Honkai, but Spirit Simulator

Edison waved her hand, and a bodyguard behind her respectfully handed a briefcase to Einstein.

"This is the gift I promised you earlier, but due to various factors such as materials in London, it's only finished now."

A gift?

Einstein opened the briefcase with some confusion—inside was a screen.

This is a gift for Liu Bai.

Einstein quickly realized this, closed the briefcase without a word, and nodded.

"I appreciate Miss Nancy's thoughtfulness."

"..."

Edison tilted her head, staring at Einstein, her face clearly saying, "That's not what I wanted to hear."

"...This evening, please do Miss Nancy the honor of joining me for dinner."

Einstein reluctantly changed her tune.

What comes after dinner? Probably preparing to live with Liu Bai tonight, right?

"Oh well, I'll suffer a little. After all, I'm a kept man, selling my body isn't a big deal," Liu Bai sighed from the side.

Einstein rolled her eyes almost imperceptibly in the direction of the voice.

Suffer?

I can't even be bothered to call you out.

"Then, I'll leave the ruins below to you all."

Having received the answer she wanted, Edison left in high spirits.

"Who was that...?" Welt was still a bit confused by the series of events.

"Just a rich person," Tesla said with a sour face. "Let's go, let's see what's buried down here."

The group boarded an open-air elevator and descended. Soon, they saw a solemn and heavy metal gate at the bottom, with ancient and strange writing clearly visible on it.

"—We fight for the future."

"We... next generation... for... the meaning of this should be 'We fight for the future.'"

After Liu Bai directly spoke the words on it, the Finn translated them as well.

Einstein glanced at the air with some surprise, seemingly astonished that Liu Bai recognized the language of the Previous Era.

"I never said I didn't understand the language of the Previous Era," Liu Bai explained softly, noticing Einstein's gaze.

He hadn't systematically studied it, but he had lived with Aponia and Mobius in the Previous Era for nearly twenty years. Although he wouldn't claim to have a high level of language proficiency, he had no problem reading and writing the language of the Previous Era.

"..."

Suddenly feeling like the Finn is useless.

Compared to Einstein, who was just thinking about it, Tesla really gave the Finn a strange look.

Strictly speaking, this guy was really in the way. With him around, it was difficult for Lab 42 to communicate directly.

...If they had known Liu Bai recognized the language of the Previous Era, they wouldn't have brought the Finn.

Einstein tugged at her teacher's sleeve.

"Liu Bai knows it."

Knows it?

"What's wrong?" The Finn looked at the whispering master and disciple with some confusion.

"Nothing, let's go in."

Planck pushed open the gate, and an ancient city-like ruin appeared before everyone's eyes.

"...It's just like a dwarf city from Tolkien's books."

Looking at the astonishing ancient ruins underground, Tesla exclaimed sincerely.

The scattered remnants of rooms and the extremely industrialized metal trestle seemed to be telling them about the glory of the Previous Era.

"Look, look! Isn't this the 'M-Theory' you were researching before?"

The Finn found a broken blackboard in the ruins.

The girls silently distanced themselves from the excited and gesticulating Finn, but Liu Bai noted down that part of the formula with interest.

...Too little, can't research anything.

This M should refer to Dr. Mei.

On the other side, Einstein pulled Schrödinger over.

"Is this place actually very sturdy?" Einstein's searchlight swept across the cave ceiling. Faintly visible, the subtle supports had fused with the stalactites, but appeared undamaged.

Clearly, this wasn't the work of modern people.

"That's right, the support structure is intact. Though it's a bit unbelievable, there's no risk of falling rocks here."

"Then what about this?"

Einstein looked at the surrounding ruins.

"External invasion? Epidemic? Internal strife?"

Having just voiced her questions, Einstein suddenly closed her eyes in discomfort, placing a finger to her lips.

"Listen... do you hear a sound?"

"..."

"No."

"I can't hear anything except the Finn's shouting."

Schrödinger, Tesla, and Planck all shook their heads.

Einstein still didn't open her eyes, only frowned.

"Can't you hear it? It's very high-pitched, a bit like tinnitus."

Einstein stuck a finger in her ear and wiggled it around, then abruptly pulled it out.

"—It's not a hallucination!"

"Mosquito tone?" Planck murmured. "Liesel, can you determine the source of the sound?"

Mosquito tone... in short, it's an ultrasonic wave that only adolescents can hear, usually originating from some operating facility.

And of everyone present, only 17-year-old Einstein was still a minor.

Einstein completely closed her eyes, focusing on the mosquito tone in her ears, and allowed Tesla to guide her forward.

Everyone had a premonition that the source of the sound... might be the biggest secret in this ruin.

Chapter 39: Everything Points To

"There's a wall ahead, turn left, the second intersection will go around it."

"Dead end, retreat."

"Careful of the threshold, the wall on the left is at risk of collapsing, be careful."

Liu Bai floated in the air, overlooking the entire ruin, giving directions to Tesla and the blindfolded Einstein.

"Hmm, I think this is it."

A heavy metal door, comparable to the one at the entrance, blocked their path.

"This door..." The Finn looked at the metal door before them, a troubled expression on his face. "You'd need hydraulic equipment to open this, right?"

"Just open it."

Liu Bai's voice came from the door. For metal doors that still used mechanical devices, Liu Bai could completely unlock them by possessing them.

Hearing Liu Bai's voice, Tesla immediately reached out and pushed the door.

Creak...

"Good luck, looks like it wasn't locked."

Tesla, now serious, said without batting an eye, "Don't just stand there, come lend a hand."

Planck and Schrödinger were slightly stunned, then understood: "It seems our luck is indeed quite good."

"Uh... can't argue with that."

The Finn rubbed his nose and came over to push the door with Tesla.

With everyone's combined effort, the heavy door was soon pushed open.

Inside was a room that was abnormally clean.

The plastic wallpaper around the room had become severely liquefied over the long years, but the ivory-colored lab table was still spotless.

A strange mechanical device with many tubular protrusions was placed in the most conspicuous position on the table, its red and green lights seemingly beckoning them.

"This should be an ultrasonic transmitter."

Schrödinger looked at it, then pulled an energy battery from under the machine.

"Is the sound gone now?"

"It's gone..." Einstein opened her eyes, scanning the surroundings. "But... why would this device be placed here?"

"Above you."

Liu Bai calmly prompted.

Hearing this, Tesla shone the flashlight in her hand towards the ceiling.

"English!?"

Tesla exclaimed, looking at the words on the ceiling.

"Young men who have come here... I entrust my last Soul Steel to you—the knight of the Virgin City, H. Luntinen Doyre A."

--Ultrasonic Soul Steel Recorder, the scientists quickly realized the true nature of the ultrasonic transmitter

But... the data is gone.

The Ultrasonic Soul Steel Recorder now only has the function of an ultrasonic transmitter; the Soul Steel that stored the data has long since disappeared.

Londonderry—Einstein, after a moment's thought, spoke the name of a place in Northern Ireland.

Luntinen—the old name of London in Roman times. At the same time, Doyre is "Derry" in Gaelic. Londonderry—a city that has never been breached by foreign enemies in history, and is therefore also known as the "Virgin City."

With multiple pieces of evidence, the clues to the Yellowstone Lake Ruins point back to the original place.

Therefore, you decide to split up into two groups. One group continues to stay and develop the ruins, while the other returns to London to investigate information related to H. A.

"Want to play something with big sister?"

Planck moved closer to Einstein, but the words she spoke didn't seem to be directed at Einstein—because Einstein was already asleep.

Splitting up—the Finnish expert in ancient texts was left in the ruins to assist with their development.

Planck, on the other hand, replaced Edison to report back to headquarters.

So, now everyone around is from Lab 42, and the most annoying Finn is gone.

Allow me to decline.

The screen Edison gave floated up, displaying the words of refusal.

I always feel like the game you want to play, Professor Planck, isn't anything proper.

"Not even strip poker?"