In the afternoon of the next day, Zeno and Himiko finally woke up from their slumber and got out of bed, but Himiko was acting spoiled, so Zeno had to carry her to the bathroom.
After that, the two of them got in the bathtub and relaxed in the warm water together as Himiko leaned her back on Zeno's muscular chest, her head resting on his broad shoulder. The traces of their lovemaking could still be seen on their bodies, their skin baring the marks of each other's passion.
It's a good thing that today is a Sunday, as Himiko didn't have to go to work. She couldn't help but feel incredibly lazy and relaxed as Zeno's strong arms wrapped around her, making her feel safe and secure. Listening to his heartbeat, she couldn't help but smile, content with the present moment.
"Would you like to come and live with me?"
Zeno asked her, his voice soft and gentle as he caressed her stomach. He'd been thinking about inviting her to live with him ever since they woke up together this morning. It will definitely be more convenient for her to stay at his place rather than going back and forth between their apartments. And he also doesn't have to worry about Himiko's safety if she stays in his sphere of influence.
"Mmm... alright, I guess?"
Himiko replied, her voice sounding a bit sleepy as she felt very comfortable being treated so affectionately by her lover. She doesn't mind living with Zeno as well as his harem, as she has gained more courage to face Zeno's lovers after losing her virginity, and she feels like she has become much more confident than she usually is.
"I'll move my stuff over tomorrow."
She said as she turned around to face him before wrapping her arms around his neck as she buried her face into the side of his neck. She felt giddy with the thought of spending every day with him from now on.
"I'll help you move then."
Zeno smiled, pressing a soft kiss on her forehead. Himiko giggled softly while nodding her head in acknowledgement as they continued to soak in the warm water together, enjoying the comfort of each other's company.
÷×÷×÷
After that, Himiko not only moved in with Zeno in his apartment, but she also decided to quit her job altogether because she thought she should focus on the fascinating supernatural world rather than continue being a mundane corporate slave. It's an obvious choice, isn't it?
"Hello everyone, my name is Murabiki Himiko. Please take care of me."
"Oh... it's Master's girlfriend."
Noa said as she looked at Himiko, who was introducing herself to all of the girls in the living room. Himiko's existence was known to everyone a long time ago, since Zeno is not exactly keeping her existence a secret or anything, and this is the first time they see Himiko in person.
( AN: Noa is a clone of Raynare. )
"Another one..."
Leila pouted a bit as she evaluated the new girl's beauty and personality. She noticed immediately that Himiko was hopelessly in love with Zeno and wouldn't give up on him easily just because she wasn't the only one for him. Leila can respect her persistence, at least.
( AN: Leila is a clone of Kalawarna. )
"I wonder how many more girls my beloved Master will add to his harem until he is satisfied..."
She mumbles quietly as she gives Zeno, who was standing next to Himiko, a side eye, which he pretends not to notice.
"Well, it's about time she joined us, I guess."
Klara commented as she nodded her head politely to Himiko before she continued looking at the HMT on her hand. The other girls also have similar reactions as they introduce themselves to Himiko.
( AN: Klara is a clone of Katerea. )
"Ehhh... e-eto..."
Himiko made a perplexed expression as the welcome was quite lukewarm without any sign of tension, much to her surprise and confusion. They seem to be quite used to a new girl joining, so there is no unnecessary drama happening. The only awkward one here is Ruth, who was not sure if she should be here.
Himiko feels a bit disappointed since she prepared herself for so many scenarios all night, but the result is just a casual greeting without any drama. She wasted a lot of time and effort for nothing, it seems.
"Stupid Himiko... you should just sleep last night..."
She mumbles to herself in regret as Zeno looks at her with pity before he leads her to the couch so the girls can get to know each other.
÷×÷×÷
A week later, after Himiko moved into Zeno's apartment, Zeno could be seen standing with Ezrah and Zestia behind him in front of the newly built Geborg manufacturing factory next to the barrack inside the time chamber as they watched the long line of Geborgs transporting large blocks of dirt inside the factory from semi-trailer trucks with Touki magic or with just their pure strength.
( AN: Ezrah is a clone of Irina and Zestia is a clone of Xenovia. )
Zeno finally managed to build the factory for Geborg production after he had some free time, and now Geborg can be produced without him having to be involved anymore. The output of a single factory is around twenty minutes per single Geborg. So if the factory is operating all day in optimal condition, it can produce 72 units of Geborgs with all their weapons and equipment per day.
Currently, the total number of Geborg units is 93. Zeno intends to wait until the Geborgs number reaches 500 units, and then he will start leading them to raid the Old Satan faction's bases and hideouts to see how well they will do on the real battlefield.
"Maybe I should design some aircraft for transporting troops too..."
Zeno muttered as he imagined something like the Pelican from Halo before he turned to the two girls behind him, who were dressed in futuristic black bodysuits that accentuated their curves. The bodysuit is an official uniform for the soldier in Zeno's faction that he recently implemented.
"I leave the training and overseeing of the Geborgs to you two."
"Yes, Master!"
Ezrah and Zestia saluted him in unison with a grin before they moved towards the working Geborgs to flex their authority and help them out a bit if the Geborgs had a problem doing their duties. The girls were quite giddy that they now have a lot of subordinates to boss around.
Zeno smiled wryly as he watched the two girls start mildly harassing the Geborgs before he turned around and moved toward the villa to roll the gacha for this week.
÷×÷×÷
In the room of Zeno's study, Zeno is currently sitting on the Invincible II as he waits for the gacha roll result. He wonders what he will get this time.
[ Congratulations! ]
[ You got the Green Herb! ]
"The what...? What is this supposed to be?"
With confusion, Zeno put out a little pot with a green plant growing on it on the desk. Then, when the information about the green herb appeared in his brain, Zeno immediately realized what this green herb was and where it was from.
"The legendary green herb from the game Resident Evil, huh?"
Zeno smirked, as he just got quite a powerful healing item that was so easy to cultivate that this green herb was growing like weed throughout the Resident Evil world, despite being a very valuable healing item. He is glad that the green herb he got is as magical as the one in the game in terms of healing properties.
"I can definitely sell this to both the supernatural and the mundane world."
Zeno said as he touched one of the green herb's leaves with care. The green herb is very outrageous in the game as it can instantly restore health like a health potion, and what Zeno got is also the exact same thing, which means it can boost physique health and heal injuries in an instant.
Of course, green herbs can't be used to restore lost limbs, but fascinatingly, they can be used as one of the ingredients in a miracle potion that was named "First Aid Med," with the effects of healing injuries and gluing back dismembered limbs. Zeno can recreate the potion easily with Godblood, so there is no problem with mass production.
"It might not be the Phenex's Phoenix tears, but it is not far off in terms of healing power, and most importantly, it will be significantly cheaper, so it can generate more profit easily."
Zeno smirked evilly as he rubbed his hands together with a greedy expression. He can imagine his "First Aid Med" ending the healthcare industry in both worlds, like the inevitable fate of the touchscreen phone ending the keypad phone carrier.
It is unavoidable that he will also step on many toes when he sells this to the public, but he is not afraid of them, as his faction will be strong enough to defend against the sabotage attempt of any faction in two or three years in the future at this current speed of his faction development.
Zeno will have to build a plantation later, when he has the time, before he can start cultivating this green herb. He then thought about having Geborgs take care of the plant, which seemed wasteful, so he would have to use other things instead.
"A simple robot to take care of the plantation should do..."
Zeno muttered as he looked at the herb in the pot on the desk. Maybe he should also enhance it with Godblood to make it more potent and fast-growing.
"Damn.."
The more he thinks about it, the more he realizes that he can really end the healthcare industry single-handedly.
"Something to look forward to in the future."
He smirked as he leaned back on the Invincible II with his hands behind his head.
÷×÷×÷
Meanwhile, at the training room in Zeno's underground base outside of the time chamber, Himiko and Ruth in workout outfits could be seen sitting near each other on the ground with their legs crossed and eyes closed, while Asia, who was sitting on a chair, was teaching them how to awaken their Touki, just like when Zeno taught her in the past.
"You have to desire strength with all your might while trying to reach for something inside yourself. The more desperate and determined you are, the better chance there is for you to succeed."
Asia said to them while there was a light green aura surrounding her body and a faint white aura emitting from her pregnant belly, as her unborn daughter was also astonishingly cultivating like it was natural. If any normal Touki user saw it, they might just die from a heart attack from such an absurd sight.
"Mmmmmuuuu~!"
Himiko groans with a frown as she concentrates very hard. She tried to feel something inside her while thinking about wanting to awaken something as strongly as she could. It was slow going for her, as sometimes she could feel something, but it quickly disappeared after she attempted to reach for it.
Ruth, on the other hand, is starting to emit a faint aura around her body, but it quickly disperses. She frowned as she tried again with some frustration as her Touki was quite slippery.
Asia opened her green eyes as she watched them with some nostalgia in her eyes. Her life has become quite lively as more and more people start to join Zeno's group. She no longer feels that she is all alone in the world, especially with the little one in her stomach.
She rubbed her glowing stomach gently, as she couldn't wait for her daughter to be born. It should be very soon—just two or three more weeks before the big day.
"Ahhhh~! It so hard~"
Himiko suddenly cried out as she flopped on her back with her limbs spreading out. She was so frustrated by how difficult it is to awaken Touki.
"Ahaha.. it's indeed a difficult process, but as long as you persist, you can do it, Himiko-san."
Asia smiled wryly as she tried to encourage Himiko while remembering her time when she was trying to awaken Touki. It's not easy for her, as she was very meek back then.
"Don't worry, Asia-chan; I'm not going to give up just yet. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn how to use magic, so how can I give up?!"
After hearing Asia encourage her, Himiko suddenly started hyping herself up while still lying on the ground.
"After a five-minute break, I will continue to work hard!"
Hearing such an excuse, Ruth can't help but open her eyes to look at Himiko with an amazed expression. She wonders if this girl can actually manage to awaken Touki in the future.