HIA VOL 8 CH51-70 (Patreon)

HA VOL 8 CH 51-70

Chapter 51: Date, Sense of Urgency

After the queen was beheaded by Luo Lin and her team, the remaining insects completely lost control, acting purely on instinct and unable to organize any threatening attacks. As a result, the pressure on the mech forces outside the stadium was greatly reduced. After a fierce exchange of fire, the previously relentless Honkai beasts suddenly scattered, leaving the once noisy ruins empty within minutes, except for the crackling of burning flames.

"The insects... retreated?"

Chen Tianwu looked around in a daze and murmured, "What exactly did the doctor and her team do?"

At this moment, Luo Lin's voice came through the communication channel: "Hello? Chen Tianwu, can you hear me? This is Luo Lin. Report your situation."

Chen Tianwu quickly responded, "Doctor! The mech forces are not severely damaged, but all the insects we were fighting have fled!"

"Fled? We just killed the queen, so they probably lost control and fled," Luo Lin explained briefly and then said, "Chen Tianwu, please send some people in. We have rescued a lot of survivors inside, and they are not in good condition..."

"Understood!"

Luo Lin put down the communicator and looked around. She had cleared a clean area using [Eternal Silence]. All the people she had rescued from the insect web were now lying here.

After emergency treatment by the mimicry Black Abyss White Flower, the vital signs of all the living people had stabilized, though Luo Lin could do nothing for those who had died.

Elysia appeared behind the black-haired Valkyrie, placing her hands on Luo Lin's shoulders and gently said, "You did very well, Luo Lin."

"Sigh... I just wish I could have come earlier..." Luo Lin shook her head and sighed, "Alright, I know it's not realistic, but I really don't like this..."

The Herrscher of Sentience took Luo Lin's hand and awkwardly comforted her, "At least we did our best, and there are so many survivors here, right?"

"Yeah..."

"Hey, when did you get the title of 'Doctor'?"

Mobius' voice came through Luo Lin's communication terminal, breaking the somewhat somber atmosphere.

"Mobius? Is communication with the Elysian Realm back to normal?"

Luo Lin was surprised as she pressed her communicator, projecting the screen into the air.

Mobius and Vil-V stood on either side of the screen, with a tuft of green hair bouncing at the bottom. It took Luo Lin a moment to realize it was Klein's antenna hair.

Vil-V answered Luo Lin's question: "Yes, the time flow of the [Elysian Realm] is now completely synchronized with yours, and we can communicate normally."

Luo Lin was stunned: "Synchronized time flow? How did you manage that?"

"You asked a good question, little white mouse, but we want to know too. Just a dozen minutes ago, we were still troubled by how to decode the highly abstract video signals you sent back..."

Mobius squinted her eyes, "But just now, a peculiar force influenced the entire Elysian Realm, synchronizing its time flow with the bubble universe you are in... Do you have any idea what caused this?"

Luo Lin thought for a moment, looking down at the strange crystal in her hand, pondering.

"I think... it might be due to the [Ether Anchor]..."

"Oh?"

Vil-V leaned closer to the camera, her face full of interest: "Quick, tell me what that is!"

Mobius pulled Vil-V back, speaking coldly, "Don't be in such a hurry. Let Luo Lin explain her experiences during this period! Of course... including the nonsense about the Herrscher of the End."

"Ahaha, how did you hear about the Herrscher of the End..."

Luo Lin scratched her head and laughed awkwardly.

————————————————————

Luo Lin finally gave Mobius and Vil-V a rough account of the story of Honkai Impact 2's DLC [Fire Moth] (see Chapter 46 of this volume for details), the brief definition of the [Ether Anchor], and reported her activities in Shelter 386 in this bubble world.

Vil-V fell into deep thought: "The [Ether Anchor] contains the power of the bubble universe... and you even know such stories about the Herrscher of the End in parallel worlds..."

The Great Magician's eyes flickered, finding it hard not to link this to the [Valuka] executed by Su... no, this seemed closer to the [Ark ]? A new world that defeated the End...

However, Mobius was more concerned with another point: "You said this place is a city on the Mu Continent? I remember that the Mu Continent suffered a devastating blow three days after the appearance of the Herrscher of Rock, and within a week, it had completely sunk into the ocean... How long have you been here?"

Luo Lin opened her mouth, struggling to answer, "Uh? If we count from when I entered Shelter 386, it's been about eight days now."

"...Eight days."

Mobius stroked her chin and patted Vil-V's shoulder: "By the way, Vil-V, do you remember how long it took you to assemble the [Divine Key: Judgement of Shamash] back then? I mean the assembly, not the time spent painstakingly calculating various data..."

"Eh? Why do you suddenly ask this..."

Vil-V was stunned for a moment but quickly guessed Mobius' intention: "Oh, I get it, you want to estimate the time of the Herrscher of Rock's death through my assembly time, right?"

"Yes, after so long, I can't quite remember the situation back then... But I do remember that [Fire Moth] had no choice but to restart the [Divine Key Project] because they couldn't deal with the Herrscher of Rock."

Mobius nodded: "You assembled the [Judgement of Shamash] that you had designed, and then Kevin took it to find the Herrscher of Rock. They spent two days locating the Herrscher, and on the last day, they found and killed it..."

"It took me a week to assemble the [Judgement of Shamash]." Vil-V thought for a few seconds and answered, "But [Fire Moth] didn't notify me immediately to restart the [Divine Key Project]; they also gathered a batch of troops from elsewhere to try and encircle the Herrscher of Rock... probably delayed by about five days."

"So, from the Herrscher of Rock's arrival to its elimination, it took a total of fifteen days? And Luo Lin, you've been in the city for eight days now... I suggest you immediately start checking the geological environment of this city."

Mobius squinted her eyes: "If everything follows the script from our time, it might soon sink. But if there are no issues after five days... you need to be even more cautious, as this is a bubble world where anything can happen."

Chapter 52: It's Up to You

"......"

"......Next......"

"......The next one......"

"Remember to take your medicine on time, and make sure to wear this wristband properly. If you notice any cracks, report it immediately, and we'll prepare a new one for you... Alright, next."

In the slightly noisy environment, Welt slowly opened his eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling. He realized he was lying on a soft mattress, covered by a thin blanket, with the smell of disinfectant lingering in his nose.

This must be a designated medical area...

Welt struggled to lift his head and observe his surroundings. Not far away, a black-haired, blue-eyed girl with a bulging satchel slung across her shoulder was tending to the wounded in the medical area. She comforted them with a gentle voice and changed their bandages. Occasionally, she took out a golden wristband from her satchel and carefully put it on those showing signs of Honkai energy erosion.

Following her was a girl with pink hair and peculiar attire, seemingly protecting the delicate girl in front of her. Welt soon noticed the unique horns on her head, resembling parts of a Honkai beast.

Could those be... Honkai beast body parts...?

Welt's mouth felt like it was on fire, and he was incredibly thirsty. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. The girl with pink hair and unusual horns glanced at Welt, then poked the girl who was busy talking to a patient.

"Seele, Welt is awake."

Seele nodded, finished her conversation with the patient, and jogged over to Welt. She rummaged through her bag and carefully fed him some water from a small bottle.

Welt took a deep breath and rasped, "Thank you."

"No need to thank me, Mr. Welt..."

Seele's expression was somewhat subtle when she said "Mr.": "Sister Luo Lin said that when you woke up, I should give you an mimicry Moon Ring..."

The black-haired, blue-eyed girl took out a golden wristband and placed it in Welt's hand. Welt instinctively tried to analyze it using the power of the Herrscher of Reason, but he was too weak, and the remaining Honkai energy in him couldn't respond to his will. However, in that moment, Welt's will linked with the golden wristband, and the next instant, he felt a surge of Honkai energy flowing into his body from it.

At first, Welt thought it was just a device for storing Honkai energy, but he remembered Seele had just placed the wristbands on those affected by Honkai energy erosion. Using the newly acquired energy, he activated the Herrscher of Reason's power to analyze it.

"Wait, this is... a conversion between Honkai energy and regular energy?!"

Welt's mouth gaped open in surprise, nearly rolling off the mattress. He quickly grabbed the wristband and examined it closely.

"What an ingenious design... It must be based on the [Moonlight Throne] system, but miniaturized to this size. Genius! So that's why it's called the [Moon Ring]..."

Welt's eyes spun rapidly in excitement, his gears turning fast: "And there are slots... for other components? Presumably so... Can it network? And it even has a system for adapting to the user..."

As expected of the Herrscher of Reason, Welt took only a few minutes to grasp the basics of the [Moon Ring].

"This is a pure energy replica created by some method, but the manufacturing technique is too rough, not stable at all... If it were me, I could make it last much longer, at least a week, right?"

He no longer appeared weak, lying there with a sincere, even goofy smile as he cradled the wristband.

"Though, some of the craftsmanship looks familiar..."

Welt laughed to himself for a moment, then fell into deep thought, before being startled: "Isn't this our Anti-Entropy core technology?! Could it be that someone from Anti-Entropy is involved... Was there a technology leak? Or did someone defect...?"

Only a few people had access to such core technology, including Tesla and Einstein. Welt really hoped there were no spies or traitors among them...

Seele sighed helplessly, watching the boy's exaggerated reactions.

"How strange... This person... Is he really Sister Bronya's superior?"

Delta, standing nearby, sneered: "Yes, this is Welt Yang, the leader of Anti-Entropy, the Herrscher of Reason, known as the 'Master of Failed Negotiations,' 'Master of Misunderstandings,' with low emotional intelligence, and very adept at 'dying.' When people think he's dead, he always pops up from some strange place..."

Welt's face twisted at the string of titles: "Ma'am, where did I get all these nicknames..."

The girl with pink hair and unique horns shrugged: "Consensus of the Sea of Quanta, probably."

"Why is the Sea of Quanta even involved?!"

Seeing Welt's twisted, even frantic expression, Seele took a step back politely and said, "Mr. Welt, please rest well. I need to take care of other patients..."

The black-haired, blue-eyed girl quickly left, while Delta crossed her arms and watched Welt with interest.

"Um... May I ask your name?"

"Just call me Delta."

Welt hesitantly asked, "Who came up with those nicknames...?"

"Mostly the Captain... well, Luo Lin, actually."

The girl with pink hair shook her head, drawing Welt's gaze back to her horns.

Delta asked, "Interested in these horns? Want to know where they're from?"

Welt nodded: "A little."

"Hmph, I'm not telling you. Just rest up. You'll be busy soon enough."

Delta turned and left. Welt watched them go, holding the imitation Moon Ring silently as he rested.

A few hours later, a handsome man in a military uniform approached Welt and asked, "Are you Mr. Welt? I'm Chen Tianwu. Dr. Luo Lin is looking for you."

"Doctor...?"

Welt's expression was subtle. Wasn't Luo Lin a Valkyrie of Schicksal before? How did she suddenly become a doctor?

Is it a role assigned by the bubble world? Or...

"Alright, I'm coming."

The boy stood up, following Chen Tianwu through the crowded corridors until they reached the control room of the shelter.

"The target area's supplies are plentiful, but there are still small groups of Honkai beasts interfering with collection..."

"Have Chen Tianwu lead a team to eliminate the Honkai beasts and bring back some supplies, quickly."

"...The city's geological survey is ongoing, with no detected abnormalities so far."

"Ellie, how many days has it been?"

"Ten days."

"No abnormalities yet... Oh? Welt's here? You've been sleeping for two days since we rescued you!"

Luo Lin turned around, nodding to the Herrscher of Reason with a relieved smile. She quickly placed a non-mimicked [Moon Ring] in Welt's hand and earnestly said, "Please, Mr. Welt, could you start making the Moon Rings now? I really don't want to keep using the [Key of Revelation] for repetitive work!"

"?"

Chapter 53: Introduction and Anomalies

Welt sat in the corner of the control room, pinching out mimicry Moon Rings at a relatively constant speed, then placing them on the chair beside him. He wasn't quite sure how he ended up in this position, but after a few hours of work, Welt had turned into an unfeeling "printing machine."

At that moment, the control room door was pushed open. Luo Lin quickly ran in and plopped down on a chair, assuming a slouched posture.

Following her were the Herrscher of Sentience, Elysia, Seele, Delta, and Schrödinger, each finding a place to sit. Luo Lin retrieved a few bottles of water from the system storage and tossed one to each person.

"Sigh, another day of helping out, moving supplies, and fighting monsters. It reminds me of my 'working' days in some D-word game long ago..." the black-haired Valkyrie sighed. "Thankfully, today's work is almost done, so we can have a meeting to discuss our own matters..."

"What do you mean by 'our own matters,' Doctor?" Welt widened his eyes, looking at the brown-haired woman with a single Roman curl.

"Oh, come on, Dr. Schrödinger, no need to act so confused," Luo Lin shrugged. "Let's be honest, you're not from this bubble world either. Besides, I brought back someone familiar for you..."

"A familiar face... Ah, Joachim, hello? I really don't know how you ended up here..." Schrödinger looked at Welt, her mouth twitching slightly before letting out a long sigh. "But, after all these years, why do you still look like a little boy?"

"Schrödinger..." Welt's voice trembled, his eyes glistening. "You're still alive, that's wonderful..."

"Yes, I'm still alive, but because my body was completely quantumized, I couldn't return to the real world..." Schrödinger twisted her Roman curl with her fingers and glanced at Luo Lin. "However, my situation has stabilized now, and I feel that with Luo Lin's help, I might be able to visit my old friends..."

Luo Lin shivered, "Don't say 'old friends,' that term is problematic... Oh, I need to call some more people; it'll be easier to discuss things."

The black-haired Valkyrie fiddled with her communication terminal, projecting the scene of the Elysian Realm into the control room. In the center of the projection stood Mobius and Vill-V, with a large group of onlookers behind them. Except for Elysia, who was helping Luo Lin, everyone was present.

Luo Lin scratched her head, "Ah, right. Welt, Schrödinger, and Delta, let me introduce you to these memory bodies of warriors who fought against the Honkai from the previous civilization, the Thirteen Flamechasers of Fire Moth. You can understand the term 'memory replica' literally... And if you're wondering why there are only twelve people, it's because the thirteenth is standing next to me."

"Huh? Previous civilization?!" Welt's pupils trembled.

Elysia greeted Welt with a cheerful smile, "Hi! Hello there, Herrscher of Reason, Welt Yang! I'm Elysia, the Flamechaser who holds the Signet of Ego, a shy girl like a flower!"

"H-Hello..."

Luo Lin introduced the other Flamechasers one by one, and when she got to Kevin, Welt shuddered, causing the mimicry Moon Ring he was holding to shatter with a loud "crack," drawing everyone's attention.

"Hm? What's wrong?"

"You... you..."

Welt's face showed obvious fear.

In the Elysian Realm, Su, who was standing next to Kevin raised an eyebrow and softly said, "It seems like he knows you, Kevin."

"Most likely, he encountered my real-world counterpart," Kevin replied calmly, arms crossed. "And the encounter was probably not pleasant."

"After all, he's a Herrscher... If this had been a few months ago, even your memory replica would have immediately fought upon seeing a Herrscher. But..." Su sighed and glanced at the black-haired Valkyrie with a subtle expression, "thanks to the new information brought by Luo Lin, and that overly lively Herrscher of Sentience as an example... everyone in the Elysian Realm now has some understanding of the friendly Herrschers of this era..."

Seeing Welt's shocked expression, Luo Lin quickly explained, "Hey, Welt! On my account, please don't get agitated. This Kevin is not the same as the one you saw... well, in some ways he is... Anyway, let me explain."

Luo Lin recounted the story of Kevin, the forerunner of the previous civilization, along with the love-hate relationship and the Project Stigma (refer to chapters 18 and 19 of this volume). Her explanation left Welt with a fresh, bitter expression.

"So the warrior I encountered was him..."

Welt finally understood why Kevin had such strong hostility and killing intent when they met in the Sea of Quanta. After experiencing so much pain, it was normal for Kevin to be "emotional" upon seeing a Herrscher.

"Actually, given your actions after entering the Sea of Quanta, Kevin's hostility towards you isn't that intense," Luo Lin mused, resting her chin on her hand. "Although Kevin's strength has weakened after soaking in the Sea of Quanta for hundreds or thousands of years... as a warrior who could fight against the Herrscher of the End, if he had decided to go all out, I doubt you could have lasted this long..."

"Perhaps," the boy muttered, holding his forehead, trying to process the overwhelming information Luo Lin had just revealed. After a few minutes, he sighed, "Luo Lin, you sure know a lot... even about what I did in the Sea of Quanta..."

Elysia squinted at Luo Lin, "Oh? What did he do?"

"Roughly, after discovering Kevin, he risked his life to send the scientists who came with him back to the real world, then fought Kevin..." Luo Lin thought for a moment and added, "Of course, during the fight, he probably shouted something about friendship, bonds, fighting for humanity, and then charged in, using all his strength to create a 'seal' to block Kevin, preventing him from returning to reality through the Eye of the Abyss... Is that right, Welt?"

The boy's mouth twitched, "It is... but your description..."

"Oh, as long as the meaning is clear. Basically, these actions and the bubble world seal Welt created made Kevin understand that he was a Herrscher fighting for humanity."

Luo Lin spread her hands, smiling, "So, Kevin ignored Welt and waited for the Eye of the Abyss to reopen, looking for a chance to return to the real world..."

"..." Welt's silence was deafening.

After successfully silencing the Herrscher of Reason, Luo Lin coughed and addressed everyone, "Alright, that's enough about familiar faces. Let's talk business now..."

"First, I've strengthened Shelter 386 with the second [Ether Anchor] I obtained from Welt. As confirmed, the shelter has expanded out of nowhere, elongating, widening, and adding a dozen rooms..."

Luo Lin's expression was subtle. "During this process, the survivors didn't notice anything unusual. They generally believe that the additional parts were originally part of the shelter, just previously inaccessible due to the earthquake, and now put back into use after repairs by engineers..."

Delta interjected, "The [Ether Anchor] is amazing, isn't it?"

Luo Lin scratched her head, "Indeed. But I don't know how the [Ether Anchor] determines things. The shelter's elongation is a bit excessive; it feels like a long, narrow rectangle now... Still, giving people more space to live is good."

"I also did some research; the [Ether Anchor] supplies energy to the Elysian Realm, syncing its time flow with the bubble world... and the relay station is me..."

This was something [Helix] discovered.

She told Luo Lin that while "surfing the internet" earlier, she encountered some "interference," investigated, and pinpointed the "anomaly":

A mysterious force, using Luo Lin as a relay, attached to the signal Elysia sent back to the Elysian Realm, ultimately transmitting into it.

System confirmation showed that this was energy emitted by the [Ether Anchor]...

The Valkyrie paused and continued, "Aside from the shelter changes, in the two days since we rescued Welt, we've cleared four sources of Honkai energy near the shelter—three high-ranking Honkai beasts and one out-of-control laboratory energy facility. During the cleanup, we found these traces..."

Luo Lin pulled out some photos from the projection, showing many enormous claw marks—clearly, the creature leaving these marks was no friend.

"I suspect this is a large Honkai beast, probably capable of flight... maybe resembling Benares?"

"Moreover, the Honkai energy concentration in the bubble world is still rising..." The Valkyrie pressed her lips, "Especially at high altitudes in the city, where the Honkai energy concentration is several times higher than on the ground... This reminds me of a very troubling Honkai energy phenomenon... the [Honkai Dead Spot]."

Chapter 54: Fanning the Flames

Luo Lin would never forget the Honkai Gakuen 2 storyline animation that left a profound impact on her young heart—

As the female voice sang the apocalyptic melody "Lyin (See you in the next world)," Himeko, Theresa, Seele, and Bronya died one by one, turning into scattered light.

As the song's intensity and despair grew, Raiden Mei, the Herrscher of Thunder, fought the Herrscher of the End, Kiana, with all her might. Their battle even reached outer space, but Mei ultimately succumbed to Kiana, falling into the hands of the girl she once held dear.

With a blank expression, Kiana grasped Mei's neck, unable to control the tears that fell from her eyes.

After that, golden cross-like patterns spread out from her center. Accompanied by explosions and extreme heat, everything was cleansed, leaving deep, bone-visible scars on Earth.

This was the most direct manifestation of the [Honkai Dead Spot].

The [Honkai Dead Spot] was considered the signature skill of the Herrscher in Honkai Gakuen 2—

"It acts like a Herrscher-level indicator; if one can use this move, it means their Honkai energy level is sufficient to fulfill the role of destroying civilization."

"The specific manifestation of the [Honkai Dead Spot] is a mysterious pattern of high-concentration Honkai energy appearing at high altitudes. This pattern gradually expands under the Herrscher's control, eventually releasing a massive amount of Honkai energy to cleanse the surface, achieving world destruction."

After Luo Lin's description of the [Honkai Dead Spot], the Flamechasers began discussing in low voices.

Pardofelis hugged her cat tightly, "It sounds really powerful."

Eden sighed, took a light sip of her drink, and stared at the ceiling of the Elysian Realm's reception hall, lost in thought.

Hua, sitting beside Eden and looking very honest, exclaimed, "What terrifying power..."

Aponia seemed to envision the scene of world destruction through Luo Lin's words, her breathing becoming uncharacteristically rapid, but she calmed down after a few seconds.

Noticing Aponia's reaction, Kevin and Su exchanged a look, their expressions unreadable.

"World destruction..." Su muttered, "Kevin, do you think the Herrscher of the End would..."

The white-haired warrior was silent for a moment before speaking, "I can't confirm, because Luo Lin said this is just a story from a parallel world... But... it's better to believe it exists than not."

Kalpas clenched his fists, his hair even moving like flames, seemingly eager to fight a Herrscher capable of using such a move. However, Sakura, sitting beside him, quickly placed a hand on his shoulder, causing Kalpas to take a deep breath and suppress his battle intent.

Kosma's inner turmoil was likely intense, but outwardly, he remained silent. Griseo, somewhere, had pulled out a painting board and was smearing Honkai energy on it.

In the shelter control room, Elysia poked the Senti's arm and asked with interest, "Do you think you could use this move?"

The Senti spread her hands and replied helplessly, "No, because the knowledge within my Herrscher core doesn't include the [Honkai Dead Spot] move... At least, there's no related information in my core."

Elysia pondered this and then looked at the dazed Welt nearby, "Well then, Mr. Welt, does your Herrscher core have records of such a terrifying move?"

Welt was "awakened" by the pink elf's words and shook his head, "Uh... I don't have it either..."

The pink elf tilted her head in thought and suddenly came to a startling conclusion, "Hmm... that means you two are the kind of Herrschers who can't destroy the world? Great! Everyone is a good person."

Welt was dumbfounded, while the Senti's mouth twitched noticeably.

"Uh, that's not funny, Elysia. Don't tell me you've been influenced by Luo Lin's occasional whimsical thinking..."

The pink elf puffed up her cheeks, "I won't be influenced!"

"Your words make me even more worried..."

The Senti held her forehead, muttering, "Actually, if this [Honkai Dead Spot] came from anyone else's mouth, I wouldn't believe it at all. But since it's from Luo Lin... you know, Luo Lin knows 'a little bit more'..."

The pink elf nodded in agreement, "I understand."

They raised their heads, watching the black-haired Valkyrie not far away.

Luo Lin was discussing the collected data with Vil-V and Mobius. Schrödinger, a top scientist, couldn't resist joining in after listening for a while.

The three doctors and a pseudo-doctor gathered, chanting various formulas and knowledge that made others' heads spin. Soon, projections of dozens of data and charts filled most of the control room.

"Hmm, some of the data looks very familiar—it's identical to some of the strange fluctuations from the [Chiyou Incident], how peculiar."

Vil-V stroked her chin, her expression subtle as she focused on a nervous black-haired girl.

"Um, well... hahaha."

Luo Lin laughed awkwardly, "It probably, maybe, does have something to do with me."

Mobius raised an eyebrow, "Again related to changes in the world's fundamental rules... interesting."

Schrödinger didn't quite understand Mobius's words. Snake, noticing her confused expression, casually sent her some research reports to ponder.

After the previous exchanges, the brown-haired doctor realized that the two in front of her were not ordinary. So, she respectfully held the reports and went to study them.

Mobius shook her head and asked, "So, what do you plan to do next?"

"Well..."

Luo Lin glanced at her activity panel, filled with ordinary combat and logistics tasks, with none of the previously glaringly obvious ones.

"First, we clear the nearby sources of Honkai energy to slow the environmental increase of Honkai energy, and scout the traces left by the large Honkai beast. Then, we'll gather materials from nearby industrial areas to enhance the shelter's defense forces with the Senti's technology. Oh, and also address the psychological health of the shelter's residents..."

Luo Lin counted on her fingers as she spoke confidently.

Vil-V and Mobius watched Luo Lin's serious demeanor with mixed feelings.

After speaking for a while, Luo Lin noticed the lack of response from the two and couldn't help asking, "Aren't you going to say something?"

"...You know, little lab rat, it's hard not to think of someone else when I look at you..."

Luo Lin blinked, "Dr. Mei?"

The serpent sighed, "Yes, Mei. But you're clearly much more humane—though your technical skills are far inferior..."

"That was Dr. Mei, a genius among geniuses..."

Luo Lin scratched her head, "I can't compare to her."

"That's debatable, little Luo Lin."

Vil-V twirled her hat, making faces, "I have high hopes for you—as long as you study hard, surpassing Mei isn't impossible."

Luo Lin raised her terminal, which was filled with tasks awaiting her attention, "Is that why you've assigned me so many experiments?"

Mobius remained unfazed, "Aren't you in that peculiar bubble universe? We can't reach the scene like Elysia, so we can't conduct related experiments due to objective constraints..."

Vil-V chimed in, "Exactly."

"Don't forget my primary job is a Valkyrie! Valkyrie, understand? I should be out slaying Honkai beasts! I shouldn't be doing scientific research!"

Luo Lin widened her eyes, "And you just called me a lab rat! As a lab rat, my daily life should be eating and sleeping!"

"Oh? Then how about I call you Dr. Luo Lin?"

The serpent chuckled softly, her tone mocking, "Here, people already call you that, right? As a doctor, it's normal to help with experiments, isn't it?"

Vil-V joined in the fun, shouting, "Dr. Luo Lin! Dr. Luo Lin!"

Elysia and the Senti also joined the chant, "Dr. Luo Lin! Dr. Luo Lin!"

"Enough! Stop shouting! I'll do it!!"

Chapter 55: Day 15, Shadow of the Dragon

Chen Tianwu leaped down from the brand-new mech, his face brimming with visible excitement. He dashed to a corner of the maintenance area, warmly greeting the two figures standing there: "Schrödinger, and little genius Welt, I'm back!"

Welt wore a pained expression, speaking in a conflicted tone: "Um, could you please not use that nickname? Just call me Welt..."

Chen Tianwu waved his hand dismissively, "Hey, how else can we show our appreciation for the little genius?"

Welt couldn't help but retort, "I am already an adult; it's just that my body is in this state due to some issues..."

"Yes, yes, I understand. Welt is an adult now!" Chen Tianwu nodded perfunctorily, then turned to Schrödinger, "The new mech and weapons you designed are very effective. Those ordinary Honkai beasts are no threat to us anymore!"

Welt sighed with relief, "As long as they're useful..."

Most of the new equipment for the defense forces was handled by Welt and Schrödinger. They had "borrowed" many components and designs from Anti-Entropy's Titans and adapted them to utilize the materials available in this bubble world. Using manufacturing machines and raw materials acquired from the industrial zone, Welt, with the aid of his Herrscher of Reason powers, cobbled together a peculiar mech resembling a patchwork Titan.

As for its performance, the combat capabilities of the defense forces had significantly improved, playing a crucial role in the recent battles to eliminate Honkai energy sources.

Chen Tianwu, beaming with joy, scratched his head and said, "Oh, and the intelligent robots provided by little Welt are also great. They can carry a lot of supplies—now we don't have to take up Dr. Luo Lin's time!"

"Actually, Luo Lin might still be waiting for you to call her..." Schrödinger muttered quietly, "She's been swamped with endless experiments and reports. Just watching her makes me scared... I really don't know how she's managed these past few days..."

Chen Tianwu: "Ah, well..."

Welt nodded in agreement, "Indeed."

...

As for Luo Lin herself, her thoughts were: "Huh? What? How did I manage? Haven't I always done it this way? I'm used to it..."

Vil-V's voice came through the communicator, "Luo Lin, adjust the parameters of the probe you just set down."

"On it."

Luo Lin dashed off like a gust of wind to conduct experiments under Vil-V and Mobius's increasingly excited and frequent directives, leaving Delta in a daze. The pink-haired, heterochromatic-horned girl sighed after a long pause, "She's the strangest version of captain I've ever seen."

"Captain? What captain?" The Herrscher of Sentience and Elysia appeared from the side, curious about Delta's comment.

"Uh..."

Delta stared at the two heavyweights, momentarily at a loss for how to explain.

The Herrscher of Sentience, seeming to use reverse psychology, said, "If it's too troublesome or you don't want to explain, then forget it."

Delta didn't fall for it, responding straightforwardly, "Alright, let's forget it."

"Hey, don't be like that!" The pink elf was greatly disappointed.

From a distance, Seele glanced at their conversation and then followed Anna to patrol the shelter, comforting the residents.

How should one say it? While Welt gained the nickname "little genius," Seele had already won the favor of over 80% of the survivors in the shelter, smoothly becoming their "little angel."

A soft, gentle girl who could physically heal the body and mentally soothe the soul—do you like that? The survivors unanimously expressed their affection, suggesting Seele chat with them more during her patrols. Of course, Dr. Luo Lin's speeches were also welcome, as they always filled everyone with hope and determination.

Do you understand what emotional diffusion means?

However, Luo Lin hadn't had time to deliver any "inspiring" speeches lately. She was busy exploring the fundamental rules of this peculiar bubble world under the direction of Mobius and Vil-V.

"It's strange. Why can we find rules related to Stigmata Manifestation in this bubble world?" Mobius mused, looking at the experimental report submitted by Luo Lin.

"Isn't that a good thing?" Vil-V, pen in hand, was making modifications to a design blueprint, a complex network of energy circuits and mechanisms giving the entire drawing a dizzying feel—this was the latest masterpiece of the Fire Moth's chief engineer, the Stigmata Fragment Manifestation Device Type XV.

"If the data is correct, those two unwilling to move from our lab can finally explain what they've been up to... Of course, Sakura watching us from the shadows should lessen too."

Vil-V glanced at a pink-haired, fox-eared girl on the sofa and touched her own neck.

Mobius snorted, "The data is definitely correct. We practically held Luo Lin's hand throughout the experiments, I did the calculations myself, and I participated in the design of the energy circuits... Send me a copy of the design once you're done."

"Sure, I'm tired of calculating anyway. The rest is up to you."

Vil-V tossed the pen aside and stretched lazily.

"Vil-V..." Eden's voice came from nearby. She looked serious, asking, "If I'm not mistaken, today should be the fourteenth day since Luo Lin arrived in the bubble world..."

"Yes, that's right." The great magician nodded, "To be precise, in two hours, it will be the fifteenth day since the Rock Herrscher attacked Mu Continent."

Eden nodded and continued, "And you haven't detected any anomalies in the data?"

Vil-V smiled wryly, "Well, the concentration of Honkai energy in the bubble world is still steadily rising, but aside from that, there's nothing unusual..."

At that moment, Aponia suddenly looked up and said, "I believe something will change in two hours."

Mobius became serious, "Aponia, is this a vision of the future? Or a new prophecy?"

"No, it's not a prophecy. I haven't been able to see the future for a long time. It's more of... an intuition?"

Vil-V quipped, "Isn't that similar to a prophecy?"

Aponia shook her head, "It's different."

Mobius, resigned, held her head, "Alright, I'll notify Luo Lin..."

"Is Aponia saying this?" Luo Lin was alarmed, immediately notifying the supply collection teams to return and the defense forces to prepare for battle.

Time ticked by, and soon the fifteenth day arrived.

At that moment, everyone in the shelter sensitive to Honkai energy looked up at the sky.

In the high altitude, a massive shadow broke through the clouds, diving downwards. The enormous flying creature had the characteristic white shell of a Honkai beast, but its patterns were not pink; they glowed an eerie blue.

Its head had diamond-shaped, beard-like decorations, its wings ending in finger-like branches, and its tail resembling a scorpion's stinger.

Then, a terrifying roar erupted from its mouth, echoing through the city.

The radar in the control room emitted a shrill sound, "Honkai energy detected! Suspected Judgement-class Honkai Beast!"

Schrödinger widened her eyes, "Is that... a dragon?"

Welt's reaction was even more exaggerated, "Benares!? How can the companion Honkai Beast of the Second Herrrscher be here?!"

"No, that's not Benares."

If one had to say, it would be Benares's predecessor...

Luo Lin replied gravely, "We should call it Kukulkan..."

Chapter 56: The Flames of the Sky

A gigantic dragon-shaped Honkai beast soared through the sky, leaving white trails like those of a plane in its wake.

After circling the city halfway, Kukulkan seemed to sense something, hesitating and lingering for a moment before issuing a second, resounding roar.

“Roar!!”

With Kukulkan’s roar, the Honkai beasts in the areas beyond the patrol reach of the shelter raised their heads, seemingly responding to the call of the higher-ranking Honkai beast, and began advancing toward Shelter 386.

In the control room of the shelter, Schrödinger observed the densely packed red dots on the Honkai energy radar gradually approaching. She softly said, "It found us."

Luo Lin was not surprised. "I see. But this is to be expected."

The Valkyrie knew that Honkai beasts had an instinct to destroy humans and could locate where survivors congregated. As a higher-ranking Honkai beast, Kukulkan naturally possessed this ability. Moreover, Luo Lin had previously used the [Key of Domination] to set up an “Anti-Honkai Energy Array,” reducing the concentration of Honkai energy around Shelter 386, making this area particularly conspicuous in a world filled with Honkai energy.

Standing up, Luo Lin issued orders: “Seele, Schrödinger, and Welt, stay in the base! The rest of you, come with me. We must intercept these Honkai beasts outside! Especially that Kukulkan—defeat it first, or it will continuously direct more Honkai beasts to attack the shelter!”

“Understood!”

Schrödinger responded crisply, while Welt said, “Although I’m not in the best condition, I’ll do my best to help. I might even provide artillery support from time to time.”

“Good.”

Luo Lin didn’t decline, instead joking with the anti-entropy leader: “Take care of yourself. If I can only bring back your core when I return home, some emotional red-haired family member might go berserk and crush me into a pancake with a giant mech…”

“I know.”

Welt quickly understood who Luo Lin was referring to and blushed. “Wait, why did you bring up Tesla?”

Beside them, Seele looked at Luo Lin with a worried gaze, finally speaking in a low voice after a few seconds: “Sister Luo Lin, take care of yourself!”

“Mm.”

By this time, the alarm in Shelter 386 had already sounded. Although the crowd was a bit restless, the shelter maintained basic stability under the reassurance and maintenance of the staff.

Luo Lin and her group pushed open the control room door and stepped out. The civilians near the door watched them, wanting to know what would happen next.

Sweeping her gaze over the crowd, Luo Lin pressed the communicator and spoke to everyone in the shelter through the broadcasting system: “Trust me, everything will be fine.”

Although the black-haired Valkyrie did not activate the power of [Emotional Diffusion], her words still quieted the survivors, even uplifting their spirits.

Because they believed Luo Lin could bring them hope.

The potential unrest quickly subsided as people voluntarily made way for the shelter staff. Seeing Luo Lin’s group advancing, they began to cheer loudly, encouraging them.

“Go for it!” “Come back safe!” “We believe in you!” “Doctor!”

Chen Tianwu’s voice came through the communicator: “Doctor, I see that big guy coming toward us! There are also many regular Honkai beasts…”

Luo Lin calmly responded, “Chen Tianwu, take the defense team and assist from the side, eliminating those ordinary Honkai beasts trying to attack the shelter. Next, we’ll execute a decapitation strike on that large Honkai beast, codename [Kukulkan]. Succeeding in this strike will mean the battle is half-won.”

“Yes, Doctor... please be careful.”

Putting down the communicator, Luo Lin gazed at the distant dark shadow, squinting her eyes. “This guy’s behavior seems a bit odd…”

Elysia blinked. “Huh? Really?”

The black-haired girl explained, “Normally, upon discovering a populated shelter, Kukulkan should directly attack us... Why does it seem hesitant and conflicted?”

Senti scratched her head: “Is it possible that the presence of strong individuals on our side is intimidating it…?”

“But you all aren’t releasing any ‘Honkai energy emissions’ or anything like that. It shouldn’t sense you from such a distance.”

Luo Lin shook her head: “If anything, the Herrscher’s reactions on our side are more significant... Maybe it’s confused after noticing this?”

“Roar——!!”

Regardless of their speculations, Kukulkan finally made its decision—it raised its head, issued a command to the Honkai beasts, and then swiftly dove towards Luo Lin and her group.

Simultaneously, Chen Tianwu’s mech unit clashed with the tide of Honkai beasts. Gunfire and the sounds of collisions erupted from all directions, and the battle reached its peak instantly!

“Mech unit engaged!”

“Alright, let’s go!”

Kukulkan crashed heavily into the ground, sending out a powerful shockwave from the point of impact.

Luo Lin and the Herrscher of Sentience combined their white and black Tai Void Sword Qi, forcibly slicing a gap through the shockwave, and then everyone charged through the opened gap!

Light shone from Kukulkan’s mouth as it prepared to unleash a beam.

But the Herrscher of Sentience moved faster than Kukulkan anticipated. Leaving several afterimages in the air, she reached Kukulkan’s head in the blink of an eye.

She lifted her leg and kicked at the underside of the Honkai beast’s head like lightning.

“Crack!”

The kick sent Kukulkan’s breath attack back into its throat, even causing its head to jerk upwards.

Yet, she wasn’t satisfied: “Damn, this guy’s skull is tough!”

While she complained, the rest surged forward. Delta’s greatsword left terrifying marks on Kukulkan’s body, Elysia’s arrows further widened the wounds Delta made, and Luo Lin completed the attack by planting a series of grenades and explosives inside.

“Boom!”

“Roar——!!”

Kukulkan howled in agony, spreading its wings and twisting its body like a whirlwind, temporarily driving Luo Lin and her team away. Its dark blue hook-like tail swung wildly, appearing quite distressed.

The Herrscher of Sentience seemed excited: “With such a fierce appearance and exaggerated Honkai energy reaction, is that all it’s got? It’s kind of weak!”

Elysia was also surprised: “Its combat power indeed doesn’t match its appearance... uh... wait, something feels off…”

“Look up!” Luo Lin shouted.

Everyone looked up to see a second Kukulkan emerging from the clouds, its head straight towards them, issuing a responding roar.

Then a third, a fourth... and more.

Delta, with her tail wrapped around her greatsword’s hilt, frowned at the sky.

The Herrscher of Sentience gasped: “No wonder it’s so weak, it’s a mob-like Honkai beast... wait, a Honkai beast of this energy level being a mob? Is that logical?”

Dozens of Kukulkans circled in the air, their dragon shadows covering most of the sky, casting a shadow over everyone below.

“Boom!”

In this desperate moment, a slender flame pierced through the sky, followed by roaring flames that swept across, splitting the clouds of doom like Moses parting the sea, turning most of the sky into a golden-red blaze!

The Kukulkans fled in panic from the terrifying attack. Those caught by the flames turned into fireballs, screaming as they plummeted into the city’s ruins.

Meanwhile, the Herrscher of Sentience and Delta felt a strong killing intent directed at them. By the time they reacted, the intent had vanished.

“What the… wait, this feeling…?”

Standing nearby, Elysia’s eyes widened. She quickly turned towards the origin of the fire.

In the guest hall of the Elysian Realm, all the Flamechasers stood up simultaneously, watching the projection of the figure emerging from the flames.

Luo Lin softly uttered the name.

“Kevin…”

### Chapter 57: Don't Fire, They're Allies!

Kevin, Kevin Kaslana, the first of the Thirteen Flamechasers, the bearer of the [Salvation] insignia, a pioneer of the previous civilization, and the ancestor of the Kaslana family…

He had many titles, but none seemed that important.

Kevin just stood there, becoming the focal point of everyone’s attention.

The white-haired man still held his right hand high, a golden-red blade swirling with intense Honkai energy. The fiery clouds in the sky gradually dissipated, and the surviving Kukulkans vanished along with the flames.

They lifted their heads and retreated back into the clouds without even a roar.

Senti, observing this, spoke with difficulty, “...This is too overwhelming.”

Delta frowned, tugging her scarf to cover her chin and neck.

As a "traveler" who had journeyed through many Bubble Worlds, Delta had seen beings with the same appearance as the white-haired man not far away. However, most of them lacked such terrifying power; some were even comical characters...

The white-haired guy before her gave off a very bad vibe... a very bad one.

The girl with pink hair and different-colored horns could sense the strange, discordant energy fluctuations from the man—proving he wasn't native to the Sea of Quanta but had forcibly harnessed some power through sheer will.

Delta concluded, “Luo Lin, I’m sure he’s not a character from this Bubble World, and he must have an [Ether Anchor]!”

“Is that so...”

Luo Lin sighed in relief. “Then it makes sense that Kevin’s earlier strike was so powerful. He used the [Ether Anchor]... I thought he’d have no Honkai energy left after soaking in the sea for a thousand years, yet he still had the strength for such an exaggerated attack...”

At that moment, a weak growl came from beside Luo Lin.

“Roar...”

The Kukulkan, previously beaten up by Luo Lin and her team and now severely wounded, moved its body and soon curled into a ball, exposing its battered armor in a final act of resistance.

“What an ungracious dragon... Sentience, open a weak spot.”

Elysia sighed, drawing her longbow and aiming at Kukulkan.

The Herrscher of Sentience, following the command instinctively, threw a spear infused with Honkai energy into the dragon-shaped Honkai beast's wound, which was then detonated by the incoming crystal arrow.

Shattered crystal fragments caused Kukulkan to tumble like a football, crushing several low walls in the ruins. When it stopped, it was dizzy and disoriented, with its mouth glowing as if preparing a final grand attack.

But its plan was ruthlessly thwarted by Luo Lin, whose glowing white flying sword pierced down from above, pinning Kukulkan to the ground like a specimen.

Kevin, who had been watching the sky, lowered his head and soon focused on a certain pink-haired elf.

After a few seconds, Kevin asked in a slow, awkward tone, “...Elysia, why are you in Mu Continent, and here of all places?”

Hearing this tone, Luo Lin raised an eyebrow, her expression becoming subtle.

How to put it, she sensed a mix of nostalgia and... fear from Kevin?

Was Kevin actually afraid now?

The black-haired Valkyrie rubbed her eyes hard, silently recited the Blade Mantra to calm herself, and then looked again at the white-haired warrior.

“?”

Luo Lin half-opened her mouth, realizing she wasn’t mistaken; Kevin indeed had a hint of fear...

Facing Kevin’s question, Elysia blinked, showed a mysterious smile, and retorted, “Why can’t I be here? With a Herrscher appearing on Mu Continent, of course, I have to get involved.”

That was indeed Elysia’s style...

Kevin, carrying the [Divine Key], walked stiffly to the pink-haired elf’s side.

Then, he raised his non-sword-wielding hand, and in an instant, the struggling Kukulkan was frozen into an ice sculpture.

Kevin exhaled lightly, unclenching his fist, and the ice shattered into powder, with the dragon-shaped Honkai beast disappearing along with it.

“...I thought the Fire Moth would command you to stay there and protect their lives and property.”

Elysia’s smile fully bloomed, and she answered cheerfully, “They did say that, but what does that have to do with me? Supporting you is more important!”

The pink-haired elf fully grasped Kevin’s situation now. He most likely thought Elysia and her group were NPCs created by this Bubble World, while Kevin was diligently "playing" his role of coming to Mu Continent to hunt down the Herrscher of Rock, trying to integrate into this "script."

Kevin: “...Suit yourself.”

The white-haired warrior indeed had no way to deal with Elysia, and now, he didn’t plan to make an issue of her “out-of-line” actions.

“By the way, I remember you didn’t come here alone, right?” Elysia looked around curiously and asked in a puzzled tone, “Where are Hen and Kosma?”

Kevin calmly replied, “I sent them to other parts of Mu Continent to search for clues about the Herrscher of Rock—this Herrscher is quite elusive.”

The pink-haired elf tapped her lips with her finger. “Is that so?”

False. The Herrscher of Rock back then was like a giant flashlight, wantonly releasing its Honkai energy, with a very strong presence—after all, the Fire Moth indeed had no way to destroy Mu Continent’s opposition.

Until Kevin took action with [Divine Key]... Accompanied by Heng, who sacrificed himself to restrain the Herrscher of Rock’s movements, finally dissipating together in the intense light.

Elysia said, “So, our big boy just sent everyone away and went to the most dangerous place alone to look for clues?”

“...No, I’m just rationally allocating tasks.”

Kevin turned his head away, but a few seconds later, he turned back.

His gaze softened a bit, his lips moved, but he couldn’t recapture the feeling from back then, speaking in an eternally cold tone: “Elysia, since you arrived at Mu Continent, have you detected anything unusual?”

“Hmm...”

Elysia pondered for a moment, snapped her fingers, and pulled Luo Lin beside her: “I’m just an ordinary warrior. If you want to ask about anomalies, you should ask this doctor!”

Luo Lin didn’t expect the pink-haired elf to do this, so she awkwardly replied, “Uh... Kevin, hello, I’m...”

“Mei...? No... that’s not right.”

Kevin frowned imperceptibly, his sharp gaze focusing on Luo Lin’s eyes. He quickly judged that this person with an approachable aura was definitely not an NPC produced by the Bubble World!

The next moment, the blade of [Divine Key] was at Luo Lin’s nose, and the white-haired warrior shouted, “Who are you?”

“Wow, Ancestor Kevin, we’re not enemies, please take it easy!”

Luo Lin’s eyes widened, but she forcibly controlled her reflexes, staying still like a log to avoid provoking Kevin’s emotions.

Then she slowly raised her hand, showing the back of it to the white-haired man—a few Flamechaser [Signets] flickered, illuminating Kevin’s eyes.

“I’m here to bring you back to the real world! We’re allies!”

Chapter 58: It's Lit.jpg

"Hey, Kevin, let's talk this out!"

Elysia took two steps forward, shielding Luo Lin as if protecting a chick. The white-haired warrior was snapped out of his daze by her actions and, after a moment of silence, retracted his greatsword.

"...Sorry, Ellie."

Kevin replied in a low voice.

The pink-haired elf looked at Kevin with a complex expression, unable to hold back her words as she gazed at this long-lost companion. "You look exhausted, Kevin... don't you need a break?"

"It's not time yet. We still have enemies to deal with... an unprecedented, terrifying Herrscher."

"You've already found the Herrscher?!"

"Yes."

Kevin glanced at the Senti and then tilted his head toward Welt before finally looking up, his ice-blue eyes fixed on the sky. "It's up there, very high up..."

Luo Lin followed Kevin's gaze and was stunned to see a significant change had occurred—

"Is that... a line?"

Delta muttered.

As she said, a golden line composed of Honkai energy, emitting an unusually strong presence, stretched across the sky, even slicing through the thick clouds that had hidden many Kukulkan, revealing a background as dark as the universe.

Luo Lin murmured, "Did it get dark? What time is it now?"

"5:32 PM, far from being dark."

Elysia stared at the golden trace, her tone heavy. "Luo Lin, is that the [Honkai Dead Spot] you mentioned?"

Luo Lin replied helplessly, "I think... it's most likely that."

She couldn't exactly say it was actually a humanity incineration spell from the neighboring Chaldea, although these two things did seem quite similar at first glance: hanging in the sky, having ultra-high concentration energy reactions, and both aiming to destroy humanity...

Kevin spoke up, "Honkai Dead Spot?"

"Yes, it's a move that a Herrscher can unleash when their Honkai energy level is sufficient to destroy human civilization..."

Luo Lin explained briefly, but she quickly realized something and asked, "Haven't you seen a similar move before? Like the final... Herrscher of the End..."

"Is this related to the Herrscher of the End?"

Kevin grew serious, thinking for a moment before answering earnestly, "I've never seen a move like that."

"That's great."

Luo Lin was overjoyed. The person who had directly confronted the Herrscher of the End told her he hadn't seen [Honkai Dead Spot], which meant that at least in the previous civilization, the world hadn't undergone strange changes.

After the joy came sorrow, as Luo Lin now had to lead everyone to fight against a Herrscher capable of unleashing [Honkai Dead Spot], likely from the neighboring Honkai 2 world.

But it didn't matter, they had the invincible Kevin here... he even held an [Ether Anchor] and wielded the Divine Key Judgement of Shamash, whether in terms of energy or weapon...

Wait, was this setting up a flag?

Luo Lin quickly stopped her scattered thoughts and cautiously asked Kevin to avoid raising a flag: "Uh, Ancestor Kevin, is your [Ether Anchor] and Judgement of Shamash in good condition? Do you have any injuries or limitations? Can you withstand high-intensity battles?"

Listening to these rapid-fire questions, Kevin felt a sense of long-lost familiarity—long ago, Mobius and Vill-V had asked similar questions... of course, Mei had asked too.

"Judgement of Shamash is a product of this Bubble World. It's very good," Kevin replied. "I can continue to fight, no need to worry... Besides, what is this [Ether Anchor] you mentioned?"

"It's the 'core' or 'Sentience' of the Bubble World, something that can operate beyond common sense and rules."

This time, it was Delta who spoke, staring at the Divine Key in Kevin's hand. "And the Divine Key you're holding now should be the [Ether Anchor]."

"..."

Kevin glanced at Delta, then squeezed the hilt of his greatsword, falling into thought.

"Wait a minute! Something's off..."

Sentience screamed, and Luo Lin turned to look at her.

The Herrscher was looking up at the sky, her tone full of surprise. "Where did those dragons go? Did they fly away that fast?"

Luo Lin was momentarily stunned and quickly searched for the Kukulkan's traces—only to see an expanse of dark sky divided by golden lines, even clearer than ever.

"Yeah, where are the dragons?"

"Luo Lin, I've detected signals of a spatial rift! Those Honkai beasts should have left through a passage in the sky..."

Kevin turned sharply, staring at Luo Lin's communicator—it was Vill-V's voice coming through the communication channel, the sound of rapid typing forming the background noise.

Luo Lin: "There are still spatial rifts in the sky?!"

"Yes, and this passage is deliberately concealed..." Mobius's voice followed, sounding somewhat irritable. "Vill-V and I are trying to locate it. It would be best to set up more antennas on-site! Hurry! I've already sent the newly made antennas to you via the puppets!"

Through [Helix], Selune could be seen carrying a rather exaggerated antenna, marching into the system space, followed by Higokumaru, who also carried an antenna.

The two little ones carefully placed the antennas on the floor of the system space and then high-fived each other.

"Cool!" "You too!"

"...Please step aside." Book of Fuxi called out helplessly. "You're blocking the door!"

Then, Selune and Higokumaru saw Book of Fuxi drive a floating cart into the system space, loaded with the antennas needed by Mobius and Vill-V, far more efficiently than Selune and Higokumaru.

The two who had just been celebrating were suddenly tearful: "How could this happen?"

Book of Fuxi smirked, "That's the wisdom of technology, use your brains more!"

In any case, Luo Lin now had enough antennas.

The girl "took out" a few antennas, stepped onto her flying sword, and prepared to distribute them in the air, but Kevin suddenly reached out to stop her.

The white-haired warrior said, "Give them to me... I can set them up faster."

"Thank you...?"

Then Luo Lin watched as Kevin assumed a throwing stance, tossing the antennas like javelins into the distance.

The antennas whistled through the air, flying far away before embedding themselves in the city's ruins.

"This..."

Luo Lin was stunned: "Will this work?"

"It will, the antennas are sturdy—besides, he used to set things up for us like this, we're used to it."

Vill-V seemed quite satisfied, praising Kevin aloud: "It's been a while since I've seen you show off like this, quite nostalgic."

Kevin's expression turned strange after hearing Vill-V's words.

"...Vill-V... Mobius... Was that how they focused on the Herrscher of Rock back then...? And these antennas... how did she bring them out...?"

Chapter 59: Slight Differences

Though the Kukulkans had left, their previous "support" command had spread far and wide, and many Honkai beasts and zombies continued to arrive from all directions.

This extended the defensive line of the defense forces, making manpower seem insufficient. However, with the support of the new mechas and Welt's occasional long-range assistance, they managed to hold the line.

Once Luo Lin and her team finished their "peaceful and friendly exchange" with the suddenly appearing Kevin, they finally had the chance to join the battle line. With their help, the Honkai beasts were no longer a threat.

Half an hour later, the number of Honkai beasts and zombies arriving on the battlefield plummeted, quickly reaching a level that could be considered completely non-threatening.

Luo Lin even cautiously followed Senti into the air to scout the distance, confirming that the previous "reinforcement command" from the Kukulkans had expired and no more Honkai beasts or zombies were approaching.

Senti clenched her fists and said, "Or, we've killed all the Honkai beasts and zombies in the vicinity… Luo Lin, have you located the spatial rift?"

"No, the high concentration of Honkai energy in the air is severely slowing down the positioning process. Mobius and Vill-V are working on processing the data," Luo Lin replied. "Moreover, I’ve noticed that the condensation speed of the [Honkai Dead Spot] is much slower than expected..."

Kevin asked, "What's the fastest formation speed of the [Dead Spot]?"

Luo Lin hesitated as she recalled the animation short featuring the [Apocalypse Prelude], and answered, "It could take just a few seconds."

Senti gasped, "I already feel that the concentration of Honkai energy in that light band above our heads is extreme, and now you're telling me it could form in just a few seconds?"

The black-haired girl scratched her head, "Well, that's how it is when the Herrscher of the End personally intervenes, but it’s obviously not that exaggerated here… Besides, I've noticed that a few remaining Honkai energy sources in this city, which are relatively far from the shelter and we didn’t have time to clear, have undergone a peculiar change—they are accelerating the formation of the Dead Spot."

Delta raised an eyebrow, "So, it seems that the orders you gave a few days ago to clear the Honkai energy sources inadvertently achieved the goal of delaying the development of the [Honkai Dead Spot]?"

"That seems to be the case..."

Luo Lin scratched her head, then looked cautiously at Kevin, who remained silent like a popsicle, and spoke carefully, "Vill-V said it will take some time to locate the rift data. Ancestor Kevin, how about we return to the shelter to rest? Standing around here isn’t very productive..."

"...Alright."

Kevin responded softly.

Luo Lin breathed a sigh of relief, pressed the communicator, and issued a series of commands. The defense forces scattered across the battlefield quickly mobilized, gathering around Luo Lin's team, dragging a heap of usable materials scavenged from the battlefield, and returned to the shelter.

Chen Tianwu maneuvered his mecha, with smoking barrels and almost depleted energy, to the maintenance area, where Schrodinger and a group of workers promptly surrounded it and began maintenance.

The process looked like an F1 pit stop, fast and orderly, with supplies refilled in no time, and even the weapons appearing brand new.

Chen Tianwu was stunned, holding a water cup and a compressed biscuit. He knew that aside from those working in military laboratories, Schrodinger's team had no prior experience with military mechas or weapons before the disaster.

Yet, in just a few days, Schrodinger had trained them into skilled workers, with techniques seemingly reaching perfection.

Chen Tianwu admired Schrodinger's talent cultivation skills. After swallowing the food in his mouth, he said, "…Thank you, Miss Schrodinger, you’ve really helped the survivors a lot!"

"You should thank him, the little genius Welt... Without Welt, the mechas and the shelter wouldn’t be in such good condition."

Schrodinger nodded toward another area, where Welt was sitting among machines emitting golden light, crafting various parts needed by the shelter. Every so often, a few missiles would launch from beside him, heading toward the front lines.

"You're right..."

Chen Tianwu nodded, looking at Welt with envy. "This is truly a remarkable power. I remember the Fire Moth promoted something called… MANTIS soldiers? They say you can gain superhuman strength after undergoing surgery… Well, I suppose that’s what this is?"

"You can think of it that way."

The brown-haired, curly-haired doctor twitched her mouth, pondered for a while, and finally gave up on explaining.

If she told Chen Tianwu that Welt was actually the Herrscher of Reason, would he faint right there?

"And the white-haired guy who came not long ago…"

Chen Tianwu took a sip of water and smiled bitterly, "He’s really powerful, splitting the sky with a single slash… If there were more strong people like him, would Mu Continent have fallen into this state?"

The atmosphere became heavy, and Schrodinger didn’t know how to comfort him, so she patted his shoulder.

On the other side, the return of Luo Lin and her team prompted cheers from the survivors. Even the somewhat unfamiliar Kevin, standing with Luo Lin, was treated as new reinforcement and received a great deal of enthusiasm from the survivors.

"Good job, young man!" "Well done!" "Thank you, young man!" "Keep it up!"

In this situation, Kevin seemed a bit dazed—because such optimism, enthusiasm, and hope had never appeared in the original history!

As a direct participant in the [Ninth Eruption] event, Kevin remembered how terrible the situation on Mu Continent was at that time: the land fractured, scenes representing civilization and order turned into ruins, countless Honkai beasts and zombies roamed among them, eventually sinking into the deepest parts of the sea with Mu Continent.

And among them, there were very few survivors, if any at all.

Back then, Kevin, as the main attacker of the team against the Herrscher of Rock, had no leeway to save survivors.

His goal was to defeat the Herrscher of Rock; everything else had to take a backseat.

The white-haired boy could only carry the freshly forged Heavenly Fire Holy Judgment and walk away under the desperate gazes of the survivors.

Whether those survivors were saved or not… Kevin didn’t know, didn’t want to know, and didn’t dare to know.

As for the Fire Moth at that time… hmph…

But why had things changed like this in this bubble world?

"Kevin, Kevin!"

Elysia's voice brought Kevin back from his memories. The pink-haired fairy looked at him with concern, "Why did you suddenly become so cold just now? Did you get a stomachache?"

"…No, I don’t actually need to eat now."

"That’s not good. Enjoying food is a responsibility and duty of being human. Keeping a stiff face all the time isn’t good."

Elysia frowned and poked Luo Lin's arm, "Quick, use your specialty, the one even Mobius and Vill-V avoid. Prepare a delicious meal for Kevin to reward him!"

Luo Lin blinked, vaguely catching the subtext of the pink elf's words.

Is she asking me to use [Emotion Diffusion]…?

Chapter 60: Tasks and Progress Bars

Seeing Elysia’s excited expression, Kevin knew he was probably in for some trouble next.

Maybe it would be some cold joke? Or some bizarre things? Based on what she had whispered earlier… could it be some kind of dark cuisine?

Actually, Kevin didn’t mind interacting more with the pink elf, but… he was very concerned about the starkly different atmosphere of the shelter compared to the original history, as well as the two Herrschers he had discovered earlier.

So, he said, “Elysia, I want to take a look around this shelter first.”

Elysia raised an eyebrow, “Really? Then I’ll come with you…”

The white-haired warrior emphasized, “I can do it alone.”

“Eh? Alright then…”

The pink elf seemed a bit disappointed but quickly perked up again, “But make sure to come back for dinner, okay? Luo Lin’s special dishes are amazing! Even Mobius enjoys them!”

“... It better be good.”

Kevin glanced deeply at Luo Lin, then turned and walked towards other parts of the shelter.

He had many things to verify for himself.

As for avoiding the thing that even Mobius "praised", he can only leave it to imagination.

Watching Kevin walk away, the black-haired Valkyrie turned to Elysia, “Wasn’t that a bit of an exaggeration?”

“I never lie, you know? Luo Lin’s dishes with a Shenzou flavor are indeed delicious! And the other flavors aren’t bad either...” Elysia crossed her arms, “Besides, Mobius truly thinks your cooking is great. If you don’t believe me, you can ask her yourself!”

The next moment, Mobius’s projection emerged from the communicator, pointing at the pink elf, “Who said that? Huh? Who said that? Elysia, don’t make things up...”

Vill-V peeked out from behind Mobius, grinning, “I can testify, Mobius does find Luo Lin’s cooking delicious!”

“Hey! You... Ahem, Luo Lin, let me update you on our latest research progress.”

Mobius wanted to punch Vill-V’s hat but restrained herself after a few coughs, saying, “Your previous speculation and calculations about the ‘Honkai Source Strengthened Dead Spot Expansion’ seem correct. Good job.”

Vill-V smirked, “Wow, willing to praise someone just to change the topic, is this...”

“I praise when it’s deserved and scold when it’s not. What? Did Luo Lin do something wrong? No, she didn’t!”

The magician responded nonchalantly, “Yes, indeed.”

“And those Honkai energy frequencies you calculated are very interesting.” The green-haired doctor ignored Vill-V’s antics and quickly got serious, “During our calculations for locating the spatial rift, we discovered the same frequencies. They act like ‘noise’ and ‘impurities,’ confusing the detection readings, preventing us from precisely locating the rift...”

“Impurities... interference...”

Luo Lin pondered for a moment, feeling a sense of déjà vu, and then asked, “Don’t tell me we need to clear all these Honkai sources to locate the rift?”

Mobius and Vill-V nodded in unison, “Exactly.”

So, Luo Lin directly opened the system's activity panel and saw a blood-red but currently grayed-out task:

*[Leap to the Summit (Important/Unavailable)]*

*[To unlock this task, the following conditions must be met:]*

*[- Complete all prerequisite tasks involving [Clearing Honkai Interference Sources] (x)]*

*[- Complete scientific research: [Ultimate Detector] (√), [Space Anchor Algorithm] (√)]*

*[- Complete shelter prerequisite upgrade: [Ether Singularity Enhancement · III] (x)]*

Moreover, aside from this dizzying task, a blood-red progress bar appeared at the top of the activity panel, moving slowly over time.

This progress bar had a cool name: *[Honkai Dead Spot Expansion Progress]*.

*[- If the progress bar reaches 100%, the current game will fail]*

*[- You can reduce and delay the Dead Spot expansion progress by completing side tasks]*

“Wow! Quick, let’s start doing tasks!”

Luo Lin shot up from her chair and urgently began organizing tasks.

---------------------------------------------------------

Sea of Quanta, *[Seed of Sumeru]*.

Su stood in front of several antennas, gently tracing the cold and familiar patterns with his fingers, his thoughts complex and unclear.

After a long time, the gray-haired man sighed deeply, turning to look at Durandal, who was holding her head and rising from beneath the Bodhi tree.

“You managed to escape the trial environment on your own?”

“Because you hesitated at the end, and Lord Otto gave me special training against mental attacks, so I managed to do it.”

The blonde knight scanned her surroundings with a serious expression and asked.

“...Where is my teacher?”

“I don’t know.”

Su replied calmly, “But I can confirm that at least she’s fine for now.”

“Mr. Su, ‘fine for now’ isn’t what I need to hear.”

Durandal narrowed her eyes, her demeanor becoming dangerous.

“...Alright.”

The gray-haired man extended his hand, and green Bodhi leaves spun rapidly in his palm, their light spreading to a nearby mechanical structure, incongruous with this world.

Durandal stared at the slender device and asked, “What is that?”

“An... antenna. I’m trying to access and decode its signal.”

Su frowned, the Bodhi leaf in front of him spinning faster, almost forming a pale green bead.

Durandal was taken aback, examining Su’s religious-looking attire in disbelief, “I thought... you were more skilled in mental combat. I didn’t expect you to have such technological skills?”

“I am indeed better at combat, but observing countless parallel worlds in the [Seed of Sumeru] has allowed me to ‘use’ certain technologies even without fully understanding them...”

Su’s fingers traced the antenna, gathering green light to form a projection screen.

The gray-haired boy looked at the screen and murmured, “Is that... Kevin? And Welt?”

Kevin and Welt were facing each other, the boy sitting amidst a mountain of parts, looking down at the white-haired man in a combat suit.

“Kevin Kaslana, what do you want?”

“It seems you know something about me.”

“Yeah, a girl told me. Not much, but enough.”

A girl, probably Elysia, Kevin thought.

Welt’s expression was complicated as he scratched his head, cautiously saying, “So, we probably had some... ‘misunderstandings’ before. As pioneers of the previous era, since we know it’s a ‘misunderstanding,’ there’s a chance for reconciliation... Kevin, don’t you think?”

Kevin was silent for a few seconds before nodding.

“Yes, Welt Yang, you’re right—we’re not enemies; Honkai is.”

“Mm.”

The boy sighed in relief, his expression relaxing.

Kevin asked, “...Where’s the other Herrscher?”

Welt pointed in a direction, “Over there, with Seele, comforting the people... she’s a good kid.”

“I’ll check for myself.”

Welt hesitated and quickly said, “Don’t fight. This place is too small! And we still have to deal with the Herrscher of Rock.!"

Chapter 61: Communication

Following Welt's guidance, Kevin arrived at the other side of the shelter.

From afar, Kevin saw the Herrrscher who looked almost identical to Hua.

She was standing next to a seemingly fragile black-haired girl, emitting subtle fluctuations of Honkai energy, spreading like ripples, affecting all the survivors present.

Kevin furrowed his brow slightly, vaguely recalling something as he observed the Herrrscher from a distance.

"This guy seems uncomfortable, keeping silent like this. Seele, call him over for a check later."

"Okay."

Seele was jotting down notes in a small notebook, while Senti continued to scan the survivors for individuals with peculiar emotional reactions.

After a few seconds, Shi detected something again, raising her eyebrows and taking a sharp breath, "Wow, even at a time like this, there are still people thinking about robbery and causing trouble..."

"In fact, I've encountered such people when I was living in the orphanage."

Shi Hao glanced at the girl, asking, "Orphanage... with Bronya, right?"

Seele nodded, "Yes, it was in Siberia."

Senti seemed enlightened, then more puzzled, "In Siberia? But the second Honkai eruption had a significant impact on Siberia, almost the entire region was deserted... It's quite strange to have an orphanage there."

Seele smiled awkwardly, "After all, Mom is Russian and still has some influence in Siberia..."

Senti shrugged, "Well, there's nothing we can do. The environment in Siberia is harsh, and rebuilding is difficult... The probability of encountering abnormal people there would naturally be higher."

Seele lowered her brows and said softly, "It's because in their eyes, Siberia has become a hopeless apocalypse, so they've abandoned morals and boundaries... Perhaps those people we've discovered here have the same mentality."

"Leaving Siberia aside, we haven't mistreated them in the shelter. We've provided food, shelter, and there's been no threat from Honkai beasts... Why suddenly think about looting and plundering?"

Senti struggled to think for a moment, scratching her head, then sighed, "Forget it, I admit I just can't understand some people... The sickness in their minds is even worse than in Luo Lin's. But fortunately, I have some ways..."

The Herrrscher moved her fingers, locking their evil thoughts in their minds, wiping them away like dust, then quietly implanted many suggestions of striving hard, unity, friendliness, and enthusiasm.

After that, would they become good people?

"But I can't let you ruin Luo Lin's hard work. Previously, she could at least rest for an hour, but now she doesn't even have that hour of relaxation... Huh? Kevin? When did you arrive?"

Senti looked somewhat surprised at Kevin, who was standing against the wall not far away, waving friendly at him.

"I've been here for a while."

Kevin stared at the Herrrscher's face, recalling the Honkai energy fluctuations he sensed earlier, and the sudden changes in the faces of those affected individuals. It reminded him of some unpleasant memories.

"So... you're the Herrrscher?"

"Right."

Senti stood with her hands on her hips, looking proud, "I am indeed the Herrrscher!"

"...You can call me Kevin."

The gray-haired girl tilted her head, "You're not adding 'Kaslana'?"

Kevin remained impassive, "That's not important."

"You don't care about your descendants... Well, that's not so surprising."

Senti pondered, feeling like she touched a corner of Kevin, like an iceberg in the sea, extremely cold and lonely, preserving scenes from tens of thousands of years ago.

Senti shook her head, "So, after observing for so long, how do you feel?"

"It's different from the real history of the Mu continent... But this is better."

"You have a good eye, which shows our efforts weren't in vain..."

Senti smiled and asked, "So, do you have anything to find me for?"

"I came to confirm whether you're a threat."

"Cough... You're straightforward, aren't you?"

Senti almost choked on her words, then asked with a touch of irritation, "So, do you think I'm a threat?"

Kevin replied immediately, "Yes, and no."

The Herrrscher massaged her forehead, "...Don't imitate those people who talk philosophy with their eyes closed all day, okay?"

"You seem familiar with me, Su, Elysia, and everything from the previous civilization... Also, your appearance..."

Kevin hesitated for a moment, asking, "So, what's your relationship with Hua?"

"Well, this is a bit... hard to say."

Senti scratched her head, "In some sense, our relationship is still okay... It's just that the old timer doesn't know how to get along with me."

Kevin's expression relaxed slightly, "It seems that Hua hasn't become a Herrrscher."

"...You're right."

Senti smiled awkwardly, "So, is there anything else? Luo Lin just assigned me a task, and I'm ready to set off after scanning the mental health status of the survivors..."

"A task?"

"Yeah, it's to eliminate the sources of Honkai energy emissions. Delta, Elysia, and I will go together with her. We'll go into the city center for a decisive battle and then leave without engaging with ordinary Honkai beasts... According to her, this should slow down the formation speed of the Honkai dead spots."

"Then I'll go with you."

Senti raised her eyebrows, holding the communicator, "Hello? Luo Lin, Kevin said he intends to go with us to eliminate the Honkai source..."

Luo Lin seemed very surprised, "That's great! With him, dealing with those Honkai beasts will be a breeze... By the way, when you go to the city center, check if there are any other spatial fissures. The shelter still needs an Ether Anchor..."

"I'll tell Delta later, she's better at finding these things."

Senti ended the call, patting Seele's shoulder, "Alright, I've finished scanning. The current state of these survivors is still okay, so just keep it up."

"I got it. Keep it up, sis!"

Seele closed her notebook and made a "strong" gesture towards the Herrrscher.

"Your address is a bit strange... But it's okay."

Senti turned her head, "Let's go, Kevin, use your invincible Shamash on the Honkai beasts!"

Chapter 62: Just Like Before

For Kevin, fighting and traversing through ruins filled with Honkai beasts and zombies should be a routine matter, unlikely to cause much excitement.

However, this time, the white-haired warrior found himself unexpectedly elated, and even his steps became lighter.

"Shraaah..."

A subtle noise came from afar as hundreds of zombies and Honkai beasts emerged from the shadows of the ruins. There were even some strange insect-like Honkai beasts in the air that Kevin had never seen before, with green light flowing through the cracks in their shells.

Moreover, more monsters were converging from all directions, forming a torrent of Honkai energy in the distance. The movement of these creatures made the stagnant water and debris in the ruins tremble uncontrollably.

Kevin silently tightened his grip on the Divine Key, Judgement of Shamash.

The next moment, the monsters launched a coordinated long-range attack, with flames, acid, and dense Honkai energy targeting Kevin like a downpour from above.

Kevin merely took a step forward and raised the Divine Key.

Golden-red light emanated from the blade, forming a hemispherical barrier that exploded violently, sending a tornado of flames upward. Half of the long-range attacks vanished in the blaze, while the other half was blown away to an unknown location.

However, more long-range attacks kept coming, forming a continuous arc in the air. They wore down the tornado until it dissipated into scattered embers.

At that instant, the white-haired warrior charged forward, heading straight for the Honkai beasts and zombies' defensive line.

Logically, Kevin should have used other means to deal with those enemies attacking him from afar first. After all, whether Honkai beasts or zombies, their bodies are much more fragile when endowed with strong long-range attack capabilities compared to their melee counterparts.

Against these long-range units, Kevin only needed to unleash a sword beam of flames or use his strength to throw some ice spears, easily destroying them...

But Kevin made no such choice because he trusted his companions fighting alongside him.

Naturally, she didn't let the white-haired warrior down.

A pink crystal arrow soared into the sky, faster than Kevin's charge. The Immaculate Dome covered the sky like a waterfall, and the scattered crystal shards collided with the rain-like long-range attacks, nullifying most of them.

Black-red flying swords appeared from behind, morphing into blurred shadows that flew back with no less momentum than the monsters' previous attacks, pinning the unprepared Honkai beasts and zombies to the ruins.

Next, a figure wielding dual greatswords leapt out. She was surrounded by a peculiar shield that attracted surrounding attacks like a black hole. Each blocked attack further empowered her greatswords until she intercepted all remaining long-range attacks, with the accumulated energy reaching its peak.

Delta rotated her arms, and her tail locked onto the hilt of her greatsword, infusing it with all her strength.

"Let's end this!"

"Boom—!"

A graffiti-like splash effect followed the trajectory of her sword swing. A dazzling path of pink and blue intertwined exploded in the sky, enveloping a building crowded with zombies, collapsing it completely.

Amidst the crashing sound of the building's collapse, Elysia's voice was still clearly audible.

"Senti, to the right!"

"Got it!"

The Herrscher of Sentience raised her spear and threw it with precision, creating a vortex that pulled together a group of Honkai beasts and zombies into a strange ball. Elysia's subsequent attack followed, the exploding pink crystal arrow shards refracting repeatedly under the Immaculate Dome's support, tearing those monsters into pieces of Honkai energy.

"Delta! The left side is yours!"

"Got it..."

Delta landed steadily and sprinted quickly. Under her exquisite combat skills, the two greatswords, glowing blue and pink, turned into dazzling neon, as if performing a brilliant street show, with the fallen Honkai beasts and zombies serving as the perfect footnotes to this spectacular display.

As for the center, that was Kevin's position.

Bright golden-red flames entwined his greatsword, and as he moved, a trail of frozen crystals appeared on the ground. Every enemy within his attack range was either reduced to ashes in the flames or turned into ice sculptures in the extreme cold, then shattered by the howling wind.

Kevin simply advanced, and the monsters were decimated.

No attack could halt the white-haired warrior's steps. Even in the end, the soulless, thoughtless monsters were intimidated, retreating under Kevin's overwhelming presence, exposing their leader.

It resembled a balloon with a giant blood-red eye, exuding a dangerous aura. Its shell was unlike other Honkai beasts, tinged with blood-red black. Additionally, two fish-like or tadpole-like creatures with sharp teeth floated beside it like arms.

"Why is it a Pishacha?"

Seeing this, Elysia rarely frowned, looking displeased.

Senti shared the same uncomfortable expression, saying with difficulty, "Well, with Luo Lin absent, how do we handle this thing's thousand-layer shield?"

The pink elf and the Herrscher of Sentience had encountered this monster before in Luo Lin's peculiar Abyss and Arena, leaving a very "deep" impression.

This monster was exclusive to the "Bleed Sky," requiring the combination of Griseo and Susannah for a smooth fight. Pishacha had many mechanisms needing Bleed to counteract. Without Bleed, it had significant damage reduction, making it tough to kill with non-Bleed characters.

Luo Lin didn't have Griseo and Susannah character cards, and her only Bleed method was the specialized grenades from the Key of Revelation.

These grenades provided a Bleed state, but it was just an auxiliary to activate Luo Lin's exclusive weapon, Yao Guang's Feather, which amplified damage based on abnormal states. It couldn't stack layers, unlike Griseo and Susannah.

They had to grit their teeth and endure high damage reduction, fighting Pishacha for a long time, grinding down their minds...

Luo Lin's best record was defeating Pishacha in the last few seconds. However, any mistake meant she could only settle for the persistence reward points (indicating failure to kill it).

"Pishacha?"

Kevin turned his head and asked, "Do you have intel on this Honkai beast?"

Elysia sighed, "It's a troublesome creature with many strange mechanisms that require Bleed to counter."

The white-haired warrior blinked and decisively said, "Then you lead the command, Elysia—just like before!"

Kevin gripped the hilt of Judgement of Shamash tightly. As his will surged, potent Honkai energy infused the blade, transforming the Divine Key into its [Cleaver] form.

"Just like before..."

The pink elf blinked and smiled wryly, "Oh dear, let's go! We might have to fight a bit longer! There's no enforced time limit here..."

"Please, don't mention it. Luo Lin gave me a time-restricted fight with Chiyou last time, and I don't want to deal with that again..."

"Alright, I won't bring it up~ Let's give Pishacha a taste of our determination!"

### Chapter 63: Manifestation of Fragments

The Book of Fuxi lay in the corner, shrouded by the shadows of two enormous figures, resembling mysterious monsters from the deep sea. The shadows flailed wildly, waving "tentacles" in all directions, occasionally illuminated by bright light and producing loud noises. As the shadows moved, strange objects gradually piled up and grew larger, with purple light flowing like veins across the ground, making the entire environment look more dangerous and sinister.

In a dark corner, a pair of blood-red glowing eyes suddenly appeared, staring intently at the writhing shadows in the center of the room. The breathing was clear and hoarse, like a broken bellows, with a sense of urgency.

"Faster... faster..."

Its deep murmurs made the Book of Fuxi tremble, unable to resist the urge to retreat a few steps. Unfortunately, the ELF was exhausted at this moment, barely able to move, her movements akin to squirming.

The shadow replied, "It's already at full speed... You don't want any accidents, right? That wouldn't be good for anyone..."

Another shadow said, "Just a little longer... Be patient... They'll soon be at my disposal again... All the debts will be repaid..."

Hearing this, the Book of Fuxi showed a look of despair and murmured, "Demons... Demons..."

At the next moment, three different voices simultaneously retorted:

"Who are you calling a demon? Huh? Who's a demon?"

"Yeah, who are you talking about?"

"Book of Fuxi, that's a bit much..."

Before these chaotic voices could be sorted out, the closed door was pushed open, and bright light streamed into the space. Two figures, one large and one small, walked in.

It was Luo Lin and Klein.

"What’s going on here?"

Luo Lin looked bewildered as she saw Mobius holding a keyboard, while nearby, Vil-V was adorned with several mechanical arms, each wielding tools like a welding torch and a wrench, rotating at a subtle speed and emitting a buzzing sound.

The black-haired girl scratched her head and glanced at the "Stigmata Fragment Manifestation Device" they were building—dense lines of Honkai energy cables covered the ground, with chips and components scattered neatly.

However, compared to previous versions, the number of energy cables had significantly increased.

"Whoa, is this the new version of the 'Stigmata Fragment Manifestation Device'? It looks pretty impressive!"

The engineer raised her nose proudly, "Of course, this is a Vil-V masterpiece!"

Mobius put down the keyboard and muttered, "Hmph, don't forget my calculations... Klein, come and help."

"Yes!"

Klein, who had just opened the door for Luo Lin, immediately ran over and began fiddling with the device under Mobius' instructions.

Luo Lin scratched her head and looked further into the room, soon spotting the Book of Fuxi and Sakura leaning against the wall.

The ELF lay on the ground in a comical position, with a connecting cable inserted into her neck, providing computing power for the Land of the Elysian Realm and the laboratory—she and the Selune's Elegy alternated shifts, and now it was the Book of Fuxi's turn to provide computing power.

What? You ask where the Kevin doll is? He works a 007 schedule and isn't particular about the work location, likely sitting in a charger, acting like a piece of wood.

The Book of Fuxi and Selune's Elegy had no objections to this since if the "Big Daddy" didn't work, their working hours and workload would probably increase significantly.

Be sure to thank the Kevin doll!

Luo Lin carefully observed the ELF's posture and asked, "Why are you like this? Cosplaying a caterpillar?"

"Demons... Mobius is indeed a demon..."

The Book of Fuxi did not respond, her eyes vacant as she murmured, "Master Fuxi and Master Nuwa were right... The manifestation device hasn't even been successfully tested, yet she's already planned a batch of tasks for them... It's too frightening..."

Luo Lin: "Uh... is this..."

Mobius came over and said, "The Mobius Laboratory doesn't support idlers... and after all this time, they’ve even turned into this state. I have to ensure that Fuxi and Nuwa's brains are functioning properly, right?"

Luo Lin: "Okay."

Luo Lin could only pretend she didn't hear anything.

Mobius seemed to remember something and casually said, "Oh right, Book of Fuxi, don't leave later."

"What about the shift work..."

"You stay busy for a while longer, then introduce Fuxi and Nuwa to our current lab projects... Selune's Elegy isn't capable of handling this task, okay?"

"Yes..."

The ELF instantly looked pale.

Luo Lin could only sigh, she could only silently offer her blessings.

As for Miss Sakura leaning against the wall, her eyes were bloodshot, indicating she hadn’t rested for a long time.

Luo Lin had a rough idea of what was going on: after the two major scientists revealed that the "Stigmata Fragment Manifestation Device" had made new progress, this sister became even more obsessive about supervising them.

Mobius even complained, "Sakura is like a shadow in the lab, omnipresent. At night, I feel like she's watching me from under the bed, making it impossible to sleep well!"

The pink-haired, fox-eared assassin didn't even refute this.

Evidently, she really had been hiding under Mobius’ bed, watching...

"I know you're anxious, but take it easy for now..."

Luo Lin walked over to Sakura and quietly transmitted a small amount of relaxing emotion to her, which eased the assassin's frown for a few seconds.

"Thank you... but please don’t use that trick on me again." Sakura sighed and replied, "It always reminds me of Aponia... sorry."

"I understand."

Luo Lin patted the pink-haired assassin's shoulder, and together they watched as Mobius and Vil-V worked on the manifestation device. After some tense and exciting assembly and welding, the device was finally completed.

"Alright, all the data checks out!"

Vil-V took two steps back, giving way to the green-haired doctor. "Mobius, it's your turn."

"...Okay."

Mobius took a deep breath, her gaze sweeping over the two floating cards nearby. She clenched her fists several times before relaxing, and after several seconds, she raised her arm and slapped the activation button.

"Zzz-zzz!"

The device emitted a low hum, and two projections appeared in the air...

Fuxi and Nuwa, dressed in unique black and white outfits, floated in the room, glowing faintly.

"......"

Mobius stared at them, speechless for a long time.

However, the awkward silence didn’t last long, as Nuwa, floating with her eyes closed, turned over and bumped into Fuxi.

Dressed in black with red highlights, Nuwa groggily opened her eyes. Although still unclear about the situation, she grumbled, "Who bumped me... come out and face me..."

Luo Lin was amazed.

What a case of the guilty party blaming the victim!

"No one bumped you; you rolled over and bumped into me."

Following this, the white-clad, blue-highlighted Fuxi spoke, rubbing her eyes and yawning.

"......"

Fuxi and Mobius locked eyes.

Fuxi was stunned for a moment, then rubbed her eyes vigorously, as if trying to confirm she wasn’t hallucinating.

Then she kicked Nuwa hard.

"What are you doing?! You... uh... Dr. Mobius!? Dr. Vil-V!? Am I dreaming?!"

Mobius smiled and said kindly, "You're awake. It's time to work."

"Ah?!" *2

The Book of Fuxi, lying nearby, looked at the twisted expressions of her two masters and felt an inexplicable sense of delight.

Now you'll probably wish you were still stuck in Chiyou too! Haha!

Chapter 64: Let's Go, Onstage for Testing!

Long ago, there was a rumor among the Fire Moths:

A certain green-haired doctor was like a colorful venomous snake, using various deceptions and frauds to satisfy her own desires. She would lure humans into her domain and then turn them into test subjects for various evil surgeries.

"Don't get on Mobius' operating table," "Don't eat anything Mobius gives you," and "If something breaks, it's Kalpas's doing," "If someone feels unwell, it's Mobius' fault."

Fuxi and Nuwa had mixed feelings about these rumors. After all, Dr. Mobius had indeed used various methods to swindle funds for her research and had conducted "drug tolerance" experiments on others, with many tragic failures on her operating table.

However, those who dared to get on the operating table had mostly given their consent beforehand.

Oh, you ask about the prisoners' opinions?

When they were caught and put in prison, it was already assumed they agreed to become test subjects.

Of course, the snake herself was disdainful and impatient with the Fire Moths’ behavior of forcing test subjects on her. It wasn’t a sudden burst of conscience; rather, these forcibly recruited people were generally unwilling to cooperate and of varying quality, which meant they were unlikely to yield good results for her research.

After repeatedly rejecting the Fire Moths’ attempts, Mobius realized she couldn't rely on others and had to take matters into her own hands. Thus, the snake took the initiative, searching for suitable "mice" for her experiments, using the "sticks" of "rights" and "money" to strike her targets—

"I have some spots for living in the safe zones and a sum of money... I need your absolute cooperation, which might even cost your life..."

The green-haired demon whispered, "And you... will gain the chance to avenge against the Honkai..."

In that era of frequent Honkai disasters, social collapse, and lives as worthless as grass, Mobius' words were highly enticing. No joke, the conditions she offered were genuinely appealing: the safe zones guarded by the Fire Moths were solid, and getting in was difficult. Moreover, Mobius could even arrange for the "mice" to bring in people they cared about.

Many sought Mobius not just for the safe zone residency but for the latter part of her promise: "the chance to avenge against the Honkai." Most of these were soldiers of the Fire Moths, who had lost too much to the Honkai and were alone, seeking such a chance. Even if it cost their lives, they had no regrets.

More importantly, Mobius was highly skilled in Metamorph surgeries, with a much higher success rate than other less skilled practitioners. Hundreds and thousands came to her, and her lab was always bustling. Mobius easily achieved her goal of acquiring better "mice," but her attitude worsened, angrily conducting her research. Maybe she didn’t want it to be this easy?

Ultimately, Mobius was a rather stubborn and awkward person, with a trace of what could be called "kindness" hidden deep within her, unnoticed even by herself. Klein could see this clearly, as could the ELF inheriting the name "Klein." As for Fuxi and Nuwa, they probably knew too.

"So, why are you hiding from the doctor?" The green-haired doll tilted her head, staring at the two figures huddling in the corner, puzzled.

At this moment, Mobius' smile had twisted. She spoke through gritted teeth, "Fuxi, Nuwa, you said you didn't want to work immediately upon waking and wanted to understand what happened. I agreed to all that, and Luo Lin explained everything. So why won't you cooperate with me now?"

"I don’t understand a word you're saying! What Stigmata fragments, world rules, Chiyou explosion... I just woke up and am still groggy! And…"

Nuwa, practically plastered against the wall in a spread-eagle pose, pointed at the towering stack of equipment blocking the platform, screaming.

"Does a routine check require so much equipment? Even high-tech Metamorph surgeries don't need this much stuff! And why is Vill-V here? And that lady..."

"Hmm?" Sakura, arms crossed, raised an eyebrow. Her fierce presence made Nuwa swallow her remaining words. Clearly, she was not someone to be trifled with.

"Exactly!" Fuxi, now trembling, clung to Nuwa, echoing her words: "Doc-Doctor… we don’t have to get on the operating table, right… Klein, as a colleague, help, help, help us!"

The ELF cleared her throat and said, "It's just a routine check, I think…"

"Wah! Routine check!" Fuxi and Nuwa clung to each other, almost in tears.

They vividly remembered Mobius luring someone onto the operating table for a "routine check," only for it to end in a full surgery.

One unlucky person had been fooled this way multiple times.

Yes, I'm talking about you, Fu Hua! They had laughed then, but now that it was their turn, it was no longer funny.

Mobius tapped the keyboard. "The check is necessary! Stop whining and get moving!"

"Yes..." The two sisters, looking mournful, shuffled to the equipment-laden operating table and stared at each other.

"After you!" 2 "No, after you!" 2

For a moment, the area around the operating table was filled with traditional Shenzou virtues of politeness and respect for elders. If written into a fable, it might rank with the likes of "Kong Rong Letting Pears," "Wang Tai Offering Dates," or "Lying on Ice for Carp..."

Mobius' forehead veins bulged in frustration, and she shouted, "Luo Lin, get these two onto the table, they've wasted enough time!"

"Got it." Luo Lin strode over, grabbing the two sisters effortlessly.

Fuxi protested, "But there’s only room for one person on the table!"

Luo Lin called out, "Vill-V! Do something!"

"You... Alright, watch the magician's performance!" Vill-V responded with a smile, and with a pop, a second operating table suddenly appeared in the center.

"Now there's enough room! Up you go!" Luo Lin clapped her hands and whispered to the sisters, "Don’t worry, you’re familiar with Mobius, nothing will go wrong. Besides... Fu Hua, or rather, Jingwei, is waiting for you."

The sisters' eyes widened. "Huh?! Jingwei?!"

Mobius cut off further questions, shouting, "Alright, stay quiet. I'm starting the examination!"

In a neglected corner, Book of Fuxi shed tears. Seeing her masters cower before Mobius, her hopes of rising to prominence were dashed.

Chapter 65: What Did You Call It?!

While Mobius was busy examining the "new forms" of Fuxi and Nuwa, Vill-V walked over to Luo Lin.

Vill-V looked the black-haired girl up and down, clicking her tongue in wonder. "You should be in the Bubble World, yet here you are in the Elysian Realm... Luo Lin, the peculiarities about you are hard to ignore."

"Indeed, that's why I initially thought of seeking help from two great scientists like yourselves!" Luo Lin's tone was quite sincere. "These past days have been hard on you. Thank you..."

"Such sweet words." Vill-V smiled, then lowered her voice. "Much better than that green-haired fellow. Hearing a word of thanks from her is nearly impossible..."

Not far away, Mobius seemed to sense something and turned her head, giving Vill-V a "death stare."

Vill-V raised an eyebrow. "Go check on your assistants, why are you looking at me? Do you think you have time to spare?"

"Tch, if I weren't busy right now..." Mobius clenched her fist threateningly, then angrily turned back to her keyboard.

"Alright, fun's over. Let's talk business." Vill-V clapped her hands. "Earlier, you mentioned upgrading the Shelter with an Ether Anchor, right? So, I collected some Honkai energy signals emitted by the shelter, and they almost match the mysterious signals powering the Elysian Realm!"

Luo Lin was taken aback. "So, the shelter upgraded with the Ether Anchor is now powering the Elysian Realm?"

"Not only that, but it might also have synchronized the time flow of the Realm with your Bubble World. This thing is indeed as magical as you said!"

Vill-V's eyes sparkled with excitement. "I'd love to study a complete Ether Anchor!"

Luo Lin sighed. "Even if we get a new one, we can't let you freely research it—the shelter still needs one for its final upgrade. That will have to wait."

"What a pity..." Vill-V didn't seem too disappointed, perhaps because Luo Lin herself was already a fascinating subject.

Luo Lin asked, "So, can we now locate the spatial passage to the source of the Honkai plague?"

"Not yet. Once Kevin returns, it should be possible." Vill-V spoke calmly, as if she hadn't considered the possibility of the white-haired warrior failing. Given Kevin's prowess, it was understandable; his presence provided a strong sense of security.

Vill-V waved her hand, still smiling, but Luo Lin sensed her seriousness. "I know you're concerned about this Honkai plague, but we need to broaden our perspective a bit..."

Luo Lin looked confused. "Broaden our perspective?"

The great magician sighed. "Have you forgotten that both the Imaginary Tree and the Sea of Quanta targeted you, causing you to fall into this Bubble World?"

"Uh..."

"Alright, your expression says it all—you were probably so focused on saving people that you pushed everything else to the back of your mind..."

Vill-V lightly tapped Luo Lin's forehead. "While you were busy saving people, we deeply analyzed your Bubble World and found many noteworthy things."

The great magician opened a projection, displaying a bizarre structure to Luo Lin. It resembled foam rapidly piled up due to too much detergent in a bath or laundry, likely to trigger trypophobia in some.

Luo Lin stared at it, realizing something. "Is this a super Bubble World structure created by the Imaginary Tree and the Sea of Quanta?"

"Bingo, correct!" Vill-V snapped her fingers. "Now, guess where your Bubble World is located in this structure?"

Luo Lin hesitated, then guessed, "In the center?"

"Your intuition is sharp—right in the center." Vill-V manipulated the projection, causing a bubble embedded within to glow with colorful light.

"Why is it colorful?"

"Because your Bubble World's underlying structure is different from others." Vill-V pulled up a data sheet, with many entries marked in conspicuous red.

"First, let's exclude the signals clearly related to your mysterious properties... The frequencies collected during the Chiyou incident were very helpful here."

As the magician spoke, the red data points reduced by seventy percent, making Luo Lin somewhat embarrassed.

"Well, actually..."

"No need to explain, I believe you're the biggest disturbance source in this world. Mobius agrees with me too..." Vill-V realized she was digressing and quickly pulled the conversation back. "Ahem, putting that aside, the remaining data is significantly linked to Stigmata... I even have a bold and outrageous hypothesis..."

Luo Lin asked, "How outrageous?"

Vill-V gestured, "Your Bubble World is actually a huge Stigmata space!"

"?!"

Luo Lin's mouth dropped open. "But, while I know Stigmata spaces can be physical, aren’t they supposed to exist within the intrinsic world, at the boundary of human consciousness, in the cracks between reality and the Imaginary? This can’t possibly be floating in the Sea of Quanta like a Bubble World, can it?"

"Exactly, I'm puzzled too, and even found it hard to believe." Vill-V looked troubled. "But after repeated calculations with Mobius, the data and characteristics we obtained suggest it is indeed something akin to a Stigmata space... There can't be a Stigma strong enough to directly support a space like a Bubble World, can there?"

"..." Luo Lin fell silent, recalling a certain chuunibyou savior—if she added the queen bug she saw in the Bubble World, the special Fire Moth uniform, and the Honkai plague floating in the sky...

Wasn't this the Stigmata space created by Houraiji Kyuusyou?

Vill-V noticed Luo Lin's reaction and looked surprised. "Could such a Stigmata actually exist?"

"Remember the story I told you earlier, about the girl who fought the Herrscher of the End? I suspect this Bubble World is influenced by her Stigmata."

"Hmm... If that's the case, it definitely warrants deep exploration." Vill-V pondered for a few seconds, then turned and beckoned. A floating tray approached, carrying an instrument the size of a briefcase, adorned in Vill-V's favorite steampunk style.

"Later, take this into the Bubble World and use it for targeted scanning. Let's see what new findings we can uncover."

Luo Lin fiddled with the buttons on the instrument, looking around. "So, what is this?"

"It's a detector based on the Stigmata Fragment Manifestation Device, one of my proudest creations. Let's call it the Anti-Kevin..."

"Still thinking about Kevin Killer huh?"

"Tch, it's a habit." Vill-V muttered, stroking her chin, "How about we call it the Stigmata Terminal? It has a nice ring to it..."

"Huh?!"

Chapter 66: Stimulated

"Ding, ding."

Fuxi knew that this was the signal indicating the end of the scan, giving her a sense of nostalgia. The last time she heard this sound was... well, probably tens of thousands of years ago?

How should I put it? Although the "Project Ember" also stored a batch of scientific instruments, they were buried next to their hibernation pods. However, by the time the new era arrived and they woke up from hibernation, most of the stored high-tech devices had not survived the long period of decay. The vast majority of them were ruined, and the remaining gadgets all had some problems to varying degrees.

At least the instruments capable of emitting this "ding" sound didn't survive.

Fortunately, the "Project Ember" also considered this possibility. Fuxi and Nuwa not only had the knowledge reserve of "progressing from the Stone Age to the vast universe," but they were also trained as "level eight mechanics" capable of handcrafting precision instruments. So, repairing some less advanced machines was not a problem.

Immediately afterward, if there were a world log, you would see a dense array of achievements popping out.

"Open the inventory", "Obtained wood", "Crafting workbench", "Mining time!", "Obtained upgrade", "It's a machine!", "First production line!", "Contact with Honkai energy", "Semi-perpetual motion theory"...

The speed and scope at which these achievements popped out clearly involved some kind of "cheating" method—after all, pioneers go through all sorts of hardships to stash away a bunch of stuff from the previous save to enjoy it later.

Then...

Then it caught the attention of a server administrator named "Honkai"—the server had just restarted, and why were there achievements popping up in the log board about the Industrial Age and Honkai Energy mods? And it kept popping up every other day...

Even the sound of the prompts was annoying. If not you, then who is it targeting?

So, the administrator pressed the "~" key on the keyboard and entered "/summon Judgment-level Honkai Beast Chiyou Coordinates: Shenzou" in the console. Chiyou, who descended from the sky, smashed Fuxi, Nuwa, and the "Project Ember" they had just fixed into pieces.

The sisters didn't even have time to showcase their skills, climb the tech tree, and only managed to handcraft an ELF · Book of Fuxi before they ran to "blow up Chiyou," leaving behind two boxes inside the Honkai beast.

Well, even if they had left behind spare parts, the active time of the Book of Fuxi probably wouldn't have been extended by much—after all, someone, like a certain Immortal Phoenix, was best at burning their own brains with Fenghuang Down, forgetting all the important stuff...

After the failure of "Project Ember," the pioneers reached a conclusion—cheating has risks, and stealing chickens requires caution, being too ostentatious is likely to attract the administrator's "hit box."

So, various plans operated behind the scenes, and the World Serpent became an organization hidden behind the fog of history, sneaking into villages and shooting guns...

Until thousands of years later, a transmigrator rushed into the body of Chiyou, picked up the boxes left by Fuxi and Nuwa, and brought them back to the "Elysian Realm."

Nuwa's voice came from beside, interrupting Fuxi's reminiscence, "Sister, if I heard correctly, should this be finished?"

"Yes, it's finished. Now you can come out." It wasn't Fuxi who answered, but Mobius.

"Phew... in the past, we used to study others, but this time, we're being studied..." Fuxi and Nuwa wriggled their bodies a few times, using both hands to pull themselves out of the densely packed instruments.

The sisters immediately saw Mobius standing in the middle of many projection screens, their old boss looking at certain data in deep thought.

Fuxi whispered, "Doctor Mobius is serious!"

Nuwa nodded, "Yes, there are few projects that make her think so seriously, right?"

"...Hmm, interesting, but overall, the manifestation device is running stable, and there is no negative impact on the Stigmata fragments..." Mobius sighed in relief, placing the tablet on the table. "Fuxi, Nuwa, come here!"

The sisters obediently walked to Mobius' side, looking down at her.

Nuwa scratched her head and muttered, "Why does it feel like the doctor has shrunk again...?"

Mobius: "Hmm?"

Fuxi's body stiffened, and she directly pressed her hand on her sister's shoulder, pushing down forcefully. Nuwa, caught off guard, yelped and almost fell to the ground.

But fortunately, they were now in a position to look up at Mobius.

"Uh, I slipped just now, sorry..." Fuxi chuckled awkwardly, "It's been a long time, Doctor Mobius."

"...Hmm." Watching the farce unfolding before her, the Snakes mouth twitched a few times, and finally, she reached out and patted Fuxi and Nuwa on their heads.

"The consciousness manifested by the Stigmata fragments is tangible and interactive..."

Klein noticed the key words and suddenly raised his head, "So, can they work normally?"

"Not sure how much power they can exert..."

"As long as they can type on the keyboard."

Fuxi and Nuwa glanced at each other and sighed deeply—it seemed like work was unavoidable.

Mobius looked somewhat distressed, "Tsk, how did Vill-V calculate this parameter... I thought it would be like the projection, impossible to touch at all."

"That's the greatness of Vill-V, aren't you going to thank me?" Vill-V walked over from the side, patting her chest and revealing a smile that seemed to sparkle.

"Okay, you're awesome..."

Mobius glanced at the back of the great magician, raising an eyebrow, "What about Luo Lin?"

"She went to collect more data... Oh, right, I wanted to ask you all a question."

"Speak."

Vill-V twisted her hat nervously, "Does my taste in naming things really suck? I think the name I came up with for the new detector, calling it the 'Stigmata Terminal,' sounds quite nice—using it to detect Stigmata spaces, isn't it straightforward?"

"Your taste in naming... well, it fluctuates quite a bit, but this name is decently standard." Mobius looked puzzled, "Did Luo Lin give a reason?"

"She said the name wasn't very auspicious, that something might go wrong if we named it that..."

Mobius: "...So, did you change it?"

Vill-V smiled confidently, "No, I think she's making a fuss over nothing."

"Are you okay now? Hurry up and come help, analyze these things—I think they might be related to the fundamental world rules."

"Rules, huh." The great magician sighed, "Since Luo Lin came, we've indeed had quite a few encounters with these "rules."

"Mm."

On the other side, in the control room of the 386 shelter, Luo Lin opened her eyes.

She carefully took out the box that Vill-V had given her from the system space, placed it on the ground, and then called for Seele cautiously.

"If something goes wrong when I start up later, remember to lend me a hand!"

Hilda nodded. "Got it! I understand!"

Luo Lin took a deep breath and pressed the start button on the Stigmata Terminal.

"Hum—"

Chapter 67: As Expected

"Where is this...?"

The girl's thoughts were in chaos.

"Why am I here, and how did I get here... I can't remember...?"

The next moment, a cold electronic voice broke the silence around her, echoing in her ears like a resounding bell.

"[The host's mental stability has reached the threshold, the Consciousness Maze System is activated!]"

"Uh... huh?"

Luo Lin's eyes gradually cleared. She pressed her temples, trying hard to recall what had just happened.

She had just opened the brand-new scanner, and the next moment, a dazzling light burst in front of her eyes, accompanied by a violent shock and dizziness, like being hit by a flashbang at close range.

This nauseating vertigo and disorientation muddled Luo Lin's consciousness. By the time she regained clarity, she had arrived at this place.

"As expected, something called the 'Stigmata Terminal' is likely to have problems..."

Luo Lin pressed her forehead again, completely dispelling the dizziness and discomfort, and then...

The girl looked around, seeing the gray sky and cold ground, with twisted light radiating over the dead land.

Everything in this world was shrouded in a cold filter; the distant scenes were unclear, leaving only vague outlines.

In this hazy environment, some things exuded an abnormal presence—

A particularly tall, damaged building and a winding road leading to that distinctly visible structure, eventually disappearing into the mist.

Instinct told Luo Lin to keep moving forward; the road would lead her to the final destination...

"Uh... this place feels familiar... don't tell me that if I keep going, I'll meet a certain golden-winged and golden-eyed sleeping beauty lying in the ruins..."

The girl swallowed hard, then... she chose to check her situation with the system.

"System, are you there? You haven't fried my crystal, have you?"

The system was silent for two seconds at Luo Lin's strange logic, then responded: "[...I am here, host. You can rest assured, this system isn't that wasteful. The area you are in now is sufficiently guarded by the Consciousness Maze and the Herrrscher of Sentience.]"

"So, this is... the Stigmata Space?"

"[The host's guess is correct, but this should be considered the depths of the Stigmata Space... at least that's what the name on the mini-map says.]"

"?" Luo Lin was stunned. "There's a mini-map, let me see!"

The next moment, a translucent panel unfolded in front of the girl. A familiar round mini-map from games appeared before her eyes—except for the label "Depths of the Stigmata Space," the mini-map showed only a walkable path, the rest being pitch black.

Luo Lin took two steps sideways and reached out to touch the black area on the mini-map, encountering an air wall.

"Seriously, do you have to recreate game settings in a place like this?"

Luo Lin couldn't help but complain: "And isn't this the 'Stellar Fire Rebirth' event interface?"

"[Yes, host. When you activated the 'Stigmata Terminal,' your consciousness was brought here—just like entering the system space. However, this won't affect your combat abilities. If you need to, you can leave here at any time.]"

"Won't affect combat abilities, meaning I might encounter combat? I should immediately..."

"[By the way, an Ether Anchor has been detected ahead.]"

"... I'll walk ahead right now."

Luo Lin immediately performed the Shenzou art of "face changing."

After all, she needed the Ether Anchor to strengthen the shelter three times for an important mission. She couldn't just take the Ether Anchor-turned Shamash from Kevin, could she?

At least with Kevin holding it, it was very powerful. Luo Lin was unwilling to give up this sense of security.

Following her intuition, she cautiously advanced along the path.

As she walked, the fog ahead gradually dissipated, while the fog behind her began to close in.

"Hiss..."

Luo Lin took a deep breath and started to jog.

After progressing a bit further, she noticed the fog ahead thinning, and the surrounding scenery becoming clearer.

Simultaneously, a sense of resonance from ahead quickened Luo Lin's heartbeat.

She knew the destination was near.

Soon, Luo Lin rounded the final bend, coming to a sudden realization—she saw a person.

A girl lying in the ruins.

"Eh...?"

Luo Lin stared blankly at the person, making a strange sound.

She had long hair, a purple side ponytail, and wore a school uniform.

Unexpectedly, over the school uniform, she wore a coat adorned with chains, seemingly a deliberate cool accessory. Her hands and legs were bandaged, giving off a very non-mainstream, Chūnibyō vibe.

She even held a Houm doll...

"Isn't that Houraiji Kyuusyou!?"

Luo Lin had imagined many scenarios, like meeting Apocalypse Kiana, End Raiden Mei, or even the neighbor's untrustworthy Welt and Otto (as if Otto here was any more trustworthy), but she never expected to encounter her, this Chūnibyō savior!

On second thought, meeting Houraiji Kyuusyou here seemed quite normal...

Luo Lin's intense complaining seemed to wake the girl lying in the ruins. Houraiji Kyuusyou struggled to open her eyes, her red pupils blurry as they focused on the distant girl.

"Who are you? You're disturbing my sleep."

After speaking, Houraiji Kyuusyou closed her eyes, seemingly intending to continue sleeping.

"Don't sleep! Wake up!"

"Annoying!"

The purple-haired girl turned over. Only then did Luo Lin notice she was lying on a comfortable-looking mattress, snuggling the Houm doll with a satisfied hum.

This posture could seamlessly replace her with a NEET.

Sensing that Luo Lin still wanted to speak, Houraiji Kyuusyou, showing no regard for fairness, gathered Honkai energy at her ears, intending to use it to block out the sound and ensure her sleep quality.

In a flash, Luo Lin's brain worked quickly, and she blurted out: "Kyuusyou, open your eyes. I am Sha Fu... I mean, I am Luo Lin! This world needs a hero, and you are the destined savior! Savior, please use your unbeatable power to think of a solution!"

"Oh?"

Houraiji Kyuusyou perked up at the keyword, bouncing up from the ground with the energy of a salted fish.

"Who needs the help of this savior?"

*Chapter 68: So Simple?*

Who exactly is Houraiji Kyuusyou?

As one of the protagonists in Honkai Gakuen 2, Houraiji Kyuusyou is most characterized by "Chuunibyou" (middle school syndrome).

The main reason for this "Chuunibyou" is the special ability Kyuusyou displayed since childhood: she sees visions of scenes from past "disasters" that do not belong to reality.

Moreover, during these visions, Houraiji Kyuusyou experiences pain, and eventually, strange markings appeared on her arm, which she called the "Holy Seal" and covered with bandages.

Houraiji Kyuusyou viewed all this as a warning from the world, believing herself to be a special being who could change everything, a [Savior].

In reality, what Houraiji Kyuusyou saw were stored scenes of disasters from the previous world cycle contained in her special stigma, and the markings on her arm were the result of Honkai energy corrosion.

Of course, Houraiji Kyuusyou's behavior and actions were not understood by her classmates and teachers, who labeled her as having Chuunibyou, with some even thinking she had a mental illness.

Fortunately, Houraiji Kyuusyou had supportive parents who believed in her extraordinary talents, and this trust gave her the strength to persist on the path of the [Savior]. And then...

She became a hardcore otaku, with her Chuunibyou symptoms deepening.

She doesn’t know how she became an otaku, but in any case, Houraiji Kyuusyou didn't stray from her path, holding onto the justice and hope of saving the world.

Later, as a high school student, Houraiji Kyuusyou entered Senba Academy. Based on the “disasters” in her mind, she created a game called "Homu’s Great Adventure."

Unfortunately, her self-taught programming skills were poor, resulting in a game full of bugs with no exit button, predictably leading to the game's failure.

Suddenly, Luo Lin thought of a certain silver-haired twin-drill girl.

Houraiji Kyuusyou makes games, Bronya makes games.

Houraiji Kyuusyou’s game failed, Bronya’s game also failed.

Houraiji Kyuusyou and Bronya have never appeared together... wait, they did appear together, so the theory fails.

However, the plot of this failed game caught the attention of both Schicksal and Anti-Entropy:

At that time, Honkai-related matters were tightly sealed off, yet suddenly a game with an almost identical setting to Honkai appeared. It was highly concerning.

Coincidentally, the Third Honkai Eruption happened in Nagazora, and Kiana received the mission to go to Senba Academy to rescue Houraiji Kyuusyou. The wheels of fate began to turn.

Newbie Houraiji Kyuusyou fought with enthusiasm and imagination, but upon truly joining the war against Honkai, she became confused by the cold decisions, sacrifices, and the malice and despair brought by the apocalypse.

After all, the path of the Savior Houraiji Kyuusyou believed in would not sacrifice some to save others, and the dark sides of Schicksal and Anti-Entropy pained her even more.

Fortunately, Houraiji Kyuusyou also witnessed those who continuously fought against Honkai, saw the possibilities of humanity, and ultimately understood that in the face of despair, one should pursue hope.

Like moths to a flame in the apocalypse, it’s not about blindly sacrificing oneself but seeking the dawn of hope.

After various trials, Houraiji Kyuusyou finally grew into the [Savior] she had imagined as a child, saving the despondent Kiana and Sirin (Houkai Gakuen 2 angelic version), playing a crucial role in the battle against Honkai.

And now, this [Savior] was standing with arms crossed, nodding solemnly at Luo Lin.

The black-haired Valkyrie finished her briefing: “...That's the situation in our world bubble, Lord Houraiji. Can you save us?”

“...Hmm, previous civilization, Herrschers, stigma space, Ether Anchor, Imaginary Tree, and Sea of Quanta...”

Houraiji Kyuusyou looked thoughtful for a few seconds before saying, “Sounds like a cool setting for a game, it would definitely sell well!”

“You didn't understand at all, did you?!”

Luo Lin almost stumbled, rubbing her face hard, and observed the purple-haired girl before her.

She realized that although Houraiji Kyuusyou was chatting with her with open eyes, her responses were sluggish, her gaze unclear, as if she was sleepwalking.

Overall, she didn’t seem very coherent.

Is she reliable like this? Luo Lin had serious doubts.

“Oh well, getting the gist is enough. You need the Savior to help save the world, right? I get the classic RPG process.”

Houraiji Kyuusyou waved her hand, muttering, “So, the next step must be to collect some items, right? Just tell me what you need.”

“Actually...”

Luo Lin hesitated before saying, “I need the Ether Anchor, which is the Homu pillow you’re holding.”

“The pillow is the Ether Anchor?”

Houraiji Kyuusyou looked down at the long pillow in her hands, pondering, “Why is it connected to a pillow? Could it be because I’ve been watching too many daily anime, causing strange associations? This dream is a bit odd, the NPCs say weird things.”

“?”

Luo Lin finally understood what was wrong, realizing Houraiji Kyuusyou thought of this place as a dream and her as an NPC.

Wait, maybe this is an extension of Houraiji Kyuusyou’s dream, and due to her outrageous special stigma, it created such a space.

Who knows what happened after that, causing this space to appear here. It feels like a message in a bottle.

So Houraiji Kyuusyou is really sleepwalking, no wonder it’s so strange!

Luo Lin adjusted her thoughts and spoke clearly, “Miss Savior, the Ether Anchor is indeed very precious and special, but its form is not fixed. It might be a clockwork, a book, or even a person. It being a pillow is quite normal.”

She was playing the NPC role.jpg

Houraiji Kyuusyou nodded, “Understood, then this pillow is yours.”

The purple-haired girl handed the pillow to Luo Lin, who, upon receiving it, clearly felt the abundant energy inside, just like the other Ether Anchors she had encountered.

Obtained so easily? No other tasks?

Seeing Luo Lin's skeptical expression, Houraiji Kyuusyou put her hands on her hips and snorted, “After all, from your explanation, it’s for saving people. How could I ignore those in need?”

“...Thank you.”

The purple-haired girl smiled, “No need for many words, tell me what to do next.”

Luo Lin: “Uh, next we need to leave this space and return to the world bubble to deal with strong enemies.”

“Got it, it’s the part where we go kill something.”

Houraiji Kyuusyou nodded, rubbing her fingers, but soon looked dejected, “Strange, I feel like I can't leave here. Sorry, I can't fight alongside you.”

“...It’s okay, maybe the game rules restrict you.”

The other nodded in agreement, “So it seems I’m not the hero now, but the white-bearded grandpa giving people cheats?”

“That does feel like it.”

Luo Lin nodded, waving goodbye to the purple-haired girl, “I’ll be off then!”

“Goodbye! Good luck!”

Houraiji Kyuusyou watched the black-haired girl holding the pillow gradually fade, disappearing in a blue light. She yawned widely, laying back on the mattress in the ruins, closing her eyes.

“Hmmm... this dream feels incoherent... wait, is this really a dream? And the surrounding scene, why does it look so familiar...”

Houraiji Kyuusyou's sluggish brain slowly began to function, her brow furrowing.

“Femiris, what’s my current situation... Femiris? Where are you?”

*Chapter 69: Concentration*

Kevin stood amidst the ruins, gazing at the golden fissures in the sky. Nearby lay a massive, pale Honkai Beast, lifeless and riddled with wounds, indicating a painful end.

This wasn't a Pishacha but a creature Elysia called a "Patrol-Class Honkai Beast," which resembled a flying whale at first glance.

You ask about the previous Pishacha? The poor Pishacha had been eliminated by Kevin hours earlier.

Now, they were dealing with other sources of Honkai energy in the city center.

Kevin took Pishacha seriously because, in the end, it deployed a unique shield that even the Divine Key’s Cleaver mode had trouble penetrating it. Elysia had kindly explained the concept of a "hit counter shield" to Kevin, who then disassembled Shamash from it's Greatsword form into two small handguns.

Together with Elysia’s flawless dome, they executed a series of relentless attacks to finish off Pishacha.

As for the Patrol-Class Honkai Beast lying near Kevin, it specialized in staying airborne and attacking from a distance. If its accompanying "Shuttle-Class Honkai Beasts" were not dealt with, a shield on its body would negate most damage.

These Shuttle-Class Beasts also enhanced the Patrol-Class's flight capabilities, making it hover higher and faster, rendering it nearly "invincible."

Thankfully, this creature didn’t pose much trouble in the Abyss since both Kevin and Elysia excelled in anti-air combat, easily taking out the Shuttle-Class Beasts. The confined combat space of the Abyss, with no cover for hiding, also limited the Shuttle-Class Beasts' movement.

However, dealing with a Patrol-Class Honkai Beast outside the Abyss was more challenging. The Shuttle-Class Beasts were small, fast, and could hide in clouds, fog, or ruins. Without quickly eliminating these creatures, they would scatter and allow the Patrol-Class to stay airborne with its shield, effectively becoming an airborne fortress.

Upon sighting the creature, Elysia immediately shouted to Kevin, "Take out the smaller Honkai Beasts first!"

The white-haired warrior obeyed, lifting the Heavenly Fire Greatsword. The Divine Key’s fiery slash quickly incinerated most of the scattered Shuttles. The remaining few were struck down by Elysia’s homing crystal arrows, crashing to the ground in pieces.

Senti exclaimed, "Great, that stage was handled quickly! How many points do you think we'll get?"

Elysia replied, "At least 200, I’d say?"

What followed was straightforward: the three of them ganged up on the now lower-flying Patrol-Class Honkai Beast. It soon turned into a corpse. The pink-haired fairy Elysia thoughtfully took out several storage boxes for collecting Honkai Beast specimens, which Senti deftly used to gather samples.

Kevin’s gaze shifted from the sky. "That should be the last one, right?"

"Yes... now there shouldn't be any interference in locating the spatial rift," Elysia nodded.

At that moment, the Herrscher of Sentience suddenly looked up, her expression serious as she stared into the distance. "Elysia! The mental defense I set up at Luo Lin's place has been triggered! And this feeling..."

"Beep beep!"

Before she could finish, all three of their communicators beeped simultaneously. In the midst of their grave expressions, Vill-V's projection appeared, looking anxious. "Herrscher of Sentience, quickly check on Luo Lin! She suddenly passed out!"

Senti’s pupils contracted as she urgently asked, "Was the shelter attacked?"

"No, the shelter is fine, but Luo Lin... she activated the scanner I just made, then collapsed with her eyes closed! Seele and Delta are looking after her, and I’m trying to figure out what went wrong..."

"Vill-V! You...!"

The Herrscher of Sentience nearly lost her temper, feeling the urge to punch the flustered Vill-V. "I know, it’s my fault! Maybe it's a calculation error, or something else... As the Herrscher of Sentience, you should be better at this! Hurry back!"

Senti immediately summoned her flying sword, infusing it with Honkai energy to turn it into a large enough platform for three people. She pulled Elysia aboard and called out to Kevin, "Let’s go! Fly back!"

"Got it."

Kevin jumped onto the flying sword without hesitation. The next moment, Honkai energy surged, propelling them swiftly towards the shelter.

"Damn, could the name 'Stigmata Terminal' be as problematic as she said...?"

In the Elysian Realm, Vill-V tapped away at her keyboard, her mechanical arms twitching nervously. "What went wrong...?"

Mobius, having heard about Luo Lin's collapse, rushed over. After a brief pause, she sneered, "Vill-V, you always manage to create unexpected 'surprises.' Truly worthy of the Great Magician... you’d better tell me everything is under control, or else..."

"Stop watching and help!"

Vill-V sent a pile of data to Mobius, who opened the terminal without hesitation to examine it. Fuxi and Nuwa exchanged glances and cautiously approached to look at the screen.

Nuwa scratched her head, "What are these... Honkai energy frequencies?"

Fuxi replied, "Seems so."

Without lifting her head, Mobius instructed, "Klein, send them the data. Get them involved in the research quickly."

"Yes, Doctor."

At the shelter, Delta looked at the unconscious Luo Lin lying on the bed, her expression complex. Next to her stood a nervous Seele.

"I failed to protect Luo Lin..."

"It's not your fault. From what you described, the Captain clearly did this to herself... uh, I mean," the pink-haired warrior reassured Seele, "It's normal for the Captain to pass out sometimes. If it gets serious, I'll call for external help. There’s always a way."

Seele, with tears in her eyes, looked up. "External help...?"

Delta nodded, looking somewhat troubled. "Yes, someone good at waking people up from comas... but they're odd, maybe dangerous, and expensive... Besides, the Sea isn't calm right now, so I can't say when she’ll get the signal."

An image of a mysterious woman accompanied by the scent of flowers flashed in Delta's mind as she pressed her communicator. "Sigh, whatever. If it involves the Captain, she’ll definitely come... This is Delta, calling Miss Rosemary..."

*Image Description:* Happy Family

*Community » Games » Honkai Impact 3rd »*

*Image Description:* Happy Family

Flashcat Fiction (Level 14) [Original Poster] - Posted in Chongqing

However, Siegfried looks like he's forcing a smile. Did Cecilia tell a cold joke?

<img src="https://c1.kuangxiangit.com/uploads/chapterimgsnew/238/205038/230823/1692784889-100320893-110714523.jpg" alt='Amusement Park Above'>

*All Replies: Show More↑*

A Small Pardo Xiaohao - Posted in Jiangsu (1st Floor)

Is it possible that Siegfried wanted to stay at home drinking, eating meat, and playing games, but was forcibly dragged out to play? So that's why he looks so down.

•••Welcome Captain (27) Reply | View Comments (3)

Black Sea Crane - Posted in Henan (2nd Floor)

Reply: A Small Padou Xiaohao Posted... (1st Floor)

I think it's more likely that Siegfried got tired of shopping. Look, he's still holding shopping bags, isn't he? People say shopping is tiring for both men and women, so it must be even more exhausting for a Valkyrie with stronger physical strength, right?

•••Welcome Captain (16) Reply | View Comments (1)

A Small Padou Xiaohao - Posted in Jiangsu (3rd Floor)

Reply: Black Sea Crane Posted... (2nd Floor)

Isn't there a little Kiana following behind them? Plus, look at the background, they're clearly in an amusement park! I think it's Kiana running around and tiring Siegfried out.

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Slate Man of Louisiana State - Posted in Hebei (4th Floor)

Reply: A Small Padou Xiaohao Posted... (3rd Floor)

Why couldn't it be Cecilia who tired Siegfried out with her forced smile?

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Salt Snow Miu Viter - Posted in Beijing (5th Floor)

Reply: Slate Man of Louisiana State Posted... (4th Floor)

Tell us more about how Cecilia tormented Siegfried! 🥵

•••Welcome Captain (43) Reply | View Comments (2)

Savior Penglai Temple Jiu Xiao - Posted in Guangdong (6th Floor)

Reply: Salt Snow Miu Viter Posted... (5th Floor)

You're off.

•••Welcome Captain (34) Reply

[Love] Tong Yue · Rosevise - Posted in London (7th Floor)

Reply: Salt Snow Miu Viter Posted... (5th Floor)

Why can't Cecilia torment me?

•••Welcome Captain (27) Reply | View Comments (1)

Bishop Otto Wants to Slack Off - Posted in Hubei (8th Floor)

Reply: [Love] Tong Yue · Rosevise Posted... (7th Floor)

😡Torture me first!

•••Welcome Captain (18) Reply

Xilin Little Angel ☆～ - Posted in Jiangxi (9th Floor)

Wait, isn't that one of the Stigmata from the random code testing server?

•••Welcome Captain (31) Reply | View Comments (1)

Little Bottom No Weird True Monarch - Posted in Beijing (10th Floor)

Reply: Xilin Little Angel ☆～ Posted... (9th Floor)

Random code testing server? What's that?

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High Computational Power Naxi Dat - Posted in Jiangsu (11th Floor)

Reply: Little Bottom No Weird True Monarch Posted... (10th Floor)

What? You don't know? Then I have to tell you about the value of the Garbled Brother...

"Who is the Garbled Brother? Unexpectedly High-Quality Honkai Impact 3 Fan Work!?”—Web Link

"First on Bilibili, Sorting Out the Garbled Brother Incident, the Most Arrogant Hacker in Mihoyo's History?”—Web Link

"The Garbled Brother Production Team Members Revealed, Big V Teacher”—Web Link

"Archived: Big V Teacher's Live Broadcast of the Saint Freya Exam and a Corner of the Commercial Street"—Web Link

"Farewell to the Thirteen Flamechasers with Blood shot eyes. I Have Children in the Future, and I'm out of Paper! Sob Sob Sob [Honkai Impact 3/To the Flawless Ones"—Web Link

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Flashcat Fiction [Original Poster] - Posted in Chongqing (12th Floor)

Reply: High Computational Power Naxi Dat Posted... (11th Floor)

You're sneaking in private stuff again, huh?

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Little Bottom No Weird True Monarch - Posted in Beijing (13th Floor)

Reply: High Computational Power Naxi Dat Posted... (11th Floor)

ðThrew a bunch of links at me, scary!

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High Computational Power Naxi Dat - Posted in Jiangsu (14th Floor)

Reply: Little Bottom No Weird True Monarch Posted... (13th Floor)

In short, there's a guy with a profile picture and nickname all in random code who created an extremely high-tech fan work... It should be considered fan work, right? This guy released a client that looks a lot like the testing server, and even updates various strange activities and plots just like the official game, and even made many CGs that are almost movie-level! It is said that Mihoyo is actively looking for this guy and wants to absorb him and his production team.

•••Welcome Captain (57) Reply | View Comments (1)

Little Bottom No Weird True Monarch - Posted in Beijing (15th Floor)

Reply: High Computational Power Naxi Dat Posted... (14th Floor)

Sounds cool, how can I play it?

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Flashcat Fiction [Original Poster] - Posted in Chongqing (16th Floor)

Reply: Little Bottom No Weird True Monarch Posted... (15th Floor)

Garbled Brother randomly selects players from all Honkai Impact 3 players to join the test server. If one day you see a private message notification in your MiHoYo community backend, it means you've entered the test server. He'll distribute the installation download link along with the private message.

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Little Bottom No Weird True Monarch - Posted in Beijing (17th Floor)

Reply: Flashcat Fiction Posted... (16th Floor)

Thank you, Taro!

•••Welcome Captain (3) Reply

Star and Your Day - Posted in Jiangxi (18th Floor)

Hmm? Why only release one of the Stigmata? Why not release the other two?

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Guardian of the Sword in the Stone - Posted in Guangdong (19th Floor)

Reply: Star and Your Day Posted... (18th Floor)

If he doesn't release them, I will!

•••Welcome Captain (267) Reply | View Comments (16)

Flashcat Fiction [Original Poster] - Posted in Chongqing (20th Floor)

Reply: Guardian of the Sword in the Stone Posted... (19th Floor)

Ugh! I don't want to see it, I don't want to see it!

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Bugs Are the Cutest - Posted in Shaanxi (21st Floor)

Reply: Guardian of the Sword in the Stone Posted... (19th Floor)

You're the worst! I came here for fun, and you suddenly ambushed me!!

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Guardian of the Sword in the Stone - Posted in Guangdong (22nd Floor)

Reply: Bugs Are the Cutest Posted... (21st Floor)

Hahaha, how do you feel? How do you feel?!

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Dr. Gate - Posted in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (23rd Floor)

Reply: Guardian of the Sword in the Stone Posted... (22nd Floor)

Unveil their masks!

•••Welcome Captain (27) Reply | View Comments (1)

Fully Automatic Villa - Posted in Shandong (24th Floor)

Reply: Guardian of the Sword in the Stone Posted... (18th Floor)

Waaah, Cecilia and her kids, waaaah!

•••Welcome Captain (16) Reply | View Comments (1)

Chapter 70: Here We Go!

Luo Lin felt as if she had entered outer space, her entire body in a state of weightlessness. She found herself floating among what seemed to be a galaxy of stars, with distant points of light occasionally flickering and emitting a soft glow.

She sighed and asked, "System, where are we now? Didn't you say we would return to our body?"

[System: This is still the Stigmata Space, but under the influence of Honkai energy, it has taken on a certain degree of physical form—much like the Kaslana family's Stigmata Space we encountered in the past.]

The system responded in a calm electronic voice: [We just left the deepest part of this Stigmata Space, and we are on our way back.]

Luo Lin could feel a call from a distant place. She looked up and immediately found the source of this power—a giant "star" emitting a bright light, its presence particularly noticeable. She had a feeling that if she reached it, her consciousness could return to her body.

"So... that's the destination?"

[System: Yes.]

Luo Lin scratched her head, releasing Honkai energy to begin flying, leaving a bright white trail behind her. However, after flying at full speed for several minutes, she realized that her journey home had made little progress. Compared to this vast, seemingly endless space, her current speed was insignificant.

As she felt the Honkai energy within her depleting rapidly, she asked with a troubled expression, "Can't you return me to the system space, and then use the *Elysian Realm* as a transit station to get me there instantly?"

[System: Sorry, host. We are still in a special mission and can't return directly to the system space...]

"Special mission, huh..." The black-haired Valkyrie began to worry. "System, can you calculate how much longer I need to drift to return?"

[System: At this speed, it will take about a day.]

Luo Lin widened her eyes. "Why so long?"

[System: Considering Houraiji Kyuusyou is located at the deepest part of the Stigmata Space, the distance to our return point is quite far, which is quite normal.]

"How did we suddenly jump to that place? Is Vil-V's invention really that powerful?" Luo Lin pondered, "Though, I still want to complain, this place is incredibly vast... but thinking it's related to Kyuusyou, it starts to make some sense..."

She sighed, now dreading the current state of the Shelter. Many survivors pinned their hopes on "Dr. Luo Lin." If something happened to her, chaos might ensue in the Shelter...

With her body unresponsive to external stimuli due to her out-of-body consciousness, sustaining this state for a day could be disastrous...

Wait... speaking of consciousness...

Luo Lin suddenly remembered something and cautiously asked, "Hey? Helix, are you there?"

"..."

Her call received no response.

Luo Lin frowned. "Huh? Is she still in my body? Or still in the system space?"

[System: Host, Helix was also affected by the "Stigmata Terminal" activation. She is currently somewhere in this Stigmata Space. I can confirm her presence, but I cannot communicate with her properly. Her state seems... peculiar?]

"Peculiar? Did she encounter some kind of bug?" Luo Lin guessed, "I did leave most of the bug research to her."

[System: ...You might be right, host. Just now, Helix's communication briefly resumed. Before it cut off again, she said... to wait, as she is bringing "reinforcements" to help...]

Luo Lin: "Huh?"

[System:* Estimated arrival time in three...]

"Three hours?"

[System: Two, one, target arrived!]

As the system's electronic voice announced, a burst of dazzling light suddenly erupted in front of Luo Lin—reminiscent of the scene when the "Stigmata Terminal" was activated earlier. She instinctively released Honkai energy, propelling herself backward a distance.

Fortunately, this phenomenon was not a bad omen. The intense light gradually softened, and within a few seconds, the glow completely dissipated, revealing a large, steel-made object not far away.

With a slender yet aesthetically pleasing hull, gleaming metal armor, a central axis housing a luminous main cannon, decks lined with close-in weapon systems, a tail section spreading out like wings for balance, and a familiar protruding bridge...

Luo Lin widened her eyes. "Is that... the Hyperion?"

"Yes, it is the Hyperion!"

The floating battleship's broadcast system echoed her own voice. The other her cheerfully asked, "Captain, I've come to take you home!"

Luo Lin's gaze landed on the bridge of the Hyperion, a familiar, soul-bonded feeling confirming the other person's identity.

"Helix?"

"It's me. How impressive am I?"

Helix's voice sounded quite proud. "Well, are you going to keep floating out there? Come aboard, I've opened the hatch for you."

"You little... you scared me..." Luo Lin blinked, finally landing lightly on the deck and quickly entering the battleship.

Having worked on the Hyperion before, Luo Lin was familiar with its internal structure. She easily navigated to the main elevator leading to the bridge.

With the mechanical sound of movement, the elevator gradually rose, eventually opening with a "Captain on the bridge" announcement.

Helix turned around, pointing to the control console with a grin. "Come help me, it's troublesome piloting this alone!"

Luo Lin chuckled and stood beside Helix, starting to operate the controls.

Helix pointed to the distant "star" that had been calling out to Luo Lin and said, "I jumped directly to this position earlier. After we sail for a while and the warp module cools down, we'll warp the Hyperion to our destination!"

"Understood."

Luo Lin nodded, her expression somewhat puzzled. "Strange... I never learned how to operate the Hyperion... but as soon as I got my hands on it, it felt natural, very familiar..."

"Tactical vehicle operations are similar. If you can fly a transport shuttle, you can handle a frigate. Operating a floating battleship isn't much different. Though, it does seem ingrained in us, almost at max level..."

Helix shrugged, muttering, "Though, it's as if this proficiency is etched into our bones... not sure why."

"Probably because we were once the Captain of the Hyperion?"

Luo Lin sighed. "But seeing this ship, I thought it would be from... well, the Captain from the game, you know who I mean."

Helix understood perfectly, responding, "Sorry, when I boarded, there was no one else here—not even the possible Captain-verse Captain or the Ferryman you were thinking of."

Luo Lin frowned. "Even stranger. The Hyperion in the Sea of Quanta should have crew members... like Rita, Kongming, Yae Sakura, Delta... though Delta's in the bubble world... didn't you see anyone else?"

Helix shook her head. "Really didn't. I scanned the entire ship when I entered. It's completely empty."

Luo Lin was silent for a few seconds. "And... you didn't encounter any obstacles boarding?"

"All green lights, every module was accessible to me—same for you now. The reason..."

Helix pointed to the console screen.

Luo Lin followed her gesture and saw a large identification code in the corner of the screen.

[Luo Lin, Captain of the Hyperion, holding the highest authority of this vessel.]