In Honkai, But Integrated Strategies Activated

"This is... my future colleague you mentioned earlier?"

Himeko looked curiously at the small, black-haired girl covered in injuries next to Theresa, extending her hand.

"Hello, I'm Murata Himeko. It's a pleasure to meet you. Your injuries... do you need to return to the Hyperion? We have medical bays there."

"Hello, Sister Himeko." Xia Ling wiped her hand, still smudged with a bit of blood, and shook Himeko's hand. She then spoke in her calm, gentle tone words that made Himeko's heart ache: "No need, these are just minor injuries. I'm used to them."

"Oh, is that so..." Xia Ling's words left Himeko speechless. She kept glancing at Theresa beside her, her eyes seemingly asking where she'd picked up such a strange girl.

"Well... I'll tell you more about Xia Ling later. Let's head back to the Hyperion first. Most of Xia Ling's injuries are superficial. We can fix them in the medical bay and have the ship doctor tend to them."

Theresa's expression was hard to describe. She sighed and said, "Xia Ling, how about you? Any problems?"

"I have no objections." Xia Ling indicated she would follow the organization's arrangements.

"Then let's hurry! Don't worry, my piloting skills are excellent. I guarantee I'll get the injured person there safely within ten minutes."

Himeko's decisive style was as usual. She led the two directly onto the transport aircraft.

As the black transport aircraft slowly ascended, Xia Ling finally got a full view of Changkong City, and in the distance, the giant floating battleship hovering in the clouds.

It was also where her dream began – the Hyperion.

Chapter Sixteen: Where the Dream Began

As the transport aircraft slowly docked on the Hyperion's deck, Xia Ling finally boarded the ship that had accompanied her for several years.

After the transport aircraft stabilized, Xia Ling followed Himeko's footsteps, jumping off the aircraft and heading towards the bridge.

"Let's go. We'll cross the deck, there's an elevator up there, and that leads to the Hyperion's bridge."

Himeko led the way, turning back to explain to Xia Ling.

"We still need to get you some simple treatment today, so I won't take you on a tour. You can explore later when you come up on your own."

With that, Himeko led Theresa and Xia Ling into a very familiar-looking elevator, the kind Xia Ling used to see on her phone every day.

As the elevator slowly ascended, Xia Ling finally heard the greeting she often heard at four in the morning:

"Captain on the bridge."

"We're here. This is the bridge, but you'll probably be coming here often in the future."

"I'll arrange some navigation missions for them first, then take you to the medical bay. Once your injuries are mostly healed, it should be just in time to get to St. Freya."

Saying this, Himeko called over a crew member from below and whispered a few instructions. Xia Ling then felt a slight tremor from the ship's hull.

"Haha, don't be scared. The Hyperion's balance system is quite advanced. As long as the Captain isn't messing around, even someone severely prone to motion sickness won't feel much shaking."

As soon as Himeko finished speaking, a chorus of boos erupted from the control panel below the bridge.

"Oh, right, right, right. As long as the Captain isn't messing around, Himeko, how many times have you been drunk and speeding around Changkong City?"

Himeko's adjutant was the first to betray her.

"Exactly. And you're usually drunk more often at night than when you're sober."

Theresa added another blow without mercy.

"Hey, hey, we have a new recruit here, show some respect."

Himeko coughed lightly, her face slightly flushed, and explained to Xia Ling, "Drinking is just a small personal hobby of mine. Don't worry, I never let it interfere with important matters."

"Alright, alright, today I'm just showing you the way. You absolutely shouldn't learn bad habits from these old-timers. And you guys, stop undermining me. Hurry up and prepare the medical bay. Can't you see Xia Ling is still injured?"

With that, Himeko pulled Xia Ling and hastily fled the scene.

The Hyperion's medical bay is located in the mid-level of the ship, ensuring that even if the hull is attacked, the injured will not suffer secondary damage.

"Okay, this is it."

Himeko stepped forward and opened the screen in front of the medical bay, tapped a few times, and then nodded: "Hmm, the parameters are fine. Xia Ling, take off your clothes and lie down inside."

"T-take off my clothes?" Xia Ling's face turned slightly red, and she shyly fiddled with the hem of her clothes.

She was still wearing the standard-issue uniform for reserve Valkyries provided by the system, but it was now tattered from battle, with bloodstains and tears everywhere.

"Oh, you're shy." Himeko couldn't help but laugh.

All the way here, she had basically confirmed that this girl was not only petite but also likely not very mature psychologically.

However, Xia Ling looked like someone with a story, and her expression hadn't changed much along the way. Now that she was finally showing a bit of age-appropriate behavior, Himeko and Theresa found it somewhat novel.

"I-I'm not shy." Seeing the situation, Xia Ling felt that if she didn't comply, she might be teased even more.

With a delicate lift of her hand, she slowly unfastened her clothes. As the garments fell away one by one, Xia Ling's fair and tender body was gradually exposed to the two.

Facing their intense gazes, Xia Ling felt uncomfortable and covered her chest.

"Tsk, I thought Xia Ling would be the delicate and slender type, but I didn't expect her to be this kind of hidden gem..." Theresa's voice held a hint of disappointment.

"Hmm... there are no serious injuries, and the wounds aren't deep. If treated properly, there shouldn't be any scars or marks left." Himeko examined her thoroughly and nodded.

"Alright, lie down. Don't worry if you're covered in liquid; just breathe normally. The repair fluid contains some sedative components, so don't resist if you feel drowsy. That's normal."

After going over the instructions one last time, Himeko pressed a few buttons, and the medical bay slowly closed as the liquid began to rise.

Watching the young girl fall asleep in the medical bay, Himeko turned to Theresa beside her.

Theresa gently shook her head, signaling with her eyes for Himeko to step outside to talk.

"Can you tell me properly now? What's going on with that child?"

Outside the door, Himeko eagerly asked Theresa.

"It's a bit complicated. This little girl just fell in front of me while I was hunting down Yunna..."

Theresa sighed and recounted her experiences over the past two days.

Meanwhile, Xia Ling wasn't asleep as they expected. Instead, she entered the system space and watched the live broadcast with the system.

"See, I told you Theresa would think I came from a world bubble, oh my god, her fabricated backstory for me is even more tragic than I imagined."

[Boss Xia Ling is so fun.]

"How can you say that? I didn't lie about anything." Xia Ling smiled at the system. "I just didn't tell the whole truth. See, that's the charm of language."

"Yes, I did mislead Theresa and the others, but I can completely become the Xia Ling they imagine, can't I?"

[Host, please stop. You're giving off Otto vibes, and I'm starting to sweat. You might want to become Otto, but I don't want to become Void Archive. If I get thrown into the Tree of Imaginary, I'll have to roll myself back.]

Outside the door, Theresa had basically finished explaining the situation to Himeko.

"So, this child is a survivor from a world bubble that has likely been destroyed. Because she carries something similar to the Second Divine Key, she could travel through the Sea of Quantum and somehow drifted to our world."

"That's right. And incidentally, it might be much stronger than the Second Divine Key."

"And her world might have an alternate self similar to you, who might have already passed away due to certain events. That's why her first reaction upon seeing you was to help you defeat Yunna."

"And her strength is unknown. Although she's weak now, it doesn't mean she'll still be weak later."

"Yes, that's about it."

"Uh... Theresa, don't you think this is all a bit too coincidental?"

Chapter 17: Arriving at the Highest Academy of Herrschers - St. Freya

"I know."

To Himeko's surprise, Theresa had also considered this.

"Himeko, I might not be the smartest, but after spending so much time with my grandfather, my knowledge and experience are enough to compensate for that."

"Then why did you..."

"Just because I suspect something, should I let this homeless child wander around Changkong City?" Theresa tilted her head up, looking into Himeko's eyes.

"Indeed, she clearly held something back in her words, but everyone has their own unspeakable difficulties. Just like I never talked about my background, nor did I pry into Bronya and Mei's pasts."

"I can feel that the loneliness in her voice when she mentioned having no home was genuine. The surprise, joy, and sadness when she first saw me were also real emotions. That's enough."

"Just as the law advocates for the presumption of innocence, we cannot ignore the suffering of others happening right now just because we suspect their past."

"Heh..." Himeko let out a light laugh. "Not bad, Theresa. I never realized you had this kind of resolve before."

"It seems your position as Headmaster wasn't for nothing."

"Hey, what kind of image did I have in your eyes before!"

Ignoring Theresa's displeasure, Himeko leaned against the wall and looked up at the ship's ceiling. "I understand what you mean. When we get to the Academy later, I'll contact some old friends and people from Schicksal to investigate Xia Ling's identity and household registration."

"If she truly traveled from the Sea of Quantum, then there should be no trace of this person ever existing in this world."

"Of course, if we really can't find anything, I'll have Schicksal help forge an identity for her. Consider it compensation for our suspicion."

"Mhm, I was thinking the same thing. Keeping her close to us was part of that consideration."

"If she's truly approaching me for some ulterior motive, then she'll definitely make a move."

"If not, then I'd be happy to make a friend like her."

"Ah, speaking of which, little Xia Ling did say she was good at survival, didn't she?" Theresa intended to pat Himeko's shoulder, but due to the height difference, she couldn't reach and ended up angrily patting Himeko's behind instead. "In that case, her cooking skills should be pretty good too."

"You, who gets drunk every day, are in for a treat."

"Major Himeko, I'm here."

As the two were talking, a young woman in a white medical uniform, carrying a set of St. Freya Academy uniforms and a medical kit, arrived before Himeko.

"Her recovery is almost complete, but there might still be some slightly larger, unhealed wounds. Go bandage her up, and then have her change into some new clothes."

"Understood, Major Himeko."

The ship doctor nodded and immediately entered the medical bay.

A while later, Xia Ling walked out wearing a brand-new St. Freya student uniform, her face slightly flushed.

"Yo, it looks pretty good on you." Himeko leaned against the wall and chuckled. "How is it? Our St. Freya Academy uniform is nice, isn't it?"

"In terms of comfort, material, and breathability, it's impeccable." Xia Ling gave a thumbs-up. "I haven't worn many school uniforms, but I think St. Freya's uniform is quite good."

[Host, you really never miss an opportunity to play up your character.]

Himeko was rendered somewhat silent by Xia Ling's remark, but she quickly recovered and changed the subject. "The Hyperion is almost at its destination. Let's take a stroll on the deck and I'll show you the panoramic view of St. Freya."

Once again, they boarded the familiar elevator, and Xia Ling found herself back on the deck she had stepped onto just tens of minutes prior.

"See that massive cannon opening down there? That's the Hyperion's railgun system. There are six in total, used to combat large Honkai Beasts."

"And what if there are Honkai Beasts that can be located like small drones?" Xia Ling feigned the curiosity of someone only vaguely familiar with this world.

"That depends on the situation. Generally, we can directly counter with the proximity weapon system, which is distributed around the hull, with ten sets in total."

"If the opponent is highly intelligent or strong, we can also directly deploy Valkyries to engage."

As she spoke, Himeko led Xia Ling and Theresa to the edge of the deck.

"There are ten Valkyrie deployment bays at the very bottom of the ship, which can directly air-drop Valkyries onto the ground or onto drones."

[This is basically the co-op battle interface in Honkai Impact 3rd for the host.]

"Ah, I see," Xia Ling said, a look of sudden understanding on her face. "Does that mean I'll have a chance to perform air-drop combat from a deployment bay in the future?"

"As long as your physical condition can handle it, of course," Himeko smiled and pointed to a small island in the distance.

"Look, St. Freya. We've arrived."

The view of St. Freya from above was completely different from the flat, two-dimensional view in the game. Compared to the ubiquitous invisible walls in the game, Xia Ling now truly grasped the immense wealth of St. Freya Academy.

Reliefs, Western-style churches, teaching buildings, extremely spacious grounds and training fields... The scene before her eyes constantly reminded Xia Ling that she had truly arrived in this world, participating in the life of the characters she had longed for.

"Alright, stop spacing out. Since you like St. Freya Academy so much, I'll have Theresa give you a proper tour later."

Himeko patted Xia Ling's shoulder, and only then did Xia Ling notice that the Hyperion was gradually approaching the port.

"Huh? Aren't you going back to the academy, Himeko?"

"I'm not as idle as Theresa," Himeko said, shaking her ID card. "It's working hours now. Only our mascot Headmaster can accompany you on a sightseeing trip."