Honkai, why do you only throw me into high-level battles?

"Mei's cooking is getting better and better, and that's not good news..."

Himeko, with her fiery red hair and a body to match, put down her chopsticks and sighed contentedly. She slumped back in her chair, patting her stomach. Her bra straps were tightly secured on her pale shoulders as if they would never slip.

This woman just shamelessly appeared in public wearing only her bra!

Oh, this is the dorm, so it's… no, that's still not okay!

"Doesn't it feel tight?"

Kiana glanced jealously at Himeko's sexy figure. Hmph, those two lumps might be eye-catching, but she still can't get married!

Kiana wailed like a sore loser in her heart, turning her grief into appetite. With a "ah-ooh" sound, she stuffed the remaining half-bowl of rice into her mouth, chewed twice, and then swept away a pile of dishes like a whirlwind. She covered her swollen cheeks with both hands, her eyes narrowed as she chewed happily.

After a long time, with a "gulp"... she couldn't swallow. "Gulp" again... her small face was flushed red from holding her breath.

Finally, with a cup of water from Mei, she managed to swallow it down, and then she let out a happy sigh, back to life.

Coming back to her senses, she glared at Himeko. If you don't want to eat, then don't!

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Bronya, and couldn't help but glance down at her own chest.

The two turned their heads to look at each other, connected on the same wavelength, and nodded at the same time. They were enemies! The two rivals had unexpectedly reached a consensus.

Himeko felt puzzled and rolled her eyes back at them.

Mei took Kiana's bowl and chopsticks and went to the kitchen to refill a large bowl for her, receiving a silly grin and a "Thank you, Mei. Mei is so nice."

Hearing this silly phrase, Mei smiled sweetly herself, then returned to her seat quietly and asked curiously, "I'm a little confused about what you meant, Himeko-sensei."

Himeko sat up straight and scanned the three girls with a sharp gaze, as if her previous laziness had been fake, then reached for a can of beer from the fridge next to her, popping it open with a "clack."

She took a gulp and began to talk about the past—

"Ah, you all will graduate sooner or later. When Mei leaves with you, I'll still be stuck here. I can't get used to the food in the cafeteria anymore. When I think about the future, I feel like...ε=(´ο｀*)))"

After speaking, she gulped it all down and let out a burp, her face red.

Kiana raised her chopsticks triumphantly, and huffed smugly, "Although Mei's cooking can only be mine, it's okay. I, being the magnanimous one, will be kind and allow you to enjoy the deliciousness with me during school. Even when we part ways in the future, for the sake of old times, I can grant you the special privilege of visiting me and Mei once a week, no, once a month! You can visit us at our house once a month!"

"Kiana!" Mei glared at her, feeling embarrassed and helpless at the same time. She could only awkwardly explain to Himeko, "Please don't mind it, Himeko-sensei. You know what Kiana is like normally, all over the place. What she means is that she hopes you can always be with us..."

As she said that, she added another large bowl of rice to the white-haired rice bucket.

"It's alright." Himeko really didn't mind. If she got mad at problem students all the time, she would have been driven to death by now.

Then, as if remembering something, she straightened her posture again and said seriously, "You all just passed your first Valkyrie exam and have successfully become trainee Valkyries. Although you did well this time, every subsequent exam will be stricter. So, don't be complacent. Especially you, Kiana. You only barely passed the makeup exam. You might not be so lucky next time."

Hearing this, the white-haired girl deflated like a balloon. Her rice didn't even taste good anymore.

Seeing this, Himeko suppressed her smugness. As a teacher, you should be generous.

Hold it in.

She couldn't hold it in anymore. Himeko pouted, feeling her gums hurt. Although she said nice things, who knew the suffering in her heart?

Himeko glanced at the three girls at the table. Besides Kiana, there was a Herrscher and one... hm.

Although she had guessed that their scores wouldn't be bad, she never expected them to score second and third place right after entering the school. Even that idiot across from her wouldn't have ranked so low if it wasn't for her terrible academic score.

They deserved to be the ones who fought their way out of the Third Honkai battlefield. Their foundations were just that good.

Thinking this, Himeko couldn't help but wail and pop open another can of beer, the bitter liquid hurting her heart as it went down.

This batch of students was too hard to teach!

And that guy who got first place was just a monster. How long had it been since he joined the school, and he had already rocketed through the ranks and passed the A-Rank Valkyrie exam, reaching the same level as her!

Was he cheating? The more Himeko thought about it, the more angry she got. Why is he such a tryhard at such a young age?

She really wanted to run to the dorm next door and grab that guy by the collar and ask him loudly, "Is it so glorious for a dignified A-rank Valkyrie to hang out with a bunch of trainee Valkyries? Huh?"

But she couldn't. She was a teacher, and he was a student. Teachers had to maintain an image.

Most importantly, her intuition told her that she might not be able to beat him...

Ugh, what was she supposed to do? Himeko felt like crying.

This batch of students was really too hard to teach!!

Clack, another bottle of bitter beer went down.

When would this day come to an end?

Theresa, I want to quit my job and go home to get married…

Not far away, Kiana, who had eaten her fill, threw herself into Mei's arms and cried loudly for comfort. Mei gently patted her back, looking helpless, soothing her like she was petting a cat.

On the other side, Bronya was sitting quietly, drinking her beverage with a blank face. She didn't participate in their conversation, just found them noisy.

The world was full of disparity. Where some are lively, there will always be those who are lonely.

Lin Wei swallowed the last bit of soup from his instant noodles. Feeling still hungry, he stuffed down a few slices of bread, opened a soda to wet his dry lips and throat, wiped his mouth, tidied up, and went out to throw away the trash.

This small town wasn't big. There were only two streets in the urban area, and they didn't intersect. They were divided by a river into two relatively independent areas. Several bridges in different styles crossed the river, connecting the two sides. Some were for pedestrians only, and some allowed cars to pass.

Perhaps because the bridges acted as a connector, the commercial areas were usually concentrated on both sides of the bridges. The residential areas were mostly in the further areas, though they weren't that far either.

The river stretched in two directions. Downstream, it flowed directly into the sea. Upstream, at the end of the view, was a magnificent waterfall, where St. Freya Academy, a place that countless captains dreamed of, was located.

What a beautiful place.

Lin Wei strolled around to digest his food, stepping on the shadows of dusk, enjoying his early retirement life. He greeted the pedestrians he met along the way with a smile. Some he had seen before, others he was seeing for the first time, but that was okay. In this small world, they would always meet again, sooner or later.

From a distance, he could see the magnificent dome that was faintly visible beneath the majestic waterfall. It was draped in a layer of gorgeous rainbow by the water vapor and the setting sun.

So beautiful! Lin Wei sighed again. The magnificence in the distance and the seaside town he was in merged into the sea and the sky. A clear river connected people and the heavens and the earth, bringing all the mundane with it into the sea. Everything was as if it was made by nature, and amid the rustling sound of the waves, the calls of distant seagulls sounded peaceful and harmonious.

So beautiful. Lin Wei sighed for the third time. He really liked this kind of life.

Too bad, life wasn't easy, Lin Wei sighed.

Life isn't easy for transmigrators.

Well, except for those with cheats.

Lin Wei looked at St. Freya Academy in the distance one last time and turned to go home.

The secret to beating the game was right there, seemingly within reach, but separated by a wall of pathetic and heavy obstacles, attainable but unattainable.

Lin Wei went back home, closed the door, took a deep breath, took off his shirt, and slowly unwrapped the bandages tightly wrapped around his left arm. Looking at the "tattoo" that was gradually revealed on his arm, he grimaced, then forced himself to look at it for a long time until he could calmly admire it again and again. He was silent throughout the whole process.

Lin Wei knew that the magical purple lines that stretched all the way to his elbow wasn't a tattoo, but the erosion of the Honkai.

Starting from his fingertips, as if it had a life of its own, it slowly flowed over each finger joint, dyeing his palm lines the same color. Passing his wrist, it extended out into a dozen different paths, some following blood vessels, some winding around his arm, and some going in straight lines.

These random and capricious lines weaved together into a precise net, slowly, gracefully, and coldly, trying to completely devour Lin Wei.

Lin Wei carefully examined it inch by inch, then drew a line at the end of the erosion pattern on his elbow. He carefully examined each mark he had made over the past month, carefully comparing the changes in the erosion rate to estimate how much time he had left.

It was okay, there was still time. Lin Wei cheered himself up, then wrapped the bandages back on, covering everything tightly from his fingers to his upper arm, as if he could bind the Honkai energy erosion.

Lin Wei knew, of course, that this would not work, but it would provide some psychological comfort.

Lin Wei never expected that the first time this virtual world that was just a game in his mind would reveal its true face to him, it would be so terrifying.

No language could describe how terrified Lin Wei was when he saw the purple lines that had appeared on his hands, for the first time, while he was brushing his teeth that morning.

The kind of terror that felt like you could hear the Grim Reaper laughing loudly in your ear, no language could describe it.

It was as if his entire soul had been squeezed tightly. As if an invisible god named "Fate" had laughed loudly at him, mocking him for being so clever, for thinking that everything would be fine just by escaping Nagazora City, mocking him for overestimating himself, for wanting to save others when he could barely save himself.

It was as if he could see the hourglass being flipped over, as if he could see the Grim Reaper waving.

You are a transmigrator, you are an outsider. There is no way you would have any Honkai energy resistance on your body.

Not! Even! A! Little! Bit!

Even the extremely trace amounts of Honkai energy in the air, which were harmless to the ordinary people of this world, could kill you.

There was nowhere for you to run.

Accept reality, ant.

Just wait for death, ant.

Lin Wei collapsed on the ground in fear, letting out a miserable wail, like a dying animal, a poor little animal that had just been born, had not yet been weaned, and was abandoned by its parents. It had not the slightest ability to resist, only to wait for judgment in despair.

The water flowing from the sink soaked his whole body. He couldn't tell what was water and what was tears or snot. He struggled to get up, fell onto the sink, and opened the tap to the maximum, desperately scrubbing.

He washed with soap, with alcohol, with sandpaper, with steel wool, with knives, with blood…

It was no use, and it never would be.

Lin Wei, who had begun to show symptoms of blood loss, forced himself to calm down, just like the first day he had transmigrated to Nagazora City and was looking for a way out.

It was just one more time, a simple thing, right?

Very simple, right?

You can do it, right?

Lin Wei struggled to get up from the pool of blood, picked up the overturned washbasin, wiped it dry with a towel, and poured all the remaining alcohol into it. He placed it steadily on the floor, stuffed a crumpled towel into his mouth, took a deep breath, and plunged his blood-soaked hands directly into the half-basin of alcohol.

"Ughhhhh!!!!!"

It was an unimaginable pain. His breathing stopped at that moment, his thoughts stopped, his eyes went completely black, his ears were ringing wildly. He could hear nothing else. He was about to pass out in the next second.

"I can't pass out. Hold on, hold on. My consciousness must stay clear!"

Lin Wei focused all his attention on controlling his heartbeat, whispering to himself, pulling his soul away, and comforting his body like he would comfort an old friend.

Control your heartbeat, relax your breathing,

Even if the flesh is in pain, you must relax your breathing. Even if it's worse than death, you must relax your breathing.

You must relax your breathing, you must control your heartbeat, you must ensure sufficient oxygen, you must stay conscious.

You must constantly remind yourself.

…

It felt like a year had passed before Lin Wei felt his consciousness return to his body.

He retracted his trembling arms, his hands were numb, lifeless, and unresponsive. But they were still his.

Lin Wei tore off the bandages, using his teeth to carefully wrap each finger, one by one. Then, with the last bit of his strength, he lowered his body and quickly ran back to his bedroom, collapsing onto his bed and falling into a deep sleep.

He couldn't go to the hospital! Absolutely couldn't go to the hospital! This was the first thing Lin Wei decided.

Hospitals couldn't treat Honkai diseases. Only Schicksal, Anti-Entropy, and World Serpent could, but they wouldn't save you. It was best not to have any expectations of them.

Even though Anna was the daughter of the Schariac family, and the people she saved were from the Honkai Eruption site, and they were also considered the "chosen ones" by Schicksal, which was invaluable, they were directly abandoned. Schicksal's cold-bloodedness was unimaginable.

Maybe Anti-Entropy could, maybe it couldn't. After all, even Cocolia had to seek help from World Serpent to save her daughter who had been eroded by Honkai.

As for World Serpent? Heh, Lin Wei, are you worthy?

Even Chen Tianwu was just modified into a non-human machine. Living like that was worse than death.

You aren't even worthy of this chance to become a monster. The cold eyes of World Serpent, which were always looking up, would never lower to look at you.

Going to the hospital would only immediately draw the attention of nearby St. Freya. The kind Headmistress Theresa might try to save you, but more likely, she'd be helpless. The school's infirmary could save Himeko, a Valkyrie, but it couldn't necessarily save a transmigrator with negative Honkai resistance.

Theresa was kind, no doubt about it. She would never abandon her kindness, that was also without question. Therefore, she might send you to headquarters to save you.

Should you bet that Schicksal headquarters would try their best to save you? Or should you bet that the school nearby could actually save you?

Lin Wei didn't even consider it. He made the decision instantly.

His life may be as insignificant as a moth, but he would never give the power to decide his fate into the hands of others!

It had been over a month since the impact of that day. The bloodied wounds on his hands had long since healed. Lin Wei was even able to live peacefully with the Honkai erosion and even appreciate the beauty of the patterns formed by the lines.

He had drawn a line on his shoulder. If the Honkai erosion ever reached there, he would abandon all illusions and go to St. Freya as fast as possible for help. This was his last resort.

But before that, he began to thank himself for his reckless actions before. Maybe this could bring him a new path to survival, or rather, another gamble.

Lin Wei leaned on his desk, writing today's diary. Since the day he discovered he was being eroded by the Honkai, he had developed the habit of writing a diary every day.

The contents of the diary were random. He could just write about what happened, and if he didn't have anything else to write, he could record the day's income and expenses.

After finishing writing, he stopped, carefully read it once, and then, from the back to the front, page by page, day by day, he carefully read the diaries of each day, as if he was reliving the journey of his mind over these past days.

This was another habit he had developed during this time. Each time he finished writing his diary, he would reread the whole thing, and at other times, he would flip through a few pages.

It seemed like a waste of time, and it was a waste of time,

But only he himself knew the meaning behind his actions.

He closed his diary. The night was deep.

Lin Wei closed his eyes, calming his heart that had started to pound for reasons he didn't know when—

It was finally here.

He thought he could calmly face anything now, but at this moment, he realized he was wrong. Thump-thump-thump, his heart was beating fiercely, and he couldn't control it at all.

Like a young boy facing his first love, like a graduate checking his college entrance exam results, like a job seeker pushing open the door to an interview, like a death row inmate waiting for the judgment of fate.

Lin Wei took a deep breath, relaxed the tense muscles on his face, showed a decent smile, and tried to make his voice sound less shaky—

"It's finally here. Is this the legendary Eighth God Key, or the First God Key? I don't think a nobody like me is worthy of Overseer Otto visiting me in person, right?"

There was no one in front of him, behind him, or beside him. The room was empty, except for himself.

Lin Wei lived alone. There wouldn't be anyone in the bedroom, living room, kitchen, or bathroom, but he still said it.

His voice was very soft, as if talking to himself, yet it sounded like he was confident of victory. But only he knew that he was doing this just to make his voice shake less noticeably.

Time passed by second by second. The room remained silent, with no change.

Lin Wei was also silent, waiting. The waiting time seemed very long, so long that Lin Wei wondered if he was just being delusional, but he was convinced that his method was effective, so he continued to wait.

He didn't know how much time had passed before time started flowing again.

A feather slowly fell in front of Lin Wei's eyes. He opened his eyes. It was still dusk, and he was still in the same position, looking at St. Freya Academy in the distance.

In front of him, a tall girl wearing blue martial arts attire was standing there. She was staring at Lin Wei with an expression of utter confusion.

"How did you find out?"