Honkai, But a Back Spirit Simulator

"...Do you need a pen and paper?"

The speed at which the other party's fingers were drawing was too fast, and Aponia couldn't keep up for a moment. After thinking for a while, she asked softly.

Aponia felt the other party squeeze her hand.

"Please wait a moment."

[Affinity +5%]

[You proved your existence to Aponia through slightly aggressive behavior without arousing her disgust. Current Affinity: 15%]

"So, you are my Guardian Spirit?" Aponia asked softly, looking at the air in front of her.

"..."

Liu Bai was speechless. He wasn't surprised that Aponia came to this understanding. After all, in the first simulation, she still regarded him as a god.

--But there's no Guardian Spirit as weak as me.

Liu Bai left this sentence on the last piece of white paper in his hand.

[Affinity +15%]

[You completed a successful communication with Aponia. After this, Aponia developed the habit of carrying paper and pen with her. Current Affinity: 30%]

This time, he achieved the results of the last mid-game right from the start.

After that, time flew by before Liu Bai's eyes. During this time, Aponia was still an ordinary nun, and Liu Bai was always a... well, not-so-ordinary spirit.

[As time passes, you two become more and more familiar. Current Affinity: 40%]

"Aponia, what's that in your hand...?"

"An offering table, an artwork that flowed into Dusk Alley. It seems to be an Eastern sacrificial utensil?"

"Uh..."

"I also bought some fruits and meat. Divine Lord, let's have roasted pork knuckle, steak, and mutton soup tonight."

You're clearly putting together the Three Sacrificial Offerings, aren't you!?

...Still, I'm a little hungry.

[Aponia had the whim to make offerings to you, and you agreed. However, even with all the preparations, this offering still failed - you are not a god. After Aponia finished eating, the remaining food was used to help the poor.]

[Affinity +15%]

Affinity 55%, already surpassing the last time.

[Honkai outbreak. Aponia begins to take in and protect the source of Honkai disease in the sanatorium.]

Here it comes. This means Aponia's time in Dusk Alley is running out.

Liu Bai couldn't help but sink into thought. If he let this plot continue, Sakura would sneak in and kill all the children infected with Honkai, then fight Kalpas to a draw. Aponia and Kalpas would both be taken back to Moth Chasers to Fire by Sakura to become Fusion Warriors.

But if he interfered... last time his interference led to Aponia being killed by Sakura while she was on night watch.

No, the method last time was wrong.

Liu Bai looked at the holy nun who was taking care of the patients and silently came up with a plan.

After Aponia finished her day's work, Liu Bai skillfully took the pen and paper from Aponia's waist.

"Divine Lord?"

Aponia was slightly stunned when she felt the touch on her waist.

The pen floating in the air danced, leaving a line of text on the paper:

"Aponia, I have an idea..."

[You begin to advise Aponia on her actions. Your support makes Aponia more determined in her confidence. Affinity +15%]

[During Aponia's actions, you met Pardofelis - although she doesn't know you.]

[Before long, Aponia rescued a man named Kalpas. Soon after, the sanatorium had an extra porter who was very good at fighting.]

[Subsequently, Honkai broke out in Dusk Alley. Moth Chasers to Fire sent the Fusion Warrior Sakura to investigate Dusk Alley. During this time, Sakura accidentally discovered a sanatorium hiding patients with Honkai disease - but all of this was discerned by you.]

"Has it finally come to this scene?"

Liu Bai floated beside the bed in the sanatorium, watching the increasingly chaotic streets outside - this chaos had nothing to do with Moth Chasers to Fire. It was just that Honkai disease made the already chaotic Dusk Alley even more chaotic.

This kind of chaos made Liu Bai, who had always lived in a civilized society, very uncomfortable.

Aponia was sitting behind Liu Bai at this time, praying softly towards the offering table with fruit on it.

Squeak...

The door was pushed open, and the fox-eared swordswoman with Sakura-colored hair appeared silently at the door.

This is a Fusion Warrior. If she wanted to start a massacre, no one in the entire Dusk Alley except Kalpas could stop her.

"...Where are the sources of infection?"

Sakura saw Aponia praying at a glance... To be honest, a nun praying to an offering table, this scene was really strangely incongruous.

"They are not sources of infection, just patients."

Aponia stood up, looking directly at the sakura-haired swordswoman before her.

"If possible, I would like to make a deal with you, or rather, with the 'Moth Chasers to Fire' behind you—for the sake of those children."

Aponia slowly spoke the lines Liu Bai had prepared for her.

Looking at the nun's compassionate yet firm expression, Sakura, after a brief silence, put away her weapon and nodded:

"...Okay."

Chapter 3 Dusk Alley·Aponia, cleared!

"But before the deal, I'd like to ask something."

Sakura looked around the room strangely.

She only saw Aponia, and only felt Aponia's presence, but why did she always feel a chill down her spine?

"Please ask."

"Um..." When it came time to ask, Sakura hesitated.

She couldn't very well ask, "Do you have something unclean in your house?" could she?

Even though the other party was an ordinary person with no strength to truss a chicken, she was, after all, a nun, and such a question felt like an insult.

Considering their upcoming transaction, Sakura hesitated again and again before looking at the offering table laden with fruit.

"Who is this offering table dedicated to?"

Aside from that rude question, what intrigued Sakura the most was the offering table in the nun's bedroom.

"...It's not a dedication, but a tribute, a tribute to my Guardian Spirit."

Aponia lowered her head, revealing a pious expression.

"...Strange clergy." Sakura pondered for a moment, realizing that she couldn't understand the clergy's thought process. "Let's talk about the content of your transaction... Ah."

Sakura let out a small exclamation.

"What's wrong?" Aponia tilted her head. "Are you feeling unwell?"

Sakura touched her ears: "It's not related to my body... probably."

She felt like her fox ears had just been pinched by someone.

For Sakura, her fox ears were as sensitive as her human ears, and no one had ever pinched them before. That feeling just now... felt like a weak electric current flowing into her body.

Sakura couldn't tell if it was pleasure or pain.

"It's probably just that there's a lot of dust in the house."

Sakura took a deep breath, adjusted her mindset, and took out the Moth Chasers to Fire communicator.

"Ahem, Miss Nun, let's talk about the details of the transaction. The higher-ups will consider your conditions."

Aponia's expression became serious when she saw Sakura take out the communicator.

"My condition is very simple. I hope the Moth Chasers to Fire can take in and guarantee the safety of the children in this sanatorium."

Aponia lowered her brow as she finished speaking.

"Impossible."

Sakura rejected this condition without even thinking about it.

"Every one of these sources of infection is a ticking time bomb for the safety of the world. The higher-ups will never agree to this condition."

"Then someone will take them and flee... Miss Sakura, you don't want to see the patients leave Dusk Alley, do you?"

"..." Sakura was speechless. What she said made sense, but something felt strange.

"...It depends on what the higher-ups think."

"No, I agree."

A clear, cold female voice came from the communicator.

"Dr. Mei?" Sakura looked at the communicator in her hand in surprise.

The female voice in the communicator ignored Sakura's surprise and continued, "Just now, Mobius and I submitted and passed a new round of research plan on Honkai, which urgently needs some Honkai disease patients... Sakura, hand the communicator to that lady, I have something to discuss with her."

"Yes... Ouch!"

Just as Sakura was about to hand over the communicator, she suddenly felt her ears being tugged again.

"Although the feel is so-so, the surprised and adorable cries of girls are the essence."

Liu Bai withdrew his hand with satisfaction.

At this moment, a new prompt came from the system—

[Simulation completed, story segment Dusk Alley·Aponia has been cleared, Aponia Affinity +50%]

The figures of the sakura-haired swordswoman and the blonde nun blurred before Liu Bai's eyes, replaced by the maid, sitting in a chair with a thermometer in her mouth.

[Simulation Rating: S (Highest rating, perfect action—although this is just a beginner simulation)]

[Final Affinity: 120%]

Good heavens, an affinity of over 100%?

[You have gained 3 skill points]

[You may choose one of the following skills:]

[1. Theology lv7 (Your theological knowledge is sufficient for you to start your own denomination separate from the church)]

[2. Persuasion lv8 (Your words and actions possess a convincing magic)]

[3. Nursing lv4 (You are an excellent nurse)]

[4. Nun lv10 (Are you sure a big man like you wants to become a nun, Guardian Spirit? )]

[5. Guardian Spirit lv1 (You can negate one fatal blow for your host each day, and you can engage in subtle mental communication with your host)]

Liu Bai noticed it at first glance – these skills are probably the ones Aponia possessed as a nun.

If it were Aponia as one of the Thirteen Flame-Chasers, he would probably be faced with things like Disciplines.

However, Liu Bai wasn't too disappointed. There would definitely be opportunities to simulate in the future. Dusk Alley is still just getting started, after all.

Liu Bai took one look and immediately took a liking to the "Guardian Spirit" skill – or rather, the explanation that followed: "can engage in subtle mental communication."

What he was most worried about was how to let his host know of his existence. Not everyone is Aponia, who wouldn't get angry even if he used slightly more drastic measures.

If it were someone else – like Rita, who is currently holding a thermometer in her mouth in front of Liu Bai.

If he went up and pinched her cheeks, patted her head, and shook her hand, his affinity with Rita would definitely plummet. Her first reaction would definitely be to stabilize him first, then call Otto over to prepare to study him.

...But come to think of it, can he even be studied?

Thinking of this question, Liu Bai couldn't help but sink into contemplation. He doesn't seem to be related to Honkai energy, nor does he have anything to do with electromagnetic waves.

If he were related to Honkai energy, Sakura would definitely be able to detect him; if he were related to electromagnetic waves... he wouldn't be able to interfere with electrical appliances.

He really seems to be the supernatural kind of Guardian Spirit