to guess... Alice had come up with this name too. Yu sounded like the "Yu" in Riku's name. Over time, everyone had started calling him that.
In short, as long as it was not some unspeakable title like "Emperor" or something as cringeworthy as "Lord of the Crystal Wall Sea," Riku let them call him whatever they wanted. It was not a big deal.
"Oh?" Riku was stunned for a moment. He raised an eyebrow and said with interest, "That fast? My previous scans suggested that the [Apocalypse] Universe should not have been able to..."
"That is right."
"It really is..." Saya Takagi's delicate face was flushed with excitement, even revealing her little canine teeth. Riku rubbed his temples, finding the situation quite amusing.
Was it a stroke of luck? Under Alice's guidance, the mother-daughter duo of Yuriko and Saya Takagi had been researching non-stop. They had actually begun developing "Undead Technology" based on "The Dead."
By combining existing technology with the properties of The Dead, they had actually managed to invent quite a few things.
But the problem was... was that even technology? That was pure Alchemy!
However, the Universe's judgment did not see it that way.
The Dead = Civilization.
Alchemy = Transformation/Evolution.
Perfect! It was a closed loop. It actually provided feedback to the universe, allowing it to form a positive cycle.
"Not bad," Riku praised. He then added, "Proceed according to the plan. However, you and Yuriko must prioritize safety. Any form of life, even The Dead, can cause problems if something goes wrong."
Saya Takagi nodded her small head seriously. She seemed to want to say something else, but her face turned bright red and the words would not come out.
Spinning around, Saya Takagi dashed back through the [Universe Gate] in a whirlwind.
"Mr. Riku, that little girl Saya was trying to invite you over as a guest tonight," Rika Minami said, appearing behind Riku at some unknown time. She had a thick smile on her face and looked quite heroic.
Riku did not mind her sudden proximity. Instead, he asked playfully, "A-Xiang, are you sure?"
The six women from the [Apocalypse] world had all accepted a [Cosmic Core], which had begun to take root and sprout within them.
To put it another way, for a god, those who accept a blessing, enjoy protection, and serve eternally are called "Retainers." But the relationship between these six women and Riku, having accepted the [Cosmic Core], was even more intimate than that of a god and his retainers.
It was not a matter of brainwashing. It was a true bond of shared life and death.
They were beloved by the universe. Even if they died in battle, they would be resurrected within the [Longhuang Universe], even if they were across the Crystal Wall Sea or in a different universe entirely. Conversely, if something happened to the [Longhuang Universe], they would also be affected.