Then Hug Me!

Lin Hai noticed that The Herta had stopped.

The belt around the middle of her long dress outlined her exquisitely graceful figure.

The research fervor in her eyes had given way to a new line of thought.

"Why did you stop?" Lin Hai couldn't help asking.

The air was still charged with intimacy, along with the subtle tension of the sudden pause.

The Herta raised her eyes, her gaze as clear as ever, as though the interlude had never happened.

"I have an idea for a new experiment."

Her tone had regained its composure.

"What idea?"

"I have many puppets," The Herta explained, her fingers tracing a line through the air without her noticing. "They're connected to my sensory neural network. Perhaps... we could have one of them attempt more intimate contact."

Lin Hai looked a little embarrassed. He cleared his throat. "That... probably wouldn't be appropriate."

"True." The Herta agreed almost immediately, nodding slightly. "That would violate the single-variable principle and introduce unnecessary interference into the experiment."

She paused, her gaze falling on Lin Hai again. "If I don't have a puppet try it and take the field myself to continue... it seems you'd be getting too good a deal."

Sensing the atmosphere ease, Lin Hai took the opportunity to suggest, "Perhaps we could put this experiment on hold for now?"

"Agreed." The Herta readily accepted the suggestion. "We need a more comprehensive plan and preparations for observation."

Lin Hai breathed a silent sigh of relief.

He looked at The Herta, his expression turning serious. "While we're on the subject, could I first learn from you how to master Path energy?"

The Herta raised an eyebrow. "That's no easy task. The power of a Path is not a simple tool. Once you choose a Path and gain its power, you must follow its corresponding principles of conduct and bear its corresponding mission."

"I'm willing." Lin Hai answered without the slightest hesitation, his gaze resolute and his voice filled with an intense yearning.

He yearned to become strong.

He yearned to understand and master that power!

The Herta watched Lin Hai and saw the burning pursuit in his eyes.

At last, she nodded. "All right! The next time we meet, I'll be prepared to formally guide you onto a Path."

"Thank you very much," Lin Hai said solemnly.

The Herta took the Lucky Star he offered and gently brushed her fingertips over its surface.

"Until next time, then."

She closed her hand around the star, and her figure turned into a shimmering wisp of light that quietly dissipated, returning to her space station deep in the starry sky.

Lin Hai stood where he was, silent for a long time, still unable to collect himself.

Tonight's experiences had been utterly surreal.

Beyond anything he could have imagined!

The box he had received contained ten Lucky Stars in all.

Lin Hai had tried four of them and found the Star Rail girls corresponding to each one.

No!

They weren't necessarily girls.

At least, Lady Herta wasn't a girl. She was a legendary figure who had regained her youth.

Lin Hai lined up the remaining six Lucky Stars on the glass coffee table.

"Who do you correspond to...?"

"March 7th?"

"Miss Himeko?"

"Robin?"

"Fu Xuan?"

"Castorice?"

"Aglaea?"

Lin Hai couldn't guess. Only by actually gripping a Lucky Star would he learn which beauty would cross time and space to arrive here.

He was a little tired. He had barely rested all night.

First, he had summoned Firefly and gone to Penacony.

Then he had summoned Sparkle. That brat had high attack and low defense, and she was incredibly cute.

After that, he had met Seele, gone to the Underworld, and provided some supplies.

Lastly, he had met Lady Herta. Things had progressed rapidly, and if she hadn't changed her mind, there was no telling how far things would have gone with Lin Hai.

Warm water poured down as Lin Hai stood beneath the showerhead, letting it wash over his body and carry away the night's fatigue and dust.

When he stepped out of the shower, ready to get into the bathtub and enjoy a relaxing soak, he unexpectedly discovered that it was already full of water.

A layer of fine foam that had not yet fully dissipated still floated on the surface, giving off a faint fragrance.

Lin Hai froze for a moment, then realized what had happened.

Seele must have done this earlier.

The warrior from Belobog was unfamiliar with modern bathroom fixtures. After enjoying a comfortable bath, she had forgotten to drain the water.

"Did Seele leave this?"

Lin Hai looked at the ceiling light's reflection shimmering on the water and murmured to himself.

He felt no disgust at all. Instead, he felt a curious sense of connection.

He simply stepped into the bathtub and slowly lay down.

The water had long since cooled, but it was still silky smooth from all the body wash, and the fine foam enveloped him, bringing an unexpected sense of comfort and relaxation.

Lin Hai leaned against the side of the tub and clenched his fists, his yearning for power surging like an undercurrent in his heart.

He took out his phone and absentmindedly scrolled through short videos.

After a while, a clip of Homelander rampaging through the show caught his eye.

Watching the nearly invincible figure on the screen gradually lose his way, Lin Hai fell into thought.

"If I really do gain power, I probably won't be able to become a perfect hero like Superman." He knew himself well. "But... I should at least try not to become like Homelander."

Lin Hai's moral standards for himself could hardly be called lofty, and he had never claimed to be a paragon of virtue.

The soothing bath dispelled his fatigue.

Lin Hai got up, dried himself with a soft towel, and changed into clean, comfortable loungewear. He buried himself in his soft bed and soon sank into a dreamless sleep.

He slept exceptionally soundly, waking naturally at noon the next day, when sunlight streamed through a gap in the curtains.

The first thing Lin Hai did after waking was grab his phone and deftly open a food delivery app, without even stopping to fill his stomach.

He knew exactly what he wanted and searched for and ordered a large quantity of medicine.

They were mostly powerful anti-inflammatory drugs and fever reducers, and he nearly cleared out the stock of several online pharmacies.

"These can save lives in Belobog..." Lin Hai murmured.

The Underworld, struggling in the bitter wind, appeared before his eyes.

Only after completing this crucial purchase did he take his time scrolling through the app to order himself a simple lunch.

Before long, the medicine arrived.

Lin Hai put the medicine away, and his lunch delivery arrived as well.

He filled his stomach.

Now that he had eaten and drunk his fill, it was time to get down to business!

Lin Hai took out the Lucky Star corresponding to Seele and gripped it firmly in his palm.

A dazzling light flashed in the room, and Seele appeared beside him.

Seele smiled when she saw Lin Hai. "We finally meet again, sir."

"We only met yesterday." Lin Hai smiled too.

"Sir, you're indispensable to Belobog. No one else can provide the resources you can."

Seele was still under immense psychological pressure.

She worried that one day she would lose contact with Lin Hai.

In a sense, the connection between the two of them was very tenuous. It was only through the contract and the Lucky Star that they could stay in touch.

Their situation was even more precarious than that of a couple in a long-distance relationship.

Lin Hai waved the Lucky Star in his hand and said to Seele, "I'd sooner lose my life than lose it, and I'd never lose you either!"

Seele's cheeks reddened slightly. Of course, she had heard the unreserved affection in Lin Hai's words.

Before seeing him, she had thought of many things to say when they met, and had even considered bravely embracing him. But now that she was actually with him, she had become reserved.

Lin Hai turned to face Seele. "If you missed me, then hug me."