Chapter 68: Journey to Tianqiong: Collaboration with World Serpent

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Honkai World, a few days later, Tianqiong City.

The bustling streets of Tianqiong City teemed with people, creating a dense flow of pedestrians. Amidst the crowd, a girl with white hair styled in a braided ponytail, wearing a cap and jacket, walked cautiously. She briefly glanced up at the overhead surveillance camera, adjusted her cap, and swiftly moved away.

On the rooftop of a nearby tall building, two figures stood overlooking the city below, including the somewhat suspicious-looking white-haired girl amidst the crowd within their line of sight.

"Now, you should feel reassured, right?" said the relaxed voice of a girl lounging lazily on the skydeck, her tone unmistakably familiar—it was Ana. At that moment, she had already deactivated her Godslayer Armor and wore her usual Valkyrie uniform from Schicksal. This uniform was no longer produced, but she still cherished it deeply.

A white cloak draped over her shoulders helped blend in, providing some concealment.

"Mm-hmm."

The response came from another figure lying beside her on the skydeck. She was taller than Ana, with a fuller figure, and strands of fiery red hair peeked out from beneath her hood. Her gaze held warmth—without a doubt, it was Murata Himeko.

Virtual Space exists parallel to the real world, so upon exiting it, Ana and Himeko arrived in Tianqiong City. Similarly, as expected, a certain adorable someone would also emerge here.

Just moments ago, they spotted that very person—the delightful Kia-chan.

Initially, Ana didn't want to bring Himeko here, but she couldn't resist her insistence and ended up bringing her along to wait.

As for locating Kiana's whereabouts, it was effortless for Ana.

Apart from having direct contact with Gray Serpent, even on her own, her wind could envelop all of Tianqiong City. With her ability to sense Honkai Energy, pinpointing Kiana would have been a simple task.

However, Ana already knew Senti would appear at this spot, making it unnecessary to go through such trouble.

"Alright, now that you've had your moment, let's leave together."

With these words, Ana gracefully leaped and landed beside Himeko.

"Remember, I gave you this second chance at life, so from now on, you must follow my instructions."

"Yes," Himeko agreed without any objections. Seeing her efforts were not in vain, she felt content even if death awaited her afterward. As for Ana, she trusted her completely; everything rested in the hands of this young Valkyrie.

Moreover, since Ana had just saved her life, there was no reason not to dedicate herself fully to her cause. Himeko understood Ana's character well enough.

"Don't worry; I won't make you do anything harmful to them. However, for now, it's best if you don't appear before them."

As Ana spoke, she tilted her head back, gazing at the full moon above.

"To the current Kia-chan, Murata Himeko holds more value as deceased."

"It's like a hero's epic poem; once the story has ended, there's no need for meaningless sequels. If desired, write a new continuation instead."

"Understood." Himeko responded. She didn't fully grasp Ana's analogy but felt that Ana was right. Hmm, somehow, it seemed as though she had morphed into taking on Ana's perspective.

"All right, let's go. First, we'll find an expert to transplant a new set of artificial Stigmata for you."

With these words, Ana casually produced a piece of Soulium and tossed it to Himeko.

"Do you remember this?"

Himeko looked at the Soulium in her hand, and memories instantly resurfaced. She recalled it being the objective from their quest in the Nine Realms—the Stigmata of Shenzhou warrior Ji Lin.

"How did you come across this?" Himeko asked curiously.

"If I wanted to, Schicksal would already be mine; as my possession, isn't it natural for this artifact to end up in my hands?" Ana replied leisurely.

"Besides, now I am the Director of the Far East Branch and Principal of Saint Freya Academy."

Ana wasn't joking. Otto never rescinded Theresa's arrest warrant, but to demonstrate his trust in Ana, he handed over control of the Far East Branch to her.

Although the current Far East Branch is essentially an empty shell, it still carries significant influence. Moreover, at such a vast institution like Saint Freya Academy, Ana has the final say on all matters.

Theresa's assault on Schicksal relied heavily on Anti-Entropy's support, and there remain numerous teachers and students within Saint Freya Academy!

However, Ana herself had no strong desire for power. Additionally, without Judah or Amber by her side, handling administrative tasks would be exhausting. Thus, her role was largely ceremonial, just bearing the title.

"Well then, congratulations, Principal Ana," Himeko said with crossed arms, teasing her lightly.

She wasn't overly concerned about Theresa either. The fact that Ana hadn't taken any action implied she had everything under control, not to mention Anti-Entropy wasn't idle either.

Granted, those machines were indeed quite useless against Herrschers.

"Oh please!" Ana shrugged. "If it weren't for your current predicament, I'd have made you Acting Principal and tossed you straight into Saint Freya Academy."

"Well then!" Himeko smiled. "I've always wanted to be Principal of Saint Freya Academy, you know. That Theresa constantly has Judah handle her paperwork, thinking no one notices."

"Heh, yeah, we're aware." Ana waved her hand, internally sighing. Theresa, oh Theresa, your pristine image is long gone. Humph, not that it's my fault.

"However, this time, I'm taking you to meet an old friend of mine." Ana paused momentarily before adding, "Even Otto once suffered at her hands."

"Oh?" With arms crossed, Himeko's interest piqued immediately about this old friend mentioned by Ana.

It would be impossible to claim that Himeko harbored no resentment towards Otto. If given the chance, she'd even consider stabbing him right now. Unfortunately, it was not feasible, but naturally, she developed some fondness for anyone capable of making Otto suffer.

"However, truthfully, Otto simply let his guard down; she's the one who truly suffered."

With those words, Ana leaped off the skydeck. Watching her depart, Himeko displayed a wry smile and opened her communicator.

"Hey, if you leave like this, what should I do?"

Currently, Himeko had lost most of her physical attributes, leaving only her skills intact. Essentially, she was just slightly stronger than an ordinary person. Jumping from buildings like Ana suggested might work for shorter structures, allowing her to absorb the impact with her techniques.

But attempting such a leap from a skyscraper was purely absurd.

"You can take the stairs, darling."

Hearing Ana's teasing laughter over the communication channel, Himeko clenched her fists but said nothing. Instead, she turned towards the elevator.

This grudge...she indeed had little recourse against it.

Upon entering Divine City Pharmaceuticals' building, Himeko sensed something unusual. It felt akin to Schicksal's laboratories; undoubtedly, they must be conducting Honkai-related experiments here.

However, seeing Ana's relaxed demeanor reassured Himeko. Ana had no reason or intention to harm her, and performing Honkai experiments was quite normal, as both Schicksal and Anti-Entropy engaged in them.

"Well, well, well, what wind brings such an important figure like you, Principal Ana?"

A woman clad in a white lab coat, wearing a jackal mask, approached them. Judging by her attire, Himeko surmised she must be a scientist, likely a highly gifted one.

From her speech and posture, it seemed this woman held authority over the place.

"Oh, oh dear, isn't it just about brushing up on my knowledge with you, Teacher Cleo?" Ana replied with a light laugh, stepping forward warmly.

The woman shuddered slightly and waved her hand dismissively. "Hmph, I hardly deserve the title of your teacher."

"Aiya, don't be upset now. How about I allocate some extra funding for you? Deal?" Ana suggested soothingly.

"Hmph." The woman responded with another cold snort but didn't outright object.

The woman scoffed but didn't object outright; her research funding had always been under Gray Serpent's control. Otherwise, she wouldn't have needed to rely on Ana as a financial backer. It was undeniable that the Shanijat Financial Group possessed immense wealth.

"Fine, there's an old saying from Shenzhou: 'One does not visit without purpose.' So, tell me your intentions!"

"I need you to transplant this artificial stigma onto my dear friend here."

As Ana spoke, she waved the Soulium containing Jilin's Stigmata before Jackal's eyes.

"This is the Stigmata we obtained from Ji Lin, an ancient warrior of Goshen, during our expedition in the Jiuyou Ruins. I thought it might pique your interest."

"Hmph." With a cold snort, Jackal took the Soulium from Ana, examined it briefly, and then tucked it away.

Seeing Jackal accept the Soulium, Ana smiled knowingly. She understood this woman well - a genius mad scientist with a touch of arrogance and pride. Despite her madness, when entrusted with tasks, Jackal remained highly reliable.

Regarding the study of Jilin's Stigmata, regardless of who conducted the research, understanding its intricacies would be necessary for successful transplantation onto Himeko. Thus, the notion of "interest" and "research" held little significance in this context.

"Oh right, is my little bunny at home?"

"I've been truly exhausted these past few days..." Ana sighed, looking dispirited.

"For Hare, you'll need to ask Gray Serpent," Jackal replied. After a momentary pause, a hint of confusion crept into her voice. "By the way, I must admit, she isn't even human. How did you manage to instill such fear in her?"

This was something that puzzled Jackal endlessly.

Having interacted with Hare on several occasions, Jackal knew she embodied the Logos of a certain Stigma, making her an exceptionally unique being. She possessed unimaginable power, absolute rationality, and some intangible qualities Jackal couldn't quite grasp.

Yet, this extraordinary existence feared Ana.

Although Ana was Hare's benefactor, a partner of the World Serpent, and wielded considerable influence, it seemed unlikely that she could instill such dread in someone like Hare.

"Heh, not telling." Ana chuckled mischievously, unwilling to reveal how she had won over Hare through "love."

Indeed, Hare originated from the essence of Schariac's Stigmata Will, transformed by transcription into its Logos form.

However, her holy blood had undergone a transformation, explainable only by Honkai Energy, elevating it to the level of first-generation holy blood. This placed Ana's status akin to Kevin's influence over the Kaslana Stigmata Will.

In simpler terms, while Misteln might appear as Cecilia's daughter and Bronya's aunt on the surface, in reality, she could also be considered Ana's daughter.

As for legal matters, that pesky System took care of them all.

Moreover, just like how Kevin exerted absolute dominance over the Kaslana Stigmata Will, Ana held similar control over Misteln. So what would Ana do after subduing Misteln?

Naturally, get affectionate with her.

Wow, having someone who looks exactly like your mother-in-law, yet unable to resist you—what better opportunity? It's almost like turning your pet cat into a catgirl; admittedly, there are conceptual differences, but the fun remains the same.

Additionally, Misteln always acted as if she knew everything, which was genuinely infuriating. How could one not teach her a firm lesson?

And considering the constant frustration from dealing with Rita, finding someone to vent on seemed perfectly reasonable, right?

Initially, Hare didn't fully comprehend or even managed to withstand it, sometimes taunting like a cheeky imp. However, over time, she couldn't bear it anymore.

The reason being, she couldn't resist; she could only passively endure.

Furthermore, Hare embodied the Logos of Stigmata, while Ana represented its origin. Theoretically, they could effortlessly reproduce descendants.

Unfortunately, this world had cyber-intimacy but lacked cyber-contraception.

Thus, with no other choice, Hare resorted to avoiding Ana altogether.

"Hmph, if you don't want to talk about it, then fine."

Jackal couldn't help feeling exasperated by Ana's attitude; she truly had no leverage over her. Sometimes, privately, Jackal entertained dreams of reversing their roles someday, akin to how fortunes can shift every thirty years. Alas, Ana remained like an insurmountable mountain, always towering above her.

On occasion, Jackal even wondered if, instead of becoming a Valkyrie, Ana might have excelled more as a scientist than herself.

Granted, Ana was unaware of her exceptional scientific aptitude; she merely possessed knowledge of fundamental truths unknown to many in this world. Nonetheless, grasping even a fraction of these truths could represent an immeasurable leap forward in science.

"Alright then, I'll leave her in your care. Make sure to take good care of her!" Ana admonished earnestly.

"She already owes me two lives," Jackal replied firmly, "and if you cause any trouble, I'll demand repayment with yours."

Although Jackal was indeed reliable, Himeko's situation presented unique challenges. Ana genuinely feared that this scientist might stumble upon something and cause unexpected trouble, prompting her stern warning.

"Don't worry, I have plenty of experimental subjects," Jackal responded nonchalantly. "Just now, I tested my latest serum on two young girls."

"And then they grew tails and horns?" Ana's expression turned slightly peculiar.