Volume 1, Chapter 27: Durandal and Ana

Far East, Saint Freya Academy.

A girl with braided hair slumped over her desk suddenly jolted awake, drawing puzzled stares from others before it turned into mocking laughter.

Kiana had fallen asleep again.

"Since Kiana seems so eager, let's have you answer this question," said Welt Yang, the history teacher, calmly while adjusting his glasses. "The Second Honkai occurred in Siberia. Following that event, Siberia was divided into two regions. In which direction is Old Siberia relative to the original location? It's a simple history question."

Feeling her mind go blank, Kiana instinctively glanced at Mei for help seated beside her.

However, Mei pretended not to notice.

She then looked towards Bronya, who discreetly wrote a word on the table.

"I know; it's to the east."

Immediately after, Kiana heard bursts of laughter from the classroom.

Welt Yang shook his head and said, "Alright, Kiana, please take your seat and pay attention in class."

"Yes, sir."

Embarrassed, she sat down reluctantly.

Despite this, Kiana still couldn't focus on the lesson. Instead, she found herself dwelling on the dream she just experienced.

In the dream, she transformed into a Herrscher and seemed to harm many people.

If it weren't for Xia Chen...

Unfortunately, the dream abruptly ended at that point, leaving her uncertain about her ultimate fate.

"How incredibly real it felt."

Kiana couldn't help but puff out her cheeks, pondering, "If I were to become a Herrscher, what should I do?"

However, realizing the complexity of such questions, she quickly dismissed them from her thoughts.

After class, she eagerly approached Mei and said, "Mei, Mei, I had the strangest dream."

"Alright, Kiana," Mei responded with a hint of exasperation, "let's not discuss sleeping during class again. Can't you just focus on your studies?"

"No, Mei, listen! In my dream, I..." She paused dramatically before exaggerating, "I turned into Sirin and hurt so many people. Finally, someone confronted me, leading us both to perish together."

Kiana continued recounting detailed fragments from her dream, worry etched across her face. "What if I really turn into a Herrscher? What should I do then?"

"Idiot Kiana," Bronya couldn't help but chide her. "Sirin is already dead. Today's lesson was all about her. Don't get carried away with your own fantasies."

"Hmph, who knows? Maybe Sirin could come back to life?" Despite her words, even she knew it was practically impossible. Quickly changing the subject, she asked, "Anyway, why did you write 'east' for that question? It's clearly wrong."

"Because the one answering wasn't Bronya."

Kiana fell silent.

While arguing with Bronya, Kiana failed to notice Fu Hua's slightly somber expression nearby.

"The influence of the Herrscher of the Void on Kiana is growing stronger. We must inform Otto about this."

Lying on his bed for quite some time, Xia Chen gradually returned to reality from the simulated scenario.

"In the end, I didn't manage to take down the Herrscher with me either."

He couldn't help but sigh.

Xia Chen instinctively placed his hand on his chest, feeling as though it had been pierced by the Aether Spear despite showing no visible damage. The sensation of being repeatedly torn apart by multiple Aether Spears was unforgettable.

He got up to replenish the fluids lost during the simulation. Although the virtual experiences had no direct physical impact on his real body, the intense stress still caused him to break out in sweat uncontrollably.

"Can I even sleep on these sheets now?" he muttered to himself.

Ever since acquiring the simulator, Xia Chen had become more diligent about changing and washing his bed sheets.

Sitting on the sofa, he found himself observing the system interface.

It displayed only brief lines of records; without experiencing them firsthand, one would hardly imagine each entry represented terrifying encounters with death.

Fortunately, from the beginning, he obtained 'Courage to Face All', which included facing death itself.

Otherwise, going through several deaths might have driven most people to the brink of mental collapse.

Xia Chen glanced at the time.

From the end of training until the simulation completion, only about an hour had passed in reality, and it was now just 8 PM.

At this time, he usually would read some books to expand his knowledge.

Removing the bedsheet and tossing it into the washing machine, he couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Should train some more."

With a sigh, Xia Chen released a breath.

If the simulator affects Ana, there's no reason it wouldn't impact Sirin as well, even if only through dream realms.

Without further training, he feared he might lose the very qualification to face Sirin in mutual destruction.

However, upon entering the training room, he spotted Ana with Captain Durandal.

It appeared that Durandal was guiding her training session.

A hint of surprise crossed his eyes, yet he approached and greeted them, "Captain Durandal, Ana."

"Hey, am I not your captain anymore?" Ana paused momentarily, jokingly addressing Xia Chen.

Xia Chen remained silent for a moment.

"Well then, Captain Ana?"

"Alright, I'm just teasing you."

Noticing his puzzled gaze, Ana explained, "Due to certain reasons, my body is currently weak, so I'm here for rehabilitation training. After all, I don't want to hold you back during future missions."

She paused before continuing, "Captain Durandal has kindly sacrificed her rest time to guide me."

"In comparison to your sacrifices, spending some time with you means little," Durandal shook her head and turned to Xia Chen. "Since you're here, let's assess how much you've progressed lately."

"Sounds good."

Xia Chen had already extracted enhancements related to Honkai Energy compatibility from the system, and he was eager to see how far he had improved.

On the side, Ana blinked, "Should I call over medical personnel?"

Although she didn't interact much with Durandal, she knew of the captain's immense strength. Typically, when sparring with Durandal, having medical staff nearby was standard practice.

"No need." Durandal shook her head. "I'll control my power accordingly."

Neither Xia Chen nor Durandal wore Valkyrie Armor or carried weapons; they simply stood at the center of the training ground. At this hour, except for those on duty, no one else was present.

Outside the training area, Ana observed Xia Chen launching his attack on Durandal.

Kaslana Gunmanship.

Despite its name, it could also be utilized as close-quarters combat technique. Over recent weeks, Xia Chen's physical abilities had significantly improved, especially through repeated practical experiences in simulation scenarios, greatly enhancing his proficiency in Kaslana Gunmanship.

For a moment, he managed to hold his own against Durandal, who was employing similar techniques.

However, whether intentionally holding back or for some other reason, Xia Chen found that although each impact hurt, it remained within tolerable limits.

Until Durandal spoke up:

"The warm-up is over; now let's get serious."