CHIH 381-390 (Patreon)

25 Chapters... This was supposed to be 40, but had to use primative means to do this.

[Chapter 381: Battles are awesome!]

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The God of Earth needs to remain in everyone's sight to reduce the common people's fear of the divine.

Although the person who proposed this has many indescribable dark thoughts, would Bronie be the kind of person to easily give in to their wishes?

Bronie could easily use the internet to find all of the other party's information and then deal with them to prevent them from using her resources to cause trouble for her.

However, sometimes it's true that the Honkai causes deep damage, so if Finality disappears from everyone's sight, it is inevitable that people will start to have wild thoughts.

Bronie doesn't want to be affected by these kinds of people and she doesn't want to cause more mayhem, so...

Maybe they can stop her from leaving the moon but no one can stop her actions!

Herrscher of Dominance Power—Activate!

The threads of fate begin to droop, and the moon, like the imaginary core of an imaginary creation, begins to extend its threads to reach the Earth.

The database of Schicksal was silently hacked ad data was gradually rewritten, with an entirely new character data added and incorporated into the Phosdjinns Squad.

"Hello everyone! I'm Houraiji Kyuusyou, a Stigmata Awakener from Nagazora City. After experiencing quite a few exciting things that day, I decided to become a Valkyrie to fight the Honkai! Luckily, I'm quite familiar with Nagazora City, so I'll be leading the way this time!"

Looking at the blonde Susannah before her, Kyuusyou flashed a very sunny smile, giving off a confident and reliable aura.

But those highlights and the bandage in her hand...

Something feels off?

"Um... hello, my name is Susannah, a B-rank Valkyrie from the Phosdjinns Squad. By the way, are you injured?"

"Hmph, of course not. How could someone with the power of the Chosen One, Houraiji, be easily injured? This is just a measure taken to seal away a hidden, powerful force. Once the bandages are removed, my power will be fully unleashed!"

What?! So this is just chuunibyou...

Susannah suddenly realized that the confidence and reliability she had sensed earlier were just an illusion. Chuunibyou confidence was certainly real, but reliability was questionable.

"Hahaha... whatever makes you happy, whatever makes you happy... So, have you read the mission briefing? Nagazora City experienced a major eruption and the environment has changed drastically. It's also an area corrupted by the Stigmata Dream. Although this mission is only a reconnaissance mission, we will inevitably encounter combat."

"Although I don't know the background or what Nagazora City is like now, if you ask me to beat someone up, I absolutely won't hesitate!"

She had clearly not read any mission briefing.

She had thought a reliable senior had arrived, but what was going on?

Susannah suddenly lost confidence, clutching the mission briefing tightly, her fingers tracing the notes on it.

It felt as if an additional burden had been placed upon her.

“A Valkyrie's mission isn't just about fighting…”

“Well, I understand that! But different people have different talents! I'm good at fighting, and you're good at processing information, so wouldn't we be a perfect, powerful duo? Aibo! I'm entrusting my back to you!”

“Talents... I don't have many outstanding talents. Just handling documents and logistics is already a struggle, and I often mess things up. So maybe I'm not as reliable as you expect?”

Susannah's voice trailed off, her confidence waning. She almost buried her head in the documents in her hands, but she still kept stealing glances at Kyuusyou beside her.

"Who understands all this stuff? Anyway, you're definitely better than me! So having support is better than nothing, right? I believe in your abilities!"

Kyuusyou smiled brightly, seemingly not taking Susannah's words to heart at all. Instead, she reached out and patted Susannah on the back, as if to encourage her.

Encouraged by Kyuusyou, Susannah forced a smile.

"Um, are you Susannah? I'm Seele Vollerei, the Valkyrie of Schicksal..."

"Me! Me! Me! I know! You're the adopted daughter of the God of the Earth, Haxxor Bunny, right? And you were active on the front lines of the Honkai battlefield, a super-powerful genius Valkyrie!"

Seeing Susannah suddenly become excited again while still speaking with very little confidence, Seele was slightly taken aback.

Unexpectedly, Susannah was such an active Valkyrie, but she appears to have some issues with her confidence.

"Um... I am..."

"I know, it must be the great hero Kiana! I've heard so much about you—the Void Drifter and all that—super cool! It's just a pity I have almost no practical combat experience... As an immature Valkyrie, I'll try my best not to hold you back!"

"Well, it's not like you'll hold me back..."

Kiana had never seen a Valkyrie like this in Schicksal before. Last time, Mei told her that there was a Valkyrie in Schicksal, that if she didn't do well, could only go home and inherit the family fortune. She initially didn't believe the person existed...

Kiana had never seen a Valkyrie so insecure before.

"Hehehehe~ Alright, be confident, little one! The fact that you're on the same team as us means that the higher-ups also recognize your talent. Relax and become the Valkyrie you aspire to be! There's nothing your spirit can't overcome! And my name is Houraiji Kyuusyou, from Nagazora City!"

Kyuusyou's mischievous grin broke the awkward atmosphere. Kiana had been a little flustered, but Kyuusyou's words completely eased the tension.

Seele looked at Kyuusyou and could not help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Then she looked at Kiana beside her.

The two exchanged a glance, as if confirming something, or perhaps both letting out a sigh of relief.

“Alright, this mission is a bit complicated. During the reconstruction of Nagazora City, Anti-Entropy and Schicksal encountered strong local resistance. According to the information sent by World Serpent, it seems that artificial intelligence has awakened and started developing some unpleasant ideas.”

Drones were patrolling Nagazora City and their numbers were increasing.

As Seele patiently explained, Kyuusyou's attention gradually focused on the mission briefing.

Bronie guessed it was probably Mobius.

That woman has been conducting new experiments lately, seemingly with a completely new perspective on the evolution of all humanity.

And the byproduct of her previous exploration of the infinite has become new experimental material.

That is, Gray Serpent.

“I completely understand!” Kyuusyou slammed her fists together, feigning sudden realization. Even Susannah looked at her, puzzled.

“Just smash all these robots to pieces, then find the culprit, right?”

“I see!” Kiana echoed, suddenly finding the mission much simpler.

"Sabotage? The Herrscher of Flamescion is a master at that!"

"Right, right?" Susannah asked cautiously.

"No... not entirely right. Because in Nagazora City, there are still some people who used to live there in their hands and we don't yet know their true identities. They could very well be remnants of Heliopolis Life Sciences."

Jackal was completely disgraced. After being captured by Durandal, and to avoid further diminishing Durandal's loyalty, Otto did not release her.

Kevin used Jackal to continue Project Stigma, but with the Honkai resolved, and Kevin being eager to see Mei, he quickly forgot about Jackal, who had been sewing with Cocolia in prison.

Seele carefully analyzed all the information she knew, trying her best to remain cautious when facing the enemies she might encounter next.

Then she looked up.

A tense Susannah.

A bewildered Kiana.

And then there was Houraiji Kyuusyou, arms crossed, indicating she understood everything.

Her purple-streaked hair swayed across her forehead.

“Nagazora City is completely sealed off, with only one tunnel leading in. So, our infiltration operation will likely face enormous resistance. Kiana, your Herrscher of the Void powers should be able to lead everyone in, right?”

Although it felt like using a cannon to kill a mosquito, Seele did not know why Kiana had been assigned here, but she figured this mission would not be easy.

It could not be because Kiana's theory grades were not good enough, so she was doing extra tasks to make up for it, right?

It should not be...

...no way?

“Battles are awesome!”

Kyuusyou's shout interrupted Seele's thoughts. Even Black Seele started complaining—what was wrong with Kyuusyou?

Transforming into Houraiji Kyuusyou, Bronie successfully integrated into the team.

Watching Seele diligently carry out her mission at such close range, Bronie felt a sense of relief.

Although Seele sometimes was a little insecure and was often lectured by Black Seele, she had actually become a capable Valkyrie.

She processed intelligence, formulated plans, and also used her gentle personality to subtly observe everyone's psychological state, thus building good relationships with them.

In short, Seele was just too adorable!

As for Kiana, she had matured a lot, but she still had her moments of silliness. Whenever Kiana acted silly, Sirin would laugh and create a constant commotion in Kiana's mind, leaving Kiana always sulking.

Bronie simply played the role of a reckless brute, possessing maximum strength but almost zero intelligence.

Of course, occasionally indulging in a bit of chuunibyou (middle school syndrome) was quite fun; being a hot-blooded idiot and then creating a series of cool moments—that was her dream!

The four of them set off for Nagazora City.

That city, so nostalgic yet seemingly so distant.

The awakening of the Herrscher of Thunder, the erosion of dreams, and the corruption of imaginary numbers—these events piled up, giving Nagazora City a sense of constant misfortune.

On the internet, after Honkai was announced, information about Nagazora City was no longer regulated, sparking countless discussions among netizens.

What exactly caused this city to suffer so much damage?

The subsequent destruction of the powerful combination attack by the Herrscher of Ice and the Herrscher of Star—two exhilarating attacks—by the God of the Earth, and the subsequent absolution of its effects by the Herrscher of Wind, further fueled the netizens' endless speculation.

The ten-thousand-meter-high Gurren Lagann—the God of the Earth was truly terrifying.

After that, countless people labeled Nagazora City with a certain label:

An ominous place.

Perhaps it committed some act in the past, thus incurring divine retribution.

Some say it is retribution for past invasions in Shenzou; others say Nagazora City was plagued by rampant school bullying, its culture inherently one of fearing power rather than respecting virtue, so it deserves everything.

The Far East's reputation plummeted.

However, after the Honkai and the global power reshuffling, many national barriers began to dissipate, leading to a trend toward a grand alliance of civilizations. The Far East's government was naturally the first to falter.

It was thoroughly infiltrated by Anti-Entropy, World Serpent, and Schicksal, ultimately losing its sovereignty—a foregone conclusion.

Amid this chaos, the rebellious Gray Serpent found opportunities to cause trouble, and greedy mercenaries ventured from around the world to Nagazora City, seeking a lawless base.

These various factions wove a vast network of relationships based on mutual benefit, producing various prohibited Honkai energy weapons, even cyborgs and Titans, centered around Nagazora City.

It has become a veritable city of sin.

"The last time I was here, it was during an experiment with Bronie. Back then, the Honkai Beasts and Imaginary Creations nearly destroyed a huge area of buildings. I never imagined the remaining area would be transformed like this." High-rise buildings were utilized and interconnected, forming a massive, three-dimensional city.

After passing through tunnels guarded by countless illegal drones, Susannah and her group finally arrived in Nagazora City.

Looking at the cityscape before them, Kiana could not help but exclaim in amazement.

"Hmph, a sinful city built on greed in the apocalypse! Watch me burn it to ashes!"

Looking at the prosthetic hand that Kyuusyou had picked up from who-knows-where, Kiana could not help but retort, "Are you playing Johnny Silverhand?"

"Oh? You know that great rebel? That is true—you have an extraordinary relationship with that God of the Earth, so you know every detail of her works, right? But now is not the time to talk about these things. Is not the point to burn the whole city to ashes now? Those who hinder everyone from rebuilding a new city have no reason to exist!"

"Well... it is not that extreme, is it?"

Seele tried to stop Kyuusyou, but as if confirming Kyuusyou's words, countless robots emerged from the depths of the city, looking extremely unfriendly.

Finally, Seele sighed in exasperation, summoned her scythe, and prepared to face the upcoming attack.

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[Chapter 382: The Base Vehicle in Nagazora City]

To avoid startling the enemy from the outset, Kiana has been concealing her identity, even disguising her appearance and toning down her fighting style.

Therefore, the mercenaries and robots in Nagazora City are completely unaware of what it means to have provoked these Valkyries of Schicksal.

"I didn't expect them to have even brought out an MCV for interstellar travel. This is beyond our capabilities, so let's retreat for now!"

The base vehicle for interstellar travel is a technology used to establish a base on the spot after landing on an unfamiliar planet. It is derived from the civilization's seeding technology of Vill-V, developed primarily by Bronie.

The most powerful feature of the base vehicle is its ability to fully utilize surrounding resources for production.

From power generation to mining and finally to the construction and production of drones, it's practically an omnipotent machine.

Everything is modularly manufactured, so when it's operational, its characteristics are very distinct.

Seele never expected the traitorous Gray Serpent during the mission to be so outrageous; this seems somewhat different from the intelligence from Schicksal.

This is an unexpected event, isn't it?

Watching Kyuusyou wield her dagger, precisely striking the drones, while her fighting style was undeniably cool, its efficiency was rather poor; she seemed more suited to assassination.

Kiana who wielded dual pistols was constantly picking off targets, not even revealing the Kaslana family's gun-fu techniques, yet she was quite at ease and was not facing any major problems.

Susannah, however, was easily startled, seemingly unaccustomed to such a large-scale operation, causing her to falter due to nervousness.

Seele sighed. She felt like a parent in the team, caring for everyone.

After realizing something was wrong, Seele sent a message to Schicksal and then threw an EMP grenade.

She immediately began calling for the team to evacuate.

Susannah was the fastest to run. Hearing that they were fleeing, she quickly followed Seele's directions and hid in the abandoned buildings.

Abandoned buildings are the best hiding places. The abandoned buildings in Nagazora City are complex, and Schicksal's equipment is very sophisticated, so even if Gray Serpent wanted to find them, it would take a considerable amount of time.

"I didn't expect this at all. The City gave us a shock right from the start. Is that rogue robot planning a cyborg rebellion? Where are there so many cyborgs on Earth?"

The group found a basement, which was a bit dark but very well hidden.

Kyuusyou plopped down on the ground, looking exhausted.

Her complaint resonated with everyone present.

“The most crucial thing is that M… something—it sounds like some kind of very new technology, right? Why would it appear in Nagazora City?”

Kiana started using her little brain, realizing that this mission wasn't simple, or rather, there was definitely a deeper reason why she joined this team.

Hiss—It has a Bronie vibe to it!

“MCV, or base vehicle, a special unit that often appears in RTS games—a core unit that combines construction and mass production! I didn't expect someone to have their sights set on the stars…”

Kyuusyou explained excitedly, clearly like a boy who had seen something he liked appear before him.

Kiana paused for a moment, then suddenly understood.

“It sounds like something Bronie would make.”

“Yeah, it really sounds like something Bronie would make, but how could something like this appear in the enemy's hands?” Seele didn't quite understand either, occasionally peeking out at the street through the basement ventilation shaft.

The robots started moving again, constantly patrolling and searching for the Valkyries' whereabouts.

Any anomaly would trigger an electric arc, incinerating the target.

The core principle was "better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free."

"Looks like we can't complete this mission in a grand fashion. I didn't expect it to turn into taking the enemy general's head amidst a sea of soldiers. Interesting! Very interesting indeed!" Kyuusyou laughed, her slender dagger twirling between her fingers, as if anticipating the mission ahead.

Seeing Kyuusyou like this, Seele couldn't help but sigh. Then she looked at Susannah, who was huddled in a corner, hugging her legs and seemingly terrified.

"Susannah?"

"Yes! Yes! I was just thinking, are the four of us Valkyries really okay facing so many killing machines? Ahahaha, just pretend I didn't say anything..."

Susannah regretted her words immediately, looking at the others. Where was the nervousness?

Leaving aside Kyuusyou, even Lady Kiana didn't seem nervous at all.

Undoubtedly, the Herrscher possesses immense power; if used to destroy human civilization, it might actually be possible.

With the power of one person equal that of an army, what is there to fear?

"I reckon the enemy is already considering escape. After all, look, they even have MCVs; they're definitely planning something malicious! So we need to find a breakthrough!"

"Does Kyuusyou have any plans?" Seele asked.

"Use this!" Kyuusyou pulled out an electronic sword from her pocket.

This was a fairly good piece of equipment that the Valkyries of Schicksal were equipped with during Otto's reign.

It was some insignificant technical support provided by Bronie.

"I see. Drones are powerful, but they're also a double-edged sword. If we capture and control a drone, we might be able to directly locate the enemy's leader, right? And more importantly, we can obtain intelligence from them!"

Kiana suddenly understood, picked up her electronic sword, and began searching for any drones that might be present.

Just approach silently… then capture and suppress the target!

"Then I'll have to leave it to Kiana-neechan."

"Okay, don't worry, leave it to me, Seele!"

Kiana knew what Seele meant. Using the power of the Herrscher of the Void, she could completely control the drone silently.

"Wow..." Susannah's eyes lit up at Kiana's confident demeanor.

Overwhelmed with admiration.

Does Durandal have to face this kind of pressure every day...?

Kiana swallowed hard, pretending not to see anything, then activated her power to become ethereal.

"Cool~" Kyuusyou retracted her electronic sword and looked at Susannah again.

Kiana had disappeared. Susannah appears to have forgotten her earlier tension, so now was the perfect time for her to build her confidence.

"Yeah, Kiana-sama is so cool, just like Durandal-sama~"

"Actually, Susannah, you did a great job too, didn't you?"

"Eh—Why did she suddenly start talking about me!?"

Susannah looked at Kyuusyou strangely, then saw Seele giving her a gentle smile.

"Yes, although Susannah was very scared before, she still bravely made the right decisions. Even during the retreat, she didn't panic and turn her back to the enemy. Actually, Miss Susannah is a very powerful Valkyrie!"

"Ahhh... no way..."

"A hero needs reliable companions! Susannah, unleash your bear power!"

"You guys are praising me like this, it makes me a little embarrassed... but I will try my best to become more reliable!"

Not long after, Kiana returned with a flourish.

"The matter is resolved! Everyone, check your terminals!"

Kiana spoke immediately after returning, and Seele immediately opened her terminal to check.

Nagazora City was completely unrecognizable. Many places on the Nagazora City map she had found online didn't match the actual situation at all.

This is the power of the MCV—dismantling buildings and using them as raw materials to construct new ones, then adding a layer of disguise.

Some buildings may look dilapidated on the surface, but they hold many secrets inside.

Those constantly emitting electromagnetic signals might be power plants, while those emitting constant noise might be refineries.

"What? There aren't even a thousand robots. They were so intimidating before, but it's only this few?"

"But even with just this many robots, each one spitting could drown us... wait, robots don't spit."

"Bionic robots can have that function added!" Kyuusyou added, and Susannah didn't know where to begin her sarcastic remarks about this.

What would adding a spitting function be for?

Could it be a humiliation function?

"That's why you have to capture the leader first! Whether it's direct combat or assassination, I'm completely fine!" Kyuusyou patted her chest and assured her, making Susannah look on with envy.

How wonderful.

Such a confident demeanor.

"Found it!"

Seele looked at the message on her phone. Seeing that most of the data streams pointed to the same place, Seele knew exactly where her target was.

"It's about three thousand meters away as the crow flies, and we know so little. Most importantly, they don't even have a monitoring room!"

"So, most of the robots' information goes directly into their brains? Did that traitorous android from World Serpent know we were here?"

Kiana had dealt with World Serpent before. Bronie had mentioned that there was a high-ranking officer in World Serpent called Gray Serpent, a guy like Adam Smasher—who had a flesh thin you couldn't even cook a dish with all his flesh.

He created countless mechanical clones, but they often developed self-awareness.

Sometimes Gray Serpent could react in time to deal with them, but sometimes the smarter ones would only be dealt with after they caused trouble.

"Ah—is this the worst-case scenario?"

Susannah tensed up upon hearing Kiana's analysis.

Is it really appropriate for everyone to be in this basement?

Or was it because she held them back?

"I see, I completely understand now!"

"What?" Seele looked at Kyuusyou strangely.

"Now that things have come to this, we just need to rush to the target. Speed is of the essence in war, so let's rush in before they have time to do anything! Susannah, let's go! Kiana, open the portal!"

"Okay!"

"Ah!? I won't..."

Susannah was half-pushed and half-pulled into the portal by Kyuusyou, tears welling up in her eyes.

Susannah felt like she was having a bad day.

She didn't know if it was Kyuusyou's fault or her own.

Why did Kyuusyou never seem to have any worries, never fear any enemy?

"It really was you, Gray Serpent. You got away in Arc City last time, and I didn't expect your clone to awaken another self-awareness. Where did you get that MCV?"

Kiana passed through the portal and instantly locked onto the black-robed man in front of the control panel.

"Kiana Kaslana? And three greenhorns? Does Schicksal think this is enough to take me down? Hahahaha..."

Bang—

"Kyuusyou!?"

A gunshot rang out. Susannah never expected that Kyuusyou would fire first.

Kyuusyou stylishly twirled her gun, blowing away the smoke from the muzzle.

"Fancy villains, why waste so much breath? Once the person who raised the question is dealt with, is the question still a question?"

"One bullet and it's over!?"

Seele and Susannah were equally surprised that Gray Serpent was gone just like that.

"Gray Serpent is entirely cybernetic, but compared to the Zombies and Honkai Beasts, he is indeed relatively weak. Susannah, I remember you excelled in technical engineering. Could you investigate the MCV's situation?"

Since Seele had asked her for a favor, Susannah patted her chest, assuring her that she would definitely complete the mission.

Although Susannah wasn't very confident in combat, she was absolutely certain of her logistical and technical abilities.

Reaching the control panel, Susannah attempted to take over the entire MCV's permissions, using an electronic knife to bypass the firewall and hack into the mainboard.

A series of data immediately appeared, and Susannah carefully examined each line.

"Three power plants, two refineries, one vehicle factory, and then... Gray Serpent manufacturing base?"

"Oh ho, so even if kill one Gray Serpent, we'll still have to face many more? This is interesting~"

"This is not interesting at all! Kyuusyou! If the Gray Serpents are everywhere, won't our mission fail? We must stop the factory and send the robots to clean up the Gray Serpents!"

Susannah was sweating profusely, frantically controlling the robots to destroy the factory or, better yet, immediately hunt down the Gray Serpents.

"I'm coming right now!"

Realizing the gravity of the situation, Kiana immediately opened a portal, with Seele following closely behind.

Leaving Kyuusyou and Susannah alone in the MCV control room.

The best thing about having four people in the team is that splitting up prevents anyone from getting lost. Susannah breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Kyuusyou didn't rush over.

However, for some reason, ever since entering this MCV, Susannah had a persistent feeling of being watched.

This strange feeling, like the pea under the mattress in The Princess and the Pea, made Susannah constantly uneasy.

Currently, Susannah curiously looked around at her surroundings again.

"What's wrong?" Kyuusyou asked.

"I don't know, I just feel like something's watching me. Is it my imagination?"

"Maybe it is. After all, who can say for sure?"

Kyuusyou (Bronie) glanced at the crack leading to the Sea of Quanta beside her, shrugged, and pretended not to see anything.

"Maybe you were just too nervous, and that's how you imagined it..."

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[Chapter 383: Gray Serpent's Escape Plan]

Susannah carefully examined all the buildings constructed by the MCV on the control panel. After Kiana and Seele left, a strangely quiet atmosphere arose in front of the control panel.

"Um... Kyuusyou, speaking of which, why are you so... confident?"

Theoretically, Kyuusyou and Susannah were Valkyries of the same generation, but in terms of their attitude toward missions, Kyuusyou far surpassed Susannah.

It was as if she was born for this.

"Confidence? No, isn't this just a given? I experienced the Honkai of Nagazora City, struggling to survive in that deserted city. At that time, I realized that if the world is destroyed and I survive, why not try to be a savior?"

"Huh!?"  She was completely unable to understand Kyuusyou's words!

Bronie, however, knew about Kyuusyou's past. Because of this knowledge, and after observing Kyuusyou's usual behavior, Bronie understood part of Kyuusyou's thoughts.

When she was pretending, she did it very convincingly, so when faced with this kind of question, as long as the meaning was clear, it was fine.

Kyuusyou crossed her arms and pondered, "Isn't that how it is? The Honkai occurred, yet I was almost unaffected. Everyone says it was just a dream, but I believe it's a kind of divine revelation for a savior! So no matter what, I will save the world!"

"Aren't you afraid of causing trouble…?"

Susannah voiced her biggest concern.

That's right, although Susannah had always done very well, the root cause of her lack of confidence lay in her concerns.

"Hmph, worrying unnecessarily. Just do everything you can. Even if you make mistakes, make amends yourself. If you can't make amends, accept the consequences. It's that simple! What hasn't happened hasn't happened, so thinking about it is pointless!"

Although Susannah had heard these words before, she couldn't help but think about them and feel afraid.

"Trust me, you did a great job. I can confidently entrust my back to you in battle. Instead of worrying about a future that may not come, let's think about how to solve the current problem. By the way, is there a way to remotely destroy that Gray Serpent factory?"

"Yes, there is. Although it's a bit difficult, it's not a big problem."

At this moment, Kyuusyou picked up a Gray Serpent prosthetic arm and easily detached it from the torso.

Then she placed it on Susannah's shoulder.

"Then let's find a way to disable it. After all, I've discovered that this Gray Serpent might be a bit troublesome."

Susannah felt Kyuusyou's hand on her shoulder but didn't pay much attention.

However, after the footsteps faded, why was her hand still there?

Instantly, images of various demons and monsters flashed through Susannah's mind. She then slowly turned her stiff neck to look at her shoulder.

"Ah—"

"Hahahaha! Didn't expect that, did you? Gray Serpent's limbs can be separated at will. That means this guy can suddenly dismember himself and then put himself back together!"

Susannah flung off the prosthetic limb as if dancing; the bionic limb felt remarkably like a real hand.

Bronie even scratched the prosthetic limb a couple of times to make sure she was really frightened, and a liquid resembling blood actually flowed out.

"This is disgusting!"

"Maybe Gray Serpent wants to become an organic life form. After all, look how realistic this prosthetic limb is."

Susannah, who had previously been too afraid to look at Gray Serpent's corpse, finally mustered the courage to look at it.

Aside from a bullet hole in its head, its body was scattered and lying on the ground, looking utterly wretched.

There wasn't blood everywhere, just a rather frightening sight.

"But why are the limbs scattered?" Susannah noticed a blind spot.

Kyuusyou's shot had killed the opponent, but it shouldn't have caused the limbs to scatter like that.

Upon closer inspection, the parts connecting the limbs and torso actually had latches, meaning this wouldn't happen unless Gray Serpent actively released them.

"Maybe Gray Serpent's core transformed into a terrifying spider robot and escaped... This is terrible."

"Eek!! Why a spider!?"

"Because spiders are more agile and can climb walls, right? And it's said that everyone might eat a spider while sleeping at night!"

Bronie just wanted to tease Susannah. Back in Kolosten, Bronie transformed into Silver Wolf, and during that time, she had received a lot of care from her.

Susannah liked taking care of newcomers, and her approachable attitude made Bronie like her even more.

This Valkyrie is quite adorable. She has conviction, perseverance, and is incredibly hardworking. Perhaps only the Schicksal educational institution under Otto could cultivate such a lovely Valkyrie.

Since the Wendy incident, under the combined pressure of Durandal and Rita, the atmosphere within Schicksal has changed.

Perhaps hate still lingers, but some of the new Valkyries, under Durandal's influence, have become more positive and cheerful.

Susannah is a good example.

Hearing Bronie's teasing and the possibility of eating spiders while sleeping, Susannah's face immediately turned ugly.

"Hahahaha! Look at your expression, it's like you really ate a spider! Okay, it's not so bad. Besides, there's a delicacy in Shenzhou where spiders are deep-fried. It's high in protein and delicious! Only true saviors and heroes can enjoy it!"

"You've eaten it?"

Bronie has definitely tried it.

But Kyuusyou would probably find it hard to accept, right? This didn't stop Bronie from convincing her.

"Of course! Incredibly delicious, with an unforgettable aftertaste!"

"That's... alright..."

"But if you eat a live spider, it might lay eggs and hatch into baby spiders inside your stomach~"

Susannah had just breathed a sigh of relief when Kyuusyou's words immediately made her face contort again.

"You rascal, Kyuusyou! Eating spiders is just a lie you told me!"

Susannah immediately realized it was like when family members say that if you eat watermelon without spitting out the seeds, the watermelon will sprout in your stomach someday.

However, this kind of lie is only for children; it's absolutely impossible for watermelon seeds to sprout in your stomach.

Kyuusyou had just changed the wording; the core was the same.

The spider thing was completely fake!

"Oops! You found out!"

"Damn it! I need to get back to working on the MCV!"

But after Kyuusyou's antics, Susannah felt like her mind was clearer than ever before.

Did Gray Serpent successfully escape, or did he die at the hands of Kyuusyou?

No one seized control, and the Gray Serpent manufacturing plant remained completely silent. Every dormant product produced was marked and strictly monitored by the MCV.

Perhaps this android Gray Serpent was aware of his unique situation and worried that other Gray Serpents might share similar thoughts or even rebel.

"Found it! All the production serial numbers haven't been touched, but the last newly produced serial number was used! And it escaped the MCV's monitoring authority! If I hadn't carefully examined the data, I wouldn't have found this problem at all!"

"Good, I'll tell Seele and Kiana about this right away." Bronie already knew about Gray Serpent's situation, but she knew that what Susannah discovered was naturally different.

Her role was that of a free agent in the combat team; how could she possibly uncover so many problems?

So she could only guide Susannah to do it.

It seems Susannah did quite well. According to the current Schicksal A-rank Valkyrie evaluation standards, Susannah could definitely become an excellent A-rank Valkyrie.

Seele received the message from Kyuusyou and immediately praised Susannah's excellent performance before returning to her work diligently.

Judging by the time, Misteln should be making her move soon, right?

"How was it?"

"Seele said she'll give you credit when we get back!"

"Hehehe, it's not that great~"

Susannah immediately became modest, but there was no doubt that the praise had an encouraging effect on her.

"Now that we've located the Gray Serpent, we don't have anything else to do, right? Although it was a bit dangerous, isn't this mission a little too easy?" Kyuusyou asked, and Susannah quickly shook her head.

"With Lady Kiana here, isn't it natural that the mission becomes easier? It's just a pity we still don't know where Gray Serpent got the MCV. That thing must be very valuable, right? There's no reason it should end up in Gray Serpent's hands…"

Generally speaking, MCVs are definitely ready-made products manufactured by Schicksal or Anti-Entropy, given the advanced technology involved.

Of course, it's possible to use an MCV to create another MCV, but to do so silently under the heavy surveillance of Schicksal, Anti-Entropy, and even World Serpent is just too strange!

"Who knows?" Kyuusyou shrugged, pretending to know nothing, but the more Susannah analyzed the intelligence, the stranger it seemed.

"Wait, why would an MCV create three power plants?"

Susannah noticed a problem in the intelligence and immediately returned to the control panel to investigate.

"Oh?"

"Normally, one power plant provides enough energy for an entire city. I see the power plant's equipment uses ether energy, and its efficiency and scale are terrifying. Why would they need three such large power plants?" She opened the power plant's operating system and began tracing the power lines to find the power source.

Hidden behind the operating system, a device detached from the MCV blueprint architecture appeared before Susannah.

"What is this? An ether tidal resonator, plus a simulated ether singularity anchoring device?" Kyuusyou stumbled over the names of these devices, finding them very difficult to pronounce.

"Gray Serpent wants to escape this world!"

Susannah immediately understood his intention.

"Oh?"

"Although these are all experimental devices, and cutting-edge technologies at that, these are the strengths of World Serpent's technology! Oh no, maybe he really escaped? Yes! Cut off the power, cut off the power immediately!"

Susannah finally realized that not only Schicksal, but also the technology within World Serpent itself had been brought out. She'd heard that World Serpent was extremely advanced in terms of studying the Sea of Quanta, and the God of the Earth often helped them develop their technology.

"Did it work?"

"No... the system is locked... the Gray Serpent manufacturing plant is a trap. He has other plans! Damn it, I completely don't understand what he's trying to do!"

Suddenly, various error messages appeared on the control panel, and a crack appeared in one corner of it.

This sudden change silenced Susannah.

If someone didn't have Sea of Quanta adaptability, they probably would have noticed the problem long ago.

For example, dizziness or something.

But the key is that everyone in this Schicksal Valkyrie team has Sea of Quanta adaptability, so there's no need to worry about being corrupted upon entering. The moment the ether began to erode reality, Susannah finally found an explanation for the phenomenon she was witnessing from her acquired knowledge.

Just as Susannah was about to warn Kyuusyou, she was grabbed by the back of the collar.

"Watch out!"

"Do you know what this is?"

"No, but I have a feeling it's definitely not a good thing, so of course we should stay away from that thing!"

Kyuusyou answered with unwavering confidence.

"We're going to be banished to the Sea of Quanta! We might never be able to come back!"

"I see..."

Kyuusyou suddenly realized, but showed no sense of crisis. She simply put Susannah down and drew her weapon, ready for battle.

"Don't you have any other ideas?"

"Crying? What's the use of crying? Can we stop this from happening? Besides, how far does this incident affect?"

"The entire Nagazora City."

Indeed, Nagazora City is truly plagued by disasters.

"Even though a Honkai had occurred before, this location in Nagazora City is relatively close to the Imaginary Tree, theoretically making it impossible for a passage to the Sea of Quanta to appear here.

But technology exists for this purpose, so nothing is impossible, as long as you have enough energy.

"Then prepare for the changes to come, and don't easily relinquish control of the MCV. After all, we will rely on it for our livelihood in the Sea of Quanta! We'll meet force with force, and if we can't resist, we'll face it!"

"If only I were as cool as you, Kyuusyou…"

"I think you could let out a very cool 'hmph.' Maybe start by changing your tone, and one day you'll become cool too?"

Just as Susannah was about to retort to Kyuusyou, the surrounding space was completely eroded by the Sea of Quanta.

A wave of dizziness washed over her. Susannah knew that Earth was now far away.

===================================================

[Chapter 384: The Base Vehicle Descends on Salt Snow Holy City!]

“Lord Bronie, your mission has been completed…”

On the lunar base, a specific Gray Serpent sent a message confirming the mission's completion while cautiously observing Bronie’s expression and anticipating that she would fulfill her promise.

Bronie sat calmly in her office chair, seemingly doing nothing, but in reality most of her consciousness was focused on Houraiji within the Sea of Quanta, confirming the current situation.

Bronie nodded. “No problem. Your mission is complete. You identify yourself as an Intellitron. What do you desire: the same feelings as a living being or the exact same structure?”

Gray Serpent’s monitoring of his separated clones and individuals is very thorough. If any of his units shows rebellious intent, Gray Serpent usually eliminates it directly. He would never allow someone to steal an MCV and cause trouble.

However, at Bronie’s behest, after this Gray Serpent awakened its self-awareness, Bronie promised to grant it one wish that she could fulfill.

What it requested was a desire to gain life.

“These two things are almost the same to me. Only by experiencing the feeling of being human can one obtain the true joy of life.”

“I understand your thoughts. The new body will be sent to you. It should arrive in about seven business days.” Bronie thought the request was quite simple.

After all, she had a Herta doll equipped with various sensory components, which could also be adapted to an Intellitron.

There was a hardware lock inside, preventing other Intellitrons from easily controlling the puppets in the Herta.

While Herta’s lock was a bit troublesome, it was not a problem for Bronie. After unlocking it, technology flowed out one after another, quickly becoming applicable to the current civilization’s tech tree.

Combined with the previous era’s ELF technology, achieving Gray Serpent’s desired result was entirely possible.

The only issue was that the current civilization did not have enough technology to manufacture these things, so Bronie personally manufactured them and sent them down from the moon.

“Thank you for your generosity, great God of the Earth!”

Alright, alright. Now you call me God of the Earth, huh?

“Go. Remember to obey the law, do not cause too much trouble, and contribute to the reconstruction of civilization!”

With that, Bronie ended the conversation with this Gray Serpent and went to Ellie’s office.

Ellie’s main activity was usually managing her video account. Because Eden had returned, the two planned to collaborate and rebuild the glory of the Signet of Gold.

With the addition of the renowned artist, their jointly managed video account flourished.

However, the physical distance between the moon and Earth posed a slight challenge. Eden could not easily find someone else to hitch a ride to the moon.

Therefore, Eden stated that she would personally go to the moon to find Ellie once she had earned enough money to buy her own spaceship.

Bronie did not think it would be too difficult for Eden to do that.

“Ellie, Seele and the others have already taken to the stage and are about to embark on a new adventure, while Griseo is almost ready. Are you ready to go to Phosphorus with Hua and the others?”

“Eh? Should I bring some wilderness survival gear or something else?”

“Unfortunately, you definitely cannot bring a suitcase or a travel backpack. A few small items are fine, but if you bring too much stuff, you might end up merging with the other side after arriving at your destination.”

“Eek!!!” Ellie understood Bronie’s meaning. This time, leaving Earth might not be as safe as everyone imagined.

One wrong move and everyone could end up in a heap. That was quite possible.

“Everything’s ready. We’re about to begin projecting our bodies. Ellie, are you ready to welcome Griseo back?”

“Okay!”

Since there was nothing to prepare, Ellie could indeed set off immediately.

Next, she would contact Hua and Kosma.

That was right. Kosmo was overjoyed to hear Griseo was alive, but then he heard she was facing difficulties, so he wanted to come and help.

There was nothing much to say.

Children are always easily fooled, so Kosmo joining the team was perfectly fine.

“Now, relax your body and feel the guidance in the dream. After that, you will find everything will change. The main goal is to save Griseo. The secondary goal is to help Phosphorus develop its own civilization. After all, it is a seed of civilization left behind by the previous era.”

“What about Sa?” Ellie asked.

“If your mission goes smoothly, Sa will naturally appear. Even after realizing Finality had not appeared, it still had great faith in the power it had accumulated over ten thousand years.”

As for danger?

Bronie would constantly monitor their situation. Even if they died, it would only be a projection of their consciousness; they just would not be able to return to Phosphorus.

Bronie was determined to hunt down Sa.

Besides, two tigers cannot share one mountain. If anything within the solar system threatened Earth, Bronie would absolutely not let it go.

“So we might not be able to win?”

“Yes, but do not try to fight to the death. You can cry and call my name and I will appear before you anytime, anywhere.”

“Wow~ Bronie really likes playing the hero and rescuing the damsel in distress?”

“Isn’t that romantic?”

“Of course it’s romantic I’m really looking forward to it”

With that, Ellie fell into a deep sleep.

Consciousness and ether merged to form a new dream avatar, which was then remotely projected to Phosphorus’s location via the Sea of Quanta. Su handled the location, as he was indeed skilled in this area.

Having calculated everything, the Phosphorus exploration team set sail.

Fu Hua, Ellie, and Kosmo.

The three Flamechasers arrived in Phosphorus.

Meanwhile, within the Sea of Quanta, another team also successfully landed.

“Ouch! Am I… am I still alive!?”

On a platform projected from data from the intrinsic world within the Sea of Quanta, filled with ether, Susannah rubbed her slightly sore buttocks.

If Susannah had to describe it, it was like someone had turned the entire Nagazora City into a toilet and thrown everyone in.

“Dead men can’t talk, right? Don’t scare yourself. How about we switch the MCV to base vehicle mode and find a nearby bubble world to temporarily set up camp?”

“You’re right. The MCV is our only hope right now. I just don’t know how Seele and Kiana are doing…”

The surrounding area was almost entirely composed of the wreckage of buildings. In this gravity-free world, these ruins were constantly being eroded by the power of the Sea of Quanta and eventually turned into nothingness. Seeing these buildings as her future, Susannah could not help but shudder.

“I don’t know. Does this MCV have a speaker?”

Susannah stood up, looking at the light emanating from the control panel and trying to operate it.

Fortunately, the base vehicle was still functioning normally. It was designed from the beginning to operate in the extreme environment of the Sea of Quanta.

Even if they went to the Sea of Quanta, with sufficient resources it would not be impossible to build a bubble world on the spot.

Then, the speaker on the MCV blared deafeningly.

“Houraiji! Susannah! Are you alright?!”

Kiana instantly opened a portal and rushed over, bringing Seele with her.

Seeing everyone was unharmed, Susannah breathed a sigh of relief.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize beforehand what Gray Serpent was building all those power plants for. If it weren’t for my carelessness… we wouldn’t have… sob, sob…”

“No, it wasn’t a matter of carelessness, Susannah. You have to understand, we were originally fighting Gray Serpent, but who could have imagined that an AI that desperately wanted to survive would take such a risky action at the last moment, even using its life-saving manufacturing plants as bait?”

Seele quickly analyzed the situation. Black Seele had already cursed her in her mind, but who could have imagined Gray Serpent could be so ruthless?

“Hmph, mechanical lifeforms are just that cold-blooded. As long as it’s within their calculated probability, no matter how absurd the plan is, the machine can execute it expressionlessly. All actions are based on probability.”

Kyuusyou’s tone was heavy. Although she considered Intellitrons as living beings, she also believed that the other party was more inclined toward the cold and ruthless type.

“I really don’t know if you’re praising him or criticizing him. What do we do now?”

Seeing her teammates were all there, Susannah immediately felt reassured.

At least everyone was still by her side; no difficulty was insurmountable.

“Gnius isn't with me. I can’t pinpoint Earth’s coordinates yet. The situation in the Sea of Quanta is unpredictable; it might be difficult for us to get back. Besides… entering the Sea of Quanta isn’t just Gray Serpent’s plan.”

Kiana encountered Bronie’s friend, a girl named Misteln, in Gray Serpent’s manufacturing plant.

That girl looked exactly like Cecilia, but Bronie had said she was a Stigmata lifeform, fundamentally very different from humans.

While she might possess Cecilia’s experiences, memories, and appearance, emotions and thoughts would absolutely not be inherited.

Most importantly,

Misteln’s way of thinking was vastly different from humans; Bronie’s assessment was even distorted.

Under these circumstances, facing Misteln, who collaborated with Gray Serpent to throw everyone into the Sea of Quanta, she might be an enemy rather than a so-called friend to the group.

Therefore, when Kiana understood this fact, she felt a heavy heart.

Misteln understood everyone.

Especially herself.

If such a person became an enemy, Kiana believed she could protect herself, but what about the others?

Houraiji, Susannah, and Seele.

Bronie trusted her, believing she had enough power to protect Seele; she could not betray Bronie’s trust.

“At least we still have MCVs! We can handle any enemy we encounter! Let’s find a bubble world to settle in for now!”

“Kyuusyou is right. Our immediate priority is to utilize everything we can. Being in a bubble world will also make it easier for us to search for information about Earth spreading into the Sea of Quanta, thus locating Earth!”

Kiana had been diligently studying how to cope after getting lost in the Sea of Quanta.

Kiana was grateful that she still remembered this relevant knowledge. If she were completely clueless, that would be true despair.

Once she got back, she would definitely learn more about the Sea of Quanta from Durandal.

“Kiana-sama is so reliable!”

Susannah’s eyes sparkled, clearly admiring Kiana.

Seele smiled helplessly. Although the methods for self-rescue after falling into the Sea of Quanta were taught within Schicksal, in practice Valkyries rarely had the opportunity to use them.

Surprisingly, Kiana had actually studied the relevant information diligently and did not panic even after falling into the Sea of Quanta.

Looking at everything familiar around her, Seele roughly understood that they were not actually that far from Earth. Earth’s information was resonating with the ether, forming content related to Earth. To find their way back, they just needed to avoid making mistakes.

The MCV slowly moved, searching for a stable place to land amid the chaotic platforms of the Sea of Quanta.

Seele sensed something and looked in one direction from the window of the MCV control room.

“What’s wrong?” Kiana sensed that Seele had discovered something.

“Over there, images of the past left behind by Misteln.”

Misteln was silently moving forward but with a very clear direction.

“Where is she going?” Kiana asked curiously.

“I don’t know, but the only thing I do know is that she was involved in the Gray Serpent incident. If we capture her, we will definitely get the answers. There are four of us and only one of her. Besides, we haven’t seen Gray Serpent; he must still be on Earth.”

Seele’s analysis was correct. Kiana pondered for a moment, but surprisingly she knew nothing about Misteln’s abilities.

She only knew that Misteln had celebrated the New Year with everyone at the Golden Courtyard and had shared a lot about Valkyries.

Kiana had no idea how strong Misteln was.

“Let’s go! We can’t let her roam freely in the Sea of Quanta. Even if we’re going to judge her, we should bring her to Earth!”

After Kiana made her decision, Susannah began controlling the MCV and heading toward Misteln’s direction.

Then, an entrance to a world bubble appeared before them.

“We can’t get in, can we? We just can’t get in!” Seeing the stark contrast between the size of the entrance and the MCV, Kyuusyou immediately warned the others.

“I’ll expand this entrance next!” Kiana stepped forward.

The entrance to the world bubble suddenly enlarged, and the MCV successfully entered it.

Then…

On the outskirts of a world bubble city where salt snow was falling, a massive mobile base descended from the sky.

Within just one minute, the mobile base unfolded, transforming into a stable base and beginning its work.

It transformed everything around it into the most fortified fortress in the current world bubble.

====================================================

[Chapter 385: An Unexpected Development for Hare]

In the Salt Snow Holy City, beside Prometheus atop the high tower, Misteln opened a portal to the Sea of Quanta and returned to this place.

The two of them had been in this world bubble for some time. According to Bronie, they were following in the footsteps of the Stigmata, heading to the Sea of Quanta to find the Salt Snow Holy City. While dealing with the affairs there, they also planned to separate the other personality within Seele and Kiana.

Based on the special rules of the Salt Snow Holy City world bubble, their consciousness would be thrown into the Country of Iron, and then a new body would be created using Etheric energy.

Misteln wholeheartedly agreed to this plan.

Furthermore, Seele's body was rather special, making her more suitable for the position of Sage of the High Tower in this world bubble than the Stigmata.

As for what was wrong with controlling a world bubble?

Misteln didn't think there was anything wrong with it.

It was simply a matter of bearing some responsibility, but one could also enjoy certain benefits.

"They'll be here soon. I've left enough clues for them to follow."

"Good. Everything is proceeding smoothly. But Miss Misteln, I detected fluctuations in the quantum tides outside just now. Has anything unusual happened?"

Prometheus suddenly had a premonition, as if Misteln had done something wrong, and the upcoming plans might be affected.

"No, right? It's just that the commotion was a bit too much. After all, they wouldn't obediently enter the Sea of Quanta, especially with the Herrscher of the Void present."

Prometheus never expected that after being transcribed from the World Bubble into the real world, the problem of Finality had been completely resolved.

Even the Cocoon of Finality had been completely controlled by one person.

It was hard to imagine that a human could do this. After all, the use and calculation of power are extremely complex. Without a comprehensive understanding of the Cocoon of Finality, it would be impossible to approach and control it.

As for how Bronie did it...

Dr. Mei was conducting her research, while Prometheus was filled with questions.

"Could you give a specific example of what you mean by 'making a bit too much noise'?"

"Like throwing everything on the surface of half the city into the Sea of Quanta?"

This was more than just "making a bit too much noise," wasn't it?

Prometheus was speechless.

But upon reflection, she and Misteln had encountered countless absurd situations on their journey, so helping to clean up construction debris in Nagazora City wasn't so bad after all.

"It seems that it's not sensitive to quantities. I've recorded it in the Form Observation Notes for reference, and I'll be wary of all the food you prepare."

That wasn't quite right.

Although recipes often use these terms in small amounts, she still knew how much to put in each ingredient.

Cecilia, back then, didn't know how to cook at first, but after having children, she learned to cook everyday dishes through effort. Controlling the amount of seasoning shouldn't be a problem for her.

Misteln could only manage a wry smile, and the two waited quietly for the arrival of their next guest.

The Sage of the High Tower, the one who had taken over the special position in this world bubble, was quite curious about what kind of person the guest, supposedly capable of solving the world bubble's problems, would be.

Suddenly, the Sage of the High Tower sensed something, then looked out from the tower's vantage point, which offered a panoramic view of the entire Salt Snow Holy City.

A massive portal appeared, and an even larger mobile terminal descended from the sky, causing a tremendous tremor upon landing. The entire tower seemed to shake, teetering on the verge of collapse.

"So this is what you meant by 'absolutely foolproof'?"

Faced with Prometheus's expressionless skepticism, Misteln immediately broke out in a cold sweat.

She then looked at the Sage of the High Tower.

"It's reasonable for the Herrscher of the Void to open the portal even wider, right? Hahaha... I guess so?"

"I just hope the guests you bring back are truly saviors and not some villainous reapers destined to destroy everything."

The Sage of the High Tower couldn't help but retort, but remained firmly seated on her throne, quietly watching what the two were planning.

Alien Stigmata, Project Stigma, and Honkai—these things were far too distant for the Sage of the High Tower.

All she wanted to do was protect the current world and the beauty before her eyes.

"They are all good children. They shouldn't do anything too outrageous."

As soon as Misteln finished speaking, the base vehicle began its performance.

Transform, extend, then fix in place.

A massive factory stood on the outskirts of Salt Snow Holy City, followed by a power plant rising from the ground.

"A very interesting device. It seems the person who designed this has very grand ambitions regarding space travel and exploration of the Sea of Quanta."

Prometheus clearly understood how the power plant came to be, but some of the gear structures seemed vaguely familiar.

Perhaps Vill-V was also involved in the design?

"Did you notice anything? Times change so fast. Sometimes I'm not immediately familiar with new things appearing in civilizations," Misteln asked.

"A base vehicle—a mobile, portable base built using industrial mother machine technology. It can be used to build and develop forward bases anytime and anywhere. It's an important facility integrating power generation, mining, production, and construction. Having one would provide explorers with a great sense of security when traveling to unknown planets and world bubbles."

The mining site of the MCV ppeared further away, thick smoke billowing from its chimneys, looking remarkably conspicuous in this world where white salt particles occasionally drifted by.

"This is really… a bit rude…" Misteln didn't know how to describe these children.

Without a word, they began exploiting local resources and inquiring about the lives of the locals. This domineering behavior gave off a sense of hostility.

Was it a sign of insecurity?

Or had her actions caused a misunderstanding?

"They probably judged that there were too many Quantum Shadows outside the city, so they considered it unclaimed land, and that's indeed the case. I just don't know if the Sage of the High Tower has claimed sovereignty over the land outside the city."

Prometheus looked at the Sage of the High Tower, trying to gauge her reaction from her expression.

After all, having such a large machine suddenly appear at their doorstep was something even a game like Civilization would condemn—building a city-state next to another AI would be condemned.

"The residents of Salt Snow Holy City are not capable of clearing out the monsters outside the city. The Sage of the High Tower only protects the law-abiding citizens within the city, so if things from the outside are useful to them, I have no objection."

"I didn't expect our Sage of the High Tower to be so benevolent."

Based on Misteln's experience, even things that didn't belong to them would not be relinquished by some powerful figures.

After all, no one could guarantee that these resources wouldn't end up in their hands in the future.

"Let's avoid pointless probing. My main job is to conduct the memorial service, as long as it doesn't disrupt the normal operation of Salt Snow Holy City."

"Now, let's welcome them. Hopefully, they won't act like overly agitated cats."

...

"The construction plan is already set. If everything goes smoothly, we can start producing robots or building a printing factory in about a day. However, Seele and Kiana, you two seem quite uneasy since earlier. Is something wrong?"

Susannah finished operating the base vehicle and turned around, noticing that the two pillars of the team seemed to be experiencing some problems.

"Hmm... it's like this. After arriving in this world, Kiana and I couldn't contact our other selves."

Seele then began to describe her other self, a special individual born from a Stigmata, a companion who had grown up with her since childhood.

There was also the Herrscher personality within Kiana, who was nearly destroyed by the Herrscher Core and the Honkai Will, and was saved by Bronie.

This was an experience Seele had never had before—a complete inability to connect with others, a feeling of utter loneliness.

Fortunately, Kiana steadied herself.

"Wow, I never expected it to be like this..."

Susannah's gaze darted back and forth between Kiana and Seele as if they were rare animals. She had never imagined that each of her companions possessed another personality.

Then she looked at Kyuusyou.

"I don't have another personality, but I have hidden power. Although it's constantly sealed, there's no doubt that once unleashed, it will be the power to save the world!"

Fine, Kyuusyou was clearly a typical case of chuunibyou (middle school syndrome).

Susannah then gave her a look of sympathy.

This infuriated Kyuusyou.

"Okay, Kyuusyou, my safety is in your hands now! So, the next task is to find the other Seele and the other Kiana, right?"

Susannah immediately felt confident.

"Her name is Sirin."

"Eh!?" Hearing Kiana correct her answer, Susannah's brain briefly overloaded.

Sirin.

This name is truly significant for Valkyries; their liberal arts exams contain a lot of content related to the Second Eruption.

When this historical figure appeared before Susannah, it was inevitable that she would feel confused.

"Alright! Whether she's called Sirin or Donglin, let's set off immediately! Who knows if there's a Demon King waiting for us in that other world, or perhaps some undead, or something else? I have a feeling that that tower will become our target." Kyuusyou spoke, and everyone looked towards the tower in the city center.

That place emitted a strong light, seemingly replacing the sun and radiating a very strong presence outside the city.

"It looks like someone lives here. It doesn't seem like a place a Great Demon King would go," Seele couldn't help but complain, but she still followed closely behind Kyuusyou.

Snowflakes were falling from the sky, a very rare sight for Susannah, so she was quite excited.

Fortunately, she had already seen this scene from inside the base vehicle, so her excitement wasn't as intense.

"But don't the dilapidated and abandoned traces outside the city prove that some Great Demon King once existed?" Kyuusyou retorted.

Seele looked around, then pointed to the Quantum Shadow, who was doing something nearby.

"Isn't it because of this? I heard from Sister Bronie that world bubbles are often eroded by the Sea of Quanta, but the reason they can exist for so long is because there are special rules or objects within them that counteract this erosion. And the root of these rules or objects lies in the Ether Anchor. If something goes wrong with the Ether Anchor, this situation often occurs."

"Doesn't this mean that even greater demons have designs on the Ether Anchor? They use it to gain power and wealth, completely ignoring the need to protect their own world!" Using Seele's words, Kyuusyou concocted a seemingly plausible story.

For a moment, Seele didn't know how to refute it.

"Oh! I see!"

Even Kiana believed it!?

This team had been completely led astray by Kyuusyou!

"We should remain vigilant. We can't rule out the possibility of this happening, but let's wait until we're inside the city. The city walls seem to completely seal off the outer perimeter; even the Quantum Shadow couldn't get in. Should we use Kiana's powers to teleport in, or find a way to enter through the main gate?"

"Susannah, entering openly through the main gate is the best way to prove we have no ill intentions. Our previous actions of deploying our base vehicles to mine resources outside were already quite impolite. If we sneak into the city, we'll inevitably face hostility."

"But that area…"

Susannah wanted to say that it was no man's land.

But Kyuusyou crossed her arms and nodded in agreement with Kiana's words.

"Some people in power simply can't stand seeing others take what they can't take. They might even internalize that thing as their own, potentially leading to even more intense conflicts."

"Kyuusyou, look at this abandoned city. It's beautiful. I want to believe in the good intentions of the people who built it so beautifully. They should have hearts that yearn for beauty. So let's not assume the worst of others for now. It's just that this gate seems to have been eroded by the Sea of Quanta. We need to use a different method to pass through it."

Seele's kind words seemed to touch the gate.

Just as she finished speaking, a strange voice came from above it.

"That's right, this little girl is correct. The residents here are very easygoing. To open this gate, we need to use another method—find the Lightsalt! It's the key to this world bubble resisting the erosion of the Sea of Quanta and also the key to this gate. Let's have the introductions after we meet; that would be more formal, wouldn't it?"

====================================================

[Chapter 386: Digging a Hole]

Kyuusyou was so angry at the woman inside the door for being so secretive that she threw several stones to express her dissatisfaction.

If the other person had not also been a girl, Susannah thought Kyuusyou might have started cursing.

After that, naturally, came the search for the so-called Lightsalt.

The Sea of Quanta contains numerous world bubbles, each with its own unique rules to maintain its existence. Furthermore, within these world bubbles, time is not bound by the Imaginary Tree and thus is not absolute, so even time reversal is possible.

The existence of the Lightsalt did not surprise anyone too much, except that when Seele touched the Light Salt, she felt as if someone had touched her.

The feeling was fleeting, but the lingering sensation made Seele aware of the existence of her other self.

Knowing that Black Seele was still safe, albeit currently in another dimension, and after a brief contact through the Light Salt energy, Seele felt slightly relieved.

The gates leading into the city slowly opened.

Behind the gates, on a platform overlooking the city, a quietly burning campfire added a touch of warmth to the cold, snow-white landscape. Enveloped in this warmth, a blue-haired girl introduced herself.

"Hi I've been waiting for you for a long time. Welcome to Salt Snow Holy City. I am a wanderer from the Sea of Quanta and also the former Valkyrie, Shigure Kira"

Perhaps Kyuusyou's earlier rambling made Shigure Kira realize that if she continued to keep things mysterious, she might get beaten up.

So she immediately brought up her identity as a former Valkyrie.

After all, among the Valkyries of Schicksal back then, there were only six A-ranks, and she was one of them, so she should be considered relatively well-known, right?

So, after revealing her name, Shigure Kira looked expectantly at the crowd.

She wanted to see their reaction to the name.

"Shigure Kira? I've heard of the Snow Wolf Squad, the Valkyrie squad under Cecilia's command. After that, they became nothing more than a page in the history books. Hello, I'm Kiana Kaslana."

"Wait? Lady Cecilia? Is she really a senior Valkyrie under Lady Cecilia's command? Oh my gosh! I must properly admire Senior Shigure Kira's heroic figure! I never expected to see such a great Valkyrie in a place like this!"

Kiana's self-introduction naturally ended there. After all, she did not want to casually reveal her K423 identity, but she had heard of Cecilia's story; Sirin had also been cared for by Cecilia.

So calling Cecilia "Mom" was not a problem at all.

So, upon hearing Shigure Kira's identity, Susannah became as excited as a fan seeing their idol.

"Uh..."

"Right, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Susannah Mannat, the A-rank Valkyrie who was recently assigned to the Immortal Blades. This is Seele Vollerie, a Valkyrie trainee, and the legendary S-rank Valkyrie trainee, also from the Immortal Blades, Kiana Kaslana! And finally—"

"The invincible savior, Houraiji Kyuusyou! Although she is a Valkyrie trainee like Seele, she possesses the power to save the world!"

Kyuusyou's self-introduction made Shigure Kira pause for a moment. She looked at the others, seemingly confirming the truth of the matter.

Susannah's wry smile, Seele's facepalm, and Kiana's awkward but polite smile—Shigure Kira knew this was just a simple-minded, immature kid.

"An S-rank Valkyrie... and Kiana Kaslana at that? Come to think of it, it's been quite a while. I never imagined Cecilia's child from back then would have grown up to this extent..."

Looking at Kiana again, Shigure Kira sighed at the relentless passage of time.

Later, Seele slowly explained to Shigure Kira the replacement of the Overseer of Schicksal, the resolution of the Honkai, and the legendary story of the wanderer from the Sea of Quanta who came to Earth and saved it from the threat of the Cocoon of Finality.

Years of planning, brilliant strategies and thinking, and the game that brought joy to countless people—these complex stories, conveyed by Seele, gradually pieced together Bronie's identity in Shigure Kira's mind.

"This is really..." Shigure Kira did not know how to describe the story she was hearing.

Her first reaction was absurdity.

How many years had it been since she left Earth? The last time she contacted Bianca, she heard news about Earth—Schicksal was still struggling to resolve the Honkai.

But then, how did this outrageous person appear, easily resolving the Honkai that civilization had fought against for millennia through six or seven years of planning?

And what is this power of the Aeon?

There was just too much information, leaving Shigure Kira unsure of what to say.

"Yes... Sis Bronie is usually very easygoing, seemingly focused on making games, but who would have thought she would do something so outrageous without a word..."

Seele also found it absurd, but looking back, everything Bronie did was traceable.

Even the powers granted to the Herrschers after their growth were manipulated and guided by Bronie.

"You're not kidding?" Shigure Kira asked again, confirming.

Seele nodded.

"Alright, you've been left far behind by the times. But speaking of which, did you Valkyries of Schicksal come to this world bubble at the behest of Overseer Theresa to do something?"

"We were chasing an enemy trying to overthrow Earth's civilization, and then we were led here to this world bubble. That base vehicle outside is our spoils." Kyuusyou's words surprised Shigure Kira.

Chasing?

Overthrowing?

This...

"Actually, it's an awakening of artificial intelligence, wanting to use the advanced technology of that base vehicle to develop its own power. But what Kyuusyou said is not wrong. If it is allowed to develop unchecked, it could very well ignite a war between artificial intelligence and humans on Earth. And behind this artificial intelligence, it seems there is someone guiding it."

"So you chased it to this world bubble..."

Shigure Kira understood the situation, but the one they were chasing might be the same one she had seen before?

Without concrete evidence, Shigure Kira did not want to mislead them directly, so she decided to observe for the time being.

"If things escalate to an irreversible point, the base vehicle will unleash its full production capacity, completely obliterating the entire world bubble. We came to this Salt Snow Holy City to investigate the current situation and the extent of their control over this world bubble."

"Kyuusyou, do not make it sound so terrifying. We are just investigating the person who led us to this world bubble. We also lost track of two of our companions while tracking them. We came to the city to look for them and to learn more about this world bubble."

Kiana had a feeling that the moment Kyuusyou opened her mouth, the situation would inevitably take a sharp turn, potentially turning into something like fighting a demon king and saving the world.

But they might not actually be entirely enemy-oriented!

"Two more? Your Valkyrie lineup is truly impressive, with an S-rank Valkyrie leading the team. I think I understand just how difficult this mission is... It's probably even more serious than the Second Eruption..."

Shigure Kira had never seen such a formidable lineup before. The last time she had seen one was probably during the Second Eruption, when her Snow Wolf Squad was almost completely wiped out fighting Benares.

"It's not that bad. Kiana is mainly here to make up for her missing academic credits, while Susannah is primarily responsible for the mission as the team leader. As for me and Kyuusyou, it is just because of special circumstances!"

Because they are all Stigmata Awakeners, the assessment is based on practical combat rather than the usual Valkyrie progression from D-rank.

After all, given their abilities, logistical support is not really suitable.

"I see... Hahaha, it seems Schicksal has changed quite a bit over the years..."

Aside from feeling out of touch with the times, Shigure Kira's primary feeling was that she was getting old.

She doesn't know why she had this feeling. Her goal is to become the number one idol in the universe!

She didn't understand why the topic has veered so far off course.

"So why did the former Valkyrie, Shigure Kira, come to this world? According to historical records, Shigure Kira should have sacrificed herself during the Second Eruption, right?"

Seele's question was extremely important. If Shigure Kira did not give a suitable answer, the trust that the entire team had just built could be shattered.

Shigure Kira looked at Seele and could not help but admire that Seele was indeed a very excellent Valkyrie. It was truly remarkable that she could think of something like this.

"This matter is rather complicated. After the Second Eruption, I should have indeed died in that snowfield, but there are always exceptions, are there not? It all started when I encountered an alien creature..."

She then recounted her encounter with Bianka in the Sea of Quanta and her idol activities there.

"I see, that was quite an exciting adventure! Although I do not recall ever hearing your concert in the Sea of Quanta, would you ever hold one in our world?"

"Eh!?"

Shigure Kira was slightly taken aback by Kyuusyou's invitation. After all, the description of her experience clearly hinted at her ability to return to Earth, but she had not done it.

Those who realized this usually would not ask this question.

"Look, Earth's Honkai has been defeated, and the leader of Schicksal is no longer Otto. The entire Earth is in a state of reconstruction. At this time, if there were an idol who could bring dreams to everyone, would that not be incredibly interesting? I imagine you must have accumulated a lot of experience as an idol in the Sea of Quanta, making this a piece of cake, right?"

Did Bronie not know that Shigure Kira was tone-deaf?

Of course she did.

So why invite her to Earth for an idol event?

Besides her looks, Shigure Kira's motivation for becoming an idol was indeed a good reason.

Her voice was a piece of cake; the main thing was that Bronie wanted to have some fun. Deception, exposure, repentance, and then transformation.

Is that not an amazing story?!

"Uh... hahaha, I have not sung in a while, and I came to Salt Snow Holy City entirely to find a special tool to gain a heavenly voice. After all, that is something every idol wants!"

"I see, I completely understand! The mountain is there, so you have to climb to the top. I did not expect Shigure Kira-senpai to have such high aspirations, wanting to become the most famous idol in the entire universe?"

"No, that is right! That is exactly it! How can ordinary songs satisfy my audience? That is it!"

"Wow! I will definitely tell everyone about Kira-senpai when I get back!"

As the Valkyries' number one fan, Susannah became excited upon hearing Shigure Kira's words.

Most importantly, her innocent eyes showed no doubt whatsoever.

Shigure Kira immediately broke out in a sweat.

"In short, that is pretty much the end of my dark history. If you want to find someone, you will definitely have to ask around in the city. Besides, you caused quite a commotion outside the city; if you do not come forward and explain yourselves properly, it might be difficult to get everyone's cooperation in the city."

With that, Shigure Kira led the way, preparing to head into the city.

After entering the city, everyone realized that the civilization in this world was not particularly advanced in terms of technology.

Apart from the tower, the entire Salt Snow Holy City looked almost identical to a normal small town.

It inexplicably gave them a sense of temporal displacement.

It was as if they had returned to the past.

Kyuusyou looked up at the tower; its tip emitted a blinding light that was difficult to look at directly. Her eyes watered slightly from the light, and she asked, "Having come to Salt Snow Holy City, have you all not noticed anything strange?"

"Strange? Kyuusyou, have you discovered something?"

Seele looked around; the old man was just smiling, and the buildings were simple; nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Kyuusyou pointed to the tower.

"Have you all not noticed? There is no sun, no stars, not even a moon in the sky. The source of the light is at the top of this tower!"

Everyone looked in the direction Kyuusyou was pointing.

Kyuusyou pressed her advantage.

"Look! The demon king of the tower has hijacked the sun, making this world only have daytime so that people can work endlessly! Pick up your weapons and charge at the tyrant of the tower!"

=====================================================

[Chapter 387: The Avengers in the Sea of Quanta]

The destruction of the Bubble World Dead by Daylight was like a delicate and brilliant firework, but now its existence has passed several times over.

Back then, in order to fight against the absurd existence of Bronie, Sa invested heavily in giving Vita almost the same level of power.

The great battle between the two indirectly led to the destruction of the entire Bubble World, but fortunately, the problem was not too serious; this Bubble World was merely an insignificant part of the millions of fields under Sa's control.

However, the power Bronie displayed truly startled Sa. In all her years living in the Sea of Quanta, Sa had never seen anyone with such great abilities.

Therefore, when infusing Vita with power and authority, she used a little more force.

The power was indeed transferred, but Vita did not allow Sa to capture Bronie as she wished. Instead, she severed all ties with Sa, taking this power with her and making it impossible for Sa to easily control Vita's actions anymore.

Actually, Vita could have simply left, never to have any further contact with Sa, or even left the Sea of Quanta for the Real World.

But Vita still had her children in Phosphorus to care about.

The seven little Vitas were so adorable, yet they suffered the torment of reincarnation time and time again.

Moreover, their long companionship had gradually eased the fatigue of Vita's work, and over the years, a bond had formed.

Vita had been plotting how to liberate Phosphorus, restoring the corrupted Sa to normalcy, or even destroying her.

Unfortunately, she could not find the right opportunity.

Or perhaps Bronie has a solution. But sadly, it seems she had hidden on Earth in the Real World, and she had no way to find her. So, if she wanted to use Bronie to deal with Sa, she would probably have to wait.

Vita was quite envious of Bronie's confident figure and her constant enjoyment of life.

In the past, Vita did not even have the right to desire freedom. After gaining a small amount of freedom with Bronie's help, Vita began to crave more.

So, after much thought, Vita decided to lie low for a while, quietly waiting for the opportunity that could solve all her problems and, incidentally, help the Otto individual Bronie had left behind in the Sea of Quanta.

The Sea of Quanta Avengers team—how impressive does that sound?

And it was founded by that Otto, with its main members basically being victims of the Dead by Daylight Bubble World.

It can only be said that Sa's foresight was truly excellent, gathering so many hidden talents in the Sea of Quanta.

And after Bronie gave them an opportunity, they actually created the Sea of Quanta Avengers team and even began trying to save these Bubble Worlds.

Isn't that quite interesting?

Vita also got involved, offering pointers now and then, occasionally revealing the coordinates of a Bubble World or sending supplies.

It is fair to say that after Bronie and Sa's brief encounter, everything changed. Where Sa implanted Wishes in Bubble Worlds, Vita would wander around the vicinity, taking Otto to check.

As for whether Sa would drag her back to work every day, that was not a concern.

Although Sa's main strength was her powerful, brick-throwing abilities, and she tried her best to imitate the various mechanisms of the Cocoon of Finality,

in reality, Sa had long lost all creativity. Even her ability to research the Sea of Quanta had begun to deteriorate significantly, and her skill had stagnated to a near standstill.

Compared to Bronie's Ether editing technology, it was worlds apart, as if they were from completely different eras.

Is this normal?

Does a Bubble World in the Sea of Quanta possess such technology?

Vita, with her vast knowledge, had never actually seen anything like it.

Of course, the scope of Sa's activities is all within the Sea of Quanta generated by data escaping from the solar system, so perhaps Bronie is actually a Sea of Quanta traveler from outside the solar system?

Or maybe from Mars?

Vita did not analyze much, but thankfully there was Otto.

It is unclear what happened, but Otto from the original world had a dream and ended up appearing in the Bubble World of Dead by Daylight.

More importantly, even after the original body awoke, Otto was still there. It should have just been a temporary clone in the dream, but some unforeseen event caused it to become like this.

Now that she thought about it, there is an artifact in the Phosphorus museum that looks very similar to Otto, seemingly having a very close connection to him.

Is this important?

For Vita, it is somewhat important.

After all, to overthrow the entire Phosphorus and free the little Vitas from their endless cycle of overtime, she needs someone who can really cause trouble.

Maybe this Otto can accomplish that?

However, let us deal with that matter later.

Right now, we need to focus on the place called Salt Snow Holy City.

"Mr. Otto, have you investigated the origins of the guests outside?"

A light snow was falling. Vita, dressed in local attire, had already established good relationships with the residents and was gradually integrating into local life.

Aside from the two Messengers of the Sage of the High Tower who suddenly arrived a week ago, and the Sage of the High Tower who appeared even earlier, nothing unusual had happened here.

This Otto had had accepted himself as an avatar of the Sea of Quanta and been freed from five hundred years of obsession, so he looked less cunning and more bewildered. He was also dressed in similar local clothing.

The continuous travel had left a few specks of salt and snow on Otto's golden hair. He gently brushed the snow off his head and replied.

"I did not expect that in such a short time, Schicksal would create something so interesting. Times are changing so fast. It seems the Honkai outside has likely been resolved. I wonder if my true form has fulfilled his wish. By the way, in your hometown dialect, it should be called the Honkai, right?"

"The Honkai is resolved? That is truly incredible! Could it be Bronie who did it? No, while Bronie's robots are powerful, they should not be able to truly defeat the Honkai..." Vita found it somewhat unbelievable.

"In fact, I had already witnessed Bronie's incredible abilities before I was transcribed into the Sea of Quanta Bubble World. She could freely command Ether and alter reality; even the laws of the world would change according to her will. She could even resurrect the dead—a reality stabilized by the Imaginary Tree, absolutely unchangeable."

Therefore, after observing Bronie's existence, Otto felt that Bronie must have a way to resolve the Honkai, though he did not know what methods she used.

She usually seemed very easygoing, enjoyed finding her own amusement, and liked creating games that gave players a bittersweet experience.

So, after that, Otto focused all his energy on replicating Bronie's behavior. Through continuous experimentation, Otto gradually collaborated with Bronie to piece together a relatively reliable plan.

Although it was only a prototype.

"Wow, that is amazing. If we were in the Sea of Quanta, there would not seem to be so many problems. Death is not so absolute. It is amazing, is it not?"

"But reality is not so absolute either. After all, the world's stability can be shaken by the desires of the people in the current world—it just does not make sense. So, having failed several times before, what method do you have to save this world now?"

Having lost sight of his goal of resurrecting Kallen, Otto had no other life goals besides seeking revenge against Sa.

Doing good deeds was merely a way of fulfilling Kallen's past ideals, a way to remember the Kallen in his heart and fill the emptiness within.

Although it felt like drinking poison to quench thirst, it was still much better than suffering torment.

"I do not have Bronie's genius abilities, and you protect your technology so tightly that even if I had an idea, I could not implement it. You are always on guard against me; what did I do wrong?"

"I have created many clones of my will using machines, but I have always considered the possibility of them awakening self-awareness and rebelling. Maybe you have some kind of backup plan? Although you broke free from control in your own way, you are unreliable until I fully understand you."

"Although I have heard your answer once, it always makes me sad..."

Vita's face was all smiles, making it impossible to tell whether her words were sincere or not.

This was a habit, almost instinctive, developed from years of being bound.

Otto knew this well, so he did not intend to pursue the matter further.

"I will not show myself this time. My face is far too famous, and it might cause unnecessary misunderstandings. Besides, I might already be dead in this world. I wonder what people will think of me after I die."

"So you are the kind of person who cares about your reputation after death?"

"Of course not, but since it has already happened, it is inevitable that some people will be curious, right? After all, I know I am a complete bad person. Would it not be interesting if such a bad person left behind a lot of good reputations in life?"

Otto then prepared to head towards the safe house. Recently, the messenger had conducted a population survey in Salt Snow Holy City and was preparing to assign positions based on talent.

Otto claimed to be a doctor and displayed extremely advanced medical skills, while Vita, pretending to be Otto's sister, was better at singing, dancing, and math and might be assigned to an idol position in the future.

"I will take a good look at these visitors and see if they become a new variable in our plans. I wonder if they have any shielding devices against Sa."

With that, Vita headed towards the streets near the gates of Salt Snow Holy City, greeted an old man there, and then wandered around, looking for any Quantum Shadows sneaking in to stage a heroic rescue.

"Look! The Demon King of the Tower has hijacked the sun, plunging countless people into an eternal hell of overtime. We need to defeat him and restore fairness to the world!"

For some reason, Vita thought of the story of Don Quixote that Otto had told her.

Ideals and reality.

Is this not just like that person?

Are all the people from Schicksal who frequently go out on missions like this?

Seele, standing nearby, awkwardly tried to stop Kyuusyou, but Kyuusyou's voice had already attracted everyone's attention.

Now, everyone had originally wanted to keep a low profile, but had this already created a bad impression?

After all, judging from the surrounding environment, it was a relatively backward civilization, and they took their faith much more seriously than modern people.

Being kicked out of the city for speaking so recklessly was not impossible.

"Hehehe... The Sage is not some demon king! She brought us safety, fairness, and peace to our departed family members. There is a saying, is there not? A person's life is accompanied by birth, the Sage, and death. So, Miss Hero from elsewhere, the only enemy of Salt Snow Holy City is those monsters!"

Vita stepped forward, answering Kyuusyou's words with a grin, as if what Kyuusyou had just said was nothing more than a trivial joke.

The bandaged hand that had pointed towards the tower slowly retracted, and the coat that had been used as a cloak fluttered as Kyuusyou turned.

"So that is how it is. Is this how everyone sees the Tower? Things seem a bit tricky. My name is Houraiji Kyuusyou, the savior ordained by Heaven. This world is facing an unprecedented crisis, and we are here to resolve it!"

"Kyuusyou! Aren't we..."

Susannah was about to state her group's objective, but Kiana stopped her.

Hearing Kyuusyou's words, Vita's feelings were also complicated.

Was she lying or telling the truth?

This was too strange!

These words completely baffled Vita. Her millennia-long disguise was almost exposed. That girl was trying to sabotage her, was she not?

But how did Kyuusyou so accurately pinpoint the crisis facing this Bubble World?

And why did she specifically point to the Tower?

Yes, the Sage of the High Tower was indeed doing good, but the very existence of the Sage of the High Tower, and the Tower's essence in separating the Salt Snow Holy City and the Country of Iron Sand, meant that the entire Bubble World would be harvested by Sa.

Therefore, what Kyuusyou said was absolutely correct.

Universe.jpeg

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A brainstorming session, no less intense than the Big Bang, raged through Vita's mind in a flash.

She then pretended to scrutinize everyone, giving Seele and Kyuusyou a particularly thorough once-over.

Then she spoke.

"Wow, are all the girls outside the city this perfect and adorable? Although I do not know what dangers there are, I can be your guide and show you all around to see the city more clearly!"

The group was a little puzzled by this sudden invitation, but having a guide would certainly be helpful for them to better understand this world.

So no one objected.

"I will pay!" Kyuusyou said, patting her chest.

======================================================

[Chapter 388: Clues]

Vita officially made contact with the Fate Valkyrie team. From their initial interaction, these Valkyries all seemed to be quite young women, not at all like people skilled in combat.

Or perhaps Earth’s situation is simply so unique that girls are generally considered more powerful, leading to a societal environment that favors women?

It’s not that Venus’s preserved literature doesn’t contain this kind of subject matter, but Vita felt something was off.

“Kyuusyou, do you have any money? You said you’d give me money?”

“Money is just another way of saying payment. Of course, I know I don’t have any money from Salt Snow Holy City, but if it’s this, I’m sure it’ll be very suitable, right?”

As she spoke, Kyuusyou took out a small pocket watch from the pocket of her skirt. Seele’s eyes widened instantly.

“What an exquisite pocket watch! It must be very expensive, right?”

And it’s so golden.

“It was originally meant to enhance my image as a savior. If I were more frugal with my salary and cut back on desserts a few times a week, I could probably buy another one.”

A Valkyrie’s salary isn’t low, but girls generally have higher spending habits, especially on cosmetics and clothes. They might not need them, but they absolutely can’t be without them.

Seeing Kyuusyou’s slightly pained expression, Seele thought that she could be normal sometimes.

She just didn’t understand why she always acted like that.

Savior?

Is it her ideal to become a savior?

“Alright, let’s not rush to give you the reward. Maybe what I really want isn’t this exquisite pocket watch, but a different story and a different life. Compared to material things, I’d much rather satisfy my curiosity!” Vita smiled happily as Kyuusyou reluctantly took out the pocket watch, but her hand gestured in refusal.

“Fine. Although I don’t know what you really want, there’s a saying in my hometown: ‘Free things are the most expensive.’ It seems you’re the greedy type!”

“Kyuusyou~” Seele quickly reminded her that her words were a bit too rude, but Vita didn’t seem offended.

In fact, she seemed to agree with Kyuusyou’s words.

“Yes, I’m a very greedy girl, so can you tell me what you’re planning to do in Salt Snow City? Everyone heard the commotion outside the city not long ago. A huge house suddenly appeared, and then other things inexplicably appeared too.”

“Save the world!”

“Find people!”

Kyuusyou and Kiana gave different answers.

Seele helplessly placed her hand on Kyuusyou’s shoulder, trying to hold her down.

“Actually, when we first arrived in Salt Snow City, two of our companions got lost. One was a girl who looked exactly like me, and the other was a girl with purple hair who is usually very proud.”

Seele carefully described Sirin’s appearance. After all, this was the first time Seele had ever seen another version of herself look completely different from her outer self. She had gotten used to it over time, but she still felt it was a very unusual situation.

“I don’t know why, but I have a strange feeling about the companion you described…” Shigure Kira couldn’t help but comment, a chill creeping over her.

It’s like…

How to put it…

It seems like you’re describing someone who has had a significant negative impact on my life.

Hearing Shigure Kira’s comment, Kiana couldn’t help but smile wryly, deciding to keep it a secret for now.

She would talk about it after finding the person…

“Oh! Looking for someone? No outsiders have come here lately. You know, I know everyone in Salt Snow Holy City! Except for the recently appeared divine messenger, there’s really no one I don’t know!”

Vita decided to steer the question toward the Sage of the High Tower.

Of course, she couldn’t be too blatant.

The Sage's messenger was a good target. Everyone in Salt Snow Holy City was curious about why the Sage of the High Tower had suddenly done so many things; it was a good starting point.

“The suddenly appearing divine messenger?” Susannah took out her notebook and wrote this down.

Seele also sensed something was amiss, while Kiana stared blankly at the snow on the floor.

“Kiana, what’s wrong?”

Kyuusyou noticed Kiana was a bit off. She was usually a very lively girl, so why had she been so sullen since arriving in Salt Snow City?

“I was just thinking about this snow. Could it be made into shaved ice? It looks so clean.”

“Just as I thought! I noticed this snow seems whiter than most snow, almost like it tastes like milk.”

Susannah agreed.

At this moment, Kyuusyou and Kiana exchanged a glance, as if they had immediately confirmed their prank plan. Then Kyuusyou bent down.

She found a relatively clean windowsill, gently brushed her middle finger across the snow, and then put her index finger in her mouth.

“It’s sweet? I see. It’s not pure snow, so it appears whiter.” Kyuusyou analyzed seriously, prompting Susannah to imitate her actions with delight.

“Really?” Susannah inherited intuition told her things weren’t so simple.

But it was too late to stop Susannah’s actions.

Mimicking Kyuusyou’s movements, Susannah put the snow in her mouth. The sensation on her tongue shot straight to her brain.

“Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey—Kyuusyou, you lied to me! QAQ”

“Hahahaha! Carefully savor the taste of the Salt Snow Holy City! Some things may look glamorous on the surface, but who knows what bad things they might do behind the scenes? Remember this unforgettable lesson!” Vita felt Kyuusyou was hinting at something. She regretted pretending to be a local; she could have asked her directly then.

Unconvinced, Susannah brushed some more salt snow and angrily shoved it into Kyuusyou’s mouth.

The smug Kyuusyou was completely unprepared for Susannah’s revenge. The salty, bitter taste assaulted her brain, and her previously smiling face instantly contorted.

Then Kyuusyou rolled the salt and snow into a snowball and retaliated, which Susannah nimbly dodged, attempting a counterattack as well.

The two suddenly started playfully wrestling, and Kiana quickly separated them.

“We’re still on a mission. Susannah, Kyuusyou, you two should stop fooling around…”

“Right! Looking for someone, right? Although I’ve never seen a stranger in the city, there’s a know-it-all in the Holy City; maybe it knows the answer you’re looking for!”

Vita also quickly stopped the fight from escalating further. She wondered if the relationship between these two was good or bad. They were clearly seeking revenge, yet both were smiling.

“Who is this?” Seele couldn’t wait for an answer.

Vita became serious, holding up one finger and saying, “Calling Assisty!”

[Hello, Miss Vita, how can I help you?]

“What’s this?” Kiana looked at the small drone that had appeared out of nowhere, reminiscent of the early drones Bronie had made.

Small and spherical in shape, it looked incredibly simple and harmless.

Judging someone’s lack of combat ability solely by their appearance is not the behavior of a proper Valkyrie.

Moreover, in this almost technologically limited environment, the sudden appearance of such a robot seemed quite jarring.

“Is that Assisty?”

“I mean, what exactly is Assisty?”

“Assisty is Assisty! He’s the little helper brought to us by the Sage’s messenger! He knows everything about the Holy City. If you want to find someone, asking him will be no problem! So, Assisty, is there anyone else in the city who looks exactly like this Miss Seele?”

[Searching… Sorry, no results found.]

Clearly, Vita didn’t seem to truly understand what Assisty was.

The Sage’s messenger brought Assisty, so everyone chose to trust it.

After analyzing this situation, Shigure Kira also felt a very subtle sensation.

“Speaking of which, Vita, how long have you been in Salt Snow Holy City, my little helper?”

“About a week, I think. What’s wrong?”

After Vita answered Shigure Kira’s question, Shigure Kira immediately realized the problem.

About a week.

That’s the time she left last time!

Could this divine messenger be those two people?

“I can’t find anyone…”

Seele looked disappointed at the drone, and Vita seemed to dislike seeing this expression, so she quickly spoke.

“Oh dear, my little helper isn’t necessarily omnipotent! I’ll try to bring everyone before the divine messenger. Perhaps if we pray sincerely to the omnipotent and all-knowing Sage of the High Tower, she’ll take pity on us and give us the answer!” The custom of seeking out sages when in trouble seemed to be very common throughout Salt Snow Holy City.

It was Vita who said those words, yet Seele always felt that Vita didn’t truly believe them; she was just joking.

Vita led the group through the city streets, going door to door asking people if they had seen another Seele.

Although they all received negative answers, Vita didn’t give up, nor did she pray to the Sage of the High Tower like the others.

Instead, she thought long and hard and finally came to a conclusion.

“It seems everyone is very busy, and it’s already evening. They’re all preparing to rest.”

“Evening!?” Kiana was taken aback.

“Assisty, tell me the time!”

[It’s currently 22:31 Holy City time. Xiao Zhu reminds you that quality sleep ensures healthy growth.]

“Well, it’s already quite late~” Kyuusyou suddenly made a look of realization.

“Oh~”

“Kyuusyou, what do you understand?” Kiana asked curiously.

“Think about it. We arrived around 3 PM, and only three hours have passed since then. Look, my pocket watch is pointing to 7 PM.”

“So?” Seele couldn’t help but ask.

“Doesn’t that mean we’re always five hours younger than everyone here?!”

“Is that really important?!”

Susannah couldn’t hold back anymore. How could Kyuusyou be so out of touch?

“Relax, we probably won’t find anything useful in Salt Snow City today. Almost all the clues and leads point to the Tower and the divine messenger. So, Vita, will we be able to meet the divine messenger or the Sage of the High Tower before tomorrow in Salt Snow City?”

The streets were nearly deserted. Salt Snow City didn’t have a concept of day and night, so the streets, where everyone was asleep, resembled an empty city.

This was a unique sight only seen in Salt Snow City.

“We probably won’t see anything today…”

Vita hadn’t expected Kyuusyou to grasp the key point so quickly. She had clearly wanted to take everyone for a walk around the area.

They seemed a bit tired and hungry now.

“So, either we go out of the city to rest for now and then come back to find the divine messenger, or we can rest here for now and wait for tomorrow. I don’t think they will easily let their guard down around us, will they?”

“Wow, Kyuusyou, I didn’t expect you to be so clever!” Susannah didn’t hold back when teasing her, perhaps because she felt like a peer.

She was the kind of Valkyrie who didn’t have many legendary stories, seemed rather ordinary but inexplicably confident—the kind Susannah admired.

She was so close to her, yet so different.

“Hmph, wisdom is the most basic quality a savior should possess. When all the clues have been given, piecing together the answer faster than everyone else—isn’t that a manifestation of wisdom?”

“Wow That’s amazing I happen to have some free time at home. Why don’t you come over and rest at my place?”

Vita directly extended an invitation, which surprised everyone.

Counting on her fingers, there were five people in total. Including Vita, that made six.

“Are you alright with so many of us?” Kiana hesitated.

“No problem, no problem at all! Salt Snow City has no shortage of empty rooms! Sometimes monsters wander into the city, and if the divine messenger doesn’t intervene in time, they’ll end up being guided to the afterlife by the Sage, and the houses will naturally become empty!”

She spoke of death so casually, giving the impression that the afterlife was a real thing.

More importantly, Vita’s tone suggested she didn’t believe in these things.

There was also a hint of loneliness in her voice.

“Then let’s rest here for a while. Vita, please.” Kiana made the final decision, and upon hearing her answer, Vita beamed.

“Then I’ll have to treat you all well!”

---

[Chapter 389: Sa, what's the price?]

The food in Salt Snow Holy City is delicious. Perhaps because it snows constantly in this world, the mainstream dishes tend to be milder in flavor.

After all, a glass of water left unattended will become too salty to drink in less than three minutes. For the locals, salt might not need to be obtained entirely from food.

Dishes that are slightly bland, highlighting the natural flavor of the food, are more popular.

This also reflects the overall style of cuisine in Salt Snow Holy City.

Clean water is quite difficult to obtain in Salt Snow Holy City, so making food milder requires considerable effort.

Salt Snow Holy City is perpetually bathed in daylight, its towers constantly radiating blinding light. Only by completely sealing off all the windows can one block out the glare.

Kyuusyou was assigned a room and slept with Susannah. However, perhaps due to their different sleep schedules, Kyuusyou only slept briefly before waking up around 5 AM, the time approaching the end of Salt Snow Holy City's curvature.

Strictly speaking, Bronie would not have much of a problem even without sleep.

So, waking up early, Bronie got up from next to Susannah, tidied her slightly messy hair, and left the bedroom.

Upon waking, Bronie's original plan was to thoroughly investigate what Sa had done within this Bubble World, hoping to gain some insights from Sa's actions.

But unexpectedly, Shigure Kira woke up even earlier than Bronie.

"Yo, Shigure Kira, sleepless through the long night? Or perhaps you're trying to do something like in those horror movies, where you discover something but then wander off alone from your companions?"

"Huh? Ahahaha... No, how could I be so silly? I just couldn't sleep, so I came out for a stroll!"

Shigure Kira was also quite surprised by Kyuusyou's appearance, and she immediately tensed up when she met her gaze.

It seems like she really has something to do?

"I see... Although I don't know what secrets you still have, or how you reached the Sea of Quanta on the battlefield of the Second Eruption, or how you're still so young after all these years, those are just your personal secrets. You're still that Valkyrie who fights for all the good things in the world, right? Even if your fighting style is different?"

For some reason, the usually carefree Houraiji Kyuusyou could be incredibly cool when she was serious.

Especially the way she habitually wears her coat as a cape—it inexplicably exudes a leader's aura.

"Of course! The Sea of Quanta holds many interesting adventures, and I'm still striving to become a qualified idol who brings joy and dreams to others! But speaking ill of others is strictly forbidden!"

"Alright, alright, Idol Kira-senpai. Everyone should wake up around seven o'clock. Be mindful of your safety. The danger isn't with the Quanta Shadow, but on the tower. That's absolutely certain."

"Why do you say that? Sage of the High Tower, although everyone in Salt Snow Holy City believes in her, she has never done anything wrong, has she?"

"When everyone is in a villa on an isolated island, the most dangerous thing is often not the island's environment, but the other people. After the Honkai of Nagazora City, while the assassins are somewhat dangerous, if they encounter other living people, those living people will be the most dangerous factor."

"It seems you're the type who doesn't easily trust others. Or are you just insecure?"

Insecure?

For the true Houraiji Kyuusyou, perhaps a little, but definitely not that serious.

In fact, Bronie has seen too many unusual things, so it is normal for her to want to give some hints.

"It's not that we lack a sense of security, but rather that a storm is already brewing behind the scenes. Without seeing the full picture, everything we do is a waste of time, and nothing we do can change that shattered future."

"You can see the future?"

"Hmph, isn't that just the most basic quality of a savior!"

Kyuusyou answered confidently, but at this moment, in Shigure Kira's eyes, Kyuusyou became less serious.

"So, what brilliant idea does your adorable savior have?"

Shigure Kira was curious. Since Kyuusyou had such an idea, why didn't she just say it?

"You—become the idol loved by everyone in Salt Snow Holy City. Perhaps this can alleviate the coming apocalypse."

"Eh—why would you say that?"

Becoming an idol is certainly tempting. If you want to become the most popular idol in the entire universe, starting from Salt Snow Holy City isn't out of the question.

But why did Kyuusyou suddenly switch to the topic of idols?

"Do you know the original meaning of the word 'idol'?"

"God?"

"That's right. I've observed Vita's cooking and the source of food in the market. Actually, these things have little to do with their Gods. Aside from the protection of the Messengers, the residents here still need to work for themselves in every aspect of life. In other words, replacing the tower, becoming a god, and then setting the rules could prevent the apocalypse."

Shigure Kira digested Kyuusyou's words, looked at the distant tower, and then saw people occasionally praying toward it. Then, she suddenly understood.

"I see. So what you're seeing are the social problems of Salt Snow Holy City? And you're so worried that it will soon be destroyed by various conflicts?"

"Last night, an old man Vita knew died, but no one around appears sad. They believe that the souls of the dead are guided to the afterlife by the Sage of the High Tower, and they strongly believe in the existence of the afterlife, as if they've actually seen it. But when asked, they all say they've never seen it."

"Are you saying they are indifferent to death? But this is just a local custom, isn't it? How does that relate to what you're worried about?"

Unexpectedly, Kyuusyou was angry about this. She seems like a good child who cherishes life.

Shigure Kira felt she understood Kyuusyou better now. She was no longer the mischievous, immature girl who indulged in her own fantasies.

It seems the selection criteria for the Valkyrie of Schicksal have not been too lenient.

"Ether particles can fluctuate according to emotions and thoughts. The different rules within the Bubble World are related to this to some extent. This is advanced knowledge about the Sea of Quanta within Schicksal."

"Wow." Shigure Kira expressed some surprise, but it seemed there was indeed such a thing.

For example, some people's fears can transform into monsters, and occasionally, things that one desires will appear within the Sea of Quanta. She herself had been completely fooled by such illusions several times.

"Therefore, considering this, any overly distorted thinking should be viewed with caution. Indifference toward death is an even greater distortion. The answer to all of this lies on that tower."

Following Kyuusyou's gaze, Shigure Kira noticed two beings who had just passed by below the tower.

They looked like puppets, but no one knew how many lives the enormous scythes they wielded had reaped. Their appearance alone suggested they were not to be trifled with.

"What you said might indeed be correct, but I've seen quite a few Bubble Worlds with peculiar customs, and I haven't felt anything special about them. However, the lack of fear of death is definitely something to be concerned about, since such a thing wouldn't happen in any Bubble World."

"Yeah, if you staged a horrific murder in front of everyone, would they feel fear?"

"Hiss—"

"Houraiji Kyuusyou, isn't that a bit too extreme?"

"That's true..."

But Bronie really wanted to see their reaction.

Those who say they do not care about the afterlife because there is a kingdom after death, but are actually terrified and cannot sleep.

And those who have to be wary of others around them who might kill them.

Just thinking about it—isn't that hilarious?

Unfortunately, life is very precious, and at least in Salt Snow Holy City, no one is willing to cooperate with her in doing such a thing.

Vita is unlikely to be one either.

After all, judging from Bronie's impression, although she gets along well with everyone, Vita herself only arrived in this city a few months earlier than Prometheus and the others.

Has she integrated?

She has not fully integrated.

Unfortunately, even Shigure Kira could not possibly know all this information.

Bronie was trying to advance the plot, placing the pieces where they should be.

"Alright, alright, let's get back to the idol thing. Become an idol, then replace the Sage of the High Tower, and reverse the trend of going to the afterlife after death!"

"How is that even possible?!"

Idols bringing the terror of death to everyone—what kind of non-mainstream idols are these?

Shigure Kira could not help but complain, but then she saw Kyuusyou's confident smile.

"That's true. After all, you're still looking for a microphone to make your singing sound better. I don't expect an idol who has been training for countless years to have that kind of ability. Surely we need to find another way?"

"I hope you're just saying that. I don't think this city is as dark as you imagine. Besides, Seele and Kiana are both looking for someone, aren't they? If you need the Sage of the High Tower's help, it's best not to become her enemy so easily!"

With her hands in her pockets, Kyuusyou turned her back to the tower and faced Shigure Kira.

"You're right. Now is not the time to be an enemy of the Sage of the High Tower. Enjoy the remaining time in this world that is about to be destroyed."

"Do you know something? Why do you always feel that this world is on the verge of destruction?"

Shigure Kira also had her own sources of information. In the Sea of Quanta, there was a terrifying being constantly destroying Bubble Worlds, turning them into deathly silence time and time again.

She came here to investigate this matter, though she did so without the knowledge of the Geshus clan.

Shigure Kira did not mention that personally investigating inside a Bubble World would be incredibly inefficient.

But Kyuusyou seemed to know something.

"What could I possibly know? I'm just a trainee savior. If I were to do it, I would first become the Sage of the High Tower, then properly teach them what death is. Maybe the afterlife can exist in one's heart, but I absolutely will not allow death to be viewed so lightly!"

"Oh! Quite spirited..."

Shigure Kira could tell that Kyuusyou was indeed someone who valued life highly, and this resolve seemed to affect those around her.

Unbeknownst to them, it was already past six o'clock, and the streets were starting to fill with pedestrians. Some people were occasionally curious about these strangely dressed outsiders, so different from those in Salt Snow Holy City, and the few shops that remained had already begun hawking their goods.

"I'm hungry."

"Oh dear!"

Shigure Kira suddenly realized how quickly time had passed. She had intended to investigate Salt Snow Holy City alone, starting with the technology of the Geshus clan.

These things were not suitable to show to the people of Schicksal, which was why Shigure Kira had decided to go alone.

But somehow, they had ended up here.

"Hehehe, looks like you've forgotten something you wanted to do? Every outsider has their secrets, even the Messenger who recently arrived at the tower. Wasting time is a bad thing, but if we trade time for increased vigilance, I think it is quite worthwhile. Be wary of the special rules of this world. Whether it's Light Salt, or the location of the other Seele, what exactly does the Sage of the High Tower represent, and what is her connection to the people here? These are all things that need to be clarified."

At this moment, Vita woke up as well. Still sleepy, she looked around at the Valkyries in the different rooms, only to find that Kyuusyou and Shigure Kira were not there. So she hurried out and saw the two chatting on the street.

"Hi! You two are up so early! Was I not hospitable enough?"

"Good morning, Vita! I'm chatting with Shigure Kira!"

"Eh—what is it? If it's too private, I'm sorry. Just pretend I didn't say anything..."

"Nothing, just talking about death. Please accept my condolences regarding the passing of that old man last night. Birth, aging, sickness, and death are all part of life. Feeling sad is normal, so seeing others' attitudes is hard for me to accept."

"Thank you for your comfort. I've accepted his departure. I think that is the meaning of the afterlife. Grandpa must be doing well in that world. And aren't we going to see the Sage's Messenger today? I can ask them then!"

"I see. Will the Messenger give you a clear answer?"

"They should!"

"Then, Vita, I have a very important question for you."

"What?"

Kyuusyou's serious expression seemed to startle Vita.

The prophetic words she spoke earlier, seemingly carrying a deeper meaning, made Vita feel that this Houraiji Kyuusyou was some kind of mysterious and powerful figure.

Most importantly, when she secretly contacted Otto last night, he reacted to the names Kyuusyou and Kiana.

"If a person who enjoys killing suddenly appeared in this city, would everyone be afraid? Or would everyone be afraid of their own death?"

"Probably still afraid. After all, nobody wants to die at the hands of a monster. They should be afraid... Why are you asking this all of a sudden? Don't be impulsive!"

"Nothing. I'm just thinking about how serious the problems are in your Salt Snow Holy City. It seems almost everyone in the Holy City hopes to reach that so-called afterlife after death. This wish was granted by the Sage of the High Tower—but what was the price?"

------

[Chapter 390: The Song and Dance of Houraiji]

Everything has a price. The afterlife of the Sage of the High Tower is no exception.

So when Houraiji Kyuusyou asked this question, even though Vita knew what the price was, she had to pretend not to know while playing the role of a local.

But Houraiji Kyuusyou's question also sparked thought in Shigure Kira, who was standing nearby.

Why are the people of this world so certain of the existence of the afterlife?

Because the Sage of the High Tower truly exists, and the divine messenger still roams the city, periodically clearing away invading quantum shadows. This establishes a foundation of trust in people's hearts.

Why has no one ever thought about the price?

Perhaps it has always been this way. Time has become the proof, although no one truly knows what the afterlife is really like.

Planting a seed—Kyuusyou's words suddenly made Vita realize a different way to solve the Bubble World problem.

If Sa uses people's deepest desires to change the rules within the Bubble World, then why not start with the desire itself and let the seed of that desire decay?

But how could people's desires be so easily changed or even satisfied?

However, planting a seed of doubt might actually have some effect, at least buying some time.

After all, the true afterlife was born with the appearance of the Sage of the High Tower, not something that existed long ago.

Now, perhaps there is still a sliver of opportunity to buy more time.

So, while Vita was out buying groceries and preparing breakfast for everyone, she would occasionally mention these things in casual conversation.

Comparing God to a human and then projecting human desires onto God—when the seed of suspicion is planted, everything will change.

Furthermore, the Salt Snow Holy City itself is not very large, so rumors spread incredibly fast. This disrespectful statement about the Sage of the High Tower quickly spread.

"Strange, Kiana is usually the most enthusiastic eater. Why haven't I seen her today?" Kyuusyou returned to Vita's hut and saw Susannah and Seele chatting happily, but Kiana was nowhere to be seen.

Seele slept with Kiana, so Kyuusyou naturally asked Seele.

"I don't know. Kiana and I woke up together. After she finished washing up, she went straight out, and her face looked quite frightening."

Seele was also worried that Kiana might have discovered something, but among everyone present, Kiana was the strongest.

With the Herrscher of Flamescion's fire and spatial abilities, she could easily escape if she could not win.

"She looked terrible? Did she run into an enemy? Since things have come to this, let's eat first. Vita will take us to see the Emanator later. We definitely will not get a proper audience through the proper channels, but if we go to the Career Selection Conference, we still have a chance."

"Career Selection Conference?"

"Yeah, it's the new system brought by the messenger who created Assity. It analyzes an individual's preferences and talents, assigning them to different positions to maximize their effectiveness. It is like a utopia. To be honest, the guy who created this thing is definitely not a good person." Kyuusyou could not help but complain, while Seele, without thinking too much about it, also felt that Kyuusyou's words made sense.

This kind of behavior of arbitrarily deciding someone's future does sound quite bad. The person who came up with this seems to have malicious intentions.

Furthermore, the other party is so out of place in the Salt Snow Holy City. It is obvious they are an outsider who made some kind of deal with the Sage of the High Tower.

"Is that even possible? Kyuusyou, what else did you find out outside?"

Susannah pulled out her notebook again and began recording. Whether it was anything unusual or the conclusions drawn from everyone's discussions, she meticulously noted everything down.

The main reason was that she did not understand many things, so she could only write them down and then try to find something she could do about them.

"Aside from the matter of the messenger, there are not many problems." Kyuusyou said, glancing at Shigure Kira, who was struggling with her breakfast.

Noticing the gaze, Shigure Kira looked at everyone strangely.

"What?"

"Nothing. Let's finish eating and get going. We need to try to contact the messenger before lunch today. Now is not the time to enjoy life."

"I'm not enjoying myself!"

Shigure Kira regretted the false purpose she had given when they met.

Although it was indeed her true intention, unfortunately, it was essentially a deception. When the deception was exposed, Shigure Kira still felt embarrassed.

Kiana had not returned by the time everyone finished breakfast. Susannah contacted her worriedly, but only received a simple "I'm fine" reply.

It seems Kiana intended to continue investigating her major discovery, but was temporarily unable to rejoin the main group.

Well, what could they do? Kiana was currently the strongest member of the team.

Since she chose to go solo, everyone could only accept her decision.

Bronie, on the other hand, was wondering if Kiana had encountered Otto and was trying to settle a personal score.

Unfortunately, Bronie did not yet possess the ability to easily gain access to any world. This ability still needed training and development. Perhaps she would be able to easily handle such matters in the future.

After receiving Kiana's reply, everyone decided to temporarily follow Vita to find the mysterious messenger.

Judging from the information revealed by the messenger, they did not seem like a benevolent person. Although they brought artificial intelligence, they began analyzing everyone and assigning tasks accordingly.

To some extent, if this continues for too long, it will stifle the people of this world's right to choose their future.

Unfortunately, everyone still needed the help of the Sage of the High Tower, so they would make contact for now and see how he reacted.

If all else failed, they would have to resort to some extreme measures.

"The Career Selection Conference occasionally presents positions that no one understands. People will not try them easily, so there will be vacancies. Assistant, are there any vacant positions?"

[Hello, resident Vita. There is currently one vacant position called Ambassador for Cultural Prosperity. There is no limit to the number of applicants, but due to the special nature of this position, an assessment is required.]

A rather small Anti-Entropy robot, judging from its design and appearance, resembled Anti-Entropy's battlefield support robots.

"Ambassador for Cultural Prosperity? What is that?" Susannah thought it sounded like a very respectable job. Why had no one applied?

[According to the messenger's records, the purpose of creating the position of Ambassador for Cultural Prosperity is to cultivate a person with widespread influence and charisma in Salt Snow Holy City.]

Their specific job involves singing, performing, and showcasing their talents to gain a large following.

By maintaining good relationships with these supporters, the Ambassador for Cultural Prosperity will guide them to a higher spiritual level, expanding their cultural lives—thus making life in the Holy City better. The robot spoke in a very formal manner, but the strong sense of déjà vu made Shigure Kira speak up.

"Isn't this an idol?"

[Searching for the definition of idol... Sorry for the wait. After comparison, the professional concept of Ambassador for Cultural Prosperity overlaps with that of an idol by a whopping 99.2%.]

Seele and Susannah were immediately at a loss, while Shigure Kira became excited.

That is right. Is this not her profession?

Although she cannot sing now, she can train the next generation.

Suddenly, Shigure Kira's eyes turned dangerous.

At this moment, the three little ones were like Shigure Kira's prey.

"Come on, come with me for special training. After that, we will take the assessment. I believe you can both do it."

"Eh—" Clearly, Seele and Susannah were completely unprepared for this turn of events, but Kyuusyou remained unfazed.

"I don't need training."

"Hmm? Could it be that Kyuusyou has previously been involved in idol activities or received related training?"

Susannah felt like she had found a savior.

"No. In my opinion, there is a difference between a so-called Ambassador for Cultural Prosperity and an idol. Besides, did it not say that the overlap in professional work is 99.2%? What I am after is that 0.8%. If we work on both fronts, the probability of meeting the messenger is 100%."

"I don't quite understand..." Susannah felt like she needed to develop her brain.

So, Kyuusyou's plan could be a backup plan?

"Please, you just don't want to participate in the assessment, right?!"

Shigure Kira saw through Kyuusyou's little trick. All that 0.8% and the safety net—she just thought the two of them could easily pass, so she planned to watch from behind.

Shigure Kira immediately gave her a disdainful look.

How could Kyuusyou tolerate that?

"I'm not that kind of coward. If I say I can do it, I definitely can."

"Oh!!" Susannah immediately became excited. Could Kyuusyou really be her savior?

The thought of going back home during the Lunar New Year with a bunch of relatives and having to dance in front of them made Susannah feel embarrassed. Now, Shigure Kira was asking her to do something similar, inevitably bringing back those memories.

"So, you will go first for the assessment? To avoid failing, Susannah and Seele, you two should not fall behind in your training either."

"Hmm... to be honest, I do not have any stage experience, but my talent is fine. Okay, I promise you, but do not try to boss me around."

Kyuusyou's quick agreement surprised Shigure Kira a little, but considering her mature performance this morning, she inexplicably felt that Kyuusyou was quite reliable.

"Alright, how about we watch first?"

Seeing Kyuusyou preparing for the assessment, Shigure Kira wanted to follow her and see what happened. Should they put the training aside for now?

Susannah nodded quickly as well.

"Okay, okay. If we fail, we will go back to training. Kyuusyou, we are counting on you."

Susannah and Seele looked at her with high hopes.

Kyuusyou, beaming with confidence, then took out her phone from her pocket.

"Then watch closely."

"Wait, wait, wait. I will go call everyone over."

Vita was always eager for a good show, so she quickly called over the neighbors to watch Kyuusyou's performance.

For some reason, she felt there was definitely something fun going on.

Judging from Kyuusyou's enthusiastic behavior, this was a bit unusual.

"Well then, Assisty, the assessment can start anytime, and even if I fail, I can try again, right?"

[The answer is yes. The position of Ambassador for Cultural Prosperity plays a very important role in the development of Salt Snow Holy City. Therefore, when a vacancy arises, the application process will be initiated at any time. So, please be ready. The assessment is about to begin.]

They are here.

The residents of Salt Snow Holy City gradually gathered around.

There are usually few activities within Salt Snow Holy City, but with Vita's promotion, word spread quickly, and everyone—even children playing—came to the assessment square.

Susannah felt a sense of pressure.

"Wow, so many people... Will Kyuusyou be okay?"

"Kyuusyou is the type with a very strong desire to perform. Maybe she will even enjoy it?"

Looking at Kyuusyou's confident smile, Seele felt, for some reason, that there's a setup for a prank.

"Strange, is it just my imagination?"

"Kyuusyou, it's time to come in~"

Vita came up behind Kyuusyou and gently pushed her forward.

Kyuusyou held out her phone to the robot.

"Play it for me."

[Reading data, the song to be played next is "The Drunken Butterfly."]

"Pfft—" Seele almost burst out laughing, while Susannah was completely bewildered.

"That 'Drunken Butterfly'... what is that?" Shigure Kira suddenly felt there was something wrong with the song.

But then again, it was fine.

The upbeat intro began, and Kyuusyou, with her highlights, gave the audience a seductive wink and started dancing to the beat.

"How can I escape this colorful world I'm just a drunken butterfly" Even Susannah froze upon hearing the first line.

And Shigure Kira's heart was struck by a shock akin to the destruction of the world.

Graceful dance moves, simple choreography, a catchy melody, and an inherently rustic charm.

As the saying goes, extreme rusticity is trendy. Besides, where in the Salt Snow Holy City had anyone ever seen anything like this?

So everyone swayed to the beat.

Shigure Kira had never imagined a song could last so long.

And the thought of this dance being associated with idols filled her with inexplicable fear.

The music ended. The dance stopped.

Seele could not help but smile wryly. "Bronie used to listen to this kind of stuff for a while, and then she created something like square dancing that spread throughout Shenzhou, trying to get Fu Hua to dance it..."

"This is not idols at all..." Shigure Kira could not accept Kyuusyou associating this dance with idols and quickly tried to distance herself from her.

"But this is precisely what a cultural ambassador is all about. Isn't that super trendy?"

For Kyuusyou, a hot dance routine is practically effortless. Simple moves and catchy beats—anyone can easily learn it, and it instantly becomes a hit and spreads.

Is that not cultural prosperity?

[Thank you to this candidate for such a wonderful performance. Now, please welcome the judges to score our candidate.]

"Simple dance moves, a melodious song, and an extremely easy-to-spread cultural trend—without a doubt, Miss Houraiji Kyuusyou, you have fully understood the true meaning of the position of Ambassador for Cultural Prosperity, providing everyone with a wonderful performance and enriching their cultural lives. Therefore, I award you with full marks."

===================================================