The Supreme Guardian.
Cocolia Rand.
Evan slowly looked her over from head to toe.
She wore a uniform that wasn't particularly extravagant,
covered by a thick green overcoat suitable for the bitter cold outside.
That signature spiral-shaped blonde hair—
Anyone unfamiliar might genuinely mistake her including appearance alone as Bronya's biological mother.
"…?"
No—wait.
She really did look almost identical to Cocolia from another Honkai world.
The same outline. The same bearing.
The difference was subtle but undeniable.
Compared to that version, this Cocolia carried a far stronger aura of authority—
the weight of a true ruler who stood at the top for years.
"Honestly… a perfectly qualified mature woman."
Evan muttered the evaluation under his breath.
He completely ignored the curious look Bronya shot his way—
as well as the obvious look of disdain from Seele.
"Reporting to the Supreme Guardian,"
Bronya said formally, lowering her head slightly.
"The suspects have been brought in."
Despite their personal relationship, this was official business.
Even though Bronya had long since grown rebellious,
she still maintained the necessary decorum in public.
"…Mm."
"I understand, Bronya."
"You may step outside now."
Cocolia's voice sounded faintly tired—
yet beneath that fatigue lay the unmistakable pressure of a supreme authority.
Bronya hesitated, as if she wanted to say something more,
but Cocolia gently stopped her.
Once Bronya left,
the Supreme Guardian's gaze settled squarely on Evan.
She stared at him.
For a long time.
Without speaking.
[Beep—!]
[Detected a treasure chest in this area. Would you like to retrieve it?]
While Cocolia and Bronya were speaking,
Evan had already heard the familiar system notification.
"Retrieve it."
[Acknowledged.]
[Treasure chest retrieved.]
[Would you like to open the chest and obtain its reward?]
Another silver chest.
Even at its worst, it shouldn't be inferior to the one from Natasha's clinic.
Without hesitation, Evan opened it.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations! You have obtained: Honkai Impact 3rd — Imitation Divine Key: Black Abyss White Flower]
[Chance of obtaining the genuine version in the future: 99%]
[Host, your luck is honestly impressive in the worst possible way. Even a silver chest can yield junk?]
[Item has been automatically stored in your inventory.]
—Wait.
What did I just get?
Black Abyss White Flower?!
Evan immediately ignored the system's snide remarks
and focused entirely on the item itself.
Imitation?
Who cares if it's an imitation?!
I'm a Chest Hunter—
a Herrscher-powered Pathstrider of Erudition!
Since when did I start being picky about whether a Divine Key was "authentic"?
Sure, Evan wasn't well-versed in how the Divine Keys were originally created.
He had no idea how Void Archives managed it either.
But if he ever figured it out?
He'd happily mass-produce imitation Divine Keys just for fun.
Black Abyss White Flower was no joke.
In battle, injuries were inevitable—even for Emanators.
But with this weapon?
His recovery speed would surpass nearly everyone else.
As long as his opponent wasn't an Emanator or an Aeon,
he'd be just fine.
A Throne-level existence?
Please.
With his luck, was he really going to run into monsters like that?
Still…
A strange thought crossed Evan's mind.
If he ever ran into Welt Yang while holding Black Abyss White Flower—
Would Welt immediately head to the Xianzhou just to hunt down Luocha?
…No, wait.
They hadn't even arrived on Jarilo-VI yet.
The timeline probably hadn't reached that point.
But if he ever encountered Void Archives…
That would be interesting.
Unfortunately—
His luck really was terrible.
The Qlipoth Fort chest only yielded an imitation Divine Key.
What a waste.
As the chest marker vanished from his map,
Evan's eyes briefly lost all sparkle.
...
At that moment,
Seele stared at Cocolia with a deeply unsettled expression.
"Supreme Guardian."
"What exactly are you trying to do?"
Cocolia stepped down from her position.
She walked straight toward Evan.
Then—
She placed one hand on his shoulder.
Instantly, Evan's expression changed.
Something felt wrong.
This sensation…
It felt like a form of mental interference.
Abilities like this weren't rare in the universe.
One notorious Stellaron Hunter—Kafka—
was famous for a similar technique known as Spirit Whisper.
And in Penacony, Robin's people used subtle psychological suggestion as well.
This was mental manipulation.
What was she trying to do?
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