Playful! Collapse!

If they invite us in with a smile, I'd think you should be careful.

[Proceed as normal, but you must promptly send me any news and intelligence you see.]

[Although Shenzhou will also send people to help analyze the intelligence received by the joint forces, it is best for us to be prepared for both scenarios.]

"Huh... I see."

After confirming Ji Zi's advice to her, Theresa said to Li Pu.

"Then please lead the way."

"Okay, there's one more thing I must tell you in advance."

Before leading the way, the swordsman spoke to Theresa with a serious expression.

"Because the concentration of Honkai energy inside is too high, our communication equipment may not function properly once we get inside."

"I don't know how well Tianming's communication equipment is able to withstand Honkai energy interference, but Ms. Apokalis, please be prepared."

"oh, I understand now."

Jizi has already heard this news through my communicator which is always on, so what happens next...

Let’s get moving. Let others do the thinking. I’d better think about how to find the treasure.

Ji Zi had told me her speculation before, that there might be the original holy marks left by Senior Ji Lin here.

Jizi's body became like this because the stigmata were implanted too late. So if there were new original stigmata to study, she might really be able to prolong her life without the HSN serum.

Kiana, who was in the middle of the team at this time, saw those Shenzhou swordsmen looking at her from time to time, and asked Fu Hua beside her with a bit of confusion.

"Squad leader, do you feel like... those Shenzhou people over there seem to be watching us?"

"To be precise, they are looking at you, Kiana-san."

After seeing the envy in the eyes of those swordsmen, Fu Hua sighed helplessly.

"Don't blame them for being slightly offended by your looks. The main thing is... the armor you wear is indeed something others would envy."

"You know, it was only a few years ago that Tianming put the Valkyrie armor into actual combat."

"Even the Valkyrie Assault Troopers, the strongest Valkyrie tactical squad armed with heavy swords a few years ago, used protective gear far inferior to the Valkyrie Armor during their final mission before disbanding."

"And right now, only a handful of Valkyries are qualified to use the Valkyrie Armor. Plus, your armor is the top-tier [Third Generation Armor] besides the God Slayer Armor. It's only natural that others would envy you."

"Also, unlike Tianming, although Shenzhou has also developed anti-collapse protective clothing, its technology is far inferior to Tianming's."

"In this situation, there's really nothing wrong with them looking at you like that."

"Ahahaha...Is that so..."

Kiana finally understood why other people in the academy had been looking at her with complicated expressions from time to time in recent days. She scratched the back of her head a little embarrassedly.

"This... why do I suddenly feel like I'm going a little too far."

"There's no need to think so..."

Fu Hua, who wanted to say something more, suddenly realized that she had said too much.

I... Alas, I used Yuduchen excessively before, so my injuries and fatigue have not yet subsided.

I was so confused that I actually brought up the matter of the Stormtroopers in front of Kiana.

But it's okay, judging by the expression on her face now... huh?!

When Kiana was about to ask something, the voice in her head suddenly popped up again.

[Hmph, the Stormtroopers...in the middle...are talking about those people.]

That’s enough, you are so annoying, why do you show up again?

[Heh, the concentration of Honkai energy is high enough, and I even heard the name of an 'old friend'. What's wrong with me waking up?]

[Want to know what's going on between the Valkyrie Stormtroopers and us——what else is it if not you?! ]

No, goodbye.

Without giving Xilin any chance to continue speaking, Kiana simply relied on the Sword Heart Technique passed down to her by the Red Kite Immortal to suppress her inner demons countless times.

But strangely enough, the concentration of Honkai energy in Jiuyou is indeed much higher than that in ordinary areas.

The inner demon can show up here...Thinking back, this strange inner demon only appeared when the third collapse was about to break out.

Well, looking at it this way, if the emergence of the inner demon is related to the concentration of Honkai energy - is something serious going to happen to Jiuyou?

Thinking that her first mission might involve dealing with particularly big troubles, Kiana immediately clenched the two guns in her hands.

However, after seeing Theresa's leisurely figure, she suddenly felt...was it unnecessary for her to be so nervous?

"Um, squad leader."

Looking at Fu Hua who suddenly breathed a sigh of relief, Kiana asked a little worriedly.

"Are you okay? You seemed a little uncomfortable just now."

"Not at all. Don't think too much about it."

Looking at Kiana with a look of suspicion in her eyes, Fu Hua coughed twice and immediately asked Kiana.

"If you have any questions, just tell me and I will do my best to answer them."

"After all, this is your first time participating in an actual combat mission. If possible, I hope you can complete this mission safely."

Listening to Fu Hua's words, Kiana was stunned for a moment, and suddenly felt a little moved.

"Squad leader, you are such a good person."

"..."

Alas, I don’t deserve the word good person.

If I hadn't learned part of the truth from Walter, Siegfried, and Yuan Yan in Changkong City this time, I might still be working with Otto, lurking around you as a spy, ready to hurt you at any time.

She is a good child, but I am not a good person.

"Well, if you really want to know...it's actually my period."

Looking at Theresa in her nun's uniform, Kiana asked curiously.

"You just said that the latest Valkyrie armor is the fourth generation armor, right?"

"That great aunt is Otto... the bishop's granddaughter. She must have her own armor, right?"

"It's natural, it's just..."

Looking at the short figure, Fu Hua smiled helplessly.

"—Branch Chief, you don't need this kind of armor at all during most missions."

"On her first actual combat mission, she used the Divine Key, which is nearly impossible for ordinary Valkyries to use, to easily kill an Emperor-level Honkai Beast."

"Over the years, she has made tremendous contributions to Tianming. Moreover, due to the characteristics of her physique, even if she is injured, she can rely on her own physical characteristics to complete repair in a short time."

"Even though she rarely participates in battles now, it doesn't mean that her strength has declined."

"If an enemy underestimates her strength...ha, then they will see how terrifying the former S-rank Valkyrie truly was."

.............................................

Jiuyou area. Interior

When Yuan Yan, Raiden Mei and Yuno used the quantum teleportation system to come to the interior of Jiuyou, the three of them looked at each other and saw a sense of discomfort in each other's eyes.

"Study...Deputy Leader."

Feeling the concentration of Houkai energy around her, Yuno said with a bit of uneasiness.

"I feel... a little uncomfortable with my body."

"it `s just normal."

After looking around, Yuan Yan could feel that the two cores in his body that should have been in a "sleeping" state were now beginning to show signs of waking up.

Not only that, even the holy marks on his hands were now emitting a constant burning pain.

"Well, the communication equipment is also malfunctioning."

Seeing that her communication equipment seemed unable to stably contact the headquarters, Mei looked at Yuan Yan.

"Deputy Alliance Leader, what should we do?"

"Just act normally. If nothing unexpected happens...ha, I might be the strongest person in the Nine Netherworld right now."

At this time, Yuan Yan took out the Seven Thunders of Purification and the Magic Crystal Gauntlet, and spoke with great confidence with a calm expression.

"If no one does anything weird, it's because they're afraid of me, not me being afraid of them."

"Of course, if you encounter any troubles, just leave first. Don't even think about staying. I hate you holding me back."

Although they knew that Yuan Yan's original intention was to consider their own safety, they both showed helpless expressions when they heard Yuan Yan's words.

However, no matter how helpless they were, since they had already decided to become Yuan Yan's subordinates, they naturally would not say anything that would disobey their superior at this time.

"Besides, if Jiuyou's communication equipment doesn't work well... then the situation is actually in our favor."

Yuan Yan thought of the original plot, and directly lifted the seal of the Pseudo-Herrscher core and said to Yuno.

"Yuno, pay attention to your own condition."

"According to previous tests, when I use the power of the Herrscher Core while you're near me, you can borrow some of the core's power, but your mental state may fluctuate at the same time."

"Once you realize something is wrong, you must tell us immediately."

"I understand, but..."

Seeing that Yuan Yan had already started to use [Holy Light Healing] on his body, Yuno asked Yuan Yan with a twitching eye.

"Deputy Alliance Leader, there are no enemies yet. Are you sure... it's not too early to use the power of the Herrscher?"

"Not at all. After all... Herrscher and Honkai Beast can sense each other."

After confirming the location of a certain existence, Yuan Yan walked directly in that direction.

"Come with me, if I'm not mistaken..."

"——As long as our target doesn't get lost, we will eventually reach this place."

..............................................

PS: 6K, counter +1, continue tomorrow.

Volume 1: Chapter 77: That sounds really nice

Inside the Nine Netherworld, Theresa, who had separated from the swordsmen from Shenzhou, looked at the surrounding roads and felt...

"Why do I feel like we've just been down this road?"

“That’s actually the case.”

The swordsman who was sent by Li Pu to Theresa as a liaison saw that Theresa seemed to finally realize the problem, and spoke to Theresa in a very low voice.

"Ms. Apokalis, we've...circled back to where we were last time."

“…Ahahaha, I’m so sorry.”

Hearing this kind reminder from her ally, Theresa immediately turned around and looked at the Chinese swordsman behind her.

"When you came here to explore before, didn't you figure out a specific map of this place?"

"About this..."

Hearing Theresa's question, the swordsman shook his head helplessly.

"In fact, our Taixu Sword Sect's resistance to collapse is not as strong as that of the Tianming Sect. This not only prevents us from going deep into the Nine Netherworld, but also means that our fellow disciples may not be able to maintain a clear mind at all times after entering here."

"If it weren't for Senior Brother Li Pu's careful command, and the excellent anti-Houkai potion provided by Shencheng Medical, I think some of our fellow disciples might have perished here during these explorations."

"Hmm... This is difficult."

At this moment, Theresa looked back at Fu Hua and saw a hint of helplessness in her eyes.

It's not that Fu Hua doesn't want to lead the way, the problem is...

After she lost her memory for various reasons, the remaining memories are no longer complete.