Honkai Impact 3rd experience, starting with a thousand Herrschers

...Is this analogy not very good?

As a result, Kiana used her superhuman strength to forcibly keep Cheng Xing there. The latter, with a bitter face, said, "Heroine, is there anything else?"

"I don't need you to do that kind of work, just take me to Qianyu Academy."

"But I'm not a local either, and I don't know the way."

Cheng Xing said with a helpless expression.

"But I can't let you act alone. I can't let an ordinary person like you act alone here. It's too dangerous."

"But going to Qianyu Academy isn't the way to leave Changkong City."

Kiana was silent for a moment, then said in a self-deprecating tone:

"That's why I came to you because I can't read maps."

"Don't be ridiculous, how could that be?"

“I’m not a native Japanese speaker, I can only speak Japanese, I don’t know how to read Japanese very well, that’s why I need help.”

At this point, Cheng Xing suddenly realized that the two of them were speaking Japanese now, whereas they had been speaking Chinese during the simulation... Oh well, now is not the time to dwell on this trivial matter.

Cheng Xing took the map from Kiana and discovered that he actually knew Japanese. Looking at Kiana's expectant face, he sighed and said, "Alright, consider it repayment."

"Hehe, thanks."

Kiana said with a smile.

"Hey, system, will the real person be aware of what's happening in the simulation?"

Cheng Xing looked at Kiana, who was smiling broadly, and suddenly asked a question.

"Yes, but host, it will only have an impact in reality if the other party has strong love or hate for you in the simulation. Do you think your previous actions would make Kiana love or hate you?"

“Impossible,” Cheng Xing said without hesitation. “They’ll just find it incomprehensible.”

"Love? Ha, that's impossible in this lifetime. How could someone as slovenly, procrastinating, and lazy as me possibly have a likable appearance and personality? It seems that as long as I don't make anyone hate me, I can live a carefree life in the simulation."

Thinking this, Cheng Xing smiled and led Kiana to Qianyu Academy.

Kiana watched Cheng Xing's retreating figure, finding him rather strange. Why did he suddenly smile? Never mind, her priority was to find Mei and get her out of there. Thinking of Mei, whom she loved, Kiana couldn't help but worry. She wondered how Mei was doing, whether she was in danger, and felt incredibly anxious.

Cheng Xing led Kiana on the road to the academy. He had never been one to get lost since he was a child. Even if he was in an unfamiliar place, as long as he had a map, he could navigate the area with ease. Even when playing games, Dark Souls and Bloodborne had never made him lose his way.

This is probably his only advantage since he was a child, which is what is called having a strong sense of direction?

This journey is inevitably filled with Honkai Beasts and Zombie Girls. Kiana was able to protect Cheng Xing and keep them moving forward when the number of enemies was relatively small, but once the number of Honkai Beasts and Zombie Girls became too large, the two of them had no choice but to bypass that area and continue on their way.

So after all this twists and turns, the two of them spent a whole day and only covered two-thirds of the distance.

Cheng Xing looked at the twilight sky, then at the map in his hand, and said helplessly to Kiana behind him, "We can't continue like this. It would be very dangerous to keep going in this perilous environment. We've already traveled a long way and need to replenish our food and water regularly. It's time to rest."

Kiana sighed helplessly, knowing that this was not the time to continue recklessly. Even if she still had the ability to continue, Cheng Xing, an ordinary person, had already accompanied her for a whole day. If she forced him to take her along, the latter's life might be in great danger.

She agreed to Cheng Xing's request, and the two found a nicely decorated villa to move into.

Cheng Xing took out some instant food from his backpack and then put a bottle of mineral water on the table, and began to replenish the nutrients that Kiana needed.

After his body was given the so-called Honkai energy adaptability, his physical fitness was constantly improving in the presence of Honkai energy. As a result, he didn't feel very tired after walking all day. You know, before, his legs would start to ache after walking just three or four kilometers.

"Cheng Xing, why did you come to this city?" Kiana was a little bored after finishing her meal, so she started chatting with the people around her. During their journey, they had already learned each other's names.

"Well, I don't remember much either. With the sweep of this disaster, many things from the past have become a bit blurry to me. Although I still remember various common sense and knowledge I have learned, I really can't recall the general outline of some past experiences."

As Cheng Xing spoke, his eyes darkened. He couldn't help but think of his parents, who were still in another world. He wasn't one of those protagonists in some orphanage; his parents were alive and well, and he was their only child.

"System, how are my parents doing?"

Cheng Xing couldn't help but ask the system in his mind, even though he knew the chances of getting the answer were slim.

However, the system's response gave him a great surprise.

"The time in the Imaginary Tree has been compared with the time in the host's original world, and the ratio is 10000 hours: 1 hour. Currently, no one has noticed that you have disappeared."

"…Holy crap, that means over 400 days have passed here, while only one day has passed there!"

"Yes, you don't need to worry about this system being discovered by the Imaginary Tree or the Quantum Sea. The system will silence them completely until you reach that level."

"What do you mean?"

"This means that until you have a complete conceptual ability, the system will make them completely ignore your existence. Even if you are now directly facing the Herrscher of the End in the simulation, this level of apostles will not be detected."

"…Holy crap, could you be the legendary Point System?!"

"The meaning is unclear."

Chapter Three: This Moment of Parting

Cheng Xing and Kiana didn't talk much that evening. They hadn't reached the point where they could confide in each other. Although Cheng Xing had some goodwill from their past life, they became more distant after they officially met.

It wasn't out of fear of the girl's heart or power, but simply because he felt that the bright moonlight shouldn't be touched by him, who was in the mud.

Those are heroes who, even after everything they have has become illusory, can still rekindle their desire to save all the good things in the world and are willing to sacrifice themselves for humanity.

Cheng Xing acknowledged Kiana's wishes and ideals, even though he thought such behavior was not worthwhile. He was not the kind of person who would sacrifice himself for others, but he couldn't bring himself to feel any ill will towards such a person.

Therefore, he absolutely did not want to cause any changes to the hero who was destined to grow, nor would he allow himself, an ordinary person struggling in the mire, to touch the moonlight in his heart.

"That's it. The moment Kiana and Mei meet, I'll leave immediately. No matter what happens in the future, Kiana, as the protagonist, will definitely create miracles and overcome one difficulty after another. She can do it even without me. Just like in the story, even without the captain, they still chose their own path, didn't they? I'll just be a witness to the story... Actually, System, you're right. I am indeed very insecure."

Cheng Xing tossed and turned in bed that night, his mind wandering to all sorts of things, some about trivial matters from the past, others about future plans. Despite this chaotic state of mind, he managed to close his eyes and stay awake for a full hour or two before finally falling asleep.

At 7:30 a.m. the next morning, Cheng Xing opened his eyes and went outside, only to find Kiana... preparing to cook!

Holy crap!

Cheng Xing immediately rushed forward to stop Kiana from showcasing the traditional culinary skills of the Kaslan family, and then said to the girl, "My lady, this matter is more than enough for me. As my savior, you don't need to worry about such trivial matters. Just leave it to me!"

Kiana thought about her cooking skills, scratched her head awkwardly, and then handed the kitchen over to Cheng Xing before leaving.

Cheng Xing breathed a sigh of relief. He knew he had managed to save the ingredients that were about to become biological weapons. He really didn't know how powerful those people who could turn food into biological weapons were. He had tried to cook very badly before, but it was just that the food was unpalatable, not enough to knock people unconscious.

Cheng Xing used the remaining supplies in the refrigerator to make a bowl of porridge and some side dishes.

"The taste was just so-so, not as good as Mei's."

Kiana thought this way, but she didn't find it offensive. She knew that even if these dishes were better than Mei's, they still couldn't compare to the food made by that girl herself.

Because it was a dish made by my lover.

After finishing their breakfast, the two continued their journey to Chiyu Academy. The closer they got to that place, the denser the gathering of Honkai Beasts and zombies became, and their pace slowed down considerably. Several times, they even had to turn back a long way to find another route.

Fortunately, the city's sewer system was well-maintained, and with his innate sense of direction, Cheng Xing successfully led Kiana around the dense herd of beasts.

Cheng Xing pushed open the sewer manhole cover, then looked around to make sure there was no strong Honkai energy reaction before climbing out. Then, a white fur ball climbed up from below, frowned in disgust, and said, smelling its own stench, "I don't want to see Mei looking like this. Cheng Xing, let's find somewhere to wash up first, this stench is too strong."

After confirming that the time was 12:34 noon, Cheng Xing used the map to accurately deduce the location of the two people. He determined that they had at most half an hour's walk to their final destination. He nodded and then found a nearby place for the two to wash up.

I'll also take this opportunity to replenish my energy, since there's still a tough battle ahead. Of course, that's Kiana's problem; I just need to conserve my energy for the run.

Nothing of note happened during their time washing up. Cheng Xing simply found two rooms in nearby residential buildings for them to clean themselves, thus eliminating any possibility of any incidents.

Even before Kiana had a chance to talk about washing up, he had already brought up the issue of separate rooms. This made Kiana wonder if her charm was too low. Why was this guy's rejection so obvious and strong all the way?

After the two finished washing up and changing into their own clothes, Kiana couldn't help but ask Cheng Xing across from her during their meal, "Do you have a problem with me? Why have you been so rejecting of me all the way here, as if you don't want to have anything to do with me at all?"

Cheng Xing finished chewing and swallowing the bread in his mouth, then said seriously to Kiana, "Of course I had a crush on a beautiful girl like you at first, and of course I wanted to get closer to you. But then you said that you already have someone you like, so of course I wouldn't interfere in someone else's relationship. Therefore, to avoid misunderstandings, I naturally have to keep my distance from you. Otherwise, how would you explain to the person you like that you've been traveling with a boy these past few days?"

"Mei isn't..."

"I don't know if your partner will question you or argue with you because of this, but even if they don't, there might still be some underlying tension between you, which is something I don't want to see. So, isn't it the best choice to keep your distance from the beginning to avoid any future troubles or entanglements?"

"And more importantly, doing this will sever all thoughts in my heart, and make me clearly realize that it is impossible for us to be together. To be precise, it will make me completely give up. Do you understand?"

Kiana was momentarily speechless. She had a feeling that things weren't so simple, and that this guy was definitely hiding something.

This was just based on pure intuition, and that was enough.

Cheng Xing's distance along the way wasn't because he was worried that Kiana would have any strange thoughts about him, but because he was worried about himself, worried that he might fall in love with her.

"So to prevent that possibility, it's best to eliminate any potential signs of it from the outset."

After silently replenishing their food and water, the two continued on their way to their destination. Finally, after an hour of twists and turns, they arrived at the Thousand Feather Academy, which was filled with a high concentration of Honkai energy.

While other places still had clear blue skies, this area was covered by thick, dark clouds, and terrifying thunder was brewing within those clouds, with deafening roars that could be heard.

Cheng Xing could feel the physical changes brought about by the increase in the surrounding energy concentration simply by standing outside, and he could also feel the pressure as if he were underwater.

Cheng Xing immediately said to the girl beside him, "I will not take another step forward. Our fate ends here. From now on, let us forget each other in the world. Farewell, heroine."

Kiana did not stop Cheng Xing from leaving this time. Instead, she looked at the Thousand Feather Academy, which had turned into a lightning field, took a deep breath, and stepped forward.

Just then, a bolt of lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating the street and the girl's lonely figure, but it did not illuminate the figure in the alleyway who was walking towards the darkness.

Chapter 4: Fiddlesticks!

After parting ways with Kiana, Cheng Xing retraced his steps through the alley, intending to find a shortcut to the outskirts of the city using the map. However, before he even left the alley, he sensed the intense Honkai energy fluctuations outside.

At the same time, the Honkai energy in the air is also rapidly increasing, and it is believed that it will soon reach 2 to 3 times the previous level.

Cheng Xing felt his resistance and adaptability, and he was already experiencing some inexplicable pain in this environment. He breathed heavily with some pain, and he poked his head out of the alley. He saw that the main street outside was already filled with densely packed Honkai Beasts and Death Warriors.

Among the Honkai Beasts are the common Chariot-class, Assault-class, and even a few large Temple-class beasts lurking on the outskirts.

Among the horde of undead, there were scythe-wielding girls, archers with dual swords, and even a few spirits lurking among the corpses.

As Cheng Xing watched the horde of monsters slowly approaching Qianyu Academy, a surge of pressure and fear welled up within him. Without hesitation, he turned and walked away, knowing that his current abilities made it impossible for him to escape alive from this horde of monsters.

However, the rising Honkai energy in the air had already caused some changes in his body. He could feel something unknown inside him constantly eroding his flesh. The feeling was not painful, at least not now.

Cheng Xing could only feel that the superhuman physical strength he had finally acquired seemed to have vanished. He felt like he had turned back into that useless shut-in. He leaned against the wall and walked forward step by step, his breathing becoming more and more rapid. He could even see purple lines appearing on his arms.

My own adaptability and resistance are no longer enough to survive in such an environment. I am constantly being eroded by the collapse and am constantly heading towards death.

"I will die."

At that moment, Cheng Xing got the answer. His pupils suddenly contracted, and the fear in his heart was stronger than ever before. He was afraid of death. He was extremely afraid of death.

Once you die, you will never again enjoy the various experiences this world has to offer you. You will no longer be able to eat delicious food, drink tasty beverages, see touching stories, hear beautiful music, or witness the stories of change.

"I don't want to die, I don't want to die... I want to live!"

At that moment, Cheng Xing was filled with a strong will to survive. He clung tightly to the wall, looking as if he might collapse at any moment, but his steps gradually became firm as he walked forward.