91. Harvest, Conjecture, A "Mother and Daughter" Reunion?
[Simulation Instance: The Story That Begins From Here, Completed.]
[Evaluation Level: A]
[You have slightly altered the fate of Raiden Mei. She still became the 3rd Herrscher, triggering a major Eruption, but your intervention significantly reduced the scope and casualties of this disaster.]
[Following a transaction of interests between Anti-Entropy and Schicksal, Raiden Mei, still carrying the Gem of Conquest within her, entered St. Freya Academy and became a B-rank Valkyrie.]
[She no longer fears her power. On the contrary, because of your existence, Mei believes she can control the Gem of Conquest well and actively seeks ways to suppress herself, maintaining calmness at all times—the bomb in her heart is now irrelevant to her.]
[Even after you left, she was not excessively sorrowful or despairing. She believed your parting words, worked hard to take care of Kiana and Bronya, strove to become stronger herself, and awaits your return.]
[The fates of Kiana, Bronya, and Seele have been slightly altered. They place extraordinary trust in your promise and do not believe your "death" is a permanent farewell.]
[They have noticed the deterioration of their memories concerning you and have begun actively searching for the cause, hoping to find the key to the problem and solve it permanently before they forget you.]
[The fates of Cocolia and Raven have been altered. While not fully believing their daughters' words, they are determined to verify the truth of your statements themselves—a task requiring the power of Anti-Entropy and World Serpent.]
[Cocolia plans to return to Anti-Entropy headquarters to secure greater authority, seeking more knowledge and power. She left Bronya at St. Freya.]
[As for Raven, she adopted some orphans in Nagazora City. Due to your valiant efforts, the disaster did not create many orphans, making her task easier. Most of the children she adopted were orphans who grew up in welfare institutions and had no one to take them in after the disaster.]
[Many have become curious about the nature of your existence. Although they will soon forget you, your traces are destined to remain in this world.]
"You finally admitted it, my system. Is this a game where the user must personally explore the mechanics?"
Gripping the steering wheel tightly, Gao Qi sped across the overpass of Shenzhou City's highway, heading towards the Shencheng Pharmaceutical Industrial Park outside the city at a speed that completely disregarded Shenzhou's traffic laws.
In the distance, the sunset had long since faded, the evening glow on the horizon completely vanished, and the bright moon began its ascent to the zenith. Night had once again fallen upon Shenzhou City.
Gao Qi floored the accelerator, simultaneously adjusting a brand-new, seemingly much more advanced, lightweight, and easy-to-use powered armor he wore, while complaining to the simulation system in his mind.
"As long as I didn't discover for a day that these several simulations are in the same world, and that the memories of people I encountered in previous simulations would become blurry or simply disappear, you wouldn't tell me the truth, right?"
Looking at the summary of this simulation, Gao Qi wasn't surprised by his A-level evaluation. Indeed, he hadn't changed history much, only making the Third Eruption occur earlier while significantly reducing its damage.
But in terms of gains, what Gao Qi received was actually not little.
Gao Qi's harvest wasn't an enhancement of abilities but an understanding of the essence of the "simulation."
Now, Gao Qi knew that part of the simulation worlds he experienced were connected. He even subconsciously believed that all simulation worlds might be on the same timeline.
Although Hua's and Mobius's simulations were consecutive, Gao Qi used the same body each time, making this evidence somewhat insufficient.
However, during the two simulations accompanying Kiana and Bronya, Gao Qi truly died, completely annihilated without a trace. Moreover, the time he existed during Mei's simulation ran parallel to the previous two.
This convinced Gao Qi that these three simulations were in the same world.
If given enough evidence to find continuity between the Previous Era and Current Era simulations, he could confirm that all simulations might be conducted in the same worldline!
Perhaps the system's essence is opening a door to another branch of the Imaginary Tree!
"Am I right, system? We're all on the same side; is it necessary to hide it from me?"
[All functions of the Simulation System require exploration and discovery by the user.]
The system's voice, still somewhat cold and female, continued to avoid addressing the essence of the simulation. Gao Qi gave up on further inquiry.
"Stingy. I'll figure it out myself."
Shrugging, Gao Qi sharply turned the steering wheel, swerving around a group of apparent "road workers" who were clearly blocking the way to keep people out, and sped towards the distant industrial area with its towering chimneys, sprawling like mountain ranges.
Tonight, at the Shenzhou Pharmaceutical Industrial Park, there would be another hunt for Schicksal Valkyries—and World Serpent had undoubtedly prepared the hunting ground long ago.
"Wait, they're still repairing the road over there; it's temporarily closed—damn it, notify the factory entrance! Send someone to stop him!"
Sure enough, after Gao Qi easily bypassed the roadblock, the "construction workers" who failed to stop him immediately panicked and grabbed their phones.
"Let me think. To find the connection between the Previous Era and Current Era in the simulation worlds, it's best to find someone I'm familiar with but who exists in both eras... Little Hua!"
Without hesitation, Gao Qi thought of his "good little sister" Fu Hua. If he could find Fu Hua in a future, modern-era simulation and confirm she is Little Hua...
Gao Qi believed all his conjectures could be largely verified!
Moreover, Fu Hua is one of the few MANTISes who experienced both the entire Previous Era and the Current Era. Su and Kevin were already self-exiled and sealed in the Sea of Quanta, respectively, by the time of civilization.
The former can't be found without the Cosmic Juggernaut, and the latter... right now, World Serpent is running around trying to release him. But if Gao Qi met him and disagreed with World Serpent's ideals, he'd probably get beaten up by the fanatical Kevin.
"But... fifty thousand years. Little Hua underwent the Divine Key experiments. After the MANTIS surgery, she developed hyperthymesia and had to periodically extract and store memories. She might have already forgotten me—no, wait, I need confidence. My relationship with Little Hua was so good; she definitely wouldn't forget me!"
Saying this, but thinking of the "Herrscher of Sentience" in the game, who completely abandoned her past and wholeheartedly protected humanity, Gao Qi felt that even if he found her, he might not be able to tell if she was his Little Hua.
"However, if possible, I might... find Mobius?"
Gao Qi remembered that after the simulation with Mobius ended, the system only gave a "whereabouts unknown" for Mobius's future.
But Mobius could no longer be influenced by her own memory construct. Gao Qi left her with a question worth researching forever. Before finding that answer, Mobius would never give up her life.
And Mobius's abilities were sufficient for her to survive continuously. Gao Qi thought finding Snake might be easier than finding Little Hua to get answers.
Also, not to disparage his little sister, but Little Hua is indeed a pure warrior. Her intelligence... can be said to far surpass Kiana's, but compared to Mobius, it's certainly lacking.
If he could find Mobius, perhaps Gao Qi could more easily study the issues with himself.
"Wait, if Mobius is still around, then in the simulation world, the Herrscher of World Serpent... might not be Sire?"
Thinking of this, Gao Qi's eyes widened. World Serpent was, after all, established by Gray Serpent. These artificial lifeforms initially revered only Mobius. It was after Mobius's death that they began to worship Kevin as their Sire.
What would a World Serpent under Mobius's leadership be like... Gao Qi thought about it and couldn't help but stick out his tongue.
If Kevin became a fanatic because his loved one died and civilization was destroyed, then his Snake was a super-fanatic who never cared about mortal lives from the very beginning.
And—she's also a widow who lost her husband! Wouldn't that make her even more fanatical!
Not to mention, the Stigma Project was originally created by her and Mei. She would definitely support the Stigma Project as much as Kevin!
"If the simulation worlds are truly connected, I need to find Mobius quickly. Otherwise, World Serpent definitely wouldn't be as low-key as it is now. If Mobius is also trapped in the Sea of Quanta and breaks free, Kiana and Mei might both get dissected."
Gao Qi shook his head helplessly. Although the Honkai's corrective force is also at play, his influence has thoroughly changed that world.
"Ah, it's a complete mess. But it's not that urgent. Who knows if the next simulation will be in the Current Era or Previous Era? If necessary, I can go to World Serpent and look for the Elysian Realm..."
Remembering the Elysian Realm, Gao Qi couldn't help but ponder again.
"By the way, if everyone's memories gradually fade after my simulation ends... the Flame-Chasers in the Elysian Realm are memory constructs. Leaving aside whether they remember me, if I go to find them, after the simulation ends, would they just die? Hmm, must be cautious."
Thinking this, Gao Qi breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully, reality isn't that chaotic.
At least for now, from Schicksal headquarters to Arc City, encountering so many people and events, everything Gao Qi saw and knew proceeded according to the game's original plot.
In reality, Gao Qi just needs to be a good logistics employee, an ordinary extra, and that's enough.
After all, the sacrificed Himeko—Gao Qi can't save her in reality anymore. The remaining characters all have bright futures, even if the process is a bit miserable, the outcome is good.
Even that old bastard Otto successfully created a world with Kallen in the end. Everyone's future is decent, except for Kiana alone, lonely, sealing the Honkai on the moon—well, Gao Qi can just go keep her company!
Even if the Honkai world eventually overcomes the Honkai, passes the great trial, gains the ability to travel among the stars, traverse worlds, and even hop over to the neighboring Honkai: Star Rail for a visit, or take a trip to Teyvat—Gao Qi is, is—not interested! Just not interested! Absolutely no interest at all!
Thinking it over, in reality, at this point in time, if he doesn't intervene, the people he likes and cares about are either gone like Cecilia, Himeko, and the Flame-Chasers, or simply won't encounter trouble... Gao Qi really doesn't need to do much.
The constant tragic events. Actually, the truly sharp blades had already cut before Gao Qi arrived.
Only the lonely Kiana at the end is someone Gao Qi could accompany. Doing anything superfluous now might easily cause problems.
Gao Qi felt the only thing he could do was to let the surviving girls face the end of the Honkai with a stable, relatively happy process—at least don't let Mei abuse Kiana anymore.
That's why, in reality, Gao Qi seriously treats every girl around him well, hoping they can be happy every day.
In the simulation world, Gao Qi indeed has the power to change the world. He can save many people... If an opportunity presents itself, he will definitely seize it!
That's why Gao Qi is now speeding at 200 km/h, racing towards the Industrial Park!
Kiana and Rita might get through the upcoming events unscathed, but the Valkyries of Immortal Blades, the girls he's taken care of for so many days, would suffer heavy casualties in that trap!
Perhaps Gao Qi's style of action differs between reality and simulation, but one thing is completely the same: the people by his side, the people he values—no one can touch them!
And ultimately, it was Gao Qi himself who received the information about Kiana and passed it to Rita. Rita would inevitably infiltrate Shenzhou Pharmaceutical with Immortal Blades, just like in the original, and then be ambushed by World Serpent.
According to Gao Qi's plan, he should have woken up normally after a night's sleep, then kept an eye on Rita's movements and followed them.
But Gao Qi overslept. His previous simulations, no matter how long they lasted, would pass like a dream, taking a full night, and he'd wake up at the usual time. But this time, he overslept!
There's a problem, definitely a problem. After much thought, Gao Qi could only attribute it to one unusual event.
After he died, he didn't wake up immediately but entered a bizarre, phantasmagoric world, even weirder than the Sea of Quanta.
There, he seemed to see a blurry humanoid figure, making threatening gestures at him but ultimately not harming him.
What was that thing, and what does it represent? Gao Qi couldn't figure it out either, so—
—Damn it, it must be the Honkai's will messing with him!
But anyway, it's not too late to mend the fold after the sheep is lost. According to Alvitr's message, they planned to infiltrate Shenzhou Pharmaceutical after nightfall.
Most Valkyries would attract attention in the main building under the guise of official cooperative investigation, while Rita would infiltrate the interior of Shenzhou Pharmaceutical alone.
They are no match for Jackal. Even with Kiana's timely assistance, the Valkyries would suffer heavy losses.
But, Gao Qi would never allow that to happen. These girls—Gao Qi will protect them himself!
Soon, Gao Qi's car stopped at the entrance of Shenzhou Industrial Park.
"Stop, stop, st—Sir, this is Shenzhou Industrial Park. Street racing is prohibited in Arc City. Maybe only the police can handle you on the roads, but you don't intend to charge into our Shenzhou Pharmaceutical premises, do you?"
Quickly, a group of well-dressed, professional-looking industrial park employees—or rather, members of the World Serpent—rushed out, followed by numerous humanoid robots.
Though they appeared unarmed on the surface, it was clear that these people and robots were prepared to eliminate Gao Qi on the spot if he refused to comply.
With a fake smile, a World Serpent member approached the car window. Behind her, several other members had already reached for their concealed weapons.
Although the man's attire suggested he might be a personnel from Schicksal, the World Serpent had no fear of Schicksal. In their eyes, both Schicksal and Anti-Entropy were nothing but fools ignorant of the Serpent's truth and grand mission.
After all, at this moment, Schicksal's self-proclaimed strongest Valkyrie unit, the "Immortal Blades," had already fallen into Lady Jackal's trap.
Soon enough, they too would become prey for the "Serpent," participating in this grand evolution.
Soon, the car window rolled down, revealing Gao Qi, also dressed in a suit, with his sleek and flexible power armor hidden beneath. He smiled and waved at the World Serpent member in front of him.
"Hello, I'm a logistics personnel from Schicksal. Our Immortal Blades' deputy captain, Rita, may have forgotten some documentation numbers for the vaccine handover. I'm here to deliver them to her. Could you take me to her, please?"
Hearing Gao Qi's self-proclaimed identity, the World Serpent member visibly relaxed.
Pfft, just a small fry from Schicksal. Acting all high and mighty, driving at 200 mph on the streets. Even if we don't deal with you today, you'll crash and die sooner or later!
Thinking this, the World Serpent member put on a professional fake smile and casually made up an excuse.
"Ah, sorry, it might not be possible for you to meet Miss Rita right now. Our CEO is currently discussing the details of Skyscraper City's next medical rescue plan with her."
Then, she opened the car door for Gao Qi, eagerly guiding him toward the interior of the park.
"However, we are currently hosting other Valkyries from Schicksal. You can wait with them for a while."
To this, Gao Qi simply flashed a charming smile that left the woman momentarily stunned and shook his head.
"This matter is truly urgent. I need to deliver it to Miss Rita immediately. I'm sure your CEO would agree."
Upon hearing this, the World Serpent members nearby couldn't help but rest their hands on their weapons once again.
"Sorry, this is Shenzhou Pharmaceutical's regulation. Please wait in the rest area for now. If there's anything to hand over, we can do it on your behalf."
If this man refused to listen to reason, his lifespan might be shortened by a few more minutes.
"Ha… You'll have to trust me on this—Lady Jackal is waiting for me. If I'm late, she'll throw a fit."
Gao Qi reached out and, moving too fast for the World Serpent member to react, gently patted her shoulder, whispering into her ear.
"All as the Serpent wills—this is Lady Raven's mission."
Gao Qi really wanted to say "Long live the World Serpent," but unfortunately, Raven had only taught him this one secret phrase.
Raven had told him the phrase to avoid potential conflicts between Gao Qi and the World Serpent later on—at the time, she even thought Gao Qi didn't know her identity, and teaching him the phrase was simply to protect him.
Upon hearing this, the World Serpent member froze for a few seconds, giving the harmless-looking man a strange look before nodding, handing Gao Qi a pass, and discreetly waving him through.
"Let him pass. The tallest building is the office tower. The person you're looking for is there."
Just like that, Gao Qi drove into the industrial park without any further obstruction, swaggering all the way.
Thanks to the World Serpent's overly discreet operational principles, all their personnel knew little about the tasks undertaken by their colleagues while maintaining an almost fanatical trust in their superiors. This was precisely why Gao Qi managed to deceive them successfully.
"I think I understand Captain America's joy now. Too bad I won't run into another version of myself here."
Soon, Gao Qi arrived at the familiar Shenzhou Pharmaceutical office building. He had visited this place many times during the main storyline and was quite familiar with the layout of at least a few floors.
Shortly after stepping out of the car, Gao Qi's keen hearing picked up the sound of clashing metal coming from the lobby on the first floor in the distance.
At the same time, a fully armed mecha unit was rushing toward the lobby. The squad leader spotted Gao Qi and immediately shouted at him.
"Which unit are you from? Get lost! We're in combat here. Zombies and Honkai beasts have been deployed, suppression agents have been sprayed, and those Valkyries are already trapped!"
In response, Gao Qi simply shrugged, took off his jacket, and revealed Schicksal's latest experimental exoskeleton—designed to give ordinary people the combat capabilities of an A-rank Valkyrie.
The pitch-black mecha perfectly fit Gao Qi's physique, as if tailor-made for him. Even if it wasn't the Third Divine Key, Gao Qi felt incredibly comfortable wearing it.
Similarly, Schicksal's golden double-wing emblem was prominently displayed on the suit.
"Dammit, Schicksal—attack!"
It took the mecha unit a few seconds to react to Gao Qi's identity before scrambling to engage. The giant robots, modeled after the Titan mecha, immediately unleashed a flurry of Titan-style punches onto Gao Qi's chest.
After the barrage of heavy punches, Gao Qi's chest remained completely unscathed and unmoved. He simply reached out and lightly brushed off imaginary dust from the Schicksal armor.
"Schicksal technology, kid."
Then, a crimson light flashed in Gao Qi's eyes.
"As for this, it has nothing to do with Schicksal."
[Reward Obtained: Herrscher Authority · Lightning (Complete).]
[In battle, to oppose the Herrscher of Thunder, you utilized the Third Divine Key, the Judgment Key · Seven Thunders of Retribution, fused with the Herrscher Core of the Previous Era's Herrscher of Thunder, comprehended the power and principles of the Herrscher of Thunder, and mastered the Herrscher of Thunder's authority.]
[Herrscher Authority · Lightning: You have fully mastered the power to manipulate electromagnetic forces. All macroscopic electromagnetic phenomena and microscopic particle interactions are under your control. You can arbitrarily alter electromagnetic flows and decompose or compose matter.
Excessive output may lead to Honkai energy infection, endangering your life. Please exercise caution.]
The Herrscher of Thunder's authority, with a description somewhat similar to other Herrscher authorities, offered Gao Qi a completely different experience. In Gao Qi's view, his mastery over the Herrscher of Thunder's authority seemed—stronger!
And Gao Qi understood the reason for this immense power.
[Herrscher's Favor · Thunder]
[The Modern Era's Third Herrscher sensed the Previous Era's Third Herrscher's gaze upon you. Being noticed and observed by two Herrschers of Thunder in succession has thoroughly provoked the Herrscher, earning you the favor of the Third Herrscher.]
[You defeated the Herrscher of Thunder. She acknowledges you as a worthy opponent, granting you the right to wield all the power of the Herrscher of Thunder. If you pledge loyalty, the Honkai will bestow upon you the authority of lightning, and you may even be instantly recognized as the Third Herrscher's—vassal.]
[Additionally, the Herrscher of Thunder's memory of you will no longer be affected by any external forces. She will always remember your existence. Upon her reawakening, she will instantly know your location and status.]
Before falling into slumber, the Herrscher of Thunder marked Gao Qi with her lightning seal. This mark even existed in the form of a "blessing," harmless and beneficial to Gao Qi, which was why the simulation system wouldn't remove it.
But clearly, from now on, no matter where Gao Qi went, he would be transparent to the Herrscher of Thunder.
Even for the Thunder Queen, or the newly born Herrscher of Thunder after her fusion with Mei in the future, Gao Qi would be like a man whose phone had been tracked—easily locatable at any time and place.
"Ha, whatever, as long as it's useful."
Thinking this, Gao Qi extended his hand toward the World Serpent soldiers in front of him.
"No need for enhancements. Just cook them to medium-rare. Complete decomposition would be too disgusting."
*Boom—*
The next second, crimson lightning descended from the clear sky, striking the ground in an instant.
The Herrscher of Thunder had returned… at least in part.
——————
"Kiana, Schicksal has begun its attack. It's time for us to start our mission."
On a nearby skyscraper, Kiana and Fu Hua, whose consciousness was projected onto her, silently observed the bustling Shencheng Industrial Park.
"Yeah, it's time to act. We absolutely cannot let the World Serpent's scheme succeed. But…"
Holding the Skyscraper Tearer, Kiana was in great form. She took a deep breath, stepped off the edge of the skyscraper, and looked toward the crimson lightning descending from the sky.
"This commotion is really something—it feels somewhat familiar, somehow."
Without further thought, the Ranger of Skyscraper descended from the building, charging toward her destiny.
For some reason, the Stigmata on her chest seemed to be slightly warm.
——————
Meanwhile, on the other side of Skyscraper City, Raiden Mei was preoccupied as she arrived in the city aboard the Hermes. She had already analyzed the humanoid machine data at Anti-Entropy headquarters, pinpointed Kiana's location, and learned of her movements.
But before Mei left, the Sea of Quanta's Eye had been attacked. How could Mei not be worried?
*Rumble—*
However, seeing the crimson lightning suddenly strike in the distance, Mei remained unusually calm.
"Don't worry, Kiana. I will definitely bring you back. I—made a promise."
Feeling the warmth of the Stigmata on her back, Mei nodded resolutely and prepared for the airdrop.
She would bring Kiana, her dear friend, back to the Hyperion—safe and sound, completely intact!
Mei had promised someone—she had definitely promised!
Note: I'm new to translating so please be kind and tell me any mistakes you all find, I will try to release a chapter a day but don't expect much
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Raw: 崩坏模拟器,你找的人是我么?