Honkai Impact 3rd: Saving the Pre-Civilization by Making Black Tech by Hand - The Spiral Workshop

"I happened to request tomorrow off to visit my family."

Aponia, who had been chatting with Ai Yue, heard his sigh and asked, "Are you going back with me to take a look?"

"You've only been here a few days, and they already approved your leave?" Ai Yue froze for a moment before realizing, "Oh, right. They probably wouldn't dare refuse."

"But should I go back to Twilight Street...?"

Ai Yue raised his head and thought for a moment before sighing. "I'll pass. It's still a little too soon for me to go back."

Honkai Sickness still hadn't been completely solved. If he went back and saw those children who had been corrupted, there was nothing he could do besides feel miserable. He hated that feeling, so he had decided long ago that the next time he saw them, he would cure them.

"I understand. I'll tell the children." Aponia nodded as she looked at Ai Yue's face. "How have you been lately?"

"Me? Pretty good." Ai Yue smiled. "There's no need to worry about safety here, and even the food is free. I'm having a great time."

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 this whole time?"

Ai Yue could only brush her off vaguely. "Research is like this. If you don't do research, you wouldn't understand..."

"I really don't understand. As a nun, those things are a little too profound for me." Aponia did not let go. "However, as a nun, there may be things I can do."

"For example?"

"For example, how about resting here for a while?"

Although Aponia's words sounded like a question, her actions were extremely forceful. She did not use her "Discipline," but relying on the powerful physical strength of a Fused Warrior, she forcibly pressed Ai Yue's head onto her lap.

"So this is..." Ai Yue stared up at the ceiling, half his vision blocked. "Are you giving me a lap pillow?"

"The Moth to Fire's books mention this as a way to relieve stress." Aponia gently pressed Ai Yue's temples. "How is it? Do you feel relaxed?"

"Not at all," Ai Yue answered honestly. "And your fingers are really stiff. Why do I feel like you're more nervous than I am?"

"Because this is my first time trying something like this." After hearing that, Aponia stopped trying to massage him. Instead, she covered Ai Yue's eyes with her hand and forced him to rest with his eyes closed. "You should be more or less a little more considerate toward a lady, shouldn't you?"

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

He also did not know how to respond, and the atmosphere in the room instantly fell silent.

"Thank you."

Only after a moment did Ai Yue speak again.

"Compared with the help you once gave me, this is merely a tiny repayment." Aponia replied calmly. After a brief silence, she suddenly continued, "After I return to Twilight Street to see the children, I'll be going to 'The Deepest Place'... You were right. That place needs me very much."

"Kalpas probably won't be happy." Ai Yue could almost imagine the disgusted expression beneath Kalpas's mask when he saw Aponia appear again like an unwelcome ghost. "What time are you leaving tomorrow? I'll see you off."

"Eight in the morning. A plane will be transporting supplies to Twilight Street, so I can ride along." Aponia said, "I also..."

She suddenly stopped halfway through her sentence because someone knocked on the door. "Aponia, are you there? May I come in?"

It was Elysia's voice.

When Ai Yue heard that someone was coming, he instinctively tried to sit up, but Aponia's hand held him firmly against her thigh, leaving him unable to move.

"I'm here." Although her hand was exerting force, Aponia's voice remained as calm as ever. "Come in, Elysia. The door isn't locked."

"Then I'll come in~" Elysia's cheerful voice entered Ai Yue's ears along with the opening door. "Oh my, did I come at a bad time?"

Ai Yue realized that Aponia had no intention of letting go, so he had no choice but to reach out and poke her lower back. Only then did the nun release her grip.

"Is something the matter?" Ai Yue hurriedly climbed off Aponia's lap. "I was just about to leave anyway. You two chat. Don't mind me."

Being caught by a third person in such a situation would make even someone as thick-skinned as Ai Yue feel embarrassed.

Meanwhile, Aponia, the true culprit, still wore an expression as calm as an undisturbed well. Ai Yue even suspected that she had done it deliberately. After all, as a mentally oriented Fused Warrior, noticing someone approaching her room should have been incredibly easy.

"Oh my, no need. In fact, it's wonderful that you're here too, Ai Yue." Elysia was also smiling brightly, as though what she had just witnessed had not made her feel out of place at all. "That way, I won't have to make another trip to your place."

"So what's the matter?" Seeing her expression, Ai Yue's heart stirred. "It doesn't look like official business."

"How should I put it? It isn't a Moth to Fire mission, but it's important all the same." Elysia smiled. "We want to hold a birthday party for Kevin. Would you two like to attend?"

"A birthday party?"

"That's right. We can use the opportunity to gather everyone for a meal." Elysia said, "Kevin may look cold and distant now, but he used to be a very cheerful person. It's just that, because of one thing or another... he became like this."

Although Elysia was vague, both Ai Yue, who knew the inside story, and the perceptive Aponia realized that many things must be hidden beneath it.

"In any case, while things are still relatively peaceful, Mei and I have decided to hold Kevin a grand birthday party!" Elysia quickly smiled again. "Do you two have time?"

"Sorry, I'll soon be going to 'The Deepest Place,' so I may be unable to attend." Aponia only hesitated briefly before shaking her head. "However, if you don't mind, I can still send him my blessings in my own way."

Aponia was not unfamiliar with Kevin. These past few days, whenever Dr. Mei asked her to test the power known as "Discipline," the taciturn man would stand at a distance and observe everything. His expression and eyes were both extremely cold, yet when he looked at Dr. Mei, a trace of warmth would appear.

Even if she could not be considered their friend, how could she witness such feelings and not send them her blessings?

"I see. Then there's nothing we can do, but thank you for your blessing." Elysia showed her understanding, then quickly turned to Ai Yue. "Ai Yue, you should have plenty of free time lately, right? I've seen you wandering around the campus several times already."

"I may be taking a trip somewhere far away in a few days, but it shouldn't be a problem." Ai Yue nodded, pretending to be unconcerned. "But who's attending the birthday party? Do I know everyone?"

"Oh my, what does it matter if you don't? You can get to know them." Seeing that Ai Yue had agreed, Elysia happily nodded. "I'll introduce you later. Then it's settled!"

As if afraid Ai Yue might change his mind, Elysia turned and left at once. Just as she was about to close the door, she poked her head back in. "Oh, right. Don't forget to prepare a gift!"

Only then did she gently close the door.

Ai Yue let out a long breath. This meant his first objective should soon be complete.

"You're taking a long trip?" Aponia asked at this moment. "Is it the matter you mentioned before?"

"Yeah. I'm going to meet someone very interesting." Ai Yue nodded. "Speaking of which, she has some connection to the place you're going next."

"The Deepest Place?"

Ai Yue nodded.

Vill-V, the head of the Weapons Research Department, a master of mechanics and engineering, and the creator of the prison known as The Deepest Place, was a genius no less brilliant than Mei and Mobius.

The Divine Keys, powerful weapons that would later be used to fight the Honkai, were also her creations.

"Is she impressive?" Aponia suddenly asked as she watched Ai Yue's expression.

"She's pretty good." Ai Yue nodded instinctively. "She should be about on par with Dr. Mei."

"What about compared with you?"

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

Ai Yue now possessed the system's power. Even if everyone in this world were combined, they might not qualify to be compared with him. Although Vill-V had an absurdly powerful setting in the original story, she was obviously still inferior to the system.

"I was simply curious about what kind of person could catch your eye." Aponia lowered her eyes and stopped looking at Ai Yue. "It's getting late. I should rest."

Ai Yue rose tactfully. "Oh. See you tomorrow."

Perhaps it was just his imagination, but as he left the room, he seemed to hear Aponia sigh.

At eight the next morning, Ai Yue arrived at the airport as promised and saw Aponia carrying a small suitcase, preparing to board.

"Give my regards to the children." Ai Yue handed over the case he was carrying. "These are some small toys I prepared for them. Tell them I'll go see them soon."

"I understand." Aponia took the case and handed it to a staff member. "I also have something for you."

As she spoke, she took a ring from her pocket.

"What's this?" Ai Yue froze, then remembered something.

"Dr. Mei said that my Discipline can also be applied to certain concrete objects to create a specific 'Discipline.'" Aponia slowly explained. "This is one such method... Of course, no Discipline has been applied to this ring. It only contains one of my wishes."

"Are you willing to accept it?"

"All right." Ai Yue took the ring without examining it carefully and slipped it onto his finger. His expression became somewhat complicated. "But Aponia, I still hope you won't casually give rings to other people... How should I put it? Things like this should be handled more carefully."

"Is that so?"

Aponia studied Ai Yue's expression, then smiled faintly.

"I promise."

The Spiral Workshop—I'm damn well coming!

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

Ai Yue watched the plane disappear into the horizon, but did not leave immediately. Instead, he walked toward the other side of the tarmac.

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

"Are you Mr. Ai Yue?" The staff member guarding the boarding gate took the initiative to ask when he saw Ai Yue approach. "Dr. Mei told us that an Ai Yue would be taking the plane to the 'Spiral Workshop' today."

"That's me." Ai Yue showed his identification. "When are we leaving?"

"Whenever you're ready." After checking the identification, the staff member stepped aside and gestured for him to enter. "However, the owner of the Spiral Workshop has a somewhat eccentric personality. We hope you're prepared."

The Spiral Workshop was located on a small island two hours away from the Moth to Fire base by air. It was said that frequent explosions and other accidents had made it necessary to place the workshop in a remote area far from the city. However, Ai Yue knew that Vill-V would deliberately cause explosions to swindle funding, so he had reason to suspect that she had planned everything from the moment she chose the site.

From the outside, the Spiral Workshop looked like a building resembling a DNA double helix. However, it stood less than ten meters tall, so Ai Yue guessed that its main body was hidden underground and that the section aboveground existed only to distract people.

Behind the Spiral Workshop was a tarmac, clearly reserved for cargo planes. The plane slowly descended, and the hatch in its belly opened. The neatly packed cargo was then placed on the ground by the machinery.

Ai Yue opened the hatch and jumped down first. He then saw the metal platform carrying the cargo slowly descend. Clearly, Vill-V had already signed for the delivery.

"The cargo has been delivered. We still have to wait for Minister Vill-V to bring over the order she completed." The staff member said to Ai Yue, "We'll probably leave in about two hours. If you can make it back in time, you can return with us. If not, that's fine too. The Spiral Workshop has other forms of transportation, so your journey won't be affected."

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

"Well... we don't know either." The staff member smiled awkwardly. "As you can see, we've always waited outside. Perhaps Minister Vill-V will come out to receive you later?"

Before Ai Yue could reply, an unfamiliar voice suddenly sounded beside his ear. "Ahem, sound check, sound check—hello, can you hear me?"

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

These lines and markings on the airport floor... Could every single section move independently?

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

The construction cost of this airport alone was several times greater than that of the laboratory Ai Yue currently used, to say nothing of the fact that this was merely an auxiliary component. The Spiral Workshop itself had not even been included.

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

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

"Good." There was also a camera on the loudspeaker, so Vill-V was apparently using it to observe the airport. "Now, hold tight."

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

I knew this place wouldn't be normal.

The next moment, he felt weightlessness beneath his feet. The ground beneath him quickly sank, moving through the darkness at a speed that was clearly far outside the safe range.

Fortunately, the process did not last long. After roughly ten seconds, the ground beneath Ai Yue began to slow and finally stopped.

The next moment, the lights around him suddenly blazed to life, illuminating the interior. A woman wearing a top hat appeared before him. Rather than a scholar, she looked more like a circus performer.

"Ta-da-da-da! How do you feel about this entrance?"

"Average." Ai Yue adapted to the discomfort caused by the rapid descent and movement while stubbornly refusing to admit it. "The intention was too obvious. I can only say that there were no surprises."

"Oh my, it seems we have a rather picky guest." Vill-V did not mind and continued smiling. "In any case, welcome to the Spiral Workshop—hmm, let me think. Which number guest are you to arrive here?"

"That doesn't matter." Ai Yue waved his hand. "I know you only let me in because of Dr. Mei. You still doubt my abilities, don't you? Can we skip ahead to the test? The plane up there can only wait two hours."

"Oh my, you're in quite a hurry. Are you really busier than I am?" Vill-V blinked, somewhat surprised by Ai Yue's impatience. "Still, you're right. Since you've noticed, follow me."

Seeing Vill-V stop performing and turn toward the door on the other side of the room, Ai Yue finally relaxed.

He was not genuinely eager to return early. Rather, Ai Yue knew very well that Vill-V's performance was merely a way of keeping people at a distance. She was observing and evaluating him through this behavior. If he simply followed the direction of Vill-V's conversation, he might not get to the point for a very long time.

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

Ai Yue was not a practical-minded person who pursued efficiency, but Vill-V loved performing far too much, so he had no choice but to pay closer attention.

Following Vill-V's lead, the two soon arrived in another room. This was clearly Vill-V's workshop, because all the surrounding walls were made of transparent glass. Through the glass, they could see all kinds of large machines still operating.

Besides a few relatively conventional devices, such as a forge and a numerically controlled machine tool, 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 here was personally designed and built by me."

"It's quite good." Ai Yue nodded, offering an appropriate amount of praise. "Dr. Mei said you're the finest engineer and mechanic. It seems she was right."

"Then I'll lend this place to you for now." Vill-V smiled. "The computer over there can access all the materials in the workshop. Use whatever you like. Don't be shy."

"The only condition is this—make something interesting that I've never seen before."

Vill-V had noticed Ai Yue's capabilities much earlier than he had imagined.