Invited, In Honkai, Grinding Stats to Level Up

"This is..."

Gwen bent down and picked up the box. It felt ice-cold in his hands. He placed it on a cabinet and blew away the dust, only to discover that the lock on the box had been brutally pried open.

After waiting for a moment and receiving no reaction from Kevin, Gwen decided to open the box in front of him.

Meanwhile, in the Sea of Quantum, Kevin, upon seeing the pried-open box, was already emanating a chilling aura, his gaze sharp as a blade...

The box was opened, and an oppressive coldness washed over Gwen. Even with his physical conditioning, his face stung, and he instinctively took a few steps back.

Fortunately, as the warmth within Gwen's body circulated, it instantly dissolved the invading chill.

Gwen, almost instantly concluding that this item was connected to Kevin, saw that Kevin still hadn't spoken. He approached the box again, his gaze fixed on its contents.

Through the dense cold, Gwen saw what was preserved inside the box. Were they... four crystal flowers?

Four crystal flowers—blue, pink, gold, and gray—were neatly arranged in the box, which had clearly been specially made to store them.

The terrifying cold Gwen had felt earlier emanated from the blue crystal flower, which was already shattered.

"..."

Looking at the four crystal flowers, which evoked a strong sense of déjà vu, Gwen fell silent—

He had a good guess as to what they were, but he wished he didn't know—Kevin was watching from the Sea of Quantum.

In silence, Gwen closed the box, intending to pretend he didn't know what it was.

But just as Gwen was about to act as if nothing had happened, Kevin's voice suddenly came through—

"Keep them safe..."

Chapter 73: Elysia's Farewell Gift

"..."

Hearing Kevin's words, Gwen's hand, which was about to close the box, froze. After a moment of silence, he finally closed the box and responded softly in his mind, "Alright."

Although he was filled with helplessness at his accidental stumble into a sensitive situation, Gwen had no regrets about wandering around here. He could only comfort himself—

At least, the person who pried open the box hadn't damaged the four crystal flowers inside.

Based on Kevin's reaction, Gwen could basically confirm that the four crystal flowers in the box were Elysia's final gift—

After releasing the news of the "Thirteenth Herrscher," Elysia, at her final banquet prepared for herself, presented the gifts she had prepared to the four individuals who attended, which were these four crystal flowers in the box.

In the game's story within the Elysian Realm, these four crystal flowers carried the memories of their recipients for Elysia, laying the foundation for Elysia's resurrection and the eventual defeat of the Herrscher of Corruption, who was virtually invincible in the data world.

In reality, these four crystal flowers might simply be exquisite creations constructed from Honkai energy, collected by Kevin. After Kevin accidentally fell into the Sea of Quantum, they remained with the Caslana family instead of being collected by World Serpent.

Mulling over the reasons for the crystal flowers' appearance here, Gwen, having closed the box, didn't pretend to be ignorant and ask Kevin what they were.

It was as if Gwen simply treated them as something Kevin had left behind, interpreting Kevin's recent emotional shift as dissatisfaction and anger over his belongings being violently damaged, thus not wanting to further provoke Kevin...

Setting aside the fact that Gwen knew some of the previous era's history and had further speculations about these four crystal flowers, Gwen's actions weren't even acting, let alone deception.

And in the depths of the Sea of Quantum, Kevin, using Gwen's gaze, looked at the re-closed box. His recently agitated emotions had calmed down—

Over the past fifty thousand years, Kevin had replayed those ten-odd years of experiences countless times, witnessing those tragedies again and again. The Sea of Quantum had even spawned world bubbles because of it.

Although Kevin still kept those events and those people firmly in his heart, still clearly remembered his reactions and emotions, and had never changed, Kevin, who now bore a greater ambition, had to force himself to calm down and no longer be moved by them.

If it weren't for the fact that this profoundly significant box had been forcibly pried open, Kevin wouldn't have shown any emotional fluctuation at all.

Unaware of Kevin's current state of mind, Gwen carefully carried the box containing what could be considered Elysia's relics – the four crystal flowers. He then picked up the Key of Domination from the cabinet in front of him and left the secret vault, which had brought him more fright than surprise.

Leaving the secret vault, Gwen didn't linger in the manor and quickly returned to Destiny Headquarters—

Compared to the manor that was about to be transferred to his name, the small house on the floating island felt more like home.

Moreover, having obtained the Key of Domination, which Otto had most likely left there intentionally, Gwen, currently a pillar of Destiny, needed to report to Grandmaster Otto and also request the Tai Xu Sword Qi, which had most likely already been prepared for him.

In fact, Otto was already working on it—

"Alright, old friend, I need your help..."

Looking at the A-rank Valkyrie with delicate features, a calm expression, and unremarkable gray hair and blue eyes on the communication screen, Otto, uncharactertypically, adopted an equal stance in conversation.

At this moment, the only one who could warrant such treatment from Otto was Fu Hua, who was currently "attending school" at St. Freya High School in the Far East Branch.

After some pleasantries, Fu Hua, unaffected by Otto's solicitous inquiries, cut to the chase—

Based on her understanding of Otto, the fact that he was rambling on with so much useless chatter instead of issuing direct orders clearly indicated impure motives.

Otto, knowing that Fu Hua understood what kind of person he was, didn't waste any more words and stated his purpose, as Fu Hua had surmised—

"I need the complete Tai Xu Sword Qi. If possible, I hope you can personally teach a child."

Although Fu Hua had handed over Shen Yin, the foundation of Tai Xu Sword Qi, to Otto five hundred years ago as per his request after they reached an agreement, Otto had since researched, simplified, and improved it, incorporating it as part of Valkyrie training.

However, knowing that Tai Xu Sword Qi had extremely demanding requirements for learners and was best taught one-on-one by a master, Otto had never requested the complete version of Tai Xu Sword Qi before, and Fu Hua had not proactively handed it over.

Although in Otto's planned future, that Key of Domination was not important.

Even if Gwen couldn't activate it, Destiny's current technology has already reached a level where they can develop weapons that can serve as a substitute for the Key of Domination.

However, if possible, Otto still hoped that Gwen could activate this Key of Domination and learn a few things from his old friend.

As for which goal Otto wanted to achieve more... perhaps only Otto himself knew.

"You should know that I have no interest in taking disciples.

As for teaching, I can't guarantee that the child you speak of will be able to learn."

Facing Otto's request, Fu Hua, who was always calm and collected, unfazed even when Mount Tai collapsed before her, frowned and gently shook her head.

Although many memories were blurred, certain deep-seated resistances still made Fu Hua subconsciously resist.

However, Fu Hua did not refuse, leaving room for negotiation.

"Of course, I know that Tai Xu Sword Qi is not something that anyone can learn.

As long as my old friend is willing to teach, whether he can learn it is his problem."

Otto, not surprised by this, nodded with a smile. Then, as if casually, Otto said, "By the way, Destiny recently discovered several Keys of Domination at a Flame-Chasing Moth base. One of them should have already reached that child."

"Key of Domination?"

Upon hearing this, Fu Hua raised an eyebrow but didn't ask Otto where the Key of Domination came from—

Since those things were in Otto's hands, how he distributed them was his business, not hers.

"But if I'm going to teach the child you're talking about, what about my infiltration mission here in the Far East Branch?

Current technology doesn't allow me to teach Tai Xu Sword Qi remotely."

Suppressing the bad feeling that arose in her heart, Fu Hua looked at Otto, who was smiling through the communicator, and asked in a deep voice.

"That's simple. I'll issue a few slots for advanced study at headquarters to each branch. Once you get them, you can come over and do it."

Chapter 74: Tesla: It must be Otto's conspiracy!

Otto's answer was characterized by his arbitrary use of power, but Fu Hua merely nodded lightly, offering no comment.

Otto's capriciousness was still within a reasonable range, and perhaps the Far East Branch truly needed some change.

Although Fu Hua also liked the relaxed atmosphere of St. Freya, as someone who came from the previous civilization, Fu Hua knew that time was running out. To survive the continuous Honkai disasters in the future, these girls needed more training and strengthening...

However, while not opposing Otto's decision, Fu Hua still reminded him, "Martial arts are not achieved overnight, and Tai Xu Sword Qi cannot be mastered instantly; it requires years of practice.

The time for advanced study alone will likely only be enough to complete the introductory level."

"Ha... You can rest assured about that, old friend."

Hearing this, Otto revealed a somewhat smug smile.

"That child already has A-rank strength and is very perceptive. It won't take up too much of your time, old friend."

"Already has A-rank strength?"

Upon hearing this, Fu Hua couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. Suddenly remembering something, she retorted, "Are you talking about the child you've been widely publicizing on the internal network recently?"

Although Fu Hua's personality might lead people to see her as an old fossil, it didn't mean she was truly living in the past. She was very proficient with the internet and even played online games...

Therefore, Fu Hua naturally knew about the existence of Gwen, who had been widely publicized.

"I should have told you that it's best to start practicing Tai Xu Sword Qi from a young age. Once you grow up, your mind becomes more cluttered, and it becomes difficult to achieve the Sword Heart.

However, considering the Caslana bloodline he possesses, it should be enough just to learn how to control the Key of Domination..."

Knowing Otto's usual behavior like the back of her hand, Fu Hua estimated that the Caslana bloodline rumored to be in Gwen's body was likely true, so she included it in her calculations—

If he was a Caslana, judging by the promotion speed in the reports, his talent should be good. Even without the physical modifications from the Sword Heart, his Honkai energy resistance and adaptability would be adequate, and he wouldn't harm himself by practicing the intent and circulating Honkai energy...

With her thoughts racing, Fu Hua had already put her worries aside.

"It seems my old friend has made up his mind. Then I won't disturb your student life. I'll see you at headquarters."

Knowing that Fu Hua had accepted the mission, Otto smiled and hung up the communicator. He then turned around and instructed Amber to assign temporary advanced study slots to each branch.

Meanwhile, Gwen, who was still on his way back to headquarters, had a batch of points added to his balance without him noticing.

And this was not the first time such an increase had occurred...

Upon returning to headquarters, Gwen reported his experience and gains from leaving headquarters to Otto. He learned about the identity of the Key of Domination from Otto and then applied for courses on the use of the Divine Keys.

Otto, who had just tricked his old friend into becoming a tutor, readily agreed, only telling Gwen that he would need to wait for the teacher to arrive.

Gwen had no objections to this.

Afterward, Gwen, who had effectively become the new head of the Caslana family, returned to his familiar life, training daily, occasionally going on missions, and competing with You Lan Dai Er for the title of Destiny's number one prodigy.

However, although Gwen had no further contact with the Caslana clansmen after mingling with them that day, he had left a deep impression on them, and they couldn't help but mention him a few times.

As a result, although the news was not widely publicized, it was still discovered by Anti-Entropy intelligence personnel who were intensely monitoring Destiny's news. They reported it as if they had found a treasure.

"Huh?

"The Caslana family seems to have a new patriarch, and their identity is... a survivor of a Honkai?"

Tesla, who saw this message during her free time, couldn't help but widen her eyes in surprise.

However, after a moment of thought, the special-grade Doctor Lobster, her fiery red hair tied into twin ponytails, frowned:

"No, this must be Otto's scheme!"

Although not good at power struggles or schemes, Tesla, having suffered losses many times, had developed a certain intuition for them. She looked up at the petite, blue-haired lady opposite her, who was leisurely sipping coffee—

"Chicken Head, you didn't give that message to Siegfried, did you?"

"It has already been forwarded to Mr. Siegfried."

The petite woman, referred to as "Chicken Head" by Tesla and whose true identity was the renowned great scientist in human history, Lieserl Albert Einstein, gently placed her coffee cup down. She looked up at her anxious friend.

"Don't worry, Dr. Tesla, I've already noted in the message that this is likely Otto's scheme.

Furthermore, judging by Mr. Siegfried's reaction, he doesn't seem as impulsive as you might think."

"Huh?"

Upon hearing this, Tesla let out another surprised cry.

However, this time Einstein didn't explain further. She simply scooped a spoonful of sugar from the nearby sugar bowl into her coffee, her peripheral vision glancing at her friend's expression with a hint of amusement.

In her monotonous life, teasing Tesla was one of Einstein's few joys.

Meanwhile, in a cramped room somewhere in the Far East, a middle-aged man with a scruffy beard, messy hair, and smelling of alcohol, looking every bit the unemployed vagrant, looked at the message on his phone and took another swig from half a bottle of beer.