Honkai Impact 3rd: Starting from Hand-Crafted Black Tech to Save the Pre-Civilization

"I just took tomorrow off for family visit leave."

Aponia, who was chatting with Ai Yue, couldn't help but ask when she heard his sigh, "Do you want to come back with me to take a look?"

"You've only been here a few days, and they're already approving your leave?" Ai Yue was stunned for a moment, then realized, "That's right, they probably wouldn't dare not approve it."

"But, going back to Twilight Street to see..."

Ai Yue tilted his head, thought for a moment, and finally sighed, "I'll pass. It's a bit too early for me to go back now."

The Honkai Sickness hadn't been completely resolved. Seeing the children affected by the corruption would only bring him pain, and Ai Yue could do nothing else. He hated that feeling, so he had decided long ago that he would cure them by the time they met again.

"I understand. I'll tell the children," Aponia said, looking at Ai Yue's face and nodding. "So, how have you been lately?"

"Me? I'm doing great," Ai Yue smiled. "There are no safety concerns here, and meals are even free. I'm having a wonderful time."

But Aponia reached out and cupped Ai Yue's face, preventing him from looking away. "If that's the case, then why have you been frowning all this time?"

Ai Yue could only give a vague answer, "Oh, it's just how research is. If you don't do research, you won't understand..."

"I truly don't understand. Those things are a bit too profound for a nun like me," Aponia said, not releasing him. "However, as a nun, there might be something I can do."

"For example?"

"For example, how about you rest here for a bit?"

Although Aponia's words were a question, her actions were incredibly forceful. Without using her Judgment, she used the powerful physical strength of a Fused Warrior to press Ai Yue's head onto her lap.

"So, this is...?" Ai Yue, lying on his back, had his vision half-obscured. "A lap pillow?"

"The books of Moth to Fire mention this method of stress relief," Aponia said, gently massaging Ai Yue's temples. "How is it, do you feel relaxed?"

"Not at all," Ai Yue replied honestly. "And your fingers are quite stiff. Why do you seem more nervous than I am?"

"Because this is my first time trying something like this." Hearing this, Aponia stopped massaging and simply covered Ai Yue's eyes with her hand, forcing him to close his eyes and rest. "You should be a little more tolerant of ladies, shouldn't you?"

For some reason, Ai Yue detected a hint of resentment in her tone.

He didn't know how to respond to that, and the atmosphere in the room fell silent.

"Thank you."

After a moment, Ai Yue spoke again.

"Compared to your past assistance, this is merely a fraction of my repayment," Aponia replied calmly. After a pause, she suddenly added, "After visiting the children at Twilight Street, I'll be going to The Deepest Place... You're right, that place needs me."

"Kalpas is probably going to be unhappy," Ai Yue could almost imagine the disgusted expression under Kalpas's mask when he saw Aponia reappear like a persistent ghost. "What time are you leaving tomorrow? I'll see you off."

"At eight in the morning. A plane will be transporting supplies to Twilight Street, and it can give me a ride," Aponia said. "I also..."

She stopped abruptly mid-sentence because a knock sounded at the door. "Aponia, are you there? Can I come in?"

It was Elysia's voice.

Hearing someone approaching, Ai Yue instinctively tried to get up, but Aponia's hand pressed firmly on her thigh, pinning him in place.

"I'm here." Despite the force in her hand, Aponia's voice was as calm as ever. "Please come in, Eli. The door isn't locked."

"Then I'll be intruding~" Elysia's cheerful voice entered Ai Yue's ears along with the sound of the door opening. "Oh my, am I interrupting something?"

Ai Yue realized Aponia had no intention of letting go, so he had to reach out and poke her lower back, which finally made the nun release her grip on him.

"Is something wrong?" Ai Yue quickly scrambled off Aponia's lap. "I was just about to leave anyway. You two chat, don't mind me."

Being caught in such a situation by a third person, even with Ai Yue's thick skin, made him feel a pang of embarrassment.

On the contrary, Aponia, the instigator of it all, maintained her usual placid expression. Ai Yue even suspected she had done it on purpose, as it should have been the simplest thing for a mental-type Fused Warrior to sense someone approaching her room.

"Oh, no need. It's actually great that you're here too, Ai Yue," Elysia said with a smile, seemingly unfazed by what she had just witnessed. "That way, I won't have to make another trip to your place."

"So, what is it?" Seeing her expression, Ai Yue's heart stirred. "It doesn't look like it's anything serious."

"How should I put it? It's not a Moth to Fire mission, but it's still quite important," Elysia said with a smile. "We want to throw a birthday party for Kevin. Would you two be willing to join?"

"A birthday party?"

"Yes, it's also a chance to get everyone together for a meal," Elysia explained. "Kevin, you know, despite his cold demeanor now, he used to be a very cheerful person. But due to various reasons... he became like this."

Although Elysia was vague, both Ai Yue, who knew the inside story, and the understanding Aponia realized that many things were hidden within those words.

"In any case, while these peaceful days last, Mei and I have decided to throw a grand birthday party for Kevin!" Elysia quickly smiled again. "Do you two have time?"

"I'm sorry, I'll be heading to The Deepest Place soon, so I might not be able to make it," Aponia said, hesitating only slightly before shaking her head. "However, if you don't mind, I will send my blessings in my own way."

Aponia wasn't unfamiliar with Kevin. In the past few days, whenever Dr. Mei asked her to test the power known as "Judgment," the taciturn man would stand aside and observe everything from a distance. His expression and gaze were cold, only showing a hint of warmth when he looked at Dr. Mei.

Even if she wasn't close friends with either of them, seeing such affection, how could she not send her blessings?

"I see. That's a shame, but thank you for your blessings anyway," Elysia said understandingly and quickly turned to Ai Yue. "Ai Yue, you should have plenty of time recently, right? I've seen you wandering around the campus quite a few times."

"I might be going on a trip in a couple of days, but it shouldn't be a problem," Ai Yue nodded, pretending to be nonchalant. "But, will I know everyone who attends the birthday party?"

"Oh, what if you don't know them? You can get acquainted then!" Elysia said happily, nodding as Ai Yue agreed. "I'll introduce you around later, so it's settled then!"

As if afraid Ai Yue would go back on his word, Elysia turned to leave. Just as she was about to close the door, she poked her head back in. "Oh, right, don't forget to prepare a gift!"

Then she gently closed the door.

Ai Yue let out a long sigh. With this, his first objective should be completed soon.

"You're going on a long trip?" Aponia asked at that moment. "Is it about that thing you mentioned before?"

"Yeah, going to meet a very interesting fellow," Ai Yue nodded. "Speaking of which, she's somewhat related to where you're going next."

"The Deepest Place?"

Ai Yue nodded.

Vill-V, the head of the Weapon Research Department, a master of mechanics and engineering, and the creator of the prison "The Deepest Place," could be described as a genius no less than Mei and Mobius.

The "Divine Keys" series, which would later become powerful weapons against the Honkai, was her creation.

"Is she very powerful?" Aponia asked, looking at Ai Yue's expression.

"Pretty good," Ai Yue nodded subconsciously. "Probably about the same as Dr. Mei."

"And compared to you?"

"Then she's far behind," Ai Yue shook his head decisively. "Why are you suddenly asking this?"

Ai Yue was now imbued with the power of the System. Everyone in this world, stacked together, wouldn't even be qualified to compare with him. Even if Vill-V had an extremely exaggerated setting in the original plot, it was clearly no match for the System.

"I was just suddenly curious about what kind of person you would take an interest in," Aponia lowered her eyes, no longer looking at Ai Yue. "It's getting late, I should rest."

Ai Yue also got up knowingly. "Oh, see you tomorrow."

Whether it was an illusion or not, as he left the room, he seemed to hear Aponia sigh.

The next morning at eight o'clock, Ai Yue arrived at the airport as scheduled and met Aponia, who was holding a small suitcase and preparing to board.

"Say hello to the kids for me," Ai Yue handed over the suitcase in his hand. "This is a small toy I prepared for them. Tell them I'll see them soon."

"I know," Aponia took the suitcase and handed it to a staff member. "I have something for you too."

Saying that, she took a ring out of her pocket.

"What is this?" Ai Yue was stunned for a moment, then remembered something.

"Dr. Mei said that my Judgments can also be applied to certain specific objects to achieve specific 'Judgments'," Aponia said slowly. "This is one way... Of course, no 'Judgment' has been applied to this ring, it just contains a certain expectation of mine."

"Will you accept it?"

"Alright," Ai Yue took the ring, put it on his finger without looking closely, and wore a somewhat subtle expression on his face. "But, Aponia, I still hope you don't casually give people rings... How should I put it, such things require more caution."

"Is that so?"

Aponia observed Ai Yue's expression, then showed a slight smile.

"I promise you."

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Spiral Workshop, I'm F***ing Coming!

Aponia soon left the Moth to Fire base on a cargo plane.

Ai Yue watched the plane disappear into the sky but didn't rush to leave. Instead, he walked towards the other side of the tarmac.

There was also a cargo plane here, preparing to fly to another destination.

"Is that Mr. Ai Yue?" The staff member guarding the boarding gate asked proactively when he saw him approach. "Dr. Mei told us that Mr. Ai Yue would be taking a plane to the 'Spiral Workshop' today."

"It's me," Ai Yue showed his ID. "When does it depart?"

"Anytime," the staff member checked his ID and then made way, gesturing for him to proceed. "However, the owner of the Spiral Workshop has a rather eccentric temper, so I hope you're prepared."

The Spiral Workshop was located on an island two hours' flight away from the Moth to Fire base. It was said that due to frequent accidents like explosions, it had to be located in a remote area far from the city. However, Ai Yue knew that Vill-V would deliberately cause explosions to swindle funds, so he had reason to suspect that she had planned everything from the very beginning when choosing the location.

From the outside, the Spiral Workshop looked like a building with a DNA double helix structure. However, its height was less than ten meters, so Ai Yue guessed that its main part should be hidden underground, and the part above ground was probably just for show.

Behind the Spiral Workshop was a tarmac, clearly designated for cargo planes. The cargo plane landed slowly, and then the cargo bay door on the underside opened. The neatly packed goods were placed on the ground by mechanical operation.

Ai Yue opened the cargo bay door and was the first to jump to the ground. Then he saw the metal platform supporting the goods slowly descend, clearly having been signed for by Vill-V.

"The goods have been delivered. We still need to wait for Minister Vill-V to deliver the orders she has completed," the staff member said to Ai Yue. "We'll be leaving in about two hours. If Mr. Ai Yue can make it back, you can come back with us. It's okay if you can't make it; the Spiral Workshop has other means of transportation, which won't affect your itinerary."

"Okay, I got it," Ai Yue nodded, then looked around. "But the problem is, how do I get in? This place doesn't seem to have a main entrance."

"This... we don't know either," the staff member gave an embarrassed smile. "As you can see, we always wait outside. Perhaps Minister Vill-V will come out to pick you up later?"

Before Ai Yue could reply, a strange voice suddenly came from the air: "Ahem, testing, testing—Hello, can you hear me?"

Ai Yue turned his head and saw a loudspeaker rising from the ground not far away.

These lines on the airport ground... are they all independently movable?

Ai Yue suddenly began to understand why Dr. Mei wanted to cut Vill-V's funding.

The cost of this airport alone far exceeded that of the laboratory Ai Yue was currently using by several times, let alone this being just an auxiliary component without even counting the Spiral Workshop itself.

"Dr. Mei told me a guest was coming today, I almost forgot," Vill-V continued speaking. "Uh, your name is Ai Yue, right? Come closer, stand in front of this loudspeaker."

Ai Yue immediately had a bad feeling, but he still walked over.

"Alright," there was also a camera on the loudspeaker, and it seemed she was observing the airport situation with it. "Then you'll have to hold on tight."

Ai Yue cooperatively reached out and grabbed the pole supporting the loudspeaker, then sighed.

I knew this place was definitely not normal.

The next second, a feeling of weightlessness came from under his feet. The ground beneath Ai Yue quickly sank, and he moved in the darkness at a speed that was clearly outside the safety range.

The process thankfully didn't last long. About ten seconds later, the ground beneath Ai Yue's feet began to slow down, eventually coming to a stop.

The next second, the lights around him suddenly blazed on, illuminating the interior. A woman wearing a top hat, who looked more like a circus performer than a scholar, appeared before him. "Ta-da! How do you like that entrance?"

"It was alright," Ai Yue said, trying to sound tough while his body adjusted to the discomfort of rapid descent and movement. "Your intentions were too obvious; I can't say I was surprised at all."

"Oh my, it seems we have a picky guest," Vill-V said, unfazed and still smiling. "Regardless, welcome to the Spiral Workshop. Hmm, let me think, how many guests have come here before you?"

"That doesn't matter," Ai Yue waved his hand. "I know you let me in out of respect for Dr. Mei, but you're still skeptical about my abilities, aren't you? Can we skip to the test already? That plane upstairs can only wait for me for two hours."

"My, you're impatient, aren't you? Are you busier than I am?" Vill-V blinked, slightly surprised by Ai Yue's hasty reaction. "But you're right. Since you've figured it out, come with me."

Seeing Vill-V drop the act and turn towards a large door on the other side of the room, Ai Yue breathed a sigh of relief.

His impatience wasn't because he was actually eager to leave, but because Ai Yue knew that Vill-V's performance was just a way to keep him at a distance. She was observing and evaluating him in this manner, and if he had simply gone along with her playful conversation, they might never have gotten to the main point.

In other words, until he proved his abilities, any conversation was meaningless. Only after Vill-V truly recognized Ai Yue's capabilities would their dialogue hold any social value.

Ai Yue wasn't a pragmatist who pursued efficiency for its own sake, but Vill-V was simply too fond of putting on a show, so he had to be a little more careful.

Following Vill-V, the two quickly arrived in another room. This was clearly Vill-V's workshop, as the walls were all transparent glass, through which various large mechanical equipment, still in operation, could be seen.

And besides a few more conventional items, like a forging furnace and a CNC machine, Ai Yue had never seen most of the other equipment.

"How is it? Not bad, right?" Vill-V introduced from the side. "Most of the equipment in here was designed and built by myself."

"It's very good," Ai Yue nodded, offering appropriate praise. "Dr. Mei said you were the most outstanding engineer and mechanic, and it seems she was absolutely right."

"Then, I'll lend this place to you," Vill-V said with a smile. "The computer over there can access all the materials in the workshop. Use whatever you need, don't be shy."

"The only condition is – create an interesting item that I've never seen before."

Chapter 29: What Genius? Obliterated.

Vill-V noticed Ai Yue's time constraints earlier than he himself realized.