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

Ai Yue held it in his hand, and with a downward flick of his finger, he activated the Spacetime Distortion Generator.

For a moment, he felt as if he had entered a crack in time. Everything around him was bathed in a hazy color. This situation lasted for about three seconds before returning to normal.

"Three seconds, barely enough, I guess," Ai Yue nodded. "There's still a lot of room for improvement."

The Spacetime Distortion Generator requires Honkai Energy as its power source. However, Ai Yue is neither a Herrscher nor a Fused Warrior, so he doesn't possess Honkai Energy himself. Therefore, this generator comes with its own power source, which needs to be replaced every ten uses.

Fortunately, he had a way to obtain Honkai Energy.

After using the Spacetime Distortion Generator twice more, Ai Yue put his thoughts aside and refocused his attention on the System.

The Construction System isn't just for creating prototype machines. As long as Ai Yue gathers the materials needed to build a Spacetime Distortion Generator, he can use the Construction System to directly convert them into the generator. This entire process requires no external equipment, which is why Ai Yue calls it alchemy.

"Please select a new Research Project."

After Ai Yue closed the Construction System, a prompt from the System echoed in his mind. Immediately after, the light around him suddenly dimmed.

It's coming.

The thought flashed through Ai Yue's mind, and then he saw a galaxy slowly unfold before his eyes.

The light around him hadn't actually dimmed; it was merely suppressed by an even more brilliant radiance.

This galaxy, formed by countless stars, was the technology tree displayed by the System. Among the myriad stars, only a few shone particularly brightly.

Those were the Research Projects Ai Yue had completed.

And at the very top of this galaxy...

Ai Yue tilted his head back, looking towards the highest point. The image there gradually magnified in his eyes, finally focusing on a single, solitary star.

The name of that star was "Plasma Spark Tower."

Ai Yue could still remember the feeling of a sudden turn of fortune when he discovered this project.

As a transmigrator, he was very familiar with the future trajectory of this world. Compared to the next civilization that would emerge tens of thousands of years later, the current era was destined for destruction. Even knowing the future, he found it difficult to change anything.

But as it turned out, as long as your cheat was powerful enough, no difficulty was insurmountable.

What level of thing was the Plasma Spark Tower? It was an energy system capable of creating ultimate lifeforms like those from the Land of Light. With something of that caliber, what was there to worry about regarding a mere Herrscher of the End?

Of course, that was assuming Ai Yue could complete this project, along with all its prerequisite technologies, before the Herrscher of the End arrived.

Ai Yue's gaze drifted downwards again. The Plasma Spark Tower, a project that could only be researched after reaching the pinnacle of technological development, naturally had an overwhelming number of prerequisites. Energy, materials, structure... every aspect required Ai Yue's attention.

The gap between him and this goal could be described as spanning a galaxy, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration.

However, Ai Yue remained optimistic. After all, the crisis of the Herrscher of the End might not necessarily require a solution on the level of the Plasma Spark Tower. Perhaps he could solve the problem halfway through climbing the technology tree.

After all, the technology tree provided by the System included many bizarre projects like "Body Modification (Shocker Company Edition)," "Core Contract Technology (Incubator Civilization Edition)," "Mazinger Z Blueprints," and "Mutant Serum." At first glance, they all seemed incredibly powerful.

Honestly, Ai Yue even wondered if the System had gone to the wrong place. Did fighting a Herrscher of the End require these things? These items looked more like they were meant for dealing with some multiversal empire that spanned countless universes and held the ultimate secrets of all things.

After gathering his scattered thoughts, Ai Yue returned to reality and began selecting his next research target.

While the System was rather crude and simplistic in its approach to research, it was very rigorous when it came to unlocking the technology tree. Without unlocking prerequisites or possessing the relevant items, corresponding research projects could not be initiated.

Under normal circumstances, Ai Yue wouldn't have been able to unlock the "Spacetime Fracture Technology" project, as it was theoretically developed based on the abilities mastered by the Second Herrscher, the Herrscher of Void.

However, Ai Yue had obtained a special Honkai Energy sample through a fortunate accident previously, which allowed him to skip several prerequisite projects. Such luck was obviously not something that happened all the time.

So, this time, he dutifully selected "Anti-Honkai Energy Special Alloy Gen III" to lay the foundation for other projects.

Compared to "Spacetime Fracture Technology," the Special Alloy was much less difficult and required fewer resources. Therefore, Ai Yue planned to pull an all-nighter and try to complete it tonight.

Just then, Pardofelis's urgent voice came from outside the door: "Brother Yue, Brother Yue, are you asleep yet! I've got something good!"

"The delivery speed is a bit fast today, isn't it?" Ai Yue walked out of the room, not paying too much attention to the girl's words. "What is it this time?"

No matter what Pardofelis stole, she always called it something good. At first, Ai Yue would feel some anticipation, but now he had learned to manage his expectations to avoid disappointment.

However, when Pardofelis placed the metal box in her hand on the coffee table, Ai Yue's expression froze.

The surface of the metal box bore a somewhat familiar emblem: a moth with wings spread, its wingtips adorned with flame-like patterns.

This time, it was truly something good—this was a mission equipment box from the Moth to Fire!

Chapter Four: A Pink Beauty, But With Two

The Moth to Fire, as the organization that truly governed civilization and fought against Honkai in this world, was essentially equivalent to a global united government.

Twilight Street, as a seemingly ordinary human settlement, theoretically had no way of coming into contact with an organization like the Moth to Fire, unless something happened in Twilight Street that caught their attention.

In the original storyline, Twilight Street's interaction with the Moth to Fire was due to the widespread Honkai Energy infection from the sanatorium, which affected most of Twilight Street's residents. Coupled with a cryptic ballad, this led to the destruction of the entire Twilight Street.

Although Ai Yue had taken some actions to try and change the course of the future, it seemed that no matter what, the Moth to Fire would notice Twilight Street.

This meant that the incident at the sanatorium absolutely couldn't be covered up.

All one could say was that what was coming, would come.

Ai Yue shook his head slightly, not attempting to forcibly break open the box. "I can't use this. If you want to sell it, you'll have to go next door."

This was actually a lie. The metal used to make the box itself was something Ai Yue had never encountered before, so it was conceivable that the contents inside would be very helpful to him.

But the situation was still unclear, and Ai Yue decided to let Pardo follow the original plot and hide in the neighboring settlement. In the original story, she managed to escape disaster because of this.

The "next door" Ai Yue referred to was another settlement separated by a no-man's-land. If Pardofelis sold the stolen goods in Twilight Street, it would be easy for clues to be found. Therefore, she usually chose to sell valuable items in other settlements.

Even though it would be sold at a lower price, it was ultimately much safer.

"Is that so? Then there's nothing we can do," Pardofelis glanced at Ai Yue, seemingly not noticing anything, and nodded. "Looks like I'll have to wait until I get back to pick up the canned food."

Pardofelis clearly intended to leave immediately. After all, this kind of thing looked like a hot potato, and the sooner it was dealt with, the better, to avoid any further complications.

After seeing Pardofelis off, Ai Yue didn't rest. He went back into the house, retrieved a handbag, grabbed a box of canned food, and left home.

The nursing home was located in the center of what was now Twilight Street. It was formerly a church, but few people maintained their faith these days.

Ai Yue, familiar with the way, went to the church's backyard. He found the spare key from a corner, unlocked the gate, and went inside.

After only a few steps, he felt a fierce gaze suddenly fall upon him.

Ai Yue turned his head and saw a man wearing a mask, leaning on a broom, looking at him. He was clearly sweeping the backyard just moments ago.

"Yo, Master Qian," Ai Yue greeted casually. "Still cleaning up this late?"

The person before him was named Kalpas, an orderly at the nursing home responsible for odd jobs like cleaning and moving things. He was usually taciturn, only showing a volatile side when facing the nursing home's owner.

Of course, only Ai Yue knew now just how dangerous the person before him truly was.

"I'm being punished," Kalpas replied simply. "Why are you here at this hour?"

"There's a troublesome person in Twilight Street, probably heading this way." Ai Yue handed the canned food to Kalpas. "Is Aponia here?"

He wasn't surprised that Kalpas was being punished; it would be more surprising if Kalpas wasn't being punished on any given day.

"She's telling the children bedtime stories." Kalpas took the canned food and turned towards the warehouse. "Go in yourself. I can't stand looking at her."

Ai Yue didn't mind and turned to walk into the house.

The current owner of the nursing home, Aponia, was originally a nun from the church. She was a naturally gifted psychic, but also someone who often made things worse by accident.

For example, the reason Twilight Street was doomed in the original storyline was because she couldn't bear to see those corrupted by Honkai die in agony, so she tried to gather and treat them all in one place.

This approach did reduce the chance of Honkai Energy infection in Twilight Street at first, but the concentrated infected individuals became an even larger source of infection, leading to a massive outbreak that nearly turned Twilight Street into a dead zone.

Of course, this was the ending that would have occurred in the original storyline – at least, Ai Yue had already nipped that possibility in the bud.

Ai Yue, familiar with the layout, found the children's room and knocked before entering.

There were about a dozen children in the room, the oldest no more than thirteen or fourteen, and the youngest only five or six. They were gathered around a woman with flaxen hair, listening intently to a story she had told countless times.

"It's Brother Ai Yue!"

Seeing someone enter, the children were first startled, then ran over excitedly, surrounding Ai Yue. "Brother Ai Yue is here! Did you bring new toys?"

In the children's eyes, Ai Yue was a super nice guy who always brought them fun toys, so he was very popular here.

"Of course," Ai Yue said with a smile, raising the handbag he was holding so everyone could see. "But before that, big brother needs to check if you've all been wearing the things I gave you?"

"We're~ wearing~ them~"

Everyone replied in unison, holding up the items hanging around their necks to show Ai Yue.

They were simple pendants, looking like crudely made products. They were also quite large, several times bigger than regular pendants, and looked a bit comical hanging around the children's necks.

But these were the guarantee that they could live a few more years.

Ai Yue took a pendant from a nearby child, and the System immediately displayed the item's information:

Honkai Energy Absorber (Common) Current Status: Good Core Load Rate: 67%

This was the third item Ai Yue had created since arriving in this world, and the most crucial one.

This item, which he called a "Honkai Energy Filter," not only inhibited the erosion reaction within Honkai Energy infected individuals but also absorbed the Honkai Energy emanating from them, effectively blocking Honkai Energy infection.

With this, coupled with the larger absorbers he had placed throughout the nursing home, outbreaks of Honkai Energy in Twilight Street could essentially be prevented.

Of course, this kind of item still required regular maintenance. After all, it could only absorb Honkai Energy and not purify it. Once overloaded, the stored Honkai Energy would erupt, exacerbating the infection.

Therefore, Ai Yue visited the nursing home every ten days to replace the core.

The absorbed Honkai Energy cores were also valuable. Ai Yue could collect them and use them to create stable energy sources to power various other small devices he possessed.

For example, the "Spacetime Distortion Generator" he was currently using.

After replacing the cores for everyone and handing out the prepared toys, Ai Yue finally managed to escape the children's encirclement.

"You're still as popular as ever, Mr. Ai Yue."

Aponia, who had been smiling and observing everything from the side, finally walked over. She urged the children to go to sleep quickly, then bowed to Ai Yue. "But coming here so late, is there something urgent?"

Aponia was still wearing a very modest nun's habit. However, even this sack-like garment couldn't completely conceal her exaggerated figure. With her movements, her stunning curves were inadvertently outlined.

But Ai Yue couldn't afford to admire such beauty right now. Seeing Aponia approach, he immediately backed away, fumbling in his handbag for something.

By the time Aponia spoke, Ai Yue had finally produced a pair of over-ear headphones and put them on.

Aponia, as a frail woman, had managed to establish a nursing home in this chaotic world, protecting so many displaced people from harm and ensuring they had enough to eat. She clearly had her own capabilities.

She possessed incredible talent and was a natural hypnotist, capable of issuing commands and restrictions through her words, thereby controlling others' actions.

Aponia called this ability "Judgment," and the headphones Ai Yue was wearing were designed to resist her power.

Its name was the "Anti-Aponia Earmuffs," a device developed using the opponent's hair as its base material. Theoretically, it could filter the "Judgment" power within her words, thus granting immunity to her hypnosis.

However, the reason it was only theoretical was that Aponia had never used her Judgment on Ai Yue after he put on the device.

"Mr. Ai Yue, if you continue like this, even I will become unhappy," Aponia said in her usual calm tone as she and Ai Yue walked out of the room and closed the door. "I've repeatedly emphasized to you that I would never use Judgment on you unless it was a special circumstance. Why can't you trust me?"

"I trust you very much, really," Ai Yue nodded sincerely. "But, some things have to be considered in advance—for example, what would I do if you decided that now is a special circumstance?"

Aponia gave him a speechless look and decided to change the subject. "So, is there an urgent matter that brings you here tonight? For instance, do you have a new product that needs a buyer?"

Aponia possessed special abilities, was a native of Twilight Street, and cared for so many patients, which gave her a high reputation. Even wealthy individuals would try to build good relations with her by donating supplies to the nursing home, so her network was extensive.

After Ai Yue created the Honkai Energy Absorber, he became Aponia's most important guest and, consequently, gained her friendship. This allowed him to leverage her network to sell his creations and earn enough canned food to survive.

With Aponia vouching for him, buyers were more inclined to trust Ai Yue. This enabled Ai Yue to sell his goods more easily, while the nursing home could take a commission and receive some supplies. It was a win-win situation for everyone.

"It's not that, but rather..." Ai Yue tried to explain vaguely, but suddenly paused, then a slight smile appeared. "No, perhaps it can be said that way?"

Aponia simply waited for him to continue, remaining silent.

"The nursing home will soon welcome a special guest," Ai Yue rephrased. "And I plan to sell you, me, this nursing home, and Master Qian, all for a good price."

"Such a large transaction isn't something just anyone can handle," Aponia said, unfazed by Ai Yue's casual description. She continued, "I wonder, Mr. Ai Yue, who is the party you're dealing with this time?"

Just as Ai Yue was about to speak, he saw a young nun hurrying over. "Lady Aponia, there are unfamiliar guests... Huh? Mr. Ai Yue is here?"

Ai Yue smiled at her. "Is it the lady with pink hair?"

The young nun shyly hid behind Aponia but still showed half of her body. Hearing Ai Yue's question, she nodded. "Yes, both ladies have beautiful pink hair."

Two pink-haired women? Besides Sakura, theoretically, the only other person with pink hair was...

Ai Yue pondered for a moment, then let out a sigh of relief. "It seems this matter will turn out even better than I imagined."

With that thought, Ai Yue looked at Aponia beside him. "Let's go, we should go meet our new guests."

At that very moment, two uninvited guests were conversing quietly in the church.