A deep, pervasive ache throbbed through her very being, a sensation of being utterly shattered. The pain, which should have lasted only an instant, felt stretched across an immeasurable span of time.
No, it wasn't a physical pain. It was a phantom agony, a trick of the mind.
Even though she was no stranger to pain, this was nearly unbearable.
[Consciousness has returned, I see?]
Consciousness? But… I should be dead.
As the unfamiliar voice echoed in her mind, Amber instinctively pondered the question.
[Your body has indeed ceased all vital functions. Not just yours—no life signs remain on the planet humans called Earth, following the recent cataclysm.]
…?
Amber tried to open her eyes, but felt no sensation of eyelids moving. She couldn't feel anything at all, aside from the relentless pain.
How strange. Phantom pain was a psychological issue, but it originated from signals in the brain. If she no longer had a body… how could her spirit be feeling this pain?
[Please do not be alarmed. The reconstruction of your body is still in progress. Before it is complete, may I voice my request?]
Request?
[You may have heard of entities like me through various stories. I am a life form you could call a 'Golden Finger' or 'System'. That I managed to reach this world and meet you was a stroke of luck. Yet, because of this chance, both you and I have found a sliver of fortune.]
What does that mean?
[I am a discarded existence. You are a deceased existence. Both of us, destined to fade into nothingness, were beings with no future.]
[But if we join together, perhaps… no, we will definitely be able to create a new story.]
[My energy reserves are insufficient to sustain my operations for long. To be brief: I can transport you to other worlds and provide you with the power necessary for survival. In return, for my own continued existence, I require you to help me obtain the 'acknowledgment' of these worlds.]
Huh? Acknowledgment? What does that mean?
Amber didn't understand.
[…My apologies. Restoring your body has consumed most of my remaining energy. A more detailed explanation will have to wait.]
Wait…!
In an instant, her senses returned—hearing, touch, smell, sight, and taste (whether it was back or not, she wasn't sure). It was all perfectly normal, just as it had always been. But before she could even form a question or gather her thoughts, the star-studded sky before her eyes began to warp and shift rapidly.
A feeling of weightlessness, followed by intense, scorching heat, washed over her entire body.
When her senses finally settled, she found herself standing in a dense, disorienting forest.
What's going on? What just happened?
A wave of panic and confusion washed over Amber. "G-Golden Finger… miss?" she stammered, her voice trembling. "Are you still there?"
[System assistance confirmed. Activating.]
[Please draw your cards.]
[Draw complete.]
[Asterite x220. Asterite x135. Asterite x300. Character Card: Fu Hua (Azure Empyrea - Taixuan Impression). Weapon Resonance x700. Gygnus Gauntlets x1. Ancient Willpower x20. Stigmata: Leeuwenhoek (M) x1. Blessings of Destruction: Orbital Redshift x1. Curio: Dreams 0110.]
[Equipping current highest combat power configuration.]
[Confirming activation of prompts.]
[Confirming activation of explanations.]
[If you are willing, please proceed according to the navigation guide.]
A rapid stream of mechanical-sounding words flashed past her ears, culminating in the same female voice she had heard before.
Before her eyes now hovered a semi-transparent black screen. Everything on it felt both familiar and alien… Aren't these things from the game? What's a Character Card? Did I just 'draw' Fu Hua?
[To ensure your safety, please utilize the Character Card: Fu Hua for your subsequent actions.]
[Confirm] [Deny]
A new prompt appeared on the screen.
Feeling a deep-seated unease, Amber decisively tapped [Confirm].
Her perspective began to shift, her line of sight growing higher. For some reason, her chest felt much tighter, but in exchange, her entire body seemed to surge with an unfamiliar, potent strength.
"Eh… My hair color changed…"
Amber noticed her bangs and hairstyle were different.
"My voice too… Have I become Fu Hua?" She looked down and saw that her clothes had also changed from the familiar hospital gown to the '' outfit from the game—a free costume Amber had always loved for its clean, sharp look that perfectly accentuated Fu Hua's heroic spirit.
The girl couldn't help but take a moment to examine her new body.
This is amazing…
She was standing in the exact same spot, yet it felt like the entire world had been remade. She could hear everything, see everything—from the chirping of insects hundreds of meters away to a squirrel's nest hidden deep within the crevices of the trees. Nothing could escape her perception.
And it wasn't just that. Something felt different about the very air itself, though her current understanding couldn't grasp what it was.
[Detected that the host severely lacks combat experience. Activate combat assistance function?]
[Yes] [No]
…The new prompt dampened her excitement somewhat. Without hesitation, she selected [Yes].
She had absolutely no idea how to fight…
[Host, please proceed to the marked location on the map. Engage Kingu in combat and assist Chaldea's personnel in escaping their predicament.]
Kingu… Chaldea… The first name didn't ring any bells, but combined with the second, it sounded vaguely familiar.
FGO. That game her friends had always warned her about, telling her, 'Don't start playing it, it's a trap.'
This is troublesome. Her knowledge of the Fate series was limited to her friends' occasional rants and the two anime series, Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works and Fate/Zero. And even for FSN, UBW was the only route her friend had strongly recommended.
The uncertainty made Amber anxious. But she was already dead. This 'Golden Finger' had brought her back to life and had seemingly fallen silent after expending energy to help her. The least she could do was repay this debt.
Steeling herself, and pushing down her lingering confusion, Amber gritted her teeth and started running towards the designated point.
But she immediately ran into a problem.
Fu Hua was a character she adored, and right now, she looked exactly like her.
But the image of the esteemed Celestial… running through the woods… It completely clashed with the majestic, graceful figure she'd always imagined.
"Mr. Navigation, um… Shouldn't Fu Hua be able to fly?"
[Given the host's current level of control over Honkai energy, flight is possible.]
[Guidance mode activated.]
It felt as if some new knowledge was flowing into her. Amber instinctively mimicked the sensation, and found herself hovering slightly above the ground.
"So cool…"
She couldn't help but marvel again, but quickly swallowed her awe. She reminded herself sternly—this was the face of her beloved 'waifu'! She absolutely could not do anything to tarnish her image!
The typically timid and indecisive girl felt an uncharacteristic surge of determination.
Stiffening her expression into what she hoped was a serious mask, she took another glance at the map. Then, with a powerful surge, her figure shot into the sky.
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T/N: You know, its actually tragic that the moment i was planning to upload this someone on my patreon told me that someone else literally started translating this fic... but since i made a decent amount of progress and didn't want to make my work that i spent the entire sunday doing go down the gutter ima just keep posting, but instead of 20 initial chaps there'll be 30.
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T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.