Honkai Impact 3rd: Saving the Pre-Civilization by Hand-Crafting Black Tech

Chapter 73: Let Them All Turn to Light

Even though the most crucial objective had been achieved, Ai Yue still had many things to do.

However, he didn't want to do anything right now; all he wanted was to go home and sleep.

The laboratory was deserted at this moment. The projection of the girl who would say, "Welcome back, Dr. Ai Yue," was absent because Prometheus's main unit had already been moved elsewhere by those people earlier, and it would take time to bring it back.

But another figure was waiting for him in the room.

"You're back?" Aponia stood in the laboratory, a smile on her face as always. "You look exhausted. Do you need to rest?"

Ai Yue walked over wordlessly and plunged into her embrace.

Aponia extended her arms as if she had been prepared, her seemingly slender arms supporting his body steadily. "There's no need to worry anymore. It's all over, isn't it?"

"Yes, it's over," Ai Yue sighed. "Aponia, I probably don't have the right to become light."

Ai Yue was probably the only person in the world who truly understood what it meant to become light, but his actions today had effectively severed his own path to the Land of Light.

Tampering with someone's mind was a heinous act no matter where you were.

But if asked whether Ai Yue regretted it, the answer was naturally no.

Even if he couldn't become light, someone else would possess that qualification. However, if humanity's internal conflicts and predicaments couldn't be resolved, then perhaps the world wouldn't even reach the point where it was capable of becoming light.

Since he was the savior burdened with a mission, he naturally had to bear more responsibility.

"If that's the case, why not rely on me?" Aponia didn't press for the meaning of "becoming light," merely following the topic. "That way, you wouldn't have to dirty your own hands."

"To avoid dirtying your hands, you'd order others to do such things? Isn't that even worse?" Ai Yue said. "Besides, would you be willing to do such a thing?"

In the original storyline, Aponia had indeed done many things that led to terrible consequences, but this wasn't because she intended to. It was due to the curse of her abilities; good intentions leading to bad outcomes was a cruel punishment for Aponia as well.

Although Ai Yue knew that given their current strange and delicate relationship, Aponia would never refuse if he asked, it would merely shift the burden from his own heart onto hers, bringing no benefit other than accelerating her inner distortion.

Ai Yue had come to change the world's grim ending. If he ordered Aponia to do things she didn't want to do just to keep his own hands clean, what difference would he have from the higher-ups of Moth to Fire?

"How considerate. But, it will be very tiring," Aponia whispered in Ai Yue's ear. "If possible, I hope you can rely on others' strength a bit more."

Ai Yue didn't speak anymore, as he had already fallen asleep, his head resting on Aponia's chest.

Nearly 48 hours of continuous sleeplessness and intense mental exertion had left Ai Yue utterly exhausted. If it weren't for the anger he felt towards the higher-ups of Moth to Fire fueling his consciousness, he would have likely fallen into a deep sleep long ago in that small room.

Aponia narrowed her eyes slightly, and under the influence of her abilities, Ai Yue's body floated gently. She looked at his peaceful sleeping face, which seemed to have finally found a moment of respite, and a faint smile appeared on her lips.

She carefully examined Ai Yue's face, finally leaving a gentle kiss on his forehead.

"May you have sweet dreams."

Perhaps it was because the Herrscher Core of the Eighth Herrscher was still in Ai Yue's possession, but he found himself surprisingly lucid in his dream.

However, as he looked around, he couldn't help but frown. "Where is this place?"

Before him lay a boundless sea. Ai Yue stood on the water's surface, each step creating ripples.

Theoretically, he should be dreaming right now, but Ai Yue vaguely felt that this wasn't his dreamscape. Instead, it felt like his consciousness had somehow traveled to a special place through some channel.

Could it really be because of the Herrscher Core?

Ai Yue subconsciously raised his hand, intending to summon the Herrscher Core, but found he couldn't sense the crystalline object that should still be within him.

It seemed this truly wasn't a dream.

Could it be the Egg of Finality? Could this thing have sensed me through the Herrscher Core?

The thought of this possibility made Ai Yue involuntarily vigilant. Fortunately, the System was as reliable as ever, functioning normally even in this place.

However, facing the Egg of Finality right now seemed a bit too much. Wasn't the difficulty level suddenly too high?

But if he could interact with the Egg of Finality, could he somehow "farm" something from it using the System?

Ai Yue pondered, taking a few more tentative steps forward, but the surrounding environment remained unchanged.

It was as if he was simply trapped in this place.

But just then, Ai Yue suddenly noticed a faint light emerging from the depths of the water beneath his feet.

He couldn't help but lean closer to observe, only to find that his reflection on the water's surface was blocking the light.

The light didn't seem to be rising from beneath the water—it was coming from the opposite direction!

Ai Yue looked up and saw a streak of light descending from the sky, striking him directly in the face.

"What the hell!"

The next second, Ai Yue's eyes snapped open, and he sat up in bed.

"Did you have a nightmare?"

Aponia's voice came from behind him. It was then that Ai Yue realized he had been resting his head on her lap.

"I can't say for sure," Ai Yue shook his head, recalling the moment the light hit his face, his expression somewhat subtle. "But it probably wasn't a nightmare?"

He repeatedly checked his condition, even administering a dose of "Aponia's Embrace" to sense any mental changes, but everything was as it was before. Even the System showed no differences.

Yet, Ai Yue's mood suddenly improved considerably.

"Aren't you going to sleep more? You've only slept for an hour," Aponia said as Ai Yue stood up, preparing to leave. "You just overcame a major hurdle. At least give yourself a break, right?"

"It's fine. When I'm doing research, it's like I'm on vacation," Ai Yue smiled. "There's still a lot to do next."

Ai Yue had never forgotten his ultimate goal—he didn't just want to defeat Honkai, but also achieve the collective ascension of human civilization.

Since he had already taken the first step, there was no turning back.

Tampering with one person's mind wasn't much different from tampering with a group's.

If that was the case, why not go all the way?

Chapter 1: Unlimited Funding is Too Awesome

Three days later, Moth to Fire finally revealed the details of their operation against the Eighth Herrscher internally.

The Eighth Herrscher's codename was officially confirmed as "Herrscher of Consciousness," and her authority was the manipulation of consciousness. Her intention was to use the network to induce comas worldwide, thereby weaving a giant dreamscape that would envelop the entire world, trapping everyone within and ultimately leading to the complete silence of human civilization.

However, the enemy had just run headfirst into a trap. The Artificial Intelligence "Prometheus," created by Dr. Ai Yue, detected the anomaly immediately. Based on the outbreak of the Great Honkai, it calculated the Herrscher's hiding location. Finally, a decapitation strike led by Hen and Kevin with a squad of Fused Warriors successfully resolved this crisis within 48 hours.

The above was the announcement released under the official name. Its content differed greatly from the actual operation plan, but it was enough to fool the vast majority of ordinary members.

After all, only a handful of people had actually participated in this operation.

"Is this really okay?" Dr. Mei put down the report in her hands and looked at the man in front of her again. "Ai Yue, your contributions are far more significant than what's mentioned in the report. This isn't very fair to you."

"My contributions can't be explained by a single report. Since that's the case, it doesn't matter if it's not mentioned at all," Ai Yue waved his hand indifferently. "More importantly, was my application approved?"

"Could they possibly refuse?" Dr. Mei sighed helplessly. "You've already accomplished so much, why are you still fixated on a written report?"

He hadn't explained his actions to anyone, but the high-ranking officials of Moth to Fire had changed their attitudes so abruptly. Dr. Mei couldn't help but guess what had happened, as she had already suspected it.

In other words, Moth to Fire now belonged to Ai Yue—and in the near future, the entire world might belong to him.

So Dr. Mei couldn't understand why Ai Yue insisted on applying for a new laboratory through a written report.

No, to be precise, it was no longer just a laboratory. Ai Yue had formally submitted an application to "Establish X Institute," which would be used to solve "all unsolvable problems of humanity."

Looking at the entire world, only this man had the right to say such a thing.

"We still need to go through the proper channels. After all, I'm not a dictator," Ai Yue said with a smile. "To those who don't know, we still have to put on a show."

Of course, this was just an excuse. He couldn't exactly say that he was enjoying the feeling of "having someone high up giving him the green light."

"I have a feeling you're showing off something," Dr. Mei pulled out a document from a nearby folder and handed it to Ai Yue. "The feedback you wanted."

Ai Yue opened it and glanced at it, then a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

The reply to this report was very simple. In essence, Ai Yue's authority level was raised to the highest within Moth to Fire, granting him all priority rights. Funding applications would be approved directly without review and had no upper limit. He could also choose one of several regions as the location for his institute, and even establish a separate branch outside of headquarters was permitted.

Simply put, he could do whatever he wanted.

"The authority you've received is even higher than mine. These guys basically created a custom authority for you on the spot," Dr. Mei couldn't help but sigh again, her words filled with complex emotions. "No upper limit on funding, that's great... I still have to split my funding with that spendthrift Vill-V."

Dr. Mei's responsibilities at Moth to Fire included not only research projects but also the overall management of all scholars. Except for Mobius, the funding for all projects was under her control. Therefore, in order to accommodate others, her own projects were often affected by insufficient funding.

As she said this, she kept watching Ai Yue's reaction, the unspoken plea of "Can you spare some of your funding for me?" practically written on her face.

Speaking of which, what was Dr. Mei researching now? The Sea of Quantum?

Ai Yue recalled her renowned reputation in the field of quantum mechanics and couldn't help but nod inwardly.

Research into the Sea of Quantum was also beneficial for Earth's future. If they could draw energy from the Sea of Quantum to fight Honkai, many things would become much simpler.

Of course, the power of the Sea of Quantum wasn't easy to utilize, not to mention the countless world bubbles within it. Recklessly disturbing the situation there would only lead to the deaths of more innocent lives.

However, considering Dr. Mei's current progress, Ai Yue didn't have to worry about this problem for the time being.

But he also knew very well that Dr. Mei was no pushover.

Among the three most outstanding scholars of Moth to Fire, Dr. Mei appeared to be the most normal, but in reality, she was the most unhinged. If not for the constraints of her loved ones, and if her goal hadn't coincidentally aligned with the survival of civilization, she might have become an even more dangerous existence than Honkai.

Although the higher-ups of Moth to Fire did nothing all day, they at least did one thing right by chance: controlling the research speed of Dr. Mei and others through funding limits. Otherwise, human civilization might have been destroyed by the "great daddy" they created themselves before the Herrscher of the End even arrived.

Thinking of this, Ai Yue decided to temporarily ignore the hints in her words.

He completely forgot that he was now the one without restrictions, and the most likely one to create a "great daddy."

"Speaking of which, the base seems quite lively today?" Ignoring her hopeful gaze, Ai Yue abruptly changed the subject. "Could it be some kind of festival for Moth to Fire today?"

"Oh, it's just the usual dance party," Dr. Mei didn't react to Ai Yue's indifference, as she was mostly teasing him. "Every time we finish a war with a Herrscher, Moth to Fire recruits new members, and later a welcome ceremony like a new member's dance was established. Although there's no need to recruit new members this time, the dance party was still held as usual. Do you want to go take a look?"

"I see," Ai Yue rubbed his chin. "But why did Elysia tell me it was a celebration banquet?"

"That's probably because she was talking about something else entirely," Dr. Mei glanced at the time and started tidying up the documents on her desk. "It's getting late, and I should get off work."

Ai Yue was somewhat surprised: "You actually get off work?"

"Cough." Dr. Mei showed a rare hint of blushing. "It's a holiday today, so... Kevin is also on holiday."

Ai Yue immediately showed a disgusted expression and turned to leave.

Damn lovebirds!

Chapter 2: I need power

After leaving Dr. Mei's office, Ai Yue didn't rush to the address Elysia had sent him. Instead, he headed towards a secluded corner of Moth to Fire's headquarters.

Pardofelis's dormitory was located there.

Ai Yue hadn't seen Pardofelis since the trial incident concluded peacefully three days ago. Of course, this didn't mean she was in danger. Quite the opposite, it was precisely because she was too safe that Pardofelis had been avoiding him.

Thinking about this, Ai Yue couldn't help but scratch his head.

To be fair, what he did was indeed a bit underhanded. The letter he had originally asked Pardofelis to find in the hidden compartment of his bedroom closet was actually prepared specifically for her. As long as Pardofelis took the letter to Eden, the latter would help protect her after reading its contents.

Given Eden's status as a world-class superstar, protecting an ordinary soldier like Pardofelis would be more than enough. However, this action had clearly hurt Pardofelis a little. After all, she had gone to do it to help Ai Yue, only to end up being a burden in the end.

That's why Ai Yue hadn't been able to find Pardo for the past three days. Her elusive nature meant that even Prometheus couldn't fully map her movements within the Moth to Fire base.

Prometheus had even felt a sense of frustration about it. Yesterday, she submitted a report on upgrading the Moth to Fire base's surveillance network, as if she intended to install cameras in every toilet stall and locker room.

Of course, Ai Yue did not approve this insane report in the end.

Now, three days had passed. Based on Ai Yue's understanding of Pardofelis, even if she was still sulking, she should have calmed down by now. It was the perfect time to take her to meet the other Fused Warriors.

However, when he arrived at Pardofelis's dormitory, he found it empty.

"You must be Dr. Ai Yue, looking for Pardo?" Two women in beautiful dresses, dressed for a dance party, called out to Ai Yue. "We're Pardo's teammates, and she talks about you often."

"Hello," Ai Yue nodded, greeting them. "Is she still sleeping?"

The two women exchanged a look, their expressions turning odd. "You don't know? Pardo hasn't returned to the dormitory for the past two days."

Following this, Ai Yue learned an unexpected location from the two women.

The training room.

The training area for ordinary soldiers was located next to the dormitory area, for their convenience. At this moment, only the lights in three or four rooms in the entire training area were still on.

"The room registered with the Caroline ID card is the first one on the left, ten meters ahead." Prometheus guided Ai Yue, adding, "So Pardofelis wasn't using her own ID card, which is why I couldn't track her. I believe this was not due to my inadequacy."

She was still bothered by this matter.

"Speaking of which, there should be surveillance cameras here, right?" Ai Yue said as he walked. "Can't you access the footage?"