Honkai, Survive

"Electrostatic field!"

The entire air seemed to be filled with an invisible electrostatic field.

Rin, still rolling in the snow, was clearly displeased with the spreading electrostatic field, but she still suppressed her subconscious urge to destroy and shielded Yae Sakura, protecting our little weakling.

"Lightning!"

Along with surging electric light, a black bolt erupted, held in Fang Jie's hand—the power of electricity propelled by his cellular movement.

It flew forward, towards the flying bird—

"Die for me!"

The black lightning shot out like a laser, not very focused but abundant. It spread boundlessly, extending for thousands of meters, like an angry thunder serpent, electrolyzing everything in its path—the pale snow—into... foul-smelling particles.

It had the momentum to split the world in two, slicing through the snow, the hard ice beneath, the ground, and the rocks as if they were mere feathers, shattering them into pieces and blasting them apart, leaving behind a scar tens of meters deep that could serve as a riverbed.

When the firebird flew into the sky, it saw such a dark world.

This strike didn't contain much Path energy; the accumulated current from Fang Jie's cellular movement alone was enough to rival the thunder and lightning from the heavens above.

If Fang Jie were used for power generation, he could probably serve as the Hyperion's engine!

"A bit of a waste, but I like it."

He was satisfied and no longer paid attention to the birds:

"As expected, I'm still at 'Stage Three.' I can't achieve microscopic control, only create macroscopic physical phenomena."

The Herrscher of Thunder could decompose all matter into atoms with electromagnetic force, while Fang Jie could only discharge electricity.

This gave him a realization: 'Developing special effects is not feasible; it's better to focus on raw numbers.' Of course, this didn't diminish his love for hand-crafted thunder.

Who wouldn't love it?

"Hey, what are you doing? Is this fun?"

Rin was furious. It was too noisy.

Was it interesting? Were they playing in the snow? What was this bizarre thing doing now? There was a weakling who couldn't handle your fuss!

She lunged forward, as if a normal person taking a step. Space transformed into a complex mathematical formula in her eyes. She incorporated the current spatial data, undergoing wild calculations of variables, invariants, and finite and infinite sets, ultimately deriving two solutions within the limited time.

Two solutions representing the current spatial state—a warped real space and a fundamental, unchanging imaginary space.

Thus, Rin stepped into the imaginary space and then stepped out. In this non-continuous, discrete, and non-directional, arbitrary imaginary space, she teleported beside Fang Jie, floating there without needing to think or calculate.

Even though Rin, as the Herrscher of Corruption, didn't possess spatial authority, wasn't this progress?

She didn't understand how to express real space or imaginary space, nor could she articulate the imaginary mathematical formulas that explained this phenomenon, but she had arrived.

This was the true galactic grunt.

No, an elite.

But she dared not touch Fang Jie. She stood with her hands on her hips, her eyes wide, glaring fiercely at him:

"Kid, shouldn't we have a good talk? Or at least find a place to settle down!"

"If you still want to fight, I... Huh? Settle down!"

Settle down? For Yae Sakura, Rin had gone to great lengths.

But she wouldn't admit it. She just wanted to pry some information, at least get a safe house from Fang Jie. This galaxy was too terrifying.

As for finding him to return to their original world...

Rin subconsciously ignored that option.

Fang Jie, holding Jizo Mitama and sensing no sign of Rin using 'Corrosion power,' let go of past grievances:

"Sure."

Like a skinny person fearing a wolf from both sides. jpg

No, no, it should be said that after this fight, we are friends.

Fang Jie stopped playing with the birds and looked at the purified, approachable floating object: "Let's talk as we walk, Rin. You be the guide."

"Ah, I'll be the guide?" Rin was quite shocked.

You brat, you dare to come here without even knowing where this is!

How can you be so brainlessly reckless... She remembered her own relentless pursuit and was speechless.

This time, it was called reaping what you sow.

Am I, Rin, going to wander the galaxy with these endless Path deviants from now on?

Seeing her helpless expression, Fang Jie was a bit confused. What were you so afraid of? Me?

Although I am quite terrifying, don't be afraid. I like being passive... Pfft, I mean, as long as you don't push me too far, I won't explode on you.

He then walked over and picked up Yae Sakura, who was still asleep. The soft girl didn't become brittle as tofu just because his stats had inflated. Biological fields were magical; Fang Jie could still feel her softness as usual, a very precious feedback.

Paths are truly wondrous, aren't they?

Except for Nihility.

Fang Jie didn't plan to use the "Imaginary" tainted psychic teleportation back to Honkai 3 for a while, so he chose to head to Belobog.

That place was lacking in resources and its civilization had regressed, but it was strong. Stronger than many galactic civilizations, capable of withstanding waves from the Anti-Matter Legion organized by the Lord of Ruin, and hundreds of years of subsequent Cleft monsters...

He went to make a friend, or rather, find some teammates.

.

.

What about this image? I think—

Chapter Nineteen: Welt: He's crossing the galaxy with Honkai to attack me?

If on a winter night, a group of travelers...

"The past cannot be chased, but the future can still be forged. That's a phrase I like. It's okay if you don't understand, you just need to know that for this world, we are two people drifting from outside the world... yes, two, her and I. You? You're a noisy little float, responsible for being the guide."

As Fang Jie spoke, he lowered his guard against Rin, who was about to elbow him.

Yae Sakura protected everyone.

This sleeping beauty was beautiful and useful. Even though Fang Jie had likely had his kindness devoured by Nihility, and along the way he'd kick a stray dog like a little dog, with all sorts of thunder and lightning, losing his kindness, gentleness, and thoughtfulness—that was Tiga's doing; he'd borrowed the light from his childhood and never returned it.

However, it wasn't just Yae Sakura acting as the price for peace. His and Rin's peace was also built on the fact that this desolate winter world was too cold.

It could probably be explained by the porcupine effect:

'Porcupines have quills. When porcupines want to huddle together for warmth on a cold winter night, their quills inadvertently prick each other. Every time a porcupine wants to share its warmth with another, the closer they get, the more their quills injure each other. Humans are the same.'

This was him and Rin. On this desolate winter night, they hadn't discussed much along the way, only complaining about the ice and snow, the cold wind, the gloomy sky, and the occasional strange trinkets they saw... a strange sense of tacit understanding.

She was truly smart.

It's just that unlike Kiana, Himeko, or Yae Sakura, beautiful women who could touch Fang Jie more deeply.

Compared to the porcupine distance between him and Rin, Yae Sakura, even without speaking, possessed the same bravery as Shinji Ikari, questioning the nonsense of adults, questioning the bullshit about porcupines hurting each other when they get close, and questioning the lies with actions.

That's mating!

Porcupines can control their quills from standing up, making interactions between them relatively safe, thus enabling mating.

Through mating, the porcupine effect can be broken!

"Nihility, you've caused so much harm."

Fang Jie felt he had probably lost some integrity and his sense of humor.

But thinking back to his numb existence in Honkai 3, like a machine... it was time for a change.

Hee hee hee hee ha ha ha ha hee hee hee hee桀桀桀 (jié jié jié jié - a sinister laugh)...

"You bastard, give her to me! She's not meant to be used like this by you!"

Rin was furious. Seeing him lower his guard, she snatched Yae Sakura from Fang Jie's arms. Without any hesitation, she carried her on her back, 'hovering' on the snowy ground, rendering her exquisite thigh-high socks and boots useless...

It was a miracle she could still sleep. Was she really sleeping?

The sakura-colored shrine maiden outfit, adorned with drifting sakura petals, made her look like a ghostly woman from the Far East.

However, her vital signs were indeed healthy. It was just that mentally, after being persecuted by Rin for so long, she finally relaxed and fell into such a deep sleep.

She'll be fine after a good sleep.

With his hands free, Fang Jie followed them leisurely, hands behind his back, walking out of the snowy plains of the Cleft, the Cleft of the snowy plains, at no less speed.

He didn't look back, thinking, So I've been surviving in a place like this all along.

Leaving such a place and recalling the past... Fang Jie felt like praising himself; it was all a mess.

As for the Cleft monsters encountered along the way...

"What is sought, what is clung to, wandering without return. — Sever."

Since Rin had finally let go of her reservations and taken on the role of the beast of burden, Fang Jie continued to clear the path, placing his hand on Jizo Mitama:

"—Four Souls Severed!"

It wasn't as silent and insidious as Rin's attacks, nor as crude and grand as the previous lightning bird. A slash that looked like a blade light and lightning split the air, tearing apart the Cleft monster that was about to charge, causing it to fall and return to dust.

Fang Jie didn't even draw his sword or make any other move. During the brief period of peace, he exhausted his wisdom, rapidly improving his techniques and extending his attack range by combining them with the weapon's characteristics.

—Jizo Mitama.

'Immovable in stillness like the earth, profound in contemplation like a hidden treasure.'

—Thus I cut, Four Souls Severed.

Fang Jie easily adapted to Jizo Mitama, which ordinary people could not bear, activating the authority of the twelfth Herrscher's erosion contained within, unlocking its basic function—mental projection.

Fang Jie knew projection all too well.

Return, my beloved sword!

Return, trash can placed by the roadside!

Return, pots, pans, bowls, clothing, food, shelter, transportation...

Stop it! This isn't the Herrscher of Reason's authority. What you can project are merely temporary, materialized mirror images.

Understood. I still need to fully develop the Herrscher of Reason's authority.

This is an ability with infinite potential. Even with only preliminary development, and disregarding flashy maneuvers, the most useful aspect for combat is Fang Jie's ability to project his spirit, which wields his own infinite energy, outward. What he sees is what he cuts.

The weaklings aren't even worthy of suffering further erosion and domination. The residual energy waves from the mental projection were enough to kill them, especially these wandering, lost beings whose very existence of a spirit is questionable.

It's not that Fang Jie can't perform such delicate, minute operations because of Nihility's interference or Destruction's destructive nature. It's just that Rin could guide him better.

She had already delved deep beneath the snow, efficiently eroding the remnants of the great battles from seven or eight years ago. Using the still-functional chips within, she transmitted signals, connecting to and infiltrating accessible networks to obtain information.

If you ask her about the principle, she can only shrug her little shoulders, but she can do it.

Of course, Fang Jie is no less capable. Rin also doesn't understand, can't figure out, or replicate how he achieves this 'slash' technique. She needs a tangible 'virus' as a medium to use her authority and exert control through erosion.

But Fang Jie can probably explain himself.

Feeling the unique touch of Soul Steel from Jizo Mitama, and the constant, interconnected information exchange as if they were linked—his entire cellular bio-field connected with Jizo Mitama, forming a spiritual link.

In essence, such a Jizo Mitama is like an external organ for Fang Jie.

Yes, akin to a divine eye.

Thus, he absorbed and integrated the Honkai energy information from the Herrscher of Thunder's impact during the Third Great Eruption, infusing the lightning into his mental projection, and manifesting the leaping particle flow as the slashing structure of Composite Blade: Willow Leaf.

As is widely known, in a microscopic state, charged particles are wave-like.

It is very... free.

Existing on this shore and the other shore.

Unbound by any material properties like form, mass, appearance, or speed. Even at the size of a single particle, it encompasses a vast, vast space.

Therefore, while the slash had an extremely long range, he appeared not to have moved at all.

Another flash of blade light emerged from the void, effortlessly tearing apart the monster spawned by the Cleft, bringing its wandering existence to an end.