[Speaking of which.]
Ella's voice interrupted Rita's contemplation. [You performed well on this trip to the Mist City. The mission reward can be raised by one tier.]
One of the Maid's objectives for this mission had been to transport the precious samples of the subjects who had taken the HTR-type modification reagent back to HQ, allowing the scientists in Sector 4 to pry into the secrets hidden within.
As a member of the Undying Trio, Elizabeth had naturally taken the reagent as well.
Furthermore, because she had died from the wide-range instant-death effect of Baiyue Li's resuscitation, her remains were preserved with exceptional integrity, greatly increasing the chances for the scientists to fathom the mysteries within.
Incidentally, the remains of the Trio were divided among Rita, Fuli, and the late-arriving Mobius, which could be considered a fair distribution.
Unexpectedly, upon hearing that the mission reward was being upgraded, Rita felt no secret joy. Instead, a sense of nervousness began to spread through her heart.
A trace of worry flashed through the captivating eyes beneath her ash-gold bangs. The girl responded without batting an eyelid: [Regarding the reward, Rita already included it in the appendix when submitting the mission report earlier.]
[The ownership of the Sephira Armament, correct?]
Ella sighed and raised her hand.
A light screen unfolded before them. Playing on it was the footage of Fuli's battle on the Thames, specifically the "Three Slashes against Ashdale."
The Umbral Rose battlesuit Rita equipped was a product of Schicksal's most cutting-edge technology; recording and playback were basic functions.
On the screen, the round, chubby Sephira Armament was initially behaving itself in Rita's pocket.
But as the battle grew turbulent, it wandered left and right, eventually hopping out and diving headfirst into Fuli's Solar Armor, naturally fusing with it as one.
Did Rita not know about this?
Of course she knew.
That was why she had lied in her report, changing the mission reward to the Sephira Armament claimed as spoils of war.
Her goal was to hide this scene, to prevent anyone from knowing that the Sephira Armament—created by Dr. Fua and Dr. Zhou Can—would react to Fuli.
[I know you are worried about your brother's safety, worried that others might link this to the results of those two doctors, and that you even went so far as to delete and alter parts of the Valkyrie armor's records.]
Ella shrugged. [If it were anyone else, you might have actually pulled the wool over their eyes.]
Rita's hacking skills couldn't compare to top-tier big shots like Gray Serpent or Bronya, but they were passable.
Unfortunately, she was facing the Celestial Neural Network Assembly, built with countless resources by Schicksal. This wasn't just teaching a fish to swim; it was essentially showing off one's axe skills in front of Lu Ban.
Generally speaking, when a subordinate commits an act bordering on betrayal, even if Ella didn't lock them in confinement for a while, she would at least assign some punitive, zero-yield missions.
Schicksal wasn't some private enterprise where employees could come and go as they pleased. It was, fundamentally, the largest and strongest violent organization in human history. Pouring someone into a concrete block and sinking them into Tokyo Bay was a mercy they wouldn't even deem worthy of mentioning.
After saying this, Ella pretended to be calm, staring at Theresa not far away. While mentally remarking on how much this little bean looked like Kallen as a child, she secretly observed Rita's reaction out of the corner of her eye.
The latter was initially terrified, but quickly realized something and calmed down.
The girl smiled: [Lord Ella said that Rita's mission reward could be upgraded by one tier. Is that correct?]
From this sentence alone, it was clear: Ella, acting with the authority of the Overseer, never intended to punish Rita from the start. Otherwise, knowing that Rita had deliberately concealed the truth, she wouldn't have bothered with this extra step.
[Tsk, smart women really aren't likable.]
Ella complained internally. She's not like Yae Sakura, who looks cold but is actually clumsy and fun to tease.
[Speak. What do you want? I'll fulfill it for you right here on the spot.]
She raised her hand, and the Schicksal Exchange Store list unfolded layer by layer before Rita.
Field Skill: Slow – Lowers the velocity of moving objects within a certain range.
Elementalization – Immunity to the vast majority of physical attacks.
Swan Dress – Maintains the "absolute nature" of mind and body.
Even a Space Experimentation Ship with a volume equal to two giant aircraft carriers was on the list.
Not only were these rare items impossible to buy on the outside, but the prices were also exponentially cheaper than their public listings.
Anti-Entropy and the Taixu Front had established similar exchange mechanisms. Naturally, the parts allowed for external exchange were all scraps to pay off wild dogs and mercenaries; the true treasures would always only circulate within the organization.
Faced with a dazzling array of various commodities, Rita, having already made up her mind, was not tempted in the slightest.
She spoke with a condensed voice: [I choose the transplant of a Natural Stigma.]
[Saved up enough?]
Ella raised an eyebrow.
The classification of items in the store wasn't just for ease of search; it also represented their rarity and price.
Among items of the same tier, consumables like explosives were often the cheapest. Following those were energy minerals, various weapons, mech armor, and large vehicles.
Notice a pattern?
They are all external objects.
The world of Honkai fundamentally reveres gathering power within oneself. The value of cultivation methods (training techniques) and spells was undoubtedly higher.
Of course, this isn't to say an aerospace battleship is worth less than a spell of the same tier; it depends on the specifics, but this is a general description.
And more valuable than training methods was the rewriting of life factors—genetic modification.
Just as Fuli had complained, the Kaslanas, the Schariacs, the Dragon Seed, the Golden Lineage... some people's bloodlines were born noble. They could reach heights unmatched by ordinary people just by eating and drinking.
For an ordinary person to change their life factors post-birth to match them... not only was the opportunity something one could only hope for but never demand, it also inevitably came with a massive price.
In the previous cycle, Rita hadn't found this opportunity until the very end, having to take the Dea Anchora armor that Durandal no longer needed, resulting in the Spina Astera form—which felt akin to charity.
That was the ending of Rita Rossweisse—a genius who began training at 12 and became an S-Rank Valkyrie in just eight years.
Unwilling, helpless, like a discarded pawn, yet with no other choice.
Fortunately, this time, she had a chance to defy the heavens and change her fate.
This chance was a Natural Stigma that Schicksal had recovered a few days ago.
Speaking of which, she had Theresa to thank. Since the Third Eruption, Theresa had been constantly trying to grab World Serpent by the tail.
Recently, she had cooperated with Wendy from the Oceania Branch to destroy an experimental base located on an island in the West Pacific. This Natural Stigma had been stripped from the corpse of a certain test subject.
[You really got a bargain.]
Ella muttered. As the major contributor to that operation, this Stigma should have been awarded to Wendy, the ace of the Oceania Branch.
Who would have guessed that during the fierce battle with the reinforcing Natasha Cioara, Wendy, a seed candidate for S-Rank Valkyrie, would awaken a top-tier Stigma of the Wind right there on the battlefield?
Not everyone could nonchalantly host multiple Natural Stigmata like a certain Mr. Fuli. Moreover, Wendy's Stigma wasn't like his, which specialized in ability granting while ignoring memory inheritance and imaginary resonance. To fully master it would take at least half a year.
Thus, Ella said Rita was lucky. After all, this thing was truly something one could meet but not seek.
[Alright, the holder of the Stigma has been changed to you.]
After a flurry of operations, she said: [I could teleport other items directly to you for redemption, but for a Stigma, you'll have to return to Headquarters for the implantation.]
[Thank you, Lord Ella!]
Even someone as composed as Rita found it hard to contain her emotions at this moment.
Who among those who become S-Rank Valkyries isn't a genius? Yet, she had long felt that she had touched an invisible wall.
That was the limit of ordinary humans. The world beyond that... she originally had no qualification to step into.
But now, she did.
Unable to contain herself, Rita even went behind the still-angry Theresa and scooped her up, ruthlessly rubbing her cheek against the Principal's soft, breakable skin amidst cries of "Wah! What are you doing?! You perverted woman, let me go!"
Seeing this, Ella felt a bit helpless. She thought to herself that she had intended to ask Rita to notify Teresiphios that since Situ Qinghong of the Taixu Front refused to accept it, the 12th Seat of the Council would remain with the British Royal Family.
Now it seemed she'd better go do it herself!
...
Late night. Conference Room 3.
The room was empty and silent. Fluorescent lights cast cold white halos on the walls. The unclosed projection screen glowed with a ghostly blue afterimage, and scattered documents rustled as the draft lifted their corners.
Having sent Mei away, Tribios stretched her back, slumped onto the cold table, and sighed.
She shouldn't be like this. She should be happy.
In the past three hours, Her Royal Highness had not only reached a consensus with the Hyperion regarding the Bubble World development project but had also received a notification from Ella informing her that as long as she handed the Councillor seat to someone else in the Royal Family, they could keep it.
To be honest, when Tribios first got the news, she was unusually furious—so much so that she wanted to smash the projection of Ella in front of her into smithereens with one punch.
You give the quota when you want, take it away when you want... [Great British Profanity], do you take us for dogs raised in your backyard?
Reason forced her to squeeze out a smile, hypocritically expressing immense gratitude for the Lord Overseer's leniency and promising that the House of Windsor would do better in the future.
Only when the room was empty, and even Tribbie and the others had gone to sleep side-by-side, did the lone Princess release some of her long-hidden repression.
Then, as if making a resolve, she picked up her phone and dialed a number.
Moments later, the call connected. A beautiful silhouette was projected onto the screen before her.
Lips full and fleshy like cherries, eyes bright and dignified, exuding nobility, overflowing with brilliant waves like gold.
Wine-red hair cascaded down like a waterfall. Even without makeup, her appearance was heavenly. The ornaments by her ears added a touch of elegance and grace, and the posture in which she held the golden wine goblet gave her a unique charm.
"Miss Tiss, long time no see."
The beauty's voice was light, yet it seemed to represent the rhythm and harmony of life and nature.
That warm moistness, as if soaked in morning dew, emitted a soft and profound luster. The sound spilling from her mouth was like the music of heaven, striking directly at the soul.
Even though she had prepared herself, Tribios couldn't help but be momentarily dazed.
She steadied her mind and expressed her apology: "I'm sorry to disturb you at such a late hour, Ms. Eden."
"It is no matter. I was invited to hold a concert tour in Sapphire City, Shenzhou."
The slightly tipsy beauty known as [Eden] turned the camera, bringing the 10:00 AM sunlight into the frame. "But you... sending greetings at 3:00 AM. Is there something you need my help with?"
"Yes!"
This time, Her Highness didn't beat around the bush.
She said straightforwardly: "I want to join the Mythos Sequence Alliance."
Eden's hand, swirling the wine glass, paused. Her brilliant golden gaze fell upon the girl she had met only a few times.
"It seems you have been through something."
Under the other party's nervous gaze, she revealed a gentle smile. "But it doesn't matter. As I mentioned before, the large-scale organization [Mythos Sequence Alliance] welcomes the addition of any compatriot. You need not be troubled by this; ordinarily, you only need to attend online meetings on time and complete tasks occasionally assigned by the Alliance Leader."
"In exchange, should you encounter a crisis you cannot handle, we, the Scions of Gold, shall unite by your side immediately."
She raised her wine glass.
"I swear this in the name of the [Mourning Actors]."
...
Time flowed stickily by. Unknowingly, the horizon had turned the white of a fish's belly.
"Damn you, Fuli, you brat—aaaahhhhh!!!"
Having learned from Rita's mother that Fuli and Mei had specifically started their journey back to the Hyperion early, Theresa, who had run over at the crack of dawn to block the door, grabbed her hair and let out a frustrated roar.
She had listed nine hundred ways! A full nine hundred ways to punish Fuli! And yet, this guy just patted his butt and ran away?!
Yes, the Lord Principal, who had time to think up punishments but waited obediently until morning to find him out of fear of disturbing the neighbors, is very cute today too.
The girl wanted to chase after the Hyperion, but unfortunately, there was a critical negotiation involving Anti-Entropy today, and as an S-Rank Valkyrie, she had to be there to hold down the fort.
Looking at the A-Rank Valkyrie beside her, Theresa lowered her head in dejection, speaking with a "hating iron for not becoming steel" tone: "Fu Hua, you really need to work harder. If you could become an S-Rank Valkyrie, this Principal wouldn't be tied down here, letting that stinky brat remain at large."
"Haha..."
Fu Hua, whose personality had always been serious, couldn't help but give a dry laugh this time. "Principal, S-Rank Valkyrie is still a bit too—"
"Too far away, right?"
Theresa went heave-ho, standing on her tiptoes to pat the girl on the shoulder. "It would be great if you could be as confident as Wendy someday."
Fu Hua smiled faintly. She was past the age of hanging dreams on her lips.
The current maiden (?) only wanted to take one step at a time, steadily eliminating the Honkai and freeing humanity from the tragic cycle of the Previous Era.
As for her own ending in this process, that wasn't important.
Seeing that her chicken soup for the soul had no effect, Theresa realized that not everyone was as easy to fool as that unlucky child Wendy.
She looked at the clouds on the horizon, pondered for a moment, and asked, "By the way, since you're from Shenzhou, Fu Hua, how familiar are you with the martial arts of the various major sects in Shenzhou?"
How familiar? Almost all martial arts in Shenzhou were extensions of the Form, Spirit, Meaning, Soul, and Mind of the Blade of Taixu.
The Immortal of Mount Taixuan pushed up her glasses. "What does the Principal wish to know?"
As long as it didn't involve those classified core secrets, there was no harm in talking about it.
Theresa sneaked up to her ear, whispering mysteriously and hesitantly, "Have you ever heard of... the Peerless Nine Turns?"
"!!!"
The girl's pupils contracted to the size of pinholes in an instant, then returned to normal just as quickly before the other person looked over.
She asked calmly, "Where did the Principal hear this name?"
"From your 'cousin', Fuli. It's the technique he practices."
Theresa waved her small hand and clamored, "He said it's something that allows him to simulate organs inside his body by extracting Honkai Beast genes, thereby gaining a portion of their abilities."
"Each 'Turn' corresponds to a different Honkai Beast?"
"Yes, yes, yes! Yesterday he even wanted to, wanted to..."
Halfway through her sentence, recalling the encounter in the hot spring, the white-haired dumpling's face quickly flushed red.
Peh! Plotting for this Principal's genes... you despicable scumbag!
Unbeknownst to her, Fu Hua—the object of her inquiry—had initially thought it was just a coincidence of names. But now, the heart that had been hanging in suspense finally just died.
She truly couldn't understand. She had spent five hundred years exhausting immense effort to finally destroy every trace of that technique. Where on earth did this 'cousin' she had never met get hold of that evil, accursed thing?
No!
I have to find a chance to meet him!
Unable to hold back, Fu Hua immediately stood up, intending to move toward the seaside.
"There's a meeting in a bit, where are you going?"
But before she could take a step, Theresa deployed the Oath of Judah and dragged her back.
...
(End of Volume III: The White Moon over the City of Mists)