"Matilda, is it hard to wash off? Let me help you."
Thinking that she hadn't really spent quality time with her cousin.
Jane put down the camcorder, came over to Matilda, and with a smile grabbed her by the ankle to help rub her little feet clean.
"Huh? Why is this so slick and sticky?"
After scrubbing, Jane stretched the filmy residue between two fingers and curiously sniffed it. "What is this...?"
"Don't smell it, Jane—wash it off quickly."
Afraid she'd really figure it out, Matilda hastily pressed her hand into the water and covered it up by saying, "That's not clean."
"Ahem..."
Ye Li helped change the subject too. "Jane, how's your data collection going?"
"The video documentation is quite complete..."
Talk of research did draw Jane's attention. "It's just... Susan wants to collect some blood samples from aliens to study how they're different from us humans, but none of those Asgardians are willing to cooperate..."
"In the genetics department..."
Ye Li nodded. "I'll get her some, and I can also obtain some Frost Giant blood for her to study."
Unlike Jane, who leaned toward specializing in astronomy, the project Susan had previously worked on was about the effects of cosmic radiation on biological evolution, more in the field of biology.
"Then I'll thank you on her behalf in advance~"
Jane gave him an intelligent smile, then picked up the camcorder and continued recording the surroundings and wildlife.
Ye Li also smiled softly, hugged Matilda, who had already crawled into his arms, and looked out over the lake, quietly fishing.
"Kind of pokey…"
Matilda wiggled her upturned hips and shifted around in his arms, seeming a bit bored, she lifted her hand lightly and focused intently, sending out her thoughts...
As she willed it, several threads of fate as thin as hair, almost imperceptible, extended out from her clothes—
The luminous threads danced with orderly life before her, swiftly forming a small ring.
Inside the ring appeared her room, looking somewhat like a Kamar-Taj portal.
Matilda reached a little hand into it and groped around, quickly pulling out an armful of snacks and a game console.
"Heh~ planning a picnic?"
Ye Li teasingly shifted his waist and said with a laugh, "Didn't eat enough at the banquet just now? ... You're getting pretty skilled at using this teleportation ability~"
"Eek~!"
Matilda was bumped so hard she bounced, her body lifting several centimeters into the air, and a few bags of snacks rolled off to the side.
"Li? What are you doing!"
Having been messed with, Matilda turned her head, her eyes displeased. "Do you just feel like thrusting whenever a girl is sitting in your lap?"
"Uh..."
Ye Li, hit squarely by that retort, actually blushed for once...
[Come to think of it... that is kind of how it usually goes...]
"Hehe~" Jane also let out an amused chuckle.
…..
The three of them just played around leisurely by the lakeside like that.
At first glance, they really did look like a harmonious family...
…..
All good things must come to an end.
After a bit more fun, Ye Li took his people and left Asgard.
As they were leaving.
Thor and the imprisoned Loki both inexplicably felt a sharp prick in their backs...
…..
The Ghost Spider.
Ye Li looked at Susan sitting across the table from him and smiled. "Your hangover's mostly gone, right?"
"Mm~"
Susan's hair was slightly tousled; just sobering up, her expression was alluring with a hint of languid weariness—an enticing, hazy charm.
Holding a cup of hot water, she sipped gently and said, "That magic of yours works great—my head stopped hurting right away~"
"Here's what you wanted."
Ye Li set a vial of red blood and a vial of pale blue blood on the table and slid them to her. "Asgardian blood and Frost Giant blood—both from alien species with comparatively strong genetics. You should be interested."
"How thoughtful."
Susan gladly accepted the two vials and teased, "But when gifting a girl, shouldn't it be flowers or jewelry?"
"That can be arranged." Ye Li indicated this was no big deal.
He opened his hand, and an opened jewelry box was presented before Susan.
"I think this will look beautiful on your chest."
Lying quietly inside the jewelry box was a sapphire necklace, the cornflower-blue sapphire set in it was extraordinarily pure in color and about the size of a newborn baby's fist.
Susan's beautiful eyes lit up, the shine almost turning her pupils blue~
"They're all completely worn out; I'm guessing you don't have anyone to keep you company tonight..."
Susan threw Ye Li a suggestive glance.
Ye Li gave a knowing smile. "If you've got the guts, you can come alone."
…..
"So hungry... so hungry~"
In a vast, empty starfield.
a graceful figure clad in purple battle armor was so hungry her head swayed slightly, her tall cone-shaped hat slipping to one side, making her look listless...
"This starfield is way too barren, there aren't even many dead stars... If I'd known I wouldn't have come over here..."
Galacta picked up a lock of her own black hair, thinking about whether to have a bite...
It wasn't like it wouldn't grow back later anyway...
…..
"Mmph..."
Dizzy with hunger, the girl finally stuffed her long hair between her lovely lips and started chewing on it absentmindedly...
Others might be hungry enough to eat dirt; she didn't even have dirt to eat...
…..
Fortunately.
After drifting for a bit, a dead, lifeless little planetoid appeared in front of her.
"Food!"
Galacta's purple eyes lit up. She couldn't even be bothered to use the energy siphons hovering around her; she simply parted her rosy lips and took a breath—
In an instant the entire dead world was drawn apart, shattered into wisps of cosmic dust, gathered up by the hungry girl and swiftly swallowed for digestion.
Such is the might of a lesser cosmic entity.
As the daughter of the Planet Devourer—Galan—Galacta's slightest motion could unleash tremendous destruction; destroying a planet was nothing to her.
…..
"Hoo~"
Galacta let out a breath; the hunger finally eased a bit.
Only, her exquisite face still wore a troubled frown.
"Just that little bit isn't even enough to get between my teeth... and there's no flavor... Ah—this won't do! ...I'm so pitiable! ...Eh? Seems something's coming this way?"
In the midst of her complaining, the grumbling Devourer Girl suddenly felt a powerful surge of energy, and there was more than one source!
Among them were three energy sources that felt practically inexhaustible, so much so that even she couldn't quite make sense of them.
Still, that didn't stop her excitement—
"Wow! So much!! So much!! Even if Dad ran into this, he'd probably pass out from happiness!!"
Hearts practically popped into Galacta's purple eyes, and the four mechanical floating wings on her back twitched with excitement~!
…..
Aboard the Ghost Spider...
The time indicator ticked to [19:29:21]
The ship's simulated dome projected a three-dimensional starfield, heralding nightfall.
In Susan's room stood a mirror even taller than a full-length one—over four meters high.
She'd specifically brought it onto the mothership herself—she just loved looking at herself in the mirror~
"What should I wear..."
In the lofty mirror was reflected a graceful beauty's figure.
The beauty had a light complexion and wore a striking sapphire necklace at her neck.
She stood before the dressing mirror; woven threads of attire shifted on her, outfit after outfit... yet none quite satisfied her...
"How about..."
Susan lifted her light blue eyes, tapped a slender finger to her lips, and had a sudden idea. "Why don't we just not wear anything?~!"
"How can that be!..."
Jane was also changing beside her. Hearing that wild suggestion, her face flushed. "Not wearing anything would be far too improper..."
"We're going on a tryst~ not attending a daytime banquet."
Susan leaned to her ear, lips moving as she egged her on. "Jane, you've been seeing him for quite a while, right? It's time to make some progress~ Look at the others, they've already... I heard from Kate that she offered herself up decisively the very first time they met."
"Actually... it hasn't been that long..."
Jane spoke a little aggrievedly. "It's just... I didn't expect the others to move so fast... I had wanted to take it slow with Li..."
"See? A woman should be bold and take the initiative~?"
Susan tilted her head with a light laugh as the threads on her body fell away in a blink.
"So, it's happily decided—don't be too shy. I'll be turning us invisible anyway.
I'm counting on you to help share the load, you know; you can't chicken out halfway~"
"Th-then... okay..."
Forcing herself to endure the shame, Jane also scattered the threads of her clothes just like Susan, revealing a well-toned, proportionate body honed by training.
"Let's go."
Susan, satisfied, pressed a hand to her smooth shoulder; the two figures gradually vanished together...
…..
Satisfied, Susan placed one smooth hand on her shoulder, and the two of them gradually vanished together...
Following his usual habit, Ye Li had deliberately used his divine stance in advance to keep his physique and sensations at a very low baseline.
But he hadn't expected that the person he'd envisioned would apparently lose her nerve at the critical moment and not show up for their rendezvous...
"Ah—if she's not coming, she's not coming. I'll just sleep."
Because he'd adjusted his sensitivity, he actually felt a bit sleepy, so he simply lay down and went to sleep.
…..
After a short sleep.
Rustle rustle...
"En... en... en!?"
Ye Li suddenly felt a warm, moist enveloping sensation that sent a jolt through his whole body, and he hurriedly opened his eyes and sat up to check—
But when he flipped back the covers, there was nothing underneath, no graceful figure to be seen at all...