"I still think you'd be better suited to being an idol, Elias. What do you say? If you ever change your mind, I'll personally manage your career."
Raven joked, but there was a growing gleam of interest in her eyes.
(Wait, actually... it's not impossible. With a face like his, he'd definitely blow up. I hear idols make crazy money these days... Hmm... Is this worth trying? Asking for a friend——ASAP!)
"Hey, Natasha, snap out of it. You're falling into that money trap again. I'm not becoming an idol."
"Sha, that face of yours would've made you a star."
"Haha, can't help it—I was born like this. But while I won't debut, I do have two future stars at ho. They might just make it big soday."
Elias thought of his beloved twin troublemakers—Rozaliya and Liliya. Though they were far from debut-ready, he believed in their potential to one day surpass even Teriri as top Honkai idols.
"Alright, alright, let's get on the plane before the kids get too antsy."
This beach trip wasn't just for House of the Hearth—Raven had brought along the group of children she'd taken in too. At the mont, the two groups of girls were curiously staring at each other, wide-eyed.
Taking the lead like a true big sister, Bronya initiated introductions. In her words: "This is House of the Hearth's first diplomatic mission—we must uphold Papa Elias' reputation and behave with class."
Turns out Raven's kids had the sa idea. Both sides quickly bonded and began getting along splendidly.
"By the way... why are all your kids girls? Tsk, Elias, don't tell you're planning to build a little-loli harem or sothing. As your partner, I feel obligated to remind you that's at least three years... max penalty—"
"Death and no regrets! Just kidding. And co on, Natasha, you know the reason. Most of the kids I took in lost their families in Honkai-related incidents. Finding a surviving boy is extrely rare."
"Yeah... fair point."
In this world, where male Honkai adaptability is nearly nonexistent, even the lowest levels of exposure turn n into mindless monsters. The girls of House of the Hearth all had varying degrees of Honkai adaptability—
Which, more than luck, was the key reason they survived. Without it, even if they escaped imdiate danger, close proximity to Honkai energy would've been enough to transform them into zombies.
So no, Elias wasn't being picky—just realistic. Nearly all survivors were girls.
"Anyway, thanks for inviting us to the beach, Natasha."
"Don't ntion it. We're close enough that you don't need to get formal with . Besides, if you hadn't shown up when you did last ti, I'd be dead now."
"Which ti? Lately you've had way too many close calls. As your teammate, the pressure's unreal. I keep telling you—stop picking missions based purely on payout without checking the danger level!"
"Ahem... I've been reflecting. You can stop now."
Raven coughed awkwardly.
It wasn't entirely her fault—after finding a reliable teammate like Elias, she figured she could finally take on tougher jobs. But several near-disasters had quickly humbled her.
The most morable incident she ntioned was one where she accepted a hit on so shady corporate mogul. Sohow, her intel had been leaked, and the target had prepped a trap...
The enemy had prepared a custom trap called the Birdcage. Once Raven entered, every exit sealed shut, and the oxygen was siphoned out—an airtight room designed to kill her slowly through suffocation.
(Out of all my close calls, that one left the deepest scar. I couldn't move, couldn't fight, just had to lie there feeling myself weaken, breath by breath.)
Despair. Fear. Pain. Suffocation.
Even thinking about it now made Raven's heart clench.
All she could do was send a distress signal to Elias. But with how far apart they were, she wasn't holding out hope—at best, he might recover her corpse.
So she started recording a farewell ssage.
Just as she began asking him to take care of her kids and was about to reveal her bank account password—
BANG!
The sealed tal door was kicked open.
Raven had been stunned. She didn't know how Elias made it in ti, but there he was—carving a path through gunfire, scooping her up, and carrying her to safety, killing anyone in his way.
For a mont, she thought she saw her late brother.
"You can always make more money, but if you're dead, that's it. Treasure your life, Natasha. If you die, there'll be a lot of people heartbroken."
Elias gestured toward the children she had taken in. As soone who shared her path, he could see how much they loved her.
"...Would you be one of them, Elias? If I died one day... would you be sad?"
Raven looked away, her voice low, but her question caught Elias off guard.
"Of course I'd be sad. There aren't many people I truly value in this world—and you're one of them, Natasha."
He didn't hesitate.
Though their relationship was one of mission partners, bonded through bloodshed and shared bounties—it was a connection he valued.
Recently, Raven had begun inviting him to her bar for drinks after missions. Elias enjoyed those quiet nights.
"Jeez... could you not say stuff like that so directly? You're making it hard to respond."
"Why not? Words have to be spoken clearly or they'll never reach anyone. Beating around the bush just causes regrets. I'm trying to be more straightforward."
"It's a good habit. I'll try to learn."
"Though sotis, no matter how direct you are, the ssage still won't land..."
"Ahem—You...!"
The two sat in the cockpit of the aircraft.
Elias calmly ran through the preflight checks. His ti as a rcenary had made him proficient in every tactical vehicle imaginable—planes included.
Raven, even more of a veteran, casually piloted the passenger plane through the snowy Siberian skies.
When they heard the girls in the cabin squealing with excitent, both smiled slightly, silently hoping the kids would enjoy the trip.
...
The plane landed at the resort.
After checking into the hotel and dropping off their luggage, the girls couldn't wait any longer. They quickly changed into their swimsuits and dashed toward the beach and ocean.
"Bronya, keep an eye on everyone, and be careful while swimming."
"Don't worry, Papa Elias. Bronya has undergone underwater demolition training. Her record for holding her breath underwater is 4 minutes and 35 seconds. There will be no danger."
Bronya gave her signature duck-faced expression and gave him a thumbs-up, indicating her confidence in her swimming skills. Elias gently flicked her forehead.
"Still, be careful. You know what they say—it's often the good swimrs who drown."
"Understood. Bronya will be cautious. Papa Elias should co play with us soon too."
"I will—just let get the grill ready first."
After all, what's a beach trip without seafood BBQ? This wasn't just a surprise for Seele and the others—it was a rare mont of relaxation for Elias himself.
He planned to fully enjoy the day.
anwhile, the girls from House of the Hearth were already having a blast on the beach.
For many of them, this was their first trip, and to such a vastly different environnt from their snowy ho, everything around them felt magical.
"The breeze feels amazing~ and the sky is so blue."
"Everyone co quick! There's a huge crab here!"
"Rozaliya is the first one to swim—blegh, so salty! The sea tastes as salty as that ti Seele spilled the salt shaker into her cooking."
"W-We promised not to bring that up again!"
"Hahaha! Too late! Catch if you can!"
Other beachgoers couldn't help but glance over at the cheerful scene. The sight of so many adorable little girls having fun brought smiles to their faces. So even found themselves thinking they'd like a daughter soday.
"Rozaliya, Liliya, if you're going swimming, make sure to wear your floaties."
"What?! Bronya, are you looking down on us? We can totally swim without them!"
"According to Bronya's calculations, the chance of Rozaliya and Liliya being able to swim is exactly zero... especially considering soone almost drowned in the bathtub just last week."
Bronya stood with her arms crossed, looking every bit like the serious big sister with her deadpan expression. Her words had weight, and the twins could only grumble as they were fitted with floaties.
But the disappointnt didn't last—they were soon running happily toward the sea.
"Phew~ those two really have endless energy. By the way, Seele, your swimsuit looks great."
"Thank you. Bronya, yours looks great too."
The Azure Waters duo sat together.
Seele's swimsuit was a dark blue one-piece paired with a white sumr skirt. Purple-red floral accents dotted the fabric, and a white ribbon reminiscent of a whale's tail hung behind her. Her right leg featured an octopus-thed leg ring (Stygian Seafoam), clearly showing off that signature Mihoyo style.
Her original swimsuit had been much plainer, but Elias had insisted she pick out sothing new.
Bronya's swimsuit was more playful—a white top styled like a sailor uniform, blue shorts, a yellow scarf featuring a Honkai Hi face, and a pale blue cap on her head. Most notably, she had let down one of her trademark spiral pigtails, leaving just a single turbine curl. (Blue Reunion)
"But... where is Papa Elias?"
"Papa said he went to set up the grill. Hm? He's already here—mmpf!"
"Huh? What's wrong, Bronya—mmpf!"
Following Bronya's stunned gaze, Seele turned and was instantly frozen as well. Both girls widened their eyes, staring at Elias, who had just stepped onto the beach in his swim trunks.
Their hearts were already screaming in silent chaos.
The sa was true for all the other girls.
The mont Elias appeared on the beach, everything fell into stunned silence.
Elias raised an eyebrow. "What's going on? This silence is deafening." He glanced down, checking himself for anything odd—nope, nothing unusual.
"Natasha, don't you feel like sothing's weird? It's like everyone's staring at us."
"...It's not 'us,' it's you. Don't worry about it—they're just stunned by how good-looking you are. Seriously though, you ever consider debuting as an idol? I'm convinced you'd beco a top-tier one."
"Yeah, no thanks. I just want a quiet life. Idol stuff sounds like a huge hassle."
"Fine, fine. Here—take these sunglasses. At least cover up part of that face of yours that's drawing all the bees."
Raven sighed and handed him the sunglasses hanging from her bikini top, sneaking another few glances herself and swallowing hard.
(How did I never notice this guy was hiding such a body? One... two... eight-pack abs?! This guy's a classic 'slim in clothes, shredded underneath' type...)
She took a deep breath to calm herself. Whoever said, "When won strip, it's sexy—but when n strip, it's art," really knew what they were talking about.
The girls of House of the Hearth were even more shocked.
To them, the contrast was extre. Their father was always the gentlest and most capable man: great at cooking, music, even sewing clothes when they were poor—he was basically the ideal loving mother in a young man's form.
And now this?! Who knew that beneath that tidy gray suit, he was this ripped?
"Emmm... not my fault. Herrscher of Death powers did this. I didn't ask for it," Elias muttered to himself with an awkward expression.
It wasn't gym workouts that gave him that physique—it was his own Herrscher of Death powers evolving his body.
In terms of raw physical performance—Elias was the strongest human alive. His body was constantly evolving, every second of every day, even without using his Herrscher powers.
Strength, speed, stamina, endurance... all had surpassed human limits. Even the famously strong Kaslanas couldn't compare.
"Heh, this is my new thod of getting stronger: AFK-style infinite auto-leveling! At this point, I could beat high-level Honkai beasts with a single punch—no powers needed."
Elias felt like he'd discovered a loophole in reality.
With the combination of Kaslana and Schariac stigmata from his first simulation, and Durandal's foundational traits, his limiter had already been removed. Just like a certain golden goose saint, the more he trained, the stronger he'd get.
But unlike that guy, Elias had no interest in grinding at the gym all day. So he used Herrscher of Death powers to make his cells auto-train and evolve.
A perfect, passive leveling system.
Of course, there was a cost.
Elias: "Compared to a normal human, my tabolism is completely broken now. No matter how much I eat, I gain no fat. No workouts needed for this body. Even with poor sleep, my skin just keeps getting better. I don't get sick, and I'm constantly in a state called 'perfection.'"
This flawless, ever-evolving body was the steep price he'd paid.
He could no longer relate to normal human struggles at all.
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