Faced with Leo Ash's sudden request, Su wasn't actually that surprised.
In his eyes, the punch Leo Ash had given him was well-deserved.
Putting himself in the other's shoes, if Su had been suddenly attacked and thrown into an illusion, he would have felt a little disgruntled too, no matter how good-tempered he was.
Therefore, Su, being a good old man at heart, certainly wasn't going to hold a grudge over Leo Ash's earlier punch.
As for why Leo Ash was now asking him to 'come out of retirement,' it was, frankly, related to the illusions Su had witnessed.
Although Su had thoroughly enjoyed watching the illusion, once it ended and the feeling of satisfaction faded, he began to organize the intelligence he had gathered.
In the illusion, although Leo Ash was very humane, he was also a bit too rational in certain aspects.
He calculated a great deal, sometimes even scheming against his own companions—though while doing so, Leo Ash would always ensure their safety.
And in the end, Leo Ash abandoned his role as the chess player and made himself a piece on the board.
An efficiency nut like him, who could even wager his own life, would naturally not want to let go of someone like Su—a talent who, despite being on the verge of death, was still a capable fighter and useful in other ways.
As for how Leo Ash knew so much information he shouldn't have known...
Everyone has their secrets, and prying too deeply into someone else's secrets is not a good habit. Su was well aware of this.
He didn't need to know what Leo Ash knew; he only needed to know that Leo Ash was on humanity's side. That was enough.
As for Leo Ash claiming to be 'very afraid of death'...
Su believed him. He could tell that Leo Ash was speaking the truth.
But believing it was one thing. Why did it feel so strange that Mr. Ash could fight for his life while sincerely saying he was afraid of death?
In Su's eyes, Leo Ash's current situation was like a scale in his mind.
On either side of the scale, [Risking Life] and [Fearing Death] maintained a delicate balance.
Though he knew everyone was full of contradictions, to be this contradictory... You truly are a talent in every sense of the word.
"Your invitation... of course, I can accept."
After giving an affirmative answer, Su spoke to Leo Ash with a sense of helplessness.
"But unfortunately, due to my prolonged use of the Second Divine Key to observe other worlds, my life has reached its end."
"In less than a year, my life will likely fade away completely."
*Bullshit. MANTISes with psychic abilities don't die that easily.*
*I've seen the story; after your physical body explodes, your spirit ascends and you win the battle for resurrection.*
To be honest, Leo Ash didn't know if Su's ascension would be a good thing for Su himself.
But if Su really did ascend, it would definitely be a bad thing for Leo Ash.
In the two months or so since he had transmigrated, Leo Ash had met many people.
He had many companions with great potential—but right now, they couldn't be called completely reliable.
And now, the Honkai was clearly accelerating.
Everyone had a promising future, but right now—there was no time!
More than a promising future, what Leo Ash needed was a super-grandpa who could fight right now, someone who could even help him suppress Otto!
As for Su saying he only had a year left to live...
Was that a serious problem?
Under Su's not-so-surprised gaze, Leo Ash took a test tube out of his storage space.
And inside this vial, Su saw a single drop of purple liquid.
"This is..."
Staring at the test tube Leo Ash had tossed him, Su caught it and felt his gaze become completely fixed on the potion.
"If you trust me, drink it."
Looking at the expression on Su's face, Leo Ash said with a smile.
"This is a Full Rejuvenation Potion. With it, you can overcome any illness—well, it can also heal any hidden injuries beyond illnesses."
Listening to Leo Ash's introduction, Su drank the potion without hesitation.
Then, under the effect of that single drop, Su felt the life force he had expended over many years of observing parallel worlds completely restored.
Frankly, the effect of this single drop was too much against common sense.
But, considering that Leo Ash himself possessed a set of skills that defied common sense, Su found it quite normal.
For Su, he did not fear death.
But if he could live on and continue to use his power to help the humans of this era defeat the Honkai, he would, of course, be happier to continue embracing life and striving to defeat the Honkai.
*Things are looking up.*
*Everything is looking up.*
*At first, I thought Mr. Ash was someone worthy of my help.*
*Now, it seems I truly made the same mistake Kevin did all those years ago.*
*In fact, my method of testing Mr. Ash was, in essence, the same as Kevin's decision to implement the Stigmata Project prematurely—both were decisions made for the people of this era from a lofty position.*
*But now, I completely understand—this time, I was really getting senile.*
*Before I could help Mr. Ash, he helped me first.*
*We are not some forerunners.*
*We should have cast aside our so-called forerunner status to assist them... no, we should be fighting alongside them to defeat the Honkai.*
*Among the three of us, Hua was the one who knew the least of the truth.*
*But... from this perspective, was the choice she made actually the most correct one?*
Thinking of his old friend, Su was reminded of her shattered body...
Well, after Leo Ash had treated Fu Hua's injuries once, her body had improved significantly.
But Su, having observed all this, knew clearly that Hua's injuries were only partially healed; she was still some distance from returning to her peak condition.
However, before Su could speak, Leo Ash took out three test tubes and tossed them into Su's hands.
"Since Mr. Su has already drunk the potion, you should know how powerful it is."
"Because you are the true master of the Key of the Void, I hope you can use it to instantly teleport to Anti-Entropy's headquarters and the Far East Branch and deliver these three potions to Leader Welt Yang, Mr. Siegfried Kaslana, and... Master Fu Hua, respectively."
After obtaining the [Full Rejuvenation Potion] and reading its description, Leo Ash had roughly confirmed another use for it.
The amount of potion in the bottle was really small, but its properties clearly stated, [one drop is a full recovery].
Using his Precision Control skill, Leo Ash had secretly divided the potion into many test tubes, preparing to distribute them to those unfortunate heroes who were powerful but critically injured.
Some might feel that giving away one's treasures is frustrating.
But in Leo Ash's view, he had enough potion. Giving away three drops hurt, but if it could be exchanged for the full-health resurrection of Siegfried, Welt, and Fu Hua—that was a massive profit!
Not a moment was wasted grieving for the [Full Rejuvenation Potion]; arriving on the battlefield were...
—a healthy Welt, Siegfried with the Might of An-Utu, and a crumbling Fu Hua!
Adding in the now full-health and well-informed Su, the four of them could form an incredibly powerful quartet.
Just the thought of four good-hearted experts with sound judgment returning to their peak condition made Leo Ash feel this was an absolute steal.
It wasn't that he wanted them to risk their lives just because they took the potion, but for these heroes who disregarded their own well-being for the sake of the world when fighting, Leo Ash felt they were better off at full health.
At full health, they might have a sliver of health left after a desperate battle. At low health, a desperate battle would, at a minimum, result in their bodies exploding.
A hero's due should not be to fight for the world only to have to protect it with a battered body after the battle is over.
"...I see. I understand."
Putting away the three potions, Su said with a wry smile.
"You're being so covert, is it also to guard against Mr. Otto?"
"Of course. Don't be fooled by me cursing Bishop Otto; I actually admire his personal abilities very much."
Thinking of that smug face, Leo Ash said with great vexation.
"He's just too damn good. In the ancient words of our Shenzhou, he's a master of both pen and sword."
"In terms of combat power, besides your strength which I'm unsure of, no one else can probably beat him."
"And in terms of intellect, he truly lives up to the title of the smartest person in the world."
"Plus, he controls the Key of Revelation, has a Soulium body, and is even secretly researching the Holy Blood... Alas, none of that is the main point."
"The point is, this man has the highest specs and the lowest moral bottom line. Knowing the true nature of this person, if I don't stay 120% vigilant against him, I'd be no different from a complete idiot."
...Although that is indeed the truth, Mr. Ash's assessment of Mr. Otto is really quite high.
"And precisely because Otto is so damn good, I don't dare to act recklessly—I won't repeat the nonsense I've already said, but in short..."
As he spoke, Leo Ash suddenly began to look around nervously.
Seeing Leo Ash's tense actions, Su couldn't help but chuckle.
"Mr. Ash, I know you are very wary of Mr. Otto, but... he's not powerful enough to see inside the Seed of Sumeru."
"No, no, I'm not afraid of Otto."
Feeling a gaze on him, Leo Ash asked Su with extreme nervousness.
"You really can't feel it?"
"I truly cannot feel anything."
*What the hell? Even a MANTIS with psychic abilities can't feel it?*
*Am I so tired that I'm hallucinating?*
*Or is it...*
[Ahem, System would like to ask the Host not to underestimate himself.]
[You're such a workaholic, spending your days in the dreamscape planning against Herrschers and the Finality, and then practicing your skills in the Phantasmagoria at night—you're already working this hard, how could a little bit of pressure cause your judgment to fail.]
[The reason you can feel 'her' presence is, on one hand, because you have something Su doesn't, and on the other hand... hehe, it's no fun if I spell it out.]
*Do you know I hate it when people speak in riddles...*
*—What the fuck!*
"This is?!"
At that moment, seeing the figure that had suddenly materialized before them, both Su and Leo Ash looked as if they had seen a ghost.
And in a sense, the two of them really had seen a 'female ghost.'
Without either of them noticing, Elysia, dressed in her Fire Moth combat uniform, had suddenly appeared before them, waving with a smile.
"Hi?"
"Long time no see, Su. Honestly, that expression on your face makes me feel like you're not very happy to see me."
"Elysia's a little sad now."
Although the girl before them immediately put on a sorrowful expression, as Elysia's friend, Su certainly wouldn't believe she was truly sad.
The mischievous girl was clearly trying to lighten the heavy atmosphere caused by their discussion by playing a prank.
In response to Elysia's antics, Su felt he didn't need to do anything.
"It's been a long time, Elysia."
At times like this, a simple greeting was enough.
"Eh? You don't look surprised at all."
Looking at Su, who was smiling at her, the newly manifested Elysia tried for a couple of seconds before finally confirming it—there wasn't a single trace of surprise in his eyes.
"I thought I'd give you a scare by popping out all of a sudden."
"How should I put it..."
Looking at Leo Ash, who seemed to be completely out of the loop, Su gently shook his head.
"I am, for all intents and purposes, a professional. After witnessing the biggest variable, Mr. Ash, nothing can faze me anymore."
As for the person they both thought was out of the loop, Leo Ash was currently asking the System what was going on.
*Elysia can win the resurrection lottery too???*
*Is there something wrong with this world???*
[Oh, hold on, let me check... Ah, so that's how it is.]
[Fifty thousand years ago, the Herrscher of Origin's Herrscher Core became the Key of Blankness. And according to the world's lore, the Key of Blankness actually exists within everyone's heart.]
[In other words, as long as a new human is born in this era, they will possess a part of the Key of Blankness.]
[The Herrscher of Reason's attribute allows it to manifest a physical body with just the Herrscher Core. And the Herrscher of Origin, having connected to the authorities of all Herrschers, can perfectly use the powers of all Herrschers except for the Herrscher of Finality.]
[Even if she herself had no such wish, her nature as the Herrscher of Origin predetermined this outcome the moment she scattered the Key of Blankness.]
[As long as humans exist in this world, and the 'love' in their hearts has not completely vanished, the Key of Blankness will exist. And the existence of the Key of Blankness guides the remnant soul of the Flawless One—that's not so hard to understand, is it?]
*Oh, well said.*
*That's quite a long explanation—so you've had this excuse ready for a while?*
[Nope. As soon as I discovered this woman's soul fragments still existed, I got lazy and just asked my senior.]
*So you really are slacking off all the time!]
[And two seconds later, my senior forwarded me this pre-written response.]
*It was even a forward???*
[According to him, he found this explanation very reasonable and planned to use it to fool his own Host when they asked about it.]
*So it's just to fool someone—then what's the real truth?*
[Does the truth matter?]
[Isn't the important thing that a beautiful girl is right in front of you? What are you waiting for? What! Are! You! Waiting! For!]
*Even if you want to make your usual lewd joke, the problem is—Elysia doesn't have a physical body right now.*
[Oh, forgot about that.]
[Never mind then.]
After saying this, the System instantly vanished.
But just as it disappeared, a character profile template popped up before Leo Ash's eyes.
[Name: Elysia]
[Identity: One of the Thirteen Flame-Chasers of the Previous Era, Herrscher of Origin. Currently manifested temporarily as soul fragments.]
[Current Affection: 99]
[Note: Likes ?]
*Terrifying.*
*Even if the Herrscher of Human: Ego loves humanity, this affection level is way too high—and how did the materialization even complete?????*
"So, are you not going to say anything after I've been chatting with Su for so long?"
Walking up to Leo Ash, Elysia waved a hand in front of his face and sighed helplessly.
"Sigh, Elysia knows she's very cute, but no matter how cute she is, it shouldn't be enough to make the great warrior Leo Ash, who can beat up beautiful girls, stare so blankly."
"...So, you remember what happened in the illusion?"
"Of course, I do."
Although Leo Ash's face remained calm, Elysia leaned in close to him and, as if seeing through the panic in his heart, revealed a mischievous smile.
"Please, besides you, no one else has ever made my body bleed, complained about a part of it, and then... *merged* with me."
*Ah, while in a certain sense these things are true, but...*
*Damn it, damn it, damn it! Sometimes, when you phrase the truth differently, it becomes a lie!]
*All that happened was that I took out your Herrscher Core, washed the blood off with clean water, and swallowed it.*
*How can this woman make such a bloody process sound so sensual—anyone who didn't know better would think we did the deed, drew blood, and then I acted like an irresponsible scumbag.*
"Sigh, why aren't you saying anything?"
Looking at the boy before her, Elysia finally gave up teasing him and sighed helplessly.
"Compared to the you in the illusion, the real you is so much more boring."
"You walk around with a stone face all day. You're not even eighteen, but you look as weary as a thirty-eight-year-old. Why do you do this to yourself?"
"Smile, come on, smile?"
"I can't smile. I'm swallowing my tears."
After seeing Elysia, Leo Ash had indeed recovered from his shock.
But what followed was fear.
He had thought that with Su as his ally, as long as Su could keep Otto in check and make him too wary to cause more trouble, the difficulty on his end would decrease significantly.
With Su holding Otto down and the other powerhouses getting their [Full Rejuvenation Potions], many problems would cease to be problems.
However, the thought was beautiful, but reality was cruel.
It was only after Elysia's appearance that Leo Ash remembered something.
The Legacy Arc was a year early, and the Herrscher of Origin's descent was supposed to happen after the Elysian Realm Arc in the original story... these aren't even the same event!
After being infiltrated by Prometheus, the Honkai had long been capable of micro-adjustments.
Now that Elysia had appeared, Prometheus, still unaware that she was humanity's mole, would 100% accelerate the Honkai's birthing process!
*This is bad. This is really bad.*
"Hey, don't cry now."
Staring at the boy before her, Elysia suddenly reached out with both hands, pulling Leo Ash's cheeks to the sides and forcing him into a 'smile.'
"Don't think the future is so bleak. The people of this era have the situation well under control."
"Mmm, you're right."
Grabbing Elysia's hands and forcing them back down, Leo Ash let out a long, helpless sigh.
"With the help of you seniors from the Previous Era, and with the Divine Keys, technology, and intelligence left behind, even with a super-traitor like Otto, our era is still having a relatively smoother run compared to yours."
"But with Otto looming over our heads—if that old geezer goes crazy, humanity could be led into a ditch at any moment."
"On that point, please don't worry."
Looking at the visible frustration on Leo Ash's face, Su could only say with a wry smile.
"After I leave the Seed of Sumeru, I will keep an eye on Mr. Otto and prevent him from acting recklessly."
"Mr. Su, I believe in your abilities, but even you cannot suppress him."
"That man acts without regard for others. No one knows what trump cards he's hiding."
"And because many of his actions are beneficial to the Honkai, even the Honkai will cooperate with him to some extent when he's about to stir up trouble."
"That man has definitely left many contingencies—a good old man like you can't outmaneuver him."
Silence.
Faced with Leo Ash's words, Su really couldn't think of a rebuttal.
In fact, Su, who was just about to take action, had thought that with him on the outside, Otto probably wouldn't have a chance to cause trouble.
But with Leo Ash's reminder, Su realized he had been a bit too optimistic.
His viewpoint was based on the analysis that [Otto would act rationally and with a clear head].
Generally speaking, as long as Otto was thinking straight, he wouldn't go against Su, who held the rights to the Key of the Void.
But, Otto—wasn't a normal person to begin with.
*I was actually trying to predict Mr. Otto's moves from a logical standpoint...*
*That was a bit too naive of me.*
Elysia had originally manifested to make the atmosphere a little less serious.
But now, she realized with frustration—this young man, Leo Ash, carried a much heavier psychological burden in the real world than he did in the illusion.
Under these circumstances, no matter how cheerful Elysia was, she couldn't lighten the nearly solidified atmosphere.
After all, the line between adjusting the mood and just being disruptive was quite blurry.
Elysia loved the people of this world.
As such, after realizing her actions were ineffective, how could she possibly continue to be disruptive and add more pressure to her two comrades before her?
However, Leo Ash was not someone completely oblivious to the atmosphere.
After gradually calming down, he briefly reviewed what Elysia had just done and felt—that it was a bit inappropriate for him to be spreading his stress around.
"My apologies, you two. A reunion of old friends should be a happy occasion, but because of me..."
Seeing the two of them exchange a glance and then sigh in unison, Leo Ash abruptly cut off his apology.
"What's wrong?"
"How should I put it, Mr. Ash? It might be strange for me to say this, but... you're a bit too considerate of our feelings."
"Yeah, that's right. If you're stressed, you should just say it. We should all think of a way to bear it together."
After they both said this, Elysia looked at the slightly stunned expression on Leo Ash's face and then said to him, a little angrily.
"The reason we are human is because we, as humans, cannot always face everything with a rational and objective attitude."
"We humans have joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness. We should laugh when we should laugh, cry when we want to cry, and boldly do what we want to do. That's how humans should be."
"I'm not saying you should live a debauched life or do bad things, but..."
"Whether in the illusion or in reality, Leo Ash, can you just live a little more for 'yourself'?"
*For myself... huh?*
*But if what I'm doing now isn't following my own heart, then what is my 'true self'?*
[Actually, there has never been a system. The so-called cheat skills are all abilities you forgot as a transmigrator due to severe injuries.]
[Kni↗ght↘ Le↗o A↘sh↘]
[Why can you resist Honkai Energy without undergoing modification surgery—]
*Wait, your introduction didn't say I was modified, but my body has been processed.*
[Why can you generate a barrier that suppresses energy—]
*Damn it, the Phantasmagoria has that ability. Don't tell me this barrier that can alter others' perception is the same as that other barrier; their colors aren't even the same.*
[Why do you get a headache after fighting—]
*Isn't that from overusing the Phantasmagoria?*
[There's only one answer—]
*I already guessed what you're going to say.*
[You are—]
*The hell I am. Wait until I see a core inside my body before you say that.*
In the eyes of Elysia and Su, Leo Ash had fallen into a state of confusion because of Elysia's persuasion.
But only Leo Ash himself knew—what confusion?
His true self was his fear of death.
Having lost his life once, the resurrected Leo Ash cherished his life even more, which led to his almost obsessive fear of death.
More afraid of death than the average person, Leo Ash, under the influence of this obsessive buff, would naturally unleash terrifying potential in his efforts to avoid death.
"Sigh, even after all that, I don't expect you to change right away."
Staring at Leo Ash's face, Elysia suddenly leaned close again and whispered in his ear.
"But, I hope to see a little more of a smile on your face the next time we meet, okay?"
"...Mmm, I've received that wish."
Right now, after hearing Leo Ash's somewhat heavy words, Elysia really wanted to say more.
But unfortunately, her time was up.
Elysia's sudden appearance this time was mainly due to three factors.
The scattered fragments of the Key of Blankness among humanity, the illusion created by Su, and the Phantasmagoria on Leo Ash, which could, to some extent, rewrite reality when his power was sufficient.
With these three factors combined, the fragments of the Key of Blankness attached to Leo Ash were able to use these powers to manifest Elysia before her comrades.
But there were too many scattered fragments of the Key of Blankness, which meant Elysia could only use this state to appear and talk for a bit, unable to maintain her physical presence in this world for long.
Watching the pink elf wave goodbye and disappear from his sight once more, Leo Ash immediately turned his gaze to Su.
And in Su's opinion—Elysia's words had only had a minor effect.
After Elysia departed, Leo Ash's eyes had clearly switched to work mode.
"Mr. Su, I will now explain my plan. Please see if there's anything that needs to be added."
"I understand, Mr. Ash. Please, go ahead."
Three minutes later, after listening to Leo Ash's current plan, Su's expression became a bit awkward.
"I have no problem with the other plans, but Mr. Ash..."
"Is the part about [Leo Ash must be severely injured by Su] really necessary?"
"Now you're talking. It's clear you haven't read the HOMU Romance of the Three Kingdoms."
At that moment, Leo Ash directly equipped his [Zero Knight: Moonshade], encasing himself in the energy armor.
"According to the records of the HOMU Romance of the Three Kingdoms, there was a regional military commander in ancient Shenzhou named Zhou Yu, who devised a plan with one of his subordinates... okay, to put it simply, to make Otto believe I haven't betrayed him, you and I must be enemies."
"There is no more convincing evidence than 'Su beat the crap out of Leo Ash.' As long as our relationship on the outside is terrible, or at least as long as my relationship with you is one-sidedly terrible, Otto will not suspect that we are in contact."
"After you go out, Otto will definitely be on guard against you, a forerunner who is intelligent, has information, and also controls the Key of the Void."
"Under such circumstances, his attention on me will continue to decrease, and thus..."
"The probability of me successfully backstabbing him in the future will be much higher."
"I see."
Looking at the charging Leo Ash, Su said helplessly.
"Then, Mr. Ash, please forgive my impudence."
"Who's being impudent to whom is still up in the air. After all, right now, I'm very serious about finding out..."
"—if my fist can break through your Karma Cycle."
.