HIA VOL 8 CH71-94 (Patreon)

HA VOL 8 CH 71-94

Chapter 71: Return

Luo Lin tapped on the console a few times, finding that all the functions of the Hyperion were available to her—even the option for overloading self-destruction, with its dangerously glowing red button.

"No, no, that's not good for my health..."

She quickly hid that option, wiping away nonexistent sweat from her forehead, and then asked Helix, "By the way, how did you find this ship earlier?"

"Well... I was surfing the internet, exploiting a bug, and was on the Honkai 3rd official update post on a Bilibili-like site."

Helix spread her hands helplessly. "Then, after a few seconds, my 4G network turned into a dial-up connection. Before I could check what went wrong with the 'Bug Dedicated Network Cable,' I was pulled into the Stigmata Space..."

Luo Lin was shocked. "You were pulled out of the system space?"

Helix held her chin, deep in thought. "Actually, I wasn't technically in the system space at the time. I was in a place I accessed through a bug... But that place still had some connection to the system space, providing a bit of a buffer. Otherwise, who knows where in the Stigmata Space I would have ended up."

Luo Lin continued, "So after that, did you appear directly on the bridge of the Hyperion?"

"No, initially, I felt like I fell into a powerful vacuum cleaner, tumbling around everywhere... maybe similar to Seele being thrown out of the Sea of Quanta by Bronya in the Short Animation"

Helix gestured. "Then, unlike Seele who punched through the floor representing the Sea of Quanta, I, unfortunately, hit my head directly on the deck of the Hyperion."

Luo Lin's mouth twitched. "...That must have hurt, right?"

"It didn't hurt much, but it definitely confused me. I took a good while to recover and finally realized I was lying on the Hyperion..."

Helix sighed. "At the time, I thought this was the Hyperion from the 'Captain Line,' with the Captain or Ferryman. But after waiting for a long time and nothing happening, I cautiously flew around the Hyperion. When I approached the door of the floating battleship, it opened by itself..."

Luo Lin asked, "So you went to the bridge and gained control of the Hyperion?"

"Yes, I thought there should be someone on the bridge, even if it was an AI like that power-stealing cabbage head. But as you saw..." Helix sighed, "There was nothing here except the basic operating system."

Luo Lin blinked, muttering, "No wonder something felt off, so many adjustments needed to be made to operate this ship... Turns out there's no Ai-chan assistance."

Helix suddenly remembered something and waved her hand. "When we got the Key of Revelation, its AI and the Imaginary Tree exploded, making it extremely troublesome to use. Now this Hyperion also has no AI, requiring manual operation... Maybe intelligent systems clash with us? Oh, no offense to our great system..."

System: ...I understand, host.

Helix laughed dryly, completing her task. "Alright, I've located the target—this star, right?"

Luo Lin glanced over and nodded. "That's right."

Helix calculated the distance. "Looks like we just need one warp to reach the target with the Hyperion..."

"Warp..."

Luo Lin pressed her temples. "By the way, the Hyperion's design considered space combat, and after modification, it even went to the lunar orbit under Theresa's control... So having a warp function isn't surprising."

Helix winked at her. "I think it's thanks to the power of Honkai energy—Honkai energy can do anything!"

"Got it." Luo Lin shook her head. "How long until the warp is ready?"

"Almost there."

They waited a while on the bridge until the notification for the warp module's cooldown completion sounded.

"Let's go, we need to hurry back!" Luo Lin urged.

"Yeah!"

Helix pressed the button on the console, and the Hyperion's engines powered up, charging the warp module.

Soon, the Hyperion turned into a streak of light, disappearing into the depths of the Stigmata Space.

In the spot where the floating battleship had been, a figure quietly emerged from the void.

She had peculiar green hair styled like cabbage, with two long strands floating in the weightless space. She wore a black, white, and green outfit resembling a combination of a ballet dress and a formal suit, with mechanical joints visible at her knees.

The girl gazed in the direction the battleship had gone, her red eyes filled with complex emotions.

"Looks like my gift has been safely delivered... Good luck, Captain Luo Lin."

The green-haired figure turned her head, looking toward another part of the Stigmata Space.

"Next, I need to greet that muddled savior..."

---

The Herrscher of Sentience practically kicked open the door to the control room of Shelter 386.

Upon entering, she immediately saw Luo Lin, who was lying on a portable bed.

Surrounding Luo Lin were many people: Schrödinger, Chen Tianwu, Anna, Seele, Delta, and the projections of Mobius and Vill-V.

The black-haired girl lay there with her eyes closed, looking peaceful. At this moment, she seemed like a carefree young girl, simply enjoying a sweet, dreamless sleep.

Seele, who was taking care of Luo Lin, turned around at the commotion. "Sister Senti..."

"Move!"

The Herrscher of Sentience rushed to Luo Lin's side, red light flashing in her eyes, and black and red feathers condensing around her with the activation of her Herrscher powers.

Soon, she reached a conclusion. "Her consciousness isn't in her body... Just like during the Chiyou incident."

Kevin and Elysia followed her in, the pink fairy looking anxious. "How is she?"

Senti glanced at her. "You're fine, so Luo Lin should be too... Tch, but where her consciousness went is another matter."

Elysia pressed, "Is there anything we can do?"

"I'll check the system space first, then..."

Before the Herrscher of Sentience could finish, Luo Lin's breathing suddenly became rapid.

A few seconds later, her eyelids twitched, slowly and painfully opening her eyes.

"...So many people..."

"Thank goodness! The doctor is awake!" Chen Tianwu and Anna sighed in relief, wiping their eyes.

Schrödinger, Vill-V, and Mobius exchanged glances. Mobius sneered, placing her tablet aside, then suddenly kicked Vill-V's chair, sending her and the chair out of the projection range.

"You've got some explaining to do!"

Vill-V, knowing she was at fault, silently moved her chair back.

Delta crossed her arms, staring at her communicator. "Tch, so the money's wasted... and that person will come looking for me later. I really don't want to deal with her..."

Meanwhile, the Herrscher of Sentience stared at Luo Lin, her mouth a straight line.

"Why are you looking at me like that... huh?!"

Luo Lin's eyes widened as the gray-haired girl leaned in and hugged her tightly.

The Valkyrie could feel Senti and her slightly trembling body.

"Senti..."

Hearing the nickname, the Herrscher of Sentience hugged Luo Lin even tighter, almost making her feel breathless.

The gray-haired girl murmured softly, "I'm just glad you're back, so glad..."

Chapter 72: Incongruous Appearances

"Alright, alright, I'm fine..."

Luo Lin gently patted the back of the Herrscher of Sentience, softly reminding her, "Everyone's still watching..."

Senti's body stiffened for a few seconds, then she hugged Luo Lin tighter, almost as if she had given up, gritting her teeth, "I don't care anymore! You always get into trouble everywhere, putting yourself in danger at every turn. I have to keep an eye on you!"

"Cough, cough, Senti, you're hugging too tight..."

The Herrscher of Sentience finally loosened her arms, placing her hands on Luo Lin's shoulders, locking eyes with her crimson gaze, "Now, tell me what exactly happened before?"

At this moment, Vill-V also chimed in, "Luo Lin, spill it, give us a clue, I want to know what went wrong."

"Alright."

Luo Lin organized her thoughts a bit and described in detail everything she had seen and heard.

"...Above all, I believe the place I arrived at earlier is connected to the Stigmata Space of this world. In the depths of the Stigmata Space, I even encountered Miss Penglai Jiuxiao... Although she seemed to be sleepwalking at the time."

The black-haired Valkyrie rubbed her chin, saying, "This could explain why many things here resemble the stories I've heard—clearly, this world is influenced by Miss Jiuxiao and the Stigmata she carries."

Schrödinger, Vill-V, and Mobius acted surprisingly in sync, holding their tablets and taking notes at lightning speed.

"The 'Stigmata Terminal' I created earlier accidentally turned into some kind of consciousness submersible for the Stigmata Space?"

After a while, the Grand Magician finished her thoughts, exhaling deeply. Her fingers traced the screen of her tablet, murmuring, "It was clearly set up according to the rules and parameters of the Stigmata Shard Manifestation Device, but in the end, it produced completely different results... Did it inadvertently reveal some special world rules? It must be utilized in the next... experiment."

Mobius retorted, "Why don't you just try holding the 'Stigmata Terminal' yourself next time?"

"That makes sense!"

Vill-V cracked her knuckles.

Seeing her eager expression, Luo Lin's face turned green, hastily persuading her, "No, you don't have the same enhancements as me, what if something goes wrong? What will you do if you can't come back? Let me do it..."

Before she could finish, the Herrscher of Sentience loudly interrupted Luo Lin, "No, you're not participating in the experiment!"

As soon as she said this, Vill-V, Mobius, Luo Lin, and Schrödinger all stared at the Herrscher with surprise.

The Herrscher of Sentience didn't seem to be afraid at all. She pointed to two of the spirits in the paradise with a righteous and outspoken manner, "You see, in a sense, I also experienced their experiments firsthand, so I naturally understand Vill-V and Mobius's tendencies—experiments they themselves aren't sure about aren't just risky, they're especially risky! If it weren't for the old-fashioned constitution and remarkable willpower, as well as exceptionally good luck, Old Timer would have died on the experimental table a thousand times over!"

Mobius tilted her head, even admitting to Sentience's accusation, "You're right, experiments always have risks... especially the most cutting-edge experiments related to Honkai energy... I can't even guarantee that the experiment is under our control the whole time."

"Somebody has to do these things eventually. Scientists are supposed to explore the truth of the world, right? But scientists can't explore just for the sake of exploration, they can't cross the line recklessly, ignore others' wishes, and disregard the possible risks of the experiment..."

Vill-V took over, her tone becoming solemn, "That will only turn people into relentless machines pursuing truth, or even worse, not treating humanity as their own kin."

Mobius raised an eyebrow, smirking, "Although my methods differ from Vill-V's in some respects, on this matter, I agree with her perspective..."

"While what you're saying is true, your two making such a statement... feels a bit odd."

Schrödinger glanced at the two scientists, feeling a bit suspicious.

After all, Vill-V and Mobius's appearance and attire couldn't be said to exude a very friendly vibe, they could easily be mistaken for villains—If Vill-V and Mobius showed a "healthy" smile, it would even stop children from crying at night...

Moreover, when Luo Lin was unconscious, Schrödinger was urgently called to the control room by the two suddenly emerging spirits from the projection to assist them in confirming Luo Lin's condition.

At that time, Schrödinger overheard the knowledge and design experiments revealed between the two scientists' words, which truly surprised her—what mechanical ascension, physical transformation, memory deletion, and "taboo means" were mentioned frequently.

Two out of three sentences made Schrödinger think, "You guys are a bit too extreme.jpg."

Such as, the appearance of looking like big villains, and the technology and knowledge that makes people afraid of the two scientists, they unexpectedly firmly abide by the bottom line... How should she put it, it feels like a contrasting cuteness.

Luo Lin comforted, "Oh dear, it's just that people are juxtaposed. In the place of the Fire Moth, Vill-V and Mobius are both considered absolute good people!"

Schrödinger shivered, "What you said terrifies me..."

"Saying nice words is something everyone can do, saying a few sentences is not a problem—it's just that I don't think I'm really that pure, I know what I've done... There are many mistakes, including this time."

Vill-V smiled, took off her hat, and said to Luo Lin, "Sorry, Luo Lin, it's my fault for hastily handing you the 'Stigmata Terminal'..."

"It's okay..."

The black-haired Valkyrie scratched her head, looked at the Herrscher sitting next to her, and said to Senti, "Um, calm down, okay? Look, we still have a lot of things to do here, right?"

"I'm not angry for myself, just take care of yourself more."

The Herrscher of Sentience sat angrily next to Luo Lin, and finally said helplessly, "You, you... sigh!"

Elysia finally ended her observation of the spectacle and quietly moved to Luo Lin's back, vigorously rubbing the girl's head, "Do you now know how important you are to everyone?"

Luo Lin nodded heavily, "...Yes."

Not far away, Kevin crossed his arms, staring at Vill-V and Mobius in the projection, his eyes flickering, as if he had figured something out.

Seeing Senti no longer pursuing questions, Luo Lin breathed a sigh of relief and quickly changed the subject—like a magician, she magically pulled out a Houm pillow and showed it to everyone.

Delta looked carefully and asked strangely, "Is this an Ether Anchor?"

Luo Lin nodded, "That's right, this is the Last Ether Anchor I brought back from the depths of the Stigmata Space! Now it's time to witness the upgrading of the shelter!"

Chapter 73: Fusion Summon

Luo Lin placed the Houmu-shaped Ether Anchor on the control room floor. She then opened the operation panel and firmly pressed the option for [Enhanced Shelter].

Under everyone's gaze, the Ether Anchor melted like water and sank into the ground.

Soon, everyone except the still-dazed local Bubble World residents, Chen Tianwu and Anna, sensed a premonition. Schrödinger clutched her chest, struggling to breathe. It felt like being submerged tens of meters underwater, with increasing pressure around her. She murmured, "A storm is coming..."

Delta gripped the hilt of her greatsword, staring at the floor with a stiff expression, "Indeed, I've just realized I'm sitting on a 'volcano,' and something big is about to happen..."

"Is that so?"

Elysia squatted down, placing her palm on the ground. After a few seconds, she said, "It really is... something is accumulating..."

The Herrrscher of Sentience blinked and murmured, "Hmm, a familiar feeling, definitely related to Luo Lin... Mobius, Vill-V, get ready. I predict we'll see some world rule changes soon."

"I'm always ready."

Mobius raised the tablet in her hand, calmly replying, "All detection antenna signals are good. I just hope we find more useful information this time... Vill-V, why are you daydreaming? Stop thinking about nonsense. Discuss it with Luo Lin later. Data is the priority now."

Vill-V snapped back to reality at Mobius's call, picking up the monitoring data tablet and saying, "Knowing Luo Lin, she probably never has free time."

Luo Lin's face darkened, "Please stop talking. The more you say, the more I want to cry... Someday, I'll defeat Honkai and have a tomorrow without overtime!"

Sentj glanced at her sideways, clicking her tongue and shaking her head, "You? No overtime? I'd rather expect the Herrscher of the End to commit suicide on the spot."

"Pfft..."

Even though Schrödinger had only been with Luo Lin for a dozen days, after witnessing Luo Lin's frantic handling of the shelter's affairs, she clearly understood what kind of person the Valkyrie was.

So after hearing this, she couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Delta didn't understand the joke but seeing Luo Lin's embarrassed look, she also began to laugh. Delta now understood why Miss Misteln sometimes teased others to see their reactions.

Elysia laughed openly, while Mobius and Vill-V had similar reactions.

The control room was filled with a cheerful atmosphere for a moment.

As for Mr. Kevin, he might have laughed, but no one saw it—though Luo Lin, Delta, and the Herrrscher of Sentience could tell that the white-haired warrior's mood had improved.

In this joyful atmosphere, a gentle breeze blew through them, carrying a warm and comforting scent like home, making everyone momentarily dazed.

The Herrrscher of Sentience quickly regained clarity, shouting, "It's starting... huh?!"

As if a veil over the world was lifted by the breeze, the scene around Luo Lin and her group changed.

Delta blinked, staring at the familiar surroundings, then exclaimed in surprise, "This is... the bridge of the Hyperion?"

Luo Lin shifted in her seat, finding herself on an especially large and comfortable chair, likely the captain's seat...

Not far away, numerous buttons on the control console flashed rhythmically, and floating projection screens gave the environment a sci-fi feel.

Looking ahead, a large transparent viewport appeared, with the sturdy deck dividing the view of sky and earth. Several turrets extended from the deck's edge, exuding a menacing aura.

Elysia tilted her head, recalling something, "Isn't this the floating battleship of Schicksal? The one your old superior Ragnar commanded?"

Luo Lin replied, "Yes, but not exactly. In a sense, there are quite a few Hyperions..."

Schrödinger's face changed, asking, "Wait, what about our shelter? And the survivors?"

Surprisingly, Chen Tianwu answered Schrödinger's question, "The survivors are still in the shelter, and everything is well-maintained. And isn't the Hyperion our shelter?"

"Ah? Are you sure?"

Schrödinger immediately looked at the shelter's defense force commander, trying to read his face.

The man seemed quite confused, not understanding why Schrödinger would ask such a question.

Anna noticed something wrong, quietly tugged Chen Tianwu's sleeve, and whispered, "Schrödinger has been busy fixing the power system and upgrading your weapons. She might be too tired to keep up with the outside situation."

"Oh, oh."

The two thought their conversation was secret, but everyone heard it clearly.

Luo Lin pondered for a moment, then asked, "Anna, could you report the shelter's situation again? You know, I just woke up from fainting, my mind's a bit fuzzy... repeat all the information."

"Yes, Doctor!"

Then, Anna stepped forward and narrated a completely different story of the shelter.

In this story, Shelter 386 transformed from an ordinary shelter into a small floating spaceport with an airship.

The airships here were originally meant to evacuate high-value personnel from nearby industrial parks after a disaster. However, the disaster struck too suddenly, and no "high-value personnel" arrived.

Moreover, it seems the Honkai's arrival caused a series of issues, disabling the airship's systems and components.

A large number of refugees and unprepared defense forces were helpless in this dire situation, almost losing control in the chaos.

In the critical moment, Dr. Luo Lin and her friends arrived and changed everything!

What followed was familiar: under Dr. Luo Lin's wise leadership, the group repaired the airship's engines and components, ensured the shelter's normal operation, gathered abundant resources and supplies, upgraded the defense forces' weapons, and repelled numerous Honkai beasts...

"So, in their memory, Shelter 386 suddenly had an airship?"

The Herrrscher of Sentience scratched her head, "Is this a memory implant? But why didn't my power detect any alterations? Their memories differ from our real experiences!"

"It must be the Ether Anchor's 'work'."

Delta touched her chin thoughtfully, "Hmm, it feels like directly replacing or modifying the game's base files..."

Luo Lin scratched her head, pointing at the turrets outside the viewport, "Since you say this is a transport ship, do you recognize that thing?"

Anna replied, "Yes, it's a turret!"

"Then do you think this is still a transport ship?"

Chen Tianwu and Anna nodded together, "It's a transport ship."

The man smiled awkwardly, "Just that Schrödinger and Dr. Luo Lin slightly modified it to give it some self-defense firepower."

Schrödinger stared at the large turret control screen on the console, the array of missile launch silos, energy shield interface, and the prominent main cannon preparation screen, deep in thought.

You call this self-defense firepower? And you say I modified it? Am I the kind of tech genius who can install turrets on such a big ship with just a wrench?

Is it you with the problem or me?

Chapter 74: Some Secrets and Her Subsequent Arrival

Let's rewind time a bit and focus on Welt Yang, the Herrscher of Reason, who typically remains unnoticed.

After Luo Lin fell unconscious, Welt went to check on her but found himself rather useless there. Even before arriving at the Sea of Quanta, Welt was in poor condition. After battling the old ancestor Kevin and risking his life to seal him Bubble World, saying Welt's power was even a tenth of its usual strength would be optimistic.

Facing the unconscious Luo Lin, the Herrscher of Reason was helpless. Although Welt could conjure numerous research, detection, and medical instruments, it didn’t mean he could effectively use them to solve Luo Lin’s problems.

Thus, the devices Welt created were commandeered by Mobius, Vill-V, and Schrödinger, and he was left to assist them.

Welt gladly agreed, as his scientific knowledge as the Herrscher of Reason surpassed many. Without some understanding, he couldn't have conjured Basic Titans or battled the six-core Sirin. He even manipulated the "Star of Eden" to play with mini black holes. He thought assisting them would be easy... right?

However, in the presence of these three scientific powerhouses, he felt his brain struggling to keep up. Their discussions rapidly advanced from Stigmata Space, mental imprints, the underlying rules of the world, the birth and destruction of Bubble Worlds, to the operational logic of the Sea of Quanta and the Imaginary Tree.

Welt: "?"

How long was I guarding the Sea of Quanta? How did I suddenly become so clueless? Did I miss some version updates?

Indeed, the person who brought the new version was lying on the bed.

A bewildered Herrscher of Reason received a thick stack of research materials (from Mobius and Vill-V, annotated by Schrödinger), and was somewhat dismissed by the scientists who were impatient with his slow comprehension.

Vill-V's reason was: "Mr. Herrscher of Reason, please review these materials. We have enough of your instruments here. Later, remember to create more equipment for the defense forces, repair the shelter’s power engines, and make some shield generators and such."

She glanced at the "Sleeping Beauty" Luo Lin: "From experience with a certain person, we’re definitely going to have several more battles..."

Thus, Welt found himself by the main engine powering Shelter 386, staring at the crystal embedded in the engine, named "Ether Anchor."

"So this is the enhancement Luo Lin mentioned...? An engine that could only meet basic shelter needs, with limited duration, can now perfectly handle its original duties, charge several combat mechs, and maintain several basic production lines..."

Both his intuition and the Herrscher of Reason’s authority told Welt of this object's importance and value—a massive energy reservoir with a peculiar, almost eerie allure.

Is this Honkai energy?

The Herrscher of Reason sensed the Ether Anchor, detecting traces of Honkai energy mixed with other elements. He sensed many quantum fluctuations and some undefinable, minor components...

Staring at the Ether Anchor, Welt couldn't help but smile bitterly. Shaking his head, he murmured, "Really... Why am I suddenly becoming mystical too...? No, Welt, you're the Herrscher of Reason. You need to focus on turning these mysteries into comprehensible, analyzable data..."

Only then can humanity gain more advantages in the battle against Honkai, leading to victory.

Welt decided to analyze the Ether Anchor with his Herrscher powers, hoping to gain some insights.

But before that, he flipped through the research report from the scientists, intending to do some "preschool preparation."

He skimmed the contents and went directly to the section on the Ether Anchor.

Soon, the Herrscher of Reason found many terms that seemed more fantastical than scientific, like... rules? Emotions? Will and soul?

"Huh? Miss Luo Lin wrote this part? Isn't this a bit..."

Before Welt could finish muttering, he saw several annotations.

【Refer to this data for new progress in fundamental world rules, see GZ-XXX... —Vill-V】

【Research on Stigmata and soul-related studies match up; new chips and manifestation devices have been improved, worth further exploration. —Mobius】

【Interesting perspective, limited by available instruments and materials, I can’t experiment yet. May consider obtaining another Ether Anchor from other Bubble Worlds in the Sea of Quanta for research... But Miss Luo Lin's report and research are quite good, worth encouragement. —Schrödinger】

"...Alright, all experts."

Welt silently adjusted his mindset and continued reading.

A few minutes later, having read this section of the report, he felt somewhat prepared.

So, the Herrscher of Reason cautiously extended his hand, touched the peculiar stone with his fingertips, and tried to analyze it with his powers.

In the next moment, data far beyond Welt’s expectations flooded his mind through his powers.

He saw fire flickering in the darkness, a cold, powerful yet fragile presence, and a small entity filled with many colorful lights.

A bit further, streams of green data and purplish-red blocks seemed to be communicating.

Welt's perspective was pulled back, shrinking everything he saw into a colorful bubble.

At its center, many ordinary bubbles twisted, stacked, and connected, surrounded by blue and golden light, slowly slicing and devouring its size.

Welt felt his perspective rising, vaguely seeing the shadows of a vast tree and sea behind the invasive light.

But the Herrscher of Reason still couldn't control his viewpoint. Everything around him kept shrinking, and he felt a strong pull, as if wanting to return to his body.

Out of curiosity or some instinct, Welt endured this pull, maintaining his extraordinary state.

It seemed like a moment, or perhaps a long time, before everything condensed into a line extending infinitely.

With his last bit of consciousness, Welt focused on the end of the line near him.

Tiny, sand-like particles fell from there into some container.

They were blue and sparkly—crystals.

Finally, the Herrscher of Reason could no longer maintain this extraordinary and exhausting state, and his consciousness returned to his body.

Welt didn’t understand what he saw. He rubbed his temples, feeling his brain overloaded.

"Wait a minute, this place shouldn’t look like this."

The Herrscher of Reason stared at the newly transformed surroundings, dazed.

At this moment, Welt was unaware that Luo Lin had awakened. Her third Ether Anchor had completed the shelter’s super-evolution, transforming it into the Hyperion.

But before Welt could sort out his thoughts, a loud alarm sounded, and Chen Tianwu’s voice came through the communicator.

"Enemy attack! It’s Kukulkan, and there’s a massive Honkai energy reaction, confirmed to be a Herrscher... Wait, the Herrscher’s appearance... No, this can’t be... Why... Why is the Herrscher you?!"

The leader of the defense forces let out a terrifying roar and then closed his eyes in pain.

In the control room, everyone stared at the projection screen. The sky was filled with dragon-shaped Honkai beasts, and the Herrscher, surrounded by Kukulkans, watched the survivors with cold eyes.

Luo Lin glanced at the visibly distressed Anna and asked, "She is...?"

Anna opened her mouth and, with difficulty, said, "She is... Chen Tianwu's sister, Chen Tianwen."

【乱码氵】No, didn't Big V just livestream?

Community » Games » Honkai Impact 3rd »

【乱码氵】No, didn't Big V just livestream?

CT Yakumo Purple (Level 3)【Original Poster】- Posted in Guangdong

【Screenshot】

【Host is charging】

【Last Livestream Time: One hour ago】

It seems like I'm late, does anyone have a recording of the livestream?

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All Replies: Collapse↑

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Yang - Posted in Jiangxi (1st floor)

What? Big V did a surprise livestream today?

💎 Welcome Commander (105) Reply|View Comments (3)

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CT Yakumo Purple【Original Poster】- Posted in Guangdong (2nd floor)

Reply: Yang's post... (1st floor)

-She did, but I was busy with something else and didn't get a chance to watch it 😭😭

💎 Welcome Commander (59) Reply|View Comments (1)

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Paradox丨Yakumo Yukitsuki - Posted in Guangxi (3rd floor)

Reply: Yang's post... (1st floor)

-How come your description makes Big V seem like a vTuber? 🤔

💎 Welcome Commander (13) Reply|View Comments (1)

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Yang - Posted in Jiangxi (4th floor)

Reply: Paradox丨Yakumo Yukitsuki's post... (3rd floor)

-Isn't Big V a vTuber? 🤔

Posts videos, images, does livestreams, but never reveals their true identity, and their voice sounds pretty virtual, don't know if they're using a voice changer... 🤔

💎 Welcome Commander (123) Reply|View Comments (2)

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Ctro233 - Posted in Tianjin (5th floor)

🤔 Big V has always done surprise livestreams, sometimes popping up to say a few words.

By the way, why haven't we seen Big V around lately? Where are they? @Helix climbing the Network Cable

💎 Welcome Commander (18) Reply|View Comments (1)

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Tianchuan Sheng - Posted in Sichuan (6th floor)

Reply: Ctro233's post... (5th floor)

-Recently, Big V hasn't even had automatic replies, did the forum's reply bot crash? Let the Garbled Genius show off their technical prowess and save it.

💎 Welcome Commander (8) Reply|View Comments (1)

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Salt Snow Vieta - Posted in Beijing (7th floor)

Reply: Tianchuan Sheng's post... (6th floor)

-Are there really bots like that?

💎 Welcome Commander (16) Reply|View Comments (2)

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Tianchuan Sheng - Posted in Sichuan (8th floor)

Reply: Salt Snow Vieta's post... (7th floor)

-The frequency at which you post replies makes me suspect you're a bot, but the content... a bot can't produce stuff like that.

It's hard to imagine how you manage to post such apt replies under every chilly post.

💎 Welcome Commander (8) Reply|View Comments (1)

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Salt Snow Vieta - Posted in Beijing (9th floor)

Reply: Tianchuan Sheng's post... (8th floor)

-As long as you have enough imagination 🥵

💎 Welcome Commander (11) Reply|View Comments (2)

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Physical Hypnotist - Posted in Anhui (10th floor)

How did the thread derail so far? So does anyone have a recording of the livestream?

💎 Welcome Commander (34) Reply|View Comments (1)

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Legendary Strawberry - Posted in Shanghai (11th floor)

Reply: Physical Hypnotist's post... (10th floor)

-Big V ended the stream at lightning speed, I clicked on it the first time and didn't even have time to record.

💎 Welcome Commander (167) Reply|View Comments (9)

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CT Yakumo Purple【Original Poster】- Posted in Guangdong (12th floor)

Reply: Legendary Strawberry's post... (11th floor)

-I can't believe it, Strawberry-sensei!

💎 Welcome Commander (25) Reply

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Salt Snow Vieta - Posted in Beijing (13th floor)

Reply: Legendary Strawberry's post... (11th floor)

-Strawberry bro (flying pounce), let me lick you!

💎 Welcome Commander (16) Reply|View Comments (1)

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Ctro233 - Posted in Tianjin (14th floor)

Reply: Salt Snow Vieta's post... (13th floor)

-Sea monster, tone it down! Don't do that to my beloved Strawberry-sensei! 👊😡

💎 Welcome Commander (8) Reply

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Magnetic Burst Infantry 54 - Posted in Zhejiang (15th floor)

Reply: Legendary Strawberry's post... (11th floor)

-"Big V Teacher's Surprise Livestream Recording (Full Length 1:31)"-🔗 Web Link

<img src="https://c1.kuangxiangit.com/uploads/chapterimgsnew/238/205038/230902/1693584353-100320893-110751087.jpg" alt='Video Cover'>

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Legendary Strawberry - Posted in Shanghai (16th floor)

Reply: Magnetic Burst Infantry 54's post... (15th floor)

-Hero!!!! 😭😭😭

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CT Yakumo Purple【Original Poster】- Posted in Guangdong (17th floor)

Reply: Magnetic Burst Infantry 54's post... (15th floor)

-Is this the what's-it-called from Honkai Gakuen? Big V Teacher is still doing this?

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Paradox丨Yakumo Yukitsuki - Posted in Guangxi (18th floor)

Reply: CT Yakumo Purple's post... (17th floor)

-Uh, why do I feel like this thing looks like it's shot on location?

If this is special effects, it's way too realistic...?

And that black shadow floating in the sky...

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Legendary Strawberry - Posted in Shanghai (19th floor)

Reply: Paradox丨Yakumo Yukitsuki's post... (18th floor)

-The special effects department checked it out, they said the Garbled Genius's skills have improved again, it's indistinguishable from reality.

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Jinse Tianyang - Posted in Hunan (20th floor)

Reply: Legendary Strawberry's post... (19th floor)

-Is there a possibility that Big V Teacher is really shooting on location? 🤔

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Chapter 75: Solution

When Luo Lin first saw Chen Tianwu and Anna in the Bubble World, she felt somewhat uneasy.

After all, the performances of these two in the main storyline of Honkai Impact 3 could be described as quite "weighty (in a negative sense)," prompting countless players to complain about the 18th chapter, "Frozen Ground," and the 19th chapter, "Crack in the Rock," which were related to them.

Originally, the story told that in 2015, the Honkai outbreak occurred in Manila, Philippines, causing Anna Schariac, an A-rank Valkyrie, and her Snow Lotus team to be scattered in the chaos, losing contact with each other. The fear of death made Anna lose her rationality. She only cared about evacuating herself, ignoring the people affected by disasters along the way — including Chen Tianwen, who was seriously injured...

And this became a factor influencing her fate. When Anna calmed down and regained her senses, remembering the oath and duty of a Valkyrie... she returned to the area where the Honkai had struck to rescue refugees. This time, Anna found Chen Tianwu, Chen Tianwen's brother. Unfortunately, at this time, the number of Honkai beasts in the Manila urban area was too high for Anna to safely leave with Chen Tianwu.

Anna once again found herself in a dilemma. Chen Tianwu, who noticed this, asked Anna to leave first, find reinforcements, and then come back to rescue him. He even bet that if both of them managed to escape, Anna would go on a date with him. The Valkyrie accepted Chen Tianwu's bet and gave him half of her necklace as a stake... Fortunately, this time she did not make a mistake and successfully brought reinforcements back to rescue Chen Tianwu.

Before parting, Chen Tianwu handed Anna a photo of his sister, Chen Tianwen, and asked her to help find out her whereabouts. Seeing the photo, Anna realized that the girl in the picture was one of the refugees she had abandoned while fleeing. Anna was deeply remorseful for not saving the girl earlier, and she immediately refused, leaving without taking back her necklace.

Clutching the necklace, Chen Tianwu, who was still unaware of the truth, regarded Valkyrie Anna as his guiding light, his savior. With this longing in his heart, Chen Tianwu worked hard to find a way to cure the severe Honkai corruption on his body and delved into the dark side of the world. In 2016, by chance, Chen Tianwu met Raven and joined World Serpent under Natasha's extradition. He quickly rose through the ranks, and most of his body's tissues were replaced with mechanical structures, effectively prolonging his life against Honkai corruption...

The next time Chen Tianwu and Anna met would be during the fifth Honkai eruption... a turning point in their destinies. In fact, Anna Schariac and Chen Tianwu were probably created by the scriptwriting team as a "control group" to contrast with Kiana and Raiden Mei —

They harbored affection for each other, and later one of them became a Herrscher, while the other tried to stabilize the former with love and hope, even willing to defy the world to save their loved one. Unfortunately, Anna's determination and will were not as strong as Kiana's, and she had some flaws in her character. Chen Tianwu's love, hope, and trust... were extinguished completely when he learned that Anna had once abandoned his sister, Chen Tianwen, to die, and eventually, he too became a Herrscher.

Under the influence of the Honkai, Anna Schariac, the Herrscher of Ice, and Chen Tianwu, initially the Herrscher of Rock (later changed to "Herrscher of Stars" to better match his abilities), this pair of star-crossed lovers were merged, becoming the Herrscher of Rimestar, possessing the powers of both. This merged Herrscher was later eliminated by a joint effort of Raiden Mei and Bronya Zaychik, ending their lives relatively cleanly...

Of course, for the players, this storyline seemed somewhat unsatisfactory. So, when Luo Lin saw Chen Tianwen and Anna appearing in this Bubble World, and another character closely related to both of them, and even directly changing the destinies of the two, Chen Tianwen, appeared, Luo Lin naturally was not particularly surprised.

She asked softly, "Tianwu?"

"...I'm... fine." Chen Tianwu's face was dark, he hesitated for a moment, and finally hoarsely said, "Herrschers... are enemies. She's an enemy now... I, I'll prepare for battle..." With that, he stepped off the bridge, walking faster and faster under the gaze of everyone, until he started running.

Luo Lin immediately patted Anna's shoulder, "Go and hold Chen Tianwu down. He's not in a suitable state for battle right now — that's just suicide, understand?"

"But..."

"There's no 'but,' hurry, don't let him do something stupid!" Anna nodded and ran off to find Chen Tianwu.

Delta crossed her arms, her brow furrowed, and she exclaimed, "Tsk, how can this happen..." After this, Luo Lin glanced at the data on the projection screen of the bridge and sighed softly, "An abnormal gravitational reaction has been detected... She should be the Herrscher of Rock now..."

It seemed that the Herrscher of Rock noticed something, and her gaze turned towards the bridge of the Hyperion. Kevin remained composed, meeting the Herrscher of Rock's gaze. The Herrscher seemed cautious, as she could sense a deadly threat emanating from the white-haired warrior. So, the Herrscher of Rock reached out, and the Kukulkan around her roared as they dove downward. At the same time, the Honkai corruption in the sky emitted light, and countless ordinary Honkai beasts generated from the air followed the dragon-type Honkai beasts, charging forward.

"All weapon systems online, charging complete!" Luo Lin immediately called Helix to activate the Hyperion's weapon systems, then casually pulled Schroedinger over. "This is the lock key, this is the fire key, this is the shield — okay, you've learned how to operate the Hyperion's weapon system, now let's move on to the combat phase!"

Schroedinger grabbed the joystick, twitching his mouth, "Luo Lin, you..."

Helix cheered, "Forget it, fire away!"

The brunette with curly hair sighed and tightened her grip on the joystick, "I'm just an ordinary researcher, doing this kind of fighting..."

"Boom boom boom!"

Schroedinger calmly used the close-range cannons to force a Kukulkan back, and the subsequent barrage sent it flying, crashing into a nearby building.

"...I've been fed up with these Honkai beasts for a long time!"

More dragon-type Honkai beasts arrived from the distance, one crashing into the thick shield. Amidst the vibration, Welt's voice came through the communication system:

"This is Welt, I'm adjusting the engine and shield systems. We can hold out for a long time... but we need to reduce the enemy's numbers quickly, or..."

"Or directly kill the leading units."

Kevin added the second half of Welt's sentence that he didn't get to finish. The white-haired warrior clenched the key of divinity and stepped forward.

"The Herrscher of Rock... is just another opponent to defeat."

Kevin turned his head to Luo Lin, "Luo Lin, open the sortie passage."

"Okay."

The black-haired girl made a couple of adjustments on the console, and a slight vibration was felt from nearby. Kevin, relying solely on these sounds, located the position of the gate, then left the bridge at an astonishing speed, rushing out through the open passage. The soaring flames scattered the Kukulkans surrounding the Hyperion, both from mid and long-range laser beams and energy balls.

For the Hyperion, which adjusted its shields manually under the guidance of a logical Herrscher, the threat seemed negligible. Welt's main concern was the swarm of Kukulkans rushing in, attacking with claws and bodies...

After all, the energy shield didn't have much resistance against these close-range physical attacks.

At this moment, the Herrscher of Rock floated away into the distance. She realized that Kevin was not in a good condition, so she let her Kukulkans consume the strength of the white-haired warrior. Occasionally, she would attempt to ambush Kevin, but unfortunately, he managed to evade each time.

"..."

The Herrscher glanced back at the bridge of the Hyperion and locked eyes with Luo Lin, who was operating the weapon systems.

Luo Lin felt a hint of familiarity from Chen Tianwen's perspective. In her eyes, emotions of "desire" overflowed, tinged with a bit of yellow and blue light...

The Valkyrie's expression turned serious, "This special effect... is bad. Don't tell me the two big shots from the Sea of Trees are about to arrive in the next second?"

"Not yet..."

The system spoke, "[Because, through the enhancement of the Ether Anchor, the shelter, now called the Hyperion, has obscured the perception of the Imaginary Tree and Sea of Quanta for this Bubble World. Right now, they can only grope around like blind people here.]"

"So, is Chen Tianwen now one of the 'tentacles' the two big shots are using to explore and locate?"

"Yes, currently, the Imaginary Tree and Sea of Quanta are determined. They've invested the majority of their forces into this 'blind man groping the elephant' operation — this is our chance."

The system continued, "[We just need to figure out a way to induce the tree and sea to explore in the wrong direction, then, with the Hyperion's shielding field, we can safely lead everyone out of this encirclement.]"

"Don't forget about Yae Sakura and Theresa. We need to get them back too... So, how do we induce the tree and sea to explore in the wrong direction?"

"Luo Lin, what do you mean by inducing the tree and sea to explore in the wrong direction?"

At this moment, Welt Yang's voice suddenly interrupted the channel.

"The Imaginary Tree and Sea of Quanta, of course."

"...Well, I have an idea to try out. Do you see the pattern above our heads filled with Honkai energy? Yes, it's the Honkai dead spot..."

Welt Yang interrupted, "I've found that this thing, compared to the abilities of the Herrschers, seems more like some kind of automated program. Perhaps we can gain control of it, like hacking into a program, and then dump it all into the 'Stigmata Terminal'... I can guarantee that the commotion caused by this thing will definitely attract their attention."

Chapter 76: Beginning to Intervene

"Let's not talk about how we hacked into the dead spot above us and gained a massive amount of Honkai energy. Just restarting the 'Stigmata Terminal' again... Are you sure about this?" Luo Lin questioned, "Previously, when I activated the device alone, my consciousness was thrown into the depths of the stigmata space, and it took me a great effort to come back... Now you plan to flood this thing with Honkai energy. What will be the outcome?"

Helixspread her hands open. "I don't know."

Luo Lin almost stumbled and fell to the ground at this response, causing the sub-cannon of the Hyperion she was operating to shoot a strange barrage that landed in empty space.

"[Helix], transferring sub-cannon control to you temporarily."

"Got it, watch me!"

[Helix] version Haxxor Bunny rubbed her hands together, manifesting two drones with rabbit ears. They quickly plugged into the interface on the console, emitting a series of peculiar lights.

Finally, [Helix], born from Vill-V's Signet, had a chance to showcase her abilities. She multitasked, handling several parallel thoughts of work alone.

Luo Lin turned her head and asked, "Are you planning to throw me or someone else into that peculiar stigmata space again?"

The Great Magician hurriedly explained, "No, no, no. After analyzing the previous data, adjusting, and calculating the device parameters, I can guarantee there won't be the same issues this time... Right, Mobius?"

Luo Lin looked at the projection of Mobius. The green-haired doctor clicked her tongue in displeasure and said, "I also followed her reasoning and checked the calculations. In theory, there shouldn't be any problems. I even watched her start the 'Stigmata Terminal' in the Elysian Realm once without any other reactions... But I still think it's unreliable."

Vill-V's face turned green, but before she could speak, Mobius continued, "However, the target you're dealing with now is the Imaginary Tree and the Sea of Quanta... Tsk."

The green-haired doctor paused, staring sharply at Luo Lin. "I should have understood earlier, Little White Mouse, those special rules on your body... What's the saying? Miracles and magic are not free."

Luo Lin was taken aback, "Where did you hear that?"

The answer came from Vill-V, who stroked her chin and said, "If I remember correctly, it should be from some children's book Raven brought back a while ago, seemingly called 'Magical Girl Little Homu'?"

Luo Lin asked, "Mobius, you read children's books?"

Snake crossed her arms, "I didn't really want to. Raven gave it to Grey Serpent to pass to a child she had taken in, and Grey Serpent very conscientiously gave it to me for review, and I just happened to remember a line from it."

The black-haired Valkyrie raised an eyebrow, "Is that so?"

In a corner of the Elysian Realm, Fuxi and Nuwa huddled together, pointing at Mobius in the distance and whispering.

"Sis, I think the doctor is clearly interested in cultural entertainment from thousands of years later..."

"I think so too, but the doctor is watching us now... For the sake of our lives, let's drop this topic."

Seeing the sisters being so sensible, Mobius shifted her gaze from Fuxi and Nuwa back to Luo Lin.

"The origin of that line is unimportant, but its meaning is clear..."

She coughed and continued, "Luo Lin, I know you have some secrets that are hard to explain, but gaining something always comes with a price—just like now, being targeted by the Imaginary Tree and the Sea of Quanta. You must use it cautiously, understood?"

The Valkyrie nodded, "Yes, I understand."

After all, Luo Lin had spent a lot of crystals she had worked hard to earn, but the system indeed did many things with those crystals... At least she felt it was worth it.

Oh, perhaps the only clear loss was the identification she bought in Changkong City back then. It was directly seen through by Otto, who also sent a terrifying message ordering her to stand by...

Luo Lin shook her head to clear her thoughts, "So, Mobius, what's your opinion?"

Mobius retorted, "Do you have any other solutions? Let's hear them for reference."

"Well..."

Luo Lin scratched her head and smiled bitterly, "At least for now, I don't have any..."

The system with crystals was indeed omnipotent, but crystals burned really quickly... At least the number of crystals in her pocket now wasn't enough to come up with another 'solution.'

The system indicated that perhaps after Kevin helped take down Chen Tianwen, the Herrscher of Rock, and the 'Rebirth event concluded, there would be enough crystals to solve the current predicament of being hunted by the Imaginary Tree and the Sea of Quanta...

Luo Lin gazed out of the bridge window, watching the soaring flames, which were the radiance emitted by the Divine Key in Kevin's hand.

The white-haired warrior dodged a rock spike formed from Honkai energy, then almost smashed into the ground, creating a crater-like terrain.

At this moment, Kevin was enduring the pressure of dozens of times the normal gravity, while the surrounding gravity was also becoming chaotic under the Herrscher of Rock's control, with forces coming from all directions to disrupt his movements.

Despite this, Kevin overcame these difficulties with his strong body and skills, fighting with an almost effortless grace. The Kukulkan attacking him were in dire straits, many dead or injured, their combat effectiveness greatly reduced.

Wait, how long has this been going on? Why isn't the Herrscher of Rock dead yet? Shouldn't Kevin have taken down Chen Tianwen in one strike, then gone on a rampage, and everyone claimed their rewards and left?

Just then, Kevin's voice came through the communicator, "The Herrscher's state is abnormal. Shamash's effect on her is weak—she's connected to that 'Honkai dead spot' you mentioned. Honkai energy is continuously pouring into her. We must cut off their link..."

Everyone was shocked, "What?!"

"Indeed, the Herrscher of Rock appearing at this moment is related to the Honkai dead spot... Maybe she's controlling this thing?"

Luo Lin held onto the console and said, "Vill-V, bring out your plan. Let's solve the Honkai dead spot problem first!"

Helix nodded and then shouted, "Senti!"

"What's up?"

"Use your powers to interfere with and control the Herrscher of Rock's mind! Only then can I find an opportunity to hack into the Honkai dead spot..."

The Great Magician quickly tapped on the keyboard, lighting up the antennas deployed earlier on the map one by one. The intricate mechanical structures began to operate, emitting strange blue lights that shot straight into the sky.

She revealed a bizarre smile, licking her lips in excitement, "Vill-V's work never has just one function. Herrscher, try this..."

Chapter 77: Uninvited Guest

"Kevin, hey? Can you hear me?"

The voice of the Herrscher of Sentience abruptly echoed in the white-haired warrior's mind, making him slightly uncomfortable. He became alert, instinctively fortifying his consciousness according to the mental training techniques for dealing with psychic enemies.

"Herrscher of Sentience?"

Senti complained, "Ah, why did you get tense all of a sudden? You almost broke our mental link..."

At that moment, Elysia's voice came through in the same manner: "Kevin, listen to me. Vill-Vhas a plan—we need to create an opportunity for the Herrscher of Sentience to intervene in the Herrscher of Rock's consciousness. After that, we'll find a way to take control of the Honkai dead spot and end this troublesome situation!"

Kevin felt a breeze behind him, and a familiar pink figure descended from the sky, landing beside him.

Elysia drew her bow, aiming at the Kukulkan and the Herrscher of Rock.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes."

In the next instant, fiery flames arose. The dragon-shaped Honkai beast tried to evade Kevin's attack based on previous experience but was hit at the wing root by a crystal arrow that curved mid-flight. Its flying posture was affected, and it vanished in the flames with a wail.

The Herrscher of Rock, Chen Tianwen, raised his hand, and the exaggerated gravity also pressed down on Elysia. The pink elf grunted, staggering slightly.

Kevin glanced at her; Elysia responded with a smile.

"Don't push yourself."

"Hmm."

The pink elf moved her body slightly stiffly and sighed, "Sigh, it's so intense. My current body isn't as strong as it used to be..."

She had also asked Luo Lin if there was a way to become stronger.

Luo Lin's expression at the time was quite complex, and she said a lot of words that Elysia didn't quite understand: "Sure, either get a suitable set of attributes for the stigmata, upgrade and enhance your weapon, or... actually, your current body is considered an S0 character. If you can get some shards to advance, it would also make you stronger... However, all these options require crystals..."

Obviously, Luo Lin didn't have "money" and would continue to lack money for the foreseeable future...

Elysia shook her head, shaking off the emerging memories, and refocused on the battle.

"Besides, being too enthusiastic can scare girls, you know?"

She knelt on the ground, drawing her bow towards the sky. [Flawless Dome] expanded in a pink glow, but this time the dome's coverage was unexpectedly large. The downside was that the previously tight crystal walls dispersed, reducing the frequency and number of refracted attacks and increasing the gaps between them.

However, for the Kukulkan, this change was not favorable.

After all, this large dome covered more enemies at once, and the dragon-shaped Honkai beasts' massive size meant they couldn't dodge even if the attack gaps widened...

Overall, Elysia's damage output per second actually increased!

Meanwhile, as the pink elf divided the pressure, Kevin charged directly at the Herrscher of Rock.

The white-haired warrior sliced through the gravity waves created by the Herrscher, leaped over stone spikes rising from the ground, and turned the simultaneously flying rocks into explosive mist with his flames.

The Herrscher of Rock reached out, blocking the gold-red blade slashing out of the smoke with a screeching sound.

Chen Tianwen's eyes locked with Kevin's.

"Alright, here I come!"

In the Herrscher of Rock's shocked gaze, black and red feathers appeared in the white-haired warrior's eyes. Then, a figure suddenly materialized between them—the Herrscher of Sentience used Kevin as a springboard for a precise ambush.

Senti swiftly pressed a black feather against Chen Tianwen's head, turning into a streak of light that entered the Herrscher's consciousness before she could react.

"Thank you, Kevin!"

The Herrscher of Sentience overlooked Chen Tianwen's mindscape, a devastated city mirroring the outside world. Golden lines spanned the sky, echoing the Honkai dead spot in reality.

This space was filled with despair and malice; it was clear that Chen Tianwen was a "dedicated" Herrscher.

"So, unlike Kiana or Raiden Mei... Chen Tianwen has no remnants of her former personality. She's beyond saving... Is it because of the bubble world, or because this copy follows the previous era's history where Herrschers couldn't regain their humanity?"

Senti sighed, "No matter, for Luo Lin's and my safe return home..."

The gray-haired girl placed her right hand in front, extending her middle and index fingers while curling the others, forming a sword seal. Flames ignited at the Herrscher's brow, swiftly spreading over her body.

The fire formed a phoenix pattern around her, rapidly encroaching on half the sky in the mindscape, contending with the shattered, despairing world.

A tremendous power gathered around the Herrscher of Sentience, even attracting stones from the ground to rise in defiance of gravity.

Her aura surged, and the pattern under her power emitted a sharp phoenix cry, like a living creature spreading its wings to enclose the Herrscher.

"Strange, why does this action feel familiar... Maybe I'm missing a line about 'failure' or something?"

The flame-formed phoenix scratched its head humanly, then gave up thinking.

"Uh, it feels a bit ominous, so I'll just smash it directly!"

She turned, flapping her wings, and plunged downward with flames.

"Shreee—"

The flaming phoenix hit the Herrscher head-on, fully striking it head on.

The Herrscher of Sentience's blow severely affected Chen Tianwen's psyche. She was dazed while fighting Kevin. Seizing the opportunity, the white-haired warrior leveled the tip of the Judgement of Shamash and thrust it towards the Herrscher of Rock's core.

"Clang!"

A golden beam of light protruded from the Honkai dead spot in the sky, forcefully pushing back Kevin, then enveloping the dazed Chen Tianwen, subjecting her to the terrifying Honkai energy, which corroded her body.

In Kevin's eyes, this move could be likened to facing some sort of super-sized Honkai energy cannon.

A few seconds later, the Herrscher of Sentience was "flushed" out by this torrential Honkai energy. She hopped back to Kevin's side, accompanied by crackling sounds, looking quite disheveled.

"What's this? Chen Tianwen used Honkai energy to 'bombard' herself just to force me out?" Senti exclaimed, "Even though Herrschers have a high tolerance for Honkai energy, this level is completely beyond the norm! Chen Tianwen's body and consciousness definitely can't handle it. Is she completely disregarding her own life?"

Just then, Vil-V's voice came through Kevin's communicator, "You've done well. I've successfully gained partial control over the Honkai dead spot! I'm now weakening her connection to the dead spot!"

As her voice trailed off, the pillar of Honkai energy enveloping Chen Tianwen instantly diminished in size and intensity, allowing Kevin and the Herrscher of Sentience to see the Herrscher of Rock's current state clearly—

As Senti had commented, Chen Tianwen couldn't withstand such a huge amount of Honkai energy. Her body was tattered, even beginning to decay and break apart under their gaze, with her Herrscher core exposed, barely maintaining the integrity of her body.

"The next step is to adjust the projection direction and position... done!" Kevin and the Herrscher of Sentience simultaneously looked up. Vill-V activated several antennas in the distance, emitting blue light that intervened in the Honkai dead spot. Then, just like the golden beam that had previously shrouded the Herrscher of Rock, rays of light descended from the sky, projecting diagonally into the distance.

There, the "Stigmata Terminal" scanner was fully deployed, resembling some kind of antenna dish, absorbing all the energy descending from the Honkai dead spot and injecting it into the chip representing the underlying rules of the world.

In their unseen field of vision, the strings representing the connection began to vibrate, passing through the depths of the Stigmata space at an extremely fast speed, heading towards the unknown distance.

"...To the esteemed senior gamer, Miss Administrator, I'm afraid I can no longer continue playing this game called Honkai Impact 3rd. Please convey to the developers that overall, I'm quite satisfied with the game, but... why isn't there a plotline with the appearance of a great savior? So, I'll give it a 7 out of 10!"

Houraiji Kyuusyou stood up, handed the phone back to Ai-chan, looked up towards the direction of the energy transmission. Meanwhile, on the phone screen, the game icon of a white fluffy ball, holding a pistol pose and smiling brightly, vibrated as if it had just been minimized by Kyuusyou.

"If I have the chance, I'll definitely convey it to the developers personally, in a face-to-face meeting... Savior-sama."

Ai-chan nodded, tapping her finger on the phone. It melted and transformed into a cool, hoop-shaped blade in a burst of radiance.

"Spreading warmth, that's nice... Also, remember to give that troublemaker who caused such a commotion a good beating. This isn't about lighting a candle in a latrine—looking for shit, is it?"

Kyuusyou impatiently tugged at his bangs, grasping a pair of dual blades that appeared out of nowhere. "Certainly, there must be some damn nuisance crawling over through the network... Miss Administrator, would you like to accompany me to exterminate a bug?"

"As a game administrator, eliminating bugs that affect the game is also one of my responsibilities," Ai-chan asked, "But, what kind of bug are we going to exterminate this time?"

"Humph, it's probably some brainless idiot who's only chasing after Honkai..."

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

"Mm..."

The gray-haired man, who looked like his eyes would never open, had a serious expression as he stared at the image projected by the antenna.

"Mr. Su, Mr. Su?"

Durandal's call brought Su back to reality. He turned his head and found the golden-haired knight pointing at his hand.

"The leaf in your hand...!"

"Hmm?"

Su suddenly lowered his head, staring at his palm— at this moment, the Bodhi leaf was shimmering with both emerald and golden lights simultaneously.

If observed closely, these two opposing forces seemed to be vying for more space on the leaf, with every vein becoming a focal point of contention, intertwining and changing colors, flickering incessantly...

Moreover, at the moment, the state of the emerald side seemed rather precarious, with the majority of the leaf being occupied by the golden hue.

In a moment of confusion, Durandal felt as if she wasn't looking at a leaf, but rather a frontline map of some gruesome battlefield.

In a sense, Durandal's feeling wasn't entirely wrong...

"How could this be..."

Su wore a rare expression of distress on his face as he murmured, "We've clearly found the individual capable of saving the world and the appropriate path, so why would the future undergo such drastic changes...? Even compared to the possibilities I've observed before... Where did we go wrong?"

After reminding him of this matter, Durandal didn't disturb Su's contemplation further. She turned her head to gaze at the fluctuating image projected by the "antenna."

It was fortunate that the golden-haired knight possessed formidable physical and perceptual capabilities, enabling her to glean information from these fragmented images.

She saw shattered cities, skies with peculiar patterns, and Honkai beasts surging like tides. The image jumped abruptly, and after a beam of light strong enough to tear through the enemy tide, three familiar figures were captured by Durandal and Su—

The gallant pink-haired girl leaped into the air, drawing her longbow. The black-haired girl stood in the middle, seemingly shouting something, while the gray-haired girl held a long spear in one hand, revealing a rather "healthy" smile.

Durandal became excited, "Ah, it's Teacher Luolin! Mr. Su, look!"

"This signal should be coming from somewhere else in the Sea of Quanta. Let me use [Cosmic Juggernaut] to observe..."

The gray-haired man raised his hand, and the phantom of a golden locomotive appeared in the sky. Then, something resembling a mirror, bursting with sparks along the edges, appeared before Durandal and Su.

Through this "window," the golden-haired knight was able to clearly observe the appearance of the Sea of Quanta. She asked in confusion, "This is... such a strange Bubble World..."

"These are structures formed by the overlap of many Bubble Worlds, and they're definitely not natural formations... No wonder the antenna receives signals intermittently, and the displayed images are so chaotic—such intense imaginary and quantum fluctuations create powerful interference, affecting even the flow of time within the Bubble Worlds..."

Su pursed his lips and took a deep breath, "Thanks to your teacher leaving these antennas as 'relays.' Without their help, I'm afraid we wouldn't even be able to locate her."

Durandal eagerly said, "Then let's set off now to rescue her!"

"...So that's how it is, things are different here..."

Su looked deeply at the golden-haired knight, with a hint of realization in his eyes, "Alright, I'll follow your lead. So, what do we... hmm?"

The gray-haired man suddenly made a puzzled sound, as if noticing something else, and even in his immense astonishment, he opened his eyes.

Those were such sharp eyes, piercing through the fog of concealment and reaching the truth!

Su saw a mass of intangible, seemingly living energy, emanating an aura that clashed with this world, wildly pouring into one of the Bubble Worlds.

"This thing, such strong malice! But... why does it feel like it's trying to escape?"

Chapter 78 Confirming Identity

"Good! The second objective has been successfully achieved! The trees and the sea must have noticed the commotion we created just now! This will make our retreat much easier!" Vill-V's tone sounded somewhat excited but still restrained. After all, Luo Lin had just wrecked the device she created not long ago; it wouldn't be wise to celebrate prematurely.

"Boom!"

Kevin casually struck down a Kukulkan and followed up with another sword slash aimed at the pillar of light enveloping the Herrscher of Rock. The surging flames made the light pillar tremble and shake for a few seconds, but it eventually returned to its normal state, sustained by the abundant supply of Honkai energy from the Dead Spots.

Sensing the urgent situation, a layer of pitch-black membrane formed from Honkai energy suddenly appeared around the Herrscher of Rock, encasing her like a cocoon. This anomaly made the white-haired warrior's eyes grow serious. He asked in a deep voice, "Vill-V, how much longer until you can disable this troublesome shield?"

"It's a bit tricky. Let me see... within two minutes, right away!"

The sound of intense keyboard tapping came through the communicator, resembling the firing of close-in defense guns on the Hyperion.

Kevin quickly shifted his gaze to Elysia and the Herrscher of Sentience. The two of them were fighting fiercely with Kukulkan and other approaching Honkai beasts, their coordination seamless, indicating they were experienced Abyss veterans.

The white-haired warrior charged into the enemy ranks with his sword, Judgement of Shamash slicing left and right, leaving numerous molten traces in the ruins. Additionally, the broken limbs of Honkai beasts were strewn about.

The Herrscher of Sentience glanced at the orb within the pillar of light and shouted to Kevin, "By the way, Kevin, be careful later. When the shield disappears, the enemy will definitely launch a powerful attack... I mean, make a big move!"

She misspoke, using the peculiar jargon she and Luo Lin used in the Abyss. Fortunately, the white-haired warrior's focus wasn't on these "strange" words at the moment; he simply replied with a firm "Mm."

Two minutes passed quickly, and Vill-V kept her promise. The pillar of light protecting the Herrscher of Rock shattered and dissipated into the air, exposing the pitch-black cocoon. At that instant, the three of them simultaneously launched an attack on the Herrscher of Rock.

Red, pink, and black-red energy converged, striking the cocoon heavily. The shell shattered under the energy bombardment, revealing its contents—

The first thing that came into view was a deep purple, entwining and twisting like tentacles clinging to the Herrscher of Rock's body, stabilizing the previously severely damaged form. These tentacles also used a deep purple gel-like substance of the same material to fill in the cracks and broken gaps—the only problem was that this repair was purely for emergency purposes, completely ignoring the external appearance.

Now the Herrscher looked like something that had crawled out of an indescribable purple mud pit, with limbs of uneven length and numerous writhing tendrils. Only one eye remained, and this form could only be described as "barely humanoid"...

The Herrscher of Sentience was stunned, then burst out with a curse: "Damn, how did she become this monstrosity? She was a pretty little girl before... Ugh, so disgusting!"

Kevin did not comment on the appearance, silently raising his sword to strike.

"Clang!"

The tendrils on Chen Tianwen's body suddenly swelled and lashed out, clashing with the sword strike, producing a sharp metallic sound. Kevin struck several more times in quick succession, but all were perfectly blocked by the tendrils.

Elysia and the Herrscher of Sentience took this opportunity to move to Chen Tianwen's flanks, unleashing a barrage of crystal arrows and flying swords towards the Herrscher of Rock.

However, as these attacks approached a certain range around Chen Tianwen, their speed drastically decreased, allowing the Herrscher of Rock to easily dodge with slight movements.

"Something's wrong..."

The Herrscher of Sentience frowned, glancing at the short sword in her hand made of Honkai energy. Normally, controlling Honkai energy was not difficult for a Herrscher, but she found her control over it diminishing, requiring more effort to stabilize the sword in her hand.

She took a deep breath, carefully sensing the differences, and finally felt that the nearby Honkai energy was becoming more violent, more aggressive and invasive...

Although Honkai energy was inherently unstable, the Honkai energy around Chen Tianwen seemed excessively active, even giving an eerie, lifelike impression.

—No, perhaps this wasn't an illusion!

The Herrscher of Sentience's eyes widened as she blurted out, "Be careful of the Honkai energy around here! Something's wrong, it seems to be alive!"

"What?"

Before the words had finished, a purple torrent erupted from Chen Tianwen's body, shooting straight towards the Herrscher of Sentience—this torrent was composed of the same abnormal Honkai energy, exuding an aura completely out of place with its surroundings! In the blink of an eye, the three present caught a glimpse of its essence: it was devouring, assimilating, and expanding, transforming ordinary Honkai energy into a more intense, active form.

Unbelievable, Honkai energy could now differentiate into different types?

This thought flashed through Elysia's mind as she drew her war bow, her arrows intercepting the torrent mid-flight, the exploding crystal shards deflecting it away.

The Herrscher of Sentience's instincts screamed with unprecedented warning; she immediately understood that contact with this thing would have extraordinarily severe consequences...

"What the hell is this thing?!"

The Herrscher of Sentience took flight, continuously launching attacks at the "homing missile," but to no avail; it persisted relentlessly, even making several turns mid-air, seemingly locked onto her.

In the next moment, the flames cast by Kevin collided fiercely with the purple mass. The flames exhibited a surprisingly restraining effect, incinerating the abnormal Honkai energy in an instant.

The Herrscher of Sentience sighed in relief, "Thanks a lot!"

Kevin, wielding his greatsword, said, "We must maintain suppression; we can't let her freely absorb the surrounding Honkai energy!"

Vill-V's voice arrived belatedly, "What the hell? Did you just say the Honkai energy came alive?"

Elysia affirmed her statement, "It seems so... we might have encountered a special, living Honkai energy enemy?"

"What?"

Vill-V and Mobius exchanged glances, seeing confusion in each other's eyes.

The Herrscher of Sentience cursed, then communicated the unusual properties of the Honkai energy she sensed to everyone.

On the Hyperion bridge, Luo Lin and [Helix] grew increasingly familiar with the description, until they couldn't help but shiver.

"Assimilation, expansion... if Houraiji Kyuusyou has appeared, it's not impossible for that thing to emerge, is it?"

Luo Lin and [Helix] exchanged a look and simultaneously shouted, "The Sovereign of Will?!"

*【氵】What Exactly is the Sovereign of Will?*

*Community » Games » Honkai Impact 3rd »*

*【氵】What Exactly is the Sovereign of Will?*

*Supreme Leader of Elysia Cult (Level 3) [Original Poster] - Posted from Jiangsu*

What exactly is the Sovereign of Will?

In Honkai Gakuen 2, it is the final boss of the first storyline (Rebirth Chapter), an entity capable of controlling vast amounts of Honkai energy, appearing to others as if Honkai energy itself had gained consciousness.

People tend to give religious explanations to phenomena they don't understand, so it was once called the "God of Honkai" or "Will of Honkai."

In reality, this thing is an energy lifeform from another world. That world had already been taken over by energy lifeforms, and the leader of these energy lifeforms is named the "Sovereign of Will."

At the very beginning, the civilization of the energy lifeforms discovered the substance known as Honkai energy. A division within their civilization arose over whether to use this energy.

Following this division, the two opposing sides waged a devastating war. During the war, a series of weapons were created to enslave, possess, and control the enemy—these weapons eventually went out of control, becoming the first "Sovereign of Will."

They truly embodied the Herrscher of Corruption's phrase "spread, permeate, fill every corner of the world," endlessly expanding and destroying like cancer cells, until the very end of the universe.

Thus, they "unified" their world, leaving the universe full of the ruins of civilizations and energy lifeforms transformed into entities like themselves... or rather, they became the universe itself, making up everything in it.

The Sovereign of Will can command all of this, meaning its resources are, in a sense, unlimited.

Thereafter, the Sovereign of Will decided to expand and spread to other worlds—a highly challenging endeavor, almost impossible even from the perspective of the Sovereign of Will itself.

But they were determined to do so (or perhaps their nature of expansion and destruction drove them to it). After what could be described as an eternity, consuming the energy of billions of galaxies, they finally succeeded in creating a passage, exchanging a faint thread of Honkai energy into the world they intended to invade...

And the unfortunate target was the universe of Honkai Gakuen 2, thus beginning a long and tragic war spanning tens of thousands of years and three generations (Rebirth Chapter, Retrospection Chapter, and Newborn Chapter).

It sounds like the Sovereign of Will's setup is so ridiculous that it's almost invincible, so how did the protagonists of Honkai 2 win in the end?

As mentioned earlier, crossing worlds is a very difficult task. The Sovereign of Will expended a great deal of effort to create a passage and infuse Honkai energy into the world of Honkai 2, with a clear purpose.

As long as the amount of Honkai energy in the Honkai 2 world increased, the distance between the two worlds would rapidly close, enlarging the previously established "passage," ultimately causing the two worlds to completely overlap and merge.

But before the assimilation was complete, the size of the "passage" was limited, and the speed at which Honkai energy could be injected from the other world was not infinite. Moreover, although the Sovereign of Will had almost infinite resources behind it, its ability to manage those resources was not limitless.

Thus, the protagonists of Honkai 2 managed to temporarily close the "passage" between the two worlds, effectively bringing it to a manageable level.

Wait, doesn’t this seem familiar? A certain pseudo-god Otto smiles faintly:

He also connected to the Imaginary Tree, gaining powers akin to a god, only to have Kiana "reset" the connection with one swift kick, losing his invincible hack, and was subsequently skewered by the [Palatinus Equinox] Durandal...

After all, Otto’s main focus was not on combat, and the combat prowess of the Kaslana sisters was among the best. It’s understandable that Otto fell quickly after losing his hack.

The Sovereign of Will, however, is different. As the leader of the energy lifeforms and the vanguard of an invasion into another world, even without the support of infinite Honkai energy, its combat strength is considerable.

To land a decisive blow on it, one must look back at Honkai 2’s concepts of "wishing" and "response":

In Honkai 2, humans exist in the physical world, while their souls reside in the soul world. Souls and bodies coexist while living and disappear together upon death.

Dr. MEI of the Zero Era (a truly villainous character, one could say she was anti-human) created an instrument called the "Stigmata Terminal."

This instrument, though unable to reach the soul world, could interfere with it. After death, a person’s soul would be "intercepted" and "imprisoned" by the Stigmata Terminal. These imprisoned souls were called Exiles. Thus, the souls of the dead and the living coexisted in the soul world.

The power of "Stigmata" in Honkai 2 derives from this:

By deepening the connection with the souls of the dead, one could inherit their memories. Strengthening the connection with the souls of the living would allow for a more precise and directed use of Honkai energy to achieve desired effects, avoiding random or undesirable outcomes.

Through the Stigmata, people could transform one substance into another using Honkai energy. This process was termed "wishing" and "response."

Performing wishing and response was the power of the Stigmata, an ability modeled after the "Holy Maiden’s Power"… The true "Holy Maiden’s Power" involved wishing followed by the response of numerous souls, resulting in a much more potent force capable of changing the world.

Wait, what is this sudden "Holy Maiden’s Power"?

It is a form of soul-manipulating power and the fundamental force of the Sovereign of Will.

Naturally, MEI’s creation of the Stigmata Terminal was also guided by the Sovereign of Will—it detached a part of itself and, through the Zero Era’s Kiana (the initial invasion target), passed the "Holy Maiden’s Power" to MEI for research.

This madwoman didn’t disappoint, mimicking the "Holy Maiden’s Power" and ultimately creating the "Stigmata" and "Stigmata Terminal," hoping to create an immortal, fully controlled new world—the Stigmata World.

However, the Stigmata Terminal didn’t truly "imprison" the souls of the dead.

According to the usual logic of the Honkai universe, souls vanish upon death. The Stigmata World created by the Stigmata Terminal, along with the Exiles within it, is a sort of "data replica" based on the soul world.

But they could still genuinely influence the soul world and respond to "wishes," altering the form of matter through Honkai energy...

Thus, MEI inevitably failed. Her failure led to the emergence of an entity called the "Scribe" within the Stigmata World, who tried to resist everything MEI did and delved deep into research on Honkai energy and the Sovereign of Will… Most of the settings mentioned above were essentially her discoveries.

As time passed, more and more Exiles were created by the Stigmata Terminal. Like kindling, they responded to the Holy Maiden’s Power, strengthening its manifestation in the real world and accelerating the influx of Honkai energy, greatly hastening the invasion of the energy lifeforms.

After three generations and over eighty thousand years, the Sovereign of Will finally descended into this world through the Stigmata Terminal, a move that could be considered a win...

... or was it?

When the Sovereign of Will entered the world of Honkai 2, all Exiles in the realm of souls came under attack, clearly the work of the Sovereign of Will.

Perhaps it also feared the possibility of failure and sought to eliminate all possible disruptions...

Previously consumed by the Sovereign of Will, Kiana found a chance for redemption: she fragmented her own soul into countless pieces to save each Exile, rescuing every individual in need...

The flow of time in the Stigmata Space was not the same as in the real world, and the scale was quite exaggerated. In this lengthy period, Kiana fought, struggled, and protected, exhausting her soul and engaging in endless battles, nearly dissipating into nothingness.

But in the end, she created a miracle—all Exiles were saved by Kiana.

This meant that, on the level of souls, Kiana had defeated the Sovereign of Will.

Meanwhile, in the real world, others were actively seeking ways to defeat the Sovereign of Will...

Though the final battle was brutal—Ninti drifted into space after the spacecraft was destroyed, Siegfried and Himeko became completely quantumized and unobservable, Bronya fell into madness, and Raiden Mei, upon arriving before the Sovereign of Will, was on the brink of death due to excessive use of the Godslayer Armor, ultimately being consumed by the Sovereign of Will and entering the Stigmata World...

However, in the Stigmata World, Raiden Mei witnessed the peaceful Stigmata World, saved by Kiana, and found the remaining fragment of Kiana's soul, a small Kiana.

All her memories were lost in the long battle, but she still longed for Raiden Mei, allowing this love to preserve the last fragment of Kiana's soul.

In the end, Raiden Mei embarked on a journey in the Stigmata World with little Kiana, conversing and cooperating with the Scribe, who desired to liberate all Exiles, and eventually arrived at a sea of flowers, Kiana's secret garden.

In the garden, all those saved by Kiana began to respond to their most sincere wishes—for Mei, it was to see Kiana again and be with her.

The Exiles liberated themselves completely. Responding to this wish would bring them the long-awaited liberation and freedom.

After burning through all the imprisoned souls throughout history, the response to the wish created a miracle, and Kiana and Mei returned to reality, carrying unprecedented miraculous power, completely defeating the Sovereign of Will...

This is the conclusion of the first part of Honkai Gakuen 2, a very beautiful and romantic period.

Of course, what comes after... oh man, don't even mention it, it's tear-inducing.

One summer, my dear mentor, one summer! 😭

Chapter 79: Quantum Assault

“What is the 'Sovereign of Will'?”

As Vill-V asked this, Mobius had almost pressed her face against the projection screen, staring at the increasingly distorted creature with her green snake eyes.

Perhaps it was intuition or instinct, but Mobius sensed something particularly detestable about this creature—something uncontrollable, unrestrained, and irrational.

“Is this another of Luo Lin's bizarre Sentience sessions?”

Elysia joked while staying busy—after discovering their attacks were almost ineffective against the Disfigured Herrrscher of Rock, she and Senti switched to intercepting and clearing the Kukulkan around them, trying to protect Kevin from distractions.

Luo Lin snapped out of her shock and quickly organized her thoughts before explaining, “As Senti mentioned, this is a highly malicious energy lifeform, an invader from another world...”

The Herrscher of Sentience clicked her tongue in annoyance, “Another bubble universe? The Sea of Quanta really is vast.”

“No, it's not a bubble world, nor from a branch of the Imaginary Tree. It’s from a world even further away...”

On closer inspection, this is the final boss from Honkai Gakuen 2!

“Further away...?”

The Herrscher of Sentience pondered, then concluded firmly, “It must have something to do with you.”

“Probably, it’s now using the Herrrscher of Rock’s body to move around...”

Luo Lin gave a bitter smile, then quickly recalled a ridiculous aspect of the Sovereign of Will’s setup, “Right, Senti, reinforce your mental defenses immediately. This creature has a high-intensity mental pollution attack!”

Senti remembered the powerful sense of threat from the Herrrscher of Rock—now the Sovereign of Will—when it struck, and frowned deeply.

“Alright, got it...”

The Herrscher of Sentience took a deep breath, black-red light flashing in her eyes as she used her Herrscher powers to reinforce the mental defenses of the three present.

She was used to working on related things in Luo Lin’s mind, so the task was quickly completed.

Seconds after Senti finished, the Sovereign of Will let out a sharp scream, sending a powerful mental attack that crashed into the freshly established mental defenses.

“Phew, good thing I acted fast... Luo Lin was right, this creature’s mental attack is indeed troublesome.”

The Herrscher of Sentience was startled, then squinted, her eyes deepening in red with caution, “Trying to play mind games? Too bad you’re too small; otherwise, I might actually suffer... No worries, this trick is mine now!”

With the Herrscher of Sentience present, the Sovereign of Will couldn’t gain an advantage mentally and had to try finding a breakthrough from Kevin, who was fighting it one-on-one.

The white-haired warrior’s Judgement of Shamash emitted a dazzling light, with flames burning the Sovereign of Will’s body and leaving blackened gaps.

However, within seconds, the wounds wriggled and healed, even sprouting extra tissues or tentacles, making its form increasingly indescribable.

It roared, and its tentacles extended, carrying massive amounts of Honkai energy, whipping towards Kevin.

The white-haired warrior quickly moved, the golden-red blade of his sword trembling lightly. With a swing, he incinerated the attacking Honkai energy and tentacles.

At that moment, Kevin noticed something unusual in his attacks. Apart from the usual red and gold, there was a faint, ghostly blue flame flickering.

After confirming several times, the white-haired warrior realized this was not his power or an effect of the fusion warrior’s talent but came from the weapon itself.

“...”

Kevin glanced at his God Key, knowing this was not the original Judgement of Shamash but a weapon transformed from the Ether Anchor—an item closely related to bubble universes in the Sea of Quanta, even considered their “treasure” or “crystal”...

The blue flame was likely related to quantum properties.

Kevin then communicated his hypothesis through the mental link woven by the Herrscher of Sentience, “Luo Lin, I think quantum attacks can deal extra or targeted damage to the Sovereign of Will.”

“...Huh?”

On the Hyperion bridge, Luo Lin was momentarily stunned, then turned to Helix beside her, “Switch to Stygian Nymph and go test it out?”

“Got it, you handle the operations!”

Helix agreed, her Maze Rabbit form instantly blurring and transforming into the elegantly dressed Stygian Nymph. She became an ethereal butterfly shadow, swiftly flying off the Hyperion deck.

Near the sanctuary, Delta, fighting alongside Seele, was startled to see a figure resembling Seele with a scythe flying past.

Delta immediately became alert, informing Seele, “There might be an enemy disguised as you...”

Seele awkwardly coughed and explained, “No, that’s actually Sister Luo Lin... She can transform into my form and use the same powers.”

“Like how she can turn into that Rabbit? Got it...”

Delta sighed in relief, watching Helix’s direction.

Helix moved quickly, using quantum power to nearly straight-line through ruins and Honkai beasts, reaching the battle site of the Sovereign of Will and Kevin at top speed.

“I’m here!”

A pure quantum slash arrived before Helix’s voice, a blue arc flashing and breaking through the Sovereign of Will’s active Honkai energy defenses, severing several of its tentacles.

The white-clad girl appeared with blue butterfly shadows, landing lightly beside Kevin, her scythe named Abyssal Gate pointing at the purple tentacle monster.

Kevin stared at Stygian Nymph, asking,

“...Luo Lin?”

“It’s me, I’ll explain later.”

Helix swung her scythe again, sending another identical quantum attack, easily penetrating the Sovereign of Will’s energy defenses.

“Confirmed, quantum attacks are super effective on this creature!”

Chapter 80: Help

Although Luo Lin had confirmed that quantum attributes could specifically harm the Sovereign of Will, this was only a slight relief. The battlefield situation was far from optimistic.

Helix couldn’t help but complain, “Why does this thing get bigger the more we hit it?”

Indeed, the Sovereign of Will was still alive, and its regenerative ability was astonishing. Whenever Kevin or Helix cut off one of its limbs, it would grow back shortly, sometimes even sprouting an extra limb or eyes from the same spot.

Luo Lin thought the creature still somewhat resembled a tentacle monster. But if this continued, it might soon be more appropriate to call it an "Eldritch God."

“As things stand, our damage can’t suppress its regeneration and proliferation. Its recovery and growth speed is increasing... we can’t let this go on.”

While swinging his greatsword, Kevin communicated through the mental link, “We need stronger, larger, and more decisive attacks. Even if we can’t destroy it outright, we need to significantly drain its energy.

“That’s easier said than done…”

The only ones in their team with any connection to quantum energy were Kevin wielding the Ether Anchor Judgement of Shamash, Stygian Nymph, Seele, and Delta. There was no one else.

What? Why not Schrödinger? She did float around the Sea of Quanta for a long time and was skilled with quantum energy. But Schrödinger was an academic scientist, not a hands-on fighter like Mobius or Vill-V. Her greatest weapon was her intellect and technology, so dealing with the Sovereign of Will directly was a bit much for her.

“I’ve already informed Delta and Seele to head your way. They’ll join the attack... I’ll think of something else.”

Luo Lin pursed her lips, her mind racing.

This was only a temporary measure. Doubling the units capable of directly damaging the Sovereign of Will sounded good on paper, but the actual increase in combat effectiveness wasn’t so straightforward. Helix, Seele, and Delta had never fought alongside Kevin before, so their combined output wouldn’t simply add up. In fact, their lack of coordination might even decrease their overall effectiveness.

“Vill-V, can you use the Dead Spot to hit the Sovereign of Will?”

“Like the bombardment that charged the ‘Stigmata Terminal’ earlier?”

“So it was a bombardment! I thought it looked exaggerated.”

Vill-V shook her head. “I’m afraid not. I didn’t plan for further use of the Dead Spot. The hacking I performed earlier was crude and disrupted many control nodes. If I fire again, the power will be far less than before, probably not even as strong as one of Kevin’s sword strikes.”

Luo Lin sighed bitterly. “So that’s useless... What’s next...”

At that moment, a noisy, static-filled sound came from the Hyperion’s control panel, followed by a communication projection screen full of static.

“Can you hear me, Captain Luo Lin?”

The black-haired girl stared at the screen with a serious expression. “Who are you?”

“The signal is a bit bad... hold on a moment...”

The voice on the other end sounded troubled, but within seconds, the static cleared, revealing her face to Luo Lin.

“Ah, that’s better now.”

Luo Lin was shocked. “Ai Hyperion?!”

The green-haired girl smiled mysteriously. “Yes, it’s me, Captain—or should I say, one of the many Hyperion captains? Or perhaps the most unique, the traveling captain...?”

“You know...”

Luo Lin was momentarily stunned but then found it quite reasonable after recalling Ai Hyperion’s setup.

Known as "Cabbage," Ai Hyperion wasn’t an ordinary character. She claimed to be the "Chief Administrator of Honkai 3rd" and appeared in the "Honkai Rescue Log" event (also achieving the milestone of playing Honkai 3rd within Honkai 3rd), and she was quite active at the end of the main story's first part, helping Kiana and her team.

She had a unique method of helping—by leveraging the power of real-world players to break an enormous shield with countless layers.

Yes, Ai Hyperion had meta-properties, breaking the fourth wall to interact directly with the game’s players. She had greeted the players on-screen and sincerely thanked all the captains playing Honkai 3rd, saying things like, without your support, this game wouldn’t still be running.

It was touching, and Luo Lin liked her.

“Don’t worry, Captain, I know what you’re concerned about,” Cabbage said. “The others didn’t hear what I just told you. At least, I won’t spread this information.”

“Well, thank you for that...”

Luo Lin’s mouth twitched. “So, Miss Ai, are you going to... call upon the power of all Honkai 3rd captains to give the Sovereign of Will a beating?”

“Wow, Captain, you came up with a very romantic solution!”

The green-haired girl shyly touched her bangs and smiled. “But sorry, I can’t do that right now... it’s not the right time or place. That kind of power isn’t easily accessed.”

Luo Lin pressed her temples and exhaled. “...Okay, so you must have another plan, right?”

Ai nodded and pointed to a button on the control panel. “Look, this is the control button for the Hyperion’s Selene system. Press it, and the Hyperion’s main cannon will switch modes!”

“This ship has a Moonlight Throne?!”

“Of course, the Hyperion is equipped with the Selene system, as clearly stated in its settings... and since this ship was upgraded with three Ether Anchors, it also has quantum attributes...”

Luo Lin understood—this weapon could exploit the quantum weakness!

Ai raised a finger solemnly. “Just prepare well, and you can easily and happily defeat that intruder from the neighboring set. Impressive, right?”

“Thanks... And did you send this ship?”

Cabbage tilted her head playfully, her eyes glinting with amusement. “Huh? What are you talking about? What Hyperion? What Houraiji Kyuusyou? Ai doesn’t know~”

Luo Lin scratched her head. “Enough with the tsundere act, it’s out of date... And about Houraiji Kyuusyou...”

“She’s helping too, cutting off the Sovereign of Will’s connection to its original world...” Ai winked. “And about the tsundere thing—well-written plots never fail to charm players!"

“Alright... I’m heading out!”

“Looking forward to your success, Captain. Don’t let us down!”

Chapter 81: Bombardment, and Then...

"How is the evacuation of the survivors going?"

On the bridge of the Hyperion, Luo Lin asked while operating the ship's weapon systems, "I'm about to ram this ship straight into the Sovereign of Will. This is too dangerous for them to be involved..."

Anna replied, "I started evacuating the civilians when the battle began. They're all safely evacuated now!"

Luo Lin sighed in relief, "You're so reliable, Anna..."

Anna quickly responded, "It's because everyone believes in Dr. Luo Lin. They trust you will return victorious and rebuild our home, ultimately defeating the Honkai. So, they left without hesitation and in an orderly manner, not wanting to hinder your plans."

"Is that so..."

The Valkyrie murmured to herself, "Even though the identity granted to me by the bubble world seems absurd, if it gives them confidence and hope, then... it’s worth it..."

Luo Lin was silent for a few seconds before suddenly remembering someone else, "Oh right, how is Chen Tianwu doing?"

Anna hesitated, "As for him..."

Before she could finish, a hoarse voice interrupted.

"Doctor!"

The person they were discussing walked over. Chen Tianwu hurriedly adjusted his clothes and said softly, "Doctor, I’m alright now..."

The Valkyrie scrutinized Chen Tianwu's appearance on the screen. Though he seemed a bit exhausted, there was a burning determination in his eyes, and his aura was far stronger than before, almost as if he had accepted the possibility of dying.

Anna looked at Chen Tianwu with worried eyes, conflicted and hesitant to speak.

Chen Tianwu clenched his fists, "Doctor, the situation is critical, and you need to take the airship to battle. The shelter's defense is weak. Please allow me to fight! I won’t let my tragedy happen to anyone else!"

"Indeed, but you need to take care of yourself, stay alive, and watch over those around you. Don’t let them down..."

"Yes, Doctor!"

Listening to Luo Lin’s words, Chen Tianwu’s face twitched. He seemed to want to glance at Anna standing beside him, but after taking several deep breaths, perhaps fearing his resolve would waver, he turned and left.

Luo Lin smiled wryly, "Ah, it's easy to preach these lofty ideals, but... who am I to say that? I can't even follow them myself..."

"Wait!"

Anna seemed to have made a decision. Without even turning off the communication, she ran after Chen Tianwu.

"What the... Mmph!"

Hearing the commotion behind him, Chen Tianwu instinctively turned around, only to find Anna leaping into his arms like the wind. She cupped his face with both hands and kissed him passionately.

Luo Lin couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow..."

Chen Tianwu's eyes widened like saucers, stunned by the sudden "attack," frozen in place.

A few seconds later, Anna stopped the kiss, panting heavily, her face flushed. It was unclear whether she was out of breath from the prolonged kiss or too excited.

Chen Tianwu finally reacted, stammering, "Anna... you... I have nothing left. I'm not worthy..."

Anna held his face, her voice breaking, "Don’t say that. You still have me! From now on, I am your new family! I’ll be here waiting, so come back safely!"

"...Okay."

Chen Tianwu was momentarily stunned, then smiled and took Anna's hand, "When we win, we’ll go back home and get mar—"

Luo Lin quickly interrupted, "Hey, stop! Some things shouldn’t be said carelessly; they might bring bad luck!"

Anna then realized, "Dr. Luo Lin...? Did I forget to turn off the communicator?"

Schrödinger chuckled, "Not only is it on, but it’s also on team chat..."

"We heard everything!"

The channel was filled with laughter, likely from squad leaders of the defense forces.

Chen Tianwu also blushed. He quickly pecked Anna on the cheek and left in a hurry...

Luo Lin could see clearly that the despair and fatalism that had gripped Chen Tianwu earlier had dissipated, replaced by a stronger will and hope.

Anna watched as Chen Tianwu boarded his mech and headed to the front lines.

The girl with chestnut hair clasped her hands over her heart and asked, "Doctor, can we win?"

"Of course."

Luo Lin took a deep breath, gazing at the distant eruptions of fire.

Over there, the Sovereign of Will was fighting Kevin and the others, the commotion so great that many Kukulkan sent to attack the shelter had flown back, intending to break the stalemate with the purple tentacle monster.

Thus, only the regular Honkai beasts and zombies kept swarming the shelter—but they were still manageable for the defense forces equipped with mechs modified by Schrödinger and Welt.

"It's time to strike."

Luo Lin gently pushed the control lever. On the projection screen, the Hyperion's engine output quickly increased, causing a slight vibration on the bridge.

The floating battleship gradually ascended, its scattered firepower clearing the surrounding Honkai beasts and zombies like a plow.

Then, this steel behemoth, moving with agility defying its massive frame, charged straight towards the cluster of dragons in the distance.

"She's here!"

The Herrscher of Reason sensed it and shouted, "The Hyperion is here!"

From afar, Luo Lin had already locked onto the Sovereign of Will. The unprecedented, ever-increasing Honkai energy reading was glaring on the radar.

[Selene system, operating normally. Energy accumulation at... 20%... 40%...]

Sensing something, the Sovereign of Will shrieked hysterically at the Hyperion floating in the distance, ignoring the quantum-attribute attacks from Kevin, Seele, Delta, and Spiral.

Intercepted by Elysia and the Herrscher of Reason, the Kukulkans circling the battlefield turned their attention, swarming towards the Hyperion.

"Everyone, clear away from the Sovereign of Will, beware of the bombardment!"

The bridge echoed with the electronic voice indicating the accumulation progress: [60%... 80%...]

Welt manually adjusted the ship's shield frequency, intercepting incoming fireballs and energy blasts. Collaborating with Schrödinger, they operated the close-in weapon systems and secondary batteries, creating a dazzling barrage that thwarted the Kukulkans' attack.

Welt remarked, "Huh? The Hyperion's attack power has increased? Its defenses seem stronger too..."

Schrödinger responded, "Isn’t that a good thing?"

[...100%! Selene, ready!]

Luo Lin’s gaze never left the Sovereign of Will. She slammed her fist onto the button.

"Fire!"

The Hyperion's main cannon emitted a powerful hum. A thick blue beam shot from the bow, instantly vaporizing several Kukulkans in its path, heading straight for the Sovereign of Will.

The Sovereign of Will didn't just stand there. Its gelatinous body split open, revealing a giant maw lined with sharp teeth that spanned its entire body. Deep purple energy gathered above its head, then erupted towards the Hyperion's beam.

"A beam struggle, huh? Sorry... this attack is super effective!"

The blue-white beam, like the sword of Damocles, effortlessly cleaved through the Sovereign of Will's counterattack, striking its purple, gelatinous form directly—

"Gaaahhhh!!!"

The Sovereign of Will twisted and screamed, its purple sludge-like body disintegrating and melting under the bombardment, exposing the battered body of the Herrscher of Rock, Chen Tianwen.

Undoubtedly, the Selene cannon, capable of countering Honkai energy, was the nemesis of such energy-based lifeforms!

Finally, after a few seconds, the body disintegrated completely in the light.

Schrödinger stood up, excitedly adjusting her glasses, "Did we succeed?!"

Luo Lin was alarmed, "Crap, with you asking that, the Sovereign of Will is definitely still alive...?!"

"Crack!"

A clear shattering sound rang out, impossible to miss even amid the intense explosions and humming. A fine spatial crack appeared in Luo Lin’s sight, with the surviving Sovereign of Will attempting to squeeze through.

"It's trying to escape! Selene, second—wait, what’s happening?"

Before Luo Lin could finish, the Sovereign of Will seemed to be struck by an invisible hammer, bouncing back from the crack.

The next moment, blinding gold and azure light streamed from the crack, binding the Sovereign of Will like threads.

"Damn! It's the Tree and the Sea!"

Chapter 82: Will: I'm Blowing You Up

Both humans and Honkai beasts could feel a grand presence spreading from the spatial crack. This aura caused a temporary ceasefire at the shelter as the defense forces, survivors, Honkai beasts, and zombies were all stunned and unable to move.

Chen Tianwu was the first to break free from this "restraint." Gritting his teeth, he issued orders through the communication channel, quickly restoring the defense forces to normal. Taking advantage of the immobilized Honkai beasts and zombies, they unleashed a barrage of firepower, pushing the defensive line significantly forward.

The explosions from afar jolted Anna back to her senses. She leaned against the wall, pressing her temples firmly, then looked worriedly in the direction of the powerful aura.

"Doctor, what's happening on your end...?"

Closer to the aura, the Kukulkans were also affected. They screeched in terror and froze for several seconds, descending en masse. Some even crashed to the ground.

Kevin shook off the aura's influence almost instantly. He warily watched the Sovereign of Will, now entangled in bi-colored threads. He instinctively raised the Sovereign of Will in his hand but lowered it after a few seconds. Seeing the threads as antagonistic to the Sovereign of Will, he was happy to let them fight it out.

The Sovereign of Will and the threads were locked in a fierce struggle. The energy being formed a purple body from Honkai energy, resembling a classic tentacle monster. Sparks and light effects erupted where the threads and tentacles met, creating a scene reminiscent of grilling squid on a wire mesh—albeit much more intense.

Some tentacles were severed by the threads, their dark segments falling to the ground and turning into deep purple fragments. Some threads were torn by the Sovereign of Will, dissipating in flashes of gold or azure.

Seele's face suddenly changed, her eyes turning red. A closer look revealed her pupils glowing with the same azure hue as the threads. In a low voice, the briefly possessed Black Seele said, "It's the one who gave us our power..."

Delta, on the other hand, was stunned, nearly dropping her great sword. "This, this, what?! The Imaginary Tree and the Sea of Quanta can move like this?"

The pink-haired, heterochromatic girl, having traveled extensively through the Sea of Quanta and seen countless bizarre scenes, was taken aback by this new spectacle.

The Herrscher of Knowledge glanced sideways towards the Hyperion, snorted, and dragged Elysia to attack the still-stunned Kukulkans.

As for Luo Lin, her reaction was quite intense.

"System, wasn't the Hyperion supposed to shield us from the Imaginary Tree and Sea of Quanta's detection? How did they find us?"

[Isn't it possible that they aren't after us but the Sovereign of Will?]

"Huh?!"

[As you saw, the Sovereign of Will transformed Honkai energy into a more active, corrosive variant. As the vanguard of an invasion, it would continually make this conversion, eventually filling the universe with this mutated Honkai energy and depleting everything. This would certainly threaten the Imaginary Tree's existence!]

"Damn, when you put it like that, the Tree should indeed be fighting the Sovereign of Will... But why is the Sea of Quanta also involved?"

[Normally, new leaves (worlds) grow on the Imaginary Tree. If a leaf's growth falters, it falls into the Sea of Quanta, becoming its nourishment. The Sovereign of Will, by stealing these leaves, deprives the Sea of Quanta of its sustenance, making its actions harmful even to the Sea.]

Luo Lin mused, "This guy has really angered both sides... I hope they fight harder—I want to see rivers of blood!"

[Stop being a bloodthirsty spectator. Think about whether we've been detected by the Tree and the Sea. They're more interested in us than the Sovereign of Will.]

Luo Lin nodded, "Indeed... But so far, they're focused on the Sovereign of Will with no other reactions. They probably haven't noticed us. Let's let them fight and quickly evacuate the survivors—completely leave this bubble world."

The System hesitated before commenting, "I feel like your words just jinxed us..."

The Sovereign of Will struggled for a while, more threads pouring from the spatial crack, binding it tighter. It was only a matter of time before the Tree and the Sea subdued this invader...

But the Sovereign of Will wasn't willing to accept this fate. It seemed to think its last hope lay with a certain hiding figure at the edge of the battlefield...

"Boom! Crack!"

A series of sounds of breaking threads and shattering glass echoed. The Sovereign of Will unleashed unprecedented power, breaking free from the threads. Then, it exploded into countless fragments, scattering in all directions.

In simpler terms: it blew up!

Golden and azure threads poured from the spatial crack, relentlessly pursuing the Sovereign of Will's fragments, crushing anything in their path.

In that moment, Kevin wielded the Divine Key, sending a fire tornado to incinerate the fragments with quantum energy. The threads immediately changed direction, chasing the remaining pieces of the Sovereign of Will.

Luo Lin watched as the fragments flew towards her, despairing—they were trying to lead trouble to her!

She slammed her hand on the console, "Selene Cannon, fire!"

The energy cannon fired as usual, but the scattered fragments of the Sovereign of Will worked, evading complete destruction. The remaining pieces fell on the Hyperion's bridge, burning to ashes against the energy shield.

However, the Sovereign of Will achieved its goal—

All the threads abruptly halted, allowing the remaining fragments to escape...

Now, they all turned towards the Hyperion.

"We found you."

Chapter 83: Humanity

Luo Lin looked at the countless threads hovering in midair, aiming at her like guided missiles, and felt a bitter taste in her mouth.

She swallowed hard and asked quietly, "System, do you think the crystals in my pocket can handle this situation?"

[Absolutely not! I even think that if you opened your crystal pocket now, there wouldn’t even be that old cartoon effect where moths fly out to show it’s empty…]

The system spoke gravely, [Host, now is the time to use your unparalleled bug-exploiting skills. If you can exploit a bug to deal with this situation, everything will be fine!]

“You—cough, cough… that’s impossible, there’s no way!”

Luo Lin almost choked on her own saliva from the system's suggestion. After a few coughs, she said, “So, do I just find a comfortable position and wait to die?”

[Host, I believe you most likely won’t die—after all, a living host is much more useful than a dead one…]

“That’s even worse!” Luo Lin shouted.

As her anxiety grew, a clear beeping sound echoed. She looked toward the sound, seeing a flashing light on the projection screen indicating an incoming communication.

——It was Ai Hyperion.

“We’ve completely severed the Sovereign of Will’s link to its original world. Now we just need to destroy its body entirely and… uh…”

Ai’s voice trailed off as she saw the dense threads surrounding the floating battleship and the fleeing purple fragments.

A hopeful glow appeared on Luo Lin’s face as she immediately called out for help, “Help, Ai, help!”

Ai frowned and responded, “These are the forces of the Tree and the Sea… it’s strange, they should be mortal enemies, but it looks like they’re cooperating…”

Luo Lin noticed Ai was deep in thought, her red eyes flashing with streams of data.

While Ai pondered a strategy, Houraiji Kyuusyou’s head popped into view, crowding into the communication frame. She nodded at Luo Lin in greeting, then scrutinized the scene around the Hyperion, clicking her tongue in amazement.

“Wow, I thought the Sovereign of Will was tough, but what power is this?” she exclaimed.

“It’s the power of the Imaginary Tree and the Sea of Quanta,” Luo Lin explained.

“I’ve heard of the Imaginary Tree… the Sea of Quanta too, sort of… but I’ve almost forgotten,” Kyuusyou admitted, laughing nonchalantly as she played with her bangs.

“You’re a main character, aren’t you supposed to know everything and explain all these terms?” Luo Lin teased.

With deadpan eyes, Kyuusyou retorted, “As one of the protagonists, I’m the muscle, not the brains. For these questions, you should ask Dr. Ethelwyn or Bronya. It’s called giving the right characters their moment to shine, got it?”

“Got it, you don’t know,” Luo Lin replied, ignoring Kyuusyou’s pufferfish-like, puffed-up face. She turned her hopeful gaze back to Ai, who was still deep in thought.

Kyuusyou grumbled, “Fine, I admit I’ve forgotten some things! It’s natural for the brain to discard unused Sentience… Hey, Luo Lin, those things around you are moving!”

“…”

Finally, the threads representing the Tree and the Sea moved—they stretched out, rising high like giant waves, surging towards the Hyperion.

[In this situation, why not…fire the cannon and resist a bit?]

The system suggested militarily, and Luo Lin complied, pressing the Selene cannon’s firing button. The floating battleship’s most powerful weapon system activated for the third time, massive energy surging through not yet cooled lines, emitting a dangerous hum.

Welt, stationed in the engine room, gritted his teeth, using the Herrscher of Reason’s power to optimize energy flow, reduce the burden on the battleship, and speed up the cannon’s charging.

Under his efforts, the Selene’s attack was even faster than before.

Simultaneously, Kevin raised his Divine Key, sending a stream of energy to merge with the Hyperion’s cannon fire.

The intense explosion briefly deafened the onlookers, scattering the multicolored threads like a burst of fireworks. The Hyperion maneuvered swiftly, engines roaring, tracing a daring arc through the gaps in the threads.

“Luo Lin!”

The Herrscher of Sentience’s urgent call echoed in Luo Lin’s mind, “Those threads… they came from the spatial rift the Sovereign of Will blew open. Can sealing it help? Maybe with the [Void Archive], even a Mimic [Cosmic Juggernaut]?”

“[Void Archive] is with Welt, he’s using the Herrscher’s power to enhance the Hyperion’s mobility along with the Divine Key. Without it, I’d be caught in no time!” Luo Lin replied. “And last time someone tried using [Void Archive] to Mimic [Cosmic Juggernaut] to seal a rift, it backfired completely (see Volume 2, Chapter 15). That method probably won’t work!”

[Helix], sharing the same memory, smacked its forehead, “I remember now, it was during the Void Archives incident. He tried using simulated [Cosmic Juggernaut] to seal the rift, but the Imaginary Tree seized control, inserted a new Herrscher core, and expanded the rift, right?”

Senti clenched its fists, “What do we do then?”

“I’ve got an idea, Captain,” Ai Hyperion finally spoke after a long silence. “First, we need to break the Tree and Sea’s cooperation and make them fight as usual.”

“How?” Luo Lin asked.

Ai looked at the threads chasing the Hyperion, speaking with a complex tone, “Actually, it’s simple… or rather, the hardest part has already been done by you unintentionally…”

“Stop being cryptic, explain it clearly!”

“You just need to broadcast from the Hyperion and say this to the Tree and Sea: ‘There’s only one of me, how will you two share?’”

“Huh?” Luo Lin gaped, “Will that work?”

“Yes,” Ai answered firmly. “Because here, part of them, under your influence, has developed humanity.”

Chapter 84: Foolish

Under the sky segmented by golden Honkai Dead Spots, the engines at the rear of the Hyperion spewed massive and bright flames, trailing dozens of clustered threads that wove a complex and splendid picture in the sky.

Delta, with her mouth half-open, looked greatly shocked: "The Hyperion can still fly like this?!"

In her impression, the Hyperion drove by the Captain was more like a mobile base than an aerial battleship, with rooms, research labs full of instruments, and even spaces for growing vegetables.

Don't ask why there are such places; it's an impulse deeply rooted in the blood of Shenzhou people.

Now, the "mobile base" was maneuvering in the sky like the protagonist mech in a neighboring mecha anime, even occasionally flickering and appearing abruptly on the other side of the sky, leaving many threads spinning in its previous position.

[Tactical warp successful! Module cooling down, next coordinate calculation in progress.]

"Ugh..."

Luo Lin's body swayed a few times, feeling somewhat dazed.

Earlier, the girl steering experienced blackouts and redouts, her vision blurred, and she still hadn't fully recovered.

Considering the Valkyries enhanced by Honkai energy have physiques as tough as concrete blocks, capable of colliding with Honkai beasts and tanks without much issue, it's quite imaginable how exaggerated the Hyperion's maneuvers must be to cause such overload symptoms representing physiological limits.

How's Welt doing, you ask? He's a Herrscher and excels at dying, so he should be able to handle this overload... probably.

But Luo Lin didn't have the luxury to consider the Herrscher of Reason's condition. The dazed girl knew she couldn't waste the space and time created, so she forced herself to activate the Hyperion's external broadcast system.

Luo Lin didn't even remember what she said, but when she came to her senses, the distant golden and blue net had stopped, clearly deep in thought.

The girl asked, "Did I finish speaking?"

"Yes, although you weren't quite clear-headed, the message was conveyed. Now we wait for their reaction," answered Baocai.

As time ticked by, Luo Lin anxiously watched the threads, waiting for a response.

Finally, they moved!

Under Luo Lin's expectant gaze, the golden and blue threads intertwined... no, they entangled, obviously hindering each other.

Around them, imaginary beasts with golden cores and quantum beasts with blue cores formed out of nowhere, colliding with a clanging sound as if destined to fight.

The brief, almost miraculous cooperation between the Imaginary Tree and Sea of Quanta ended, and they started fighting each other.

Seeing this familiar scene, Luo Lin felt an eerie sense of comfort.

She murmured, "I've never felt so clearly that the battle between the Imaginary Tree and Sea of Quanta is so important... thank you."

Ai Hyperion's voice came timely: "Captain, don't let your guard down. Just because they're competing doesn't mean they'll stop trying to capture you! Now our firepower should be enough to handle these pursuing forces, so let's seize the chance while the Tree and Sea are distracted and escape!"

Luo Lin glanced at the significantly reduced threads behind, still not giving up but hindering each other and lighting up the sky with explosions like fireworks...

The girl almost laughed at the sight of those explosions: "You're right, we should..."

Luo Lin paused, looking towards the sanctuary, and whispered, "We still need to go back and pick up the refugees, to leave this dangerous place together..."

"Together?"

Houraiji Kyuusyou clicked her tongue, staring at Luo Lin, making the Valkyrie feel a bit uncomfortable.

Ai Hyperion smiled and nodded: "Captain, do as you think..."

"Okay."

Luo Lin maneuvered the Hyperion to tilt downward, its cannons spitting flames, pushing back the significantly weakened threads.

At this strength, even close-in defense guns could handle it without pressure!

Luo Lin sighed in relief, pressing the communicator to give orders while using mental links to send messages through her artifact.

The Herrscher of Sentience, still at the previous battle position, raised an eyebrow and shouted through the mental link: "Everyone, gather at Shelter 386. Luo Lin says we can prepare to leave this Bubble World!"

Delta sighed, asking, "Can we really leave now? This is the first time I've seen the Imaginary Tree and Sea of Quanta act directly..."

"Trust Luo Lin, trust her crystal."

The Herrscher of Sentience spoke some confusing words, but seeing Elysia nodding eagerly beside her, Delta swallowed her questions.

Maybe ask the Captain about that crystal later...?

The Hyperion was fast, and it didn't take long for Luo Lin to see the original shelter location. She maneuvered the floating battleship to hover above it.

"Chen Tianwu, report the situation!"

"Defense forces fully retracted!"

"Anna!"

"Citizens are ready for evacuation!"

Luo Lin took a deep breath and skillfully landed the Hyperion lightly, its massive hull barely touching the ground, opening its bottom hatch.

Chen Tianwu immediately led the mecha units forward, placing various long planks along the hatch to facilitate the evacuation.

Anna climbed to the hatch, holding a megaphone she found somewhere, shouting loudly: "Maintain order, board quickly! Leave non-essential items behind!"

"Quick, quick..."

Luo Lin nervously watched the threads suppressed by firepower in the distance, licking her dry lips.

"Shhh?!"

The flames of Shamash scorched the threads even further, and Kevin stood on the Hyperion's foredeck, wielding his crimson flame, silently guarding the battleship.

"We'll help too!"

The pink fairy held her warbow, standing beside the white-haired warrior, along with the Herrscher of Sentience, Delta, Seele...

On the other end of the communication, Mobius opened her mouth, finally sighing deeply.

"This fool, idiot... should have left the Bubble World while the Imaginary Tree and Sea of Quanta were distracted..."

Vill-V turned her eyes: "Hmm, but you still care about this fool, which means you like this kind of fool. Doesn't that mean you're a fool too?"

"I don't know how you came to that conclusion. Retake logic lessons, Vill-V!"

Snake hissed, moving her wrists: "Alright, let's act, Chief Engineer, prepare for more trouble."

"Got it!"

...

In the depths of the Stigmata Space, Ai Hyperion propped her face with one hand, unable to stop smiling.

"Well, Savior, this new protagonist is doing well, right?"

"Indeed... she's just a bit dumb. Neither the enemy boss's AI nor our script's logic is very smart..."

Houraiji Kyuusyou observed the scene, sighing: "But, how to say... I still prefer fools..."

Chapter 85: Classic, Timeless

After repeatedly confirming that no one was left outside, Chen Tianwu hastily controlled his mech to jump into the Hyperion’s warehouse, removing the iron planks used earlier to help people board the ship.

"Everyone is on board!"

Chen looked around. The defense forces had also completed boarding and were helping maintain order.

Unfortunately, not many of the modified mechs by Schrödinger and Welt had made it onboard—they were too large, and the warehouse quickly filled up.

Chen had to abandon most of the mechs to make room for more civilians.

Now, the warehouse was crowded with people. The survivors were nervously chatting, feeling the vibrations from various ship cannons firing through the floor.

"Alright, everyone hold on tight, we're about to start maneuvering!"

Luo Lin couldn’t even wait for the hatch to close before making the floating battleship ascend—she had already spent too much time here, and the next actions had to be swift.

Although she tried her best to ensure a stable flight, the newly boarded people couldn't avoid being jostled around, causing exclamations of surprise.

The defense forces fared better; their physical condition was stronger, and they were trained to remain steady, even helping to support some people.

"This is troublesome..."

Chen looked grim. Given the Hyperion’s extreme maneuvers he had observed earlier, it wouldn’t be long before even the defense members were thrown around, creating chaos—or worse.

At that moment, a faint golden ripple spread from the depths of the ship, sweeping through the warehouse. Everyone felt something alleviating the pressure from the ship's maneuvers, preventing them from being tossed about uncontrollably.

"Phew, this should do it..."

In the Hyperion’s engine room, Welt held a small golden sphere, exhaling slightly. It was the [Star of Eden], mimicked by the [Key of Revelation]. The Herrscher of Reason used this imitation Divine Key to adjust the gravity around the survivors.

Earlier, Welt had been busy adjusting engine output, replenishing ship weapon ammunition, repairing and reinforcing the ship's shields, and barely maintaining the Hyperion’s evasive maneuvers, leaving no time to reduce physical strain...

Had either of them failed, it would have fast-forwarded to the CG Death corridor... Fortunately, both Welt and Luo Lin held on, avoiding an undesirable outcome.

"So, how do we evacuate now?" Delta asked.

The bridge had become quite busy, with those who had been out fighting regrouping there (except for Kevin, who stood on the deck burning the surrounding threads), watching the black-haired girl at the control panel.

Schrödinger stated the obvious: "We can’t take the usual route; both the Tree and the Sea are already watching us..."

The Grand Magician considered her words: "We originally planned to use the [Cosmic Juggernaut] to open a portal and leave the Bubble World, but according to Luo Lin, the Imaginary Tree has a precedent for forcibly seizing imitation Divine Keys..."

Mobius frowned: "I remember there's a connection to another Bubble World here, the one with that swimsuit-wearing Seele. How about we transit through that Bubble World first, putting some distance between us and these threads, then make our escape...?"

Luo Lin immediately refused: "No, with the Imaginary Tree and Sea of Quanta chasing us and fighting each other, it would wreak havoc on that Bubble World. It's too dangerous for Seele's Bubble World..."

Mobius spread her hands helplessly: "Do you have any other ideas? This is the only one I can think of right now—we can’t just ram the Hyperion into the Tree and Sea. That would be suicidal..."

"I do have an idea. I’m not sure if it will get us out of here, but I don’t have a better option..."

Luo Lin licked her lips and summoned her system panel with her mind, opening the [Rebirth] event interface, then focused on the final task:

[Leap to the Pinnacle (Important)]

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

[- Complete all prerequisite tasks involving "Eliminate Honkai Interference" (√)]

[- Complete technological research: "Ultimate Detector" (√), "Space Anchor Algorithm" (√)]

[- Complete pre-upgrades for the Shelter: "Ether Anchor Enhancement · III" (√)]

[All prerequisites met, task available—]

[Note: This is the final task of the event storyline. Once started, there is no turning back! All research, logistics, training, and random event progress will halt, and any characters not yet returned from tasks will become unavailable!]

[Are you ready to start this task, Doctor?]

[Execute Task] [Cancel]

"I'm ready."

Luo Lin took a deep breath and pressed the [Execute Task] button.

The next moment, the system event interface was overlaid with a filter, fading out all unnecessary icons, leaving only a single red dot flashing on the event map.

At the same time, the Hyperion’s radar issued an alert: [Detected abnormal spatial fluctuations rising!]

Schrödinger quickly typed on the keyboard, the keys clacking rapidly. After a flurry of activity, she projected coordinates onto the bridge's map.

Luo Lin blinked; the flashing point on the event map perfectly aligned with Schrödinger’s coordinates!

The brown-haired doctor scratched her head: "Huh? Isn’t this the signal we’ve been trying to locate, obscured by the Honkai death streaks’ energy? Why is it appearing now...?"

Luo Lin immediately said loudly: "That's it, we're moving towards it!"

Schrödinger was bewildered: "Huh?"

From the girl’s decisive tone, Mobius sensed something and asked, "So, this is your solution?"

Luo Lin mumbled, "Yes."

"The sudden appearance... and..."

Vill-V seemed to receive some strange data from the previously set-up antennas, raising her eyebrows in interest: "Some very classic signals, responding to the fundamental rules of the world... Luo Lin, I think this move will definitely break the deadlock."

"Oh!"

Elysia also caught on, smiling and poking the Herrscher of Sentience’s arm: "See? Feeling a bit more relaxed now? I told you trusting Luo Lin wouldn’t be a problem..."

"Hmph, just a little..."

Chapter 86: Surprises Behind the Door

"Boom!"

In the sky, the massive Honkai death spot emitted an especially bright light. Under this golden glow, a rumbling sound came from afar. Buildings in the city visibly trembled, and huge cracks appeared in the roads.

Many buildings, already weathered by the effects of Honkai energy, finally gave way and collapsed, raising clouds of dust.

"Is this... an earthquake?" Seele asked, leaning on the bridge’s railing, staring blankly at the scene outside.

"Yes, it's indeed an earthquake... but it's more than that; it's a sign of the Bubble World collapsing."

Schrödinger tapped a few buttons on her console, bringing up a screen that magnified the cracks on the ground, allowing everyone to observe the anomaly:

The depths of the cracks did not reveal normal soil but a thin membrane glowing a faint blue, dim and covered in fissures.

Just looking at it, Luo Lin felt a sense of understanding—it was the outer wall of the Bubble World, now heavily damaged from the attacks by the Imaginary Tree and Sea of Quanta, as well as a series of catastrophic events. It could no longer hold.

Luo Lin took a deep breath and looked around at the others. They too seemed to grasp the gravity of the situation, their expressions grim.

Seele placed a hand on her chest. As someone chosen by the Sea of Quanta, she could keenly sense the subtle details of this scene of destruction. It was as if she could hear the world itself "crying," making her nose tingle and her eyes moisten.

"Seele, don’t be sad..."

Black Seele’s voice echoed from deep within her, a warm power coursing through her body, offering comfort.

"But... this scene... it's just too tragic..." Seele murmured.

Elysia approached, placing a supportive hand on Seele's shoulder.

"Sister Elysia..." Seele began crying.

"You can just call me Ellie~," the pink-haired elf said, rubbing Seele’s head with a warm smile. "Don’t worry, all the survivors we could save are on the Hyperion. They’ll be fine."

"Okay..." Seele nodded.

The Herrscher of Sentience watched Elysia’s actions and smacked her lips lightly. "What a woman, always spreading her ‘friendship’ magic... The end of a Bubble World... Maybe our original world will end up like this because of the Honkai?"

Her expression hardened. "That cannot happen..."

After a few seconds, Delta spoke up: "The end of a Bubble World is like this. They all eventually face destruction; it's just a matter of time... Don’t be too sentimental."

"Based on our research... that’s true," Vil-Vi said, stroking her chin and exchanging a glance with Mobius. They were separated from the scene of destruction by a screen, so it didn’t feel quite real to them. As scientists, they were more concerned with the principles behind these scenes.

"Many of the antennas we set up earlier have lost their signals. It's unclear if they fell outside the Bubble World through these cracks or were simply destroyed..."

Mobius shook her head, sighing. "The end of a Bubble World... As long as we follow Luo Lin around, we’ll always encounter things worth exploring and researching..."

"Focus on research later! The forces chasing us are getting stronger!" Schrödinger warned.

"Ha, you two finally noticed something was off?" Luo Lin wasn’t surprised. She licked her lips and said, "But it’s impressive we've managed to hold them off this long—Kevin, get back inside the Hyperion. We’re initiating a tactical warp!"

The white-haired warrior took a deep breath, swung a bright flame to incinerate the threads chasing the battleship, then flipped into the door Luo Lin had opened for him.

The Hyperion was covered in a faint glow, its hull stretching and compressing before transforming into light and vanishing abruptly.

The next moment, the massive floating battleship had arrived at its destination, a location emitting unusual spatial fluctuations.

Luo Lin shook her head to clear the discomfort from the warp and looked ahead with a serious expression.

In the bright light of the surrounding Honkai death spots, a dark rift appeared in the center of everyone’s view.

Vil-Vi’s timely report came through: "Confirmed as a spatial passage! Calculating space stability... status is good!"

"The threads behind us haven’t caught up yet," Schrödinger added.

"Charge, charge!" Luo Lin pushed the lever on the console, accelerating the battleship to its maximum speed. The engine, still recovering from the tactical warp, roared, emitting worrying vibrations.

"Such a wild maneuver... not surprising from someone from the old Tianming charge team..." Welt, still in the engine room, rolled his eyes. He knew this kind of piloting would severely damage the ship's mechanical and energy lines, but the situation was urgent. Exhausted, he used his Herrscher powers to patch up the ship, keeping it operational.

[Approaching...]

Luo Lin’s heart raced as she watched the spatial passage. The battleship was charging towards it at high speed.

Soon, the Hyperion’s bow entered the passage, and the seemingly insignificant crack smoothly engulfed the massive ship.

A kaleidoscopic scene unfolded briefly outside the bridge, with colorful lights stretching into lines, making everyone squint from the dazzling display.

Within seconds, it all ended, and the Hyperion emerged on the other side of the passage.

Schrödinger raised her hand to wipe the sweat from her forehead, only to find herself floating. She was even spinning slightly in the air.

"We’re in a zero-gravity environment! Have we reached space? Wait, can the Hyperion support space travel?!" she exclaimed.

"Don’t worry. The original Hyperion might not have been space-capable, but this ship is different... It can navigate the harsh environment of the Sea of Quanta. Space should be no problem," Luo Lin pointed at a projection screen in front of her. "Look, the ship's airtightness is excellent, and its shield and engines... uh, why is it yellow and showing faults...?"

The black-haired girl was embarrassed. "Probably due to the overload maneuvers earlier. Once Welt repairs it, it’ll be fine. See, it’s already turning green?"

The Herrscher of Sentience shook her head. "Getting the Herrscher of Reason to fix the ship... only you..."

"Hey, it’s called contributing to the fight for humanity! So, what’s next... why is this gibberish?" Luo Lin’s voice trailed off as she stared at the task on the system activity panel she had summoned with her mind.

[Defeat "Mimic End · Chen Tianwen! ￥T%＃^...]

So it was to fight Chen Tianwen... wait, wasn’t she already taken down earlier?

The garbled text trembled, symbols shifting rapidly, giving Luo Lin a sense of foreboding.

Finally, the characters on the task panel transformed into something else—

[Defeat "Imaginary Mimic · Personified Terminal · ???" and "Quantum Mimic · Personified Terminal · ???"]

"...Huh?"

Chapter 87: Influence, Change, Evolution

This is a rather peculiar feeling.

Enthusiastic, lively, warm, tense, awkward, angry... warmth and cold coexist, intertwining to form a colorful tapestry that firmly holds their attention.

Even though they cannot fully grasp the deeper meanings of these colors yet, and even though this feeling is like a distant lighthouse hidden behind fog, just perceiving this beam of light and focusing on this existence will initiate change.

A new thought emerges from the boundless chaos, granting them a different perspective. Their actions will gain new significance, giving them the opportunity to advance higher and further...

It sounds like a terrifying story where humans gaze upon an ancient god, go mad from low sanity, and ultimately evolve into deep-sea fishmen, doesn't it?

But in reality, this is the perspective of the Imaginary Tree and the Sea of Quanta on Luo Lin...

Before Luo Lin's appearance, the Tree and the Sea had never taken the initiative—whether it was a Archbishop of Schicksal altering the Imaginary Tree's branches through cheating or a ferryman attempting to burn countless Ether Anchors to construct an eternal world bubble in the Sea—they showed little interest and remained like a silent backdrop.

These actions, which could be called miracles, were just possibilities to beings who could oversee countless worlds, and whether they succeeded or failed had no impact on the Tree and the Sea themselves.

Like dew on a leaf in the morning, whether it evaporates into the air by the rising sun or drips into the soil along the leaf veins, this tiny bit of water still belongs to the Earth's ecological cycle.

But Luo Lin was an "alien object" from outer space, completely outside this system, an extra element in the entire "cycle."

She appeared in this world in a peculiar way, silently integrating into the Imaginary Tree, behaving almost indistinguishably from a native.

Initially, the Tree and the Sea did not notice this small existence. They typically did not pay attention to or care about such matters, especially since Luo Lin concealed herself well.

However, Luo Lin inherently possessed certain characteristics that caused disturbances in the "cycle" of the Tree and the Sea within a certain range.

At this moment, the girl resembled a radioactive element, disrupting the established cycle, influencing eternal laws, and driving everything affected towards the unknown.

Moreover, she caused the affected parts of the Imaginary Tree and the Sea of Quanta to develop something distinct from other parts... thoughts? Subjectivity? Or perhaps something else...

Making them more like... humans.

It’s hard to say what it feels like for an existence similar to a rule to transform into a human, whether it’s good or bad for them—but at least from the actions of the affected parts of the Tree and the Sea, they seemed eager to continue and see where the changes would lead.

In summary, they began to pay attention to the extent of "environmental" changes and became interested in the source creating all this.

Compared to those fleeting "miracles," the influence created by Luo Lin was more enduring, continuous, and naturally more significant.

Until that day, Luo Lin fell out of the world she was hiding in, directly appearing in the view of the Tree and the Sea (see the end of the first volume and the beginning of the second volume).

In that instant, the uncovered Luo Lin practically transformed into a spotlight piercing the sky from the darkness, her presence overwhelmingly intense.

The Imaginary Tree and the Sea of Quanta immediately focused their attention on her, the stimulation from the special factors on Luo Lin far surpassing any previous instance.

Previously, the girl's influence on the Tree and the Sea was like smelling the spicy aroma of a hot pot restaurant as you walked by, feeling the warmth emanating from the shop.

These sensations allowed you to imagine a vivid picture, making you salivate and swallow more.

But directly facing Luo Lin and encountering her up close was like picking up the fully cooked, flavor-absorbed meat and vegetables from the hot pot, dipping them in the sauce, and stuffing them into your mouth all at once, a far more intense stimulation.

The burning pain on the tongue, the vibration of the ingredients being cut by teeth, the warmth filling the nasal cavity, and perhaps even large beads of sweat on the forehead...

This level of stimulation made time, previously meaningless to the Imaginary Tree and the Sea of Quanta, precious and significant. Every minute and second became incredibly important.

A little more, a little longer...

Both the Tree and the Sea wanted to maintain this momentum of "evolution," even to the point where they temporarily abandoned their struggle and cooperated, then lost their logic and reason due to Luo Lin's extreme attraction, wanting to seize and possess her, fighting each other like beasts.

Until just now, when the Tree and the Sea realized that during their fierce battle, Luo Lin had silently reached the edge of their detection range.

Soon, Luo Lin would use the Hyperion, an entity with a superficial appearance but completely different internal structure and underlying rules, to conceal her whereabouts and disappear from their sight like magic...

This couldn't happen! They couldn’t let her leave!

The parts of the Imaginary Tree and the Sea of Quanta involved in this conflict had the same thought. They glanced at each other and, in tacit agreement, reduced their combat efforts and chased in the direction of Luo Lin's departure.

They "bent down," gathering their boundless power into a point, trying to "launch" themselves to Luo Lin's side. Just using their power to delay Luo Lin's journey for a moment...

In a trance, the part of the Tree and the Sea influenced by Luo Lin's power understood the meaning of "prayer" and "miracle."

At the edge of the nearly collapsing world bubble, golden and azure threads exploded upwards, extending towards the sky and touching the distinct spatial passage.

Then, from this gap, they sensed a quality identical to Luo Lin's, attracting the Tree and the Sea's attention.

Since they had this thought, they acted on it. The golden and azure threads quivered slightly, and they read the complex and chaotic information in an instant.

[Error... scheduled boss load failed...]

Bright blue crystal fragments fell, crackling onto the threads and instantly being absorbed.

If Luo Lin were here, she would recognize what these were.

They were fragments of crystals, extremely tiny. In the units of Luo Lin's system, they wouldn’t even amount to 0.00000001 of a crystal, but these minuscule points of light were indeed crystals.

Faced with these points of light, the Tree and the Sea hesitated for a moment, then said in unison, "This is what is affecting us!"

The bicolored light burst forth, probing deeper into the crevice.

[Loading preset module... error... loading resources... error...]

[New data added... integrity check failed...]

They sensed new, never-before-seen universal world rules, carrying a distinct quality similar to Luo Lin's, swirling around them, trying to bring about some change.

They readily accepted it.

[Re-downloading patch... data correction in progress...]

The fine crystal glimmers fell, gradually twisting and shaping the golden and azure threads.

The next moment, the two beams of light crossed a great distance and appeared directly in front of the Hyperion.

Everyone on the bridge widened their eyes, watching the humanoid forms gradually coalesce in space, emitting golden and azure lights.

"Is that?!"

"My goodness...!"

They... no, she opened her eyes.

"Passage prohibited here, Luo Lin!"

Chapter 88: Insurance and... Flaws (4.7k)

Luo Lin straightened her body, gazing at the two beings that appeared in front of the floating warship from afar. The golden and azure lights were somewhat dazzling, causing Luo Lin to squint. Her gaze fell on the center of these two clusters of energy, where she could see two humanoid shapes emitting a familiar aura.

Seemingly aware that their light was overly dazzling, the glow surrounding them dimmed a few seconds later, revealing their shifting forms, like trees and seas. They were two long-haired girls, resembling mirror images yet full of contradictions. At this moment, they were not wearing any clothes, their bodies enveloped and embraced by a hazy light.

Golden and blue starry specks flowed from their hair, spreading into the universe like a veil. The eyes of these two humanoid forms were particularly bright, each emitting a distinctive golden and azure hue. Their gazes were so intense that their faces became blurred.

The movements of the golden and azure humanoid forms seemed somewhat stiff, as if they were not familiar with their current bodies. Nevertheless, they simultaneously stretched out their hands, pointing towards the Hyperion from afar.

Without additional sounds, lights, or special effects, a sharp alarm sounded on the bridge before anyone could react:

"Warning! Insufficient energy, ship speed decreasing... Warning! Shield damaged... Warning! Fire control system malfunction, unable to lock target..."

Welt's astonished voice came through the communicator: "Luo Lin, the main engine's Honkai energy output has significantly dropped. It feels like the energy has disappeared into thin air! Even the Ether Anchor embedded in the engine is acting up and is far less bright than before..."

Luo Lin understood and muttered, "So, both imaginary and quantum energies are affected?"

"Is that... the Imaginary Tree and Sea of Quanta...?"

Delta's voice trembled as she gazed at the flickering lights ahead of the Hyperion, momentarily feeling like she was in a dream. After all, only in a dream would one encounter the Imaginary Tree and Sea of Quanta in human forms, right?

"The power of the Tree and Sea can actually manifest like this?!"

Vill-V's rare loss of composure had her jumping up from her chair when she saw the two lights transform into human shapes, nearly tossing her tablet away.

Mobius reacted similarly, jumping up even faster than Vill-V, startling Fuxi and Nuwa standing nearby.

Schrödinger's expression had already gone numb. In this series of epic changes, her emotions had fluctuated so much that she could no longer bear it, passively switching to a self-protective mode.

Mechanically tapping on the keyboard, Schrödinger activated the Hyperion's detection system. A barrage of data flooded her screen like a torrential rain. The brown-haired Roman curl doctor responded hoarsely, "I'm trying to analyze... Damn it, why does the detected information look like a bunch of gibberish, and it keeps changing over time?!"

"Perhaps because... the Imaginary Tree and Sea of Quanta are inherently unobservable, conceptual entities..."

Luo Lin could feel the gazes from the two giants. They seemed indifferent to the others on the bridge, focusing all their attention on her.

Standing up from the captain's seat, she took a deep breath and shouted towards the golden and azure lights, "So, have you settled the score?"

"No."

The humanoid representing the Imaginary Tree moved slightly. Her voice echoed in everyone's ears, even reaching the MANTIS soldiers, stigmata projections, and ELFs in the Elysian Realm.

Luo Lin frowned, "Then why...? Have you reconciled?"

"Because Luo Lin, you're fleeing. If we continue fighting, you'll completely escape, and who knows when we'll locate you again."

Beside her, the azure humanoid form of the Sea of Quanta immediately added, "So, we decided to chase you first."

Luo Lin's mouth twitched, "Please continue your fight and ignore this insignificant being... What merit do I have to attract your attention? Just tell me and I'll change!"

The imaginary humanoid replied seriously, "You cannot change. Luo Lin is an important research subject; all characteristics should be retained."

On the other side, the quantum humanoid also expressed her opinion, "What we seek is the potential within you—greater and more possibilities."

Luo Lin, bewildered by their words, cautiously asked, "Potential?"

The two humanoid figures spoke in unison: "Yes."

Seeing their attitude becoming more "friendly," Luo Lin grew bolder and asked, "Can you explain what you mean by 'possibility'?"

The golden girl and the blue girl exchanged glances, opened their mouths as if to describe something, but could only produce a series of strange sounds that made one dizzy after just a few seconds of listening.

—Is this something beyond human comprehension?

Luo Lin endured the discomfort and quickly interrupted, "I can't understand this. Can you use something I can grasp?"

"…Hmm."

The two humanoids fell into deep thought.

While the Tree and the Sea were contemplating how to express their needs in a way humans could understand, Luo Lin maintained a calm exterior but frantically sent messages through the mind link of the Herrscher of Sentience:

"How is everyone? What's your status? Reply!"

"I feel... a bit uncomfortable."

Unexpectedly, the first to respond was the Herrscher of Sentience. Luo Lin glanced in her direction, seeing her struggling to smile.

She said through the mind link, "It seems these entities have suppressed the activity of the Honkai energy in this area. The Herrscher core is absorbing energy at a much slower rate… I feel like a regular person lacking oxygen, struggling to maintain the mind link."

Welt, for some reason, was shocked: "Huh? Really? Why don't I feel much different?"

The Herrscher of Sentience sighed, "Maybe your body and powers have never been in perfect condition, so you're used to this kind of poor state..."

Welt: "Uh..."

Hearing this, Elysia ran to the Herrscher of Sentience and infused her with some Honkai energy.

Miss Pink Elf praised, "I feel like this body isn't much affected—it's no wonder Luo Lin, who is especially noticed by the Imaginary Tree and Sea of Quanta, feels fine."

The Herrscher of Sentience looked doubtful: "Really?"

"If you don't believe me, ask [Helix], she's in a similar situation."

The [Helix], still in Haxxor Bunny form, held her chin and murmured, "Indeed, my character card seems unaffected... Energy replenishment works as usual... Sigh, maybe that's one reason why the Tree and Sea are interested in me."

Kevin, standing by the bridge, looked down at the "Divine Key" in his hand. The weapon that had accompanied him for so long flickered uncertainly, its core faintly glowing blue.

Obviously, this weapon formed from the Ether Anchor was also affected.

Kevin looked up at Luo Lin in the center of the bridge, then at Mobius and Vill-V desperately typing on their keyboards in the projection, and finally at Elysia standing with the Herrscher of Sentience.

Miss Pink Elf seemed to sense something and looked back at Kevin, their gazes meeting.

"I..."

Kevin blinked, believing Elysia would understand him.

"Want to go out and save the world alone? Don't rush, Kevin."

Elysia smiled as usual and pointed at Luo Lin.

"Believe in her as you believe in me."

"Even when we have no clues?"

"Actually, I think... the solution is already in our hands."

For some reason, Elysia spoke with confidence, her gaze fixed on Luo Lin, the pink in her eyes brightening significantly.

Kevin was stunned: "Your eyes?"

"What?"

Elysia tilted her head, seemingly unaware of any changes in herself.

Looking at Miss Pink Elf, Kevin felt a familiar atmosphere forming—just like fifty thousand years ago when Elysia handed him the invitation, surrounded by a certain aura.

"Ellie...?"

Deep within the Elysian Realm, Aponia seemed to sense something. She suddenly looked up, gazing in a certain direction in the sky.

"Destiny has become clear again, but this isn't good... Someone has broken the established path, yet now a force wants everything to follow the so-called 'correct path'..."

The nun placed a hand on her chest, her eyes downcast... but she didn't seem worried, even showing a slight urge to laugh.

"Heh."

Aponia really laughed, her mind flashing through the images of many people—everyone who had fought for the world, and numerous images of Elysia, finally settling on an inadvertent smile Luo Lin had once shown.

She smiled almost identically to Elysia.

Aponia closed her eyes, certain: "They won't succeed."

————————————————————

After much contemplation, the girl formed by the Sea of Quanta finally spoke: "Emotion, Luo Lin, what I need is your emotion and the emotions you generate."

Luo Lin was incredulous: "Emotion...? Just that? Humans all have emotions."

"You're different. Your emotions are the most special, able to affect us," the blue girl said with increasing fluency, "so I need you."

The Imaginary humanoid wasn't to be outdone: "I need you too."

"As I said, there's only one of me. How do you divide that?" Luo Lin tried her old trick again, "Why don't you two fight it out, and the winner can come to me."

"No, you'll take the opportunity to escape." *2

Luo Lin sighed, looking around, she scratched her head with a wry smile: "Well... I won't run. How about letting these people go first?"

"...No."

"Why not?"

"Because you've escaped several times using ingenious methods. The same might happen again," the golden girl even gestured with her hand, "You care about these people—these warriors, civilians, researchers, or rather, all of humanity. You don't want them to die."

"So, they'll stay, and you'll stay with them." The blue girl nodded in agreement, adding, "This is what humans call 'insurance'."

They spoke calmly, as if discussing a trivial matter.

Their opinions were transmitted to everyone on the Hyperion simultaneously. They didn't hide it; rather, they didn't even consider hiding it.

The Tree and the Sea were solely focused on conversing with Luo Lin.

"This trick... they learned it."

Luo Lin sighed deeply: "You won't fight it out, nor let me and my companions leave, so can you provide a solution?"

The Imaginary humanoid said: "Correction, we're fighting where you can't see, but there's no winner yet."

"Maybe you can wait for us to determine a winner, then the victor can communicate with you."

The Quantum humanoid tilted her head, suggesting.

Luo Lin was speechless: "Wait for the Imaginary Tree and Sea of Quanta to determine a winner? I'd probably die of old age long before that."

"You won't die. I can help you." said the Tree.

"I can too." said the Sea.

Luo Lin's eyes twinkled with an idea: "But won't that violate your principle of not wanting me to change?"

The Tree and Sea humanoids exchanged glances: "This..."

Luo Lin quickly pursued: "Isn't capturing me also changing me? Isn't that a form of alteration?"

"It's... different."

"How is it different?"

"It's just different."

Luo Lin sighed, noting how the humanoids were increasingly resembling humans, absorbing human traits like a sponge...

She hoped this process would slow down or give her more time to exploit these logical loopholes, buying more time for her comrades to think of solutions.

Please, Vill-V, Mobius, Schrödinger, everyone, think of something...

Luo Lin kept conversing aimlessly with the Tree and Sea humanoids, who earnestly responded to her nonsensical chatter, not considering it a waste of time.

A peculiar cracking sound came from afar. Luo Lin turned her head and saw the strange crack in space, representing the deteriorating state of the current Bubble World, had appeared in space.

Luo Lin asked, "So, this Bubble World is about to be destroyed, right?"

"Yes, it's because of our battle that it ended up like this."

The golden girl, the Imaginary Tree humanoid, said. Through their communication, Luo Lin had roughly figured out their personalities—

The Imaginary Tree, related to order and logic, spoke logically and a bit stiffly. If asked, she would likely provide an answer.

The Sea of Quanta humanoid was different—more mischievous and unpredictable. Though her answers were always peculiar, she wasn't nonsensical.

"This Bubble World shouldn't exist," said the blue girl, "It's only because of your influence—your thoughts, emotions, and perception that it was born, appeared, and lasted until now... The time has come."

Come? What has come?

"Crack!"

The final, largest, and clearest cracking sound echoed in everyone's ears. The existence named the Bubble World shattered, and everything: space, Earth, dead spots... was torn apart like a landscape on paper, scattered in the waves of the Sea of Quanta.

The Quantum humanoid seemed to sense something and added, "Oh, it seems this Bubble World was as warm as you, Luo Lin."

Luo Lin: "?"

At this moment, all survivors on the Hyperion from this Bubble World received their world's final gift—they now understood where they came from, what their original fate would have been, and some basic Sentience about the Imaginary Tree and Sea of Quanta...

Chen Tianwu and Anna held their heads, looking at each other and smiling wryly.

"So, we are just... beings influenced by Dr. Luo Lin's thoughts? And now we've lost the Bubble World we depended on?"

"So what? Does that mean we're not ourselves?"

"But now..."

"Do you trust me, Tianwu?"

Chen Tianwu answered without hesitation: "I trust you."

"Then the Doctor will lead us forward, to defeat the Honkai... even if we're not by her side, even if the Honkai defeated isn't ours."

Anna smiled, her eyes showing a hint of resolve.

### Chapter 89: The Price...?

The Sea of Quanta is unpredictable, far beyond ordinary imagination, and its waves can easily swallow anyone who mistakenly enters.

But amidst these boundless waves, a faint blue light floated, creating a safe zone while also highlighting a mysterious figure.

It was a girl who looked noble and elegant, yet carried a slightly eerie aura. She walked on the waves, surrounded by delicate purple petals, exuding a faint, intoxicating scent.

"The environment here is really harsh... but to avoid attracting the attention of those two, I had to temporarily leave the Hyperion and proceed 'on foot'..."

Upon hearing news about the Captain (even if it was just a fragment of the Captain), Lost Rosemary hurriedly rushed to the location provided by Delta.

However, the Imaginary Tree and the Sea of Quanta had suddenly become extremely active in this area, making the "sea conditions" perilous. It took Rosemary a long time to safely reach the target location.

Fallen Rosemary stopped and extended her fingers to feel the "wind direction" around her.

"I can sense Delta's traces... but it seems she has moved with the Captain? No, this feels more like a Bubble World breaking... tsk, the clue is lost."

A few seconds later, the communicator on Rosemary beeped.

"... Sizzle... Hello? Can you hear me? This is Kongming. I guess you've reached the target point. What's the situation there... sizzle..."

"I can hear you."

Rosemary's expression was serious. "I think Delta and the Captain are in trouble. The Bubble World they're in should have already... hmm?"

"Hello, Miss Rosemary, Miss Kongming. I apologize for the interruption, this is Ai-chan from the Hyperion. You must be looking for the Captain and Delta? I know where they are."

A sudden, very clear voice came through the communicator, making Rosemary frown.

"Who are you...?"

"The chief game administrator of Honkai 3rd, or perhaps the 'transmigrator'... haha, the former isn't a joke."

Rosemary quickly searched her memory but found no relevant information, becoming even more cautious.

"Ah, I understand, you might be wondering about my motives... but time is tight now. I can directly point out Delta and the Captain's location. You can verify if it's correct."

Rosemary gripped her scythe and replied, "... This sounds like a conspiracy."

"Haha, Miss Rosemary, you're joking. I prefer open and straightforward strategies—like this one right now."

The purple witch tilted her head, relaxing her frown slightly. "It seems the Captain has gotten into trouble with another woman."

"No, it should be said that the Captain herseld is trouble."

Rosemary covered her mouth and laughed, "Hahaha, you're right."

After Ai-chan laughed, she paused, "Well, let me explain what trouble the Captain is in now—in terms you're more familiar with, the Captain is trying to achieve the perfect ending..."

"Perfect ending...?"

Rosemary's smile stiffened, and she sighed, "Again? How many times will it loop this time?"

Ai-chan said, "With a zero tolerance for mistakes, it's a one-life clearance type!"

"Alright, it seems the Captain needs some external assistance—am I that help?"

"That's right."

---

Luo Lin actually wanted to chat more with the girls simulated by the Tree and Sea, to buy as much time as possible.

But their learning speed... no, their "evolution" was too fast—

Finally, the golden and blue girls stopped responding to Luo Lin's trivial questions like "Have you eaten?" and "How's your day?"

The Imaginary Tree Mimicry answered seriously, "Besides, I just became like this not long ago, and I haven't experienced the things you're talking about."

Luo Lin, spouting words even she didn't believe, said, "Well... if you haven't experienced it, you can turn around and find a Bubble World or one of your own leaves to try it, right? Then we can continue the conversation."

"This doesn't make sense, Luo Lin. I can't leave you—whether you escape or are controlled by the Sea, it's unacceptable to me. This is an invalid suggestion."

The Quantum Mimicry said slowly, "According to my knowledge, I should respond with 'If there's a chance, I'll try it.'"

The golden girl echoed, "If there's a chance, I'll try it."

Luo Lin: "... Shall we change the topic?"

A few minutes later, Luo Lin realized that the logical traps she had set through sophistry no longer worked. The Tree and Sea Mimicrys wouldn't easily fall into such "pits" anymore.

"The emotions you emit when saying these things are strange..." the Imaginary Mimicry said. "Though they are indeed useful for evolution, from a human logic perspective, these things aren't good. So I won't continue this conversation, Luo Lin."

The Valkyrie licked her lips, her eyes flickering. "So, as long as it's a conversation that benefits your evolution... you'll keep talking to me?"

"Yes, Luo Lin, as long as it's related to the emotions you emit, we'll continue."

The Quantum Mimicry echoed, "And I hope it's more positive—like how humans find some things delicious, I prefer those positive flavors."

Luo Lin tried to find positive topics, but she sadly realized that she hadn't relaxed recently, only delving into the Abyss or conducting scientific research with two science giants.

"... Is scientific research yielding results considered a positive topic?"

"Sort of..."

The Quantum Mimicry replied after looking at Luo Lin for a few seconds, giving a very reluctant feeling.

Luo Lin pondered for a while and asked, "You mentioned preferring positive emotions. How do you judge if an emotion is positive?"

"It's related to you, Luo Lin. Our initial reference was your standard."

The Imaginary Tree Mimicry answered, "If you were a heinous villain, gaining pleasure from pain and destruction, we would adopt the same attitude and preference to absorb emotions..."

"Perhaps everyone should be grateful that you're a universally good person." The blue girl lazily added, "Otherwise, I'd be poking Bubble Worlds everywhere. Destruction is much easier than protection... maybe I could even cooperate with others to poke Bubble Worlds..."

Luo Lin was stunned and then smiled bitterly, "In that case... indeed very fortunate."

The Quantum Mimicry slyly added, "So, we gave up many simple and quick ways to evolve. You need to compensate us accordingly."

"... Emotions, huh."

Luo Lin looked at her hand, then around, her gaze sweeping over the faces of the crew on the bridge.

She wasn't paying much attention to their reactions. At this moment, Luo Lin was thinking if using [Emotional Diffusion] could promote the evolution of the Tree and Sea Mimicrys...

It probably could, since this ability was quite powerful, seemingly related to her system.

So, how about exchanging herself for the safety of everyone on the Hyperion...?

At that moment, Elysia shouted, "Luo Lin, behind you!"

The girl quickly turned her head, looking towards the living quarters at the rear of the Hyperion—she felt an unprecedented power gathering, its brilliance piercing through the closed structure of the floating battleship.

The Herrscher of Sentience grabbed a handrail, shocked, "Is that... emotion?! The kind requested by the Tree and Sea?!"

The Imaginary and Quantum Mimics nodded simultaneously, "Exactly."

And the price... all the survivors were being "dissolved" by this light, one by one disappearing.

"What's happening?!"

Chapter 90: Final Plan!

Luo Lin stared blankly at the massive energy cluster in the distance, watching the figures of the survivors gradually merging into it. She shivered suddenly.

"Save them! Mimic Black Abyss White Flower—"

The girl instinctively called out for the [Key of Revelation], but she had lent the golden cube, which lacked AI assistance, to Welt earlier. In the current state of the Herrscher of Reason, even holding onto material supplies would be a challenge for him.

However, the familiar long spear-shaped Divine Key still landed in Luo Lin’s hand. She turned her head and realized that it had been created by [Helix], who was using the character card of Maze Rabbit.

Pale-faced, she shouted angrily, "Hurry, the Divine Key I manifested won't last long!"

Luo Lin pursed her lips and raised the spear high. The flowing Honkai energy surged through her arm into the Black Abyss White Flower, emitting a slightly blood-colored light. She manipulated this power, striving to reach the light, attempting to halt the survivors' "melting" process.

But as Luo Lin's power touched the enormous glow, a slightly cold and weary voice sounded in her ear.

"... Doctor, you’re here."

"Anna?! Why... are you leading this process? Stop it!"

A bitter laugh echoed in the Valkyrie's ears. Luo Lin seemed to see the image of a girl with chestnut hair... No, she indeed saw Anna's silhouette within the energy cluster at the rear of the Hyperion.

Anna's expression was not very clear in the dazzling light, but Luo Lin distinctly saw guilt on her face.

However, this guilt vanished in a flash, replaced by endless determination and resolve.

Anna said, "Dr. Luo Lin... no, Miss Luo Lin, I just realized that you are not the world-saving genius we thought you were... The real Doctor's name should have been Mei. But when you entered the Bubble World, you acquired this identity."

Luo Lin opened her mouth, "Just realized... how did you know?"

"The shattered Bubble World told us."

Anna smiled, "We were born from that Bubble World. It was our mother. In the moment of her demise, she told her children all the truths she knew... From that moment, we realized the anomalies in you and your companions, Miss Luo Lin..."

Luo Lin opened her mouth, "Is... is that so? No wonder the Sea of Quanta said this Bubble World felt warm. She did all these things…?"

"But everyone is still very grateful to you, Luo Lin…."

Anna scratched her head awkwardly and stuck out her tongue playfully, "Ah, it's still more natural to call you Doctor. We actually don't care much about that—after all, you truly want to save everyone. We can feel it and genuinely acknowledge your leadership."

She paused, then took a deep breath, "So, when you and your companions were in trouble, we started thinking of solutions, thinking and thinking, and finally came up with a plan…"

"Like this one?"

Luo Lin interrupted Anna's explanation, noticing that while they were talking, the survivors were still merging with the emotionally charged light.

She spoke urgently, "If you really recognize me as the Doctor, stop this immediately and return everyone to their original state. Leave the rest to me, okay? Anna!"

The chestnut-haired girl looked into Luo Lin's eyes and asked softly, "Doctor, do you really have a way to solve the current problem?"

"Of course I do! So…"

"Do you mean by sacrificing yourself for everyone's safety?" Anna asked seriously.

Luo Lin choked, "Cough, cough, cough, you…"

The chestnut-haired girl pressed her lips together, "I managed to become the logistics director of the refuge, a job that involves interacting with the public. Understanding their emotional inclinations and predicting their behavior is an essential skill for managing the refuge efficiently…"

The Valkyrie felt somewhat embarrassed. She knew that in the Bubble World, characters with the same name and appearance as those in the intrinsic world often had similar talents. However, this Bubble World's Anna, unlike the "A-rank Valkyrie Anna" of the intrinsic world’s Snow Lotus squad, seemed like an ordinary person without combat prowess.

Previously, Luo Lin was puzzled, but now she understood where this Anna had invested her talents.

"I believe your companions have also realized your intention…" Anna smiled, "The current situation is a bit like a hostage dilemma. The Doctor wants to escape with us, the 'burdensome' hostages, through the Tree and Sea's blockade… but the Doctor can't manage that right now."

"…"

Luo Lin's expression darkened. Anna quickly consoled her, "But it's okay. I believe in your abilities and talents, Doctor Luo Lin. You’ll definitely be able to handle such challenges in the future… And I hope that by then, you’ll have completely defeated the Honkai."

"But that's in the future, which doesn't help us now." The Valkyrie muttered, "I want a perfect… ending, where everyone… If only I could say 'I can’t do anything,' and that would solve everything…"

"Doctor… Perfection is impossible. There will always be difficulties and failures. What matters is what you do afterward, isn't it?"

The chestnut-haired girl reached out, and Luo Lin felt a faint light caress her cheek.

"Now, let me introduce my solution."

Anna drew a large circle with her hands, seemingly indicating the energy cluster enveloping her, "Compared to other Bubble Worlds, our 'mother' is more… unique? Complex? According to 'mother,' this special structure should be called… the Stigmata Space. And we, the humans born from the Bubble World, have an inexplicable connection with this Stigmata Space."

She paused and continued, "Upon discovering this, it was like an 'awakening,' granting us the ability to link everyone together and achieve what was previously impossible… Perhaps we can call this 'Universal Link'?"

The chestnut-haired girl rested her chin on her hand, "Moreover, thanks to the information we received right before the Bubble World shattered—information containing concepts we could hardly understand. Fortunately, we found useful information to determine a weakness of the mimetic forms of the Imaginary Tree and the Sea of Quanta."

Luo Lin was astonished, "What is the weakness?"

"Their current state is unstable—the humanoid forms are a new, unprecedented stance for the Tree and Sea, hard to control—especially since this isn’t their full power, just a small fraction of their immense strength."

Anna squinted, revealing the plan's key, "And as they said themselves, emotions can drive their evolution, but… as the old saying goes, 'water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it.' If they absorb an excess of emotions in a short time, they’ll lose control of their evolution and their power will go haywire…"

"An excess of emotions… but even if these mimetic forms are just a small part of the Imaginary Tree and Sea's power, making them overload would be extremely difficult, right?"

"We will sacrifice everything, gathering enough emotional energy to overload the Tree and Sea's mimetic forms—that's the brilliance of our plan. It kills two birds with one stone."

Anna playfully invoked the earlier concept, "If there are no hostages, then the hostage rescue mission is bound to succeed, right?"

"…"

Luo Lin looked at the chestnut-haired girl in silence for a long time before speaking, "So, no one opposed this?"

"No one."

"No one regrets…?"

"No one."

Anna patted her chest, "We all believe in you, Doctor! From the bottom of our hearts!"

The two locked eyes, and Luo Lin could see the tears welling in the chestnut-haired girl's eyes.

"In truth, you all… want to live too, don't you?"

Anna avoided the question, saying, "Alright, we've talked enough, Doctor… Of course, in reality, not much time has passed at all."

Luo Lin realized that while she was talking with Anna, time had slowed down significantly, with not even half a second having passed since the conversation began.

"Oh, right, everyone hasn’t had a chance to say goodbye yet."

Anna suddenly remembered something, turning around to pull a disheveled figure from the light—it was Chen Tianwu.

"Uh, Doctor, good evening…"

The captain of the defense force understood he was doing something not entirely right, avoiding Luo Lin's gaze.

The Valkyrie couldn't help but laugh, "Rebellious and insubordinate, huh ? You're such a leader?"

Chen Tianwu whispered, "I actually tried to persuade Anna, but she eventually convinced me... Doctor, you need help."

"..."

Chen Tianwu looked at Luo Lin's troubled expression, hesitated for a few seconds, then added, "And, Doctor Luo Lin, remember to rest properly after you leave here."

"Shut up. I have my own plans."

Chen Tianwu scratched his neck awkwardly, "Okay, okay, Doctor... Well, goodbye then. I wish you a smooth journey to defeat the Honkai later...?"

More voices came from the light, bidding farewell to her, some familiar and some unfamiliar:

"Goodbye, Doctor!"

"Are we heroes for saving the Doctor this time?"

"It seems so."

"We're leaving! Remember me, okay? My name is..."

"Ah, can we still do this? Then my name is..."

"Goodbye!"

"Bye!"

Hundreds of voices overlapped, making Luo Lin feel choked up.

Finally, those voices gradually faded away, dissolving completely into the dazzling light, leaving only the chestnut-haired girl.

Anna stared at Luo Lin and waved her hand, "Let's go, Doctor... Don't miss us too much."

"…How could I forget."

The chestnut-haired girl smiled and disappeared into the light of energy, guiding the light out of the Hyperion towards the mimetic forms of the Tree and Sea.

Next, bright lights flickered, as if a sun were rising in the tumultuous Sea of Quanta.

Luo Lin could feel that the previous lock from the mimetic forms had disappeared, Anna's plan had worked, and it was quite effective.

Now all she needed to do was to leave from here in the Hyperion, following the signal back to the intrinsic world.

Feeling somewhat powerless, Luo Lin let go of the Black Abyss White Flower, coughing.

"I failed..."

"It's not too late, Luo Lin!"

The Valkyrie raised her head, looking at the communication button blinking on the bridge console, faintly seeing a familiar figure with peculiar green hair popping out.

In a flow of code, she gradually materialized, even pulling another familiar person along.

"Cabbage? And..."

"Captain, it seems I've arrived just in time."

Rosemary lifted the lamp in her hand, revealing a smile.

Ai Hyperion tapped her earpiece, her energetic voice spreading out from within, "Of course, along with our savior, Houraiji Kyuusyou’ assistance!"

"Luo Lin, how can we help? I want to save them!"

"Captain, we came for precisely that purpose."

Cabbage smiled and raised her fist, "For everyone, let's use Emotion Diffusion on the mimetic forms of the Tree and Sea!"

#Chapter 91: Luo Lin, Think More

"What should I do?" Luo Lin asked urgently.

"Long story short, Captain, you just need to charge into that light and channel those immense emotional energies onto yourself. Then, use your [Emotional Diffusion] ability to amplify them and throw them at the mimicry of the Tree and the Sea in one go!" Ai Ai Hyperion raised a finger. "The emotions gathered by Anna and the others can already shake those two mimicries. Once you amplify them, you should be able to shatter both mimicries directly—thus achieving your current mission objective, which is to [Defeat the 'Imaginary Mimicry: Personified Terminal' and the 'Quantum Mimicry: Personified Terminal']..."

Luo Lin was shocked. "Wait, how do you know about this?!"

Isn't that the mission from the activity interface in her system?!

The system was also a bit baffled: [I didn't leak any secrets…]

"No need to overthink it. I am the Chief Administrator of Honkai Impact 3rd, Ai Hyperion Λ," the woman with green hair answered with a smile. "As long as it concerns the Captain and Honkai Impact 3rd, I can access some information. It just so happens that your mission falls within my scope—this is a rule, a fundamental logic of the world, understand?"

The Valkyrie's mind was a bit chaotic. She opened her mouth: "This..."

Ai-chan emphasized, "Listen, everything operates according to certain rules. Science is the exploration of these rules, providing testable explanations and predictions about the universe and its entities... Everything about you, including those seemingly illogical phenomena, has rules and logic that can explain them."

A mysterious glint appeared in Ai-chan's eyes. "Once you complete this mission, you'll be able to escape here with the help of those rules, evade the pursuit of the Tree and the Sea, and return to your original world easily. As for the others, they will have their own destinations... Do not underestimate these rules."

"Understood." Luo Lin nodded and asked expectantly, "By doing this, can I save Anna and the others?"

"You can save them, but I can't tell you the method directly. Just like Aponia emphasized to you before, telling you will cause unpredictable effects, and..." The woman with green hair waggled her finger, stopping the Herrscher of Sentience who was about to dive into Luo Lin's consciousness. "Herrscher of Sentience, you can't go along."

Senti protested, "Why not? I'm the Herrscher related to Consciousness, I can help a lot with emotional manipulation!"

"If you want a perfect ending, only Luo Lin can do this—it's also a rule, understand?" Ai-chan pointed to her lips and hinted, "Think more about what I just said, Captain..."

...A task that only I can complete?

Luo Lin turned her head to look at the nearby [Helix].

[Helix] Haxxor Bunny raised an eyebrow and laughed, "I am also you. Speaking of rules... I think Ai-chan is hinting at... remember those bugs?"

"Huh?"

"Alright, while the Captain is pondering, we need to take care of other things!" Ai-chan strode to the center of the bridge. Under everyone's gaze, she reached out as if conducting an orchestra.

Tiny streams of data flowed through her fingers, falling onto the control panel of the floating battleship.

[System Reboot—Ai Hyperion Λ, Online!]

Kevin raised an eyebrow. After Ai-chan connected to the Hyperion, the entire ship seemed to come alive, even the flickering lights carried a mysterious rhythm.

"Activate the Valkyrie Projection System!" In the green-haired woman's soft command, the projection originally showing the ship's components expanded, displaying a new green structure with a [Module Operational] prompt.

"Projection?" Vil-V glared at the projection. "Wait, isn't that the main cannon of the battleship?"

Ai-chan excitedly explained, "Yes, regular drop pods and shuttles can't catch up to Anna and the others. To get there faster, we have to use the 'human cannon' method—we'll launch Luo Lin from the main cannon. That way, we'll definitely make it in time!"

"That's too dangerous... uh, wait..." Vil-V held her chin, writing and drawing with one hand. After a few seconds, she snapped her fingers. "It might work! But can Luo Lin withstand the launch's impact? And... the Sea of Quanta environment around those mimicries is harsh. If there's no countermeasure..."

"I'll handle that!" Fallen Rosemary stepped forward, holding up her blue-glowing lantern. "It can create a relatively stable field in the Sea of Quanta, protecting the holder from harm... The Captain just needs to hold this and getting launched by the main cannon will be fine."

Schrödinger glanced at the cannon data, skeptical. "You sure?"

Delta looked at the lantern with a subtle expression. "Because we have indeed launched the Captain like this before."

Without hesitation, Luo Lin took the lantern from Fallen Rosemary. "Thank you, Rosemary."

The other softly replied, "No need to thank me. As always, I will help you... You must succeed."

Ai-chan turned and shouted to Luo Lin, "Captain, get ready!"

"Coming!" Luo Lin dashed to Ai Ai Hyperion's side. The green-haired girl tapped her heel on the bridge floor, and a mechanical door materialized where she stepped.

"I made a direct passage to the main cannon, Captain, 'alone' go through here."

Luo Lin, half laughing, waved her hand, "Alright, alright, I get it... No need to emphasize it so many times."

"It's better to remind you more!" Ai-chan glanced around, seeing the Haxxor Bunny disguised as Helix had vanished. She sighed in relief and joked, "What's that saying? Nowadays, mobile games are idiot-proof, they highlight every step... Open world on Monday, Abyss on Wednesday and Sunday, all the same."

"Okay." Luo Lin smiled at Ai-chan and jumped into the open mechanical door.

"Good luck, Captain."

Chapter 92: That Light

The main cannon of the Hyperion was more spacious than Luo Lin had imagined. She thought she would be stuck straight in the barrel, but there was actually enough room for her to move her arms and legs. After all, this cannon was connected to the Selene system, so the caliber had to be quite considerable to ensure sufficient output.

Of course, if someone with a bigger chest crawled in, the space would likely be a lot tighter... Luo Lin was somewhat grateful that her own chest wasn't too big, with little presence in daily life and combat.

"Uh, no... why am I thinking about this?" Luo Lin adjusted her posture and held the lantern Rosemary had given her to her chest. The lantern was quite "smart," shrinking to a size that she could easily hold.

"Captain, get ready. Projection begins in three seconds," Ai Hyperion's voice echoed in Luo Lin's ears, slightly muffled.

"Three, two, one..."

"Boom!"

Despite the lantern's efforts to protect her, Luo Lin still felt a massive force pressing against her, even more intense than the extreme maneuvers she had previously executed with the Hyperion. With a deep thud, time seemed to displace, and by the time her consciousness returned, she had been launched out.

At that moment, fierce waves crashed against the blue glow of the lantern, causing the space around her to tremble continuously. Luo Lin felt as if she were in a storm, surrounded by roaring winds and crashing waves, with occasional "stones" striking against her with dangerous cracking sounds.

Gripping the small lantern tightly, she drew closer to the bright light standing amidst the boundless waves. Finally, taking a deep breath, she dove headfirst into the light.

In an instant, the cacophony ceased, replaced by an eerie tranquility.

"Ugh..." Luo Lin felt herself falling, twisting her body gracefully like a cat to land on her feet in a perfect landing. She looked around and found herself in a vast, white expanse, softly lit and not blinding.

"It feels a lot like my system space..." Luo Lin muttered, feeling a sense of homecoming. She raised her head and saw two bright stars, one gold and one blue, hanging on the horizon—those were the mimicries of the Imaginary Tree and the Sea of Quanta.

At this moment, their eyes were closed, curled up in a seemingly comfortable posture, floating in midair. Countless blue and gold light points formed ribbons around them, swaying lightly as if blown by a gentle breeze.

Using her well-trained eyes that could see emotions, Luo Lin observed the two light points and quickly understood the situation: rather than being trapped by these forces, they seemed to be "enjoying" this state, unwilling to move.

It made sense; this place was filled with precious emotional energies that could facilitate their evolution. If they had to gather such energies on their own, it would take a long time. Now, a feast was laid out before them, prepared by others, ready to be devoured.

It would be a waste not to eat.

Yes, the mimicries of the Tree and the Sea were already feeling regret and reluctance. As for Luo Lin, whom they had been chasing, the mimicries assumed she had fled to some unknown place—logically, that was the best solution. From their previous brief encounters, they knew that catching Luo Lin was extremely difficult.

The two mimicries exchanged glances, seeing the same intention in each other's eyes, and began to absorb the surrounding emotional energies vigorously, "eating" heartily.

"Goodness, they're really indulging..." Luo Lin stared at the two lights with a subtle expression. While the mimicries were busy evolving, the owner of the overflowing emotions couldn't ignore Luo Lin's presence.

"Doc...tor..." A weak, small voice echoed in Luo Lin's ears as the warm glow around her coalesced into an almost transparent figure.

"Anna?" Luo Lin almost couldn't see the face of the girl with chestnut hair. She carefully reached out and touched the other girl with her fingertip. Anna's voice grew weaker, "Leave... please..."

"No, I found a way to defeat the mimicries of the Imaginary Tree and the Sea of Quanta, and I can save everyone. Hand over control of this emotional space to me, Anna." Luo Lin looked seriously at the girl.

"Trust me."

It seemed Anna was in a very poor state. After a dozen seconds, the barely visible girl nodded with difficulty. "Okay, I... will..."

The shadow reached out, touching Luo Lin's fingertip.

"Uh?" In the distance, the mimicries of the Tree and the Sea suddenly opened their eyes, sensing the emotions around them being drawn into a vortex, converging at one point.

"Is it not you?"

"I thought it was you."

The golden and blue girls looked at each other, then gazed towards the gathering storm. It was Luo Lin, the Valkyrie they had been fixated on.

"[Emotional Diffusion], begin!" Colors representing various emotions surged into her body, multiplying exponentially, making Luo Lin radiate a light no less than that of the mimicries.

It was a white light, like the warm sun, spreading to every corner and illuminating the startled faces of the Tree and the Sea.

"Is that... Luo Lin?"

"Didn't she leave? She's back!"

The black-haired girl raised her left hand, emotional power extending from her fingertips, forming a towering blade of light.

At the same time, wings of light stretched out from her back, vibrating slightly.

The mimicries of the Tree and the Sea stared at Luo Lin, momentarily seeing the people from the sanctuary standing beside her, lifting her high.

The Imaginary Tree murmured, "So beautiful..."

"It looks like we're going to be overwhelmed." The Sea of Quanta tilted her head and sighed, "Any thoughts?"

"No, I'm happy to see this... Wait, what's she doing?"

In the mimicries' view, Luo Lin bent down, taking the hands of those supporting her. "Everyone, follow me!" The pink in her eyes brightened, like [Herrscher of Origin - Human Ego ], surging with human pride.

"Not one of you will be left behind; that's an order!"

"Yes!" *N

Receiving everyone's promise, Luo Lin's gaze swept over the familiar and unfamiliar faces, from Chen Tianwu's hearty smile to Anna's tearful face.

[... Ding... Collecting souls... Converting to stigmata resonance...]

Luo Lin could feel the survivors' souls being gathered by the system—she could now take everyone away!

"Ah!!!" Finally, the black-haired girl roared, swinging the light blade down, engulfing everything in that light.

[Defeated 'Imaginary Mimicry: Personified Terminal: ???' and 'Quantum Mimicry: Personified Terminal: ???']

[Mission Complete]

Chapter 93: The Dust Settles...

Mission accomplished. What a beautiful phrase.

Even the classic electronic sound of the system announcement seemed melodious under its influence, making Luo Lin blink in touched emotion.

As for further emotional expression... sorry, the girl was simply too exhausted.

[Emotion Diffusion] is indeed a magical ability, but its energy and stamina consumption are proportional to its wonder—after gathering enough emotions to disperse part of the Sea of Trees' power, Luo Lin had reached her limit both physically and mentally.

She felt too lazy to even move her eyelids, so she squinted from an angle that required no effort.

Then she saw a golden branch and a blue wave gradually recede, eventually vanishing into the endless darkness—they even flashed their “lights” in a distinct gesture before leaving, as if saying something.

But Luo Lin refused to ponder this. She struggled to move her eyes and looked elsewhere.

Luo Lin floated on the gradually calming waves, allowing herself a rare moment of complete relaxation.

In a half-dream, half-awake state, she felt the equally exhausted [Helix] emerge from the depths of her consciousness, as if sitting beside her, joining in the "sunbathing" idleness.

They remained silent for a long time, then suddenly, Luo Lin laughed.

“Haha... thinking about it, I really stirred things up this time, didn't I?”

[Helix] shrugged: “Indeed, it was quite a stir. You even fought both the Tree and the Sea. That’s some serious prowess.”

Luo Lin blinked: “Uh, actually, I didn't intend to provoke those two giants...”

“Our very existence is the greatest temptation for them, making conflict and contradiction unavoidable. One way or another, we would have confronted the Sea or Trees someday... perhaps today was that day, and we were just lucky to defeat them...”

At this, [Helix] paused and smiled: “Maybe luck isn’t the right word, considering this was the result of everyone’s effort. Without them, we couldn’t have accomplished any of this.”

“Yeah... by the way, how are Anna and the others?”

“They're all fine and pretty quiet. First, because they contributed their emotional power and are as tired as we are. Secondly... their current existence is quite different from before, so they might not be used to it yet.”

Luo Lin was confused: “Existence?”

[Helix] felt a bit troubled and awkward: “How to put this... they now exist as [Stigmata Resonance]... yes, that red thing, shaped like a USB stick, usually only active in the junkyard and the wishing well.”

The system explained as well: [This was a last resort. Their original bodies were completely dissolved into that massive emotional energy, leaving only their souls, so I temporarily transformed them into Stigmata Resonance and stored them in the dedicated Stigmata warehouse. It's convenient and quick...]

“Convenient, yes, but...”

Luo Lin thought for a moment and cautiously asked, “How’s their living environment? Don’t tell me it’s like the blank, empty space in the system storage...”

[...]

The system’s silence was the best answer. The girl gasped, seemingly recalling something: “I remember I have the Stigmatas of Kallen and Cecilia on me. How do they usually live?”

“Those two aren’t ordinary. They have particularly strong wills. Even Kallen, with just a part of the Stigmata, can maintain a space enough for her own living. Cecilia is even better, with a larger activity range and often watching live broadcasts on you...”

[Helix] sighed: “But Anna and the others were ordinary people before. They’ve never lived as Stigmatas—naturally, they are clueless now, just staring blankly.”

“Can Kallen and Cecilia teach them?”

“They are already teaching, but who knows when they’ll learn...”

Luo Lin pondered for a while, then had a lightbulb moment: “Looks like I need to find Hare. Misteln is a Stigmata expert; she might come up with some solutions, right?”

“I advise you to lower your expectations. Given previous examples of [Signets], it’s clear that your version of [Stigmatas] we have aren’t exactly normal either.”

[Helix] reminded, “But I still think we should try to find Misteln. However, it will be troublesome… you know how she avoids contact because she constantly emits massive amounts of Honkai energy, which ordinary Valkyries can’t endure for long.”

“Hmm, let’s let Anna and the others adjust first… wait a second, can’t we talk to Cabbage? She played a significant role in the [Stigmata Plan] too!”

[Helix] suddenly realized, “Oh, right! But how do we get back? We were promised to be sent home after defeating the two mimics… by the way, are we glowing? It seems a bit bright in front of me.”

“Huh? Let me check…”

Floating in the Sea of Quanta, Luo Lin opened her eyes wide and looked around. A blue light ring had suddenly appeared beneath her, with data blocks arranged around its edge, Helixing upward like DNA and enveloping her.

“Uh, this thing looks familiar…” Luo Lin thought for two seconds before it dawned on her, “I remember now, isn’t this the classic Honkai 3rd light ring? The one for ‘ending the character tutorial with a blue ring’ and ‘interacting with the ring to enter the next stage of the abyss’? I even pulled out the abyss module back in Saint Freya…”

Before she finished speaking, Luo Lin's figure disappeared from the Sea of Quanta.

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

“It seems we have to say goodbye now.”

Ai Hyperion smiled as she looked at the blue light ring that suddenly appeared under everyone’s feet.

Lost Rosemary lifted her skirt and examined the light ring chosen for her, a faint smile playing at her lips, “Interesting, energy completely unrelated to conventional imaginary or quantum types, yet similar to the ‘sun’ that rose earlier…”

“Huh? Are we parting already?” Delta was stunned. “What about the Captain?”

To everyone's surprise, Rosemary answered calmly, “Of course, she’ll return to where she belongs.”

“?? You usually chase the Captain so diligently, why are you so composed now? Besides, didn’t you lend the lamp to the Captain…” The pink-haired girl with heterochromatic horns widened her eyes,

“Wait, how did your lamp come back?”

“Probably due to the rules.”

Lost Rosemary carefully examined the small lantern in her hand, then hung it on her belt and, as if performing a magic trick, produced another similar lantern: “I never said I had only one lamp… I had prepared for the possibility of the Captain taking the first one.”

Delta was momentarily speechless, then turned to Cabbage: “Ai, you probably know where the Captain went, right?”

“She’s back on some branch or leaf of the Imaginary Tree. The exact location… I won’t tell you.”

Ai Hyperion playfully stuck out her tongue, making the pink-haired girl clench her fists.

“You…”

M

Cabbage laughed and explained, “Sorry, Delta, I don’t mind you searching for the Captain, but due to rule constraints—and for the Captain’s safety—I can’t divulge too much. I have to play the role of the cryptic guide everyone hates.”

Rosemary nodded, “I understand. So, I should return with Delta, right?”

“That’s right.”

Rosemary glanced at the gradually brightening blue light ring surrounding her and made a stylish gesture: “Goodbye! I’ll bring some special gifts when I visit the Captain!”

“Goodbye.”

Ai Hyperion turned her gaze towards Schrodinger and Welt.

“Mr. Welt will return directly to The Deep. Dr. Schrodinger, if you wish, you can stay in the blue ring.”

Welt looked at her expectantly. The brown-haired, curly-haired doctor was silent for a few seconds, then shook her head.

“No, I find it more convenient in the Sea of Quanta… there’s so much data here revealing the secrets of the world, I want to observe more.”

The Herrscher of Reason wanted to speak, “But…”

Schrodinger glared at him, “Just go back quietly. In your current condition, you can’t keep drifting in the sea. Think of Tesla…”

“Ah, this…”

After silencing Welt, Schrodinger stepped out of the light ring, crossing her arms and looking at the others.

Cabbage smiled and continued, “Next is Kevin… you’ll be directly sent to the World Serpent’s base, saving you from dealing with that troublesome bishop alongside Luo Lin.”

The white-haired warrior was puzzled, “Bishop?”

“Otto Apocalypse.” Elysia replied, her expression complex, “The Archbishop of Schicksal, a… very complicated person, a rational madman. You’ll understand once you investigate; Gray Serpent has done a good job gathering intelligence.”

“Hmm…”

Kevin looked at Cabbage, waiting for her next words.

“Elysia and the Herrscher of Sentience will definitely go back with Luo Lin, arriving at the same place in Destiny where they entered.”

Ai thought for a moment and said.

“And Seele, you’ll return with Luo Lin… this will also make it easier to reunite with Bronya. She’s waiting for you.”

“Okay!”

Seele nodded, her face full of anticipation.

Ai Hyperion clapped her hands and smiled strangely, “Of course, Su and Durandal, who are on their way, will also be sent to Otto’s place.”

“Su…”

Kevin asked softly, “How is he?”

“Not great, he won’t live long.”

Cabbage’s statement made the white-haired warrior’s face freeze, but she quickly added,

“Unless he stops overusing his power, he can only live for another 40-50 years.”

Kevin decisively said, “Elysia, help me—restrain Su, don’t let him overuse his power.”

“Okay.”

The pink fairy agreed succinctly, “But you owe me a favor afterwards~”

Kevin’s Adam’s apple moved, a flash of regret crossing his face, but he ultimately nodded, “Okay.”

The Herrscher of Sentience crossed her arms, “Tsk tsk tsk, didn’t expect you, the old popsicle, to react like this… eye-opening.”

Elysia pouted, “Sigh, Kevin, you’ve become a bit boring… but don’t worry, Luo Lin and I will think of a way to change you back, just wait.”

“…so confident?”

“Of course!”

Blue light surged, and everyone on the bridge disappeared, leaving only Ai and Schrodinger… perhaps with projections of Mobius and Vill-V?

The serpent-like projection flickered, “Tsk, signal… weakening… after Elysia left…”

The projection shut down.

Schrodinger turned her head and locked eyes with Cabbage.

The brown-haired, curly-haired doctor swallowed, “Uh, should I leave?”

“I’ll see you off.”

Ai snapped her fingers, enveloping Schrodinger in blue light, and then she too disappeared.

Stretching lazily, Ai said in a languid tone, “Ah, the show’s over.”

“What about me? Where’s the Savior’s scene?” Houraiji Kyuusyou’s voice protested from somewhere.

“Hold on, let me send off the Hyperion.”

Ai reached out, and the floating battleship shattered in an instant, recomposing into three flickering cores—Ether Anchors.

“Oh, we don’t need the Ether Anchors anymore. Let’s give them to Delta as performance evaluation gifts.”

Laughing, Cabbage cut the pieces again and tossed the three crystals in Delta’s direction.

Now, only pure light remained in front of Ai.

“How can a Captain be without a ship, right? Off to Luo Lin.”

She blew on the light, turning it into a meteor speeding off into the distance.

“Alright, Houraiji Kyuusyou, we still need to handle the fragments of the Unifying Will… huh? Missing? Did the Tree and the Sea come knocking and obliterated it?”

Ai paused, then patted her forehead, “Okay, looks like the changes brought by those two mimics are already affecting many things… back to work…”

The green-haired girl took out her ring blade, sat in it like a swing, and disappeared.

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

“Falling asleep on the way home, and now I have research tasks…”

[Helix] grumbled, pounding on the keyboard, “I’ll remember this and complain to the dumb internet users about the oppressive ‘Garbled Brother’ name… Let’s say ‘Garbled Brother’ is eight feet tall, with arms like a horse track and fists that can stand a person on…”

She strummed the string linking to the distant world, restoring her “4G line,” and sent the prepared photos and videos all at once.

“Hmm… let’s see… what else…”

[Helix] stopped, staring blankly at her “network cable.”

On the cable, there was a “crystal.”

She carefully extended her hand, touching it with her fingertip.

[System Notice: Crystal Balance +1]

“Huh…?”

Chapter 94: The Usual This Side and That Side Sequence

The blinding blue radiance enveloping Luo Lin abruptly vanished, replaced by a familiar sensation of gravitational pull. The girl opened her eyes to find herself falling headfirst. Looking around, she saw a distant horizon filled with swirling yellow sand, and closer to her, a familiar cluster of buildings—the Vimur Base of Destiny, where she and Durandal had set out from.

The Divine Key, Cosmic Juggernaut, was still positioned vertically like a rocket, continuously emitting energy beams to stabilize the massive portal to the Sea of Quanta above. Luo Lin had fallen back through this portal.

Luo Lin exclaimed in surprise, “Huh?! Weren’t we supposed to return to Hyperion? Why did they send me straight back to the real world…?”

[Helix] replied helplessly, “It seems the rule was only to return us, but it didn’t specify where exactly. But look on the bright side; as travelers of the Sea of Quanta, there will surely be opportunities to meet Rosemary and the others again.”

“We left so hastily. I wanted to ask Ai Hyperion about the stigmata, talk with Rosemary and Delta, and return the lamp they lent me…”

The black-haired girl wrung her hands and furrowed her brow. “Wait, where’s my lamp?”

[Helix], after a brief moment of recollection, said, “It probably disappeared when we were transported by the blue ring…?”

Luo Lin sighed, “I had a feeling that thing was important. Now I owe even more favors…”

“It’s fine. The Captain owes Rosemary so much already that another debt won’t matter much. Just give them whatever they want when the time comes…”

“Not exactly comforting words.”

[Helix] changed the topic, “Instead of worrying about that, think about how to land safely. We’re still suffering the aftereffects of overusing [Emotional Diffusion], and we can’t move.”

“Don’t worry. Now’s the time to use the invincible [Moon Ring]. It can ensure a safe landing…”

Luo Lin was about to summon her Honkai energy to activate her equipment when she felt a familiar presence above her, rapidly approaching with a burning sensation—

An arm reached out and tightly embraced the black-haired Valkyrie, halting her free fall effortlessly.

“Teacher Luo Lin!”

It was Durandal, dressed in gleaming, slightly Greek-style armor, with a white olive branch headpiece on her forehead. Her golden hair was tied into a high ponytail, dancing in the wind, exuding an imposing aura.

Holding Luo Lin in her arms, Durandal’s expression relaxed, “Thank goodness, you’re safe…”

“Don’t worry, your teacher has a tough life. I won’t die so easily.”

Luo Lin winked at Durandal, making the golden-haired knight’s solemn expression dissolve into a mixture of relief and amusement.

“Sister Luo Lin!”

Seele floated over, surrounded by azure butterflies, looking particularly light and airy.

Of course, there was also a certain gray-haired Herrscher with a scowling face, arms crossed, seemingly trying to stare a hole through Luo Lin with her red eyes.

“Seele! Senti! And Elysia—huh?”

Luo Lin’s mouth hung open as she saw Elysia flying through the sky on a surfboard-like object made of pink crystals, holding another gray-haired boy in a bridal carry.

The pink elf girl excitedly shouted, “Luo Lin! I’ve returned from my hunt! This is my prey!”

“Elysia, you…”

Under everyone’s gaze, Su covered his face with his hand.

On the ground, Rita, leaning on her scythe, looked up at Durandal and scratched her head in confusion.

“Bianka’s relationship with Luo Lin is deeper than I thought… or maybe more than that…?”

In the command room of Vimur Base, Otto supported his chin thoughtfully.

---

The Deep, Eye of the Abyss.

Einstein, holding a box of instant noodles, navigated through several alert Titan mechs to Tesla’s side.

“Eat something.”

“…”

The red-haired girl, now resembling a bizarre lobster, stared intently at the data on her screen, fingers tapping away at the keyboard.

Einstein bent down and softly said, “You’ve been working for three days straight. You need to rest… at least eat something. You haven’t even drunk much water.”

Finally, Tesla spoke, her voice hoarse, “I want to know what made Walter behave that way, even choosing to close the portal between the Sea of Quanta and the real world…”

After a pause, Einstein replied, “It must be a powerful enemy, just like before. The Herrscher of Reason is always like this. Besides, if he were here, he wouldn’t want you to wreck your body like this.”

Tesla’s eyes dimmed slightly, “I know, but I can’t help but think if I had worked harder and known more about the Sea of Quanta in advance…”

“Enough self-blame. Take a break and keep yourself healthy. This place isn’t exactly safe either…”

The blue-haired, disheveled doctor glanced around, eyeing the nearby Titans with a peculiar look, “A lot of these Titans were sponsored by Cocolia… we need to stay vigilant.”

“True.”

Tesla knew well that Cocolia had her own schemes. She disliked the political games within Anti-Entropy, but she wasn’t foolish—except perhaps when it came to matters involving Walter, where she might temporarily lose her wit. Most of the time, she was exceedingly smart.

Tesla set down the keyboard, took the somewhat cold instant noodles from Einstein, stirred them with a plastic fork, and began to eat.

“Beep beep beep!”

At that moment, an alarm sounded from the lobster doctor’s computer.

In a dazzling blue light, the Herrscher of Reason, in the form of a young boy, returned from the Sea of Quanta, standing steadily on the ground.

“I’m back…”

“Mmm, uh, cough cough…”

Tesla, startled, dropped her noodle bowl, jumping up and almost choking on her food.

Einstein patted Tesla’s back and examined Welt, “You seem to have gone through something extraordinary?”

“Indeed, very extraordinary.”

Welt, recalling his experiences in the Sea of Quanta, had a complex expression.

“Of course, I need a good rest too. Constantly crafting weapons, war supplies, and repairing ships is exhausting…”

Einstein: “?”

---

“Lord! You’ve really returned!”

“Hmm.”

Kevin took a deep breath and issued a command to the gray serpent in front of him.

“Project Stigma…”