Even after getting practically waterboarded by Yunli's spit-take, Fuli wasn't the least bit angry. He just felt a profound sense of melancholy.
Looking at hyacine, who was standing nearby still sporting that bright, innocent smile, he couldn't help but think: Are there any medical professionals who aren't at least a little bit unhinged?
"Chirp—!"
Little Ica fluttered over, carrying a clean, soft white towel in its beak. The bird looked at him with big, watery eyes full of concern and let out an adorable chirp.
"Ah. Thanks."
Fuli took the towel and carefully wiped his face.
The group chatted for a little while longer before Castorice—the final member of Team Classic—finally arrived, albeit a bit fashionably late.
"I apologize, everyone. I'm late."
The girl crossed her hands in front of her and bowed slightly. Her voice was soft and ethereal, carrying a clear note of apology.
Perhaps because this was the first official gathering since their team's formation, Castorice had uncharacteristically dressed up for the occasion. Not only had she applied light, elegant makeup, but she had also changed into a rather trendy, modern outfit.
She wore a sharply tailored off-white trench coat over a simple white top. Her pale purple hair cascaded down to her waist like a waterfall, accented by a blue headband that added a touch of softness.
A black belt cinched her waist, highlighting her slender curves, while a plaid mini-skirt showed off her long legs. A small blue messenger bag with a swaying ribbon bow was slung over her shoulder. Her entire aura was incredibly youthful yet perfectly elegant.
"U-Um... My Lord..."
Seemingly embarrassed by Fuli's undisguised, appreciative stare, Castorice subconsciously pressed her slender legs together. Her fingertips curled slightly, and she looked a bit flustered.
"Our precious Die-bao looks amazing today!" the boy declared, utterly generous with his praise. He nudged Yunli beside him. "Right, Li-bao?"
"She does look great, but why are you suddenly calling me by such a cheesy nickname?"
"I'm learning from Jin-bao! It sounds so much more affectionate, doesn't it? You can call me that too, you know."
Fuli offered his completely shameless, "righteous" excuse. After calling her "Miss Yunli" for so long since his rebirth, it had genuinely started feeling way too formal. This was the perfect chance to rebrand.
"I think I'll pass." The girl crossed her arms, completely unmoved, though the corners of her lips twitched upward slightly.
"Thank you for the compliment, My Lord," Castorice replied with a polite nod, before turning to offer another nod to Jiaoqiu, who was sitting leisurely nearby.
"My, my," Jiaoqiu said, gently fanning himself as he stood up. "Since the young ones have all gathered their teammates, this old man halfway to his grave shouldn't impose on your joyous party any longer."
"Ah? Not at all! Mr. Jiaoqiu, you're being far too polite!" hyacine hurriedly tried to make him stay.
Unfortunately, Jiaoqiu merely gave a suave wave of his hand. Leaving Fuli with one last, intensely meaningful smile, he turned and departed.
"So why did he specifically come here today anyway?" Yunli muttered in confusion.
Well, we can rule out him just being a messenger for General Feixiao... Little Fuli thought nervously. For some inexplicable reason, he suddenly felt a very cold draft around his lower body.
---||---
At the dining table, the exquisite aroma of the medicinal feast filled the air. Since everyone present was young, the atmosphere quickly grew lively and warm.
Yunli, happily chewing on a drumstick, looked around. "The base the Luofu assigned to the Twilight Courtyard actually comes with its own hot spring?"
"Yup!" hyacine nodded excitedly. "I've already cleaned the whole area up! Everyone is welcome to come over and take a dip anytime! It's super good for relaxing the body and regulating blood flow!"
Hearing this, Fuli instantly sat up straight and raised his hand with absolute seriousness. "Question!"
"Ah! Go ahead!"
"Is the hot spring divided into male and female baths?"
"Of course they're separated, Li-bao!" hyacine shot him an exasperated, 'Why would you even ask that' look.
"Tsk. What a shame," Fuli clicked his tongue, feigning deep disappointment.
"Ugh! So gross!" Yunli glared at him in disgust, dramatically fanning the air in front of her nose, though she ended up laughing right after.
"A hot spring..."
Sitting off to the side, Castorice repeated the word softly. A trace of longing and faint melancholy flickered in her pale purple eyes.
Because of her unique aura of "Shadow of Death," she had always bathed in hot springs completely alone in the past. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but in group activities like this, it always made her feel an inescapable sense of isolation and distance.
---||---
After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, the group sat together to discuss the team's upcoming strategy.
With everyone's encouragement, Castorice took on the role of the meeting's moderator. She pulled out a pair of rimless, non-prescription glasses from nowhere and slipped them on. Her expression instantly turned serious and focused.
"Due to various reasons, Team Classic's current ranking on the overall leaderboard... is highly unideal."
Castorice was probably the only one who could say this without feeling utterly embarrassed. Out of the four people present, she was the only one who had been steadily and honestly earning points, without pulling any catastrophic "negative point starts" or "delayed login" stunts.
"Please look here."
The girl lightly tapped her slender finger in the air, projecting a semi-transparent holographic screen that displayed the current Wardance team rankings.
Fuli leaned in curiously, his eyebrows instantly shooting up in surprise. "Oh? Bronya's team actually has a ton of points."
Take Kiana's Team Everlasting Flames, for instance. Despite having Schicksal's absolute strongest Valkyrie on the roster, they were barely scraping into the Top 30. Bronya's "Dimensional Boundary Break" team, on the other hand, had surged past them with overwhelmingly high points, forcefully breaking into the Top 5 and becoming a red-hot favorite for the championship.
Clearly, the Russian girl was treating this entire point-grinding competition exactly like a high-difficulty hardcore video game.
And as long as it was a game, "Metal Gear Bronya" would go all out, throwing herself into it to the point of forgetting to eat, sleep, or even go home.
"But this team sitting at Number One..." Yunli's gaze swept over the very top of the leaderboard, her eyes flashing with a subtle look of disgust.
Currently dominating the Number One spot was a team called "Robin is the Best in the World!!!" Rumor had it they were a delegation sent directly by the Vatican.
Their captain was an unnamed Halovian male who insisted on keeping his identity a secret. Even during public appearances, he wore a face mask and massive sunglasses that covered half his face, acting incredibly shady and mysterious.
"Speaking of which, Bro Fuli... didn't you actually know the galactic superstar Robin?" Yunli nudged Fuli in the ribs with her elbow. "I remember the ending theme for our Jigui City vlog was actually sung by her, right?"
"Ah! I was just about to ask about that too!" hyacine instantly shot her hand up, her eyes sparkling as she looked at her teammate. "Li-bao, do you really know Miss Robin in person?!"
Even Castorice didn't say anything, though she naturally shifted her gaze toward Fuli, her pale purple eyes betraying a hint of curiosity.
The charm of that origami bird is absolutely terrifying, Fuli sighed internally. He firmly resolved to take the fact that he had used "Galactic Super Domination" on the little bird-baby to his grave.
If I say that out loud, I will actually die!
But, gotta admit, her little "hnggghhh" sounds were incredibly melodious—
Ahem!
Masking his momentary guilty conscience, he put on a perfectly calm facade and casually deflected the topic. "Actually, it's not just Robin. I know Eden too."
"WAAAH! Are you talking about the world-renowned film, television, and music superstar, the hottest celebrity of our era, Madam Eden?!"
hyacine's eyes were practically shooting physical stars. She grabbed Fuli's arm excitedly and shook it violently. "Li-bao! Li-bao! Can you please, please, please get me an autographed photo of Madam Eden?! I absolutely, positively love all the operas she stars in!"
"Uh..."
Having blown his own horn too hard, Fuli suddenly found himself in a very awkward spot. Eden was mostly close with Bronya, not him.
But since the hype train had already left the station, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and agree. "I can try, but I make no guarantees."
"Yay! I love you the most!" The girl happily hugged the fluffy little Ica beside her, burying her face into its warm, soft feathers and rubbing affectionately.
"Wait, wait, wait. How did we get completely sidetracked into celebrity idol worship?" Yunli propped her chin on her hand, exasperated. "Right, Die-bao, where does our team actually rank right now?"
The "hyacine Virus" (nicknaming everyone with "-bao (baby)") was clearly showing signs of human-to-human transmission.
"One moment, please."
Remembering her duties as moderator, Castorice began swiping rapidly across the holographic screen. She swiped all the way to the very bottom of the last page before finally tapping on an incredibly obscure spot. "We... are right here."
"Rank 961?!" Yunli gasped, her voice instantly jumping an octave. "Aren't there only a little over a thousand teams participating in total?! We're totally doomed!"
Grandpa Huaiyan had indeed told her that the harder the start, the more satisfying the eventual underdog victory would be.
The problem was that the Wardance was officially ending in roughly ten days. With such a massive point deficit, and every other team sprinting to the finish line, could they really catch up in time?
"If we formulate a proper strategy and everyone works together, it shouldn't be a major issue," Castorice said, her tone calm yet carrying a firm, unshakeable confidence. "I believe that our team's comprehensive combat strength is exceptionally high."
Fuli blinked. "Critical Class."
Yunli instantly caught on. "Critical Limit Breaker."
Castorice softly added her own status. "I also possess Critical Class combat capabilities, though my circumstances are somewhat unique."
"I've heard," Fuli nodded.
"Ah! Well, in terms of raw combat power, I'm probably not as amazing as the rest of you." hyacine smiled somewhat bashfully, but quickly puffed out her modestly developing chest with pride. "But my support and healing abilities will absolutely never hold anyone back! I promise to work my hardest to protect every single teammate!"
"It is safe to say that our team's roster composition belongs to the absolute apex among all participating teams," Castorice summarized. "At present, the only teams qualified to even rival us are a very select few, including the 'Future Sword Champions' team."
Future Sword Champions...
Hearing this, Fuli turned his head and shot a deeply meaningful look at Yunli.
Yes. It was exactly the team she was thinking of: her beloved little junior brother Yanqing's team.
The girl rolled her eyes so hard she nearly saw her own brain.
"Relying on this overwhelming, crushing advantage in pure combat power, the type of mission most suitable for us right now is actually large-scale battlefield sweeping."
Castorice calmly continued her analysis. "There are roughly three primary methods to acquire points in this Wardance."
"The first is completing the exclusive missions generated on our personal interfaces, which reward specific point values upon completion."
For example, Fuli's utterly absurd "Defeat the Flawless Flash, Jingliu" and "Provide Ear-Cleaning Services for the Divinely Omniscient General, Fu Xuan," or Kiana's "Retrieve the Lost Demonic Sword of the Zhuming."
"The second is actively visiting the official Luofu mission boards and accepting various types of public commissions."
"The advantage is that we can freely select missions that best suit our specialties. The disadvantage is that these missions are generally much higher in difficulty, and the competition for them is far fiercer."
Bronya's "Travel to the Proper World and Purge World Serpent Peripheral Organizations" fell into this category. Unlike the custom-tailored tasks generated by the Matrix of Prescience, these missions usually involved actual bloodshed and brutal combat.
"And aside from those two, there is the final, highest-yielding method: External Warfare missions."
Castorice's voice grew heavier. "For instance, purging a bubble universe in the Sea of Quanta that has been occupied by alien races or Honkai beasts, or engaging in open warfare against hostile alien civilizations threatening Earth."
It was glaringly obvious. Even if the initial pretext of the Wardance was to eradicate the World Serpent, a system this effective was bound to be utilized for far broader, more critical objectives over time.
Without a doubt, these missions offered the highest point rewards—but they also carried the highest risks. The depths of the Sea of Quanta were chaotic, bizarre, and incredibly treacherous. Once a team dove in, calling for backup if things went sideways was practically impossible.
"So, Die-bao, you're suggesting our main focus moving forward should be on these large-scale war-sweeping missions?" Fuli perfectly played the role of the hypeman.
"Yes. For example, this one: AAA-Class Bubble Universe, Designation 1025."
The girl nodded. Her fingers danced gracefully across the light screen, quickly pulling up a detailed mission briefing stamped with encrypted symbols. "According to intelligence, this bubble universe has been completely overrun by a vanguard legion of the Borisin. The native inhabitants of this world have already been... entirely massacred."
"That's so cruel..." hyacine murmured, her face flashing with a look of deep sorrow and pity.
"It really is," Fuli stroked his chin. "Human resources are such an incredibly valuable asset! The fact that these guys chose to just slaughter everyone instead of enslaving and exploiting them proves they're absolute idiots."
The moment the words left his mouth, three razor-sharp glares instantly locked onto him.
"Just a joke!" Fuli shrugged defensively. "Besides, if the Borisin actually did what I suggested, the locals would at least still be alive for us to rescue, right?"
He quickly brought up a crucial point to deflect their stares. "But are we absolutely sure all the natives are dead? Because if they are, why not just wipe the entire bubble universe from the Sea of Quanta entirely?"
"An AAA-Class bubble universe is roughly the size of a single province in Shenzhou," he added, looking entirely too eager to commit war crimes. "I wouldn't even need you guys. I'll just drop an Abyss of Heaven's End on it. Poof. The whole bubble universe and the Borisin army inside it, gone in one hit."
As mentioned previously, the concept of the "Proper World" had been comprehensively reinforced. The destructive output of Honkai-side individuals within it was heavily restricted. Additionally, the Six Xianzhou Ships (like the Luofu) and fully ascended bubble universes (like the Genghis Khan Mausoleum) were similarly reinforced and restricted, as they were broadly considered integrated parts of Earth.
But the Sea of Quanta was different. Back in the day, a tiny Durandal using a newly restored Immortal Blade had casually sliced off a chunk of space the size of Europe—and that was an incredibly high-precision spatial severing, not even a full-power, raw destructive blast.
Given Fuli's current strength, if he unleashed an attack purely specialized in annihilation like the Abyss of Heaven's End, wiping out a province was child's play. He could easily obliterate a landmass the size of Oceania in a single breath. Even destroying what Houraiji Kyuushou classified as a "Class-3 Planetary Body"—a dwarf planet—wouldn't be a problem.
This was exactly why Xianzhou news occasionally reported top-tier experts destroying stars. In the context of the Sea of Quanta, a bubble universe was, for all intents and purposes, a localized planet.
(Insert meme: Why wouldn't a dwarf planet count as a planet?)
"You have to consider resource recovery, Mr. Super-Expert," Yunli sighed, looking at Fuli like he was an absolute prodigal son wasting the family fortune. As an Artisan of the Zhuming, she was hyper-sensitive to material waste.
"If the Borisin chose to turn that place into a nest, it means that bubble universe definitively holds abundant, convertible resources. Sure, you'd feel great cleaving the whole planet in half with one strike. But what are we supposed to use to recover the materials afterward? How do we compensate for the lost resources?!"
It's exactly because of muscle-brained idiots like you who only know how to kill and destroy without a shred of budgeting sense that the Zhuming Artisanship Commission constantly has to—
Wait, no. The Zhuming was absurdly wealthy and operated on a massive scale. They wouldn't run out of raw materials over something this trivial.
But you still have to think about the small-to-medium-sized workshops under us!
"Uh... fair point." Her logic was so sound Fuli genuinely couldn't argue.
"Just to double-check, though," he added, "that bubble universe doesn't have a 'Stellaron', right?"
"According to the records, a Stellaron did indeed exist there in the past, which is precisely why the Borisin targeted it in the first place," Castorice replied softly. "However, shortly after the local natives were massacred, two Stellaron Hunters—'Kafka' and 'Sam'—infiltrated the world and successfully extracted it."
"Then there's nothing to worry about. Let's take it. We'll do this cleanup mission."
As the team captain, Fuli finalized the decision. Suddenly, a wicked, teasing smile crept onto his face. "But honestly, Die-bao... you understand this mission so incredibly well. You even know highly classified intel like the involvement of a Stellaron... Did you specifically do a ton of homework for us before coming to this party?"
"M-My Lord..." The girl's cheeks instantly flushed crimson, and she shyly turned her face away.
"You always look so aloof and completely detached on the outside, but you're actually incredibly passionate and detail-oriented on the inside. You planned out the perfect route for our team before we even met," Bro Fuli pressed his advantage ruthlessly. "Our Die-bao, so cold on the outside but warm on the inside... you're seriously just too cute—OW!"
"Alright, that's enough out of this creep," Yunli snapped, casually retracting the massive iron greatsword she had just used to bonk Fuli on the head.
She eagerly leaned over to Castorice, enthusiastically pointing at the mission details on the light screen. "Die-bao, Die-bao! Let's study this some more! What kind of rare minerals and materials in Bubble Universe 1025 are worth prioritizing for collection?!"
As the vanguard team clearing out a new route, it was only perfectly reasonable for them to "liberate" some spoils of war from the mission world as extra compensation!
With this thought in mind, the girl happily swung her pale, Xianzhou "Must-Eat-List" bare feet, already calculating what kind of new equipment she was going to forge.