Honkai Impact 3rd, a simulator of lifelong regret!

"You're not human."

[It can't even be called a normal life.]

"—You are a Herrscher."

A calamity-inducing demon that destroys all that is beautiful and happy.

……

The light filtering through the thin gauze window transformed from the morning glow into the blazing sun, spilling onto the bedside and tinging the pristine white sheets with a pale yellow hue.

Her dark eyes quietly opened, but the starry sky that once twinkled like the night sky was now dim and lifeless, leaving only the darkness of night.

Memories begin to return, and thoughts begin to flow.

My body instinctively stretches out my hands, ready to wake up to a new day with a yawn.

However, the pain arrived even faster than thought; every inch of my skin felt like my cells were being rubbed by gears.

An inexplicable discomfort pressed down on his body, with nowhere to vent it. His outstretched hands seemed to have touched a muscle injury, freezing in mid-air. Purple marks appeared on his pale skin, which was pale from extreme weakness.

"Senior Jiang Cheng, are you alright?"

A tense voice came from beside him; the person seemed very worried about his health.

The boy felt something inexplicably enter his body, relieving his pain, and a glass of milk at just the right temperature was fed to his lips.

what……

It turned out to be the case.

Almost forgot.

—My body is on the verge of collapse.

Paralyzed in both legs, and even his internal organs were corroded by Honkai energy, he was only able to resist it by some unknown force, otherwise he would have died on the spot.

He opened his eyes, held his forehead, and gently drank a sip of the milk that was fed to him.

It tastes awful...

They're nowhere near as good as Vilvie's hands...

—Vilvie…

"Don't worry, I'm fine. Give me my toolbox now, I'm going to make a weapon. Herrscher... the disaster hasn't ended yet."

The boy took a deep breath and bit his pale lower lip with difficulty.

only……

“Senior Jiang Cheng, what you need to do now is to rest well. Among the top scholars and high-ranking members of the Fire Moth, only you and Dr. Mebius are still alive. You no longer need to worry about the Second Honkai Impact.”

"The Lawyer..."

"—They have already been defeated."

……

……

……

The world seems determined to play tricks on you.

The Herrscher of the Void has been defeated by an unknown warrior.

"You can't even take revenge yourself."

You can't even make the weapon that defeated that Herrscher a part of your relationship with the girl.

【Ah……】

【Ah……】

【Hahaha……】

You've probably heard it said that every gift fate bestows comes with a hidden price.

[Very vivid and specific.]

[For an ordinary person like you to stand here, and to have a young girl who loves you, there's nothing that can explain it except a gift from fate.]

【Now……】

[That generous Lady of Fate seems to have taken back her gift and begun calculating the value you owe her.]

Okay, you can accept this.

However, it's time for you to fight back.

At twenty-seven, you began working relentlessly, disregarding your own health, all for the sake of studying and researching, copying the young girl's notes.

Although your position existed because of Velvi, now that most geniuses have died out, your level is more than enough to secure this position, and you could even rise a step further to become the head of the engineering department.

[However, you refused, and you also refused anyone else to become the head of the engineering department. You are the girl's only assistant, and that will not change.]

Because Möbius eats instant noodles and stays up late every day, his physical condition is far inferior to yours, and he is still recovering in the hospital.

[Forget about research and study, even basic human activities require assistance.]

The progress of the biology-specialized department has plummeted, to the point that it can't even accomplish in a month what Möbius used to do in a minute.

[Perhaps it's only after losing something that you realize its value; the PhD student's reputation instantly reversed.]

However, it wasn't that the researchers who attacked Möbius suddenly became obsequious; it was simply that some politicians intervened and reversed the narrative.

Ultimately, Mebius's poor reputation isn't entirely due to jealousy.

The PhD student indeed lacks emotional intelligence and doesn't care about others' opinions of him, so it's natural that others wouldn't hold her in the same skewed, positive light.

[However, Möbius doesn't care. You've visited her a few times; right now, she just wants to recover quickly so she can conduct experiments and use all available resources to explore the possibilities of human evolution and advancement.]

According to Mebius, while she felt extremely uncomfortable while being corrupted by Honkai energy, she also discovered its potential.

Perhaps humanity can become as powerful as Honkai Beasts and as noble as Herrschers.

It doesn't matter...

You no longer care about these things.

[Although the experiment they described could seemingly allow your legs, which had been deemed completely paralyzed, to move again, it would restore your lifespan, which had been reduced to less than a few years due to Honkai energy invasion, to its proper value.]

It's truly meaningless now.

[Until evening...]

"Minister Jiangcheng..."

"No need, I'm not so badly unable to take care of myself."

Jiang Cheng refused the help from the employee next to him, and stared at him coldly with a sidelong glance, "You still have this kind of free time? Have you finished your work?"

"I've...I'm done."

"Then go work overtime. I'll give you triple overtime pay, now, immediately!"

The young man showed no mercy to the terrified staff; his dark pupils revealed not even a trace of compassion.

Only after the staff member disappeared from sight did he turn his head and look at his legs, which had been deemed incapacitated.

His five fingers unconsciously clenched into a fist, which he slammed heavily onto the armrest of the wheelchair beside him.

"call……"

He took a deep breath, his chest churning with dark energy.

Driving his gravity-defying wheelchair, he completed the final leg of his journey and returned to his home, a luxurious villa jointly gifted by the state.

Very big.

It's also very exquisite.

Even from afar, you could see the shadow cast by that mansion under the sunlight. They had done everything they could to keep this talented man.

But does this really make any sense?

Just like the botany PhD who, even after owning a villa, would only convert it into a brand new laboratory.

Do these material rewards really have any meaning?

At least for now, when he opened the door, all he heard was the tinkling of the chandelier in the wind. The sound of the extremely luxurious light fixtures was cheap and tacky. The dimly lit hall was devoid of any shadows, as empty as a haunted house in a horror movie, one of those ancient castles belonging to vampires.

Classical paintings, exquisite furniture, luxurious reliefs... everything is here, except for the presence of people, the presence of that young girl.

If this were any other time, there would only be one possibility for this happening at home.

—What surprise has the girl prepared for you?

Perhaps it's an exquisite yet romantic work of art, a grand performance just for you, or a dinner party under the soft glow of candlelight.

Anything is possible, because Vervi is undoubtedly a polymath, and even a grand magic show is just a piece of cake for her.

Even the specialties of the Far East can be made by Zen-O-shita in the fastest and most precise way, and he can hold up the mosaic-covered object with both hands.

but now……

……

After taking off his somewhat bulky uniform and straightening his close-fitting white shirt, which was slightly sticky with sweat and revealed a pale complexion, the boy subconsciously spoke, calling out to the girl as usual.

"Vilvi..."

"..."

……

The boy reached out and gently patted the lights, instantly turning on all the lights for the smart devices that people with disabilities would like to use.

The ornate and luxurious reliefs lit up, resembling art that belongs only in a church, while the tinkling crystal chandeliers shimmered with opulent luxury.

The chairs and tables are made of rosewood and gold thread, and the dye used to stain the blue cushions is quite valuable. The silver candlesticks are filled with oil and wax mixed with incense.

Diamond combs, peacock fans, ivory tables, and luxurious bedding embroidered with lace...

The carpet was made of the fur of some unknown creature, so soft that it massaged the soles of the feet even through the shoes, yet the boy was still wearing brown knee-high leather boots.