Volume 1, Chapter 33: Xia Chen, the Center of Attention

On the third day, Xia Chen and Ana returned to Schicksal Headquarters.

Despite doing nothing, their team's achievements were still recognized, adding another accolade to their record.

Xia Chen wasn't sure if his claim about coming from an alternate world bubble was believed, but at this point, Otto should have already started observing multiple worlds.

At least, his explanation had no obvious flaws. In a way, Xia Chen hadn't truly lied either.

That evening, he even comforted Ana, who seemed close to tears over her deception. For the young girl, forgiving herself for lying proved difficult.

However, Xia Chen didn't find it significant. Both Otto and Amber had handled the situation well, considering his feelings while gathering information. If Ana were more mature, he likely wouldn't have perceived it as a test at all.

Upon returning to the training ground, Xia Chen noticed many unfamiliar faces present. Their gazes were fixed on him, openly scrutinizing his every move.

When he asked Susannah about it, she casually replied, "These Valkyries have returned from the New Zealand Oceanic Branch to report at headquarters and will be staying here for some time."

With a teasing tone, she added, "Also, these Valkyries are quite curious about the male members of the Immortal Blades."

In a way, Xia Chen had become a central topic of discussion.

After all, within just three months of joining the Immortal Blades, he became an A-rank Valkyrie—a testament to his terrifying talent that naturally spread quickly among them.

The lives of most Valkyries were monotonous, so they often sought distractions by taking interest in matters beyond the battlefield.

For instance, the Theresa Fan Club was one such example. Despite Theresa's current assignment in the Far East, her popularity remained high among the Valkyries.

Recently, Xia Chen's name surpassed Theresa's in conversations, with rumors even suggesting that Durandal was grooming him as the next S-rank Valkyrie.

Hence, it was unsurprising that people would gather around to observe him.

Susannah couldn't help but express her envy, "When can I also receive Captain's individual guidance?"

"First, you need to pass the A-rank Valkyrie assessment."

"But those Templar Honkai Beasts running around are just so annoying." Susannah sighed.

It wasn't that she lacked talent; on the contrary, her aptitude was quite impressive. However, her reaction speed on the battlefield was still somewhat slow.

Susannah wasn't originally from the Immortal Blades; instead, she had transferred from another squad specifically to improve her reflexes within this elite unit.

"Speaking of which, how did you become so formidable in just three months?"

The girl vividly remembered Xia Chen's near-dehydration and fainting episode only three months ago. The transformation in him over this short period was remarkable.

Xia Chen smiled, "If Lady Durandal gives you special training, you'll understand why."

"If only I were that lucky." She blinked, then added, "Oh right, based on Alvitr's intel, the Technology Department will soon update the Memory Battlefield with new data. This includes combat memories featuring our captain. We should tackle it together once it's available."

"Tackle it together?"

"Yes, it's a rare chance to queue up for photos with the captain," Susannah explained matter-of-factly.

Xia Chen couldn't help but chuckle silently.

It was evident that the new memory data would feature Radiant Knight Moon Soul, Lady Durandal. However, for the Valkyries, she is simply too strong to be considered a formidable enemy, making it likely that they will treat it as just another challenge to conquer.

Nevertheless, Xia Chen eagerly anticipated this update.

The Memory Battlefield cannot perfectly simulate 100% of the combat data; in fact, to lower its difficulty, it may only replicate a few mechanical-like moves back and forth.

However, this does not diminish their strength.

Currently, Xia Chen believed he was still no match for Durandal. Aside from the inferior armor, even without it, his close-quarters combat skills fell significantly short compared to hers.

He needed further refinement.

Although Xia Chen was no longer officially part of the Immortal Blades, he continued training according to their standards, often pushing himself beyond those expectations.

Until his new customized armor arrived, he focused on guiding the Stigma's power effectively while controlling his stamina consumption.

The potential of innate Stigmata was terrifying, but Xia Chen couldn't determine how powerful the system-provided Stigmata could become. He wondered if the strength displayed in the Simulation Scenarios had already reached its limit.

Thus, he gradually increased his training intensity each time.

Apart from that, he also focused on enhancing his physical body.

Possibly due to the new Stigmata, he felt significantly more resilient against impacts than before. Consequently, he found himself consuming much larger quantities of food daily.

Xia Chen even suspected whether his bloodline might have evolved similar to the Kaslanas'.

Speaking of which, Kiana's ability to consume Honkai Beasts as sustenance likely stemmed from her lineage influence.

Fortunately, aside from an increased appetite, there seemed to be no other side effects from the Stigmata so far. During dinner, Ana sat across from him, astounded by his voracious consumption.

"You... wouldn't happen to be related to the House of Kaslana, would you?" She felt compelled to investigate further.

After training, he returned to his room.

He retrieved the freshly washed, disinfected, and dried bedsheet from the laundry machine and spread it back onto his bed. Over time, this sheet had absorbed considerable moisture, causing some of its vibrant patterns to fade.

Fortunately, Schicksal's domestic services were fully automated by machines, so it posed no inconvenience for him.

However, as Xia Chen lay down on the bed, he hesitated about entering another simulation.

Having experienced numerous deaths, despite his personal fearlessness, these multiple memories began affecting his mind, leading to subtle changes.

Excessive simulations could distort his perception of reality, potentially even confusing the real world with simulated experiences.

The system had already warned him about this side effect.

Nevertheless, Red Sakura required Honkai Fragments, his Stigmata needed Honkai Energy to replenish the stigma space, and he himself needed opportunities to hone his skills.

"Guess I'll just have to frequent the training grounds more often," Xia Chen murmured, taking a deep breath.

It was now late September 2015, and the approaching year 2016 would be filled with calamities for humanity.

Honkai would not halt its approach due to humanity's lack of progress. From 2016 to 2017, Herrschers emerged successively, each possessing the power to destroy human civilization.

Xia Chen had no time for rest.

[Honkai World Simulator activated.]

[Current Scenario: Fourth Honkai Event during the present era of the intrinsic world.]

[Equipped Weapon: Red Sakura.]

[Assigned Stigmata: Ana Schariac.]

[System generating records...]

[Day 1:]...