Chapter 78: Fairy Miss, You’re Too Enthusiastic! Let’s Just Watch the Stream…

Chapter 78: Fairy Miss, You're Too Enthusiastic! Let's Just Watch the Stream…

Due to the unexpected attack on Schicksal's transport ship over Arc City, Hokuto's visit had turned into an extended stay for recovery.

Rita, along with several Immortal Blades Valkyries, visited him frequently to express their sympathies.

From their perspective,

It was clear—they believed his injuries were the result of encountering the Herrscher of the Void.

Which, naturally, earned him some pity.

But for Hokuto himself?

He was thrilled.

Why?

Because this meant Otto wouldn't be bothering him for work anytime soon.

Which meant…

Unlimited free time to slack off.

With that in mind, Hokuto comfortably sat on his hotel bed, pulled out his phone, and started his livestream.

[Livestream started.]

[Pushing to viewers… Push successful.]

[Host has begun the livestream. Please maintain a civil and respectful atmosphere.]

As the familiar login screen of Hyperion's bridge appeared,

Hokuto barely had time to hear the announcer's greeting before another system notification popped up.

[Welcome, Pink Fairy Miss, to the livestream.]

『Pink Fairy Miss:』 'Hi~ Everyone~ (^▽^) Let's all have fun today~'

A pink-colored comment floated across the screen, instantly brightening the quiet chat.

『Pink Fairy Miss:』 'Eh? Am I the only one here with the host?'

The moment Elysia entered, she greeted everyone.

However, after sending her message, she realized something…

The chat was empty.

It was just her and the streamer.

'Oh my… This is a rare chance! If it's just the two of us, maybe I can get some answers~'

Meanwhile, Hokuto, who had just processed her arrival, finally responded.

"Morning. Fairy Miss is as energetic as ever."

『Pink Fairy Miss:』 'Hehe, (＃^.^＃) Is that a bad thing?'

"Of course not. Please continue being yourself."

Truthfully, Hokuto didn't mind Elysia's presence at all.

In fact, he welcomed it.

A lively chat meant more engagement,

Which meant more rewards at the end of the stream.

『Pink Fairy Miss:』 'Oh my, didn't you say yesterday that you were busy with work?'

The moment he saw this comment, Hokuto knew what was coming.

She was fishing for information.

After all, with such a rare one-on-one moment,

Elysia would surely try to extract details about the mysterious livestream.

Too bad for her—

Hokuto wasn't that easy to crack.

"Just a small matter."

『Pink Fairy Miss:』 'It must be a tiring job, right?'

"Not at all. Once you get used to it, it's easy."

『Pink Fairy Miss:』 'Oh? What kind of job is it exactly? Hehe, I'm so curious~'

"…Just a normal job. So normal that there's nothing worth talking about."

『Pink Fairy Miss:』 '(＃^.^＃) Are you embarrassed? So cute~ Are you one of those adorable shy boys?'

"Ahem! No, absolutely not."

Damn.

Elysia's charm offensive was intense.

Thankfully, there was a screen between them.

If they were face-to-face,

How many men would actually be able to resist her teasing?

If this continued, he might actually slip up—

[Welcome, my favorite sister Bronya, Your Great Inventor, No Matter the Cost, Humanity Will Prevail Against Honkai, Today's Performance Wasn't Perfect, and Maintaining Elegance Is a Maid's Duty to the livestream.]

Finally, reinforcements had arrived.

As more viewers joined, the once-empty chat exploded into color.

『my favorite sister Bronya:』 'Big brother, good afternoon!'

『Your Great Inventor:』 'I was delayed dealing with an incident involving my employees. Heh, good thing you haven't started yet.'

『No Matter the Cost, Humanity Will Prevail Against Honkai:』 'Oh? Fairy Miss arrived early? Hmph, always looking for shortcuts.'

『Pink Fairy Miss:』 'Don't say that~ I just didn't want to miss spending time with everyone~'

As the chat filled with comments,

The once quiet stream turned lively.

For Hokuto, this was perfect.

More activity meant higher engagement,

And higher engagement meant more rewards.

Of course, just chatting wasn't enough.

If he didn't start playing,

The audience would get impatient.

So, Hokuto began running daily missions, completing weekly challenges, and gathering resources.

After finishing his routine tasks,

A thought crossed his mind.

"Wait… Isn't Li Sushang's banner ending soon? Who's up next?"

Curious, Hokuto opened the in-game announcements.

After a quick skim of the updates, he found out—

A major version update was coming in a few days.

This update would introduce Chapters 15-17, "A Requiem for Yesterday."

It would also feature two Valkyrie banners:

Fu Hua's "Azure Empyrea" battlesuit (S-rank Elemental Support)

Durandal's "Bright Knight Excelsis" battlesuit (S-rank Physical DPS)

Pulling Strategy - What's Worth Summoning?

Both of these units were valuable.

Fu Hua's battlesuit was a top-tier elemental support.Durandal's battlesuit was one of the best physical DPS choices until the next meta shift.

Between the two, Fu Hua's weapon was a must-have.

As for Durandal's weapon…

It wasn't necessary right now.

A better alternative would be available later.

But even so…

His crystal reserves were still tight.

The best solution?

More streams.

Which meant…

More main story progression.

Hokuto navigated to the main story selection screen, scrolling to Chapters 13-14, "A Shooting Star Streaking Across the Night."

Instead of continuing the main plot, he selected the side quest "Dreams in the Dark."

『Pink Fairy Miss:』 'Eh? We're not continuing the main story?'

A pink-colored comment appeared.

Clearly, Elysia wanted to see what choice Rita would make.

Unfortunately for her…

Hokuto had other priorities.

"We need to gather more upgrade materials before advancing. Strengthening our trial characters will make the next fights easier. Besides, side quests also contain story elements."

『Pink Fairy Miss:』 'Oh, I see… Hmm! That makes sense! (*￣︶￣)'

With that, Hokuto launched the first mission.

As soon as the level loaded—

Fu Hua's figure appeared on the screen.

['Kiana, it's time to wake up.']

As Fu Hua's voice echoed, Kiana appeared on the screen.

["Mmm… Do I really have to wake up this early…?"]

Her voice was laced with exhaustion.

However, her teacher wasn't about to let her slack off.

["Kiana, there is no time to be lazy anymore."]

As Kiana finally opened her eyes,

She realized something was very different.

Gone was the futuristic cityscape of Arc City.

Instead, she found herself in a peaceful mountain valley, surrounded by nature.

In the flatlands before her, a strange formation of symbols was etched into the ground.

["…This is a dream."]

Fu Hua explained.

However, Kiana remained skeptical.

["A dream? But everything here feels so real."]

["This is the Taixu Dreamscape, created by the 8th Divine Key—Fenghuang Down. It is the intersection of our memories."]

『Pink Fairy Miss:』 'The 8th Divine Key… Fenghuang Down?! Wow, that's unexpected!'

[Because of your livestream content, Pink Fairy Miss is shocked. You have gained 560 crystals!]

A pink-colored comment appeared on the screen.

Clearly, Elysia was genuinely surprised.

Until now, she hadn't been entirely sure if "Fu Hua" was truly "Hua."

But now…

With the Divine Key's name confirmed, there was no doubt.

『Today's Performance Wasn't Perfect:』 'I… I never expected this… Why?'

[Because of your livestream content, Today's Performance Wasn't Perfect is shocked. You have gained 560 crystals!]

As Hua's comment appeared alongside the system notification,

Hokuto realized something.

At this moment, she had fully accepted that "Fu Hua" was, without a doubt, her future self.

Now, the only question was—what would her reaction be next?

For now, though…

The stream must go on.

As the chat settled, the on-screen Fu Hua resumed speaking.

["The skills you have learned so far are insufficient to face the dangers ahead."]

["Here, I will have enough time to teach you what you need to know."]

Unlike before, Kiana didn't hesitate.

She eagerly accepted the offer.

["As long as it makes me stronger, I don't mind how many dreams like this I have!"]

With that, the game transitioned into battle mode.

In this training sequence, the player-controlled character was Kiana in her basic Valkyrie Ranger battlesuit.

Her opponent? Fu Hua.

This was an extremely one-sided battle.

Fortunately, Fu Hua's health and attack power had been lowered.

After a long battle,

Kiana finally managed to reduce her health to a critical level.

The mission was cleared.

As the scene faded back to the Dreamscape, Kiana took a deep breath.

Meanwhile, Fu Hua remained as composed as ever.

["There is still a long time before sunrise. We can continue."]

["Wait… Why does it feel like we've been fighting all day?! My body's about to give out…"]

Kiana's voice was filled with exhaustion.

Yet, her complaint didn't faze Fu Hua in the slightest.

["Time flows differently in dreams. Sometimes, what feels like a lifetime passes in a moment."]

["Oh! I've heard of this saying before! It's called… um… 'One Meal of Yellow Millet'?"]

『where did the little lab rats hide?:』 'Huh? What does that even mean?'

『No Matter the Cost, Humanity Will Prevail Against Honkai:』 'Never heard of it. She must've gotten it wrong.'

『Your Great Inventor:』 'Hahaha! I can confirm—she definitely got it wrong.'

As the chat reacted, the in-game Fu Hua let out a rare chuckle.

["…You mean 'One Dream of Yellow Millet.' In the ancient martial arts of Shenzhou, there are techniques known as 'Zuo Wang' and 'Xin Zhai' that allow one to enter a meditative state, reflecting on and refining the lessons of the day."]

["So this training is just like that?"]

["Time is fleeting. The highest forms of martial arts allow one to train even in daily activities—walking, sitting, sleeping. This method simply accelerates the process."]

["But… what if I wake up and forget everything I trained for?"]

["Dreams may be fleeting, but the muscle memory you develop remains. Rest is over. Let's continue, Kiana."]

["Alright, bring it on!"]

With Kiana's determined response, the first mission of "Dreams in the Dark" concluded.

The second mission was a variation of the first, with minor rule changes.

Hokuto completed it quickly.

After reinforcing his characters, he unlocked Skyfall Ranger and equipped the Skyfall Ripper weapon.

Then, he proceeded to the third mission, now with Rita as an additional support character.

As the level began, Kiana appeared on-screen once more.

["I knew it… I wasn't going to get a peaceful night's sleep tonight."]

Rather than offering words of comfort,

Fu Hua completely ignored her complaint.

["Tonight's training will focus on battling fabricated constructs. These 'phantoms' are illusions created by mental projections."]

["Even though everything in this dream is fake, your body will still perceive pain and fear as if it were real."]

["In moments of crisis, hidden strength emerges. However, most people cannot tap into that power at will."]

["Thus, skilled martial artists actively seek danger, training their minds to recall those moments of power whenever necessary."]

["By using Fenghuang Down, I can summon opponents for you, allowing you to hone this ability more efficiently."]

["Huh? This is just like the training system at St. Freya Academy."]

["Hmm… It's similar, but not quite the same."]

Fu Hua then explained the critical difference.

["Fenghuang Down is the Key of Consciousness. Everything it creates is indistinguishable from reality. The force behind every attack, the sensation of pain—your mind perceives it all as real. If you truly believe you are dead, then your body becomes nothing more than a breathing corpse."]

["For maximum effectiveness… I will not interfere."]

『Pink Fairy Miss:』 'So in other words, you're putting a girl through near-death training? Hua, you're so ruthless~'

A pink-colored comment appeared.

At the same time, Hua herself hesitated slightly.

『Today's Performance Wasn't Perfect:』 'Ahem! This… This is necessary for training! There is nothing wrong with it…'

Clearly, Hua still fully believed in her teaching methods.

Hokuto, however, couldn't help but feel impressed.

Kiana was remarkably resilient.

No wonder she was able to endure everything that came her way…

After Fu Hua declared that she would not intervene, she made sure to emphasize one thing.

["Kiana, you must give it your all!"]

["Bring it on!"]

Kiana showed no fear. She was ready to face any challenge.

With that, the game transitioned into combat mode.

The level spawned waves of enemies, including standard Honkai undead and Immortal Blades soldiers.

However, these were merely fodder enemies—no elite units or bosses appeared.

Kiana, using her dual pistols and summoning her Void Spears for melee combat, easily wiped them out.

Once the mission was cleared, Hokuto decided not to continue with the "Dreams in the Dark" side story for now.

The next levels required further main story progression to unlock.

Returning to the main menu, Hokuto used the materials he had just obtained to upgrade Rita's abilities.

After strengthening the trial characters, he launched the next main story mission.

As soon as he entered, a dialogue scene appeared—

The setting was the command bridge of the Schicksal transport ship, Eos.

Rita stood quietly, examining the evidence Kiana had handed her.

One was a syringe, identical to the standard Schicksal medical supplies.

Another was a data card, marked with the emblem of Shencheng Medical.

It was clearly a keycard meant to unlock restricted areas.

Kiana's parting words lingered in Rita's mind, sowing seeds of doubt.

Over time, this doubt grew into something else—

Curiosity.

The screen changed, displaying Arvette saluting with a smile.

["Miss Rita, I checked the serial number on the syringe. It is indeed one of the vaccines Schicksal supplied to Shencheng Medical. However, the original formula has been altered."]

["Specifically… the vaccine's base composition has been modified into a new compound—one that significantly enhances a human's resistance to Honkai energy."]

["From what I can tell, it has no harmful side effects."]

As Arvette continued her explanation, Rita's suspicion deepened.

Compared to K-423, wasn't Shencheng Medical the real problem?

["Shencheng Medical… What are they trying to do?"]

Before Rita could think further, Arvette hesitated before delivering another critical piece of information.

["Miss Rita, there's something I need to mention. During today's operation, I noticed strange glowing markings on the undead soldiers we encountered."]

["Now that I think about it… I'm certain. Those glowing markings—they were Stigmata!"]

『Your Great Inventor:』 'Stigmata? How interesting. Very interesting…'

A green-colored comment floated across the screen.

Clearly, Otto was now paying close attention.

As Schicksal's Overseer and its chief scientist,

Otto was well-versed in Stigmata technology.

Yet now, his Valkyries were reporting that Stigmata had appeared on undead Honkai creatures?

"This is getting… fascinating."

However, before Otto could continue speculating,

Arvette spoke firmly.

["I… I'm absolutely sure! A lot of people call me careless, but I would never mistake something this serious!"]

『Your Great Inventor:』 '…?'

Otto sent a single "?" into the chat, perfectly capturing his disbelief.

In-game, Rita had already processed Arvette's statement and delivered her assessment.

["If what you say is true, then the situation in Arc City is far more serious than we imagined."]

["Stigmata are exclusive to Schicksal Valkyries. If ordinary undead soldiers have them, that can only mean one of two things—"]

Someone has been transforming Valkyries into undead creatures.Someone is experimenting with Stigmata implantation on ordinary humans.

Neither was acceptable.

Rita took a deep breath before making a decision.

["I won't be getting any rest tonight. I need to confirm my suspicions."]

Arvette expressed concern,

But Rita's resolve was unwavering.

["Sometimes, to accomplish a goal, rules must be bent. Besides… K-423 is no longer our top priority."]

With that declaration, the game transitioned into combat mode.

As waves of enemies appeared, Rita—wearing her base Shadow Rose battlesuit—began her assault.

After a series of battles, she cleared out all enemy units.

She then successfully completed the stealth sequence, infiltrating Shencheng Medical's headquarters.

At the end of the mission, another dialogue scene played—

The screen shifted to show Raven and Jackal discussing the unfolding events.

["Schicksal has taken the bait. They've started investigating."]

["How disappointing… But didn't you always plan to eliminate them anyway?"]

["I prefer to avoid unnecessary conflict. The original plan was to use the Herrscher girl as bait, letting Schicksal handle the problem while we continued our work unnoticed. But it seems… circumstances have changed."]

Raven sighed, then smirked.

["Fortunately, I already prepared for this."]

["If Rita wants answers, we'll give them to her."]

["When someone is focused on chasing the truth, that's when they leave the biggest opening."]

Jackal nodded approvingly.

["Use the little surprise I prepared for you. I'm very curious… how much pain can a Schicksal Valkyrie endure? If possible, leave one alive for further study."]

『Maintaining Elegance Is a Maid's Duty:』 '…This Jackal person is absolutely revolting.'

[Because of your livestream content, Maintaining Elegance Is a Maid's Duty is disgusted. You have gained 1,140 crystals!]

A purple-colored comment appeared on the screen.

Clearly, Rita—who had been watching the stream—was deeply disturbed.

The idea that someone wanted to experiment on her was beyond unsettling.

Jackal continued.

["Once we begin, the experiment will enter its final phase. We must complete it before Schicksal's main forces arrive."]

Otto, who had been silently observing until now, finally made his move.

『Your Great Inventor:』 'Experiment? Heh. Now that is intriguing.'

Another green-colored comment floated across the screen.

Clearly, Jackal and Raven's "loud and obvious scheming" had fully captured Otto's attention.

As soon as Jackal mentioned the experiment,

Otto issued an immediate command.

Schicksal's Valkyrie forces were to mobilize at once.

The moment he gave the order,

Schicksal would storm Shencheng Medical in full force.

It was time for a complete crackdown.