Miss Riddler just wants to level up in peace.

Theresa was annoyed when she heard Rita change the subject and flirt with her.

The nightingale's actions had indeed startled her; it all happened so suddenly.

On second thought, there's nothing we can do about it.

If she were to do it, it's highly unlikely she would do as well as the former.

"Ahem, I have a feeling we're about to enter the center of this world."

The Purification Zone is the core of the Destiny Defense. There is a guard every few steps, and once inside, one must abide by a series of strict rules and regulations, which shows how important it is.

Pulling open the tightly closed security door, a familiar scene comes into view.

Warm light streamed through the stained glass windows, illuminating the scriptures on the prayer table and giving them a whitish, shimmering glow.

On both sides are rows of neat, specially made wooden chairs, their glazed red paint creating an unsettling solemnity.

"Did you know that once the purification device is activated, no one can escape from here unless all life signs are completely eliminated?"

Feeling the cool touch, Rita explained beside the pillar.

Several chairs at the front were overturned, probably caused by the girl who had just left.

"This is going too far. Was it really necessary to go this far?"

Theresa gasped. Was it too extreme to send someone to be 'treated' just because they were infected with Honkai corruption?

“Every city invaded by the Herrscher of Corruption was destroyed; their kindness made them unable to survive even a week.”

"..."

Theresa remained silent.

"Rita, have you ever played a game with a high degree of freedom?"

"No matter how big the map is, it still has boundaries, and the exploration of those boundaries has always been a popular topic."

The church cross was reflected in the girl's deep eyes. Rita stood beside her, pondering her words repeatedly.

"You mean, once we find the boundary, we can leave this place?"

“I also want to help. If we continue to be trapped here, the anchor that holds us in the real world will fail.”

Their goal is to retrieve the Gem of Desire that the World Serpent has placed within them, and to rescue the leader of the Rebel Alliance.

If you stand still, you will be swallowed by the rising tide.

"You can't find the boundary by just moving forward; this world stretches on and on."

Ziyao nodded, confirming what the two had said.

Last night, we explored the stars and discovered a fact that was both surprising and not unexpected.

It seems the whole world has been destroyed, except for this city.

Like a miniature garden game design, beyond the visible buildings, there is only an endless void—because there is no need to create it.

Do you have any other ideas?

Faced with the two girls' curious gazes, Ziyao revealed her plan.

"Everyone was so focused on exploring the end of the map that they barely noticed the limit was just beneath the floor..."

However, before leaving, she needs to find the Gem of Desire.

Since it can't be found anywhere else in the city, perhaps...

With that thought in mind, Ziyao looked into the depths of the church.

—Let's make a trip to the stars tonight.

"I see, Miss Nightingale is indeed very talented."

Rita suddenly realized that she hadn't thought of that.

After touring the cleanroom, the three were soon asked to return to the ground floor by staff.

As soon as they arrived, the three of them bumped into Durandal, whose brows were furrowed.

It must be because of what happened when she killed the girl earlier. Ziyao shrugged, indicating that the two of them should go first.

Durandal first circled around her, and only breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that there was no Honkai energy reaction on her body.

He took the girl's soft, boneless, slightly cold hand in his own, his high heels clicking softly on the ground, and led her to a secluded corner.

"elder sister....?"

Hearing the girl call her "sister," Durandal's heart softened considerably.

The stern words I had just prepared were hastily changed.

But lecturing is inevitable, after all, they did something so dangerous, especially at this critical juncture.

Ziyao's behavior was excessive and did not comply with procedures.

Especially when she heard that she had hugged the other person, Durandal's heart skipped a beat.

After finishing her work, she went to the elevator to wait.

As a result, Ziyao was forbidden from entering the purification facility.

Rita, standing outside, smiled from time to time. It was the first time she had ever seen Durandal so talkative, rambling on and on, repeating the same thing over and over again, just like some elders.

After nearly half an hour of lecturing, the girl was finally relieved.

As she stepped out of the building, she noticed the maid who had been waiting outside in the wind and snow.

"Please allow me to see you off."

Rita complimented, bowing slightly and lifting her lace-trimmed sleeves in a gesture of 'please'.

She was about to walk side by side when she saw the girl not far away and stopped in her tracks.

Rita immediately understood and smiled.

As she was leaving, she suddenly felt a chill down her spine, but when she looked around, she couldn't find the reason.

On the other side, a cold wind blew by, making people shiver but also making them feel more alert.

Looking down the road, Bronya stood in the snow.

Her gray hair was woven into a white floral dress, with small flowers tied on both sides of the collar. The dress was fitted at the waist and perfectly combined the elegance of the dress shirt with the beauty of the long skirt. It not only accentuated the girl's cute petite figure, but also just rightly concealed her lack of curves in the chest area.

"The gem of desire is not outside."

Bronya looked back, and the towering Destiny Tower stood out prominently.

“Seele told me that she needs to get the gem to leave.”

The silent snow whitened her shoulders, and the white mist dissipated in the cold air, word by word.

The girl held a strange snowman doll in her hand, with short limbs and a drooping head, like a defeated dog that had fallen into the water.

"I rarely see you look lonely. What's wrong? Do you want to tell me?"

Bronya avoided the overly familiar Ziyao; from other people's perspectives, the girl was clearly wary of the latter.

After leaving Tianming, the two arrived at a secluded alley, a shortcut back to their apartment.

Suddenly, everything became very quiet; there wasn't a single person in sight.

"You seem to know Bronya quite well?"

"Yes, because I've been keeping an eye on you."

"Whether it's loneliness or unhappiness, these emotions are precious and important."

Taking the girl's hand, Ziyao said something that made everyone blush.

But Bronya's reaction was lukewarm, or rather, she didn't react at all.

Although she appeared unchanged, the girl always listened attentively to what others had to say.

The one who is truly unpredictable is actually her.

Noticing Ziyao's absent-mindedness, Bronya shook off her hand.

"Is there a problem?"

"Speaking of which, it seems Seele doesn't have enough clean underwear..."

Ziyao felt a gaze upon her.

It was so faint that it almost escaped her notice.

Looking at the clock tower behind her through the mirror, she caught a glimpse of a black figure.

Ziyao continued to act as if nothing had happened, and suggested taking a longer route to buy clothes for Xier.

Sure enough, someone was following them.

The other party was extremely cautious and left almost no trace of their true intentions.

Ziyao deliberately broke the mirror in front of the clothing store by accident. In the colorful and shimmering shards, she saw the gray snake hiding in the shadows, and there seemed to be someone else next to him.

Even after buying the clothes, my gaze lingered.

Bronya remained silent throughout the journey.

The apartment building where they lived was not far away. She suddenly stopped and asked.

"Which side are you from?"

"Reality, or the quantum sea?"

Despite being complete strangers, he showed them great concern and even claimed to be her from the future.

Whether it's the base pairs or other genetic information, the girl in front of her perfectly matches her, confirming what she said.

Unable to find a solution, Bronya chose the simplest method.

Since we can't know the details, we can just divide into factions.

"outside."

Ziyao gave a simple answer.

"World Serpent?"