"A'Luo, A'Luo, you're amazing! Then tell me, can I become Schicksal's strongest Valkyrie in the future?"
Kiana asked, clutching Chen Luo's hand, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Ah, well… isn't Fu Hua right over there? Why don't you ask her?" Chen Luo said, pointing toward the Herrscher of Sentience.
"Hey, it's just that I trust you more, A'Luo," Kiana said as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Emmm, alright then, I'll answer your question." Chen Luo pretended to calculate with his fingers before saying solemnly, "In the future, Kiana Kaslana will indeed become Schicksal's strongest Valkyrie."
"Wow! Mei, did you hear that? A'Luo said I'll be Schicksal's strongest Valkyrie!" Kiana exclaimed, seizing Mei's hand in excitement.
"Really? That's wonderful," Mei replied with her usual gentle smile.
"Kiana idiotka, you can't even tell when someone's just flattering you like a child," Bronya said flatly, her eyes filled with disdain.
"A'Luo said it himself! If you don't believe me, ask him. He even predicted that Aunt Theresa would leave right away. Anyway, Bronya, no need to be jealous. When I become Schicksal's strongest Valkyrie, I'll look out for you."
Kiana puffed her chest proudly and patted Bronya on the head.
"..."
Chen Luo wanted to stop Kiana's teasing but didn't know how to bring it up.
After all, Kiana Kaslana is Schicksal's strongest Valkyrie—but the problem is, it's not this Kiana Kaslana.
The world of Honkai Impact 3rd really knew how to twist things.
If Fu Hua couldn't become a Herrscher, then they made a Herrscher become Fu Hua.
If Kiana couldn't become Schicksal's strongest Valkyrie because Durandal's combat power was off the charts, then fine—make Durandal become Kiana Kaslana.
"Alright, alright, you three, stop arguing," Chen Luo said, trying to mediate. "You might not believe it, but all of you can become the strongest Valkyries—just not under the same banner."
"Eh? What do you mean?" Mei asked, puzzled.
"Uh, the secrets of heaven can't be revealed… How about some ice cream?"
"Yes!" Kiana answered instantly.
So how should one describe the Valkyries among these three?
Raiden Mei would become the World Serpent's strongest Valkyrie—mainly because she's the only Valkyrie in the World Serpent.
Bronya would become Anti-Entropy's strongest Valkyrie—again, because she's their only one.
And Kiana? She would become the strongest Valkyrie on the moon… since she's the only person on the moon.
What a hellish joke.
* * *
"Are you really going to do it?"
"Really going to do it."
"Nonsense, hurry up! You're a Heart Demon—why is absorbing killing intent and malignant energy such a hassle for you?"
The Herrscher of Sentience smacked Chen Luo lightly on the head.
"Alright then… Shenhe, please bear with it." Chen Luo said hesitantly, turning toward Shenhe, who stood with her back to him.
"Mmm. You… go ahead," Shenhe replied after a slight pause.
Shenhe herself didn't quite understand how things had come to this. She'd originally come to the bar thinking the Herrscher of Sentience would be the one to absorb her killing intent and malignant energy.
Yesterday, after returning to the mountains, her master had even commented that the killing intent within her had noticeably lessened. After Shenhe explained what had happened, her master had approved of her visiting the bar again.
But today, to her surprise, the one performing the absorption wasn't the Herrscher of Sentience—it was the bar's manager.
Completely absurd.
"The process might feel a bit strange, so please bear with it," Chen Luo said, pressing a finger lightly to Shenhe's back.
"Mmm, yes, I… I understand."
But the moment his finger touched her cool, pale skin, Shenhe felt something… different.
Her body temperature had always been low. Yesterday, the Herrscher of Sentience's hands were also cold, which made it feel natural. But Chen Luo was different—his fingers were warm, too warm. It made her heart feel oddly unsettled.
The sensation was strange… but not unpleasant.
"I'm starting now," Chen Luo murmured softly.
A faint shimmer of black began to rise from Shenhe's body as Chen Luo activated the Herrscher of Sentience's ability. Wisps of killing intent and malignant energy were drawn out like dark smoke.
Feeling something being pulled from deep within her, Shenhe's body became acutely sensitive. Combined with the heat radiating from Chen Luo's fingertips, she couldn't help but let out a small, involuntary moan.
"..."
Hearing Shenhe's faint, strained voice, Chen Luo suddenly felt like he was doing something incredibly indecent.
But the truth was—he was doing serious work!
Sure, he could have used threads instead of direct touch, but Shenhe's killing intent was too dense and potent. Manual absorption was safer and more effective.
If he used threads, he feared they might snap under the strain.
Simply put—threads were for wide-area collection and weaker entities. Hands were for one-on-one extraction from powerful targets.
Even the Herrscher of Sentience operated that way.
Under Chen Luo's careful control, the dark energy and murderous aura within Shenhe were gradually drawn out. Unlike the Herrscher of Sentience, who had condensed the energy into a sphere before, Chen Luo chose to shape it into… a chocolate bar.
"Alright, alright, that's enough. Any more and it'll start affecting her spirit," the Herrscher of Sentience called out, watching the chocolate bar's form stabilize.
Negative energy was still part of one's being—extracting too much could cause exhaustion, mental fatigue, and other negative effects.
That was why the Herrscher of Sentience never drew out everything at once.
Partly because fresh energy tasted best, but also because taking it all at once could genuinely harm Shenhe.
"Oh." Chen Luo nodded and cut the connection.
As soon as he did, the pitch-black chocolate bar streaked with crimson in his hand began to tremble violently, trying to return to its owner.
"Eat it, quick! If it goes back to her, all our work will be for nothing!" the Herrscher of Sentience urged.
Without hesitation, Chen Luo shoved the chocolate bar into his mouth.
"Mmph!"
The instant he swallowed the mixture of killing intent and malignant energy, his eyes flew wide open.
The taste—no, the impact—was completely different from the first time he'd consumed negative emotions in Mondstadt.
The difference between the two was like comparing a messy stew to an exquisite gourmet dish.
The former was chaotic and tasteless—just a rush of raw emotion. This one, though… this one hit his very soul.
Consuming Shenhe's killing intent and malignant energy gave Chen Luo a vivid, overwhelming sensation—he could feel Shenhe's spiritual imprint echoing through him.
Negative emotions are part of a person, after all. Even killing intent and malignant energy aren't exceptions.
So, in a sense, Chen Luo devouring Shenhe's killing intent and malignant energy was equivalent to...
Ahem.
Let's just say it was a rather intimate form of connection.
And it wasn't just any kind of connection—Shenhe was fated with the "Solitary Star and Disastrous Evil." Killing intent and malignant energy were things she could never truly separate from. Which meant the "Shenhe essence" within that energy was extremely concentrated.
"How is it? Feels good, right?" the Herrscher of Sentience asked while happily munching on the chocolate bar Chen Luo had given her. "For Heart demons like us, the best way to grow is by linking with a strong individual and continuously feeding on their emotions and negativity—rather than just grazing on random mortals' scraps."
"F-first, don't talk to me," Chen Luo groaned, rubbing his forehead. "Shenhe's killing intent is… heavy. I need to digest it properly."
"Are you alright?" Shenhe asked, turning to face him, concern flickering in her pale eyes.
"I'm fine," Chen Luo said weakly, slumping into a chair. "It's just… I can resonate with what you've felt. To carry this kind of killing intent and malice all the time—you must've suffered a lot."
Since this was the safety of the bar, Chen Luo didn't use Primogems or Crystals to purge the side effects. Instead, he chose to endure it and experience it firsthand.
"'Resonate'?" Shenhe repeated softly, unfamiliar with the term.
"Oh, it's like this," the Herrscher of Sentience explained, gesturing with her half-eaten chocolate bar. "Many newborn Heart Demons experience a sort of resonance with their first host—or with their early ones. It happens because they're immature and easily influenced. A'Luo's just going through that phase right now. I'm different, of course. My will is much stronger, so I'm completely unaffected."
This "resonance" wasn't necessarily a good thing. It strengthened the bond with the host, but for a Heart Demon, that was actually a weakness.
A Heart Demon couldn't be bound to one person forever; the host was just a source of spiritual sustenance. Once a Heart Demon grew powerful enough, that resonance naturally faded.
That's why choosing one's first host was so crucial.
If you were just casually feeding off ordinary people's negativity, it didn't matter much. But if your first host was powerful, they could shape your very nature.
A cunning host bred a cunning Heart Demon.
A violent host bred a violent Heart Demon.
In other words, your initial S-rank character mattered a lot.
Pick a good one, and everything afterward would go smoothly. Pick a bad one, and you might get stuck forever.
And Shenhe, as a host, was nearly perfect—cold yet compassionate, decisive yet restrained. What Chen Luo was absorbing from her wasn't random negativity, but refined killing intent and malignant energy.
If Chen Luo were truly a Heart Demon, this connection would cultivate a version of him that was sharp, calm, disciplined, and relentlessly driven—a "cold-blooded professional" type.
But Chen Luo wasn't truly a Heart Demon. His system-protected talent panel ensured that no external force could alter his heart or will.
Which, as far as the Herrscher of Sentience was concerned, was a good thing.
To her, this unaffected Chen Luo was the best Chen Luo there could be.
He didn't need modification—he just needed to keep being himself.
"So, right now, he's experiencing my past self's emotions?" Shenhe asked quietly, a faint stir in her chest.
"Exactly," the Herrscher of Sentience said, nodding. "Your killing intent and malignant energy are great tempering materials. It's good for him to endure it—it'll toughen him up."
Such pure killing intent could indeed refine someone's spirit… though it could also make them colder, more detached. Still, that wasn't a real problem for Chen Luo. If things went too far, he could always spend a Crystal to dispel the effects.
"I see…" Shenhe murmured.
She looked at Chen Luo—eyes closed, brow furrowed in pain—and hesitated for a moment. Then, slowly, she lifted her hand and pressed the back of it gently against his forehead.
If… she was just saying if… someone had offered her warmth back then, when she was drowning in that same torment...
A faint chill gathered around her palm, but it wasn't biting—it was cool and soothing. The Cryo Vision's gentle aura spread through her hand, easing the tension in Chen Luo's face.
"Uh… that…"
The Herrscher of Sentience, who was nibbling her own chocolate bar, froze mid-bite at the sight.
"What is it?" Shenhe asked without moving her hand.
"No, nothing," the Herrscher of Sentience said after a pause, shaking her head.
She could have said that Shenhe's act of comforting Chen Luo was actually interfering with the process, diluting the energy's intensity. She could have pointed out that Chen Luo could easily dispel the side effects on his own if he wanted to.
But… she didn't have the heart to.
Because for someone as emotionally detached as Shenhe, this small act of kindness was rare—precious, even. Perhaps this moment could help draw out more of her suppressed humanity.
As Shenhe's self-appointed "therapist," the Herrscher of Sentience was actually pleased to see it.
Of course, she would've been happier if Shenhe's first act of warmth wasn't directed toward Chen Luo.
Because now, honestly, it made her look a little foolish.
Ever since she'd sweet-talked Shenhe into letting her absorb her negative emotions, the Herrscher of Sentience had regarded Shenhe as a patient of sorts. And while she wasn't exactly the most proper person in the world, she did have some medical ethics.
Ding-dong!
The soft chime at the door signaled that another guest had arrived.
At that exact moment, Chen Luo—who'd been meditating with eyes shut—suddenly opened them.
"Thank you," he said softly to Shenhe, whose hand was still resting on his forehead. He gently lifted it away, then stood up, swaying slightly.
Primogems… my precious Primogems…
Shenhe watched silently as Chen Luo stumbled behind the counter and sat down. Then she turned to the Herrscher of Sentience.
"Why does he push himself so hard?" she asked quietly.
"Probably because… everyone who comes here is a guest," the Herrscher of Sentience said after thinking for a moment.
She, of course, knew the real reason—Primogems. But aside from Chen Luo and herself, only Venti, the bar's first guest, knew about their existence. So she couldn't exactly explain that here.
"But… there's no benefit for him, is there?" Shenhe frowned slightly. "Do people like that really exist in this world?"
Every immortal seeker she'd ever met pursued power, longevity, and illusionary ideals for selfish gain. Yet here was someone working hard, gaining nothing, and still smiling through it all. The contrast shook her understanding of the world to its core.
"..."
The Herrscher of Sentience said nothing.
No profit? That wasn't entirely true.
But for the guests who came here—for them—it certainly looked that way. After all… they never had to pay the price.