Chapter 164: Was That a Confession?
The two of them arrived on the rooftop. The night wind swept across the building, carrying a crisp chill that gently brushed against their skin. It was a refreshing sensation, one that slowly peeled away the lingering melancholy in the air and allowed Fu Hua's turbulent emotions to gradually settle into a calm stillness.
"Do you... know a lot about my past?" Fu Hua asked out of the blue, her gaze fixed on the distant city lights.
No, it wasn't just her past. Rovel knew her present self intimately well, too.
"Do you... care a lot about your past?" Rovel didn't answer her directly. Instead, he turned his head, his eyes searching her profile as he asked for her true feelings.
"...A little." Fu Hua nodded slowly, her voice barely a whisper against the wind.
She wasn't a particularly curious person by nature. However, the blank, fragmented remnants of memory in her mind constantly tugged at her, instilling a quiet but persistent urge to explore what she had lost. This feeling was especially agonizing whenever she encountered people or places that felt like they should have been familiar. That deep sense of loss, of reaching out for something that was no longer there, was a heavy burden that no one else could truly understand.
"But I don't want to tell you about your past," Rovel said, his tone gentle but firm. "I only want to move towards tomorrow with you."
Unexpectedly, Rovel rejected her subtle plea, choosing instead to lay bare his own perspective.
His own life experiences were shallow in comparison. Even if he possessed a genius intellect, he knew it was fundamentally impossible to achieve true empathy with the sheer weight of Fu Hua's millennia-spanning existence. Because of that, he could only ever be an observer—someone who objectively evaluated her past and then selfishly attached his own personal emotions to it.
But Fu Hua didn't need his sympathy. She didn't need hollow comfort from others. She had walked through five thousand years of history entirely alone. That level of sheer, unyielding perseverance was unmatched by almost anyone in the world. Who was he to approach her with such shallow, pitying emotions?
That was exactly why Rovel was unwilling to dredge up her past. Doing so would subconsciously force him to harbor those very emotions, looking down on her struggles from a self-important, god's-eye perspective. And that sort of superfluous pity served absolutely no purpose.
"Tomorrow..." Fu Hua murmured, looking down at her own hands. For a moment, she was completely unsure of how to respond to him.
"I think you should learn a bit from Himeko's mindset," Rovel suggested, a soft smile touching his lips. "Haven't you noticed that your situations are actually a little similar?"
His words made Fu Hua blink in genuine bewilderment. "Similar to Himeko-sensei...?"
"Yes. Except, you two are exact opposites. You... can't find your past. Meanwhile, Himeko... has no future left."
Saying that, Rovel suddenly let out a light laugh.
"But... Himeko never sits around thinking about when she's going to die, nor does she allow herself to fall into despair because of it. She drinks to drown her sorrows, sure, but she always faces every single day with the most optimistic attitude imaginable. Even if she knew the end of the world was coming tomorrow, her very first thought would be to pour herself a drink first!"
That was Murata Himeko. She was like a roaring ball of fire, burning endlessly and unapologetically, illuminating the dark path ahead for everyone else.
"Fu Hua, I cannot make your choices for you. I know very well just how many heavy responsibilities you bear on those shoulders," Rovel said, his voice dropping to a softer, more intimate cadence. "But what I want to say is this: if you ever truly feel exhausted from pursuing your past... then temporarily hand over everything you bear to me."
He took a step closer, the wind ruffling his hair. "If I may presumptuously quote Tagore's poetry: 'If you shed tears when you miss the sun, you also miss the stars.'"
Rovel extended his right hand toward her, his palm open. "So... for the rest of our lives, please guide me."
Fu Hua froze. She stared at his outstretched hand for a long moment. Then, standing there in the bleak, cold wind, she slowly reached out and clasped her fingers around his. A stunning, captivating smile finally graced her features, warming the chilly night air.
"...Please guide me."
Later, after returning to the quiet solitude of her own room, Fu Hua sat on the edge of her bed. Suddenly, a realization struck her like a bolt of lightning, freezing her in place.
Wait. Was Rovel just confessing to her back there?
And had she... just accepted?!
[SSS-Rank Hidden Main Storyline (Unique): Elysian Realm — New quest objectives added.]
[Quest Reward:???]
[Quest Objective 2: Complete the Aowei trial.]
[Quest Reward:???]
[Quest Objective 3: Take good care of Higokumaru for Yae Sakura.]
[Quest Reward:???]
[Quest Objective 4: The journey is long, but you are never alone.]
[Quest Reward:???]
"I didn't expect a quest to be activated just because of Fu Hua..." Rovel muttered, looking at Quest Objective 4 with genuine surprise.
Did that specific objective mean he simply had to accompany Fu Hua on her journey?
Regardless, his active quests were really starting to pile up. He couldn't help but wonder when he would actually find the time to clear some of them out. Shaking his head, he tapped his earpiece to initiate a secure comms link.
"Beep beep. This is Rovel. Klein, please respond," Rovel said, playfully mimicking the rigid, mechanical sounds of an automated radio.
"Beep beep. This is Klein. Please state your business," Klein's voice crackled through the earpiece, perfectly cooperating with Rovel's childish roleplay in her usual deadpan tone.
"World Serpent should have recently recovered the corpse of a Judgment-class Honkai Beast named Chiyou," Rovel reported, dropping the act and getting down to business. "This specific Honkai Beast is highly unique. It possesses the innate ability to continuously devour and grow, very much like Vishnu."
He paused, organizing his thoughts. "However, its primary target for devouring is land—or rather, human civilization itself. And unlike Vishnu, it doesn't mutate or change its physical form based on what it eats; it just continuously expands in sheer mass. I have no idea what its upper size limit is, but if the Snake is interested, she can start researching its remains."
"Beep beep. Rovel's broadcast complete," he added, signing off with a grin.
"Beep beep. Klein received. I will inform Dr. Mobius of this acquisition," Klein replied. "By the way, the Doctor asked me to pass on a message. She has finalized a repair plan for the artificial stigmata."
"...Really?!" Rovel straightened up, his voice spiking with a sudden mix of surprise and absolute delight. This was the breakthrough he had been waiting for.
"Yes. If the Doctor's predictions are correct, you simply need to feed your blood to the individual who has been implanted with the artificial stigmata," Klein stated, delivering an answer that left Rovel momentarily stunned.
"My blood? You mean... Taiyi?" Rovel's mind raced as the pieces clicked into place.
According to Mobius's previous theories, Taiyi was essentially a naturally occurring chimera—perhaps even the very origin point of all Honkai Beasts. Its genetic integrity and adaptability might even surpass that of Kevin, who had undergone the grueling Chimera Project.
"Correct," Klein affirmed. "The essence of a true stigmata is a biological database that records a massive amount of genetic information. Artificial stigmata, on the other hand, only crudely express a single trait: increasing the host's Honkai Energy resistance. However, due to this incomplete expression of genetic information, the artificial stigmata forcefully modifies the implantee's body while its broken, incomplete circuit continuously inflicts internal damage."
Despite her usual monotone, a hint of genuine respect bled into Klein's voice. "However... it is truly not easy to achieve even this much."
She was praising the scientists of this current era. After all, Schicksal's technology had managed to shift the model from relying on astronomically rare, random genetic awakenings to a system of mass, free implantation. Even if the process was crude and dangerous, it was infinitely more reliable than waiting for a miracle. If one looked at how few natural Stigmata Awakeners had appeared over the last few millennia, it became obvious just how abysmally low the natural probability truly was.
If the Previous Era had possessed this specific artificial implantation technology, it was highly likely that several times—perhaps even dozens of times—more soldiers would have been able to participate in the war effort compared to the MANTIS experiments.
"And Taiyi," Klein continued her explanation, "can precisely activate specific genetic information through a medium, perfectly compensating for the fatal shortcomings of the artificial stigmata's broken circuits."
"Once repaired, the artificial stigmata may still not be able to rival a true, naturally awakened stigmata in terms of raw power, but it will at least drastically improve the implantee's physical condition. Their lifespan will return to that of a normal human... no, rather, it should actually be slightly longer than a normal human's."
Rovel absorbed the information, a heavy sense of relief washing over him.
"But I must warn you, we haven't actually tested whether there are any unforeseen side effects," Klein cautioned. "Our fundamental understanding of Taiyi is still very limited. However, Dr. Mobius previously stated that Taiyi is 'alive.' Since it can safely exist within your body, it proves that it can be controlled and used by you. If it is you, you should be able to solve this problem without issue."
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