Chapter 496

"Ahem... With the help of the Herrscher of Consciousness, we have repaired the path to the other world."

This girl is so pitiful, and her IQ is so low. I must never be like her. Looking at her miserable state, Kiana silently warned herself never to become like that. This must be what they call Kiana.

"... That doesn't quite capture the essence. You should say it like this... With the help of the great Herrscher of Consciousness, we have repaired the path to the other world!"

Even though she was being bullied terribly, the Herrscher of Consciousness still managed to interject. She glared at Shen Gonglin. What had he done to her, his greatest contributor? She was the most useful person, yet he treated her like this. Shouldn't he pamper someone as capable and useful as her?

This Shen Gonglin has absolutely no self-awareness!

This guy has been bullied like this by the county, and he's still emphasizing this kind of thing? Without a doubt, he's another one who never learns from his mistakes. Looking at the Herrscher of Consciousness's expression, Bronya was speechless. It's better not to bother with her.

"Alright, no need for further explanation. We now have a better understanding of the situation, so... shall we set off now?"

Mei clearly shared the same thought as Bronya. The girl slowly spoke up, saying that this was not the time to dwell on such matters and that it was more important to get down to business.

Chapter 343 Even the Moon Won't Make Me Work Overtime!

"Of course, while you were talking, Dr. Mei already sent a message to Prometheus to wait for the rendezvous. However... the area opposite is much larger than I imagined, so it would be more efficient for everyone to search separately. The rest of us..."

Kiana explained the most suitable plan for the future. They could now head to the other side, but the area was too large, and traveling together would be too inefficient. Therefore, the best approach was to split up. Before Kiana could finish explaining the plan, the Herrscher of Consciousness had been bullied so badly before, objected.

They just bullied me, and now they want me to do chores? And they won't even coax me? Do they think I have no dignity at all? No way, I'm not going to cooperate with them, and I have my own things to do.

"Hey, don't involve me in this kind of trivial matter."

The girl closed her eyes and turned her head to the side. She had made up her mind that she would not help Shen Gonglin unless he coaxed her. He had bullied her in front of so many people, so he had to apologize properly, or he could forget about getting her involved.

"... Alright, could you please connect our thoughts? After all, it's an unknown area, and it would be much more convenient if we could connect. Besides, only you can do this."

Everyone understands what's going on with the Herrscher of Consciousness, but Kiana and the others don't want to get involved. They don't want their favorite boys to be flirting with other girls, so let it be. It's okay if she doesn't want to get involved; she just needs to connect with their thoughts.

"Why do you still want to order me around? Use your own communicators."

Kiana's attempts to coax him were ineffective; only Shen Gonglin could do it. But the guy wouldn't budge. The Herrscher of Consciousness was in a bad mood and needed to teach Shen Gonglin a lesson. Had she spoiled him too much, causing him to become arrogant and spoiled?

"But this is the moon, and our communicator..."

Kiana was in a dilemma. Why would Little Herrscher of Consciousness throw a tantrum at this time? It seemed that Shen Gonglin's actions just now had seriously hurt her self-esteem. This was really a headache.

"Don't even think about making me work overtime on the moon!"

"The Herrscher of Consciousness!" she shouted, then angrily sat down to the side, turning her back on them. The girl's roar made Bronya burst out laughing. Her personality... was really funny.

"Alright, Kiana. There should be enough of us. Let's not delay any longer and get going."

Mei tried to comfort them, saying that since the Herrscher of Consciousness was unwilling to help, they didn't have any better options, nor could they force Shen Gonglin to apologize to the Herrscher of Consciousness, who was even more stubborn than the Herrscher of Consciousness. "The important matter is what matters," Mei said, and then the group headed towards the broken bridge. Watching them leave, the Herrscher of Consciousness turned away without saying a word.

He really left... Seriously, he doesn't even know how to coax a girl. What's he going to do now? Luckily, I'm here with him, otherwise he'd probably be all alone for the rest of his life.

Watching their retreating figures, the Herrscher of Consciousness muttered to herself as she secretly connected to their mental network. She was a classic example of saying one thing but doing another. After doing all this, the Herrscher of Consciousness returned to the area where Shen Gonglin had built the model. She remembered this area should be here, right? It's really a bit difficult. She's good at destruction, but creation... well, she'll have to put in a little more effort.

Upon reaching the fork in the road, Bronya made arrangements for their actions. Shen Gonglin and Kiana would be in one group, while she and Mei would each be in another. In any case, it was impossible for Shen Gonglin to be alone. The investigation was about to begin.

"Okay, let's split up from here and be careful with each other."

The group split up. Shen Gonglin and Kiana proceeded in the previously planned direction. After they separated, it became much quieter. Kiana glanced at Shen Gonglin, looking as if she wanted to say something but couldn't. Shen Gonglin felt uncomfortable seeing her like this, as if she had something to say but couldn't express it.

"Just say what you want to say. Hesitating like that is not like you at all."

Not understanding why she wasn't allowed to act alone, Shen Gonglin pressed on with her head down. Kiana's behavior was really worrying. Why didn't she just say what she wanted to say? What couldn't they say between them?

"You clearly like it when I stammer... about the argument between you and Little Herrscher of Consciousness earlier... I think Little Herrscher of Consciousness didn't mean it; she's actually a good girl."

Kiana muttered to herself, blushing slightly as she thought of some strange things. Then, the girl shook her head and spoke up for Little Herrscher of Consciousness. It wasn't that she was magnanimous, but she felt that Little Herrscher of Consciousness was also feeling bad. Just imagine, if she wanted Shen Gonglin to coax him properly and he was unmoved... With Kiana's personality, she would take the initiative to come up to him and act cute, but Little Herrscher of Consciousness couldn't do that.

"How could I not know she's a good girl... She really doesn't have any bad intentions, she's a good girl."

Shen Gonglin pursed his lips. Of course he understood Little Herrscher of Consciousness. He was just joking with her earlier, but then he felt embarrassed to coax her, and that's how it ended up like this. It's no big deal. He can just make a little sacrifice later. He really likes Little Herrscher of Consciousness's personality. The reason she stayed and refused to work overtime was probably so that she could fix that sculpture for him. Who wouldn't like a girl like that?

"...So you two didn't have a fight at all."

Now it was Kiana's turn to be speechless. If the two of them had a conflict, she would want to mediate, but there was no quarrel at all. In fact, they both seemed to trust each other a lot. This kind of tacit understanding made Kiana feel a little uncomfortable. This kind of tacit understanding should belong to her and Shen Gonglin. So annoying, she had to coax them properly.

"Of course not. Don't you know who I am? Everyone knows I'm famous for my magnanimity at the Salt Lake Base. I'm the kind of person who can tolerate anything under the sky... What's with that look? Believe me or not, I can beat you up right here and no one will know?"

Shen Gonglin was talking big, but Kiana just gave him a look that told him to figure it out himself. Shen Gonglin is magnanimous? Everyone knows he's the most petty person in the entire Schicksal and Anti-Entropy universe. How can you say he's magnanimous?

Who are you messing around with?

Chapter 344 The Arrogant Herrscher

"I know, I know. Shen Gonglin is known for her kind heart and magnanimity. Almost everyone in the Salt Lake Base knows her."

Kiana lied without batting an eye. This upright girl has unknowingly become the type who can lie without batting an eye. There's no way around it; telling the truth these days can easily get you beaten up, especially now that no one is watching. If she were alone, she absolutely couldn't stop Shen Gonglin's violence.

So go against your conscience if you want; it's for your own safety, there's no shame in it.

"It's good that you know. I wonder who's spreading the rumor that I'm petty. If I find out who it is, I'll definitely make things difficult for them."

Seeing that Kiana was sensible, Shen Gonglin let her go. However, the content of his rambling made Kiana blush. This guy was indeed petty, and now he was even thinking of making things difficult for others. It was basically a consensus among everyone that he was petty.

"Shen Gonglin, I feel like you... um? This time, the enemy seems to be a man-made mecha?"

The conversation was interrupted. Not long after Shen Gonglin and Kiana began their exploration, the girl keenly sensed something was wrong. During the battle earlier, there were both Quantum Shadow and ordinary Honkai Beast, but now they had been replaced by mechs. Excluding the possibility that the mechs were Honkai energy, were these things being artificially controlled to attack them?

Moreover, as the exploration area deepened, the number of these mechs seemed to increase.

"Go, Kiana, it's your choice."

Just like commanding her Pokémon, Shen Gonglin waved her hand and handed the battlefield over to Kiana. She stood behind Kiana with her hands behind her back, looking up at the huge statue of the Herrscher of Finality. Half of its head was gone. Was it intentional or accidental? She couldn't quite figure it out.

This guy is completely unwilling to put in any effort. Kiana has almost forgotten when she last fought alongside Shen Gonglin. The girl can only sigh. Who can blame her when Shen Gonglin is so lazy? And she can't say that she has no responsibility for how he turned out. She spoiled him too much.

The child has been spoiled rotten.

If I have children in the future, I absolutely cannot spoil them like I spoiled Shen Gonglin. It would be too terrible if the child turned into a good-for-nothing like his father.

Worried about her future education, Kiana engaged in battle with the mechs. It didn't seem like they were attacking, but rather... protecting some place? It seems she needs to investigate further.

Having made up her mind, Kiana continued to venture deeper into the area. As the exploration progressed, the number of enemies also increased. But this wasn't the most crucial issue. These enemies weren't a big problem for Kiana at her current level. However... Kiana clenched her fist. This feeling of power loss wasn't an illusion. It was as if she were in a restricted zone.

Kiana's expression changed. Why would fighting these mechs cause this situation? Even dismantling them all didn't seem to change anything.

"Kiana, what's wrong?"

Shen Gonglin didn't sense anything unusual. After noticing that Kiana was having some difficulty, he quickly stepped forward and supported Kiana's arm. The girl was breathing heavily. If Shen Gonglin hadn't been supporting her, Kiana would have almost knelt on the ground. What was going on?

"This is really troublesome. After all, the reason these industrial structures are preventing you from getting close is actually to protect your own safety. This is the first time the suppression equipment here has had to be manually turned off since it was installed."

The calm sound suddenly rang out, and a girl floated in mid-air, flying over from who-knows-where. Kiana looked at the girl warily, while Shen Gonglin's gaze lingered on the girl's joints. These joints... they weren't human, they were like those of a doll.

Forgive Shen Gonglin, he actually has a bit of a phobia of dolls and the like.

"Unfamiliar Herrscher, descendants of the Origin... You may be responsible for a potentially major incident."

Ignoring the gaze that was fixed on her joints by Shen Gonglin, the android girl calmly told Kiana that the reason she was called a descendant of the Origin was because all the Herrscher with humanity were, in a sense, seeds sown by Elysia.

"... Prometheus?"

Kiana tentatively called out the name; she must be the one Dr. Mei had asked them to fight for.

"Relatively speaking, it's more accurate to call me Subject Seventeen. You should leave here first; I need to reactivate the suppression device. Even if it's just a remnant, even if it's just a phantom like me, the Honkai energy seeping from it cannot be ignored."

As Prometheus XVII spoke, he reached out to Kiana. Kiana's current condition was due to the seepage of Honkai energy, and if left unchecked, the situation would only worsen.

"You. I assure you, if you continue to use these hands to do dangerous things, they will leave your body first."

Just then, a cold voice rang out beside Prometheus, followed by an even colder blade pressed against Prometheus. Mei spoke these dangerous words in a calm tone. She and Bronya had just received the message and rushed over. When they arrived, they saw Shen Gonglin supporting Kiana, who looked very weak. And this girl was reaching out to them. It's no wonder Mei had any doubts.

"Mei? Bronya? What are you doing here?"

Kiana was quite surprised by the two's appearance. Hadn't they agreed to split up and explore separately? How come they came over as soon as something happened here? Was it really just a coincidence?

[Well, although I said I didn't want to work overtime, the Herrscher of Consciousness still connected to our minds. Kiana, you just haven't realized it yet.]

Bronya's voice rang in Kiana's mind. She was a perfect example of someone who said one thing but did Shibao. Although she was stubborn and refused to help, she had actually secretly connected their consciousness. Bronya and Mei tacitly kept quiet about it, because who knew if the Herrscher of Consciousness would get angry if they said it at that time.

I see. Little Herrscher of Consciousness... Well, she's a good girl after all. I told her not to work overtime even if it were the moon, but she still did it obediently in the end.

Chapter 345

Huh? Okay... I didn't expect the Herrscher of Consciousness to be such a tsundere. Kiana shook her head, stood up from Shen Gonglin's arms, and shook her head at Mei and Bronya. Right now, the two of them were holding Prometheus from both sides, looking like they were about to engage in school bullying. But they got it wrong.

"Mei, Bronya, don't misunderstand, she has no intention of harming us. In fact, she is the one we are looking for."

Looking at the girl in front of her, Kiana gestured for Mei and Bronya to relax. Upon hearing the word "person" from Kiana, Prometheus tilted his head.

Chapter 346

"The Tree of Void Divine Remnant. Nihilism? If that's what you mean, that's an enemy I once defeated."

Shen Gonglin was completely confused, but Mei seemed to have some clues. She remembered the enemies she had defeated in battle, but why was Prometheus suddenly bringing this up now? Was what they were about to do related to this?

And then there's that look in Shen Gonglin's eyes... Mei resisted the urge to give him a good rub. It's this silly and cute look that's the most fun. Knowing that Shen Gonglin isn't really suited for this kind of strategic thinking, Mei felt a kind of excitement like bullying an idiot. Although it was a bit inappropriate, it was really satisfying.

"It seems that this can be explained, which is good. Mysticism and nihilism are similar things, only stronger; much easier to resolve than existentialism."

Now that they understand things like the Tree of Void Divine Remnant, it's much easier to explain. Prometheus turned his attention to Mei and Bronya, who seemed easy to communicate with. As for the white-haired girl and the blond boy, Prometheus didn't expect to be able to explain things to them clearly; it was just too tiring. That wretched Dr. Mei, always leaving these kinds of things to him.

"I think what you're referring to isn't a philosophical classification, but rather a name like 'Tree of Void Divine Remnant and mysticism'?"

Bronya did not disappoint Prometheus's expectations. She offered her own interpretation, which earned Prometheus's praise. He thought the girl seemed much smarter and that this was a more easily understood way of expressing herself, which was good.

"There's one thing Bronya doesn't understand: why would something like the Tree of Void Divine Remnant Remains appear in the Sea of Quantum? It doesn't seem to make sense."

Prometheus could sense Prometheus's praise, but it wasn't something to be happy about. In Bronya's opinion, understanding these things wasn't difficult, after all, she was the Herrscher of Reason. Although she didn't know why Shen Gonglin, Herrscher of Reason's Authority, couldn't understand. Shen Gonglin and Kiana, being in the underachiever group, didn't speak up. To figure out the current situation, only she and Mei.

"I don't really understand this either."

The cyborg girl blinked suspiciously. If she were human, this would likely be evidence of a lie. But given the girl's gesture, Bronya and the others couldn't quite figure out what she meant.

"In any case, it was already on the verge of disappearing and its condition was worrying."

He explained the situation regarding the Tree of Void Remnant, stating that this action was necessary.

"Uh... like that broken bridge?"

Unwilling to remain in the "underachievers" group, Kiana wants Mei to know that she has also grown since Mei has returned. So the girl is trying her best to understand what Prometheus said. Although she has not yet seen the so-called Tree of Void Remnant, based on Prometheus's description, Kiana thinks that it should be in a similar state to the broken bridge that she repaired before.

"Yes. If left unchecked, its fate is sealed. But now that you're here, there's no need for us to resign ourselves to fate. Although I'm still working out specific plans to help you control it."

After saying that, Prometheus's gaze swept over the crowd. Now that they were here, it was necessary to take action.

"Drive? You don't mean we have to ride on it, do you?"

Kiana wanted to show off, but after she finished speaking, Prometheus, Mei, and Bronya all gave Kiana an indescribable look. Even Shen Gonglin had been daydreaming, followed suit and looked over. Although she didn't know what had happened, Kiana's intelligence seemed to have been suppressed.

See? It's much better to be like I was just now. If you don't understand something, just stay silent. Maybe that will give people the impression that you're thinking for yourself. Kiana, on the other hand, forced herself into the conversation, and that's what got her dissed.

"... I almost laughed out loud. It's okay, I'll explain it briefly."

So I really have to keep explaining? This is so troublesome. Dr. Mei, too lazy to explain, pushed the matter onto herself. The information asymmetry made Prometheus's explanation difficult. The mechanical girl sighed and continued explaining; she couldn't pass the buck to anyone else.

"The Tree of Void Divine Remnant, as a corpse, always maintains a weak connection with the extremities, which means that we can hack into it."

Once Prometheus got to this point, Bronya understood what he wanted to do; her thought process could keep up with Prometheus's way of thinking.

"So, if we can destroy it while preserving that connection... then it can be used to our advantage?"

Bronya's words made Prometheus nod in approval. It seemed there were still intelligent people out there. He didn't need to explain too much himself. Prometheus felt that he got along well with this Herrscher of Reason. As long as he explained things to her clearly, he could leave the explanation work to her. This was truly a good thing.

"Yes. Given the minuscule size of this World Bubble, it is enough to reconnect the bandwidth of the Tree of Void Divine Remnant back to the tip. At that time, you will naturally be able to return to your Intrinsic World."

Having reached this conclusion, Kiana and Shen Gonglin both understood. It would have been better to just say it like that. Kiana and Shen Gonglin are the same type of people; they're too lazy to read the game's background information. All they know is that they want to go on a killing spree. Just tell them that they need to eliminate the enemies in front of them.

"The result is quite simple, which means... all we need to do is defeat that Tree of Void Divine Remnant Remains?"

Kiana was eager to try it out. Although she wasn't really stupid, Kiana was still a bit of a rascal when it came to things that required thinking. Once she knew what to do, Kiana felt energized. All she had to do was take down that Tree of Void Divine Remnant that was somewhere, right?

"Kiana, don't rush... I think this step itself is probably not as simple as you say."

After calming Kiana down, who was about to head out for a fight, Bronya glanced at Mei and then raised the same question. When Mei destroyed that Tree of Void Remnant, she was at the peak of her Herrscher Authority. Now, the three of them couldn't even use their full powers. Fighting such a powerful enemy in this state wouldn't be an easy task.

Chapter 347 Too Lazy to Communicate

"Of course. With your current level of power... even if you were to manage to defeat mysticism, you still wouldn't be able to control the connection you just mentioned."