Impossible!

Judging by what Mobius and the others said, Kevin had become indistinguishable from the iceberg Lee remembered, eager to eradicate every last trace of Honkai from the world. And he seemed deeply guilt-ridden about Lee, avoiding her.

But Kevin had directly and indirectly provided a lot of energy, so Lee chose to leave him be for now.

The other one was Vill-V. This old online friend, whom Lee had seen during the Sixth Herrscher incident—an incident that contributed to Lee becoming a cripple—had vanished afterward, and hadn't provided much energy either.

But looking at Vill-V's icon steadily approaching on the map, Lee anticipated another boost to her energy wallet.

...

Vill-V, a cynical inventor, seemed to find nothing in the world worth taking seriously.

Because of her indifference, she could observe with an objective and calm gaze, making rational decisions without hesitation—but the disheveled woman who burst into Lee's room was a far cry from the renowned inventor.

Lee, who was packing, turned and stared at the incoming Vill-V, looking utterly shocked. "VV?"

"Lee, I… I did it…!"

Vill-V clutched a long, wrapped object. Her expression was a mix of excitement and exhaustion. Trembling, she pulled back the cloth, revealing what she held.

Holy moly, Abyss Flower!

Lee instantly recognized the black-handled, white-bladed lance. After all, five thousand years later, Lihua used it at Output Zeroth to save Otto.

It's only been how long since the Sixth Herrscher was defeated? And Vill-V already made it? Mei would call her a workaholic.

Lee knew exactly what Vill-V was holding and what she intended to do. Now she just had to feign ignorance and ask—right?

NO!

Lee didn't even spare a second glance for Abyss Flower. Frowning, she rushed to Vill-V, raised her hand, and—gently cupped Vill-V's face.

Carefully wiping away the smudges of soot, Lee looked at the dark circles under Vill-V's eyes, her voice filled with concern. "Why are you in such a state?"

"—I… I…"

Looking at Lee's worried gaze, Vill-V's lips trembled, but she couldn't speak. She just clutched Abyss Flower tighter. "I… I made it…"

"I know, VV, I heard you. Whatever you've made must be another invention that will greatly benefit humanity. But…" Lee sighed. "How long has it been since you've properly rested?"

…Rest?

Vill-V couldn't remember the last time she'd slept properly.

Since the Sixth Herrscher's death, she'd relentlessly applied for and obtained the Herrscher's core as quickly as possible, then immediately started her project to create the Sixth Divine Key.

The Sixth Herrscher commanded the power of death and decay. But if that power could be reversed, a Divine Key made from its core would possess the corresponding power of creation!

Yes, if the Sixth Divine Key could be created, it could heal any wound—even Lee, who was gravely injured and near death because of Vill-V's own actions, whose body had suffered devastating, irreversible damage!

Driven by this belief, Vill-V had worked day and night on Abyss Flower, living in her workshop, only snatching brief moments of sleep when she was too exhausted to continue, then immediately resuming work upon waking.

Creating a Divine Key was a complex and monumental task. Divine Keys like the Seven Thunders of Retribution had been created with the Fire Moth's full support, under Vill-V's leadership, with a large team of top scientists assisting her.

But this time, Vill-V's pace was so frantic that even her assistants couldn't keep up. She dismissed potential replacements, deeming them too slow, and ended up doing most of the work on Abyss Flower herself.

She had single-handedly, with far fewer people and far less time than normally required, driven by her self-imposed pressure, created this weapon of healing.

Though exhausted, Vill-V was ecstatic. This meant she could atone for her mistakes! Lee was injured because of her suspicion. Vill-V knew it was her fault, but she could fix it herself.

Unlike Kevin, she wouldn't let Lee bear the responsibility for her mistakes!

After completing Abyss Flower and conducting basic tests, Vill-V heard that Lee was leaving HQ, so she rushed over immediately.

Lee would be curious about what she was holding, and when she asked, Vill-V would reveal the Divine Key that could heal her. Lee would be surprised and overjoyed—but Vill-V never expected that Lee would neither blame her nor care about the weapon.

She only cared about whether Vill-V had rested.

An unfamiliar ache welled up in Vill-V's eyes. She tightened her grip on Abyss Flower's shaft.

"I'm fine, just a couple of all-nighters… Lee, look, this is the Sixth Divine Key! With this, your body can recover!"

Lee seemed about to say something, but Vill-V, too excited to be interrupted, cut her off, ready to unleash the Divine Key's power.

"Lee, don't worry, I'll heal you!"

"Zeroth Power—!!!"

White light, the power of creation, erupted in the room. Although Vill-V wasn't a combat specialist, she could still wield a Divine Key of her own creation, especially one designed for a specific purpose: healing Lee.

Soon, Lee's reflexes would return, her strength would be restored, and she would once again be the confident beacon of hope!

That's how it should be… that's how it had to be!

But why—

Vill-V stared, her eyes wide with disbelief, her voice trembling. "Why… why isn't it working…?"