Honkai Diary: Start With Picking Up A White-Haired Treasure

Welt returned to the real world.

He estimated that it must have taken around one to two hours.

The series of illusory realms had stretched on for quite some time, and his cautious approach, prioritizing observation and contemplation, had indeed consumed much of it.

When he opened his eyes back in the real world, the once-darkened opulent manor was now ablaze with light. Zeke's swarm circled overhead, while Einstein's Eins fighter squadrons roared through the sky. Layer upon layer of Titan forces surrounded the area—but only machines arrived, no humans.

The disappearance of the Anti-Entropy Alliance Leader was a significant event. Clearly, both Zeke and Einstein were mindful of maintaining secrecy.

Suddenly, Welt looked up to see a fiery glow as brilliant as the sun streak across the night sky, descending above him, radiating heat akin to standing within a furnace.

Involuntarily shielding his eyes from the intense brightness, Welt gazed upward at what seemed like a scorching sun rising amidst the darkness.

As the flames subsided, a silver-haired youth holding a young girl emerged, gently floating down from the sky.

"Did you encounter any danger? Are you injured?" Zeke asked, assessing Welt's condition immediately upon landing.

Welt shook his head. "No, not at all."

"That's good. Dr. Ein, withdraw the emergency response forces; we're heading back right away." Zeke instructed Einstein over the communication channel, swiftly restoring the manor to its previous darkness and tranquility.

"So, what did you encounter?"

"The Herrscher of a Thousand People can pull people into a Virtual Space and create illusory realms—targeting psychological vulnerabilities. They might possess strong intelligence-gathering capabilities or directly perceive others' mental weaknesses. There were numerous individuals, all resembling blonde young girls, possibly with distinct personalities and names. However, their overall strength is weak; it's also possible they concealed their true power before me. I fear they have been hidden within the human world for some time, likely building up considerable influence already. As for their specific intentions, I didn't get a chance to fully understand."

"Understood. Let's discuss the details once we're back... Heard Dr. Tesla was practically crying from anxiety."

"Tesla? Well..." Welt scratched his face, feeling a surge of warmth inside.

Instinctively, he glanced at his scarf, and then his expression froze.

On the plain dark blue scarf, there was a small notch resembling a knife cut.

It's highly probable that when the Herrscher of a Thousand People expelled him, the haste caused spatial chaos. Although unable to harm him as another Herrscher, it damaged his closely worn scarf—a possibility could be due to the simulated black hole effect.

Welt touched the frayed edge silently for a moment.

"Damaged it, huh? Herrscher of a Thousand People... Quite the title."

The scarf was merely a catalyst. After inheriting Joyce's core, Welt had grappled with self-doubt and repeatedly lamented his failure to save countless lives—these were knots he'd been unable to untie within himself.

Coming to terms with these issues was one thing, but exploiting them against him was another entirely.

Welt remained unshaken because he had moved past those struggles, but using such vulnerabilities to slander the people he cherished deeply—that, combined with the damage to his treasured scarf, finally ignited his fury.

Zeke released Kiana's soft waist, stepped up to Welt, and patted him on the shoulder. "If I recall correctly, you've switched scarves before. This one... seems like the birthday gift from Dr. Tesla and Dr. Ein, no?"

Welt said nothing.

"Don't take it too seriously. Just have them mend it for you."

"One issue at a time; I won't forget this," Welt replied calmly—if not for the flicker of crimson in his eyes, he truly would have seemed composed.

Kiana observed their exchange, silently stroking her chin.

Wow! Even Uncle Welt is mad—this Herrscher of a Thousand People sure is something!

After several hours, the trio traversed half the planet's surface and returned to the Anti-Entropy Headquarters.

There, Einstein and Tesla, who had been anxiously awaiting their arrival, emerged to greet them.

Tesla circled around Welt, carefully examining his condition before visibly sighing in relief. With hands on her hips, her vibrant fiery red hair accentuating her fiery temper, she exclaimed:

"You scared me so much! I thought something happened to you, you idiot! Do you know how important you are now? Can't you be more cautious?! Fool! Moron!"

Using her slender, pale index finger, Tesla tapped firmly on Welt's sturdy chest, interrogating him with fierce intensity.

However, Welt understood this was her awkward way of expressing concern. Similarly, he couldn't miss the traces of unshed tears still lingering in her bright eyes.

"My apologies, I should have been more vigilant."

Welt let Tesla vent, scratching his head with a remarkably patient smile as she continued her tirade.

As Einstein approached as well, seeing Welt calmly handling Tesla's outburst, even his indifferent expression softened slightly. Then, with a matter-of-fact tone, he suggested to Tesla:

"Dr. Tesla, if you wiped away your tears beforehand, you might appear more assertive."

"What tears? It's late at night; can't I just be tired?!"

"...As long as Dr. Tesla is happy." Einstein sighed.

Despite being old friends for over sixty years and undeniably geniuses in research and invention, this wasn't the first time Einstein felt unable to keep up with Tesla's eccentricities.

And on the other side stood another individual of the same challenging temperament.

If not for their exceptionally long lifespans, allowing them to endure such dynamics, Einstein would have held no hope for their collective future.

Observing Welt's sheepish grin, Einstein let out a deep sigh once again.

"Have you considered medication?" Zeke suddenly interjected from beside them.

Einstein immediately grasped his implication and rubbed her chin thoughtfully.

"Well... That's not a bad idea at all. But how did you come up with this?"

Einstein didn't doubt Zeke's perceptiveness—especially considering Tesla and Welt's lack of subtlety; anyone except themselves could easily pick up on their feelings.

What surprised her was that Zeke, typically uninterested in such matters, would unexpectedly suggest such an explosive solution.

"It comes from experience."

"(?o . o?) Oh, I see—wait!?!!"

Einstein stood frozen, visibly stunned, as a series of question marks seemed to hover above her head.

"All right, enough flirting for now. We need to seriously discuss and research the new Herrscher," Zeke said matter-of-factly, clapping his hands and addressing the older unmarried duo ahead.

Naturally, this remark elicited an indignant roar from Tesla:

"What flirtation?! You're one to talk, sneaking off with Kiana for a vacation without telling anyone. Don't tell me it was just a cover for a romantic getaway?"

"Yes."

"Hmph! I just knew—huh?!?"

Tesla froze, mirroring Welt's stunned expression, who had been grinning foolishly moments ago.

Both men tilted their heads, their minds filled with question marks.

Meanwhile, Kiana stood next to Zeke, cradling her flushed cheeks and fidgeting bashfully.

"Ay, you're making me blush, Zeke. How bold of you~"

"It's true; there's nothing we need to hide," Zeke calmly replied, taking one of Kiana's hands and confidently displaying it before the three Senior Officers.

Tesla's face turned beet red, his trembling index finger wavering between Zeke and Kiana before finally pointing at their intertwined hands.

"You're only nineteen! Absolutely scandalous!"

"Nineteen is perfectly fine, isn't it? Kiana likes me, and I...well, I think I like her too. That's all there is to it."

"But...but...what about Siegfried? You haven't told him yet, have you?"

"No worries. He'll agree." Zeke responded serenely.

Ever since they were children, that guy entrusted Kiana to him. Even if Siegfried suddenly regrets now...

Zeke touched the Herrscher Core pendant hanging at his waist and glanced briefly at the pistol by his side and the ring on his finger—the perfect fusion fighter, superior intellect from above, Herrscher of Rock core, Judgment of Shamash, Key of Judgment, plus several unexposed trump cards. With this arsenal, he was confident it would persuade Siegfried to agree wholeheartedly.

"Yes, he will bless us."

Gently holding Kiana's soft hand, Zeke smiled, exuding warmth and benevolence.

The three Anti-Entropy founders shivered simultaneously, vividly recalling the last time they had seen such a smile on Zeke's face. Overnight, numerous high-ranking officials from major countries and executives of multinational corporations "succumbed to illness" worldwide. On the same day, Anti-Entropy experienced an unprecedented surge in revenue from mysterious sources.

"Hold on! Stay calm!" Tesla interjected. "He is still Kiana's father!"

"I'll definitely convince him," Welt assured them.

"We must consider Kiana's feelings; remember to exercise restraint," Einstein cautioned.

As each senior member tried to dissuade Zeke, they exchanged glances, noticing beads of cold sweat on one another's faces.

Only Kiana looked puzzled, tilting her head with confusion written all over her face. Fully trusting Zeke, she remained blissfully unaware that mere moments ago, the word "DEATH" had nearly been etched upon a certain long-absent uncle.