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

The moment Ai Yue saw that box, Pardofelis knew she was in trouble. In the past, no matter what she stole, Ai Yue had always been indifferent, never even frowning when the owners of her ill-gotten gains were notorious figures on Twilight Street.

But this time, Ai Yue's face held an expression Pardofelis couldn't decipher, as if he knew an unavoidable disaster was coming their way.

Coupled with Ai Yue's urging her to leave Twilight Street quickly, the conclusion was obvious—Ai Yue must have decided to face this matter alone to protect her!

Realizing she'd caused a huge problem, Pardofelis's first instinct was to run.

After all, money could be earned again, but life was only one. Even if she had to leave Twilight Street and go somewhere unfamiliar where she might not be able to operate as freely, it was still better than losing her life.

As for Brother Yue... Brother Yue was so capable, and he had so many amazing gadgets, he'd surely be fine, yes!

She knew very well that even if she stayed, she wouldn't be able to help Ai Yue much, and he might even be able to escape more easily without her.

Besides, even if Ai Yue was trying to save her, Pardofelis didn't really owe him anything—when he had collapsed from hunger in the mud, it was she who had brought him to a sheltered room and given him canned food!

What's more, her relationship with Ai Yue wasn't particularly close. Even though he was her biggest customer, even though he never haggled, even though he was always so good to her...

But, but...

Pardofelis could come up with countless reasons to convince herself to run, yet none of them could compel her body to move.

As if possessed, the girl climbed onto the rooftop next to Ai Yue's house and squatted down.

She watched as Ai Yue, carrying his satchel and some canned food, left his home and headed towards the sanatorium. Only when he was about to disappear from her sight did she finally stand up and follow him along the rooftops.

Pardofelis clutched her waist pouch tightly, which held a small gadget Ai Yue had given her as a freebie earlier.

"Brother Yue, we're going all out today..." Pardofelis muttered to herself, as if to pump herself up. "If you make something amazing later, you have to think of me first!"

And so, time passed until the present. Pardofelis finally seized the opportunity when a few people were gathered in the backyard, with Kalpas distracting them, and grabbed Ai Yue to escape.

However, the moment she grabbed Ai Yue's wrist, she heard Aponia's calm voice.

"Everyone, please stop."

Those who were about to act, those who were preparing to act, and those who were planning to bolt, all froze in place.

Yet, two people were unaffected.

"Pardo?"

Ai Yue's attention was naturally focused on Pardo, who had suddenly rushed out. "Didn't I tell you to go next door?"

He never expected that Pardo, with her timid nature, would actually choose to stay instead of fleeing, and would even risk coming to save him.

"Ahahaha..." Pardofelis remained in the pose of grabbing Ai Yue's wrist and running outwards, only her expression and mouth able to move. "Brother Yue, what are you saying? How could I abandon you?"

"Sakura, don't be rash..." Elysia, standing nearby, was also trying to stop Sakura's reckless actions. "Hey, Sakura, you're being so obedient this time."

Sakura, who was now less than three meters away from Kalpas, actually stopped. However, the long sword in her hand was already raised, aimed directly at Kalpas's heart.

Kalpas, of course, was not idle either. His fist was also aimed at Sakura's head; if she moved any closer, she might be decapitated on the spot.

"My body... won't move..." Sakura frowned, feeling the unease of being unable to control her own body for the first time in her life. "What kind of ability is this?"

"Tch, Aponia..." Kalpas's temper was as explosive as ever. "Sooner or later, I'll tear that annoying mouth of yours to shreds!"

Aponia, however, didn't have the time to deal with Kalpas, as his foul mouth wasn't a new development.

Her gaze was entirely focused on Elysia—she was the first person she had ever seen who was completely unaffected by her Judgment.

As for Ai Yue, she wasn't surprised. Ever since the incurable Honkai Sickness had been controlled by the gadgets he created, Ai Yue had already become someone who could produce all sorts of miraculous items at any time in her eyes.

Let alone an ear protector that could resist her Judgment, Aponia wouldn't be surprised if he suddenly produced a potion that could nullify her abilities one day.

At this moment, the smoke finally cleared completely, and the suddenly appearing Pardofelis was exposed to everyone. Seeing the rather intimidating gazes of Aponia and Elysia (from Pardofelis's perspective), Pardo could only look pleadingly at Ai Yue: "Brother Yue, help..."

"Tonight has been quite chaotic," Ai Yue sighed with a hint of helplessness. "Aponia, give me some face?"

"Of course, I can withdraw my Judgment," Aponia nodded, then looked at Sakura. "But Miss Sakura, can you remain calm after this?"

"I think there's a bigger misunderstanding here," Ai Yue looked at Kalpas. "Master Qian... Brother Jie? Calm down for a bit, okay? Everyone is safe, it's alright."

Kalpas looked at Ai Yue in silence, but didn't speak. Instead, he closed his eyes.

With just this action, the aura surrounding him underwent a drastic change. The previous ferocity disappeared, as if a volcano had returned to its calm state, or a typhoon had suddenly vanished at sea.

"Miss Sakura, how about this?" Ai Yue then looked at Sakura. "Master Qian won't threaten you anymore like this, are you still planning to fight?"

"In that case, I naturally have no reason to draw my sword," Sakura said after a moment of silence. "Can this restraint be lifted?"

Honestly, maintaining a static pose while being watched by so many people was a very uncomfortable experience.

Only then did Ai Yue look back at Aponia, and the nun gently nodded. "Since that's the case, I naturally have no need to make things difficult for everyone anymore."

Almost the instant she finished speaking, Pardofelis collapsed onto the ground. "Oof, my legs are so weak... Brother Yue, maybe I shouldn't intrude?"

"No, no, little sister," Elysia chimed in, her gaze fixed on the box in Pardo's other hand. "After all, there's still something we need to resolve."

Pardofelis immediately hid behind Ai Yue.

"Speaking of which, it's really a bit strange," Elysia didn't press her further, instead shifting her focus back to Aponia and Ai Yue. "Aponia, are you really the owner of the sanatorium? Why do I feel like Ai Yue is the one in charge here?"

From what had just happened, anyone with a brain could tell that Kalpas, who clearly lived in the sanatorium, seemed to harbor strong hostility towards Aponia, the supposed owner. Instead, he seemed to value Ai Yue's opinion more; with just a little persuasion from Ai Yue, the previously furious Kalpas had immediately calmed down.

Even Aponia herself had always acted as if she were assisting Ai Yue. Apart from her assertive stance just now, her actions almost always seemed to seek Ai Yue's approval through eye contact or other means.

Even the strange girl who had used smoke bombs to create chaos earlier, her target was Ai Yue—from the snippets of conversation, it seemed she had come to "save" Ai Yue?

In other words, the four people present, their relationships were almost all centered around Ai Yue.

This was why Elysia had such doubts.

"From a certain perspective, you can indeed say that," Aponia nodded. "You probably don't need me to tell you that if it weren't for the props Mr. Ai Yue provided, this sanatorium would have long ago become a source of nightmares under my decisions. Therefore, it was Mr. Ai Yue who saved everything. Even though he doesn't want to stay here, Mr. Ai Yue is an indispensable existence to me and to the sanatorium."

"Mhm, indeed, Dr. Mei also said this thing needs regular maintenance and replacement parts," Elysia played with the pendant in her hand. "So, what should we do? We need to take care of both the mission and the sanatorium. It's a bit troublesome..."

It was impossible not to bring Ai Yue and Aponia back to Moth to Fire. No matter how you looked at it, such people couldn't be missed. Moreover, based on their performance just now, that Kalpas's issue was also very significant, and he might need to be brought back to the organization as well.

But with so many children and patients in the sanatorium, Elysia would absolutely not agree to abandon them.

This made things a bit tricky. How should this mission report be written?

Elysia was still deep in thought, while Ai Yue had already taken the tactical case from Pardofelis and handed it over. "Here, it's back to its rightful owner."

"So, this child is the one who stole Sakura's equipment?" Elysia sized up Pardofelis, who was hiding behind Ai Yue, with curious eyes. "What's your name?"

"Par, Pardofelis," Pardofelis could sense that Elysia had no ill intentions, and her courage increased a bit. "Miss, you can call me Pardo or Felis!"

"Then I'll call you Little Pardo," Elysia readily chose her preferred moniker. "Little Pardo, how did you do it? Sakura isn't someone who would be careless."

As a warrior from "Poison Pupa," Sakura was always highly vigilant towards the outside world. Moreover, the tactical case was an important weapon the other party needed for this mission, so they wouldn't have been careless.

Being able to steal the tactical case from such a Sakura, Pardofelis was likely not as simple as she appeared.

"Just luck, just luck, haha," Pardofelis naturally had to lower her stance at this moment, making herself seem as harmless as possible. "If I had known it was something so important, I wouldn't have touched it even if you beat me to death!"

She had only briefly heard Ai Yue describe Moth to Fire and realized she had stolen from such an important figure.

Fortunately, these two ladies didn't seem difficult to get along with, otherwise, she would have been in serious trouble.

"Miss Elysia," Ai Yue continued at this moment, "it seems you're having some trouble with this mission, aren't you?"

"Yes, it's really not easy to have the best of both worlds," Elysia sighed, then looked at Ai Yue again. "Do you perhaps have a good idea, Ai Yue?"

"It's actually very simple," Ai Yue smiled slightly. "You find it difficult because, with your current authority, you can't properly handle this matter, right?"

"Yes," Elysia nodded, then showed a curious expression. "Speaking of which, I've always wanted to ask, why do you always seem so familiar with Moth to Fire?"

"I just came into contact with it by chance, that's not the point," Ai Yue avoided the question again. "The key is, if someone with higher authority were to handle this matter, wouldn't the situation be different?"

Elysia blinked her eyes, vaguely understanding what he meant. "You mean, make a big deal out of it?"

"Yes, as long as the mission level is raised, forcing those above to pay attention, wouldn't that be enough?" Ai Yue pointed at himself, then at Aponia, and then at Kalpas in the shadows. "I believe the sudden incident in Twilight Street is enough to attract the attention of those above, right?"

"You want us to falsify it with you?" Sakura walked over at this moment. "Such a thing shouldn't..."

Before she could finish, she was stopped by Elysia's actions. The pink-haired girl smiled and said, "Don't rush, Sakura. I think this idea has a lot of reference value."

"Miss Sakura, there's no need to worry," Ai Yue said, feigning mystery. "If you can't accept falsifying things, I naturally have a way to make it seem real."

"It's just that if we do that, the three of you will have to work hard."

Sakura was stunned. "We... three?"

Ai Yue didn't answer directly, but looked at Kalpas. "Brother Jie, how long has it been since you had a good fight with someone?"

Kalpas reopened his eyes, and a cruel curve formed at the corner of his lips under his mask. "It really has been, a very, very long time..."

Chapter 7: Hidden Dragons and Crouching Tigers in Twilight Street

That evening, Moth to Fire headquarters received a video from Elysia.

It was a short and blurry video, filmed in a desolate urban ruin. A vague figure could be vaguely seen flashing rapidly within the ruins. Wherever it went, it was like a fierce wind passing through, stirring up countless building debris, making one wonder if the entity capable of such destruction was even human.

"The mission is a bit tricky. The situation in Twilight Street needs to be re-evaluated," Elysia's voice was somewhat hurried, as if she had lost her usual elegance and composure. "My suggestion is to have Dr. Mei and Kevin come over. That's all!"

Finally, the camera angle shifted slightly, showing a figure lying on the ground not far away.

The pink long hair and the iconic fox ears were enough to confirm the other party's identity.

"Is this good enough?"

After sending the video, Elysia turned to look at the few people, showing a somewhat helpless smile. "I really don't do things like this very often."

"Don't feel burdened, just think of it for the children," Ai Yue comforted her. "Besides, if we couldn't sit down and talk peacefully, things would have obviously ended up like this, wouldn't they?"

Aponia could disable Sakura's combat power with just her Judgment, and it would be very difficult for Elysia to defeat Kalpas in a short time. Coupled with Ai Yue's assistance, if they were to clash head-on, no one would have an easy time.

"So, strictly speaking, this isn't considered lying, you mean, right?" Elysia understood Ai Yue's implied meaning and nodded. "If you put it that way, it's indeed not wrong."

They were currently in the ruins shown in the video. If the camera angle had panned a little further at the end of the video, it would have captured both Ai Yue and Aponia.

"I still don't quite understand the purpose of doing this," Sakura walked over from not far away. "You said you want the higher-ups to pay more attention, but in doing so, they will only assign stronger warriors to handle this mission. And warriors, ultimately, have no authority to handle this matter."

She didn't believe Moth to Fire would actually send Dr. Mei to Twilight Street. After all, Dr. Mei's status in Moth to Fire was extraordinary, and she was extremely busy. Where would she find the time to deal with such a matter?

"That's why I had Elysia send back a mission briefing earlier," Ai Yue smiled. "This video is just to corroborate that briefing."

"Briefing?" Sakura was stunned. She had fought with Kalpas earlier and missed some things. "What briefing?"

"A briefing about a mysterious organization appearing in Twilight Street," Elysia smiled. "Simply put, they reported Ai Yue and the others as a single entity."

"A single entity?" Sakura vaguely realized something. "You mean, treating them as an organization?"

"Yes," Elysia smiled. "Isn't the situation completely different?"

If Twilight Street was said to be full of hidden talents, with a warrior who could fight evenly with a Fused Warrior, a psychic who could control others with words, and a highly skilled scientist, then Moth to Fire would only treat them as three unrelated incidents.

But if three relatively independent events were to merge into a special group comprising all of them, the nature of the situation would change.

Because in that case, no matter which individual the Moth to Fire had to deal with, they would have to consider the other two. Once the three were bound together as a unit, their bargaining power with the Moth to Fire would also increase accordingly.

Ai Yue said proudly, "This is what they call 'unity is strength'."

Elysia replied, "Isn't that phrase used differently?"

"I think I understand," Sakura nodded. "But what if, even so, the higher-ups still only send warriors?"

"The ruling class has always only valued profit. If they aren't moved, it means our offer isn't high enough yet," Ai Yue said, having prepared for this. He took out several pieces of paper from his bag. "Now that Kalpas's value has been demonstrated, it's naturally my turn."

"What is this?" Elysia took the papers from Ai Yue, and Sakura leaned in as well. "They look like blueprints?"

"It's the design for the Honkai Energy Absorber, the very thing you obtained," Ai Yue said casually. "As far as I know, the Moth to Fire doesn't have anything similar, do they?"

"We didn't before, but after obtaining this item, we've already handed it over to... well, to professionals for analysis," Elysia said vaguely, not elaborating. "With her abilities, she can probably replicate it exactly by now."

Ai Yue certainly knew who she was referring to, but he didn't seem concerned. "That's hard to say."

Sakura immediately caught Ai Yue's underlying meaning. "Did you do something to prevent it from being replicated?"

"Just a small anti-counterfeiting measure. It won't hold back your people for too long," Ai Yue said with a smile. "Besides, even if she can make an exact copy, it definitely won't be as cheap as my solution."

Ai Yue understood the ultimate value of the Honkai Energy Absorber better than anyone.

The Moth to Fire surely had many methods to block Honkai Energy infection and suppress the outbreak of Honkai Sickness, but the cost required for these solutions would likely be an astronomical figure for an ordinary person.

However, Ai Yue's Honkai Energy Absorber was different. Its principle was simple, it was compact, and its cost was extremely low. Otherwise, Ai Yue wouldn't have been able to provide one for everyone at the sanatorium.

And this simple, effective, and inexpensive protective measure was exactly what the Moth to Fire needed.

"Are you truly a genius?" Elysia finally understood the source of Ai Yue's confidence, and her gaze towards him brightened. "If that's the case, perhaps it really will work."

The last person who displayed extraordinary talent before the Moth to Fire had now become a pillar of the organization. And the money spent on him was more than enough to build ten thousand sanatoriums.

If Ai Yue could truly prove that his talent was no less than that person's, let alone the patients at one sanatorium, the Moth to Fire would likely be more than willing to renovate the entire Twilight Street.