Chapter 111: Chapter 110: Senti – "You're a Fusion Warrior too, aren't you? So why don't I recognize you?"
Chapter 110: Senti – "You're a Fusion Warrior too, aren't you? So why don't I recognize you?"
In the boundless darkness, the once-dead immortal regained consciousness...
"Hey, wake up. You've been asleep for too long."
A lively voice echoed through her mind.
"...I... who... am I?"
"Oh, don't give me that! Things are different now. Your brain is perfectly intact."
"Flip through your memory bank and figure out who you are. We've got a lot to do."
A question surfaced in the immortal's mind.
"Who are you?"
"I'm your 'id,' got it? The most primal, authentic part of you."
"And I am your 'superego.' Don't worry, you're neither schizophrenic nor insane. We are you."
As the voice claiming to be the id appeared, another voice, identifying as the superego, followed.
"The 'ego' hasn't awakened yet because you still don't know who you are. Hurry up and remember—without any of us, you wouldn't be complete."
Urged by the id, the immortal began to recall her life...
Countless fragments of memory surged through her mind—
Memories poured into her consciousness like a relentless tide, as if they had always been there, lying dormant, just waiting for a command. These recollections carried numerous images:
A lone girl standing in the cold wind, a warrior clad in armor wielding a golden sword, a ruthless assassin, an aloof and detached immortal...
"They are all you."
"They were once you."
"They are parts of you. Understand? No time to waste—if your brainwaves start fluctuating too much, he'll notice right away..."
The immortal's mind flashed with another question.
"Who is 'he'?"
"Otto Apocalypse. Keep reading your memories, he's buried in the later parts."
"He's the overseer of Schicksal, your old friend, the only one who knew you were still alive..."
"A liar. A murderer..."
"Save it for later! First, figure out where you are!"
The immortal's eyes snapped open...
She found herself submerged in a stasis pod, surrounded by cold, slippery liquid. Bubbles rose and drifted toward the surface of the chamber.
"This equipment is sustaining your life. It seems he's healed all of your injuries—including that one."
"Perhaps this is his way of atonement."
"More like imprisonment."
The immortal clenched her fists. The sensation of her fingers pressing against her bones reassured her. She felt an overwhelming surge of strength—the state of her body was... flawless.
"BOOM!"
With a deafening explosion, the stasis pod shattered completely.
The immortal stepped out lightly, her feet making contact with the ground.
"My dear old friend! At last, you're awake."
A familiar voice called out. She turned toward the door to find a blond-haired man smiling at her.
Within her mind, the three voices conversed.
Relying purely on instinct, she responded immediately—
"I'd recognize you even if you turned to ash."
"...You hate me? Ah, my friend, this is the second time you've broken my heart."
"You must understand—I had no choice. I couldn't let you stop my plan. Not even the slightest deviation could be allowed."
Otto Apocalypse let out a self-deprecating chuckle.
"In the end, everything turned out well. I'll explain everything to you. Just give me some time, and I promise you'll be satisfied."
But as Otto spoke, the three voices within the immortal clashed violently.
Ultimately, the id took control, roaring with excitement—
"KILL HIM!!!"
The immortal strode toward Otto Apocalypse.
"Wait, old friend... I—"
She moved like lightning, giving him no chance to continue. Her hand clamped around his face. His smile hadn't even finished turning into confusion.
Otto Apocalypse stared at her, as if trying to say something. But with his mouth firmly held shut, only a few meaningless sounds escaped—
"...Guh... Ow... Na—"
The immortal swung her fist and smashed it directly into that annoyingly handsome face.
At the base of Taixu Mountain, Rita switched off the communicator.
"That's all the footage the headquarters managed to retrieve from the lab's surveillance."
The screen faded to black as the video ended.
At that moment, Hokuto was seated across from the player, processing what he had just watched.
Even though he had only seen it from a third-person perspective, his mind vividly filled in the gaps—the internal conflict within Senti, the id, the superego, and the ego.
One thing was clear: the main storyline had officially reached the moment of Senti's awakening.
By now, she was probably grinning at Bronya through the containment pod and getting ready for her duel with Kevin.
That was all bound to happen, but the real question was: when is she coming to Taixu Mountain?
Hokuto distinctly remembered that after buying into Otto's endless nonsense, Senti went straight to Kevin to retrieve Fu Hua.
After that, realizing she didn't have time to slowly adjust, she decided she had to become Fu Hua as soon as possible. That meant coming to the one place she could truly call home—Taixu Mountain—to face the unfamiliar memories and accept herself.
Which led to a very serious problem: what happens when she actually arrives?
"Hmm... Senti's not a bad kid, but if she runs into Rita..."
Hokuto glanced at Rita, who was seated gracefully atop a stone at the mountain's base, eyes closed as if deep in thought.
Senti had already decked Otto on sight—wouldn't she want to throw hands with one of his most trusted subordinates too?
And as an S-rank Valkyrie of Schicksal, Rita would definitely fight back.
So once again—this was all Otto Apocalypse's fault.
Why the hell did he send them to Taixu Mountain of all places?
"Ahem, Rita. With everything that just happened at headquarters, don't you think us being out here on a field trip is kind of... inappropriate?"
Hokuto pulled out his notebook from the briefcase and started drafting a travel log.
This was basically a report, something he would later compile into a document for Otto to review.
Not that Otto would have much of a chance to read it now.
"Hokuto, please remember—our mission is to investigate Taixu Mountain for valuable intelligence. What happens at headquarters is for others to handle."
Rita opened her eyes slightly, her tone as composed as ever.
Clearly, she knew about Otto's backup bodies.
That's why she was unfazed, simply sticking to her duty.
Which made things very inconvenient for Hokuto.
"Alright, fine. But let's hurry up, then. How about we split up? You check the mountain peak while I search around the base."
He gestured toward the summit as he spoke.
"According to the legends of Shenzhou, immortals often reside at the mountain peaks. Maybe you'll find something useful up there?"
"Hmm... That does sound like a good suggestion. But, do you need protection?"
"Look around—there's not even a single bird in this wasteland. What kind of danger could I possibly run into?"
Hokuto's reasoning was solid.
It had already been half an hour since they arrived at Taixu Mountain, yet not a single bird had passed by. The eerie silence made it hard to believe this was once the home of an immortal.
"Alright, then. Please be careful. If you encounter any danger, use the communicator to call for help."
With that, Rita turned and descended the mountain, her scythe in hand.
Watching her silhouette fade from view, Hokuto turned back and began aimlessly wandering Taixu Mountain.
To be honest, he doubted he'd find any valuable information just by searching randomly.
Otto had lived for centuries and had even personally visited Taixu Mountain before. If there were truly any priceless secrets left behind, they'd already be long gone.
So, expecting to stumble upon some hidden treasure was just wishful thinking.
But that was fine.
If nothing valuable could be found—then he'd just create something valuable himself.
Hokuto silently spoke in his mind.
"System? Can you get me a copy of 'Chronicles of the Severed Sword of Shenzhou'?"
[Host can redeem the currently available in-game version of the text.]
"That'll do. Get me a set. Oh, and make sure the pages look old—about 300 years old. No author name on it, either."
As soon as he finished speaking, a stack of aged scrolls materialized in his hands.
The cover bore the title Chronicles of the Severed Sword of Shenzhou in traditional Shenzhou script.
"Perfect."
With the book secured, Hokuto turned back toward the landing site. He was planning to wait for Rita to return empty-handed, at which point he could just hand over this "ancient artifact" and call it a day.
But before he could take a single step—
A sharp screech echoed from above.
"Wait a second... That doesn't sound like a bird. What the—Honkai Beasts!?"
Hokuto looked up just in time to see four charging-type Honkai Beasts rapidly closing in.
They weren't anything special—just the mosquito-like fodder enemies he'd killed thousands of times in the game.
But right now, those pests were barreling toward him at full speed.
"Die!"
Without hesitation, Hokuto activated his newly gained power. A surge of icy mist erupted from his palm, instantly freezing the incoming Honkai Beasts solid.
But that wasn't enough.
Their frozen bodies were still hurtling toward him, threatening to crush him on impact.
Acting quickly, Hokuto formed an ice shield, solid and unyielding.
BOOM!
A series of loud crashes followed as the frozen Honkai Beasts slammed into the shield and shattered into icy fragments.
Once the danger had passed, Hokuto retracted his power and assessed the situation.
"Not bad. This ability actually feels pretty good."
He stomped on the shattered ice, thoroughly enjoying this newfound strength.
Sure, it was just a couple of small fries, but at least he wasn't some powerless weakling anymore.
Still, something felt... off.
"Something's weird... Why is Honkai energy spreading through Taixu Mountain so quickly? Could it be—"
"You... You have the same aura as that poor fool shackled by the past?"
A familiar female voice rang out.
Hokuto immediately felt a chill—not from his powers, but from pure instinct.
He sucked in a sharp breath.
Hokuto slowly raised his head, locking eyes with the figure hovering above him on a flying sword—the Herrscher of Sentience.
At this moment, she was inhabiting Fu Hua's body, her appearance resembling the Azure Empyrea battlesuit. Her long white hair faded into black at the tips, tied into a low ponytail, with a single black strand hanging over the right side of her forehead. A metallic horn-like ornament adorned the left side of her head, from which a black-red feather, resembling a flickering flame, extended.
She wore a tight-fitting black robe, leaving her abdomen and lower back exposed. A pair of white furred pauldrons draped over her shoulders, crossing at her chest and back. Her right arm was clad in a white sleeve, contrasting against the black sleeve on her left. As for her legs—one was covered in black stockings, the other in a long, fitted boot.
And her eyes—completely crimson.
"Hmm... Oh well, guess we'll just fight it out."
Senti spoke casually before leaping off her sword. Landing gracefully, she clapped her hands together as she approached.
"That was a pretty interesting little fight just now. I heard from that other Fu Hua that you must be connected to Kevin. So, did he send you to spy on me?"
"Ah, no, no, no—you're way off."
In an instant, Hokuto realized the misunderstanding.
Or rather… the 'Fu Hua' within her had recognized the power granted by his Pavanti gene serum.
Which was why she immediately assumed he was affiliated with Kevin.
"I have no idea who Kevin even is. You've got the wrong guy!"
"Heh, just as I expected. No use asking nicely—I won't get anything out of you that way. So, come on. Are you going to make the first move, or should I? If you keep holding out on me, I won't be so nice."
Senti's tone was playful, but her stance made it clear—she was ready to fight.
However, before things escalated further—
A familiar voice called out.
"Master Fu Hua… it has been a long time. It seems… your appearance has changed quite a bit."
Both Hokuto and Senti turned their heads toward the voice.
There, stepping forward with an icy gaze and a calm demeanor, was Rita Rossweisse.
She had donned her Argent Knight: Artemis battlesuit, gripping her chilling scythe as she approached unhurriedly.
"Oh? It's you?"
Senti raised a brow before flashing a mischievous grin.
"I know you. So, do you two wanna fight me together, or are you taking turns? Meh, never mind—I'm getting impatient."
With a cocky smirk, she lunged forward.
Within mere moments—Rita had been overpowered.
The scythe-wielding Valkyrie was forced to her knees, completely unconscious.
The Herrscher of Sentience's strength was beyond expectations. Even though this body still lacked Fu Hua's full capabilities, with her own knowledge guiding it, defeating an S-rank Valkyrie was no challenge.
After all, even Li Sushang had once criticized Rita for being "just an ordinary person" in the final battle.
"Wait, what? Rita, you went down way too fast!"
Even though Hokuto had expected this outcome, he still wasn't prepared for how quickly it happened.
To be fair, charging headfirst into a Herrscher while wearing Argent Knight was pretty much asking for a loss.
And now—it was his turn.
"Hahaha, now it's your turn!"
Senti laughed arrogantly, stepping forward with an air of absolute dominance.
"Don't worry—I promised that other Fu Hua I wouldn't kill anyone recklessly, so I'll let you both live. That sounds like something Fu Hua would do, right?"
She flashed a "Queen of the World" grin, exuding confidence from every pore.
Even beckoning him forward with her hand—as if challenging him to step up.
And since she was being so "courteous," Hokuto had no choice but to accept.
"Then, I won't hold back!"
He took a deep breath, summoning the power of the gene serum.
As frigid air surged forward, the ground was rapidly covered in thick ice—and in an instant, Hokuto launched himself forward, riding the icy wind.
A flurry of attacks followed.
Though some of the ice armor shielding his body had been shattered, he was still standing.
"Not bad... You're definitely stronger than the one lying on the ground over there."
Senti smirked, analyzing him closely.
"You're a Fusion Warrior too, huh? Then tell me—why don't I recognize you?"
Having tested the waters, she now began digging for answers.
There was no doubt in her mind—this mystery man who had never appeared in her memories… was definitely not ordinary.
End of Chapter 110