Honkai Impact

I have to admit, Miss Rita, you're stronger than me now...

As for what's next!

Seize the initiative, pounce directly...

Boom, boom, boom, heavy artillery is roaring, climbing to the peak, the world under my feet is completely different because of me, charge, charge forward again, ask my brothers to share life and death, the banner is dancing ahead, charge, charge forward again, for the eternal dream in my heart, with all my might, charge forward!

Unsealing the Secret Manual, Dark Harvest, Swiftness, Immortal Embrace, Phase Rush, Gathering Storm, Lethal Tempo, Approach Speed, Transcendence!

At Schicksal Headquarters, Lord Otto was looking at documents in his office. "Ruins, Shenzhou. I didn't expect to find ruins in Shenzhou again. It seems that in the civilizations of the last century, Shenzhou was indeed the most important!"

Afterward, Otto clicked on the world map and displayed the location where the ruins were discovered. The target location was within the Yellow River basin in Shenzhou. However, the report only mentioned the suspected discovery of ruins, not a confirmed one!

"I'll have to send someone to investigate. Oh, right, Rita..."

Otto remembered Rita, who had been sent to Japan a few days ago. Her mission should be almost complete by now. Notify her that after completing her mission, she doesn't need to rush back. First, go to Shenzhou to investigate the ruins. Otto directly sent a communication request to Rita!

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Chapter 75: S-rank Valkyrie, Judas! (Thanks to a certain big shot for the pantsu)

Soon, the call was connected, and the maid's voice came from Lord Otto's communicator, "Hoo woo... Lord Otto, may I ask... what... what are your orders?"

"Rita? You... what are you doing?"

Lord Griseo felt that Rita's voice was a bit off...

"Cough, cough, Lord Otto, as a Valkyrie, I cannot neglect my training!" Rita's voice returned to normal, sounding firm and decisive...

"Mhm..."

Otto checked the time and said, "But according to the time difference, it should be 11 PM there now. You don't need to train this late, you are already strong enough!"

Rita replied softly, "Y-yes, Lord Otto, I'll rest immediately. Don't... don't move..."

"Hm?"

Otto was completely bewildered...

"It's my mechanical dog. I'm training with the mechanical dog. I told it to stay still for now!"

Rita gave a reasonable explanation...

"Forget it, I have something serious to tell you!"

Otto sometimes didn't know what this strange maid was thinking, so he decided not to talk to her anymore. "After you complete this mission, you don't need to rush back. According to intelligence, a suspected ruin site has been discovered in the Yellow River basin of Shenzhou. I will send you the detailed coordinates later. Take some time to investigate the authenticity of the ruins. Remember, just investigate, don't go too deep. There might be dangerous things in the ruins!"

"Yes, Lord Otto. Are there any other instructions?"

The maid accepted the mission very seriously and earnestly, her tone still respectful...

"That's all. Get some rest early!"

After speaking, Otto ended the call directly...

Fifteen minutes later, Ling Feng and Rita were soaking in the hot spring, their backs against each other. Indeed, this hot spring had a fatigue-relieving effect...

And Rita was finally willing to take off her black stockings while soaking in the hot spring. It was really not easy...

"Rita..."

Ling Feng broke the silence first...

"What are Captain's orders?" Rita turned her head slightly, but she still couldn't see him, only to hear Ling Feng's words more clearly!

"Uh... didn't Bishop Otto tell you to investigate the ruins earlier, right?" Ling Feng was present when Rita was talking to Otto, so he naturally heard their conversation!

"Yes, Captain. The location of the ruins is within the Yellow River basin of Shenzhou!" Rita had no intention of hiding anything from Ling Feng, except for that one secret that absolutely could not be told!

"Oh..."

Ling Feng nodded and asked, "Are there any dangers in exploring the ruins?"

"Eh?"

Rita hesitated for a moment, then chuckled mischievously, "Is Captain concerned about me?"

"Is that so strange?"

Ling Feng didn't want to play coy with Rita anymore. It seemed they didn't need much concealment between them. "Compared to before, I'm more curious about what dangerous things Otto mentioned. For you, an S-rank Valkyrie, there should be very few things that can threaten you!"

"Thank you for your concern, Captain, but actually, we S-rank Valkyries are also very fragile!"

Rita leaned back slightly and said with a nostalgic smile, "Actually, among the three S-rank Valkyries of Schicksal, only Lord Durandal possesses true S-rank strength. As for myself and Lord Theresa, I only managed to reach the threshold of S-rank Valkyrie through hard work and perseverance, while Lord Theresa..."

"Wait, Theresa? The Academy Head? The Academy Head is an S-rank Valkyrie?"

Ling Feng suddenly turned to look at Rita, as if he had heard some world-shattering news. Valkyrie, Theresa, S-rank?

"No... Lord Theresa is an A-rank Valkyrie, that's correct!"

Rita nodded slightly, "However, when paired with Judas, she has the strength of an S-rank Valkyrie. I saw it in Schicksal's files that on December 24, 1973, when Lord Theresa was still a B-rank Valkyrie, she went to the battlefield for the first time with Judas and successfully defeated the Emperor-class Honkai Beast Parvati, proving her strength. Later, through multiple battles, she was finally rated as an S-rank Valkyrie!"

"No way, a B-rank Valkyrie could defeat an Emperor-class Honkai Beast? This... no, 1973..."

Compared to a B-rank Valkyrie defeating an Emperor-class Honkai Beast, Ling Feng suddenly realized a more important issue. Theresa could already fight in 1973. "Rita, I remember... this year is 2016, right?"

"Mhm... that's right!"

Rita nodded slightly!

"Pfft..."

Ling Feng immediately spat out a mouthful of blood, staring at Rita in disbelief. "Then... then what's going on with Theresa? She... she looks like just a child?"

"That's the charm of Lord Theresa!"

Rita said with a hint of longing, recalling, "When he first sent me to Schicksal, I was very lost. But at that time, I met Lord Theresa. Her perfect appearance and gentle heart healed me, and she accompanied me as I grew up. But later, I also discovered that I could grow, but Lord Theresa's body could not. So..."

"From when Theresa held me as a child to when I held Lord Theresa later, this relationship and experience, as well as this role reversal, do you know how wonderful it is, Captain? A Theresa who can't grow up is the perfect Theresa!"

Ling Feng: "..." So, the aunt is actually a legal loli. As for how legal...

Well, in 1973, they fought an Emperor-class Honkai Beast. Even if you count from then, 2016 minus 1973, that's a damn 43 years old. No wonder she can be the Academy Head of St. Freya Academy. Turns out she's not a real loli, but an old woman in her 40s with a loli's appearance? If Judgement Breaker falls from the sky now, it's the end of the story!)

"Rita, continue with your previous topic..."

Ling Feng decided to temporarily skip the topic of Theresa and let Rita continue her previous conversation!

"Okay, Captain!"

Rita had no objections and continued enthusiastically, "Lord Theresa took great care of me since I was young, bought me my favorite foods, and even lent me her precious Hutao comics..."

"Ahem, not that topic, the topic of S-rank Valkyries..."

Ling Feng coughed dryly and reminded Rita. He really didn't want to hear about his aunt right now because it was too hard to accept. Such a cute loli Academy Head wasn't a real loli. Heartbreak! The loli-raising plan had been aborted before it even began!

"Oh... okay, Captain!"

Rita blushed slightly. She couldn't help it; she liked Theresa too much, but the Captain didn't want her to talk about it, so she decided to continue with the topic of S-rank Valkyries. "The reason Lord Theresa was rated as an S-rank Valkyrie, besides her own strength, is basically all thanks to Judgement Breaker!"

"In fact, Lord Theresa was once sarcastically called Judgement Breaker by someone in Schicksal. Although that person was later flattened by Judgement Breaker, as if hit by a dimensional collapse, it was quite miserable. There was also someone who mentioned Lord Theresa's age and was stabbed into a hedgehog by a beam of light..."

Ling Feng: "..."

He remembered that he seemed to have mentioned Theresa's age before... Holy crap, maybe he should go back to Schicksal headquarters with Rita. Coming back to the Academy felt too dangerous...

ps: If there are no images, refresh after three minutes of updating! Also, long live the Karen pumpkin skin! (Although I barely play Herrscher of the Void, the low damage is the Herrscher of the Void, right?)

Chapter 76: The Cooperative Relationship Between the Bishop and Rita!

"So, it means that Lord Theresa became an S-rank Valkyrie mainly because of Judgement Breaker!"

Rita continued to explain to Ling Feng, "Moreover, Lord Theresa has already retired, so she canceled her S-rank Valkyrie title herself and reverted to an A-rank Valkyrie. But if we're talking about combat ability, in simulated battles, Lord Theresa might not be my opponent, but in a real battle, I would definitely lose."

"Wow, I didn't expect the Academy Head to be so formidable..."

Hearing Rita's words, Ling Feng nodded thoughtfully. He had to admit that this era was truly marvelous.

He originally thought the strongest person in St. Freya Academy was Himeko, but he didn't expect it to be Theresa, who had always been hiding her true strength. No wonder Cocolia didn't dare to cause trouble at St. Freya Academy even though she had intentions towards Mei. Were S-rank Valkyries easy to mess with?

"However, among the three S-rank Valkyries, only Lord Durandal truly possesses S-rank strength. I'm referring to the standard before the Second Honkai War!"

Rita gently swirled the water with her hand. "According to the old standards, I could only be considered a top-tier A-rank Valkyrie. However, during the Second Honkai War, many excellent Valkyries sacrificed themselves, including S-rank Valkyries. Therefore, Schicksal had to lower the standards, allowing me to take over the position of a former S-rank Valkyrie!"

"So, Schicksal actually only has one true S-rank Valkyrie?"

Ling Feng felt speechless once again. When he first learned that Schicksal had three S-rank Valkyries, he already felt that the Valkyries of this era were a bit weak. Now, it turned out there was only one. If a Judgment-class Honkai Beast appeared, could they defeat it?

"No, not just one!"

However, Rita denied Ling Feng's statement again and chuckled, "Although this is classified information of Schicksal, I'm still willing to tell you, Captain. Although Schicksal only has three S-rank Valkyries on the surface, and only Lord Durandal is genuine, in reality, under the training of Lord Otto, the headquarters has at least three other S-rank Valkyries. I'm talking about genuine S-ranks!"

"Eh?"

Ling Feng was stunned again. But then again, it wasn't entirely unexpected. After all, S-rank Valkyries were too precious, so it was normal for them to be hidden. For example, in his era, there were fewer than twenty officially announced S-rank Valkyries, but the actual number was a full thirty-seven. Coupled with those who had the potential to become S-rank Valkyries, there were at least fifty people...

In this era, humanity was not solely dominated by Schicksal. There was another force, Anti-Entropy. Although both aimed to fight Honkai, they were in a state of hostility due to differing philosophies.

Schicksal relied on Valkyries, while Anti-Entropy relied on mechs. Although both utilized Honkai energy, they had taken completely different paths. Therefore, it was entirely reasonable for Schicksal to hide its strength from Anti-Entropy. Who knew if Anti-Entropy also had some trump cards?

Thinking of this, Ling Feng felt a little more relieved. It seemed Schicksal wasn't as weak as he imagined. This was a good thing...

"Rita, what's your position at the headquarters?"

After asking about the S-rank Valkyries, Ling Feng also wanted to understand more about Rita. After all, she was on his side now. It would be awkward if he knew nothing about her. Although the situation was already a case of "getting on the bus first and buying the ticket later," the ticket still needed to be bought...

"Reporting to Captain, Rita is a Valkyrie of the Valkyrie Squad Immortal Blades, and also the adjutant to Captain Lord Durandal..."

Rita had mentioned her identity at the Academy before, but she wasn't annoyed by Ling Feng's inquiry. She patiently told Ling Feng again, "However, Rita is usually quite idle. My main interests are cleaning rooms, making tea for Lord Otto, and handling some official duties. Normally, Lord Durandal doesn't call me when she goes on missions because there are very few things that can pose a danger to Lord Durandal."

"Oh, oh, oh, I understand. I just didn't expect an S-rank Valkyrie like you to be just an adjutant."

Ling Feng nodded repeatedly to show understanding, but he also wanted to complain about Otto's arrangements. Rita's strength might indeed be a bit insufficient, but she was still an S-rank Valkyrie. She should at least lead her own small team, but instead, she was made an adjutant. It was a waste of talent...

"Captain, you don't need to worry about me."

Seeing that Ling Feng seemed to be speaking up for her, Rita felt very happy and said with a smile, "And, if Captain needs it, I can apply to join Team 233 and become Captain's adjutant."

"Eh... No, if you do that, will Bishop Otto agree?"

Ling Feng expressed his doubts about this. Rita was an S-rank Valkyrie from headquarters, a direct subordinate of Otto. Theresa's St. Freya Academy was just a branch, similar to a branch company.

If he were to let his direct S-rank Valkyrie join a branch company, if it were him, he would definitely not agree, unless it was a very special situation!

"If Captain insists, even if Lord Otto disagrees, I will still come..."

Rita simply smiled, "Although I take orders from the Bishop, it's actually a cooperative relationship. Schicksal provides me with all the resources I need, and in return, I become a Valkyrie for Schicksal and carry out orders. However, from the moment I joined Schicksal, I made an agreement with the Bishop that I could leave whenever I wished."

"So, as long as Captain orders me to, I can betray Schicksal..."

Rita maintained her smile...

"No, absolutely not..."

Ling Feng was instantly dumbfounded and quickly stopped Rita's ridiculous idea. "Why would you betray Schicksal out of the blue? Join Anti-Entropy? Rita, you don't need to do that. Everything can stay the same, and besides..."

"I really don't understand how Bishop Otto accepted your terms, leaving whenever you want? If you leave, wouldn't Schicksal have wasted all the resources they spent on you?"

"Because this wasn't an agreement between me and the Bishop, but between the person who sent me to Schicksal and the Bishop..."

Rita's attitude towards this matter was very calm. It was because she wasn't involved from the beginning; someone had paved the way for her, and she just had to follow the path step by step.

"The person who sent you to Schicksal? Your dad?"

Ling Feng was a bit curious and also planned to take this opportunity to understand Rita's family situation. This was normal, wasn't it? Was there anything wrong with getting to know another potential father-in-law?

Chapter 77: The Warmth of Human Hearts!

Rita "..."

"No!"

Rita denied it very decisively, then shook her head slightly. "I've never seen his true face, I only know that he is incredibly powerful, so powerful that he could defeat three S-rank Valkyries of Schicksal in an instant. I'm talking about genuine S-rank Valkyries. It's precisely because he is so powerful that the Bishop accepted this agreement!"