Honkai: It’s broken, I have become the Herrscher of Corrosion?

This is a small cabin, but fortunately the environment is clean. Hua sat on the bed, staring out the window in a daze.

It was unknown how many days had passed since the Honkai Beast attacked Canghai City. She was placed here and never saw anyone again. Three meals a day were automatically delivered by machines.

Sometimes she even wondered: Has humanity become extinct?

"Yo."

At this moment, a mature woman's voice sounded. Her door suddenly opened, and the woman who saved her in Canghai City that day walked in.

(I remember... her name was Himiko. Judging from her name... she seemed to be from the Far East...)

"…Hello."

You're welcome. Are you okay?

Hua shook her head. She had many questions to ask, but she didn't know where to start.

Excuse me...what's going on outside?

Himiko was somewhat puzzled:

"What do you mean outside? ...Oh, Canghai City? You are no longer in Canghai City. This is our base. Don't worry, it's safe."

"You seem to have a lot to say. I'll give you time later. But you have to be prepared first. I don't have time to waste on listening to people crying, okay?"

"What I'm going to tell you next is all bad news, so bad that you can't believe it, so bad that you think you're dreaming... But they're all true, and this isn't a dream either."

"Let me know when you're ready."

Himiko's tone seemed casual, but it carried a dignity that brooked no room for questioning. Hua nodded.

Himiko let out a long breath.

"Canghai City is gone. This disaster almost destroyed the entire city. We rescued a few survivors, such as you, and you are all here."

"I saved you, so you are my responsibility. I have to make sure that your mind is still sane and you can accept the reality before I can send you out."

"First, you will be sent to Australia, where you can apply for where you want to go. Don't worry about the travel expenses, we will cover them."

"But we can't go everywhere. The scope of this disaster is very large. Although the monster with a thousand snake heads you saw has been destroyed, the disaster has not been completely ended until now."

"This will be a long battle... but it has little to do with you.

Hua was still in shock.

"Canghai City... is gone?"

"Ah."

Himiko's emotions were very stable, as if she was saying that there was nothing that could not be overcome.

"School...also...?"

Hua did not ask about her friend's situation. Although it all happened too suddenly, she understood that it was not a dream. Her friend had lost the opportunity to realize her dream forever.

Himiko shook her head.

"Are you still thinking about school? Forget it. For the rest of your life, it's best to stay far away from Canghai City and completely forget about it."

"Believe me, there are always unexpected changes in life. There is no other way. Only forgetting is the best medicine... Where are you from?"

Hua carefully said a place name.

Himiko sighed, and there was more pity in her eyes when she looked at Hua.

"I'm sorry, but almost all of East Asia was affected by the disaster. The place you mentioned... no one survived either."

Himiko looked at Hua quietly, not intending to say anything more.

"So...what exactly...happened?"

After Hua calmed down a little, he continued to ask.

"Accidents, natural disasters, meteorites... There are plenty of excuses. I know I can't fool you. You saw everything that day. That was the Honkai Impact."

"…You should think about what is easiest and most beneficial for you. The future is still long, little girl, don't let yourself have nightmares every day."

"I want to know what [Honkai] is, and...what I should do to defeat...those monsters."

"why?"

Hua was stunned. She suddenly remembered that day, if she had not chosen to go to the beach, if she had obeyed her idea, would they be luckier, would they be able to hold on until Himiko arrived...

I rarely followed other people's advice and made my own independent decision, but it resulted in my best friend and I being separated...

Thinking of this, Hua felt frightened in confusion.

“…I want to know what I should do.”

"Alas... you'll have a lifetime to think about this, don't rush."

"But I want to know now. I want to spend my whole life doing it...not just thinking about it."

Himiko looked at Hua, and there was a hint of tenderness in her eyes.

"...I have had this kind of conversation with many people, and they always want to ask me for "hope". I understand that their previous lives were brutally erased. Without hope, they don't even know how to live or whether to live at all."

"But hope is not that simple. I won't give it to everyone, nor can I afford it. I can only give you a tiny flame, and it's up to you how to make it burn."

"If you understand, tell me tonight. Let me make it clear first, the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. The answer I tell you may not be what you want, and the choice I give you may be the weight you have to carry for the rest of your life."

Himiko looked into Hua's eyes, and their eyes met.

"I've had this choice before. So...think it over, okay?"

The silence seemed very long, so long that the mature woman turned around and was about to leave. But when Hua spoke, it seemed very short.

"I would like to know."

Himiko sighed, but Hua caught a hint of approval from her smile.

"Come with me, there is a place for you."

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happy New Year to all!