Under the guidance of the trio, Lunelle soon found herself at the edge of a perilous area, one that held a significant place in the unfolding story.
"Sigh... Should I remind everyone about the risk of being attacked if we rest here?" Lunelle muttered to herself, unsure whether she should try to intervene in the plot while she still had the chance.
Perhaps she could nudge the protagonists to move to a safer location—somewhere less vulnerable to the Honkai beasts' attacks during the night.
"It's probably pointless. From what we saw today, it seems we can't avoid the attack tonight."
As she thought about how Mei had accidentally injured her hand during the battle earlier and how Seele had even licked her, Lunelle felt a heavy weight in her chest.
Though the little duck had stuck close to her the entire time, preventing Kiana from using her usual methods to force Mei away, Lunelle couldn't ignore the fact that the classic scenario was unfolding right before her.
Even if they found a new place to rest, Lunelle seriously doubted it would make much difference. Another Templar-Class Honkai Beast might show up—perhaps a Beast B or C—and they'd be in just as much danger.
The possibility was high, far too high to ignore.
And even if they managed to avoid the Honkai beasts for tonight, Lunelle knew that once they escaped Nagazora City, they'd still have to face Cocolia without the power of a Herrscher.
In the original plot, Cocolia had control over two of Welt's artificial humans. With the current strength of the three families, Lunelle didn't believe they had the power to defeat such a formidable foe.
Moreover, with Bronya being the most powerful of the three families, her position was highly unpredictable. Lunelle suspected that the likelihood of Little Duck turning against her on the spot was worryingly high.
After all, the little duck had a biochip implanted in her brain.
Even if Bronya's wife became an Anti-Entropy traitor, it was clear Cocolia had ways of controlling Little Duck to ensure her obedience.
"Forget it. I guess I'll just have to follow the plot and see if there's any way to survive."
The thought of facing Cocolia and the disastrous consequences if her identity was exposed filled Lunelle with dread.
She had no choice but to rely on herself and see if she could survive tonight's Honkai Beast attack.
But, since she'd been caught and hugged so intimately by Little Duck earlier, much of her cooldown time had already been eaten up.
The next simulation was just around the corner. Would she be able to start it before the inevitable battle began?
As the night drew closer, Lunelle suddenly noticed the intense stares from Kiana, Mei, and Bronya, all of them directed at her.
Lunelle: ???
What was going on? Why were they looking at her like that?
"Um... why are you all staring at me? You should go to bed," Lunelle asked, feeling a sense of unease.
Her heart raced as she wondered if something was wrong with her.
Was there something unclean on her?
Lunelle awkwardly muttered to herself and quickly checked her appearance.
Thanks to her binding talent, her skin remained unnaturally smooth and flawless—even after a long day of work.
There was no unpleasant scent from her sweat. She was sure she wasn't dirty.
"Hehe, it's about time to rest. Since Mei slept with Seele last night, it should be my turn to sleep in the middle tonight."
Kiana couldn't resist, looking at Lunelle's shy, adorable expression. She reached out, eager to pull the cute girl into her arms for a cuddle.
But before Kiana could lay a hand on Lunelle's slim waist, a little duck's claw slapped her hand away, stopping her cold.
"Stupid Kiana, have you forgotten the bad things you did this morning? Bronya believes this big bad guy isn't worthy of resting with Seele."
The little duck's voice was full of determination as she summoned a heavily armored bunny to block Kiana's advance.
Mei, recalling Kiana's behavior earlier, nodded in agreement.
"Kiana, I think Bronya is right. You should stay away from Little Lunelle tonight."
Mei's face darkened as she joined Bronya in preventing Kiana from getting too close to Lunelle.
Kiana pouted, clearly aggrieved, but with Mei's request, she had no choice but to retreat to the edge of the sofa, muttering under her breath, "I was just thinking about it... I didn't actually do anything yet."
The room filled with a lighthearted atmosphere as Lunelle sat, somewhat embarrassed but grateful for Mei's protection.
"I can finally relax after a long day of running."
"There doesn't seem to be a bed in here. Little Lunelle, you can sleep on my lap tonight! Of course, Bronya can join us too."
After successfully getting Kiana to back off, Mei squatted down beside the floor-to-ceiling window, inviting Lunelle and Bronya to rest on her beautiful black silk-covered legs.
"Ah... okay," Lunelle said, not willing to turn down such a kind offer.
Bronya had no objections either, happy to rest alongside Seele.
Lunelle, blushing slightly as she rested her head on Mei's soft, firm lap, felt the remaining cooldown time of her simulation ticking away rapidly, thanks to the close contact.
And just as her simulation cooldown was almost over...
Boom!!!
A massive, sharp silicon sword crashed through the hut where Lunelle and the others were resting.
"Danger!!!"
Mei's heart raced as she swiftly grabbed Lunelle with one hand and Bronya with the other, narrowly avoiding the deadly strike.
The Templar-Class Honkai Beast, standing over six meters tall, retracted its sword, its intentions clear. The beast, which had originally triggered the awakening of the Herrscher of Thunder, seemed desperate for death. It had come straight to them, seeking its end.