Honkai Impact 3rd experience, starting with a thousand Herrschers

"There is no chance of victory for just a few of us against so many machines."

"So let's wander around the city for now. Now that this girl has woken up, we can also learn about that mysterious organization. Let's also see if we can find a breakthrough."

"Also, Cheng Xing, can you make sure the chip inside this girl's body doesn't restart, allowing that organization to locate or remotely control her?"

As Cheng Xing watched Kiana speak eloquently, he suddenly realized that the two characters, who looked exactly alike, were becoming increasingly distinct. He could no longer connect them to the Kiana he knew.

"I can assure you that the chip inside her body will not have any chance of functioning in the short term."

"Well, I believe you."

……I trust you……

Cheng Xing was overwhelmed with mixed feelings.

Chapter 166: Surveillance

Bronya opened her eyes, looking around in a daze. When emotions that had been suppressed and tormented for so long began to resurface in her consciousness, it didn't bring about any outburst, but rather a strange sense of unease.

Originally, all of his/her actions were operated and controlled by various chips in his/her brain, but now that he/she has regained normal human emotions and behavioral abilities, he/she suddenly feels somewhat uncomfortable.

She may have had a normal life before, but so much time has passed that the memories of that time when she was in control of herself have become very blurry. Having become accustomed to entrusting everything to the program system to make decisions, it is now very difficult to judge things based on her own emotions and subjective consciousness.

It's like a person who has been in a vegetative state for many years has regained the weakness and inability to adapt to the loss of movement and self-awareness.

Raiden Mei, who had been sitting next to Bronya, noticed that the girl had woken up and said with a gentle smile, "Hello, I am Raiden Mei. You may still have some questions about what's going on, but it doesn't matter anymore. From today onwards, you can be your true self again."

"The real self?"

Bronya is still adjusting to the emotions and ways of thinking she has regained.

After the three of them left the light rail with Bronya, they found a decent little villa and rested there for the time being.

Cheng Xing went to a nearby supermarket to search for some food to prepare a meal.

Kiana, in order to replenish her ammunition as quickly as possible, temporarily chose to act alone, which would reduce the possibility of being exposed and also better avoid combat.

Raiden Mei stayed behind to care for and monitor Bronya, to prevent the girl from doing anything unpredictable after waking up, and also to prevent her from escaping.

"We don't know whether this person was forced or not to participate in the experiment. If he is a loyal subordinate of that organization, then even if he regains his feelings, he will still try to contact and communicate with that organization. At this time, a person in charge of monitoring him is essential."

Kiana stood beside Cheng Xing, holding binoculars and watching the scene unfold in the villa. She then said, "Besides, I don't completely trust Raiden Mei either. We can take this opportunity to observe whether these two are connected."

"Kiana, how could Raiden Mei possibly be in contact with you? Before you even saw that girl, you even considered using force to retrieve her?"

Cheng Xing squatted on the rooftop, with two large bags beside him. One bag contained various ingredients and water, while the other bag was filled with ammunition and first-aid supplies.

"You're really quite foolish. The occurrence of Honkai in this world is very unpredictable. No one can predict where Honkai will suddenly happen. The problem is that even after the Honkai occurred, the light rail hubs along the main transportation routes in this city are still operating perfectly, and the mech units protecting it are still running as usual."

"And that organization clearly knew about Raiden Mei's special individual from the very beginning... Although I really don't want to suspect someone's father, the fact that someone could clearly know these things and was able to do them makes her father highly suspicious."

"A city's administrator would never tolerate the existence of uncontrollable soldiers in his city."

"So Raiden Mei's father was definitely a member of that organization, or even a high-ranking one... I don't know if her father lost his position due to the power struggle within the organization, was imprisoned or killed, or if he really used Raiden Mei as experimental material and then cut off all contact with her."

"But Raiden Mei is definitely a very special character, because given her position, she can know a lot of things she should or shouldn't know. So how can I guarantee that everything that happened before was just an act by her?"

"Even if we're being deceived like this, what do we have..."

"The benefits are numerous. For a man with a Saint Mark physique alone, it is absolutely worth doing this."

Cheng Xing felt somewhat lost for some reason. Why was Kiana in this world so sensitive and prone to overthinking? Was the young lady from the Honkai Impact 2 era really this intelligent and shrewd?

Seeing Cheng Xing's bewildered expression, Kiana sighed helplessly. Although this guy was kind-hearted, he wasn't quite smart enough. If this continued, he would be swindled out of everything sooner or later.

"So Cheng Xing, even if you want to help others, you must understand what the consequences will be. And you must also understand that helping others requires consideration."

"Okay, I understand. But so far, have you noticed anything? We can't hear anything here, so we can't get any information just by looking."

“It’s a bit of a hassle not being able to hear anything, but that’s all we can do for now,” Kiana said, raising her binoculars again to look at the room. It seemed that Raiden Mei was talking non-stop, and Bronya could only give simple responses, which was quite fitting for the current situation. “By the way, what kind of food did you prepare? If your cooking is particularly bad, I won’t eat it.”

Kiana was still looking at the situation in the room, but the topic had already turned to Cheng Xing.

"Oh, the supermarket's freezer has a lot of well-preserved ingredients. I can basically make some of my signature dishes, of course, Chinese cuisine. I don't know if you can accept them."

"The food from China is quite good. I've always wanted to try the food from that country, but I've never had the chance. If you know how to cook it, you must make it delicious, otherwise I will throw it away without hesitation."

"Don't worry, if it doesn't taste good, I'll eat it all myself."

"Well, as long as it's not wasteful. Speaking of which, Cheng Xing, why are you in this city? You're not from here, are you?"

"I came here for some personal reasons, but I never expected to encounter something like this."

"........."

The two fell silent for a moment. Kiana wondered if she should ask anything more, but she thought that if she kept asking, it would be too annoying, and their relationship shouldn't have reached that point yet.

"Besides, I'm the one who keeps asking questions. As a guy, you should take the initiative to ask me some things too."

Kiana waited for the guy beside her to find something to talk about.

And Cheng Xing...

"Hmm, these ribs look really good. Maybe I can try making sweet and sour ribs later... I wonder if the sauces I found can be used as substitutes. By the way, is the vinegar here the same as the one back home? I heard that the soy sauce here is sweet. It would be embarrassing if I made a mistake."

The clueless straight man was completely unaware that the girl was waiting for him to ask her.

Chapter 167: The Changed Self

When Raiden Mei saw Cheng Xing and Kiana return together, she felt that the atmosphere between the two was a bit strange. Kiana seemed to have an uncomfortable and irritable look on her face, as if she had been stood up by a pigeon.

Cheng Xing was carrying two large bags, looking like a laborer, but he didn't seem to be struggling. Instead, he looked at Kiana, who seemed a little sullen, with some confusion.

"What happened?"

Raiden Mei asked, somewhat confused.

"Hmm, I don't know either. I just happened to run into her while I was collecting supplies, so I helped her carry her bag. But something seems to have happened that I don't know about, which made Kiana a little upset."

Cheng Xing had no idea why Kiana had looked so sullen when she came back earlier. When he asked her, she wouldn't say anything and kept insisting that nothing was wrong.

"Alright, hurry up and cook. I'm only in a bad mood because I'm hungry."

"I see, I understand. I'll do it right away."

Cheng Xing suddenly realized that Kiana, regardless of which world she was from, should have the attribute of being a foodie. Now that she hadn't had a meal to fill her stomach for so long, she must be in a bad mood.

"Everyone hasn't had a proper rest in so long. The girls are all very clean, and after fighting for so long, there must be a lot of dust and dirt accumulated on their bodies. They've also been physically and mentally exhausted, so naturally, their complexions aren't very good. Cheng Xing, you really are a bit slow on the uptake. You didn't even think of something like this. You still have a lot to learn."

Cheng Xing immediately put the backpack containing ammunition on the ground, then carried the backpack full of ingredients to the kitchen, vowing to do his best to make some delicious food.

Kiana watched Cheng Xing's retreating figure and sighed helplessly.

"Well, this guy is really slow-witted like never before. But I should have expected it, since he's an otaku who can fantasize about his two-dimensional wife."

Kiana thought to herself, Cheng Xing had told her before that he was a virgin and had several girlfriends, and she knew immediately that he must be the kind of otaku that was prevalent in this country.

And look at how slow-witted he is now. How could someone like that have so many girlfriends, and even be a virgin? This guy is the typical shut-in type.

"Mei-senpai, how is that girl doing?"

Kiana sat down on the sofa, feeling the soft touch beneath her, and her previously tense body relaxed a little.

"It's not bad. Although it might be because he has just fully woken up, which means his thinking ability is not yet perfect, he can already communicate with people briefly. It's wonderful that such a child has regained his freedom."

Raiden Mei smiled gently.

"That's certainly a good thing, but the key is that we need to get information from her about the organization behind her, so is there anything we can ask her?"

"I'm sorry, Kiana. She has just woken up, and I feel bad asking her these questions right away. I think we should let her rest a bit longer, since she hasn't fully recovered yet."

Raiden Mei looked somewhat apologetic.

"Alright, alright, you guys are all such kind and gentle people. I'm the only bad guy who would interrogate a newly awakened vegetable about the mastermind."

Kiana gave a self-deprecating laugh.

"No, Kiana, you are also a very gentle person. It's just that you have a lot to think about and consider, which makes others think you are too suspicious. I think you would definitely go when others need your help and rescue."

Upon hearing Raiden Mei's words, Kiana seemed to recall some past events, and her expression turned somewhat melancholy. She then said, "A good person? I don't want to be a good person. This world has never been a good place, and good people never get any good rewards. It's extremely difficult for someone to achieve lasting fame, but it's much easier to achieve eternal infamy."

Kiana…………

"I'm sorry, senior, I said some negative things. But if you think I'm a great person who would help anyone for no reason, then you're wrong. The reason I helped you was because some idiot wanted to help you, and that idiot was a very suitable teammate in my eyes, so I did it. As for that girl, I just wanted to get more information from her, so I saved her as a side effect."

"I have never had any desire to help everyone."

When Kiana got to this point, she recalled some things from the past. Her old man had always taught her that as the eldest daughter of the Kaslana family, she must fight for the people.

But one day, that bastard dad mysteriously disappeared, leaving him only a cell phone and abandoning him, a young boy, to wander in this lonely world.

I used to naively believe that good people are rewarded in this world, and that this world is a wonderful place worth protecting. But as I wandered alone in this world from childhood to adulthood, I witnessed the evil, the depravity, and the contradictions of humanity.

Sometimes, after you've gone to great lengths to help someone, they might betray you without hesitation for some petty gain.

Sometimes, those vicious thugs you see robbing banks are actually just trying to raise money for medical expenses for seriously ill family members.

Sometimes, a person who appears well-dressed and gentlemanly in front of others may actually secretly enjoy abusing and coercing women.

Kiana has experienced countless things and witnessed countless people since she was a child. She has long since passed the age of innocence and naivety, and the foolish and childish desire to protect all of humanity from the bottom of her heart.

Only children have that kind of wish. They don't think about anything else, they just think that someone has reached out a hand to them in their yearning for salvation, and they grab that person without hesitation.

They wouldn't even bother to tell whether the person was good or bad.

Therefore, Kiana now helps and saves others, but she doesn't save just anyone, nor does she do those things intentionally; she only helps when the opportunity arises.

"So, Cheng Xing, you're exactly like me and that damn old man you were back then. I wonder if, after experiencing what I went through, you'd still be willing to lend a helping hand to anyone?"

Even if that person were a monster who could destroy the world, would you be willing to help him?

Kiana thought to herself, unsure whether she truly hoped that person would change or remain the same.

Chapter 168: Night Talk

Although most of the meals were made from frozen and canned foods, they were quite palatable. While they couldn't compare to gourmet meals made with fresh ingredients, in this apocalyptic environment, being able to eat a hot meal, especially one made by an ordinary cook with years of experience, was already quite good.

"While it's not particularly delicious, it's quite good. Cheng Xing, I'll be relying on you for cooking from now on. But how did you manage to cook this without electricity or water?"

Kiana found a pack of tissues and wiped her mouth, then asked Cheng Xing, who was tidying up nearby, with curiosity.

"Oh, the ability of my Stigmata is more supportive. It's about converting Honkai energy into various intangible or tangible things. Of course, it doesn't last long. Most of the time, the objects I create will only last for a few minutes before they disappear naturally. For example, to suppress Bronya's brain chip, I converted Honkai energy into a special electromagnetic wave. The chip still exists, but it can no longer function."