stonecrandall Page 6
Page 6
"Really? Qiu Bi, those people are researchers from the Babylon Laboratory. You...you really can bring Sirin back?"
Xilin's mother grasped at Qiu Bi's clothes as if they were a lifeline.
Qiu Bi nodded solemnly, then grasped Xilin's mother's soft, boneless hand.
"Madam, please believe me!"
When she met Qiu Bi's determined gaze, Xilin's mother was momentarily stunned.
Then she felt a warm current coming from Qiu Bi's palm.
The contract grants you eternal youth!
The contract grants—immortality!
The contract grants—a perfect fit for Honkai energy!
The contract grants you culinary expertise!
The contract grants you expertise in housework!
Contract grants—an increase in power (at the average level of an ordinary person)!
Contract grants—an increase in agility (at the average level for ordinary people)!
Contract grants—an increase in stamina (average level for ordinary people)!
The contract grants you—good fortune in times of trouble!
Because Sirin's mother's physical condition was not good and she could not withstand too strong an ability, Qiu Bi chose to give her abilities that did not have combat power or were weak, thus collecting ten contract fragments.
The moment Qiu Bi collected all ten contract fragments, he unhesitatingly chose [Perfect Adaptation to Honkai Energy] as his first ability.
Putting aside the upcoming Second Honkai War, just based on the Babylon Laboratory located in the Tower of Babylon, Qiu Bi must possess a certain degree of Honkai energy adaptability, otherwise he could become a suicide soldier at any time.
……
Half an hour later.
Perhaps it was like rain after a long drought, or perhaps it was the long-awaited support that brought Xilin's mother a change in tone, revealing a hint of youthful vigor.
“‘Dad’, from now on, Celine will have to call you ‘Dad’.”
"Madam, I'm leaving now to find Celine. Please wait patiently for Celine and me to return home."
Chapter Eight: This world is not beautiful at all!
"Please be careful! I don't want to lose either you or Sirin."
Xilin's mother tidied Qiu Bi's clothes, showing her virtuous wife qualities.
"Yes, I will. After all, I still need to bring Celine home."
"By the way, Qiu Bi."
As if remembering something, Celine's mother took out a stack of rubles from her pocket and stuffed them into Qiu Bi's hand.
"Take this money; you might need it on the way."
"What about you?"
"Don't worry about me, I have enough money left to last until I get paid next month."
After saying that, Xilin's mother gently kissed Qiu Bi's lips, then smiled and looked at Qiu Bi.
Qiu Bi put away the stack of rubles, then whispered, "It may be a long time before I come back."
"It's okay, I'll wait patiently for you and Celine to come home."
Xilin's mother spoke softly, without trying to stop Qiu Bi.
"I'm leaving."
"Okay, be careful on the road, and don't get into any trouble!"
"Yes, you should go back and rest."
As soon as he finished speaking, Qiu Bi turned and left without hesitation, heading to catch the bus that went directly to the Tower of Babel.
This place is quite far from the Tower of Babel; it would take a full week to reach the Tower of Babel by regular bus.
As for the researchers at the Babylon Laboratory, they all traveled in armed transport planes from the Tower of Babylon, which were many times faster than ordinary buses, and could return to the Tower of Babylon in about a day.
Xilin's mother stood at the door, like a statue, watching Qiu Bi leave with worry.
Only after Qiu Bi's figure had long disappeared from sight did Xilin's mother sigh softly, then return home and close the door tightly.
……
A week later.
Tower of Babylon, Babylonian Laboratory.
Celine huddled in a corner of the dimly lit room, suppressing her sobs as if she didn't want anyone else to hear.
"Mom, big brother... Celine, Celine is not only a good child, but also very strong..."
"But...it really hurts..."
Large tears welled up from her eyes, then fell to the ground, shattering into pitiful teardrops.
Xilin hugged her knees, her petite body trembling slightly.
"Big brother is a liar... He deceived Sirin. This world is not beautiful at all, and there are no magical girls..."
"Big brother, Mom, where are you? Why haven't you come to pick up Xilin yet? Xilin is in so much pain..."
“Aurora, Agatha, and Galina are all dead. Now it’s just Bella and me left, and… Bella is dying too…”
Xilin's sobs were intermittent, accompanied by a slight tremor in her body.
A faint red light appeared, dispelling the darkness of the room and bringing a twisted pain to Celine's face.
If you look closely, it's not hard to see that all the red light comes from her hands.
The dense Honkai energy flowed rapidly through the blood vessels, causing it to emit an eerie red glow that looked like some kind of lines—strange yet alluring.
Xilin trembled for a long time before gradually calming down.
"...I've made up my mind. Since this world is not beautiful at all, I will transform it into the way I want it to be!"
Celine stood up unsteadily, her golden eyes as calm as still water, and an "X" pattern slowly appeared within them.
The next second, a Honkai Beast no bigger than a fist appeared out of thin air and whispered in Sirin's ear.
Sirin reached out and grabbed the Honkai Beast, crushing it into dust.
"My older brother has said these things before, so... I don't need you to teach me!"
Just like her calm gaze, Xilin's voice was equally calm, like a still lake.
Celine staggered toward the locked door, the red light emanating from her hands gradually fading until it disappeared completely.
—She has adapted to the Honkai energy flowing through her body.
With a slight buzzing sound, a purple void suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
Xilin walked slowly inside, her waist-length purple hair moving without wind, exuding a queenly aura.
Thus, the "magical girl" Sirin who yearned for beauty disappeared, and the "Herrscher of the Void" Sirin was born!
The more beautiful the hope was, the heavier the despair is now.
……
In order to establish a friendly image as a charitable organization in the neighborhood, Babylon Laboratory often allows ordinary people to visit. Although the areas visited are just ordinary rest facilities, it is enough to make ordinary people feel aspirational and close to the organization.
Qiu Bi's purpose in this trip was to secretly infiltrate the Babylon Laboratory. Once he found Sirin and signed a "contract" with her, he could leave the Babylon Laboratory without any trouble.
"I hope the plot doesn't change too much..."
Qiu Bi sighed and stared wistfully at the snow scene outside the window.
In the original work, Sirin became the "Herrscher of the Void" around February 2000, while it is only January 1999 now, so she probably wouldn't have become a Herrscher so early.
But for some reason, Qiu Bi always felt a faint unease, as if something he was worried about had already happened.
"Ten lives... should be enough to find Sirin."
Compared to [Perfect Adaptation to Honkai Energy], these ten chances to be resurrected are Qiu Bi's true reliance.
If you can't find Sirin with one life, then use two lives, three lives to find Sirin!
Qiu Bi's original plan was to slowly cultivate Xilin, first endowing her with weak abilities, and then with various powerful ones.
During this period, he can use the contract fragments to select the abilities that Sirin already possesses, thereby rapidly increasing his own strength.
Unfortunately, plans can't keep up with changes. In January 1999, researchers from the Babylon Laboratory came to his door and took Celine away, taking advantage of the fact that he wasn't home.
Although Qiu Bi didn't know how long Xilin persisted in the original story, Xilin was, after all, a 13-year-old child, so she probably couldn't have persisted for very long.
Now that the die is cast, there's no use in being anxious anymore, so he calmed down and patiently waited for the bus to arrive at the Tower of Babel.
During this week, Qiu Bi was in extreme distress, and it felt like the time had passed for an eternity.
Looking at the towering Tower of Babylon in front of him, Qiu Bi felt a little relieved of his inner torment, but at the same time, he inevitably became nervous.
The Babylon Laboratory is Schicksal's second largest Honkai energy research facility, and the Tower of Babylon houses the world's third largest Honkai energy reactor.
The Tower of Babylon has 50 floors. The bottom 20 floors are the energy zone where the Honkai Energy Reactor is located, while the other 30 floors are divided into three research departments.
Chapter Nine "Herrscher of the Void" Sirin
Babylon Laboratory is divided into three research departments: Advanced Systems, Energy, and Weapons.
The Advanced Systems Department primarily researches technologies that combine Honkai energy with the human body, and "Stigmata" is one of its important achievements.
The energy sector is primarily responsible for basic theoretical research on collapse energy and provides theoretical support for the development of other projects.
The weapons department is primarily responsible for developing weapons that utilize Honkai energy, based on theories proposed by the energy department. Currently, it is assisting headquarters in the development of the "Throne of Gods" weapon.
Among them, the "Stigmata" is the result of countless human experiments, and the Advanced Systems Department is located at the top of the Tower of Babylon, making it almost the most important department.
For Qiu Bi to infiltrate the Advanced Systems Department undetected and find the missing Xilin is undoubtedly an impossible task.