"If it makes you happy, you can have this thing. But what do you want with it, Dad?" Sirin asked, tossing the tightly bound Cheng Lixue in front of Chen Li. The lances had transformed back into bands of sub-space.
Although the Honkai consciousness could no longer communicate with her, preventing Sirin from verifying Chen Li's identity, she remembered how the Homu had recklessly stood in front of her when Taixu Sword God descended. That act spoke of profound loyalty and righteousness. Moreover, the power it possessed was indeed very similar to her own as the Herrscher of the Void, just much weaker...
So, the Herrscher of the Void decided to acknowledge this companion Honkai Beast from 50,000 years ago.
Because when she had first met "God" on the moon, it had indeed told her about the events of 50,000 years ago, and she vaguely recalled something about a cycle. She couldn't remember the specifics, but it was close enough.
As for the nickname "Dad"... considering this old thing's great age, its rather unique appearance, and the fact that it had blocked Taixu Sword God for her... fine. Although, in the end, its attempt to block the attack had been completely useless, it had earned Sirin's initial trust.
"I want to learn that move from earlier. I think it was called... Taixu Sword God, right?" Chen Li said with excitement.
"Tch. Instead of spending time learning that, you should be learning from me how to control the Herrscher of the Void-like authority you already possess. How did you manage to live for 50,000 years without learning to use this power?" Sirin looked at Chen Li with disbelief.
While Sirin was prone to arrogance and had suffered for it many times, she never reflected on her mistakes because she gained new power after every setback. Her ability to learn, however, was quite strong. For example, after being gravely injured by Anti-Entropy's nuclear bomb, she was taken to the moon by Benares to train for a while, after which she could control her powers with much greater precision.
So, she found Chen Li's situation difficult to comprehend. After 50,000 years, even a pig...
"Your Majesty, you may not know this, but 50,000 years ago, Honkai Beasts like us could only grow quickly and learn our Herrscher's powers by staying close to them, thereby transforming into the strongest weapon in their hands..."
"Is that so?" Sirin didn't remember God telling her anything about that.
"It is, Your Majesty, it is! Just by staying near you, I can become more proficient in wielding the authority of the Herrscher of the Void. Once my proficiency reaches 100%, I will become your strongest signature weapon!" Chen Li nodded with absolute certainty.
"Then why are you so weak now?"
"...As you know, Your Majesty, you were defeated not long after I was born. I lost my Herrscher at a young age," Chen Li said, his tone instantly becoming dejected.
"..." Sirin couldn't smile anymore. She, too, had lost her mother at a young age.
"Then why doesn't it work for Benares?" Sirin asked after a moment.
"Benares? Who?"
"My companion Honkai Beast."
"What? You have a new companion Honkai Beast? But that makes sense, every Herrscher has their own. As for why the companion beasts of this civilization lost that ability, I'm not sure. But Your Majesty, would you like to see my great treasure?"
"What treasure?"
"Your future signature weapon."
"Alright, let me see." Sirin was intrigued.
"Ta-da!"
From the pocket on the chest of his Homu costume, Chen Li pulled out a giant pair of scissors as tall as a person, leaving Sirin dumbfounded. But considering he was a companion beast of the Herrscher of the Void, having some spatial manipulation abilities seemed normal, so she didn't press the issue.
"These scissors..." Sirin placed her hand on them and indeed felt a sense of connection.
"However, these scissors are still in their embryonic state. They need my proficiency with the Herrscher of the Void's authority to reach 100% before I can imbue them with a soul," Chen Li continued to bluff with all his might.
In reality, it was simply because Sirin hadn't been granted usage rights by Chen Li, so she was completely unable to use the Curio, [Myriad Phenomena Severance].
Chen Li felt no guilt at all for deceiving a little girl. Because the real Sirin was already "dead." The one standing before him now was actually Sirin's Herrscher personality. It wasn't just Kiana who had one; Sirin did too.
When the Honkai consciousness used the body of a small Honkai Beast to trick Sirin into expending almost all her energy to teleport to the location of the gestating Emperor-class Honkai Beast, Ashura, it then led her into a special space. There, Sirin's Herrscher personality tore apart her original one and completely took over her body. Gentleness and kindness were easily shredded under the influence of hatred and the Honkai. What Schicksal would face next was the complete Second Herrscher, Sirin.
It was only after this transformation that Sirin gained the authority to speak directly with the Honkai consciousness.
My dear Queen, if you truly want to live again, you first need to die once.
After watching Chen Li stuff the scissors back into his four-dimensional pocket, Sirin turned her gaze back to Cheng Lixue.
"You're the student of the person who nearly killed me, right? From now on, teach my retainer how to use a sword, and I will spare your life," Sirin said to Cheng Lixue.
"..." Cheng Lixue merely looked up at Sirin blankly, saying nothing.
"Putting on airs," Sirin snorted. She opened her palm, revealing a feather stained with the power of the Herrscher of the Void. "Your master used this kind of feather to invade my consciousness. Now, the remaining ones belong to me. It's time I used them on you."
Sirin pinched a feather and looked at Cheng Lixue.
Cheng Lixue's pupils contracted.
Fenghuang Down!
The next moment, the feather drifted past Cheng Lixue's face, and her eyes instantly became vacant.
"Alright, the rest is up to you. Now, let's see... who should I use this new toy on next?" Sirin said, playing with the other feathers of Fenghuang Down as if she had found a new plaything.
Once Sirin had decided on her next victim, a huge Imaginary portal opened before her. On the other side stood a white-haired Valkyrie on a snowy plain, fighting Honkai Beasts with a massive lance.
Two giant Imaginary hands reached for Cecilia. Just as she noticed the attack and tried to block, a feather of Fenghuang Down, stained with the Herrscher's power, drifted past her eyes. Cecilia instantly lost consciousness and stood frozen, allowing the hands to embrace her and drag her back through the portal.
Watching this, Chen Li sighed deeply. Sirin truly deserved to lose. The 6th Divine Key slipped from the hands of the embraced Cecilia and fell to the ground, and Sirin didn't even give it a second thought.
After Cecilia was captured, another Imaginary portal opened. This time, Sirin's target was a man named Siegfried. Wielding the greatsword Judgment of Shamash, Siegfried quickly noticed the Imaginary hands reaching out from the portal and tried to resist, but Fenghuang Down drifted past once more.
Just like that, Siegfried was also captured.
This time, Chen Li's heart ached even more, because Sirin had once again ignored the Judgment of Shamash that slipped from Siegfried's grasp.
You beat a boss, they drop loot, and you don't even pick it up? Is that how you play the game?
However, seeing that even Cecilia and Siegfried were so easily hypnotized by Fenghuang Down, Chen Li suddenly had a bold idea.
Driven by this bold idea, Chen Li audaciously asked Sirin for the feather that was controlling Cheng Lixue.
Whether it was because Sirin was truly that gullible, or because gaining her trust was difficult and he had already passed that test, the feather ended up in Chen Li's hands.
"Benares, you look a bit worn out. Let me help you. I was just looking for a chance to try out my new toy anyway," said Sirin's voice to the humanoid Honkai Beast, Benares, who had been fighting Siegfried.
"My apologies, Your Majesty. I was careless. Please give me another chance. I will be sure to clean up the remaining ants," Benares immediately pledged, not wanting to disappoint her queen.
"After you've cleaned up the ants, return to the Tower of Babylon. I have a new companion to introduce to you."
"Understood, Your Majesty."
Meanwhile, Chen Li had already begun learning swordsmanship from Cheng Lixue. He didn't know how to use Fenghuang Down himself, but seeing Cheng Lixue, now freed, silently practicing with a broken sword, he didn't dare to act rashly. As everyone knows, once a program is running, no matter how strangely it runs, as long as it works, you don't touch it.
Chen Li watched with interest as Cheng Lixue demonstrated the forms of the Sword of Taixu. Although this version was all form and no intent, and learning it this way would certainly be incomplete, it didn't matter. The [Allocation] ability would solve everything. As long as he got the basics down, he could just pump points into it with [Allocation]. After all, he only needed to know how to cast Taixu Sword God.
What's all that mumbo-jumbo? Witness my Hundred-Refined Taixu Sword God!
What? A Taixu Sword God cast like that has no soul? Like how a forcibly twisted melon isn't sweet? You'll never know if it's sweet until you take a bite.
And this wasn't the only happy development.
While Sirin was using Fenghuang Down to construct an illusion for Siegfried and Cecilia, she was also maintaining her Imaginary screen skill. Because the Herrscher of the Void was using her authority, the proficiency of Chen Li's own Herrscher of the Void authority model was steadily increasing.
At that moment, Sirin was biting her thumb in frustration. She had intended to create a terrifying nightmare for Siegfried and Cecilia, but Fenghuang Down refused to cooperate, instead constructing a vision of an ordinary, happy family.
"You watch here, I'll be right back! These villains who stole my happiness... I will destroy their happiness too!" Seeing a fast-forwarded scene of the family happily celebrating a birthday and cutting a cake, Sirin's anger flared.
"Your Majesty, don't go! That place... it's hell!" Chen Li shouted.
"Hell? That's right. I will be the one to turn their happy dream into a hell!" Sirin clenched the feather and plunged into the dream, heedless of his warning.
"Sigh, how can a newly debuted, love-starved child like Sirin possibly stand against a succubus-level wife like Cecilia, who's at max-level motherly love?"
Once Sirin's consciousness was fully immersed in the illusion, Chen Li walked straight up to her, passed through the Imaginary screen she had erected to defend against external threats, took out the Longbow of Peace, and gently touched her.
The "Eradicate by the Roots" effect activated.
"Huh..." When Chen Li saw Sirin's only three positive relationships, he was stunned for a moment.
One was Benares, one was Chen Li, and one was the Honkai Consciousness/Finality. (And a large number of Honkai Beasts in a subordinate relationship.)
The rest were all negative relationships.
The fact that even an imposter like him could be counted as a positive relationship showed just how lenient the effect's judgment was. And even then, there were only three "people" on her list.
What about Sirin's mother, you ask? Sirin's mother... was already dead!
But then again, at such a young age, Sirin already understood that the most stable relationship is one between three people. That was quite impressive.
Chen Li stepped back out of Sirin's Imaginary screen, took off his costume's head, and put on a colored contact lens.
"Thorn in the Side" activated.
Target: Finality!
[Thorn in the Side activating][Lock-on successful][Locked content: XP of the Cocoon of Finality]
"???"
"What was that weird thing that just flashed by?" Chen Li frowned, feeling that things were not as simple as they seemed.
---o--