Honkai Simulator: Start with Confessing to The Herrscher of Finality

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Xia Chen declined Gray Serpent's proposal.

It wasn't that he wasn't intrigued by the Elysian Realm; rather, the risks were too high. Aside from Kevin's stance towards Herrschers, breaking through Welt's barrier would first require passing his test. Failure could lead to being lost within the Sea of Quanta indefinitely.

There was no need for him to take such a risk.

Moreover, there was also the matter concerning Seele.

He hardly knew her well.

In the Sea of Quanta, Seele possessed Stigmata power as well, possibly even more formidable due to the high compatibility between her and the Stigmata.

Ultimately, Xia Chen himself couldn't determine the true extent of the Stigmata's capabilities.

He felt that the information on Stigmata at Divine City Pharmaceuticals was incomplete, or perhaps the individuals from World Serpent lacked full understanding of their nature.

The strength needed to remain unlost amidst the Virtual Being's torrent likely hinted at the broader scope of Project Stigma, which Kevin may not have fully disclosed.

No, it's possible even Kevin didn't know the entirety of Project Stigma.

In any case, the simple truth was that venturing into the Sea of Quanta posed too great a risk for Xia Chen. There was no need for him to take such chances.

"I believe you've approached the wrong person," he said mildly. "Developing the power of my Stigmata doesn't intrigue me. Since you've investigated me already, you should know that the Stigmata is not all there is to me."

"If you leave now, I can pretend this encounter never happened." A cold glint flashed in Xia Chen's eyes as he looked at Gray Serpent.

Had it not been for his knowledge of Gray Serpent having multiple bodies, Xia Chen would have taken action against him long ago.

"Ah, don't worry, we'll meet again," chuckled Gray Serpent. "And yes, one thing you mentioned is correct—the World Serpent does not force anyone." His voice continued to sound unsettlingly disconcerting. "So, before parting ways, let me give you a gift."

Xia Chen's gaze involuntarily fell upon the Honkai Beast resembling a crab before them.

"So, Kevin has been consuming these creatures in the Sea of Quanta?" He admitted, showing genuine interest in this Honkai Beast.

Gray Serpent didn't seem bothered by Xia Chen addressing Kevin by his first name.

"That's right, and there are many more."

Countless 'crabs' emerged from the ocean floor, densely swarming.

Xia Chen's gaze sharpened slightly.

If these creatures were allowed to destroy Coral Island, it would be disastrous. The island held immense importance now.

There could never be another Galactic Ladder to unite humanity in such a way. Every advancement in cutting-edge technology fueled the proliferation of Honkai Energy.

Their objective was to explore the boundary between Honkai and human civilization.

Without hesitation, Xia Chen unleashed Moon Ash upon the Honkai Beasts. If his Honkai Energy ran low, he directly extracted their Cores, consumed them, and replenished himself.

The Gray Serpent did not leave, its eyes fixed on Xia Chen, seemingly recording data. It synchronized its observations with the internal archives of the World Serpent for backup.

One thing now became certain: Xia Chen was indeed a MANTIS hybrid warrior. Unlike Raven or Hare, his assimilation of Honkai Beast genes appeared flawless. So perfect that the typical side effects seen in other MANTIS hybrids did not manifest in him.

It seemed clear that the Serpent wasn't the only one benefiting from gifts of the previous civilization era.

Schicksal, too, harbors many secrets within its depths.

Meanwhile, at Schicksal...

After observing Kiana for several days, Otto finally shifted his attention away from her.

The current data was deemed insufficiently significant.

Various signs indicated that although Kiana had harnessed the power of the Herrscher of the Void, her rejection of being a Herrcher hindered her ability to fully utilize this strength.

Presently, Kiana did not meet Otto's requirements.

He needed to revise his plans, but now was not the time to consider it further.

World Serpent had sent him some new information.

Xia Chen's suspicions were indeed correct; Schicksal and World Serpent had been collaborating for quite some time. However, this collaboration wasn't between Schicksal as an organization and World Serpent, but rather between Otto himself and World Serpent.

Otto was aware of the events on Coral Island and suspected World Serpent's involvement. Moreover, he found Xia Chen particularly intriguing.

Despite possessing a Honkai Beast's physique, Xia Chen retained human rationality without any hint of discordance. Otto could confidently assert that Xia Chen strongly identified with his humanity, likely having been raised as such.

When exactly did Xia Chen's physique become influenced? Otto pondered this question while continuously reviewing footage of Xia Chen during his time with the Immortal Blades.

Back then, he struggled to keep up with most trainees' progress, a stark contrast to his current abilities.

Otto was uncertain when Xia Chen's body underwent these changes and what precisely caused them. It was rare for anything to remain unclear to him.

His eyes slightly narrowed.

In his hand, he held a letter.

In this era, sending physical mail had become quite uncommon. Otto knew it was merely a quirk of the World Serpent officer named 'Hare.'

She managed communications between Schicksal and World Serpent, operating like a phantom, elusive and unpredictable. According to Otto's speculation, either she possessed exceptional disguise skills or had quantum state capabilities.

Otherwise, there would be no explanation for how this letter appeared on his desk without anyone noticing.

Inside the envelope lay a chip.

Provided by World Serpent, it contained information related to the initiation of Project Stigma.

The successful implementation of Project Stigma in Tianqiong City owes much to Schicksal's efforts. Now at the preliminary stage of the plan, to prevent any unforeseen complications, they needed to rely on Schicksal to provide false intelligence to the Shenzhou government.

Without such support from Schicksal, the World Serpent alone would struggle to smoothly execute Project Stigma.

However, upon seeing the full scope of Project Stigma, Otto couldn't help but ponder deeply.

"This plan has many hidden aspects," he remarked calmly. "My old friend, I believe you have some additional information to share."

"I'm not responsible for these details, and Project Stigma is merely intended for times of generational despair. It seems Kevin has no faith in this era whatsoever." Void Archives clearly possessed extensive knowledge.

Otto's gaze slightly intensified.

"Hope," Otto said with a rare note of weariness. "For someone who has experienced such desperate times, it indeed becomes difficult to hold onto hope."

"No need to feign that tone; I understand you well," Void Archives sneered. "You just want more information. You can simply ask - after all, we've been acquainted for quite some time now."

"Ha ha ha, indeed. We've known each other for quite some time now."

A hint of warmth flickered in Otto's eyes.

"So, what is this ultimate Key to the world and seed of vengeance you speak of?"

"The Stigmata," replied Void Archives slowly. "To be precise, it represents the success pursued by Project Stigma."

"This seed sprouted five hundred years ago."

Otto's eyes narrowed slightly, exuding a lion-like majesty.