The Reason

Kiana stuffed her face with Mei's cooking, her cheeks puffed out like a little hamster's. She was incredibly cute, truly the ultimate, unbeatable, super-duper good-looking Kiana.

"Captain, this is all your fault! Why did you have to go breaking branches off the Imaginary Tree for no reason?" Kiana swallowed the large mouthful of food, glaring accusingly at Zhang Wei. She was so close to poking him in the chest.

Even with her current powerful Finality strength, she wasn't afraid of the Imaginary Tree. However, she was still utterly astonished by Zhang Wei's actions. He dared to mess with something like the Imaginary Tree; she doubted anyone could be crazier than him.

One branch of the Imaginary Tree carried countless worlds. Aside from the Sea of Quantum, the Imaginary Tree had likely never encountered such a mad act. If the Hyperion wasn't at its peak, the Imaginary Tree wouldn't have been able to harm it at all.

"Heh~" Zhang Wei grinned mischievously, the same kind of smile Wendy had. He thought this was the best time to use it.

Zhang Wei's perfunctory response caused Kiana's blood pressure to skyrocket. In her frustration, she blurted out in Japanese, "Heh heh, nandato yo!"

"Alright, Kiana, the Captain must have his reasons for doing this!" Mei played peacemaker, completely accustomed to such situations.

Kiana put her hands on her hips and glared at Zhang Wei, huffing.

Zhang Wei just smiled helplessly. He merely wanted to test if the Imaginary Tree had self-awareness. Who knew the Imaginary Tree would attack him directly? If the Hyperion hadn't been so capable, he'd probably be sunk in the Sea of Quantum by now.

Even so, the Hyperion had suffered considerable damage after being pursued by the Imaginary Tree for three years. The fact that it could still sail was a testament to its might. It had directly outrun the Imaginary Tree. Any other ship would have been sunk instantly, let alone after three years.

Three years! It was just one broken branch. It was so lush; regular pruning would have helped it grow. Why did it have to chase him for so long?

It was only because his strength was still developing and he had a long way to go. Otherwise, he would have just pulled the whole tree out.

"But little Captain, you should hurry and recruit more Valkyries to the ship. Otherwise, when will the Hyperion ever reach its peak?" Ai Yi looked at Zhang Wei's red eyes seriously.

Zhang Wei nodded slightly. His Hyperion was a bit strange. The more Valkyries boarded, the more functions could be unlocked, such as time travel. Besides him and Ai Yi, only four Valkyries were currently on board, and they were all from the Honkai Academy world.

They were Kiana, Raiden Mei, Hōraiji Kyūshō, Himeko, and Jana.

The others had their own jobs, so they weren't traveling with them. As for why Himeko wasn't seen, she was still drunk and it was normal for her not to join them for meals. Kyūshō was playing video games in her room, a chuunibyo savior otaku. Jana had been turned into an otaku by Kyūshō.

At least ten Valkyries needed to board for the Hyperion to unlock a significant portion of its functions. It was still a distant goal, but achieving it was easy. It wasn't about needing Valkyries from a specific Honkai world; any who met the criteria could board.

"Captain, are there other Meis in other worlds too? Double the happiness?" Kiana asked, her sapphire eyes sparkling as she rubbed her round belly.

Although she liked the Captain, no one forbade her from having a good impression of Mei. The thought of Meis from other worlds made her drool. Sigh, it would be multiple times the happiness.

Mei blushed and lightly tapped Kiana's head. Double the happiness, indeed. It was so embarrassing.

"Yes, Ai Yi, next we'll go to the Honkai Impact 3rd world. It's still quite easy to find Valkyries there!" Zhang Wei said, looking at Ai Yi.

Although it wasn't limited to the Honkai Impact 3rd world, the Valkyries there held a special significance. Of course, they had to invite them first.

"Okay, little Captain. The coordinates have been entered. At the Hyperion's current speed, it will take one year." Ai Yi said.

There were too few Valkyries on board, so many of the Hyperion's functions remained locked. Coupled with the damage sustained from the Imaginary Tree's pursuit, a year of travel time was already quite fast.

Zhang Wei nodded calmly. A year was very short for him. Plus, with Kiana and the others to play "games" with, he wouldn't get bored.

"Honkai Impact 3rd world, is the Honkai also severe there?" Kiana asked curiously. She only showed her cute and innocent side to familiar people like the Captain and Mei. When facing outsiders, she was very mature because she had experienced too much, especially the Honkai in Honkai Academy. If not for the Captain and the others accompanying her, she might not be herself now.

"Let me think about how to explain it!" Zhang Wei put on his white military cap and began searching his mind for information about Honkai Impact 3rd, reviewing it from the beginning. Before, he had only known the surface-level details.

The data streams in his mind were like a library; when he needed something, he had to search for it slowly, not instantly know it.

Kiana and Mei weren't in a hurry. Mei even used pots and pans to prepare afternoon tea and snacks, while Kiana propped her delicate chin with her hands, gazing at Zhang Wei adoringly.

As evening approached, Zhang Wei's consciousness returned to reality. Kiana had fallen asleep leaning on Mei's shoulder, her cute sleeping posture like a little kitten's. A crystal clear drool trickled from the corner of her mouth, and she was smacking her lips as if dreaming of a grand feast.

"Kiana, wake up, it's time for dinner!"

Mei's eye twitched. Kiana's drool had dripped onto her shoulder, soaking the fabric.

"Hurry and wake up!" Mei pinched Kiana's ear, looking helpless. However, she didn't use much force, her touch as gentle as a caress.

"What time is it, Mei? Let me sleep a little longer!"

Kiana rubbed her eyes, her voice lazy and melodious, making one's ears feel pregnant.

"Didn't you want to ask about Honkai Impact 3rd, Kiana!"

Zhang Wei looked at Kiana expressionlessly. After reviewing the events of Honkai Impact 3rd, having experienced Honkai Academy, he concluded that it was a paradise instance. Honkai Academy was a true hell difficulty. Despite having so many similar people, the development truly made one lament the unfairness of fate.

If he didn't have the Hyperion as his trump card, in that world, facing Otto and other enemies, he didn't know how many times he would have died. The peak powerhouses in that world were also terrifyingly strong. For example, Observer Kevin. Zhang Wei estimated that Kevin could flatten the entire Tree Sea.

Moreover, Kevin had a connection with Kiana and was extremely hostile towards him, probably in the same way someone would react if their precious cabbage was snatched.

He was certain that both Kiana and Raiden Mei could easily defeat anyone in the Honkai Impact 3rd world. It was a shame Wendy hadn't come along this time. Otherwise, she could have had a good look at her counterpart and probably been so ashamed she'd want to disappear.

"Oh right, Captain, just tell me briefly. I'm hungry!" Kiana, thoroughly woken by Mei, had lost all sleepiness, but her stomach was rumbling. She wanted Mei's food.

"Alright, I can't help it..." Zhang Wei covered his face and began a simple introduction. Mei watched the scene tenderly. Just spoil her.

PS: This is the second chapter. For now, it's the Honkai world. Later, it will be Genshin Impact or Honkai: Star Rail, depending on the situation. The order is not fixed. Other worlds will be discussed later.