In Honkai, But Integrated Strategies Activated

To be precise, it's because the host's dream ended abruptly, causing Bronya to potentially enter a new dreamscape that continued from the trial. But it's not a big deal, at most, it just means her sleep quality wasn't great.

"I see... Xia Ling leaned down and asked softly, "Then Bronya, what kind of nightmare did you have?"

"Bronya can't remember," Duck Duck shook her head. "But I think I remember... Sister Xia Ling died..."

"It's okay," Xia Ling gently patted Bronya's head, feeling the soft, delicate texture under her fingertips. "Aren't I still here? It was just a dream."

"Bronya isn't a child anymore and doesn't need to be comforted by others because of a nightmare." After Xia Ling had petted her for a few moments, Bronya shook her head bashfully. The two turbo-like appendages on her head flapped against Xia Ling's hand, giving off a soft sensation.

"Alright, alright, you're not a child." Xia Ling stood up with a smile. "Go wash up quickly, and remember to come out for breakfast later."

Chapter 33: It's perfectly reasonable for an assistant teacher to tag along, right?

After having breakfast with the Big Three, Xia Ling leisurely left the villa.

Generally, there wasn't any teaching work that required Xia Ling's assistance in the mornings. Unless Himeko called her, Xia Ling could even go the entire morning without showing up.

However, today was clearly an exception, as she planned to have a chat with Theresa.

Of course, before heading to Theresa's office, there were a few small preparations to be made.

"Boss, I'll take the latest issue of Hohom Adventure. I remember today's the new release day, right?" Xia Ling asked, standing by the small shop.

"That's right. Fortunately, you came early. If you waited until after the students' first class, there might not be many left," the shopkeeper replied.

After receiving the comic book and placing it in an opaque shopping bag, Xia Ling then proceeded to Theresa's office with satisfaction.

Xia Ling raised her hand and gently knocked on the door. "Theresa, are you in?"

Hearing the sounds of drawers being hastily opened and closed, paper being torn, and chairs being moved from inside the room, a mischievous smile crept onto Xia Ling's lips.

It was common knowledge that Theresa liked to secretly read manga in her office and would frantically tear them up and hide the scraps when discovered.

Incidentally, Himeko was the one who caused the highest rate of manga "battle damage" for Theresa.

"Theresa? I'm coming in."

As she spoke, Xia Ling pushed the door open. At the same time, a clattering sound echoed from beneath Theresa's tall desk.

"Uh, Theresa, what are you doing?"

Xia Ling, suppressing her laughter, asked a question she already knew the answer to, looking at the overturned trash can peeking out from beside Theresa's desk, the scattered colorful paper on the floor, and the toppled chair.

However, Theresa clearly still wanted to maintain some of her dignity as Headmaster in front of the new teacher, Xia Ling. She rubbed the tears that welled up from her fall, cleared her throat, and acted as if nothing had happened. "Ahem, it's nothing, it's just that Schicksal's chairs aren't very sturdy. I accidentally knocked it over just now."

"Ah~ I see. Do you need any help?"

"No, no, I can manage myself." Theresa shook her head like a rattle, quickly righting the chair and sitting down. "Little Xia Ling, why are you suddenly here to see me?"

Xia Ling suddenly realized that when Theresa had been standing behind the desk, only her head was visible. Now, sitting in the chair, she could see her upper body.

Her understanding of Theresa's height and the chair's height was once again refreshed. Xia Ling spoke, "It's like this, tomorrow Kiana and her class have a practical test in Changkong City, and I want to go along."

"Huh? I thought you weren't very interested in this before. Why do you want to go now?" Theresa stopped tidying her desk and looked at Xia Ling in surprise.

"Well... mainly, after thinking about it, this practical test is Kiana and the others' first real combat experience. As an assistant teacher, I should go with them."

"Moreover, during this time, I've familiarized myself with the basic situation of this world through the electronic library. The only thing I haven't personally seen is Honkai Beasts. Last time we came back together, it was quite rushed, so I also want to broaden my horizons this time."

Xia Ling stood in front of the desk, calmly stating the excuse she had prepared.

"Hmm... If that's the case, then it's fine for you to tag along." Theresa pulled up the map of Changkong City from the teacher's terminal, glanced at it, and said, "Actually, there aren't many large Honkai Beasts left in Changkong City. At least within the training area designated by the school, you'll see at most some charging-type or ordinary dead soldiers. After all, these students are just starting out, and we can't let them operate in too dangerous an environment."

As she spoke, Theresa opened the mission roster for the next day and added Xia Ling's name:

"Alright, I've added your name. Remember to tell Himeko when you get back tonight. Tomorrow, you'll be acting with Kiana and the others. They all escaped from Changkong City, so they're quite familiar with the routes and environment."

Although Theresa didn't say it explicitly, Xia Ling could sense the teasing in her words, and her face immediately flushed. "Theresa! I told you I'm not directionally challenged. I only get lost because I'm not good at using the teacher's terminal, and the scenery within the academy is too monotonous."

"Ah, yes, yes, yes." Theresa didn't take her words to heart at all. "You say it as if it's true, and I'll listen as if it's true. In short, tomorrow, just stick close to Kiana and the others and don't fall behind."

"Hmph." Xia Ling raised her hand and shook the sealed plastic bag in her hand. "Think carefully. Take a look at what this is first."

"It's almost time for the first class to end. You won't have time to go out and buy the latest issue of Hohom Adventure now."

"!" Theresa's eyes immediately widened, her gaze seemingly fixed on the comic in Xia Ling's hand. "No, no, no, what I meant was, with Teacher Xia Ling providing support for Kiana and the others tomorrow, it will definitely be foolproof!"

"Hmph, that's more like it." Smiling, Xia Ling placed the comic on Theresa's desk, waved goodbye, and left the office.

"Xia Ling..." Theresa stared silently at the comic in her hand. "You shouldn't know about my habit of tearing up manga. At least Himeko wouldn't actively reveal such a thing, and the students wouldn't rashly discuss such gossip with a new teacher."

"It seems our speculation is correct? Does Xia Ling really have a counterpart in that world of hers..."

Meanwhile, Xia Ling strolled leisurely through the St. Freya campus, preparing to head to the commercial street to get some ingredients.

The real reason Xia Ling went to see Theresa today wasn't to see Honkai Beasts baring their fangs in Changkong City.

It was because she wanted to find an opportunity to deploy Flame Willow.

Although she already had a clone named Flame Willow, the system couldn't directly deploy Flame Willow to Changkong City. Instead, it could only place a person at the location of their main body or a specific clone.

This meant that Xia Ling's first step in the plan she had devised all night was immediately obstructed.

Fortunately, the academy was holding a practical combat test soon, which would also be Kiana and the others' first practical combat test since arriving at the academy.

Xia Ling hadn't intended to participate, but with this problem, she had no choice but to temporarily find Theresa and get herself added to the roster.

"Sigh, Flame Willow, do you think I need to hurry up and increase my strength? At least enough to be added to the Far East Branch's combat roster," Xia Ling grumbled in her mind. "Otherwise, every time I get a new character, I have to find a way to travel to their location. If this keeps up, I won't know what excuses to come up with anymore."

"It doesn't matter, prioritizing the promotion of your main body to Elite 2 is also fine," Flame Willow replied in Xia Ling's mind.

"Besides, there's still a long time before the main story begins. In Oceania, deploying a clone with weak strength might not achieve the desired effect. As for Schicksal, there's no way to resolve the identity issue. So, before these problems are solved, prioritizing the promotion of your main body to Elite 2 isn't a bad idea."

"Forget it, it's too early to dwell on these things. We just finished this week's trial," Xia Ling shook her head. "Let's just think about what to eat for lunch today."

Chapter 34: Long live World Serpent

One day later, above Changkong City, the Hyperion hovered silently above the clouds.

Around the massive ship, over a dozen Valkyrie squads were departing the Hyperion in batches via transport aircraft, preparing to land at various locations in Changkong City.

Although the practical combat zones they were heading to had already been cleared by the academy's teachers beforehand, the closer they were to the outer areas, the theoretically higher the risk of encountering unknown threats, such as stray mutated dead soldiers or Honkai Beasts.

Therefore, the three stronger individuals, Kiana, were assigned to areas closer to the outskirts, despite it being their first practical combat test since joining the academy.

The total clearing range wasn't large, with a combat depth of no more than ten kilometers. Compared to the total area of Changkong City, this region occupied only a tiny portion.

As for why they were using transport aircraft instead of jumping from the Valkyrie deployment bay… it could only be said that for rookie Valkyries not wearing Valkyrie armor, doing so would be no different from suicide.

"Sister Xia Ling, you won't have any problems with the practical combat test later, right?" Kiana asked cautiously, approaching Xia Ling.

"?" Xia Ling was completely baffled by the question. "Shouldn't I be the one asking you that? Or do you think I'm like your Teacher Yang, an ordinary person with no combat ability?"

"No, no, it's just that when you first introduced yourself, Sister Xia Ling, you said you were recovering from an injury. Auntie specifically reminded me yesterday to keep an eye on you… Ouch."

Before she could finish, Kiana received a swift punch from Xia Ling.

"Idiot Kiana, the Headmaster meant for you to keep an eye on Sister Xia Ling to make sure she doesn't get lost," Bronya said speechlessly. "If it were a matter of strength, do you think the Headmaster would have agreed to let Sister Xia Ling come out with us?"

"Huh?"

"Classmate Kiana, since you have such strong opinions about my strength, should I show you a little something later?" Xia Ling asked with a "dangerous" smile.

"H-how are you going to show me?" Kiana's heart sank when she saw that smile. The last time Xia Ling had that kind of smile, Kiana hadn't been able to play games well all night, being hunted by Xia Ling in various ways in-game.

"Nothing much. If Classmate Kiana is inexplicably locked in a room later, and that room keeps spawning various Honkai Beasts, please don't be surprised. That's a monster-farming cage prepared for you by the Honkai God."

"Which Honkai God has nothing better to do than prepare something like that!"

Amidst their banter, the transport aircraft landed on the rooftop of an abandoned tall building. As the four of them jumped out of the cabin, the transport aircraft slowly ascended.

According to the academy's schedule, it would return in eight hours to pick them up. Kiana and the other two's mission was to reduce the number of dead soldiers and Honkai Beasts in this area to a considerable extent during this time.

In a way, this was also the Far East Branch contributing to the cleanup efforts in Changkong City.

After jumping from the transport aircraft, the four looked at each other.

"Alright, you guys start. What are you looking at me for?" Xia Ling said, hands on her hips, looking completely at ease. "As your assistant instructor, I can't intervene unless there's a special situation. Similarly, I can't offer any advice."

"Of course, you don't need to worry about me; just complete the mission on your own. Don't worry, my teammate the last time I fought alongside someone was Theresa. You don't need to worry about my strength at all."

"Mei, behind you!"

Hearing Kiana's warning, Mei's katana slashed backward in a silver arc, bisecting a dead soldier who had stealthily approached.

Beside Mei, Kiana held her twin guns, her slender legs, encased in a tight combat suit, kicking high to send a nearby dead soldier flying. Her gun muzzle then erupted with fiery light, clearing the surrounding dead soldiers attracted by the gunfire.

Although she had two teammates nearby, Kiana didn't worry about stray bullets. After all, everyone knew about the Kaslana family's Gun Fu. By the time the bullets left the barrel, they had likely already entered the enemy's body. As a close-quarters combat technique, it had almost no risk of friendly fire.

Bronya, a few steps behind the other two, steadily used her heavy cannon to clear dead soldiers and Honkai Beasts in the distance. The loud explosions also continuously attracted new enemies to the three of them. Occasionally, the Heavy Armor Rabbit would suddenly appear, throwing one or two dead soldiers who had slipped through their defenses.

On the rooftop of a building not far from the three, Xia Ling leisurely watched their cleanup operation, occasionally dealing with a few approaching enemies.

"It seems that the experience of escaping Changkong before has significantly improved their teamwork, more than I thought," Xia Ling mused in her mind. "Their coordination and efficiency are even more effective and seamless than other squads who have been training at the academy for one or two years."

"Indeed, their clearing progress is already in the top five among more than a dozen squads, and it's still trending upwards. They'll likely complete the mission ahead of time," Flame Willow Xia Ling agreed with a nod. "So, when are you going to let me out?"

"No rush," Xia Ling slowly moved to a position with a better view. "Now, they not only have their own Honkai Energy detection radar but are also within the Hyperion's surveillance range. To avoid unnecessary risks, it's not too late to release you after they complete the mission and the Hyperion withdraws its observation."

"But even so, I should still be detected by their equipment, right?" Flame Willow Xia Ling asked doubtfully. "I remember the Heavy Armor Rabbit also has an automatic detection function."

"That's fine too. If we're discovered, we can put on a little act," Xia Ling drew an escape route for Flame Willow Xia Ling on the map:

"At that time, you'll be an unknown creature that suddenly appears, like a mutated dead soldier or a Pseudo-Herrscher… uh… no, that might not work. Let me change your identity. You can be from World Serpent or Anti-Entropy. After all, there is indeed a World Serpent cadre in Changkong City right now."

"Just pretend to be discovered and run. I'll give a token chase, and then I'll return, citing concern for the students' safety, once you've run out of the test area."

"As long as you don't display clear hostility, out of concern for the students' safety, Theresa definitely won't immediately order a search. She'll prioritize recalling and protecting the students."

"That works too. It's just that the next few days will be troublesome for me, facing potential searches," Flame Willow Xia Ling shrugged. "But it's fine; I can just hide in the system space."

Chapter 35: Flame Willow? When did you arrive?

As the sun gradually set in the west, the tense and exciting eight-hour practical combat test for the Big Three squad came to an end.

Within the designated area, the three had cleared most of the dead soldiers and Honkai Beasts along the main roads. The detector only showed scattered Honkai Energy reactions that needed to be dealt with.

According to the Academy's standards, the three-person team had technically already completed their mission. Therefore, Xia Ling wasn't just sticking to the periphery anymore; she was clearing out dead soldiers alongside them.

"Is this Sister Xia Ling's weapon? It looks different from the others. Is it custom-made?" Kiana turned her head, looking curiously at Crescent Rose in its sniper form.

"That's right, it's a product of Schicksal's Institute S-1503, specially made to suit my combat style," Xia Ling lied smoothly. "If you become A-rank or S-rank Valkyries in the future, you might have a chance to ask Changguang to make one for you too."

"Hmph, this young lady's goal is to become the strongest S-rank Valkyrie! I'll definitely have my own weapon then."

Kiana put her hands on her hips, full of confidence.

Yeah, Kiana is indeed the strongest S-rank Valkyrie. As for you, you ended up as a B-rank in the end, didn't you... Xia Ling thought to herself.

They walked forward a bit more. When the three were once again drawn to the attention of a massive charging Honkai Beast, Xia Ling quietly communicated with the system.

"Oh? It's my turn to appear?" Flame Willow Xia Ling's spirit perked up.

"That's right. Try to keep the commotion down as much as possible... though I doubt even that level of Honkai Energy fluctuation will escape their detectors."

A moment later...

"Alert, alert, high-energy individual detected nearby..."

Just as the three had torn the Honkai Beast to shreds, several red pop-up windows suddenly appeared on Mei's small Honkai Energy radar, accompanied by blaring alarms.

Behind Bronya, Heavy Armor Rabbit instantly appeared, shielding the three of them.

"What is this..." Kiana hadn't even finished speaking before Xia Ling stepped in front of them, Crescent Rose fully deployed in her hands. Her tone was serious, "Don't move around. If anything happens later, split up and escape."

Accompanying Xia Ling's appearance was a figure wreathed in scorching flames. This figure had emerald green eyes and long, golden-white hair, wearing an unusually large yellow robe over a white dress and black stockings embroidered with pure white flower petals.

Flame Willow Xia Ling glanced sideways at the four of them and casually waved her hand. Several crimson fireballs, carrying terrifying heat, materialized out of thin air. The intense temperature caused the air around the fireballs to distort slightly. Then, Flame Willow Xia Ling gave a gentle wave, and these fireballs instantly traced strange arcs, attacking the four from all directions.

Xia Ling's eyes narrowed, and a bright yellow shield immediately began to expand outwards from her. After barely encompassing the four, Xia Ling stopped expanding it and instead continuously reinforced the shield, its color gradually deepening.