44. Xia Ling: "Himeko? Himeko Revived in Chapter 25 (I'm Sure)" / 45. Kiana's Tutoring Plan

The next day, a few rays of sunlight shone through the window and fell on Kiana's cheek.

"Hmm..."

It seemed that Kiana's experience of wandering a few days ago had greatly awakened her vigilance. Even with only faint sunlight, Kiana slowly opened her eyes.

Before me was an unfamiliar ceiling, and I seemed to be lying on a very soft bed.

As her hazy vision gradually focused, Kiana slowly sat up and found that she was wearing a brand new set of underwear. Beside the bed, there was also a brand new set of clothes.

During her time as a wanderer, the minor wounds on her body seemed to have been cleaned and treated. Kiana looked around and found that this seemed to be an unfamiliar room.

"Oh, right, last night..."

Memories of last night slowly surfaced in Kiana's mind.

"How could this be... Sister Xia Ling clearly already..."

"But if it wasn't Sister Xia Ling, then who took care of me last night...?"

"Could it be Fu Hua?"

"Ahem, although I'm glad you thought of me at this time, I regret to inform you that I don't have the ability to build a safe house in Changkong City overnight and prepare sufficient supplies."

Fu Hua's voice echoed in Kiana's mind, Kiana keenly noticed that Fu Hua's voice sounded somewhat sleepy.

"As for everything that happened last night in your memory... it wasn't my illusion, but my suggestion is that you go out and see Xia Ling. You must miss her a lot."

Kiana paused for a moment, then squeezed out a barely audible thank you before quickly changing her clothes and opening the door.

"Huh? Kiana, you're awake?"

Seemingly hearing Kiana open the door, Xia Ling poked her head out of the kitchen. "Go take a shower and then come out to eat. You must be starving these past few days."

Xia Ling's tone was as calm and gentle as ever, just like every day before. As long as it didn't involve her studies, Xia Ling would use this tone to show concern for her life.

Kiana's eyes immediately reddened again. She quickly walked to the kitchen and hugged Xia Ling once more.

"Honestly, why have you become so affectionate after just a few days..."

Xia Ling gently stroked Kiana's hair and said softly, "Okay, I know what you're thinking. This really isn't a dream. I'll explain the reason for all of this to you slowly."

"Whether it's a dream or not..." Kiana murmured, "Can I hold you a little longer?"

"That way... even if I return to reality later, I will be satisfied."

"Back to reality? You silly goose, you still don't believe me...?"

Xia Ling's expression softened. "I really can't do anything with you, so I'll let you hug me a little longer. You can let go when you're sure I'm real, okay?"

"Don't worry, it won't break in your arms~"

Chapter 44 Xia Ling: Himeko? Himeko's Resurrection in Chapter 25 (Confirmed)

Several minutes passed before Kiana reluctantly released Xia Ling.

"Confirmed?"

"Hmm!" Kiana smiled for the first time in days. "I'm... satisfied. I can't ask for more."

"You..." Xia Ling tapped Kiana's forehead. "Because of your hug, the toast pizza got burnt."

"But I remember you seem to like burnt food... Anyway, go take a shower and then come out to eat!"

"Since we're all here in Schicksal, let's do as the locals do. We can talk about it over dinner."

After pushing Kiana out of the kitchen, Xia Ling started getting busy again.

A dozen minutes later, Kiana had already washed herself clean, sat obediently at the table, taking small bites of the freshly baked, slightly burnt toast pizza.

"I mean... are you being so reserved when you eat these days?"

"Hmm... because it's been a long time since I've tasted this flavor..."

"I remember the last time I made this for you was about a month ago..." Xia Ling's gaze fell on Kiana: "It feels like a long time has passed."

"A lot has indeed happened in this month, no, even in just this week."

"Well... next, in order to dispel the doubts of a certain little fool, let me first explain my resurrection."

Sensing Kiana immediately perk up her ears, Xia Ling smiled slightly, "First of all, I did die once that day."

Kiana's expression visibly fell.

"After all, his body was in such a state at the time that even with immediate treatment, the chances of him surviving were extremely slim."

"But don't worry, as long as I pay a certain 'price,' I can be said to be immortal in the strict sense."

"Cost..."

Xia Ling placed her hand on Kiana's head, feeling her soft, slightly damp hair.

Kiana, who had just showered, still carried a faint fragrance. Sensing Kiana's unease, Xia Ling comforted her:

"Don't overthink it. Although these costs are significant to me, they are insignificant compared to yours."

"As for more specific details, that goes back to my..."

"Wait, Sister Xia Ling."

Kiana turned around, picked up a slice of pizza, and stuffed it into Xia Ling's mouth.

"Hmm?"

"These things... it's better not to tell me."

"After all..." Kiana's expression was somewhat forlorn. "If I know, it means Sirin will know too, so I'd better not cause Sister Xia Ling any more trouble."

"Cough cough..." Xia Ling swallowed the pizza in her mouth and hurriedly said, "Actually, I don't care about these things..."

Xia Ling was interrupted by Kiana before she could finish speaking.

"That won't do, Sister Xia Ling." Kiana's eyes flashed with seriousness. "I don't want to become any more burdensome because of me, for you, or for everyone. I've already troubled everyone enough, otherwise I wouldn't..."

"Otherwise, you wouldn't have hidden here, right? And your next sentence, are you implying that I shouldn't try to persuade you anymore, and that you should walk your own path from now on, right?"

Xia Ling roughly rubbed Kiana's face, watching the girl make continuous whimpering sounds, until Kiana looked at her with some trouble before she let go.

"I knew you idiot would have that thought. But don't worry, I'm not asking you to go back... Since you don't want to go back, I won't try to persuade you."

"But—" Xia Ling emphasized, "Considering that some idiot can't cook or make money, and that he might end up pitifully living under a bridge, hungry and cold every day, I can't help but worry about him."

"So, after being resurrected, I haven't contacted anyone else yet. I just followed the mark I left on you to find you. From now on, I'll go wherever you go, so I won't have to worry about you every day and lose sleep."

"Pfft... Sister Xia Ling, really, how could I be so miserable..." Kiana couldn't help but laugh, "When I was a kid, I wandered from Europe to the Far East on my own, so I have some experience as a wanderer, right?"

"You yourself? You're kidding me. Sigfried was practically living next to you and watching you every day back then." Xia Ling shook her head helplessly. "Do you know where the underground black market in Changkong City is? Do you know where the blind spots of the surveillance network are? Do you know how to determine if your information has already been put up for sale on the dark web?"

"Besides, who was that pitiful little white kitten squatting by the roadside last night? Why was it so hungry?"

"Uh..." Kiana blushed slightly and lowered her head.

"Anyway, we're a wanted criminal and a dead man, so let's just make do and wander together. Whenever you want to go back to the Hyperion, I'll take you back."

"This... Auntie, oh no, the headmistress, is it really okay?" Kiana originally wanted to call Theresa "Auntie," but when she thought about her own status, her face darkened and she changed her address.

"No, it's okay, absolutely nothing." Xia Ling silently wiped away non-existent cold sweat. "It's all part of the plan!"

"I hope Sister Xia Ling won't need me to rescue you from the basement in the future..."

Kiana muttered to herself, then suddenly looked up. "Now that Sister Xia Ling has been resurrected, what about Himeko?"

"Uh..." Xia Ling's voice lowered slightly. "I don't know either."

"After all, I died before Himeko... Although I left Himeko some backup plans, I don't know if those things will work after I die."

"My resurrection also takes time, and to avoid being camped by the corpse, I won't resurrect on the same spot, so I don't know much about Himeko's situation."

"I see..."

Kiana lowered her head.

"Don't worry, Kiana. At least Himeko still has a God-Slaying Armor."

Xia Ling began to plant some "foreshadowing" for Kiana: "Moreover, the Flame Herrscher Core is also on Himeko. Maybe next time we meet, she will become the Herrscher of Flame."

"Really?" Kiana blinked her eyes. "Sister Xia Ling, you're not lying to me, are you?"

"Don't worry, Himeko is a lucky person and will definitely be fine."

Xia Ling tried hard to suppress the corners of her mouth, but inside she was laughing as if she were telling someone about the resurrected ghost in Chapter 25.

Chapter 45 Kiana's Tutoring Plan

Kiana finally filled her stomach after devouring all four or five slices of toast pizza that Xia Ling had baked.

This was her first full meal in days, and it was the familiar taste of Xia Ling cooking it herself. For a moment, Kiana suddenly felt that she could die without regrets. Even if she were told now that this was just a dream or some kind of fantasy before she died, she would probably only show a satisfied smile.

However, she soon changed her mind.

"My dear Kiana, you're full now, aren't you?"

Xia Ling asked with a smile.

Kiana shrank back. Xia Ling's expression made her subconsciously think that she had failed some subject again. But then she thought that she didn't deserve such a luxurious worry anymore.

"Well then, let's talk about your problems."

Xia Ling placed one hand on Kiana's chest and closed her eyes.

Kiana blushed slightly, but didn't make any other moves. After all, Xia Ling had changed her clothes, and what she wanted to see and touch had probably already been seen and touched by Xia Ling...

However, she didn't have any other thoughts. After all, they were both girls, and it wasn't a big deal for them to touch each other occasionally. In fact, it wasn't necessarily a matter of who was taking advantage of whom.

On the other side, Xia Ling was still carefully sensing it.

The hand-shaped diamond-shaped pendant feels very good, warm, soft, and delicate, and the size is just right... uh, no, that's not the feeling.

A Honkai Energy, under Xia Ling's control, traveled through Kiana's body, probing her physical condition.

A moment later, Xia Ling opened her eyes with a solemn expression.

"Sister Xia Ling, the situation is very bad, isn't it?"

Kiana gave a wry smile, "I know my body very well. To simultaneously contain three Herrscher Core, including the Death Herrscher and the Lightning Herrscher, which are highly destructive... I'm afraid my internal body is already a complete mess."

"Sigh..." Xia Ling sighed softly. Kiana's statement was absolutely true, and the actual situation was even more serious than she described.

Back in Oceania, Wendy was already unable to walk even with just one Herrscher Core, and Kiana, even though she was made from a mixture of Sirin and Shinki's genes, was far from having the Honkai Energy resistance to accommodate three cores at the same time.

Sirin was able to transform into a six-core because she could actually control these six cores. Whether her state at that time could be considered ascension is another matter, but the healing ability of the Core of the Herrscher of Death was enough for her to easily accommodate several more cores.

Kiana's situation is different. With a consciousness still inside her body, she is clearly still a long way from achieving immortality. Furthermore, since she has no control over the Core of the Herrscher of Death, she cannot use the same method as Sirin, where she can repair a car while driving.

Strictly speaking, if Sirin wanted to destroy this body, she only needed to activate either of the two cores, and the body would reach its critical point. However, in that case, even she herself would probably have a hard time surviving.

"Don't worry about that, I'll figure something out."

Xia Ling patted Kiana's head to comfort her.

However, judging from Kiana's appearance, she obviously didn't care much. Xia Ling knew her thoughts very well; she simply wanted to live if she could, and if she couldn't, she would die with Sirin.

In fact, until the Flame-Chaser, even during the Sky Ranger era or after Elegy of the Sinner, Kiana always had a similar mindset, always carrying a hidden impulse to self-destruct.

"As for now... Kiana, Fu Hua's consciousness is currently inside you, right?"

"Huh? How did you know, Sister Xia Ling?"

Kiana was somewhat surprised. She had just been thinking about how to explain this to Xia Ling, but she didn't expect that Xia Ling already knew.

"Of course, after all, I personally arranged for one of the feathers on your body to be replaced." Xia Ling-Meng Qi O-ba wushi Lu rba t (seven) Ling's face revealed a hint of mystery and cunning.

"Ah?"

"What do you mean, 'huh'? You must have been giving Fu Hua a hard time these past few days."

Xia Ling gently patted Kiana's head. "Actually, you still underestimate your Class President. Her identity is not as simple as a mere spy. The reason she agreed to Otto's request can be traced back to a transaction five hundred years ago."

Seeing Kiana's expression, ready to listen to a story, Xia Ling smiled slightly:

"But if you want to hear these stories, you'll have to build a good relationship with Fu Hua and have her tell them to you personally."

"Fu Hua stayed up all night for you last night and is probably resting now. All I want to do is take this opportunity to clear up the misunderstanding between you two."