Chapter 598 - 598: Turned Into Gacha?! - 598

Firefly was momentarily caught off guard by this turn of events, but she quickly grasped the gravity of Kiana's current physical state.

Without a second thought, she vaulted from the high-rise, reaching out to scoop the unconscious girl into her arms.

However, she met with resistance.

It wasn't a physical obstruction, but a mental one.

She didn't need a single second of deliberation to know exactly who was behind it.

Come to think of it... this is the Celestial's world too, isn't it? she mused. I never expected to find this world before she did. No, perhaps Fu Hua had already found a way here, but she simply chose not to act.

Recalling the brutal beatings she had endured at Fu Hua's hands in the past, the girl couldn't help but smile inwardly. With an effortless, composed push, she shattered the mental bindings and easily lifted the white-haired girl's body.

Who on earth is he?

Deep within Kiana's consciousness, the Fenghuang Down was practically breaking into a cold sweat.

She was currently caught in a desperate struggle, simultaneously suppressing the Herrscher of the Void's mental assault on Kiana while desperately shielding the final, fragile thread of Kiana's psyche.

She simply didn't have the spare strength to fend off the armored figure before her.

Let go of the control over the Herrscher? Impossible!

Abandon the protection of Kiana's mind? Even more impossible!

Moreover, she was already severely drained; she was merely a fragmented feather of the Fenghuang Down. That she had managed to do all of this already was a testament to her years of rigorous mental discipline.

Realizing her own helplessness, Fu Hua furrowed her brows and opted to simply watch and wait for now.

Besides, this person clearly possessed profound mental cultivation. Her previous move had likely already raised their guard; unless she was certain she could neutralize them in one stroke, it was better not to act rashly.

After all, her only remaining advantage was her concealment.

A familiar sense of powerlessness washed over her, and she had no choice but to remain silent.

Firefly had no idea that her master from another world was currently suffering in such distress.

Despite having traversed so many worlds, the sight of the genuine "Tuna" still brought a wave of pleasant surprise.

I should get her back and treat her first.

With no time to ponder her teacher's internal struggle, Firefly carried Kiana directly back to her temporary dwelling and laid the girl gently on the bed.

She then assessed the girl's current condition.

Hmm... it's quite dire. The power of Sirin and the efficacy of the serum were locked in a chaotic, destructive battle within this slender frame. Even with Kiana's level of Honkai resistance, symptoms of erosion were already appearing.

It was abnormal, yet when considering Kiana's current self-destructive psyche, it was perhaps not so hard to understand.

If she herself had no desire to survive, how could her body possibly respond to her?

It was much like a healthy person convincing themselves they were ill, until eventually, they truly fell sick.

There wouldn't be any immediate danger in the short term, but if left this way for long, the consequences would be severe.

The later "Sky Meteorite" incident would only serve to let these festering, hidden wounds erupt completely.

Just as Firefly was thinking about how to help ease her condition, the communicator chimed.

Fu Hua and Firefly both looked toward the device simultaneously.

Glancing back at Kiana one last time, Firefly commanded the SAM armor to pick up the communicator, then vaulted out from the balcony once more.

Better not disturb Kiana's rest for now, she thought.

He left?

Fu Hua was confused about the motives of the armored figure, but her priority now was to rouse Kiana's consciousness. Whatever that pilot's intentions were, they needed to get out of here before things became clear.

Regrettably, no matter how hard Fu Hua tried, Kiana remained in a deep, heavy slumber.

--+--

Meanwhile.

"The matter is resolved? As expected of you." Raven's voice came through the other side of the communicator.

"Anything else?" Firefly asked, as straightforward as ever.

"Heh, you're certainly impatient with the mission. Or is it that you have plans later?" Raven, knowing well that the girl had never been one for beating around the bush, teased her before adding, meaningfully: "Do you have something to bring to me?"

She's talking about Kiana, isn't she?

Does Raven really have such a total lack of affection for Kiana right now?

"...No."

Even though she knew Raven knew she was lying, Firefly stood her ground.

"Is that so?"

Raven's tone was unexpectedly calm, and she didn't pursue the matter further. "Very well, let's leave it at that. However, the upcoming missions won't be as leisurely as this one."

With that, she hung up.

She turned to look at the woman in the full-faced mask beside her.

"Is that really fine? I thought you'd be anxious to haul the Herrscher of the Void back."

"Hmph. SAM's actions were within my expectations; she is not on our side at the moment." Jackal's voice was cold and detached.

"Then why send her?"

"Because I have other matters to attend to. Besides, Gray Serpent has sent word: Schicksal has recently detected the Herrscher of the Void's movements. Rather than focusing our attention on the Herrscher, it is better to let that Herrscher draw Schicksal's gaze."

"I see. The plan of the Lord takes top priority. Is that it?"

"Correct. Since we were one step behind, there is no need to do anything superfluous. As for the small-scale Honkai disaster caused by the energy leak, Schicksal will only assume it was caused by the Herrscher. With SAM by that Herrscher's side, Schicksal won't be able to discern the situation from the Herrscher's side so quickly."

"Fine, let's do it your way."

Since the Jackal had already made the arrangements and Gray Serpent hadn't offered any objections, Raven decided, as a mere hireling, there was nothing more for her to say.

Back on her end, Firefly let out a soft sigh.

She felt the stifling atmosphere around her. The SAM armor certainly had an air filtration system, and she could store enough oxygen for prolonged combat in the stars, but... inside this dark, enclosed machine, the initial sense of novelty had long since faded, leaving behind an unpleasant sensation.

No wonder Firefly doesn't like staying in here.

Finding a secluded spot, she disengaged the SAM armor. Firefly then returned to the apartment complex, rode the elevator up, and slipped back into the room.

Looking at Kiana, who remained motionless on the bed, Firefly walked over to the side of the white-haired girl under Fu Hua's watchful, suspicious gaze.

She then placed her hand over Kiana's.

Instantly, Fu Hua's expression twisted into one of pure astonishment.

A faint green glow flickered across the backs of their hands. The overwhelming Honkai energy within Kiana was rapidly absorbed by the girl's body.

As the energy was drawn away, luminous, etched patterns of erosion appeared on the girl's neck, spreading all the way up to her cheeks.

What shocked Fu Hua wasn't just the girl's physical reaction to the absorption, or the fact that she could absorb Honkai energy.

What truly stunned her was why the technique she used to do it looked so remarkably similar to the Edge of Taixuan.

Could she possibly be a descendant of one of my disciples?

--+--

T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL