idk if this good, last time i made it a little bit cinematic, it has been a while since well i have dabbled with modifications.
But here we are! 50 power stones for a bonus chapter if you guys have 50 power stones you get a chapter lel.
-
Namba City, Far East.
This was the second largest city in this island nation, trailing only Nagazora.
In the original timeline, the Third Honkai Eruption broke out in Nagazora. The nation's largest city was completely destroyed, becoming a dead city. Namba City then took over its place, gradually becoming the new economic, political and technological center.
In the even more distant future, it would become one of the last three Base Cities of humanity.
"So, it's here."
On the streets of Namba City, a gray-haired, golden-eyed young man was blended into the crowd. He was wearing ordinary casual clothes, though the style was slightly trendy. Aside from that eye-catching face, he looked like just another young man hanging out in the city.
This was the new identity Ling Ke had prepared for himself: "Trailblazer: Caelus."
To be precise, he was currently using the [ Trailblazer: Destruction ] template.
This was the physically gifted Trailblazer who carried a Curio Bat around hitting people, jokingly called the "Galactic Batter" by players.
When it came to pure combat, Ling Ke didn't believe this template could defeat Sparkle and Firefly from the same world.
Sparkle's abilities were more flexible, allowing her to adapt to almost any situation. Firefly's destructive power was more direct, and the Trailblazer in their normal state was far from comparable to her.
However, combat power wasn't the only standard for measuring a template.
The Synesthesia Beacon could automatically eliminate language barriers. The personal Inventory functioned as a portable independent space. The Data Bank could record and organize all the information he encountered. The Omni-Synthesizer could then follow blueprints to directly convert existing materials into finished products.
And that was not to mention the body itself.
Ling Ke clenched his fist.
The endless stamina, the nearly indestructible Curio Bat, the Techniques that could heal wounds, and the ability to seize enemies' power and replenish his own losses in combat.
In the game, these things were just a few lines of description.
But once they truly entered reality, the convenience they represented was enough to overwhelm the flesh and blood of ordinary people.
'It might not be the strongest for direct combat, but it's incredibly convenient for staying alive.'
Moreover, this template was just like the templates of Anby and Billy from "Zenless Zone Zero." They did not exist in isolation.
As long as the conditions allowed, Ling Ke could switch between the unlocked characters and even form temporary teams according to the system's rules.
In gamer terms, this was simply "swapping characters within a party."
"I don't need to use it yet."
At least for now, he had no need to switch to anyone else.
Ling Ke focused his attention inward.
There, something more dangerous than any weapon lay dormant.
A Stellaron.
As the protagonist of Honkai: Star Rail, the Trailblazer also had a nickname that was somewhat unsettling.
"Stellaron Essence."
The name sounded a bit silly, but there was nothing funny about the Stellaron itself.
In Ling Ke's view, if it ever went completely out of control in this world, the chaos it would cause might not be much smaller than that of the Cocoon of Finality. Which one was more dangerous didn't matter, because either outcome would completely upend his original plans.
'If it ever came to that, my script would have to be restarted.'
Of course, Ling Ke would never allow such a thing to happen.
As the host of the "Ready Player One System," he had absolute control over the templates he loaded. The power, equipment, and special abilities granted by the templates would be fully preserved, while any negative background traits that would only hinder the user could be temporarily isolated by the system.
The reason he hadn't been affected by Entropy Loss Syndrome when he fought Kalpas as Firefly was precisely because of this authority.
Ling Ke opened his eyes again.
The preparations were complete. The Trailblazer's identity was also ordinary enough, not like Sparkle or Firefly, who would immediately attract unnecessary attention upon appearing.
"Well then..."
He continued forward with the crowd.
"Let me change my perspective and take a good look at the current world."
Meanwhile, in the center of Namba City, at the Moths Who Chase the Flames branch base.
In the Fifth Squad's operational briefing room, Captain Himeko was relaying the news they had just received to all the members along with the vice captain.
"The governments of various countries have already begun to act."
"According to the current plan, 1,379 Base Cities will be built in batches worldwide. The specific order will be determined by the geographical location, population size, and strategic value of the region."
Himeko glanced at the document in her hand.
"Namba City is on the first batch of the construction list and is also one of the highest priority cities."
The meeting room fell silent for a moment.
Then, hushed discussions emerged from the ranks.
"How did those people in the Council act so quickly this time?"
"The startup funds are also absurdly high."
"And no one took the chance to make a killing?"
"Damn it, those money-grubbing bastards are actually the ones funding this."
"Are we dreaming?"
"Maybe the situation outside has gotten so bad that even they've been scared awake."
The internal information the squad members had was incomplete, but it was already enough to make them realize that this Base City Project was no ordinary engineering work.
Himeko did not interrupt them.
She knew the real reason behind this order, but she had no intention of explaining it. She just stood there and waited for everyone to quiet down on their own.
A moment later, order returned to the meeting room.
"Done chatting?"
"Uh..."
"Heh heh."
Someone scratched their head, while another cleared their throat as if they hadn't been involved in the discussion at all.
Himeko did not reprimand them.
The combat squads of The Moths Who Chase the Flames were never a regular army. Their members came from different backgrounds, were trained in different ways, and faced enemies that were not human. Naturally, Himeko would not manage them like a conventional troop.
But when orders needed to be carried out seriously, she would not allow anyone to slack off.
"Now that you're done talking, focus."
Himeko continued, "Namba City will soon be transformed into a fortress-like Base City surrounded by high walls. Until the project is complete, the Fifth Squad will be responsible for maintaining security in the city and its surrounding areas."
"We will not be handling civil disputes between people. Other departments are responsible for those matters."
She paused.
"There is only one thing we truly need to deal with."
Himeko looked around at the squad members before her.
"Find them, hunt them down, and kill those monsters."
"Is that clear?"
"Clear!"
The Fifth Squad's response rang out in unison through the meeting room.
At the same time, in a bakery on a street corner in Namba City.
A flash of golden-orange fire flickered inside the glass display case.
A white-haired little girl appeared out of thin air between the loaves of bread.
She was incredibly small. Even standing on an adult's thumbnail, she would have enough space to turn around.
Sirin warily observed her surroundings.
The shopkeeper was busy attending to other customers, and no one nearby noticed the movement inside the display case.
She immediately pressed her hand onto a caterpillar-shaped bread.
The golden-orange fire flared up again.
The next moment, Sirin and the bread vanished together.
A dozen seconds later, on the rooftop of a skyscraper on the other side of the city, space rippled slightly.
Sirin returned to her original size, catching the lunch she had just acquired with both hands.
"Awooh."
She took a large, unceremonious bite, stuffing her mouth with cream and fluffy bread.
Just then, another voice echoed in her mind.
"Stealing is wrong."
"Then don't eat it..."
Sirin retorted instinctively, but stopped halfway through.
She and the other person shared the same body. When the bread went into her stomach, Kiana would naturally receive the nutrients from it.
This retort was completely meaningless.
Sirin's expression immediately darkened.
"Then I'll go back now and kill everyone who works at the shop."
She took another bite of the bread and spoke unclearly with her mouth full:
"If the person is dead, the stuff will naturally be mine. That way, it can't be considered stealing, right?"
"Don't do anything reckless."
Kiana's voice was tinged with helplessness.
"I won't say it again."
"You should have shut your mouth in the first place."
Sirin did not stop there.
"The power is mine, and I was the one who got the food. You're just a consciousness residing in this body. What right do you have to tell me what to do?"
Kiana did not answer.
It was unclear whether she was keeping her promise from earlier or simply couldn't think of a way to argue back.
Sirin successfully won the argument and continued eating the bread in her hand.
The taste was indeed good, and there was more cream inside than she had expected.
She did not notice that on the concrete ground behind her, a common grain of sand trembled slightly.
No wind blew across the rooftop.
The surrounding dust did not move.
Only that grain of sand briefly changed position.
It was not a real grain of sand.
It was an "Impostor" currently performing a surveillance mission.
A distant consciousness saw the eating Sirin through its senses.
'Found her.'
Deep beneath the sea, in a hidden base.
Kali, with her sky-blue skin, slowly opened her eyes.
"Good job."
Using the connection between the Herrschers of Domination, she sent orders directly to all her Spawn lurking near Namba City.
"All nearby units, move out."
"The target is the person Raiden Mei cares about most."
"Kill her and bring the body back."
Right after issuing the order, Kali changed her mind.
"No."
Sending the body here would mean the Spawn had to approach her main body. Anyone following their trail could discover this deep-sea base. Her plan had entered a critical phase, and there was no need to take such a risk.
"Don't bring the body back."
"Just kill her and devour her."
By absorbing her, Kali could take over her body's appearance. When the time came, she would personally appear before Raiden Mei with Kiana's face.
"There is no need to explain anything to her," Kali said. "She will imagine what Kiana went through and blame herself."
That was the true outcome she wanted.
Not Raiden Mei's corpse.
But the expression on that woman's face when she found the person she cared about most had fallen into enemy hands, still alive, yet unable to save her anymore.
"I am looking forward to seeing if she can stand her ground then."
Kali issued a new order to all her Spawn.
"Since we don't need to preserve Kiana's body, don't worry about causing damage."
"All units, attack."
"It doesn't matter if you destroy that city in the process, or even wipe this country off the map."