"Don't be sad, Bronya. Even though your Mother Cocolia was turned into a slime by me, you still have me."
"Are you attempting to provoke Bronya?" Although Bronya's sentence structure was a question, her tone was filled with certainty.
As a stray dog kicked to the curb and casually stomped to death by Raiden Mei after she awakened as the Herrscher of the Void and defeated Cocolia, Bronya had conveniently been brought back by Raiden Mei as well.
Thanks to the Elation's Die, when she was pierced by the Herrscher of Thunder's lightning, it just so happened to perfectly short-circuit the forced control mode of the bio-chip Cocolia implanted in her, without causing her too much physical damage. So, after resting for a while, Bronya recovered.
But Bronya couldn't do anything. She could neither stop Cocolia from being turned into a slime by Chen Li, nor could she stop Anti-Entropy's conservative faction from collaborating with Schicksal and World Serpent to form an organization called Homu Paradise.
Although Bronya actually quite liked the name Homu Paradise.
This even briefly made Bronya feel that Chen Li had great taste.
However, as she was a minor, the Sovereign of Anti-Entropy felt there was no need to be too harsh on Bronya; the truly despicable one was Cocolia.
Thus, as a member of Anti-Entropy, Bronya was released.
"I'm not going to mercilessly torture you like a Japanese war criminal the way I did with Otto. I'm merely stating a fact," Chen Li said.
"Bronya accepts your provocation. However, Bronya's emotional circuits are burned out, so she might not be able to produce a response that satisfies you," Bronya said with a cold, expressionless face.
In order to save Seele, who had been quantumized after taking her place in an experiment, Bronya participated in the X-10 laboratory experiment. Her fractured legs and 8% of her brain were eroded by Honkai energy. Her legs were completely destroyed by it, and her emotional circuits were burned out...
"Emmm... here." Chen Li stroked his chin and handed a Senzu Bean to Bronya.
"This must be very precious, right? You're just giving it to Bronya like this?" Bronya hesitated, holding the bean in her hand.
Bronya was simultaneously doubting Chen Li's motives and worrying that this bean, although identical in appearance to the one Siegfried ate, might actually be a different variety that would instantly kill her upon consumption...
As a legend in the assassin world—the Silver Wolf of the Urals—Bronya's vigilance was still very high.
"In Shenzhou, even when Einstein begs someone for a favor, she has to stand up and toast everyone at the banquet table. You're begging me for a favor, so what's the big deal about popping a bean? Do you really think I'd harm you?"
That's right, it wasn't Chen Li who sought out Bronya; it was Bronya who sought out Chen Li.
And to Chen Li, Senzu Beans weren't considered extremely precious items... Whenever he ran short on Senzu Beans, couldn't he just go find Haruhi Suzumiya to cultivate some more? Haruhi Suzumiya was incredibly useful.
Of course, he couldn't rely on Haruhi Suzumiya forever, so Mobius, Ruan Mei, and the others were currently working on cultivating Senzu Beans.
Moreover, Mobius seemed to be combining the Senzu Beans with the power of Abundance, attempting to give them the ability to cure diseases as well.
Since the Path of Abundance could even heal inorganic aurumatons, it naturally could cure diseases too.
As for why Haruhi Suzumiya didn't participate in this current team-building event, it was mainly because Chen Li felt that bringing her out before the Cocoon of Finality personally entered the fray was a bit too much like bullying.
As long as the enemy doesn't deploy nuclear weapons first, our side will absolutely not be the first to deploy Haruhi Suzumiya!
Bronya felt Chen Li's words made sense, so she directly closed her eyes and ate the Senzu Bean.
"My legs..." A moment after eating the Senzu Bean, Bronya subconsciously reached for her legs.
Because she felt a tingling numbness.
But to Bronya, whose legs had been completely destroyed by Honkai energy, this sensation could already be considered an incredibly precious experience.
Normally, Bronya had to rely on leg orthotics to walk, or simply rely on Project Bunny 19C to float around...
"Your legs are pale, long, and tender. What's wrong? Is there a problem?" Following Bronya's words, Chen Li gave his evaluation of her legs.
"...Do you want to touch them?" Bronya felt as if she had completely seen through Chen Li's preferences.
And as the price for begging him for a favor shortly, merely having her legs touched was something Bronya could accept.
"Cough, cough, we'll talk about that later... Are your emotional circuits fine now?" Feeling pins and needles on his back, Chen Li chose to skip this topic.
Chen Li felt like someone was glaring at his back, licking a knife, and preparing to assassinate him.
"Unclear." Bronya shook her head.
"Then let's try it one more time... Bronya, even though your Mother Cocolia was turned into a slime by me, you still have me."
"...The emotional circuits might have actually been repaired," Bronya said after a moment of hesitation.
"How are you sure? Because you felt angry just now?"
"Not angry. Speechless," Bronya answered honestly.
This was already the second time Chen Li had said this phrase to her, not to mention that Bronya's feelings towards Cocolia were already incredibly complicated.
After being born post-Second Eruption, Bronya was raised as an orphan and trained as a mercenary. When she attempted to assassinate Cocolia, she was caught and brought back to the orphanage.
Cocolia allowed Bronya to meet Seele, and from this perspective, Bronya had to thank Cocolia.
But the fact that Cocolia subjected Seele to the X-10 experiment, causing Seele to fall into the quantum realm, was an undeniable truth.
Besides, Cocolia wasn't dead right now, was she?
She could even live for over 3 million years now.
And Cocolia herself hadn't complained about it.
"..." This time, it was Chen Li's turn to be speechless.
Chen Li originally thought that after repairing Bronya's emotional circuits, she would be much more fun to tease, but it turned out he was the one getting played?
"Alright, tell me the purpose of you seeking me out."
"I desire a miracle," Bronya said.
"Mhm, I also desire miracles. I even desire power and boobs." Chen Li nodded.
Just last night, Chen Li dreamed he was buried under countless Miracle Crystals, suffocating under their weight... only to wake up and find Little Herta sitting right on his chest.
Chen Li clearly remembered locking his door, only for Little Herta to casually say, 'I figured I could pick your door lock with a paperclip.'
"What I mean is... can you help me forge a Curio capable of summoning Seele back from the Quantum Sea? Please, I'm willing to do anything." Bronya's voice revealed a hint of pleading.
Bronya had formulated this idea after overhearing the conversation between Chen Li and Durandal's group.
"Although I might not possess formidable strength like Durandal, nor am I a Divine Key wielder, I have my own advantage—I am willing to do anything," Bronya repeated.
Bronya had a very clear understanding of her own positioning.
She had no ties or relations to Chen Li, and just a short while ago, they were even on opposing sides. Therefore, Bronya could only utilize her single unique advantage... which was that she was willing to do absolutely anything.
"Are you saying you're willing to..."
"That's right, I am willing to become your loyal soldier! In other words, your personal mercenary." Bronya nodded.
Bronya was very familiar with this kind of work.
"...Ahaha, that is indeed a very tempting offer."
"I can sign a compulsory transaction contract with you, using that gold coin."
"That won't be necessary. It's enough that you have the intent."
"So..." Bronya looked at Chen Li expectantly.
"The conditions you offer are tempting, but your situation doesn't require a specially forged Curio. I have two methods here for your reference." Chen Li held up two fingers.
"What two methods?"
"First, I use the Longbow of Peace's precise sniping ability to kill Seele, and then you watch ads to resurrect her."
"Is there a method that doesn't involve dying?"
Although Bronya was once a legend in the assassin world and was no stranger to killing, killing Seele was simply a hurdle too high for her to cross.
"Second, utilizing the bond between you and Seele, you can use the Slapping Glove to meet her, hand the Slapping Glove to her, let her slap you, and simultaneously use the created spacetime tunnel to return to the real world. However, this won't restore Seele's body from its quantum state back to a physical entity. But as long as she returns to reality, those issues can be resolved later. For example, you can ask Dr. Einstein and the others for help. Herrscher cores are very magical things."
Using an unorthodox method to rescue Seele naturally came with these kinds of side effects.
But who knows, Seele might even be able to solve this problem herself.
Seele's Stigmata consciousness was still very capable.
If worse came to worst, it could also be solved using Fiction Value.
"The Slapping Glove is that convenient? I originally thought you forged this Curio purely because you wanted to follow the chain of causality to slap people, Chen Li. I didn't expect it to have other uses," Sirin said while eating a slice of melon.
As expected of the man I have my eye on. Every single one of his actions carries profound meaning!
Whenever Chen Li and Sirin were within 100 meters of each other, where there was Sirin there wasn't necessarily Chen Li, but where there was Chen Li there was always Sirin.
"Oh, don't misunderstand, I really did only forge this Curio to slap people across space, but I didn't expect its effects to be so surprisingly good," Chen Li said sheepishly.
Chen Li had long wanted to forge a Curio that could let him follow an internet cable to slap someone on the other end. However, due to being short on funds at the time, he couldn't. Later on, when he had money, he naturally let loose and rewarded himself.
Plus, once Chen Li had his fill of fun, he could lend this Curio to Sunday to generate revenue.
If they truly managed to create a world where Robin had absolutely zero toxic anti-fans, they could probably harvest a ton of Miracle Crystals.
"That's still amazing. It shows you have excellent luck," Sirin nodded.
As expected of the man I have my eye on, he's so honest.
"I have a question," Bronya suddenly spoke up.
"What question?"
"Dr. Einstein and the others might not have the time to help revert Seele from her quantum state back to her original state." Bronya's expression was conflicted.
After all, Bronya was the capable lieutenant of the radical faction's leader, Cocolia, whereas Dr. Einstein and her group were the conservative faction.
"Honkai Impact 3rd is a positive, sunny, healthy, and uplifting story; your worries are completely unfounded. However... since I'm sitting idle anyway, I can forge a fun Curio for you. It'll come in handy later." Thinking of the genius idea he had just formulated, Chen Li couldn't help but feel proud.
"Really? As long as it can bring Seele back to my side normally, I'm willing to do anything!" Bronya said, deeply moved.
To relieve her of her worries, he was actually willing to forge a Curio exclusively for her!
"..." Seeing the look in Bronya's eyes, the melon-eating Sirin beside them couldn't help but sit up straight.
Something's wrong. Something is twelve-out-of-ten wrong.
"Chen Li's forging isn't free. Remember to pay the remuneration," Sirin quickly interjected.
Sirin intended to use the 'remuneration' to snap Bronya back to reality, reminding her that this was an exchange of benefits, not simple charity.
"I know. I will pay with the rest of my life!" Bronya nodded.
"..." Sirin crushed the melon in her hand.
...
[Responsive to All Requests]: If there is a request, there must be a response.
Effect 1 - Manifestation: You can set trigger keywords for this Curio. When an action, event, or the keyword itself occurs within the designated range, the Curio wielder can optionally choose to appear by the other party's side.
Effect 2 - Summoning: Form the image or group image of the person you wish to call out to in your mind. If the other party responds, they can be summoned to your vicinity.
Responsive to All Requests didn't mean granting everything, but responding to everything.
If he just wanted to help Bronya see Seele, Chen Li had several methods. The reason he specifically forged this Curio was that it was a component of a certain 1-star Curio Chen Li wanted to forge.
Chen Li planned to help Sunday build a true paradise, but a paradise needed an admission ticket.
Sunday wanted to build a world with rules that even Aeons couldn't violate; that was fine.
Sunday wanted to create a world that had seven-day weekends; that was also fine.
But Sunday wanting to force everyone to join this paradise? That wouldn't fly.
Pulling people into this paradise without their consent was even more unacceptable.
Chen Li was here to create positive miracles, not to destroy the world.
A 1-star Curio had the power to oppose the world, but Sunday wanted Chen Li to suppress the world!
That demand was simply too high. So, rather than forcing it, why not install a 'gate' to this paradise?
It could block out those with ulterior motives, while simultaneously gathering all the suffering masses who had lost hope in the real world.
And 'Heaven' was the perfect template for this, wasn't it?
Making things that only existed in miracles become reality was precisely the job of Chen Li, the Curio Forger.
Forging this Curio not only lightened the burden of eventually building Sunday's paradise in the future, but it also earned him a 'Banya' on the side. Absolute profit!
"Seele, I finally get to see you! It's me, Bronya! I didn't expect that after not seeing you for so long, you've grown... uh, so tall." Bronya excitedly hugged the Seele in front of her.
"Bronya? I feel like that name sounds a bit familiar." Seele scratched her head.
"Seele, it's me, Bronya! Have you forgotten? We were best friends back in the orphanage!" Releasing Seele, Bronya noticed that Seele seemed to have forgotten some things. Although it made her a bit sad, it was no longer the main point.
As long as Seele could come back, that was enough! Even if she lost her memories, Bronya could just create new ones with her!
"Orphanage? Oh, that does ring a bell!" This Seele, who was several heads taller than Bronya, suddenly punched her palm.
"Bronya, did you manage to summon Seele back from the Quantum Sea?" Chen Li, who had gone to take care of other business after handing the forged Curio to Bronya, returned to check the results.
"I summoned her back. Look, it's Seele." Bronya nodded excitedly.
"Which Seele the fuck is this?!" Looking at the clear-eyed Seele standing before him, Chen Li couldn't help but swear.
No, bro...
I told you to summon Seele Vollerei. How the hell did you summon Seele from the Belobog Underworld of the Honkai: Star Rail universe?!
And the fact that you two are actually having a coherent conversation while operating on completely different channels is a miracle in itself!
"Is there a problem?"
"A huge problem! Bronya, tell me, what exactly were you thinking when you used that Curio?"
"I was thinking that I wanted Seele to come to my side," Bronya said.
"Which Seele?"
"What do you mean which Seele? Seele Vollerei, of course!" Bronya felt Chen Li's question was completely nonsensical.
"Then ask her what her name is." Chen Li pointed at Seele.
"Uh, then you might have gotten the wrong person. My name is indeed Seele, but I don't have a last name." Seele scratched her head.
"???" Bronya instantly felt her entire sky collapse.
Are you telling me I sold myself away, only to summon a Seele who isn't MY Seele?!
"Then why did you just..."
"Because I also grew up in an orphanage, and I had a best playmate when I was little too. She actually does look a bit like you." Seele spread her hands.
"..." Bronya couldn't believe there could be such a coincidence in the world.
"Don't tell me your orphanage director was also named Cocolia?" Bronya asked.
"Cocolia?! Where?! That damn Cocolia!" The moment she heard that name, Seele instantly hoisted her scythe, radiating murderous intent.
And Seele's scythe was one of the reasons Bronya felt she hadn't summoned the wrong person.
They had the same hair color, looked the same, and used the exact same weapon. She was just a little bit taller...
How could this not be Seele?
And why are you so angry at the mere mention of Cocolia's name?
"Over there. Our Cocolia over here was turned into a slime because she did bad things." Chen Li pointed at Cocolia, who was currently cleaning up trash.
There wasn't originally that much trash in Raiden Mei's house, but with more people eating more food, the amount of trash naturally multiplied.
"Good riddance! That's hugely satisfying! Even though it might not be the exact same Cocolia... in our world, Cocolia is a tyrant," Seele explained.
"Anyway, the situation is obvious now. Bronya, because you didn't specify all the correct conditions when you wanted to summon Seele to your side, you ended up summoning a Seele who is extremely similar to your Seele," Chen Li said to the utterly disbelieving Bronya.
"What?!"
"This kind of situation is very common in this cosmology. Because among the endless worlds, there will always be similar worlds where you bump into similar people," Chen Li explained.
The Honkai cosmology was just like that.
Just like Acheron in the HSR universe, whose homeworld was swallowed by the Aeon of Nihility; while wandering the cosmos, she had seen many worlds similar to her own.
This was the overarching cosmology of the Honkai universe.
Because Bronya was too excited, she didn't add the last name when calling out to Seele, thus resulting in this massive misunderstanding.
As for why Seele would respond to a stranger... it was probably just a subconscious reaction.
If you're walking down the street and suddenly hear someone yell your name, you'd naturally turn your head subconsciously.
And the reason only one Seele appeared was likely because Bronya only wanted one Seele.
As for why it was this Seele and not Seele Vollerei, the reason was even simpler.
Because this Seele's full name was just 'Seele', whereas Seele Vollerei's was not.
"If you don't believe me, you can ask Seele what the director of her orphanage is named. Who knows, there might even be a corresponding person in this world."
"Our orphanage director is named Natasha," Seele said.
"Ah? Who's calling me?" Raven, who had just delivered the Third Divine Key to Raiden Mei's house, suddenly stood up and looked over.
"Natasha!" Seeing Raven's appearance, Seele called out in surprise.
"Who are you?" Raven didn't remember ever seeing the person in front of her.
Raven, whose real name was Natasha Cioara, was a World Serpent executive and highly renowned in the mercenary world as North America's most famous mercenary. She was the wielder of the 3rd Divine Key: Key of Judgment, "Seven Thunders of Retribution".
"Alright, sit back down." Chen Li pressed his hand down in a calming motion.
Although Raven didn't understand the situation, she didn't dare utter a peep.
After all, the person in front of her was a guy who made even Gray Serpent act respectfully and deferentially. Rumor had it he was an ancient relic from the Previous Era, just like Sire Kevin.
"See? The coincidence is just that uncanny. So now you need to figure out a way to send this Seele back, and then go find your Seele," Chen Li said.
"How do I send her back? It's not written on this Curio." Bronya looked at the Curio in her hands with a troubled expression.
"What? I can't go back?! And I've been wanting to ask this the whole time, where exactly did you take me?!" Seele was starting to panic.
If you tell me I was pulled here over a misunderstanding, fine, considering you just wanted to save your best friend, I forgive you. But you can't just leave me stranded here!
"This is another world. And I know you're in a hurry, but don't panic. There's a way to get you back," Chen Li began to pacify Seele.
"Really?"
"Since I could pull you here, I can send you back. Here, this is the Slapping Glove. After putting on the glove, you can see all the people you have connections with. Then, select a target, slap them, and you can open a spacetime tunnel that will take you right in front of them. And this spacetime tunnel can be traveled through," Chen Li said.
Having the Slapping Glove meant that certain people would never have to worry about getting lost ever again.
Provided, of course, that you had an acquaintance living near your house.
"...Can this Slapping Glove really slap anyone?" Seele suddenly asked.
"Of course. And it's a guaranteed hit."
"Then can I swap the slap for my scythe?" Seele asked expectantly.
"What do you want to do?"
"Chop Cocolia." Seele hefted her scythe.
Just thinking about using this glove to slap Cocolia and then quickly retreating before she could retaliate made Seele incredibly happy.
It was just Cocolia... As long as she wasn't caught red-handed at the scene, Seele had nothing to fear.
After all, it was Cocolia herself who ordered the blockade cutting off contact between the Overworld and the Underworld.
If Cocolia dared to come to the Underworld to look for Seele, the entire Underworld would throw a massive festival and give Cocolia a front-row performance of a full-scale riot!
And if she could swap the glove for her scythe, didn't that mean she could poke her head through, slash Cocolia, and pull her head right back?
"Calm down. However, since the fault lies on our end, I naturally can't let you go back empty-handed. You can use the glove to slap Cocolia, and then return to your own home."
"Really?!"
"Of course. You go ahead and deliver that slap while I prepare some local specialties for you." After saying this, Chen Li began rummaging through his inventory.
A Friends Circle terminal was definitely a must, along with some food supplies, and the magical seeds capable of being planted and growing rapidly in extreme environments that Mobius had given Chen Li to evaluate.
"I suddenly discovered a problem..." Seele poked Chen Li, who was busy preparing the specialties.
"What's wrong?"
"Why isn't Cocolia on my selectable list?" Seele asked.
"...What is your relationship with Cocolia?"
"The relationship between persecutor and persecuted."
"Then never mind, that connection is too weak. This glove can follow the chain of causality to appear in front of anyone who is currently or has ever mentioned your name, nickname, title, or any reference to you, as well as any existence you have a connection with, and deliver a slap to them. This effect ignores distance and the number of people. Which of those criteria do you meet with Cocolia?"
"..." Seele blinked, speechless.
"Indirect connections work too, but it can't be too indirect." Chen Li shook his head.
Sunday could use the Slapping Glove to smack Robin's toxic anti-fans because anyone who knew Robin definitely knew Sunday.
Because if an anti-fan didn't even know that basic trivia, they'd be mocked as a 'poser' rather than a real anti-fan, losing their right to hate on Robin.
Never underestimate toxic anti-fans!
Sometimes, anti-fans know more about a celebrity than their actual fans!
Moreover, many of those who hated Robin claimed she only got famous by relying on Sunday's status as the head of the Oak Family.
Add to that the fact that Sunday frequently debated with anti-fans online at high intensity. Even if the anti-fans didn't know the name 'Sunday', wouldn't they know his online handle?
An online handle is still a name.
"Then can I save this opportunity for later?" Seele asked.
"You can. These are the specialties and magical items I'm giving you. There are instruction manuals on them... You do know how to read, right?"
"Don't underestimate me!"
"Sorry."
"Even if I couldn't read, Natasha can read!"
"I take back my 'sorry' from a second ago."
"..."
...
"Seele!"
"Big sister Bronya!"
"Seele! Waaah, I finally get to see you!" Perhaps due to the shadow the previous Seele cast on Bronya, Bronya only dared to pounce forward when this Seele called her name.
And under the effects of the Curio, Seele was summoned in a normal state, not a quantum state.
Congratulations, congratulations.
"Bronya, do you want to summon any other Seeles?" Chen Li asked after taking back the bell from Bronya's hand.
"Other Seeles? Big sister Bronya, how many Seeles do you have?" Seele released Bronya and tilted her head in confusion.
"I only have you, my one and only Seele. I don't need this Curio anymore. You can take it back and maybe modify it to recoup some of your losses," Bronya said to Chen Li.
Bronya was terrified that if she spoke too late, Seele would misunderstand.
Bronya knew the value of this Curio was far lower than the value she could bring Chen Li by becoming his loyal soldier, so after reuniting with Seele, she had no intention of keeping it.
"Oh." Chen Li was very satisfied with this.
This Curio had cost Chen Li 30 Crystals, but because Bronya summoned Seele, he earned 40 Crystals.
Seele Vollerei's return was worth 30 Crystals.
The HSR universe's Seele being summoned to the Honkai Impact 3rd universe was worth 10 Crystals.
Furthermore, there was another benefit to forging Curios separately and then combining them into a 1-star Curio: it saved money.
Chen Li's Curio Forger level was 4, which meant his free entry accommodation limit when forging Curios had reached 18 Crystals.
In other words, when Chen Li forged a 1-star Curio, splitting it into several novice-level Curios meant that the more pieces he split it into, the more money he saved.
However, a 1-star Curio didn't always need a ton of functions, so Chen Li rarely got to use this strategy.
But this trait was incredibly useful when reinforcing old Curios.
As long as Chen Li was willing to occasionally spend 1 to 2 Crystals to reforge a Curio, all his Curios would gradually grow stronger alongside his profession level.
This wave... is truly a buff to legacy characters!
"Chen Li." Raiden Ryoma walked over, followed by Siegfried and the others.
"What is it?"
"After our negotiations, we've decided to commission you to forge a Curio." The group exchanged a look before Raiden Ryoma spoke for them.
"Oh? What kind of Curio?"
"We feel that directly implementing the Honkai-mon Project in the Current Era is a bit too rash. After all, we don't know if this Previous Era scientist, Mobius, can properly handle the Cocoon of Finality, and our understanding of the Cocoon of Finality is still too limited. So we'd like to ask you to forge a cosmology-altering Curio, directly transforming the world where the Honkai resides into the cosmology envisioned by the Honkai-mon Project. Surgeries and the like carry the risk of failure, but Curios do not," Raiden Ryoma said.
After Chen Li revealed the Honkai-mon plan, the people from Anti-Entropy and Schicksal frantically searched for intelligence related to Mobius and Vill-V, especially Mobius, who was the chief surgeon for the proposed operation, to discuss the feasibility of the plan.
Through their combined efforts, they finally found information related to Mobius and Vill-V within the archives concerning the Previous Era.
Both were geniuses, but both were incredibly dangerous.
Vill-V was somewhat okay; it was merely the weapons she created that were dangerous, like the Divine Keys and nuclear bombs.
Mobius, however, was a different story. Mobius herself was incredibly dangerous, and her reputation in the Previous Era seemed somewhat... poor.
Hearing Raiden Ryoma and the others' reasoning, Chen Li could only feel fortunate that World Serpent hadn't shared their intelligence with them, otherwise...
"Mobius? Did you guys just mention the name Mobius?" That name seemed to trigger a stress response in a certain husky-raven.
"That's right. Mobius is a companion Chen Li brought along. She is the true Mobius from the Previous Era, currently visiting the Elysian Realm to share intelligence with the Memory Sim Mobius," Siegfried nodded.
"What?! The real Mobius?! No way, I have to get out of here!" Raven's lips turned pale.
Holy mother of god, it's the real Mobius!
"You seem to know about Mobius? Oh right, World Serpent is an organization passed down from the Previous Era, and Gray Serpent explained that every World Serpent executive must undergo trials in the Elysian Realm... Could you briefly share your impressions of Mobius?" Theresa asked Raven.
"Sorry, that's classified." Raven shook her head frantically.
Raven had been traumatized by the Mobius in the Elysian Realm.
Raven always felt that in Mobius's eyes, she was nothing more than a lab rat who could drop dead at any moment.
"Schicksal, Anti-Entropy, and World Serpent are all uniting now, what classified secrets are left? Besides, this isn't crucial information; just give us a brief rundown," Durandal said.
"...Will the real Mobius find out about our conversation?" Raven asked cautiously.
"..." No one could guarantee an answer to that.
"Madam Mobius is the most brilliant scientist I have ever met! Dedicated, rigorous, strict, beautiful, generous! She is the most feminine Flame-Chaser I encountered in the Elysian Realm, the founder of World Serpent, and one of the heroes we deeply respect..." Raven muttered these praises while simultaneously starting to pack up her belongings.
Raven planned to make a run for it.
The Third Divine Key?
Gray Serpent was still here, so it was fine to leave it with him.
But just as Raven tried to run, Gray Serpent blocked her path.
"...I think you can see the issue." Everyone then looked toward Chen Li.
"Uh, you guys shouldn't look at Mobius through tinted glasses. Although historical records depict Mobius as somewhat mad, I've already severed the river of time, so the real Mobius hasn't done any of those more bizarre things yet. Plus, under my cultivation, Mobius is very normal now. She no longer casually grabs random people in the Flame-Chaser corridors for experiments! Look, I've been with her for so long, and I haven't been dragged onto an operating table yet!" Chen Li guaranteed.
"That sounds even more worrying. So, what do you think of the Curio forging commission? Our three factions... our two factions will pay ample remuneration, even if it bankrupts us."
The high-ranking members within Schicksal and Anti-Entropy who actually had a conscience ultimately shared the same goal: fighting the Honkai.
So, if the [Honkai-mon Project] truly could allow the Honkai and humanity to coexist peacefully, these two organizations were naturally willing to pay any price.
What? You ask about the high-ranking members without a conscience?
They had already been stuffed into a burlap sack and were being used as a punching bag.
That's right, referring specifically to Otto.
"Emmm... Are you sure you guys don't want to reconsider? Forging the Curio is fine, but you'll have to pay the price."
"Then let me ask you a question. Can you guarantee that when Mobius executes the Honkai-mon Project, she will follow the original plan exactly? That she won't suddenly change her mind and add a bunch of extra things on a whim, or because the Cocoon of Finality turns out to be different from what she imagined?" A screen lit up in front of Raiden Ryoma, and on the screen, a woman with blue, messy bedhead hair asked Chen Li.
"I..."
Chen Li had to admit, what Einstein said made way too much sense!!!
Especially when Einstein brought it up, Chen Li suddenly felt that he really should pay attention to this aspect.
Coupled with the fact that they were altering the Current Era and not the Previous Era where Mobius originated, it was entirely possible for Mobius to suddenly pop out a new idea and immediately conduct an experiment.
"It's not that we don't believe you. We are very grateful that you're willing to help us resist the Honkai and coexist with it, but since this concerns the entire world, we prefer to play it safe," Einstein said very tactfully.
"Then... fine. Let me think about what kind of Curio to forge..."
Einstein and the others only wanted to forge a Curio that could bring peace to the world, but Chen Li had a lot more to consider.
The Honkai-mon Project was mainly divided into three parts.
First, performing surgery on the Cocoon of Finality. The goal was naturally to fundamentally alter the nature of Honkai Beasts, granting them the possibility of being captured and coexisting with humanity.
The Cocoon of Finality monopolized the Imaginary Tree's supply of Imaginary Energy to the Solar System region, converting it into Honkai energy. In a sense, Honkai energy was endlessly continuous; it could never run out.
Rather than letting the Honkai Beasts continuously birthed by the Honkai simply vanish, it was better to put them to good use. Otherwise, wouldn't all the suffering endured in the past be a pure loss?
Second, granting humanity sufficient Honkai energy resistance. Otherwise, going to capture a Honkai Beast without any Honkai resistance—even if the Honkai Beast was willing—would be no different from getting into a fistfight wielding a greatsword made of depleted Uranium 235.
It's strong, sure, but it costs your life to use it.
Third, the Poké Ball... Honkai Ball issue.
Vill-V had indeed conducted research on expanding the internal space of the Honkai Balls, but every material had its limits. If Honkai Beasts continuously iterated in the future, the required strength of the materials used to craft Honkai Balls would also rise, making material costs a massive issue.
If forced to add a fourth point, it would be the upper limits and varieties of Honkai Beasts.
Were there super invincible, massively overpowered Honkai Beasts in this world? Yes, like Chiyou.
Capable of swallowing half of Shenzhou in a single bite, Chiyou was certainly powerful and represented the upper limit of Honkai Beasts, but it still couldn't withstand a single slash from Kevin.
If a Honkai Beast couldn't even beat its own trainer, what was the point of playing Honkai-mon? You might as well just roll up your sleeves and punch the enemy yourself!
And the variety issue was even more fatal, because currently, all the Honkai Beasts on Earth only knew how to fight, and there weren't many types.
If the trainer acted as a summoner, these Honkai Beasts wouldn't be able to protect the summoner at all.
Sure, gimmick-reliant characters are easily countered. For example, a Super Break team running into a monster that locks its Toughness bar would feel quite helpless.
But Honkai Beasts didn't even have the raw stats to back it up!
To put it extremely, a Honkai Beast might not even compare to a Traffic Light Automaton in the Belobog Underworld.
Because even Acheron, an Emanator of Nihility, would need at least two slashes to kill a Traffic Light.
"How do I bring video game concepts into reality? Directly alter the cosmology? No, no, no." Chen Li propped his chin on his hand, deep in thought.
Chen Li's homeworld was a perfect example. Because it fused with a game world, the 'Profession Panel'—a system that mapped out the future development direction of the entire century—was born.
But the cost was too high.
Although, as long as he was willing to invest heavily now, giving the Honkai world the potential to advance into the future and even dominate a sector of the universe, Chen Li would harvest an abundance of Miracle Crystals. But 96 Crystals was only enough to forge a single Curio, and there were two Honkai worlds.
Moreover, Chen Li didn't even have a video game-related entry, let alone the highly radiant [Game] entry.
Even if he did have the [Game] entry, how brightly could it really shine?
[Ding! You have received a new forging commission]
Chen Li's Curio Forging Guide suddenly vibrated.
[Survival of Humanity]: Forge a Curio that ensures the eternal survival of the Imanity race. Issuer: Riku Dola Reward: 30 100 Crystals Risk: Low High
"Riku? Who?"
"Wait! Riku!"
Chen Li pulled out his jailbroken Friends Circle terminal and searched for the name.
Riku Dola, from... No Game No Life: Zero.
"Heaven is truly helping me!" Chen Li's eyes lit up.
To ensure the eternal survival of the Imanity race, a Curio wasn't necessary at all. Awakening a Collective Consciousness would do the trick perfectly.
And conveniently, whether it was safely weathering the Third Eruption or witnessing the alliance of the three major factions, both were monumental events in the civilization's progression. Thus, Chen Li was about to harvest a massive wave of Civilization Value.
If among the Sixteen Exceed, the Imanity ranked dead last because their bodies were frail, their magic adaptability was zero, they couldn't use magic, and they couldn't even detect when magic was used on them... then why not change the approach?
If you can't use magic yourself, you can just have your pets use magic!
Chen Li just happened to have a plan here where only humanity had the qualifications to receive "Stigmata," gain the aptitude, and capture Honkai Beasts to turn them into assets.
If he added the [Probability] and [Capture] entries to the Honkai Balls, then as long as there were enough Honkai Balls, perhaps the Imanity could even capture the Old Deus!
He originally didn't plan on doing this because capturing Honkai Beasts was just capturing Honkai Beasts.
Could those little things really turn the world upside down?
But the Old Deus truly could turn the world upside down.
The world of No Game No Life was a world where sixteen races fought for the throne of the One True God—the Star Cup.
An Old Deus obtaining the Star Cup couldn't be called a miracle, but Imanity seizing the Star Cup? That was a miracle.
The era where gods sat high above was long gone!
Chen Li was highly anticipating what kind of miracles the changes he brought to that world would brew.
And naturally, Chen Li would also conduct [Prophecy] and supervision.
However... Those whom the gods wish to destroy, they first make mad.
Considering that humanity had a tendency toward the trait of "being content with small fortunes, but courting death with massive fortunes," Chen Li felt it was necessary to add something like a limiter.
Because the entity most likely to destroy humanity is often humanity itself.
[U there? I have a plan that can bring Imanity out of the dark! Venmo me 50 bucks, and listen to the rest of my master plan!] Chen Li sent out the message.