Honkai, But Spirit Simulator

"Clearly, according to the cohabitation system, it's my turn today."

"Professor, feigning cuteness is a very tiresome act."

Einstein remained completely unmoved by her teacher's attempt to appear cute. "Besides, the cohabitation system at Lab 42 expired long ago."

Einstein truly lived up to being raised by Planck; Planck's tricks had absolutely no effect on her.

"Fine, then your big sister will just have to 'raid' you all at night."

Planck suddenly struck a pose like a magical girl, as if to "shoot you in the heart."

"Stargazing?"

Einstein tilted her umbrella slightly, looking up at the sky where the stars twinkled.

It was indeed beautiful.

"Liesel is moved, isn't she? This is a night view you can't get in downtown London."

Planck wagged her finger provocatively at her student, but then she changed the subject.

"But everyone needs to sleep well tonight—we all have to get up early to go to the site tomorrow."

"How annoying; you're the one who brought it up, Professor, aren't you?"

A hint of awkwardness finally appeared on Einstein's usually calm face.

"Elders should be a little naggy, right?" the eternally seventeen-year-old beauty giggled. "Oh, right, since I'm the elder, Mr. Liu Bai today..."

"I think you should discuss that with Schrödinger, Professor."

Einstein pointed to Schrödinger, who had been rather unobtrusive.

At some point, Schrödinger had moved to the typewriter, and she and a Spirit were secretly passing notes.

Planck: ...

This student is hopeless.

***

Chapter 37: Yellowstone Lake Ruins

The next day.

Einstein groggily opened her eyes in the camper van.

Last night, she had been thoroughly worn out by Tesla, whose destructive power when drunk was truly astonishing.

Einstein looked at the front seats and noticed that, at some point, the driver had switched from Planck to Schrödinger.

Planck, who was supposed to be the driver, was writing notes with a smile on her face.

Liu Bai is really popular... Einstein shifted her gaze away from her teacher.

"Just left Livingston, now driving south along Highway 89."

Schrödinger saw Einstein waking up in the rearview mirror.

As a side note, although Schrödinger looked petite, she was already an adult and perfectly capable of driving.

Einstein was Tesla and Schrödinger's senior, but she was actually the youngest of the three.

"So, let's go over the situation at Yellowstone first."

"Shouldn't we let the others rest a little longer?"

Planck showed no awareness of having been caught doing something she shouldn't.

"That drunk has slept enough." Einstein looked helplessly at Tesla, whose head was resting on her shoulder, and without a word, she raised her fist and punched the red-haired twintail on the head.

"Ouch—that hurts!"

That punch was definitely the best way to wake up a drunk.

Tesla struggled to open her eyes.

"...Ugh, still a bit dizzy. Couldn't you have been a little gentler?"

"People with hangovers have no right to speak."

Einstein glared disapprovingly at the red-haired twintail, who seemed completely oblivious.

"Are the other two awake as well?"

"Woke up from Dr. Tesla's voice..." The Finn rubbed his eyes and put on his gold-rimmed glasses. "Are we getting down to business?"

The Finn asked as he nudged Welt awake beside him.

"Since everyone's awake, let's start with the geographical location." Planck put away the note in her arms with some disappointment, turned from the passenger seat, and looked at the group in the back.

As Planck explained, Schrödinger slowed down the car.

"As you know, Yellowstone Park is the first natural reserve in human history..."

Planck began her explanation of Yellowstone Park, and soon the topic turned to volcanic eruptions and Honkai.

For the first time, Liu Bai learned detailed knowledge about Honkai from Planck. In this world, from the Black Death to the Ice Age, even the world wars had traces of Honkai energy.

Then, the topic shifted to Welt, a man with abnormally high Honkai energy adaptability.

However, Welt seemed a bit down because of his connection to Honkai.

"Ahem, let's get straight to business." Planck cleared her throat twice. "Did you know that no carbon-14 was detected in the Yellowstone ruins samples?"

"Fifty to sixty thousand years?"

The Finn asked with some surprise, and the others also showed expressions of shock to varying degrees.

"Based on a comprehensive assessment, the last human activity in the ruins should have been around 50,000 BC, with a margin of error of no more than 1,000 years."

"1,000..."

The Finn, as a paleographer, rubbed his nose. This number could indeed only be considered an error in the context of 50,000 years of history.

"So, ruins with more than 51,900 years of history? Unbelievable... Were there already human activities in North America during the Previous Era?"

The scientists present actually knew about the existence of the Previous Era—after all, Aida was a product of the Previous Era.

"Probably something like our Antarctic research station."

They weren't doubting the capabilities of the Previous Era, but North America was not habitable 50,000 years ago.

"It doesn't contradict our current understanding of the Previous Era."

"If it's really like you described... ruins of this scale can't be explained away as just a research station."

The Finn rested his chin on his hands like a commander.

"Um..." Welt, still a bit dazed, raised his hand. "What is this 'Previous Era' you're talking about?"

"Oh... well..."

"Let me do it." The Finn, as a paleographer, didn't hesitate to introduce it. "The Previous Era, as the name suggests, is a technological civilization that flourished before our current history. The earliest traces of this civilization can be traced back to Astrakhan Site No. 3 around 53,000 BC..."

Welt was listening, and Liu Bai was listening too.

The history of a new world sounded quite interesting.

"Mountain Time, 11:38 AM—Yellowstone Lake reached."

Schrödinger sounded like an emotionless time-telling machine.

"Lunch is the stuff we prepared this morning, let's eat as we walk."

Schrödinger called out to everyone.

On the north side of the parking lot, in an area marked "Mallard Lake," stood a circle of temporary fences with restricted area signs, surrounded by many patrolling guards. However, under Planck's leadership, the group simply greeted them and entered.

Upon entering, what appeared before everyone was a drained lakebed.

"...Quite the undertaking."

Liu Bai looked at the completely drained lakebed, with various pieces of equipment already in place, and exclaimed in awe.

If it weren't for the signs outside, he might have mistaken this place for a quarry.

"Hi! Dr. Einstein, long time no see."

Edison, still wearing a black men's casual suit, stepped out of a rising convertible elevator.

"It's only been two months, Miss Nancy."

"Still so cold." Edison sighed, scanned the surroundings, and seemed to show an unhappy expression on her face.

The next moment, after feeling her hand being poked, Edison put on a formulaic polite smile for everyone again.

Her true intentions lay elsewhere.

Einstein probably saw through this long ago, which was why her response was so cold.

"Tch..."

A certain red-haired twin-tail made an unhappy sound at Edison's change in expression.

Edison smiled and shifted her gaze to the red-haired twin-tail.

"Excuse me, please refrain from making unnecessary noise here."

"Huh? Who are you talking about?"

"I think everyone knows who I'm talking about now." Edison replied politely.

Here we go again...

Except for the Finn and Welt, everyone else was used to this scene.

Tesla liked to go against Edison, and Edison also liked to "bully" Tesla. Moreover, after Edison and Liu Bai lived together for a while, this trend inexplicably intensified.

...It shouldn't have anything to do with me, right?

Let these two rivals slowly bicker.

Anyway... Tesla can't possibly win against Edison in this regard.

...So pitiful, Dr. Tesla.

Chapter 38: A Mosquito's Buzz in the Ruins

"Tch, tch, tch—what's wrong? Are you not allowing others to speak up?"

Tesla craned her neck.

"Allowed, of course, allowed." Edison nodded with a smile. "But for a loser who doesn't want to speak properly—experiencing some hardship should be a good thing, right?"

"Who are you calling a loser?"

This time, Edison didn't answer, just curled her lips and made a beckoning gesture.

As the actual controller of the North American Branch, Edison was constantly guarded by a group of suited bodyguards here.

"W-What do you want to do?" Watching the team of bodyguards behind Edison begin to move, Tesla's tone began to tremble.

"Hmm... what do you think I want to do?" The blue-haired, masculine-dressed beauty tilted her head innocently.

The group of bodyguards behind her remained imposing.

"I-I warn you, this is broad daylight!"

The red-haired twin-tails looked at the seemingly innocent Edison in front of her, instantly chickened out, and began to slowly retreat, looking ready to run away at any moment.

"Pfft—!"

Edison suddenly laughed. "I've wanted to say this for a long time... your reaction is really interesting, loser Dr. Tesla."

"You're the loser!"

Realizing that she had been played by the other party, Tesla glared resentfully at Edison, who was laughing without restraint.

But looking at the group of suited men behind Edison...

Ahem, let her win this round for now.

"Oh, right, Dr. Einstein, this is a meeting gift, please accept it with a smile."