Fortunately, judging by Elysia's current age, there should still be plenty of time. I still have time to prepare.
Sister Xi Ling, what are you thinking about? You've been spacing out for a long time
Elysia curiously poked Xi Ling's cheek, her two round eyes blinking and making her look exceptionally cute.
"Mm... I was just thinking about a few things. Little Ai Li, be gentle."
"Little Ai Li? Is Sister calling me?"
Seeing Elysia's confused little expression, Xi Ling suddenly remembered that Elysia hadn't been given a name yet.
"That's right, Elysia. This is the name I gave Little Ai Li. It means 'Eternal Paradise.' Do you like this name, Little Ai Li?"
"I love it! Thank you, Sister Xi Ling
! I'm going to tell Mama Ceria and the others!"
Watching Elysia run off excitedly, Xi Ling finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"I can finally rest a bit. Dealing with children really isn't my forte."
Wiping the non-existent sweat from her brow, Xi Ling turned around and began preparing lunch for The Children at the Orphanage, while simultaneously planning what she should do next.
"Hmm... I should get some weapons for self-defense first."
After lunch, Xi Ling asked Ceria for a leave of absence, then took the money she had saved from working and walked into the general store.
"It seems they don't sell firearms or anything like that... But then again, this isn't one of those free countries."
If there were no firearms, she would make her own. Compressed air cans, nail guns, springs, and some small nails. Considering the hard armor of the Honkai Beast, Xi Ling also bought some fireworks and firecrackers, along with some self-heating packs to take back.
"It's a shame they don't seem to sell nitroglycerin or sodium here, but this should be enough."
Looking at her nearly drained wallet, Xi Ling slowly sighed.
"At least these things should be enough to deal with some small Honkai Beasts..."
Returning to her room, Xi Ling first modified the nail gun into fully automatic mode, then enlarged the muzzle slightly, enough to fit a Skyrocket inside.
"But ignition is still a difficult problem..."
She originally wanted to use the self-heating pack reaction to ignite the fuse, but she quickly discovered that the temperature generated was insufficient.
"This is a bit troublesome now... But there's still plenty of time, I'll figure it out slowly..."
Days passed one by one. Using the money she earned from working, Xi Ling slowly cobbled together a simple exoskeleton. Aside from the necessary load-bearing function, Xi Ling also installed a slot for a disposable booster, two emergency firework rockets, and a first-aid kit.
"Hello, may I ask what the matter is?"
Today, several uninvited guests arrived at the Orphanage. Their light blue hair and the Flame-Chasers insignia on their uniforms immediately allowed Xi Ling to recognize who they were.
"It looks like the main storyline has started moving..."
Xi Ling thought to herself, while simultaneously blocking the doorway to prevent them from entering.
"We are here to perform physical examinations on The Children. Please cooperate."
"I apologize, but I cannot agree to that. I need to discuss this with the Director."
Before Xi Ling could turn around, Ceria gently patted her shoulder.
"If it's just a physical examination, you may come in."
"Please come in."