A Grand Journey, Entrusted

Kambara Shuichi chose to die for his daughter.

To achieve that goal, he could abandon all his personal dignity, accumulated wealth, and power.

And the fact is, he did it. He successfully saved Kambara Yuu in his own way, even at such a heavy price. For that man, it was the best answer... and a redemption.

But Fu Xiuran was completely different. Their completely different circumstances led these two fathers, who both cherished their daughters, to take different paths.

Like his former self, Fu Xiuran, had no chance of protecting Fu Hua's future. Faced with the Honkai, he didn't even have the right to make a final stand.

He was a speck of dust destined to be annihilated when the Honkai occurred.

As for Su Qing'an... what she needs to do now is to state this cruel truth directly, which is no different from predicting a man's death date in advance.

Honestly, if he had a choice... the boy would never want to see the look on his face after he knew the answer.

"Honkai."

"This kind of calamity is called Honkai."

Su Qing'an began to speak slowly and deliberately, each word like an ice bead shattering in jade, clear and cold.

"You can think of it as a civilizational screening process for the entire world; the so-called Honkai will destroy all of humanity's existing civilization in various forms."

"They are humanity's mortal enemies, the culprits behind the collapse of the future, thugs who disregard good and evil, and a world-ending flood."

The boy looked up and stared directly into the man's slightly constricted pupils, and said softly:

"It is also an existence that I must personally destroy."

Fu Xiuran stunned.

A global crisis.

This is a terrifying event that threatens the very survival of all humanity. Even through words alone, Fu Xiuran could sense the profound darkness that lay ahead.

But as he pondered Su Qing'an's last words, his feelings became even more complicated.

It's an existence that must be defeated by my own hands...

Could the unwavering determination I once felt in that Martial Intent truly be the kind of resolve that arises after understanding this immense despair?

What exactly has this person in front of me gone through?

What kind of trials must one endure to face such a future with such composure and fearlessness, while also possessing the will to defeat the opponent, given a deep understanding of their strength?

In a sense... this is terrifying.

After discovering some of Su Qing'an's true nature, Fu Xiuran found it difficult to treat him as an ordinary junior. However, perhaps due to a strange psychology, or perhaps because the boy seemed too ordinary in his ordinary life, he could no longer treat him as such.

During this time, the man would occasionally and unintentionally feel that he was a child, a junior.

Now that Su Qing'an has made everything clear, the man finds himself experiencing strange emotions.

If...

If he were to entrust his daughter to this person, even with such a future, Fu Xiuran inexplicably felt confident.

He asked:

"That kind of monster... is it one of the harmful forms of Honkai that you mentioned?"

His voice was somewhat hoarse, as if the instinct to gradually approach the deep darkness was prompting his body to issue a warning, and his emotions, like the tides spreading along the coast under the night sky, began to permeate his entire body in waves.

Su Qing'an's throat bobbed, but he forced his eyes to remain fixed on the man, speaking each word clearly:

"Uncle, those are the lowest level monsters, undead humans Honkai Infection by the Zombie."

"And this is only the eve of Honkai. On the day the calamity occurs, large amounts of high-concentration Honkai Energy are likely to appear in various regions around the world. This is a preliminary screening."

"I told you before that ordinary people don't have the ability to come into contact with those kinds of monsters, right? That's actually a natural resistance to Honkai Energy. Humans without resistance would even turn to [Ashes] in that environment."

"They don't even qualify to become Zombie."

Fu Xiuran a deep breath, then held it in place; his blue eyes were already unfocused and vacant.

The man's heart is facing an unprecedented earthquake.

He suppressed his emotions and whispered:

"The prelude to the emergence of Honkai Energy is coming soon."

Su Qing'an understood Fu Xiuran's meaning: if the outbreak of Honkai Energy had clear signs, then that traceable clue would become the only chance of survival.

"Soon... so soon that it might only take a few breaths before it's all over."

The fact that this statement translates to is quite simple: anyone within the designated area during Honkai outbreak will die if they do not have Honkai Energy resistance.

Whether one becomes a walking corpse, Zombie, or a handful of [Ashes], it makes no difference to the deceased.

Fu Xiuran silent for a long time.

Even though he knew the truth would be cruel, he never expected it to be such a massive calamity.

If the problem of Honkai resistance is not improved and the signs of Honkai Energy outbreak cannot be predicted, then no matter how powerful the United Nations' technology is, it will only be a pile of useless scrap metal.

The opponent is an invisible and colorless calamity, more like a conceptual existence. In the game, you can clear the game by simply eliminating the BOSS, but in reality, things are not that easy.

Compared to these, his inevitable death seemed insignificant.

The feeling of being dragged into hell by death some time ago ultimately had a significant impact on Fu Xiuran's mindset.

He couldn't help but feel afraid, but he was also quite open-minded. In his eyes, Su Qing'an had saved his life, and being alive now was the luckiest thing ever.

Therefore, compared to his own fate, Fu Xiuran believed there were far more important things.

His hands were pressed on his knees, the veins on the back of his hands bulging and throbbing, making him look particularly ferocious.

It is the instinctive tension that is causing the blood and qi to surge and the energy to stagnate.

The man's lips moved, and he asked:

"What about Hua? Does she have the Honkai Energy resistance you mentioned?"

Su Qing'an comforted her, saying:

"Don't worry, Hua has excellent resistance to Honkai Energy. Honkai Energy is no different from air to her. I've also been teaching her some techniques for controlling Honkai Energy recently, so you don't need to worry about her safety."

Fu Xiuran breathed a sigh of relief.

For him, this was the greatest comfort.

As long as she isn't eliminated by the initial screening, my daughter still has a future.

No matter how dark that future may be, at least there will be room for progress.

As a father, he naturally hoped that Fu Hua could live.

Fu Xiuran silent for a moment, organizing his thoughts before speaking:

"Xiao Su, I know you still want to go to Canghai City."

"I've always found it strange that you have such a peculiar obsession with Hua, but now I don't want to delve into the reasons."

"Hua herself said that when she saw you, a lot of complicated emotions suddenly welled up inside her. Maybe you felt the same way? Whether it's fate or destiny, it's all part of the same story."

"I am fortunate to have met someone I can entrust my daughter to in the final stage of my life."

Su Qing'an vaguely recalled the first time he met the girl, and their aimless chatter.

In that dark and sunless underground ruin, the boy spoke to someone for the first time about his inner thoughts, and the girl did the same.

She said her father was a man of few words, sometimes careless, and his cooking was not good. His only hobbies were practicing martial arts and drinking oolong tea.

In those monotonous and boring days, only this father and he depended on each other for survival.

But the girl's previously somber expression brightened as she spoke.

Finally, a slight smile curved the corners of the girl's lips.

She said she was very lucky.

Because her father truly loved her, even though that love was unspoken and lacked depth, what the girl saw and heard was enough for her to feel the warmth that love carried.

At that time, Su Qing'an thought that perhaps the girl was just too starved for love, so even a little bit of care and a trivial conversation could make her feel satisfied and happy.

It's like a cactus; the amount of water that other plants need to survive could be enough for a cactus to live for a long time, or even for it to bloom beautiful flowers.

But it wasn't until Su Qing'an arrived in this era Fu Xiuran that she realized Fu Hua was right.

Fu Xiuran loved her very much.

In this person's eyes, Fu Hua's safety was far more important than his own life.

The boy took a piece of paper from his pocket, pressed it on the table with his fingertips, and slid it over.

Su Qing'an said softly:

"Given this world's understanding of the Honkai and my current abilities, there's no way I can save you."

"... but."

"Although it's just a hypothesis with a certain probability, I believe that the Honkai will not completely erupt in every corner of the world. Even if it covers most areas, there is still a possibility that the Honkai will not occur."

"The essence of the Honkai is the selection of civilizations, and the reason for the current scale is the excessive prosperity of technology. Therefore, I have a nearly unbelievable and unreliable guess based solely on this."

Fu Xiuran's trembling fingertips picked up the paper, and as he slowly unfolded it, densely packed writing came into view.

As the boy's words continued to echo, the man gradually understood what the seemingly chaotic information on it meant.

"That means the lower the technological level and the sparser the population in a place, the lower the likelihood of Honkai."

"But I am also well aware that even in the desolate wilderness where there are no human dwellings, there is a possibility of a Honkai eruption. So this is just a presumptuous and almost meaningless statement based on my personal opinion."

"Even if we take a step back and assume that my uncle is lucky enough to live in an area unaffected by the Honkai outbreak, his future will still be difficult, and there is always the possibility of an even more terrifying crisis that could easily kill him."

"At that time, communication methods will likely be unusable, and without relevant information to guide you, you may accidentally enter an environment with a high concentration of Honkai Energy and contract Honkai Sickness. There are many, many examples, and I don't think I need to go into more detail."

"This is a ridiculous, unconstructive suggestion that gambles everything on luck."

"But this is the only solution I can think of."

"Given the current state of this city, I've concluded that this is the inevitable path to Honkai, so staying here is tantamount to waiting to die."

Su Qing'an took a deep breath, looked intently at the man's stunned face, and said firmly:

"Uncle, you must leave here."

"As long as you still have the determination and desire to face the future with Hua, you must leave."

"Travel to every corner of the world."

"That piece of paper contains the preliminary travel plans I've compiled and selected over this period of time."

"If you make a decision, I have something else to give you."

Regardless of Fu Xiuran asks Su Qing'an for the truth, Su Qing'an will hand over this note to him.

This was the only way he could make the other party struggle, and it was also Su Qing'an's own challenge to this inevitable Honkai.

Fu Xiuran smiled.

The awkward handwriting at the top seemed to symbolize that the boy hadn't written in a long time, while the smooth and elegant handwriting afterwards slowly spoke of Su Qing'an's seriousness and feelings.

Even if it is indeed, as the boy said, a crude and foolish method that relies entirely on luck.

Then there's no reason for me to refuse it.

Fu Xiuran folded the paper carefully and placed it in his breast pocket. Then, in a deliberately relaxed tone, he smiled and said:

"I've been raising my daughter for so long, and I've been stuck in this little corner of the world for over a decade. Now that Hua is going to live and study in Canghai City, I think it's time for me to relax a bit too."

"Traveling is great, thank you so much, Xiao Su, isn't this killing two birds with one stone? Actually, I've been seeing some travel agency ads lately, staying in one place all the time is quite boring."

"The scenery abroad must be very diverse and beautiful. I might as well go see the sea while I'm at it."

The boy listened to the man's rambling, somewhat rambling words, his fingertips digging into the skin of his palm.

He understood the other person's reasoning; they were trying to reassure him that even if the plan ultimately proved meaningless, he wouldn't have any psychological burden.

The more Fu Xiuran acted this way, the more Su Qing'an realized her own incompetence. What difference was there between her, who could only resort to this method, and the original Su Qing'an?

He still couldn't save the people he wanted to save.

While in the underground ruins, all Su Qing'an could do was offer the girl sporadic comfort.

In Changkong City, all Su Qing'an could do was keep running away.

In the Kambara Village, he witnessed a girl lose her father and remain powerless to help.

By the end, Su Qing'an had long since given up on running.

So he chose to fight until he died.

But the result was so empty and tragic.

Even so, Su Qing'an was determined never to treat these things as a game like the gods did.

He still treats the world and its people the same way he did at the beginning; Fu Xiuran's life is very important to Su Qing'an.

The boy abruptly interrupted the man, saying each word firmly:

"I will protect her, Uncle."

Fu Xiuran moment, then he stood up and placed his hand on the boy's head.

After gently ruffling Su Qing'an's finely textured hair, the man wore a complex smile and said softly:

"Then, I'll leave it to you."