As a super AI, gaining full control over an advanced warship of this magnitude wasn't child's play, even for F-Bao.
After more than twenty minutes of integration, she'd mastered roughly 80% of the battleship's systems, enough to get the massive vessel moving.
Following Victor's command, the five-kilometer-long behemoth began gliding through the dark void of space with surprising grace.
After cruising for a while, Victor decided that wasn't quite enough of a test. He ordered several space jumps, taking the ship through multiple star systems neighboring the solar system before finally calling it quits, thoroughly satisfied.
By the time he returned to the manor, evening had fallen and dusk painted the sky in shades of amber and violet.
Victor opened the chat group.
[Ding! Victor sent an exclusive red envelope to Shinoa!]
[Victor: Could you help me deliver these gifts to Asta? Please tell her I absolutely love the space battleship!]
[Ding! Shinoa received the exclusive red envelope.]
[Shinoa: No problem!]
[Stelle: What'd you give her?]
[Victor: Some elixirs, a cultivation manual, and a storage ring.]
[Rin Tohsaka: Giving a ring as a gift? That's kinda sketchy, don't you think? What if she gets the wrong idea?]
[Victor: Wouldn't that be perfect? +1 for free meals in the future!]
[Bai Yuekui: I get the feeling your return gift is way more valuable than the space battleship you received.]
After all, with strong enough industrial capacity and advanced technology, space battleships could be mass-produced. But cultivation methods, storage rings, and elixirs? Those were one-of-a-kind treasures that couldn't be replicated.
[Victor: When a girl carefully prepares such a valuable gift for me, how could I possibly give her something cheap in return?]
Wait.
Victor closed the chat group, suddenly remembering something crucial.
He took out the Acacia Heartbroken Red from his system space, examining the mystical flower still rooted to its black stone.
Even though he knew it was probably impossible to pluck it himself, Victor wanted to try anyway.
Following the instructions from the cultivation novel, he squeezed out a drop of his blood and let it fall onto the white flower bud. Then he closed his eyes, thinking deeply about the women he loved most.
The Acacia Heartbroken Red burst into brilliant light, its red-flecked petals glowing intensely. But despite the dramatic display, its roots remained firmly anchored to the black stone, immovable as a mountain.
Victor opened his eyes, unsurprised by the result.
"Guess I'll have to ask the girls for help after all," he muttered.
He left his room and went looking for Shinobu, Kanae, and the others.
But what surprised Victor was discovering that whether it was Shinobu, Kanae, Crowley, or Arisa, they were all deep in cultivation at the moment!
Seeing this, Victor didn't want to disturb their progress.
But it was fine. He still had a few girls in the group who could help.
He opened the chat group again.
[Victor: Stelle, Belle, you two available? Could you come over and help me pull out some weeds?]
[Stelle: Wait, you need OUR help pulling weeds?]
[Belle: Seriously? Aren't you being a bit lazy?]
[Kurumi Tokisaki: I vaguely remember that Mr. Victor has many maids at home. Why are you asking Stelle and Belle to help with weeding?]
[Victor: Hold on, when I say "pulling weeds," I don't mean it literally.]
Victor spent the next two minutes explaining the legend and properties of the Acacia Heartbroken Red to the girls in the group.
After hearing the tragic love story behind the mystical flower, many of them were genuinely moved.
[Shinoa: That's so touching!]
[Kikyo: I never imagined a flower could carry such a profound story.]
[Bai Yuekui: So basically, to pluck the Acacia Heartbroken Red, you need to be thinking of your beloved with completely sincere feelings and unwavering devotion?]
[Victor: Exactly.]
[Rin Tohsaka: No wonder you're asking others for help. A playboy with multiple girlfriends like you could never pull it out yourself.]
[Stelle: No worries, I've got this! Guaranteed success on the first try!]
[Belle: Actually, let ME do it!]
[Kiana: I want to try too!]
[Shinoa: Wait, it makes sense for Stelle and Belle since they're Victor's women, but why are YOU getting involved, Kiana?]
[Stelle: Yeah, seriously. Go cool off somewhere else!]
[Kiana: I'm thinking about my Mei! That's allowed, isn't it?]
[Victor: That's fine. Anyone who wants to try is welcome to come.]
In the end, only three came: Stelle, Belle, and Kiana.
"Who wants to try first?" Victor placed the Acacia Heartbroken Red in front of the three women.
Stelle was about to reach out when Kiana snatched it away first.
"Obviously I'm going first!"
"What happened to 'first come, first served'?" Stelle protested indignantly.
Kiana stuck her tongue out playfully. "Whoever grabs it first goes first!"
"Don't argue," Victor said, pulling Stelle into his arms to comfort her. "Just let her try."
Kiana nodded, then squeezed out a drop of her heart's blood onto the flower bud.
She closed her eyes, and Mei's gentle face filled her thoughts, every little moment they'd shared together over the past few days playing through her mind like a cherished film reel.
The Acacia Heartbroken Red erupted with light once more.
And this time, the roots that had been completely immovable before actually began to loosen!
"Is it going to work?" Victor and the other two watched with bated breath.
But at that crucial moment, Victor's face suddenly flashed through Kiana's mind, unbidden and unwanted.
The loosening roots instantly clamped back down on the black stone, as if they'd been welded in place.
"What happened?" Victor looked confused.
It had been so close to success. Why did it suddenly fail?
"Kiana, were you thinking of someone else?" Belle asked with a knowing look and a hint of disdain.
Kiana opened her eyes, blushing furiously, and glared at Victor. "It's all YOUR fault! Why did you suddenly pop into my head?!"
Victor blinked. "???"
"How is this MY fault?"
"It just IS your fault!"
Kiana raised her small fists and playfully pounded his chest twice.
Damn it.
Women really are unreasonable creatures!
"My turn next!"
Stelle snatched the Acacia Heartbroken Red from Kiana's hands.
Then she parted her crimson lips and,
"Heh, PTUI!"
She spat out a mouthful of blood onto the flower bud.
Victor, "..."
Belle, "..."
Kiana, "..."
"Why are you all looking at me like that?" Stelle asked defensively.
Kiana was speechless. "People who know what you're doing will understand you're offering blood. People who DON'T might think you're just spitting on it."
"None of your business."
Stelle rolled her eyes dismissively, then closed them to focus on Victor's image.
Just like before, the Acacia Heartbroken Red burst with radiant light, and the roots began to loosen.
But just when success seemed certain, it failed again.
Seeing this, Victor immediately felt something was wrong, like a metaphorical green hat had appeared on his head.
"Stelle! Were you thinking about someone ELSE?" he demanded.
When Kiana had thought of him, he could understand that. But if Stelle was thinking about another man, that was completely unacceptable!
Who was it?
Who had the audacity to flirt with his woman?!
I'll rip their head off and use it as a soccer ball!
Stelle scratched the back of her head with an awkward smile. "Ahaha... it's not anyone else. Just the golden trash can."
Victor, "..."
Belle, "..."
Kiana, "..."
The three of them were utterly speechless.
Victor had never imagined that one day he'd find himself jealous of a garbage can.
"Hehehehe, now it's my turn!"
Belle stepped forward, brimming with confidence.
Same familiar procedure, same familiar light show.
But this time, the result was completely different.
Belle actually managed to pull the Acacia Heartbroken Red free from the black stone!
"See that? THAT'S what true love looks like! You two should learn from this!" Belle held up the mystical flower triumphantly, looking at Kiana and Stelle with smug satisfaction.