Fuli, carrying Mei in his arms, walked on the surface of the sea after leaving the not-yet-problematic fishing boat.
Illusory lotus flowers bloomed and fell, shattering on the ocean's surface. Each petal was tinged with varying shades of a blue-purple gradient, and liquid starlight flowed through its cicada-wing-thin veins.
Fuli personally found the "lotus with every step" effect of Void Shunpo a bit too flashy. Kiana had told him to change it, but he refused, claiming that the technique came that way and it would be a pain to modify it—a classic case of tsundere.
Several kilometers passed in a flash. Dodging the patrolling Royal Air Force Coast Guard boats, the two soon set foot on Southend-on-Sea, located on the north bank of the Thames, about 58 kilometers from London.
Fuli gently set down the soft and fragrant Mei, then looked back at the distant horizon. "Why do the patrols today feel stricter than I remember?"
As the world's longest pleasure pier and a famous British seaside resort, Southend-on-Sea had not only family-friendly facilities like Adventure Island theme park, Jaywick Beach, and Canvey Island, but also Leigh-on-Sea, which attracted tourists with its quaint shops and artistic atmosphere, and numerous fine dining (?) restaurants.
June to August was traditionally the peak tourist season, but as far as the eye could see, the vast beach was deserted. Whirring police cars sped down the highway, and mounted police in standard gear scanned their surroundings like radar, afraid of missing any suspicious individuals.
The flapping little Kallen had a string of data flash in her eyes. "I just hacked into the official website. The reason they're making such a big fuss is to prevent any mishaps during the crucial moment of converging the World Bubble."
Raiden Ryoma choosing London as the meeting place was clearly not a whim. He was currently negotiating the purification of the World Bubble with the British cabinet as a representative of Anti-Entropy.
The impact of the Third Honkai Eruption had further weakened Earth's spatial barrier, causing many World Bubbles from the Sea of Quanta to "surface" and partially merge with the surface under the influence of celestial gravity.
For Britain, this was both an opportunity and a danger.
The opportunity was that their dimensional supervision department had detected a large World Bubble, the size of Florida, about to merge with London, and there were no signs of intelligent life activity within it.
In other words, all the resources inside would belong to Britain.
The danger was that such World Bubbles were always filled with all sorts of turbulent energy. The higher-ups needed Anti-Entropy's Moonlight Throne technology to purify the environment and make it usable.
"So they're cooperating with Anti-Entropy."
Fuli expressed his understanding. "That is indeed quite dangerous."
Whether it was the reformist or conservative faction, anyone with a slight understanding of Anti-Entropy's history would know they weren't the type to be selfless saints.
Even a skilled housewife can't cook without rice. To grow from the (former) Schicksal North American branch to a superpower vying for the top spot in just half a century... one could imagine their style of operation. It was perfectly fine to directly equate them with their home base, the United States.
So what if you, our conjugate son Little Britain, are about to lose Northern Ireland and cease to be a united kingdom? You want to use our exclusive Moonlight Throne technology to develop a World Bubble?
Fine! 30-70 split!
"They're asking for thirty percent right off the bat?"
The domineering behavior of the capitalist leader brought a great shock to Kallen's young heart.
"Thirty percent? Are you kidding me? That's charity."
Fuli indicated that was just the beginning.
"So seventy percent goes to Anti-Entropy?"
Kallen was astonished. "Wouldn't that make Britain a beggar on its knees?"
"And for that, they'd have to thank them!"
A World Bubble purified by the SELENE was a treasure trove of resources waiting to be developed. Unpurified, it was a ticking time bomb.
How many World Bubbles that "stood out" from the Sea of Quanta were easy to deal with? A couple of years ago, a surfaced World Bubble turned out to be a star-sized life form, forcing a joint effort from Schicksal, Anti-Entropy, and the Taixuan Front to seal it.
Kallen sighed faintly. "Compared to the boundless Sea of Quanta and the Imaginary Tree, the world we live in is too small."
"No nihilism allowed."
Fuli flicked the little one's forehead, his finger passing through as expected.
...
Fuli had C-rank Presence Concealment, and Mei had no shortage of little gadgets like the Heart of Klimaya. Relying on these, the laughing and chatting trio easily avoided the whistling Royal Mounted Police and arrived at the old town, filled with Victorian architecture.
Here, the crowd was slightly larger.
"So-called tourism is just going from a place you're sick of to a place someone else is sick of."
Fuli summarized, standing on the sparse street. "See, once a service-industry city like this loses its massive crowds of tourists, its busyness drops by dozens of percentage points."
"And as a price, the vendors selling souvenirs and snacks on the street have pockets cleaner than their faces."
Mei naturally linked her arm with her boyfriend's. "The tourism industry creates a lot of jobs. Many, many people rely on it to support their families."
"This is what you call, 'you can't have your fish and your lackeys too!'"
The little Kallen flying ahead proudly recited her own modified idiom.
"Let's go buy some gifts at a nearby souvenir shop."
Glancing at her, Mei suggested coolly, "We can't go see my father empty-handed, can we?"
"I've got a gift!"
Upon hearing this, Fuli excitedly pulled out a secret medicine from his pocket.
—Warrior's Fury. He had gotten it from the system store a couple of days ago.
It was a secret medicine from Celtic legends, taught by the Druids to the Knights of the Red Branch. Its effects were so potent that even a warrior who had lost half his body in battle could regain his vitality with just a sip. Additionally, whether on the battlefield or the "battlefield," this medicine could provide a considerable boost to one's energy.
Theoretically, system lotteries and store exchanges required Fuli to provide a start-up fund for the former and hand over real-world items of equivalent value for the latter.
This should have been a very troublesome matter, but with the Well of Fuli now in place, a handful of clear water could solve all the above problems.
The boy tilted his chin up, showing off proudly. "The Warrior's Fury is a secret medicine coveted even by the warriors of Connacht! Uncle Raiden Ryoma will definitely be satisfied with this gift!"
He was then met with two pairs of (fondly) (looking at an idiot) eyes.
"Bro."
Little Kallen was the first to speak. "If I heard correctly, sis, you're planning to pitch your, um—computer accessory—to a middle-aged man who's been single for almost twenty years?"
"Uh..."
"My father's love for my mother is beyond doubt."
Mei shook her head. "As his daughter, I don't mind my father finding a companion he likes, but it must be his own will, not a sense of responsibility after taking a lust-inducing drug."
"Ahem, ahem!"
Fuli, hit by the combo attack, nonchalantly put away the secret medicine and tried to change the subject. "My, it would be great if my future daughter could be as considerate of her father as Mei is."
His intention was to praise the girl for her filial piety, but unexpectedly, her pretty face suddenly turned grim.
"What!"
Her voice suddenly rose, her electric eyes shimmering with lightning. "If I were to have an accident in the future, are you, Mr. Fu, planning to marry a new little wife?"
Wait, what? We're not even officially boyfriend and girlfriend, let alone married. How did you jump to the perspective of a deceased wife?
Fuli finally understood what it meant for disaster to come from the mouth. Just as he was about to think of a way to soothe her, Mei's stormy expression immediately calmed down.
The boy asked tentatively, "Wh-what's wrong?"
"I just had a sudden inspiration."
The girl murmured to herself, "Perhaps I should prepare some 'Raiden Mei' clones in the Massive Electric Corp lab. Once my original body dies, I'll upload my memories to a clone—"
"That would just be a clone with Mei's memories!"
Fuli interrupted rudely. "I will not acknowledge such a clone as the real person!"
Just like how the Herrscher of Domination could control as many Cecilia clones as she wanted, even if she completed their memories with genetic fragments and information, they still wouldn't be the real Saintess of the Schariac family.
"That's right, that's right! Memories are not all a person is!"
Little Kallen shouted loudly, "Me, and that guy (Virtual) Otto, even if we have the memories of the originals, we will only be ourselves!"
"And don't look down on me, okay?"
Staring into Mei's eyes, Fuli said solemnly, "In the Hyperion's combat sequence, Raiden Mei is the very, very last line. As long as I'm not dead, no one will be able to harm a single hair on your head!"
The boy's pupils burned like molten lava in the setting sun. A cold blue arc of electricity flashed across his cheek, illuminating his straight nose and making him incredibly charming.
The knuckles of the hand gripping Mei's wrist turned white from excessive force. The promise escaping his throat trembled between them with his rapid breathing, stirring up ripples of ambiguity.
Faced with her crush, who was rarely this serious, the shy Miss Raiden instinctively wanted to tease, "Is this a confession?" to alleviate the faint blush on her cheeks, or perhaps just kiss him directly and advance their relationship by a billion steps.
But for some reason, Kiana's (K423's) face suddenly appeared in her mind.
"Even if it's exactly the same as the original, I will not acknowledge such a clone as the real person!"
Fuli's powerful vow echoed in her ears. The girl, concerned for her best friend, bit her lip hard and once again linked her arm with his. "Alright, it was just a joke."
"Didn't you say we were going to buy a gift for my father? Let's go."
She smiled elegantly, brushing off the previous topic.
...
A flock of white doves flew over the spire of a tall building, their wings stirring the damp air, creating a pale silver trail in the twilight.
After choosing a souvenir, under the eager gaze of the shop assistant, Fuli, who had already put his hand in his pocket, shuddered. "Have we been in this slightly more crowded area for half an hour?"
"To be precise, twenty-three minutes and fifteen seconds," Kallen added, flapping her small angel wings.
"In just that little time, my wallet... was swiped by some little thief?"
Fuli had specially prepared it before coming, considering that QR code payments weren't very popular in Europe.
Inside were neatly stacked British pounds—the last of the donations from the big shot White Moon Knight.
"What a tragedy... a tragedy!!!"
He murmured to himself, then his voice turned to anger.
Not stealing ain't Italian, not robbing ain't French, stealing and robbing is English, and a couple of bangs is 'Murican. He never thought a rhyme he saw online would manifest in reality.
"This is also why I keep my presence low."
Mei, who had been to Britain several times before, suppressed a laugh. "Want to call the police? A word of warning, don't have any expectations for the useless folks at Scotland Yard, unless you're a true-blue, Union-Jack-waving British noble."
What is heaven?
Heaven is British police, German workers, and French chefs.
What is hell?
Hell is German police, French workers, and British chefs.
With these tax-thieves in Britain, getting no reply after reporting a crime was standard procedure. Sexual assault suspects were just the tip of the iceberg.
"Forget it, let's not bother those masters."
Fuli, having calmed down, curled his lip. "I consider myself quite handsome. It wouldn't be good if those gay cops took a liking to me."
"Bro, want me to help?"
Little Kallen jumped up and down. Although she was just a subroutine, she could still access the cameras in a certain area.
Despite media outlets like the BBC constantly condemning Shenzhou for installing cameras everywhere and disrespecting privacy, the fact was, Britain had the highest density of camera installations in the world.
"No need."
Fuli shook his head. "Whoever it was, they managed to steal from an A-rank like me. A normal camera definitely won't be able to track them."
"Oho? Are you going to use that?"
"Just the right time to test a new ability."
The boy placed his hand on the disguised longsword at his waist and spread his spiritual power out from himself.
—Instant Sword, Cold River Reflects the Moon. A perception-type sword technique Fuli developed based on his Stigmata of Reason, the "Reason" form of Instant Sword.
When activated, it spread his spiritual power out from himself, forming an invisible lake that covered a certain area, creating a three-dimensional map.
Within the range of perception, the actions, energy, and even spiritual and soul fluctuations of others would be reflected back to him through Cold River Reflects the Moon like stones dropped into water, allowing him to perceive them accurately and respond in time.
As for its weaknesses, Cold River Reflects the Moon consumed a great deal of energy. With Fuli's current spiritual power, its maximum range was a few hundred meters, and it could only be maintained for a few minutes at most.
Enemies could also interfere with the detection through various methods like wrapping their bodies in spiritual power or using Presence Concealment of the same level. But Cold River Reflects the Moon's stealth was quite formidable. Unless the enemy's spiritual resilience was stronger than his own, they wouldn't be able to perceive that they were being watched.
Unfortunately, the little thief who stole his wallet clearly didn't have that ability.
"Found it!"
Fuli opened his eyes and locked his gaze on a corner a hundred meters away.
He took Mei's hand and was about to run, but a glance at her high heels made him change his approach. He scooped her up in a princess carry and ran toward the spot.
Even with their lowered presence, many onlookers whistled and cheered for the handsome couple.
After all, the scene looked too much like a Romeo and Juliet elopement. As long as the beautiful girl in his arms wasn't shouting for help, the simple folk were happy to offer their blessings.
A hundred meters passed in a flash. When Fuli and Mei arrived at the perceived location and rushed into the alley shouting, "Hands up!"
"Meow!!!"
A chubby brown cat with a large backpack was instantly scared stiff, its fur standing on end.
In its little paws was Fuli's missing wallet.
...
"Is this the legendary Cath Palug?"
Fuli held the chubby, heterochromatic cat up high. Even knowing it was a shameless little thief, he couldn't resist hugging it and giving it a good round of kisses and cheek rubs.
Cath Palug, a legendary cat-monster from the ancient Welsh legend, the Arthurian Legend, and also the pet of the great magician Merlin.
Legend has it that after Merlin was sealed by the Lady of the Lake, this cat-monster roamed around the Thames, waiting day and night for its master's return.
Since then, the locals have called it the lucky Pardo cat.
The reason was simple. Although this little fellow was always up to some petty theft and never left empty-pawed, whoever saw it would have their luck skyrocket!
How lucky? The Guangying News Agency had a poem in praise of it:
Pardo this, Pardo that, cats everywhere bring good luck!
The Thames' waves are wide, blessings roll to the clouds;
Filial piety is passed down in the Zhuang Garden, ancestors bless the proud descendants;
Endless auspicious words, endless songs of fortune!
Of course, that's what they said. Even many native Londoners, true-blue Union-Jack-wavers, just classified it as a nursery rhyme and a rumor.
The Arthurian Legend was fifteen hundred years ago. What normal cat could live that long? It was probably just a look-alike.
But Fuli, with his knowledge from the previous loop, knew that this legend was true, because the legendary magician Merlin, who had once assisted King Arthur in fighting the Anglo-Saxons, was actually a survivor from the Previous Era.
With the advanced technology of the previous civilization, what was so difficult about letting a pet live for a few thousand years?
"Isn't that right, you cute little Pardo~"
Hugging the struggling cat, Fuli's smile grew even more perverted.
"You little kitty were born to be eaten by Daddy! Can you escape my grasp? No, you can't, hee hee hee! Give me a kiss, Mwah, a kiss!"
Mei, long accustomed to his cat-loving nature, rolled her eyes and walked over to the round backpack Pardo had been carrying, helping him find his stolen wallet.
But the more she looked, the more surprised she became.
"A Source Prism from the Sea of Quanta, a fluid alloy block that deforms at the micrometer level, Starstone for forging high-grade equipment, Soul-Corroding Jade for absorbing and storing spiritual power... even the Chameleon Cloth I've been trying to get my hands on is here?!!"
The materials the girl was muttering about were all quite rare Honkai-derived minerals.
Miss Raiden suddenly looked up, her eyes shining as she looked at Pardo, as if she were looking at a lucky beckoning cat waving its arm.
If I could have one of these at home, let it out for a week or two and then bring it back, it would be a surefire, no-cost, high-profit business!
"Meow!!!"
Sensing the greed in the lewd woman's gaze, the previously reluctant cat immediately curled up in Fuli's arms. It covered its fluffy, pointed ears with its small paws, using them to block its round eyes as if it couldn't see.
"Yuan!"
"Th-that's not a good idea, is it?"
The boy hesitated, his hands unconsciously petting the Pardo kitty that randomly dropped rare items.
Chubby belly, soft toe beans, what a cute baby~
"What's not good about it? It's dangerous for it to wander around alone!"
For some reason, as Mei said this, she seemed to hear a voice full of despair and grief in her ear, "Sis Mei, I don't wanna die..."
She shook her head and pressed on. "And what little cat doesn't want a warm little den and a daily, unlimited supply of delicious cat food?"
"I, for one, think she doesn't."
A charming, unfamiliar, teasing voice echoed in the deserted alley.
"Who's there!"
Fuli and Mei's expressions tensed, and they both looked toward the source of the voice.
"Like you, just an unlucky person whose important things were stolen by this mischievous Sage's Cat."
The slender green figure that had been rummaging through the backpack stood up and looked at them, her beautiful face full of smiles.
"My name is Mobius. 'Nice to meet you,' you two cute little things."
The Soul-Corroding Jade in her hand was tossed up and down by her delicate fingers, as if that was what she had lost.
Or perhaps, it was just a simple case of pilfering?