After a two-day, one-night flight and navigating all sorts of administrative procedures, the Hyperion finally docked within Kazakhstan, on a border line just a few kilometers from Shenzhou's Xinjiang Autonomous Region.
It was in moments like these that the wisdom of registering with the UN-affiliated Disaster Containment Initiative became apparent. Without that legal status, no matter how slapdash the governments of these Central Asian "-stan" countries were, they'd never allow an unfamiliar aerospace warship to cruise through their airspace.
On the couch, a bored Fuli was fiddling with Bronya's "twin-turbos." The little girl, using his lap as a pillow while she played her game, wasn't annoyed in the slightest. In fact, she kept shooting triumphant glances at Kiana, who was biting a handkerchief in a corner, green with envy.
Imouto route, solid as a rock!
Onii-chan can have countless girlfriends in the future, but he'll only ever have one little sister, and that's Bronya!
The automatic doors to the bridge slid open silently, and Mei, with Kallen floating beside her, entered the room.
Mei had always gotten along quite well with Kallen, likely because she figured an AI without a physical body couldn't possibly compete for her man, and because the Saintess housed the Chimera Project, the ultimate creation of the virtual Otto.
However, the dark expression on Mei's face at that moment made Fuli question this conclusion. He wondered if they'd had a falling out.
"Not a falling out."
Kallen, having read her foolish little brother's thoughts from his expression, whistled while holding her head. "It wasn't me who made Mei angry."
"Huh?"
Hearing this, Kiana immediately started racking her brain, trying to remember if she'd caused any trouble recently.
—So much trouble, I can't even count it all, hahaha!
"I'm sorry, Mei! I'll never do it again!"
"?"
Mei gave the bowing, apologetic ball of white fluff a confused look. After a brief hesitation, she decided to play along. "It's good that you're reflecting on your actions."
With a mountain of work on her plate, she had no idea what Kiana had been up to for the past two days, but it was always a good thing when this girl was willing to repent.
How cunning of you, Miss Mei!
"Take a look at this."
Miss Mei handed over three copies of a file. Fuli, Kiana, and Bronya each took one, and it didn't take long for them to understand the reason for her displeasure.
Raiden Ryoma's request was for the Hyperion to assist his old acquaintance—a local Xinjiang scientist named Dr. Zhou—in investigating the truth behind the legendary Lake Kanas monster.
The file contained not only the contact information and rendezvous point but also some intelligence on the alleged monster.
The problem was—
"A hundred meters?!"
Fuli put down the file, a "You've got to be kidding me" look on his face. "Is this Dr. Zhou writing a xianxia novel?"
Kanas Lake, the deepest moraine-dammed lake in Shenzhou, is located in the far north of the Altai region in Xinjiang. Hailed as one of Shenzhou's most beautiful lakes, it's often called a "paradise on earth" or "God's garden."
The lake is famous for three wonders.
The first is a thousand-meter-long causeway of deadwood, formed by floating logs pushed upstream against the current by strong valley winds, accumulating at the lake's head.
The second is the giant lake monster, which is said to often drag horses drinking at the shore into the water, adding an air of mystery to the Kanas region.
The third is a rare spectacle that only appears after the rain—the Kanas sea of clouds and Buddha's light.
Dr. Zhou's request was to investigate the second wonder. However, according to the intel he provided, the Kanas monster was a terrifying fish-like creature over a hundred meters long and weighing between 300 to 500 tons!
It wasn't that such creatures didn't exist in the Honkai-infested world. Many lower-class Honkai Beasts that required a team of A-rank Valkyries to suppress were even larger.
But Kanas Lake wasn't some deep-water abyss like Lake Baikal. Its total area was 45.73 square kilometers, with an average depth of 120 meters and a maximum depth of only 188.5 meters.
In 2007, it had been designated a national 5A-level tourist attraction by the Shenzhou National Tourism Administration, with an annual visitor count of nearly two million.
If the monster were truly a hundred meters long, setting aside whether Kanas Lake could even provide its three square meals a day, how could a creature of that size possibly hide from the eyes of so many people? It would be a miracle if it wasn't spotted!
Furthermore, the Shenzhou government wasn't as useless as the British House of Lords. If a monster of that size appeared within their borders and was beyond their control, they would have dealt with it in minutes, turning it into a beautiful legend for good!
Fuli's line of thinking wasn't without basis. The documents Mei brought did indeed state that the Shenzhou government had previously sent an investigation team to Kanas Lake.
The investigation was conducted under the banner of a popular science program that post-2000s kids might not have heard of, but many born in the 80s and 90s would remember vividly—Into Science.
After a thorough investigation, the team ultimately attributed the monster legends to a large carnivorous fish, the Taimen salmon, which can grow up to two meters long. And that was the end of it.
"I think the conclusion is pretty obvious," Kallen said, flicking her braid. "Two meters long, fiercely carnivorous—from a normal person's perspective, that's already a lethal threat."
To Valkyries who regularly fought Honkai Beasts tens or hundreds of meters in size, a little guy that was only as tall as a Shandong scallion might be nothing. But to a normal person, a water monster that stood as tall as a two-story building, weighed over a hundred kilograms, and had a mouth full of steel teeth... without a weapon, the odds would be about 30-70.
They'd get three bites in; you'd be getting your seven-day memorial service.
Of course, if the fight was on land, that was a different story.
"Bronya has noticed something," Bronya said lazily, putting down her controller. "The file says that the Into Science episode about the Kanas monster was spearheaded by this very same Dr. Zhou, who claims to have witnessed it. After the show, he was promoted step by step and is now the deputy director of the Xinjiang Environmental Science Research Institute."
Fuli's eye twitched. "Are you saying he intentionally hyped it up for clout?"
"Generally speaking, if you can't find the culprit, the person who benefits the most is the prime suspect," Kallen said as a stream of data flickered in her eyes. "While the natural conditions of Kanas Lake can't be ignored, the monster legend has certainly added to its mystique, attracting many tourists."
"So, you're saying the doctor invited the TV crew to blow a local story out of proportion to boost the local—uh, tourism economy?" Kiana scratched her head. "Couldn't he have just been mistaken? Maybe he just exaggerated the size of a big fish swimming underwater?"
"One's perspective determines one's attitude toward the unknown. Those with a limited view will use exaggerated descriptions for everything they see," Mei said, closing her book. "I don't believe a brilliant scholar who could rise to the position of deputy director of a research institute, publish over 160 papers, and contribute to more than 10 academic monographs would be so shortsighted."
The fact was, even after the Into Science program ended, this man continued to publicly proclaim the monster's existence, often getting into heated, red-faced arguments with other guests on screen.
"Of course, I don't personally think his hyping it up is a bad thing," Mei continued. "Bangalter, a master of domestic and foreign policy, was also a thoroughly corrupt official. The selfless Kleist was a disaster at governing. Everyone laughed at Khrushchev for being a country bumpkin, but no one questioned his faith."
"Salazar, a man of saintly morals, was an extreme conservative. These examples are enough to prove that an individual's ability and their moral character are not positively correlated. Whatever the doctor's methods, he boosted the local economy and lifted many people out of poverty."
"I don't think that's right," the righteous Saintess interjected. "It's common sense that 'rumors are false.' I don't believe that after a rumor is exposed, one can be absolved by claiming 'the facts were inaccurate, but the intention was to spread positive energy.' It's as if slapping a 'positive energy' label on a rumor makes the harm it causes negligible."
"Exactly," Fuli nodded vigorously. "Like those people who spread rumors that Qian Xuesen applied for U.S. citizenship. They clearly just assume that Old Mr. Qian had to apply just like they would."
Bronya shot him a sideways glance, thinking to herself that if you can't keep up with the debate, you could just be quiet like Bronya. His analogy was completely off-topic.
She looked away and gently kicked Kiana's calf. "If you have something to say, just say it. You've been looking like you want to speak but are holding back. That's not like the idiot Kiana I know."
"Well, it's just," Kiana blinked. "I was thinking, is it possible that Dr. Zhou genuinely believes the official investigation was unreasonable, and that's why he's willing to post a request on the dark web for help? I mean, even if he wanted to stir up the topic again, he shouldn't be hiring espers like us who have little influence in the real world. He should be contacting the news media or someone who can spread the word more widely, right?"
The moment she finished speaking, she saw four pairs of utterly shocked eyes staring at her. She stomped her foot in frustration. "I do use my brain sometimes, you know! When everyone's safety is at stake, even I think seriously!"
Mei looked away and cleared her throat. "Perhaps it's related to Shenzhou's recent plans for the 'Public Disclosure of Honkai.'"
In the second decade of the 21st century, it wasn't just Shenzhou. Many nations, including the European Union and North America, were considering partially disclosing the existence of the Honkai.
There was no other reason than the fact that they simply couldn't hide it anymore.
The 21st century was the age of information. The world was no longer like ancient times, where poor transportation meant that places just a few dozen miles apart were different worlds.
The internet had drastically accelerated the exchange of information. Honkai Beasts, Deadwalkers, various natural disasters, and supernatural events were being witnessed with increasing frequency.
No matter how much they tried to control the information, some would always slip through the cracks. Not to mention things like Schicksal's floating islands and aerospace warships—technology that was completely impossible by modern conventional standards—parading in front of everyone's eyes.
Furthermore, due to the symbiotic nature of Honkai and civilization, the more developed a city, the higher the probability of an incident. It was impossible to conceal a disaster that was constantly happening right next to you.
Besides, many officials and high-level figures were tired of taking the blame for the destruction caused by the Honkai.
As long as the Honkai remained a secret, the losses fell on their shoulders. They were not only criticized by netizens and locals, but even if their superiors knew the fault didn't lie with their subordinates, they had to take measures to appease public anger.
If they could seize this opportunity to use the investigation of the lake monster as a pretext to fully disclose the existence of the Honkai, the resulting attention would be more than just a deluge; Dr. Zhou would be immortalized in the history books.
"However, I admit it's unfair to dismiss this incident as mere hype based on a single document," Mei said from her seat, crossing her black-stockinged legs. "Therefore, I hope you will all approach this task with a professional attitude and treat our unseen client with due respect."
"Also, considering potential needs and accidents during the mission, I have prepared some basic provisions for your fieldwork."
SNAP!
She snapped her fingers, and several Cat Paw Pastries hopped over, carrying some items to the table.
"These are Life Cards, made from everyone's hair and fingernails. If we get separated, we can at least know our comrades' general location. This is an EMP grenade, which will be remarkably effective against mechs like the Titan. This is Alpha Gel; apply it to a head wound and activate it, and it will rapidly expand into the brain tissue to supply energy in place of blood, greatly preserving brain tissue viability. This is a memory-erasing smoke bomb, based on En's memory eraser. Breaking it will erase a period of a normal person's physiological memory. This is a mass-produced Spirit-Gathering Ring, currently a bit unstable, capable of storing Honkai energy equivalent to a B-rank Valkyrie. And this is Corpse-Dissolving Powder—"
"C-Corpse-Dissolving Powder?!"
The thoughtful preparations of Mama Mei not only moved Fuli, Kiana, and Bronya but also terrified them.
"When you're out and about, you'll inevitably encounter situations where you have to kill someone," the girl said, picking up a small vial of pale-yellow powder and casually tossing it up and down. "When this stuff comes into contact with blood, it triggers a violent corrosive reaction, dissolving everything it touches into a puddle of odorless yellow water."
As a side note, drying this yellow water would create new Corpse-Dissolving Powder, making it conveniently reusable.
But seeing the three of them huddled together, trembling, Mama Mei decided it was best not to be so blunt with her little ones. After all, ME Corp could produce as much of this stuff as needed.
What mattered was the effectiveness. These items were all new models, with prototypes having just been produced.
For example, the improved MEI-brand healing spray had been reformulated after learning from Bronya's experience treating Arlan.
Considering that it's best to familiarize oneself with healing medications under controlled conditions, Fuli formed a sword with his fingers. The crystal-blue Shadowchaser Sword condensed at his fingertips, and with a little force, he broke the skin.
"Little sis! Quick!" he urged Bronya, lest the wound heal on its own.
The girl puffed her cheeks, a little displeased with the nickname, but still pressed the valve on the spray bottle.
PSSSH—!
The sound of spraying liquid echoed through the spacious bridge. Bronya was startled, thinking she hadn't pressed it that hard.
She followed the sound and saw it was Kiana.
Compared to Fuli's caution, this idiot had just gone and slashed her own wrist. Now she was staring blankly at the gushing wound, looking like a complete lunatic.
Noticing all eyes were on her, she even used her uninjured hand to scratch the back of her head and grin foolishly. "Ah Li, Mei, look! Won't the healing effect be more obvious this way?"
An overwhelming yandere aura washed over them, sending a shiver down Fuli's spine.
But he quickly recovered and said defiantly, "Mere Kiana, don't think you can beat me with just that!"
Without another word, he drew the Sparrow's Song and stabbed himself in the thigh.
Blood gushed out with a WHOOSH. The boy stuck the sword in the floor and looked at her smugly.
"Hmph, what's that? Watch this!"
Kiana immediately accepted the challenge, pulling out the Guardian of Luna and about to pull the trigger.
BANG!
BANG!
"Who told you to play with these things?!"
"Show your bodies some respect!"
Two loud smacks, accompanied by the furious roars of Mei and Kallen, reverberated throughout the massive bridge.
Bronya hugged a chilled can of Sprite, thinking to herself that it was another peaceful day.
A while later—
"Waaah, I won't do it again!"
With a delicate little bow-shaped bandage on her wrist, Kiana clung to Mei's clothes, who had turned her head away, whining and pleading while secretly giving the only male in the room a meaningful look.
Fuli, who had seemingly acted recklessly but had actually taken the opportunity to test the healing spray, was now cosplaying as Blade with a bandage on his thigh. Seeing her signal, he cleared his throat, indicating that he was in a tough spot too, before quickly looking pleadingly at his Saintess big sister.
"Hmph!"
Kallen was unmoved, her arms crossed and head turned away, clearly still angry.
Bronya, having had her fill of the drama, raised her little hand. "If we're going on a mission, should we all come up with code names?"