"Bronie, bringing him along like this—isn't that a bit inappropriate?"
In Bronie's home, while Daniel Davis was surveying the surroundings, Theresa quietly pulled Bronie aside and whispered.
Earlier, after discussing parallel worlds, Bronie had become very interested. However, Theresa said it was too late—she had an idol event tomorrow and needed to rest; otherwise, showing up with dark circles wouldn't do.
Moreover, since Daniel Davis had neither local identification nor any money in this world, Bronie suggested that he temporarily come back with her; after all, she had a spare room at her place.
Ever since Bronie debuted as a hacker rabbit in Tianqiu City, she had moved out from Raven's place and been living with Raven. There were certain matters Bronie found difficult to handle on her own—and besides, Raven never wanted her to get involved in intelligence work anyway, since nearly all of Tianqiu City's intelligence operations were monopolized by Snake Eyes.
The remaining work was undoubtedly dangerous and hardly profitable. But Bronie didn't care about making money; what mattered to her was the thrill. And what thrill could compare to that of parallel worlds?
"This world's technology really is advanced."
While Theresa was whispering with Bronie, Daniel Davis had walked into the open workspace of Bronie's inner room. Inside were various mechanical devices, with several display screens mounted on a desk and along the walls.
From those machines, Daniel Davis could tell that the technological level of this world was very high—on the surface, even higher than that of the Marvel universe. Although Bronie and Theresa had previously used virtual screens—something that he, Stark, and S.H.I.E.L.D. all possessed—it seemed that such devices were available to just about anyone now.
"Galaxy Hacker."
Besides the machines, on a cabinet over on the other side were various paper books and comics. Atop that stack was the "Galaxy Hacker" that Bronie had mentioned earlier. Although the paper looked extremely aged, it was very well preserved, showing how much Bronie treasured it.
"It kind of looks like Yaoye Xia," Daniel Davis remarked, noting that one suit of black armor bore some resemblance to the image he had of Yaoye Xia—though, of course, without the fox ears.
"I'm not a child," Bronie retorted. Under her persuasion, Theresa finally put her worries aside and left. Yet, as she departed, she reminded Bronie to contact her immediately if anything happened.
"Alright, now that no one's disturbing us, tell me about these parallel worlds."
"You won't let me rest."
"How could I ever sleep at a time like this?"
Daniel Davis's arrival made Bronie suddenly care little about one of the three keys she had so arduously obtained from Shencheng Technology.
"I really don't know where to begin. How about I first explain what a parallel world is? There are roughly two types."
Since Bronie was so interested, after a moment's thought, Daniel Davis decided to share some details—accompanied by a live demonstration in the air using Kamatéiji's magic.
"In other words, there are other worlds with versions of me. You've met—well, you're aware of—the other me."
"Not exactly met; I mean, I'm aware of your existence, and of that Theresa as well."
In the Honkai world, he naturally knew of them—but only in the general sense.
"This is really interesting. Let's make a deal then: your goal, like that of the ninja, is the core of Tianqiu City's light curtain, right? I can hand that over to you if you bring me to the other world."
Hearing that there were other worlds with versions of herself—and different ones at that—Bronie suddenly burst out laughing. However, her next words left Daniel Davis momentarily stunned.
"You're pretty clever, though perhaps you're overthinking it a bit."
When it came to Tianqiu City's light curtain core, Daniel Davis couldn't say he wasn't interested. The fact that it supplied a city with a protective shield for hundreds of years made him suspect that the light curtain might actually be a Ruler's core.
Still, interest didn't necessarily mean he had to acquire it. He wasn't the type to grab every good thing he saw.
"Deal."
Although he wasn't particularly eager to get the light curtain core, since Bronie wanted it so badly, Daniel Davis went along with her idea—especially since he also wanted to meet Yaoye Xia, or rather, whoever was behind Yaoye Xia.
"Then it's settled."
Upon hearing Daniel Davis's agreement, Bronie excitedly punched the air.
"This is simple enough. But before that, since you work in intelligence, you need to create an identity for me—and get me some money. That shouldn't be too difficult for you, the famous hacker rabbit of the underworld."
Even if Bronie could obtain the light curtain core by tomorrow, Daniel Davis wouldn't leave immediately. He'd need to stay in this world bubble at least until the spatial communication was complete.
"No problem."
Hacker rabbit is indeed a hacker rabbit; with her skills, Daniel Davis soon received an identification code as well as 100,000 in local currency.
Even though intelligence trades conducted by hacker rabbits were usually work that Snake Eyes avoided—and thus not very lucrative—Bronie still managed to earn a handsome sum.
"Taixu Men, Shencheng Technology, Snake Eyes… Fuhua is quite formidable in this world."
The next day, after leaving Bronie's place, Daniel Davis went to a café and examined the power distribution map of Tianqiu City that Bronie had provided.
The entire city was ruled by three major forces, and beneath these were dozens of smaller gangs and organizations. Daniel Davis wasn't interested in most of these forces; he was only intrigued by Fuhua of Taixu Men. Even if Fuhua wasn't the Red Kite Immortal in this world, he still wanted to meet her.
Of course, if he could possibly bring her to meet Fuhua, it would be very interesting. Even if Fuhua wasn't particularly strong in this world, once she went to the Honkai-honkai-honkai world, she would surely grow tremendously.
Even if Fuhua in this world wasn't a fused warrior, what of it? The Red Kite Immortal had never relied solely on the physique of a fused warrior—does she not know what it means to unleash "inch-strength that splits the heavens" or to wield Taixu Sword Qi?
"Here's your coffee, sir."
While Daniel Davis was pondering where to find Fuhua, a waiter brought him the coffee he had ordered. The unexpectedly pleasant voice of the waiter made him look up, and an unexpected figure caught his eye.
"Rita."
It wasn't anyone else but Rita—dressed in a maid outfit, even in this world she still wore her maid uniform.
"I never expected you, sir, to know me. It is an honor for Rita indeed," she said gracefully as she sat down opposite him.
"As the leader of Snake Eyes, how could I not know you?"
Among the intelligence Bronie had provided, there was no mention of Snake Eyes' leader, because Bronie herself didn't know—this was a very secretive figure. However, considering that the leader of Shencheng Technology was Hulang, and Taixu Men was led by Fuhua, along with his own recollections, Daniel Davis immediately deduced that Rita was indeed the leader of Snake Eyes.
"Destiny's S-Class Valkyrie has become the leader of the World Serpent. If Kevin and Greento know, that'd be quite something," Daniel Davis mused.
"Sir, you just arrived in Tianqiu City and already know Rita's identity. Your intelligence network is truly impressive," Rita said, her elegant smile undiminished even as she revealed her identity.
"Your network is equally impressive, though indeed, Snake Eyes does control all the city's intelligence." Rita's words made Daniel Davis realize that he had exposed himself, but he didn't mind—exposure was inevitable.
"May I ask what you think of Tianqiu City?" Rita inquired softly.
"I'm sitting back and watching," Daniel Davis replied with a well-known remark, and before Rita could speak further, he continued, "Enough with the probing. Since you are the leader of Snake Eyes, why not make a deal?"
"What kind of deal do you have in mind, sir?"
"I'm somewhat interested in the technology of this city. How about a trade—using intelligence, perhaps you can tell me what exactly lies outside Tianqiu City?"
Since he had met Rita—and she was the leader of Snake Eyes in this world—it was the perfect opportunity to strike a deal. This would allow him to gather information about the city's technology. Although it wasn't a bad idea, it might be troublesome, and things might even turn violent. Even though Bronie, with her technical prowess, could handle it, Daniel Davis didn't want her to have to do so.
Rita, however, was different.
"Does this intelligence also include details about your origins, sir?" Rita asked in a gentle tone.
"If you want to know, of course."
Daniel Davis's origins were not something he was unwilling to share.
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"Then, may I ask what kind of technology you need?"
"Whatever you like—I'm not too familiar with this world's affairs. I'll leave that up to you."
It wasn't until he saw Rita that Daniel Davis even thought of this.
"Please, enjoy your coffee slowly, sir."
After saying that, Rita stood up, bowed to Daniel Davis, and left.
Taixu Men, the Old City Tower
This was the territory of Fuhua's Taixu Men. Among the three major forces, Taixu Men could be considered the strongest—and yet also the weakest—since the entire Taixu Men was essentially centered around Fuhua alone.
The main components of Taixu Men were drawn from society's lower strata: orphans, thugs, and the like. This showed that Taixu Men wasn't particularly powerful, yet it was still one of Tianqiu City's three major forces and held one of the three keys, which spoke to Fuhua's strength.
"Who goes there?"
Standing on the balcony of the Old City Tower and overlooking Fuhua below, a figure suddenly turned and appeared silently along the corridor to the right.
"Greetings, Master Fuhua."
The newcomer was none other than Daniel Davis. He had no intention of testing Fuhua's strength; it was just that Fuhua surprised him. At first glance, he almost thought she was a Ruler of Knowledge.
"An outsider," Fuhua remarked as she cast a glance at Daniel Davis before shifting her gaze back to the base of the Old City Tower.
"It seems the three major forces aren't in constant conflict with each other as rumored, but are in close contact."
Fuhua's ability to know his identity was undoubtedly due to Snake Eyes having informed her. In terms of technology, even though Taixu Men used it as well, Fuhua herself didn't rely much on such things—information she had obtained from Bronie.
In fact, that was only natural; after all, Daniel Davis was an outsider. Not knowing his true intentions, and considering that the two sides might clash, it was perfectly normal for the most powerful people in Tianqiu City to be informed.
"Why have you come to see me?"
When Daniel Davis had walked close enough to Fuhua and joined her in overlooking the city, Fuhua finally spoke.
"Nothing much—I just wanted to see an old friend."
"An old friend? I don't recall ever meeting you."
"Sorry, I meant another you. You must be familiar with parallel worlds, right?"
Before Fuhua could ask further, Daniel Davis briefly explained the basics of parallel worlds.
"What is the other you like?"
"He is a great man—one who has protected the lands of Shenzhou for thousands of years and is known as the Crimson Kite Immortal."
"Oh."
Hearing about his other self in another world, Fuhua merely uttered a soft "oh" and said no more, as if she weren't interested.
"You really are so indifferent. No wonder Bronie mentioned that her tone wasn't very pleasant when she spoke of you."
Both Theresa and Bronie were deeply grateful to Fuhua—after all, she had taken them in when they were all alone. However, Fuhua had also instituted strict rules; Taixu Men's disciples were forbidden from appearing elsewhere. In this respect, Fuhua was rather much like the Crimson Kite Immortal.
Back in the day, young Bronie had wanted to leave Taixu Men with Raven for that very reason—but now Fuhua had changed considerably.
In managing a gang, Fuhua clearly had little experience. The only thing she could really do was protect.
At that moment, Fuhua reminded Daniel Davis of the scene when Bronie wanted to get a key from her but was continuously persuaded with tea. Faced with the imposing Taixu Men leader, even Bronie wouldn't dare act rashly.
"This Fuhua is so unlike to talk about matters of other worlds. Forget it—there's no rush anyway. But if she ever met the Ruler of Knowledge, that would be truly interesting."
Unlike Bronie and Rita, who were very curious about external affairs, Fuhua had no interest whatsoever—unless it was to protect those orphans and underprivileged people. Otherwise, she might not have even been interested in forming Taixu Men.
"This is the Raven's Nest, huh? Speaking of which, wasn't Raven's wish to have a private island villa? Oh, I almost forgot—in this world, even if she has that idea, it can never come to fruition."
After leaving Taixu Men, following the opening of Raven's bar, Daniel Davis arrived here. By now, the place was already bustling with people, many of whom were Tianqiu City mercenaries.
Bronie and Theresa, dressed in work uniforms, were serving guests. Theresa was preparing for her idol event that day, but because Bronie's incident the previous day had been so huge—and no culprit had been caught—the idol event was canceled. Instead, Theresa had disguised herself and was helping out at the bar wearing a mask.
The patrons in the bar—even the mercenaries—were extremely well-behaved. Anyone unruly had been dealt with by Raven. In other bars, the owner might greet guests with a smile, but unfortunately, that wasn't the case here.
Even if you wished to chat with Raven, there was a fixed charge. Of course, if you ordered a drink, you could get a discount.
"Theresa's Magical Girl teriri Concert—recorded in full. Later, you can show it to that Aunt for a proper viewing."
These items, naturally, had been provided by Bronie. Although she wasn't an idol fanatic herself, since it was Theresa's concert, even if you didn't attend live, you'd still want to watch the replay.
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