"Ugh! Another new day."
Ling Feng pulled back the curtains, and warm sunlight immediately flooded in, filling the entire room.
"Today's a holiday, I should go..."
"Buzz buzz buzz!"
Huh? Who's looking for me this early in the morning?
Ling Feng turned his head towards the bedside table, picked up his phone with a puzzled look, and unlocked it.
"Kiana? What's she looking for me for so early?"
Ling Feng tapped on Huhu Chat and previewed Kiana's message.
Kiana: Ling Feng, Ling Feng, are you awake? Want to go to an internet cafe in Sky City to play games! I'm only a few matches away from Master!
Going to an internet cafe so early in the morning... So pedantic...
Ling Feng: What time, where do we meet?
Kiana: It's seven now, I didn't go back to St. Freya last night, so how about nine? I'll wait for you at the usual spot.
Ling Feng: Alright.
After ending the chat, Ling Feng casually tossed his phone onto the bed and changed out of his pajamas into casual wear, humming a tune.
...
"Good morning, Zhen, Hong Hong, and Keqing."
Ling Feng sat down at the dining table with a smile. Zhen skillfully went to the kitchen and brought Ling Feng a bowl of egg noodles.
Ling Feng didn't stand on ceremony, picked up his chopsticks, and began to eat with gusto.
"Do you guys have any plans for today?"
Ling Feng asked Zhen and the others while eating his noodles.
"Hmm... Today, Hong Hong and Keqing and I plan to go shopping. Do you want to come along?"
Zhen smiled at Ling Feng. From the hint of anticipation in her eyes, she really hoped Ling Feng would join them.
"I'm afraid I can't, but... if it's in the afternoon or evening, maybe."
"Mhm, mhm, mhm, then we'll go together in the afternoon."
Zhen had been a little dejected when Ling Feng first said no, but hearing his later words, she immediately became happy again.
Hong Hong glanced at Zhen and sighed softly, thinking that her sister was too accommodating to this idiot.
"Ling Feng, regarding the swordsmanship you taught me, I feel a bit stuck when I practice, but I can't quite figure out what I'm doing wrong."
Keqing rested her chin on her hand, speaking with some distress.
"Then after I finish eating, show me a demonstration, and I'll take a look for you... Delicious!"
With that, Ling Feng slurped up the last of his noodles and let out a comfortable sigh.
"Let's go."
Taking Keqing with him, Ling Feng went to the training grounds. After instructing Keqing, Ling Feng rode his motorcycle out of St. Freya Academy and headed towards the cross-sea bridge connecting to Shenzhou.
...
Less than a hundred meters from St. Freya Academy, a Schicksal battleship appeared silently in the sea.
"Rita, Ling Feng has been lured out. You may proceed."
"Understood! Alvitt, destination—St. Freya Academy."
"Yes!" Upon receiving Rita's command, Alvitt immediately activated the battleship and flew towards St. Freya Academy.
Rita watched Ling Feng gradually disappear into the distance and murmured with deep apology.
"I'm sorry, Teacher Ling Feng."
...
In the underground central cathedral of St. Freya Academy, Theresa looked at the symbols of the three great families on the door and slowly opened it to walk in.
"I hope I can find a way to help Bronya here."
After Theresa had completely entered the central cathedral, a sneaky figure emerged from around the corner—it was Kiana.
"Search for data related to 'human brain access bio-chip'."
"713 records found in the Schicksal core database. 712 of these records are classified as top secret due to their relation to the 'Project: Herrscher'. Access is denied."
"Tsk, hidden by that guy again, huh? What about the remaining one?"
Theresa muttered a "tsk" after hearing the AI's response, as if she had expected it, and chuckled with a hint of helplessness.
"On February 7, 2000, there are related records in the Babylon Laboratory in Siberia."
"The year 2000? Damn it, it was that long ago. Database, help me retrieve the relevant records."
"As you command, Lady Theresa~"
As she spoke, Theresa's figure disappeared from her spot. Kiana quickly followed.
After a flash of light, Kiana found herself in a snowy landscape, with a tall tower in the distance.
...
Sky City. Ling Feng parked his motorcycle in a parking lot near an internet cafe and took out his phone from his pocket.
Ling Feng: I'm at the parking lot, where are you now?
Kiana: I'm at the entrance of the parking lot, hurry over.
Ling Feng: Got it, I'll be right there.
Ling Feng put his phone away and slowly walked towards the parking lot entrance. After a moment, he saw Kiana waiting by the parking lot entrance sign.
"You're here! Let's go in quickly."
Kiana said with a beaming smile, hands on her hips, seemingly eager to reach Master.
"Let's go. I hope today's opponents aren't too strong, otherwise with your shotgun combo, you won't make it. Seriously, can you switch to a normal setup today?"
Ling Feng shot Kiana an exasperated glance. This girl often put him in a 1v4 situation.
"Okay, okay, okay, this lady will show you something special today."
Kiana gave herself a thumbs-up and then eagerly ran into the internet cafe, renting a private room at the front desk.
After entering the private room, the two skillfully booted up their computers.
"Quick, quick, quick, I've invited you."
"I'm in."
"Start, start, start." Seeing Ling Feng join the party, Kiana decisively clicked to start matchmaking.
Soon, both of them had logged into the game. Judging from their voices, the other two teammates also knew each other.
Schicksal Headquarters
"This is Fu Hua. Wraith and I have stalled Ling Feng. The plan is proceeding smoothly. Wraith's disguise skills are seamless; he didn't suspect anything."
"As for his aura, I used the Primordial Spring Bell to mask Wraith's true aura and the Feather of Dust to 'deceive' his perception of Wraith's aura."
Otto smiled upon hearing this. As long as Ling Feng was stalled, the "retrieval plan" was almost halfway to success.
"Very good. Continue to stall him. Rita has already begun her operation."
"Yes!"
Fu Hua hung up the communication. Otto then turned to a man beside him and smiled faintly.
"How is it, my friend? What do you think of this plan?"
The man opened his eyes and couldn't help but nod in approval.
"A brilliant stratagem. Using Hua's understanding of me to have her stall me, and then employing the Primordial Spring Bell and the Feather of Dust."
"Honestly, if anyone else were executing this mission, even with those two items, they couldn't have fooled me."
"But it's precisely Fu Hua executing it, isn't it?" Otto smiled.
"With your meticulous planning, you probably even have contingency measures thought out for when I discover it, don't you?"
*Clap clap clap*. Otto nodded and applauded.
"Exactly. If discovered, with the power of the Primordial Spring Bell to contain a Herrscher for a period of time, it should be enough to contain you for a while, right?"
...
Sky City. Ling Feng was surprised to find that Kiana wasn't using her usual shotgun combo.
But it also piqued Ling Feng's suspicion. No matter how he tried to persuade Kiana before, she refused to abandon her "equality for all" combo. Today, she changed it, which was simply incredible.
Ling Feng looked at Kiana and pondered for a moment, feeling that something was amiss.
"Eye of Detection!"
He was shocked by what he saw. This person was not the real Kiana at all.
No! This is bad! Kiana is in danger! These people deliberately lured me out, and they could even fool my divine sense scan!
Ling Feng no longer concealed his power, his aura surging. Just as he was about to break through the wall, a small brass bell flew towards him.
"What's going on!"
Ling Feng immediately felt an invisible force restraining him. The small brass bell grew in the wind, transforming into a large bell that pressed down heavily.
"Phew..."
Kiana, who had been shaken by Ling Feng's aura, breathed a sigh of relief when Ling Feng was trapped by the brass bell. She looked towards the door and said,
"Fu Hua, thank goodness you reacted in time."
Fu Hua entered the room, her expression extremely serious. She looked at the "Kiana" and said,
"First, evacuate the crowd. The Primordial Spring Bell can only contain Ling Feng for about fifteen minutes."
"But that should be enough. According to intelligence, Rita's operation is proceeding smoothly and is entering its final stage."
"Yes!"
Wraith saluted and then left the private room to evacuate the crowd.
"Ling Feng, I apologize."
Fu Hua looked at the slightly trembling brass bell with a complex expression and murmured,
"What is this thing? It was never mentioned in Honkai Impact 3rd."
Inside the brass bell, Ling Feng was relentlessly pounding on the bell's surface, trying to break it.
He couldn't hear the sounds from outside, as the brass bell had the ability to isolate sound.
...
Meanwhile, in a virtual space, Kiana was overjoyed at having defeated the Second Herrscher, Sirin, with her mother, Cecilia, in Babylon Tower.
"We did it, we succeeded!"
Kiana excitedly hugged Cecilia in front of her, her joy unreserved.
"Just like a child," Cecilia gently stroked Kiana's head.
"Lady Cecilia, can I hug you for a little longer? I'll let go soon."
"Yes, you can hug for as long as you want. You've worked hard, Kiana."
Kiana buried her face in Cecilia's embrace with a happy smile, like a lost child returning home.
Suddenly, Theresa's voice came from behind her.
"Kiana, what are you doing here?!"
"Theresa, you're too slow! The Second Herrscher has already been dealt with by Cecilia and me!"
Kiana said enthusiastically.
However, Theresa looked at her with complete confusion.
"What are you talking about, Kiana? There's no one else here..."
"What nonsense are you spouting? Lady Cecilia is standing right beside me..."
Kiana said, smiling as she turned her head, but before she could finish, her voice abruptly stopped.
Kiana's eyes widened in disbelief. Cecilia was nowhere behind her.
"Huh..."
"Mom..."
Kiana's pupils lost focus, becoming vacant and hollow.
"How did you get into this data space? Come with me, the things here..."
Theresa was about to grab Kiana and leave, when a golden light suddenly shot towards her. By the time she reacted, she was already bound by a golden rope.
"This is! The Golden Rope! Let go of me!!!"
"Apologies, Headmistress. To avoid hindering our mission, please withdraw for now."
Rita directly knocked Theresa unconscious and then looked at Kiana.
"Kiana, your mother is not here..."
Sky City
"Fu Hua, the target has been retrieved. You may withdraw," Rita's voice came from Fu Hua's communicator.
"Understood."
*Bang!*
With a thunderous boom, the brass bell was sent flying, crashing through the internet cafe wall and smashing into a shop across the street.
"Fu Hua, it was you, as expected," Ling Feng said slowly, looking at the person before him, but now was not the time for idle chat.
Ling Feng didn't waste any more time with Fu Hua, ascending into the air and disappearing in a streak of light.