Honkai Diary: Start With Picking Up A White-Haired Treasure

"Here's the Soulium you requested. It may not seem like much, but it's practically all that could be spared at present. Mr. Otto had to pay a hefty price for this, so make sure to thank me properly!" Hera waved her hand, and eight heavy-duty trucks rapidly transformed their cargo compartments, revealing rows of black metallic crates before Zeke's eyes.

Oh, and from one of those compartments tumbled a motionless masked man in a black robe.

Approaching him, Hera lifted her dress hem, gently tapping his body with her white high-heeled shoe. Satisfied by the lack of response, she turned to Zeke. "Consider this a bonus gift—aren't you moved?"

Zeke lumbered forward slowly, head hanging low, swaying like a zombie until he reached the seemingly unconscious Gray Serpent.

"Thud!"

He kicked once, likely breaking some bones, yet Gray Serpent remained unmoved.

Kiana subtly took a step back, swallowing nervously and trying her best to minimize her presence.

The others from the orphanage mirrored her actions, clearing a spacious area around Zeke, Hera, and Rita.

"Dead?" With his head lowered, Zeke slowly twisted his neck, casting a slightly unsettling glance at Hera. His expression and tone were unusually grim as he asked.

Even Hera couldn't help but take a step backward.

To be honest, this new side of Zeke was intriguing yet terrifying, exuding a dangerous aura that suggested he might summon a swarm for self-destruction at any disagreement.

Holding a handkerchief, Hera wiped her forehead, barely maintaining her composed smile. "Well, no, not dead. I merely deceived his consciousness using Phantom-Imitation Fenghuang Down. Now, all his other incarnations sharing his thoughts likely believe this one is successfully conducting reconnaissance undercover."

"How long can you maintain the deception?"

"About three to five days. Any longer, and despite the flawless illusion, they would detect something amiss."

"That's sufficient. Cocolia, suppress it—shut it down completely." Zeke glanced sideways at Cocolia, causing the large fox-like woman to shudder. She hastily responded with a placating smile:

"Yes, sir!" Cocolia dragged Gray Serpent's body away hastily. Her rushed steps weren't due to urgency in carrying out orders but rather eagerness to escape Zeke's imposing aura.

Meanwhile, Zeke shifted his gaze again—still maintaining that unsettling twisted neck position—and looked at Raven, the maid frozen stiff near the edge of the room.

"Click! Click!"

Raven trembled uncontrollably, her teeth chattering audibly.

Initially, upon seeing Gray Serpent's body, she felt a momentary surge of delight. However, she quickly abandoned any misgivings. Oh, boss, I've been so obedient already. Can you please not look at me like that? I'm about to pee my pants! she silently pleaded.

"Bam!"

Suddenly, there was a loud thud as Zeke plunged his hand into a metal chest. After some rummaging, he pulled out a piece of flesh-colored Soulium.

"Hmm, it's genuine Soulium, both quality and weight are satisfactory..." Zeke remarked calmly, his overly mechanical deep voice exuding the chilling aura of a ruthless dark overlord.

Bronya lowered her head, concealing her uneasy gaze—what happened to the Silver Wolf of Ural? Fear of danger is innate in humans; there's no shame in it.

Wendy sat obediently in her wheelchair with her legs neatly crossed and hands resting on them. She kept her head down, too intimidated to speak with Rita, who was clearly a Valkyrie.

Kiana and Sin nudged each other cautiously, unusually eager to push their friend closer to Zeke rather than approach him themselves.

Hera took another small step back, intending to call out to Rita for support—only to discover that her fellow A-rank candidate had already retreated further behind the group of children, watching her with a discreet smile.

Seriously, what's the joke here? The meeting between Houses Schariac and Kaslana involves high-level political maneuvering among elites. What could it possibly have to do with me, a mere A-rank hopeful?

In Rita's mind, Zeke still carried the surname Kaslana, endowed with various prestigious titles within Schicksal. He was a cunning old bastard capable of conversing casually with Otto himself.

Now, he appeared at Anti-Entropy Headquarters, giving orders to Enforcer Cocolia. Considering his previous statement—that although the Gem of Desire was stolen by Anti-Entropy during the surprise attack on the Oceania Branch, it would ultimately end up in his possession...

Well, isn't it finally back in your hands?! Did you infiltrate Anti-Entropy precisely because they stole the gem, even climbing to the highest echelons within their ranks?!

Rita struggled to process this information, but she knew there must be intricate power struggles at play beneath the surface.

And Hera's surname is Schariac. She arrived here with a substantial amount of Schicksal's rare resource, Soulium, from Headquarters to meet Zeke—and somehow got entangled with that black-robed masked man without even realizing...

Apocalypse, Kaslana, Schariac, Schicksal, Anti-Entropy, Soulium—dammit! The last thing I want is to get sucked into this dark and treacherous whirlpool of power struggles!

But speaking of which, these kids are amazing. Can I adopt a few of them to take home?

"Gulp!"

Rita swallowed hard; if not for the circumstances, she would have surely showered these little girls with big sisterly affection.

In any case, beside Zeke now stood the pitiful-looking Her—ahem, Hera Schariac, bearing the brunt of his oppressive, gloomy aura all by herself.

"Um... Uh, Zeke, would you like some tea? Rita makes it really well!" Struggling to force a smile, Hera felt her heart race for the first time in years—but purely out of fear.

"No interest."

"Then...then let's go check on...oh, your experiments, shall we?"

"...Follow me." Zeke lowered his arms, holding a piece of Soulium, and headed unsteadily toward the secret entrance of the underground laboratory.

Gene fusion agents, liquid experimental chambers, comprehensive data monitoring equipment, Honkai Energy inhibitors to control the experiment's progression, and Soulium with unclear purposes—Hera meticulously examined Zeke's apparatuses and reviewed his planned procedures.

Part of her genuine concern stemmed from Zeke's safety, but another part was simply to avoid his brooding gaze when not fully immersed in research.

Seriously, who's supposed to be the main villain here, me or you?

Feeling slightly uneasy, Hera completed her inspection.

"Ahem! I have a general understanding of your approach now, and the experimental process seems mostly correct. However, it doesn't guarantee success rates. There are some details I don't quite grasp; presumably, they serve your purpose. But most importantly, considering various uncontrollable factors, do you truly feel confident?"

"You'll know once it's done, won't you?"

"Zeke, there's only one of you, and life comes but once. I really wouldn't recommend taking such risks."

"Step aside."

Zeke responded mildly, holding a piece of Soulium and completely disregarding Hera's caution.

Hera narrowed her eyes.

Returning to business at hand, she naturally regained her composed demeanor. Unfazed by Zeke's gloomy aura, she spoke with warmth and elegance:

"Actually, I could clone several replicas for you. Why not experiment first using clones? There's no need to rush, is there?"

"This experiment is specifically tailored for myself; results from cloned bodies would be irrelevant. My physical condition and other aspects have been meticulously optimized for this moment. Timing is crucial; if missed, the opportunity may never return."

Hera smiled, showing no intention of yielding.

Suddenly, a swarm of worker bees materialized in the air, smaller than those seen at Schicksal Headquarters yet exuding an even stronger sci-fi aesthetic.

Hera stepped aside, not out of fear. This body was specialized for combat, making a small group of worker bees pose little threat to her.

However, Zeke's resolve was clearly unwavering, verging on impatience. Hera did not wish to conflict with him, fully aware that she couldn't force him either.

At least, with her watching nearby, it ensured some level of safety.

Zeke slowly stepped inside the experimental chamber, clutching the Soulium whose purpose remained unclear.

Hera watched quietly and took a deep breath.

Neither of them mentioned the potential danger Hera faced at Headquarters once Zeke lost consciousness.

Hera wouldn't act recklessly as long as she still needed his theories. This was an unspoken understanding shared between both parties.