Cross through Teyvat, and you'll become stronger by taking the hits!

"hiss……"

Lu Li gasped, not because the skill he had drawn was too powerful, but because his arm hurt a lot.

Fortunately, Lu Li had been activating the Snowfield Survival Rules, and the pain quickly subsided as long as no bones were broken.

The Snowfield Survival Rule will keep restoring Lu Li's health to 100%, and 100% means being free from illness and injury. Therefore, Lu Li is not afraid of the side effects of the Evil Eye.

However, it cannot restore the elemental power that Lu Li has already consumed. It can restore physical strength, but Lu Li will still get hungry.

"But this skill..."

"I think I only have one shield, Bronn's security door. Am I supposed to use a big shield to parry?"

Thinking of this, Lu Li couldn't help but raise his hand and touch his head.

"Alright, I've really messed up his head this time. Go take him home and cry."

Seeing Lu Li staring blankly at the wall and rubbing his head, Sandonne, still angry, said something to Columbia and then left with Pronia.

She's about to start modifying the Anti-Land III!

Columbia had no choice but to walk up to Lu Li and gently wave her hand in front of his eyes.

"I'm fine, Lady Columbia. I'm just savoring the taste of Lord Pronia's punch. It was even more powerful than the Wild Hunt I encountered in Nordcale last time!"

Lu Li snapped out of his daze and began to explain earnestly.

"I'm glad you're alright. Now that the test is over, you should go back and rest."

Columbia then withdrew her hand and nodded.

"Okay, I need to go back to training anyway."

"Lady Columbia, would you like to travel together?"

Lu Li was only there to participate in today's test, so he responded, but before leaving, he asked Columbia a question.

"I still have something to discuss with Sandone, Lu Li, you should go back first."

In response to Lu Li's question, Columbia first glanced in the direction Sandone had left before answering him.

"Alright, goodbye, Lady Columbia."

Lu Li had no choice but to say goodbye to Columbia first, and then leave Sandoni's research institute.

After Lu Li left, Columbia quietly came to Sandone's side alone.

Watching Sandonne review the collected data, Columbia made no sound and quietly moved closer to her from behind.

"Sandonie, let's go on a date."

Then, Columbia whispered a suggestion behind Sandonne.

"?!?!"

……

After leaving the mechanical research institute in Sandoni, Lu Li quickly returned to his residence and began his training for the day.

His current training goal is simple: to improve his skill level as much as possible, thereby increasing the strength of his skills.

Among them, the Snowfield Survival Rules are Lu Li's main improvement goal, because its upgrade conditions can be triggered without the cooperation of others.

However, it needs to continuously and effectively restore Lu Li's lost maximum health points in order to have a chance to upgrade, so Lu Li must first find a way to deduct his own health points.

Thinking of this, Lu Li first brewed himself a thermos of health-preserving tea.

Then, clutching his thermos, he comfortably lay down on the recliner in the living room.

In this state, Lu Li activated the Evil Eye, recklessly releasing ice elemental power, allowing this elemental power to permeate his body and drive the cold air to flow through his blood vessels.

This behavior is extremely dangerous and could easily freeze a person to death, since being able to manipulate elemental forces does not mean one is immune to them.

However, the Snowfield Survival Rule is twice as effective in cold conditions, restoring 6% of maximum health per second. It only takes Lu Li a maximum of 17 seconds to recover from near death to a lively state, so he is not worried at all.

The biggest problem for him was the real pain caused by the extreme cold, which is why he chose a comfortable position and brewed a thermos of hot tea.

He was able to improve his Snowfield Survival Rules to the current "Level 3" using this method, which also greatly strengthened his physique.

……

In the afternoon, a figure, as wisp of smoke, silently drifted to Lu Li's side as he lay on the recliner.

At this moment, Lu Li was comfortably nestled in a recliner, leisurely sipping health-preserving tea from a thermos. Today's training had just ended.

"Lu Li, let's go on a date."

Seeing Lu Li leisurely drinking tea, Columbia, who hadn't been noticed, made a suggestion in a low voice.

"Cough, cough...?"

Although he was already used to Columbia's elusive nature, Lu Li was still so startled by her words that he almost spilled his tea. He hurriedly sat up from the recliner and took the evil eye from his chest, intending to place it on the table next to him.

However, his hand was a fraction shorter, and the Evil Eye fell to the ground with a thud.

"What did you just say, Lady Columbia?"

He quickly bent down and picked up the fallen Evil Eye. Then, Lu Li raised his hand and patted his ears, wondering if he had been lying down for too long and was hallucinating.

This happiness came so suddenly!

I said, "Let's go on a date."

Seeing that Lu Li didn't seem to understand, Columbia patiently repeated it, without showing the slightest bit of shyness a young girl should have.

Of course, the "girl" here does not refer to the codename of the executive officer.

pat-

"Lady Columbia...do you know what a date means?"

Lu Li wanted to put the Evil Eye back on the table, but his arm was too short, and the Evil Eye fell to the ground with a thud. He had no choice but to turn back to Colombia to confirm.

"I know, you told me last time."

"A date is when two people go out shopping together, eat delicious food, eat lots of delicious food, and then go home."

Columbia nodded gently in response.

"...So all you've remembered is eating?"

Lu Li helplessly raised his hand to his forehead, his excitement vanishing instantly.

Since he met Columbia in winter after transmigrating, he often fed Columbia. This greedy girl, whether she was starving before or used to being fed by Lu Li, now thinks about food every day.

"Yeah, this morning I invited Sandoni to go on a date with me, and she touched my forehead and asked if I'd lost my mind. I'm so sad."

Colombia nodded and continued explaining, gently raising her hand.

The evil eye that had fallen from Lu Li's hand twice immediately flew over and landed in her hand.

Columbia then handed the Evil Eye to Lu Li and continued, "So, are you going on a date together?"

Lu Li accepted the Evil Eye from Columbia with both hands and nodded seriously upon hearing her words.

"Since it's Lady Columbia's order..."

"It's not an order, it's an invitation."

Before Lu Li could finish speaking, Columbia interrupted him and corrected him.

"Yes, my sir, I'd be happy to, but please wait a few seconds."

Lu Li immediately changed his mind and agreed. Then, he took the evil eye, got up, walked to the table, and raised his hand above the table.

"That's strange, why couldn't I put it in just now..."

pat-

This time, the Evil Eye landed smoothly on the table.

With a snap, Lu Li finally realized what had happened.

"I give up, so it was because the skill wasn't turned off..."

Speechless for a moment, Lu Li raised his hand and poked at the air, and then...

[Snowy Survival Rules: LV4]

You can switch between an initial state and a defensive state. In the defensive state, your defense is increased by 50%, and you recover 3.5% of your maximum health per second, but your attack range is reduced. In cold environments, the skill effect is doubled.

Upgrade Requirements: Utilize this skill to continuously and effectively restore your own health.

[Switched back to initial state]

After turning off the skill, Lu Li nodded in satisfaction.

The "attack range reduction" effect of this skill will be reflected in the sense of distance. When Lu Li thinks that the distance is enough, he actually hasn't reached him yet, especially when there is no direct contact.

So that evil eye just fell off twice.

"Alright, Lady Columbia, let's go!"

Lu Li casually put the thermos, which still had a lot of tea left, into the pocket inside his coat before turning around to speak to Columbia.

Although it wasn't a real date, he was still happy to go shopping with Columbia.

Columbia nodded gently, turned around and led Lu Li out the door. The two arrived at the bustling streets of Zhidong, which were covered in ice and snow.

When Lu Li was called out by Columbia, the reason given was a date, but in reality, their interactions were more about...

"Lu Li, do you want this?"

"I don't want this one, it's too sweet."

"Alright then, boss, I'll take two of these."

"Lu Li, do you want this?"

"I want this one, I remember it being quite delicious."

"Alright then, boss, we'll take three of these."

This ordering process is the main interaction between the two, rather than a real date.

Long ago, Colombia was used to being alone and rarely interacted with humans, so she seldom set foot on the streets in winter.

This resulted in her, as the third seat of the Fools' Enforcers, someone who should have no shortage of money, rarely tasting the delicacies on the street.

Fortunately, Lu Li had brought back delicious food to feed her many times over the years, which finally made her take the initiative to step onto the streets and stop maintaining that otherworldly appearance.

They've even become a bit greedy...

"It's not bad to have such an interlude in the last few days of winter..."

With that thought in mind, Lu Li, sitting in the restaurant, took out his thermos and drank some still-warm health tea, watching Columbia, who was happily eating across from him, to pass the time.

She ate slowly and gracefully, making her a particularly pleasing sight to behold.

Colombia did not resist being watched by Lu Li and continued to enjoy her food.

As night fell, a satisfied Columbia clutched her stomach and returned with Lu Li along the street they had come from.

"Lu Li, do you remember the first time we met?"

On the way, Columbia seemed to notice something and turned around to bring up the topic with Lu Li.

"This sounds like the kind of topic you'd bring up on a date..."

"Yes, I remember. When Lady Columbia came to the training ground, she scared the officer in charge of teaching us so much that he didn't dare to breathe."

Lu Li muttered something to himself before answering.

"He thought Lady Columbia was here for an inspection, but if I remember correctly, it was because he paid out of his own pocket to buy us a batch of specially made deluxe hot dogs, which were placed in an insulated box so we could eat them after the special training."

"Then Lady Columbia passed by and smelled the fragrance. She stood there and looked around, wanting to see where the scent was coming from."

As Lu Li answered, he could still clearly recall the image of the officer whose mouth trembled with nervousness as he gave his instructions due to immense pressure.

That was also one of the first few opportunities for Lu Li to come into contact with Colombia.

As the third executive officer of the Fools, Columbia has always been a rather mysterious figure. After all, she has virtually no direct soldiers or confidants under her command, so there is very little information about her, and ordinary people dare not approach her rashly.

At that time, Lu Li was still very young and had not yet obtained the system. He was a child soldier, and his simple contact with Columbia did not arouse much suspicion.

It just gradually became more frequent later on...

"Because it smells so good."

"I still remember that taste; it's from that hot dog stand. I kind of want to eat it."

Columbia didn't care at all that Lu Li had exposed her thoughts at the time. After nodding in acknowledgment, she raised her snow-white hand and pointed to the hot dog stand next to the street.

Lu Li hadn't noticed it before, but after hearing what Columbia said, he could indeed smell the aroma of hot dogs in the air.

"But didn't you just finish eating?"

Lu Li glanced at Columbia's flat stomach with a puzzled look; she had been covering it with her hand as they walked.

"It's okay, if we walk back from here, there will be enough space to eat."

Colombia, with her hands covering her stomach, nodded slightly with certainty.

"All right……"

Lu Li was speechless for a moment, but still obediently went into the store and bought Columbia a deluxe hot dog.

Carrying the shopping bag, Columbia and Lu Li continued on their way, satisfied.

Seemingly in a good mood, she sang a folk song in her ethereal voice as she walked.

Although it wasn't the first time Lu Li had heard her sing, he still couldn't help but listen intently to her voice.

Other pedestrians on the street also quieted down after hearing Columbia's singing. Some people only belatedly raised their hands and clapped after she and Lu Li had walked away.

"Hold back... you can't praise it..."

To avoid Colombia singing outside his window again tonight, Lu Li kept his mouth shut the whole way, avoiding the unconscious compliment he had given yesterday.

And so, accompanied by the song, Lu Li followed Columbia back to her residence.

"Lu Li, are you happy today?"

Upon reaching the courtyard gate, Columbia suddenly stopped and turned back to ask Lu Li a question.

"...It's naturally a pleasure to go out with Lady Columbia."

Lu Li was taken aback by the question at first, but after realizing what it meant, he nodded in affirmation.

"That's good. Remember to think of me after you leave for Zhidong... Hmm, if it were me, I would miss your cooking, but what should you miss about me...?"

Columbia nodded, then tried to say something to Lu Li, but before she could finish speaking, she suddenly became troubled.

She felt like she was always the one bothering Lu Li as his superior, and there was nothing she could do to help him.

This feeling is really strange...

"After I left for winter...? Could it be... Lady Columbia, you already knew?"

Lu Li was puzzled at first, but quickly realized what Columbia was referring to, and his expression suddenly turned astonished.

"Because someone told me when you submitted your application for early retirement, and also about the ship ticket you bought."

"You may not know this, but it's very complicated for officers to resign, especially for soldiers like you who have been trained since childhood. However, I didn't stop you, and I even asked the other officers to help you get your application approved."

"After all, everyone wants to go home, just like me. I also want to go back to the moon."

Colombia didn't hide anything, nodded slightly and gave a simple explanation, then looked up at the night sky.

However, they weren't looking in the direction of the moon in the sky, but rather in the outer sky.

"...Thank you, Lady Columbia."

"After this, I will no longer be in Zhidong, but if anyone bullies you, you must remember this well. When we meet again, tell me whoever bullied you, and I will help you get revenge."

Upon hearing Columbia's explanation and learning that she had helped him pass his early retirement application, Lu Li was inevitably moved. He placed a hand on his heart, sincerely thanked her, and gave her some words of advice.

He's not in a position to avenge Columbia right now, and besides, no one's going to bully her at this point...

"Okay, I'll remember that. Goodnight."

Colombia nodded to Lu Li and said goodbye before turning and walking into the house with the deluxe hot dog.

Watching Columbia's retreating figure, Lu Li sighed softly before turning and leaving.

……

P.S.: I almost forgot to mention that due to the Tomato Pomodoro Technique update, most authors of completed novels can no longer publish new chapters. Only Level 5, Gold, and Hall of Fame authors can publish side stories (I'm only Level 4). This meant that after my last book ended, I wasn't even allowed to post a closing statement, which was very annoying.