Charlotte-chan's Grand Ambition! (Day One Without Our Silly Book Friends) / The Honkai Beasts Keep Increasing!

Mei immediately remembered something and asked in surprise, "You mean Dr. X, the one who designed the first third-generation Valkyrie Armor, Fluorescent Knight?"

"I know!"

Kiana finally had a chance to chime in. "I heard Dr. X is incredibly mysterious and rarely shows herself. Is this girl really Dr. X?"

Looking at the girl before her, who seemed even younger than herself, Kiana was highly skeptical...

"Of course. Genuine article!"

Charlotte did not seem upset by Kiana's suspicion. Instead, she smiled. "But I'm not as mysterious as you imagine. I avoided appearing in public because I didn't want people to see what I looked like and underestimate me. You have no idea how many times I was rejected while looking for work because of my appearance. They kept saying they didn't hire little girls. Damn it..."

Ling Feng: "..." It was clear she had had it rough too...

"Since Dr. X doesn't want to appear in public, why are you here?" Mei looked at Charlotte curiously. If she had not seen it with her own eyes, she never would have connected Dr. X with Charlotte!

"Well, that's because..."

Charlotte turned to Ling Feng, then walked around to his side and smiled. "Because I wanted to see for myself the powerful Valkyrie who could instantly destroy my Badr test unit. And you're also a Valkyrie capable of deploying relic armor, right, Ling Feng?"

"Badr? What's that?"

Kiana apparently had no idea what Badr was...

Bronya immediately had Project Bunny deploy its cannons. "Badr... if I remember correctly, those were the two red mechs that fought the Class President the day before yesterday!"

"Hm?"

"It was you?"

Mei and Kiana instantly became wary as well. With perfect coordination, they moved to stand on either side of Ling Feng and drew their weapons. "Auntie, this was the one who nearly killed us that day!"

"Ladies, we didn't come here to fight, but I wouldn't mind seeing it through!"

Tifa stepped forward as well, a sword hilt appearing in her hand. Ling Feng recognized it—a Plasma Laser Sword. The Badr test unit had carried that weapon that day!

"Kiana, Mei, stop it. They aren't enemies today!" Theresa hurriedly stopped them. She certainly did not want a battle breaking out in her office, especially one involving A-rank Valkyries...

Mei hesitated before sheathed her katana, though the vigilance in her eyes did not fade. "Dr. X, may I ask what business you have with Ling Feng?"

"Didn't I say? I just wanted to meet him. And while I'm at it, I'd like to reach some cooperation agreements with your academy. Hehe..."

Charlotte stuck out her tongue slightly, then circled around Mei and returned to Ling Feng's side. She grabbed his arm with both hands and smiled. "Ling Feng, just call me Charlotte. You can ask me anything you want, even my measurements. But I can't answer if you ask about the color of my panties, because I'm not wearing any today!"

"Cough, cough..."

Ling Feng nearly choked. What the hell was with this girl? Were all Anti-Entropy people this open? Maybe he should resign from Theresa right now and join Anti-Entropy too...

"Let go of him!"

Kiana grabbed Charlotte from behind and tossed her aside, saying irritably, "You female pervert, stay away from Ling Feng. You'll contaminate him. Hard to believe Dr. X is actually this kind of person..."

"Hoho... are you jealous?"

Charlotte smiled faintly, then looked Kiana over and nodded thoughtfully. "So that's how it is. This so-called Valkyrie academy is actually a Harem Academy. No wonder so many people apply whenever the Valkyrie academy recruits..."

"What nonsense are you talking about?!"

Kiana snapped back angrily. "Listen carefully, I'm not jealous. I just don't want you getting close to Ling Feng! Someone who doesn't even wear panties is bound to be some kind of freak!"

"Hey, that's a personal attack!"

Charlotte became somewhat annoyed too. Snorting, she said, "Not wearing panties is an attitude! It's an attitude of respect for nature, a longing for freedom! Unless you try it, you'll never know how amazing it feels not to wear panties!"

Ling Feng: "..."

Mei: "..."

Theresa: "..."

Tifa: "..." Here she went again. It was fine if the doctor did not like wearing them, but she just had to brag about it everywhere. As her bodyguard, Tifa could not bear this embarrassment...

Charlotte-chan's Grand Dream! (The First Day Without Idiot Friend)

"Alright, alright, stop arguing. Don't we still have that cooperation agreement to settle?" Theresa could not listen anymore, so she stepped in to smooth things over and brought up the agreement.

The email from yesterday had been sent by Charlotte. Its contents were simple: it explained her intent to cooperate and what she could offer...

After Theresa discussed it with Himeko and Tesla, they agreed to cooperate. However, the specific terms still needed to be discussed in person, which was why Charlotte and Tifa had come to St. Freya Academy. Then Charlotte insisted on meeting Ling Feng, and things turned out like this...

Moreover, Theresa now strongly suspected that Charlotte's real reason for coming was to promote the benefits of not wearing panties...

"By the way, Auntie, what exactly are you planning to cooperate with the Anti-Entropy people on?"

Kiana looked silently at Theresa, clearly not very willing to cooperate with Anti-Entropy.

"Don't talk nonsense. I'm not with Anti-Entropy!"

Before Theresa could answer, Charlotte took the initiative to explain. "I don't belong to Schicksal, and I don't belong to Anti-Entropy either. I have my own company and employees. The reason I attacked you that day was because Anti-Entropy hired me to help them take back the relics. In return, they had to pay me and agree to let me research the relics Anti-Entropy possessed!"

"Everything had been going quite smoothly. Even Fu Hua from your academy had been temporarily suppressed, so obtaining the relics was practically guaranteed. But who would have thought your academy had Ling Feng, a Valkyrie who could use relics too? Say, Ling Feng, the chances are low, but you wouldn't happen to be an S-rank Valkyrie, would you?"

As she spoke, Charlotte fixed her eyes on Ling Feng. Discussing cooperation was one reason she had come to St. Freya Academy today, but she had not lied about wanting to find Ling Feng either!

"Sorry, I'm not!"

Ling Feng denied it without hesitation. Though he did not know why, he felt that admitting it would bring a lot of trouble...

"Eh... you really aren't?"

Charlotte looked a little disappointed, but she quickly smiled again. "Fine, then you aren't. But I still want to have a chat with you. Academy Head, you can discuss the cooperation with Tifa. What she says is what I say. But... it's my first time at St. Freya Academy, so... Ling Feng, how about you show me around?"

Ling Feng: "..." Why did it have to be him...

"Sure!"

Theresa did not object either. She smiled helplessly. "Ling Feng, sorry to trouble you. Take our guest around the academy. Mei, Kiana, you two should go as well. Make sure to 'protect' Dr. Charlotte properly, understand?"

"Understood!"

Mei instantly understood Theresa's meaning. Since Charlotte was not part of the academy, they could not let her enter places she should not go, nor could they let her do anything suspicious!

Besides, Mei was more than willing to accompany them. She was still somewhat uneasy about leaving Ling Feng alone with Charlotte, in every sense of the word...

"Hey, Ling Feng, what rank of Valkyrie are you really? Can't you tell me?"

The moment they left the principal's office, Charlotte began questioning Ling Feng again. Her eyes stared straight at him, as though she wanted to see through him completely...

"A D-rank Valkyrie. I'm currently Team 233's assistant!"

Ling Feng did not want to answer that question, because it was too difficult to tell whether Charlotte was friend or foe!

"Tch, as if I'd believe that..."

Charlotte curled her lips. "A D-rank Valkyrie? Forget deploying relic armor—D-rank Valkyries can't even activate relics, okay? If you ask me, you're definitely an S-rank Valkyrie. Even if you aren't, you have some way to gain the power of an S-rank Valkyrie in a short time. Otherwise, there's no way you could use relics!"

"Why are you asking so much? And isn't your field mech research? Why come to St. Freya Academy looking for cooperation?" Ling Feng was truly afraid of this girl. She was the type to get to the bottom of everything, and she was so smart that he could not fool her at all...

"Who said I only research mechs? I research Valkyrie Armor too, okay?"

Charlotte immediately wore a proud expression. "Don't forget, I made the world's first third-generation Valkyrie Armor. Although I've shifted my focus toward mechs lately, I've never neglected Valkyrie Armor research!"

"Then you really are impressive..."

Ling Feng nodded without denying it. Though he found the girl annoying, he had to admit she was a genius—and perhaps an even greater genius than Tesla. Though that was referring to Tesla when she was in her lazy mode...

"So, Ling Feng, are you interested in working for me?"

Charlotte continued with a smile. "Your strength is wasted on being an assistant. Come work with me, and I can provide you with high-tier weapons comparable to relics. I can even give you fourth-generation Valkyrie Armor. Of course, I won't restrict your freedom or demand that you do anything. I only want you to help test the potential of future Valkyrie Armor!"

"What do you mean by that last part?"

Ling Feng did not agree. Instead, he asked what she meant by her last statement!

"It means the future direction of Valkyrie Armor development!"

Charlotte smiled faintly. "At present, most Valkyrie Armor is third-generation. It has already reached a bottleneck in both physical and energy attacks. Therefore, fourth- or fifth-generation Valkyrie Armor will inevitably require landmark breakthroughs. Otherwise, if we face more powerful Honkai Beasts in the future, humanity will be at an absolute disadvantage!"

"And I hope you can wear Valkyrie Armor that I design to verify whether my design concepts are correct. Also... I've already discovered some of the relics' secrets. I still can't fully analyze them, but..."

Charlotte leaned close to Ling Feng's ear and whispered, "If you give me more time and let me study the relics further, I might be able to replicate them!"

"Replicate relics? Your dream is certainly grand..."

Looking at Charlotte, who had made such a bold claim, Ling Feng did not want to discourage her outright. He only smiled. "But do you know the structural principles behind relics? And do you know what materials relics are made from?"

"I don't know the principles, but I know the materials!"

Charlotte thought for a moment and said, "Based on my repeated verifications and tests, if I'm not mistaken, relics... may be made from Honkai Beast cores..."

"Uh..."

Ling Feng froze. Because relics—God-Slaying Armor—really were made from Honkai Beast cores. Of course, not the cores of ordinary low-level Honkai Beasts. The core components of the original eighteen God-Slaying Armors came from the cores of eighteen Judgment-class Honkai Beasts!

(The author's notes were still under maintenance!)

The first day without Idiot Friend. I miss him!

As an author, aside from seeing favorites and all kinds of votes increase, what I liked most was seeing all kinds of complaints and comments. That was how I knew I was not writing alone. But now it would be under maintenance until the 12th. I felt so tired...

The Ever-Increasing Honkai Beasts!

Although Ling Feng did not fully understand the exact process of making God-Slaying Armor, he did know its principles and materials. As an S-rank Valkyrie and a God-Slaying Armor wielder, it would have been ridiculous if he did not even know that...

However, Ling Feng also knew how difficult the path of creating God-Slaying Armor had been. Back when humanity did not yet possess God-Slaying Armor, defeating a Judgment-class Honkai Beast often required the lives of many Valkyries. Even with S-rank Valkyries, no one could guarantee they could defeat a Judgment-class Honkai Beast!

Especially the first three Judgment-class Honkai Beasts to descend. Defeating them had nearly exhausted all the Valkyries in the entire Federation. It was not until God-Slaying Armor emerged, using the power of Honkai Beasts against Honkai Beasts, that humanity completely reversed its relationship with them. When the first S-rank Valkyrie with God-Slaying Armor single-handedly killed a Judgment-class Honkai Beast, the future of God-Slaying Armor had already been decided!

Later, Judgment-class Honkai Beasts could no longer threaten humanity. Instead, they continuously offered up their cores, allowing humanity to create eighteen God-Slaying Armors in total. It seemed as though they could completely eliminate the Honkai, but humanity still perished. Forget going that far—he should discuss the current problem with this genius girl in front of him first...

"Cough, cough. Well, even if what you say is true, how exactly do you plan to replicate relics?"

Charlotte's words had indeed caught Ling Feng's attention. Although he still felt the odds of replicating relics were low, he was willing to exchange ideas with Charlotte. If possible, it would not hurt to remind her of certain structural principles. But if she intended to create or replicate relics, Ling Feng was also worried it could lead to another outcome...

Honkai!

The power of a Judgment-class Honkai Beast needed no explanation. Its appearance was practically a doomsday-level disaster. Even after it was killed, its core still contained immeasurable power. If mishandled, it could very likely trigger a second Honkai eruption. During a second Honkai eruption, the chances of Emperor-class Honkai Beasts appearing were extremely high. There might even... be a second Judgment-class Honkai Beast...

Just think about it: Schicksal currently only had three S-rank Valkyries, and apparently none of them could use relics. So it was easy to foresee that if a Judgment-class Honkai Beast descended, humanity might truly be unable to withstand it. Ling Feng did not want to see that ending at all...

"Well... I'll study it slowly!"

Even though she did not know how yet, Charlotte was not discouraged in the slightest. She said confidently, "The Previous civilization could create relics, so we can create them too. All we need is time!"

"Also, based on my observations over the past few years and the data and materials I've collected over ten years, I discovered that Honkai Beasts are gradually growing stronger. The increase isn't large, but it's steady. I don't know why Honkai Beasts are getting stronger, but I do know that if humanity does not advance and create stronger Valkyrie Armor, we will sooner or later be defeated by the Honkai!"

"Honkai Beasts... are getting stronger..."

Ling Feng had an ominous feeling. He remembered that Honkai Beasts had been weak at first too, but over time, they had grown stronger and stronger until they ultimately destroyed the entire civilization...

"Mm. So, what's your answer?"

Charlotte stopped chatting casually with Ling Feng. She wanted to know whether Ling Feng was willing to cooperate with her!

"Sorry, let me think about it..."

This time, Ling Feng did not refuse directly, but neither did he agree...

"No problem!"

Charlotte did not urge him. Smiling, she said, "Then thank you for showing me around the academy. I should go find Tifa now. Also, Ling Feng, give me your contact information. I'll look for you when I have time!"

"Uh..."

Contact information... Ling Feng hesitated, then looked at Mei. "Mei, I don't have a phone or email right now, so give her your contact information instead..."

"Yes!"

Mei naturally did not refuse. In fact, she was quite happy about it, because if Charlotte wanted to contact Ling Feng, she would have to go through Mei first...

Charlotte: "..." She did not know whether Ling Feng was lying, but she suddenly felt very displeased...

"Alright, that's it. Ling Feng, come find me after you've thought it over. You're welcome anytime. Bye-bye!" After getting the contact information, Charlotte did not linger. She turned around and headed back to the principal's office!

"Ling Feng, are Honkai Beasts... really getting stronger?"

After Charlotte left, Mei looked at Ling Feng. Neither of them had tried to hide their previous conversation, so Mei knew everything!

"I don't know!"