Honkai, Traversing Otto, Path to Godhood

"Everyone?"

"Mhm," the brown-haired girl said earnestly. "Lord Bishop, me, Schicksal's Valkyries, and... Lady Cecilia. Everyone will work hard with you to achieve your dream."

Because she's back, and he... he's treating you even better.

Rita thought to herself.

"Lord Bishop's words... I can't quite gauge his passion for this," Durandal said, tucking a strand of golden hair behind her ear. "But you mentioned Ms. Cecilia... what's this about? How do you think she'll... help me achieve my dream?"

The girl didn't even realize her heart was racing with joy as she spoke the last sentence.

She thought for a moment, then a look of realization dawned on her face. "That's right, you know my dream – to expel the Honkai from this world. And Ms. Cecilia, as an S-rank Valkyrie, she probably thinks the same way, right?"

"Huh?... Yeah," Rita's smile was a little awkward. "That's right."

Phew, I almost messed up there...

"I know this sounds incredibly arrogant, and perhaps Ms. Cecilia will only offer me a kind smile," Durandal looked up at the sky again, imagining Cecilia smiling at her. "But I truly believe that only unrealistic dreams are worthy of being goals to strive for."

"So—this is Lady Durandal's New Year's wish?"

"My wish has always been this," the girl waved her fist. "I will expel the Honkai from this world!"

"May your New Year's wish come true,"

Rita bowed sincerely, offering her blessings.

"Alright, now that Valkyrie Durandal has made her wish, it's time for young Bianca to make hers."

Durandal looked a little taken aback. "Huh?"

"Please look over there, Lady Durandal... no, Lady Bianca."

Rita turned, revealing the flickering orange candlelight in the darkness.

"Happy birthday, Lady Bianca."

The brown-haired girl flipped a switch in the darkness, and then, warm-toned backup lights illuminated the room, revealing the pastries under the candlelight and the two figures behind them.

It was Cecilia and Otto.

Yep, that's right, this book will be going on sale tomorrow.

Please, everyone!

At least let my first day's subscription not be a disaster!

Honestly, I was prepared for something when writing this book, after all, it's so clearly focused on doing a certain thing.

But in truth... I won't lie to you all... my original intention was to see the ending of those who chased after shadows get brutally hurt...

Of course, the initial impulse wasn't everything; my outline and drafts were all very thorough.

This book is a semi-serious novel disguised as a romance. The emotional storyline is the main thread, while the Path to Godhood is a hidden one, with a bit of intellectual combat, but I'll try my best to make everyone find it interesting rather than brain-burning.

Whether the protagonist's intelligence is high or not is up to you readers to judge. I'll only guarantee that he won't act irrationally out of anger.

The story will scheme against everyone, including those mentioned above.

The protagonist won't be a good person, but he will bring out many good people. He will make people believe in beauty, but he will only exploit beauty himself.

I want my beloved Valkyries to shine in this book!

What I want to portray is a cunning individual skilled at scheming and exploiting everything that can be exploited. He is a self-serving person, but he respects idealists; he will not fight to protect the world, but he will cultivate one steadfast Valkyrie after another. Whether you see him as hypocritical and cunning, or as someone who outwardly appears selfish but inwardly yearns for light, he is that kind of person, impartial and undisturbed.

Alright, that's all the emotional talk. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. The author is not perfect, and when my brain goes haywire, please feel free to jolt me awake (sad).

If there are any discrepancies between the plot and the Honkai game's storyline, please point them out. I will do my best to resolve them without altering the previous plot (as changing earlier events would affect the reading experience).

At worst, the protagonist's first cheat involves time manipulation, so I can just go back and fix things, and even add some plot points.

But the cheat isn't all-powerful for now. It's not all-powerful. It's not all-powerful.

I won't allow the cheat to be too powerful and overshadow my protagonist's charm.

Also, a small heads-up: this book is very unfriendly to Siegfried, and there will be a difficult period for Theresa and Anti-Entropy, but the protagonist won't act emotionally; he'll just use them. If the benefits are sufficient, the protagonist will be happy to be amiable with anyone, even if it means hanging his Soul Steel body on a lamppost.

This writer will do their best to adhere to the game's plot, but the goal is to exploit it, not to be led by it.

Finally, the author's DNA is complex, and when appropriate, I will pay homage to certain classic scenes, such as "We saved Tingen," "I can't tell, I really can't tell," "Sakura is the best," "EX-calibur," and other interesting memes. In any case, I will try my best not to affect the reading experience of readers who haven't read those works, but when I want to make a meme, my hands can't be controlled. I bow my head in apology, red beans, and private messages!

Oh, right, the update tomorrow will be at least 12,000 words. For every 500 increase in average subscription, I'll add two more chapters that day (each chapter 2,000 words). This reward is indefinite;

Regarding rewards like monthly tickets, blades, and tips, a senior told me to wait and see the first day's subscription. If it's good, then we'll discuss it tomorrow.

The first day's subscription is really important! The future update situation of this book is in your hands!

Join the update-urging group (group to urge updates) at 252825911, although urging won't be of much use (hehe).

Chapter Fifty-Six: It's Little Goose's Birthday! (4.5k, seeking first-day subscription!)

A few dozen minutes ago.

"Are you sure you won't participate in her birthday, Lord Bishop?"

"Of course not," Otto shrugged. "This is just the reward she deserves; I don't need to gain favor with it."

Rita glanced at Cecilia, and seeing the white-haired woman give her a knowing wink, she understood.

"I understand, Lord Bishop."

She bowed and entered the room.

"See? Isn't the maid I chose for her a good one?"

Otto turned, showing off to Cecilia like a child.

"Thank you for your thoughtfulness, Lord Bishop, but in the future..."

The white-haired woman smiled gently, a hint of worry in her eyes.

"Their compatibility... is a bit too good."

"Afraid little Bianca won't get married?" Otto teased.

"Yes," Cecilia's voice held a touch of helplessness. "Like this... my child truly won't need a partner."

"Perhaps this is the difference between genders," the man clicked his tongue. "As a mother, you want her to get married, to wear the most beautiful wedding dress. But when I think of my own cabbage being snatched by a pig—do you know how many Divine Keys Schicksal has?"

"Pfft!"

Cecilia couldn't help but laugh.

"That's truly... I remember you even threatened... that person at my wedding."

She thought of something, her eyes dimming.

"It's in the past," Otto lightly patted Cecilia's shoulder. "You can sever ties with him anytime, and little Bianca—her path hasn't lacked father-daughter affection."

"In a few days, we'll go to St. Freya and tell Theresa. That way, there will be one more person who loves her."

"That's true," Cecilia nodded. "No need to dwell on unpleasant things right now."

Her relationship with Siegfried wasn't that deep to begin with. The two major offenses of [causing their daughter to crash] and [taking their daughter's name] had already exhausted that affection.

(In the Honkai Impact 3rd story, Cecilia's deep feelings for Siegfried were because Cecilia was imprisoned in Schicksal headquarters and couldn't leave. Then, during a mission failure, she was found by Siegfried. Siegfried accompanied her shopping and bragged about taking her around the world, which is when Cecilia fell for him. However, in this context... hehe)

From now on, let it be as if little Bianca doesn't have this person.

Cecilia sighed, forcing a smile as she changed the subject.

"Ah, what a shame. Under your powerful influence, I might not even get to see little Bianca's wedding dress..."

"Tsk tsk, look what you're saying,"

Otto chuckled and flicked the white-haired woman's forehead.

"Your daughter doesn't need a male partner—her charm on girls is no less than on boys."

He began counting on his fingers.

"Come, let me recall. Dr. Guang, the director of Schicksal's Institute 1504, dreams of her fulfilling his dreams. All the Valkyries in Schicksal see her as an idol. Rita, an aspiring S-rank Valkyrie, is her maid. Even the spirits of the Divine Keys around her chose to serve her because she's a beautiful girl..."

Cecilia: ...

As expected of my daughter.

She looked at Otto, a flicker of determination in her eyes, and finally said, "From now on, she will be little Bianca, Bianca Durandal Atagina."

A wry smile touched the white-haired woman's lips.

"Shouldering a world at the age of twelve... I truly don't know how much responsibility she will feel towards this world once she bears the Kaslana surname, once she knows her dual identities as the [Saintess] and the [Knight]."

"Indeed, the Kaslana duty of saving the world, even without the Kaslana name, can be influential," Otto couldn't help but sigh. "Bloodlines are chains, strangling generation after generation—truly a sight to behold, Kallen."

"This is also... a mother's little selfishness," Cecilia's eyes were full of helplessness. "I truly fear that at a critical moment, she will make the same choice I did."

Otto remained silent, watching the white-haired woman, his eyes slightly askance as if teasing.

Oh, now you're scared, huh?

"Yes, of course, I don't regret it," Cecilia saw the meaning in Otto's gaze and smiled sheepishly. "But who wouldn't want their child to be safe and sound?"

"It's just that... that child will have to be wronged..."

A moment of silence passed between them, and finally, Otto said.

"Just treat her as your own daughter from now on—you know, from a psychological perspective, no matter how much you love your child, you'll subconsciously feel a certain distance towards the person who stole your own daughter's name. This isn't your fault; it's maternal instinct.

"However, if it benefits little Anya, your heart will naturally feel guilt towards that child. This will make you love that child even more tenderly—which isn't a bad thing for that child."

I just wonder how foolish the little bug will be when she's raised... with a father (of course, he's the shameless daddy fan), a mother, and an older sister, all of whom are in power. What a pampered little princess of Schicksal...

"Sigh," Cecilia's expression was complex, finally turning into a sigh. "It's all the Honkai..."

"By the way, Lord Bishop," the white-haired woman remembered something else. "What is your New Year's wish?"

"Mine?" Otto tilted his head. "What wish could I possibly have?"

The white-haired woman just looked at him, her large, holy-blue eyes twinkling.

"Alright, little Cecilia."

The man let out a long sigh, his eyes becoming a little hazy.

Then, with his hands behind his back, he gazed at the night sky and replied nonchalantly.

"I want to give you an era—you, and all of you."

"That's all there is to it."

That's all... that's all?!

Cecilia couldn't help but freeze. His words were spoken plainly, without a hint of grandiosity, yet his tall, slender figure and his calm, azure eyes imbued them with a vastness that encompassed everything, a solidness that needed no fanfare.

It was as if he wasn't speaking of a vision, but of... an impending arrival.

The white-haired woman suddenly felt a touch of intoxication, gazing dotingly at her Lord Bishop. His emerald eyes held such profound depth; she saw everything she knew within them, and countless things she couldn't comprehend.

It was as if... the entire sky full of stars had fallen into his eyes.

"Next, it's your turn to appear."

Otto timed it perfectly, stepping back.

"Go celebrate our little Bianca."

But Cecilia took hold of his wrist, her smile enchanting, her beautiful eyes sparkling.

"Since you planned this birthday," the woman said with a playful smile, "why don't we participate in it together?"

"This is a mother's gratitude, a sister's plea. Elder Brother, can you not refuse?"

The man's eyebrows lifted slightly. He paused, then finally revealed a smile of helpless indulgence: