Honkai Impact: I, The Herrscher of Ice, Am Loved By Players-Chapter 187: Prelude to the Fool

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"Welcome back, Durandal."

Jeanne greeted her calmly from a short distance away.

"Don't you have anything else to say to me?" Durandal suddenly asked, her voice tinged with unexpected emotion.

"What is it that you need me to say?" Jeanne replied mildly. "Even though you've reached Heavenly Yuan now, all this means is that you've just gained the qualification to seek answers. That's all. What more do you expect?"

"Continue your journey, Durandal. At the end of the path, you will..."

Before Jeanne could finish, Durandal vanished from her spot and reappeared instantly before Jeanne, embracing her tightly.

"Durandal, you...?"

Durandal's reaction exceeded Jeanne's expectations. Although their avatars shared thoughts, only the divine self possessed omniscience and omnipotence. Currently, the divine self was largely dormant, while the other avatars were mostly observing like spectators.

"Call me Bianka."

Jeanne fell silent but didn't push Bianka away. Of course, if she truly wanted to, it would have been effortless for her, given her immense power at that moment.

"I know you've carried a heavy burden for our sake."

"..."

"As your friend and family, rather than letting you bear it alone, I'd prefer we share this weight together!"

"When you gaze up at the starlit sky feeling lonely, don't forget to look back and see us standing with you."

"You might consider us as stumbling blocks, but even so, we're willing to keep pace with you!"

"So, could you tell me, tell all of us... What exactly..."

"...are you carrying?"

Bianka's voice was gentle and sincere, a rare quality seldom seen from her. It wasn't that Bianka lacked gentleness; rather, she often chose to conceal it, rarely displaying it openly.

Now, facing Jeanne, she genuinely revealed this warmth, hoping to establish open and honest communication with her.

However, would Jeanne or Ana truly bare her soul here to Bianka?

The answer was undoubtedly—no.

"If you can defeat Otto, who has ascended as a fake god, alone, then you shall know what burden she carries," Jeanne replied calmly.

As she spoke, her figure transformed into golden particles, dissipating from Bianka's embrace before reassembling nearby.

With Jeanne's words fading away, the Binding light barrier also vanished, revealing the original church before everyone.

"Though, given your current strength, it might be insufficient to inflict significant harm on him. Perhaps bringing Kiana along would be wise?"

"After all, you were chosen by him as his Executioners."

"Good luck! Your princess awaits high above, yearning for your rescue!"

As Jeanne spoke, she waved her hand, and simultaneously, her body began to dissipate again, with no signs of reformation this time.

It was evident that this avatar had been permanently recalled.

Meanwhile, from a relatively hidden vantage point high above Kolosten, Bai Zhi quietly observed everything unfolding below. It was indeed she who had just retrieved Jeanne's form moments ago.

However, she wasn't alone; by her side stood an old acquaintance—Li Sushang.

"Do you think... Raksha will succeed?" Li Sushang sat on a tree branch, swinging her legs idly, somewhat bored. She didn't fully grasp what transpired beneath her nor did she particularly care. Truthfully, she had no affiliations with either Schicksal or Anti-Entropy.

Her only connection was with Raksha himself. She remained here solely to repay his kindness and witness Otto's downfall. After defeating Fu Hua, she handed her over to the Hyperion but chose not to leave. Instead, she wandered nearby, coincidentally encountering Bai Zhi, who was also spectating the events unfold.

After briefly conversing, Li Sushang found Bai Zhi quite agreeable and reminiscent of Raksha, but seemingly a good person without the latter's notorious reputation. Thus, they continued chatting while waiting together.

For Bai Zhi, encountering Li Sushang was entirely unexpected.

With Jeanne present, there wasn't much need for her direct involvement, so she had been wandering nearby when she stumbled upon Li Sushang.

How to describe Li Sushang? She was still relatively inexperienced with the harsh realities of society, remaining a pure-hearted heroine from the jianghu realm. Dealing with someone like her using modern thinking proved far too effortless.

If not for knowing how difficult it is to sway Li Sushang's loyalty, Bai Zhi might have considered recruiting her to the World Serpent's side.

Nevertheless, their interaction was genuinely enjoyable.

Primarily because Li Sushang knew very little; even if Bai Zhi subtly hinted at certain matters, intentionally or unintentionally, Li Sushang wouldn't grasp what she was implying. Instead, she would gently comfort Bai Zhi and empathize with her grievances.

However, Bai Zhi dared not reveal too much, fearing that this naive girl might take things seriously and actually act on them.

Objectively speaking, her plan was already quite comprehensive and didn't require too many unpredictable elements.

Only now could Bai Zhi truly empathize with Otto. While his methods were extreme, eliminating uncertainties when necessary indeed seemed vital.

Fortunately, she had His presence behind her, capable of discerning certain truths, making it unnecessary to mend things after damage occurred.

"In the future I've witnessed, the Raksha achieved his long-held desire," Bai Zhi said softly. "Of course, if he hadn't been so fixated, perhaps he could have fulfilled it much earlier."

"Oh? How do you mean?" Li Sushang's face showed genuine curiosity.

"Hmm, imagine creating someone with the exact appearance as your mother, identical memories, thinking patterns, and habits just like hers—a perfect replica. Would you consider that person to be your mother?"

"Uh...sounds like..." Li Sushang stroked her chin thoughtfully. "It seems convincing, but there's still something not quite right about it..."

"The crux of this situation lies in deceiving oneself," Bai Zhi said with a smile.

"Unfortunately, Otto couldn't deceive himself, nor did he want to settle. At its core, the Raksha felt indebted to Kallen and sought to rectify his past wrongs by reviving her."

Bai Zhi paused momentarily. "Hold on, I know what you're about to say."

"The Raksha's love for the priestess was his personal emotion, one-sided affection, bound only by a marriage contract. Following Shenzhou's traditional values, such contracts are indeed significant, sanctioned by parents' wishes. However..."

"It seems the priestess either didn't know or wasn't fully aware of this marriage contract, nor its importance and implications."

"In essence, the Raksha's fixation on the priestess stemmed more from a sense of debt than genuine love."

"Otto is a clever man, but to him, the priestess represents an unattainable ideal, like the purest moonlight. Honestly, throughout history, how many have truly been able to be with their own 'White Moonlight'?" Bai Zhi spread her hands as she spoke.

"You're absolutely right! The storybooks say the same thing!" Li Sushang agreed fervently.

"Well, we've chatted for quite some time now. I should be going; if I don't, Otto will start to worry."

As Bai Zhi spoke, she stretched lazily. The spiritual mist that formed Jeanne's avatar silently flowed back into her body. Due to Jeanne being granted independent Authorities, Bai Zhi shuddered momentarily, her aura surging significantly.

After all, originally, Bai Zhi possessed only the Power of Perception. With the addition of the Binding Authority, rounding it up, she effectively became a quasi-Herrscher of Finality.

"Alright, wishing you safe travels! May our paths cross again by fate in this jianghu!"

Li Sushang bowed respectfully, embodying the spirit of wanderers and adventurers. Although reluctant to part with her newly met sister, such is the nature of the jianghu: brief encounters often lead to swift departures without much ado.

"Yes, safe travels. Don't worry, we'll meet again in the future," Bai Zhi replied with a wave and a smile.

This wasn't merely idle talk. As a natural-born Stigma Awakened Being, their paths were destined to cross again. Moreover, after traveling extensively, she would eventually find a place where she intends to make a difference.

In the words of the previous civilization's Eden, there was no ship capable of carrying her in this era; she was a remnant from the old age.

However, one commendable trait of Li Sushang is her adaptability, able to learn and embrace this new time. Ultimately, it stems from her youthfulness, much like Hua once was.

Moreover, unlike Hua, she did not use herself to ignite that bygone era.

As for Eden, she was the brightest star of that age. Even if a new era were still forming five millennia later, even upon its successful emergence, it would ultimately be incapable of accommodating Eden.

Sighing deeply, Bai Zhi felt an immense weight whenever Eden was mentioned.

Among those in the Elysian Realm, apart from Ellie, Eden was her favorite. For Eden, all she harbored was regret, wishing she could have been born in that era to become one of its Heroic Spirits.

If only Eden had another kindred spirit among the Heroic Souls, perhaps she wouldn't have chosen to sacrifice herself for that age.

On the surface, Eden merely gave her life for that civilization, but in truth, wasn't it also for her dearest friend? It marked the final Chapter of their deep bond, akin to the legendary tale of Bo Ya and Ziqi.

In the Honkai World, on the moon, within a world bubble.

Through the collective efforts of numerous researchers, aided by Ana, the Lord of Finality, they finally managed to anchor this world bubble onto Kevin.

Initially, their plan was to tether the world bubble to the Imaginary Tree, similar to Otto's experiment with Bianka earlier.

However, after extensive discussions, they temporarily abandoned that idea.

The intrinsic Honkai World was still undergoing significant changes, and Ana's path was entirely unique. Even for Mei, the leading scientist, it represented a groundbreaking research topic spanning eras.

What Mei could study and comprehend primarily pertained to Sa's trajectory and state. This limitation wasn't due to her capabilities but rather because no one anticipated that a human could prematurely pass the trial of Finality, ultimately conquer the Cocoon of Finality, and ascend from mere existence to divinity.

Moreover, this differed completely from the flawed divine path taken by Sa.

If asked, Mei could indeed deduce Sa's path now, even proposing a similar strategy, much like the roadmap she planned for Kosma.

If Kosma had chosen to execute the Ark Project initially, perhaps... it's uncertain.

However, one thing is clear: For Sa, Kosma's Vishnu would have been more effective than Griseo's colors. In fact, Vishnu might have even resolved Sa's issue.

But there are no "ifs" now.

In any case, based on these considerations, the world bubble ultimately anchored itself onto Kevin, much like Bianka's did. Moreover, choosing Kevin was not necessarily a bad outcome.

In truth, if Kevin hadn't opted for death, the power of the Hundred Beasts of Brahma could have granted him immortality.

Of course, that isn't the most crucial aspect; what matters significantly more is something else entirely.

On the moon, within the Central Laboratory, researchers bustled around the periphery while, at its core, only Ana, Kevin, Mei, and Prometheus were present. After a series of intricate operations, a vibrant green Bodhi leaf appeared in the laboratory.

The state of this leaf was peculiar; it seemed both existent and non-existent simultaneously.

Soon, the leaf trembled, and a ghostly figure emerged. Although his features couldn't be discerned, his silhouette and aura were unmistakable indicators of his identity.

"Su!" Kevin gently called out his name.

"It's been a while, Kevin."

"My dear friend, thank you for your hard work," Su replied warmly, as consistent as ever.

"Thank you for your assistance, Miss Ana," Su expressed his gratitude towards her.

"Just a small effort," Ana responded mildly. Establishing a two-way connection with Su was indeed straightforward for her.

Originally, Su had placed an Anchor Point on Ana, but it disappeared later due to her transformation. However, that wasn't an issue, as Kevin still carried one of Su's Anchor Points.

For Ana, now possessing the divine self, finding Su's Anchor Point, observing him, and establishing contact posed no significant challenge. It was not starting from scratch; rather, it was building upon existing knowledge.

Moreover, they had Mei, the most brilliant scientist from the previous civilization, providing technological expertise and theoretical support. Having such reliable individuals truly made all the difference.

"Since you were able to reach out to me proactively, I assume you've also noticed the existence I've been monitoring?"

"Yes, therefore, we plan to capture them once and for all."

Ana succinctly replied.

"Honkai Impact 3's second part? Vita? Why should we concern ourselves with these?" Since Sa had set its sights on Earth and captured Griseo, it must now face the consequences.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from fгeewebnovёl.co𝙢.

Being cautious is one thing, but revealing your true nature was a mistake!