Honkai Impact 3rd, a simulator of lifelong regret!

Color and form change with time and place, but are ultimately limited by the limits of light.

All beauty and wonder are confined to the limits of nature.

More than this natural beauty, I am drawn to the flawless perfection that seems to belong to another world.

The boy turned his head slightly, and at the edge of his field of vision was a girl sitting on the ground, her hands supporting her slightly chubby face. Her pupils showed no trace of reluctance or sorrow, but were filled with a bright hope, as beautiful as a flower.

A gentle, slightly upturned smile is enough to captivate anyone; it would be even better if it could also be free of any trace of worry.

Just then, some flowers were in full bloom, and a fragrant breeze lifted the petals, like the flowing melody of an accordion, delicate and lingering, gentle and melodious, stirring the hem of the young man's clothes and lifting the long skirt of the young woman, like petals constantly blooming, withering, and disappearing...

As the wind swept across her well-defined, jade-like neck, a sweet, honey-like fragrance wafted against the breeze, and her snow-white skin shimmered with a pinkish glow, beckoning one to kiss her.

The girl was not afraid at all. She swung her feet in the wind, stepping on the flying leaves, twisting her waist and leaning against the void, raising her head to sip the autumn breeze.

She let the pink skirt be blown up by the wind, revealing a glimpse of pure white that was somewhat indecent to look at.

Only in this way can it match the beauty of a fairy-like young girl.

Even as the golden glow of twilight falls upon her, even as her azure eyes reflect the dawn and dusk, the hope and anticipation of tomorrow's rising sun will surely come.

Minor worries and anxieties cannot truly taint those pure and flawless flowers.

At best, they are nothing more than dust that drifts away with the wind.

The girl's beauty was beyond imagination, and being found was a stroke of luck in itself.

Despite being somewhat selfish,

Although it's somewhat shameless.

As the boy and girl continued to admire the beautiful scenery and gaze upon these landscapes that existed only in books, it became difficult for the boy to suppress his inner turmoil, and inevitably, some somewhat extreme thoughts began to arise in his mind.

—If only those eyes could look at me more often.

Even though the location of the journey didn't actually offer any particularly scenic views—aside from Changkong, the destination, which is a fairly well-known technological metropolis—the rest of the area seemed to have been randomly selected.

There's almost no connection between them.

Even in these rare moments of interaction with young girls, you still feel a sense of joy and well-being, making you feel like a traveler who is not alone and has companions.

—Apart from the infamous Twilight Street described in the books you read about, you would absolutely never set foot in such a chaotic place.

You don't want to be wearing a bulletproof vest and wielding a handgun while fighting a kid wearing a mini bulletproof vest and a children's rifle.

Why is there a Twilight Street?

Jiang Cheng felt something was strange, his brows furrowed slightly, and his dark pupils clearly reflected the location marked on the map.

I don't recognize most of the places. The information about this paradise is too scattered. Where are the birthplaces of those outstanding people and geniuses? Apart from a few, there is basically no description or explanation.

It's not surprising that she simply marked the location. The story never said that Alicia's journey was completely random, or that she had some idea about it.

It's probably just a simple punctuation mark.

I've already latched onto Alicia's coattails, though not as much as Snake's. But with enough favorability, I can get a special version of the Fusion Warrior surgery.

But since she has a nickname, "Pink Fatty," her fleshy legs are certainly not to be outdone; they might even rival those of Lysa.

There are pictures here, which can be viewed after the updated version

There are pictures here, which can be viewed after the updated version

7. Alicia: Happy Birthday~?

[At seventeen, you and Alicia have been traveling for quite some time. During this time, although your youthful attitude towards life has made you less fixated on famous historical sites, you've paid more attention to the scenery along the way.]

[But there are destinations with no discernible pattern, and upon arrival, one inevitably encounters outstanding and remarkable individuals for various reasons.]

[It might even leave you a little unsure of the true purpose of this trip?]

If Alicia's keen eye can accurately spot undiscovered geniuses hidden among the crowd, then this lovely girl's luck allows her to encounter one or two geniuses with extraordinary wisdom.

【But……】

If this number increases to dozens, or even at least one or two in each location, you'll usually encounter them within two hours of reaching a new destination.

This is somewhat difficult to explain scientifically.

With the current pace of technological advancement, the likelihood of truly talented individuals being overlooked is extremely small. Even if they exist, they are unlikely to be found everywhere.

If it really is just a coincidence, then besides being incredibly lucky, it also means this world is doomed, society is in chaos, and the top-down influence has reached this point, with even geniuses going unrecognized in droves.

You wouldn't normally care about these things, since the park is already open and you can just treat whatever you see along the way as scenery.

【But……】

[For you to ignore this, at the very least, it shouldn't affect your trip!]

[What was supposed to be a trip for two with Alicia turned into a journey where Alicia interviewed geniuses and offered them salvation.]

Alicia has devoted a million times more time to them than you have. You feel like you've become a mere accessory, utterly meaningless.

This even makes your feelings towards Alicia somewhat complicated.

[They say they have no goals and just go with the flow.]

[In reality, the destination had already been planned out, but while they said they wanted to focus more on scenery and culture, they ended up spending all their time interacting with those geniuses.]

You feel as if you've returned to the time in that town, as if you've never left it.

[The same neglect, the same lack of presence, those bright and beautiful eyes, whose beauty even the most vibrant flowers could not capture, seemed to linger only briefly on you.]

You didn't dislike her because of this.

As the journey progresses, you can also sense Alicia's feelings.

[—Very impatient, as if something urgent is at hand.]

……

"Did Alicia realize the problem so early?"

Jiang Cheng experienced everything he encountered during his trip, including all the darkness hidden beneath what seemed like a beautiful, dreamlike experience.

The boy, who knew Alicia's personality well, never took being ignored seriously.

It would be strange if we weren't ignored.

The only unusual thing here is the sense of urgency that the girl shows towards something, or rather, a crisis.

This feeling undoubtedly arose from sensing the disaster and threat of the Honkai, and from not knowing what to do about it.

Because there is nothing else in the world that could make a girl so worried.

The inability to combat the Honkai is not the key issue.

The problem is that……

Is this really the right time?

Did they really realize it at such a young age?

When she first set off from the town, she was still a young girl. The next time she appeared was during the Second Herrscher Extermination Campaign, when she appeared as a young girl.

The time span involved is astonishing, with the trip around the world taking no less than five years.

Could it be that all this time was because Alicia discovered the problem and therefore consciously sought out geniuses who could change it?

Or perhaps the encounter with the genius was merely an accident, and the real purpose was simply to investigate the matter.

do not know.

The plot here is too fragmented, or even nonexistent; the official account doesn't clearly explain what happened during the journey.

This is all just speculation.

Ultimately, it is limited to the individual's blindfolded imagination.

There is no definitive explanation.

If the original timeline has clear guidelines, then it can be searched for and corrected.

Unfortunately, the plot of Paradise is completely fragmented, just like the later shattered Yingjie, making it almost impossible to piece together a complete timeline.

At eighteen, by conventional standards, you have reached adulthood.

Normally, there should be a birthday party to celebrate this day, but... right now it's just you and Alicia together. She won't miss the party, but she probably won't put in much effort either.

After all, as her travel companion, you could feel her urgency without reservation.

In this matter, you are willing to be more tolerant.

Ultimately, wasn't it you who brought the girl out of the forest?

She was practically your only playmate throughout your childhood, when you were still young and naive, and you'd even go fishing together at the nearby pond.

Even though you don't care about it, when you finish buying supplies for the next area from the nearby town and return to your makeshift tent under the cover of night, you can't help but feel a little disappointed at being forgotten by the girl.

[Until suddenly a tiny, colorful light ignited in the dim tent.]

"Jiang Cheng, happy birthday~"

The girl's pinkish-blue eyes sparkled with captivating beauty, and the gentle upturn of her lips conveyed a blessing more radiant than any flower.

Bright candlelight dispelled the darkness, and an exquisitely decorated pink cake came into the boy's view.

At first, he couldn't even comprehend what was happening before him; even the candlelight shining in front of him couldn't illuminate the confusion in his eyes.

Incomprehensible.

Hard to imagine.

—I never imagined this would be possible.

after all……

The girl's unconscious neglect has been going on for more than just a day or two.

In daily life, it's not that they have no status at all, nor do they feel that the other party dislikes them; it's just that they simply lack a sense of presence.

Some even hide their birthdays and let them pass by unnoticed, or buy a small cake alone as a memento.

The reason why birthdays are worth commemorating is essentially because others will buy a cake and sing a birthday song for the person celebrating.

If there's no one else, no family, and not even someone to share a birthday with, then celebrating a birthday becomes meaningless.