To create Honkai Impact 3rd in a world where Kallen exists.

Seeing that Kevin had discovered something new, the curious Alicia came over.

Then several of them gathered around to take a look.

"This is the crystal ball you mentioned? Uh... Luo Mo's description is really strange, I can't understand it at all. If it is this, I have seen it before, it's a souvenir from the Eden concert."

"It's rare that you still have it, Kevin. It seems you really like Eden's music."

Alicia touched the surface of the crystal ball with her finger, not daring to apply any force. The crack was so obvious that she even felt it was no longer usable.

“…Hmm.” Kevin’s fingers caressed the transparent sphere, his eyes filled with reminiscence, recalling the surprise in Gretchen’s eyes when he handed it to her.

Greta wasn't good at expressing gratitude, but she would never carelessly leave her old friend's belongings here.

She is not that kind of person.

Then... the reason seems quite obvious.

"Let's go find Gretchen."

Kevin put away the crystal ball, a flicker of emotion crossing his eyes.

He remained expressionless, simply gripping the crystal ball tightly as he continued walking forward…

Vita shrugged, mentally marking another X for So, it seemed this time it really was going to be a fight.

...

After that, there was nothing to see but the helplessness of the Ark when it was forcibly crashed and fell, leaving only ruins.

They entered the forbidden area and found the hibernation pods without any hindrance. The access was extremely difficult for the locals in Vita to obtain, but for the group of heroes... they were all qualified.

Although if Qianjie and Alicia approach, they might be shown a message that the person with the authority is dead—if the system here is updated in time.

Fu Hua stepped forward and gently brushed away the dust with her hand. Under the transparent glass enclosure lay a sleeping beauty. The name Sleeping Beauty was truly fitting. Under her short blue hair was a face that everyone was familiar with. Her eyes were closed, and a quiet temperament arose in everyone's hearts. Just by looking at her appearance, one could tell that she had grown up.

The skirt, a mix of light blue and white with white floral patterns, was adorned with a compass and a small telescope tied to the chest with a pale gold ribbon. It seemed the wearer feared being careless and forgetting them. After all, these were essential items for any traveler, indispensable for a young interstellar traveler.

She no longer likes to go barefoot like she did when she was a child. Now she wears socks and shoes properly, and thick white silk covers her legs. Her leg rings are also functional, with three paintbrushes sticking out of them so she can take them out to paint at any time.

Regardless, that child with the paintbrush in her hand, as pure as a blank sheet of paper, quietly grew up, using the dazzling stars as her home.

"Gratio..."

Alicia looked at her familiar yet unfamiliar companions inside and felt a pang of heartache.

Growing up is an unavoidable topic for any child, but Gretchen... do you still yearn to grow up?

It was precisely because she knew the other person's answer that she felt even more heartache. When she resolutely embarked on her journey to the stars, she had already completed her growth.

Kevin looked at Gretchen inside, pondered for a moment, and then pressed the special communicator to request communication with her.

"Hello, hello, you've finally opened up communication! I have a lot of questions... Why set it up like this, one-way communication? Real-time communication is the most important thing!" Vilvi's dissatisfied voice came through, and she spoke passionately.

Kevin had already guessed it, which is why he specifically requested a one-sided arrangement.

Before the device is damaged, video can be transmitted unilaterally at any time, but phone calls can be unilaterally rejected.

How do we save Gretchen?

Kevin's words were as concise as ever. If asked who was most familiar with the Ark before them, Vilvie would naturally be the answer... In terms of technical aspects, after all, Gretchen had spent an astonishing amount of time with the Ark.

“Close the hibernation pod… Hey, wait a minute, Ellie. Gresh is clearly trapped inside by some kind of mental force. We need to help her first before opening it. Right now, the hibernation pod isn’t just trapping Gresh inside; it’s saving Gresh’s life.”

"Who knew Alicia over there would be in such a hurry, already planning to pull the power source. Seriously, you don't even understand the Ark's structure, aren't you afraid of making a mistake?" Velvi said hastily.

Perhaps she didn't understand the mindset of her companions who were there, but there was no need to be in such a hurry.

Upon hearing this, Kevin silently lowered his greatsword; the other party's words were timely.

"Ahem—Let's use the Stigmata first. According to Dr. Mebius's research, that Stigmata provides an all-around enhancement, and Lomo said it has a good compatibility with Gretsch, allowing her to recover the fastest. Then... we'll remove it. Oh, right, Alicia, don't destroy the energy source. Gretsch might need it later."

"From the angle I just saw, I vaguely saw Kevin's greatsword hanging down?" Vilvi hurriedly said.

Is Kevin really that popular? Shouldn't he be called Thousand Tribulations?

Vilvi was completely confused... but Gretchen really had grown up quite a bit.

That's surprising.

Even though the same amount of time has passed, Hua hasn't changed at all.

Velvi glanced at Hua without leaving a trace, then compared the projection of Fu Hua in the video with it. What... is her original intention unchanged?

Since Kevin and Alicia over there knew how to do it, they naturally did it extremely quickly.

First, Alicia took out the Stigmata Card. Compared to the projection between the physical objects, she and Qianjie, as memory entities powered by the Stigmata's power, seemed to have come here entirely. She didn't know the principle behind it.

But what's even stranger is that the stigmata that exist based on the physical cards are the same, as if they have traveled through space. However, this was something that Mebius had already speculated about.

Place the stigmata on the glass cover and press it gently. The stigmata will then pass through the glass and enter the back of the sleeping girl.

A deep red mark quietly took shape in an unseen place, accompanied by a warm power spreading. Her body gradually gained more vitality, which in turn stirred her heart. The original cycle of reincarnation was illuminated by the sun, and all falsehoods turned into nothingness. The gray she had left behind to protect herself also merged into her body.

Kevin also shut off the power supply, and the glass dome slowly opened, revealing wisps of white mist; the temperature was extremely low.

Vita's eyes flickered slightly. How to put it? She understood the concept, but could Stigmata be casually mentioned in the records? And then pressed back?

But regardless, she remembered it.

Inside the bulkhead, long eyelashes fluttered, and eyelids trembled slightly, as if waking from a long dream.

Time may be long, but it won't be longer than that dream. Sleeping Beauty will eventually open her eyes, her purple pupils blinking.

"Hey—, Uncle Kevin, Sister Hua, Sister Alicia, Brother Qianjie, have you come to pick me up?"

The painter, who had just woken up, was a little confused. She leaned against the wall of the hibernation pod, her hair swaying gently, and looked at the people present with a puzzled expression.

"Hmm... I feel something behind me. Ah, have I become stronger?"

She tilted her head adorably, still seemingly lost in her long dream. Her other hand reached behind her, but it was smooth as ever, completely empty.

“Gresh…long time no see~” Alicia said with a grin.

"Gresh, get up."

Kevin reached out his hand to her, a hint of tenderness appearing on his perpetually icy expression.

"Gresh..." Fu Hua murmured, her eyes filled with joy for her. No matter what, waking up was always a good thing.

She glanced around and saw a crimson glow in the corner, and the pattern on it... seemed somewhat familiar to her.

I got closer and picked it up. The red kite was carved so lifelike. When I held it, it felt cool at first, but after holding it for a while, it warmed up, as if I were getting a fever.

She clenched her fists and nonchalantly returned to the crowd.

Only Qianjie and Vita noticed this scene.

"Am I... I'm not dreaming, am I? Strange, how can a dream feel so real?"

Greta blinked, still incredulous at the scene before her.

Her fingers involuntarily reached out to touch Kevin's hand, exploring whether it was her who should be touching that warmth... that real color.

"It's not a dream, Gretchen. Shouldn't you be able to see our colors?"

Alicia ruffled her hair; it was still smooth and soft, quite nice.

Feeling the warmth on her head, the touch of her palm, and the myriad colors before her eyes, Gretchen suddenly felt an urge to cry for some reason.

But it's just a thought...

She has grown up and become a qualified soldier.

But... looking at the person before her, so vivid in her memory, and those colors she had seen countless times before, her heart trembled. The time she had spent wandering was lonely and long, like a wanderer unable to return home.

She smiled, but a tear slid down her cheek. "It's so nice. I never thought I'd see you all again, little sister Alicia... no, I should call you big sister Alicia, you can't keep lying to me!"

She pretended to be angry.

She looks even cuter now.

"Hmm... I'm fine with it, but Mebius still wants you to call her Grandma. Really." Alicia smiled, letting the other person turn away with an angry face.

He continued to ruffle her hair.

"Oh? Is that so? Well... okay then..."

Gretchen was taken aback, then chuckled. "I'm more curious about Alicia than Uncle Kevin... about your situation."

"Me? This time, I and everyone else will stay by your side the whole time, so don't worry."

She said gently.

Kevin and Fu Hua watched this scene silently, while Qian Jie turned his face away, observing the changes in the clouds in the sky, seemingly wanting to use this as an opportunity to start a fight.

"really?"

Gretchen was overjoyed, but then she shook her head, lowering her eyes, and said, "No... I also have my own plans to complete, the Ark..."

"The Ark is gone, let Velvey repair it. Don't worry, even if we can't see each other right away, we... will always be with you, and that won't break the plan, okay?"

Alicia said nonchalantly that it wasn't that she disrespected the plan; defeating the Honkai was everyone's cry and desire.

She just wanted everyone to be a little happier, even if it was just a tiny bit.

"……Um."

Greta responded softly, creating a warm and intimate moment.

The group didn't mind the short time, and listened quietly as Gretchen briefly recounted her travels and the things she saw after being captured and brought here.

Even just listening and simple feedback brought a lot of comfort to the interstellar traveler, allowing him to release his emotions.

...

Meanwhile, thanks to the communicator functionality created by Vilvie, and the fact that Kevin's connection is currently closed,

Inside the hall of the Golden Courtyard, everyone heard Möbius's roar.

"Aili Shia!! You're the one who likes being called 'Grandma,' and you're the culprit! This time I have concrete evidence, you..."

"Don't try to fool anyone anymore, we've caught you! Ahhh—, Velvi, open my communications right now! I need to talk to her!"

Everyone heard Möbius's deafening roar, followed by her pacing angrily around the hall.

"No, I already said it's one-way, you can only watch," Vilvi muttered. She had wanted to speak for a long time, but unfortunately, she was only given the opportunity when they needed her.

And Mebius? Unfortunately, she's not only helpless against Alicia now, but she won't be either when she returns.