Can a New Character Be Unlocked?

The moment the shrine maiden sat down, Lin Yuhsia was certain that this woman was a riddler—a particularly troublesome, cult-leader type of riddler who liked to explain all intelligence with divine revelations. Dealing with people like that was extremely difficult; she needed to prepare for a battle of three hundred rounds.

What an unpleasant experience.

While Lin Yuhsia thought, Hoshino was thinking as well. Deep down, she found this mafia heiress rather baffling. All she knew was that Lin Yuhsia and Swire were Lungmen's legendary cat and mouse. Their relationship was like that of a cat and mouse, too.

They were very close.

Other than that somewhat joking description, Hoshino knew little else.

Lin Yuhsia got straight to the point. "We're both intelligent people. There's no need for you to play games here. So-called divine revelations are merely intelligence you possess. I don't care where your intelligence comes from. I have only one question."

"Cough, cough!"

An aged cough came from the darkness behind them. Though old, it carried an undeniable force.

Some matters could only be discussed over tea.

Lin Yuhsia removed the ceramic pot from the heat, took out the tea leaves, and gently rinsed them. They were fresh green leaves after a misty rain, carrying a faintly bitter fragrance. Her tea-making movements possessed a striking grace. Before long, she presented Hoshino with a cup of tea.

Hoshino took a light sip of green tea. "Then may I ask what Miss Lin wants from me? During my time in Lungmen, I don't believe I've done anything out of line."

Lin Yuhsia poured herself a cup as well. "In fact, you have. And more than once. This isn't something that can be judged by your own intentions. We've seen it all, and we'll make our own determination."

Hoshino fell silent. She felt that this woman was a textbook riddler, the kind who simply could not speak normally. Dealing with such people took an enormous amount of mental effort.

With each convinced that the other was a riddler, a war of words began.

Lin Yuhsia struck first.

"A shrine maiden without a shrine is quite pitiful. We can provide you with the foundation to establish one, but you must offer suitable terms in return. The condition is very simple—something that should be effortless for you."

Following the logic of a riddler, Hoshino began considering the deeper meaning hidden in Lin Yuhsia's words.

Could it really just be, 'Want to rent a place?'

Impossible. Absolutely impossible.

There was clearly another layer hidden in her words, but Hoshino lacked the necessary information. She needed further deduction and more evidence. So she drank her steaming tea and silently waited for Lin Yuhsia to state her so-called condition.

"Rather than a condition, it would be better described as advice."

Lin Yuhsia took another sip of tea.

"Don't provoke the Lungmen Guard Department."

After saying that, she spoke no more and quietly continued sipping her tea. Hoshino lowered her head and looked into her cup. A tea stem stood upright, floating in the water.

That represented the arrival of good fortune.

"That's it?"

Hoshino asked instinctively.

So this was the Guard Department's scheme. She wondered which person behind the scenes had made a move again—the emperor hidden in the darkness, or Lungmen's governor.

A ruler's greatest wish was balance, balance existing among all things.

"Then what do you think, Miss Shrine Maiden?"

Lin Yuhsia asked. Hoshino said she still needed to consult the gods. She stroked the unused teacup on the table, picked up the teapot, and poured a cup of hot tea for little Rope behind her before quickly closing her eyes to carefully consider the meaning of those words.

"She won't like that sort of thing. Only those who live amid sweetness want to savor bitterness. This little girl's life has already been bitter enough."

Hoshino tentatively took that as a jab.

But unfortunately, Rope truly did seem to dislike tea. After taking a few small sips, she quietly set it down on the table without making the slightest sound. Clearly, Lin Yuhsia's bearing and methods had frightened her.

That would not do. She should not be afraid whenever she encountered difficulties.

The two exchanged a few more words, but there seemed to be no progress. A sigh came from the darkness. A cane lightly tapped against the floor, followed by the sound of measured footsteps. An old man who looked more like a real rat than a man emerged from within.

"Yuhsia, this won't do. You need to know what the other party truly wants."

Someone else temporarily took over the negotiating table. The Rat King sat down lightly, rested his cane against the side, and poured himself a cup of tea.

"Want to rent a place?"

He got straight to the point. "Lungmen's Shimada Family has worshipped a Flood Dragon Cutter for generations. Their family has been in business for two generations now. Men and women alike are merchants incapable of even trussing a chicken, yet they have recently been challenged repeatedly and are suffering terribly because of it. So they came to me."

"They want to leave Lungmen. They want to find a new patron—a patron skilled in swordsmanship. If you accomplish this, they'll owe me a favor."

"I've told you this intelligence, so you'll owe me a favor as well."

Hoshino nodded.

Kinship, bloodlines, and the so-called favors owed.

This world was like a web, with people as its nodes. The more connecting threads one held, the greater one's control over the entire web.

His words carried an old-fashioned air. This frank, open manner of speaking truly gave him the bearing of a godfather.

Hoshino was a little afraid that the Rat King would suddenly open his mouth and say, "I'll give you an offer you can't refuse." That would ruin the mood. She nodded, feeling that it was quite a good proposal. A shrine maiden really ought to have her own shrine.

As for the Shimada Family...

They sounded like the sort of family that could scale walls, with formidable combat strength. Would a family like that truly be unable to deal with a few petty challengers who came knocking?

Hoshino did not quite believe that conclusion.

The moment she nodded, Hoshino was immediately invited into the house. It seemed that what had happened earlier had merely been a test. The real business negotiations only began after entering.

A firearm hung on the wall inside.

Its shape was refined and ancient, carrying a distinctive classical aesthetic. It was impossible to tell what era it came from.

"This is an imitation artwork. It's all made of wood and can't fire Originium rounds." The Rat King followed Hoshino's gaze and explained at an unhurried pace. "Sometimes it's hard to understand why things made for killing have to be crafted so beautifully."

Hoshino did not respond.

She froze, not because of the firearm's beauty, but because of a system notification that had suddenly appeared.

[Trigger condition detected. Please get as close to the source as possible so the system can unlock a character.]

Unlock a character?

Ignoring the occasion, Hoshino quickly closed her eyes.

Right beside Yae Sakura's character card, the character card belonging to Kallen was slowly lighting up. A progress bar had appeared, steadily advancing from one percent.

A trigger condition?

Hoshino's gaze swept around the room before finally settling on the ancient firearm mounted on the wall.

[Ancient], [firearm].

Could those be the trigger conditions? Was it really that simple?

Considering that in Honkai Impact 3rd, every character could be grinded for, while weapons and stigmata relied entirely on paying to roll the gacha, this guess was very likely true!