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

Although Fu Hua used Feather Dust to pull him out of this state very quickly, the feelings and impressions he gained in those few moments remained unforgettable, often haunting his dreams in the middle of the night for the past three years.

Even though the immortals fixed it every year, he never felt that state of himself again.

But the closer he got to gentle and kind people like Einstein and Tesla, the more he feared the tragedy that might result if he fell into that state.

In this process, Joyce's gradually established worldview and ideology became increasingly at odds with the Herrscher personality that controlled the Honkai.

As a result, he occasionally pondered whether he should exist in this world and what the meaning of his life was—thoughts that were utterly meaningless yet remarkably philosophical.

But this is not necessarily a bad thing.

In life, it's inevitable to experience periods of self-loathing and self-denial.

Joyce's ability to recognize this problem and go through this phase only proves that he has become increasingly mature over the years.

As for Fu Hua, who hoped he would follow the same path as before, keeping him in Lab 42 could be considered a success.

After resting for a while, he asked:

"What time is it now?"

Tesla glanced at the watch on Hao's wrist and replied:

"Hmm, it's 1:34 PM. What are your plans for today?"

Joyce took a notebook out of his pocket, turned to the latest page, looked at his own handwriting, and said:

"The Beatles will be touring the streets around 3 p.m. If you're interested, we can go check it out together later."

Tesla savored the band's name, a hint of joy flickering in her red eyes. She reached out and placed her hand on the other person's thin shoulder, responding confidently:

"The Beatles? Wow!"

Joyce was not surprised at all. After speaking, she turned to a marked page in her notebook and continued:

“I remember there’s a nice themed café right here. You and Ai Yin have been shopping for three hours already, so we can take a break there in between.”

This PhD assistant arranged the schedule clearly and concisely in just a few words, a far cry from the inexperienced and flustered figure of yesteryear.

Upon hearing this, Tesla subconsciously rubbed his calf, clearly having no objection to it.

She glanced at the watch face again, a question forming in her mind.

Fifteen minutes had passed since Ai Yin and that person started talking, which seemed to be taking longer than she had initially expected.

……

……

At this moment.

The fitting room in a clothing store.

The girl lay unconscious in a pool of blood.

On her doll-like, delicate, fair, round face, fine purple cracks meandered, and her light-colored natural curls were stained with blood. Her once intelligent, deep blue eyes gradually dimmed and lost their luster.

8. Otto's conspiracy, the rampaging First Herrscher.

London, a themed coffee shop.

AM: 1:23 PM.

"Miss Ji, please stay here a little longer. I don't want to hurt you."

The young female agent, dispatched by [Chaoxian] to monitor and protect Joyce and her group, frowned and remained silent as she looked at the enemy who had approached her without her noticing.

She was a blonde, blue-eyed beauty. Her long golden hair was tied in a ponytail, and she wore a Victorian-era white dress with a decorative corset and a black coat. It was really hard to guess from her appearance that she was the strongest Valkyrie of the day.

—Reanna Brigantya.

She was sitting opposite the best-lit seat in the coffee shop, her slender hands, covered in silk fabric, gently caressing the black knight's sword on the table.

Wisps of purple, mist-like substance emerged from it, wrapping around the fair neck of the girl sitting opposite her like silk threads. Combined with the words spoken a few seconds earlier, this behavior was an obvious threat.

The power of annihilation.

If Leanna so desires, these mist-like substances will retract inward like a ring of chainsaws, ignoring the Honkai energy shield that has not yet been deployed, and destroying the fragile life force within the human body.

Perhaps, as the other party said, she did not want to harm herself, so she chose this way of taking control of her own life from the very first meeting, to conduct unequal negotiations and prevent irreversible accidents from occurring during the formal fight.

But since the other party is here, rendering him, as Joyce's bodyguard, unable to move, it means that Destiny has some measures and conspiracies that would hinder his presence.

In other words, surrendering is the worst possible strategy.

On the other hand, even though she sent relevant instructions to her teammates the moment she realized that her life was in the other party's control, the other two agents did not respond.

As the team leader for this mission, she was already the most outstanding person in terms of combat skills.

It seems that the other two colleagues likely encountered similar situations and were unable to extricate themselves.

This means that even if Joyce and the two genius scientists are in danger at this moment, they can only rely on their own strength to protect themselves.

Clearly, this will lead to an extremely bad situation.

However, Ji Qing's Taixu Sword Qi had only been cultivated to the Dustless Realm. She did not possess any Divine Keys or high-tech equipment.

If it were a direct confrontation, there would at least be a chance of escape.

However, if they are preemptively attacked and their powers are restricted, they have no chance to turn the tables.

but……

The young commissioner sensed the crimson feathers floating in her sea of ​​consciousness, gradually emitting a faint glow. Her heart remained calm and undisturbed; she felt no tension or sense of crisis, no feeling that her life had been taken hostage. She simply asked:

"Miss Leanna."

"I don't understand why Tianming would want to be an enemy of Grandmaster Chiyuan?"

Upon hearing this, Leanna gave a polite smile and responded:

"An enemy? No, no, no, I was just saying hello to an old friend."

"She's going to London soon, isn't she?"

"But according to your Chinese way of speaking, as the host, I should at least do some hospitality."

Ji Qing only knew what this person looked like, but was unaware of Leiana's personality and her past in the Berlin incident.

Therefore, she didn't notice the incongruity in the other person's words and demeanor, and simply sneered:

"According to our Chinese tradition, this kind of host-hosting hospitality is called the Feast at Hongmen."

After speaking.

Feather Dust within the sea of ​​consciousness shone brightly.

A familiar voice echoed in the now empty coffee shop, except for the two people present:

"Otto".

"Leave Leanna's body."

The consciousness of the Crimson Iris Immortal instantly revealed the true identity of the newcomer.

The Archbishop of Destiny.

Otto Apocalypse.

Fu Hua was not surprised by what was happening.

The fact that the Archbishop of Destiny took over Leona's body was an event that was originally supposed to happen in the original route. It's only natural that it would happen earlier due to the butterfly effect caused by his involvement.

But the problem lies in... what are the reasons and motivations behind what the other party is doing now?

As Fu Hua finished speaking, this woman, who was originally considered beautiful in appearance and figure, was transformed in an instant, like molten metal, into a completely different look and figure.

That was the true form of the current Bishop of Destiny. The blond man spread his hands and smiled as he said:

"I'm sorry, my friend, I can't comply."

The man's turquoise eyes gazed at the projection. He uttered few words and had not yet displayed any flamboyant or exaggerated body language, but the emotions he conveyed were full and intense. His faint smile concealed a madness capable of dragging the entire world into hell.

Otto murmured casually, as if singing an immortal ode:

"Neither the savior nor you will forgive me."

"Even though reason and emotion both warn that this is the worst evil in the world, the foolish, clownish, and terminally ill will still go on their way without repentance."

He gently stroked the black knight's sword on the table, muttering to himself:

"A fight to the death."

The immortal lowered his eyes and remained silent.

In those brief moments of conversation with Otto, she inexplicably developed a newfound understanding of this utterly wicked man.

This subtle emotion and current situation made me feel irritable, but I had no energy or mood to talk to anyone.

The radiance of Yu Duchen shone brightly, actually using the power of the [Holy Mark] indirectly through the soul link, ignoring the constraints of the Key of Consciousness itself, tearing apart the power ring around Ji Qing's neck, and launching an attack on the Bishop of Destiny in front of him first.

The Black Abyss then spread out its corresponding wavelength, unleashing a strange substance capable of annihilating everything, tearing apart the surging storm, and shredding the enormous coffee shop.

A battle to maintain balance, influenced by various factors, has officially begun.

……

……

The Shard, London.

AM: 1:34 PM.

Liesel Albert Einstein.

She was the embodiment of genius, a great woman who changed the way humanity perceives the world, and one of the greatest scientists in human history.

But this seventeen-year-old girl lay in a pool of blood, her thin clothes soaked with blood, her petite and soft body stained with thick, bright red liquid.

The emptiness in her chest cavity was like a silent monastery, and the gushing blood was like the incense ash scattered before the altar, signifying the withering and passing of something, ethereal yet possessing a definite presence, all highlighting the departure of this great man.

At this moment, the entire room was filled with a warm, rusty smell, which gradually spread throughout the not-so-crowded fitting room and even reached the soles of the person's shoes.

"Clap."

It's similar to the sound of stepping on water, only with a slightly stickier texture.