Chapter 518

"No, I thought..."

Kiana hesitated, but Bronya opened her mouth and uttered those very, very... well, you know what I mean.

"Ah. Kiana really is still an idiot. She's already done that with Mei, and now she's still holding a grudge about this?"

The emotionless girl started complaining, and Shen Gonglin's eyes lit up. She had done something like that with Mei... What did Kiana and Mei do? Should she go out and buy Otto a hat?

"Bronya! Don't talk nonsense!"

Kiana panicked as soon as she heard this. Looking at Shen Gonglin's eyes, she knew that this girl was overthinking things again. Did this stupid little girl know how much effort she had put in to appease Shen Gonglin? What if Shen Gonglin threw a tantrum because of something she said? What an idiot! Bronya is the biggest idiot in the world.

"Heh, Bronya is still as unforgiving as ever. Alright, no matter how we consider the future, we are indeed still controlled by Feather Rabbit. Before we can take the initiative from Kevin, we first need to find a way to get rid of her influence."

Unsure of the extent of the jealousy in the other person's eyes, Mei smiled lightly and didn't dwell on the matter. The girl clapped her hands to draw everyone's attention. There were still important things to do. Kevin and Yuto, they needed to deal with the trouble Yuto had caused first.

"Speaking of which... could it be that the first Herrscher of Reason appeared to guide us for this very reason?"

Kiana suggested this possibility. "Look, Bronya followed the phantom of the previous Herrscher of Reason and found herself and then Mei. Maybe that phantom was there to help them."

"I don't know, Bronya, feeling that things might not be so simple. "But in any case, for us right now, this is indeed the only clue. Let's proceed cautiously."

With no better options available, Bronya could only devise this plan, taking it one step at a time. There was no other information to support their choices, so figuring out their surroundings was crucial. No one objected to Bronya's arrangement, and the group cautiously began their exploration. As they progressed, the staircase in the void came into view.

"It's so high, I feel like I'd definitely die if I fell... Bronya, you better hold on tight to me, otherwise we'll both be smashed to pieces if we go down."

Standing on the high platform and looking down, Shen Gonglin felt her heart racing and reminded herself to fasten her seatbelt. Although she was afraid of heights, she couldn't resist the allure of them. This feeling of courting death was irresistible, especially with someone protecting her from harm... that was even more addictive.

"Don't worry, Bronya will protect you."

The emotionless loli obediently made a promise, tightly hugging Shen Gonglin's waist. This sight made Kiana on the other side so jealous that she almost felt her body split apart. This kind of work is usually hers. Shen Gonglin is really throwing a tantrum. How can she let Bronya have it? That loli has such small arms and legs, how could she possibly protect her?

"Hey, you two, stop fooling around. Didn't we say we were on guard? Be serious, we don't even know what dangers are here."

Kiana's tone was sour. Now was the time to get down to business. Bronya herself had said that they needed to be vigilant and keep a close watch on the search, but how could she break the law now? Kiana felt that this wouldn't do.

"Exploring below is also a necessary action. Kiana, don't worry about it. Just stay with Mei and keep watch ahead. We'll leave this to Bronya and Shen Gonglin."

How could Bronya not know what Kiana was thinking? Bronya could smell the jealousy from several meters away. The emotionless loli not only didn't let go but intensified her actions. Now it was Bronya's turn. Kiana just needed to stick close to Mei. She would take care of Shen Gonglin.

"Um, but... Mei, look at her!"

In verbal sparring, Kiana has never been a match for Bronya. When it comes to exploring, Kiana feels like the two of them are just cosplaying a classic scene from Titanic, and maybe they'll even have a jump-the-bottle moment. Frustrated Kiana can only complain to Mei, who, as gentle as a Yamato Nadeshiko, can't stand it anymore.

"Bronya, stay close. There seems to be some unusual activity ahead. Be careful."

Chapter 398 A Bad Childhood

Mei and Kiana felt for the first time that these "interferences" had appeared at just the right time, because this way Shen Gonglin and Bronya would probably stop causing trouble. The two girls rushed forward to fight, Bronya also pulled Shen Gonglin back. Looking at the Archetype Seed that had appeared in front of them, Mei was also very puzzled while fighting.

"Strange... According to Raven, Yuto should not be interested in Herrscher, so what is her purpose in repeatedly toying with us like this?"

Having solved the Archetype Seed blocking their path, another problem arose. What was the purpose of Yuto trapping them in this place? They couldn't figure it out. Meanwhile, the group that was moving forward saw the shimmering crystal again. If they weren't mistaken, it was another fragment of memory.

"So that's how it is. So I came to you from one of these cracks before. But this time... Joyce didn't appear."

Looking at the crystals before them, Shen Gonglin and the others were puzzled. It seemed that these crystals weren't all as they had thought. But what should they do now?

"Yes. That's true. If that is indeed Joyce's will... perhaps no other entity is sealed within this memory, but as a clue, it still has value for investigation. Are you ready?"

Bronya stepped forward, and after seeing the certain looks in everyone's eyes, the girl reached out and touched the crystal in front of her. Then, a memory unfolded before their eyes. This memory... was still a scene from Bronya's childhood.

Hey, happy birthday!

The old man Maxim, whom I had seen in the illusion before, reappeared. He placed a wooden carving on the table, while the mercenary girl next to him tilted her head. No matter how many times I see her, I always feel that Bronya looks a bit silly and cute when she is young.

Is this... for Bronya?

The mercenary girl pointed at the wooden carving and asked, "Is this... a birthday present?"

[It was a gift from your father. Vladimir was tidying up my old things last time and unexpectedly found it. I thought it would be quite suitable to give it to you as a birthday present.]

Looking at the wooden carving on the table, I think this should be a rabbit. I feel like Bronya would like it.

[...Thanks.]

The mercenary girl hugged the wooden carving to her chest. Was this something her father used to own? She felt quite happy to receive it.

Don't mention it. Alexei wanted to be a sculptor when he was a child, and even after he joined the army, he liked to collect all sorts of trinkets and give them to us. Back then, I didn't think these things were anything special... I never imagined that today, many of these originally worthless items would become rare and collectible pieces.

Uncle Maxim sighed, while the little mercenary gently stroked the wooden carving in his hand. "Limited edition, that means it's very valuable?"

Is this rabbit one too?

Haha, how could that be? If it were valuable, we would have traded it for food long ago.

Maxim smiled and shook his head. If it were really valuable, he would have traded it for food long ago. After all, when faced with hunger, what could be more tempting than the desire to survive?

"Oh, food is expensive. Bronya knows that."

The mercenary girl nodded earnestly, and her sensible appearance was heartbreaking to see. Maxim looked at Bronya and couldn't help but gently comfort her.

[Silly child... We weren't in such dire straits before; this is just an unexpected turn of events. Back then, everyone in Siberia belonged to one country. We didn't fight each other, and we didn't have to worry about our belongings being stolen by our neighbors. But the Second Honkai... it turned our land into worthless graveyards. Schicksal abandoned us, the nation abandoned us; ultimately, we abandoned ourselves.]

At this point, Maxim's heart grew incredibly heavy. When did it all begin? How did it become like this... Nobody wants to do honest work. Those who carry weapons either rob and plunder or, like them now, sell their lives to others. But what other choice do they have?

If they don't do this, none of them will survive.

"This is... something from Bronya's childhood?"

After reading this memory, it's easy to see that it's Bronya's childhood experience. Mei looked at Bronya in silence, as she had never mentioned that time before.

"Please excuse my poor appearance."

She didn't show any sadness or similar emotions. The girl was calm, as if she were dealing with someone else's affairs. Those were all things of the past, and Bronya wouldn't be depressed because of the past.

"No, it's not that bad. After all, I grew up in Siberia. The people there... really have it tough."

Kiana quickly shook her head. How could she laugh at that? During that period, life was very difficult for the people of Siberia. Kiana also spent her childhood in Siberia, so she understood. And even now, Siberia has not recovered because of the Second Honkai Impact.

That's why Durandal sent Alvit to Siberia to grow potatoes, hoping that the girl could do her part and shine in Siberia.

"... Uncle Maxim was Bronya's father Alexei's comrade-in-arms and his childhood playmate. Bronya didn't know her parents... From the time she was old enough to understand, it was Uncle Maxim who took care of Bronya and taught Bronya how to survive on the battlefield."

She explained her relationship with the uncle she had just met in her memory. It had been a long time ago. She had no memory of her parents. Maxim was Bronya's relative. Before coming to the Cocolia Orphanage, he was her only relative.

"Was this something that happened before you met Cocolia?"

Mei rarely heard Bronya talk about her past. Mei only knew that Bronya had been a mercenary, but she never expected the situation to be so cruel. While Bronya was risking her life on the battlefield to make a living, Mei was probably living a life like a young lady in a warm room.

"Yes. It happened when Bronya turned ten. The following summer... Uncle Maxim, who was saving money to repair our house, was shot and killed by a stray bullet while working. The person who killed him was a boy not much older than Bronya, who was being sent to the battlefield for the first time."

Chapter 399 The World of Ordinary People

Such a matter was clearly too heavy. After Bronya spoke, everyone else fell silent. Although the girl's tone remained calm, a gloomy sadness could be seen in her eyes. At that time, this was how human life was.

"After that, Uncle Maxim's gang disbanded. In the following winter, Bronya had to find her own way to earn money... and eventually, by chance, she met Mother Cocolia. Mei, don't worry about Bronya, it's all in the past."

Noticing Mei's gaze, Bronya smiled slightly at her. She was no longer in pain because of those things. Now there were things more worthy of her joy, so there was no need to wallow in the past.

"Bronya, the children in the orphanage, Mother Cocolia, and Uncle Maxim, we are all just ordinary people from Siberia, nothing special. As the saying goes, Rome wasn't built in a day. The problems on that land cannot be solved by the efforts of a few individuals. Although Kiana's parents and everyone in Anti-Entropy saved countless lives, the social impact and secondary disasters brought about by the Second Honkai still destroyed the faith on that land."

Instead, Bronya began to comfort them, holding Shen Gonglin's hand and conveying her belief that it was all in the past and that Bronya would be fine.

"The country collapsed, war broke out, and the once orderly Siberia became a paradise for outlaws. If a place falls into such a state, it may be difficult to return to normal even if it takes several generations. But... Bronya's understanding of her parents was already filled with chaos. Compared to the previous generation who watched their familiar lives being completely destroyed, Bronya's generation can be said to be more fortunate."

Although it feels a bit complicated, that's really how it is. In Bronya's memory, her hometown has always been like this, so without any contrast, she can accept it more easily. The previous generation, on the other hand, may find it harder to accept this reality because they have witnessed the original beauty.

Bronya, this girl is so mature, you can't tell she's a loli at all. Kiana and Mei didn't know what to say about her, but this emotionless loli turned her gaze to Shen Gonglin.

"However, Shen Gonglin can also comfort Bronya."

After saying all that, Bronya just wanted Shen Gonglin to know how sensible she was. With such a sensible and strong Bronya, Shen Gonglin would probably feel even more sorry for her, right? So she could comfort herself freely now, without having to hold back.

Why... does something feel off? Watching Shen Gonglin gently stroking Bronya's head, Mei felt something was off. But Bronya, who had gone through something like that, probably did need some comfort, so... tsk, it still felt strange, like she'd been tricked.

"... Even if we defeat the Honkai, we still have countless tasks that we need to complete together."

"Has she touched me enough?" The purpose of comforting her had been achieved. If she touched her any more, Mei would have to speak. The girl interrupted the interaction between Shen Gonglin and Bronya. Kiana, who had become smarter now, also understood Mei's meaning. As expected of Mei, she was truly on the same wavelength as her.

Kiana had wanted to do this for a long time.

"In other words, defeating the Honkai is just the first step in changing the world. If we want to make this imperfect world a better place, we certainly can't do without each and every one of us who makes it. Just like Durandal said, the world is actually a canvas, and its charm depends on the colors that each of us paints on it."

Kiana also said something like that. Now even this girl can casually say such impressive things. Whenever this happens, Shen Gonglin feels out of place with them. It seems like all she can say is, "Me too."

"Yes. Bronya understands, just as the Herrscher of Reason is actually the shared thought of 300,000 people."

This is probably why... Elysia insisted that none of the Thirteen Flame-Chasers could be missing.

For some reason, Mei thought of that Pink Elf. She felt that the fairy must think the same way, which was why she was so persistent in insisting on having thirteen people, not one less.

"Alright. Recalling too much history won't help us in the present. It's time for us to set off and continue searching for clues."

After finishing her reflections, Bronya rallied her spirits and continued forward. They had already carried a heavy burden to get this far, and there was no time to dwell on the past.

Continuing their exploration of the fragmented memories, they were confronted this time by a green-haired woman...

"Bronya had seen her in a photograph before; she was one of the founders of Anti-Entropy, Professor Planck."

The flashback ended, and this memory had no connection to Bronya, but it was also the first time they met this one of the founders of Anti-Entropy.

"So, the teacher of Dr. Einstein and Dr. Tesla?"

Kiana had heard the name before; having lived in Anti-Entropy for so long, she had heard it several times.

"Hmm. Moreover, she seems to have some kind of complicated relationship with the first Herrscher of Reason, Welt Joyce. However, even the memories of that Carl Gustav are scattered here... The core of the Herrscher of Reason has indeed entered a very troublesome state."

Bronya tapped her head. This was really a headache. It was now almost certain that their current predicament was somehow related to the core of the Herrscher of Reason.

"Hmm? Bronya, what exactly do you mean by 'troublesome situation'?"

Has the Herrscher of Reason's core malfunctioned? It was the same before; with Yuuto's "help," they regained the Herrscher's powers, but Bronya seems to have encountered a slight problem, and her powers haven't been restored yet.

"Carl Gustav is one of the 300,000 parts that constitute the Herrscher of Reason Core, and he is very likely the original part. In other words, he is not only the source of Welt Joyce's existence, but also the original starting point of the Herrscher of Reason. Therefore, the conclusion we can draw may be that, under the influence of the Stigmata Plan, the core of the Herrscher of Reason has physically split and disintegrated."

Chapter 400 The Core of Distributed Systems

Fragmentation?

Bronya's words were incredibly surprising. Kiana even widened her eyes. Split and disintegrate? This sounded terrible. Bronya's Herrscher Core was in this state now? Why didn't she say that? No wonder she hadn't recovered her Herrscher powers yet.

"Ah, it's alright. This matter isn't as terrible as it sounds. The core of the Herrscher of Reason is originally composed of 300,000 thoughts. Theoretically, each of them could potentially withdraw. However, the Herrscher of Reason is ultimately a unified concept, so whether it's the two Welt or Bronya, we all have the ability to control these 300,000 thoughts."

Bronya explained the core concept of the Herrscher of Reason. Unlike other Herrscher Core, the Herrscher of Reason contains the thoughts of 300,000 people. However, as the coordinator, Bronya can control these 300,000 thoughts. But now...

"So, the real problem is... how to free these distributed Herrscher Core from the influence of the Stigmata Plan. In this way, Bronya will also have the opportunity to recover her power."

Bronya still wanted to regain her strength as soon as possible. Although she could use her mind to support everyone now, she really wanted to do her best as quickly as possible. This result came from her thinking. Kiana tilted her head, wondering if there was such a problem. She had no idea.

"But Mei and I didn't encounter this problem... Ah, is it because our core isn't the distributed system you mentioned?"

Kiana suddenly realized this possibility. There were no 300,000 people's thoughts in her and Mei's cores. At most, there was only one other person. She didn't know much about Mei's situation. Her struggle with Sirin was still impressive. Bronya's situation was different from the two of them.

As for Shen Gonglin... well, there's no need to talk about him; his situation is the most unique.

"Perhaps it's not just that. Unlike Mei and Kiana, Bronya is not a Herrscher has undergone ascension."

She introduced a new concept that she hadn't told anyone before, and this was precisely why Bronya had been constantly getting the short end of the stick. Aside from the time she obtained the Herrscher of Reason Core and killed a quantum creature, Bronya seemed to have been constantly getting the short end of the stick. Shen Gonglin had complained about her more than once, and Bronya wanted to figure out what was going on, so she asked Welt and finally got that answer.

The core of the Herrscher of Reason has never undergone ascension. Welt said that from the very beginning, Welt Joyce was a Herrscher who fought for humanity. With his 300,000 copies of thought, he contained the Honkai's Honkai of his personality, transforming the power that would have destroyed civilization into a shield for the people. Therefore, compared to other Herrscher, the Herrscher of Reason is a more special existence.

"Over the years, Anti-Entropy has tried many methods to increase the output power of this core... but the results have been minimal. To date, the power Joyce displayed in the final battle is still difficult to match... and according to what Anti-Entropy detected in Changkong City, Mei, who has undergone metamorphosis, if calculated solely based on the observed output power, has a limit that far exceeds not only Bronya and Welt, but is also certainly above Joyce."

After recounting this, for some reason, Shen Gonglin felt that when she looked at Mei, the girl seemed to puff out her chest with a hint of pride. "Wow, I was really that good!" she thought. "I guess I have to show off a bit in front of Shen Gonglin. I was really good back then, I could even beat Kiana to a pulp!"

That's why Bronya didn't want to talk about it... it would make her seem like a noob.

Bronya also noticed Mei's condition and pouted somewhat unhappily, but she still needed to explain the situation to them in detail.

"Based on other evidence, Dr. Einstein concluded that Welt Joyce's birth was unrelated to the so-called ascension, and that the core of the Herrscher of Reason was not fundamentally different from the familiar Gem of Desire. Even if Mr. Welt had once achieved complete synchronization with this core, that miracle only brought him close to Joyce's power, nothing more."

Bronya explained in detail, using Mei's example as an example. This means that, to date, no Herrscher of Reason has ever used the full power of this core. The special nature of this core also makes it impossible to directly replicate Mei's case on the core of Herrscher of Reason.

"Initially, Bronya didn't think it mattered. Since the special nature of this core had helped Joyce and us, then its existence was for the best. Just as Mr. Welt said, the Herrscher of Herrscher of Reason's core is not as stable as Kiana's and Mei's. But on the bright side, regaining the Herrscher of Reason's power might actually be the same thing as fighting against Yuuto."

Finally, Bronya brought this up. She gave Shen Gonglin a meaningful glare, wondering if he would still call her bad after this. There was a reason she was bad, and she couldn't target her for it. She didn't want to be this bad either. Once she regained her true power, she'd see if he would still call her bad.

"Do you not understand what I'm saying? Perhaps, or is this Bronya's perception? Maybe the way the Herrscher of Reason exists is actually quite similar to the Stigmata Plan itself. Combining various theories about the World Serpent, the Stigmata Plan will unify people's will through dreams, and then control the Finality. It sounds incredible, like a myth... But what if we compare it to the state the Herrscher of Reason was in when she was born?"

Using this incident as a metaphor for their current situation, Mei quickly understood what Bronya meant. She was right; in a sense, the Stigmata Plan was indeed similar to the situation when the Herrscher of Reason was born.