Honkai Impact 3rd: Starting with Handcrafted Black Tech to Save the Pre-Civilization - Knowledge Is Explosion

When Otto saw the newcomer's face clearly, he immediately stood up straight, hiding the ornithopter behind his back. His smile vanished, replaced by restraint and reverence. "Father, Father."

The newcomer was none other than Nicholas Apocalypse, the current Bishop of Schicksal. He looked much older than Ai Yue had seen him in the images twelve years ago, but his eyes were still sharp and his back was still straight. It seemed that he could remain in the position of Bishop of Schicksal for another twenty years.

Nicholas merely nodded slightly in response to Otto's greeting, then focused his gaze on the unfamiliar man behind him.

Oh no, this is the Schicksal Headquarters. Could it be that Father doesn't recognize him and suspects something is wrong with his identity?

Otto's heart tightened, and he instinctively wanted to explain a few words on behalf of the other man—through their conversation just now, he was certain that the man before him possessed knowledge and wisdom beyond his imagination. If Nicholas had arrived any later, Otto would probably have already completed the apprenticeship ceremony.

However, just as Otto was pondering how to help Ai Yue clear his name, he saw his father bowing respectfully to the man, saying, "So you're here, Mr. Ai Yue."

Huh?

Otto stared in disbelief at the scene—in his memory, his father had always been a dignified and proud figure who had never bowed his head, no matter how great the difficulties.

However, the fact that he had shown such humility in front of this stranger made Otto realize that he might have met someone very important.

"Oh, Nicholas, is the meeting over?" Compared to Nicholas's humility, Ai Yue was much more casual. "I was getting a little impatient, so I came out for a walk. I hope it won't cause any problems?"

"While some people do have some complaints, their opinions are not important," Nicholas replied calmly, his gaze returning to Otto, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes. "However, I didn't expect you to choose him..."

"Nothing surprising, right?" Ai Yue shrugged. "For a manager, between strength and wisdom, the latter is clearly more important."

Upon hearing Ai Yue's choice of words, Nicholas's expression finally softened somewhat—he knew very well what the other party meant by "manager," but in their understanding, this word should refer to the position of the Bishop of Schicksal.

No, it's even higher than that, since at present, the Bishop of Schicksal cannot truly rule over the whole of Europe.

Such a position, which can be described as the pinnacle of power, was merely described as a "manager" in the other party's words. The information revealed by this cannot help but make people think.

However, once he considered the other party's identity, Nicholas felt relieved.

Although he didn't actually know the true identity of the person in front of him, he did know that the ancestors of the Apocalypse Family had seen his portrait in the "Tianhui Zen Courtyard" in their ancestral home, and a copy of that portrait was still kept in the family's treasury.

However, thousands of years have passed, and the person in front of us looks exactly the same as the one in the portrait!

This inevitably reminded Nicholas of something else.

Nicholas was not an arrogant person. On the contrary, driven by some ambition, he actively gathered intelligence about the outside world and even funded fleets to explore other regions. Therefore, he knew that in a mysterious country in the far east, there existed a powerful being known as the "Immortal".

Whether it's ancient myths or historical records from various dynasties, this immortal's figure is present. More importantly, although no trace of the immortal can be found in Shenzhou today, there is a sect called "Taixu Mountain" that claims to have inherited the immortal's teachings. They are the ones who resolve most of the Honkai disasters in Shenzhou.

This sect doesn't have many disciples, but each one is incredibly strong. If the intelligence reports are accurate, then any disciple could single-handedly defeat an entire knightly order.

In addition, there is a loose alliance in Shenzhou called "Martial Arts World", which contains many organizations similar to Taixu Mountain. They can also cultivate powerful warriors. Although they are not as good as the disciples of Taixu Mountain, if they are gathered together, they will be a force to be reckoned with.

Most importantly, these are just civilian organizations in Shenzhou. The "Ming Empire," whose strength is said to be enough to span the entire continent, but whose progress is blocked by the Alps, is probably far stronger than the Schicksal.

Such a vast empire, along with the mysterious fairy and her disciples, had kept Nicholas up at night for a long time. Although the Ming Empire had not yet shown any intention to expand westward, he could not pin his hopes on the possibility that "the other side was a pacifist."

Ai Yue's appearance somewhat calmed his fear. Although he didn't know how powerful the immortal from Shenzhou was, he was certain that Ai Yue was no less powerful than her.

Having held a high position for many years, suspicion and wariness had long become an instinct for Nicholas. Therefore, he would not simply regard the other party as a god based on an ancient portrait alone.

What truly made him willing to face Ai Yue with such humility was the miraculous power the other man displayed when he first appeared before him.

It was a power powerful enough to create the world.

Having witnessed this power firsthand, Nicholas knew that no matter what kind of god Schicksal had once worshipped, from this day forward, He could only be this seemingly young and mysterious being before him.

No matter what method he uses, he must firmly bind the other party to the Mandate of Schicksal. Only in this way can the Schicksal exist eternally—and perhaps even become an even more powerful force than it is now.

The only problem was that, after getting to know him for a while, Nicholas discovered that Ai Yue seemed to have no desires at all. He was completely uninterested in things like money, power, and beauty, as if he were a god who didn't eat the food of mortals and only came to earth on a whim.

Therefore, when the other party said they wanted to see who the future successor to the Bishop of Schicksal would be, Nicholas agreed without hesitation.

This at least shows that Ai Yue is still somewhat curious about Schicksal, and if this curiosity can be seized, it might be possible to keep the other party here.

He also knew that with Ai Yue's formidable strength, once he selected someone he was interested in from among his sons, that person would essentially be sitting on the throne of the Bishop of Schicksal.

He just didn't expect that Ai Yue would choose neither his most favored eldest son Ferdinand, nor his second Fabian "Apocalypse Kaslana," nor even Bianca and Lisa, but instead chose the least noticeable and least favored Otto.

He looked at Otto, whose face was still full of confusion, unaware of the great favor he had received, and gradually came back to his senses from his chaotic thoughts.

"Regardless, at least for now, it's a good thing for the child." Nicholas temporarily put aside his inner turmoil, then patted Otto's head. "Otto, what do you think?"

"I..." Faced with his father's uncharacteristic kindness, Otto was momentarily at a loss for words, but he eventually regained his composure and subconsciously voiced his true thoughts, "I want to learn from this... Mr. Ai Yue!"

"In that case, I'll leave the child to you, Mr. Ai Yue." Nicholas nodded, then handed Ai Yue a metal badge. "The internal consensus of Schicksal is that you have the same level of authority here as the Bishop of Schicksal. As long as you have this, you can enter and exit any area."

After a pause, Nicholas continued, "I have arranged attendants and servants for you; if you need anything..."

"No, that's not necessary," Ai Yue waved his hand in refusal. "I'll take care of it myself if needed."

Nicholas thought for a moment, then nodded. "You're right."

What needs could a being capable of melting the armor of five thousand knights out of thin air and molding it into a colossal metal beast, then controlling this beast to defeat all the knights, and finally transforming the beast back into armor while conveniently healing everyone's injuries, possibly have that only humans could fulfill?

Otto only breathed a sigh of relief after Nicholas left. Although he longed for his father's attention, he had to admit that his father's aura was too strong, and being around him was a nerve-wracking experience.

However, when he looked at Ai Yue, he found that the other seemed to be doing the same thing—only the emotions behind it were completely different from his.

"Dealing with this kind of person is exhausting," Ai Yue explained, seemingly noticing the surprise in Otto's eyes. "They're too calculating, making communication difficult."

Nicholas was making his plans perfectly clear, unaware that Ai Yue was hearing everything. Ai Yue just wanted to quickly raise Otto's level so that Nicholas, whose mind was about to be dominated by power, would be brought down.

To be fair, the effect of using the Power of Light instead of the power of the Stigmata is surprisingly good. According to Mobius's research and Seele's long-term observation, the average quality of people in the Post-Civilization has significantly improved after coming into contact with the Power of Light, and they are much better in every sense.

Otherwise, Nicholas at this stage wouldn't just be judging others by his own petty standards; according to the original timeline, this guy would have launched an eastern expedition in just a few years.

Then, because they couldn't defeat the Ming Empire's army, they broke through their defenses and used weapons with Honkai Energy, and were then wiped out by Hua alone. After that, in order to make up for the losses caused by the defeat, these guys forcibly used "indulgences" to harvest wealth in Europe, making the lives of ordinary people even more difficult, adding fuel to the fire for this already crumbling organization.

To avoid these things, we need to start with Otto.

Otto, of course, was completely clueless about these things. After all, he was still just a child and couldn't think about many things. So he just nodded as if he understood, and then showed an excited expression. "Mr. Ai Yue, Father seems to respect you a lot. Doesn't that mean you're very capable?"

He recalled Nicholas's statement that Ai Yue enjoyed authority equivalent to that of a bishop within the Schicksal Mandate, and how such a person had just praised his little invention. His face flushed red with embarrassment.

Ai Yue naturally noticed Otto's inner thoughts and couldn't help but chuckle. Only then did he realize that for a child, praise from a stranger was far less valuable than praise from a familiar person.

Fortunately, Otto was, after all, a child who desperately lacked affection, so praise from strangers was very important to him—and now, with Ai Yue 'Nicholas contrasting status, this praise became even more precious.

While it might not be enough to make Otto fall head over heels for Kallen like in the original timeline, at least Ai Yue has become a very important person in her eyes.

In that case, is there another way to deepen this impression?

"It's alright," Ai Yue said while thinking for a moment. "So, starting today, I'll be your teacher. Is that alright?"

"Of course!" Otto agreed without hesitation. "May I call you Teacher Ai Yue?"

"No problem." Ai Yue nodded, but his smile became meaningful. "So, are you ready?"

Young Otto nodded, completely unaware of the fate that awaited him.

Three years later, on a certain day.

Otto, clutching several sheets of paper, ran excitedly down the wide corridor. The solemn atmosphere of the church was completely disrupted by his disorderly footsteps, but no one reprimanded him. Instead, everyone who saw Otto bowed to him.

Everyone knows that this once frail and unnoticed blond boy is destined to wear the noble bishop's robe and become the new master of this place. Who would offend him over such a trivial rule?

Even if the other party has no interest in these things at all.

Otto naturally wouldn't stop because of these people's actions. Although he felt uneasy and secretly pleased when he first met Ai Yue three years ago because of everyone's sudden change in attitude, he was already used to it now.

Moreover, compared to such a trivial matter, he has more important things to do now.

Otto quickly ran along the corridor to the church's backyard. In the past, he would have coughed up his lungs just running this distance, but now he only broke out in a light sweat and even wandered around the backyard several times before finally finding Ai Yue dozing off under a tree.

"Professor Ai Yue!" Otto stopped in front of Ai Yue, one hand on his knee, the other hand handing him several pages of paper. "I finally solved that formula!"

"Oh?" Ai Yue yawned, then took the few pages from the other person, glanced at them, and nodded. "Not bad, much faster than I expected... The steps have also been optimized, very good."

Upon hearing Ai Yue's praise, Otto couldn't help but smile genuinely. Solving the problem Ai Yue had left behind and then receiving his praise was his second favorite thing.

As for my favorite thing, it's naturally learning new knowledge.

Thinking of this, Otto's smile widened even more, "So, can you teach me the rest?"

"Of course, theoretically it's possible." Ai Yue nodded, but then gave a subtle smile. "However, you're still a little late."

A little late? But didn't you just say... no good!

Otto paused for a moment, then looked up at the position of the sun and his expression immediately changed.

This is a time for spiritual practice!

The boy, realizing what was happening, turned to run away, but it was too late—accompanied by a sharp shout, a dark figure flipped over from behind the wall not far away, then caught up with Otto in a few strides and successfully pinned him to the ground.

"Otto! You really wanted to run away!"

It was a girl with long white hair and blue eyes. She looked to be about the same age as Otto, but was much more energetic. At this moment, the girl was skillfully restraining the struggling Otto and trying to carry him on her shoulder. "You didn't participate in training yesterday, so don't even think about running today!"

"Kallen, you super-strong woman, let me go!" Although he was no match for Kallen, Otto struggled with all his might. "This mere training isn't going to interfere with my search for the truth of the world!"

On his second day as Ai Yue's student, Otto met a girl of similar age from the Kaslana family, and it was from that moment that he began his arduous training journey.

Kallen was recommended by the Kaslana family. She is the most talented girl of her generation and will take over her father's responsibilities in the future, becoming the strongest Valkyrie of Schicksal and leading the entire Kaslana family to fight to protect humanity.

It was for this reason that the Kaslana family hoped that Kallen could learn from Ai Yue, and Ai Yue naturally arranged for Kiana to be Kallen's teacher—and incidentally, under the pretext of "strengthening her body," he also included Otto, allowing Kiana to vent her resentment.

Although, given the girl's personality, she wouldn't vent her anger on the boy Otto in front of her because of what Otto did in the original timeline, even basic training was enough to make the frail and sickly Otto suffer greatly.

Therefore, although Otto admitted that the training had made him much stronger, he still couldn't help but want to run away whenever he thought about how hard the training was.

Whenever this happened, Kallen would step in and arrest him.

"There are so many truths in the world, missing a few hours of exploration won't affect your progress. It's your body that will weaken if you miss those few hours of training!" Kallen finally managed to lift Otto up, and then she politely bowed to Ai Yue, "Well then, Mr. Ai Yue, I'll take him to training now."

"Go ahead." Ai Yue waved his hand with a smile, completely ignoring the pleading look in Otto's eyes. "Make sure you keep a close eye on Otto's training."

"Don't worry, Mr. Ai Yue!"

After saying that, Kallen used the wall for leverage, lifted Otto with one hand, and climbed over the wall to find Kiana for special training.

Ai Yue, meanwhile, continued to lean comfortably against the tree, reiterating his plans.

Although Otto still knows Kallen, because Ai Yue took the place of "the first person to affirm Otto" in advance, Otto, although also attracted to the lively and kind Kallen, did not immediately commit his entire heart to her as he did in the original timeline.

Moreover, because Ai Yue was able to teach Otto a lot of groundbreaking knowledge, Ai Yue held a much higher position in Otto's heart than Kallen.

Furthermore, Kallen is now burdened with the responsibility of "forcing Otto to train," so Otto's attitude towards Kallen is far less enthusiastic than it was in the original timeline.

This result certainly proves that Ai Yue's plan was effective, but on the other hand, due to Kallen's diminished status in Otto's heart, it is hard to say what Otto will become in the future.

Perhaps under Ai Yue's influence, he will become a truly kind and upright person, thus guiding humanity towards a better future. Or perhaps, because he has lost the figure he yearns for, Otto's methods will become more extreme, even abandoning basic pretense.

Thinking of this, Ai Yue suddenly smiled.

It might be possible, but it's also very difficult to realize.

After all, with him here, if he couldn't even correct a mere Alto, wouldn't that make him seem useless?

Whether it's to complete the subsequent plans or to cultivate a hardworking and devoted servant, he absolutely cannot fail.

Chapter Sixteen: Knowledge is an Explosion

It wasn't until the sun was almost setting that Kallen finally carried Otto back over.

This time, Otto didn't struggle as frantically as when he left. Instead, he quietly rested on Kallen's shoulder—because he had no strength left. He couldn't even lift his hand, let alone struggle. When Kallen put him down, he didn't move and could only lie on the ground panting.

"Otto, really. Your training volume is only a third of mine, but it looks like my training is much easier."

Kallen was already used to this kind of situation, but she still couldn't help but complain.

Otto simply rolled his eyes and remained silent—in terms of eloquence, ten Kallen wouldn't be a match for him, but he didn't even have the strength to speak, so naturally, it was difficult for him to retaliate.

Kallen didn't seem to mind, but turned her head and looked at Ai Yue with expectant eyes. "Mr. Ai Yue, today is a day off, can we go out and have some fun?"

Upon hearing the words "day off," even Otto, who was sprawled on the ground, made a concerted effort to turn his head and look at Ai Yue.

On weekends, Ai Yue would take the two children out to play—this was probably the thing the two children looked forward to the most.

This is not because they don't usually have time to play, but because Ai Yue's "going out to play" is truly extraordinary.

"Of course, no problem." Ai Yue smiled and agreed immediately. "However, we need to give Otto some time to rest—go back and change your clothes first, then meet back here in an hour."

Upon hearing Ai Yue's reply, Kallen nodded excitedly and then climbed over the wall to leave.

Not long after, Otto finally sat up from the ground. His expression had completely changed, and he even seemed a little excited. "Teacher, I've thought of another solution to that formula!"

He then began to explain eagerly, and it was easy to tell from his fluent speech that the solution must have been calculated repeatedly in the boy's mind.

After finishing his speech, Otto stared expectantly at Ai Yue, seemingly waiting for praise.

"Not bad, this solution is clearer than the previous one," Ai Yue smiled, not surprised by Otto's intelligence, "But it's not enough."

Otto paused for a moment. "Not enough?"

"Based on what I taught you before, this formula can be solved using four different approaches." Ai Yue smiled, looking at him with encouraging eyes. "I'll give you one more day. If you can find the remaining two solutions, you can receive a gift."