Chapter 532
Bronya's gaze naturally fell on the Class President. As Kevin's comrade-in-arms from 50,000 years ago, she was the one to explain this question.
"... Indeed, to you, he has almost only ever shown his face as an enemy."
For a moment, they didn't know how to describe Kevin. Admittedly, Kevin was an enemy to them now, but 50,000 years ago, he was Fu Hua's most reliable ally. Life is unpredictable, and now, things have turned out this way.
"What kind of person is Kevin... I heard that when Seele met him in the Sea of Quantum, he pretended to be a giant snake, acting all mysterious? He really likes to play tricks. From this point of view, it's not wrong for Shen Gonglin to say that Kevin likes to bully children."
Little Herrscher of Consciousness crossed his arms and didn't mind making up stories about his former comrades with Shen Gonglin. Seele was just a kid, and he was already scared from being in a place like the Sea of Quantum. On top of that, he pretended to be a snake. He really had a twisted sense of humor.
"No, that's one of the incarnations of the End-Law level Honkai Beast, Fentian, named Kukulkan. Like Tlaloc and Coatl, it's an intermediate product of the Chirame Plan, a specialized existence more adapted to the Sea of Quantum."
Fu Hua explained that she wasn't pretending to be a snake to scare little girls. She explained the Honkai Beast genes that Kevin fused with as a Flame-Chaser, and that Bronya had even interacted with one of its incarnations.
"Tlaloc ... Oh, is that the big skeleton that Bronya ran over with her car? I remember, that was Bronya's first car accident."
Shen Gonglin raised her hand to explain the matter. It must have been when Bronya had just obtained the Herrscher of Reason ability. After getting her Herrscher status, the girl got a little cocky and crashed into the giant skeleton while driving the motorcycle that the Heavy-duty Rabbit transformed into. Then, it seems that the girl liked this feeling and never looked back on the habit of hitting people with her car. That's why she had her driver's license suspended several times.
That made her sound like some kind of reckless reckless girl. Bronya glared at Shen Gonglin, who really didn't give her any face. Didn't she see Seele was still here? Even if it was a traffic accident, she was doing it to eliminate the Honkai.
"Hmm. So Kevin at that time... probably just chose a relatively normal-looking avatar."
As comrades from 50,000 years ago, even though they are now enemies, Fu Hua felt it was still necessary for her to protect Kevin's image a little. At least, Shen Gonglin's claim that he liked to urinate everywhere to mark his territory was complete nonsense.
If Shen Gonglin is allowed to continue spouting nonsense, Fu Hua really doesn't know what kind of image Shen Gonglin will portray Kevin as. After all, they were comrades-in-arms before, so she should help him if she can. He didn't intentionally transform into a giant snake to communicate with Seele, did he? After all, among those transformations... it seems that only the giant snake looks somewhat normal. As for that giant skeleton Tlaloc, it would probably have terrified Seele at the time.
Chapter 449 Harmony is Precious
"Hey, I knew it. You old fogey, you're going to start praising the other old fogies again. If you ask me... if you all had my ability to express yourselves, things wouldn't have come to this. Whether it's a test or a responsibility, as pioneers of Previous Era, what can't we sit down and talk about over thousands of years? If we can't reach an agreement the first time, we can talk it out the second or third time. Kevin should also come to our Shenzhou more often and experience what it means to value peace."
The Herrscher of Consciousness, who demolished the Schicksal Headquarters the moment she was born, is now advocating for the idea of peace. However, her views are greatly appreciated by Shen Gonglin, who nods approvingly and pats Little Herrscher of Consciousness shoulder vigorously, saying, "That's right." If everyone could speak their mind like Little Herrscher of Consciousness, there would probably be no Riddlers in the world, and a world where everyone speaks in plain language would be achieved.
Shen Gonglin detests the phenomenon of riddle tellers. They act as if you're uncultured if you can't understand them. Why can't you just speak properly?
"Ah... this shouldn't be a problem that can be solved by drinking tea."
Seeing Little Herrscher of Consciousness being so highly praised by Shen Gonglin, Bronya muttered to herself, "This great Herrscher of Consciousness really knows how to win Shen Gonglin's favor. It seems that even the Class President isn't as close to Shen Gonglin as the Herrscher of Consciousness. I have to work harder. With Little Herrscher of Consciousness to get along with Shen Gonglin."
"That's true... However, the long passage of time can easily cause people to lose their basic communication skills. For example, after we woke up in the shelter, Kevin, Sue, and I maintained regular communication... But gradually, this communication became once every few months, once a year, until once every ten years."
Fu Hua said with some emotion that even the best friends can gradually drift apart if they don't contact each other for a long time. After such a long period of no communication, one can indeed lose a lot.
"But... why is this happening?"
Seele didn't quite understand why things had turned out this way. In her opinion, good friends should keep in touch every day. Even if they couldn't meet, they should at least talk to each other. Shouldn't that be enough for them?
"Because time is simply too long. Over hundreds or thousands of years, there are always unexpected events that break the rules that people have set. At such times, we often find that the rules we set in the past seem to be nothing more than red tape. But if we regard too many things as red tape, the final result... is just as you have seen."
Fu Hua shrugged and said, "Because of the long period of no communication, it seems that they have lost the ability to communicate. Kevin has become the Riddler he is now, which has led to this situation... Fortunately, I haven't become the Riddler, otherwise Shen Gonglin would definitely not like me. I must not become the kind of person he hates the most."
"Shen Gonglin, you met Bronya when you were at Mount Tai Xu, right? This old-fashioned guy doesn't even know how to play with the kids."
It's another instance of exposing Fu Hua's shortcomings. The Herrscher of Consciousness, with her hands on her hips, seems quite smug for some reason, perhaps because she believes she's better than Fu Hua at handling such matters.
"...I see, Bronya suddenly understands. That's why, despite the huge age difference, the Class President still values her experience at St. Freya just like us."
Suddenly, the three or five lolis uttered something extremely damaging to Fu Hua and Little Herrscher of Consciousness: what did they mean by such a large age difference? How could Bronya, that stupid loli, still not understand? A beautiful girl's age is linked to her appearance. She was talking as if she were some old woman. She was a beautiful seventeen-year-old girl herself.
Bronya is such a clueless and stupid little girl.
"Yes. After all, in all these thousands of years, St. Freya is the only place where I can feel my time passing normally."
Fu Hua said honestly, which left Little Herrscher of Consciousness speechless. This was the most typical old-fashioned way of speaking, wasn't it? Couldn't she be as youthful as herself?
"Should I say you're truly an old-fashioned person? Most people try their best to freeze time at a certain moment, right?"
Little Herrscher of Consciousness couldn't understand Fu Hua's thoughts. Throughout history, haven't all emperors thought the same way? Many have tried every means to stop their time, even at the cost of destroying their countries. But this old antique would think this way. It's really incomprehensible.
"People do have that desire. Bronya knew a song about wanting to live another five hundred years, but... it is only as time passes that people realize they are still alive. Crossing one story after another, experiencing one ending after another... and constantly creating unprecedented possibilities. This sounds contradictory... but contradiction is precisely the essence of being human."
Bronya spoke slowly, surprised that this silly little girl would say such incomprehensible words. It seemed as if her life experience was far superior to her own. Little Herrscher of Consciousness racked his brains to think of something, but all that came to his lips was a "brilliant!" He shouldn't have been "discussing" with Bronya here. Didn't he see that Shen Gonglin was already starting to yawn impatiently?
"Alright, alright, alright, we were talking about Kevin, weren't we? How did it turn into a lecture by the Herrscher of Reason?"
Little Herrscher of Consciousness waved her hand. Like Shen Gonglin, she was not good at this kind of lecturing. Despite having the most life experience, she couldn't argue with Bronya on this matter. The Herrscher of Reason was such a troublesome person.
"Over the past millions of years, we pioneers have all believed that we are bearing contradictions... But this very act, like Kevin's now, can create new contradictions for the world. Of course, no one is destined to be ruthlessly destroyed by the Finality, but it is precisely because of this that Kevin feels even more hopeless about the Stigmata Plan."
"Despair?"
Seele didn't quite understand what Fu Hua was saying. In her opinion, Kevin was working incredibly hard to advance the Stigmata Plan, so how could he possibly feel hopeless about it?
"... That's not necessarily true. His attitude is less about despair and more about placing his hopes on you... on us. If he eventually discovers something he's been waiting for in us... then he should go all out and fight us to the death."
Chapter 450 Who are you talking to?
If he finds what he wants in them, he'll fight them to the death? This guy, is he crazy?
For a moment, I couldn't quite understand what Little Herrscher of Consciousness saying. This statement was completely wrong. Why would something that aligned with Kevin's ideas lead to a life-or-death struggle? Kevin is perfectly reasonable.
"Those Herrscher of Consciousness... are you sure you haven't reversed your words?"
Bronya spoke up to confirm that Kevin didn't look like a mentally ill person at all. Although his mental state might not be entirely normal, his way of handling things was completely opposite to that of ordinary people. If the Herrscher of Consciousness wasn't wrong, then his mind was indeed not normal.
"She wasn't wrong, and her answer perfectly answered the initial question... what kind of person is Kevin?"
Fu Hua picked up the conversation. She knew the Herrscher of Consciousness was right. What kind of person was he, really? Fu Hua's thoughts drifted back tens of thousands of years. Perhaps Kevin had never changed since then. He remained the same as always, and this unchanging nature was what they needed to break now.
The elevator stopped ascending, and the group began their exploration. Looking at the familiar scenery of Sea Abyss City, Bronya and the others already had a general understanding of the terrain. In that case, analyzing the route became much simpler.
"Sea Abyss City really hasn't changed at all. Shen Gonglin, don't you think?"
Bronya easily eliminated the enemies that appeared. Her combat strength was outstanding, even though she was in the "newbie protection period". She used her spear to knock away enemies that would have required some effort. Bronya said to Shen Gonglin, "The scenery of Sea Abyss City looks very nice. If you just want to enjoy the view, there are probably few places that can compare to this place."
"Huh? Ah... Ah, yes, yes, you're right."
Shen Gonglin was startled when her name was called. It really hadn't changed at all? This made it impossible for her to accept; in her eyes, this was a completely new version. The path was entirely different from what she remembered. But Bronya had said so... So Shen Gonglin could only go along with it, otherwise, wouldn't it seem like she didn't know the way? She was right, this place really was exactly the same as before.
"In peacetime, this place might be perfect for operating as a tourist attraction. So, according to our previous plan, let's split up here. Shen Gonglin, would you like to come with me?"
Fu Hua sighed in the same way. As a relic from 50,000 years ago, Sea Abyss City gave Fu Hua a sense of familiarity. Next, she and Little Herrscher of Consciousness were going to explore the higher ground. It would be even better if Shen Gonglin was willing to go with her.
"No need, you guys are going to a higher place, right? This guy isn't suitable. There's a terrace over there, the signal should be pretty good there, you guys go ahead."
At that moment, Seele reached out and grabbed Shen Gonglin's arm. The girl pointed in that direction to guide Fu Hua. Bronya couldn't help but turn her head to look at her. So that's how it is. Is this another Seele? As the older sister, it's not a big deal to tolerate her willful younger sister.
"Really? Thank you."
Little Herrscher of Consciousness didn't notice anything amiss, and Fu Hua agreed that Seele was right. Although Shen Gonglin liked high places, taking him there was too dangerous. So Fu Hua and Little Herrscher of Consciousness nodded and headed to the terrace Seele had mentioned. Now, the group was down to three... no, four people.
Shen Gonglin, Bronya, and her... two younger sisters.
"I didn't expect you to be so interested in participating in the operation... Seele."
After Fu Hua and the others left, Bronya said meaningfully, and at the same time, in her eyes, Seele in front of her had also changed slightly. The gentle little sister had suddenly become "lively". There was no mistake, it was another Seele.
"Huh? What nonsense are you talking about? It was clearly her who insisted on making me come out for some fresh air, saying there were too many people and she felt she wasn't up to the task, so she told me to go ahead and do it... I really don't understand."
Black Seele shrugged helplessly. She was only good at talking, what could she do in front of so many people? But in front of Seele, she had to stand up for herself, otherwise wouldn't she look just as weak as Xi'er?
"... That's fine too. After all, this is only the second time we've acted together, right?"
Bronya was quite interested in this younger sister. Seeing the usually well-behaved Seele display such a contrast before her eyes, Bronya felt as if she had another little sister. This experience was actually quite nice. After all, Seele would never talk to her like that.
"This is the third time already... you fool."
Black Seele stood in front of Bronya with her arms crossed. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, she was still holding onto Shen Gonglin's arm. Bronya saw this as a slight intimacy between sister-in-law and brother-in-law, so she didn't say anything. However, Bronya was a little confused when she heard that this was the third time they had acted together.
"Our second collaboration was in Kolosten. Back then, some fool had exhausted herself building the Moonlight Throne, and was lying limp in Seele's arms like a skeleton, impossible to wake. Seele was anxious and helpless, and luckily, I couldn't bear to see her like that, so I reluctantly stepped in and helped you out. After that, you mumbled 'Seele.' Honestly, Bronya, were you really sure which Seele you were calling back then?"
Black Seele recounted the events of that day, and although the girl tried her best to appear indifferent, her account was so detailed...
"Oh, I didn't know that happened. Seele, you remember it so clearly. I had completely forgotten about it back then."
Shen Gonglin, who never reads between the lines, spoke bluntly, which immediately infuriated Seele. Didn't this make her seem very concerned about the matter? Remembering it so clearly... didn't this prove she cared a lot about acting with Bronya? She wasn't some spoiled Seele; she was a very mature Seele!
"Can't you just shut up if you can't speak properly! You idiot, you really are... Yes, I'm sorry, I was too arrogant, at least for now... Shen Gonglin, how dare you!"
Seeing the unfriendly look in Shen Gonglin's eyes, Black Seele quickly apologized, but it was too late. Shen Gonglin grabbed her cheek and pinched her cheek. Who did this girl think she was talking to?
Chapter 451 Valkyrie Susanna
Seeing the interaction between the two in front of her, Bronya couldn't help but laugh out loud. This laughter easily provoked Seele. Being so embarrassed in front of Bronya made the proud girl angry and embarrassed. After breaking free from Shen Gonglin's hand, she glared fiercely at Bronya.
"You dog... what are you laughing at?"
"Bronya was a little surprised that you included that time in your calculations. However, since you just happened to mention it... that time, Bronya did indeed sense two of Seele's powers. Although it's a bit late, but... thank you, Seele."
As a mature older sister, Bronya naturally had to save face for her younger sister. She directly brought up the topic of Shen Gonglin bullying Seele and steered the conversation back on track. However, her straightforward and direct manner left Seele somewhat at a loss. Such a formal thank you was truly embarrassing.
"You... what's wrong with you? Forget it, I'm too lazy to argue with you about this nonsense... Bronya, that girl Seele, she really wants to share what happened on the moon with her Sister Bronya, but she can never find the right opportunity. For example, she woke up to find herself in the New Atlanta Sanctuary, and then she met this idiot... this guy, he hadn't even figured out what was going on, yet he was already looking for companions with his little one, and even helped some strangers... And after you guys went into the pit, she was clearly more worried than anyone else, but she never showed the slightest abnormality in front of others, she just silently did everything she could."
She told Bronya things she didn't know, and that she would do the things that her other self couldn't say. As she said this, Seele couldn't help but sigh.
That girl has really grown up.
"Well... many times, my absence is actually a better help to her."
"So, is that why you haven't shown yourself since you got away from Yu Tu?"
Bronya asked the question, which left Black Seele slightly speechless. How should she respond in this situation...?
"What, you're that eager to see me?"
Seele tried to ease the tension by feigning indifference, but Bronya, always a straightforward person, naturally had to be direct in dealing with this kind of question.
"Yes, after all, you are all Seele."
Such a direct answer left Black Seele speechless. The girl blushed slightly, wanting to say something but feeling unable to bring herself to say it. In the end, she could only cough twice to steer the conversation to the main topic: getting along with Bronya was truly... a bit overwhelming.
"Fine, do as you please. We still have important business to attend to."
Seeing her sister's posture, Bronya couldn't help but smile. Although she didn't know what was so funny, in order to keep up with the formation, Shen Gonglin also laughed. The two of them laughing drove Seele crazy. Bronya couldn't make a move, because if she did, Shen Gonglin would retaliate. Being beaten up by Shen Gonglin in front of Bronya would be a loss of face for more than just herself.
Stop laughing!
The girl shouted angrily, Bronya finally managed to stop laughing. But Shen Gonglin didn't care about that. In the end, the girl couldn't hold back her anger and pounced on the girl with her claws outstretched. Some battles, even if you know you can't win, you still have to fight!
"Alright, alright, let's do this first... Hmm? Over there, does that look like someone?"
Having stopped the two from fighting, Bronya thought that if she didn't intervene, Seele would be pinned to the ground and beaten by Shen Gonglin. Honestly, couldn't she at least show some consideration for her sister-in-law? Bronya sighed, feeling that Bronya would have to constantly mediate family dynamics in the future. Just then, a casual glance revealed a figure in the distance. Were there other people besides them?
The group quickly ran over, and after seeing that figure from behind, Bronya seemed to have a slight recollection of it.
"This person...it really is you, Susanna."
The person was facing away from them and seemed to be trembling. Bronya seemed to recognize her. The girl walked up and patted the girl on the shoulder. Sure enough, it was her.
"Oh! The Bishop? Miss Bronya, Seele? I... am I dreaming? You've come to save me, haven't you?"
Wearing the uniform of Schicksal, the blonde girl turned around and immediately became excited when she saw Shen Gonglin. The bishop had finally appeared! Thank goodness, she was saved.
"... Don't be silly. Rather, what are you doing here, someone from Schicksal Headquarters?"
Seele crossed her arms and asked the girl in front of her. This girl looked a bit silly. She had a vague impression of her. She seemed to be the Valkyrie of Schicksal. After Shen Gonglin succeeded as the Bishop of Schicksal, Anti-Entropy and Schicksal were in their honeymoon period, so she was quite familiar with Seele.
"I...I'm not really sure either. Before, I just took a nap at work... Bishop, it really was just a nap, don't tell Miss Rita, she'll dock my pay! It was just a short nap, and I never expected that when I opened my eyes again, I would be in the legendary Sea Abyss City."
With her hands clasped together, Susanna pleaded pitifully with Shen Gonglin, explaining that she had only taken a short nap and that Rita was not a very persuasive person in such matters; only the bishop could save her.
"You know about Sea Abyss City?"
Bronya cares about this a lot; Susanna probably doesn't know much about Sea Abyss City.
"Yes. Alvit told me that the Immortal Blade squad had clashed several times with the Far East Branch led by Lady Theresa in the deep sea... Ah, back then, the bishop and the former bishop were still enemies."
At this point, Susanna realized that what she had said might have been inappropriate.
"That's all in the past. More importantly... are you trying to figure out how to move these supplies?"
No longer caring about the past, Bronya pointed to the supply box at Susanna's feet. She had thought Susanna was just pretending, but now it seemed she was actually trying to move some things.
"Yes. I mustered up the courage to walk around here before, but I didn't meet a single person... All the communication equipment here is broken. Only the living supplies seem to be plentiful, but the warehouse is cold and damp. If I want to stay here for a while, I'll have to find another place to set up my own camp."
The girl nodded. She was already prepared for wilderness survival, but she hadn't expected the bishop to bring people over. Was it specifically to rescue her? Oh no, what's going on? She felt like she might be falling for the bishop.
Chapter 452 The Herrscher of Reason
Looking at the girl preparing to survive on her own, Bronya was momentarily speechless. To be able to think of something so quickly, could it be said that Susanna was optimistic and had strong initiative? Bronya had already thought of a lot of wilderness survival knowledge, but she didn't expect Susanna to be so knowledgeable in this area as well.
Bronya sometimes has these unrealistic fantasies, such as being stranded on a desert island with Shen Gonglin, and then using her extensive wilderness survival knowledge to make their lives very organized, eventually turning Shen Gonglin into a useless little thing who can never live without her... This kind of imagination is really great, and Bronya is sure that she is definitely not the only one who has thought this way.