A Change of Heart

The transaction within the Fenghuang Down had gone unnoticed. At this time, in an unknown corner of ARC City…

Accompanied by a buzzing sound, a dark golden spatial rift suddenly opened. Two figures stumbled out, nearly falling to the ground.

Kiana's pure white hair was streaked with black soot, and the ends were slightly scorched. Grabbing the railing next to her with one hand, she quickly reached out to support Rita, who was about to collapse, with the other.

"Hey," Kiana quipped, her voice light despite the situation. "You're not thinking of dying with me just because you were saved by a Herrscher, are you?"

"Haa~" Rita exhaled deeply, her composure strained. "I wouldn't pointlessly sacrifice myself over a little humiliation." She tried to stand but found her strength completely drained. Reluctantly, she leaned against Kiana for support.

"Judging from the number of enemies and their arrangements, if we don't create a diversion, they'll keep hunting us down in this city. So, I used the impact to stir some chaos. It not only destroyed a large part of their armed forces but also disrupted the agents they planned to deploy across the city."

"That was too risky. What if something had gone wrong?"

"Even if something went wrong, I would at least be able to drag a powerful Herrscher down with me. That would be a good thing for the entire world."

Hearing Rita's unconcealed hostility, Kiana's face darkened slightly. "You're too much. I even went out of my way to save your squad members, and yet you wanted me to die with you?"

"Ms. Kiana, I hope you clearly understand your identity. Also…" Rita paused, her tone softening just a little. "That was just the worst-case scenario. I wouldn't—"

Before she could finish, her body began to tremble. Her willpower finally gave out under the weight of exhaustion. Sliding down Kiana's shoulder, she collapsed onto the ground, peacefully losing consciousness.

Kiana sighed helplessly as she looked at the fallen Rita. "What a troublesome maid..." she muttered under her breath.

With no other choice, she bent down and hoisted Rita off the ground. However, Kiana herself was nearing her limit. The chaotic Honkai energy and invasive consciousness were gnawing at her mind. Even with the Herrscher's consciousness temporarily trapped by Ren, resisting the raw Honkai energy was almost impossible.

Haa… haa…

Kiana panted heavily as she carried Rita, staggering towards a safer place. Each step felt heavier than the last, her mind growing hazy. Just as she was on the brink of collapse, a cool, soothing aura suddenly flowed into her mind, clearing away the fog clouding her thoughts.

"Kiana."

Fu Hua's voice suddenly echoed in her mind. It had been so quiet for so long that Kiana had almost forgotten about her presence.

"Class Monitor?" The title slipped out reflexively before Kiana quickly corrected herself. "Fu Hua, what are you here for?"

Fu Hua noticed the unnatural change in Kiana's words. A faint smile tugged at her lips. It made her happy, even if just a little, because it showed that deep down, Kiana still regarded her as a friend.

She was about to respond as she usually would, with a gentle reprimand or advice. But then, she recalled the words spoken by that mysterious figure—the ones she had silently carried in her heart. Swallowing her usual response, she instead said dryly, "You've worked hard these last few days."

"…"

Kiana was taken aback. For a moment, she didn't know how to respond.

This wasn't like Fu Hua. Normally, her focus was on monitoring the Honkai erosion within Kiana, her concern driven by the potential disaster if Kiana lost control. Rarely, if ever, did Fu Hua show care for the person behind the Herrscher powers.

The sudden shift felt strange—awkward, even. Kiana hesitated, unsure of how to react, before blurting out in a tough tone, "Is there something you need? Let me tell you, I'm not going to listen to you and abandon Rita."

"I feel like you've deeply misunderstood me…" Fu Hua began but quickly stopped herself. "I… No, that isn't important."

She paused, recalling their earlier conversation in the mindscape. Swallowing unnecessary words, she continued, "Your willpower has improved significantly in resisting Honkai erosion. But your body still can't handle the Honkai energy output during battles."

"So?" Kiana prompted, raising an eyebrow.

"I have a cultivation technique that can help you manage the Honkai erosion. I'm not sure if it's perfectly suited for you, but at your current level, it should be very effective."

"Cultivation technique…?" Kiana tilted her head slightly, her tone skeptical. "Class Monitor, I suddenly feel like you're one of those street vendors selling bootleg books under a bridge."

She let out a small sigh, remembering her travels through Shenzhou. It wasn't uncommon to run into people claiming to belong to the Six Great Sects, though most turned out to be frauds.

"I'm different from them," Fu Hua replied calmly. "This is a cultivation technique I personally practice. I've spent tens of thousands of years perfecting it, and it's proven effective in lessening the effects of Honkai energy."

"Tens of thousands of years?" Kiana repeated, eyes widening in disbelief.

"…" Fu Hua froze for a moment, realizing her slip. Kiana didn't know her true identity yet. It seemed her previous conversation with the other [Kiana] had left a misunderstanding that Fu Hua hadn't noticed until now.

"In any case, whether you learn it or not is up to you. I won't force you to practice it, and I won't interfere with any of your decisions," Fu Hua said calmly. "If you want to learn it, then come find me. For now, you need to focus on finding a safe place to rest."

With that, Fu Hua retreated into her mindscape, leaving Kiana alone with her thoughts.

"…"

Kiana stood there for a moment, reflecting on Fu Hua's words. There was a lot to consider, but now wasn't the time to linger. The people from Heliopolis Life Sciences Pharmaceutical were definitely still searching for them. She needed to find a place to hide—quickly.

Her gaze drifted toward the hospital. She didn't know if Ren had sensed what had happened, but going back wasn't an option. With no other choice, she carried Rita to an abandoned garage to serve as a temporary resting spot.

…

Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, Raven stood amidst the ruins of the Heliopolis Life Sciences Pharmaceutical building. Her expression was sullen, her arms crossed as she surveyed the destruction.

The Stigmata Project had been her responsibility. But now, before the project had even begun, the base lay in shambles. Billions of investments—and years of World Serpent's meticulous planning—had been destroyed in a single night.

The consequences would be severe. Even if they didn't hold her completely accountable, Raven couldn't escape unscathed. If they decided to make her pay for the damages, it would cost her over ten villa islands.

"Should I just run away?" Raven muttered to herself. "I can just push the responsibility onto Jackal. After all, that woman was the one who decided to fight against Schicksal, and she's probably dead by now."

She began mapping out her escape route but quickly realized the harsh truth—her chances of evading World Serpent were slim at best.

"It was Jackal and that Schicksal woman's fault. I was just hunting down those stray Valkyries. Who would have expected our home to be bombed?" She kept mumbling to herself, trying to rationalize her situation.

Suddenly, the communicator in her hand began to ring. The screen lit up with an incoming call—from Jackal.

"Save me…" came a faint, desperate voice.

Raven froze for a moment, her eyes narrowing. "You're not dead yet? It seems I have to silence you," she muttered under her breath.

"Hmm?" Jackal's confused voice responded on the other end.

Realizing her slip, Raven quickly scrambled for an excuse. "Ah… I mean, I'm surprised you're still alive," she said with a forced chuckle.

Killing a cadre was a serious crime—a thought she could entertain but never act upon. Now that Jackal was alive, perhaps she could share the blame. After all, wasn't this mess Jackal's fault to begin with?