Chapter 516

Huh?! This time, Seele was certain. This wasn't some internal encouragement or suggestion; it was the real voice of another version of herself. The most familiar voice suddenly rang in her ears. Seele was instantly filled with a happiness of something lost and found. The girl stood there, almost in tears, completely forgetting what she had originally intended to say.

The girl quickly focused her mind, and what unfolded before her eyes was that familiar, infinitely extending mental space.

This was a scene that Seele knew all too well, yet at this moment, she didn't see that equally familiar figure. What was going on? It couldn't be her imagination, could it?

"Seele?"

Calling out the name of her other self, Seele now desperately longs to see her.

"Um."

She had indeed responded, but Seele looked around blankly, unable to find the source of the sound. Where was she? Why couldn't she see her...?

"Don't be afraid, I'm right here."

A voice sounded from behind. Seele was about to turn around in excitement, but someone pressed down on her shoulder. What was happening? Why was her other self stopping her from turning around?

"... Don't turn around yet, wait for me a moment."

Standing behind Seele, Black Seele composed herself. She couldn't let this idiot see her in such an embarrassing state. She had to show her mature side. This excited state, on the verge of tears, was just too shameful.

Seele stood quietly, and soon, Black Seele adjusted her mood. Now that she thought, no one should be able to tell anything, right?

"... Okay."

Almost as soon as she finished speaking, Seele turned around and saw that familiar figure. Seele was so excited that she even started to cry.

"I'm so glad to see you! What happened? Are you alright?"

Looking closely at her other self, Seele was afraid of seeing any scars on her. She had lost contact with her after arriving on the moon, but now that she could finally see her again, she was determined never to be separated again.

"... I'm fine."

With her arms crossed, Black Seele turned around with a touch of arrogance. She was a little uncomfortable with the current situation and knew she needed to be more mature. She couldn't be as excited as this idiot.

"How could nothing be wrong? You just now..."

Seele hesitated, realizing she had clearly heard a slight sob in her voice; something must have happened.

"That's because Seele was in such a hurry, I wasn't prepared at all."

It's all Seele's fault. If she hadn't been so agitated and given me more time to prepare, I would have seemed much more at ease.

"But you've been gone for so long..."

Seele muttered to herself, clutching her other hand tightly, unwilling to let go. She was so worried about her.

"I told you it's nothing! I just ran into a tricky guy and wasted a little time. Are you doubting my abilities? I'm very strong... By the way, you didn't secretly try to seduce Shen Gonglin while I was away, did you? I hope not."

As if to hide her emotions, Black Seele's expression changed and she suddenly asked this question. The girl grabbed Seele's collar as if she were a school bully. This question was indeed very important. She had always thought that she and Seele were on the same starting line. Now that she had been offline for so long, would this idiot take advantage of her?

"No! Of course not, I wouldn't want to... Besides, Sister Bronya and the others are here, and so is Durandal, how could I..."

With her collar being grabbed, Seele quickly waved her little hands, wondering what this other self was talking about. How could she possibly do such a thing?

"Hmph, that's good. If I find out you dared to sneak away... uh, don't make that crying face... okay, it's my fault, I shouldn't have yelled at you."

She wanted to say something more, but seeing Seele on the verge of tears, Black Seele panicked. Had she hurt her too roughly? Seeing her on the verge of tears was heartbreaking... Headache. Anyway, please don't cry.

Chapter 390 Be Gentle with Me

"No, no, I was just thinking... I'm so useless."

Hearing her other self apologize, Seele quickly shook her head. What had she done wrong? The fact that she was able to Seele in front of her now was already a great blessing from heaven. Besides, it was her own fault to begin with. If she hadn't been so useless, how could things have turned out like this?

"What nonsense are you talking about? The fact that you're still standing here unharmed is already quite an achievement. So... you really haven't encountered any danger, have you?"

Looking at her incredulously, how could Seele think that way? The fact that she could stand here safely was already incredibly helpful, wasn't it? This girl has always been so insecure. Thinking this, Black Seele carefully examined her other self. Was she really not injured? Was she just putting on a brave face?

"Don't worry, Seele, I didn't encounter anything, but I can't help thinking... If I were strong enough, I wouldn't have lost you, Seele, and I wouldn't still be searching for Sister Bronya and the others. Also, if..."

First, she reassured her other self that she had finally found her. Seele also had some things on her mind that she wanted to say. If she were stronger, would everyone be in a different situation? She was still too weak. If she were stronger, she wouldn't have lost her other self before, and she would have been able to find Sister Bronya smoothly. Was she still too far behind?

"Alright, alright, look at the nonsense you're spouting. You're really something... It seems if I don't explain the situation properly, you'll take all the blame, maybe even the extinction of the dinosaurs. What does that have to do with you? Let me tell you, a very powerful and terrifying being took me away, and I went through a lot of trouble to find a chance to escape from her. I finally got back to you, so you should be gentle with me..."

Black Seele complained irritably, but the next moment, a warm embrace enveloped her. Before she could finish speaking, Seele had already hugged her. Ah... she was just saying it casually, how could she actually hug her like that? It made her feel really embarrassed.

"That's great, you're back safe and sound."

"Yes, I'm back."

The two embraced gently, and after a short while, both Seele finally calmed down. Only then did Seele remember what her other self had said earlier: she had encountered a powerful enemy. What exactly happened?

"Seele, you just said you encountered a powerful enemy... When I came here from the sanctuary, everyone disappeared. Could this be related to the enemy you mentioned?"

With her other self by her side, Seele felt like she had found her backbone, and she suddenly felt much more at ease. This allowed her to calm down and think about the current situation more clearly.

"Who knows? That guy claims to be one of my kind, which is really unpleasant."

Recalling her previous experience, Black Seele suddenly looked like she had eaten something bad, saying that she was exactly the same as her. What do you mean, "me" and "her"? Black Seele hates the Riddler just like Shen Gonglin.

"Um... are you alright?"

Seeing her other self gritting her teeth, Seele asked with some concern. It seemed her other self had indeed encountered something quite troublesome.

"It's alright, it's alright. I'm here now anyway, and I won't bother with the World Serpent's trap anymore. That person kept saying I'm a natural Ryōtai. He inexplicably praised us all..."

I thought of that white-haired woman. She seemed quite surprised by my and Seele's situation, saying that it was only natural for someone to be willing to share a body with another completely different soul. They were Seele, after all. It shouldn't be an easy thing for them to open their hearts to each other. Who would believe her when she said she didn't want to be my enemy and wanted to get along with me?

How disgusting! Black Seele stuck out her tongue whenever she thought about it. Looking at Seele in front of her with a puzzled expression, Black Seele shook her head to indicate that she was fine.

"Anyway, that guy played some tricks and made me... never mind. Anyway... after being controlled by that guy for a long time, I finally found an opportunity to distract her, and I decisively broke free. Shortly after, I regained contact with you. Anyway, you really have no idea how strange that person is. Next time, if she dares to show up in front of me again... I'll definitely make her taste my power!"

Since she wasn't around anyway, Black Seele spouted nonsense to her heart's content. And her current state made Seele realize just how powerful the strange person she was talking about was. Otherwise, Seele wouldn't be like this. After a moment of confusion, she tightly grasped the hand of her other self.

"Yes, it's okay. As long as you're back by my side, we can face anything together. Just having you back is enough."

Treated so gently by Seele, Black Seele was a little at a loss again. Just as Shen Gonglin had said before, don't be fooled by Seele's gentle and weak appearance. This girl has the essence of a player. She is particularly good at winning over girls. Black Seele scratched her face awkwardly. She was right.

She had to stay with Seele the whole time, and face everything together... Speaking of this, Black Seele suddenly remembered the time when Shen Gonglin dine and dashed and tried to make Seele stay and wash dishes to pay off her debt. At that time, she wanted Seele to wash dishes with her. They really had a sisterly relationship.

"Ah, um... Hmm? Wait a minute, you just said our companions... Tsk! So that's what it is! I've got it! Seele, let's go down and take a look!"

Suddenly realizing something, Black Seele urged Seele to act, detaching from the mental space. Following the instructions of her other self, Seele arrived at the lowest level, where the scene before her gave her the answer: it was empty except for a Black Seele hole. The dense darkness seemed to carry immense power, attempting to devour everything that approached it. Seele looked around; judging from the extent of damage to the surrounding stone walls, it seemed that this place had witnessed a very severe battle, both in history and in the present.

Chapter 391 The Spark

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Chapter 392 She only deserves to drink thin porridge

"It's alright, it doesn't matter if you can't understand. Just think of it as one of the last impacts of that world from 50,000 years ago on reality. The chaotic and noisy Honkai Consciousness has disappeared, and those who are born as Herrscher... At this moment, what can you feel from the cocoon?"

The Herrscher before him, like Hua, was a spark of the new era. Unlike gravediggers like himself, their time still shone brightly. "Was the Seed Plan a success?" Kevin suddenly asked, but Little Herrscher of Consciousness was completely baffled.

"Cocoon? What are you talking about? Can't you just say it in a simpler and easier way, like my Shen Gonglin said?"

The Herrscher of Consciousness crossed her arms, and her figure, which she claimed was far superior to Fu Hua's, remained unchanged despite her posture. Little Herrscher of Consciousness tapped her head in annoyance, wondering if they could stop with the riddles. Although she was naturally intelligent, figuring out their riddles was indeed quite difficult.

"I see. It seems that Yu Tu's concerns were not unfounded."

Without explaining Little Herrscher of Consciousness's meaning, Kevin nodded to himself. But this situation made Little Herrscher of Consciousness feel annoyed. This attitude was the most annoying. What did he mean? Yu Tu's worries? What was she worried about?

"I am measuring the distance between you and the origin from the perspective of the Finality."

Seeing Little Herrscher of Consciousness's frustrated expression, Kevin finally offered a rare explanation. Although it felt like he hadn't said anything at all, Little Herrscher of Consciousness, who possessed memories from 50,000 years ago, understood Kevin's meaning this time.

"Oh, so it seems you really did steal the power of the Finality. I thought you were just bragging earlier."

Little Herrscher of Consciousness put one hand on his hip and said, "From the perspective of the Finality... that means Kevin does indeed possess the Power of Finality. No wonder Shen Gonglin can't crack this tough nut. But that must be because I'm not by his side. If I were there to help him, we could definitely win... probably."

Facing her former comrade-in-arms, Little Herrscher of Consciousness wasn't actually as confident as she appeared on the surface.

"To be precise, it was the Stigmata Plan that hijacked the Finality. I myself was just a part of it."

Kevin corrected Little Herrscher of Consciousness's mistake, explaining that it wasn't that they had stolen the Power of Finality, but rather that such a development was part of the Stigmata Plan.

"Ah... is there a difference?"

"Of course. In the past, the Chilamy phenomenon allowed me to bear the core of the Stigmata... But based on the same principle, it also determined that I could not become the key to the Finality. Herrscher of Consciousness, you possess Hua's memories. You should understand that whether it is Su, Hua, or me, each of us is just a piece of the final plan."

The Herrscher before him possessed Hua's complete memories, and she hadn't used Feather Dust to take away those memories. Therefore, when facing Little Herrscher of Consciousness, Kevin believed that she knew everything, and even some things that Hua had forgotten, she could still remember clearly.

"... Don't say things like that in front of my Shen Gonglin, he definitely won't understand... Speaking of which, even with Mei's hints, Su's eventual attack on you was part of the plan?"

She could understand working hard on her own, since she knew about what happened back then. But if she told Shen Gonglin about it, his head would definitely get confused again. What was this "Chilamy Phenomenon"? It was too obscure and difficult to understand. Little Herrscher of Consciousness looked at Kevin with sarcasm. Was that also part of the plan?

"... We all lost some necessary composure at that time. But you're right, even so, we all long for the false cycle to end completely in this generation. After all, the so-called arrangement of stars cannot be accomplished in one fell swoop."

It is said that several years ago, a dying enlightened being gave the Bishop of Schicksal a six-day message, instructing him to pay attention to the sole key needed to defeat the Honkai. According to his calculations, after passing through 32,874 subtle but ineffable nodes, the then- Bianca Durandal Atagina could be molded into that key. In other words, statistically speaking, this is not much different from being impossible.

But that enlightened one did indeed say... In the end, the Hengsha Project finally found the only answer. This was not an ethereal vision, nor was it a spiritual victory. Compared to Otto and Durandal, the parties involved, and compared to others who knew a little about it, another being beyond common sense might be more likely to understand the profound meaning contained in those words.

"You're saying that again... I'll say it again, in front of my Shen Gonglin, you'd better keep it simple, otherwise he won't understand!"

Little Herrscher of Consciousness put her hands on her hips, puffed out her chest, and said this. Kevin didn't quite understand why Little Herrscher of Consciousness became so "arrogant" when mentioning Shen Gonglin, but her current behavior did indeed puzzle him. Combined with Hua's previous boastful attitude during their fight...

"Herrscher of Consciousness, what are you, Shen Gonglin... and the others thinking?"

Although Kevin's question was somewhat nonsensical, Little Herrscher of Consciousness understood what he meant, which made the girl even more proud.

"Of course, it's first come, first served! Sister Purple, Third Sister, and then it's my turn! This old relic can only drink thin porridge now, so of course I'm ahead of her in line. She even has to be behind Watermelon Angel in line!"

Watching the Herrscher of Consciousness suddenly become arrogant again, Kevin remained silent. In his heart, he felt a little sorry for his comrade-in-arms. She had been beaten to the punch by Herrscher looked exactly like her, and now it seemed that she couldn't even be ranked second. Although he couldn't rule out the possibility that the Herrscher of Consciousness was bragging, Kevin couldn't help but worry about his comrade-in-arms' future life. He felt that Fu Hua might have a hard time in the future.

But perhaps she was enjoying it?

Kevin's gaze passed over the still-rambling Herrscher of Consciousness and looked at Fu Hua lying behind him. Perhaps because she couldn't stand the Herrscher of Herrscher of Consciousness, Fu Hua, who was unconscious, had a slight frown, as if she was dreaming of something bad. Unlike him, who was destined to perish, Hua... Fu Hua had already integrated into the new generation. However, his old comrade's life in the future probably wouldn't be so easy.

However, this is not something I need to worry about.

Putting these precious thoughts aside, Kevin looked up at the "sky" within the black hole, thinking that perhaps it was time for him to get out.

Chapter 393

Is this... a fire?

While unconscious, Shen Gonglin suddenly felt an intense heat. When he opened his eyes, the thick fog formed by the flames around him churned and rolled like black mud stained with blood. Where am I?

She could only feel the alluring flames, yet she wouldn't be harmed by them. Shen Gonglin stood up and looked around. The streets were littered with rubble and debris. Buildings and vehicles, like dying people, weakly puffed out thick smoke. Where was she? Wasn't she just on the moon? Then Yuto appeared... Where were Bronya and Kiana?

However, this architectural style... Looking at the dilapidated buildings around her, Shen Gonglin recalled the knowledge that Einstein had forced her to learn through coercion and inducement. This seems to be... Berlin?

"Shen Gonglin ..."

Before Shen Gonglin could think further, a slight shaking pulled him back to reality. Shen Gonglin opened his eyes groggily, and what he saw was Bronya's worried gray eyes. Seeing that Shen Gonglin had woken up, the girl kneeling beside him finally breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness, Shen Gonglin was alright.

"Bronya... what happened? Why... are you wearing this outfit? Following the Herrscher Core, was your amplification device also stolen?"

Sitting up, Shen Gonglin noticed Bronya's condition before she could even look around. She wasn't in her Herrscher form or her usual battle state. The fluffy collar and cuffs—was this Bronya's winter attire? This wasn't how she was in her augmented state. What happened to her?

"Bronya doesn't know either. She woke up like this... Then Bronya saw Shen Gonglin lying here. Now... it seems we're not in the same place as before."

Bronya shook her head. She couldn't explain the current situation either. She had just observed her surroundings. In the distance, there was a star ring carved from stone. That device looked... No, whatever it looked like, it was completely inoperable. It was just a facade. Where exactly was she? Bronya really couldn't figure it out.

"No doubt, we've been set up again. Let's check around to see if there's anything else worth noting. Anyway, I'm already used to this kind of experience."

Since they were already there, Shen Gonglin stood up and cheered herself up. This feeling also infected Bronya. She was right. It was more important to figure out the current situation first. Besides, she was still with Shen Gonglin, so there was no need to panic.

"That's true. It's more important to figure out what kind of place this is first. Bronya already scouted it out when Shen Gonglin fainted. There's a path over there... This place looks like a battlefield that has been through a great battle."

Traveling alongside Shen Gonglin, Bronya felt it had been a long time since she had acted alone with Shen Gonglin like this. Back in St. Freya, she and Shen Gonglin were probably the closest, but now... It was only because it was wartime that she needed to work on improving her intimacy with Shen Gonglin. Not to mention Kiana, Bronya felt her intimacy with Shen Gonglin was even lower than Mei's, which wouldn't do.

I don't know what they've been doing with Shen Gonglin, but they seem to have improved a lot more than me.

Bronya?

Bronya's thoughts drifted off course, and it took several calls from Shen Gonglin before Bronya finally reacted. The girl stared blankly at Shen Gonglin with her large eyes, wondering what was wrong and if Shen Gonglin had called her for something.

"Look ahead, there seems to be a blurry figure there. Doesn't it look familiar?"

So Bronya can also get distracted. It seems I'm the only reliable one left. Shen Gonglin reached out and pressed Bronya's head down, making her look into the distance. With Shen Gonglin's help, Bronya saw the distant phantom. This phantom was... Welt Joyce?

The phantom slowly moved forward until it disappeared, but Bronya still clearly saw the identity of the phantom. Without saying anything more, the two quickly chased after it. At the place where the phantom of Welt disappeared, a diamond-shaped crystal stood quietly there. Shen Gonglin reached out to touch it. This thing was just like the red button that suddenly appeared in front of him.

As everyone knows, Shen Gonglin cannot resist such temptation.

"Wait a minute, I have a feeling that there's a dangerous atmosphere here..."

Bronya grabbed Shen Gonglin's hand. She couldn't let her guard down for even a moment. Shen Gonglin was always up to no good. Now that only Bronya was by his side, Bronya had to take on the responsibility of protecting him.