Alicia is the True Golden Finger in Honkai!

The thought instantly occurred to everyone. The functioning of the ruins, the traces of human activity – all the doubts were resolved in that moment.

The same thought also crossed Rita's mind. However, having returned from the Sea of Quantum and with her knowledge and experience greatly enriched, Rita didn't immediately latch onto this conjecture that arose from Gwen's single sentence.

Her eyes narrowed slightly, and Rita tapped a few times on the terminal in her hand, connecting to the exploration robot's speaker. She spoke in her gentle, calm voice, the kind that instinctively inspired trust:

"Hello, sir.

My name is Rita Rossweisse, and I belong to Schicksal, the anti-Honkai organization of the current civilization.

We are currently excavating this base left behind by the previous civilization, hoping to use the power preserved here to fight against Honkai.

However, I'm not sure what your identity is, appearing here..."

Rita stated her identity, mentioned that her organization's purpose for excavating the ruins was to fight Honkai, and then very politely inquired about the identity of this man who had appeared for some unknown reason.

Although Rita truly hoped the other party was a survivor from the previous civilization, just as she suspected.

But if he wasn't...

Gwen?

Upon hearing Rita's words, a figure instantly flashed through Gwen's mind. He confirmed that he was indeed in the current civilization's timeline, though the exact point in time was yet to be verified.

Thinking this, Gwen remained outwardly composed. Facing Rita's probing words, as if deciphering information from them, he lowered his head and muttered to himself:

"Current civilization... fighting Honkai...

...That's right. With technology developed to this extent, it would be strange if Honkai didn't appear."

Saying this, Gwen sighed, then looked up again at the robot bearing the Schicksal emblem:

"My name is Gwyn. My identity is a volunteer for the Fire Moth Fusion Warrior project. I was supposed to awaken a thousand years ago and participate in the construction of the new civilization.

But, as you can see, geological changes destroyed part of the base, and I was almost buried with it. I only recently recovered my body."

Gwen paused, then tilted his head:

"Prometheus, turn on the lights and remove the restrictions. Let them in."

"Authorization confirmed. Basic restrictions removed."

Prometheus's projection appeared beside Gwen, replying in its synthesized voice with a hint of a childish tone.

As Prometheus finished speaking, the base, which had been dark except for the control room where Gwen was located, was instantly illuminated by bright lights. Some mechanisms that were tightly locked, and would have been difficult to bypass even with force, also opened.

"Thank you for your help, Mr. Gwyn."

Seeing this, Rita's acceptance of Gwen's identity increased significantly.

As an A-rank Valkyrie, Rita had some knowledge of the previous civilization before undertaking this mission.

In the data Rita had seen, there was indeed an artificial intelligence named "Prometheus" in the previous civilization, and it looked exactly as it did in the image.

Being recognized and assisted by an artificial intelligence from the previous civilization, Gwen's credibility naturally soared.

"It was nothing."

Gwen shook his head slightly, a look of melancholy on his face:

"Everything here was prepared to fight Honkai.

Since you are an organization established to fight Honkai, there's no harm in giving it to you."

"Thank you for your understanding and help."

Rita nodded gently, about to say something more, when a piercing alarm suddenly blared from the tent.

Simultaneously, the voice of a Valkyrie responsible for security came over the communication:

"Alert, a large number of missile attacks detected. Shield generator preparing to activate. All personnel, prepare for impact!

Repeat – a large number of missile attacks detected. Shield generator preparing to activate. All personnel, prepare for impact!"

Instantly, Rita's smiling expression froze. The next moment, it was as if a layer of frost had covered it, causing those nearby who noticed to instinctively take a step back.

Chapter 6: Ambitious Cocolia (Minor Revision)

Although she couldn't hear the conversation on the Schicksal personnel's communication channel, from the piercing alarm and the exploration robot beside her also flashing with dangerous lights, Gwen could guess that something big had happened.

"This is really lively..."

Muttering to himself, Gwen had no intention of just watching the show.

"Everyone, follow the emergency plan and prepare to engage the enemy."

Rita, with a cold expression, calmly ordered over the communication, without panic.

"Yes."

Instantly, a murderous aura filled the communication channel.

However, this murderous aura was soon broken—

"He disappeared?"

The staff member who had first spotted Gwen exclaimed in surprise upon seeing Gwen suddenly vanish from the screen.

"Huh?"

Rita looked at the terminal in her hand and found that Gwen's figure on the screen had indeed disappeared.

"..."

Her delicate eyebrows furrowed, and a bad premonition arose in Rita's heart—

Could it be that the people who survived from the previous civilization are just lies told by a hacked robot?

After all, it was all too coincidental.

However, before Rita could give an order to be wary of the threat from below, an unfamiliar voice sounded in the tent, causing Rita to instinctively take a step sideways, moving closer to her weapon case—

"It seems the members of Schicksal have encountered some trouble?"

As her hand reached for the weapon case, Rita's gaze followed the sound, her sight catching the owner of the unfamiliar voice—

In the tent, where there was originally no one, a man with black hair, black eyes, a resolute face, wearing an unknown combat suit with the Fire Moth emblem on the collar, suddenly appeared.

Using his Herrscher energy, Gwen quickly moved from the base's core control room to the tent that was temporarily serving as the command center. Gwen looked around at the various instruments flashing with alarm lights and asked the people in the tent—

As a lone wanderer who had survived from the previous civilization to the present, Gwen shouldn't have recognized Rita.

"You're... Mr. Gwen?"

Anna, who raised her spear and pointed its tip at Gwen the moment he appeared, had a hint of confusion on her face, but her grip on the spear did not waver:

"However, please don't make any rash moves."

"Of course."

Gwen obediently raised his hands, signaling that he had no hostile intentions:

"I come in peace. Can you tell me what happened?

Perhaps I can be of some assistance?"

Gwen nodded gently at the girl with chestnut hair in front of him, who was dressed in a neat, lightweight armor, her white stockings unstained. His gaze swept around and landed on a certain maid, who still exuded a faint allure even in her proper uniform.

"Of course."

Rita, who had already retrieved her weapon from the weapon case, held a scythe flashing with cold light in her hand. The scythe blade gleamed in contrast with the dark stockings that encased her slender legs, but the gentle smile on her face made people instinctively overlook the deadly blade. She walked gracefully towards Gwen:

"We just detected missiles being launched at us. Although we have deployed shield generators, the enemy was clearly well-prepared.

If it's convenient for you, Mr. Gwen, I hope you can assist us with our defense."

"Miss Rita, is it? If it's convenient, please take me to see. I'll try my best to help without disrupting your operations."

"Then, please follow me."

Although Rita had already been promoted to one of Schicksal's top A-rank Valkyries, she led Gwen out of the tent with the natural grace of a professional maid.

And in the communication channel, the Valkyries saw the order Rita left:

"For the upcoming battle, command authority is transferred to B-rank Valkyrie Anna."

Time rewound to one hour ago, on an unremarkable yacht near the sea where Rita's Schicksal archaeological team was located—

"This is the plan. Does everyone understand?"

Inside the yacht, which had been converted into a combat command center, a woman with long golden hair, wearing a military coat, and a handsome face that held a fierce aura loudly questioned her subordinates after the plan was announced.

"Understood!"

Although their hearts pounded, the subordinates below responded loudly, and the atmosphere in the command center was heated.

"Then, take your positions and await orders!"

The golden-haired woman, very satisfied with her subordinates' response, waved her hand, signaling everyone to prepare for action.

The woman's name was Cocolia. She was originally just one of countless minor warlords in Siberia.

However, unlike her colleagues, Cocolia also joined the Anti-Entropy organization and grew step by step, eventually becoming a rising star in the Anti-Entropy reformist faction, subtly showing signs of becoming its leader.

The attack on Schicksal planned for today was Cocolia's step to prove her strength to the radical faction members—

After unexpectedly obtaining information about Schicksal's current operation from a spy, Cocolia had been planning for a long time. She not only prepared a large number of missiles for the attack but even deployed her few available Titan mechs in this operation.

After deploying the operational plan, Cocolia returned to her position and asked the gray-haired loli with a stern face beside her, "Bronya, how is the situation?"

Unlike the imposing demeanor she displayed when lecturing her subordinates, Cocolia spoke to Bronya with a gentleness that was completely different from before, though not exactly tender.

After all, this was her daughter, and a daughter she felt guilty towards.

"Everything is normal."

Without looking up at Cocolia, Bronya calmly operated the computer in front of her, like an exquisite doll:

"We have successfully hacked into their local network and can cut off their power supply at any time.

They might be able to recover quickly, but under the missile strike, they won't have that chance."

"Mhm, thank you for your hard work, Bronya."

A smile appeared on Cocolia's face, and her tone became even gentler.

"Trust me, Seele will be back with us soon."

"Mm, Bronya trusts Mommy Cocolia."

Bronya responded like that, but her emotionless voice and expressionless face made the child's words less convincing.

"Mm..."

Looking at Bronya like this, Cocolia couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt.

But when Cocolia's gaze fell upon the red dot on the screen indicating the location of the Schicksal archaeological team, this guilt was replaced by ambition—

"As long as I can take down these people from Schicksal, I can smoothly ascend to the throne of the reformist leader, get those things, and save Seele..."

An hour later, in the jungle obscured by dark clouds, missiles reflecting cold light and pointing directly at the sky shot out after receiving orders from the command center on the yacht.

Chapter 7 Cocolia: Let Them Feel Despair!

"Schicksal has detected missiles... detected shield generator activation...

Program running normally, ready to interfere with shield generator operation at any time."

In the command center on the yacht, Bronya, sitting beside Cocolia and resembling an exquisite doll, was currently responsible for the most crucial task for the success of this operation.

"Wait a moment, just a little longer..."

Listening to Bronya's slightly childish voice, Cocolia's eyes were fixed on the radar image displaying the missile trajectories, a strange smile appearing on her face:

"When they think they have victory in their grasp, I'll shatter their confidence completely..."

Bronya's calm little face showed no change in expression towards Cocolia's chillingly insane words.

At this moment, the only thing that could cause this girl, whose emotional center was damaged, to show any expression was the girl who had fallen into the Quantum Sea, her fate uncertain.

Meanwhile, at the Schicksal archaeological team's camp, Gwen had followed Rita and quickly arrived beside the shield generator deployed outside the camp.

Although Gwen's pure physical abilities were still slightly inferior to Rita's, who was wearing simple armor.

However, with the assistance of exotic energy and Honkai energy, it was no problem for Gwen to keep up with Rita's pace.