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

In the distance, one part of Gray Serpent's quantum-invisible clone advanced secretly alongside Jackal.

Slaughter was not their objective; exploiting Anti-Entropy's forces preoccupied with battling Honkai Beasts, they aimed to make contact and potentially seize a Herrscher Core—the true purpose of this expedition.

"Hmph!" One of the Gray Serpents suddenly snorted.

"What's wrong?" Jackal asked.

Gray Serpent replied coldly, "I thought the Titans below were hastily deployed vanguard troops, so I cleared the path for the beast horde. Unexpectedly, it was a decoy, resulting in the loss of over a quarter of my clones."

"My condolences, but it doesn't matter now. Anti-Entropy still has to deal with those Honkai Beasts. Our plan is progressing smoothly; all we need to do next is wait for the right moment."

"I hope it's that simple," Gray Serpent muttered under his breath.

Soon after, from where the Honkai Beast horde was advancing, a blinding white light illuminated the dusk, brightening both sky and earth.

Both Jackal and Gray Serpent froze simultaneously.

"Damn it! A fission bomb... Wait! Did I see that right, Gray Serpent? It's a Honkai Energy Fission Bomb!"

"The yield is minimal, but yes, indeed a Honkai Energy Fission Bomb."

"When did they manage to turn such things into controlled conventional weapons? How come I had no idea about this?!?"

"Just days ago, you were completely unaware of their Three Grand Plans, which they've been executing for years. How could you possibly grasp the full extent of their capabilities? There's no need to panic; traces of fission weapons were already evident at the Oceania Branch operation. Controlled Honkai Energy Fission Weapons may be unexpected, but not entirely implausible."

Gray Serpent displayed an unusual calmness, speaking unhurriedly as he continued moving forward.

Gritting his teeth, Jackal asked, "So, can our plan still succeed now?"

"That depends on whether you've squandered research funds and resources over these many years."

Gray Serpent's implication was clear: it hinged on the strength of those artificially synthesized Honkai Beasts.

As if struck by a sensitive nerve, Jackal took a deep breath and replied coldly, "The aftereffects of Honkai Energy Fission Bombs are significant. I'm unsure how they achieved such a small yield, but environmental concerns must have limited them; they wouldn't dare go too far. With just this level of impact, we'll face no issues."

"That's sufficient. Proceed with the plan. This time will determine whether we can welcome back our Lord or not."

Gray Serpent's detached voice served as a powerful reassurance, swiftly calming Jackal down. Together, they resumed stealthily advancing towards their predetermined ambush point.

After enduring a barrage of mini Honkai Fission Bombs, the Honkai Beasts' numbers significantly dwindled.

As Jackal had anticipated, conventional fission bombs were manageable; their residual radiation dissipated relatively quickly after detonation. However, the Honkai Energy radiation left behind by Honkai Fission Bombs was virtually permanent, making it impossible to continuously unleash them without concern for environmental consequences.

Thus, with only limited small-scale explosions available, completely annihilating the beast horde proved unfeasible, and the war persisted.

Once the Honkai Beasts recovered from the relentless bombardment, they faced an imposing sight: the Titan Legion, having seized the opportunity to regroup into a vast army stretching as far as the eye could see, along with swarms of drones converging from all directions, blotting out the sky.

In mere moments, the once-surging tide of beasts became a minority on the battlefield.

The snow-laden world divided into two factions—countless Titans versus Honkai Beasts, while black swarms of drones filled the skies, emitting piercing hums.

For a brief moment, silence fell over the scene.

"Roar~~"

Then, the beasts collectively howled again, charging forth with earth-shattering force—they feared no death, as the concept simply did not exist within their rudimentary neural circuits; their sole instincts were for slaughter and destruction.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

"Rumble! Rumble!!"

The sturdy Titans, several meters tall, appeared as mere specks before the mountain-like Honkai Beasts, easily crushable with a single stomp.

However, in a world fueled by Honkai Energy, strength does not solely depend on size.

Approximately two to three Titans were sufficient to contend with a giant Honkai Beast. The remaining Titans either provided concentrated firepower or nimbly climbed onto the beasts' bodies for destructive melee attacks. Worker bees delivered precise laser strikes, continuously slicing through the flesh of Honkai Beasts.

Whenever an opening emerged, tiny worker bees would swarm inside, either dismembering the beast from within or triggering fission explosions, instantly vaporizing the colossal creatures without leaving significant Honkai Energy radiation pollution behind.

Additionally, for damaged Titans, countless worker bees served as instant repairers, even reconfiguring themselves into new limbs and parts, maintaining an exceptionally low scrap rate close to zero for the Titan force.

On the other hand, the loss rate among the Honkai Beast horde skyrocketed rapidly.

With each Honkai Beast falling, more Titans and worker bees became available to engage others, increasing their efficiency of slaughter as the battle progressed.

"Jackal, deploy your trump card; your beast swarm can't hold out much longer."

"Their combat strength is truly that formidable?" Jackal asked incredulously.

Through the viewpoint of one of his clones, Gray Serpent closely observed the evolving battle situation. Suddenly, several worker bees silently encircled this clone, their laser weapon apertures emitting a faint red glow.

Quantum stealth had limited duration. To maintain invisibility continuously, more valuable equipment and greater energy were required—only Jackal's forces could afford such preparations.

For the expendable clone serving as eyes on the battlefield, once its time was up, death was inevitable.

"Hiss..."

Gray Serpent sighed.

"I've lost another clone; the signal cut off. In any case, they're even fiercer than you imagined."

"Damn it! We've thrown everything we have at them now. It's truly do or die!"

Jackal pulled out a remote controller and pressed a button.

Near Anti-Entropy's camp, a rugged black armored vehicle was swiftly advancing.

Inside its cabin were Seele, Wendy, Rozaliya, Liliya, Raiden Mei, and Raven, while Cocolia and Raiden Ryoma drove up front.

Einstein and Tesla were also present within the vehicle.

Following the incident, without needing any words exchanged, their years of understanding led Einstein to promptly take over Tesla's work, fully focused on monitoring developments at the laboratory.

Meanwhile, Tesla quickly began directing the Titan forces to engage—her command extended only to the Titans, as Zeke's artificial intelligence Icarus controlled the swarms.

The sole occupant outside the vehicle was Rita, standing atop it with her scythe in one hand and tea cup in the other, appearing utterly relaxed and composed amidst chaos.

"Rumble..."

A series of distant rumbling sounds echoed through the air.

Holding a box of freshly baked cookies, Seele couldn't help but shiver slightly.

"Don't be afraid."

["Don't embarrass yourself like that! Get a grip! Freaking out for no reason? I'm still here with you!"]

The first voice belonged to Wendy, gentle and reassuring, as she held Seele's hand, offering her tender support. Despite now being confined to a wheelchair, Wendy was once a prodigy—a formidable S-rank candidate—outclassing even the maid currently on the car roof in both innate talent and actual achievements. Such minor turbulence wouldn't faze her.

The second voice came from deep within Seele's own thoughts, filled with frustration akin to disappointment towards iron failing to sharpen.

Taking a deep breath, Seele composed herself.

"Yes, I'm fine." She looked at Rozaliya and Liliya, seated closely together, and slowly managed a smile.

Indeed, there were two younger sisters with her; under no circumstances should Seele show fear before them. As their elder sister, she needed to display courage and provide them with a sense of security!

"Come here. Don't be scared; everything will be okay, Rozaliya and Liliya." Seele reached out to them.

The sisters exchanged glances before moving closer to her sides, each taking one of Seele's hands. As they warmed each other, courage blossomed within them.

Wendy watched this scene with a smile in her eyes, placing both hands back on her thighs—only there was no sensation beneath her palms. Her gaze dimmed momentarily.

"If only... If only I could still stand, those measly Honkai Beasts wouldn't stand a chance..."

She clenched her fists tightly and closed her eyes.

Ever since losing her mobility, Wendy had yearned for her original strength and health—but never as intensely as she did now, filled with such determination and frustration.

Whether it was Anti-Entropy or Schicksal, none of that mattered anymore. All Wendy wanted was to protect these people right in front of her, nothing more.

Raiden Mei, who had been quietly observing, keenly sensed Wendy's shifting emotions. Sharing Herrscher Cores and being outsiders together, their experiences at the orphanage were remarkably similar, gradually fostering a strong bond between them.

Raiden Mei understood Wendy's frustration with her disabled body. She wanted to say something comforting but didn't know enough about Wendy's past or have the life experience to find the right words.

Instead, she silently moved closer and took Wendy's hand, offering her an encouraging gaze.

Wendy opened her eyes, looked at Raiden Mei, and smiled warmly.

"I'm fine; don't worry."

"I...um, well, just try not to stress too much. Everything will work out." Raiden Mei gently smiled, reaching up to tousle Wendy's hair.

"Don't panic, you brats—I'll handle this personally! What could possibly go wrong when a genius like me takes charge? Relax, everything is under control. Just wait and watch as I wrap it all up!" Tesla turned to address the children, puffing his chest out proudly with a smug expression—partly due to his natural arrogance, partly to reassure them through this display of confidence.

"Wait, what's that?!"

On the front lines, as the Honkai Beasts began showing signs of defeat, everything should have smoothly led to victory.

However, a streak of purple suddenly shot across the sky from the horizon.

"Boom!"

Moving too swiftly for either the swarms or Titans to intercept, it crashed right at the heart of the battlefield.

Immediately after, faint mechanical sounds echoed out:

"Bip... bip... bip..."

"Whoosh!!"

An invisible shockwave swept through the land for miles around, nearly reaching the former orphanage where Zeke and his friends were stationed.

The massive impact sent countless Titans tumbling, losing their balance and falling helplessly off the Honkai Beasts.

Even the dense swarm of drones descended into chaos, sustaining significant damage.

Then, the previously battered and disheartened Honkai Beasts shuddered violently. Red light surged from within them, rapidly healing their damaged bodies.

Their already colossal forms, akin to small mountains, grew explosively under the crimson glow, emanating an increasingly terrifying aura unlike before.

"Shit! What the hell is this?!"

The speeding armored vehicle was also affected by the shockwave, skidding violently and tossing both Tesla and Einstein around inside.

Tesla landed hard on something soft beneath her, cursing as she sat up.

Einstein's face flushed slightly, barely perceptible.

"Eh—"

On the ground, Wendy clutched at her chest, curled into a tight ball, unable to suppress agonized cries—the surprising sight being that even her legs, which had long been paralyzed, seemed to regain mobility.

Raiden Mei, similarly huddled with hands over her head, trembled uncontrollably.

Distinct patterns of Honkai Energy corruption were visible on both their bodies.

"This is... Dr. Tesla, check the surrounding Honkai Energy concentration immediately!"

"I-I...I'm on it! 960 HW! What the hell?! It's nearing levels seen during Herrscher births! What could be happening?!"

"They both have Herrscher Cores."

"I know that, mophead... Wait, isn't that bad news?!"

Einstein and Tesla studied the unusual state of Wendy and Raiden Mei lying on the ground, both wearing grim expressions.