Honkai, But Spirit Simulator

Due to Einstein's impeccable reasoning, coupled with that earnest face, Tesla was persuaded after a brief hesitation.

"But, don't, don't tell anything too scary."

Tesla knew full well that Einstein's earnest face gave everything she said a strange kind of persuasiveness.

But Einstein shook her head. "No, never mind. I just have a feeling you'd take ghost stories seriously, Dr. Tesla."

"How could I—!" Tesla, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, bristled. "How could this lady be afraid of ghost stories! Tell away! Does anyone even believe in ghost stories these days!?"

Is she really not afraid?

Tesla had even changed her self-reference.

Liu Bai silently floated behind Tesla, but didn't immediately act.

He was sure now, the green-haired girl sprawled on the sofa was definitely hinting at him. All he needed now was a signal...

Tesla, who had just finished speaking harshly, suddenly felt a chill on the back of her neck... This feeling... something wasn't right?

"Then I'll start."

"T-tell away," Tesla said, nodding through gritted teeth.

"Once upon a time, there was a laboratory."

"A laboratory? Once upon a time?" Tesla looked at Einstein suspiciously.

Something really wasn't right.

"It's just a story setting, Dr. Tesla, please be quiet." Einstein said expressionlessly, "In the laboratory, there were two beautiful scientist girls. One was the arrogant, tyrannical, and rude Dr. Tesla."

"Hey, hey, hey!" Tesla waved her hand to express her dissatisfaction.

"Alright, the ordinary Dr. Tesla. And the other was the gentle, lovely, and generous Dr. Einstein."

"I don't know anyone like that in the lab!"

"Please be quiet." Einstein ignored Tesla's protest. "One day, Dr. Tesla, having finished making coffee, came out of the kitchen and suddenly heard a man calling her from behind. So Dr. Tesla curiously turned around, and the next day, everyone found Dr. Tesla's body in the living room."

"...?" Tesla felt her intelligence had been insulted.

"The story ends here."

"Don't say it like that, as if you've just told a long story! Liesel! You're just making fun of me, aren't you!"

Just as Tesla was about to slam the table and stand up, she suddenly felt a chill.

—Behind her, a male voice suddenly rang out.

"Tesla... Tesla... Frederica Nikola Tesla~~"

Chapter 16: Let's Study Spirits!

"Gulp..."

Tesla swallowed, instinctively preparing to turn around, but she suddenly remembered Einstein's playhouse-like "ghost story" just now.

—"One day, Dr. Tesla, having finished making coffee, came out of the kitchen and suddenly heard a man calling her from behind. So Dr. Tesla curiously turned around, and the next day, everyone found Dr. Tesla's body in the living room."

Looking at the coffee she had just made in her hand, Tesla suddenly didn't feel like drinking it anymore.

"Hey... Ein, did you hear anything?"

Tesla felt goosebumps all over her back.

"Miss Tesla~~"

What a polite spirit... No, no! Now is not the time to think about that!

"A voice? Are you talking about the one calling your name?" Einstein asked casually.

"You can hear it?"

Tesla instantly looked as if she had seen a relative.

"Of course, it's just a joke after all." Einstein reached for a bag of snacks, tore it open, and started eating.

"Phew... I knew it, how could ghosts really exist."

Tesla tearfully breathed a sigh of relief, then collapsed onto the sofa.

"Speaking of which, where did you put the speaker? And who's the man who recorded the voice for you?"

"There's no speaker."

"Let me see... Ha? There isn't?" Tesla looked horrified. "Don't tell me you secretly brought a man into the lab!?"

"Well... I guess you could say that?"

The corners of Einstein's mouth twitched slightly.

"Wh-wh-wh-what!?" Tesla felt like the sky was falling. Her body, which had just collapsed, bounced up. "Where is he? Let me see? Did you hide him under the sofa?"

"No, I'm behind you, Miss Tesla."

Liu Bai glanced at Einstein. This great scientist was really devious.

"Wh-what is that!"

Tesla's pigtails successfully overcame Newton and stood up.

...Speaking of which, Newton seems to have been a blonde beauty.

"Hmm... maybe they're both Guardian Spirits?"

"Huh—?" Tesla, gradually recovering, turned to look at Einstein, her eyes filled with confusion, "What the heck is this?" waiting for her partner to give her an answer.

"Although I don't believe in the existence of Spirits either, based on what we currently know, it seems only Spirits can explain his existence."

"This is a Spirit! Einstein, how can you be so calm?"

"When in doubt, quantum mechanics," Einstein said casually while eating a snack.

"...Are you sure it's okay for one of the founders of quantum mechanics to say that?" Tesla looked at the calm and collected Einstein, who was even eating with great relish, and couldn't help but rub her forehead in exasperation. "By the way, what are you eating?"

"The mushrooms you bought."

"Mushrooms? I bought..."

Tesla seemed to realize something, and the confusion on her face gradually turned into anger: "Those are truffles! Not mushrooms—!"

"Truffles are a type of mushroom, you know."

"This is none of your Spirit business—!"

[After a prank, you successfully met the gentle and calm, yet sometimes absent-minded and playful Liesel Albert Einstein, and the tsundere Frederica Nikola Tesla, who is both innocent and straightforward. Tesla's affinity -5%, Einstein's affinity +5%]

[Your existence has refreshed their worldview as scientists. However, Tesla is brooding over your existence, while Einstein doesn't care much, saying, "When in doubt, quantum mechanics"—although in reality, there is indeed something called a "quantum Spirit" in this world]

"So, are you saying we have to live with a Spirit from now on?" Tesla pointed angrily at the air beside her. "I don't agree—!"

"Okay, then let the Ghostly Gentleman live with you," Einstein said, eating the last of the mushrooms... well, truffles. Tesla firmly believed that mushrooms and truffles should be discussed separately—before making a decision.

"I refuse! It's too weird to share a room with a strange male Spirit, isn't it?"

Unsurprisingly, Tesla immediately objected, "Aren't there empty rooms? Room 105, it's not even fifty meters away!"

"Ghostly Gentleman, what do you think?"

"Me? I don't mind, after all, I'm a gentleman."

"What a shameless self-proclamation," Tesla added from behind.

"Then it's settled, Room 105. Here, Ghostly Gentleman, this is the key."

"Thank you," Liu Bai said politely, accepting the key from Einstein.

Then, the atmosphere suddenly cooled down.

Liu Bai noticed that Einstein and Tesla were both staring at him—or rather, at the key floating in the air.

"Hey, Liesel, is it too late for me to study biology now?"

"I think physics would be easier to analyze the essence of 'Spirits' than biology—or maybe even theology?"

In an instant, Liu Bai felt like he was being watched by wolves.

At this moment, Liu Bai felt a sense of "being dissected" from the two beautiful scientists beside him.

"Um... let's talk this out?"

This was the first time Liu Bai had encountered scientists who wanted to study him.

Although he knew he couldn't be dissected, Liu Bai was still panicked in the face of this situation.

His previous hosts, Rita, tentatively determined through testing that Liu Bai did not belong to Honkai and could not be explained by science.

Aponia directly regarded Liu Bai as her Guardian Spirit.

Mobius was a scientist, but her main field was biology with Honkai studies. Moreover, due to their close relationship, Mobius was at most curious and never wanted to study Liu Bai.

Tesla looked at the key floating in the air, hesitated for a moment, and then reached out her palm like lightning to touch it.

"Didn't touch it?"

Unsurprisingly, Tesla's hand passed through Liu Bai without resistance.

Tesla turned to look at Einstein.

"Einstein, let's make our next project about studying Spirits."

"No," Einstein directly rejected Tesla's proposal, "This kind of project wouldn't even make it to headquarters."

"...I guess so," Tesla shook her head in disappointment.

The next moment, Einstein changed the subject.

"So—Dr. Tesla, do you have any simple, seemingly valuable ideas? Of course—preferably cheap ones."

When it came to wild imagination, even Einstein had to admire her partner.

"You mean..." Tesla's eyes lit up. They were both researchers, and Tesla instantly understood what Einstein meant.

"Yes! Of course, there are countless ideas that were rejected by that bastard Edison!"

Chapter 17: That Name is Not a Good Omen

"So, you're saying you're scamming for funding?"

"Propose valuable projects with sound reasoning, apply for funding, and then, with the efforts of the two genius scientists, Dr. Einstein and Dr. Tesla, the project is quickly conquered, and the remaining funds are used for other research—every step is perfectly justifiable."

Einstein spoke as if she were describing something trivial.

"...You've always done things this way?"

Liu Bai looked strangely at Tesla. Although Tesla couldn't see Liu Bai, she could feel the odd gaze.

"Only occasionally... well, after all, some of our research is simply beyond those guys' comprehension."

Tesla, after all, had a thin skin and revealed a somewhat guilty expression.

Liu Bai already felt a sense of déjà vu—wasn't this just the common trick of professionals scamming novices that he had often seen in his previous life?

For example, someone claiming to develop a chip, poaching people from major chip manufacturers, letting these professionals boast and attract investment and policy support with great fanfare, and then, after two or three years, an investigation would reveal—no such person existed.

"I feel that instead of this method, you might as well just submit a project related to quantum mechanics. I don't think many people can understand it, and maybe quantum mechanics even has something to do with Spirits."

Liu Bai felt that if Einstein really spoke incomprehensibly, she might even be able to confuse Otto.

"Hmm... although it's not impossible, it's better to have results to apply for subsequent funding."

Einstein actually showed a thoughtful expression after hearing Liu Bai's words, but then shook her head.

Good grief... still counting on subsequent funding?

"So, from now on, Ghostly Gentleman, you will assist us in our experiments."

"So, I've become a guinea pig?"

"No, just assisting with the experiment." Einstein reached out and tidied her hair. "With our current level, we are completely unable to analyze Spirit, that is, your existence."

"That's right, although I'm very reluctant to admit it, your existence is completely beyond the scope of modern science."

Tesla had put on a pair of red-rimmed glasses at some point, and was examining Liu Bai with her arms crossed and a serious expression.