Theresa: I hate it when people only tell half the story...

"How about this?"

Having fully inherited Xia Ling's spirit of "sacrifice," Kiana suggested, "I remember Sister Xia Ling saying that meat pigeons can be explored in teams."

"Moreover, many plot points are also related to the captain's position."

"In that case, why don't we split into six teams and act separately?"

"Anyway, as long as we don't get to the boss level on the Third Floor, we can handle the difficulty of the first three floors by ourselves. We can use the money saved to strengthen our teammates to unlock those high-consumption nodes."

"Once we discover how to unlock the Third Ending or Ending 4, we can gather together to explore again."

"Let's team up in pairs. If you go solo... there's a risk of failure if you encounter some difficult sections."

After being thoroughly beaten by Flame-Chasers in the roguelike environment, even Durandal's style of action became quite cautious.

"Bronya also thinks that it's safer to team up in pairs," said Duck Duck, who has a great need for teammates.

"Then let's pair up. Don't worry, Bronya, I'll protect you!"

Sirin patted Duck Duck on the shoulder. "Nodes and all that, just randomly enter and you'll be in the group!"

It must be said that the strategy of dividing into teams is surprisingly effective. After the teams started, everyone's efficiency in exploring nodes increased dramatically.

With the failure rate of everyone's trials rising rapidly, the Third Ending was soon revealed.

"Oh, so that's what it is..."

Kiana looked at the pendant in her hand, her expression complex.

As everyone knows, they were beaten up by Cosmo because Durandal ruined a painting.

This is why they have always listed anything related to paintings as a high-risk option.

This led to the fact that, in a certain point in the Dream of the Painter, they never dared to choose the option of entering the studio.

However, simply entering the art studio will not trigger a battle; instead, it will lead to a special node.

An Unexpected Encounter – The Art Studio

Deep within this Elysian Realm, you encountered a wondrous area, seemingly a space composed of vibrant colors. And within this area, you discovered an art studio.

The owner of the art studio is a young-looking painter who wants to paint a portrait of you. Of course, you need to stay still for now and act as her models. What is your decision...?

[Wow, I love to move around! (Entering a tough battle)]

[Agreed with the lovely artist's request (acquired the collection - A Touch of Color)]

[A cute little girl like you was born to be... (Enter an extremely difficult battle to gain more silver coins and experience)]

Clearly, having already experienced Cosmo's power, the two had no intention of trying options one or three.

After successfully acquiring the collectible, they indeed discovered a collectible they had never seen before in the shop on the same floor.

The Key to Profound Journey

[A pendant made of some metal, with a sapphire set in the center; it seems that holding it allows one to see many different things. (Opening up different directions for exploration)]

"So, should we continue playing?"

Kiana looked at Mei.

"Of course, after all, it's a rare opportunity. If you're lucky, it's not impossible to see who the boss on the Fifth Floor is in advance."

Although Mei became much more cautious after joining the trial, she was still fearless when it came to being reckless.

Having already mastered the spawn points of the fourth and fifth floors, the two could easily reach the boss node of the Fifth Floor by sacrificing some development.

As they moved forward rapidly, the other two groups also ended their exploration.

"Huh? What's Kiana doing...?"

The sharp-eyed Theresa immediately noticed the unusual feature on the screen.

"Are those... previously unseen collectibles in their backpacks?"

"That's right?"

Elysia answered her.

"They've already found a way to unlock the Third Ending."

"Elysia? It's unusual that you showed up today..."

"Yes... After all, the secret is about to be partially revealed, isn't it?"

Elysia gave Theresa a sweet smile, "I'm just an ordinary girl, you know. It's a little embarrassing to reveal my secret to everyone like this~"

"Are you really even remotely related to the word 'shy'...?" Theresa looked at Elysia helplessly.

However, after so much time, she had gotten somewhat used to Elysia's personality, so she asked directly, "Are you so sure they'll be able to get to the Third Ending?"

"The main force isn't here for this expedition. The only ones who can spare the time to provide support are me and Sirin. Bronya and Durandal's trials have only just begun."

"Of course I'm confident!"

Elysia mysteriously kept everyone in suspense. "After all..."

"According to Xia Ling's setting, the ending actually has little to do with the number of people."

"Unrelated to the number of people?"

"In most cases, but the current situation they're facing is somewhat related to the number of people..."

Elysia turned her gaze to the screen in the living room.

On the screen, Mei and Kiana have reached the last node of the Fifth Floor by skipping classes all the way.

But unlike before, this node doesn't seem to present Elysia, whom you would normally face on the Fifth Floor.

[Perilous Enemy — Decimation, Bones Burned, Souls Ignited]

You have reached the end of your journey, the outer edge of the Deepest Place. However, even in this region that can be considered a gateway, one final hurdle awaits you.

[Note: Chijie will transform into an artificial Honkai outbreak form five minutes after the start of the battle.]

[Special Note: This is not a battle, but a 'hunt'.]

"It's actually Chijie?"

Almost immediately, Theresa jumped up from the sofa.

"How are we supposed to fight this? Kiana and Mei can beat that monster, especially when they're not fully developed?"

"Don't rush, Theresa?"

Elysia smiled and pulled her back, "You need to look more closely~"

"The rules of this battle aren't about defeating Chijie, are they?"

Chapter 73 Theresa: I hate people who only say half of what they mean...

"Hahaha... hahahahaha..."

The two women who had just entered the node hadn't even had a chance to observe the situation before they were greeted by a series of "healthy" smiles.

"My anger has been wasted for far too long..."

"Since you want it to reappear in this place, then try to take responsibility... to the best of your ability!"

"Ah?"

Kiana and Mei were both completely dumbfounded when they heard Chijie's maniacal laughter filled with boundless rage.

What they didn't know was that many of the restricted artifacts and parts of the plot related to Chijie were obtained during battles in the Third Ending.

They spent almost all their time refreshing nodes and hardly engaged in any battles...

If they experience a battle with Elysia, Elysia will grant them a special artifact that can seal away Chijie for one minute during the battle.

The actual victory condition at this juncture is not defeating the Chijie, but rather—holding out for ten minutes.

However, Kiana and Mei were unaware of this at the time.

"The node information states that Chijie will initiate artificial Honkai outbreak in five minutes."

Kiana summoned several Spear of Subspace, brushed aside the falling meteorites, and quickly spoke to Mei.

"So, if we defeat him within five minutes, can we prevent him from activating his Collapse Form?"

"Uh..." Mei was unusually silent for a moment at Kiana's brilliant idea. "Right, right?"

"Perhaps...?"

"Alright, since this is just a trial run anyway, let's try your method..."

After a moment's hesitation, Mei quickly complied with Kiana's decision.

Judging from Theresa's situation, the difference in combat power between the Fusion Warrior in the Collapsed and Non-Collapsed states is like heaven and earth. Perhaps, they are not without a chance to defeat Chijie within five minutes.

"This..."

Carefully observing the situation on the field, Theresa fell into deep thought.

"I have a feeling that Kiana and Mei do have a chance, don't you think?"

"This Chijie... doesn't seem too scary, does it?"

"No, quite the opposite, the way they play is making things more difficult for themselves."

A familiar voice came from behind them.

"Xia Ling?"

"Hmm, I didn't expect to see such an interesting scene so soon after I got back."

Without hesitation, Xia Ling sat down between Theresa and Elysia, hugging one of them in each arm, a happy expression on her face.

"So soft and comfortable... (like a finned worm) |... Guh!"

Before she could even enjoy it for a moment, Xia Ling, tickled by Theresa, let out a trembling sound that made everyone blush.

"If you're going to explain, then explain properly! If you leave anything unsaid again..." Theresa gave her a threatening look. "I'll let you experience what it feels like to be stuck halfway through!"

"Hmm, this seems like... a pretty good way to play?"

Elysia's eyes lit up.

"Wait, wait a minute!"

Seeing that the two seemed to be about to reach a consensus on something strange, Xia Ling broke out in a cold sweat.

It's only because Theresa and Elysia have been competing with each other lately that Xia Ling has been able to comfortably enjoy her life. If those two were to reach an agreement now, wouldn't she be doomed?

"Ahem, actually, the boss mechanic of Chijie Tribulations is that as long as you release Honkai Energy exceeding a certain level, it will automatically enter the second phase."

"That's why there's that notification on the node information—after all, if Kiana keeps teleporting away in the arena, Chijie really can't do anything about her in ten minutes."

"Does that mean there's a way to overcome the second stage of the Chijie?"

Theresa tilted her head.

"Do you remember how you broke through my teleportation while in your collapsed form?"

Xia Ling countered with a question.

You mean...?

"That's right. In a state of artificial Honkai outbreak, Chijie will show you what pure power is. As for teleportation, as long as you can run faster than teleporting, that's enough."

"Then, is this even human?!"

"First of all, you can't be considered a complete human being," Xia Ling calmly retorted. "Secondly... Chijie might not even be considered a human being."

"However, Kiana and the others are not without a chance. After all, Kiana has the Flame Herrscher Core, and Mei's pet, Hi-maru, is also a fire attribute."

"Although Chijie can catch up with Kiana's teleportation speed, as long as they don't get bogged down in battle... they might actually have a chance to hold out for ten minutes."

Xia Ling's judgment was clearly very accurate, or rather, it was based on her understanding of Kiana.

After all, the Kiana of this world was trained by her, and her fighting style almost completely followed Xia Ling's style.

And in the context of this battle—it is...

"Kiana, is it really okay for us to keep running like this?"