Volume 2, Chapter 21: Improved Moon Ash - The Cloud Spear, Where Range Embodies Justice

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Raiden Mei's decision to skip classes and immerse herself in training did not significantly impact Xia Chen.

On the contrary, witnessing firsthand a girl's continuous progress aided his own cultivation of Taixuan Sword Qi.

Raiden Mei improved rapidly, quickly addressing any flaws Xia Chen observed, whether in speed or technique.

In contrast, Bronya's behavior seemed somewhat peculiar to him.

Xia Chen sensed that Bronya lacked focus during training, yet appeared hesitant to speak with him. She wanted to inquire about world bubbles but struggled to find the right words. This indecision struck Xia Chen differently.

"Could it be that Bronya has developed feelings for me?"

"No, don't get too narcissistic."

"But still, let's maintain some distance."

Xia Chen wasn't overly self-absorbed, and at present, he had little emotional bandwidth to spare.

A week passed swiftly. He conducted three more simulations during this time.

These scenarios involved the arrival of Herrschers from the previous era: Herrscher of Flame, Herrscher of Thunder, and Herrscher of Wind.

With each simulation, his mastery over Ideal Fluid grew increasingly proficient. He even began experimenting with combining two Stigma powers alongside Herrscher abilities.

The resulting power was immense, but his body couldn't withstand it.

If one compares the body to a cannon chamber, then the Stigma's power and Herrscher abilities are akin to cannonballs. Continuous firing would inevitably lead to the cannon exploding.

"It would be great if the Valkyrie Armor could help alleviate the physical strain caused by Honkai Energy bursts."

He found it quite unfortunate.

As before, the rewards from these simulations were Homunculus Energy Fragments, which remained consistently insufficient for his needs.

Due to these fragments, Xia Chen's connection with Ana's and Sirin's Stigmata became clearer within his consciousness. However, his relationship with Sirin was strained, while although good with Ana, she often felt jealous due to Sirin's presence...

Feeling overwhelmed, Xia Chen even hesitated to extensively use Sirin's Authority, fearing Ana might misinterpret it.

While deep in thought at the training room, he unexpectedly received a communication from Nagamitsu.

"Hey, busy?" The scientist's eyes narrowed with a smile as she saw Xia Chen. "After your previous test, we've made improvements to the Purgatory Knight - Moon Ash tailored to your physical condition."

"Improvements tailored to my physical condition?" Xia Chen was slightly taken aback. "But I'm not yet an S-Class Valkyrie."

"It's just a matter of time; Schicksal isn't rigid about such things," Nagamitsu reassured him.

For her, providing Moon Ash to Xia Chen wasn't an issue, especially since Otto had already given his approval. She explained, "Give me your coordinates, and I'll send it over via quantum transmission."

"Quantum transmission..." Xia Chen couldn't help but marvel. "You're continually impressing me with Schicksal Technologies."

"Oh, that's nothing." Nagamitsu dismissed it nonchalantly.

Within half a minute, a brand-new set of armor along with its accompanying weapon materialized before him.

It was a sniper rifle.

"This is..." Xia Chen looked at Nagamitsu, awaiting her explanation.

Nagamitsu didn't withhold any information and directly stated:

"Due to cost constraints and current technology limitations, we haven't extensively modified the Moon Ash armor itself. We've preserved its high suppressive firepower against groups and improved energy utilization efficiency. It's most suitable for large-scale Honkai events, such as the Second Honkai Eruption or the recent Manila incident."

She paused before continuing, "And this gun embodies the customization I mentioned earlier."

"To align with Eastern naming conventions, this weapon is called the Cloud Spear. Its primary function is to concentrate Honkai Energy. Based on theoretical calculations, when paired with the armor, it amplifies your Honkai Energy usage by 225%. The maximum effective range is six kilometers, with peak power at one kilometer, gradually decreasing beyond that. Truly embodying the principle 'range is justice.'

"In addition, similar to Hler's Serenity, it possesses a phantom mode, allowing you to transform it into a long blade for close-quarters combat on the battlefield.

"Furthermore, due to the modifications made to Moon Ash, users experience significant strain. However, using the Cloud Spear triggers the Star of Mass-Energy, an integrated support feature. This not only reduces the load on your body but also decreases the focusing time of both armor and weapon by 40%, while increasing the weapon's damage output by 400%."

"All these figures are from theoretical tests; for actual performance evaluation, you'll need to conduct your own trials. I won't be involved in that part. Developing this weapon modification has kept me sleepless for several days."

After finishing, Nagamitsu let out a large yawn.

"Thank you very much."

Xia Chen felt a mix of emotions. He knew Otto suspected him and had investigated his background thoroughly. Yet, despite this, Otto still provided everything as promised—a rare display of magnanimity.

Does that man truly believe he controls it all?

"You're welcome. Just treat Ana and me to dinner when you have time. Speaking of which, Ana should actually call me 'Big Sister'—who would've thought she'd find someone before me?"

In Schicksal, Ana was well-known everywhere due to her Schariac heritage—it couldn't be helped.

Xia Chen smiled warmly, "Sure, deal."

After cutting off the communication, Xia Chen eagerly donned the armor and grasped the Cloud Spear.

With his current physique, handling the weight of the armor posed no issue. However, what delighted Xia Chen was that the armor also seemed to alleviate the burden within him. As soon as he wore it, both the power of Stigmata and his inherent Honkai energy appeared amplified.

"Pity there isn't a place to test it properly."

He couldn't help but ask the System, "System, is it possible to bring this armor and weapons into the simulation scenarios?"

[Not feasible.]

The System coldly rejected him:

[Within the simulation scenarios, only the host's personal abilities can be utilized; all other items must originate from the System space.]

Xia Chen felt a sense of disappointment.

Just then, he received another communication request.

It was Otto Apocalypse.

"How's everything? I hope I'm not interrupting your enjoyment of the new armor and weapon."

The Lord Bishop sat in his office, looking at Xia Chen with a warm smile, appearing quite amiable.

Xia Chen's mood inevitably sank, and he responded seriously, "Lord Bishop, you're not disturbing me at all. In fact, I feel both excited and somewhat apprehensive."

"I currently haven't achieved the required merits for this armor."

"That's inconsequential. Ensuring fair value has always been Schicksal's commitment to all its members," Otto waved his hand dismissively. "However, considering you've just obtained the armor, there hasn't been much time for testing."

"Here's a task for you, which will also serve as an opportunity to familiarize yourself with the armor ahead of time."

Xia Chen's brow furrowed gravely, "Please give me your instructions, Lord Bishop."

"No rush. Before that, let me ask if you have heard about the Stairway to Galaxy Project?"

"Stairway to Galaxy?" Xia Chen paused slightly, then shook his head. "I haven't heard of it."

Otto responded indifferently, "Not knowing is fine; I'll have someone brief you on this project later. Familiarize yourself with it when you can."

"The place you need to go is currently the site of the Stairway to Galaxy Project, located at Coral Island, a burgeoning city on the equator within the Asia-Pacific region."