Chapter 237

The girl looked at the little robot in front of her with surprise and joy. She quickly hugged the robot to her arms as if it were her most precious treasure. Seeing her so happy, Mei could feel the same way. The feeling of finding a lost treasure is the best thing. Her treasure has now been found again, and her own treasure... will surely be found again too.

"I have a bad memory, and I don't remember a lot of things from the past. Mark II is like my other brain. Whenever I forget something, it reminds me. I just ask it like this, 'Mark II, Mark II, who am I?' and it will... 'Why isn't it answering me?'"

As if showing off her treasure to Mei, Sora demonstrated the function of the little robot in her arms. However, this time the little robot did not help her as before. It was as if it was broken and did not respond at all. Sora's quiet little face suddenly panicked. What was going on? She looked at Mei for help.

"Mark II isn't responding?? Is it... is it dead... Waaah..."

The usually cautious girl finally broke down in tears. This was her most precious possession, and now it was dead. What would she do now?

"Hey, don't cry... Robots don't die! They're probably just broken... Dr. Tesla should have a solution..."

Seeing the girl start to sob softly, Mei panicked a little. How could she be dead? She still had Dr. Tesla on her side. She could even repair the Raikiri that was broken. A small guiding robot like this should be a piece of cake for her.

"It's broken! It's broken!"

Before Mei could finish speaking, Sora caught the crucial words she uttered. "Mark II is really dead?" The girl immediately broke down, large tears streaming down her face. Mei was completely flustered. What was going on? This had never happened when she was taking care of Kiana and Shen Gonglin. Where had her charm gone? Was it all fake?

Mei was at a loss and wanted to comfort Sora, but the girl seemed to have finally found a place to vent her emotions and started crying loudly. She was just searching for supplies outside when she was attacked by Honkai Beast and fell down. When she woke up, she found herself taken to an unfamiliar place by two strangers. And now her most important treasure was broken. The little girl couldn't help but cry. At this moment, all she wanted to do was cry loudly.

"What's wrong? What's wrong? I heard crying before I even got here... Waaah, Mei, why is she crying like this? Did you hit her? Even if you want to know information, you can't hit her. How could you interrogate such a young child?"

Tesla rushed in, following the sound. As soon as she entered, she saw Mei, who was "flailing her arms" next to the crying girl. Tesla's eyes widened in shock for a whole year. Was the girl's gentle demeanor just an act? She had only been gone for a short time, and Mei had already made the girl cry. No wonder she was someone who dealt with such situations and Shen Gonglin. She must have learned this technique of making girls cry from Shen Gonglin.

Chapter Eleven: Handsome Big Brother

"It's just a minor problem. The wiring module was a little loose due to the impact, and the starting components were a bit worn out, so... Why am I telling you all this? In short, it's a minor problem that can be fixed with a tap. See, it's fixed."

After learning the whole story, Tesla, who knew that Mei hadn't hit the child, took over the repair work. She really liked this kind of work. With her efforts, after a series of clanging sounds, the guide robot that Sora cherished lit up again.

[...Good morning.]

"Wow, Mark II has come back to life!"

Upon hearing Mark II's voice, the girl Xiao Kong, let out a joyful cry. She hugged the guide robot tightly, overjoyed. Seeing her like this, Mei finally relaxed. Next, she wanted to send her back. It was too dangerous to let a girl like her move around freely in Sky City, which was full of Honkai Beast.

"Doctor, I just asked Xiao Kong about the location of the nest she mentioned. It's very close to the last detection site. She's almost recovered, so we can take her back along the way and investigate the refugees at the same time. If they've been staying in Changkong City, perhaps someone has seen Kiana."

Mei couldn't bear to let her go back alone. Besides, this was also an opportunity to learn other information. If the children that Sora mentioned were still in Changkong City and were searching for supplies, then maybe someone had seen Kiana and Shen Gonglin. It was a win-win situation.

"Yes, you're right, let's go."

Tesla had no objection to the suggestion. After putting away his tools, he nodded. The two of them led Xiao Kong out of the Helios. Looking at the surrounding scenery, Xiao Kong tried hard to recall the way back. Tesla and Mei waited patiently for her to remember the way home. This girl was so absent-minded, she really gave people a feeling of unreliability.

"Oh, I recognize this place. This should be... the place where that big brother gave me the delicious food. Next... which way should I go next? Do you know Mark II?"

Looking at the road ahead, Xiao Kong looked somewhat troubled, while Mark II pointed to the left to indicate that this was the direction. However, Mei and Tesla keenly grasped the key point in Xiao Kong: "Big brother? Who is this? We've only heard Xiao Kong mention that the nest is full of people around her age, and then there's that teacher. Who is this big brother?"

"Wait a minute, Xiao Kong, who is that older brother you were talking about?"

Mei crouched down slightly, lifted Xiao Kong's hand and gently touched the back of the girl's hand, where a nutrient IV was still inserted. The guiding robot floated beside her, holding the IV bag for her. Mei had originally planned to let her finish the injection before going back, but the girl was eager to return home, so she couldn't stop her. So she could only do it this way. She softly asked the question that Xiao Kong had mentioned about the older brother: Are there any other people in this city?

"He's a kind... but strange older brother. He's someone Xiao Kong met before. He gave Xiao Kong a lot of food, so he seems like a good person... He's very handsome, even more handsome than the teacher... more handsome than, even more handsome than you, Mei..."

A very handsome boy, even more handsome than me?

Upon hearing Xiao Kong's description, Mei and Tesla exchanged glances. They both saw what they wanted to see in each other's eyes. It must be Shen Gonglin. Although Mei was a little annoyed, this wasn't the first time she had heard such a comment. That guy's face was indeed exceptionally handsome, otherwise he wouldn't have bewitched Durandal and Rita. He was indeed in this city, and Kiana must be there too!

"Xiao Kong, can you tell us where that big brother went?"

Mei couldn't wait to ask why Xiao Kong had met Mei Shen Gonglin. She couldn't sleep well until she brought Shen Gonglin and Kiana back. She was so close to them this time, she had to bring them back!

"Hmm... I remember, that older brother seemed to be lost. When Xiao Kong saw him, he was looking at a map of Changkong City, right here... In the end, Mark II pointed him in the right direction, but after patting my head, that older brother suddenly ran off in another direction and disappeared. He must have had something else to do..."

After recounting what had happened, Xiao Kong touched his head. It hurt when he hit him, but the pain subsided after he touched it. The girl pointed to the somewhat dilapidated tourist information board of Changkong City. It was here that she met that older brother. That older brother was indeed quite strange.

...Okay, this talent for getting lost is definitely Shen Gonglin. Everyone pointed him in the right direction, and he still got lost. Who else could it be but Shen Gonglin? Although we don't know where he went, it's still a good thing. Mei and Tesla looked helpless. This guy really doesn't give them any peace of mind. But it's okay. Since he has the ability to run around, it means that there is nothing wrong with his condition. Next, we just need to find the two of them as soon as possible.

"Okay, Xiao Kong, thank you. This is very important to us. Where should we go next? We need to get you back first. Your companions must be very worried about you after you've been out for so long."

While he was preoccupied with the affairs of Shen Gonglin and Kiana, he also needed to address the issue of the girl in front of him. He decided to send her back first, as perhaps some of her companions had seen Shen Gonglin or Kiana before.

"Okay... please come this way, this... this is our home."

Xiao Kong continued to lead the way, and Tesla and Mei followed her small figure through a long tunnel. Then, the place called Nest appeared before their eyes.

Chapter Twelve: He's My Boyfriend

What appeared before Tesla and Mei was a shantytown. Looking at the simple houses in front of them, Tesla glanced at the important parts. This shantytown was built with high buildings as the foundation, densely built at a height far from the water. The materials were all sandwich panels that were easy to assemble and disassemble. The structure was very rudimentary. Did Changkong City have such a place before?

"No, Doctor, I'm quite certain that there is no such building in Changkong City —at least not before the Honkai."

Mei shook her head. Changkong City used to be a landmark city with a high level of prosperity. It was impossible for such a place to exist. Back then, Mei was still a young lady. She had been to many places in this city and had never seen such a building.

"Then it must have been built after the disaster. Refugees wouldn't have the conditions for such construction. Obviously, there were outsiders assisting them. It must be that teacher. Mei, go and gather more information, especially about that teacher. I'll go back and bring the mecha over. I feel bad looking at these rudimentary buildings that are prone to accidents. Now that I've seen them, I have to fix them properly."

Tesla made a decisive decision and returned to the Helios without waiting for Mei to speak. At this moment, Tesla's spirit of repair and construction was burning brightly. Look at these dangerous prefabricated houses. If he didn't take action, they would probably be destroyed by a typhoon.

"Doctor... you really are a kind person."

Mei smiled and shook her head. Then she turned around and continued to ask Xiao Kong for other information. Mei was very curious about that teacher.

"Xiao Kong, can you tell me more about your teacher?"

At this time, Xiao Kong had already explained Mei and Tesla to the others in the nest. Although many people were still hiding in their rooms and did not come out, many children were already looking over timidly. They trusted Mei a lot and heard her want to know about the teacher. Sora proudly told them.

"Okay, the teacher is the owner of this nest, everyone's savior, a very beautiful older sister... as beautiful as the boy I mentioned before. Three years ago, she helped us, who had nowhere to go, to build this home. The teacher often goes out and always brings us food and supplies when she comes back, and occasionally some strange gifts."

Pulling Mei to sit on the wooden plank, Sora gazed at the distant ocean with clear eyes. She could talk for days on end about her teacher; to everyone in the nest, the teacher was their savior.

"When she's not around, the children go to the city to scavenge and bring back useful things to store in the warehouse for emergencies. There's no need to worry about danger; the teacher has marked a safe zone on the map. As long as we don't run out, there's no danger. At first, everyone was a little unaccustomed to scavenging, but they gradually got used to it. Of course, the teacher never set any standards for us. No matter how much or how little material we collected, our monthly supplies would never change."

As if worried that Mei might misunderstand her teacher, Sora quickly explained. To them, their teacher was the only pillar that kept them alive. Even if it was just a misunderstanding, she didn't want Mei to think that way. After all, there was only one rule here: everyone had to live well. That was the only requirement their teacher had for them.

"We've all been through disasters, so we should help and support each other even more. That's what our teachers have always taught us."

Mei kept Xiao Kong's words in mind. It seemed that the teacher was indeed a very nice person. If she had the chance, Mei really wanted to get to know her. She had many things she wanted to ask the teacher.

"Do you know when she'll be back? We have some questions we'd like to ask her."

Mei patted Xiao Kong's head. She was a strong child, constantly striving to survive and relying on her companions to move forward together. It was really not easy for someone so young to shoulder such responsibilities.

"Hmm... Actually, I'm also very confused. Judging from the time, the teacher should have been back yesterday. I went out to look for her, but I accidentally walked out of the safe zone and encountered Honkai Beast I'd never seen before. It chased me all the way and I almost fell off the building. If it weren't for that handsome older brother saving me, I might have died..."

Thinking back to her previous experience, Xiao Kong felt a lingering fear, and Mei hugged her tightly with pity. So that's how it was. These injuries on her body were probably caused when she was being chased by the Honkai Beast. Did Shen Gonglin save her?

"Oh, I see. So... Xiao Kong, when that older brother saved you, did he say anything else?"

Mei was curious about what had happened back then, or rather, she was interested in any news about Mei Shen Gonglin. Knowing that he was still healthy and lively made Mei very happy. He had this magical ability; it was as if just thinking about him would make her smile unconsciously.

"Hmm... He seemed quite disdainful back then, saying that Honkai Beast that couldn't even catch up with children were useless. Then he just flicked a coin, and the Honkai Beast was defeated in one go. He was really amazing. Mei, do you know that guy too?"

Xiao Kong Mei described what happened to Mei with animated eyebrows. In her eyes, Honkai Beast were invincible, and all the disasters so far were caused by them. However, the Honkai Beast was easily defeated by that blond-haired boy. When she talked about this, Xiao Kong's eyes seemed to light up. He was really amazing. If only Xiao Kong could be as amazing as him.

... This guy, he's not even planning to spare such a young girl, Shen Gonglin, please have some humanity.

Looking at the expression on Xiao Kong's face, Mei suddenly felt a little overwhelmed. She hoped that it was just simple admiration. However, she had to give the girl a heads-up beforehand, otherwise what if she thought that way?

"Of course, it's not just about knowing him... Actually, the guy you mentioned is my boyfriend. I came here to find him. As for the coin you mentioned, that's actually his move, called the Railgun. You should have seen the lightning when he used it, like this kind of lightning..."

Mei manipulated the lightning to dance in her palm to cover for Xiao Kong. At the same time, she carefully looked around. Good, Dr. Tesla hadn't come over yet, so no one would expose her.

Chapter Thirteen: The Herrscher Gets a Breath of Fresh Air

I finally found it... As expected of me, getting lost is impossible. I was just exploring the surroundings, not wandering around and getting lost.

Using her senses of the Herrscher of the Void's energy, Shen Gonglin finally located Kiana and rushed back. Seeing the white-haired girl waving at her from the platform, Shen Gonglin opened a spatial rift and instantly teleported a hundred meters to her side. After Kiana woke up, the two explored the city a little. They were currently in the West District.

"Kiana, are you alright? Didn't I tell you not to move around...? Hmm? Something feels off?"

After being teleported over, he immediately hugged Kiana. Although he was injured, Shen Gonglin was gradually getting used to his injuries. It seemed that he had been injured all along, both physically and mentally. Now he was used to it and could grit his Shen Gonglin and force himself to persevere. When he came to Kiana's side to act cute, he sensed that something was wrong. This girl's reaction shouldn't be like this.

"You've never said anything like that to me before, Shen Gonglin Jingu. As for Kiana... oh, I forgot, she's not Kiana. She's just a clone who stole someone else's name!"

Shen Gonglin's intuition was correct; the girl waving at him was not Kiana. Shen Gonglin sensed Honkai energy emanating from her, and her golden eyes hidden in her white hair were filled with savagery. Why was this girl out again?

"Yes, yes, yes... But could you please be a little quieter? I feel more comfortable calling her Kiana. So what if she's a clone? I like her as a person, not just her name... You can't tell her that, or I'll get shy."

He wasn't afraid of the Herrscher of the Void. After all, he and Kiana had been working together for so long, and this guy would occasionally come out for some fresh air. It was probably because Kiana absorbed a lot of Honkai energy to wake up again. This Herrscher didn't have any ill intentions towards him, or rather, he had even tricked her before, so there was nothing to be afraid of.

Shen Gonglin still didn't let go, but he looked at the pink cracks on Kiana's body with some concern. The Herrscher of the Void was unaffected by Honkai energy, but this was Kiana's body. He guessed it might hurt a lot.

"... Good heavens, if you said that to her when she was sober, she would be very happy... I won't tell her, what good would it do me to make her happy... But you dare to say such things to me, Shen Gonglin, do you really think I won't kill you? As everyone knows, Herrscher are ruthless killers."

How could he not be afraid of her? If he wasn't afraid of her, the Herrscher of the Void wouldn't know what to do right now. She casually summoned a Spear of the Void and pointed it at Shen Gonglin, threatening him. She was Herrscher, the Herrscher would eat several people alive if she was unhappy. He should be trembling and cowering at her feet, begging for her forgiveness.

"Stop fooling around. Don't use your power recklessly. It will put a strain on Kiana's body. You'd be better off having a proper talk with me... Of course, if you don't want to talk, that's fine too. You can take some fresh air. You should know that I won't allow you to take over Kiana's body."

With a casual flick of her Spear of the Void, Shen Gonglin treated the Herrscher with utter nonchalance. If she weren't around, he would naturally be afraid that this guy would take over Kiana's body, but for some reason, as long as she was by her side, this guy would be much more well-behaved. The reason he was in this state was because Kiana was asleep, which allowed her to take control of the body. Kiana had never lost, and even now, she still held the dominant position in this body.

"What do you mean by 'possessing her body'? This body originally belonged to me. It was created to welcome my return. She is clearly an outsider... You just wait. When you're gone, I will take back this body openly and honorably. Only I am the true Herrscher of the Void, the true Sirin!"

Shen Gonglin's disrespectful attitude greatly displeased the Herrscher of the Void, but she was helpless. So, this Herrscher could only make harsh remarks, saying that as Herrscher, shouldn't she be able to cause explosions and destruction as soon as she came out? But she had just woken up and saw Shen Gonglin coming over. How could she have forgotten about this?

"Whatever you say goes... Hmm, Herrscher, since Kiana isn't the real Kiana, does that mean I can continue to like Cecilia while I like her? I used to have some reservations, but now that I think about it, they're practically unrelated by blood, so doesn't that mean...?"

Suddenly realizing this possibility, Shen Gonglin became excited. However, this statement infuriated the Herrscher, who didn't understand why she was angry. Perhaps Cecilia was someone she respected in her subconscious. Shen Gonglin's words deserved a beating.

"You're not allowed to like Cecilia! Even though she's not the real Kiana, who knows if the real Kiana is still alive? Maybe she's still in Schicksal being used as some kind of trump card by that man. Do you know how many Valkyrie at Schicksal Headquarters like you? So you still can't like Cecilia, understand?"

Holding the Spear of the Void the Shen Gonglin on the head. Sometimes I really wanted to crack open his head and see what was inside. Cecilia is dead, and he's still thinking about liking her... Can't he show her a little respect?

"Liking someone doesn't prove anything, liking someone doesn't prove I'll pursue her. I like a lot of other people, like the old lady who sells pancakes, that math teacher who's good at hypnotizing students, and Durandal... Liking them doesn't prove I'll do anything to them. Is there something wrong with you?"

When speaking to Herrscher, Shen Gonglin was sometimes even more unrestrained. So what if she liked someone? Take Durandal for example, she liked her a lot, but that didn't mean she would do anything to her right now. Shen Gonglin was very petty. Even if she liked someone, so what?

Chapter Fourteen

... Damn, what this guy said makes so much sense. For a moment, I don't think I can really refute him. But it just won't work. I just can't like Cecilia. Hearing him say that he likes Cecilia makes me feel really irritated. It's like someone is fantasizing about their Herrscher. Jealousy, resentment, discomfort, frustration... all sorts of emotions are playing out in the Herrscher's mind. I don't know how to put it, but it just won't work!

"You can't even like her! She's married... no, she's gone. It's no use liking her now. You'd be better off putting your feelings on someone else, like a powerful and beautiful Herrscher. Liking her would be much better than liking Cecilia!"

The Herrscher patted her chest. Shen Gonglin's words, she didn't transform into her Herrscher form. Right now Herrscher looked like Kiana in that bodysuit. Although she lacked the aura, the essence was still there. Liking herself was more worthwhile than liking anything else.

"Herrscher... you mean Bronya? To be honest, that girl looks pretty cool riding a motorcycle, I actually quite like her."

Shen Gonglin muttered to herself. Bronya usually wore her hair in spiral twin tails, which was cute as it was, but after seeing her in her Herrscher form with her hair down, Shen Gonglin completely fell in love with her. Who could resist a beautiful young lady riding a motorcycle? Bronya looked really good.

"Shen Gonglin! I... I'm not talking to you anymore!"

I don't know what angered the Herrscher again. They're both Herrscher Shen Gonglin. I've met Wendy and Bronya before, but why aren't they as easily angered as this Herrscher of the Void? Seeing Kiana's body collapse limply, I knew that the Herrscher Shen Gonglin really gone offline. She was able to withdraw her consciousness on her own initiative. It seems that she wasn't really that difficult to communicate with.

"She possesses Sirin's memories and is the Herrscher of the Void, but what about Kiana, who also possesses Sirin's memories? Or rather, are the Herrscher of the Void and Kiana... two possible extensions?"

Reaching out to catch Kiana as she fell, Shen Gonglin gently stroked her cheek, pausing her thoughts. Kiana's condition was already poor; after using such a long-distance teleportation and now having her body briefly possessed by the Herrscher's consciousness, the girl was like a porcelain doll covered in cracks. Seeing Kiana like this, Shen Gonglin felt a pang of heartache. It seemed she couldn't go on; she couldn't let her continue running around outside.

What Kiana needs now is a quiet and comfortable environment and systematic treatment.

Shen Gonglin laid Kiana flat on the ground and let her rest her head on her lap as they rested together. This time she gave Kiana a lap pillow, but next time she'd have to make her pay it back. The Class President still owed her several times, and she'd have to make her pay back that too. She wondered if Durandal had avenged her... That girl was so serious, she'd probably do that, right?

However, as the Valkyrie of Schicksal, she doesn't know if Otto would allow her to do this... If she's willing to listen to her, that would be even better.

After letting his habitual thoughts wander, Shen Gonglin Raven Raven's cloak over the two of them and closed his eyes. Don't forget, he was also an injured patient.

In the Dongcheng shantytown, in the place the children named "Nest," Tesla was repairing the outermost protective fence in her mech, which she named Hephaestus. It was clearly a makeshift structure built by hand. Tesla felt uncomfortable seeing such substandard work, so she used her mech to do some repairs. Beside the mech, several children were watching it intently, their eyes shining.

Sure enough, mechs are romantic to everyone. The way of fighting with Valkyrie is outdated. Now it's the era of mechs. Sitting in the cockpit, Tesla was very satisfied with the children's praise. He really was the best in the world.

"Doctor, I just asked the residents, Kiana should have already gone to the West District."

Mei led Xiao Kong to Tesla's side. Perhaps because she had just told Xiao Kong some... some lies, Mei's face was slightly red. Shen Gonglin clearly hadn't said that she was his girlfriend, and she had said such things to someone else. It was really a little embarrassing.

"Yeah, I know. I just went to the last detection point. The fact that Kiana wasn't there only proves that she went to the West District. Honestly, she's always running around like that. She's such a worry."

The mecha's cockpit opened, and Tesla emerged. The girl stood on the mecha and complained, "Those two should be waiting for rescue in the most conspicuous place right now, but instead they're running around like crazy. Once we catch them, we'll definitely give them a good scolding, especially Shen Gonglin. That girl is just too disobedient!"

"Let's head to the West District right now. Let's set off immediately and begin the search."

Mei said impatiently, her heart filled with concern for Shen Gonglin and Kiana. She knew they must be in a terrible state, and she needed to see them in person to make them feel better. The resident had mentioned that Kiana looked very sad... She must be going through a lot of pain and suffering right now.

"Mei, I understand your desire to find Kiana quickly, but it's getting dark, so let's call it a day and start preparing for tomorrow's search."

Unlike Mei's concern which led to confusion, at least one of them needed to keep a clear head. Tesla shook his head and said, "That's enough for today."

"But..."

Mei wanted to say something more. For her, even operating at night was no problem. She just wanted to find Kiana as soon as possible, even if it was just a minute or a second earlier. Now that she knew Kiana was in the West District, she should hurry over there.