HIA VOL 8 CH26-50 (Patreon)

HA VOL 8 CH 26-50

Chapter 26: Shelter 386

"This is Shelter 386. The city's emergency procedures have been activated. Officials and the military are on their way to assist. Please remain calm; the shelter is stocked with sufficient supplies and has a complete water recycling system..."

“If only everything was really as the broadcast says…”

The shelter, once considered spacious, was now overcrowded, with people even filling the corridors. Many were injured or so terrified that they had soiled themselves, further worsening the already poor air quality inside the shelter.

"Cough, cough..." "It hurts..." "Kill me..."

The city's power system had failed. Although the shelter's backup power was still functioning, it was nearing the critical threshold. Many non-essential devices had been shut down, and under the dim emergency lights, people's faces cast long shadows, resembling lost souls with nowhere to go.

"What should we do next?!"

In the shelter's control room, several officials were engaged in a heated discussion. Unlike the general populace crammed elsewhere, they knew more about the situation in Mu Continent—and felt even more despair.

A few hours ago, a strong Honkai energy reaction was detected in the center of Mu Continent, later confirmed as a Herrscher. This was the ninth Herrscher to appear, who would eventually be known as the Herrscher of Rock. His emergence signified an unprecedented setback for the previous civilization.

But at this moment, no one in Mu Continent knew what feats this Herrscher would accomplish. Humanity assumed he would be easily eliminated, like the previous eight Herrschers (though, was it really easy?).

After all, this was Mu Continent, the most industrialized, militarized, and civilized area for humanity. Numerous anti-Honkai technologies were developed here, and countless dedicated individuals worked and trained here to fight the Honkai...

A mere Herrscher was just a monster that could be destroyed by guns and cannons.

But the ninth Herrscher was different. His Honkai energy level was a massive leap compared to previous Herrschers, maxing out the radar systems developed during the early stages of the Honkai.

Then, an unprecedented gravitational wave spread out from the Herrscher, causing high-intensity earthquakes across Mu Continent. Thanks to advances in materials science, most buildings withstood the initial impact, allowing people to evacuate.

However, soon after, multiple Honkai outbreaks of varying sizes erupted in every city of Mu Continent. Countless Honkai beasts appeared out of nowhere, wreaking havoc. The military and security forces, equipped with new gear, engaged in battle but could only maintain a stalemate.

Who would have thought that Honkai, which previously only ravaged small areas, would suddenly engulf the entire Mu Continent?

But this was not the end. The troops organized to eliminate the ninth Herrscher were quickly wiped out. The last image transmitted back was just a black dot, seemingly holding a singularity that could swallow everything around it.

An official in the shelter despaired: "That's a black hole... an expanding black hole..."

Everyone in the control room fell silent, bowing their heads as if this could ignore the increasing number of alerts on the communicator and the destruction unfolding outside.

A female official couldn’t help but sob, making everyone else look even more despondent.

“Stop talking nonsense, we still have...”

A military officer stood up, veins bulging on his forehead, but after opening his mouth for a long time, he couldn’t find the right words.

“What do we have? The military signals are almost gone, major factories and power plants have been targeted by Honkai beasts, even the research institutes aren’t spared...”

Someone slumped over the table, clutching their head: “Humanity is doomed...”

“...”

Just then, the communicator on the table flashed urgently. The military officer looked around at the despondent faces and sighed, picking up the terminal, expecting more bad news.

“Sir! A team of scientists has arrived at the shelter's entrance, led by...”

The voice on the other end was excited: “Dr. Luo Lin!”

“?!”

Everyone in the control room immediately looked up, eyes filled with hope.

“What?! Quickly, bring them in!!”

Luo Lin was bewildered as she was ushered into the shelter's control room. Before she could speak, a crowd of people bowed to her.

“Please, Dr. Luo Lin, save us!”

“You are a renowned Honkai researcher, surely you have a solution!”

“Dr. Luo Lin!” “Dr. Luo Lin!!”

Luo Lin: "?"

The Herrscher of Senti and Elysia, who followed the girl, seemed to realize something, showing strange expressions.

“What’s going on? How many times do I have to say I’m not a doctor, and you think I can save you just because you ask? Well...”

They were correct!

Damn, I really have to save them! Ignoring it would haunt me!

Luo Lin, holding back her frustration, finally exploded!

“Damn it, damn it! Are you all useless? What were you doing before? Is there no organization or discipline? Everyone calm down and listen to me! I need the leaders of military, logistics, and equipment maintenance to step forward! Whether elected or self-appointed, get here within a minute!”

After a brief discussion, three people stepped forward quickly.

“Dr. Luo Lin! We are the temporary leaders of Shelter 386!”

A military officer saluted Luo Lin: “I’m Chen Tianwu, currently in charge of the shelter’s defense forces!”

A tired-looking woman saluted: “Anna, overseeing logistics...”

Lastly, a brown-haired woman wearing a white coat over an unknown outfit, making her look bulky, stepped forward. She also had a familiar-looking Roman hairstyle on one side.

She scrutinized Luo Lin for a few seconds before saying slowly: “Hello, I’m Schrödinger from the mechanical maintenance and processing plant... uh...”

Well, well, a pair of ill-fated lovers plus a tragic doctor. Today, Luo Lin encountered the classic Mihoyo same-name but different-character scenario—although not the classic trio of Kiana, Raiden Mei, and Bronya, it still worked!

“Chen Tianwu, gather your men and sort out the shelter’s inhabitants, categorize them by profession for future use—deal harshly with troublemakers! Now’s not the time for nonsense!”

“Anna, take your team, follow us, reassess usable shelter areas, inventory remaining supplies, identify urgent needs, categorize the injured, establish a medical area, and find medical professionals for emergency treatment!”

“Schrödinger, inspect the shelter’s equipment, ensure it doesn’t blow up before the Honkai beasts attack! Give me a list of what we need next!”

Luo Lin slammed her fist on the table and marched deeper into the shelter.

“What are you all waiting for?! Time is tight! Move out!”

“Yes, ma’am!!!” *n

Chapter 27: Whose Identity Am I Assuming?

Thanks to the detailed coverage in the A-level Valkyrie courses on emergency rescue and reorganization after a Honkai outbreak, as well as the fact that these topics were essential in both promotion exams and daily assessments.

The value of a high-ranking Valkyrie lies not just in their combat skills but also in their comprehensive abilities. In extreme situations (where the Honkai has disrupted order), they are expected to act as organizers, reconstructing local order and creating strategic strongholds.

Yes, Otto's plan for the Schicksal stated this... although many Valkyries have not reached this "expected" level, Luo Lin was now facing such an extreme situation.

Luo Lin had memorized these lessons well, especially since the promotion exam wasn't long ago, so the knowledge was still fresh in her mind. Now that "heaven has entrusted this great task to her," she had no choice but to brace herself and get to work.

But first, it was essential to use various means to stabilize the people's hearts within the shelter.

"Senti! Help me later when I use [Emotional Diffusion]... This is my first time using this trick on so many people..."

Luo Lin looked at the dense crowd moving back and forth, their eyes flickering with complex emotions, and the strange smell permeating the air. She swallowed hard.

"Citizens! I am Luo Lin, an expert in fighting the Honkai!"

The girl grabbed a megaphone that Schrödinger had modified to connect with the shelter's broadcast system, ensuring her voice could be heard clearly in every corner of the shelter.

"Luo Lin? Is that..." "The famous scientist!"

Someone in the crowd recognized Luo Lin and explained to those around them.

"But what use is a scientist now?" "I'm so hungry..."

Luo Lin took a deep breath and activated [Emotional Diffusion]—people needed the courage and hope to persevere now. Of course, it wasn't just emotional encouragement; people needed material support too...

"To be brief, I have brought enough supplies and personnel. The defense forces will distribute these supplies to everyone! However, order must be maintained. Any attempts to disrupt order or bully others will be punished..."

Luo Lin stepped back as uniformed personnel pushed in carts of supplies.

There was water and food, piled into small mountains next to the black-haired girl.

For the defense forces, the source of these supplies was quite legendary—Dr. Luo Lin had taken a quick stroll and returned with an eighteen-wheeler truck, loaded with the water and food the shelter urgently needed.

Although the soldiers noticed that the packaging looked unfamiliar, with symbols and text they couldn't understand...

It didn't matter; no one intended to question where Dr. Luo Lin had obtained these supplies. As long as they had them, it was fine for now.

Luckily, none of them could read the text on the packaging. If they could, they would probably be confused.

The contents of these supplies were quite complex: [Schicksal Honkai Reserve Supplies], [Anti-Entropy Emergency Supplies], [Exclusive Products from the Far East Branch Canteen], [Shenzhou Military Compressed Biscuits], [Eastern Europe Emergency Rations], [St. Fontaine Emergency Supplies], and more...

Besides the varied packaging, there were different production and expiration dates, spanning several batches from the 1990s to the 2020s, covering a thirty-year range.

Luo Lin looked at these supplies, feeling heartbroken.

She had previously raided the last remaining supplies from the Belarus branch (used since the first volume of this book), grabbed supplies from Raiden Ryoma's warehouse during the Nagazora disaster, looted supply crates from St. Fontaine in the post-Honkai book, and took good stuff from the St. Freya canteen. She had gathered everything she could find.

She also spent a significant amount of crystals to purchase additional supplies... primarily because collecting supplies now wouldn't immediately stabilize the troops' morale, so she had to use her own funds.

As for the truck, she had casually grabbed it from the road in this Bubble World. Don't ask how she could drive it; just know that the [Key of Revelation] could unlock it.

The crowd gradually quieted down, staring silently at Luo Lin as she spoke.

"... Critically injured, elderly, and children, please head to the newly designated medical area immediately... Medical personnel will conduct a general check-up and assess needs..."

"... The initial inspection of the shelter's equipment is complete. We urgently need people with mechanical repair knowledge... The shelter's energy levels are low, but we will seek alternative energy sources... The water recycling system will partially recover in the next two days, expected to..."

"... The defense forces will conduct operations to clear possible threats in the vicinity, search for more supplies and survivors, and perhaps find your family, relatives, and friends... Do not resist newcomers; in the current situation, every extra hand increases our capabilities and strength..."

This speech was unlike any they had heard before. Luo Lin calmly described the current situation. Dust and stains from battling Honkai beasts and rescuing the wounded marked her body.

Under the dim lights, she seemed to emit a faint glow.

Luo Lin paused slightly because she noticed Chen Tianwu and Anna standing dumbfounded behind her.

She put down the megaphone and said to them, "What are you looking at? Get to work! Start the census! Distribute the resources! Am I having an impact?"

"Oh, oh, oh..."

For some reason, the two suddenly got motivated and went off to do their jobs.

Luo Lin continued speaking to the crowd, concluding, "Hang in there, everyone. Perseverance is victory!"

She put down the megaphone, wetted her dry lips from the long speech, and after a brief extension of [Emotional Diffusion], she turned off her ability.

Senti, observing the now revitalized crowd, remarked, "Luo Lin, you're amazing."

"Mm."

"So, what's next?"

"Next? Let me eat first, okay? I'm starving..."

Senti nodded, walked a few steps, then realized Luo Lin was still standing.

The Herrscher of Sentience tilted her head in confusion, "Why aren't you moving?"

Luo Lin, looking embarrassed, whispered, "... Help me, my legs are weak."

"Pfft."

Senti laughed and supported the girl, who wanted to find a hole to hide in, and led her away.

Along the way, everyone showed great respect, bowing to her.

"Doctor! You spoke well!"

"Dr. Luo Lin! I know some mechanical skills..."

"Doctor! Thank you!"

Luo Lin was troubled by this.

"I remember that in some cases, entering a Bubble World, the bubble would automatically assign a visitor an identity. I don't know my situation, but why do people bow when they see me..."

Senti calmly said, "Their attitude reminds me of someone, very famous and also a doctor... I suspect there's a reason they call you doctor."

"... Who?"

"Mei."

Luo Lin was stunned, then slapped her thigh, "Huh? I'm playing Dr. Mei's role?! No wonder they're like this!"

Seeing the black-haired girl's shocked expression, the Herrscher of Sentience burst into laughter.

Behind them, Schrödinger watched as they rounded the corner, then glanced down at the food packaging in her hands, her expression turning peculiar as she observed the unfamiliar text and symbols, so different from the previous civilization.

She was familiar with these items, after all. As a native of the same world as Luo Lin, she was a scientist from the original Schicksal North American branch (later reorganized into Anti-Entropy).

Back when Otto was besieging the initial Lawscher, Schrödinger was on the scene. At that time, she had quantumized herself, seized the [Black Abyss White Flower] from Otto, used overclocked power to treat Walter and others, and then dissipated into the quantum sea domain.

Later, she encountered Bianka, not yet known as "Durandal," and together they fought, resolving the crisis of the Bubble World and forming an indelible bond.

"Whoa... Luo Lin... it seems feels familiar, like someone Bianka mentioned, her mentor...?"

She shook her head, feeling perplexed by the strange coincidence.

Chapter 28 Strike Operation

After finishing her meal (referring to compressed biscuits with water), Luo Lin immediately immersed herself in the work of the shelter.

The "Three Giants" who were previously arranged also came to report their work to Luo Lin. Chen Tianwu and Anna looked much more embarrassed than before Luo Lin arrived, but their spirits were rejuvenated.

As for Schrödinger, she still had a leisurely and indifferent attitude, as if she were an outsider... This raised some doubts in Luo Lin's mind, so she glanced at the other person a few more times.

Anna spoke first: "The available space in the shelter has been determined, and we have also reserved a maintenance area for the defense forces near the shelter gate, which is convenient for subsequent actions."

Luo Lin nodded. "First, tell me about the casualties and the energy situation."

Anna took out a slightly cracked tablet: "The casualties have been counted, and some people with medical skills have come forward to help. The situation in the medical area is stable for now. But the drugs stored in the shelter have been almost depleted. We need to obtain more drugs..."

Schrödinger followed up, "I checked the shelter's power supply system, and its core components are severely damaged and unusable. My suggestion is to use some small engines for temporary power supply, at least to keep the shelter's life support system running for a while longer."

"Understood. Where can we find usable engines?"

"I can use modified car engines that can still operate, but the conversion efficiency is not high—small engines specifically for power supply should be available in auto repair shops, supermarkets, and hospitals."

"Well, we must go out to search for supplies."

Luo Lin nodded and turned to Chen Tianwu. "How did the defense forces' previously arranged tasks go? We need to take the initiative now."

Chen Tianwu straightened his collar and said, "We have completed the census of personnel inside the shelter and resolved a dozen disputes—fortunately, there haven't been any of the malignant incidents you mentioned before... If we need to take action now, there's no problem."

Luo Lin raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? I see your equipment now doesn't look too optimistic... and there aren't many people."

Chen Tianwu smiled bitterly, "The Honkai came too fast, and our organization was directly dismantled. Now we only have individual weapons at hand... maybe there are a few usable engineering machinery? Anyway, there's not much heavy firepower."

"Cheer up, we need to set an example for the people!"

Luo Lin leaned on the table, staring at the map projected on it, and after a moment of thought, she made a decision.

"Elysia! You lead part of the defense forces to clear the surrounding threats. I and Senti will go out with some people to gather medicine and supplies, and we'll also bring back a few engines!"

"Yes! Dr. Luo Lin!"

Miss Pink Elf appeared out of nowhere and saluted Luo Lin seriously.

Luo Lin deliberately observed the reactions of the people around, but none of them recognized Elysia, treating her as Dr. Luo Lin's strong guard.

This... can only be said that before the situation collapsed, the main propaganda of "Fire Moth" was that humans could defeat the Honkai with the military and technology, and they concealed the information about "powerful warriors capable of defeating the Honkai Beasts".

Having Elysia lead the team out, the shelter officials had no objections, but the second half of what Luo Lin said shocked the others, "Doctor, are you going out personally? Absolutely not!"

"What's wrong? I personally have a way to bring back more medicine and supplies. Can you handle it with just manual labor?"

Luo Lin demonstrated a "unique skill" of taking in and out items in the system space, which almost made Schrödinger, who understood it, stare wide-eyed.

So the emergency supplies seen before came from this—no, what kind of black technology is this? Did she open a storage point in imaginary space or the quantum sea? How did she connect space with herself? How big is the storage space? How to open and close the channel?

The more she thought about it, the more questions Schrödinger had.

But Chen Tianwu and Anna had no problems. After all, the person in front of them was the capable Dr. Luo Lin, so they wouldn't be surprised by anything.

Chen Tianwu nodded heavily, "Understood, we will risk our lives to protect the safety of the doctor!"

Who protects whom is still uncertain...

Luo Lin touched her golden hairpin and stood up. "We can't delay any longer. Let's go!"

So the defense forces split into two groups and began their operation.

Elysia was somewhat a "local" in a sense, and she had experienced such situations too many times, so she commanded the defense forces smoothly, successfully completing the sweep around the shelter and even bringing back some supplies and survivors.

As for Luo Lin's side, needless to say, with the seamless cooperation between the A-rank Valkyrie and the Herrscher, they dominated the situation, even making Chen Tianwu, who was following them, feel a bit embarrassed—before they could even make a move, Luo Lin and Senti had already wiped out the Honkai Beasts that appeared, leaving the defense forces to act as cheerleaders on the side.

After sweeping a few roadside shops, Luo Lin headed straight for the nearest hospital.

Unfortunately, when she arrived at her destination, the hospital was already crawling with Honkai beasts, and many scrapped mechs and weapons could be seen nearby, indicating a very dire situation.

Obviously, this place was heavily hit, with no survivors.

After Chen Tianwu's reconnaissance, he expressed with great sadness that although there were not many soldiers who came, they still decided to hold on to the hospital. After fighting desperately, they all died.

"Doctor, there are a lot of Honkai beasts here. I'm afraid you and your guards will have a hard time dealing with them..."

"There are indeed quite a few, but they are still within my scope of handling."

Luo Lin stared solemnly at the densely packed monsters in the distance and said, "In that case, you retreat first, and I will rush in later to collect some medicine and supplies, then fight my way out..."

Chen Tianwu's face turned pale, and he hurriedly interrupted, "Doctor, this is too dangerous! We can do something first..."

"The wounded can't wait! The people can't wait! I am confident that I can do this, and I guarantee my own safety!"

Luo Lin scanned her red-faced but still silent warriors behind her with her black eyes and said in a relaxed tone, "Don't look like that. I know you all want to do something, but right now you really can't do anything... Well, I'll figure out a way to get you some equipment later."

Gritting his teeth, Chen Tianwu said, "Yes, Doctor. We'll retreat."

Chen Tianwu left with his men in frustration.

"They left," Senti said.

"...I understand their feelings very well, sigh." Luo Lin scratched her head with some trouble. "By the way, how did the previous civilization deal with Honkai beasts? I mean, besides MANTIS soldiers..."

Senti flipped through her memory database and replied, "Mechs, cannons, missiles, heavy vehicles... Anyway, there were many flavors."

"I understand, I need to find some mechas...or get a Herrscher of Reason?"

Luo Lin waited for the defense troops to withdraw a certain distance before patting the Herrscher of Sentience on the shoulder: "Let's go!"

The two figures plunged into the herd of Honkai beasts like arrows, setting off a terrifying "storm of blood". The sound of bullets, explosions and huge collisions spread far away, and the evacuating soldiers could hear it clearly.

About half an hour later, just when Chen Tianwu and the soldiers couldn't help but prepare to go back and take a closer look, Luo Lin and Senti rushed back with a bunch of pursuing Honkai beast "tails".

"Quick, support the doctor!!"

The soldiers dutifully opened fire with light weapons. It can't be said that it was useless, it can only be said that it had little effect, but they did relieve some of Luo Lin's pressure.

With their cooperation, Luo Lin and Senti quickly defeated the pursuing Honkai beasts and led Chen Tianwu and others on their way home.

Chapter 29: Mysterious Tool Get DA☆ZE

“Great harvest! Although the Honkai beasts smashed the medical equipment to pieces, there are still plenty of medicines left… and we managed to salvage two functioning generators, which is fantastic.”

After returning to the shelter, Luo Lin watched as people unloaded the spoils from their expedition and sighed softly, “However, this is the first time I’ve encountered the system space warehouse refusing to let me store items…”

[Let’s just say the host’s method of sorting medicines from the ruins is quite novel.]

The system’s electronic voice sounded almost numb as it spoke, [You selected an area and stuffed everything, whether rubble or useful items, into the warehouse until it was full. Then you used the system’s ‘automatic sorting’ function to separate the trash from the usable items and discarded the trash before starting the next cycle… You even managed to quickly clear paths through the ruins with this method…]

“Just tell me, isn’t it efficient?” Luo Lin rubbed her nose. “If I could, I’d stuff the entire hospital ruins into my pocket and solve the problem in one go.”

[Host, you’re exploiting the system a bit too flagrantly, which is why the warehouse couldn’t accept any more items just now.]

The system replied, [An emergency patch has been implemented… In short, items purchased with crystal flowers can be stored infinitely, but non-system items will now have a maximum size limit and cannot exceed the storage capacity...]

As the system spoke, a translucent notification box popped up, full of fragmented terms, much like the ‘Terms of Agreement’ that must be clicked before starting a game, making Luo Lin’s head spin.

After reading for a while, the girl summarized, “So, basically, it means I can’t keep storing stuff so conveniently and abundantly, right?”

[Correct. However, if the host is willing to spend crystal flowers or discover a new exploit… then I can’t stop you. It’s up to your ingenuity.]

“Damn, I should have scoured the entire hospital while I had the chance!”

Luo Lin slapped her thigh in frustration, startling Schrodinger, who had come over for a chat.

“Doctor, what’s the matter…?”

“Oh, Schrodinger, sorry, sorry… Did you need something?”

“The generators you brought back have been successfully connected to the shelter, alleviating some of the energy crisis. The internal life support system is now online—at least people don’t have to use bags for toilet needs anymore.”

Schrodinger pushed up a pair of glasses she found from somewhere and said, “Moreover, they can now drink more recycled water… as long as they don’t think about where it comes from. Of course, taking a bath is still out of the question for now…”

“Bathing… That is indeed a luxury.”

Luo Lin scratched her head, looking troubled, “But personal and environmental hygiene must be maintained; otherwise, what if someone gets sick…”

“Ahem, Dr. Luo Lin… you should be more concerned about this…”

Schrodinger placed a hastily prepared report in front of Luo Lin, preparing to explain, but before she could do so, the Valkyrie across her skillfully picked up the report and began reading it.

“…?”

Schrodinger watched Luo Lin, whose actions were now more like those of a scholar than a seasoned warrior, reminiscent of her friends Tesla and Einstein, full of intellectual charm.

Luo Lin frowned, pulled out a terminal, and began typing on it.

Observing Luo Lin’s actions closely, Schrodinger realized she wasn’t just pretending; she genuinely understood the issues discussed in the report.

“The concentration of Honkai energy in the environment is steadily increasing. There’s one or more unknown sources of Honkai energy located in the city… Is that your analysis?”

“Yes, that’s exactly what I meant…”

Schrodinger began to doubt reality.

What? I called you doctor and you actually took up the researcher’s job? Does the Bubble World grant others knowledge along with their identities? I didn’t know such a thing was possible?

Or is it that being a Valkyrie for Schicksal now requires expertise in both research and combat?

“This data… looks familiar. High-level Honkai beasts? Pseudo-Herrscher? Imaginary space remains?”

Luo Lin bit her lip, “Tsk, contact Mobius and Vill-V… They are familiar with the previous civilization’s stuff, and they must have researched the new enemies I encountered during the Elysian Realm tests…”

The girl closed her eyes, asking Elysia, who was resting in the system space, to run an errand through the Elysian Realm channel.

“Little Luo Lin, the time flow difference between here and the original world is very significant now.”

The pink elf girl turned around with a subtle expression and said, “Even if we send the data back and Mobius and Vill-V solve the problem in a few minutes and send it back, it will probably take us several days here.”

“Ah…”

Luo Lin now felt like a struggling assistant faced with a major project and difficult problem, only to find that her superior had gone to a remote mountain area without any signal, leaving her to produce results on her own.

The girl pondered for a moment and then turned to look at the resentful Selune's Elegy—whose snacks stored in the system warehouse had been distributed to the people in the shelter, leaving her with nothing to eat.

“Once I complete the preliminary analysis, Selune, you’ll take the data there, upload the files, and return immediately. Since you’re currently unoccupied, a few days’ trip should be fine… Oh, and help me get a few high-powered energy engines from Vill-V to use here.”

Selune pouted and stuck her tongue out at Luo Lin, sitting on the sofa waiting for the results.

Luo Lin refocused her attention and said to Schrodinger, “I understand. This part of the analysis is still up to you; I might not have the time to handle the specifics…”

“Okay, got it…”

Schrodinger picked up the report, hesitated for a moment, and then seemed to make a decision, saying to Luo Lin, “Dr. Luo Lin, I actually discovered something else…”

“Something else…?”

“Yes, come and see.”

Luo Lin followed Schrodinger to the depths of the shelter, to an area temporarily designated by Anna for placing the deceased. Other than a few mournful people quietly sobbing, there was no one else there.

Schrodinger pointed to one of the bags and said, “He was probably a researcher who escaped from a high-level research institute. He was severely injured when he arrived here and didn’t make it. But before he died, he handed me a machine, saying it was their latest research result, seemingly invented to deal with the current situation and must be used properly…”

“Oh, really? Can I see the instrument?”

“Here it is, Dr. Luo Lin…”

Schrodinger took out a spherical device and placed it in Luo Lin’s hands.

“This is a very magical probability calculation device. After inputting conditions, it can estimate the success rate of certain things… uh, of course, I didn’t fully understand the principle, but that’s what he said.”

—And you just believed him?

[Imaginary/Quantum World Interference Device - Schrodinger Version]

[Important plot item, use after! #%￥( &%... ]

The girl looked at the name of the device identified by the system and its garbled annotations, lost in thought.

So it’s that significant? Could this Schrodinger be the actual plot character rather than a homonymous counterpart?

“…I will make good use of it. By the way, did the researcher leave his name or the name of the research institute?”

Of course, Schrodinger didn’t know. She had just randomly picked a bag to point at, aiming to give away the device…

So she put on a pained expression and said, “Sorry, Dr. Luo Lin, I don’t know… The situation was urgent at the time…”

Luo Lin looked at Schrodinger with a meaningful gaze and replied, “Understood, I understand. Thank you.”

“I’ll go maintain the equipment now.”

Schrodinger, feeling somewhat uncomfortable, scratched her neck and found an excuse to leave.

“System, is this thing reliable?”

[I don’t know, host. Are you going to try it?]

“…Fortune favors the bold, let’s do it!”

Luo Lin took a deep breath and pressed the button on the uniquely named device.

Chapter 30: Event PV

The moment Luo Lin pressed the button, she felt a familiar sensation—just like when she was fighting that giant Chiyou near the shores of Shenzhou...

In the next instant, an invisible wave spread out from the interferometer, quickly enveloping the entire bubble world!

The girl could feel a subtle change in the world!

A few seconds later, a translucent notification box accompanied by a chime popped up right in front of Luo Lin's face.

[Ding! Time-limited event "Rebirth of the Spark" has started. Captain, please check the details...]

"I see, no wonder this feels so familiar... The world rules have changed again, haven't they?"

Luo Lin rolled her eyes, opened the system panel, and stared at the newly appeared button. A strong urge to complain surged within her: "And why is the event icon a chibi version of me holding a hammer? I don't get it!"

[Helix] suddenly spoke, teasing her: "Maybe it's because you're the mascot for this event... Dr. Luo Lin!"

"Ah!!!"

The girl poked the chibi character's head with her finger. The system panel then expanded, starting to play the [promotional video].

————————————————————

Accompanied by a cheerful BGM, a man wearing a Hawaiian-style short-sleeved shirt and shorts, with star-shaped sunglasses, appeared at the center of the screen!

"Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the program [Mu Continent, Where Are We Going]! Today we are at a very famous beach, praised even by the superstar Miss Eden. Its name is [Musk Reef]..."

The drone camera flew over the beach, capturing scenes of people playing beach volleyball, driving small cars, surfing—laughter and joy were everywhere, before finally returning to the host.

The man smiled, took off his star-shaped sunglasses, and casually threw them onto the beach: "All you need to do is enjoy, enjoy everything here! This is [Mu Continent], the gem of human civilization. You must visit Mu Continent at least once in your lifetime, as there are so many beautiful sights worth seeing!"

The host ran along the beach and finally dove into the crystal-clear blue sea.

The drone steadily rotated, the camera gradually rising, eventually locking onto the sunlit city.

In the next moment, a deep purple light, like a nuclear explosion, rose from the distant horizon, even overshadowing the sunlight.

The drone's feed became filled with static as it uncontrollably flew forward, crashing straight into a skyscraper's glass.

The dull sound of plastic hitting a hard surface was recorded, and it Helixed down from the high altitude, landing heavily on a balcony, the camera tilting to capture most of the city.

The previously intact city plunged into chaos, with explosions and flames everywhere, and dozens of scenes flashing alternately. People fleeing were overwhelmed by white-shelled monsters, reminiscent of old grotesque, heavy-taste movies, leaving only a dark red.

Finally, the drone feed cut off, the screen plunging into bottomless darkness.

The silence lasted for over ten seconds, as if everything had been destroyed.

But then, a few crisp, rhythmic sounds of welding appeared, and the screen flickered with the electrical sounds, illuminating a protective visor.

Schrodinger lifted the visor, put down the welding gun, and pressed a nearby button with her gloved hand.

The machine hummed to life, lighting up many lamps. The background filled with low, indistinct voices.

In the dim light, the not-so-spacious corridor was crowded with people, looking quite disheveled, covered in dust, blood, bandages, and stains...

But things didn’t seem so dire, as hope still glimmered in their eyes; soldiers in similarly grimy uniforms were distributing supplies; doctors moved among the wounded, fighting fate with technology and medicine.

A mother and child slept against the wall, and a bearded stranger hesitated before covering them with a blanket. Another person put a finger to their lips, making a "shh" sound.

The noisy voices gradually faded, everyone nodding silently, leaving only the sound of collective breathing.

The previously hidden sounds emerged: the collision of soldiers' boots, the drip of sweat from logistics and doctors, the rhythmic vibrations of machinery and engines...

They gradually merged into a strong and powerful heartbeat, dispelling despair.

Anna placed a bottle of water beside the sleeping mother and daughter, and joined Chen Tianwu and Schrodinger waiting nearby.

"Let's go, find the doctor..."

"Mm."

The three walked briskly, finally pushing open a plain door.

Under the red glow of a dozen flickering projection screens stood a slender figure, continually plotting routes on a map and issuing commands via communicator.

"Ah, you’re back."

The person turned, her black eyes sweeping over everyone, and even the audience beyond the screen could feel the warmth and determination in her gaze, with a flicker of fire deep within her pupils.

Luo Lin smiled and said, "We still have many things to do, but before that, please take a break..."

"Yes, doctor... And you..."

"I'm fine, just some mental work..."

Chen Tianwu couldn't help but speak: "But doctor, didn’t you just help everyone transport a lot of supplies... and also..."

Schrodinger started counting on her fingers: "Gave a speech to lift spirits, helped repair equipment..."

Anna added: "And treated the wounded."

"Alright, then can I at least go for a walk."

Luo Lin helplessly put down her work, patted the trio’s shoulders, and encouraged: "Everyone is doing a great job."

She walked out the door, moving through the crowded, narrow shelter, engaging and encouraging everyone she met.

Everyone respectfully called her "Doctor," and the girl smiled and nodded in return, even accurately calling out each person's name, filling them with a warm feeling of wonder.

Finally, Luo Lin stood by a broken window in the corridor, looking out at the still-ruined city and the dark red sky.

For some reason, this scene made people feel as if she was holding up the entire world with her body.

"I can't stand it, I need to keep filming!"

The beautiful figure's voice broke the moment: "Who are you going to send it to?"

"To the silly netizens!"

[Helix] sighed: "Such a moving CG ending, you’re portrayed almost like a saint reborn... But if anyone knew what you were really up to, their delusions would shatter!"

Luo Lin ignored [Helix]'s provocation and changed the subject: "…This event is quite something, abstracting the shelter's situation into several specific values—it even calculates clear [tasks], how many people are needed, what abilities they require, and what will happen upon completing the [tasks]!"

"Hmm?"

"Now, it’s no different from playing a simulation management game—what exactly is that interferometer Schrodinger gave me? How did she create such a thing? It's amazing!"

————————————————————

[Temporary Military Modifications]

[Requirements: Military 2, Research 1—Assigned: Luo Lin (Military 4, Research 3, Logistics 5)]

[Duration: 1 turn]

[Unfortunately, our troops still use patched-together weapons. We've modified some civilian engineering equipment in a perhaps outdated manner to provide limited support. Anyway, any improvement in these current circumstances will make our soldiers cheer. —Chen Tianwu]

[Base military strength slightly increased, assigned team’s base combat power enhanced, unlocking [Modular Modification] research]

————————

[Enhanced Communication System]

[Requirements: Research 5—Assigned: Schrodinger (Military 2, Research 5, Logistics 1)]

[Duration: 1 turn]

[The Honkai energy environment obstructs normal communication equipment, but we can try using Honkai energy itself for communication... Although many hate it, disregarding its despairing side effects, Honkai energy is truly an 'omnipotent' power source. Also, Dr. Luo Lin happens to be proficient in this field. Me? I’m just an ordinary repairman... —Schrodinger]

[Gain an additional deployment slot, allowing the team to reach further areas, unlocking [Communication Relay Station] research]

Chapter 31: Important Task

With the interferometer—or rather, the support of the [Event Panel]—Luo Lin could now observe the situation of Shelter 386 from a "macro" perspective.

From the map, Shelter 386 was located in the suburban area of a super metropolis, far from the city center. Nearby were some research institutes and factories, essentially making it a kind of industrial research district.

According to the researchers who had followed Luo Lin to the shelter, they originally intended to stay in a hotel in a bustling area but found no vacancies. They then diverted to this district in search of accommodation.

Luo Lin speculated that this was probably because the previous civilization already knew about a disaster attacking humanity at this time, leading many people to decide to relocate their families to Mu Continent for safety, even if it meant staying in hotels.

Choosing to "go to the new district" essentially saved this group's lives.

After all, the suburban area was relatively "sparsely populated," and correspondingly, the number of Honkai beasts generated was not as overwhelming.

Moreover, these Honkai beasts would prioritize attacking areas with large human gatherings, military camps, factories, and research institutes—at least at the beginning of the Honkai invasion. Shelter 386, even when crowded, was quite low on the Honkai beasts' "attack list."

Of course, as time passed and the Honkai beasts destroyed those high-priority targets in order, Shelter 386 would become the "most eye-catching star," suffering continuous attacks... until the Honkai beasts were completely wiped out or the shelter exhausted its last drop of blood.

Fortunately, based on the [Event Panel]'s assessment, Chen Tianwu's defense force had excellent overall quality, though their equipment was inadequate, hindering their combat effectiveness. As long as they were provided with suitable armaments and enough supplies, they could handle ordinary Honkai beasts without issue.

So, where could they obtain suitable armaments?

Conveniently, the event panel had just the right task—

[Recapture the Advanced Weapons Research Institute]

[Requirement: Military 3]

Luo Lin pointed at the holographic projection in front of her and said, "There is an advanced weapons research institute nearby. It should have also been attacked by Honkai beasts. We can try to go there, eliminate the Honkai beasts, and acquire enough equipment for the defense force."

"Understood," Chen Tianwu nodded solemnly. "Let me lead the team. With the equipment modified by Dr. Luo Lin, we will surely succeed!"

"Uh..."

Luo Lin looked at the [Military: 2] floating above Chen Tianwu's head and coughed lightly, "Well, I think it's better if I go with you. After all, that place is a research institute... with some high-tech security measures that you might not be able to handle."

Chen Tianwu thought for a moment and nodded reluctantly, "Alright."

The Herrscher of Sentience raised her hand, "I want to go too!"

"No, you stay here and help Elysia guard the place. Use your 'skills' to help maintain morale..."

Under the Herrscher of Sentience's frustrated gaze, Luo Lin led the defense force to the advanced weapons research institute, where they indeed found a bunch of Honkai beasts tearing the buildings apart.

Luo Lin took on the role of main attacker, and the defense force executed a beautiful ambush, wiping out the Honkai beasts entrenched there.

Unfortunately, there were no survivors in the research institute.

Chen Tianwu looked at the mech wreckage in the ruins and remained silent for a long time before finally speaking, "Many of these are new models of mechs, but because the battle happened so suddenly and most operators were researchers... look, many weapons and armors here weren't even installed. They had to fight unprepared, sigh..."

Luo Lin suddenly said, "I found some unfinished mechs, come help..."

The defense force brought over the temporarily modified engineering equipment, which finally served its original purpose. Under Luo Lin's direction, they quickly assembled several mechs.

Chen Tianwu couldn't wait to sit in one. Gripping the control stick, he let out a long sigh.

[Chen Tianwu: Military 2 → Military 3]

Luo Lin nodded in satisfaction. At least now, his stats were enough for patrol tasks...

The defense force returned to the shelter with a dozen mechs and their specialized weapons, boosting the confidence of the shelter's residents slightly.

Before Luo Lin could rest, Schrödinger approached her.

"Dr. Luo Lin..."

The girl quickly gestured for mercy, "Stop, don't call me that. I'm not used to it... just call me Luo Lin."

"Alright... Luo Lin, the [Relay Station] you mentioned, I've set it up."

Schrödinger pointed at the slender antenna rising above the shelter, her expression serious, "I've received some alarming messages. You need to see this."

"Got it. Chen Tianwu! Come here! Stop fiddling with your mech!"

The three of them quickly returned to the shelter's control room, where Anna was already waiting, along with Elysia and the Herrscher of Sentience.

Once everyone was present, Schrödinger tapped a few buttons on the panel, bringing up a static-filled communication.

Someone was hiding in a dark corner, filming with a phone.

"...Monsters... they're everywhere... but they're not killing people; they're capturing them and taking them elsewhere... no, don't take me! Aaaahhhh!!!!"

A Chariot-class Honkai beast uncovered his hiding spot in the rubble, grabbing him in a bizarre manner, then carrying him away on its back, leaving the phone repeatedly sending distress signals.

After watching the video, Chen Tianwu's face was filled with disbelief, "Huh? Honkai beasts not killing people? Does that make sense?"

Schrödinger didn't respond, only looking at the black-haired girl, "Luo Lin, do you understand how serious this problem is?"

"Yes... this goes against the Honkai beasts' instincts... it's a very serious situation."

Luo Lin blinked and explained, "It suggests that either there's a higher entity nearby capable of commanding the Honkai beasts, or... something even more terrifying is happening. Frankly, I'd prefer the former..."

But, contrary to her wishes, with the interferometer's buzzing and flashing, Luo Lin saw a blood-red mission appear on her event panel—

[Investigate Honkai Abnormal Behavior (Important)]

[Required team member: Luo Lin]

[Duration: 1 turn]

[The communication relay station has greatly expanded the deployment range, but it also brought some disturbing information: a group of Honkai beasts in the outskirts is exhibiting abnormal behavior... We must be vigilant of all abnormal Honkai beast activities, as this might indicate the beginning of a larger conspiracy. —Schrödinger]

"...You’re making me nervous now."

Luo Lin tugged at her collar, focusing her gaze on the highlighted area on the holographic map, swallowing hard.

Chapter 32: Swimsuit Seele and the Peculiar Honkai Beast

Because this task's urgency was too "glaring," Luo Lin decided to form a three-person team with Elysia and the Herrscher of Sentience to investigate.

Chen Tianwu's expression was quite complex, but considering the many people in the shelter who needed care, he reluctantly agreed to Luo Lin's choice. He stayed behind with the newly acquired mechs to await the investigation results.

"Dr. Luo Lin... you must take care of yourself..."

Luo Lin readily agreed, "Alright, alright, trust me."

The Herrscher of Sentience patted her chest, "Oh, don't worry. I won't let anything happen to your esteemed doctor."

"Oh..."

Chen Tianwu looked at the cheerful Herrscher and silently shifted his gaze to Elysia.

The Herrscher of Sentience protested, "What do you mean by that? Do you think I'm unreliable?"

Chen Tianwu quickly waved his hands, "No, no."

Miss Pink Elf chuckled and made a "V" sign with her fingers to the boy, "Leave it to me!"

Soon, Luo Lin and her team set off.

The Honkai beasts they encountered along the way posed no threat to them. Basically, Luo Lin would cast a buff, the Herrscher of Sentience would poke a weak spot with her spear, and Elysia would finish off the beast with a charged crystal arrow.

Before long, they reached their destination and quickly realized something was off.

The Herrscher of Sentience extended her hand to sense the surrounding environment and scratched her head in puzzlement, "The concentration of Honkai energy here is quite high, so why isn't there a single Honkai beast?"

Indeed, there wasn't a single Honkai beast in sight.

Luo Lin, unwilling to give up, used her Honkai energy radar and flew around the area with the Herrscher of Sentience, but they didn't even find a single hair of a Honkai beast.

The girl was dumbfounded, "So where are they... I mean, the Honkai beasts?"

The Herrscher of Sentience rubbed her head in frustration, "Could they have run away?"

"Luo Lin, Little Sentience, come over here, I found some interesting tracks!"

Elysia called out to the two flying in the sky, pointing to an inconspicuous drag mark on the ground, "Look, there are some fairly fresh drag marks here, and there are quite a lot of them. We can follow these tracks..."

Luo Lin exclaimed, "Amazing! Let's go!"

The three followed the tracks, passing a large shopping mall and an artificial lake, eventually arriving at a concealed building exposed by a landslide caused by an earthquake.

The entrance to the underground building was unexpectedly large, big enough for several heavy trucks to pass through side by side. However, the gate was now twisted and broken, revealing a passage leading deep inside.

From the cross-section, the patterns of various composite materials squeezed together formed a peculiar design.

Elysia glanced at the gate's materials and made a guess, "Soulium and anti-Honkai energy fillers—this should be a secret research institute..."

"Are the tracks leading inside?"

"Yes."

Luo Lin gripped her assault rifle tightly and whispered, "Stay alert, let's go in."

They smoothly passed through the corridor and entered the research institute—once again, it was completely empty.

Luo Lin stared at a half-eaten donut on a table, beside a cold glass of milk, and an open instant coffee packet spilled on the ground.

"Even if someone dropped the coffee packet in panic due to the Honkai outbreak and ran, there are no signs of panic or fleeing here..."

After observing for a while, Luo Lin said, "It’s as if they were conducting their research and work as usual, then suddenly, at one moment, everyone disappeared."

Elysia nodded, "Yes, I get the same feeling."

The Herrscher of Sentience gave the two a peculiar look, then reluctantly examined the scene again, "Uh... based on Fu Hua's experience, you two are probably right."

"So where did everyone go...?"

Luo Lin looked up and saw a familiar figure at the end of the office.

"Seele?"

A girl in a swimsuit, with white ribboned hair accessories, tilted her head in confusion, "Huh? You can see me?"

"Who?"

"Seele, over there."

The Herrscher of Sentience turned around, following Luo Lin's pointing finger but saw nothing.

"Uh, I can't see anything. How about you, Elysia?"

"I can't either..."

Luo Lin scratched her head, looking at the swimsuit-clad Seele, who was curiously watching her, and asked, "I'm Luo Lin. Seele, don't you remember me?"

"Sorry, Luo Lin... I don't know you."

Swimsuit Seele showed an apologetic expression, then her demeanor became serious, "However, this place is very dangerous, not a place to talk. Please follow me to a safe spot!"

Luo Lin squinted and signaled to the Herrscher of Sentience, who immediately established a mental link among the three.

"I see a swimsuit-wearing Seele (picture.jpg). She seems to have forgotten me... um, maybe she's a native of this world bubble. She's asking us to follow her to a safe place—should we follow and see?"

Elysia quickly responded, communicating through the mental link, "Seele? I remember that child's appearance... it's strange that we can't see her, but you can..."

"Maybe I have quantum adaptability, so I can see her. After all, every Seele has a connection to quantum properties..."

Luo Lin temporarily ended the mental link conversation and approached swimsuit Seele, "Seele, what do you mean by a safe place? I searched the area before coming here and found no one. Did you help them?"

"Well..."

Swimsuit Seele touched her lips awkwardly, "Actually, until now, you're the only one who can communicate with me... others can't see or hear me. So, I can only rely on my partner..."

"Rustle~ Clatter~"

A strange noise came from outside. Luo Lin turned to see a Chariot-class Honkai beast suddenly appear in the corridor. The Herrscher of Sentience and Elysia were startled and immediately raised their weapons.

Swimsuit Seele quickly shouted, "Please, wait! This is my partner! Don't hurt him!"

Luo Lin raised her hand to stop her companions, halting their actions.

The Chariot-class Honkai beast sensed the energy from the Herrscher of Sentience and the Pink Elf, shrinking back a couple of steps and even looking a bit aggrieved.

Senti & Elysia: "???"

The Herrscher wiped her eyes, staring at the Honkai beast, "Damn, why do I feel like this Honkai beast looks really aggrieved?"

Elysia was similarly confused. After a few seconds, she lowered her bow and asked the Herrscher, "Did you use any Herrscher powers to control the Honkai beast?"

"Of course not!"

Luo Lin gave the Honkai beast a curious look, then she paused, suddenly her eyes twitching, and she finally sighed.

She tentatively asked, "Cha~ cha~?"

The Honkai beast responded cheerfully, "Cha~~~!"

Chapter 33: File Conflict Error

The Herrscher of Sentience, Elysia, and the Chariot-class Honkai beast making strange noises stared at each other in bewilderment.

Chariot-class Honkai Beast: "Cha... Cha~Cha?"

Looking at this oddly cute Honkai beast, Luo Lin roughly understood the origin of this swimsuit Seele—it must be a character from the Honkai Impact 3rd event "Estival Seaside Amusement Park."

This event, often referred to as "Honkamon," is filled with references to Pokémon. In the event, Honkai beasts and humans coexist harmoniously. Players take on the role of the Captain and participate in a beast-taming competition with swimsuit Seele.

In the competition, players capture Honkai beasts, fight alongside them, collect a bestiary and stamps, and eventually reach the finals to win... Uh, although in the end, players find out that this event was actually a dream created by swimsuit Seele using her power, with a few heartbreaking moments thrown in. But at least the first half of the experience was quite enjoyable.

For example, this Chariot-class Honkai beast with its peculiar cries left a deep impression on all the Captains who played the event. In an event with mostly no voice acting, the "Cha~Cha~" cries of the Chariot-class Honkai beast had several variations, clearly expressing emotions like happiness, anger, sadness, and joy.

Luo Lin took out two compressed biscuits from her storage and tentatively fed them to "Chacha." It nibbled a bit before turning its head away in disdain.

The girl felt a bit downcast, "Uh... okay, I admit, these compressed biscuits don't taste good, but they're very cost-effective. Buying them with crystals is a top-notch deal..."

"Cha~cha!"

Swimsuit Seele helplessly took out a few oddly-shaped biscuits and fed them to "Chacha," who made a contented purring noise. Luo Lin took the opportunity to pet it.

Luo Lin sighed in wonder, "How peculiar, it's even fragrant and soft..."

Swimsuit Seele thought for a moment and replied, "Maybe it's because I usually bathe and groom Chacha, so it smells nice..."

"You can bathe Honkai beasts? And it's really called Chacha?"

"Cha~cha~ (munch munch)"

Luo Lin watched the Chariot-class Honkai beast munching on the biscuits, lost in thought—honestly, this mode of interacting with Honkai beasts was quite dreamy. Until now, Luo Lin had never imagined petting the shell of a Chariot-class Honkai beast like one would a cat.

Even just a few minutes ago, meeting a Honkai beast meant engaging in a life-or-death battle.

"By the way, Seele, you mentioned a refuge earlier. Where are the survivors now?"

"Please follow me!"

Luo Lin followed swimsuit Seele's footsteps to the deepest part of the research institute.

"Originally, Chacha and I were walking by the beach when a very bright light suddenly erupted in front of us. When I came to, we had fallen into this place... Then, I searched the area and found this passage leading to the beach where I was walking before."

Luo Lin widened her eyes, staring dumbfounded at the space rift that swimsuit Seele pointed to—it looked like shattered glass, through which she could see the other side.

Elysia thoughtfully held her chin and murmured, "It's a space passage... So the survivors all hid in another bubble world."

Luo Lin peeked through and saw that, as Seele said, it was a sunny beach on the other side.

The beach was crowded with people, many of whom looked quite disheveled and dressed differently from the natives. It was clear they were survivors from the research institute and surrounding areas.

On the beach, Honkai beasts roamed around in groups, distributing food, medicine, and clothes to the survivors. The survivors gathered together, helping each other, even setting up tents by the beach to rest peacefully.

It was as if they have forgotten about where they came from in an instant, having no memories of the Mu Continent event.

Miss Pink Elf gasped, grabbing the nearby Herrscher of Sentience and asking, "Little Senti, you're the Herrscher of Sentience, tell me we're under an illusion right now!"

"...I've checked several times, this isn't an illusion."

Senti pointed at Luo Lin's head, "Moreover, none of the defensive measures I set up in Luo Lin's mind have been triggered. She also has something called the 'Maze of Consciousness,' which is functioning normally... Comparing both, I can confirm what we're seeing isn't an illusion."

"I'd rather this be an illusion! It's too terrifying!"

"However..."

The Herrscher of Sentience supported her chin, puzzled, "Why aren't these people afraid of the Honkai beasts? They even look so happy. Most survivors should have seen Honkai beasts killing people; have they really become this nonchalant?"

Luo Lin turned to swimsuit Seele and asked, "Seele, you sent the survivors to the refuge, right? Did they change at all before and after?"

"Yes, I commanded Chacha to clear the area of rampaging Honkai beasts and rescued some people, sending them to the refuge through this passage... As for changes..."

Swimsuit Seele held her chin, "After crossing the passage, they calmed down and stopped resisting Chacha. They even seemed to forget their previous terrifying encounters... I suppose that's a good change?"

"That's hard to say if it's good or not... Little Senti, could you check the mental state of those people through the gate?"

Senti looked at the shattered glass-like space rift, "No, I can't. This thing blocks my mental power, even with my Herrscher powers, I can't break through."

Luo Lin started digging through her mind for information about this bubble world's story.

Finally, she remembered this event was related to the mysterious Captain storyline. When players, as the Captain, entered this world, their memories were blocked, and they happily played with swimsuit Seele.

If not for the rescue by Fallen Rosemary and Delta, the Captain might have stayed lost in the "dream" created by swimsuit Seele for a long time.

Luo Lin explained her hypothesis to the Herrscher of Sentience and Elysia: "I guess entering that bubble world causes some subtle changes in consciousness and memory... Like accepting that Honkai beasts can coexist harmoniously with humans..."

Senti crossed her arms and nodded, "I see... I don't understand at all."

Elysia, however, understood Luo Lin's point. She narrowed her eyes and asked, "So, little Luo Lin, are you planning to go in and take a look yourself?"

The Herrscher of Sentience was shocked, "What?!"

Luo Lin nodded, "I'm considering it... After all, I have a lot of mental defense measures."

Elysia knocked on the girl's head, "Do you always have to go on adventures yourself? Why not compromise and have Miss Seele here bring someone out for us to experiment on?"

"Oh right!"

Luo Lin turned to swimsuit Seele, looking at her with pleading eyes.

Seele appeared very troubled, hesitating for a long time before saying, "If it's possible, of course, there's no problem, but..."

"But?"

Swimsuit Seele reached out her hand towards the space rift, only to be blocked by an invisible barrier.

Luo Lin, skeptical, tried it herself, but she felt no obstruction at the entrance, even when she extended her entire arm through.

Seele clutched her skirt hem, smiling bitterly, "No matter how I try, the passage won't let me through..."

"Elysia, Senti, you two try it too."

Both attempted it, with the Herrscher of Sentience kicking through most of her leg and Elysia leaning her upper body through, then cheerfully stepping back.

"We had no issues at all."

Luo Lin scratched her head and looked at swimsuit Seele, "Uh, this is your home, isn't it strange that it won't let you back in?"

Seele lowered her head, her eyes flickering, and finally said with difficulty, "It is indeed strange, but I vaguely sense another presence in there that conflicts with me... Maybe that's why I can't go back."

Luo Lin raised an eyebrow, deep in thought.

Chapter 34: Convergence, Anomalies

This is quite a beautiful coastal city, with tall buildings, spacious roads, and even the storefronts on the streets look very clean, almost pleasing to the eye.

But for Seele and Veliona, this kind of beauty holds no meaning, and even bears a considerable sense of strangeness and danger.

"Another me, is there still no way for us to leave this Bubble World?"

"Yes... it seems like we're temporarily trapped here."

The voice of Veliona sounded beside her.

Seele turned her head, gazing at the face almost identical to hers.

Interestingly, after arriving in this Bubble World, Veliona, for some reason, could suddenly emerge from Seele's body, and even use quantum energy to condense a body...

So Veliona came out to frolic, seemingly enjoying the state of coexistence with Seele, pulling the girl around and exploring everywhere, her footsteps never stopping.

While being pulled around, Seele's attention was not elsewhere; she couldn't help but sigh, "This outfit suits you very well, Seele."

"Huh?!"

Veliona lowered her head, carefully examining the thin, cool skirt she was wearing. The clothes were in black and red tones, and the skirt swayed lightly with her movements.

The girl with black hair and red eyes pinched her bangs, her gaze subtly shifting away, "This... you still look better, Seele."

Seele was wearing a summer outfit similar to Veliona's, but with some differences in overall design, mainly in white and blue tones, with a few white flowers embellished on the skirt, making it look even cuter.

"The sound of waves~"

The sound of the waves interrupted Seele's thoughts; she raised her head and focused her gaze on Veliona again.

She could see the quantum radiance flowing deep within Veliona's crimson eyes—while Veliona was frolicking, she still hadn't given up trying to escape from this Bubble World, but obviously with little success.

"It's okay, the other me, don't worry."

Seele comforted, "We have to trust Sister Luo Lin; she's so powerful, nothing bad will happen."

"Hmph, I'm not worried about that guy! I just want to get out of this Bubble World sooner, after all..."

Veliona gestured towards a certain place on the street—

There, several Honkai beasts swaggered along the road, showing no aggression towards the living, and even allowed other humans to feed them, then petted by the feeders.

There were even naughty children climbing on one of the Honkai beasts, laughing cheerfully.

"This scene is too contrary to common sense; I'm afraid I won't adapt after going back..."

"Ahaha... actually, I just picked up a leaflet from the side." Seele waved her hand and showed her discovery to Veliona, "There are some explanations on it..."

Veliona took the leaflet and looked at it for a while, her eyes widening in circles, "What on earth is the Beast Tamer Contest?! Can Honkai beasts really be tamed and become companions?! My goodness... this Bubble World is really... hmm?"

At that moment, Seele and Veliona almost simultaneously turned their heads towards the direction of the beach, because they felt a familiar aura appearing in this Bubble World.

Seele excitedly held Veliona's hand, "It's Sister Luo Lin! She's come to find us!"

"...Let's go see!"

The two quickly arrived at their target location, only to find Luo Lin, Elysia, and Herrscher of Sentience standing on the beach, observing a group of rather disheveled people, seeming very interested in them.

Seele waved to Luo Lin, "Sister Luo Lin, I'm here!"

"Ah, it's Seele!"

Luo Lin was somewhat surprised; she had originally thought that finding her own Seele might take some effort, but unexpectedly, the target had come to her doorstep, and it seemed that her memory had not been affected...

Veliona: "..."

"The other Seele, I didn't expect you to come out here too... wait a moment..."

Luo Lin cautiously looked at Veliona beside Seele and asked, "Seele, can you control yourself now? Do you still have that feeling of wanting to rush over and absorb me?"

"Of course, but for now, I can still control myself..."

Veliona waved her hand somewhat irritably, saying, "As long as you don't randomly emit your charm... oh, and don't use that thing called 'Emotion Diffusion' recklessly, the aftermath is really nauseating."

"Alright..."

Luo Lin nodded and pointed to the space rift behind her, "Let me ask first, can you see this passage?"

"We can."

"I came from here; we'll return from here later, there's a temporary base on the other side of the Bubble World... um, let's call it a temporary base, alright?"

Seele curiously looked at the group of survivors gathered nearby, who seemed quite out of place in this "harmonious" world, and asked, "What's the deal with these people?"

Luo Lin explained, "Oh, there was chaos in the Bubble World over there, so these are refugees... but I'm thinking, do we need to bring them back? After all, they seem quite happy here..."

Finally, several people who were discussing caught the attention of the survivors. One of them, dressed as a researcher, widened his eyes and shouted at Luo Lin.

"Look! It's Dr. Luo Lin!!"

"What?! Is that Dr. Luo Lin?!"

"Is it real or fake, would such a big shot come here?!"

"I remember there were rumors that Dr. Luo Lin was coming to inspect the scientific research on the Mu Continent..."

A crowd gathered around.

Seeing this, Luo Lin took out a megaphone, shouted loudly a few times, and then restored order to the scene.

"Do you remember what happened?"

A person dressed as a researcher said, "I only remember a flash of light, and then I arrived at this place."

Another ordinary citizen replied, "I was brought here by a friendly Honkai beast... sigh, thinking back, I even hit it a few times, I'm really sorry."

The researcher scratched his head, "What? You were brought here by a Honkai beast?"

The crowd became restless. After some discussion, they concluded that some people were transported here after the flash of light, while others were rescued by Swimsuit Seele and Carcar.

And they seem to have forgotten what happened in their original world.

A few minutes later, most of the people decided to leave with Luo Lin and return to the other side of the passage, leaving only a few who wanted to stay and enjoy the perfect sunlight and beach here.

Luo Lin suddenly remembered something, "By the way, Seele, there was actually another Seele in this strange Bubble World, but now it seems like you've taken her place, and she can't come back from the other side of the passage, so she's quite anxious."

Seele's mouth opened wide, "Ah?"

Veliona became alert, "What, another Seele?"

"Well, you two usually float in the Sea of Quanta, so you should know that anything can happen in a Bubble World, even encountering someone with the same name, appearance, and characteristics..."

Before Luo Lin could finish her sentence, a figure emerged from the space rift across from them.

It was another Seele, dressed in a swimsuit, her eyes widening as she laid eyes on Veliona. She instinctively covered her mouth.

"It's you... no, not... not mine... but..."

Swimsuit Seele fell into confusion.

Veliona looked puzzled, "What's wrong with her?"

Seele watched the scene unfold, lips pressed together, whispering, "I understand now... she... she lost her other self."

"Ah!"

Chapter 35: Impactful Encounter

In fact, Veliona didn't initially grasp the meaning behind Seele's earlier words, but when she noticed Seele's sea-blue eyes fixed on her, she suddenly realized the possibility within.

No... another me?

"No, it can't be like this... I'm powerful, Seele, nothing can separate us."

Veliona was even stumbling over her words, grabbing the hand that belonged to her other self, as if desperate to prove something.

Seele looked at her other self, somewhat surprised, but her body was ahead of her thoughts, stepping forward to grasp Veliona's hand firmly, responding with strength.

"We won't be separated, Seele."

"Mm!"

Tears glistened in Swimsuit Seele's eyes as she half-opened her mouth, seeming to want to say something, but ultimately swallowed her words back: "That's great... my other self..."

"Um... Seele, we should go back," Luo Lin couldn't help but interject.

It was then that Veliona realized there was a circle of people watching them, Luo Lin wearing a somewhat bemused auntie smile, Senti scrutinizing the handhold between Seele and Veliona, then shifting her gaze to someone nearby... As for Elysia, she was unexpectedly clapping quietly.

"Ahem... um, yes, we should leave from here," Veliona's face flushed rapidly, turning red, as she hastily pulled Seele's hand and headed toward the space rift.

"Thud!"

"Ouch!"

Rubbing her head, Veliona stared at the space rift—she had just tried to pass through it directly but ended up bumping into an invisible barrier.

Luo Lin became serious, asking, "What's wrong? Can't you both go through?"

Seele, feeling a bit sorry, rubbed the spot where Veliona had hit, then tried to touch the space rift herself, also unable to pass through from here.

"It seems we still can't leave directly..."

Luo Lin pondered for a moment, then touched her golden hairpin, "Why don't I use Mimic Cosmic Juggernaut and create a path right here!"

Acting on her words, the dark-haired Valkyrie began channeling Honkai energy to the hairpin, summoning a faint golden silhouette of a locomotive. Then, under Luo Lin's manipulation, a spotlight-like golden light enveloped Seele and Veliona.

A few seconds later, Luo Lin, somewhat surprised, exclaimed, "Hmm, why can't I pull you? Especially you, Veliona, I feel like your 'mass' has reached an exaggerated level... It's like you suddenly became chubby... This metaphor is a bit too rude..."

Everyone present was speechless at Luo Lin's words, especially Veliona, whose veins were popping on her head. She manifested a pair of blood-red claws with chains pointing at the dark-haired Valkyrie, "Speak properly, I'm not fat... Besides, we don't even have the common currency in this Bubble World, and we've been starving these past few days!"

"Sorry, sorry..." Luo Lin scratched her head, asking, "I'm just trying to find out the problem, so, Seele, have you noticed any abnormalities since you came to this Bubble World?"

Seele pondered for a moment, tugging at her cool clothing, "Maybe our clothes have changed slightly in style, and... the other me can manifest a body and move freely here?"

"Move freely..."

Luo Lin stared at Veliona, murmuring, "Could it be a rule of the Bubble World? Dual consciousness can detach and act independently? Helix, help me test."

"Helix" accepted Luo Lin's transmitted Honkai energy, then after a brief attempt, responded, "No, I can't leave... Think about it again, this Bubble World is closely related to Seele, why not try switching to [Stygian Nymph]?"

"That makes sense."

Amid the stunned gaze of Swimsuit Seele across the channel, Luo Lin directly transformed into [Stygian Nymph].

Swimsuit Seele pointed at Black Seele and White Seele standing together, then at Luo Lin transforming into [Stygian Nymph], her eyes widening in surprise.

Just a few seconds after Luo Lin completed her transformation, she, Seele, Veliona, and even Swimsuit Seele on the other side of the channel all felt a palpitation, as if something had gone wrong.

The next moment, thunder rumbled in the sky, the sea breeze suddenly became turbulent, and the sun was covered by abruptly appearing clouds, the sudden change making the crowd on the beach and the Honkai Beasts panic together.

"What's happening?" "What's going on?" "Is it changing weather?" "It's only been a few seconds, how could the weather change so drastically?!"

But what concerned Luo Lin more was what happened in front of her—

The temporary body Veliona had conjured suddenly began flickering like a broken hologram, startling her into abandoning the operation and quickly returning to Seele's body.

And precisely at the moment when Veliona gave up operating on the "temporary body," it disintegrated into numerous bright blue particles, which then coalesced into a bright crystal amidst a whirlwind-like howl.

The crystal hovered at a height of about half a person, trembling violently. The energy emanating from it brushed against the faces of the crowd, exuding a strong presence.

"Such strong Honkai energy—!"

Luo Lin even felt it was "lost," sometimes leaning toward Seele, sometimes toward herself , and even reacting to Swimsuit Seele across the space rift. It irregularly swayed, even leaving a few afterimages.

As the time the crystal remained "exposed" lengthened, the surrounding environment deteriorated further, with the biting wind even making the people present suspect they had suddenly stepped into winter.

"Helix" seemed to realize something and hurriedly said to Luo Lin, "Quick, change to another character card. The presence of [Stygian Nymph] seems to be agitating this thing!"

"Oh, okay!"

Luo Lin hastily removed [Stygian Nymph] from the lineup, reverting to [Dark Feathers]. Indeed, the crystal in front of her became somewhat calmer, the wildly changing weather also subsided, and even showed signs of improvement, though it didn't return to the initial state.

Elysia narrowed her eyes, "I have a guess that this thing is closely related to the form Lin just transformed into..."

"It's Seele..."

Facing everyone's puzzled gazes, Luo Lin touched her neck and muttered guiltily, "Before this, there were [two] Seeles, unable to leave the Bubble World and return home. After my transformation, there were [three] Seeles, and it seemed like the world was about to explode... Did I encounter another BUG?"

"Helix" fell silent for a moment before saying, "Why do I feel like your guess makes sense?"

"...So, what exactly is this thing?"

Luo Lin stared complexly at the crystal floating not far away, her mind filled with doubts.

The crystal seemed to "sense" Luo Lin's gaze, emitting an unusually bright light that dazzled everyone's vision.

When Luo Lin came to her senses, she found that the crystal had turned into a meteor, fleeing into the distance—

"Oh? Another stroke of luck brought to us by the Ether Anchor?"

A cool voice came from afar, and the fleeing crystal was grabbed by the figure, it struggled violently but in the end, it was unable to escape.

It was a girl with pink hair, but unlike Elysia's hair color, hers was unique, and she had strange blue and red horns on her head. The cuffs and hem of her coat were translucent, and her clothes and socks were paired in striking red and blue colors.

Luo Lin was shocked; wasn't this Delta, the legendary character of the Captain Line?!

But Delta seemed even more surprised than Luo Lin; her eyes widened, the pink pupils in her blue eyes contracting slightly, firmly locking onto Luo Lin's figure.

"Hmm... Your aura... Captain?!"

Chapter 36: The Word "Captain" Holds Secrets (Bible Chanting)

Luo Lin raised her eyebrows. "Captain? Are you referring to... me? Are you certain?"

Delta nodded, speaking with assurance. "Indeed, who else but you? The captain of the Hyperion."

"Hiss..." Luo Lin gasped. Although this answer surprised her, it wasn't entirely unexpected—after all, in the plotlines related to Delta in Honkai Impact 3, the entity referred to as the "captain" in some sense embodies the player.

And our Luo Lin, as a traveler who has played Honkai Impact 3 and experienced the activities related to the "captain," being recognized as the captain by Delta in this world didn't seem so hard to accept.

In fact, in the main storyline of Honkai Impact 3, there isn't a player embodiment like the adjacent "Doctor," "Master", "Teacher," "Commander," and "Admiral"... the so-called "captain of the Hyperion" has always been Himeko Murata.

Of course, during the Honkai event and the end of the first part of the game's main storyline, when Kiana and Mei Raiden broke the "fourth wall," they genuinely greeted the "captains" playing the game in front of the screen...

However, recalling the past, the title of "captain" might have initially been used by the development team to increase player immersion.

After all, who wouldn't want to chat with beautiful 2D girls?

If, during events and interactions on the main interface, the Valkyries coquettishly called out "Captain," it might just help players continue playing the game, even spending money for their favorites, ensuring the survival of miHoYo, which wasn't very prosperous at first!

Of course, Luo Lin also remembers when there was "extensive" interactive touching on the main interface of the game, the Valkyries could kick the captain offline when they got tired of being touched... Unfortunately, this unique system was later removed.

Later on, the Honkai Impact 3 development team wasn't satisfied with this (or perhaps to address players' various complaints in the main storyline), dividing the storyline with the famous "Captain Line" during the 18 summer event "Sanguine Nights."

Here, the "captain" is the officially designated player avatar, possessing the "Hyperion" capable of sailing in the Sea of Quanta, and the "captain" also has the ability to intervene in time with retroactive transfer and consciousness mapping...

However, this ability has certain flaws and significant side effects.

So, the captain repeatedly loses memory, loses oneself in various events and side stories, and even "splits the f*ck up," dividing into many fragments and acting separately in the Sea of Quanta.

Here, we have to mention a role similar to the "captain," the "Ferryman."

Theoretically also a player avatar, but the relationship with the "captain" is "both enemy and friend," sometimes cooperating, sometimes competing, seemingly busy with their "grand cause."

With great perseverance and luck, the captain, drifting in the Sea of Quanta, overcomes various difficulties, builds good relationships with characters from several worlds, and successfully brings them aboard the "Hyperion" to live a shameless life (probably)...

"Wait a minute, your current appearance, temperament, and the abilities hidden within you... Hmm, seems to be related to emotions! This doesn't quite fit the captain's character, does it?"

The girl with pink and differently colored horns stared at Luo Lin, her expression becoming subtle. "Could it be that you're messing up with consciousness mapping again? Is it amnesia this time or has your common sense been altered?"

Luo Lin quickly waved her hand. "No no no, I'm very clear, exceptionally clear, neither losing memory nor having common sense altered..."

Delta pointed to herself. "Then do you know who I am?"

"Delta."

She eagerly asked again, "Can you be more specific?"

Luo Lin's mouth twitched. "Let's not go there, lest I mention a certain name and you suddenly have a stress reaction, then pull out your big sword and knock my head a few times..."

Delta was silent for a few seconds, then sighed. "Alright, now I believe you are the captain—at least the most normal-minded captain I've seen."

"Ahaha..." Luo Lin really didn't know how to refute; after all, the image of the captain portrayed in the early stages of Honkai Impact 3 was... the so-called Aerial Splits Master, the comedian character who cleans the front deck of the Hyperion alone, that's what was passed down from those times...

Delta paused for a moment, then added, "Since I've seen you here, let me inform you of something—The last time I saw that troublesome maid and strategist, their temper wasn't particularly good."

Luo Lin blinked. "Why were they in a bad mood?"

Delta looked at the "dense brick" in front of her, with her hand not holding an Ether Anchor, supported her forehead, and sighed. "The way you asked that makes me suspect you're deliberately teasing me—how could they not be anxious when you, as the captain, aren't on the Hyperion?"

Luo Lin pondered for a moment, cautiously said. "Is there a possibility, I mean, just a possibility, that I'm not actually the captain?"

"Impossible, absolutely impossible."

Delta made an "X" with her hands. "You are the captain, one hundred percent authentic—I have confidence in my intuition and recognition skills! I believe those maid and strategist won't have any objections when they come over."

"Ha?"

Senti made a strange sound, then suddenly grabbed Luo Lin's hand. "What maids and strategists is she talking about? Luo Lin, explain."

Facing Senti's questioning gaze, Luo Lin's forehead broke out in cold sweat, gesturing in the air with her hand a few times. "Uh, well... you can think of them as a super intelligent, world-scheming Theresa and a combination of a super top and bottom, good girl bad girl Rita..."

"I can't imagine what that Theresa would look like... Rita has always been like that... Wait, tell me when did you meet them?!"

The scene became chaotic, with Delta and Elysia watching from the side, while Seele was somewhat at a loss.

After hesitating for a while, Seele finally turned to Miss Pink Elf for help. "Sister Elysia, can you..."

"Ah, cute Seele is speaking up, then I have to take action~"

Elysia took a step forward in a single bound, stretching out her two arms, one around Luo Lin and the other around Senti, forcefully intervening in the situation. "Alright, stop for a moment, don't forget we still have things to do, okay?"

With her face against Elysia's chest, one of Senti's eyes stared at Luo Lin. "When things settle down, you'll have to explain to me properly."

"Okay, I'll do my best..." Luo Lin was in a similar posture, she smiled bitterly, raising her hand in surrender. Waiting until Elysia let go, then she shifted her gaze back to Delta.

"By the way, I still haven't had the chance to ask why you appeared in this place?"

"The Sea of Quanta stirred up quite a commotion, I think anyone would come take a look... Well, almost anyone."

Delta glanced meaningfully at Luo Lin, then shook the Ether Anchor in her hand. "Besides, coming here also brought me some additional gains, isn't that a good thing?"

"Well, Delta, can I ask you for a favor? Can you help look into the issue of Seele and the passage to the other side of the spatial rift..."

"Oh? Given this free Ether Anchor, I'm all ears."

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Her Promise and Her Decision

"Is there such a thing? And from your description, it seems to be related to the Ether Anchor?"

After listening to Luo Lin's narration, Delta glanced at Swimsuit Seele on the other side of the passage, then at the one standing nearby, finally focusing on the crystal in her hand that was no longer struggling.

She stroked her chin, deep in thought.

"So, Delta, is there a solution to this situation?" Luo Lin pressed.

The pink-haired girl replied, "Hmm... I can only say let's give it a try. After all, I'm not a professional."

With that, Delta raised the peculiar crystal, her other arm extended outward, and a pink-based sword with white and black patterns appeared in her hand.

"The Dream of the Sleeping Beauty," according to the codex, was a "siege-specialized" greatsword, one of Delta's preferred weapons.

Then, Luo Lin watched as Delta released her grip on the Ether Anchor, swinging the Dream of the Sleeping Beauty onto the crystal's surface.

"Thud!"

The spine of the sword collided with the Ether Anchor, emitting a dull sound, along with a burst of chaotic energy that tousled everyone's hair in the vicinity.

Delta re-gripped the crystal that had been struck by the sword, waving to the others. "Alright, I think she should be able to pass through the passage now."

Luo Lin's mouth hung open, feeling like her jaw had just taken a heavy blow. "This..."

"The classic forty-five-degree mechanical repair technique, quite effective... well, let's give it a try!"

Swimsuit Seele approached the spatial rift, hesitantly extending her hand—

"What?! I can actually pass through!"

Swimsuit Seele looked at the girl who looked identical to her with some excitement, unable to resist reaching out as if wanting to touch the other's body. But after hesitating for a few seconds, she withdrew her hand, letting out a deep sigh.

The sigh caught the attention of the other Seele, who turned to her counterpart, gazing softly and cautiously asked, "Um... excuse me, are you also Seele?"

"...I guess."

Swimsuit Seele gave a vague response, stroking the battle-scarred Valkyrie beside her. Her reliable companion seemed to sense her owner's low spirits and nuzzled her arm.

After a few seconds of silence, Seele hiding inside herself instructed, "The other me, please do something for me..."

"Huh? What? That's so bothersome... Ugh, fine..."

The girl before Swimsuit Seele's eyes transitioned from sea-blue to deep red, and her clothes changed imperceptibly to another set, emitting a familiar yet unfamiliar aura.

"I really can't do anything with you..."

Veliona and Swimsuit Seele locked eyes for a few seconds, complex emotions flickering in the red of the girl's eyes.

Then, Veliona stepped closer to Swimsuit Seele, whispering softly, "So, um, just to clarify, the other me is worried about you, so she asked me to comfort you... Well, that's it."

Swimsuit Seele stared blankly at Veliona, and the girl with red eyes hugged her tightly. Even with the exchange of control and guidance from Seele hiding within, she gently patted the other's back.

"W-waaah..."

Swimsuit Seele trembled, tears welling up in her eyes, her body filled with moisture. She whimpered softly like an injured little animal, but in Veliona's somewhat stiff comfort, the sorrowful sobs quickly lost restraint, and she couldn't control herself, fiercely hugging Veliona.

Veliona was startled by the sudden outpouring of emotions, frozen in place, unsure of what to do for a moment.

At this moment, Seele said softly, "Just keep hugging her, as you did before."

"...”

Veliona complied, unable to articulate her feelings at the moment, but she felt extremely complicated.

After crying for a few minutes, Swimsuit Seele calmed down. She smiled somewhat embarrassedly, "Um, thank you..."

"Humph, if you want to thank anyone, thank the other me, after all, it was her idea to comfort you in the first place."

Veliona pursed her lips, somewhat awkwardly reaching out her fingers to wipe away the tears on the other's face. "Crying like this is so unsightly, I think... the other you waiting would be unhappy."

"Ahh... So you've noticed... No, it's because it's you that you're able to notice this, right!"

Swimsuit Seele released Veliona's hand she had been clutching tightly, taking two steps back. She wiped her face with the back of her hand, trying hard to force a smile—everyone could see that this smile was much more sincere than all the emotions she had before crying.

"You're right, I should wait for the other me with a smile!"

Chacha emitted a "vroom" sound, nudging Swimsuit Seele's body with its front legs.

"Chacha, I know, I'm not sad... at least not anymore." Swimsuit Seele took a deep breath, looking at Veliona earnestly, and said, "The other me in another world, please take care of yourself, support each other, trust each other... Can you do that?"

"Of course!"

Chapter 38 Return, and... Upgrade?

Chen Tianwu led the defense forces equipped with mechas to patrol around the shelter, killing several waves of Honkai Beasts, totaling dozens. Compared to before, their encounters with Honkai Beasts had increased significantly in frequency.

Perhaps the large survivor gathering places formed at the beginning of the disaster had been mostly cleared out. Now, only Shelter 386 remained in this area. It was like a campfire at night, attracting the attention of Honkai Beasts in the vicinity.

As the sun rose and set, another day passed by. Chen Tianwu had completed his patrol tasks and returned to the shelter after exchanging greetings with the mechas on guard duty.

Of course, as the captain of the defense forces, even though it was rest time, Chen Tianwu still chose to sit by the mecha and remain on standby.

He pinched the communicator and stared at the flashing indicator light. Luo Lin, who had set out earlier, hadn't transmitted any messages for a long time. The dedicated communication channel was empty, leaving Chen Tianwu to ponder.

"How's Dr. Luo Lin... Could it be... No, she and her escorts are all experts..."

Chen Tianwu pursed his lips, forcing the unappetizing compressed biscuit into his mouth. The subtle taste quickly distracted him from his wandering thoughts and contorted his face into a grimace.

"Ugh... so awful..."

He reluctantly chewed twice and washed it down with water.

Just then, the communicator's indicator light lit up, receiving a signal, and intermittent voices came through: "Hiss... Calling Shelter 386... Hiss... This is Luo Lin. We've rescued a group of survivors and need support."

"Okay, we're coming to assist right away!"

Chen Tianwu rolled up from the ground like a carp, jumped into the mecha's cockpit in a flash, and hastily set off with the defense team members who were almost rested.

"Chen, we've detected a large number of Honkai Beasts, unprecedented level!"

Chen Tianwu's voice sounded frantic now: "How many?!"

The soldier who first spoke up answered with a trembling voice, "At least a hundred!"

"...Let's speed up. We must rescue Dr. Luo Lin no matter what! Understand?"

In the end, when Chen Tianwu and his team rushed over in a hurry, they found that the situation wasn't as dire as they had imagined, and they weren't even needed to intervene.

Among the awe-struck gazes of the survivors, a girl with pink hair and peculiar horns stood on the "hill" piled from the corpses of Honkai Beast. She held a red and a blue sword, visible energy flowing and dancing on the blades like peculiar notes.

When the girl saw the mechas approaching from a distance, she raised the swords in her hands, pointing them towards Chen Tianwu's group.

"Hey, Delta, don't attack them. They're allies! Chen Tianwu, she's my friend! Everyone, calm down!"

While shouting, Luo Lin held a partially warm assault rifle and ran back from the other side of the survivors' group, completing the communication just in time, turning the potential tragedy into nothingness.

Chen Tianwu maneuvered the mecha forward a few steps, his voice echoing through the loudspeaker: "Dr. Luo Lin! You're finally back!"

Luo Lin nodded: "Chen Tianwu, help pacify the people, then let's return to Shelter 386."

The members of the defense forces nodded in agreement and skillfully integrated into the group of survivors, starting their own tasks.

"Dr. Luo Lin brought back quite a few people this time. Where were you all hiding before?"

The survivors looked somewhat bewildered, trying hard to answer, "We... were hiding in the research institute in the mountain... Dr. Luo Lin rescued us from there."

"I see..."

Chen Tianwu scratched his head, feeling instinctively that something was amiss, but couldn't figure it out after pondering for a while, so he gave up thinking.

---Anyway, with Dr. Luo Lin here now, I just need to follow the big shots' orders!

After listening to the conversation between the survivors and Chen Tianwu, Luo Lin exchanged a glance with Elysia, while Senti shrugged: "It's not like I did it. They turned out like this when they came out of that Bubble World. They don't seem to remember much after going back here... But it's also a good thing. There's no need to explain things like Bubble Worlds to them anymore."

"I seem to have heard someone mention Bubble Worlds?"

Delta jumped down from the "mountain" of Honkai Beast corpses and came to Luo Lin's side.

"Just now, I used my own means to detect this Bubble World. This place isn't big... It's size is similar to Arc City, right?"

Luo Lin suddenly realized that what Delta was referring to was Arc City from the event "Arc - Light Bound" when the main character portrayed was the character Haxxor Bunny, Bronie.

Arc City there was a huge cyberpunk-style city, probably no different from cities like Shanghai and Shenzhen based on the map and buildings being used for intercity light rail.

However, what Delta was more concerned about now was Luo Lin herself. She exclaimed, "Captain, you seem to have become quite powerful this time, not falling behind in battles against so many Honkai Beasts!"

Luo Lin couldn't help but retort, "Just how weak do you think your captain is?"

Delta was caught off guard by this question and pondered for a while before saying, "I can't say weak. After all, everyone recognizes the captain's willpower and determination. It's just... the captain's combat power is... more subtle, but definitely not in the strong category."

The black-haired Valkyrie questioned further, "Do you think you're strong in combat?"

"Hmph."

Delta didn't answer, she only flicked her tail impatiently.

The girl with pink hair and peculiar horns had swung the twin swords with proficiency and agility just now, even making it seem like she was wielding not two heavy assault swords but paintbrushes in the hands of an artist, splashing passion outwardly yet gracefully.

Of course, Delta's "passion" was unbearable for ordinary Honkai Beasts. Besides the small mountain she previously stepped on, there was also a large area of evenly distributed "Honkai Energy Fragments" around the small mountain, all of which were her "masterpieces".

However, Luo Lin could see that Delta's combat skills were actually similar to Yae Sakura's, both being "self-taught masters" of wild growth. After all, under normal circumstances, no one would bother to study how to fight with two assault swords...

Senti's assessment of Delta was also high: "Very impressive sword skills. I'll take note... Luo Lin, I'll teach you some improved versions later, so you can wield the big sword more beautifully next time you use Vermillion Knight."

"Yes yes."

Waiting for Chen Tianwu to organize the survivors' team, Luo Lin and her group set off on their way home. There weren't many words on the way, and everyone returned to the shelter fairly peacefully.

The survivors gathered noisily, making the shelter more lively, but Anna, who was in charge of logistics, had a rather ugly expression.

Obviously, with so many newcomers, the material distribution plan would have to be recalculated, and the originally barely sufficient supplies would once again fall below the secure threshold...

Anna pressed her temples, preparing to discuss the matter of material collection with Chen Tianwu again.

On the other side, Schrodinger also encountered Luo Lin and her group.

"...Who is this?"

Schrodinger looked at Delta, her gaze filled with curiosity.

Her horns seemed to resemble some kind of Honkai Beast's, right? If she wasn't mistaken, she even had a tail...?

Delta was no stranger to such looks; she impatiently flicked her tail: "Captain... Luo Lin's friend."

"You seem to have quite a few friends."

Schrodinger glanced at Luo Lin, her eyes conveying the meaning of "you're too lazy to even come up with a story, making me feel a bit awkward."

"Forget it, as long as you're back safe... I'll go continue inspecting the shelter facilities."

Seeing that the other party didn't inquire further, Luo Lin also breathed a sigh of relief. She adjusted her appearance with the Edge of Taixuan, then sat down in a chair, opening the activity panel to start her research.

The previous "Investigation into Honkai Abnormalities" mission had been completed, and Delta's portrait had been added to the dispatched team panel.

Luo Lin glanced at the data marked by the system: [Military 5, Science 0, Logistics 0].

Delta was purely a combat unit.

But that was reasonable too; Luo Lin couldn't imagine what Delta would be like doing scientific research or logistics work.

Would she mess around with scientific instruments like she did when she wielded her sword against the Ether Anchor before? Or would she threaten others to keep quiet while holding a large sword?

Luo Lin really doubted whether Delta could do these things...

After all, Delta's real name was actually Rosalia Arlene...

"Okay, let me see, what other missions are there... Huh... Why did an 'Activity Tutorial' suddenly pop up? Using 'Ether Anchor' to upgrade the shelter level...?"

Chapter 39: Got Entangled

"...You said you want to take the [Ether Anchor] to do what?"

"To upgrade the shelter."

Delta dug in her ear, finally seeing from Luo Lin's serious expression that she wasn't joking.

She gasped and asked, "Do you know what the [Ether Anchor] is?"

"I kind of understand... maybe?"

Luo Lin held her chin and answered softly, "The [Ether Anchor] can be considered the 'core' and 'essence' of a Bubble World in a certain sense. It can determine the rules of the Bubble World to some extent and may also relate to the survival of the Bubble World..."

"You know it well! Such a precious thing, and you plan to use it to upgrade the shelter? And how do you plan to use the [Ether Anchor] to upgrade this place? You can't just weld the crystal onto the energy hub, can you?"

Luo Lin, holding her chin, seemed thoughtful, "Maybe we could try your method?"

"You don't even know how to use the [Ether Anchor], and you come to me saying you want to upgrade the shelter with it?"

Delta felt both amused and exasperated, speaking quickly, "Even putting that aside, are you sure you want to enhance this dilapidated place, with most facilities not working, not that big, and already overcrowded? Isn't that impractical?"

"Bigger shelters are probably all destroyed by the Honkai beasts by now—you know how they are, they go where there are more people, where it has a greater impact on humanity." Luo Lin spread her hands, "At least in dealing with human civilization, Honkai beasts are quite professional."

The pink-haired, heterochromatic girl paused, took a deep breath, and continued, "Even so, a bigger shelter would be much better, right? It's like using a +99 guaranteed success enhancement coupon on a half-durability wooden sword, do you get what I mean?"

"But those kinds of shelters are probably far away, maybe in the city center or bustling areas, where there are more and scarier Honkai beasts. The survivors can't get there—if they force their way, we'd have to repair more seriously damaged facilities while defending against stronger Honkai beasts. I think it would be much worse than now..."

"But in the foreseeable future, with your temperament, you'll save more people. Can this place accommodate them? I don't think so; you need a bigger shelter to enhance..."

Luo Lin nodded vigorously, "I get it, that's why I want to use the magical [Ether Anchor] to give it a try! And you're thinking this way because you're willing to let me use the [Ether Anchor], right?"

Delta held her horns, sighed painfully after a few seconds, and said, "...How did I get entangled by you?"

The girl with pink hair and heterochromatic eyes looked at Luo Lin with a complex expression, finally took out the crystal with a strange glow from her pocket, and placed it in the Valkyrie's hand.

"********!!!, take it, take it! My performance is ruined because of you! Figure out how to use the [Ether Anchor] yourself, I'm in a bad mood, no free after-sales service!"

Delta stormed out of the control room.

Watching her leave, Luo Lin chuckled, "She's just being stubborn, still, not even as stubborn as Mobius..."

She weighed the [Ether Anchor] in her hand, which didn't feel as heavy as she had imagined. Instead, it felt like a hollow, even inflatable model, somewhat light.

"So how do you use this thing? Could it really be like Delta said, welding it onto the energy hub?"

Luo Lin thought for a moment, then opened the activity panel, using the [Ether Anchor] to gently tap the highlighted area in the activity tutorial.

The next moment, the crystal melted into the activity interface like encountering a dimensional foil, spreading out like etched circuits from the two-dimensional [Ether Anchor], quickly covering the entire system interface.

Unbeknownst to Luo Lin, Schrodinger, who was busy repairing the shelter's equipment, noticed an anomaly—the originally damaged main engine of the shelter emitted a slight hum, gradually returning to normal operation in a peculiar glow, with energy output significantly higher than its rated power.

After rough calculations, it could even support a considerable mech force for full load operations.

"What happened?!"

Schrodinger couldn't figure it out. She circled the restored (even exceeding the original) engine countless times, dismantled the shell several times to observe its structure, and found no changes inside.

It was simply, conceptually, stronger.

"Is this reasonable? Is this scientific? But... it's indeed quite Honkai."

Schrodinger concluded, took some photos and videos of the engine, and headed back to find Dr. Luo Lin, the current highest authority in the shelter.

"The main engine has restarted, but..."

Schrodinger arrived at the door of the control room (now the main office) and ran into the returning Chen Tianwu and Anna.

Before she could speak, she was hugged by the excited Chen Tianwu and Anna.

"Amazing, Schrodinger!"

"Exactly!"

The two kept praising Schrodinger's skills, saving survivors from peril, with increasingly exaggerated flattery that even made the usually composed Schrodinger blush.

"This isn't my doing, I actually don't understand how it got repaired and started up again—I believe Dr. Luo Lin accomplished it. Am I right, Doctor?"

Schrodinger paused, pushed open the control room door, and looked inside.

Chen Tianwu and Anna also came to their senses, looking eagerly at the slender yet reliable figure.

However, at this moment, Luo Lin's expression looked grim.

"Doctor, what's wrong?"

Luo Lin replied with difficulty, "I found some... rather bad signs..."

Anna blinked, "What signs?"

Schrodinger took a few steps, gazing at the projection screen Luo Lin was staring at, which showed the data map of the Honkai energy near the shelter.

"The energy reactions at those nearby Honkai energy release points have intensified? Gotten stronger?!"

The line representing Honkai energy concentration shot up like a rocket, with no sign of slowing down, making one's scalp tingle.

Luo Lin answered in a low voice, "Yes, most likely strong enemies... Anyway, we need to find a way to deal with it."

Anna covered her mouth, "If it continues to grow like this... many people might get 'Honkai disease' from energy erosion, and there's no effective treatment for that disease..."

Chen Tianwu suddenly slapped his thigh, "No, actually, I've heard that Fire Moth has a drug that can slow down or even cure Honkai disease... There's a Fire Moth medical lab in our city, and it's not too far from us..."

Schrodinger raised an eyebrow, "Are you sure that lab could have survived the Honkai attack?"

"Even if there are some remnants... it could at least save some people...?"

Luo Lin looked at the three people discussing, sighing deeply.

The Fire Moth's 'drug'... sigh, the production process of that thing is quite 'unpleasant'—extracting 'antibodies' from the bodies of those who died from Honkai disease, reportedly needing the corpses of a thousand people to concentrate enough for one person...

If they knew the truth about the vaccine, they might feel disgusted and horrified, even to the point of refusing to use it.

"Don't worry, I have many tricks up my sleeve. Let's get something that can 'treat the symptoms' for everyone first..."

Chapter 40: The Anti-Honkai Energy Family Bucket

The most troublesome aspect of the Honkai isn't its random timing and locations, nor its ability to conjure Honkai beasts and Herrschers out of thin air. Rather, it's the "execution-style" killing of ordinary humans who lack sufficient resistance to Honkai energy and its severe impact on the environment.

The former means that any ordinary human whose Honkai resistance doesn't reach the "pass line" will be sentenced to death upon encountering Honkai energy. Unfortunately, the vast majority of humans don't meet this "pass line."

As a result, every time the Honkai descends, there are virtually no survivors. Even if someone with enough Honkai resistance survives the initial "wide-area strike," they are likely to encounter the classic companions of a Honkai event—the Honkai beasts and zombies—further diminishing their already slim chances of survival.

Though we often joke about humanity's incredible reproductive ability, having almost "conquered" the entire Earth in just a few thousand years, it's hard to say we can keep up with the consumption caused by the relentless onslaught of the Honkai.

The latter point represents that each Honkai outbreak or eruption leaves the affected area corrupted by Honkai energy, with significant residual energy left behind. In the original story, people returned to live in Nagazora a few years after the Herrscher of Thunder descended.

Perhaps the Honkai energy in that area had decayed to an acceptable level...?

No, most of the people who returned to live there were original residents of Nagazora, those who had already been "screened" by the Honkai and had some level of resistance. Their lack of reaction to the residual Honkai energy doesn't mean that ordinary people could live there normally.

Even though Nagazora was cleared and swept by Valkyrie squads from Schicksal, Honkai beasts still mysteriously appeared there. This implies that there are likely "high-concentration areas" within Nagazora where enough Honkai energy remains to give birth to Honkai beasts.

Honkai beasts and residual Honkai energy threaten anyone brave enough to return to this place. In a sense, Nagazora was ruined by the Honkai, rendered unusable by humans.

And the Honkai only needs to repeat this process: find a city, trigger a Honkai event, and wipe out the population in the area... It can easily and quickly destroy a part of human territory, with little prospect of recovery in the foreseeable future.

After all, the intensity of Honkai descents is increasing. This was the predicament faced by the previous civilization: initially, they knew nothing about the Honkai and didn't take the so-called "natural disaster" seriously.

After this, the frequency and intensity of the Honkai's descents increased, with advanced Honkai beasts and Herrschers appearing frequently. The human population suffered severe damage from these disasters, and the areas suitable for human habitation became smaller and smaller... until the situation became irretrievable.

Of course, both the previous and current civilizations had insightful individuals who studied these two characteristics of the Honkai.

First to mention is the famous [Moonlight Throne] system, which can convert Honkai energy into other forms of energy, with very broad application prospects. However, when the previous civilization produced the actual [Moonlight Throne] system, it was already during the Final Battle. This is likely because the [Moonlight Throne], as a technological marvel, required a large amount of productivity and manufacturing capability. The previous civilization had suffered heavy losses in their battles with the Honkai, and their manufacturing and technological hub, Mu Continent, had been sunk by the Herrscher of Rock. Ultimately, it seems there was only one completed [Moonlight Throne], installed on a satellite in outer space.

Facing the top-tier Honkai entity and ultimate being, the [Herrscher of Finality], the [Moonlight Throne] system demonstrated its formidable power by directly overloading itself to drain 30% of the [Herrscher of the End]'s energy—a critical blow.

Anti-Entropy in the current civilization also researched the [Moonlight Throne] system, the Selene. Sirin had previously encountered a Replica of the [Moonlight Throne] mounted on Arahato, with considerable effectiveness. Anti-Entropy continued to delve deeper into the [Moonlight Throne] system, enhancing and expanding its use. It was installed on the Hyperion, and the Herrscher of Reason, Bronya, used it creatively, often employing it in combat.

Furthermore, the collaboration between Anti-Entropy and Schicksal led to the development of the [Moon Ring] based on the Selene, providing a mature solution for "how ordinary people can survive in a Honkai environment and even gain some combat ability."

Next is Dr. Mei and Mobius's Project Stigma, which aimed to fundamentally alter human adaptability to Honkai energy by starting from human genes and the base level. Stigmata awakeners could control Honkai energy with their will.

Otto Apocalypse developed "artificial stigmata," which involved performing surgeries on individuals with basic Honkai resistance to further enhance their adaptability to Honkai energy, combating the frequent Honkai events. However, these Valkyries with artificial stigmata paid a heavy price, with significantly reduced lifespans and rare peaceful deaths—fortunately, Luo Lin had previously provided a mature alternative, the [Moon Ring], which should address this issue in the future.

Regarding stigmata, Schicksal's Overseer accidentally discovered an unprecedented creation—the famous Honkai energy-neutralizing serum [God-Slaying Spear]. Although its raw material was actually [Schariac's Holy Blood], or more specifically, [Cecilia Schariac's Blood], its manufacturing process was as unsettling as the "medication" of the Fire Moth: extracting blood from Cecilia Schariac's clone and processing it to create the [God-Slaying Spear].

However, the blood obtained from Cecilia's clones was only a "degraded version of Holy Blood of Schariac," requiring much more of it to produce the [God-Slaying Spear] compared to the original [Holy Blood].

Take a look at the base buried beneath St. Freya Academy—the cloning pods stretch as far as the eye can see. Unfortunately, the production of the [God-Slaying Spear] was quite limited and not universally applicable.

At this thought, Luo Lin was suddenly startled: she still had a vial of the [God-Slaying Spear] serum that she hadn't used on Kiana. What if she showed this to Mobius—could they find a way to mass-produce it?

As she pondered this, she fiddled with two golden long swords in the center of the shelter, catching Schrodinger's eye, who watched with twitching eyelids.

What is this? It looks a bit like the Divine Keys. And how did she pull out two at once?

Schrodinger hesitated for a long time, too embarrassed to ask, but Chen Tianwu boldly inquired, "Dr. Luo Lin, what are you doing?"

"Setting up a small anti-Honkai energy device."

Luo Lin made a final adjustment to the restored [Xuanyuan Sword]'s position and then activated the Divine Keys with her mental power. They emitted a peculiar glow, absorbing the surrounding Honkai energy like a whirlwind.

"Now you can check the Honkai energy concentration around the shelter."

Schrodinger picked up the terminal as instructed and was astonished to find the Honkai energy concentration around the shelter rapidly decreasing, even returning to a level where ordinary people could live normally.

The survivors in the shelter felt a sense of relief, even walking more lightly.

According to Schrodinger's observation, the mysterious items only affected the Honkai energy concentration in this small area of the shelter... but it was still a powerful and useful tool.

Luo Lin felt a bit regretful: "There weren't enough [Keys of Dominion] to form this anti-Honkai energy array. If I had ten more of them..."

"Old timer would probably blow your head off first," the Herrscher of Sentience quipped.

"Oh? You're back. How's the distribution of the [Mimicry Moon Rings]?"

Luo Lin, previously in [Haxxor Bunny] form, had used the [Key of Revelation] to create a batch of [Mimicry Moon Rings], which had taken a lot of time and effort. She still felt tired and empty from it.

By the way, Delta was startled to see Luo Lin in her [Haxxor Bunny] form. But after learning it was Luo Lin, the pink-haired girl with different-colored horns laughed and even took out a camera to record a long video (with some face-pinching and pose-requesting, under the guise of "interest payment" for the [Ether Anchor]).

In the end, Delta left satisfied, and Luo Lin could only hope that the video wouldn't reach the original owner, bringing trouble to her doorstep...

The Herrscher of Sentience's voice interrupted Luo Lin's thoughts. She spread her hands, "The [Mimicry Moon Rings] work well. Everyone with 'Honkai disease' symptoms managed to control their condition with its help, even slowly improving..."

Luo Lin scratched her head and sighed, "Alas, my skills aren't enough. The creations from the [Key of Revelation] are temporary, with less power than the original. They’ll last only a day or two before breaking... then I'll have to make them again. This isn't a long-term solution. I really need the Herrscher of Reason's help..."

"I think you're already pretty impressive..."

"Well, if nothing else works, I’ll visit the medical area later and use the [Mimicry Abyss Flower] to heal everyone. I have the [Blessing of Holy Blood], so I can fully utilize its healing power. Maybe I can even save the seriously injured... By the way, can the remnants of the [Staff of Duat] still be used?"

"According to you, it was hit by the Will of Honkai last time? I tried everything, but it won’t start up..."

Schrodinger listened to their conversation, her eyelids twitching constantly.

Honkai Will, Moonlight Throne, Divine Keys, Herrschers... Luo Lin and the Herrscher of Sentience discussed these things as casually as shopping for groceries and actually took out numerous related "novelties" to use, which left Schrodinger deeply shocked!

As for Chen Tianwu and Anna, they nodded in agreement, continuing their tasks as assigned, clearly not understanding the nuances of Luo Lin and the Herrscher's conversation.

But Luo Lin seemed to have another thought.

As she and the Herrscher of Sentience headed to the medical area, she touched her chin, muttering, "Blessing of Holy Blood... Holy Blood..."

After a while, the Valkyrie suddenly said, "The [God-Slaying Spear] is made from [Holy Blood of Schariac]. Do you think my blood could also be used as a substitute?"

Chapter 41: The Cause

"You said you know of a medication that can treat Honkai erosion and that its raw materials might be replaceable with your own blood. And then you planned to draw a large amount of blood from yourself for experimentation, relying on your extraordinary recovery ability?"

Luo Lin nodded, gazing pleadingly at the pink elf standing not far away.

Why only use her eyes? Because Luo Lin was tightly bound to a chair with ropes infused with deep red Honkai energy, and her mouth was sealed with similarly colored tape. She couldn't move or speak, only wriggle and whimper in her chair.

Elysia turned to look at the sulking Herrscher of Sentience leaning against the wall. Beside her was a high-tech-looking blood collection device, clearly confiscated from Luo Lin.

The pink elf remained silent for a moment, then whispered, "Indeed, Senti tied her up well. You need to calm down."

Luo Lin whimpered again, "Mmm mmm mmm!"

Elysia turned to ask the Herrscher of Sentience, "What is she saying?"

"She's probably saying she realizes her mistake and will sincerely correct it—although I think Luo Lin will likely forget this soon and repeat it, with the attitude of 'humbly admitting fault but daring to do it again'."

The Herrscher pressed her temples, feeling her blood pressure rising.

"But you can't keep her tied up like this. She needs to manage the shelter."

Elysia thought for a moment, then approached Luo Lin. With a pink glow, she neutralized the Honkai energy left by the Herrscher of Sentience and then removed the tape from Luo Lin's mouth.

"Mmm mmm, my dear Elysia, you're my savior..."

Elysia raised her index finger, pressing it to Luo Lin's lips to signal her to be quiet, "Luo Lin, you were wrong this time, right?"

"I..."

Luo Lin stammered, muttering, "I just wanted to do some experiments... after all, the [God-Slaying Spear] is indeed a good cure for Honkai erosion... though its raw materials are a bit demanding..."

"You mean 'a bit demanding'—and you planned to use your blood as a substitute?"

Elysia's pink eyes met Luo Lin's, making her turn her head away to avoid her gaze. But the pink elf wouldn't let her escape, holding her face to turn her head back.

"Luo Lin... this is not good, very not good."

"…"

"I know you are a very compassionate person, which is evident from your ability to use [Emotional Diffusion]—you care about everyone, you care about this world..."

Elysia smiled, tilting her head slightly, "Just like me, right?"

Luo Lin lowered her eyes, murmuring, "Probably not as much as you..."

"Don't underestimate yourself, and don't idolize others, Luo Lin."

The pink elf responded earnestly, "From beginning to end, I believe I'm just an ordinary person. I do what I can, what I should, and strive hard... without seeing myself as a 'superhuman' or 'non-human', understand?"

Luo Lin nodded.

Elysia then turned to the Herrscher of Sentience, "Senti, while you were decisive, your methods were a bit... inappropriate. It's been two hours since this happened until you called me for help, right?"

The Herrscher estimated and replied, "About that."

Elysia, exasperated, said, "And you kept Luo Lin tied to the chair the whole time? If it weren't for the Valkyrie's exceptional body and her remarkable recovery ability, she might have had serious issues by now."

"Uh, this... my..."

The Herrscher scratched her head, realizing her mistake.

Elysia tapped the ropes binding Luo Lin, and the pink light dispelled the dark red energy, causing the ropes to disintegrate.

Luo Lin exhaled deeply, trying to move her arms and legs, but soon felt discomfort and grimaced.

The pink elf asked, "Numb?"

Luo Lin: "Numb."

"So, you’re not planning to make amends?"

Elysia glanced at the Herrscher, then lifted her chin towards Luo Lin.

The Herrscher, embarrassed, rubbed her hands and hurried to Luo Lin's side, using traditional Shenzhou massage techniques to relieve her discomfort.

"Sorry, Luo Lin, I was really angry when I heard what you said, so I wasn't gentle..."

Luo Lin sighed, "Sigh, I’m partly to blame too. I had no clue how to make the [God-Slaying Spear]. I got impatient and wanted to draw a lot of blood in one go..."

At this moment, Elysia suddenly interjected.

"Luo Lin, it seems you haven't realized that you're actually anxious and suffering, even... afraid?"

The pink elf spoke seriously, "I think this is largely related to the dire state of this Bubble World—you don’t want this to happen again, whether here or in your original world, so you’re desperately seeking a solution..."

The black-haired Valkyrie was stunned, "Really?"

The Herrscher was also shocked, "Huh?"

Now it was Elysia's turn to be surprised, "It's normal for Luo Lin not to realize it, but why is Senti also surprised?"

The Herrscher was aggrieved, "Why do you think I can perceive such hidden emotions that even the person themselves isn’t aware of? Just because I'm the Herrscher of Sentience? I usually don’t use my powers on my friends..."

"Actually, I think you and Luo Lin are opposites. She underestimates herself, while you see her as a pillar, a beacon—she's your role model, like a teacher or a parent... So you subconsciously believe she’s always strong, even somewhat omnipotent..."

"Is that so? Parents...?"

The Herrscher's mouth opened, falling into confusion.

Luo Lin looked at her with a subtle expression, spreading her arms, teasing, "Do you need a hug of love?"

"…Yes."

"Huh?"

The Herrscher dove into the girl's arms, and the solid embrace made Luo Lin react instinctively, wrapping her arms around the Herrscher.

The Herrscher held the black-haired Valkyrie tightly, as if protecting a precious treasure.

"Stop always saying things that worry me, okay?"

"Mm."

"Let's discuss things more, alright?"

"Mm-hmm."

Elysia smiled, quietly leaving the space and meeting Schrodinger’s vibrant gaze outside.

She asked with interest, "How much did you hear?"

"Not much... uh, not much... I’ll come back to report later..."

Schrodinger fled.

"Huh? Really, I wanted to chat with you!"

Elysia put her hands on her hips, looking a bit puffed up.

"…Beep…"

"Hmm?"

The pink elf looked down, gently touching the flower-shaped signal transmitter on her chest.

"Did it just beep?"

Chapter 42: Cooking, Ah

As the sun rose in the east and set in the west, another day passed by, and the shelter found itself with a few more unfamiliar faces.

These were survivors discovered by the teams sent out from the shelter to search for supplies. When found, most were alone, hiding in dark corners, all somewhat injured, showing clear signs of Honkai erosion.

Fortunately, Luo Lin had previously provided the [Mimicry Moon Ring] to treat such injuries, quickly stabilizing the wounded.

Worried about the stability of these [Key of Revelation] creations, Luo Lin frequently visited the medical area to observe their stability and record relevant data, planning to make adjustments the next time she crafted the [Moon Ring] to perhaps extend its lifespan.

Unexpectedly, after some time, the black-haired Valkyrie discovered Seele in the medical area. She wasn't injured; instead, she was helping the overwhelmed doctors by handling some simple wounds with a tray of medicines.

Seele soon noticed Luo Lin, given the Valkyrie's distinguished status in the shelter, attracting attention wherever she went. Seele naturally picked up on Luo Lin's presence from the surrounding reactions.

"Big sister Luo Lin..."

"I'm here to check on things."

The Valkyrie casually crafted a [Mimicry Abyssal White Flower], treating the wounded in the medical area one by one, garnering waves of applause and cheers.

"Doctor, you're amazing!" "Thank you, Doctor Luo Lin!" "Wonderful, Doctor!"

Unable to endure the atmosphere, Luo Lin pulled Seele away in haste.

"Ahem, Seele, why are you over there helping to save people? And your technique looks quite skilled..."

"Because I want to help big sister Luo Lin!"

Seele blinked, "Sister Bronya taught me how to handle some wounds, and I still remember it very clearly. So, I volunteered to help—it turned out quite well."

Luo Lin realized, "So it was Bronya who taught you?"

"Yes, Sister Bronya also taught me many other little things..."

Seele nodded, counting on her fingers, "For example... how to make Molotov cocktails, tripwire mines, how to reload bullets, and maintain weapons..."

Luo Lin broke into a cold sweat, "I know Bronya was a child soldier, but teaching you these things seems a bit... Isn't there anything more, well, practical for daily life?"

"Practical for daily life? You mean more everyday skills..."

Seele pondered for a few seconds, then hesitantly said, "Due to the limited conditions at the orphanage, most of what we got were canned and other packaged foods, slightly expired but still safe to eat... Sister Bronya and I would cook these things together, making a big pot of food, and the other kids at the orphanage said it tasted pretty good."

"There's such a skill?"

Luo Lin became interested, leading Seele to the shelter's logistics department.

Anna seemed to have been busy for a long time, with smudges of dust on her face. She sat on the ground with a terminal on her lap, seemingly doing data entry.

Not far away, several equally disheveled people had set up a giant electromagnetic stove, with an equally large pot on it, filled with a thick, porridge-like substance.

Seeing Luo Lin, Anna initially wanted to stand up and salute but was stopped by the Valkyrie, "It's a critical time, no need for formalities... How are things here?"

Anna replied, "The supplies gathered in the past two days are quite decent, enough to sustain the shelter for half a month. If we ration carefully, it might last longer..."

"So, are we almost out of supplies nearby?"

"Yes, soon we'll have to go further to find supplies..." Anna tapped the terminal, feeling down, "Also, we've been finding fewer survivors these past two days..."

Luo Lin sighed, looking complicated, "After all, it's been five days since the disaster began... Let's discuss the next steps..."

"Alright, from the intelligence gathered from survivors, the supermarket here has been destroyed by Honkai beasts, and over here..."

While Luo Lin and Anna were discussing future plans, Seele approached the pot of "gruel," eyeing the dejected people around it, "Excuse me, did you encounter some difficulty?"

A man looked up, "Who... a little girl? Shoo, shoo, I'm upset..."

Another person spoke up, "Hey! Old Wang, don't take it out on a kid! Let's just eat some food."

Old Wang pointed at the pot of "gruel," cursing, "You call this food? It's an insult to my culinary skills! Before this, if I saw something like this, I'd beat up the person who made it!"

"Do you expect a stable environment to make gourmet dishes? We're lucky to have hot food at all!"

The second person also got angry, "We must use up the perishable and slightly off ingredients first, paired with a few cans, and this is the result. Old Wang, as a chef, you should figure it out!"

"I... sigh!"

Old Wang knew he was being unreasonable and sighed deeply, "I've never made... this... food before, and the supply teams didn't bring back many seasonings... I'll try again..."

Seele timidly raised her hand, "Actually... I'm good at cooking with canned and near-expired food..."

"Huh?"

Everyone turned to stare at Seele.

"Kid, I know you want to lighten the mood, but this isn't the time for jokes..."

"Yeah, are you lost? Go find your mom..."

Seele pursed her lips, answering firmly, "I'm not joking!"

At this moment, Luo Lin peeked over, "What's going on? Seele?"

"Doctor?!" "Doctor Luo Lin!" "Doctor, thank you for saving me!"

The black-haired girl waved her hand, "Yes, yes, Seele, are you planning to cook for everyone?"

Seele nodded, "I... yes."

Luo Lin gave Seele an encouraging look, "I remember you saying you're good at making this kind of food? Why not give it a try?"

The people around the pot were shocked, "Huh? Doctor, you're not joking?"

Luo Lin retorted, "Do I seem like someone who jokes about this?"

"Uh..."

The crowd fell silent, but their gazes at Seele were still full of doubt.

A red glimmer flashed in Seele's eyes, and her inner self, Black Seele, asked, "Need me to help? To put these guys in their place?"

No, I can handle this myself.

Under the crowd's watchful eyes, Seele took a deep breath and walked seriously toward the bubbling pot of "weird-tasting gruel."

"Sip, sip, it seems this still has hope."

Seele took a spoonful of the gruel, thought for a moment, then grabbed the limited seasonings and remaining emergency supplies.

"First this... then this..."

With her actions, the smell from the pot began to change, making Old Wang and the others' expressions "interesting."

After a few more minutes, Seele stepped back, showcasing her efforts—though still a pot of "gruel," it now seemed somewhat "appetizing".

The cook, Old Wang, was the first to approach, tasting a spoonful. He stood there in astonishment, murmuring, "How... how did it... it actually tastes better?!"

Hearing Old Wang's reaction, others rushed forward. Even Anna, amid her duties, managed to taste a spoonful, her face showing surprise.

"It's really delicious..." "Unbelievable... how did you do it?" "Those were just ordinary seasonings, and this girl... could she be a legendary chef?" "Incredible..."

Luo Lin glanced at the activity panel, crossed her arms, nodding in satisfaction.

---

Random Event: Delicious Magic - Seele

It's been so long since I've tasted this flavor... Could it be made from canned and near-expired food? This taste, hmph, must be Seele's doing... - Delta (Note: She wagged her tail happily when she said this)

Base military strength has slightly increased, and dispatched teams have received a basic combat effectiveness boost.

Chapter 43: Canon, But Not Quite Right

Seele ascended as the head chef of Shelter 386, leading a group of cooks in their struggle. She managed to create delicious meals from limited and less-than-ideal ingredients, turning the tables with each dish and earning the surprise and applause of everyone.

However, what Seele didn't know was that besides feeling inadequate in their skills, the cooks also believed that Seele had endured too much in her past—after all, cooking required talent and practice, and judging by Seele's proficiency in making "emergency stews," she must have endured her fair share of hardship.

"Ah-choo!"

Luo Lin rubbed her nose and glanced at the supply area. She sensed some strange reactions from there, but nothing that posed a real threat, so she shrugged it off. After all, she was faced with a more pressing issue.

"Doctor, while we were patrolling today, we encountered a new type of Honkai Beast..."

Chen Tianwu pointed to a nearby crate, speaking solemnly, "Even just two days ago, we hadn't seen anything like it."

"Insects?"

Indeed, inside the crate lay a kind of giant insect, exhibiting obvious Honkai Beast traits—white carapace with pinkish patterns, yet retaining details like menacing mouthparts and fine hair-like sensory organs on its claws.

Luo Lin's expression was somewhat subtle. After all, insects in this modern post-apocalyptic setting were akin to classic creatures like wolves with wind blades in the adventure forest of another world or the iconic over-reproducing green-skinned goblins. If it went that way, digging up this insect might reveal some kind of energy crystal that could enhance humans, one of the essential cheats for the protagonist's journey...

Unfortunately, this was Honkai , and there were no such lucky breaks.

"Is there anything like an insect research institute in this city? I suspect the Honkai Energy might have influenced the creation of such monsters..."

"No," Chen Tianwu immediately shook his head, then hesitated before adding, "At least not within the scope of my authority."

Frowning, Luo Lin enveloped her hand with a layer of ethereal Taixuan Ki for protection, then carefully picked up the debris from the box, examining it closely.

The remnants of these insect-type Honkai Beasts still contained viscous fluid, emitting a pungent odor. Even when dropped on the box, it made a faint "hissing" sound, indicating strong corrosiveness.

"Did anyone get injured?"

"No, we dealt with the attacking insects directly with our mechs."

"Although the mechs we currently use aren't in particularly good condition, they're still made to military standards and fully equipped to resist corrosion and ordinary energy radiation... These insects don't pose a significant threat to our mechs."

"But they pose a great threat to units without armored protection, and..."

Luo Lin put the debris back in the box, rubbing the sticky fluid off her fingertips. She took out a lighter from her pocket, pressed the switch, and brought the flame close to the edge of the fluid.

To Chen Tianwu's horror, the fluid ignited upon contact with the flame. Although the burning rate wasn't fast, strange green flames flickered. After a few seconds, the fluid burned out, leaving behind a strange smell in the air.

"It can still ignite... Could it be that this thing has explosive bugs, fire-breathing bugs, or even fire cockroach-like types? Have you seen anything like that?"

Luo Lin looked at Chen Tianwu, who swallowed nervously and shook his head, "No, we haven't seen anything like that... Also, Doctor, what's a fire cockroach?"

"It's a bug that poops after pressing C, and if not aimed properly, it might hit its own people... Ahem, nothing, just a term from some game."

Luo Lin waved her hand, saying, "But since the fluid displays such characteristics, we can't ignore the possibility of encountering some strange enemies..."

Chen Tianwu nodded, "You're right. I'll go back and emphasize your speculation to the brothers and raise everyone's vigilance."

"Just being vigilant isn't enough... We need a strategy. For example, we can take the initiative to attack and clear out these insects' nests ourselves."

Luo Lin looked at the newly added mission on the activity panel, fell silent for a few seconds, and asked, "Previously, Schrödinger mentioned doing some weapon modifications for you. How's the progress?"

"Based on our recent encounters, she has modified some shotguns for us, the kind used for anti-aircraft purposes, to deal with densely packed swarms of insects and such..."

Chen Tianwu adjusted his collar and whispered, "Doctor, should we take the initiative to attack?"

Luo Lin took out a terminal connected to the shelter's control system, marking the information reported by the defense forces.

"Look, these insects are coming from the north. The radar in the shelter shows an increasingly strong Honkai Energy radiation source there. I suspect that's the insects' nest."

Then, the Valkyrie pointed to the information on the map and said, "Considering the insects' rapid reproduction and group activity, I believe it's necessary to explore and clear out that area. We can't allow a swarm to thrive near the shelter. It's best to crush them while they're still in their larval stage."

"Indeed."

"Apart from shotguns, has Schrödinger come up with anything else?"

"It seems she's developed some rudimentary electromagnetic coils that can enhance the penetration power of certain single-shot weapons... But if used against insects, the power might be excessive..."

Luo Lin rested her chin on her hand, lost in thought. "Hmm, excessive might not be a bad thing... I wouldn't be surprised if the insects mutated into something like a queen. When it comes to dealing with individual units, high-penetration power would be appropriate."

"Alright, then I'll have to trouble Schrödinger a bit more... We'll have both types of weapons ready!"

The young man climbed back into his mech, carrying the box of insect remains with him.

"Luo Lin? Luo Lin! Look!"

Elysia ran over from a distance, showing the floral signal device on her chest, its indicator light flashing rhythmically.

"What's this?"

The pink fairy explained excitedly, "It seems like the Elysian Realm is trying to figure out a way to deal with our signal. Maybe soon, we'll be able to contact them easily!"

Luo Lin smiled, pleased with the news. "That would be convenient."

Chapter 44: The Embedded Area...?

Two days later, Dr. Schrödinger, carrying a wrench, arrived at the shelter control room with good news.

"The weapon modifications for the mech unit are all done."

Dr. Schrödinger looked quite exhausted. "It's a good thing you rescued some people from that hidden research base earlier. There were a few mechanical repair teams there; otherwise, I might have collapsed from exhaustion..."

She yawned widely and waved her hand. "I can't go on anymore. I need to rest for a while. The weapons have been delivered to Chen Tianwu, and the repair team will handle the rest..."

"You should rest well."

Luo Lin casually sprinkled some "healing power" over Dr. Schrödinger, feeling a warm energy flow through her body, greatly alleviating her fatigue from long hours of work.

Satisfied, Dr. Schrödinger let out a deep breath and left the control room.

Luo Lin stood up and hurried to the defense team's maintenance area.

As expected, Chen Tianwu had already climbed into his mech. He was collaborating with maintenance personnel to test the performance of the new weapons.

More maintenance personnel were scattered around the mech like ants on a tree, and the flashes and sounds of welding made the place slightly noisy. They had to shout to be heard clearly.

"Doctor!"

Chen Tianwu saw Luo Lin approaching and emerged from the mech cockpit, his face filled with excitement. "Schrödinger's modifications exceeded expectations. The performance of these weapons is excellent. There should be no problem dealing with those insects!"

The black-haired Valkyrie nodded. "Very good. Make sure you're prepared. After confirming that the weapons are ready for deployment, leave enough defensive force behind. We'll go together to eliminate the insects' nest. Understand?"

"Understood!"

Chen Tianwu pursed his lips, looking a bit awkward. He probably wanted to persuade Luo Lin to stay at the base, but considering the Doctor's combat prowess, he could only reluctantly turn away.

At least this time he wasn't left to defend the base alone. That was something to be grateful for.

But then, who would stay behind to defend the base?

"Delta, I'm counting on you and Seele to guard the safety of the shelter here!"

Delta's expression was quite subtle. "You previously borrowed an Ether Anchor from me without any compensation, and now you're asking me to help defend the base... Do you think this is appropriate?"

"Oh dear, aren't we close friends..."

"What kind of captain are you? We're not that familiar!"

Luo Lin clasped her hands together and bowed to the girl with pink and different-colored horns. "Please, I beg you!"

"...”

Delta's mouth twitched slightly. When Luo Lin had arrived, she had brought Seele along, and now the black-haired Valkyrie was gesturing for Seele to do something to help persuade Delta.

Kind-hearted Seele didn't hesitate for too long and timidly addressed the girl with pink and different-colored horns, "Um, Sister Delta..."

"Fine, fine, I'll do it! Just make sure you don't run away without settling your debts! I have ways to catch you!"

Delta stomped away heavily and left.

Seele awkwardly pinched the hem of her skirt, feeling unsure, and turned back to look at Luo Lin. "Is... is she angry?"

"Well, sort of. So, Seele, could you please try to comfort her a bit? Maybe make some delicious dishes..."

Luo Lin remained silent for a moment, murmuring to herself, "There's an old saying that goes, 'When the cart reaches the mountain, there will be a way.' I'll leave today's troubles to tomorrow's me..."

The girl shook her head, displaying a somewhat resigned attitude.

A few hours later, Chen Tianwu called on the communicator. "The mech weapon modifications are all completed. Doctor, we're ready to depart."

"Good, I'm on my way!"

The monstrous Honkai Beasts flapped their wings as they flew among the ruins, using their keen sensory organs to perceive the surrounding environment.

"[Population... increasing...]"

Such thoughts flickered vaguely in their minds, prompting themselves to redouble their efforts.

The insects had spent several days scavenging all the "resources" near the nest. Hundreds of eggs representing hope had been laid, awaiting more "resources" to be brought back so they could hatch immediately and feast on their "food".

They had recently set their sights on a large "resource gathering area," but unfortunately, the resistance from those creatures had been strong, resulting in the loss of many comrades. They attempted ambushes but were always intercepted by those strange entities hidden behind tough shells, returning empty-handed each time.

However, the colony had found a way to deal with these shells.

A worm-like Honkai Beast streaked across the sky, its shadow passing over many spherical, greenish creatures rolling on the ground - at first glance, they resembled spiders filled with juice, rolling strangely in the ruins.

Perhaps because their bellies were too full of liquid, they couldn't fly and could only move in this manner.

"Buzz...!"

"[Enemy, moving... Target, nest... Alert, ambush...]"

"Hiss...!"

The corrosive and incendiary liquid-filled insects scattered, finding their positions in the corners of the ruins.

Then, they opened their mouths, using their sharp claws to dig holes in the ground, covering the openings with dust, safely hiding inside and awaiting the right moment.

As soon as those shells came close enough, the insects would emerge from their cover and swarm, using their "secret weapons" from their bellies to deal with them.

Flying insects rose, using the wreckage of the buildings to shield their forms as they surveyed the advancing enemies from above.

It was a large group, led by shells, with some strange, unprotected "resources" interspersed among them, confusing the insects.

Why were these "resources" voluntarily presenting themselves?

When they eliminated the shells later, they had to be careful not to damage these "resources."

The Honkai Beasts watched as the group entered the ambush zone. Once the colony's will issued the command, the spherical insects rushed out from their hiding places and launched an attack on the shells.

But to their surprise, the shells displayed an attack method completely different from the intelligence they had gathered in the past few days. They emitted fan-shaped flames that instantly destroyed the first wave of rolling insects.

However, the swarm did not relent. More insects poured in from all directions, launching attacks on the group.

Amidst more flashes, corrosion, and explosions, the shells seemed to be gradually faltering.

But those "resources" standing in the middle of the group made strange moves. They actually left the protection of the shells and charged towards the insects.

The Honkai Beasts didn't have time to ponder, as these individuals were not to be trifled with.

The next moment, the battlefield was shrouded in a pink, hemispherical dome, with crystal light refracting within. Countless flying and rolling insects were torn apart and dismembered by the light.

And several other "resources" somehow produced strange weapons, darting around in the swarm, effortlessly dispatching the insects wherever they went.

"[Threat... observed...]"

Following the colony's will, the flying insects lowered their altitude, carefully observing the strange "resources" with compound eyes.

One of them seemed to sense something and directed its gaze straight towards this direction.

The next moment, it raised its forelimbs, emitting a shimmering light. A golden meteor tore through the Honkai Beast's body, sending its consciousness into eternal darkness.

Luo Lin lowered her gun, watching as the supposedly well-hidden insect fell from the sky.

"Why is this guy so clueless? Haven't they seen that I can sense them?"

As she fought the insects, Shiru commented, "Is it possible that there are few people like you who 'install' radar in their brains and have keen perception?"

Luo Lin shook her head. "Tsk, I thought it was already ridiculous enough with so many toxic exploding bugs popping up. Now there are creatures that look like eye bugs? Am I fighting Honkai Beasts or Zerg swarms?"

A few minutes later, the organized assault of the insects was completely crushed by the team, leaving behind a large area covered in corrosive slime.

Luo Lin glanced around the surroundings, sighing helplessly. "Avoid the corrosion area, proceed with caution, and pay attention to the readings from the Honkai Radar. Report immediately if there's anything unusual!"

"Yes!"

The team carefully crossed the battlefield and continued towards the direction of the nest.

After a while, Elisia seemed to have discovered something. "Luo Lin, come and take a look!"

"What's wrong? What's happening?"

The pink elf pointed to a piece of wreckage not far away, her expression serious. "The style of this thing is off. Compared to the surrounding debris, it's out of place - I've been to the Mu Continent before, and I've also done some related artistic research in Eden, so I'm quite familiar with the architectural design style here. The previous civilization definitely didn't have such a design."

Luo Lin was deeply shocked. "Really?"

"And, these kinds of wreckage are becoming more and more numerous... It's very strange..."

As the team advanced, Elisia pointed out several more abnormal wreckage sites to Luo Lin, and even these things were getting larger and larger - it started with a few bricks, then collapsed walls, and finally even intact building ruins appeared.

Luo Lin gazed at these conspicuously appearing, out-of-place objects, feeling that they didn't belong to this world.

"Could it be something from another world that's fallen here? In that case... are these monster insects also...?"

The Herrscher rushed into the ruins, searched around inside, and then came out holding a piece of paper.

"I think you might be right..."

Senti pursed her lips and showed the text on the paper to Luo Lin.

Luo Lin's eye twitched, reading out each word slowly, "【Senba Academy Festival Pamphlet】...?"

Chapter 45: Haha, Soup Delivery (Lying Down)

"Luo Lin, Luo Lin? Why are you so absent-minded?"

Senti reached out and waved in front of Luo Lin's eyes. The black-haired Valkyrie finally came back to her senses, revealing a strained smile. "Ah, sorry..."

They had already advanced deep into this area, repelling another wave of insect attacks on the way.

The jet-powered energy rifles that Chen Tianwu and the others had switched to played a significant role in the battle. The insects couldn't even get close, only being able to spray corrosive liquid from a distance.

However, the defense force's mechs were quite agile, and their materials had been reinforced. Most of the corrosive liquid fell short, with only a small portion splashing onto their armor, leaving behind scattered marks. The armor still had plenty of reserves.

During the lull in the battle, Luo Lin retrieved supplies for the mechs from the system space, replenishing Chen Tianwu and the others on-site. In no time, they were restored to full capacity, ready to face the insect onslaught once again.

As for the surrounding environment... as the team delved deeper, the style of the architectural debris finally stabilized. About half of it was the architectural design of the previous civilization, the Mu Continent, while the other half... gave off a mixed feeling of European architecture and modern design (as Elysia put it).

"Could it be because of seeing these abnormal ruins that you're thinking of something? Oh, right, and that piece of paper I found earlier..."

Senti speculated, "The paper reads 'Senba Academy Festival'... Could it be hiding some important information?"

"I'm curious too."

Elysia also leaned in beside Luo Lin, her pink eyes filled with interest as she looked at the girl.

"Well..."

Luo Lin scratched her head and sighed deeply, "It's not necessarily that the paper contains important information, but... the name 'Senba Academy' is very well-known and reputable, making it something to be wary of."

Senti was indeed a bit puzzled, "It's just a school, is it necessary to exaggerate like this?"

Luo Lin nodded, "After all, Kevin, Dr. Mei, Kiana, and Raiden Mei all came from this school— one could fight the Herrscher, another could scheme against them, and two Herrscher themselves. You see, isn't the 'Senba Academy' prestigious enough?"

Senti wanted to say something but stopped, looking like she wanted to complain but was stuck in her throat.

On the other hand, Elysia pondered, "In that case... Dr. Mei and Raiden Mei look very similar, is it really just a coincidence?"

"It clearly doesn't seem like just a coincidence..."

Just then, the communicator rang, and Chen Tianwu's voice came from inside, "Dr. Luo Lin! We've found some unusual traces!"

"I'm coming!"

Luo Lin and her team quickly arrived at the scene. Chen Tianwu's mech was half-kneeling on the ground, its pale blue light scanning some peculiar remains in a certain pile of rubble—

"Piles of collapsed Honkai Beastshells in an arched shape? And there are signs of rupture at the top..."

Luo Lin raised an eyebrow, gazing at the shell with a rupture on top, inside which some sticky liquid still remained.

Estimating the size of this thing and comparing it to the insects encountered earlier, she hesitated a bit and said, "Could this thing be the completed eggs of the insects after hatching?"

"Probably."

Senti pointed to a nearby area with a solemn expression, "There are... traces of feeding... in that place..."

"..."

Luo Lin and Elysia stared at the dried bloodstains on the ground and the clothing fragments dyed red by the blood clots, silently nodding.

"Damn bugs..." Chen Tianwu cursed, controlling the mech to stand up, "Doctor, let's continue forward! Maybe we can still save some survivors?"

"You're right."

Luo Lin immediately gave the order, and the team picked up the pace, heading towards more heavily damaged areas.

-----------------------------------------

"Why am I in such a predicament?! I was just delivering a message... I still want to go back..."

Selune's Elegy lay beside the maintenance terminal of Elysian Realm, with long cables inserted into her back, obviously, she was "recruited" as a computing device, unable to escape and only able to lament in place.

"Don't make a fuss!"

Klein glared fiercely at Selune, "Dr. Mobius and Vill-V's whimsical ideas have accelerated the generation of anomaly problems. In order to ensure the normal operation of 'Elysian Realm,' I need more computing power to maintain processing speed."

"So you're holding me captive for this? Come on, I still need to go back to report to my master..."

"Don't worry, when Dr. Mobius' plan is complete, you can easily return to your master..."

"But the issue of the flow rate between the two worlds..."

"The plan of the two doctors is precisely to solve this tricky problem, but 'Elysian Realm' itself needs to make some small sacrifices..."

"Alright, stop arguing, look at the silent handsome guy next to you..."

The lazy voice of the Book of Fuxi resounded, she lay in a comfortable posture on the soulium Ball, with a cable plugged into her back, and nudged towards the white-haired ELF next to her who remained silent.

Kevin's ELF also had a cable attached to him. He held a replica of the Shamash, his eyes closed as if he were asleep.

"Tsk..."

Selune pouted in annoyance, "I should be by my master's side at this time, accompanying her in wreaking havoc..."

Just then, Mobius and Vill-V walked in together.

Cutting straight to the point, Snake asked, "Klein, how's the progress of the Realm overclocking plan?"

The green-haired ELF nodded, "It's going smoothly. We can now successfully analyze some of the video data sent back by Elysia."

Vill-V looked at the flashing data on the maintenance terminal, relieved, "It seems my speculation was correct. Due to the unique structure of 'Elysian Realm,' we can try to speed up the entire 'Elysian Realm' by consuming energy, creating a similar effect to accelerating the flow of time... at least the disparity in flow rates between the world Elysian Realm is in and the one Elysia's staying in won't be so exaggerated..."

Mobius calmly pointed out a flaw in the plan, "Although the experiment was successful, the problem lies in whether the energy reserves of the World Serpent Base are sufficient for our consumption..."

Vill-V was also quite troubled, "Uh... well... how long can we hold on?"

Mobius shook her head helplessly and took out his tablet. The latest video signal transmitted from Elysia was flashing on it, and a familiar emblem flashed past.

Mobius immediately pressed the pause button and carefully rewound it a few times.

"A Honkai Beast in the shape of a bug? I've never seen this species before... oh, and a mech , this should be an interesting development...

Vill-V looked at the emblem and asked, "What is this?"

Mobius furrowed his brow, "It's the insignia of the Fire Moths? I don't recall seeing this style of uniform before." She glanced at Vill-V. "Your clearance is higher than mine, and you've spent more time in the Mu Continent. Have you encountered this type of clothing?"

"No," Vill-V replied succinctly. "Perhaps Elysia has seen it? She's quite sociable and familiar with the Fire Moths' social group, right? Let's play back the video and listen to what they're talking about."

With that, Mobius pressed the play button.

"…Luo Lin, your complexion doesn't look good."

"...This damn uniform is from the Gray Moth Unit... Damn it, could we really be meeting with the Herrscher and her friends?!"

Mobius and Vill-V exchanged puzzled glances.

Chapter 46: Stories, Bugs, and the Boy...

"Luo Lin, what nonsense are you talking?"

Senti stood beside Luo Lin, with a worried expression, testing the girl's temperature with the back of his hand. "No fever? Could it be that you've been working overtime for too long and suddenly became confused?"

Rubbing her head, Luo Lin muttered, "I wish I were just talking nonsense, but what this clothing represents is truly terrifying..."

Elysia asked, "Luo Lin, can you tell me what you know?"

Luo Lin hesitated for a moment before grumbling, "Don't you wonder why I know so much?"

"Sweet little Luo Lin, of course, I'm curious about where you've gathered such marvelous knowledge, but..."

The pink elf laughed softly. "If Luo Lin doesn't want to tell me, it's okay—everyone has their secrets, and I simply trust that Luo Lin wouldn't deceive me."

"...Well, Senti knows the reason, but it's not convenient to spread it further."

The dark-haired Valkyrie glanced at the one Sentience, who then showed a sudden realization. "Oh, it's that, that thing...the one Aponia said we shouldn't let more people know about?"

Senti knew she was referring to Luo Lin being a transmigrator.

"Okay, then let's talk about the story related to this clothing..."

Luo Lin rolled her eyes and used her Edge of Taixuan to create a soundproof barrier around herself before continuing, "Elysia, you can think of it as being in a parallel world, just one with significantly different beliefs from ours..."

"Please continue!" The pink elf gestured, indicating she was listening intently.

"Firstly, the all-powerful and omnipresent Honkai still exists. In that world, the Honkai destroyed human civilization, and the massive Honkai caused the surface of the earth to lose its conditions for biological survival. Three years later, the global survival rate was about 0.00006%..."

"In such circumstances, the 'Fire Moths,' organized by survivors, lingered in a corner of a city, sustaining a life that was always on the edge."

Frowning deeply, Luo Lin said, "And this clothing, representing the 'Gray Moths,' is a force composed of surviving Valkyries. As elite soldiers, they are responsible for monitoring the Honkai situation near the base, searching for resources and supplies to sustain the survivors' lives..."

"This is really..." The pink elf was momentarily speechless. "Completely different from the 'Fire Moths' I remember... But since they both use the same name, the survivors' lives should still be guaranteed, right?"

Luo Lin smiled bitterly, "Unfortunately, their opponents are even more outrageous, mostly demons and monsters, such as Honkai Beasts, like the dragon-type Honkai Beast Kukulkan, similar to Benares, the Second Herrscher, and... the Herrscher of the End and her little friends..."

Shocked, Senti said, "Ah, why would there be a Herrscher of the End?"

"After all, it involves a ridiculous guy named Houraiji Kyuusyou... Uh, maybe you can think of her as a more edgy version of Kevin?"

Spreading her hands, Luo Lin spoke with admiration, "Anyway, this respectable girl defeated the Herrscher of the End with the sacrifice and help of others, saving that world... and then she hurriedly left that world, heading towards the next, more desperate battlefield..."

Elysia was halfway open-mouthed, asking with difficulty, "Defeated... the Herrscher of the End...?"

"Yes, although the Herrscher of the End herself didn't have a strong fighting will, um, and Houraiji Kyuusyou herself has a special physique, and is quite subtly connected to that world..." Luo Lin scratched her head. "But in any case, she did defeat the Herrscher of the End... You see, there really is a record of the Herrscher of the End being defeated."

"So, Luo Lin, are you worried that..." Elysia shook her head, trying to clear her confused thoughts, attempting to analyze, "because everything is possible in the Bubble World, and you've discovered the 'iconic indicator' from the story just told—the uniform of the 'Gray Moth'... Does it mean that the story might be 'replayed' here?"

"Truly worthy of Elysia, understanding so quickly!"

Luo Lin looked at the red uniform with the emblem of the 'Fire Moth,' her expression complex. She spoke softly, "But I really don't want that dreadful story to unfold here... Our current lineup against the Herrscher of the End is somewhat insufficient..."

Senti quipped, "Is it just insufficient?"

"So I need to explore more carefully, check the trends of this Bubble World.. For example, confirm whether the queen of the bugs in the bug nest is the person I know. If so... the probability of suffering a heavy blow is quite high..."

Luo Lin didn't say the rest of the words, but Elysia and Senti both understood her meaning.

Senti teased, "Is it really just a heavy blow?"

"So, no matter what you want to do, I'll be with you. But remember, be realistic, understand?"

"Thank you..."

Luo Lin slapped her face, forcing herself to be alert. She lifted the soundproof barrier and shouted to the surrounding waiting mechs, "Continue forward, let's burn the bugs' nest to ashes!"

"Oh!!"

---

Hmm... so sleepy... and so tired...

But I shouldn't continue sleeping... I must... wake up...

The boy's eyelids trembled violently, clearly exerting considerable effort.

After about half a minute, he finally opened his eyes.

The boy looked around with his still somewhat bewildered brown pupils, realizing his situation was quite dire—he was now suspended in mid-air by thick white silk threads, which seemed to pierce deeply into his body, continuously extracting energy tinged with purple light.

"Honkai... energy..."

This isn't right, this shouldn't be. Honkai energy is a dangerous power, and as for me... wait, who am I?

The boy's face twisted in confusion as he struggled to uncover his memories, but they seemed shrouded in a fog, making it difficult for his consciousness to advance even an inch.

However, the boy persisted in thinking, perhaps out of instinct or perhaps because of a sense of duty that even blurred memories couldn't erase...

"Guard humanity... fight... stop... the serpent..."

He finally grasped a glimmer of insight, murmuring, "Entropy... Anti-Entropy Lord... Reason..."

"Squeak—!"

A terrifying-looking bug suddenly appeared in the boy's field of vision, emitting a threatening sound.

"Bugs...?"

The bug's mouthparts moved, then it lowered its head deeply.

The boy's intuition told him that something extraordinary was coming.

He strained to turn his head, looking in that direction—a slender figure shrouded his face.

She had a delicate appearance, deep purple long hair, and a gorgeous skirt, but the boy could sense that the person in front of him was definitely not human!

"Insect... the Insect Queen?"

"Chirp—"

The figure just raised her hand indifferently, a slight gas-like flow emanating from her wrist, causing the barely awake boy to fall into a deep unconsciousness once again.

Chapter 47 Encounter at the Nest Entrance

Chen Tianwu's voice reverberated through the communication channel: "Doctor, radar indicates that apart from extensive Honkai energy, there are also signs of human life activity in the area ahead!"

"Is that... a stadium?"

Luo Lin stared at the massive structure before her. Despite its weathered appearance and numerous holes, it was sealed tightly with a sticky, familiar filamentous substance.

Clearly, the insect-type Honkai beasts had taken control of this place, transforming it into their nest.

Chen Tianwu advanced with two mechs, positioning themselves at an appropriate distance from the stadium's outer wall. The mech's weapons emitted thunderous blasts—

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

After several shots, two large holes, big enough for the mechs to pass through, were blasted in the stadium's outer wall. Deep purple, star-like dots lit up behind the smoke from the explosions, targeting the team outside.

"Squeak!"

"Boom!"

Chen Tianwu opened fire first, the muzzle light dispersing the smoke and shattering two insects that flew out of the holes, marking the beginning of this encounter.

"Beep beep beep!"

The piercing alarm sounded, and the radar, which had previously scanned an area with no danger, suddenly filled with countless Honkai beast signals.

"What...?!"

Luo Lin was surprised, but she quickly guessed their plan: "Did they deliberately suppress life and Honkai energy reactions before?!"

Hidden Honkai beasts emerged from unexpected positions, excitedly charging towards Luo Lin's team using flight, running, and rolling.

"Suppressive fire!"

Following Luo Lin's command, mechs equipped with area weapons stepped forward, unleashing a fan-shaped shockwave from their barrels, effectively halting the swarm's advance.

Next, Elysia drew her battle bow, launching reverse-flying pink meteors that exploded in the air, creating a dome that enveloped the team.

With each shot of the pink Elf, the crystal dome refracted into thousands of fragments, tearing through all enemies within the field.

Even Senti didn't hold back. Switching between various weapons, she sliced through the insects' shells with flying swords, spears, and bladed whips, spraying flammable and corrosive liquid on the ground.

Actually, Senti wanted to use her fists, but after a few punches at the insects, the strange, sticky sensation of bursting juices made her uncomfortable. So, she chose to use weapons against the insects.

Senti even felt fortunate that she left the Key of Domination in the shelter. Otherwise, after this battle, she would have to spend a lot of time soothing the Key of Domination...

As for Luo Lin, she had already cleared most of the enemies in the sky. Now, only dozens of slippery creatures, throwing sticky fluid at the team from a distance, remained to be dealt with directly.

At this moment, the dark-haired Valkyrie suddenly sensed something and fired a series of bullets towards a certain location near the mech team.

"Click!"

The bullets seemed to hit a hard object, making a clang sound. The Valkyrie's attack seemed to break some kind of energy balance, distorting the scenery in that area like flowing water, exposing the previously invisible figure.

Luo Lin widened her eyes: "Is that the Queen?"

Ain't this the Worm Queen from the Fire Moth DLC?

"Hiss!"

It was a female figure about "eight feet tall," much taller than an average person, but everyone could see she was definitely not human—because a pair of sickle-shaped limbs around her waist opened menacingly, emitting eerie purple light.

Her skin was deathly pale, she wore strange ornaments on her head, her face had frightening patterns, and she had exaggerated curves. She wore an equally exaggerated deep purple puffy skirt, under which Luo Lin could vaguely see insect limbs.

The Queen blinked her yellow-green eyes, staring at Luo Lin, who had broken her invisibility, for a few seconds before emitting a piercing scream and transforming into a blurry figure, charging straight towards the Valkyrie.

Luo Lin's hand swept across her waist, scattering several projectiles in the process, landing in the surrounding area. Meanwhile, the Valkyrie herself held the trigger, dodging the Queen's straight charge.

The Queen whizzed past Luo Lin's previous position and rushed into the "trap" set by the Valkyrie using projectiles. They exploded at the right moment, enveloping the Queen's body in electric sparks, shockwaves, and flames, raising a cloud of smoke.

"Ellie! Senti!"

The Pink Elf heard Luo Lin's call and immediately turned her battle bow, aiming at the still lingering smoke, and a roaring pink meteor struck the Queen's head as she crawled out from inside, only making her tilt her head.

Senti threw an "energetic bomb" from afar. Surprisingly, the Queen's scythe-shaped limbs directly cut through the energy from the center, widening Senti's eyes.

"Not a scratch?!" Senti exclaimed. "Elysia, wait for me to control her!"

Senti shouted in a deep voice, her red eyes flashing gold, and a few black feathers floated around the gray-haired girl as her mental attack, like a long spear, pierced the consciousness of the deep purple Queen.

However, although the Queen looked human, she was fundamentally different from humans. Although Senti's power could take effect, it only made the Queen faint for a moment.

Senti was a little helpless, but Elysia seized this fleeting opportunity. She stood still, hands pulling the bowstring taut, the bowstring glowing, and crystal arrows filled with surging Honkai energy hit the Queen's face.

Crystal shards refracted around the Queen's body, even leveling the debris within a few meters around her, yet the Queen seemed unaffected, her seemingly lightweight skirt appeared intact.

With a grim face, the Queen grabbed her skirt, lifted it slightly, and tiny black shadows emerged from the gaps between her skirt and the ground, several grotesque insects howling as they flew towards Luo Lin and Elysia.

The dark-haired Valkyrie raised her hand and fired a barrage of bullets, smashing one of the insects summoned by the Queen, triggering a small explosion - turns out these things were suicide bombers!

Meanwhile, its companion flew out from the flames, accelerating again with the shockwave from the explosion.

Elysia changed her target, crystal arrows splitting into several rays mid-air, accurately hitting each suicide bomber and creating a crackling scene like firecrackers.

The Queen didn't care much about these creatures. She elegantly raised her limbs, slicing through a projectile thrown by Luo Lin — unfortunately, Luo Lin's grenades were different from what she expected, being products of the Key of Revelation, they could still fulfill their mission even if cut into pieces.

"Buzz!"

An enhanced flashbang shook the Queen's senses. Seizing this opportunity, Luo Lin shouted to her companions, "This thing is invincible now. We need to take out its power source first to inflict any damage!"

"Power source..."

Senti slapped her thigh and pointed to the depths of the building behind them. "It must be in there!"

"Let's go!"

Luo Lin grabbed Senti and Elysia, charging into the building through the hole blasted by the mech team earlier.

Seeing the trio's actions, the Queen, who had planned to gracefully deal with these hard-shelled creatures, was forced to interrupt her actions - after all, in her view, the danger posed by those three was higher than all the hard shells outside combined.

For the continuation of the colony, the threat must be eliminated!

She let out a shrill scream and, under the protection of a group of insects, chased after them into the nest.

Chapter 48: Holy crap, Rainbow Shield!

The first thing Luo Lin and her team saw as they stormed into the gymnasium was the classic "Zerg landscape": every surface covered with slime and biomass blankets, the intense aura of collapse surging through the blankets, even giving the flesh a distinct purple pattern.

Only a few remaining artificial structures' edges proved that this was once human territory.

Immediately, they received a "warm welcome" from the Insects.

Empowered by the biomass blankets, the Insects could even sprint on walls and ceilings, and their venomous spittle increased both in quantity and size, their shells covered with a faint protective layer of collapse energy, making them even harder to deal with.

By now, Luo Lin had switched her submachine gun for a short sword, its blade shimmering with bright white light, and the Moon Ring emitted a buzzing sound, indicating that its power was fully activated.

"I sense a connection between the collapse energy and the Queen!" Luo Lin's pupils emitted light, and she reached out, shouting, "We need to go further in!"

Elysia remained silent, pulling her longbow taut once again, aiming in the direction indicated by the Valkyrie's finger, and a huge conical crystal pierced directly into the wall.

Then, the crystal expanded into a bright cluster of stars, directly carving out a passage leading deeper into the nest.

Senti took the lead, wielding her spear and charging forward.

After picking off a massive collapse beast blocking the center of the path, she rushed into a relatively spacious area—

Before the Herrscher lay an endless sea of Insect eggs, blinking like breathing, giving off a strong, unsettling feeling.

Senti murmured, "Is this a hatchery?!"

"Quick, let's deal with these eggs first!" Luo Lin tossed out a series of grenades, with Senti and Elysia quickly following suit, explosions of black, red, and pink blossoming in the center of the hatchery, rapidly destroying the eggs.

Sensing the threat, the eggs cracked open, and numerous weak, underdeveloped Insects crawled out, charging towards the trio.

But these larvae were no match for Luo Lin and her team; bullets swept, swords clashed, and the flowing light of crystal shards thoroughly crushed the newborn swarm's counterattack.

By the time the Queen arrived with her loyal guards, there was not a single intact egg in the hatchery. The ground was covered in corrosive slime, broken limbs, and eggshells evenly scattered in every corner. The surviving larvae were engulfed in flames, plasma, and crystal shards, twitching helplessly.

"Hiss—!"

The Queen emitted a piercing scream, spreading her arms as her sickle-like limbs condensed an unprecedented amount of power, even slashing out several crescent-shaped energy shockwaves in the air.

"Ugh!"

Intense Honkai energy gathered above the Queen's head.

The next moment, a thin layer of colorful light appeared on her body, and her aura became even more magnificent.

【Enemy has gained enhanced abilities—】

【Power: Significant increase in attack power.】

【Rainbow Force Field: Immunity to freezing, paralysis, imprisonment, blindness, charm, polymorph, weakness, vulnerability, slow, and black hole effects, and reduces damage from burning, bleeding, poison, neurotoxin, and frostbite.】

【Favoritism: High damage reduction when the character is far from the target (excluding true damage).】

After reading the effects of the attributes, Luo Lin exclaimed, "Holy crap! What are these attributes?!"

The voice of Helix echoed in the Valkyrie's mind: "Obviously, Honkai Impact 3 doesn't have so many weird abnormal states and damage effects—these are attributes from Honkai Gakuen 2."

"Damn it!"

Luo Lin tentatively threw some plasma grenades and incendiary bombs towards the Queen, only to see the Queen walk out of the flashy "special effects" emitting black smoke without any impact.

The Queen's eyes flashed with deep red light, seemingly driven into a frenzy due to the loss of eggs and larvae.

Her sickle-like limbs swung rapidly, unleashing long-range energy slashes towards Luo Lin and her team like a machine gun.

These crescent-shaped energy slashes were extremely fast and powerful. Luo Lin even saw these slashes cut through the gymnasium's load-bearing pillars like cutting tofu, making the entire building emit dangerous creaking sounds, causing the Valkyrie to gasp in shock.

And soon enough, Luo Lin became the target of the Queen.

Perhaps because she was the weakest among the group, but Luo Lin was accustomed to such treatment. She maneuvered through the "storm" of energy slashes formed by the Queen's attacks.

However, the Queen's attacks were too ferocious, and Luo Lin became increasingly embarrassed as she dodged. Eventually, she barely grazed the edge of an energy slash—this dodge even triggered the judgment of "Extreme Evasion," and a light blue field expanded with a slight buzzing sound, enveloping the entire nest.

In this time-slowed world, the fierce cries of the insects elongated and distorted, and their waving claws seemed quite ridiculous.

But Luo Lin was astonished to find that the Queen was completely unaffected by the slowdown of "Space-Time Fracture."

"This is too Insectgy, wait, is the opponent really a Insect!"

The effect of "Space-Time Fracture" lasted only a few seconds, and the swarm returned to normal time flow, while the Queen continued to relentlessly pursue Luo Lin, slashing wildly. The young girl screamed.

"Didn't we agree that damaging its eggs would make it vulnerable? Why did it suddenly acquire several powerful attributes?!"

"Is it possible that the eggs you destroyed weren't the actual power source?"

Helix seemed to have noticed something and shouted, "I tracked the energy trajectory, and they all came from underground. We need to go further down!"

"But how do we go down?!"

"That stupid Queen has already prepared for you! Look down!"

Luo Lin looked down and saw that the floor of the gymnasium had become riddled with holes due to the Queen's frenzied slashes, on the verge of collapse.

"Senti, Elysia, get ready, we're going down!"

After shouting these words, Luo Lin directly threw a "Crippled Eden Star," lovingly crafted by the Key of Revelation, under her feet.

The gravity sphere, glowing along the edge, exploded into a large hole in the floor, revealing a huge space below.

Without hesitation, the dark-haired Valkyrie jumped down, only to witness an extremely exaggerated scene—

In the cavity, a huge, spider-web-like structure was erected, countless "cocoons" sticky on the web.

"These are their... food reserves... humans..."

Senti gritted her teeth, feeling the deep, chaotic thoughts from some of the "cocoons," while others had fallen silent... obviously, the humans hidden in these "cocoons" had suffered greatly.

Following closely behind, Elysia frowned, her smile vanished from her face.

And in the center of this giant web, a boy struck a pose reminiscent of the crucifixion of a known figure, with hundreds of threads piercing his body, and a continuous stream of collapse energy being drawn from his body, supplying the operation of this nest.

Luo Lin widened her eyes, of course, she recognized who he was.

"Why is Welt here? The Herrscher of Reason was rolled in the gacha by insects as a power supply core?"

Chapter 49: Rescuing Private Welt

The Herrscher was somewhat surprised. "Welt, the Herrscher? Where is Welt?"

Luo Lin replied, "Isn't he hanging right in the middle of the web?"

"Oh, indeed he is."

The Herrscher paused for a moment, then carefully sensed the boy hanging in the center of the web. She gasped, "And there's still a mark I left with my power on him. He should be from the same world as us... But I remember him not looking like a kid. Why has he suddenly become a young boy?"

The black-haired Valkyrie didn't respond to the Herrscher's question but instead questioned her earlier statement, "Did you just say you marked the Herrscher of Reason yourself?"

"Didn't he injure you? What's the problem with me marking an enemy?" The Herrscher replied matter-of-factly. "Besides, you said you wanted to destroy the core supplying energy to the queen. Why not we just kill Welt now?"

"...No, we can't. We need to rescue him," Luo Lin shook her head. "We need more manpower now!"

The Herrscher pouted, muttering, "Alright, alright, more manpower. I knew you'd say that..."

The Herrscher raised her hand and threw a few flying swords at the threads holding Welt, causing explosive red-black sword marks around the unconscious boy, severing most of the threads.

In the next moment, a massive amount of entropy surged from the broken threads, increasing the concentration of entropy around Welt rapidly, even condensing into deep purple fragments.

Seeing this, Luo Lin frowned, "This doesn't seem like the power level the Herrschers have now. If Welt had this much remaining power, he wouldn't have ended up like this..."

Before she could finish her sentence, the queen's figure descended beside Welt. Her sharp limbs emerged from her skirt and firmly grasped the delicate web, as blood-red eyes peered down at Luo Lin's group.

She let out a sharp cry, and her scythe-like limbs pierced Welt's chest, beginning to gather and extract the scattered Honkai energy.

Even in his unconscious state, Welt's body couldn't help but tremble.

【Enemy gains enhancement:】

【Chaos Shield: Protected by the Chaos Shield, greatly reducing physical damage received.】

Luo Lin screamed, "Get the queen away from Welt! Hurry, rescue him! If this continues, the queen will strengthen herself to an unstoppable level!"

Fortunately, after adding this enhancement, the queen didn't proceed to extract more. Her body trembled slightly, and she sprayed thick silk, wrapping Welt, who was still unconscious, into a cocoon.

Then, the queen left part of her minions to guard the cocoon and flew toward Luo Lin's group with the remaining insects.

The thick black mist around the queen's body became denser, even blurring her face, leaving only two points of scarlet eyes firmly fixed on Luo Lin.

"Even the Herrschers aren't perfect remedies. What on earth did you feed this queen to give her such incredible abilities?!" Luo Lin spat, her eyes wide with disbelief. "Senti, disingage Accipiter, I need to switch!"

"Alright, go for it!" The Herrscher understood her intention and immediately left the Valkyrie•Accipiter Character card, then swiftly mobilized Honkai energy, forming a brand new body. "I'm a Herrscher after all. Losing the body you gave me doesn't mean I can't fight!"

Luo Lin dodged the queen's ranged attacks skillfully, swiftly opening the Valkyrie Squad panel, changing the previously Accipiter into the Vermillion Knight•Eclipse with the speed that even a single dog would envy, and then pressed the assist button.

"Teacher Himeko, save me!"

A colorful light gathered around Luo Lin, and the red-haired Valkyrie brandished her golden sword, bursting out of the light curtain like a hurricane, engulfing the queen's surroundings in flames, igniting the slime and webs around her.

Himeko, the Golden Lecturer of the Saint Freyja Academy, made a heroic entrance!

Himeko swung her sword, shattering several energy slashes sent by the queen. Her expression turned serious as she asked, "What in the world is this monster!?"

"It's an elite Honkai Beast, controlled by the queen!" Luo Lin stared at the cocoon wrapped around Welt, saying, "Teacher Himeko, please, just keep her occupied. As long as you can hold her off, she's invincible now. I need to sever the link between the queen and the cocoon!"

"Very well, that's quite a grand plan!"

Himeko looked at Luo Lin somewhat unexpectedly, showing a soft smile. But when she turned to look at the queen enveloped in black mist, her smile quickly turned cold.

"I'm here to support my student!"

The Vermilion Knight gripped the sword hilt, and within the pipeline of the Eclipse Armor, a bright yellow energy began to surge. At the same time, the mimicked Cleaver of Shamash sword made by the Revelation Key emitted a humming sound, and the blade became even brighter.

The queen also realized the threat posed by this enemy before her. She bent down, and a series of energy slashes were launched towards Himeko.

The Vermilion Knight grabbed Mimicry Shamash and surged forward, the huge 'X' shaped flame trace extinguishing the first few energy slashes, and the surging flames obscured the queen's vision, making it impossible for her to locate Himeko.

In the next moment, Himeko rushed out from an unexpected angle, followed by several crystal arrows—support from Elysia. Her attacks neutralized the queen's hurried counterattack, allowing the Vermilion Knight to reach the queen's side.

The onslaught of Himeko's relentless slashes arrived as expected. The queen didn't have time for much defense; she merely deflected the first two strikes from the Vermilion Knight with her scythe-like limbs and arms.

"Clang, clang, clang, clang!"

But then, the sound of the greatsword striking the queen's body rang out crisply, and Himeko's expression turned somewhat grim. She understood what Luo Lin meant by "invincible state" now.

"Let me help you!"

Senti entered from the side, her chain blade entangling one of the queen's scythe-like limbs. She tightened the chain blade and occasionally shot out a few flying swords, cooperating with Himeko and Elysia to firmly "pin" the queen in place.

At this moment, Luo Lin had already stepped on a flying sword and arrived at the center of the web. With a sword in one hand and a gun in the other, she pierced through the queen's guard, arriving in front of the cocoon.

The Valkyrie raised her short sword high, and the white Taixuan Ki burst forth like a whirlwind, first splitting open the cocoon's shell, then diving in, severing all the threads entwined around the boy.

Luo Lin bent down, pulling Welt out from the shattered cocoon. She gazed at the boy, who was emitting an overwhelming amount of Honkai Energy like a showerhead, and used the passive skill's healing effect to repair his body while shouting loudly:

"Wake up, Welt! The world still needs you to save it!"

"...Save... humanity..."

The boy opened his eyes laboriously, his cracked lips uttering disjointed words, "Who... are you..."

"It's me, Luo Lin, the Schicksal Valkyrie!"

"...Luo Lin...?"

Welt struggled to think for a few seconds, as if recalling who Luo Lin was, then exhaled deeply, "Sorry, Luo Lin... Take this... this is the key to dealing with the insects..."

In the astonished gaze of Luo Lin, Welt began to retch violently, spitting out a black crystal emitting a unique fluctuation, then closed his eyes, falling into complete unconsciousness.

"This is... an Ether Anchor!?"

Chapter 50: Correct Password.mp4

When Luo Lin unearthed Welt from the cocoon, the queen, besieged by three assailants, trembled as if electrified, emitting sharp screams.

Seizing the moment, Himeko raised the Mimic Shamash Greatsword. Auxiliary modules floated around her, weaving golden energy blades under the potent energy supply of the Eclipse Armor. Then, leveraging the momentum from her previous sword dance, she swung the massive flame blade towards the queen.

"Incinerate!"

Crack!

This strike nearly severed one of the queen's scythe-like limbs. Himeko showed a pleased expression and shouted to her companions, "Its invincibility is gone!"

Upon realizing it couldn't withstand the attack, the queen retreated decisively. But how could Himeko let this opportunity slip away?

The extended Mimic Shamash Greatsword drew brilliant arcs in the air. The queen, unable to resist, retreated step by step.

Visible wounds appeared on its massive body, some deep enough to expose bones. Its purple frilled skirt was hacked into pieces, with many cracks appearing, and thick fluid dripping out along the cracks...

Himeko suddenly realized that the purple frilled skirt was, in a sense, part of the queen's "shell," a part of her body.

The voice of the Senti came with grumbling, "But its strange attributes are still there! My and Elysia's attacks don't have much effect!"

Indeed, the strange attributes obtained by the queen didn't disappear with its invincibility.

The Rainbow Barrier still shielded the queen from abnormal status effects, making the psychic attacks launched by the Herrscher of Sentience akin to mud cows entering the sea, at most slightly slowing down the queen's movements. And the nearly immune effect to physical damage from the Chaos Shield made it even more troublesome for Knowledge and Elysia.

"It's okay, I can take down the queen myself... Huh?!"

Himeko watched as the queen forcibly endured several of her strikes, reaching a nearby position. It spread its arms, and several threads flew out from its body, quickly "linking" to several humanoid cocoons on the spider web.

As if sucking, it extracted the life force "stored" in the cocoons, rapidly repairing the wounds on its body.

Himeko widened her eyes, "That shape... could there be humans inside?!"

Senti gritted her teeth and replied, "Unfortunately, you guessed right! Damn it..."

Himeko continued to chase with her sword raised, but her gaze swept over the surrounding environment. At the very least, there were hundreds of such cocoons available for the enemy to "use," which was not good news at all!

Himeko gritted her teeth and roared, "Are they still savable?! If they're beyond saving, I'll just burn all these things down with one fire!"

This time, it was Elysia who responded, "I don't know, but I think Luo Lin definitely wants to save everyone!"

"Then let her figure out a solution! If we hesitate, we won't be able to save anyone!"

In the distance, Luo Lin naturally also saw what the queen was doing, and her face looked quite unpleasant.

After all, the queen's attributes restricted their output, making it impossible to directly kill the queen in one go. As a result, the queen gained a breathing opportunity, allowing it to use the cocoons to restore its state.

And with Luo Lin's manpower insufficient, they couldn't protect all the hundreds of scattered humanoid cocoons.

Will there inevitably be sacrifices...?

"Damn it, damn it..."

Luo Lin clenched her fists, cursing, " I can't do anything?"

Hiss...

A burning sensation spread from Luo Lin's palm. She looked down, it was the Ether Anchor crystal that Welt had just spat out, now emitting a bright light.

"Holy shit, correct password!"

Helix, observing in her mind, exclaimed, "Main Body, why don't you say a few more sentences, it might still react!"

"?"

Luo Lin was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly recited, "I can't do anything."

Immediately, the Ether Anchor blossomed, and it seemed like another sun rose in the depths of the nest.

When the light faded, the black-haired Valkyrie found an open pouch in her hand, containing several hand grenades with a shimmering blue metallic sheen.

Eternal Serenade

Throwable Grenade/Capacity: 14

Purified Land (Ether Anchor Amplification): Amplified state removes abnormal effects within a certain radius. For each removal, explosion damage greatly increases.

Seed of Purification (Ether Anchor Amplification): When hitting an enemy, there is a 100% chance to remove one elite skill (attribute) of the enemy; this weapon deals double damage to enemies with no more than one displayed elite skill (attribute); in the amplified state, it can completely eliminate all elite skills (attributes).

"Holy shit, grenades that can explode attributes!"

Before Luo Lin could finish her astonishment, good news also came from Elysia's side. The indicator light on her chest's flower-shaped signal receiver remained bright for a long time.

---------------------------------------------

On the other side, in the Elysian Realm...

"Doctor Mobius! The Elysian Realm has received an extremely powerful energy supply!"

Klein exclaimed loudly, "And because of an unknown influence, the time flow of the Elysian Realm is completely synchronized with Luo Lin's side!"

"What!?"

Mobius and Vill-V swiftly jumped up from their chairs and quickly gathered around Klein, who was operating the maintenance terminal.

Snake urgently said, "Quickly establish a real-time video signal connection. Those jumping images before gave me a headache!"

"You step aside, I'll help Klein set the parameters!"

After hearing this, Mobius smoothly stepped aside, surprising Vill-V, who glanced at the green-haired doctor. However, this did not prevent her from pulling out a keyboard from her hat and swiftly plugging it into the terminal, typing away.

After about half a minute, Vill-V typed the last line of code and then stared at the constantly refreshing prompt box.

Data receiving...

Link success!

Mobius squeezed her head over, staring at the unfolding image together with Vill-V and Klein.

"Luo Lin, interrupt it!"

"Here it comes!"

A projectile flew from afar and struck the already battered body of the queen.

Then, Eternal Serenade exploded, enveloping the queen's body in a brilliant blue, crisp light.

The queen screamed in agony, and its last attribute disappeared along with the light.

The ferocious enemy stood on the biomass blanket, which was dispersed by the blue light. Even the threads it had just ejected to extract life force were indiscriminately dissolving.

"Well done!"

Senti laughed heartily, holding a black sphere in her hand and tossing it at the queen like a shuriken.

Elysia, not to be outdone, shot out a massive arrow-like energy cannon.

As for Himeko Murata, she had already swung the handle of the Mimic Shamash, and even more intense heat surged forth.

"Might of..... forget it, just unleash it!"

The violent explosion engulfed the queen's body, its menacing face submerged beneath flames, crystal shards, and black-red energy, dissipating into nothingness.

Putting down her bow, Elysia looked towards Luo Lin, who was healing the surviving civilians inside the cocoons not far away, and a radiant smile graced her lips.

"That's great..."