HIA VOL 7 CH26-45 (Patreon)

HA VOL 7 CH 26-45

Chapter 26: Wake Up, Last Cycle's Task Isn't Completed Yet

"Luo Lin, from your words, it sound like some kind of brand new online game?" Kiana's eyes flickered, as if she had made a discovery.

She took two steps back and said, "Are you planning to test me with a game? I've vowed not to touch games before the exam, so your conspiracy has failed, Luo Lin!"

"A new game? More thrilling than a game!" Luo Lin looked at the proud white furball, feeling helpless as she held her forehead. "Seriously, during this time, we need to help Miss Sakura Yae solve her mental problems..."

"Mental problems?" Raiden Mei examined the neatly sitting pink-haired shrine maiden on the sofa, feeling a vague and dangerous aura emanating from her.

Furthermore, Mei noticed something familiar within this aura, like facing a sharp sword, causing her to involuntarily squint her eyes.

Sakura Yae looked at Mei with surprise, sighing, "What an amazing intuition! You must be a highly skilled martial artist! I am Sakura Yae, from Yae Shrine..."

At this point, the pink fox-eared girl paused, sighing deeply, "Alas, I am now a shrine maiden without a master, only proficient in ordinary swordsmanship that can battle against demons."

Mei suddenly realized from the words of the pink-haired shrine maiden that the aura she felt from Sakura Yae stemmed from her mastery of swordsmanship, reaching a certain level of proficiency.

Before this, Mei had only sensed similar auras from her father, Raiden Ryoma, and some truly accomplished swordsmen, but their oppressive presence paled in comparison to Sakura Yae's.

Mei blinked, "Miss Yae, your aura is much stronger than many swordsmasters I've encountered..."

Sakura Yae blushed shyly and lowered her head, muttering, "What swordsmaster? I've only developed unorthodox swordsmanship to fight against demons... How could it compare to swordsmasters... By the way, you're a Valkyrie like Kallen, both fighting against demons. If you want to learn, I can teach you..."

Bronya looked around, her small face filled with confusion.

As an expert in firearms, she was puzzled by how Mei and Sakura Yae had coordinated their "password."

Raiden Mei, with a strange expression, walked over to Luo Lin and asked quietly, "What's going on with her? Is she being too modest?"

Luo Lin replied, "Sakura Yae has always lived in her own village, leading a peaceful life away from the world. Besides fighting Honkai Beasts, she has little contact with others, so she probably doesn't know her own level."

Mei sighed, "Are there still people like that..."

At this moment, Bronya finally spoke up, bringing everything back on track, "Luo Lin, the task you mentioned earlier, is it about helping you deal with Miss Sakura Yae's mental problems? But we're clueless about this."

"In this case, we'll have to rely on me and the super-duper knowledgeable Senti!" Luo Lin snapped her fingers, transforming into her avatar "Haxxor Bunny" while Senti emerged from the system space, standing in the living room.

Sakura Yae didn't show much reaction to this—before Kiana and the others returned, Luo Lin and Senti had transformed like this many times, so the pink-haired shrine maiden was getting used to it.

Haxxor Bunny waved her hands, and numerous data strings materialized out of thin air, condensing into four large helmets.

Haxxor Bunny placed her hands on her hips, adopting a Doraemon-like posture, "Hmph, these are magical gadgets that will allow you to join the upcoming journey—the Consciousness Dive Helmets!"

For this, Luo Lin had to thank Otto. After all, she was now officially a Valkyrie directly under Bishop Otto's command, with S-rank privileges allowing her to access the Schicksal Database and easily find devices capable of connecting consciousnesses.

Kiana picked up a helmet and commented, "It looks ugly..."

These helmets were covered with exposed wires and assembled modules, containing only essential components to function and provide comfort when worn. If someone was interested in the principles of machinery, they might find these helmets aesthetically pleasing.

Luo Lin could explain all this, as the modules and wires on the helmets were exactly as depicted in the files she found in the database. However, there was no information about the casing or similar accessories in the data...

And she wasn't very proficient with her avatar "Haxxor Bunny" yet, so she could only painstakingly replicate the design based on the diagrams—one thing led to another, resulting in this set of gadgets.

Luo Lin stubbornly retorted, "I put a lot of effort into making these... As long as the equipment works, it's fine! Right, Bronya?"

Unfortunately, Bronya, the future Herrscher and Master of Machinery, actually agreed with Kiana's comment, "There's a saying that goes, 'Looks are power'—if only they resembled the Houkai helmets..."

Luo Lin's head filled with hashtags as she sighed, "Sigh, you guys don't understand the beauty of prototypes..."

Raiden Mei probably understood what Luo Lin meant. She coughed and said, "Luo Lin, prototypes are actually used to test equipment; they're not necessarily stronger than mass-produced ones..."

Counting the number of helmets, Kiana asked in confusion, "Huh? Why are there only four helmets? It doesn't match our numbers!"

"Because Sakura Yae, Senti, and I don't need helmets to participate in the mission. Each of you three takes one helmet, and the last one is for Fu Hua. She'll come to help later."

As Luo Lin finished speaking, Fu Hua entered the room, dressed in her "Shadow Knight" Battlesuit, looking ready for a fight.

She glanced around the room, presumably looking for Luo Lin. Fu Hua's gaze finally landed on Sakura Yae and Haxxor Bunny, then decisively greeted the more peculiar-looking Haxxor Bunny.

"I'm here, Luo Lin. Is there a new mission?"

Luo Lin widened her eyes, "Is it necessary to be so dramatic?"

Fu Hua remained composed and replied, "With your luck, there might be unexpected incidents during the mission, so I must be fully prepared."

"Pshaw! This time, the battle area is in the consciousness realm. I think you've dressed up for nothing!"

Luo Lin introduced Sakura Yae briefly and then tossed the helmets to Fu Hua, giving up on them herself, "Put on the helmets! We'll need them later!"

"Okay."

Fu Hua nodded obediently, put on the helmet, and then found a place to sit down. The furniture creaked under the weight of the Valkyrie's armor.

The trio looked at each other and shrugged, also putting on their helmets and squeezing onto the sofa.

"Remember to find a comfortable position. Senti, let's follow the rehearsal from this afternoon—"

The Herrscher replied in a strange tone, "Alright, you just watch!"

Luo Lin closed her eyes, and more data strings flowed from her fingertips, condensing into a card:

Cherry blossoms fell, and the pink-haired shrine maiden leaned sideways, gazing down at the petals about to fall into her palm. Behind her, tall buildings blocked the sunlight, enveloping Sakura Yae in shadows.

[Open World: Sakura Samsara]

—Since we can bring the Abyss module into reality, can't we also bring out the Open World module for a stroll?

This was Luo Lin's answer!

"Let's go!"

Luo Lin tossed the card forward, and the card, which had just barely taken shape, shattered, turning into streams of light that enveloped everyone present.

Everyone felt their consciousness falling downward, everything in front of them covered in darkness. But this darkness lasted only for a few seconds before light returned, allowing everyone to see their surroundings—

They were standing at the entrance of a village, surrounded by wooden buildings with distinct Eastern characteristics. Stone-paved roads extended into the village, and a small river flowed past the village, disappearing into the depths of the forest.

In the distance, there was a towering mountain, where a shrine could vaguely be seen built at the summit. It seemed to be a shrine of sorts.

Kiana exclaimed, "Wow! Where is this place?"

Sakura Yae replied with a complex expression, "This is Yae Village, my hometown..."

This place held many fond memories for her, but of course, there were also many unpleasant things. Sakura Yae had mixed feelings about this place, which naturally made her uncomfortable.

Mei looked around, not very surprised. After all, she was a native of the Far East and had seen similar buildings before.

Bronya commented, "Miss Sakura, Yae Village looks very prosperous..."

Sakura Yae sighed, "After all, the shrine here is famous far and wide... The incense offerings are quite abundant... Unfortunately, the 'gods' worshipped in the shrine are not good things, which ultimately led to a great disaster, and the village was destroyed..."

Kiana asked, "The village was destroyed? Then what we see now?"

Luo Lin explained, "This is the consciousness realm, similar to the one in Nagazora City, understand?"

The white furball gave up thinking, "Whatever, as long as I follow you guys... Um, Miss Sakura, what's the name of that particularly large building in the village?"

"That, that's called Tenmaru Pavilion, a big house where only lord-level figures would live..."

As she spoke, Sakura Yae realized something was wrong, "Wait a minute, I don't remember there being Tenmaru Pavilion in the village. Where did this thing come from?!"

Just as the pink-haired shrine maiden was brainstorming, a cheerful voice came from afar—

"Big sis! You're back!"

Higokumaru appeared out of nowhere, darting into Luo Lin's arms with a whoosh.

It took a lot of effort for Luo Lin to calm Fuhua down (she had to buy a few blocks of tofu). Higokumaru wagged her tail and asked, "Big sis! We still have five tasks left from the last cycle, aren't they finished yet? Are we setting off now?"

Luo Lin widened her eyes, "Huh?"

Chapter 27: Recreating Kevin's Famous Scene

"Why does this aura feel so similar to the Hellmaru...?" Sakura Yae stared solemnly at the three-tailed creature snuggling in Luo Lin's arms, quietly gripping her own katana. But in the next few minutes, the seemingly threatening Higokumaru showed no hint of hostility.

"Big sis! Big sis, hmm hmm~~" She squirmed in Luo Lin's embrace, emitting an out-of-tune protest, while Kiana and Raiden Mei exclaimed at her cuteness, joining Luo Lin in rubbing Higokumaru.

After a while, Raiden Mei snapped back to reality, looking at the teary-eyed Higokumaru with some guilt. She asked Luo Lin for some snacks and fed Higokumaru.

This instantly dispelled Higokumaru's previous gloom, and she even allowed them to touch her tail.

Kiana praised, "Higokumaru, your tail is really beautiful!!"

Higokumaru puffed up her chest proudly, saying, "Indeed! I think so too!"

Bronya and the Herrscher of Sentience somehow sneaked to the side, surreptitiously stroking Higokumaru's tail that was raised high in the air.

The Herrscher of Sentience squinted, seemingly enjoying the sensation.

Fu Hua and Sakura Yae exchanged a glance, feeling out of place.

A few minutes later, Luo Lin spoke up, "Alright, alright, if we keep rubbing Higokumaru's tail like this, it'll be bald soon—let's not forget why we're here tonight."

"Oh." Reluctantly letting go, Kiana passed a small fish snack to Higokumaru, who eagerly nibbled on it like a cat, making crunching sounds.

After finishing the snack, Higokumaru patted her belly contentedly, "Hmm... Big sis... Why are there so many people here today? I remember that when big sis used to come, it was only one person."

"Huh..." Luo Lin could roughly understand Higokumaru's confusion. After all, in the game Honkai Impact 3rd, players could only control one character in the open world due to game mechanics and gameplay considerations.

If Higokumaru was pulled out of her own mobile game account by the system like the Selune's Elegy, it was normal for her to question why a bunch of people suddenly appeared here.

Finally, Luo Lin could only say, "We're starting a new plotline in the open world... probably."

"New plotline?" Higokumaru tilted her head.

"Look, who's that?" Luo Lin pointed to the nearby figure of Sakura Yae. Higokumaru was taken aback for a moment, then rubbed her eyes vigorously, "Huh? Big sis Yae Sakura?!"

"...Do you know me?" Sakura Yae floated in front of the pink-haired shrine maiden, her eyes shining with admiration. "Of course! It's big sis Sakura Yae who saved me and gave me my name!"

Fu Hua listened to Higokumaru's words, thoughtful. She glanced at Luo Lin standing beside her and let out a soft hum.

—This matter definitely had nothing to do with her carrying the legacy of a parallel world.

Sakura Yae frowned, "How come I don't remember anything like that? Could it be because it's been five hundred years... Am I getting old?"

"Huh? Big sis, don't you remember? We cooperated together to fight against the Tower... um..."

Higokumaru circled around the pink-haired shrine maiden several times, carefully scrutinizing Sakura Yae's appearance, looking quite distressed as she scratched her head.

After a dozen seconds, Higokumaru suddenly realized something, recalling Luo Lin's words from earlier, "Oh! I understand now! So this is the new plotline big sis Luo Lin mentioned!"

"?" Everyone wore similar confused expressions, including Luo Lin herself.

What was Higokumaru thinking?

"Hehe, it must be a new replica event or a completely new event, and it's finally my turn to appear in Yae Village! I thought I was forgotten!"

Higokumaru suddenly felt touched, rubbing her hands together, murmuring, "Hehe, when I go to visit the doll dormitory later, I'll definitely show off and make them envy me..."

Luo Lin couldn't help but ask, "You still visit the doll dormitory?"

"Yeah, big sis, I don't always stay here. When there are no missions, I go to other places, like the dormitory, the bridge, or to the top of the Heavenly Pavilion to enjoy the view..."

Higokumaru gestured, "Other people also come to visit me here, and I serve them Salted Noodle, which is your favorite dish, big sis..."

"Favorite dish...?" Luo Lin pondered for a few seconds, somewhat uncertain, "Is that the thing that increases movement speed and allows instant gathering?"

"Yes! Big sis, do you want to eat? I can make it now!"

Higokumaru conjured a snack cart out of nowhere, complete with cutting boards and utensils, and a bubbling pot nearby. There were even stools arranged in front, looking very professional.

"Is this a good thing? I'll have some."

Luo Lin invited everyone to sit down, while Higokumaru floated behind the cart, drawing a few circles with her small hands. The utensils on the cart seemed to move by magic.

Noodles and bowls flew in the air, accompanied by pot lids and knives.

In the blink of an eye, several steaming bowls of noodles appeared on the table, and Higokumaru crossed her arms, loudly proclaiming, "Big sis! The noodles are ready!"

Kiana applauded enthusiastically, "Impressive..."

Fu Hua felt a headache coming on. She realized that Higokumaru's cooking skills were also based on precise control of Honkai energy—no different from Luo Lin using Edge of Taixuan Ki to wash dishes and clean up.

Sakura Yae also noticed this. She sighed, "So this is how it's resolved? Truly remarkable!"

Higokumaru waved her hand, "Everyone, dig in!"

"Slurp, slurp..." As Luo Lin chewed on her noodles, she looked around and felt a sense of déjà vu.

We're here to do a mission together, then we're eating noodles, with Fu Hua and Sakura Yae over there...

Wait, did she perfectly recreate the team-building noodle-eating scene?

So... is Luo Lin now playing the role of Kevin when he was still silly?!

Kiana highly praised the noodles, "They're really good!"

Raiden Mei asked Higokumaru, "Um, how did you make these noodles? I'd like to learn..."

On the other side, the Herrscher of Sentience stared at her empty bowl, looking as if she had seen a ghost, "Why can I taste emotions in these noodles... Luo Lin, did you secretly activate emotional diffusion?!"

"I didn't activate anything!" Luo Lin immediately retorted, "You're the Herrscher of Sentience, you should know best if I did or not!"

"Oh..." Fu Hua calmly set down her chopsticks, "The world is vast, with all sorts of wonders... Higokumaru seems to excel in this area, it seems."

What surprised everyone was that after finishing the noodles, Sakura Yae stood there, wearing an incredulous expression.

This bowl of Salted Noodle seemed to have replenished something missing in her, a warm feeling rising within her body, finally dissipating and forming two familiar yet unfamiliar shadows—

"Rin, Kallen...!?"

Rin and Kiana smiled as they appeared next to the shrine maiden, gently stroking the pink-haired shrine maiden's cheek.

Kiana said, "Trust Luo Lin, Kallen!"

Rin said, "Yes, sister, Kallen is a good person."

The pink-haired fox-eared shrine maiden reached out her hand, but the two shadows had already disappeared.

No, this wasn't an illusion, this was... their help.

Senti suddenly turned her head, staring at Sakura Yae, "What's wrong? Did you suddenly activate Honkai energy...?"

"No... It's nothing..."

Sakura Yae touched her chest, her gaze toward Luo Lin becoming strange.

"I just trust you all more now."

Chapter 28: You Still Have to Look at the Master

While everyone was slurping noodles, Higokumaru drifted over to Luo Lin's side and whispered, "Big sister, big sister, what are we going to do next? Are we going to finish the leftover periodic tasks from a long time ago?"

As she spoke, she pulled a small wooden board from the air and placed it in front of Luo Lin.

The girl examined it closely, realizing it was a shrunken wooden bulletin board with five wooden plaques hanging from ropes, each labeled with words like "Resource Gathering," "Momentary Bow and Arrow," "Roiling Storm Clouds," "Enemy General Expedition," and "Explosive Trial."

Obviously, these were the open-world periodic tasks Luo Lin had previously accumulated.

"Wow... Why are there still bomb-throwing tasks..."

Luo Lin felt a bit of a headache. This task was arguably the most troublesome among all the commissions, requiring players to use bombs to kill monsters in the open world to complete.

The bombs provided by the task dealt incredible damage to monsters, basically killing them instantly. However, their explosive method was unsatisfactory—after pressing the "Place Bomb" button provided by the task, the bomb would be placed at the current character's standing position, indicated by a red warning circle, and then it would take a long countdown before exploding.

However, monsters wouldn't just stay still and wait to be bombed. They would run around like they had ADHD, often escaping the blast range at the last moment, raising players' blood pressure.

Luo Lin's previous solution was to kick the monsters, enter combat mode, attract their aggression, place the bomb, circle around in the explosion range, and finally dodge the bomb's damage with extreme evasion...

Of course, most of the time, Luo Lin would choose to use an Open World Task Acceleration Voucher to skip the process and complete the task directly.

—Since this task is so troublesome, why did Luo Lin still take it?

Generally speaking, "Explosive Trials" tasks would come with rewards like 3-5 Entropy Inversion Imaginary Cores (commonly known as "Black Cores"), which were quite important resources in Honkai Impact 3rd.

They could be exchanged for key items to upgrade weapons, forge weapons, or even directly sold for Star Stones (the choice to sell this is up to personal preference), making them quite versatile.

And the opportunity to refresh tasks every cycle is limited. Usually, players would seize the "Black Core" task as soon as they saw it, rather than risk refreshing to get more "Black Core" rewards...

As for "White Core" tasks, no one in the current environment would take them... No, that's not right, they're just not popular (waves hand) .jpg

Of course, in addition to these, there's also a legendary reward in open-world periodic tasks, a blue, hard, shiny one—yes, there are indeed crystal reward tasks in open-world missions. These are extremely rare, so if you encounter one, don't let it go.

If you accidentally hit the refresh button...

Haha, don't worry, the game actually has a mechanism to remind you that the current task has a crystal reward, prompting you to confirm the refresh again to prevent missing the task...

But if you continue to click without thinking, then there's nothing to be done.

There's also a mystical saying that in the latest open-world, the chance of encountering crystal tasks is higher.

Of course, Luo Lin didn't have specific statistical data, but she could say that most of the screenshots of players bragging about receiving crystal commissions in the forum were mostly from "Honkai Impact 3rd" and "Honkai Impact 3rd: Moon Shadow."...

"Big sister, big sister?"

Luo Lin came back to her senses, finding Higokumaru staring at her with concern.

She coughed and replied, "Well, these periodic tasks have been delayed for a long time. It's okay to delay them for another two days... Let's finish your sister Yae's business first."

"Oh, okay."

Higokumaru nodded and continued to stare at Luo Lin.

The two stared at each other for a while before Luo Lin felt something was wrong and asked, "Wait a minute... Higokumaru, don't you know what to do next? Like the new plot or something?"

Higokumaru was shocked, "What? I thought you knew, big sister?"

"Hiss, aren't you supposed to be like a little Helper for the neighboring faction, 'Genshin Impact'?"

"But that's different!" Higokumaru struck a strong pose, "Can Paimon fight? I can!"

Indeed, in the open world of "Sakura Samsara," Higokumaru could not only spit out lasers but also give players shields and even make them enter stealth mode to backstab monsters...

"Even the system can't stand it. You're really talented in humor."

Even the system couldn't stand it and spoke up, "Take a closer look at the system panel. There are hints on it."

Luo Lin called up her system panel and finally found a clue.

[Side Mission: Shadow Reappearance]

[There have been changes in the peaceful old Yae Village, with demonic forces rising again, but the shrine maiden of the family has long disappeared... Higokumaru anxiously comes to you, wanting to explore the source of the anomaly...]

Higokumaru looked at the system panel and fell into thought, "Huh? So, I should have come to you anxiously? Is it too late to start shouting now? Could it be a bug?"

Luo Lin rubbed the little girl's head helplessly, "Forget it, Higokumaru, it's normal for something different to happen, after all, times have changed—haven't you noticed that I'm different from the 'captain' you used to know? I shouldn't have been able to feed you tasty treats like this before, right?"

Higokumaru suddenly clapped her hands, "Right! Big sister is indeed different from before, before she was..."

"Before?"

Luo Lin was curious about what she looked like in Higokumaru's eyes when she was polishing glass of the phone, whether she was a janitor performing aerial splits, wearing a white military uniform, a mysterious character broadcasting from the bridge system but never showing herself, or other characters from games...

Such as travelers, commanders in Sector S09, admirals in the port area, Lords of Azeroth, or even Warriors of Light or Adventurers in Al-Rad... Who knows.

Higokumaru racked her brains, and after dozens of seconds, her eyes turned into mosquito coils.

"Um, big sister, I forgot..."

She looked at Luo Lin with teary eyes, leaving the girl speechless.

"Okay, it's fine. It's really you."

Luo Lin had to give up her excessive curiosity and start her own work, of course, starting from the hint on the system panel.

The source of this anomaly... Why think about it? It must be Hellmaru!

Oh, to be more precise, it should be the "Demon in the Box" on this world, nothing to do with the Higokumaru in front of Luo Lin.

As for where Hellmaru is...

"Knowledge! Can you scan the surrounding environment and see if there's a guy hiding with obvious malice?"

"Do I need to scan? He's not hiding at all!"

Senti raised the chopsticks used for eating noodles and pointed to the top floor of the tower at the other end of the village, "He's right there!"

Luo Lin immediately decided, "Good, let's go there!"

So a group of people finished their noodles, watched Higokumaru "perform magic," made the snack stall disappear, and then walked majestically towards the tower.

Hellmaru shivered. In her perception, the extremely dangerous guy who was chasing her suddenly became two...

No, Hellmaru, you can't let others steal your prestige and destroy your majesty, it must be an illusion!

Moreover, this place has been prepared for five hundred years, how could there be any problems!

Higokumaru shifted her claws and felt the absolute control over this space, secretly feeling relieved.

She must make these outsiders unable to survive, unable to die!

Chapter 29: Hellmaru: Is this Reasonable?

Luo Lin noticed that there were some differences between here and the Yae Village in the game.

For example, in terms of size, this Yae Village was slightly "larger," looking more like a proper village rather than the "bonsai" in the game.

Other places looked not much different from the game: neatly arranged wooden buildings, paved roads with slabs, and even street lamps (lantern versions)...

Both the streets and houses looked very clean, giving the feeling of a modernized countryside, which was a downgrade compared to other five-hundred-year-old villages.

Of course, there were also various "unwanted" items placed by the roadside, characteristic of the open world of Honkai Impact 3rd...

These things caught Kiana's attention. After all, in a normal village, you wouldn't find neatly placed sacks, gorgeously shaped boxes, suspicious sachets, bundles of huge firewood, and what looked like clay jars for storing alcohol...

The white furball picked a pleasing clay jar and approached it. When she was only a few steps away, the jar suddenly made a crisp cracking sound and then shattered abruptly.

Mei heard the sound and turned her head, asking, "What's wrong?!"

Kiana seemed a bit flustered, pointing at the shattered jar, "I didn't do anything, but this jar just broke..."

"The jar...? Are you sure you didn't see it wrong?"

The girl with blue-purple long hair tilted her head, looking at the position Kiana pointed to, but besides a few yellow light dots that looked like fireflies, there was nothing else.

Kiana realized something was wrong. She suddenly turned around and saw several golden light dots heading straight towards her.

The white furball didn't have time to react, and the light dots pierced into her chest.

"Ah! Wow! Uh... seems like nothing happened?"

"Why are you yelling?" asked Fu Hua.

The white furball looked at the position where the jar was just now suspiciously, scratching her head. She directly walked towards another jar on the roadside.

Unexpectedly, this time, it was a box that popped open as she passed by.

"Wow!?"

Kiana was startled, taking a big leap back, pulling out her pistol and aiming at the box.

From inside the box popped out a very familiar golden light dot and a green badge-like thing. Then, to everyone's surprise, the box disappeared into thin air.

Mei swallowed nervously, "G-Ghost, is this a ghost?"

"It shouldn't be," replied Kiana.

Kiana pointed at the light that emerged from the box, saying, "Something like this just entered my body..."

Mei held Kiana's hand with some concern, asking, "Are you feeling unwell anywhere?"

"No..." The white furball hesitated for a moment, then said, "If I have to say something, it feels like... a bit full?"

Fu Hua: "?"

Luo Lin's mouth twitched slightly. She probably knew what Kiana meant.

Originally, these "collectible items" on the roadside required a specific button to interact with them, dropping HP and energy supply packs.

But after eating the "Salty Ramen" made by Higokumaru, the character gained the ability to automatically collect, passing by the "collectible items" would "open the box," and blood and energy packs would drop out.

So just now, Kiana actually ate two energy packs, so she felt a bit full, right?

Fu Hua glanced at the golden light dot rolling on the ground and the green badge, cautiously saying, "Let's stay away from these things for now..."

"Okay..."

The group continued along the road of Yae Village, cautiously trying to avoid the strange things on the roadside.

But unfortunately, the automatic collection range of the "Salty Ramen" was quite large, so wherever they went, the jars shattered, the boxes opened automatically, and the sachets were torn apart...

Yae Sakura solemnly declared, "This must be the conspiracy of the demon in the box!"

Luo Lin and Higokumaru, who knew the truth, exchanged a glance, seeing the embarrassment on each other's faces.

Forget it, let Hellmaru take the blame for this.

After much effort (avoiding blood and energy packs), Luo Lin's group finally arrived at the foot of tall Tower.

Looking at the huge building, Yae Sakura took a deep breath and said, "I can feel it too, the demon in the box is..."

"Hahaha, Yae Sakura, you finally came!"

The weather near the Heavenly Pavilion suddenly changed, accompanied by thunder and lightning, a hoarse and evil voice echoed in everyone's ears.

Looking up, the giant fox in cherry blossom color was on the rooftop terrace of the Tower, overlooking the group, eyes full of killing intent and anger.

Higokumaru, who was with Luo Lin, was surprised, opening her mouth wide, "What, this time I don't need to go dark to beat her up?"

Luo Lin: "Do you like yourself after going dark?"

"No... I don't like it..."

Yae Sakura questioned the big fox on the Tower, "What tricks are you playing this time, Hellmaru?!"

Hellmaru sneered, "Me? This isn't my trick... Why don't you ask the 'friends' you've just met around you?"

"I trust them."

"Just like how you used to trust your father? Trust the gods of the shrine?"

"..."

Yae Sakura tightened her grip on her katana.

"No need to waste time talking to this guy, let's just fight her side by side, and beat her up!" Senti clenched her fists eagerly, looking like she couldn't wait, "Last time I didn't beat her enough!"

"You!"

"What 'you'? If you have the guts, come out and fight me!"

The Herrscher laughed angrily, and dark clouds swirled over the Heavenly Pavilion. With a whistling wind, the air was filled with countless Honkai Beasfs.

"It should have been like this!"

Sentj raised her hand and struck. Her straightforward punches immediately pierced the shell of a Honkai Beast, and then she grabbed the Honkai Beast's body and smashed it around like wielding a huge hammer.

Kiana, Raiden Mei, and Bronya automatically formed a combat team, effectively clearing the enemies they encountered with the knowledge they had learned in St. Freya Academy.

The white furball fought while loudly complaining, "I knew it would be like this when I went out with Big Sister Luo!"

Mei dismissed her, "Okay, okay, Kiana, you guessed right!"

Fu Hua took a step forward. Her appearance had changed into that of the ancient era's "Jingwei," with fiery flames accompanying her every move. With a wave of her hand, she burned the Honkai Beasts to ashes.

As for Luo Lin, she chose to slack off, using her submachine gun to buff everyone's SP.

These gods were fighting, did she need to do anything? Absolutely not!

A few minutes later, Senti looked at the continuously emerging Herrschers, feeling a bit annoyed, "I say, Hellmaru, don't you have any other moves? If not, I..."

"Hmm? Are you secretly releasing psychic attacks?"

The big fox showed a sinister smile, "It's too late, I've already launched an attack on the weakest parts of your heartsrown in the pain of the past!"

"Oh."

She casually glanced around.

Luo Lin acted as if nothing happened, shooting monsters with her submachine gun while she activated the consciousness maze, and Hellmaru's tricks hit against the firewall.

As for Fu Hua, golden-red feathers appeared beside her temples, dispelling the malicious hidden attacks. At this moment, the expression on the immortal's face became quite angry, "Lixue..."

Kiana groaned in pain, shaking her head. Her eyes suddenly turned gold, "Who's disturbing my peace again?"

Raiden Mei covered her head with one hand, purple lightning flashing between her temples and fingers, while the other hand supported Bronya, who had closed her eyes at some point, struggling to shout, "Help!"

Luo Lin took a look, damn, Bronya silently laid down again...

Oh, she wasn't the only one who just laid down silently, there was also Yae Sakura who was struggling...

"Kallen..."

Luo Lin was helpless, "Senti, help out!"

The Herrscher sighed, raised her hand, and cut off Hellmaru's attack.

Yae Sakura snapped out of it, staring blankly ahead, subconsciously slashing at a group of passing Honkai Beasts.

Raiden Mei let out a sigh of relief, the eyes glowing with purple lightning locked onto the big fox on the Heavenly Pavilion, who was stunned.

Higokumaru: "..."

What kind of people are these?! Is this reasonable?!

Chapter 30: This story reminds us to remember to set account permissions.

Luo Lin watched as Jingwei and the Herrscher, both fully engaged, seemed intent on wrapping up the entire battle effortlessly, annihilating the surrounding Honkai Beasts with unmatched skill.

Even as Hellmaru continued to escalate, summoning more and more Honkai Beasts each time, they were still completely destroyed by the two girls who looked exactly alike.

Senti even found time to banter with Fu Hua, "Old-timer, I've already killed over two hundred Honkai Beasts, how about you?"

Fu Hua replied, "I haven't kept count."

"Sigh, that's just like you..."

Luo Lin glanced at Kiana. The sudden change in her demeanor and her golden eyes indicated that someone had taken control.

"Sirin?"

"It's me."

The queen casually summoned a spear of Yae Space and impaled two Herrschers as if disposing of trash, then leisurely asked, "What kind of place is this?"

"It's probably the Realm of Consciousness... with maybe some characteristics of the Stigmata Space mixed in?"

"I recognize some familiar vibes... it's like rules."

Sirin's nostrils twitched a few times, speaking softly, "This must have your touch."

Luo Lin stuck out her tongue, "Whoops?"

Sirin looked up at Hellmaru on top of the Heavenly Pavilion, her expression filled with disgust, "I really hate it when someone looks at me like that..."

In the blink of an eye, several Subspace Lances condensed instantly, turning into golden shadows flying towards the giant fox—then collided with a light red barrier halfway through, emitting a crisp sound.

"Hmm? This barrier..."

Sirin raised her eyebrows, looking somewhat surprised. She locked eyes with Hellmaru with her golden gaze, making the latter feel uncomfortable.

Senti, seeing Sirin directly throw the Subspace Lances at Hellmaru, brightened up, "Right! You reminded me, why bother tangling with the small fries here? Let's go for the big one if we're going to fight!"

With that said, Senti exerted force under her feet, propelling herself into the air, heading straight for Hellmaru.

She punched the barrier, causing it to creak.

Fu Hua raised her head, and phoenix-shaped flames flowed from her fists and feet, whistling towards the barrier in the air.

[Burning Feathers]!

Hellmaru opened her mouth wide, emitting a huge laser from it, colliding head-on with Fu Hua's phoenix flames!

The commotion was dramatic this time. Luo Lin even felt the ground tremble along with Fu Hua's big move.

A few seconds later, the smoke cleared, and Hellmaru stood there confidently, seemingly unaffected.

Fu Hua felt something amiss, furrowing her brows, "This barrier is strange, my flames are being suppressed..."

Sirin blinked, seemingly drawing a conclusion, "I also feel the barrier affecting me. I can't directly throw the lances at that guy's forehead... Luo Lin, think of a solution."

"It's useless!"

Hellmaru seemed to relax a bit. She sneered, "Although I hate that damn woman's creations, I've already taken control of it... you can't harm me in any way!"

"Big sis, I understand now!"

Higokumaru, who was floating beside Luo Lin, whispered to her, "That barrier suppresses the Herrscher's core and creates the [Jizo Mitama] from the Black Box. It can greatly suppress Herrscher power and mental disturbances, disrupt spatial coordinates, and prevent accidents to the Herrscher's core..."

"If there are no accidents, there will definitely be accidents."

Luo Lin scratched her head, "But it's still fine. After all, this is the Herrscher of Corruption. If she doesn't use the Black Box to create advantages for herself, I would actually find it surprising..."

"Uh... I'm useless..."

Higokumaru looked a bit embarrassed. She wagged her tail.

Her experiences were somewhat different from the extremely embarrassed big fox in front of her.

After all, in the original storyline, she didn't have the experience of being chased by Senti, and after being corrupted, she didn't face so many formidable enemies. Naturally, she didn't expand her abilities to use the Black Box.

To this, Luo Lin could only say, "Then you're really awesome... oh right, since you're here, can you think of a way to deal with this barrier?"

Higokumaru paused for a moment, and a light bulb lit up in her head, "Right! I've encountered this thing before. I think replicating the changes of the Black Box in the original storyline shouldn't be too different? Let me see..."

The little one closed her eyes, starting to attempt a remote connection to the signal.

During this time, the wave of Honkai Beasts summoned by Hellmaru didn't stop, but it seemed like they were completely harmless, like they were just part of the background.

"Damn it... I need to try something else..."

The big fox gritted her teeth, starting to adjust her summoning strategy, summoning some elite individuals.

These newly appeared fellows had green lines connecting them, causing Senti to experience deep Abyss PTSD.

"Wow! Why are there Bloodline monsters!"

"What Bloodline?" Sirin asked.

Senti replied, "It means all the monsters connected by the lines must be killed together, otherwise as long as one is alive, the rest will keep resurrecting!"

Sirin clicked her tongue in amazement, "There's something like this? Have the modern Honkai Beasts evolved again?"

"Whether it's modern or ancient civilizations, there were no such species of Honkai Beasts!"

Senti searched through Fu Hua's memories, and even the knowledgeable Celestial hadn't encountered such "oddities" in the real world... she had only encountered such disgusting things in certain someone's Abyss...

So, she cast a suspicious glance at Luo Lin.

"Cough cough, Higokumaru, did you discover anything?"

Luo Lin also knew that Hellmaru could create such things, probably related to her entering with the [Sakura Samsara], so she quickly changed the subject.

"The Black Box didn't reject my access. It seems to consider me and Hellmaru as one person... oh, wait, we were originally one person..."

The little one's expression was somewhat subtle, and she wagged her tail, "Then I'll shut down, okay?"

"Hurry up!"

Hellmaru shifted her feet uneasily, warning, "Have you felt my power? You can't break through..."

Before she could finish her words, the barrier blocking everyone disappeared, leaving the astonished big fox forgetting to continue summoning Honkai Beasts, quieting the scene.

Senti laughed out loud, "Didn't I just hear someone saying the barrier couldn't be broken through?"

The big fox was dizzy, "What, what's going on...?"

"Charge!"

Before Hellmaru could figure out what had happened, Senti cheered and rushed forward, punching the big fox in the face.

"Crash!"

Dust rose, and the sound of wood and bricks breaking and collapsing filled the air. Hellmaru smashed a hole in the Heavenly Pavilion and fell into the building.

"Here we go!"

Luo Lin stepped on her flying sword, Sirin floated directly, and Fu Hua also took off from the ground, following Senti into the building.

Left behind, Raiden Mei and Yae Sakura looked at each other.

"Can you fly?"

"I can't..."

"...Then let's take the stairs."

Bronya was startled awake by Raiden Mei lifting her onto her shoulders, emitting a low hum.

"Bronya, are you awake?"

"Mmm..."

Raiden Mei reassured her, "Don't worry, we're in the lead now!"

The girl with silver twin Helixs, due to her damaged emotional center, could only maintain a blank expression.

"Bronya... Is unwilling..."

Chapter 31: Who Lacks Mental Resistance?

When Luo Lin touched down on her flying sword, this was the scene that greeted her:

Senti stood with hands on hips, appearing relaxed, devoid of any sense of combat.

Fu Hua, on the other hand, assumed her familiar stance, flames blazing within her crimson eyes.

Sirin hovered just above the floor, leaning against a Subspace Lance.

With the three positioned in a triangular formation, they encircled Hellmaru in the center, engaging in what could be described as a forceful "watching."

Luo Lin puckered her lips, suddenly feeling as though they had all become the "villains."

...

The large fox glanced around, a palpable sense of danger causing her fur to stand on end, visibly expanding.

Hellmaru drew in a deep breath, flames erupting from her form, activating her Herrscher Core like never before.

Now was the time to go all out; if she didn't fight with all her might now, there might not be a future to speak of!

"Swoosh!"

Intense flames erupted from Hellmaru's mouth, sweeping across the area.

Observing this, Luo Lin swiftly tossed an ice grenade at Hellmaru's head. The fox attempted to swat it away, but it exploded into a cloud of chilling mist, causing her to cough and interrupt her fiery onslaught.

She then launched tail-fired fireballs that automatically tracked their targets, but they were detonated in mid-air by bullets and Subspace Lances.

Finally, pillars of fire erupted from the ground, but such obvious moves failed to hit anyone, with Senti even sticking out her tongue in mockery while evading.

"Any other tricks? I'm getting bored!"

Fu Hua, devoid of any playful intent, used her hand as a blade to slice through the flames before her, closing the distance between herself and the fox. In the blink of an eye, she unleashed a series of combos, even inflicting damage through the Herrscher's barrier.

Hellmaru winced in pain, using her tail to sweep around, attempting to strike nearby Fu Hua, but Senti directly flipped onto her back.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Senti closed in, launching attacks at Hellmaru's body.

Sirin sighed helplessly, "Can you guys give me some room to attack? I can't do anything like this!"

Luo Lin, who found a moment to playfully undercut, was surprised, "Aren't there plenty of opportunities to attack... wait..."

In the past, Sirin, even when cooperating with allies, only needed to focus on Honkai beasts (excluding Bella), covering with firepower.

Sirin had never learned how to coordinate with others in battle, and her manipulation of the Herrscher Core was purely instinctive, lacking refined control, thus unable to seize fleeting opportunities.

Luo Lin nodded in sudden realization, "No need to say more, I understand now. Next time, learn how to cooperate in battle with your sister Kiana."

Sirin, watching Luo Lin accurately place bullets on Hellmaru's face, blushed.

She intended to use the Subspace Lance as a greatsword to smash Hellmaru, but seeing the two figures dancing around the fox, Sirin decided not to interrupt their performance.

The storm of attacks shattered Hellmaru's shield, but fortunately, her current body was entirely constructed from Herrscher Core, with no conventional weaknesses. Fu Hua's assault failed to directly incapacitate her.

Hellmaru rolled over and created a shockwave centered around herself, forcing Fu Hua to retreat.

Fu Hua narrowed her eyes, realizing that [Burning Feathers] seemed ineffective against Hellmaru's injuries, even less effective than her bare fists.

With a sigh, she condensed the flames on her body, transforming them into bright yellow ethereal sword energy—switching from fire damage to physical.

Then, Fu Hua pursued, her fists loaded with ethereal sword energy, striking Hellmaru's body. The collision sounded like steel clashing, echoing between the floors.

"Hmm?"

The effect of this punch was surprisingly good; Hellmaru's body visibly trembled. Fu Hua raised her eyebrows, delivering several more strikes, causing the fox to howl in pain.

Sirin quickly noticed the essence of this: "Sword energy special attack? No, it's a mental-type special attack!"

Fu Hua's ethereal Edge of Taixuan dealt mixed damage, attacking both physically and mentally.

When she used the Edge of Taixuan to cut down the Herrscher of the Void in the Babylon Lab, not only did she split the lab tower with one strike but also severed the link between Sirin and the Honkai God.

Nearby, Sirin watched the gleaming light on Fu Hua's fists and involuntarily swallowed, still haunted by psychological shadows.

As for Hellmaru's mental resistance... she had none.

She lacked corresponding techniques and firm beliefs, relying entirely on the instincts of the Herrscher to act.

In terms of skills, Hellmaru had hardly experienced evenly matched battles. The only real fight she had was when she and Kallen exchanged blows—a fight she lost.

The rest of the time, Hellmaru was either crushing ordinary people or being crushed by others: being slashed by Kevin, frozen in time by Sakura and thrown into a box, studied by Dr. Mei, and now chased and beaten by the group in front of her...

There was simply no room for studying techniques!

Looking at her beliefs, when Sirin transformed into a Herrscher, she was still a naive little girl. The intensity of her hatred towards humans, compared to the impulsiveness of Sirin, who had been beaten by life ten thousand times over, was nothing.

Yet, even the "Sixth Core God Selected" Sirin was dumbfounded by Fu Hua's Edge of Taixuan. Faced with such a special attack after being suppressed by the box...

She might as well just write "disaster" on the ground.

Soon, Hellmaru couldn't hold on anymore.

Unprecedented pain enveloped her consciousness, and the fox couldn't even muster a cry of pain.

The big fox was played around by Senti, who used Ascending Dragon Fist to lift her off the ground. Fu Hua very cooperatively followed up with a flying kick, sending her flying towards Sirin.

Watching the farce for a while, Sirin waved her hand and redirected the big fox's trajectory with a portal, throwing her back to the side of the Senti.

Luo Lin: "Why does this look like playing ping pong?"

"Hmm..."

Senti, standing on the unconscious Hellmaru, fell into thought, "What should we do with her next?"

Fu Hua raised her hand, the radiance of Edge of Taixuan flickering, "Just finish her off!"

The eightfold Sakura, Raiden Mei, and Bronya, who took the stairs, finally arrived late. The pink-haired shrine maiden saw Hellmaru being stepped on by Sirin and immediately agreed loudly, "I also agree to finish her off!"

Raiden Mei shrank back a bit, remnants of her gentle demeanor still lingering, "So ruthless."

Senti turned her head, "Luo Lin, what do you think?"

Luo Lin hesitated, "Me? Wait a minute..."

She opened the system panel, observing the tasks listed there.

[Side Quest: Visitors from a Parallel World]

[After some exploration, you encountered the mastermind behind the scenes at the Pavilion - surprisingly, it's another world's Hellmaru! Her power is formidable, and she even threatened to control the entire space! Fortunately, Higokumaru brought smoke bombs, allowing you to escape in the chaos...]

Luo Lin blinked, looking down at the unconscious fox on the floor, at a loss for words.

Formidable? Escape? Um... I'm not sure about that.

She lowered her head, and on the task panel, there was one more sentence: [What should be done next? Should we return to the Yae Village Shrine for further discussion?]

"Then... should we take her back to the Yae Village Shrine first?"

Chapter 32: Classic Task Flow of Japanese RPG

"What? Why are we going there?"

As the head priestess of the Yae Village Shrine, well, also the last generation priestess, Yae Sakuya didn't understand why Luo Lin wanted to take Hellmaru there.

After all, family members knew their own affairs, and aside from Hellmaru being worshipped as a "god" there, the place was just a slightly more decorative ordinary shrine.

After thinking for a while, Luo Lin reluctantly gave an explanation, "Aren't priestesses often involved in exorcism ceremonies, blessing ceremonies, and such? Certain things need to be done on specific days and at specific locations to ensure the smooth progress of the rituals... You can consider my actions of taking Hellmaru around as part of resolving the issue with her as a 'ceremony'..."

Yae Sakuya suddenly realized, "Oh, I see. Please continue."

Luo Lin wiped the sweat off her forehead and turned around to find everyone looking at her with strange eyes.

Bronya murmured softly, "It's already this era, and she's still talking about such religious nonsense. Luo Lin is clearly lying, isn't she?"

Raiden Mei nodded in agreement.

Although Fu Hua remained silent, she couldn't hide her expression, clearly finding Luo Lin's words unreliable. Out of trust, Fu Hua didn't intend to do anything else, silently watching her antics.

Senti, on the other hand, sized up the unconscious Hellmaru on the ground, scratching her head in puzzlement. "She's so big; isn't it inconvenient to take her around?"

Sirin clicked her tongue, "Luo Lin, why don't you go directly to the destination and inform me? I'll use the portal to teleport everyone over... Although my condition isn't great, this distance shouldn't be a problem for me."

"Alright! Since there's a portal, let the rest stay here, and I'll go check the situation."

Luo Lin clapped her hands, then turned around and picked up Higokumaru, letting the little one sit on her shoulder, and set off on her flying sword.

"Elder sister..."

"Hmm?"

Higokumaru sighed, "I'm so happy; it's been a long time since I've seen the Yae Village so lively! Elder sister, you should come and visit me more often in the future!"

Luo Lin patted her chest and promised, "Of course, even I have a backlog of tasks to finish. Besides, you can still visit me if you need anything."

The little one nodded happily, "Okay, after the new plot is finished, I'll go to the ELF Dorrmitory to see the others. It's been a long time since I greeted Teacher Himeko."

Luo Lin felt awkward, "Uh, Higokumaru, I told you before that my current situation is special—many things I used to have are gone now, and the Elf dormitory is no exception."

Feiyuwan widened her eyes, "Huh?! Then what about the other open worlds?"

"The same; now only 'Sakura Samsara' is open, while 'Post Honkai Oddyssey' is still under maintenance, and I haven't unlocked 'Honkai Odyssey' yet..."

"This..."

Luo Lin continued to add "attacks," saying, "And many ELFs are also not here... Currently, only Selune's Elegy is here, watching TV and eating snacks all day... Oh, and there's also Book of Fuxi coming to visit, but it's not the one you know."

The little one's eyes suddenly filled with tears, "Why is it like this? Then, where can I go?"

Luo Lin hurriedly said, "It's not that bad; there's still 'A Post-Honkai Odyssey' to explore— and if you give me some time, I should be able to let you see some new scenes elsewhere!"

Feiyuwan's eyes sparkled, "Yay, is it a new open world like the Yae Village?"

"Um... not quite."

"Then is it a new bridge scene?" The little one asked uncertainly.

"...You'll find out when you experience it yourself; it should give you a surprise."

Luo Lin felt a headache coming on; the entity pulled from her gaming account by the system seemed to have some problems in terms of worldview, life view, and values. ELFs like Selune's Elegy could still solve problems by directly synchronizing with the database, but educating Higokumaru, who wasn't an ELF, might be a bit tricky.

During the conversation, Luo Lin arrived at the Yae Village Shrine. After landing, she opened her system panel to see if there were any other changes. Suddenly, a familiar alarm sounded in Luo Lin's ears, and several Honkai beasts emerged from the surroundings.

Higokumaru grinned, "Looks like we're entering the plot!"

"What kind of plot is this?"

The little one wagged her tail and explained, "After accepting a task, most of the time, you have to fight Honkai beasts! It's quite normal!"

After holding back for a while and carefully thinking about the task flow in Honkai Impact 3, Luo Lin finally nodded, "You're right."

The girl wielded her sword and assault rifle, launching an attack on the Honkai beasts, swiftly defeating them. As expected, when the last monster dissipated, there was a change in the tasks on the system panel—

[Side Quest: Phantoms of the Past]

[To defeat Hellmaru from the parallel world, you must find a powerful weapon—the "Jizo Mitama" is the best choice. Usually, the "Jizo Mitama" is enshrined in the Yae Village Shrine, but it is currently missing. However, Higokumaru found some fresh traces on the ground. Perhaps following these traces can lead to clues?]

"Classic, the taste of this task is so strong! The key item must be in the wrong place, so we have to go searching..."

Luo Lin directly handed the system panel to Higokumaru, "Please take a look and see if there are any traces nearby."

The little one raised her hand directly, "I've got this—no, it's simple! There are traces over there!"

The girl was surprised, "So fast?!"

"Because it's obvious!"

Following the direction pointed out by the little one, Luo Lin indeed saw several very obvious footprints.

How obvious were they? The footprints even shimmered with a dazzling golden light, making it difficult for Luo Lin to ignore them.

Moreover, when Luo Lin focused her attention on those golden lights, a line of text appeared to explain.

[Someone walked in this direction.]

"Alright..."

Luo Lin was speechless, following the direction of the spreading footprints, she found the final clue halfway down the mountain.

It was a strange purple mask, just floating there in midair.

"Is this... Kallen's mask?"

Chapter 33: Stigmata Running Wild, Do You Have a Lead Pig?

What appeared in front of Luo Lin was the mask that Kallen Kaslana had worn when she transformed into a "phantom thief" in Europe.

In fact, this iconic mask didn't originate from Otto's hands; it belonged to Marian William Shakespeare.

Yes, it's that world-renowned literary giant Shakespeare you're thinking of.

He couldn't escape HI3's clutches either, transforming from a seven-foot-tall man into a red-haired girl with a lithe body.

However, Shakespeare remained just as resentful of the dark social conditions in Europe at the time as she did in the real world.

Not only did she create a series of literary works, but she also wore a purple eye mask and gave "anti-Schickcsal speeches" in the streets...

Naturally, the members of the Church of Schickcsal struck back forcefully, intending to capture Shakespeare on the spot during her roadside performances.

Thanks to Kallen, who was listening to the speech on the sidelines, Shakespeare didn't meet an untimely death.

Later, Shakespeare gave the mask to Kallen. Listening to Shakespeare's speech, Kallen conceived the idea of robbing the rich to help the poor.

As the number one fan of Kallen, Otto naturally couldn't refuse and ended up making a set of phantom thief costumes for Kallen to go with the mask—this is the origin of the "Sixth Night Serenade."

However, masks of this size and style usually only appear at certain balls and are not very effective for concealing one's identity...

Luo Lin had reason to suspect that when Kallen was robbing the rich and helping the poor, Lord Otto was following her around, cleaning up her messes.

Higokumaru also saw this mask and thought for a moment before saying, "This thing looks familiar..."

"You should find it familiar; it's the mask of your elder sister's good friend, Kallen Kaslana."

"Oh, this lovely girl seems to know my identity?" Accompanied by operatic tones, a strong wind suddenly blew, carrying with it blue-purple feathers and the same colored glaring light

Luo Lin couldn't help squinting her eyes.

When the wind subsided, the mask on the ground had been picked up by the newcomer and hung on her own head.

With smooth white braids swaying mischievously behind her, she exuded a playful charm.

Kallen, dressed in the "Sixth Night Serenade" attire, stood not far from Luo Lin, gazing at her with curious eyes.

Luo Lin's gaze fell behind Kallen, where there was a dimly glowing longsword with red decorations on the handle and blade—the "Jizo Mitama" that had been enshrined in the shrie before.

Kallen caught the girl's gaze, shrugged her shoulders, and moved the sword with a couple of swings: "Oh? You seem to recognize it..."

Luo Lin replied, "Yes, I recognize it, and I need its power now."

"Power..." Kallen realized something, her expression serious. She conjured up a pair of blue-purple pistols from somewhere and aimed them at Luo Lin.

"Listen to my advice, no matter what you need to do, it's best not to touch this evil weapon... Little girl, you can't control it."

The pistols in Kallen's hands were classic double-barreled flintlock pistols from the Middle Ages.

Most of the barrel was bathed in a blue-purple light, and with those bright white and gorgeous feather decorations, they looked more like collectibles than practical weapons.

But Luo Lin knew that this was a weapon personally crafted by Otto for Kallen, with extremely high quality.

Shooting seventeen shots in two seconds was nothing—this was a divine weapon capable of defeating Honkai beasts, enough to hold its own even in the modern arsenal of the Church of Schickcsal.

However, the targeted Luo Lin remained calm. While performing a "French salute," she shouted loudly, "Miss Kallen, things are urgent. Your good friend, the priestess of the Yae Sakura, needs it to deal with something..."

Kallen was immediately confused, her blue eyes full of confusion. "Huh? Yae Sakura?"

"Yes, the space you're in right now is actually a peculiar world constructed by the consciousness of the priestess of the Yae Sakura. We're here to deal with the unfinished business of the 【Demon in the Box】—the Priestess Higokumaru..."

"Demon in the Box? Higokumaru?" Kallen, known for her smooth talk, was at a loss for words this time, revealing a confused face and stammering.

"If you don't believe it... Sirin, come out!" Luo Lin snapped her fingers in a pretentious manner, and a golden portal opened beside her.

A girl with the same white braided hair popped her head out, her golden eyes scanning the surroundings

"Is everyone coming over?"

Luo Lin shook her head, "No, let Sakura come over first to serve as a witness."

So the pink-haired girl with the same confused expression was pushed over from the other side.

As if sensing something, Sakura and Kallen's eyes met instantly.

"Kallen!"

"Sakura!"

Like a cliché soap opera scene, the two shouted each other's names, running towards each other, and finally embraced tightly.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Luo Lin opened her system panel. As expected, the tasks had changed— [Side Quest: Journey with the Phantom] [It turns out that Miss Kallen, the phantom thief, stole the Divine Key. Sensing a terrible aura on the "Jizo Mitama," she resolutely stole this weapon, intending to take it away... You naturally won't let Kallen take away the Divine Key. The battle is about to begin!]

"Adorable girl, defeat me and prove your determination and will!"

Luo Lin glanced at Kallen, who was cooing with Sakura, and shook her head. As long as Sakura said a word, Kallen would turn her coat and surrender, still holding her lofty position... Oops, wrong scene.

"I see." Kallen nodded with a complex expression.

"You've been through a lot these past few centuries..."

"Not really. In fact, I feel like I just slept for a while..." The pink-haired priestess scratched her ear. "It's just that the world has changed so fast. I feel like I've stumbled into the... the fairy kingdom in the Arthurian legend that you told stories about? When I woke up, everything had changed, people and things... and you, you've already... uh..."

Sakura's lips trembled.

"..."

The two fell silent for a moment, and it was the pink-haired priestess who spoke first, smiling as she stroked Kallen's face and murmured, "Is that so? Well, that's not bad... I'm glad to see you again after hundreds of years..."

"Um, sorry to interrupt... I feel like things aren't that simple."

Luo Lin raised her hand and said, "If Kallen is just a residual memory of Miss Sakura, then why would she appear like this? Sakura, have you really seen Kallen wearing this outfit?"

The pink-haired shrine maiden's expression changed abruptly. "No! I haven't seen her!"

"So... is there a possibility that this Miss Kallen is not just a residual memory, but some kind of more peculiar existence..."

Luo Lin had a feeling that the Kallen in front of her was actually similar to the current Cecilia, representing some kind of Stigmata...

Chapter 34: Speed Run.jpg

Luo Lin initially thought that after hearing her words, Kallen might react somewhat, but she remained remarkably calm, not even blinking her eyes.

Truly, she was a formidable warrior accustomed to dealing with Honkai beasts year-round, with such high psychological resilience!

Higokumaru cautiously remarked from the side, "Big sis, maybe she didn't quite understand what you were saying..."

Luo Lin suddenly froze, her head twisting like a malfunctioning robot's, carefully observing Kallen's face and discovering a sense of innocence in the girl's blue eyes.

(O v O)?

Standing in front of the girl was Kallen Kaslana, a woman from the 14th century Europe, a saintess of the ancient Church of Schicskal, a valkyrie unstoppable on the battlefield of Honkai...

So, what was Kallen's educational background like?

Perhaps she received private tutoring at home, at most learning some knowledge about how to beat Honkai beasts.

Anyway, in terms of education level, Kallen was slightly higher than Cecilia, but not by much. They were both talents hovering around the "elementary school realm," far from the "doctoral realm" pursued by her childhood friend Otto Apocalypse, who was nothing short of a prodigy.

As Cecilia was still poking around, she suddenly sneezed.

Luo Lin held her forehead, "Didn't Otto teach you anything about Stigmata or Honkai-related basics?"

"He did."

Kallen put her hands on her hips, looking rather proud, "But I've already forgotten most of it!"

Isn't it better to forget everything like Zhang Wuji learning Tai Chi?

"Never mind, let's leave the issue of identity for later."

Luo Lin glanced at her system panel again, and the task of "defeating Kallen" had quietly been completed.

[Side Quest: Return to the Heavenly Pavilion]

[You have successfully demonstrated your determination to Kallen. The nun has decided to return the "Jizo Mitama" and is determined to join your team to defeat the evil, world-controlling Hellmaru.]

[Defeat the monsters along the way, return to the Heavenly Pavilion, and face Hellmaru!]

"...Kallen, Sakura, it's time for us to take the Jizo Mitama back to the top floor of the Heavenly Pavilion."

What? Battles on the way? Then Luo Lin would just directly speed run everyone back to the top of the Heavenly Pavilion!

Kallen was pulled along by Yae Sakura, passing through the flashing golden portal, and then saw a familiar pink fox.

Hellmaru was no longer the formidable opponent that the nun remembered, lying in a sorry state on the ground, with a part of her body still embedded in the floor of the Heavenly Pavilion, her eyes spinning in circles.

Standing beside Hellmaru, Higokumaru coughed, crushed the lollipop in her mouth, crossed her hands behind her back, and looked around, pretending she hadn't done anything.

[Ding ding! Side quest completed!]

Great, I love your decisive system that declares quest completion!

Luo Lin took a deep breath and read the last task refreshed on the panel—

[Side Quest: Moment of Decision]

[After enduring hardships, you have finally reached the Hellmaru of the parallel world, who is causing mischief. Use the "Key of Corruption - Jizo Mitama" to stop her and let the village of Yae return to peace and tranquility!]

["One cut, two splits!"]

Seeing the text on the panel, Luo Lin whispered softly, "System, is this task prompt reliable?"

[...Does the host feel more reassured if I collect some more crystals?]

The girl waved her hands in fright, "No, no, I'm short on crystals..."

How to stop the conspiracy? Of course, by the traditional virtue of Honkai 3—just beat her up!

Luo Lin took back the Jizo Mitama from Kallen, held it in her hand, and examined the divine key.

After all, she was a professional user of divine keys, and she easily established a connection with the Jizo Mitama. A familiar feeling flowed from the hilt into her mind.

That was the power of the Corruption Key, the power to counter Hellmaru.

Luo Lin took a deep breath, wielding the katana and circling around the big fox, just like examining a dead fish on the chopping board, looking for a convenient place to strike.

The tiny Higokumaru couldn't bear to see such a scene, and she voluntarily hid behind Luo Lin's shoulder, covering her own view with her clothes.

"Swish—!"

The blade flashed, and the blade of the Jizo Mitama plunged into Hellmaru's body. The two forces of Corruption collided fiercely inside the fox's body.

"Ahhhhh!!!"

Hellmaru screamed in agony, but with Senti, Fu Hua, and Sirin, "three mountains" on her head, she couldn't move at all!

Gritting her teeth, Luo Lin exerted Honkai energy into the katana.

Thanks to the Black Box made by Mei still exerting its power to suppress the Herrscher of Corruption's Core, Luo Lin gradually gained the upper hand. Hellmaru's screams became quieter and quieter until they ceased altogether.

In the next moment, a sound like shattering glass rang out, and many scattered spots of light emanated from the pink fox, and her body became transparent.

At this final moment, the madness in Hellmaru's eyes faded away, and she let out a long sigh.

"Why...why did I end up like this? Sister Sakura..."

Is she muttering about the ancient civilization again?

Hearing this, Higokumaru peeked out, and coincidentally, her eyes met the gradually dissipating pink fox.

"Huh? What are you?"

"I'm not 'what'! Pfft pfft! I am..."

Higokumaru bit her tongue, tears welling up in her eyes, and she shrank back behind Luo Lin again.

"...Thank you, stranger. At the last moment, I found myself again—a simple ordinary girl, Ring."

The big fox shifted her gaze back to Luo Lin, whispering softly, "Goodbye."

"Well, maybe not necessarily."

Luo Lin watched as Hellmaru shattered into countless cherry blossom-colored dots, some of which were absorbed by the Jizo Mitama, making the divine key look even more substantial.

With this, it was a done deal for the new divine key for Theresa.

Another part of the dots condensed in front of Luo Lin, forming three dimly glowing rectangular cards.

[Stigmata Fragment - Past and Future · RIN (Top)]

[Stigmata Fragment - Past and Future · Yae Sakura (Middle)]

[Past and Future · Higokumaru (Bottom)]

Luo Lin smiled, "Just as I thought..."

Chapter 35: Change of Residence

"What... is this..." Yae Sakura's slender ears suddenly perked up, her gaze firmly locked on a card forming in front of Luo Lin.

"Feels familiar?" The girl handed the card to the miko, and Yae Sakura lowered her head to examine the pattern on the card. It depicted a pink-haired girl who looked a lot like her, wearing a kimono, arms spread wide, smiling brightly in the cherry blossom-laden wind.

"Rin..." Yae Sakura caressed the card surface, feeling as if she had returned to the days of her childhood, centuries ago...

The miko's gaze softened, and after a while, she bowed deeply to Luo Lin.

"Thank you, Miss Luo Lin..."

"Oh, there's some good news I can tell you..."

Luo Lin spread her hands, pointing to the card in the pink-haired miko's hand, saying, "This thing is actually a part of the concept of 'Yae Rin,' condensed from her life. And on this special stigma, it carries a part of your sister's soul..."

The girl daringly made this conclusion after finding a similar feeling to Cecilia's set of stigmata on the Stigmata Fragments - Past and Future · Ring (Top) and Stigmata Fragments - Past and Future · Yae Rin (Middle) - as if the souls of RIN and Yae Rin themselves existed in those stigma fragments.

However, the completeness of the souls on these two fragments was somewhat worrying, looking like flickering candle flames.

The Stigmata Fragments of Fuxi and Nuwa obtained from Chiyou also contained residual souls, but their states were much better than those of RIN and Yae Rin now.

However good the state of their souls, they couldn't chat with Luo Lin directly like Cecilia, as their carrier stigmata were in fragmentary states and not complete.

Perhaps to ensure their own survival, they had all fallen into a deep sleep, aside from faint soul fluctuations, showing no other reactions.

They probably had to wait until Luo Lin repaired the stigmata fragments completely before they woke up.

After listening to Luo Lin's words, Yae Sakura almost instantly realized the possibility hidden in the girl's words, so she eagerly asked, "Does that mean you can restore my sister's soul to completeness... even... bring her... back..."

The miko swallowed, her lips trembling, unable to voice her speculation.

She dared not say it, but others did.

Senti asked directly, "Luo Lin, do you mean you can resurrect Yae Rin?"

She answered cautiously, "Well, sort of, if you can accept this kind of resurrection based on soul and stigma, then there's no problem..."

After all, with a certain Archbishop's wisdom in front, there was a unique perspective on "resurrection." For this, he spun an unprecedented and unparalleled conspiracy, involving countless people, even the Imaginary Tree couldn't escape the manipulation of Otto...

Yae Sakura immediately replied, "I'm fine with it!"

"Alright."

Luo Lin said with some uncertainty, "But I haven't found a way to repair the stigmata fragments yet... Although someone is trying to research the principles behind it—well, you know, scientific discoveries, it's hard to say when there will be results."

The pink-haired miko let out a sigh, her eyes firming up, "It's okay, I can wait."

"Yes! So should I return this stigmata fragment... later?"

Luo Lin carefully examined the stigmata fragment in Yae Sakura's hand, and strangely, the state of Yae Rin's residual soul stabilized in Yae Sakura's hands.

The pink-haired miko seemed to sense something too, placing the card on her chest. In the next moment, the stigmata fragment turned into dots of light, merging into the pink-haired miko's body.

A cherry blossom-shaped pattern suddenly appeared on Yae Sakura's chest, emitting a warm light.

Luo Lin sighed, "It seems your sister still relies on you, whether in the past or now... so you must take good care of this stigmata."

Yae Sakura nodded heavily, "I will!"

With the chance to make up for five hundred years of regret, the miko treasured it immensely.

"As for this... Miss Kallen, what are your plans?"

Luo Lin looked at the thief lady standing next to her, but surprisingly, Kallen was staring blankly at Yae Sakura's body, her face showing a look of discovery.

"Sakura, is she your sister?"

"Yes."

Kallen, dressed as a thief, walked up to Yae Sakura and lightly touched the pattern on the miko's chest.

Kallen muttered, "So it can be like this?"

"Kallen...?"

"It's nothing."

The thief lady patted the miko's shoulder, then turned her head to meet Luo Lin's gaze.

"Miss Luo Lin, you said my situation is very special, and I now realize that I'm not quite the same as I remember..."

Kallen touched her own lips, "Hmm, maybe I'm some kind of stigma that was previously attached to Yae Sakura... But now that Sakura is 'taking care' of her sister, if I go back directly, it will affect her existence... so..."

Luo Lin suddenly had a very bad feeling.

"Uh, sorry to bother you, but let me trouble you a bit as fellow Schicksal Valkyries!"

With that, Kallen clasped her hands together, bowed to the girl, and like the Stigmata Fragment of Yae Rin just now, turned into a beam of light and plunged into Luo Lin's body.

"Wait, there are other people here, like Bronya—why me?!"

Luo Lin hurriedly lowered her head to touch her body, but found no other abnormalities.

[Congratulations on obtaining the stigma: Kallen · Thief (Top)]

[When equipped with the stigma, movement speed greatly increases, attack speed increases, and maximum HP slightly increases.]

Before she could finish being shocked, Cecilia's voice sounded in her ear, "Luo Lin, let me entertain this guest first, her condition is not very good, she needs a good rest..."

"Ah, oh..."

Luo Lin raised her head, under everyone's gaze (especially Bronya's, her eyes were very sharp, as if questioning something), awkwardly rubbed her nose.

"Um, so today's business on Yae Sakura's side is done, next... Higokumaru, let's take Kiana and the others to clear the tasks piled up in the village, consider it tonight's battle teaching."

Sirin went back to sleep when the situation was settled, and now the active one was Grasshopper Kiana, who fiercely complained, "I thought you forgot about us!"

"I definitely didn't... Come on, let's see how valuable the Jizo Mitama is!"

Changing the subject quickly, Luo Lin raised the katana in her hand, walked out with a fierce momentum.

Higokumaru also cheered, "Alright! Big sister! Let's go!"

Senti: "Did I just hear the words 'piled-up tasks'? Are you tricking people into working?"

"Cough cough cough..."

Chapter 36: Mistaken Identity

The following day, the Big Three rose as usual, but there were others who were up even earlier. They knew that Fu Hua would venture out to practice martial arts at dawn, and typically, after waking, Luo Lin would prepare a hearty breakfast for the Big Three.

Now, Yae Sakura had officially joined the "early riser family," assisting Luo Lin in the kitchen.

When Bronya pushed open the door, she noticed a strong fragrance permeating the entire dormitory. Upon closer inspection, she saw two oversized pots on the stove in the kitchen, emitting the aroma.

Kiana twitched her nose and confidently said, "This is glutinous rice! Looks like we're going to have rice balls!"

Yae Sakura scratched her head and whispered, "Um... I prepared some rice balls, not sure if they suit your taste."

Kiana naturally didn't mind; she just wanted to fill her hungry stomach. Bronya didn't say anything because she had been through rigorous training and battles, so her food requirements weren't high - of course, she preferred something tasty.

Raiden Mei was polite, "It's okay, I'm from the Far East, used to eating rice balls since I was little..."

"That's good." Yae Sakura breathed a sigh of relief and turned to bring her masterpiece to the table, looking expectantly at the three.

Raiden Mei rubbed her eyes, suspecting she hadn't slept well last night, as she couldn't believe she was seeing three huge rice balls. They seemed exaggerated, as if they were about to overflow from the plate.

"This..." Mei and Bronya exchanged glances.

But Kiana happily grabbed a rice ball and started munching on it, inviting the others, "Come on, let's eat together!"

"...Let's just share one." Bronya picked up a knife, cut one rice ball into eight pieces, and shared it with Mei.

Yae Sakura was indeed skilled at making rice balls; unexpectedly, they were delicious. The texture of the rice was just right, neither too soft nor too hard.

Under Luo Lin's guidance, the miko also made some fillings and sauce, enhancing the flavor of the rice balls.

"Not bad, but I hope Miss Sakura won't make them so big next time." Mei covered her mouth, unable to suppress a burp.

Kiana patted her stomach contentedly, "Ah, I'm about 80% full now!"

Hearing Mei's words, Luo Lin stared at her with horror, "How full are you usually when I make you breakfast?"

"About 50%, I usually make up for it at lunchtime."

Luo Lin was speechless. Truly, she couldn't expect anything less from Kiana...

Kiana stood up and waved to Luo Lin, "Let's go to class!"

"Goodbye."

Watching the trio leave, Yae Sakura redirected her gaze to Luo Lin and asked, "So, how's Kallen?"

"She's resting peacefully, sleeping soundly."

"I see..."

Luo Lin rubbed her arm and said, "By the way, Sakura, what are your plans now?"

Yae Sakura replied, "I've made plans with Fu Hua to go to... the training ground to practice - it's been a long time since I've fought, and I feel a bit rusty."

"Is that so... Did Fu Hua tell you which training ground it is?"

The pink-haired miko thought for a moment, "It seems to be the training ground with the 'Memorial Arena' system. Fu Hua said she would wait for me there."

Luo Lin clapped her hands, "Then I'll take you there and show you the way."

"Okay." Yae Sakura complied readily.

After cleaning up the tableware and tabletop with Edge of Taixuan, Luo Lin took the pink-haired miko to the agreed location.

"Fu Hua, I've brought her here!"

Upon seeing Luo Lin, the Book of Fuxi muttered, "Red Kite, the dangerous troublemaker is here!"

Fu Hua lightly tapped the head of the ELF, causing Fuxi to cry out in pain and stop talking.

At this moment, Fu Hua was still emitting heat, indicating she had been active for a long time.

"Sakura, you're here. Today, I'll let you try out the new... Memorial Arena system."

Luo Lin remembered something and asked, "I remember that the training room with the Memorial Arena system requires advance booking, right?"

"Does it?" Fu Hua seemed puzzled, "I usually just go straight there, and if there's space, I go in."

Luo Lin: ?

Oh, right, suddenly remembering that Fu Hua was also an S-rank Valkyrie, and her relationship with Otto was quite good. She was truly a pure power user...

"You can do that too, Luo Lin."

What? Me too?

Luo Lin looked at Fu Hua in relief and said, "Then you two go ahead, I'll go to the lab and work on the stigmata, souls, and other things..."

Yae Sakura politely bowed to the girl, "Goodbye! Wish you success!"

---

"... Finally caught you."

A man whose scarf seemed welded to his neck arrived outside the Far East Branch's laboratory. He looked up, pushed his glasses, and a strange arc of light reflected off the lenses.

The visitor was none other than Welt Yang, the leader of the Entropy.

"Last time I failed to catch you, but this time, you won't get away."

He could now confirm that the fluctuation very similar to the Herrscher of Reason was emanating from here.

Walter took a deep breath, used the Herrscher's authority to silently open the door, and equipped himself with a set of invisibility devices. After making all necessary preparations, he stepped into the depths of the laboratory.

Along the way, the AE leader observed his surroundings and found that most of the experimental equipment here was basically shut down, even the cameras mysteriously malfunctioned, increasing his vigilance.

Silent and vigilant, Welt finally arrived in the spacious hall and found a girl with a hood, sporting a strange Helix curl gradient hair, standing in the center, holding a floating golden cube in her hand.

Why did this thing look familiar? Wait a minute... Isn't this the Key of Revelation?

That means...

The girl suddenly turned her head, her gaze falling in Welt's direction.

She shouted, "Come out, uninvited guest, I've already spotted you."

Walter deactivated his invisibility device and stepped out of the shadows because he knew that for this person, such devices were useless.

Gritting his teeth, the leader of AE asked, "...Otto, what kind of trickery are you up to now?"

Luo Lin: ?

Chapter 37: Li Kui and Li Gui (Not)

"Otto? Where's Otto?"

Luo Lin looked around. Except for herself (and a group of spectators in her mind) and Welt, there was no second figure in the laboratory.

The AE leader frowned, staring at the "Haxxor Bunny" in front of him, and tutted, "Stop pretending, Otto."

Luo Lin lowered her head, looking at the "Key of Revelation" emitting golden light in her hand, and finally realized something was wrong - perhaps Welt mistook her for the Archbishop of the Apocalypse, who loved to wander around with a soulium body.

Luo Lin's lips moved slightly, but before she could speak, Welt immediately reached out his arm, and a small black and red ball rolled out from his sleeve, landing in the hands of the AE leader.

The girl knew what it was - it was called the "Devouring Key - Star of Eden," a divine key made by the core of the Prehistoric Herrscher of Rock, possessing the power to control gravity.

As for the more widely known title "Star of Eden," anyone with eyes could see its close relationship with Eden, who possessed the inscription "Gold":

During a real combat test of "Star of Eden," Eden accompanying the group discovered the "disharmony" in the divine key, and subsequently applied to operate the divine key herself. This time, the power displayed by the divine key was several orders of magnitude higher than before.

Thus, "Star of Eden" became Eden's most commonly used and favorite weapon. Gradually, people began to associate this divine key with Eden, and the nickname "Star of Eden" gradually replaced the name "Starry Harmony"...

Its signature skill is "Pseudo Black Hole," which can gather surrounding enemies and cause damage. Of course, this move is not limited to killing; it can also be used to trap powerful enemies, create opportunities for teammates, and gain extra time.

And now, Welt aimed this divine key at Luo Lin, asking solemnly, "Otto, what do you intend to do by approaching those not fully awakened Herrschers? Are you planning to create a tragedy no less than Siberia?"

"We seem to have some misunderstanding... I'm not Otto!"

To show sincerity, Luo Lin even deliberately returned to her original appearance, but this only made Welt more convinced of his guess.

After all, the scene of "reviving the dead" like this could only be done by Otto Apocalypse's soulium body.

So, does this person named "Luo Lin" really exist or not?

"Heh, if you say you're not, then you're not..."

Welt raised the "Star of Eden" with one hand, gently moved his finger, and invisible fluctuations erupted around him, enveloping the entire laboratory.

Inside the system space, Elysia was amazed, "Wow, it's been a long time since I've seen this thing."

Senti scratched her head irritably, "Oh dear, should I intervene and restrain Welt? We can apologize to him later..."

"I think we'd better communicate first..."

Luo Lin stared into Welt's eyes, the obvious gear pattern rotating and flowing within them, and she swallowed, "Mr. Welt, let's talk things out, there's no need for such a show of force..."

Welt looked at the girl in front of him, his gaze firm, "First, tell me why you're approaching those Herrscher..."

Luo Lin hurriedly waved her hand, "First of all, I want to emphasize that I'm not Otto, I'm Luo Lin. Secondly, I used to provide psychological therapy for them to prevent them from becoming Herrscher that endanger the world... just like you, Welt, I want them to fight for all the good in the world!"

If it were someone else who said such beautiful words, Welt probably wouldn't believe it.

After all, the current "Herrscher of Reason" are the product of a series of coincidences, even Welt himself cannot explain clearly how he escaped the control of collapse.

But when these words came from Otto Apocalypse, the Archbishop of Schicksal, they gained considerable credibility.

The Herrscher of Reason asked seriously, "Evidence, I need evidence..."

"Evidence... Well..."

Luo Lin thought for a moment, and what she should actually demonstrate is her "Emotion Diffusion" skill.

So, she said to the Herrscher of Reason, "Mr. Welt, I'm going to demonstrate a technique next, which I use to calm the emotions of the Herrschers. It can spread my emotions, suppress and soothe the destructive impulses brought by collapse - however, this move will affect your thoughts, can you accept it?"

"The Key of Sentience?"

"Not quite."

Welt's brow furrowed into knots, and finally sighed, "...Don't try any tricks."

Although he was still worried about what Otto was up to, Welt decided to try out this so-called new trick and see what new tricks the Archbishop of Schicksal had come up with lately.

Welt had secretly sent his coordinates to Dr. Tesla, so if things went wrong, he could immediately activate the quantum teleportation system to evacuate.

Although this system currently cannot teleport ordinary people (because ordinary people cannot withstand quantum teleportation), the Herrscher of Reason's body is exceptionally "tough and durable," so quantum teleportation poses no threat to him.

Anyway, Welt was confident he could retreat unscathed.

"No, no, I'm not Otto..."

Luo Lin adjusted her state, concentrated, and activated the "Maternal Love" mode. Like flowing water, her emotions overflowed from her body, enveloping the Herrscher of Reason.

After half a minute, Luo Lin was surprised.

The intensity of emotions she was now releasing was enough to cause obvious changes in Kiana and Raiden Mei, but the man with the scarf welded to his neck in front of her remained as expressionless as a wooden stick, without the slightest change in expression.

Impressive, even Mobius appeared somewhat embarrassed the first time she encountered this move, but Welt had persistently endured it for so long without changing his expression...

After a few more seconds, he spoke, "Interesting, but not enough... mere emotional fluctuations cannot truly affect the essence of a Herrscher."

"Of course, it's not just that!"

Luo Lin transformed back into the "Haxxor Bunny" and manifested the "Abyssal Battlefield" module with her hands.

"With something similar, I can effectively solve the problem of Herrschers' destructive impulses."

The sudden appearance of the blue data pillar on the laboratory floor made Welt raise his eyebrows, somewhat surprised, and exclaimed, "So, this is what caused the strange fluctuations I felt these days? So, what is this?"

Luo Lin answered somewhat embarrassedly, "Well, this... I haven't figured it out yet, I'm still researching..."

The Herrscher of Reason narrowed his eyes, gears spinning rapidly in his eyes, seemingly analyzing the light pillar.

But the next moment, Welt grunted, as if he had been struck by something.

He closed his eyes in pain, and the "Star of Eden" in his hand flashed suddenly!

"Otto! I knew I shouldn't have trusted you!"

"What's going on!?"

Blue quantum light and black and red flashes erupted together, instantly engulfing the entire laboratory.

"What is that?"

Theresa, in the Headmaster's office, noticed something and suddenly stood up, "Oath of Judah" jumped into her hand very consciously, and she flew towards the laboratory area.

Fu Hua, who was sparring with Yae Sakura in the training ground, was startled for a moment, turned her head towards Luo Lin's direction, and asked, "What's happening!"

The miko held her scabbard and asked, "Shall we go and take a look?"

"Let's go!"

When the two left the building, they saw a figure spraying blue particles in the air, like a meteor, flying towards the laboratory area.

It was Durandal, fully armed, and her destination was the laboratory area, just like the others!

Chapter 38: A Complete Mess

Welt raised his hand, and the "Star of Eden" hummed as abnormal gravity fell upon the "Haxxor Bunny."

Honkai gathered around the Herrscher of Reason, like 3D printing, with dozens of different weapons floating around Welt, emitting light from their various-sized barrels simultaneously, spewing out destructive force.

The Herrscher of Reason obviously didn't want to create a big scene. If he wanted a grand gesture, he could reference the time of the Second Honkai and the confrontation with Sirin, with the overwhelming steel army...

Having worked here for so long, Welt naturally understood what kind of person Theresa was - she was completely different from Otto, very friendly, and only cared about reading comics... I mean, fighting against the Honkai and teaching students.

In addition to that, the headmaster only engaged in necessary political and diplomatic activities, maintaining an unassuming demeanor.

With Theresa's special status, the Far East Branch had a transcendent position within Schicksal, constituting a very special force.

Welt felt it best to restrain himself a bit. After all, during the Second Eruption, he fought alongside Siegfried, Theresa, and others, which could be considered as "bonding" in a way.

Later, when Siegfried approached Anti-Entropy, it was largely due to the camaraderie forged in battle... Anti-Entropy naturally welcomed this rare S-rank combat power with a smile, although they couldn't directly command Siegfried, at least having his name would temper Schicksal's stance a bit.

Therefore, the Herrscher of Reason didn't want to ruin his "relationship" with Theresa.

Uh, maybe it's a bit late to say that now...

However, at least Welt could choose to control the situation and prevent the battle from escalating indefinitely, emptying the coffers of the Far East Branch in one fell swoop, so that his and Theresa's friendship wouldn't sink too fast...

Facing this situation, Luo Lin was at a loss for words.

Although she didn't know what went wrong when Welt analyzed the "Abyss Battlefield" blue light pillar just now, obviously nothing good had happened.

The "Haxxor Bunny" leaped backward, two submachine guns manifested in her hands, and several drones appeared in the same "Honkai Energy 3D printing" manner, weaving a cyan net in front of Luo Lin, intercepting Welt's attacks.

In the blink of an eye, the laboratory was engulfed in dense firepower, bullets, missiles, and beams weaving a complex web, erupting into brilliant light on the open ground.

Soon, Luo Lin realized that there was no future in facing off against Welt with "Haxxor Bunny."

After all, he was an experienced Herrscher of Reason, while she hadn't used "Haxxor Bunny" for long, spending most of her time on "research," and hadn't practiced much with Haxxor in the Abyss...

After just a few rounds, Harbinger's health bar had dropped to half, covered in wounds, bruised all over.

No, this kind of fighting won't work!

Luo Lin decisively transformed back into the "Dark Feathers" form, grasped a "Mimicry: Black Abyss White Flower" in one hand, held a submachine gun in the other, and activated "Moon Ring" at full speed, emitting a radiant white light, transforming into a rotating assault of white soldiers, stabbing forward.

As long as you don't heal faster than I do, then it's okay, right!

At this point, Welt finally realized that something was wrong--

When Luo Lin was injured earlier, the blood shed proved that she wasn't a soul steel body, and the fluctuations generated by "Haxxor Bunny" in battle actually subtly resonated with the core of the Herrscher of Reason.

Then, after Luo Lin transformed and charged with a gun, she delivered a strong impact to Welt on a mental level.

Indeed, "Black Abyss White Flower" was a powerful divine key, but compared to "Mimicry: Heaven's Fire Judgment," it was several orders of magnitude less destructive.

When dealing with Otto before, Welt had seen him raise "Mimicry: Judgement of Shamash" more than once. Seeing the other party now mimic "Black Abyss White Flower," it inevitably made the Herrscher of Reason wonder.

Moreover, this thing called the "Edge of Taixuan," Welt had some knowledge of it. It was indeed a powerful Honkai Energy control technique, but it required extremely high requirements on the user's mentality and spirit.

Welt didn't doubt that Otto could perform a half-baked Edge of Taixuan, but the person in front of him clearly had a certain proficiency in it.

Furthermore, the Herrscher of Reason could even sense the user's will from the lingering sword energy around her - clear, calm, and without much hostility.

"?"

Welt suspected that when he analyzed the unknown creation just now, it had harmed his brain. He stubbornly took another look, but the will and emotions coming from Luo Lin remained unchanged.

Could it be that I really mistook the person...?

Unfortunately, Welt didn't have any more time to discern and judge.

Blue quantum light spread out, climbing and entwining around the Herrscher of Reason's body. Tesla at the Anti-Entropy base in the Americas had already activated the quantum teleportation device according to the previous agreement, taking him away from here.

Welt stopped his attack, looking at the battered Luo Lin with a complex expression, and finally disappeared into the light.

"...He's gone."

Luo Lin planted Black Abyss White Flower into the ground, sighing heavily.

This whole thing was so confusing.

"You... Luo Lin! Are you stupid or something!"

The Herrscher of Sentience finally spoke up, her lips trembling, obviously infuriated.

She anxiously stroked the girl's body, the tattered clothes soaked with blood, staining the Herrscher's fingertips. Mimicry: Black Abyss White Flower was not as effective as the original, so it was a bit slower in healing the wounds.

Crimson emotions brewed in the Herrscher of Sentience's red eyes, and the atmosphere around them became dangerous.

Luo Lin took a deep breath, grasping the other's hand.

"It's okay, it's just a misunderstanding."

"But..."

Luo Lin pinched the Herrscher of Sentience's fingers, cutting off her words, "Normally, in the Abyssal Battlefield, I'm almost the same, so why such a big reaction this time?"

The Herrscher of Sentience whispered, "It's different here... this is reality."

"Hmm..." Luo Lin smiled, used Edge of Taixuan to clean the bloodstains on her body, then stood up straight, "See, I'm completely healed now, just as fragrant and white as before."

Luo Lin's voice grew quieter as she spoke, after all, all she smelled was the pungent smell of blood and the lingering aura of intense Honkai Energy in the laboratory.

The Herrscher of Sentience looked around, the scattered experimental instruments, electric sparks, and debris were everywhere, some places even emitting smoke and flames.

The smell of Luo Lin's blood permeated the Herrscher of Sentience's nostrils, unexpectedly emitting a strange sweet and greasy sensation.

From the perspective of a Honkai Apostle, this was undoubtedly a more suitable environment for the Herrscher of Sentience to survive and relaease destruction, and harm humans...

"Phew..."

The Herrscher of Sentience shivered, shaking her head to clear her thoughts, but soon, they stubbornly returned.

A feeling of disgust rose in the Herrscher of Sentience's heart. She directly used her authority to erase those strange, non-human-exciting feelings from her mind, then said slowly:

"I told you, I could have controlled him... but now it's turned out like this... by the way, what was that guy coming here for?"

"He probably sensed something..."

Luo Lin stared at the blue light pillar standing in the center of the battlefield, speechless for a moment. This thing was right in the middle of the battlefield, and the surrounding ground was cracked and shattered by the explosion, but the floor with this pillar was unscathed, comparable to the tiles of the neighboring Temple.

The Herrscher of Sentience's expression was quite complicated. She leaned over and sniffed next to Luo Lin, her eyebrows furrowing into a frown, "It stinks..."

Luo Lin could only awkwardly laugh, trying to brush off this topic, "I'll wash up at night, wash up..."

Just then, a long spear pierced through the ceiling, followed by a knight with blue particles descending from the sky, vigilantly surveying the surroundings.

"Luo Lin, teacher!!!"

"Bianka... I didn't..."

"Boom!"

Perhaps because the previous battle had already dealt heavy damage to the laboratory, the crashing of Durandal through the roof became the last straw that broke the camel's back. The entire laboratory building collapsed swiftly in the astonished gazes of the three, raising a cloud of dust.

Luo Lin's mouth twitched, "Uh... Bianka, you're naturally strong..."

Chapter 39: Finally Found

Theresa, Fu Hua, and Sakura arrived here one after the other. The headmaster flew in the air, relying on the Divine Keys, while the two warriors came running and leaping over rooftops, seemingly no different from flying close to the ground.

The headmaster looked at the "hot" ruins of the laboratory and asked, "What happened?"

Before Luo Lin could figure out how to describe the situation, the Herrscher of Sentience bluntly said, "The Leader of Anti-Entropy, Welt, suddenly appeared in the laboratory for some reason and ended up fighting with Luo Lin. After a few moves, he suddenly teleported away."

Theresa looked bewildered, "Huh?"

Of course, she knew who Welt was—the famous Herrscher of Reason, the top combat power of Anti-Entropy, who had contributed a lot during the Second Eruption... But why would Welt appear here?

Saint Freya is just an ordinary Valkyrie school, and as far as she knows, the Far East Branch hasn't conducted any secret research. Was there anything here that required the Master of Anti-Entropy to come and check it out?

Wait a minute...

Theresa squinted her eyes, staring at the sulking Herrscher of Sentience, her brain spinning rapidly.

She remembered the other two Herrschers who were teaching at Saint Freya, and finally sighed helplessly.

"I see... He discovered there were Herrschers here at Saint Freya, so he came to investigate..."

Theresa pressed a button on her terminal and said solemnly, "Ragna, raise the Far East Branch to the highest alert. The Leader of Anti-Entropy, Welt, intruded into the experimental area earlier and has now disappeared. Radar systems on full alert, ensure the safety of the branch!"

The voice of the former captain came from the terminal, "Understood!"

In the next moment, every corner of the Far East Branch rang with piercing alarm sounds, startling several flocks of birds.

The students who were still in class looked surprised, but quickly began to act, orderly evacuating according to pre-arranged routes.

Kiana and Mei looked into the distance, feeling the obvious fluctuations just now.

The white-haired puffball pursed her lips, "That location... feels so familiar... Is it just my imagination?"

"I think it's probably not just your imagination." Mei squinted her eyes.

Bronya helplessly said, "Sorry to interrupt, but Bronya doesn't have your exaggerated perception ability. What's going on?"

The girl with blue-purple long hair whispered, "There's a problem over at Sister Luo Lin's laboratory... probably."

"Should we go check it out?"

"Um... Sister Sirin said to find a place with no one around, and she'll open a portal."

Kiana led the two away from the group, heading to a secluded corner.

The girl's pupils suddenly turned golden, and Sirin logged into the white puffball's account. With a casual gesture, she drew out a portal, and without hesitation, stepped through it.

Mei and Bronya followed closely behind. After passing through the portal, the first thing they saw was Theresa holding up Judah, looking like she was about to beat the earth.

Mei asked with a strange expression, "Headmaster, what are you planning to do?"

"Of course, I'm using Judah to search for the enemy's location... Huh?"

Theresa glanced at the three who had arrived at the scene, her expression complicated. "I was originally going to have Fu Hua come pick you up, but you came directly here instead..."

Then, the headmaster knocked on the golden cross, "Judah, tracking mode, search for the residual Honkai Energy left by Welt earlier. I want to figure out the route he took to infiltrate the Far East Branch!"

The Divine Key responded by floating up and shooting out several golden chains, shuttling back and forth among the ruins of the laboratory. After a few rounds, the chains retracted, pointing in a direction.

"Kiana, Mei, and Bronya, you go take care of Luo Lin."

"Take care?"

Mei turned her head and found Luo Lin standing on the other side, her clothes tattered, looking weak.

"Sister Luo Lin!"

Mei ran to the Valkyrie's side, "What happened to you?"

Luo Lin sighed, "Because of some misunderstanding, I ended up fighting with the Leader of Anti-Entropy, Herrscher of Reason."

"??"

Bronya was somewhat glad that she could only maintain her stoic face now; otherwise, her expression would have been quite colorful.

Then, Theresa gave orders, "Fu Hua, come with me—Durandal, you stay here and protect them."

"Understood."

The golden-haired knight nodded, holding Hler, and kept a vigilant eye on the surroundings.

The headmaster and Fu Hua, guided by the Divine Key, moved between the buildings of Saint Freya, finally arriving at the door of a certain room in the teacher's dormitory.

Judah considerately shot out a chain, tinkering with the lock on the door. After a crisp click, the dormitory door slowly opened.

Theresa and Fu Hua glanced at each other and walked in.

When Saint Freya was built, the budget was very ample, so the rooms assigned to teachers were naturally top-notch, much larger than the students' dormitories.

The room's owner really liked it here, completely treating it as their own home to decorate and clean, making it look very clean and tidy.

They even bought some tools for making drinks and coffee, and there were soft cushions on the chairs for long hours of work.

Various books filled the shelves on both sides, the desk neatly stacked with lesson plans and assignments waiting to be graded, and the room was filled with the scent of ink.

Theresa found a teacher ID badge with a photo on the desk. The man in the photo wore glasses and looked scholarly and talented. Under the photo was his name.

Welt Yang, History Teacher.

The headmaster's eyes widened, staring fixedly at the man in the photo, her expression suddenly becoming very ugly.

"...Welt... You didn't even bother to hide your name?"

Upon hearing Theresa's gritted teeth muttering, Fu Hua finally dug out relevant information from her fragmented memories, and then realized, "This is the Leader of AE's room? He's teaching at Saint Freya?"

"Yes, it seems he's been here for a long time... And if my memories hadn't been sealed by Otto, I probably would have recognized him when he applied for the job."

Theresa couldn't help it and slammed her fist on the table. When she lifted her hand, there was already an imprint of her hand on the tabletop.

Fu Hua comforted Theresa, "Headmaster, this isn't your fault... The Herrscher of Reason has many ways to disguise himself, and I believe most people can't do anything about him."

Theresa's face flushed as she shouted, "But he only changed his face a bit! Welt didn't even change his name! What kind of disguise is that!?"

"Um..."

Fu Hua fell silent.

The headmaster clenched her fist, "Check, I want you to thoroughly investigate what this guy has been up to at Saint Freya Academy!"

Chapter 40: Have an Extra Bowl of Rice

Even though Luo Lin repeatedly emphasized that her injuries had healed and even presented "Mimicry: Black Abyss White Flower" as evidence, Theresa insisted on sending Luo Lin to the hospital for examination. Even the usually accommodating Herrscher of Sentience agreed with the headmaster's decision this time.

Kiana and the others didn't need to say anything more; they all wholeheartedly agreed. So, along with a few Herrschers and Durandal, they "escorted" Luo Lin to the hospital.

After a thorough examination, Luo Lin indeed had no major issues. However, the psychologist from the Far East Branch hurried over and solemnly said to her, "Miss Luo Lin, it's not good to work long hours and keep your nerves tense for a long time. You need to find an opportunity to relax properly..."

Luo Lin raised an eyebrow, feeling like she had heard this before a long time ago.

Facing the girl's gaze, the doctor continued, "You look a bit worn out, obviously accumulating a lot of stress—it's a state I've seen in many other Valkyries."

Luo Lin scratched her head, "I feel like I've been resting well every day."

"...The main reason is actually that the psychological doctor from headquarters made a record of it after examining you before. Not taking leave, working overtime frantically, putting a lot of pressure on yourself—even your previous supervisors thought it was a bit too much... And, I checked, it seems you haven't taken a day off for your annual leave in the past three years."

"Ah, this..."

Could Luo Lin tell the doctor that she had spent these missing three years swimming in the Sea of Quanta, strolling through parallel worlds, and feeling like only a few days had passed?

The girl could only wave her hand, "Let's talk about it later when I have time..."

The psychologist could only helplessly shake his head, "There's always work to be done, but moderation is the key... However, I've dealt with many Valkyries like you who refuse to rest until they reach their limits, it seems to be a habit."

Luo Lin cautiously asked, "Can I leave now?"

"No." The doctor said firmly, "Although I can't control how you live after you leave the hospital, you need to rest properly while you're here!"

With that, the doctor exercised his "supreme authority" and arranged for Luo Lin to recuperate in the ward.

Despite Luo Lin's strong protest (and the fact that every test result showed no problems), she could only leave at the latest by noon the next day.

The psychologist left with a wobbly head, leaving Luo Lin and a group of girls who cared deeply about her staring blankly.

"Luo Lin..."

Kiana's face was full of worry as she squeezed onto Luo Lin's bed, quietly and inconspicuously holding her hand.

Luo Lin even admired how Kiana managed to pull off this move. But thankfully, Bronya broke the awkward atmosphere, "Sis Luo Lin, do you know why L-Mr. Welt appeared here?"

Nearly slipped up and called him the Leader, huh, Bronya!

Luo Lin thought for a moment and replied, "It's probably related to a certain experiment I was working on... Of course, the main reason is that he mistook me for Bishop Otto and attacked me as soon as he arrived..."

"Why would Mr. Luo Lin be mistaken for Bishop Otto?"

Mei couldn't help but comment, "Bishop Otto is obviously a tall and handsome blond man, you don't match him in terms of gender, physique, or hair color, do you!?"

Luo Lin waved her hand, "Because Otto really could appear in any form in any corner—it's the Grand Bishop, anything happening to him is reasonable."

Mei and Bronya exchanged a glance, "Indeed."

The daughter of the Anti-Entropy executive and the veteran spy reached a consensus on the matter of "anything could happen to Otto."

"Um..."

Durandal subtly turned her head away. As an S-rank Valkyrie raised by Otto, she still knew some anecdotes about the bishop. Among them was the news that the bishop had long ceased to be a mortal and now used a body made of soulium, capable of freely changing its appearance...

Yelan even had the privilege of seeing Otto disguised as an ordinary Valkyrie, wandering around the headquarters, gossiping.

But in the end, Otto, who forgot about time while gossiping, was caught and taken back to work by Amber.

"It's getting late, you should rest first—we still have exams later, it's better to review more."

Mei sighed, showing a hint of admiration in her tone, "Luo Lin is indeed from Shenzhou, even after the Far East Branch was invaded by enemies, she's still thinking about exams..."

"Why shouldn't we have exams after something like this happens?" Bronya asked, "The headmaster said we would continue the exams after checking the safety of Saint Freya... Probably they will be postponed for some time."

"Right."

Luo Lin pulled her hand away from Kiana's—this Kiana was really taking liberties, sneakily scratching her palm.

Luo Lin glanced at the white puffball and vaguely saw a hint of gold in her eyes. Obviously, Sirin hadn't "slept" yet and was still keeping an eye on the outside world.

So was this idea Kiana's or Sirin's?

Luo Lin glared at the white puffball, "Alright, go back early, I need to rest—just as the doctor told me! Got it!"

"Yes~"

Kiana deliberately elongated her tone, then leaned close to Luo Lin's ear and said in a completely different calm tone, "Luo Lin, you haven't fulfilled your promise to me yet, don't think you can escape responsibility even if you die."

Obviously, this last sentence came from Sirin's mouth, showing her concern for Luo Lin in her own unique and awkward way.

Luo Lin replied, "Don't worry, I won't die."

"It's better that way."

Suddenly, Sirin blew a breath against Luo Lin's ear again, making the girl visibly shiver. She was then pulled away by Mei, the golden color disappearing from her eyes. Kiana resumed her antics, then received a scolding glance from Raiden Mei.

"Ouch!"

The white puffball rubbed her forehead, looking extremely aggrieved, "It wasn't me who did it..."

Mei asked, "Do you dare to say you didn't have any devious thoughts just now?"

"Uh..."

Kiana hesitated, her behavior clearly revealing her thoughts, so she received a bonk on the head from Mei.

Durandal said, "Then we'll leave first."

Watching the group leave the ward, Luo Lin finally managed to lie down on the bed peacefully. She sighed, her consciousness returning to the system space.

Then Luo Lin saw Elysia, the Herrscher of Sentience, Higokumaru, and Selune's Elegy each holding a bucket of popcorn, sitting in a row on the sofa, watching the scene where everyone in the ward was concerned about her replaying repeatedly on the big screen.

Selune pushed her glasses and sighed, "Exciting, just watching this makes me want to eat two more bowls of rice."

"Obviously, there's something wrong with this Kiana."

Elysia pointed at the white puffball.

Selune, displeased, murmured, "Of course there's something wrong. She's done some terrifying things before..."

The pink elf seemed to realize something and gradually became comical, "You, little Senti... You can't just sit back and relax, you know?"

Selune straightened up and said firmly, "I don't understand what you're talking about."

"What? Oh wait..."

Elysia realized that Luo Lin was approaching and quickly sat up straight, shifting away from Selune's Elegy who was chatting away.

But the ELF, oblivious, continued to sing in a melodious tone, "The hearts of the girls entangle each other, who can express their feelings and gain the upper hand in the war called love... Huh? Why did you all move so far away? Don't you like this melon...?"

Higokumaru put the popcorn back in the bucket, giving Selune a sympathetic look.

"Could it be..."

Selune cleared her throat, turned her head, and greeted Luo Lin, who had quietly appeared behind her.

"Hey? Miss me?"

Elysi perked up her ears, "Someone stole my line!"

"Eat two more bowls of rice, huh? Love war, huh? Like to eat melons, huh?"

Luo Lin "smiled" while pinching the face of the ELF, trying to knead it hard.

Chapter 41: Mouth Annoying, Body Honest

As soon as Luo Lin entered the "Elysian Realm," she saw Raven emerging from the tent, rubbing her eyes sleepily and greeting her. "Good morning, good noon, good evening..."

"Why are you greeting me three times in a row..."

"Because I didn't know when you'd come back." The mercenary girl rubbed her eyes and explained confidently, "So I just greet you all at once."

To this, Luo Lin could only respond with a "..."

Elysia smiled at Raven, who felt uncomfortable under her gaze.

"What's wrong?"

It's worth noting that at first, Raven was very cautious around a certain Schicksal Valkyrie. She was tense and armed when they interacted, ready to react to any slight movement with flying knives and hidden weapons.

But later, Raven unconsciously got used to Luo Lin's presence, and her guard dropped significantly. Now, she even dared to come out and greet Luo Lin when she wasn't fully awake.

This girl seemed to inexplicably get along well with others...

The Herrscher of Sentience crossed her arms and fell into thought.

Elysia blinked. "Nothing, I just think Natasha and little Luo Lin get along well too."

Raven was taken aback for a moment and shouted loudly, "Who gets along well with her?! She's a Schicksal Valkyrie, and I'm the World Serpent Agent, it's not the same!"

With a nod from the Herrscher of Sentience and Elysia, Raven placed her hands on her hips and gave Luo Lin a fierce look. "So what are you here for today?"

Luo Lin replied, "I brought some things, to be studied by Mobius and Vill-V... and to see how their research is going."

The Herrscher of Sentience sneered, "More work, I knew you couldn't stay idle."

"Can this be called work? I'm just here to relax!"

"Wait a minute..."

Raven blinked and asked, "Can you tell me what the thing struggling in your arms is?"

"Oh, this, it's a gift for Klein."

Luo Lin looked at the struggling Selune's Elegy in her arms. The mouth of the ELF was taped shut, desperately trying to escape the girl's embrace.

Raven's mouth twitched. "Is this some kind of new game you're playing?"

Luo Lin answered somewhat helplessly, "I just said I wanted her to help Klein maintain the 'Elysian Realm,' and she 'whooshed' away... running far away in an instant..."

Because the mouth of the ELF was taped shut, she could only make muffled sounds of despair with her face full of despair.

At that moment, Klein pushed open the small door on the side of the Elysian Realm Hall and walked out.

"I just received Luo Lin's notification. It seems that an ELF volunteered to help me with my work, so I rushed over immediately."

Compared to before, Klein's complexion had improved a lot, and even her dark circles seemed lighter.

Of course, the price was Book of Fuxi behind her, who seemed to be in a trance, lying motionless on the floating sphere.

Seeing this scene, Selune, with a deep sense of sadness, struggled harder, "Wu wu wu wu!!"

"Ah, are you here to help me with my work?"

Luo Lin nodded, "Yes, that's right, she 'volunteered' to take over for Book of Fuxi."

"Wu wu wu!!"

"So that's it."

Klein nodded with relief, then turned to Selune's Elegy and said, "I know you're eager to help, but don't get too excited, okay?"

"Wu gu?!"

Hearing the conversation between the two, Book of Fuxi suddenly regained its energy, bouncing up from the sphere, "What? Am I free? Who saved me?"

Luo Lin handed Selune's Elegy to Klein like delivering goods, and the green-haired puppet displayed combat power far beyond her usual, firmly grasping the combat-type ELF Selune's Elegy.

"Thank you, Luo, I'll go back to work now."

Klein politely bowed to Luo Lin, then dragged Selune's Elegy back behind the door, someone's screams... well, cries of despair soon disappeared.

Luo Lin patted Raven's shoulder, who was staring dumbfounded, "Alright, let's go find Mobius and Vill-V."

"Okay, okay..."

------------------------------------------

"Adorable little mouse, what new and exciting things have you brought this time?"

The green-haired scientist emerged from the laboratory, wearing an eager smile.

Luo Lin couldn't help but laugh and cry, "I'm not a treasure chest, every time I come, I can't bring you some new gadgets... This time it's just a piece of Stigmata Fragment."

"Stigmata Fragment huh..."

Mobius fell silent for a moment and said, "Follow me, Vill-V is studying them."

The green-haired doctor led the group to a laboratory where the floor was covered with thick energy pipelines.

Vill-V was maneuvering through these dense lines, with mechanical arms extending from her back, occasionally adjusting a node, resembling a giant spider.

These pipelines converged into a device that looked like a trophy display stand, with two cards floating steadily in the middle.

"Oh? You're here!"

With clanking sounds, "Big Spider" Vill-V came to Luo Lin.

She adjusted her hat with her dual-colored fluffy hair and pointed to the instruments in the room, saying, "Please look! Vill-V's latest masterpiece, the 6th model of the Stigmata Fragment Manifestation Device!"

Luo Lin squinted. "I heard that right, it's for the Kevin Killer, isn't it? And why is it the sixth model?"

"Oh dear, I misspoke..." Vill-V coughed, "As for why it's called the sixth model, it's because I've modified so many versions of it!"

The great inventor excitedly said, "Every time I research, I make new discoveries, and with each new discovery, I modify the device to make it more compatible with the fragments. So, after several modifications, it's already the sixth version!"

Vill-V snapped her fingers, and the cards floating in the device emitted light, and the images of two girls appeared on the side of the instrument.

It was Fuxi and Nuwa!

The dual-colored fluffy head sighed, "No wonder Dr. Mei is always thinking about the Project Stigma, it's indeed something."

"After so many years, I can still see those two unreliable fellows..." Mobius squinted her eyes, "Tsk, seeing them reminds me of those crappy reports they made, really annoying."

Vill-V chuckled, "And you still help them with those reports?"

"...If they write something so crappy and show it to others directly, won't it embarrass me?"

Vill-V shook her head. "Forget it, isn't this called wiping someone else's ass? You care about them a lot, otherwise why would you recommend them for the Project Ember?"

"You recommended them?"

Luo Lin looked at Mobius in surprise, but the green-haired doctor remained silent, crossing her arms and looking at the holographic images of the girls in the air with a complicated expression.

"It's a pity that they've become something I can't quite understand now..."

Vill-V, unusually, didn't do anything strange this time, just whispered to Mobius, "It's okay, I have a feeling that the research will make progress soon! Luo Lin, you said you brought new Stigmata Fragments? Hurry up and show them to me..."

As instructed, Luo Lin produced a card and placed it in Vill-V's hand.

[Stigmata Fragment - Continuing Forward, RIN (Upper)]

She lowered her head, and Mobius also approached her side, staring at the pattern on the card.

In the lively amusement park, the pink-haired girl with a single ponytail pointed to the ferris wheel not far away, her face full of joy.

Her other hand held the hand of a girl with pink hair, wearing a straw hat, clearly her sister.

"This girl looks familiar... wait a minute..."

Vill-V widened her eyes, "This is... Rin?!"

Chapter 42 ((Awareness))

Deep within the Elysian Realm, in a secluded small room, the rhythmic clattering of machinery continued incessantly.

Each strike had no deviation, as if the source of the sound was recording the content with icy objectivity.

It was a mysterious instrument, faithfully recording everything happening in the Elysian Realm...

Its name was the Elysian Realm Repository Data Collection Control Console Interactive Output... um, what was it again? Oh well, let's just call it the Elysian Realm Typewriter.

The typewriter diligently typed onto the paper, its speed astonishing. With each intense strike, a sheet quickly filled with content, then a new one would be pushed out, fluttering to the ground...

Perhaps it shouldn't be called the ground anymore, as the room was now submerged in a sea of paper, with no normal footing anywhere.

"Hmm... has something happened in the Realm again?"

A small voice came from beneath the papers, sounding somewhat muffled, as if just waking from a dream.

"Let me guess... is it that guy who's always setting things on fire and wrecking other people's labs? Oh, it's probably the noodle party starting again!"

She wanted to stretch lazily, but she felt an unusual heaviness in her body.

"Maybe it's that always noisy magician with some new invention?"

But soon, she realized something was wrong, as the heaviness wasn't from being half-asleep, but because she was actually buried under the papers.

"...There are too many files this time, isn't there!?"

The paper mountain shook and collapsed, and a small pink figure struggled to climb out from the bottom.

At first glance, this little one was like a miniature version of Elysia - which wasn't entirely inaccurate, given her close relationship with the pink fairy miss, even being referred to as "Fairy Elly" by a certain horned Herrscher.

Fairy Ellie adjusted the halo on her head and then pulled out a wand from the paper pile, about the same height as herself, looking worriedly at the scattered papers on the ground.

"Weird... could someone have organized a tour group? This amount, I've never seen it before..."

Fairy Ellie picked up a piece of paper and began to read its contents.

"Mobius's Research #20#49X has made a breakthrough, Vill-V's Research #19X08 has made a breakthrough...?"

Fairy Ellie looked at the long list of research numbers and the specific contents of the important findings attached to each number, her eyes spinning.

A few seconds later, she decisively gave up reading these "weighty scientific papers" and instead searched for events within her understanding.

"Elysia is sneakily stuffing clothes into Mobius's wardrobe, that's normal... Pardofelis is trying to pry open a door somewhere, also normal..."

Fairy Ellie scratched her head. "Strange, these are all typical Land daily routines, when did things start to change..."

To quickly understand the situation, she floated over to the Magic Typewriter, which was continuously working, and picked up a freshly printed page to read.

"Vill-V has made a breakthrough in the study of Stigmata Fragments, a crucial element of the world's basic operating rules has appeared before us...?"

Fairy Ellie frowned. "What are Stigmata Fragments? What are the world's basic rules? Hmm, never mind, I'm not a scientist, let's see the next entry..."

She picked up the second sheet and read slowly, word by word: "Sakura sensed her sister's presence, utilized the power of 'Setsuna' to retrieve the 'Seven Thunders of Retribution', and is speeding towards the Mobius Lab...?"

————————————————————

Sakura in the Elysian Realm had always been trapped in a completely identical dream.

Apart from a desolate void, there was only a girl sitting alone, crying with hatred.

Perhaps due to memory loss, Sakura could never recall who she was. Whenever she approached the girl, she would abruptly wake from the dream.

This dream showed no signs of disappearing, but rather, it became more frequent.

"It's been so long already..."

With a peculiar katana in hand, sparks of lightning burst from the blade, climbing along its sharp curve onto her arm. When she opened her eyes, a cold light, like ancient ice, shimmered in the depths of her pupils.

"Since the moment I learned... of Rin's demise as the 'Herrscher of Corruption'..."

Sakura had always known.

Specifically, she had known since the end of the event involving the 'Herrscher of Corruption' fifty thousand years ago, when all the Flamechasers, except herself, returned to the Elysian Realm for memory synchronization.

Even though both the Flamechasers and their memory replicas told Sakura at the time that in the real world, she had bravely fought the Herrscher, sacrificing herself to preserve the last spark of hope for the human world, dying with dignity, without mentioning anything else related to her...

But as a MANTIS, the elite assassin of the former 'COCOON', Sakura's perception and discernment abilities far surpassed everyone's imagination.

She keenly sensed the complex emotions her colleagues harbored when facing her - whether goodwill or other emotions, they helped Sakura deduce what her colleagues were concealing from her.

The answer wasn't so easily obtained, of course, but for Sakura, it wasn't particularly difficult...

She merely speculated out of habit and made rational deductions.

But now, after fifty thousand years, Sakura felt a familiar presence in the Land, in a somewhat obtrusive lab with green-haired Dr. Mobius.

Since Sakura had collaborated with Dr. Mobius before, she understood that there was still a soft spot in the doctor's heart and wouldn't maliciously speculate about her actions.

However, Sakura had a good grasp of Dr. Mobius's unconventional perspectives: perhaps Dr. Mobius's experiments weren't malicious, but the results of the experiments were usually unbearable for ordinary people.

Regarding matters concerning her own sister, Sakura considered herself an ordinary person - this was the most important thing to her, a red line that no one else could cross.

So she took the 'Seven Thunders of Retribution, stealthily infiltrating Dr. Mobius's lab, ready to give the reckless doctor a "thunderous warning" to demonstrate her stance.

But when Sakura saw the figure of a girl floating in the room full of pipes, looking around in confusion, she couldn't steady the katana in her hand...

Emerging from the shadows, Sakura called out loudly, "Rin!?"

"Ah, sister!!"

Beside her, Vill-V tossed her hat into the air, laughing heartily, "I did it, I found it, the manifestation method of the Stigmata Fragments!!!!"

"Shut up! I'm almost there!"

"Mobius, I'm ahead of you, hahaha!!"

The green-haired doctor shouted in frustration, "Lin, shut her mouth up!!!"

Chapter 43: Soul and Hope

While Vill-V gave Mobius a hard time, Sakura stared awkwardly at her own sister. At this moment, Rin floated in mid-air, her body enveloped in a hazy light, displaying a wonderful translucent color, resembling some kind of holographic projection.

Sakura reached out, attempting to touch her sister, only to have her fingertips pass directly through the girl's semi-transparent outline, causing ripples like spreading water.

"Ah!"

With pink fox ears, Flamechaser quickly withdrew her hand, cautiously asking, "Rin... are you... are you okay?"

"Sister..."

Rin opened her mouth, revealing a smile that was strained to the point of being unbearable, "Seeing you, I'm really happy."

Just like the old days fifty thousand years ago, Sakura now showed no signs of the icy chill of the "COCOON," nor the decisiveness of the "Setsuna."

She was just a sister worried about her family.

"What's wrong, Rin? Are you unhappy about something? Or have you encountered some trouble?"

Sakura patted her chest, making a banging sound, "It's okay, trust your sister, I've got great abilities."

"Sis..."

"As long as you speak out, sis can definitely help you solve it. Sis knows many important people—look, these two are famous scientists and engineers, also my good friends, right?"

Sakura's gaze swept over the two, and Mobius and Vill-V both felt a faint chill at their necks, as if something sharp and slender was pressing against them.

So they both nodded, "Yes, that's right, we're your sister's friends."

Rin shook her head, her expression becoming even more melancholy, "It's useless..."

"Rin..."

Sakura wanted to continue, but was interrupted by her sister, who looked very similar to her, "It's impossible, I've already committed unforgivable sins... I think, you should know, sis."

Sakura fell silent, her lips pressed together, her brow furrowed into knots.

"Yes, I know... you're the 'Herrscher,' Rin."

Elysia widened her eyes, staring at the pink-haired killer, struggling to speak, "You... you know?"

The pink-haired killer nodded, "I know—I've known since fifty thousand years ago."

Mobius and Vill-V exchanged glances, seeing the same shock in each other's eyes.

Sakura took a deep breath, "So, Rin, what's your situation now...?"

Rin replied puzzledly, "Honestly, I'm not sure either, I just know that after opening my eyes, I was here. Um, let me think..."

The figure of the girl with the pink single ponytail suddenly flickered, and the soft light enveloping her gradually dimmed.

"...Ah, so... tired..."

A few seconds later, Rin closed her eyes, her semi-transparent figure frozen in place.

Not far away, amidst a series of mechanical bouncing sounds, the instrument holding the Stigmata fragments emitted hot gas, and the glowing heat sinks quickly expanded, making the whole room hot.

The atmosphere in the laboratory suddenly became very subtle. A certain pink-haired sis-con had her hand on the grip of the Third Divine Key emitting an unprecedentedly sharp murderous intent.

"Ah, your sister is fine, it's just that the manifestation device I rushed to make overloaded," Vill-V hastily said, "she's fine now, you can let go!"

Sakura squeezed out a few syllables from between her teeth, "Explanation?"

Mobius swallowed, then poked Vill-V with the tentacle of her suspended chair, "Isn't this the principle you discovered? Speak up?"

The great magician wasn't stupid either, immediately retorting, "Aren't you about to succeed soon? I think your data and ideas are correct, otherwise, why don't you explain it?"

"You..."

Click.

Sakura expressionlessly tightened the grip on the handle of the "Seven Thunders of Retribution" and there was a faint sound of collision from the blade.

Mobius and Vill-V immediately stopped blaming each other senselessly.

Because after the click, the two scientists saw that a corner of each other's bangs was missing, and the cut hair was fluttering in the wind, gently falling to the ground.

The pink-haired killer said, "Who's going to explain?"

The two looked at each other and, ultimately, Vill-V stepped forward, explaining to Sakura, who was already bursting with anger, "This is actually a Stigmata fragment... do you know what Stigmata is?"

"..."

Helplessly, Vill-V sighed, "Well, this has to start with Dr. Mei's 'Project Stigma'... of course, I can't guarantee that I know all of Dr. Mei's intentions, after all, that's Dr. Mei."

Vill-V folded her arms, then continued, "At that time, we wanted to control the Honkai Energy, either through technology, becoming MANTIS, or using the Divine Key. Human control over Honkai Energy wasn't particularly strong..."

"To improve this situation, Dr. Mei proposed the 'Project Stigma,' allowing humans to transcend the boundaries of imaginary and real numbers, not needing any modification, adapting to the Honkai, and mastering it..."

"Of course, Dr. Mei's plan always had more than just surface effects. Stigmata not only allows humans to manipulate Honkai Energy, but can also serve as a carrier of information, carrying memories... even souls!"

Sakura immediately seized on the key point, "Souls?!"

"Yes, souls. I don't know if this was specially designed by Dr. Mei, or if there have been miraculous changes over these fifty thousand years... anyway, Stigmata, like the powers of the Herrschers, touches upon the physical laws of the world..."

Vill-V sighed, "As you can see, that's the 'Stigmata Fragment' of your sister Rin, her soul is attached to the Stigmata Fragment. After studying it, I used the Stigmata Fragment Manifestation Device Type Six to briefly activate Rin's soul, allowing her to communicate with us..."

Sakura murmured, "Fragment...? Why a fragment?"

Vill-V decisively pointed to Luo Lin, "The Stigmata Fragment was brought back by Luo Lin, you should ask her about this!"

Faced with the intense gaze of the pink-haired killer, Luo Lin's head broke out in a cold sweat, "Ah, this... um..."

She briefly explained the ins and outs of the "Key of Corruption - Jizo Mitama over the past fifty thousand years, as well as the love and hatred between the Hellmaru, the Yae Sisters, and Kallen Kaslana.

Finally, the story ended with a relatively perfect happy family reunion, with the two Sakura sisters welcoming back the Stigmata Fragment attached to their sister's soul, Mobius and Vill-V obtaining new research materials, and everyone being happy...

Just kidding! Mobius, Vill-V, I've provided you with so many novel research materials, and the opportunity to explore the truth of the world, why are you just watching now!?

The two scientists turned their heads, indicating that they were not familiar with Luo Lin now.

"...We are currently looking for technology to repair the Stigmata fragments, and we will continue to find ways to use these souls to revive them in the future..."

Luo Lin looked at Sakura, who was shining with excitement in her eyes, wiped her sweat, and then said fiercely, "In this regard, you'll have to pay more attention to Mobius and Vill-V's research progress... time is tight, and the task is heavy."

Vill-V's hat almost fell off, and Mobius coughed violently, "That, paying attention to what, it's not necessary, right?"

"...I'll keep an eye on them."

Sakura made a cold judgment, ignoring the distorted expressions of the two scientists.

Luo Lin almost laughed out loud, Who told you to sell me out!

The pink-haired killer stared at the semi-transparent figure of her sister, her mouth forming a barely perceptible curve.

Fifty thousand years had passed, burdened with a painful past, at this moment, she rarely felt relaxed, full of hope for the future.

Chapter 44: More Learning is Good

In front of everyone, Vill-V handed a batch of training equipment to Luo Lin, claiming it was for "some experimental data you need to provide."

The tests were numerous, including but not limited to a series of combat tasks to test a Valkyrie's output capacity, endurance, and healing abilities.

Luo Lin could bet that this whole setup was definitely Vill-V's revenge... well, perhaps it also served her scientific research?

Mobius was all too happy to see this, "smiling" as she used the tentacles of her chair to block Luo Lin, "inviting" her to the testing grounds, urging her to "sacrifice for science and technology."

Moreover, the green-haired scientist expressed that she didn't mind personally joining the battle to give Luo Lin a little shock therapy.

After much persuasion, Luo Lin managed to talk Mobius out of it, knowing well that Mobius could throw caution to the wind and smash her face with a direct human impact.

After all, Mobius had done so before.

Then Luo Lin found herself facing Vill-V's specially made "test combat robot."

After an intense battle of 300 rounds, Luo Lin began to complain: "There's something wrong with this shield! I feel the Honkai energy level isn't that high, so why isn't the shield depleting after all my attacks?"

"Because this shield is a special one I created, combining a 'hit count shield' and 'weapon skill' for a unique determination."

The grand magician adjusted her hat, revealing a shining smile with eight teeth: "The shield only breaks if certain conditions are met or with a powerful, overwhelming attack. Any other attacks do very little damage to the shield..."

Luo Lin was furious: "What are these conditions for breaking the shield?!"

"You'll have to figure that out yourself."

Vill-V smiled silently, not intending to tell Luo Lin that even she hadn't figured out how to break the special shield.

The great inventor adjusted her hat again, explaining that she had just applied the methodology used to create Divine Keys from the Herrscher cores in the previous civilization—a technological black box with unclear principles but effective nonetheless.

Helpless, Luo Lin stood up and continued her intense and thrilling fight with the test robot.

Eventually, Luo Lin discovered the shield-breaking mechanism—an "extreme dodge count shield" requiring two consecutive extreme dodges to deactivate the shield.

Luo Lin began to suspect that the robot might be a quantum-type monster; otherwise, why would it have such a ridiculous mechanism...

However, compared to the quantum eel that needed three extreme dodges after collecting orbs to break its shell, this robot was less formidable, likely just a minor boss in the early levels of the abyss, or at most an S-rank on the Arena...

Wait, why am I considering all this? This robot, created by Vill-V, won't end up in the Abyss...

The system leisurely commented: [That's not certain—since we can now connect to the Honkai Impact 3rd website and forums... there could be other impacts too.]

"Uh..."

Could it be that Vill-V is evolving into a devious planner?!

Distracted, Luo Lin was knocked to the ground by the robot.

Fortunately, the training robot's damage wasn't high, and after rolling on the ground twice, she executed a stylish combo on the enemy. The robot, without its shield, showed blue lights in its eyes and stopped moving.

"Data collection complete!"

Luo Lin let out a long breath, lying on the ground to enjoy a moment of peace.

But soon, peace was shattered—her head was hit by a thick stack of files comparable to an encyclopedia, with loose papers covering her face.

"Bang!"

Mobius said in a dull voice, "This is my report on Stigmata research. Read it when you're done with the experiment."

Luo Lin shuffled the papers off her head, picked one up, and felt dizzy from the dense knowledge, quickly feeling sleepy.

"This..."

To be honest, Luo Lin had received research reports from Mobius and Vill-V before, but they were simplified for general understanding.

Now, the green-haired scientist had thrown her an original, detailed report full of formulas, data, and charts meant for professional researchers.

Reading such a document was beyond Luo Lin's current capabilities.

She looked up to see Mobius looking impatient and frustrated.

"What? Never seen a scientist being supervised?"

Luo Lin focused and saw a pink-haired assassin lingering behind Mobius, monitoring her research progress 24/7.

Sakuta, the Flamechaser of Setsuna, nodded at Luo Lin: "Hello, Luo Lin, I'm overseeing Dr. Mobius's research progress."

"Isn't this a bit too much?"

Luo Lin's mouth twitched, understanding this was likely another form of Mobius's revenge.

Adjusting her expression, she looked at Mobius with a pleading gaze: "Could you give me a version I can understand?"

"Learn if you don't understand, little mouse. You're an important partner, and you need some scientific knowledge."

Mobius emphasized each word: "You must learn, got it? Learn! It's never too late to learn! When I led a team, any researcher could understand such reports..."

Is it possible that your researchers were all top-tier professionals?

As far as Luo Lin knew, Mobius's assistants, apart from Klein, Fuxi, Nuwa, and a certain Blanca (Griseo's mother who left to start a family), there were no others...

Luo Lin looked at the document, feeling like she was drowning in a sea of knowledge: "Can't you help me out a bit?"

Mobius's reply was firm and merciless: "No. Vill-V will bring her research report soon, compare them then... Oh, there she is."

Luo Lin turned to see Vill-V carrying a stack of files half her height with a robotic arm, her face turning pale.

"No, please!"

Chapter 45: What about me? Where should I go?

The uproar caused by Welt's exposure in St. Freya lasted for several days. Theresa remained in a state of simmering anger throughout this period, evidently deeply affected by the revelation.

During these days, Kiana had a blast, as there were no dreaded online classes in the Far East. She felt liberated from the usual routine.

Bronya kept themselves occupied with gaming, playing from dawn till dusk—after all, with the emergency situation, none of their teachers had time to assign homework or practice requirements, so they just played to their heart's content.

As a diligent student, Raiden Mei did take time to review her studies while also feeding her two good friends on schedule...

Huh? You're wondering why Luo Lin didn't come to feed them?

Well, let's take a look at the original research reports Mobius and Vill-V gave her!

When Kiana, accompanied by Raiden Mei and Bronya, came to visit her, they were stunned by the mountain of "knowledge" piled up as soon as they opened the dormitory door—Luo Lin's bedroom and half of the living room were filled with files and papers, making it extremely difficult to find a place to stand.

Luo Lin immersed herself in the vast sea of knowledge, wrestling with various proprietary terms and charts. Even Kiana, who was not academically inclined, couldn't help but yawn at the sight of Luo Lin struggling, immediately deciding to take her leave.

Bronya and Raiden Mei tentatively picked up a document to read, feeling like they were looking at something indescribable, their minds tangled with incomprehensible mutterings.

Ural Silver Wolf quickly threw the document back onto the pile of papers, asking with admiration, "Luo Lin, you actually understand all this..."

Luo Lin lifted her head from the report, her eyes bloodshot, "Actually, do you believe me if I say I can't understand it myself?"

Raiden Mei nodded, then shook her head, "I think Luo Lin can still understand some parts of it."

She wasn't wrong. Luo Lin could understand some parts, but only a little bit.

Actually, Mobius and Vill-V's level of writing research reports was also very high. After all, both of them were big spenders—If the reports were poorly written and the people responsible for allocating budgets couldn't understand them, how could they get more money to do other things?

Especially with Dr. Mei overseeing the "grading," they had to write perfectly beautiful reports. They couldn't let Mei look down on them, could they? They still had some pride in themselves.

Fortunately, compared to when she first received the reports, Luo Lin had made great progress: she learned to skip the parts she didn't understand and go straight to the results, going back to tackle the specific processes when necessary.

It was a kind of applied reading method.

By doing so, Luo Lin still gained a lot, gaining some new insights into the various abilities on her body and their relationship with the laws of the world, ready to continue experimenting next time.

While Luo Lin was immersed in studying the reports, the school principal, with "Oath of Judah" in hand, thoroughly inspected the entire Far East branch from top to bottom. However, due to the special nature of the Herrscher of Reason, Welt didn't leave many traces that could be traced.

In the end, Theresa could only announce the end of the state of emergency, and everyone went back to their own business as usual...

In this incident, Theresa displayed rare qualities of a great leader, personally soothing the students and subordinates with her powerful charisma, stabilizing the atmosphere of the Far East branch, displaying the demeanor of a future Grand Bishop.

Furthermore, Theresa managed to keep the impact of the whole incident within a very small range, with only a few people knowing the truth in the end.

How should she put it, Theresa felt somewhat helpless, after all, the Leader of Anti Entropy had infiltrated St. Freya for many years, producing batches of outstanding students for Schicksal... In many ways, this matter was quite bizarre and beyond belief, but it happened.

If other branches of Schicksal were to find out, Theresa's situation afterwards would probably be very difficult...

Not necessarily, after all, her last name is Apocalypse. If things didn't change dramatically, her "kind and amiable" grandfather would definitely step in.

Of course, Luo Lin could bet that Otto definitely knew about Theresa's efforts to conceal this matter.

Theresa also had this feeling as she sat in her office, locking eyes with the tired Ragnar.

"Alright, stop looking at me like that, I know you're anxious, but don't rush... You asked me before if it was possible to prevent Welt from infiltrating the inner circle of Schicksal again, I asked a reliable friend from the Equipment Department, and the answer she gave me was—basically impossible."

The old captain waved her hand, "Unless each branch is equipped with a key like 'Oath of Judah' that can trace Honkai energy, otherwise, Welt will do whatever he wants."

Theresa looked somewhat melancholic, "Herrscher of Reason, truly inscrutable... Having both combat strength and so many practical tricks..."

Ragnar consoled, "Let it go, let it go, after all, that's a very special Herrscher... Well, although we have a few special Herrschers here too..."

As he spoke, the old captain frowned. She felt like there were a bit too many Herrschers in Saint Freya.

"...Let's talk about the final exams, don't forget, you're still the principal of St. Freya."

Theresa flipped through her personal terminal, "How's the inspection of the 'Memorial Arena' equipment for the exam site?"

"It's all been checked, and it's running well." Ragnar gestured, "Fu Hua and that Yae Sakura have been testing it in the 'Memori Arena' recently—oh, right, Fu Hua also made an interesting suggestion. It seems that Yae Sakura has made a very similar suggestion..."

Theresa became interested, "Oh? What suggestions?"

Ragnar handed two pieces of paper to the principal. After reading them, Theresa asked with a subtle expression, "This... Adding enhancement attributes to monsters, shields, and such..."

The old captain shrugged, "I think they're all good ideas. Whoever wants to challenge can give it a try, consider it an extra credit question?"

"I think it's fine."

With just a few words, the cursed system that would be detested by countless Valkyries (not just students) in the future was added to the exam.

Whenever they thought of this thing, countless Valkyries gritted their teeth, their faces distorted with anger, all swearing to personally spar with the person who suggested this.

Why did you make it so difficult? Huh? Are you a masochist?

Oh, it turns out it was Lady Yae and Fu Hua who suggested it, then it's okay.

Theresa chatted with Ragnar for a while longer, handled some work, and finally remembered something, sighing, "Ah, I wonder how Kiana's studying for her cultural classes is going..."

Kiana's situation was hard to say, but Luo Lin unexpectedly encountered another unexpected trouble.

"Himeko wants to use 'Vermilion Knight' to teach, Seele wants to borrow 'Stygian Nymph character cards and stick them with Bronya, Senti wants to use the 'Accipter' to go out and play with Fu Hua, and Elysia wants the 'Miss Pink Elf' character card and a full set of Stigmata in the system..."

Luo Lin counted on her fingers, "I don't even have enough card slots for three characters, they're all taken by others, so what about me? Where should I go?"