Taking by Force / Proof

"In my world, humanity was Honkai the Honkai, and humanity in this world will also perish, except this time it might be due to a nuclear war or an alien invasion."

Nuclear war?

"In your world Einstein hasn't built a nuclear bomb yet?" Yan Luo paused for a moment and said, "Without Honkai Energy, nuclear energy might have been discovered and applied much earlier... It's a weapon of mass destruction that uses the light and heat radiation, shock waves, and induced radioactivity of nuclear reactions to cause damage and destruction, as well as large-scale radioactive contamination, which would cause indelible harm and pollution to the human world."

Lin vaguely remembered that Einstein was indeed using data from Previous Civilization to create something; could nuclear bombs be one of them?

"But there's no radiation here, so it might not be caused by a nuclear bomb... No, the reason is no longer important."

Yes, if the ending is inevitably the extinction of humanity, then it's entirely possible that Planetary Honkai Beast from Centaurus could come to Earth and wipe out all of humanity. For Lin and his friends, this is just a "setup."

They are now in a very strange situation, because they have no one left to communicate with except themselves.

To use a game analogy again, it's like they've entered the epilogue world of the Bad Ending route, where everything interactive has disappeared, and they don't have an exit button—the save file is completely corrupted.

After confirming that this was indeed an empty world, the two returned to the clock tower, leaned against the wall, and remained silent.

Is this... the future we're facing?

Lin gazed at this desolate, bleak, and gloomy world. Could this be the future of his world?

No, by then he'll probably be dead.

... Not having to face the Finality of my own world actually makes me feel a little better.

But Yan Luo looked at it with a different kind of gaze, a gaze that seemed to have seen this scene countless times.

"... Want to talk?"

After an unknown amount of time had passed, Yan Luo asked softly.

Lin remained silent, neither agreeing nor refusing.

After a long pause, Yan Luo suddenly said, "Someone once told me that a kiss that only touches lips doesn't count as a first kiss."

"...?"

Chapter Sixty: Forced Seizure

Normally, these are the kinds of conversations we have at this point, right? Why are we talking about first kisses?

"I know you too well. Heart-to-heart talks are a process for both parties to get to know each other. If it's just about you getting to know me, I don't think it's meaningful."

... Just as she said, she even guessed what Lin was thinking right now.

But it's not entirely baseless; Yan Luo has said a few strange things before, so perhaps that's just her personality?

However, her words reminded Lin of the scene at the Spiral Workshop, but neither he nor Ying cared and did not mention it again afterward.

On the other hand, why is it necessary to distinguish between first kisses? Lip contact is very common in the animal kingdom. The second and third kisses between people, as well as the exchange of saliva, are no different from the first. Unless it is with different people, he does not really understand the significance of this "first time" complex.

Could it be that Yan Luo is trying to emphasize that "someone told her"?

So he asked, "Who told you that?"

"..." However, Yan Luo did not answer.

Her expression darkened instantly, and her eyes were filled with displeasure.

... Speaking of which Yan Luo is often expressionless and calm, much like Lin herself, but occasionally she will have particularly emotional outbursts, such as when she slammed the monkey's paw on the ground, which felt like a child throwing a tantrum.

Thinking about it carefully, it seems that the women around him, besides Aponia and Eden, are also like this. Is it a common characteristic of women?

Have you ever kissed anyone else?

"I have a saliva sample taken once a month for a physical examination."

The monthly physical examination is comprehensive, and saliva is also collected using an instrument. The whole process is quick; you just put your chin on the instrument, open your mouth, and a sterilized disposable collector will suck up the saliva from behind your lower lip.

So this goes beyond lips touching lips...

Then Lin saw that Yan Luo's expression became even more displeased, and he even glared at him fiercely.

Of course, Lin couldn't be that stupid. He knew that it wasn't a kiss at all. He was just curious about what it would feel like to tease Yan Luo. Would she get emotional again?

The truth is, he felt somewhat... pleasant.

Hmm... there's a sweet, pleasant sensation like candy slowly spreading in your mouth.

Lin began to understand why Elysia loved playing pranks so much.

"So there isn't any?" Yan Luo fiddled with the pebbles under her feet, arranging them into an abstract shape. She said coldly, "What a useless fellow. Some of you in other Parallel World have already given birth to eight children."

"..."

There are indeed Parallel World where the timelines of the Honkai are completely different, and the people living in those worlds do lead different, ordinary lives.

"There were also those who were hacked to death with machetes."

"..."

"There are also those who are locked in the basement and used as 'beep'."

"..."

"And she was taken in turns by several people..."

"What exactly are you trying to say?"

"..."

Yan Luo has become more talkative. Lin doesn't know if this is a good thing. At least this pretense of peace can last until she fully recovers her power.

"Sometimes I think about killing those versions of you in those worlds." Yan Luo circled back to the beginning, "They have their own personalities, rich emotions, and complete families, and you will gradually become like them, so what I want to kill are people like them."

Kill a group of ordinary people?

Lin could still see a hint of pity in Yan Luo's eyes, but it wasn't for Lin, but for the ordinary people.

Her hatred for Lin would transfer to ordinary people, but her remaining feelings prevented her from doing such a thing.

"... Have you ever thought about believing again?"

"Believe in what?"

"Believe in humanity, believe that the future can be changed."

"This is the 131st time I've heard 'Lin' say that the future can be changed." The fluctuation in Yan Luo's eyes finally stopped, and she said coldly, "You haven't even changed the word order."

"..."

It turns out that trying to persuade someone who has witnessed countless outcomes with words is incredibly difficult.

"But you are different." Yan Luo's tone shifted.

"... What's different?"

"Of all the women in Lin who underwent the Hypervariable Surgery, only two experienced side effects."

This surprised Lin.

The side effects of Hypervariable Surgery, which should be a crucial aspect, are surprisingly rare?

"Only two people lost part of their senses, while the others functioned normally. So your transformation came later than the others in the forest."

What does this mean?

Lin glanced at Yan Luo and noticed that this time, her eyes didn't show much emotion.

"By the way, would you like to give it a try?" she asked coldly.

What to try?

Before Lin's brain could process what Yan Luo was saying, a slender hand pressed down on his elbow joint, forcing him to the ground.

The softness of his lips caused his pupils to shrink for a moment before dilating again.

Her silver hair, as white as snow, fell around her.

"..."

He stared calmly into the dark, jade-like eyes pressed so close to his, while the other person looked back at him indifferently, as if they were the other two people kissing, not them.

A delicate, sweet flavor filled my mouth...

Wait a minute, sweet? Why would it taste sweet?

Thinking back carefully, this taste seems familiar; it's something I've tasted somewhere long ago in my lost sense of flavor.

Here you go!

"...What?"

"Citrus-flavored lollipops, bought by Vill-V, I secretly stole some..."

"..."

A mischievous grin flashed past him, and he remembered that the sweet taste belonged to a citrus-flavored lollipop.

... It's completely unbelievable that Yan Luo is someone who eats lollipops, and I didn't even notice when she ate them.

Before Lin could even finish tasting the citrus lollipop, a tearing pain shot through his tongue, and the person in front of him vanished in an instant. He covered his mouth, got up, and spat out two mouthfuls of saliva mixed with blood.

... I was bitten without any mercy, and it felt like my tongue was almost bitten off.

Yan Luo, as if nothing had happened, took a step back and wiped the mixture of saliva and blood from the corner of her mouth. She stood there expressionless, her hands tucked into her pockets, and commented, "... I don't feel anything."

"..." Lin, whose tongue was still sore, couldn't say anything. He could only stare silently at Yan Luo had made this outrageous move.

He asked Yan Luo with a look that even he found strange.

Her reply was simple, "You've never tried it in your life, and neither have I, so instead of saving your first kiss for the rest of your life, let me experience what it feels like to kiss."

"Besides, this is just consciousness."

After saying that, Yan Luo walked to the other side of the clock tower.

Lin quietly followed her and saw her take a lollipop out of her pocket and put it in her mouth.

... So you were secretly eating candy.

Chapter Sixty-One Proof

I found you!

Looking away from the record-breaking numbers on the display screen of the specially designed treadmill for the Fire-Chasing Moth, Yan Luo wiped his sweat with a towel while glancing at the person who walked in.

"Why are you still exercising here even during banquets?"

"...Why?"

"Why what?"

Yan Luo put on his boxing gloves, adjusted his breathing, and began to punch the sandbag. From slow, light punches at the beginning to heavy, fast punches later, the only sounds in the gym were the loud whistling of wind and the dull thud of the sandbag being hit.

Why do we absolutely have to go?

"Bang!"

Yan Luo forgot to stop using his power, and by the time he came to his senses, the sandbag had a hole in it, and the sand inside was flowing out of the hole.

She remained silent for a while, then took off her boxing gloves and threw them aside. She tried to take some candy from her discarded coat, but before her hand could even touch it, another hand snatched the coat away first.

Looking up, I saw Yingying's smiling face and her twirling the coat in her hand.

What do you want?

"Let's have a girls' competition. If I win, you'll come to the banquet with me."

Yan Luo didn't speak; she silently raised her arms and assumed a standard fighting stance.

The other person also put down their coat, took off the high heels they had specially worn today, and tossed their long hair behind their head and tied it with a hair tie.

They clashed silently, their fists far from the weak appearances they made, but incredibly swift and powerful, striking each other repeatedly.

This was the first time Yan Luo had fought her opponent. Although she had heard of her opponent's impressive record, which had been held by her opponent before she broke the shooting and long-distance running records, her opponent's fighting skills were even more formidable than she had imagined.

Both sides backed down, neither gaining the upper hand, and fine beads of sweat appeared on their foreheads, except that the other's smiling expression was a stark contrast to Yan Luo's.

With his fists hanging down, Yan Luo suddenly leaned forward, shifting his center of gravity, and briefly lifted himself off the ground with one foot, delivering a Superman punch.

This distance is not an effective punching distance, so the opponent's attention is diverted to the legs, and the unconventional Superman punch will have an unexpected effect.

But as the other person's unchanging smile flashed before his eyes, the world in Yan Luo's eyes turned upside down, and in an instant, he was hooked by the throat with an elbow and pressed to the ground.