203 Master, this medicine is so bitter.

Memories of Cheng Lixue flooded my mind. From childhood to adulthood, we were inseparable. Eating that first bowl of wonton noodles together, battling monsters across China, teaching her my techniques, watching her become the Schicksal Valkyrie... she grew so quickly, and I never suspected anything was wrong.

She's kept me company through the years, even though it feels like only a blink of an eye compared to my long life. She was the apprentice I was most proud of, out of all the ones I've taken on.

It's a pity that she wasn't the one who met her first; then maybe she wouldn't have such a look on her face when she was delighted to become a disciple.

And about the ending,

I still remember how Cheng Lixue tragically fell in battle, but now the image burned into my mind is different. It's the one from the game – her pinned to the ground, blood staining the earth. It feels so bleak and desperate.

Is it that tragedy leaves a stronger impact, or is it that the game's version of Cheng Lixue is somehow more real than my own memory? I'm not sure. Back then, I was too focused on the enemy, not paying enough attention to her, and I almost lost her as a result.

But one thing's clear – this time, I won't fail. I'm going to save Cheng Lixue.

Mobius and Vill-V stared grimly at the frozen girl. After a quick exchange of glances, they decided having the Herrscher of the Void break her free was the best option. Waiting for the ice to melt was too slow and risky.

"Extract her entire body from the ice?" Sirin frowned. The barrier wasn't particularly thick, and she could sense the girl inside easily enough.

But... this was different. She was good at destruction, not careful work like this. She couldn't guarantee she'd save the girl instead of harming her further.

Still, they were here now. This Valkyrie was hurt because of her actions, so owing them a favor felt like the right thing to do.

With that decided, Sirin took a deep breath to steady herself. Placing her hands on the ice, she felt a chill spread through her palms. Carefully, she sensed that faint flicker of life within and began to manipulate the Honkai energy.

Suddenly, she sliced through space, teleporting the block of ice ten meters away. This delicate work was far more exhausting than she expected. Each cut had to be precise, or the girl would still be encased in ice afterward. Would all her effort be for nothing?

Fu Hua reacted with lightning speed, catching the girl as the ice vanished. She held her gently, then placed her on the ground. Her hand hovered near the girl's face, searching for any sign of breath. But there was nothing.

Fu Hua's fingers trembled. A chance, however slim, would have been better than this. The silence confirmed it – the situation was even worse than she feared.

Durandal acted swiftly. Grasping the haft of her lance and pointing its tip towards the fallen Cheng Lixue, she began a soft chant.

"I am the black of the abyss; I am the white of the heavens."

Suddenly, brilliant white light blossomed at the tip of the Black Abyss, White Flower lance. This warm radiance enveloped Cheng Lixue's body. Then, seemingly from nowhere, green vines and branches began to sprout from the ground around her, a symbol of returning life. Pure white flowers bloomed across the floor, and a gentle warmth filled the air.

Seeing this, Seele gritted her teeth and followed Durandal's example. Drawing upon her Herrscher core, she transformed her power into pure life energy. The white end of her scale glowed brightly as she stretched out a hand, releasing countless shimmering white specks that flowed into Cheng Lixue.

The bloodstains on her body slowly faded, and the remaining ice melted into a puddle beneath her. Her external wounds healed, fading away as if they'd never existed. Her breathing returned, a faint but reassuring sound.

But then, Durandal hesitated. It wasn't weakness or fatigue; she could continue effortlessly. No, the problem was the girl herself. It was as if her body was a bottomless pit, with the life energy they poured in disappearing into nothingness.

The situation was far worse than they initially thought. It was a good thing they hadn't been hasty in their rescue.

Mobius and Vill-V exchanged worried glances as they scanned the girl with their portable equipment. Even with the limited tools, they could gather valuable data.

Elysia scratched her cheek in embarrassment and walked too hastily.

Meanwhile, Elysia scratched her cheek sheepishly. In the rush, she'd completely forgotten about someone whose abilities were perfect for this situation. She hoped Su wouldn't be too annoyed...after all, she only had eyes for beautiful girls...

Meanwhile, back in the golden courtyard, Su sat with his eyes closed, a frown forming on his face. They had agreed on a meeting time, so where was everyone? He could feel his eyelids twitching with a mix of confusion and annoyance.

Back at the scene, the group launched into a frantic rescue effort for Lixue. Fu Hua watched with barely concealed anxiety, while Luo Mo and Elysia hung back, seemingly unconcerned.

Well, Elysia still found time to fuss over Seele, offering a handkerchief to wipe away sweat. Rita, always at Durandal's side, made sure her attempts at assistance were met with a chilly glare.

Meanwhile, shielded by the life-giving energy, Vill-V and Mobius worked tirelessly to set up a makeshift medical station. They were determined to drag Cheng Lixue back from hell gate.

"Her body's a wreck. She'll need plenty of rest," Mobius declared, wiping sweat from her brow. Even with Vill-V's help, her own weakened state made this a struggle. Still, this girl's condition was comparable to some of the worst cases from Mobius's experimental past.

The Herrscher of Death's healing abilities were truly something. Maybe if they had similar technology, she wouldn't have to cycle through so many ridiculous nicknames! Seriously, it was because they kept shoving near-death patients at her, yet she blamed herself for wasting lives? Whatever, that was ancient history.

Mobius sighed. This operation had been a success, although her 'assistant' was clearly a Novice.

"Hey, cut me some slack! I crammed an hour of medical knowledge on the plane to here – that's impressive, right?" Vill-V grumbled, unhappy with Mobius's disapproving look. If she hadn't stayed up all night messing around, she wouldn't have needed that panicked, last-minute study session. She was supposed to just grab Su and fly back!

"Whatever, could've done this myself. Point is, harsh medicine's no good for serious cases like this. She needs to rest," Mobius declared, moving aside to find a quiet spot. She settled down, eyes closed, clearly catching up on some sleep.

Harsh medicine? Now there's an idea. Luo Mo hesitated, then pulled out an item from his inventory. It was something he'd gotten a while back but never actually used. It felt a bit wasteful to use it on Theresa just to get her affection, but it wasn't exactly potent in the healing department either...

-- [St. Freya's Specialty Bitter Melon Juice]

Sure, it may look flashy with its four-star rating, but that's just like every other item in those gacha pulls – mostly purple. System-produced stuff is always weirdly potent, with no side effects to worry about.

So... Luo Mo was also a little curious about what would happen if the seriously ill patient in front of him ate it.

So...Luo Mo got curious. What would happen if he gave this to a critically ill patient like this girl? He trusted Fu Hua, and even though she was perplexed when he took out that jar of mysterious green liquid, she just raised an eyebrow and watched. Of course, if she wasn't busy holding Cheng Lixue, she'd probably snatch it and check it out for herself.

Cheng Lixue leaned against Fu Hua, held gently in her master's arms. Without hesitating much, Luo Mo offered her a few sips.

The effect was…well, immediate isn't the word. "Ugh...blech..." Cheng Lixue grimaced as if she'd just tasted something awful and gagged violently.

Suddenly, the girl's weakened body seemed to surge with a new strength, some of that life-giving energy seeming to take hold within her. Mobius, startled, opened her eyes. She'd just given the diagnosis –

And... how did the other party wake up? This doesn't make sense, does it?

Luo Mo looked awkwardly at the half-empty bottle of green liquid in his hand, quickly shoving it behind his back. Under the scrutinizing gazes of the others, he could practically scream in his head: That green stuff might look weird, but I swear it's not poison!

Even if it was, it was produced by Theresa of St. Freya Academy and had nothing to do with him!

Whatever was in this system-created item, it clearly packs a punch. Even a critically injured person can gain strength from it. As for actually healing injuries...well, he hadn't seen any change on that front.

But now wasn't the time to point that out. Better focus on the positive...

Cheng Lixue's eyelashes fluttered weakly, and she slowly opened her eyes. "Master," she croaked, her voice barely a whisper. "Please, no more medicine...it's so bitter..."

The slender and fragile body could not help but tremble, as if awakened by the indescribable taste, and the taste buds had already deeply remembered the taste.

Elysia, ever curious, smiled mischievously as she crept behind Luo Mo. She was desperate to find out what he'd just given the girl. As she moved, Luo Mo smoothly shifted the bitter melon juice out of her sight.

But Elysia was too quick! Her eyes lit up, and with a feint to the right, she suddenly snatched the jar with her left hand.

"Let me see what amazing potion this is!" she declared, her voice filled with excitement. "Something this powerful has to be fascinating!"

With a thought, Luo Mo made the bottle disappear, linked as he was to the system. Elysia, caught mid-grab, landed lightly, a flash of disappointment crossing her face. But instead of anger, she studied Luo Mo carefully, noticing his forced cough and the way he avoided her gaze. This sudden disappearance of his mystery tonic was suspicious.

She'd never done anything to harm him, but that didn't seem to matter. No matter what, she'd uncover the secret eventually.

For now, thanks to the combined power of the Black Abyss White Flower and carefully applied medicine, Cheng Lixue's condition slowly began to improve.

It seemed the system's bitter melon juice was less like medicine and more like a magic potion. It gave her health an immediate boost and somehow made her body absorb other healing treatments more easily. It was like gently fanning a flickering candle, nurturing the flame of life instead of overwhelming it like some stronger methods did.

Of course, it also comes with that bitter taste.

Even though she remained unconscious, her condition had greatly improved. The words she mumbled in her sleep made Fu Hua smile softly. It had been so long since she last heard this girl complain about anything. And now, of all things...

...

Once Cheng Lixue had stabilized enough, they followed her wishes and sent her to St. Freya Academy, the infamous Far East Demon cave [herrscher training ground]. Her recovery was thanks in no small part to Luo Mo and that bitter melon juice – she'd gulped down a bottle and a half of it!

Apparently, she briefly woke up halfway through, but one look at the jar was enough. Those resentful eyes... Luo Mo wisely handed the job of feeding her to Fu Hua, her master.

All in all, he'd done a good thing! Not only was their master-student relationship repaired, but... well, Fu Hua grumbled that Cheng Lixue's first sight had been Luo Mo and her first words were about his bitter 'poison', with plenty of displeasure in her eyes...

But Cheng Lixue was clearly overjoyed to be alive and see her master again. Sadly, sometimes willpower can't overcome a weakened body, and she soon fainted again.

Elysia's tour of Schicksal Headquarters was brief but enjoyable. After soaking up the atmosphere, she hopped on the plane home with a cheerful tune on her lips.

Mobius, meanwhile, couldn't shake the memory of that mysterious potion. It had a powerful effect that defied her expectations. She was dying to know what was in it, but her 'accidental' samples seemed to indicate it was just regular bitter melon juice.

So the question was: who grew bitter melon with such potent properties?

With a complex mixture of curiosity and frustration, Mobius turned her focus elsewhere. The new update for Honkai Impact 3 was in the final stages and about to launch for testing. While waiting, Luo Mo made the most of this time.

The Associate Scriptwriter's brainchild, the [Valkyrie's Table] feature finally debuted. It offered players a fun diversion during their downtime.

Luo Mo also made sure Mei got some extra spotlight in the new feature. As Mei, she would teach players more recipes, helping them out in-game and enhancing the experience. Luo Mo is always thinking of his players!

Understanding that Mei's background meant her culinary knowledge was focused on a specific region, Luo Mo, always the considerate boss, decided to spice things up. In preparation for the upcoming storyline, he wanted to give Mei a chance to really showcase her charm.

To that end, he even hired some chefs to teach Mei new cuisines!

Mei seemed baffled by this, and there was a dangerous glint in her eye as she looked at him, kitchen knife in hand. She believed that the boss was the person behind spreading the 'rice cooker' title rumors about her.

But in the end, seeing Kiana's greedy expression, she sighed and put that aside. Mei genuinely loves to cook, so she decided to overlook the boss's strange antics for now and focus on dubbing this short animation. 

"Let's start by prepping our ingredients..." The animated sequences with their cute art style, delicious-looking food displays, and voiced explanations by beloved characters made [Valkyrie's Table] an instant hit.

Well, except for some comments...

[ Focus on animation! It's so much better than your half-baked game! ]

[ Everyone knows MiHoYo's an animation company with a decade of experience. Why do you guys even bother with that childish game stuff anymore? ]

[ *MiHoYo, famous animation studio responsible for The Last Lesson, Angel Reconstruction, Valkyrie's Table... * ]

Comments like this made Luo Mo roll his eyes. Ridiculous!