Chapter 76

Shen Gonglin opened the cockpit and looked at the cramped cabin with some difficulty. This thing was designed entirely for single-person piloting. The cabin was spacious enough for one person, but if four people squeezed in at once, it didn't look very good.

"Hey, what's there to worry about? We can just squeeze in. Shen Gonglin, move aside and let me in first. Make way, make way, it's okay to squeeze in."

Kiana eagerly squeezed into the cockpit, and Mei and Bronya climbed up as well. Shen Gonglin had to make way for them. But while it was fine for Mei and Kiana, why did Bronya have to go in too? With Heavy-duty Rabbit's levitation field, she wouldn't get tired at all.

"Wait a minute, Bronya, this cockpit is too cramped for four people. Don't you have the Heavy-duty Rabbit? Why don't you stay outside? Three people are more spacious than four, what do you think?"

"I'll do it if I think of it, "Shen Gonglin said, grabbing Bronya's arm. But what greeted him was the emotionless gaze of the emotionless girl, leaving him, Mei, and Kiana in the cramped cockpit while he was left alone outside.

Bronya felt like her head hadn't been squeezed by the door yet.

"Bronya doesn't seem to be feeling well. Shen Gonglin, go inside quickly."

He reached out and shoved Shen Gonglin into the cockpit as well. Bronya was the last to go in and closed the hatch. They had all done this, so she had to do the same.

Chapter 294 Human Instinct

On the silent ship, scattered Honkai Beast and Suicide Squad wandered about. These things always appeared without warning, as if they would appear wherever there was Honkai energy. These things are what are called the products of Honkai.

"Get out of the way... If you don't move, I'll have no choice but to use my own hands."

A heavy thud of footsteps echoed, the thud of the mechs stomping the ground like an earthquake. A blue mech charged towards them from afar with the force of a mountain collapsing and a sea filling. Kiana's mech, like herself, was brimming with energy. Under this pig-like charge, the Suicide Squad and Honkai Beast blocking her path were smashed to pieces. Piloting a mech is really interesting; it's much faster than charging forward on your own.

"Phew, how was it? My driving skills are impeccable, aren't they? This is such a simple thing, even Shen Gonglin can do it, how could I not? Shen Gonglin, I think you can definitely praise me."

The mecha continued forward, while Kiana, sitting inside, began to smugly boast to Shen Gonglin about her success. At Rin's insistence, Kiana finally obtained the right to pilot the mecha. She immediately demonstrated her excellent piloting skills. Kiana now felt she could definitely obtain Anti-Entropy mecha pilot's license. She was so strong; this kind of thing was no challenge for her at all. She remembered how powerful Bronya had been, but in the end, she was piloting it just as well. This kind of thing really did depend on talent.

"Kiana, slow down, Shen Gonglin seems to be a little carsick... Hey, Jingu, you have to hold it in, don't throw up, if you do, we'll all be in trouble."

Shen Gonglin didn't speak, but Mei did notice that something was wrong with him. The girl turned her head with great difficulty. It was really too cramped for four people to sit in the narrow command room. They couldn't even turn around after squeezing in, and that was only because all four of them were relatively petite. Rin Shen Gonglin had been very quiet since earlier. Mei was a little worried about him, so she wanted to check on him. His slightly greenish face made Mei panic. Shen Gonglin must be carsick. If he vomited, it would definitely be a disaster in such a cramped space.

"Shen Gonglin, don't vomit, just bear with it."

Bronya, at the top, kept patting Shen Gonglin's head, trying to soothe him. She couldn't let him vomit; if he did, no one would escape the consequences. It was also because of Kiana's piloting skills; Shen Gonglin hadn't received any professional training. She and Mei could endure it, but Shen Gonglin probably couldn't handle this rollercoaster-like experience.

"Hmm... um."

Shen Gonglin nodded with great difficulty. He closed his eyes and forced himself to focus on the sensations throughout his body. His hands, feet, and body all felt soft and pliable. In the cramped space, Shen Gonglin and the three girls were Shen Gonglin together. The girls' unique softness and fragrance surrounded him. He could only use these sensations to distract himself, otherwise he would feel dizzy and nauseous.

"Huh? Shen Gonglin, you're really not up to par. You're already feeling dizzy? Watch me do a backflip for you, or if that doesn't work, I'll perform an aerial split for you with my mecha."

Kiana has found another weakness in Shen Gonglin. This guy is practically full of flaws: he's afraid of heights, blood, and pain; he's lecherous; and he gets carsick easily... He's nothing like the perfect male protagonist in anime. But maybe that's why Kiana feels Shen Gonglin is within reach. Seeing how uncomfortable he is, Kiana's mischievous thoughts immediately surfaced. She can't help it; seeing Shen Gonglin in pain makes her happy.

Before Mei and Bronya could stop her, Kiana pushed the control stick with all her might, trying to make the mecha act according to her will. Unfortunately, this Titan Mech wasn't driven by thought. Kiana drove it around recklessly, completely lacking the skill for any precise maneuvers. The mecha suddenly jumped up and crashed straight into the wall. Then, the blue mecha rolled around on the ground like a bowling ball. Shen Gonglin could barely tolerate it before, but now, with Kiana's antics, well, Shen Gonglin couldn't take it anymore.

"Mmm... mmm... mmm..."

With his hands covering his mouth, Shen Gonglin was in so much pain that tears were about to fall. He stared at Kiana with his big Shen Gonglin eyes, which were filled with tears, and made a sound that was hard to understand. Kiana was frightened by Rin Shingu's appearance. What was wrong with him? Why couldn't she understand what he was saying? Had he accidentally bumped into a species barrier?

"Shen Gonglin, what are you saying? I don't understand at all."

"Shen Gonglin means is, Kiana, open your mouth quickly, I'm about to throw up, let me throw up in your mouth."

As expected of Bronya, the seemingly emotionless girl possesses exceptionally keen insight. From Shen Gonglin's ambiguous words, she accurately deciphered Shen Gonglin's meaning. It was absolutely true; Bronya could stake her pride on it— Shen Gonglin definitely meant it.

"Oh... what nonsense are you talking about, you idiot? Do you really think I would do that? It's disgusting... Don't come any closer, Mei! Hurry, stop Shen Gonglin! Don't let him get close! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, okay? I'll open the door right now, please don't spit in my mouth!"

Kiana opened her mouth foolishly, her little pink tongue lying quietly inside. Then Kiana realized something was wrong. She wasn't stupid; how could she let Shen Gonglin do such a thing? After Shen Gonglin's actions, Kiana felt like she was about to develop a phobia of kissing. As Shen Gonglin covered her mouth and approached her, Kiana finally became scared. Was Shen Gonglin planning to do it for real? This wouldn't do; it absolutely wouldn't do.

The cockpit was so small that Kiana couldn't escape at all. In a panic, she frantically pressed buttons on the control panel. Where was the button to open the hatch? She wanted to let Shen Gonglin out to vomit, because if she stayed with him, she would throw up too.

"Kiana, don't press anything. The hatch opening button is that one... not that one."

Bronya wanted to help, but being piled on top, she couldn't get a hand in. The girl could only watch helplessly as Kiana, that silly girl, slammed her hand on the red button.

Haha, as expected of Kiana, she wouldn't be herself if she didn't cause some trouble.

"Ugh... I feel so awful... Mei, I want some water."

Leaning against the wall, Shen Gonglin vomited violently, bringing up everything she had eaten on the ground. Only after this did Shen Gonglin feel better; she had been suffering from severe motion sickness, including Shen Gonglin, seasickness, airsickness, and even mecha sickness. After vomiting, she looked up at Mei and thought, "I feel so bad, so really bad."

"Water... There's no water here either, Shen Gonglin. Just bear with it a little longer. We'll be at the command room soon, and then you can get some rest when we get back to St. Freya."

Seeing Shen Gonglin Mei in such distress, Mei couldn't bear it. She gently patted Shen Gonglin's back and took out a tissue to wipe his mouth. This child was just too fragile. Seeing him like this, Mei really couldn't connect him with the angel with explosive fighting power before. After all, he was still Shen Gonglin. He needed care and attention from others.

"This is the only way... Kiana, I hate you."

"That's all we can do now," Shen Gonglin said, slowly walking back with Mei's help. He looked at Kiana and said these words with a belly full of resentment. "That silly deer is such a headache. It's all her fault that I've ended up like this. And Kiana's faults don't stop there. She could have been sitting comfortably in the mecha, but now she's ruined everything!"

"What does this have to do with me? It's all because of your own poor health, Shen Gonglin. Look at me, and then look at Mei. Even Bronya's body is stronger than yours. Shen Gonglin, you're a boy! This isn't my fault, it's all your problem."

Kiana crossed her arms, turned her head to one side, and whistled. It wasn't her fault; it was probably more of a problem with Shen Gonglin himself.

"That's not what I meant. I was talking about the mecha. It was almost my turn to pilot it, and you messed it up like this. Tell me, how are you going to compensate me!"

With a belly full of resentment, Shen Gonglin pointed at the smoking wreckage of the mecha not far away. This thing used to be a combat mecha that could run and jump. Shen Gonglin hadn't even experienced the romance of men for five minutes before Kiana, that idiot, turned it into this. Is this guy the new generation of vehicle killer? Shen Gonglin was a little scared to be on the same ship as Kiana.

"Well, you can't blame me for this. Who told you to scare me like that? You scared me half to death, so I accidentally pressed the self-destruct button... Besides, it's not my fault. Who told you to make that self-destruct button so red and so big? Shen Gonglin, to be honest, when you saw a button like that, didn't you have the urge to press it? Shen Gonglin, I believe you won't lie about this."

Kiana spoke with increasing confidence, her gaze fixed on Shen Gonglin. She believed that Shen Gonglin was the same as her in this respect; they were both the kind of people who would not betray their own principles. Kiana was certain that Shen Gonglin would not lie here; it was her pride, and it was Shen Gonglin's pride as well.

Ask yourself, which normal person wouldn't want to press such a unique red button when they see it?

This, this Kiana... she really understands me. That's right, if it were me, I would have pressed it no matter what.

Her mind was greatly shaken. Kiana was absolutely right. Shen Gonglin stared in astonishment. In those purple eyes, Kiana's smile was so confident. Indeed, Shen Gonglin and Kiana got along very well in this respect. So, this time, Kiana really couldn't be blamed. Even if she knew that thing was a self-destruct button, seeing a button made her want to press it. It's human nature.

Whether it's Shen Gonglin or Kiana, they are both human. Who could resist such temptation?

"I suppose... you're right, this time. This time it really isn't your fault."

Shen Gonglin, unusually, yielded. After all, Kiana's words made sense this time. Seeing Shen Gonglin's attitude, Kiana smiled happily. That's right, she knew Shen Gonglin understood her, and she was indeed right this time.

"Idiots, and two idiots at that."

Watching the interaction between the two, Bronya ruthlessly gave this assessment: How did these two inexplicably click? They're just two idiots! Why can't she understand what they're saying at all? It can't be her fault. Kiana is an idiot, Shen Gonglin is an idiot too. That's the truth.

Bronya can't stay with those two anymore, otherwise she feels like she might become stupid too. A normal person would know it's dangerous when they see that red button and wouldn't think of pressing it, right? How do Shen Gonglin and Kiana's thought processes work?

I feel that studying their brains would have a huge impact on the progress of biology.

"I knew it! Shen Gonglin, you're still sensible. And Bronya, tell me, where does my piloting skill rank in Anti-Entropy? I took down all the Honkai Beast and Suicide Squad along the way."

Kiana was very happy with Shen Gonglin's understanding. The girl looked at Bronya excitedly, wanting to get the affirmation of this emotionless girl, but Bronya just quietly turned her head away and didn't look at her. With this kind of skill, how dare she ask me?

They just charged in recklessly without any tactical maneuvers, and even pressed the self-destruct button at the end. If they hadn't run away quickly, they probably would have died along with the Titan Mech. With skills like that, how dare they ask where they rank? I wouldn't say, but they're definitely near the bottom.

"Bronya doesn't want to talk to Kiana. She feels there's a risk of it affecting her intelligence. Bronya's brain is very important."

Turning her head away from Kiana, the emotionless voice seemed to be mocking her. Kiana immediately got a little angry. What did she mean by saying that talking to her would affect her IQ? Bronya was mocking her at home again. She just didn't understand. Didn't she see that Shen Gonglin could understand it completely?

As expected, people in this world are different, or rather, Shen Gonglin is different; he understands me perfectly.

Chapter 295 The Only Requirement

These little rascals... well, I should be used to them by now, it's okay, this is how they are normally, that's why I need to keep an eye on them, like a parent or something. Mei has already come to this realization.

As the most reliable person, Mei saw everything. She sighed softly, holding her forehead. She felt like a kindergarten teacher when she was with Rin and the Shen Gonglin. Was her daily task to prevent them from arguing again without her noticing?

"Alright, alright, it's not a big deal anyway. We're almost at the command center, so even if the mech breaks down, it's not a problem. Let's go carry out the mission first, and we can talk about those things about human instincts after the mission is over... Shen Gonglin, and Kiana, you two have to promise me one thing."

Kindergarten teacher Mei quickly interrupted, telling them to stop. They'd forgotten about the mission again. Bronya was usually a reliable girl, but whether it was Shen Gonglin or Kiana, she'd started acting recklessly. Luckily, they were a team; without her, they would have definitely messed things up. Mei felt incredibly important. Looking at the command center door, she suddenly remembered something and turned to solemnly instruct Shen Gonglin and Mei Kiana she needed to explain this to them.

"Hmm? What is it, Mei? Do you have a task for us? Tell us, we promise we'll complete it!"

Kiana quickly jumped in front of Mei and stood at attention. This girl was full of energy and would do whatever Mei told her to do. She was very serious about this.

"You two... Hey, Shen Gonglin, I'm talking to you. Don't look at Bronya. You two, when you go in, please restrain your human instincts. Promise me you won't touch anything inside. Not a single button, not a single switch. That's my only request of you two. Can you do that?"

Mei said these words very seriously. Actually, she could be a little more at ease with Kiana, but with Shen Gonglin... this guy didn't listen to her as much as Kiana, and his unpredictability was even more terrifying than Kiana's. Mei always had a premonition that Shen Gonglin Mei would cause a big mess sooner or later.

"Suppressing human instincts... Mei, you're making it impossible for me. It's called instinct because it's something that humans can't control. Mei, I'm sorry, I can't agree to this."

Shen Gonglin looked at Mei with a troubled expression. This guy was the type who was completely loyal to his own desires, and being willful and reckless was tailor-made for him. Now that Mei wanted him to do this kind of thing, if she didn't give him a little reward... Shen Gonglin winked at Mei. She should realize what she meant.

"It's alright, I've already made preparations."

Mei stared blankly at Shen Gonglin, knowing that this guy wouldn't listen to her so easily. Mei didn't intend to make Shen Gonglin obedient with just a few words. This guy was the type who would say, "I was wrong, but I'll do it again next time," so in addition to words, she had to stop him from doing it in his actions as well.

The girl stood behind Shen Gonglin, placing her hands on Shen Gonglin shoulders to control his movements. From now on, Mei decided to keep a close eye on Shen Gonglin without stopping. This guy was completely disobedient, and even if he agreed to Mei's request, she wouldn't feel at ease. So this was the best outcome. Shen Gonglin was nothing; with her controlling him like this, what could he possibly do?

"Alright, Bronya, how's the cracking going? Can we go in now?"

Staying behind Shen Gonglin, Mei watched with envy as Kiana began to crack the control room's door program Bronya. The emotionless girl's attitude towards work was commendable. She turned around and gave Mei a thumbs up. This kind of problem was no challenge for her at all.

"It's very easy to crack; the password here is very weak."

Without Shen Gonglin's help, Bronya easily cracked the program. As the door opened, everything in the control room came into view. Just as they had guessed, the control room was silent. Apart from a few indicator lights still on, there was no movement. There was no one on the warship. Who could have deployed such a warship here?

However, this issue can be addressed later. The immediate priority is to gain command of the warships as soon as possible; the remaining issues are not their concern.

"Alright, Bronya, you can get started now. Don't worry about them, I'll keep a close eye on them."

The next task is still Bronya's domain. In this hacking field, Mei knows who to entrust the task to. Although Shen Gonglin's skills are probably quite good, Bronya is more reliable. Mei feels that all she can do now is to keep an eye on Shen Gonglin and Kiana. As long as the two of them don't cause trouble for Bronya, there will be absolutely no problem.

"Wow, Shen Gonglin, come and look! There are so many buttons here. My intuition tells me these buttons are very interesting. I think that orange button is very suspicious. My intuition tells me... Mei, I was just saying. I won't press it randomly."

Kiana, temporarily left unattended, ran to the control panel and felt an itch to explore the buttons. She couldn't wait to share it with Shen Gonglin, but the cold gaze emanating from Mei made the silly deer freeze. Kiana quickly stood at attention, turned around, and saluted Mei. She had only been joking around a little, but Mei's gaze was terrifying.

"That would be for the best. Kiana, you come here too, and don't press any buttons randomly."

Kiana was slightly more obedient than Shen Gonglin. Mei kept her eyes on Kiana to make sure she wouldn't leave her sight, while Mei's hands were on Shen Gonglin's shoulders to make sure he wouldn't move around. It was just like a kindergarten teacher's job. These two were the kind of brats who were completely unruly.

"Mei, you did a great job. Bronya will start cracking the main control program now. Please keep a close eye on them, Mei. We can't touch anything here now."

Chapter 296 A Strange Gift

Bronya glanced back at the three of them. When she saw Shen Gonglin and Kiana being kept in check by Mei, a hint of approval flashed in the girl's emotionless gray eyes. Mei was absolutely right. The control room was not a place where Shen Gonglin or Kiana could act recklessly.

Those two idiots could definitely find the self-destruct button among a bunch of buttons without a doubt.

"Bronya, Mei, report on the mission. The ground forces have prepared for the worst. Have you encountered any problems on your side?"

Meanwhile, Himeko's communication came through. It seemed that there was some kind of very special force field on this warship, and Himeko's communication had been unable to get through. Fearing that Shen Gonglin and the others' mission was not progressing well, Himeko could only prepare for the worst. If the warship continued to fall, she would have to dismantle it in mid-air by force. But if that happened... Fortunately, she finally made contact with them again.

"No, everything is going smoothly. Bronya is about to start cracking the main control program. All the unstable factors are under Mei's control. Bronya has already started, Himeko doesn't need to worry."

With her hands on the virtual screen, Bronya spoke to Himeko while performing her actions. Behind her, Shen Gonglin, whose shoulders were being held down by Mei, belatedly exchanged a glance with Kiana. Why did Bronya's words sound so strange to them? The unstable element was being controlled by Mei ...

Could this unstable factor be referring to those two? This seemingly taciturn little girl appears innocent and docile, but she's actually quite mischievous inside.

"Huh?"

Just as Shen Gonglin, that inhuman guy, started plotting how to get revenge on Bronya, the girl let out a questioning sound. Bronya looked at the screen in front of her with some surprise. Mei, thought something had happened, and the group immediately gathered around. They couldn't afford any problems now. Had Bronya discovered something new?

"No login password... All control ports are in a controllable state?"

Before Mei could ask, Bronya hesitantly revealed her discovery. It was completely different from what she had expected. Even the entrance had a complicated password, but why was this crucial part so simple to operate? She had been prepared to put her skills to good use, and if all else failed, she could even enlist Shen Gonglin's help. But now, it felt like Bronya punching cotton. If there wasn't anything difficult set up in the main control program, then it meant that this warship was essentially given to them for free.

"No password? That's really strange. What's the point of doing this... Never mind, whatever the purpose, we must control this warship to change our destination. Bronya, be careful when you're operating it, in case the other side has hidden some Trojan Horse program."

Himeko was also surprised by the state of the warship. Such a large warship was not cheap to build, and it was hard to understand the meaning of giving it away so easily. But even if it was a trap, they had to bite the bullet and go in. And even if something unexpected happened... wasn't Shen Gonglin there too?

Although Himeko always felt that Shen Gonglin was unreliable in words and in wit, like the other girls, she subconsciously had a strange trust in Shen Gonglin. In any case, as long as he was there, no matter what happened, there should be no problem.

"Yes, Major Himeko, Bronya will be careful... Hmm? An email? This is... addressed to Kiana?"

The girl with no personality nodded and continued her work. After searching the system, she found an opened email, and the name inside made Bronya take notice. After glancing at the email, she focused her gaze on Kiana's face. This email was actually addressed to Kiana. What was going on?

"Dear Kiana... This is what the email says, not what I call Kiana. Bronya is feeling a bit nauseous right now. Shen Gonglin, you read it."

Ignoring the white-haired girl behind her who was furious, Bronya moved aside to let Shen Gonglin stand in the middle. Shen Gonglin curiously looked at the email and read it aloud word by word. It really was addressed to Kiana.

"Dear Kiana... Don't laugh so happily. That's what the email said. I just read it aloud. Dear Kiana, hello. This warship, the Moonlight Throne, is finally returned to you after fourteen years. You will ascend the throne and shape a new world, but before that, you must find four keys: the Conquering Lightning, the flames of plague, the Storm of Desire, and the Silent Death. Oh, and the navigation system's password is your birthday."

This was the entire contents of the email. After reading Shen Gonglin, everyone was quite surprised. They didn't understand what it meant at all. However, the only thing they were certain of was that, according to the email, this warship really was something that someone else had given to Kiana.

Even Shen Gonglin was a little surprised. To casually give away such a warship, is this the world of the rich? He never even thought about such a thing. He thought that before he lost his memory, he might have been a rich young master, but now it seems that he is probably just a country bumpkin.

"Wait, is this email really addressed to me?"

Kiana was completely baffled. How could there be an email addressed to her on this mysterious warship? And what did the email mean? Why would someone send her a warship? Yes, the name "Moonlight Throne" suited her aesthetic quite well, but what did those four keys mean? This kind of joke wasn't funny at all. Subconsciously, the girl felt that this wasn't just some kind of prank; someone was definitely up to something.

"Kiana, do you know anything? Among the people you know, is there anyone who would write you a letter like this?"

Himeko was also quite surprised, but since the email was addressed to Kiana, she should know more than they did, at least she should have a direction for their search.

"No, I have no idea. Among all the people I know, no one is so rich as to casually give me a warship as a gift. And even if it were a gift, I wouldn't want it. Who would want something of unknown origin? I don't want it."

Kiana quickly shook her head; she had no clue whatsoever, and she wasn't interested in such strange things at all!