A journey of Shadowverse and Honkai Impact 3rd

"Ah, now that Sera's gone, it feels boring to sleep alone."

Xilin murmured to herself, but then she hummed and closed her eyes. Using Sera's pillow as a substitute, she hugged the white medicine pillow like an octopus. The silky touch of the pillow vaguely reminded her of her friend's skin.

"Huff, huff, this is interesting. Go back to sleep. It's a rare day off, so I decided to stay home today."

The girl spoke her heart out, and then fell into her own dream after Sera left. She was away from the complicated schoolwork and the skilled teacher, and welcomed her own Sunday.

.........

Sera first came to the observatory and, as expected, saw Femi, who had moved here for food, clothing, housing and transportation. She started chatting with the lively child and nodded with satisfaction after learning about the progress of the observatory. Then she collected most of the star particles produced recently, leaving only a few remaining ones for Femi, which made people drool but could not get them.

Afterwards, Sera went to the garden where Ochis was, and discussed the food production problem of their home with the moose Winster. They both agreed with the "Spirit of Nature" project. After asking Winster to give the remaining star particles to Ochis, she left, like a leader who paid salaries, inspected everywhere and distributed encouragement.

Finally, Sera arrived at the Azfort shelter, received a meal, and then entered Mistlin's single room, where she saw a mature woman with a melancholy expression.

The sun was rising high in the sky and it was almost noon, but the home was not scorching hot at all. The numerous trees not only absorbed nutrients from the earth, but also absorbed nutrients from the sky, combined and transformed into crystals of life, which were cast into the forest, making the atmosphere of prosperity even more refreshing.

That is an atmosphere that can only be felt when walking in it. It can wash away the unhappiness and boredom in your heart and replace it with a clear, empty and tranquil feeling. It is a rare treasure in the world, but unfortunately, such beauty cannot be felt in the Azfort shelter.

Because the enclosed design physically separates the inside and the outside, although people who are confined here can feel a little bit of the vitality of the forest from the treatment they enjoy and the food they eat, the experience of seeing flowers in the fog can only give people a feeling of being unable to get what they want. Over time, people lose the desire to go out.

"Today's lunch is, as usual, mushroom stew, fresh cold cuts, and a roasted ice fruit. Plus, a complimentary glass of Forest Wine's new product. It's supposedly a newly brewed drink that's still being marketed."

Hot and cold meals were carried by the invisible wind and delivered to the table in the room. What was originally an ordinary meal became more glorious because of Sera's arrival. Surprised, Misterlin looked at the silver-haired and blue-eyed girl in front of her. In just a moment, her slightly melancholy expression turned into a chuckle.

"Why, Miss Sera, are you free to come and see the new employees?"

"That's about right, Miss Misterlin. You can certainly overestimate your own value. As the first non-staff employee, it's no exaggeration to say that your presence marks a new chapter for our home."

With a calm and natural demeanor that exuded obvious confidence, Sera sat down on the bed next to Misterine and spoke soothing words. Although she was small in stature, she possessed all the qualifications to be a leader and a boss.

"You call this place home?"

"Well, you could call it paradise or forest. This is a corner of the world isolated from the outside world, a pure place where collapse is forbidden and the stigma is denied."

Misterlin seemed to be lost in thought. From the conversation just now, she got Sera's definition of the Great Barrier, and from a sensory point of view, this was appropriate.

Forbidden Collapse means that Collapse can be extinct here. As a Stigmata type, I cannot get any replenishment from the outside world. Instead, I was constantly weakened by the unknown forces, until the unbearable pain last night.

"Denying the stigmata is not a good sign, Miss Sera."

Mistellin said softly, she tilted her head to look at the girl who was much shorter than her, with some complicated thoughts in her mind.

"I know. Last night, I took the opportunity to obtain most of the information you know. I would like to thank you for your generous gift, Miss Misterlin."

She said thank you sincerely and playfully, and Sera's cute appearance was filled with the wisdom of a young child, making it difficult for people to feel angry in front of her milky white face. After all, the girl's age, which was very disguised, always made Misterline feel that if she was angry with Sera, it would be a failure for herself as an adult.

"You kid, well, forget it. I've fallen into your hands. However, now that you know the significance of the Stigmata to the Stigmata Project, I think you should have made preparations early."

"From what I understand, my organization won't give up easily. This is a lifelong wish for them, and they're willing to sacrifice their lives for it."

In her words, she had already removed her own presence. What Misterlin did not notice was that the tone of her voice when speaking to Sera was somewhat filled with sincere admonition, like a new employee's token of allegiance to his new boss, or like an elder's concern for the younger generation.

Sera looked at Misterine with a peculiar look, but the person being looked at didn't take it seriously. There was no impatience in her expression as she waited for a reply. A distant and tranquil atmosphere was brewing in her light blue eyes, like the sky above the snow-capped mountains on the grassland, watching over everything and giving it infinite tolerance.

"I'm making preparations. From my personal understanding, no matter how the Stigmata Project is carried out, it's not a good thing."

"Or rather, I am naturally wary of all the new things that arise from Honkai energy. Behind Honkai energy, the so-called collapse of this world hides a deeper malice. It's just that what He is looking at is too grand, so people think that the collapse is just that."

Mistryn nodded.

"It's good to be prepared. Well, let's try today's lunch first. As for the afternoon experiment, what are you going to do, Sera?"

"Nothing much. Just taking some of your tissue from Misterine. You don't even need to be there."

Sera's eyes were strange. As for what had just happened, her sharp mind had caught some unusual fluctuations.

Did the treatment in the spiritual vein lead to anything?

228. Camouflage against snakes

A fluid that did not resemble human blood was extracted from Misterine's body. The blood was clearly divided into two layers, milky white and bright red respectively. It seemed as if the components that made up the blood automatically separated when it was extracted, creating an interesting spectacle.

Misterlin was also a little puzzled. According to her previous impression when she first joined the World Serpent, her blood shouldn't look like this. But since she was not a scientist or scholar, she could only frown slightly and couldn't say anything that made sense.

"Is this enough?"

If that's the case, then the job of an employee is indeed quite simple.

"Give me some more hair."

Misterine grabbed her pure white hair and felt distressed. Although she was a warrior, for a woman, these long and smooth hair were as important as her second life. Even though she knew that Sera didn't want much, it was still less.

jingle.

The sound of the wind chimes flashed in her ears, covering up all the noise. In a moment of distraction, Misterlin saw the long hair that inexplicably appeared in Sera's hand. The white color was undoubtedly a part of her body.

"So, Sera, as an employee, when will I get a chance to go out and keep watch? Staying here all the time is going to be tough."

"There's no chance to lookout at the moment, but seeing how you've been doing, Misterine, I'll show you some pictures of our homeland later. Think of it as a travel guide, so you can experience the wonders of this paradise first."

Sera had no interest in continuing the conversation. She was very busy now because after learning some information about the World Serpent, she didn't think that the World Serpent would not send people to continue investigating, which might lead to more intense conflicts.

——On this planet called Earth, a reincarnation lasting ten thousand years is taking place. Civilization has been destroyed by the disaster of collapse, leaving only a few sparks, but it has risen up in the midst of danger and started a new life.

The World Serpent is a secret organization that inherited the legacy of the previous civilization era. It lurks in the dark side of the world and patiently promotes the great cause of redemption that they pray for, in order to allow all mankind to break free from the shackles of collapse and move towards a bright future full of infinite possibilities.

The name of the plan is the Stigmata Project, but the definition of human beings is not ordinary human beings. The so-called ordinary people can only become the firewood of change, driving the creation of their great cause.

Sera didn't like this inexplicable plan, nor did she agree with this perverse idea that seemed like social Darwinism. Since she had fallen out with this organization when it was least noticed, she started the countermeasure work at hand without hesitation.

The key to countermeasures lies in intelligence. Only by knowing yourself and the enemy can you gain the upper hand in the confrontation. Even if the intensity of the subsequent conflict may not reach the most extreme situation, the difference between being able to do something and not being able to do something is still crucial.

The birth of Homeland was not due to the charity of Honkai, but a miracle created by Sera relying on the wisdom of magic. Its future development will not rely entirely on the kindness of other forces.

Don’t you see, even in the authentic forest, the mother of creation, Lord Y’ktrasil, whom Sera loves, has a magnificent divinity shining on her iron fist full of love and is also filled with abundant martial virtues.

Even the manager Nexus will suffer in the face of the iron fists of the Tree Mother!

Light footsteps echoed in the corridor of the shelter. After temporarily putting down the blood test tubes and a few strands of hair in the laboratory, Sera began her own operations in front of the computer-like magic instrument.

A connection was established with the Holy Green's mana, and the changing spirit was like a dragon that could rise and dive, and in an instant it merged into the logical world composed of electronics and magic.

In addition to the binary system of 0 and 1, there is also the alchemical world system created by the four elements. To those who don't understand it, the miniature architecture is an integrated technology black box. Only by reading the easy-to-understand instruction manual can some magical props be created.

But in Sera's view, this instrument is the platform for writing the world in her hands, an original code library with infinite possibilities, and an attempt at the mysterious means of conceptual manipulation.

Virtual light and shadow appeared in Sera's eyes along with the vibration of mana. The movement of her spirit and mind far exceeded the input speed of a mechanical keyboard. Although it was not as fast as 84,000 thoughts in an instant, tens of thousands of thoughts could quickly perfect a replica project.

Puppetry and golemology are both branches of alchemy, using spiritual materials and exquisite techniques to create unique life. However, the initial starting point of these two disciplines was the reproduction of life, so as to understand the origin and mystery of life.

What Sera has to do now is not to explore the deeper truth, but to use the replica life she created as a pioneer in obtaining intelligence. Perhaps the communication will be delayed due to the barrier, but in comparison, it is already a good method.

The gray snake's body structure... the organs and tissues where consciousness arises...

In the eyes of the alchemist master, there are no secrets in the life structure of the bionic man. Even the part related to Honkai energy can be cleverly disguised and replaced after analysis, using a fake that is 99% similar to the real thing.

The flowing wind circulated back and forth, taking out a lot of spiritual materials from the pocket of the alien space opened up by the girl. The wet soil that had been irrigated by the spring water was instantly tempered by the refined fire element, and after shrinking, it stuck together into a ball of gray-black soil.

Using tempered clay as the base, the myth of human creation is reproduced.

The vast spirit is the green mist blowing in the laboratory, firmly shaping the shape of the clay. There is no doubt that it is a mysterious figure with the same vulgar taste as Mr. Gray Snake. His aesthetic taste in clothing is ordinary, and he aims to make some achievements in pretending to be mysterious.

But with such appearance, it still needs the infusion of soul to be called a living creature. Regardless of whether it is a bionic creature or not, it has the qualification to live.

However, Sera needed to make more adjustments in terms of the soul. So, after creating the perfect body, the girl stopped her actions to leave room for future adjustments so as not to start all over again.

Looking at Mr. Gray Snake's structure, the most important thing is the inexplicable spiritual network, which spreads in time and space like a spider web, encompassing every node in it. It is observed that it can achieve long-distance communication.

Sera didn't know the specific efficiency of the mental network, but she needed to replicate her own gray snake so that it could be connected to it and used as a nail to bury the world snake.

Spend more time with the silent Mr. Gray Snake these days. If necessary, you can try to make him jump back and forth, and further understand the inexplicable spiritual network through the changes inside and outside the barrier.

Too many ideas popped up in the girl's mind, and all of them needed time to turn into reality, so that in the next few days, the children and friends who liked Sera had little chance to get close to her.

229. Changes of Snake

Sitting still, he looked like an old monk, his black hoodie wrapping up the other person's will and spirit like a coffin, not letting any life out.

Only in the occasional moment did the gray snake show its popularity in the jungle of steel and electronics, making Sera doubt whether the umbrella that was taken away was really his true identity.

The girl with silver hair and blue eyes appeared in front of the gray snake. Her sudden appearance seemed to have taken away the time for movement, and all people could see was the result of her arrival. The ghostly situation made the gray snake, who was sitting like an old monk, have scarlet eyes, and the changes in his electronic eyes showed his inner unrest.

It was not some strange ball of light. The new visitor in front of him was undoubtedly a human being with flesh and blood and vitality. The awe-inspiring aura emanating from his body was like the refreshing mountain mist, which forced people to pay attention when it blew over.

"Hello, Mr. Gray Snake. I've noticed that in the four days since you were captured, you've done almost nothing except acquire the necessary energy. May I ask, what are you thinking about?"

The scarlet color is the brilliance of the electronic eyes, and the inorganic indifference is naturally born, making people who look at the gray snake have the illusion of facing a cold-blooded animal, but Sera is not among them.

The blue eyes are like a flowing sea, with endless waves constantly rising and falling in it, but are embraced by a vast heart. Even deliberately contrived indifference will be dissolved in it and lose the horror that others want to convey.

"I was thinking about what this place represents and what fate I will face if I am arrested."

The android sitting cross-legged on the bed answered this way. If you ignore his voice without any emotion and his appearance that has nothing to do with compassion, perhaps he can really get a place in the temple and become a clay god worshipped by people.

"And now, it seems like the time has come to reveal everything."

"Tell me, young lady, what exactly does your coming here mean? Whether it's execution or autopsy, I can accept it."

"It's a pity that I haven't lived enough of this life. There are still too many life problems that I haven't solved in this long life."

The words were pessimistic, but the voice still had no emotional ups and downs. Gray Snake's demeanor from beginning to end made Sera feel quite awkward, as if he had seen through the world, but also like a pessimistic nihilist, all his emotions drowned by wisdom or sadness.

"You're half right. I did come here to inform you of something, but it's not as cruel as you said."

"Mr. Gray Snake, you did have the subjective intention to cause damage to our home, but the fact that you failed to do so still leaves room for a trial."

Sera's voice is clear and pleasant. If the gray snake's voice is a smooth straight line, then the girl's voice is a beautiful melody. Even if it announces a cruel punishment, it may bring more comfort to the person being judged.

"Given Miss Misterlin's sincere act of reflection, I can give you a chance here as well."

"..."

Gray Snake said nothing. Beneath the cold white mask, his electronic eyes were still flickering slightly. The light emitted seemed to be filled with his thoughts on Sera's words. His mechanical thinking listed multiple possibilities and used multi-threaded methods to piece together the corresponding possibilities, explaining his current dire situation from a probabilistic perspective.

"I think this opportunity must come with a price, right?"

"There's no such thing as a free lunch. One for one, I think that's fair. Besides, even though you've lost your spiritual connection to the outside world, you might still be able to gain a new lease of life in other ways."

The blue eyes, like Sera's voice, did not carry an aggressive or threatening feeling, but were filled with a sharp insight, like a knife or a sword, which not only saw through all the thoughts of others, but also presented a magnificent trend to others in a straightforward manner.

Because she is so grand and upright, no matter how dark your thoughts are, you can only see a vague and hazy outline.

"Then how can you guarantee the smooth execution of our transaction? Whether you're the executor or the executed, I believe mutual trust between both parties needs a certain foundation."

What Gray Snake meant was that there was not enough mutual trust between the two of them now, and there was no guarantee that the transaction would be implemented after it was established. In this case, it would be better not to trade.

"It's a reasonable concern." Sera nodded. She could understand Gray Snake's thoughts and had her own solution to this problem.

"We can make a contract between us. It's a magical ritual, a vow between souls, and the corresponding terms can be considered fair and selfless."

"..."

Gray Snake fell silent again, because Sera's words touched upon his blind spot in knowledge, and it took him some time to understand the meaning even if he wanted to refute her.

Soul vows, magical contracts—do these things, only found in fantasy stories, really exist in this world? Are they relics from a pre-era civilization? Why have they only appeared in this world now?

Gray Snake, who knew some of the secrets, knew that the pre-era civilization where he was born on this blue planet was not the starting point of human civilization. Before that, there was an even earlier civilization era that was buried by the collapse.

"I need a moment to think about it."

"I can give you three days to think about it. After that, although your life will not be in danger, I cannot guarantee that you will be able to sit here quietly like you are now."

As usual, Sera had to say some harsh words to force others to take their positions. After closely reviewing her own design structure, she returned to the laboratory where the simulated gray snake was placed and began to fine-tune some details.

In fact, whether Gray Snake agrees or not will not have much impact. On the deep path of magic, the distance Sera has traveled is enough for her to deal with difficulties of this level.

.........

Moving from north to south on the globe, one's sight can sweep across various regions and then fall on a hidden stronghold in the north of the African continent.

World Serpent, Sanctuary No. ???.

The shelter contains the God's Key that can freeze everything. Unfortunately, it is useless in modern times because its function is too fixed. However, as a relic from the previous era, the shelter itself is a treasure.

Another gray snake: "The gray snake that went to the research site has lost contact."

Another gray snake: "Hato also disappeared somewhere."

The masked woman said, "I know. I detected unusual spacetime manifolds before, and then they lost contact."