Honkai Impact 3rd: Chiyou's Survival Guide

"I've never thought of destroying the world. Everyone has their own aspirations. Now that you're capable of protecting yourself, there's no reason for me to stay here any longer."

Fu You looked directly into Xilin's golden pupils and explained slowly.

"But if you leave, I'll be alone again..." Xilin lowered her head and whispered softly. Her mother had been killed by the Honkai Disease, and all her friends were now sleeping in the Tower of Babylon. Now, the only one she could communicate with was Fuyou. The dragon beside Xilin also roared softly, as if sensing the queen's sorrow.

"My promise still stands. If you are attacked by others and your life is in danger, I will take action."

Looking at the depressed Xilin, Fu You leaned over, facing Xilin, and made a promise. Although he didn't want to get involved in these matters, Fu You couldn't break his promise to a child. If Xilin's life was really in danger, he would take the risk and help her.

"Where are you going next?" Hearing this, Xilin's depressed mood eased for a moment. She looked at Fu You, wanting to ask him about his future plans.

"Maybe it's the desert, maybe it's the coast, maybe it's just wandering around... who can tell?" Fu You shrugged. He himself didn't know where he would go next.

"Anyway, I wish you good luck."

Patting Xilin on the shoulder, Fu You gave her sincere blessings, then slowly walked towards the snow curtain in the distance.

"...I wish you good luck too."

Watching Fu You's figure gradually disappear, Xilin said softly. Then, her eyes turned cold, and she summoned the dragon-shaped Honkai Beast beside her - Benares.

"Come on, let's crush those guys together."

Xilin spoke calmly, completely forgetting the information Fu You had previously told her.

"Roar—" Although he had no intelligence, Benares felt the queen's great fighting spirit and roared in response.

"Huh?" Xilin paused for a moment as if she had noticed something, then she couldn't help but cover her face and laughed wildly.

"Hahahaha! Instead of waiting for me to find you, you came to my door?" She sensed the humans who were constantly approaching her current direction.

"Come on! I want to see what you humans are capable of!" Xilin glared fiercely in the direction of the Tower of Babylon and ordered Benares to stay with her, awaiting the arrival of Tianming, Nienentropy, and the others. ... As Fu You left, he had never imagined that the time for him to rescue the situation would come so quickly.

"I think I hear a roar over there?" Theresa scratched her head, looking towards the distant snowy plains. Benares's roar had a wide range; even though it was far away from the Babylonian lab, it could still be faintly heard in the tower.

"These are eventful times. I hope nothing goes wrong."

Siegfried sighed. Like Theresa, he had heard the roar. His heart was heavy. Walter had said that dealing with just one Second Herrscher was already a formidable challenge, and now there were unforeseen circumstances in the snowy plains. Fortunately, all the extraneous personnel had been escorted to the Anti-Entropy camp by Salome and Shab, which somewhat relieved Siegfried.

"By the way, Walter, are you saying that the strange guy suddenly left?" Siegfried asked Walter after remembering something. He had even made plans to risk his life, but he didn't expect the other party to leave without any warning.

"Yes, before he left, he said he was from Shenzhou."

Walter pondered, and he still didn't understand Fu You's actions.

"Shenzhou? When I get back, I'll ask Cheng Lixue. She's also from Shenzhou, so maybe she can know something."

Speaking of Shenzhou, Siegfried immediately thought of Cheng Lixue, a Valkyrie who was also from Shenzhou and was also extremely powerful in Class A.

"Yes, but the most urgent task is to quickly find the location of the Second Herrscher and hunt her down. Otherwise, by the time she fully grows, it will be too late."

Walter's expression was stern. He knew full well how important time was to a new Herrscher.

"But we don't have the means to find the enemy right now. Even Judas can only detect the enemy at a distance of one kilometer."

Theresa patted the golden cross beside her and just as she was about to speak, the communicator on her waist, which had been silent for a long time, suddenly rang.

"No, Miss Theresa, there are other uses for Judas besides being a weapon."

"Dr. Einstein? How did you contact us?" Walter instantly recognized the voice in the communicator, but he was a little puzzled. The magnetic field around the Tower of Babylon was completely disordered, so why could Einstein invade Theresa's communicator?

"Ten minutes ago, the anti-entropy detector discovered that the magnetic field affected by Houkai energy was slowly recovering, and communication is now normal."

Einstein explained, then reminded Theresa who was standing there in a daze.

"Ms. Theresa, next, I will teach you how to use Judas' hunting mode."

Chapter 17 Prey and Hunter

At Destiny Headquarters, after communication was restored, Otto immediately received the complete report of the Babylonian Laboratory investigation. The blond man didn't seem overly surprised by the intelligence regarding the "Second Herrscher," seemingly having anticipated this event. On the contrary, upon receiving the news that Siegfried had secretly formed an alliance with Anti-Entropy, Otto frowned, his expression displeased.

"Walter... We haven't settled the accounts from 1955 yet."

Otto muttered to himself, his eyes sharp. Anti-Entropy's intrusion was not part of his original plan. Otto wondered if they had already learned about the Second Herrscher. Furthermore, Siegfried's unauthorized disruption of his plans troubled Otto greatly.

"And Siegfried, this dangerous individual who does what he wants, is totally unpredictable."

"Wait!" Otto caught a glimpse of Walter's image from the corner of his eye and suddenly realized something was wrong. After studying it for a while, Otto suddenly laughed, as if he had figured something out, and his previous solemnity disappeared.

"Haha, [Walter]... since he volunteered to be the vanguard, then this time, we should accept Anti-Entropy's kindness."

Otto immediately recognized that something was amiss with his old friend. Even Einstein and Tesla might not have understood that man as well as Otto did. The First Ruler, Walter Joyce.

On the other side, in the Babylon Laboratory, Theresa was a little confused listening to Einstein's words.

"Judas' hunting method...how come I have never heard of it?" Seeing that Theresa knew nothing about it, Einstein patiently explained.

"According to the ancient records we have unearthed, the Oath of Judah is a weapon [the Key of God] crafted by an ancient civilization. Besides being a weapon, it has four other uses."

"As for activating its hunting mode, all you need to do is inject the target's Honkai energy into Judas."

Upon hearing this, Theresa took out the Honkai energy sample she had collected earlier and injected it into Judas.

"The soul steel that makes up the God Key can read the user's thoughts, so you'll also need to mentally track your enemies."

Einstein reminded at the right time.

"Tracking... tracking..." Theresa closed her eyes and muttered to herself.

"Crash--" Suddenly, the Oath of Judas shrank abruptly. Theresa looked in astonishment as the cross, which was taller than herself, slowly became as big as a pendant.

"This... this is amazing..." Theresa was stunned. As Judas's master, she herself hadn't known he could use it in this way. Thinking about it, even the Divine Grace Barrier was a trump card his grandfather had taught her before his departure, fearing he might encounter an emergency. With this thought, Theresa suddenly felt like a complete failure as a master, her understanding of Judas even surpassed that of an outsider. Theresa didn't have much time to be frustrated. The chains within the cross seemed to come alive, bursting out one after another, rushing straight out in all directions.

"Under extreme circumstances, Judas can track targets within a 200-kilometer radius, which is more than enough to find the Second Herrscher."

Einstein spoke with a confident tone. In her opinion, finding and defeating the Second Ruler was only a matter of time.

"Let's go without further ado."

Seeing that Judah's oath had pointed out the direction, Walter made a prompt decision.

"This is the place where Judas leads."

Seeing that Judas' guidance ended here, Theresa paused and informed Siegfried and Walter behind her. Following Judas's guidance, the three of them arrived at a valley. Seeing the eggshell-like barrier before them, constantly emitting Houkai energy, they knew they had arrived at the right place. All around them was dead silence, eerily quiet, with no trace of the Herrscher at all.

"Is she hiding in here?" Theresa said as she gently touched the barrier, causing ripples to appear on it.

"Get out of there!" Walter's pupils shrank sharply. He sensed that the barrier, touched by Theresa, had erupted with a powerful burst of Honkai energy. Apparently, Theresa had noticed this too. She quickly turned around, trying to get away from this strange barrier. Suddenly, an arm made of Honkai energy firmly grasped Theresa's shoulder.

"What..." Theresa was about to speak, but the next moment, countless arms stretched out from the barrier and instantly swallowed Theresa.

"Theresa!!" Seeing Theresa's figure disappear, Siegfried was anxious and rushed straight to the barrier.

"Hold on, I'm coming to save you!" Walter grabbed Siegfried above him and prevented him from making any move on the barrier.

"Siegfried, calm down! We haven't figured out our opponent's background yet. If we move forward rashly, we will die!" "I am from the Kaslana family. I will never watch Theresa fall into danger! No matter what conspiracy there is, I will not abandon my comrades!" Siegfried broke free from Walter, his eyes filled with anger.

"I'm enough on my own. If you're worried, just go!" Impulsive... Walter gave up trying to stop Siegfried, the reckless young man. He knew he couldn't change Kaslana's will after she'd gone wild. Siegfried slapped the barrier, but it didn't swallow him like it had Theresa. At that moment, something strange happened.

"Crack... crack... boom—" The barrier cracked, and then a massive red and blue Honkai beast emerged, casting a massive shadow over Siegfried and Walter. The Emperor-level Honkai beast, Ashpo, bared its massive claws at the two men before charging forward.

"Houkai Beast?" Siegfried was stunned for a moment, but he immediately drew his Skyfire Judgment and rushed forward. Meanwhile, Theresa, being pulled into the barrier, felt an incomparable sensation, as if she were being carried into an icy lake, her body sinking steadily lower. Theresa struggled, and suddenly, the suffocating feeling in the water disappeared. Before Theresa could even catch her breath, she was confronted with a grotesque sight. Countless fragments flashed before Theresa's eyes: the amiable staff of the Mission, the dark tower, countless test subjects and painful experiments, her dead companions... Finally, the scene froze on a snowy field, where a purple-haired girl vowed to her sleeping companions to annihilate humanity. In that moment, Theresa felt the Second Herrscher's pain. She had never imagined that the Mission, seemingly glamorous, could commit such inhumane acts.

"I'm sorry..." Theresa gently hugged the purple-haired girl and spoke softly.

"You only remember now and are offering a hypocritical apology?" Suddenly, the girl in front of her spoke. In Theresa's astonished gaze, Sirin transformed into a Herrscher and looked down at Theresa.

"Haha, it's too late, I want revenge!" The golden eyes were filled with rage, and the majestic energy of destruction flowed around Xilin. After so many desperate things, her hatred for destiny had reached its peak.

"Not one of those destined to be alive will survive!"

Chapter 18: Infiltrating Destiny

"I won't let any of those hypocritical adults go... But since you look about my age, I can let you go."

Looking at Theresa, who also looked like a girl, Xilin had no intention of killing her, but instead wanted to recruit her.

"Besides, you also smell like Honkai. How about becoming my subordinate? I can guarantee that you will live until the moment the world is destroyed."

Xilin said mercifully that in her opinion, it didn't take much strength to crush Theresa to death, and giving her a chance to live was already her greatest kindness.

"No, I refuse! Please give up revenge!" Unexpectedly, Theresa firmly rejected Xilin's invitation.

"Otherwise, I would have stopped you right here!" "Tsk, I thought you'd understand me after learning about my experience..." Xilin tutted dismissively, crossing her legs and appearing nonchalant. Yet, deep down, she desperately longed for recognition; otherwise, she wouldn't have gone to the trouble of sharing her past with Theresa. But Xilin hadn't expected Theresa's blunt denial, leaving her feeling aggrieved and angry, yet she had to maintain a facade of indifference. Ultimately, Xilin was just a child starved of love.

"Think about it carefully. After I kill all the people from Tianming, we can talk again."

Seeing that the recruitment failed, Xilin made a harsh statement. Feeling the disgusting and dangerous aura attached to Judas, Xilin snatched him away.

"By the way, let's just leave this cross that exudes a disgusting smell here."

"No..." Theresa wanted to stop her, but Xilin waved her hand, and Theresa returned to the suffocating icy lake, watching herself gradually sink to the bottom of the water.

As chaos erupted in the Babylon Laboratory, Fu You was already heading towards his destination, Destiny Headquarters. Destiny had been established for so many years, and yet he hadn't yet visited the massive floating island. Fu You felt it was a shame, so he set his sights there. Destiny's current focus was likely still in Siberia, and the headquarters probably didn't have any particularly powerful forces, so he didn't need to worry too much, Fu You reasoned. Even if he were exposed, while he wasn't sure he could take on the entire Destiny headquarters, he should be able to escape quickly. Furthermore, this trip to Destiny Headquarters would be a good opportunity to gather information on the enemy. If it weren't for Theresa and Siegfried, Fu You wouldn't have known when humans had developed such a powerful force. Being cut off from information was not something he wanted. While he was thinking, Fu You had already landed in a deserted corner. Destiny Headquarters' surveillance capabilities were extremely powerful, and even Fu You had to work hard to circumvent all the monitors and sneak in. Furthermore, the floating island was surrounded by a protective shield, and Fu You had to be careful not to damage it. Arriving at the floating island, Fu You had to admit it was vastly different from his imagination. He had imagined it to be a steel fortress, patrolled by Valkyries and Titans, with countless armed forces stationed, eager to protect any invaders. He had even prepared for a fight. Instead, the floating island appeared pleasant and vibrant, yet there wasn't a single soldier to be seen, let alone a mecha.

"Is this a market?" Fu You scratched his head, looking at the bustling streets not far away. He hadn't been to a human gathering place in a long time, so naturally he had no idea of ​​the state of human commerce. His impression was still stuck on the time thousands of years ago when Cang Xuan took him shopping, and it was just as bustling as this place. Fu You was somewhat bewildered, standing there, unsure of what to do.

"Hello? How can I help you?" Suddenly, a gentle voice sounded from behind him. Fu You turned and saw a gentle, white-haired woman carrying a variety of ingredients. It was Cecilia. She was returning from shopping when she saw a young man standing there blankly, as if he were in trouble. Cecilia, ever willing to help, approached him and asked what happened.

"Ahahaha, it's my first time here and I accidentally got lost."

Fu You laughed, but his heart was filled with a heavy feeling. He sensed the power contained within the white-haired woman before him. If anyone he met had such strength, and if such strength were common in the world of destiny, he would have no choice but to hide in the sea and survive.

"I understand. This is your first time at the headquarters, right? By the way, which branch are you from?" Cecilia smiled. She thought that Fu You was a young man from a certain branch, so it was normal for him to get lost on his first visit to the floating island.

"Um... just came back from Siberia..." Fu You was evasive. He didn't want to be exposed just because he had just sneaked in and hadn't yet gathered any information.

"Siberia? Is it the Babylon Laboratory?" Cecilia's eyes lit up when she heard that. Because the signal was destroyed by Fu You before, Cecilia couldn't contact Siegfried and Theresa, so she was naturally worried.

"Uh, yes, it was Lady Theresa who asked me to come back."

Fu You cleverly brought up the name of the commander of the Destiny Investigation Team, but he never thought about the extremely close relationship between Cecilia and Theresa.

"Great, how's the situation there? Is Theresa okay? By the way, did you see a man named Siegfried? How is he?" Cecilia asked a series of questions in a hurry. After hearing Fu You's words, she really wanted to know the situation there.

"This... this information is confidential..." Fu You looked embarrassed. The more he said, the easier it would be to reveal the truth. He just wanted to find a random excuse to prevaricate.

"I'm Cecilia, Siegfried's wife and Theresa's friend! I'm also the commander of the Snow Wolf Squad. As an S-rank Valkyrie, I should have the authority to access this information."

Cecilia quickly revealed her identity. At the same time, she became more and more certain that the other party was not from the headquarters, otherwise he would not have failed to recognize her.

"It's Lady Cecilia! The investigation is going smoothly. The only obstacle is that someone appeared in the Tower of Babylon and tried to stop the investigation."

Pretending to suddenly understand, without even verifying his identity, Fu You hurriedly told the so-called "intelligence".