Regarding the question of whether one thousand lives are enough to beat Honkai Impact 3rd.

This [Stigmata] should gradually appear as his cultivation level increases and he experiences more trials, but this experiment of injecting artificial Stigmata seems to have accelerated the appearance process.

The golden light fell and entered the body, and then everything came to an abrupt end.

As if nothing had happened, the artificial stigmata pattern of Destiny reappeared, and the beam of light disappeared like a fleeting rainbow.

Su Qing'an's attempt to condense the [Holy Mark] failed; given his current experience and level of cultivation, it seemed that not a single trace of it could be manifested on his body.

However, this [Stigmata], which was not even in its nascent stage, suppressed the subsequent rejection reaction of the artificial Stigmata after only a brief appearance, and also healed some of his injuries.

This gave him a second chance at life, allowing him to survive.

“Headmistress Theresa…I think…cough cough…I can still…be saved.” Su Qing’an gave an awkward smile and coughed as he spoke to the dazed nun.

In the moment of darkness after the light faded, the boy's smile was like a salvation for Theresa.

Without thinking about the origin of the light, Theresa hurriedly turned on her communicator.

Only Sato Yuno's pseudo-Herrscher powers could completely pull the boy, who was barely clinging to life, back from the clutches of death.

The nun, who was always solemn and dignified during battle, couldn't help but reveal a relieved and happy smile amidst her anxiety.

The boy will have to continue struggling in this crumbling world for a very, very long time.

His story has only just begun.

End of Volume

Sato Yuno didn't die, which is a good ending. I guess I kept our promise.

Actually, if you pay close attention, you might notice that Sato Yuno, the pseudo-Herrscher, was a character who appeared during the Hobbiton Black and White manga period. Although she only appeared for a few pages, she was killed off.

This character is somewhat original, as his personality and life trajectory are not mentioned in the comics.

Even the official settings for abilities are quite arbitrary.

Before writing chapter 32, my initial impression of her was that she was simply a pawn to be discarded. I wanted to create such a character to deepen Su Qing'an's understanding of the cruelty of the Collapse and help her grow.

But for some reason, after writing 32 chapters, I imagined it.

What would a girl who doesn't even have a complete name in the original story think after her friends, family, teachers, and familiar daily life are all broken and destroyed?

What a tremendous tragedy and fate that must be!

And this is what is meant by "Honkai".

The author's sense of immersion is deeper than the reader's.

For me, the girl in that chapter seemed to have truly existed for a fleeting moment in my imagination.

So I can't help but wonder if she can find redemption?

After thinking about it, I feel it's best to leave the decision to the readers.

The reason is that I myself am a bit conflicted.

The plot's turning point is actually the battle between Yuno Sato and Theresa.

She would be killed if fate deviated even slightly from the right path.

You chose the happy ending, so she survived.

Thank you to the readers who have made it this far.

I know my updates are slow, but at least the quality of each chapter is acceptable, of course, this is within my own skill limits.

Overall, I'm fairly satisfied with this volume. After all, it's my first time writing, and this is probably my current limit.

Finally, the next volume should be more slice-of-life, with some interactions with immortals, and will also include some clashes between Honkai and humanity, featuring original content built on the Honkai system.

I will try my best. That's all.

The sea breeze of St. Freya still blows

1. A New Beginning

St. Freya Academy.

Observation Room A019

When Su Qing'an woke up, he found himself lying on a clean white hospital bed. Ignoring the pain all over his body, he looked at the familiar ceiling and sighed.

I've already been in here twice in such a short time. What kind of bad luck is this?

Although it was self-inflicted in a sense, Su Qing'an still felt complicated by this series of hardships.

However, being able to survive is already quite fortunate.

He understood this as he greedily inhaled the air.

The throat and the previously damaged airway have mostly recovered.

Tianming's medical expertise exceeded his expectations.

He stretched out his hand; his skin was intact and healthy, and the festering body he remembered seemed like a phantom that had never existed.

Only the lingering physical injuries and the unforgettable phantom pain in his mind reminded him that everything was real.

The observation room was intentionally set to a comfortable temperature, and the warm air he breathed gave him a real sense of being alive.

He survived. He thought.

Pull out the panel.

Name: Su Qing'an

Gender: Male

[Strength: 26.3 (12.6)]

[Min: 27.4 (13.7)]

[Body: 29.6 (15.9)]

[Soul Essence: 39.35]

Honkai Energy Resistance: 40 (Medium)

[Technique: Tai Xuan Style]

[Abilities: Still Water Realm (Body Manipulation), Dustless Realm (Stigmata Stage 1)]

[Evaluation: Your combat abilities far surpass those of an ordinary human. Your Honkai energy resistance exceeds the limits of a normal male human. Aside from the special nature of your soul, you possess Honkai energy resistance sufficient to survive normally in areas with high concentrations of Honkai energy.]

[A message: Your soul possesses a special quality; having undergone two near-death experiences, it has automatically ascended to four times the level of an ordinary person. Use this unique advantage to survive in this chaotic apocalypse.]

The path to the upper limit was forcibly opened up by artificial holy marks.

He is now qualified to step into the realm above B-rank Valkyrie. Even if he reaches the limit again, he believes that he will not be so embarrassed when facing Ganesha, who is at the Emperor level.

The Dustless Realm and the transplant of artificial holy marks both significantly enhanced his physical abilities in one go.

The costs incurred by the former were eliminated by the transplantation of artificial stigmata, but the costs of using artificial stigmata are unavoidable.

life.

Its power comes at the cost of a long lifespan, which is used as fuel to keep burning.

Even if Theresa didn't say it, Su Qing'an could understand that his body would also face the boundary of death in the short span of a dozen years.

This is a crude method of robbing Peter to pay Paul, but it does allow him to live longer than before.

It's impossible to expect a modified version of the Taixu Sword Qi from the gods. Not to mention whether the [Holy Mark] can make up for its slowly burning lifespan, it's difficult to even ask it to reappear.

Su Qing'an could initially understand the elements that formed the [Holy Mark], which were certain components of the soul's essence and his experiences.

The latter sounded somewhat ethereal, but he did get the answer the moment the [Stigmata] appeared.

However, neither of these goals can be achieved in a short period of time.

The so-called "Holy Marks" of the gods are very different from the natural Holy Marks and artificial Holy Marks of this world. In Su Qing'an's view, continuing to use this name is just for convenience.

They should be completely different things in essence.

According to the gods, his soul has a strange quality, and if it weren't for this advantage, he would probably be in a much worse situation now.

He couldn't learn the modified version of the Taixu Sword Qi, and martial arts were also difficult to master overnight. Given that he couldn't escape Changkong City in advance, this was a certain death inferno.

But from another perspective, is it precisely because of the uniqueness of his soul that he was qualified to be chosen by the gods?

Ignoring these somewhat distant speculations, the faint but clear breathing beside him made him realize that he wasn't alone in the room.

A few strands of her vibrant red hair fell across the white sheets, and faint dark circles appeared under her long eyelashes on her exposed profile.

Himeko Murata is a woman who is refined in appearance and pays attention to details. For her to show such fatigue, she must be really worried.

He looked at the woman sleeping lightly beside the hospital bed and felt guilty. His reckless behavior must have put her in a difficult position.

"Sister Ji Zi, I'm sorry." Su Qing'an smiled as she patted the woman's head. It felt really good to be cared for like this.

He shouldn't be someone who laughs a lot. But lately he's been laughing a lot.

He had already experienced enough hardship and setbacks, but seeing these people who genuinely cared about him always made him feel tender.

"Children shouldn't touch adults' heads like that." The woman gently removed the boy's hand and woke up.

She stretched her back in the chair, as if to relieve her fatigue, and then the woman gently tapped Su Qing'an's forehead with her fingertip and said.

"Good morning, Sister Ji Zi." Su Qing'an responded, subconsciously touching her forehead where the coolness had lingered.

The woman's expression turned serious. She gazed at the boy's face for a moment with a nostalgic air, then abruptly began with polite opening remarks, as if they were from distant relatives.

“Su Qingan, you look a lot like your father, Su Jinyan.”

Su Qing'an was somewhat surprised but simply nodded silently. His father was indeed a man of few words, just like him. They also looked very similar. Whether it was Su Jinyan or Su Qing'an from any other world, they would always remain silent and do their own thing when they were alone.

Compared to a normal father and son, their way of maintaining their relationship is quite strange.

"Your mother and Uncle Su have completely opposite personalities. She is a lively and talkative person. They are both outstanding archaeologists, and they are also rare friends of my father and kind elders to me."

Himeko Murata began to recount her distant memories.

"During a mission to find something in an ancient ruin, I was responsible for protecting the two of them while they worked, and then an accident happened."

At this point, the woman paused for a moment before saying: