Honkai Impact 3rd experience, starting with a thousand Herrschers

"If you don't give me a reasonable explanation today, I'll make you eat the food I cooked!"

"Kiana, there are some things that are not yet ready to be said. Believe me, when the time is right, I will tell you everything. All I can tell you now is that the woman is an accomplice I found. The reason we were unconscious was because I entered her consciousness space. After we exchanged our opinions, she will be our help when needed."

Kiana looked at Cheng Xing with some displeasure, but seeing the latter's sincere eyes, she finally sighed helplessly, buried her face in his chest, and spoke in a somewhat muffled and unclear voice.

"Whatever, you bad guy."

Cheng Xing hugged Kiana tightly in his arms, silently expressing his apology.

The two embraced for a while before separating. When they looked outside, it was already dusk, so they decided to continue resting.

Although Raiden Mei was very curious about what had happened today, she didn't say much after learning from Kiana that Cheng Xing had chosen to keep it a secret. Everyone has their own secrets, just like the rest of them, who had never asked Bronya for more information.

Did you ever ask Kiana what her purpose was in this city, or what you actually knew about it?

Doesn't everyone here have something to hide?

Cheng Xing prepared dinner for everyone to eat together at the table. Dinner was rather simple, consisting of heating up canned meat and pouring it over steamed rice.

As night fell, the city was no longer noisy and bustling as usual because of what happened that day. Instead, it became very quiet. The creatures seemed to have frozen in place, and unless there was any living thing or a loud noise, they would remain motionless like statues.

However, this is also good, as it will be a good night's sleep for everyone. Of course, this is not a time to let our guard down, and Kiana and Cheng Xing still chose to keep watch tonight.

It's just that it'll be much more comfortable for two people to keep watch together tonight than for one person to do it alone.

Kiana snuggled closer to the person next to her, pressing herself against him more firmly, and then looked at Cheng Xing, who was holding a book beside her, and said...

“Cheng Xing, I don’t know about your past, but you know about mine. It’s so unfair that I don’t know about yours. Tell me about it.”

Cheng Xing put away the storybook in his hand, looked at Kiana beside him, and smiled, saying, "Of course, no problem. So, would you like to hear the stories from the beginning or a few that I've selected?"

"Of course, I'd like to hear your very first story. I'm still very curious about your past."

“Alright, then I’ll tell you my story from the very beginning. I remember in another world, under a similar Honkai event, I met a girl with the same name, Kiana Kaslan.”

"Wait! Are you talking about another parallel world? Then what is your relationship with me in that world?"

Kiana immediately became alert. If this was her parallel world self, there was no reason for her to let such a good person go. Did she want to become her own rival?

"Ah, no, not at all. My relationship with you from the other world is a little complicated, but at most we can only be considered friends. We've never had a closer relationship. And don't talk nonsense. I'm gay, and I fell in love with Raiden Mei from that world at first sight."

"Huh? May I ask if what happened in that world is the same as what happened here?"

"Although there are some differences in the details, the general situation is the same."

"...Was I really myself in that world? Why did I develop feelings for someone who could hurt me at any moment so quickly? And love at first sight is such a fairy tale, isn't it? So, what role were you playing back then? Or were you like here now, playing the role of a mother hen and someone who attracts hatred?"

"Me back then? I was a monster, a... unloved monster."

“Cheng Xing…you are not a monster, nor are you unloved.”

"I'm fine, Kiana. The difference between worlds is enormous. You in that world are just another person with the same appearance as you. Anyway, during that time, I fell into a state of extreme inferiority and isolation, and even thought that there was no place for me in this world. But then something miraculous happened. Someone chose to hug me back then."

"That person is..."

At that moment, Kiana reached out and covered Cheng Xing's mouth.

"I don't want to hear that name. Maybe that person is someone I know now or in the future. If I hear it, I might change my judgment in the future. Besides, in this world, I am your only one, right?"

Upon hearing this, Cheng Xing smiled and nodded at Kiana's earnest expression, then continued telling the story, albeit with some modifications, blurring some of the names.

"So even though you did so much for me in another world, he ultimately chose to forget you in order to pursue love, which triggered the effect of your ability, causing him to completely forget you for a period of time, right?"

Upon hearing this, Kiana couldn't help but begin to doubt: Was the "me" in that world really me? Why did I seem completely incapable of independent thought?

"Yes, that's how it is. Of course, we can't blame her. She probably thought it was just a vague dream at the time. Anyway, the abilities of the Forgotten Ones..."

"I could never forget you."

"…………Um."

"No matter what happens, I will always remember you, and even your abilities cannot change me."

"Because I am Kiana Kaslana!"

"...I believe in you. There's nothing you can't do if you want to."

Beneath Cheng Xing's calm and gentle gaze lay a kind of inexplicable sadness.

(Kiana, I'm sorry.)

Chapter 181: The Latest Moves

Cheng Xing stood alone on the rooftop, gazing at the rising sun and feeling the dawn sunlight shining on him, and inexplicably fell into a daze.

While he sat on the rooftop in a daze, the assassins who should have been free to move around, devoid of their own rationality and logic, and wandering like wild beasts, all stood frozen in place like puppets.

They all remained in the same position they had been in a second ago; some were standing on one leg, some were lying on the ground, and some were leaning against the wall, each one as stiff and motionless as a cement sculpture.

Cheng Xing looked around, as if he had taken in all the assassins in the city. Then, looking at the assassins who were as still as statues, he moved his fingers slightly, as if connecting countless threads. The assassins who were originally stiff started to move again and resumed their previous chaotic behavior.

The once quiet city has come alive again.

Cheng Xing raised his hand, looking at his jade-white fingernails and the white silk threads wrapped around his fingers, his eyes showing no sadness or joy.

What's even more bizarre is that if someone were to look into his eyes at that moment, they would see that they were empty, devoid of any color, like nothingness.

That's a color that humans can't identify with their own eyes; if you had to name a color for it, it would only be white.

Because white is nothingness.

Now he looks like a puppeteer performing silently behind the scenes. A true puppeteer will not be affected by any external fluctuations, will not speed up the performance because of the cheers of the audience, and will not feel ashamed because of the boos of the audience.

A true puppeteer is his own puppet.

"The assimilation rate has risen very high, and even with this level of capability, it hasn't attracted any attention... It seems the system is extremely busy."

Cheng Xing spoke calmly. Through the series of actions he had just taken, he had made sure of what stage he was currently in, and also what stage the system was currently in.

"In other words, the system can't focus on me for the time being... Hmm, then it's time to pull the second thread."

As Cheng Xing said this, he closed his eyes. Then, as if an invisible thread had been born from his palm, it slowly pierced into the void and stretched out to an unknown distance.

"I don't know if this approach will succeed. I estimate we'll get results in about a month... No, that's just the best-case scenario. I don't know if a month is enough time."

At this moment, the sun rose completely above the distant horizon, and the dawn sunlight was no longer as soft as silk; now it was like a sharp sword, beginning to dispel the darkness on earth and bring its own light and heat.

At this moment, Cheng Xing stopped the silk threads in her hands, and her originally white and jade-like nails returned to normal.

The eerie color in his eyes was replaced by the normal white with black pupils. His face once again wore his usual calm and gentle smile. He then patted his face and said, "Alright, everyone should wake up now. Hurry up and prepare breakfast. There's a big battle waiting for you all today."

Cheng Xing turned his back to the noisy city and slowly walked into the shadow of the house. It was just the rising sun; how could it dispel all the darkness?

But the light is constantly encroaching on the territory of darkness.

Kiana stretched and got out of bed. Although she found Cheng Xing's story strange yesterday, it was still another version of herself.

"But since her counterpart in that world is so... carefree, she can't be my competitor. Maybe I can even ask her about her stinky old man from that world?"

Kiana thought that since it was a parallel world, maybe she could get some advice from her father in that world and then capture her father in this world.

"I wonder how my dad and mom are doing in the parallel world? Will my mom still sacrifice herself to save others?"

As Kiana was thinking this, she arrived at the dining area. Looking at the well-prepared breakfast on the table, a smile returned to her face.

Cheng Xing smiled and was about to say something when he saw Kiana sitting down next to him and picking up a piece of bread from the table.

"Kiana, you need to wash your hands before eating. It's a matter of personal hygiene."

"What, are you saying that a cute girl like me is dirty? Besides, I took a shower yesterday and stayed in bed all night, how could my hands be dirty? Stop nagging me like an old woman. If you keep doing this, I'll get annoyed."

Kiana said nonchalantly, she didn't want to listen to Cheng Xing nagging like an old woman, she didn't like hearing any grand principles.

"Sigh, I just can't do anything with you."

Raiden Mei and Bronya came downstairs. Looking at the breakfast already prepared on the table, Raiden Mei said somewhat apologetically, "I'm sorry, I always make you prepare breakfast."

"It's nothing, we're all companions, and I'm used to waking up early."

The group quickly finished their breakfast and continued on their way out of the city. On the way, Kiana wanted Cheng Xing to conjure a car and speed through the streets, but when she saw the dead soldiers blocking the streets and making it impossible to drive, she had to give up the idea.

"Seriously, why are these guys so enthusiastic today?!"

As everyone continued fighting, Janna also sensed something strange. Yesterday, the road was wide enough for everyone to travel in cars, but why was the street blocked with all sorts of assassins today?

"The reason is speculated to be the surge caused by the aura of the higher Honkai creatures yesterday."

Bronya spoke calmly, and incidentally, because of the existence of a certain guy who could create things out of thin air and even replenish energy directly from the void, Bronya, who should have been conserving her use of Heavy Bunny after leaving the organization, was now directing Heavy Bunny to slaughter the group of assassins.

It was precisely because of the existence of the Heavy Bunny, a high-firepower unit, that everyone didn't have to go through the trouble of taking detours, but instead could directly fight their way through the tide of suicide soldiers.

Just as everyone emerged from the surging tide of monsters and was finally rescued outside the city, an extremely large spaceship suddenly appeared in the sky not far away.

And that warship had a very familiar symbol on it.

"Destiny!"

Kiana frowned.

Chapter 182: Destiny

"Destiny? Kiana, you know this organization?"

Raiden Mei looked at the girl beside her with some doubt. Judging from the latter's tone, encountering this organization here didn't seem to be a good thing.

"Overall, there might be trouble."

Just after Kiana finished speaking, a broadcast came from the warship in the sky.

"Four survivors have been found! Please rest assured, we are personnel from the international rescue organization, Mandate. Please remain where you are and do not move. We will begin the rescue immediately."

At that moment, the heavy bunny on Bronya's back suddenly raised its weapon and launched an attack on the warship in the sky.

"The hostile organization Destiny has been discovered. Firepower attack will be launched directly according to the established parameters."

Upon hearing this, Kiana immediately turned to look at Bronya, her eyes filled with disbelief.

"Under fire attack. Target's identity has been corrected to a member of Anti-Entropy!"

In the command room, an intellectual-looking woman wearing glasses said to the red-haired woman beside her, "Captain Himeko, it seems that Anti-Entropy has arrived before us."

"Okay, let the warship descend first. Immediately dispatch the Valkyrie unit to bring those four people back. We need to find out exactly what intelligence Anti-Entropy has."

After Himeko gave the order, the warship began an emergency landing. Although Schicksal also had a certain level of technological strength, unlike Anti-Entropy, whose main combat force consisted entirely of machines, Schicksal's main combat force was the Valkyries.