"Security can be lifted; all that remains is to maintain order."
While Bronie felt disappointed by what lay beyond Tianqiu City, Rita—via surveillance—had also observed the conditions outside, and after exhaling a relieved sigh, she spoke into her earpiece:
"It's over. I'm leaving it in your hands."
A cool voice belonging to Fuhua came through the earpiece.
"Ninja, you're fast—but unfortunately, you've come too late."
Leaning against her blue motorcycle, Bronie watched as, after a flash of electric light, the ninja Yaoye Xia appeared. With a smile, Bronie casually tossed the light curtain core from her hand.
"Hacker Rabbit, I don't understand what you mean," Yaoye Xia replied, his tone tinged with puzzlement.
"You must be an outsider. Someone like you, if you were to appear in Tianqiu City, I would never be unaware. Your power—and mine—is not found within Tianqiu City. If my guess is correct, that power comes from beyond."
Bronie was exceptionally astute; she knew that her own power was unique in Tianqiu City. Yaoye Xia's arrival, combined with the contents of the Galaxy Hacker, led her to a bold assumption. It might sound a bit juvenile, but as the saying goes: if you have the power, then it isn't mere adolescence.
To Bronie, other things might be counterfeit, but her ability to summon weapons out of thin air was real—and that was enough.
"If you had appeared sooner, I might have given this to you in exchange for a way out. But now I already have a trading partner. I'm sorry."
After Bronie spoke, Yaoye Xia fell silent, leaving his thoughts unread.
"Your movements are swift."
Before anyone could reply, Daniel Davis appeared at Bronie's side.
"This is the light curtain core you wanted. Don't forget the promise you made to me."
Seeing Daniel Davis, Bronie wasted no time; she immediately flung the light curtain core into his waiting hands without hesitation.
"Rest assured, I will fulfill my promise," Daniel Davis replied as he received the core. His gaze then shifted to the ninja in full black armor—Yaoye Xia.
"If I'm not mistaken, you are Yaoye Xia, correct?"
"That is correct. I am he. You are acquainted with me?" Yaoye Xia spoke after a brief pause.
"I may not have met you before, but I know of you—and those behind you. I know you can hear me. May we talk?"
"What is it that you wish to discuss?"
After a moment's silence, a deep male voice emerged from behind Yaoye Xia.
"I have a question for you: are you the captain of the Hubbilian?"
Daniel Davis was quite curious about the identity of this ferryman. After all, a 'ship captain' depends on what kind of vessel one helms.
"Sort of. And who might you be?"
The answer was as enigmatic as a riddle.
"In a way, I am just like you—I, too, am the captain of the Hubbilian."
Though his answer was riddling, Daniel Davis managed to glean something from it and proceeded to state his own identity.
Strictly speaking, his claim wasn't a lie—only that his version of a captain was different from the common notion. Moreover, his "captain" was nothing more than a cleaning man capable of performing aerial splits, never given a chance to shine, but nonetheless a captain.
The ferryman fell silent; he likely hadn't expected Daniel Davis to share a similar status.
"I have another question: is this a Ruler's core?"
Daniel Davis raised the light curtain core in his hand. After a brief test, he could sense the powerful energy within—but whether it truly was a Ruler's core, he couldn't say for sure.
Previously, when considering the light curtain core, he had pondered its nature. Combining the data from his previous life with what he knew, he suspected that this core might indeed be the core of the Ruler of Reason. With Bronie's ability in play, it was possible that this light curtain core was the core of the Ruler of Reason.
If that were true, it would be a tremendous prize—after all, the Ruler of Reason wields the power to construct all things.
"It is… and it isn't."
"Is it or isn't it? Must you all speak in riddles?"
Daniel Davis was exasperated by the familiar evasive reply—riddle speakers were truly the worst.
"Strictly speaking, this is an artificial Ruler's core. It does not possess the full abilities of a Ruler—it is a failed product."
"Though it's a failure, the fact that it has powered a vast city's shield for so many years is, in its own way, impressive."
Even if it couldn't function as a true Ruler's core, it could still serve as a potent energy source. For the people of this world, dealing with Honkai was the utmost priority.
"Alright, third question: this light curtain core is the aether singularity of this world bubble. By taking it away, aren't you afraid that the world bubble will be destroyed?"
In theory, in the Quantum Sea, the destruction of a world bubble was commonplace—one might even say that as they spoke, world bubbles were being born and dying. Yet theory and firsthand observation were two different matters; likewise, self-induced destruction was another issue entirely.
For example, the light curtain core might be a Ruler's core, yet also the aether singularity of this world. If Daniel Davis were to remove it, the world bubble could collapse, dooming millions. If that were so, it would be hard to imagine anyone would recklessly seize the Ruler's core.
"Hey, hey—this thing will cause the destruction of this world! Why didn't you mention that before?"
Before the ferryman could speak further, Bronie immediately shouted.
Earlier, she hadn't been concerned with the light curtain core—she'd assumed it was merely the device powering the city's shield. But now, with the stakes tied to the fate of this world, it was different. Not to mention, Raven, Theresa, Fuhua, and everyone else she cared about still lived here.
"If I had told you earlier, what choice would you have made?"
At this, Bronie fell silent.
"No matter what, give it back to me. I'm done negotiating."
Bronie extended her hand toward Daniel Davis, attempting to reclaim the light curtain core.
Though she longed to escape to the outside, if the cost were so high, she would rather forgo it.
"There's no need to be so hasty. We don't have an answer yet—I believe they'll provide a reasonable explanation."
Daniel Davis trusted that the ferryman would eventually offer a plausible account. Even without considering the temperaments of Yaoye Xia and the others, one must remember that Bronie was destined to board the Hubbilian eventually. In time, she would learn more about this matter. If the ferryman chose to withhold information, it would only lead to fallout and enmity.
Not to mention, if their power were sufficient, the world bubble might be saved—for instance, by reestablishing a connection with the Imaginary Tree, much like Youlandel did with the world bubble inside her. Of course, accomplishing that would be extremely challenging; at the very least, one would need a sacred sword akin to Youlandel's to seal the world bubble within oneself. That was the starting point.
Youlandel managed to connect her internal world bubble to the Imaginary Tree thanks to assistance from a certain Greento and some extraterrestrials.
"Since we don't need this now," the ferryman finally explained after a pause.
"So the world bubble has so many things to consider…"
Through the ferryman's explanation, Daniel Davis gained a deeper understanding of world bubbles. What he had known before was too superficial.
World bubbles were not always physically real; some existed as dream states, vanishing when their owner awoke. But you can't say that all world bubbles would vanish along with their people. Of course, this world bubble was not of the dream variety.
"Could it be that this thing is merely a fragment of the captain?"
Daniel Davis recalled analyses from his past life about the captain in the Quantum Sea—a captain who could traverse time. In his efforts to save the Starwatcher, he had repeatedly crossed time lines, leading to various tragic ends for the Starwatcher.
"If that's the case, then I'll give it to you. By the way, was this item also essential to your plan?"
Since the light curtain core wasn't the Ruler's core he had envisioned, Daniel Davis tossed it over to Yaoye Xia. Although he maintained a degree of interest in the light curtain core himself, the ferryman had been gathering it with a clear agenda. In that case, he saw no reason to disrupt their plan.
Taking the opportunity to inquire about Bronie's situation as well, Daniel Davis spoke up.
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"What plan? Don't talk to me like I'm just an object."
At his words, Bronie immediately leapt up. Sharp as she was, she had detected something amiss in Daniel Davis's tone.
"She only discovered it by accident," the ferryman murmured quietly.
Earlier, when Yaoye Xia had gone to steal the key and encountered Bronie—witnessing her display the power of the Ruler of Reason—the ferryman had altered his plan. He orchestrated events so that Bronie would venture into the Quantum Sea. One must admit, the ferryman was exceptionally skilled at setting traps.
"Very well, until fate allows us to meet again."
Though Daniel Davis was curious about the Hubbilian that traversed the Quantum Sea, he had no intention of boarding it. Joking aside—even if his title of 'captain of the Hubbilian' were somewhat exaggerated—how could a captain board another vessel in midair?
"Thank you, sir."
Without a word, the ferryman vanished as quietly as he had appeared. Yaoye Xia, after thanking Daniel Davis for handing over the light curtain core, transformed into a flash of lightning and disappeared.
"Hey, what did you mean by that just now?"
After Yaoye Xia vanished, Bronie glowered at Daniel Davis, demanding an explanation.
"Do you really think you're so clever—securing three keys, obtaining the light curtain core, and shutting down the light curtain so effortlessly?"
Daniel Davis did not answer her question; instead, he changed the subject.
"What do you mean by 'effortlessly'? I worked very hard to obtain those three keys."
Bronie immediately retorted loudly. Although the time span had been short, she had battled wits with the three major forces to reach this point.
"Today, let me teach you a lesson. Do you know what Shencheng Technology, Snake Eyes, and Fuhua of Taixu Men were preparing before the light curtain vanished?"
"What? And what does that have to do with the keys?"
Bronie looked at Daniel Davis with puzzled eyes.
"They had prepared for battle. When you were about to shut down the light curtain, the area around it was swarming with armed mechs. As for what lies beyond the light curtain, I'm sure you've heard various theories. One of them is that outside the light curtain, there are countless monsters—and that the light curtain exists solely to protect us from them."
"Maybe you don't care about such things, but have you ever considered that if that theory were true—if the moment the light curtain fell a horde of monsters poured in—you wouldn't fear death because you'd achieved your goal? But have you thought that your wish might end up being the death knell for all of Tianqiu City?"
"I can tell you this much: what I'm stating is fact. You were lucky. Had you been born a hundred years ago, when the light curtain fell, you and your people would have faced battle with Honkai Beasts. I don't need to elaborate on what Honkai Beasts are, do I?"
At these words, Bronie's face drained of color. This was an issue she had never really considered before. Soon, cold sweat began forming on her brow. As Daniel Davis had said, Bronie was not afraid of death—but if her actions endangered Raven, Theresa, and the others, that was entirely different.
"Alright, don't blame yourself too much. The fact that you were able to shut down the light curtain was agreed upon by the three major forces. Otherwise, with you failing to obtain even one key, you wouldn't have gotten any at all."
"Don't you realize how easily you obtained the intelligence on Shencheng Technology from Snake Eyes? And since Snake Eyes could sell your information to the Tiger Head Gang, did you not consider that they might also sell information to Shencheng Technology?"
This was largely due to Daniel Davis's intervention that Bronie was not caught. In the original story, she was eventually captured—detained at the police station for two days until she handed over the keys—and only then released.
Come on, these were keys! Such important items stolen and then released so easily. Moreover, the key Bronie handed over was a fake. Even if she could use her power as the Ruler of Reason to replicate a perfect fake, who would believe that the opposing side wouldn't verify it? For ordinary people, such a mishap might seem normal—but for a large organization, it was utterly unacceptable.
"Don't you find it odd that when you were discovered by the robots inside Shencheng Technology, they didn't immediately trigger an alarm but instead engaged you in battle? And that Snake Eyes' Rita handed you the key—it clearly indicates they have other motives. And Fuhua of Taixu Men gave you her key so easily. Don't you find that strange?"
"Th-this…"
At first, Bronie hadn't thought her actions were problematic. But now, upon hearing Daniel Davis, she carefully reconsidered—and found there were far too many issues.
"Why are they doing this?"
After a long pause, Bronie finally asked in a weak voice.
"Didn't you see the information inside Shencheng Technology? The light is shrinking year by year, and they are debating whether to shut down the light curtain. However, bound by certain agreements, they can't act on their own—until you stepped in."
"Don't be so down. I'm not trying to discourage you; I'm simply making you aware of your mistakes."
Daniel Davis spoke with the hindsight of someone who had surveyed the whole situation, piecing together intelligence from Rita and the movements within Tianqiu City.
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