Thanks for the invite, I'm in Honkai, leveling up my stats

Gwen didn't give the guards in front of him another chance to attack. He swung his greatsword diagonally, deflecting two incoming scythes with a Cloud Sword strike, and decapitated the guard in front of him with a single blow.

Before the half-severed body of the guard Gwen had just cleaved could hit the ground, two whistling sounds came from afar.

Those were arrows shot by distant Ranger Honkai Beasts. Although they were bows and arrows, their power far surpassed that of some small-caliber bullets, but their speed was slightly inferior to bullets.

Sensing danger, Gwen remained unfazed by the scythes of the two Honkai Beasts that were about to strike him again. He rolled on the spot, clutching his greatsword, and slid out from between the two guard Honkai Beasts.

The two incoming arrows collided where Gwen's head had been, and the Honkai energy attached to their tips exploded upon impact.

After rolling to dodge two arrows that could have taken half his life, Gwen raised his greatsword and, without giving the two guard Honkai Beasts time to turn, swept out his Honkai energy-infused greatsword.

With a gush of blood rich with Honkai energy, the legs of both Honkai Beasts were severed, and they fell to the ground.

Using the momentum from swinging his greatsword, Gwen leaped into the air. As if possessed by the Black Knights, Gwen's greatsword slashed across the blood-stained ground, splitting one guard Honkai Beast in two.

Stomping on the head of the last Honkai Beast, Gwen's greatsword carved a deep沟壑 in the ground, cleanly severing the Honkai Beast's head.

After dispatching the three guard Honkai Beasts as easily as slicing vegetables, without a moment's respite, Gwen rolled again to dodge arrows shot by Ranger Honkai Beasts positioned in two different directions. He then dragged his greatsword and charged towards one of them, like a tiger descending a mountain, unstoppable.

Facing the charging Gwen, the Ranger Honkai Beast, which did not possess high combat intelligence, retreated, but still persisted in drawing its bow and shooting.

Meanwhile, the other Ranger Honkai Beast, not chosen by Gwen, was also not idle. It shot arrow after arrow, each aimed at Gwen's vital points.

Facing the continuous barrage of arrows from front and back, Gwen directly swung his greatsword behind his back, using it as a shield to block the arrows from behind, even using their force to accelerate further.

The arrows coming at him head-on were also easily dodged by Gwen as his body flickered.

Within a few breaths, the distance between Gwen and the Ranger Honkai Beast was closed. Gwen could even see his reflection in the Ranger Honkai Beast's vacant, cloudy eyes.

Using the keen senses honed through training to evade the arrows shot from behind, Gwen raised his hand, bent down, drew his sword, and the massive blade spun out. The blade, shimmering with Honkai energy, sliced through as easily as a hot knife through butter.

Both the Ranger Honkai Beast's body and its bow and arrows were like paper, easily cut in two by Gwen's sword.

With only one Ranger Honkai Beast remaining in the distance, and the overall situation basically decided, Gwen did not relax in the slightest. He charged towards the last enemy like a leaping leopard.

The incoming arrows were batted away by Gwen's greatsword with a crisp clanging sound. After two breaths, the last Ranger Honkai Beast was split in two by Gwen and slowly fell to the ground.

"Hoo..."

Having dealt with the last enemy, Gwen finally breathed a sigh of relief, wiped the fine beads of sweat from his forehead, and skillfully closed his eyes.

When he opened his eyes again, Gwen was back in the brightly lit control room.

Taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly, he calmed the strange sensation from the scene change and closed his eyes to summarize the gains from this simulation.

Half a month had passed since Gwen bought the Light Shadow Stone. With the acquisition of skills, accumulation of combat experience, and improvement of his own basic attributes, Gwen's enemies in the virtual training room had evolved from a single Honkai Beast to a squad of Honkai Beasts combining close and ranged combat.

Just like the "Four Hounds Burning Salary Formation" in Gwen's previous life's game, the difficulty of enemy number stacking was far from a simple one plus one equals one.

Although Gwen's recent battle appeared effortless, it was achieved only after he had fully utilized his current strength.

After summarizing his gains from the simulation, Gwen checked the training records provided by the system and chose to exit the virtual training room without continuing his training.

Time was almost up. Gwen planned to go back and review the data of more advanced enemies to challenge stronger foes tomorrow—

Referencing the Blessing System of the DanMachi world, which was quite similar to his own, Gwen speculated that his leveling up likely required accumulating what was called "Great Achievement."

Since the existing low-level Honkai Beasts were not enough, Gwen naturally had to try challenging stronger enemies.

After exiting the virtual training room, Gwen chose to send the report to his terminal in electronic format and then removed his card, leaving the virtual training room.

Glancing at the time on his wristband, Gwen turned a corner in the corridor and sat down outside the virtual training room used by You Lan Dai Er, preparing to leave with her after her training.

Although the active Valkyries of Destiny did not have very high training quotas during times when there was no Honkai outbreak, leaving these warriors, who were always ready to rush to the front lines of Honkai resistance, ample rest time to relax.

However, as the undisputed "Valkyrie King" of Destiny, You Lan Dai Er treated training as a form of rest, even initiating a training craze.

Yet, except for a few exceptionally talented Valkyries, the vast majority could not endure such high-intensity continuous training—

If it weren't for considering human tolerance, Destiny wouldn't have left so much free time for the Valkyries.

In the end, it was Archbishop Otto himself who had to step in to put a stop to this trend.

After that, although they realized that You Lan Dai Er might possess talents they lacked, the Valkyries did not develop any dissatisfaction towards her. Instead, You Lan Dai Er's popularity continued to soar.

When Gwen heard Rita, pretending not to hear You Lan Dai Er's cough with a blushing face beside her, cheerfully mention this matter, Gwen, along with Rita, showed a mischievous smile at You Lan Dai Er's expense, and couldn't help but feel a sense of emotion—

Was it to be expected of You Lan Dai Er? Her hard work made her growth seem like a matter of course.

While Gwen waited for You Lan Dai Er, the Valkyries who occasionally passed by also smiled and greeted Gwen, who was still a handsome young boy with rosy cheeks—

With geniuses like Anna, renowned "Valkyrie Kings" like You Lan Dai Er, or "S-Class Seeds" like Rita by his side, Gwen, being a rare male Honkai energy adapter, was naturally quickly known to the headquarters staff.

Gwen reciprocated the enthusiasm of these older sisters (and younger sisters) one by one.

Chapter 38: An Unexpected Surprise

Of course, there were also occasional overly enthusiastic invitations, all of which Gwen politely declined.

If he had accepted them, Gwen worried that he might become the next Siegfried, earning a reputation like "having touched the butts of all the Valkyries in Destiny headquarters"—

Even though he had no romantic experience in his previous life, Gwen, who had played with children, could tell that these seemingly enthusiastic and bold girls were mostly thinking of teasing him, a "shota" who had long passed his expiration date.

If he had agreed, he would have gone from being a cute and easily teased child to a lustful demon.

After dealing with a few groups of Valkyries leaving together, the door in front of Gwen finally opened, and a spirited girl with long golden hair tied into a high ponytail walked out.

"Gwen?"

Upon seeing who was waiting outside the door, You Lan Dai Er couldn't help but be a little surprised—

During this time, You Lan Dai Er had basically always finished training first and waited for Gwen. It was the first time Gwen had waited for her.

"Hm?

What, are you surprised to see me?"

Handing You Lan Dai Er a bottle of drink, Gwen looked at the surprised blonde girl with a smile.

"I am a little, indeed."

You Lan Dai Er's answer was remarkably honest as she nodded in admission, "In my impression, Gwen, you always train until most people have left before you leave the training room."

"..."

Gwen was taken aback by her words. Recalling the scenes of opening the door and seeing the blonde girl waiting for him each time, his heart warmed. He then chuckled lightly and smiled, saying, "If even You Lan Dai Er says so, then I suppose I need to adjust my training schedule..."

"You really should be careful."

Completely missing that Gwen was referring to himself as a "Destiny try-hard," You Lan Dai Er nodded earnestly.

"Gwen, you still need to grow. Training is important, but you must also pay attention to rest.

And, even though there's..., your body still needs careful recuperation to regain its vitality."

"Then... I won't be polite about the dinner Rita prepared tonight..."

Facing You Lan Dai Er, who was lecturing him with a serious expression, Gwen smiled and nodded, saying something that made You Lan Dai Er's expression stiffen.

As he spoke, Gwen also showed his terminal to You Lan Dai Er, displaying their chat log with Rita. One of the photos showed half of the table already laden with food.

"Mmm..."

Seeing photos of several of her favorite dishes, You Lan Dai Er subconsciously swallowed, but still nodded and said, "Yes, Gwen, you still need to grow. Eating more is good."

Seeing the reluctance on You Lan Dai Er's small face, which looked like a little adult, Gwen once again experienced Rita's joy. He stood up and said with a smile, "Don't just talk about me, aren't you also at the age where you need to grow?"

Raising his hand to pat You Lan Dai Er's shoulder, Gwen, who looked three or four years younger than You Lan Dai Er, spoke with an air of precocity that made You Lan Dai Er break into a bright smile.

"Let's go quickly. By the time we get back, Rita's dinner should be ready."

Saying this, You Lan Dai Er took Gwen's hand and led him on their way home.

When the two returned home, they indeed found Rita serving dishes.

"Thank you for your hard work, Rita!"

Darting forward, You Lan Dai Er took the bowls and chopsticks from Rita's hands, not forgetting to express her gratitude.

Although Rita stated that she was willingly doing these things as a maid, You Lan Dai Er did not take it for granted and always offered thanks at the appropriate times.

"Not at all..."

Seeing them thank her and help as soon as they returned, a gentle smile graced Rita's pretty face.

"Actually, Rita is enjoying it..."

While being a maid was Rita's hobby, serving children as sensible and cute as You Lan Dai Er and Gwen also made Rita feel even happier.

"Rita, is the heat right over here?"

Suddenly, Anna's call came from the kitchen, summoning Rita inside.

At the dinner table, Gwen learned from his question that Anna had decided to learn cooking from Rita while she had free time.

"Then Anna, you better learn well. It's hard to find a great chef like Rita..."

Recalling the joke he and Anna had made half a month ago, Gwen playfully teased the girl with chestnut hair and pink eyes.

"Do I need you to tell me that?"

Anna shot Gwen a glare, but her slightly flushed ears quietly betrayed her inner feelings.

"Alright, Gwen, eat more dishes. You need to maintain a balanced diet to grow up strong..."

Watching Gwen chatting and laughing with Anna, Rita smiled and added more dishes to Gwen's bowl, gently reminding him.

"That's right, that's right, Gwen. Don't just focus on the meat, pay attention to a balanced diet."

As if reminded by Rita's words, You Lan Dai Er also added a lot of food to Gwen's bowl, making his rice and dishes overflow.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of all the leftovers. I'll definitely have a balanced diet."

Gwen, who was already accustomed to Rita intentionally treating him like the child he appeared to be, didn't refuse. Instead, he patted his chest and took on the responsibility.

"Eating so much, be careful you don't grow taller but gain a lot of weight!"

Seeing that she had no opportunity to add more food, Anna, who was hesitating, saw Gwen's expression and the corner of her mouth couldn't help but curl up as she teased him with a smile.

"Hehe, as long as my training keeps up, the fat won't catch up to me..."

Gwen chuckled dismissively. Despite his childlike appearance, he carried an air of precocious maturity, eliciting a cascade of bell-like laughter from the others…

After dinner, just as he'd promised, Gwen finished off the remaining food. He then chatted with the beautiful girls for a while longer before returning to his own home.

Pouring himself a glass of water, Gwen sat on the sofa and closed his eyes to rest. Habitually, he opened his status panel.

Previously, in the virtual training room, he hadn't known how it appeared in his vision or if it could be observed by the virtual training room, which was related to the mental plane. Therefore, Gwen had always avoided opening the system while inside.

But upon looking now, Gwen was startled, his eyes widening in disbelief.

He tried to calm himself. Over the past month, he had grown accustomed to blending his acting into his daily life. Gwen let out a burp to cover his surprise, rubbed his stomach, and sat up properly again, examining his status panel closely—

"Gwen—lv1

Strength—SS1477

Endurance—SSS1679

Dexterity—SSS1581

Spirit—EX

Energy—SS1411

Energy System: None"

What caused Gwen to lose his composure wasn't the already familiar, exaggerated numbers, but the "lv1" behind his name, which was slowly flashing with golden light.

"I can level up?"

The thought flashed through his mind subconsciously. Disbelieving, Gwen's will had already clicked on it.

The next moment, a new pop-up window appeared in Gwen's vision—