Beneath the Moonlight! / So This Is the Suspension Bridge Effect?

"Gift..."

At Ling Feng's words, Mei remembered the gift as well. Ever since returning that day, she had wanted to find time to retrieve it, but the Honkai outbreak in Magic City had distracted her, leaving her without a chance to look for it.

"Yes, the gift!"

Ling Feng nodded gently. "If you are destined to become a Herrscher, then I will keep protecting you. But first, we should retrieve the gift your father mentioned. I don't know what it is, but I'm sure it has something to do with you."

"Hey, hey, what are you two talking about? Don't act like I'm not here. And what gift are you talking about?" Listening to their conversation, Kiana was full of curiosity. What gift? Could it be something delicious again?

"The gift..."

Ling Feng hesitated for a moment, then smiled. "Of course it's a gift."

"Mm-hmm, it's a gift."

Mei smiled as well. The meaning behind those words was probably something only the two of them understood...

"Bronya suggests that if the gift is related to Mei's Herrscher transformation, then it would be best to leave tomorrow."

Bronya unfolded Project Bunny's computer module and looked expressionlessly at the three of them. "According to Project Bunny's scans, Mei's Honkai energy has already begun to destabilize."

Ling Feng stroked his chin. "Then I'll go ask Theresa for leave tomorrow. I agree that this can't be delayed any longer."

"By the way, Mei, where exactly is the gift?"

Speaking of the gift, Ling Feng suddenly realized that he did not actually know what it was or where it was. It was all because his father-in-law loved being cryptic, insisting that it had been left somewhere Mei liked to visit most.

"Well..."

Mei raised her right hand, lightly touching her lips with a finger as she pondered. After a moment, she turned to Ling Feng. "If Father meant what I think he meant, then the gift should be in my hometown, Neon."

"Neon? That's... pretty far away..."

Ling Feng had seen a world map before, so he naturally knew where Neon was. Actually, it was not that far. With modern transportation, it would take only two hours. If they used the Hyperion, they could arrive in under half an hour...

But taking a warship to retrieve a gift seemed far too extravagant. They should figure out a way to fly there instead. But that would leave them severely short on funding again...

"Neon, huh? I've heard of it, but I've never been there!"

Kiana nodded thoughtfully, then asked eagerly, practically bursting with excitement, "Are we going tomorrow? I heard there are lots of natural hot springs there. I've wanted to try one for ages!"

"There are indeed plenty of hot springs, since our country is on an earthquake belt."

Mei nodded softly, a wistful expression appearing on her face. "When I was little, my favorite thing was soaking comfortably in a private hot spring after a tiring day. All the exhaustion from the day would vanish in an instant."

"That sounds... kind of fun, Ling Feng..."

As she spoke, Kiana walked toward Ling Feng with an expectant look, grabbed his arm with both hands, and gazed up at him pleadingly. "Let's go tomorrow. You have to get leave from Auntie Theresa, okay? Not only can we soak in hot springs, we can also run aw— I mean, help Mei look for her gift!"

Ling Feng: "..." Wait, what did she say they could run from? And whenever she smiled like that, he got a bad feeling...

Still, although she could be a huge pain sometimes, she was really adorable when she acted cute. Please, continue...

But Kiana, cute as she was, they still had to face the issue called funding. Ling Feng did not know how much plane tickets cost, but they definitely would not be cheap. And once they reached Neon, they would need money to spend. They needed somewhere to stay, food to eat—everything cost money!

Ling Feng did not want to leave with money and end up unable to afford the trip back. That would be awkward...

"Fine, fine, fine. I'll go explain everything to Theresa tomorrow. This concerns whether Mei will become a Herrscher or not, so I don't think the Academy Head will refuse."

In the end, Ling Feng agreed. He planned to see Theresa the next day and, while he was at it, see if he could apply for some additional funds. This was not a vacation—they were doing this for Mei!

And so, the matter was decided. Tonight, they would wash up early and get some sleep!

That night, Kiana fell asleep dreaming sweet dreams of eating snacks, and then...

Kiana found herself standing on the academy's training field again. It was still nighttime, and there was still not a single person around. There was only bleakness, a silence so deep it sent chills down her spine!

"St. Freya Academy again...?"

Looking at the familiar yet somehow unfamiliar scene before her, Kiana felt uneasy...

"Hehehe..."

Suddenly, a black phantom appeared in the distance. "We meet again, little girl who lost her way."

"It's you again. Who... who are you?"

Kiana remembered that voice. She had heard it here not long ago!

"I am you, and you are me, aren't you?"

The phantom continued speaking in that eerie voice, laughing as she said, "But it seems you really are getting stronger. And the stigmata on your body seems to possess my power as well. Can you tell me who engraved it for you?"

"Hmph, no. Why should I tell you?"

Kiana remained stubborn. Facing the phantom for the second time, she was no longer as frightened as she had been the first time. This was her dream, after all!

"Hehe... Even if you don't tell me, I already know. Because I possess your memories too. I told you—I am you, and you are me!"

The phantom continued with a smile. "Still, since you kept your promise and grew stronger, I can tell you some things about Cecilia. But do you want to hear them?"

"Then hurry up and tell me!"

Hearing her mother's name again, Kiana became serious once more. Her mother, Cecilia... she only knew that name. She had never seen her mother, and did not even know what she looked like...

She had asked her father countless times, but every time, he had remained silent. The only thing she knew was that her mother had also been a Valkyrie, and that her name was Cecilia!

"Cecilia and I were old friends. Tell me, Kiana, do you know about the Second Honkai War?"

The phantom asked slowly...

"The Second Honkai War? I've heard of it, but I don't know much!"

Kiana shook her head slightly. She did not really understand things like that, and much of the relevant information was classified, so she could not look it up even if she wanted to!

"Sigh... Then I'll have to start from the beginning..."

The phantom sounded somewhat helpless as she smiled. "Cecilia's full name was Cecilia Schariac. She was once the heir to the Saniyat Family and possessed extraordinary ability to control Honkai. Back then, she was one of Schicksal's S-rank Valkyries!"

"An S-rank Valkyrie? Mom was... that amazing?"

Kiana froze for a moment. An S-rank Valkyrie... just who was her mother?

"And then?" Kiana pressed impatiently!

The phantom fell silent for a while before finally speaking slowly. "Kiana, there are many things that I think... you would be better off not knowing. The more you know, the more pain you will suffer. I can guarantee that once you learn the truth, you will fall into utter despair..."

"What happened? Just tell me what happened to Mom afterward, okay?"

Kiana only wanted to know where her mother was. As someone who had never seen her mother since birth, Kiana had devoted her life's goal to finding her!

"You... are too weak. You cannot bear this price yet..."

The phantom did not seem willing to tell Kiana what came next. She merely said, "If—if you can become stronger, then I will tell you the rest!"

As she spoke, the surrounding space began to fade away again...

"Don't go! I'll definitely become stronger! Can't you tell me first...?"

Kiana hurriedly called out, but the phantom gave no response at all. In the end, the scene before her vanished completely...

Kiana's consciousness returned to the real world, while the phantom manifested once again and muttered to herself, "Kiana, become stronger quickly. Only then can I complete my revenge. This world should not exist..."

At the same time, the phantom stared at the stigmata patterns before her, seemingly lost in thought. The power within those stigmata seemed identical to her own. Just who was that Ling Feng?

Still, if he could engrave a complete set of stigmata onto Kiana, perhaps my power could be fully awakened. Kiana, don't you dare disappoint me...

The next day, Ling Feng went to the Academy Head's office to explain their trip to Neon to Theresa...

"Hmm..."

Theresa tilted her head and thought for quite some time before saying, "I approve the leave request, but there's no funding. However..."

"However what?"

Ling Feng knew Theresa had not finished speaking...

"I can give you a warship!"

Theresa suddenly opened a holographic display, and an image of a warship appeared. "Recognize it? The Moonlight Throne you brought back last time. Tesla has thoroughly inspected and modified it. There are no major problems, and it can be deployed in combat. But..."

"Academy Head, could you please say everything at once?"

Ling Feng truly did not want to endure this textbook-style pausing anymore. It was exhausting to listen to!

"The Moonlight Throne's engine—or rather, its weapons—have extremely high output..."

As she spoke, Theresa continued displaying the hologram and enlarged one portion of it. "How high, exactly? Put simply, if it were fully charged and supplied with enough energy, it could completely destroy the entire Americas in half a day!"

"Huh? You're... sure you're not messing with me?"

Ling Feng was stunned by surprise. Destroying the Americas in half a day—this explanation was certainly detailed enough. "No way. Something that dangerous... who gave it to Kiana?"

"Don't rush. I haven't finished yet!"

Theresa waved her hand and smiled. "Output is merely a term. In reality, the Moonlight Throne definitely cannot achieve that level, because it does not have a sufficient energy system. Moreover, its propulsion system is also its output system. In other words, the Moonlight Throne cannot execute attack commands independently. It can only function as an artillery platform!"

"Also, although its output is so high, the conversion ratio is ridiculously inefficient. All things considered, using the Moonlight Throne to fire is not very cost-effective!"

Theresa silently pushed the holographic display toward Ling Feng and smiled proudly. "So, I plan to give the Moonlight Throne to your Team 233. Your strength is worthy of a warship now, and besides, it originally belonged to Kiana!"

Ling Feng kept tapping through the Moonlight Throne's data with his fingers. The Moonlight Throne was a small-to-medium warship, much smaller than the Hyperion. Its design was not particularly attractive either, nowhere near as cool as the Hyperion. Still, its deck was much smaller, so it should be quicker to clean!

"Fine, I accept!"

Why would he refuse a warship being handed to him? Besides, the Moonlight Throne was incredibly fast. With it, getting to Neon would not be a problem at all!

"Mm!"

Theresa nodded lightly and smiled. "Ling Feng, this is only the beginning. The Moonlight Throne is just temporary. I think... before long, Kiana or Mei should be able to become A-rank Valkyries, right? And A-rank Valkyries can apply for their own exclusive warships, just like Himeko!"

"Himeko..."

At the mention of Himeko, Ling Feng suddenly recalled his conversation with Kiana that day. Hesitantly, he said, "Himeko... her body..."

"So you know too... Did Kiana tell you?" Theresa was not surprised at all that Ling Feng knew about it, because it was no longer much of a secret!

"Mm..."

Ling Feng nodded and asked, "Since Himeko's body is already like that, why hasn't she retired? A Valkyrie's battles are already a process of burning away her life, and Himeko... why does she keep doing this?"

"This is my fault!"

A bitter smile appeared on Theresa's delicate, youthful face, and her eyes carried a depth that did not belong to her apparent age. "You know this, right? Schicksal is the ultimate command center for all Valkyries. There are some Valkyries who do not obey Schicksal, but Schicksal Headquarters remains the leader!"

"However, Schicksal's methods of training Valkyries are too cruel. To a great extent, they treat Valkyries as tools. Many people opposed this idea, so with Schicksal's approval, each branch established its own institutions and schools to train Valkyries. Our St. Freya Academy is one of them!"

"But it's like divided territories. Every organization and academy has its own region and is responsible for resolving Honkai incidents within it. But... we cannot sustain the expenses of Valkyries and various projects on our own, so we have to make money. The best way to do that is to obtain funding from Headquarters. Every year, Headquarters evaluates each branch's strength and achievements, then distributes the corresponding funds. But... honestly, it is nowhere near enough. It truly isn't!"

"So we have to find our own ways, whether that means taking missions or seeking sponsorships. In short, we have to do everything possible to earn funding. Unfortunately, St. Freya Academy is somewhat weak. The only Valkyrie we can truly rely on is Himeko—Major Himeko, known as the ace of the Far East Branch. I have tried many times to persuade Himeko not to fight anymore, but..."

"Himeko refuses!"

A bitter smile appeared on Theresa's delicate, childlike face. "Fu Hua cannot be fully trusted, and I must remain at the academy. If Himeko retires, St. Freya Academy will be in a very difficult position. So Himeko said that until our academy trains a truly homegrown A-rank Valkyrie, she will not retire!"

After leaving the Academy Head's office, Ling Feng felt conflicted. Their trip to Neon was settled, thanks to the Moonlight Throne, but Himeko...

The ace Valkyrie of the Far East Branch, an A-rank Valkyrie, had nearly been defeated by an Emperor-class Honkai Beast. That was enough to show just how far Himeko's condition had deteriorated. What Tesla had once said to him might have been more appropriate for Himeko!

And there was very little he could do with his current strength. Taking Himeko's place was out of the question—that would be suicide. But...

Himeko had said she would retire once the academy had its own A-rank Valkyrie. Then...

Kiana, Mei, this future should be left to you. So the first step was to find the gift and resolve the crisis brought by Mei's Herrscher transformation!

Ling Feng headed directly for Tesla's laboratory. Why? Obviously, Tesla was still controlling the Moonlight Throne's systems, and all the relevant data was with her. There were also plenty of handover procedures to complete. Did he really think that just because someone gave him a warship, he could immediately fly it?

Outside the laboratory, Ling Feng did not knock because he was afraid of disturbing Tesla. That girl never closed the door anyway. Besides, apart from Ling Feng, Theresa, and the others occasionally coming here, the only other person likely to visit was probably the girl who worked at the academy cafeteria. And why did she come? Obviously, to deliver takeout...

Entering Tesla's research room, Ling Feng immediately spotted her sitting at the computer desk. She was seated in a chair, staring at the monitor, clicking the mouse every few seconds. Was she playing Minesweeper?

Not wanting to disturb Tesla, Ling Feng did not call out to her. Instead, he carefully walked up behind her, wanting to see what exactly she was playing. Ling Feng remembered that Minesweeper had extremely demanding system requirements!

However, Tesla was not playing Minesweeper. She was browsing a webpage called "Love Psychology Test Questions"!