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Chapter 251 – An Actor’s Self-Cultivation
🕑 Added 2025-08-15 15:52:19 +0000 UTCAt January 31, 2000 — Nagami arrived.
That very night, with his help, Sirin slaughtered every last researcher inside the Babylon Tower.
At that time, Theresa still an S-rank Valkyrie had received Otto’s orders to head to Siberia to investigate the mysterious disappearance of the research staff.
Meanwhile, in a military base in Arizona, USA, Welt was also mobilizing.
He led a squad of anti-entropy mechs toward Siberia.
There were two reasons for this.
First, Einstein had detected Herrscher activity in Siberia.
Second, because of a certain collaborator assigned to assist Theresa on this mission — Patricia Highsmith, an A-rank Valkyrie from Schicksal’s intelligence division, and a former member of the Snow Wolf Squad.
And here’s the important part, this woman was a special product straight from the brewery: an undercover agent.
By the time Patricia followed Theresa into Babylon Tower, Welt’s “Titan” army had already arrived on the Siberian tundra, waiting just five kilometers away.
“Well, in that case, I’ll just act it out exactly as I remember. It’s not even a major scene, so I can just wing it.”
Disguised as Sirin, Nagami’s clone could clearly see Anti-Entropy’s forces approaching.
This clone wasn’t powerless, its strength had been tailored to match Sirin’s capabilities during this period.
“Still, seeing an S-rank Valkyrie like Theresa, the same one who could smack an Emperor-class Honkai beast away with Judah — looking like this... she’s so dumb… yet adorably dumb.”
Through layers of steel walls, Nagami could see Theresa shrinking her shoulders in fear at the ominous atmosphere, every step taken nervously as she muttered, “There’s definitely no ghosts! No ghosts at all!”
Her cuteness made Nagami change his mind about how to approach the scene.
Inside the tower, some of the children had already noticed something was wrong.
After the first brave one called for help, more and more voices joined in, naturally drawing Theresa and Patricia toward them.
As expected, Theresa intended to bring these girls whose bodies were brimming with Honkai energy to St. Freya Academy, to teach them how to control their power so they could one day return to normal lives.
Nagami, meanwhile, gave Patricia a quick glance, confirmed she had noticed some clues, and then acted like an ordinary child.
It wasn’t until midnight that he finally strolled into the laboratory, stopping beside the Honkai Furnace.
“This is the end of the line, Miss Culprit!”
From the shadows, a figure stepped forward behind the purple-haired girl, Patricia smiling confidently at the sight of her “operating” on the air as though manipulating some invisible interface.
But to Patricia’s surprise, the girl’s delicate face showed no hint of panic.
Her eyes were calm, almost bored, and she muttered under her breath, “Why now, of all times? I was just about to finish off the Collector. Seriously…”
Patricia frowned.
“You’re not going to ask how I found you, or anything like that?”
“Not interested. Just fight already. Talking about pointless stuff is a waste of time.”
Slipping a handheld console into the Imaginary Space where Patricia couldn’t see, the purple-haired girl yawned lazily then suddenly, as if remembering her “villain” role, puffed up her cheeks in an exaggerated grin and shouted,
“Hahaha! At last, I have my chance to take revenge on the Valkyries! Hahaha!”
The over-the-top, black-magic-girl style laughter made Patricia’s expression turn into that of an old man staring at a subway phone ad.
Was this girl… mentally unstable?
Well, if she was crazy, maybe she’d be even easier to deal with.
Unhooking two cannons as large as the girl herself, Patricia fired the first shot.
The result?
The next day, A-rank Valkyrie Patricia had “mysteriously disappeared.” Near the Honkai Furnace, only her weapons and a small amount of blood were found.
It was worth noting — an A-rank Valkyrie of this era was not the same as one in the future.
On average, they were much stronger… though someone like Fu Hua was in a league of her own.
The fact that even an A-rank couldn’t resolve the situation caught Otto’s attention immediately.
He dispatched reinforcements: A-rank Valkyrie Salome Jokanaan, A-rank Valkyrie Shub-Niggurath, and finally… Siegfried Kaslana.
———————————————————————
Leaning against the Honkai Furnace, Nagami was tapping away at his game console, occasionally glancing into the distance.
Of course, he hadn’t actually killed Patricia.
Once he sensed she was thinking of retreating, he pretended to be exhausted and let her escape though he made sure to wound her enough to keep things believable.
After fleeing, Patricia naturally went to report “Sirin’s” presence to Welt and the others waiting nearby.
Siegfried and the two A-ranks eventually arrived, but unfortunately for them, they ran into a massive Honkai beast horde.
Fortunately, Anti-Entropy troops happened to be fighting nearby.
And so, it turned into Welt’s own little performance: mimicking the Star of Eden’s power, the First Herrscher wiped out hundreds of Honkai beasts in an instant.
The two sides now seemed to be negotiating.
Judging from the way things were going, they’d likely reach an agreement soon and team up to head into the Babylon Tower to find Sirin.
“Looks like they don’t need me anymore.”
Seeing Siegfried, Welt, and Einstein heading his way, Nagami muttered under his breath.
A moment later, both he and his handheld console dissolved into a trail of shimmering blue particles.
———————————————————————
Schicksal Headquarters
In the secret database, Otto was in the middle of watching old video clips of young Kallen’s childhood when Siegfried’s report came in.
He decided to select a particularly strong physical vessel to send to Siberia.
But in his rush, a tiny error occurred — resulting in both his current body and the new one becoming unusable.
He was left with no choice but to temporarily make do with… a child’s body.
Wearing a white shirt far too big for his small frame, little Otto stepped out of the secret lab with an expression of pure exasperation.
———————————————————————
Meanwhile, on the floating island’s streets
“Kiana, I’m sorry. Daddy’s mission isn’t over yet, so I can’t make it home for dinner. Forgive me.”
On the video call, Siegfried pressed his palms together in a sincere apology.
“I know~ Daddy, stay safe!”
The adorable little girl in Cecilia’s arms looked disappointed for a moment, but quickly recovered, waving enthusiastically to her father on the other side of the call.
“You hear that, dear? Be careful during your mission — and don’t be reckless.”
Carrying a plastic bag decorated with a chibi Homu, Cecilia smiled gently as she hugged Kiana close.
Siegfried returned the smile and ended the call.
Cecilia rubbed her cheek against Kiana’s, humming a tune as she took her first step toward their house—
“Hold on, Mother-in-law!”
The voice, cool and clear like an orchid blooming in a quiet valley, was followed by the crisp click-clack of high heels against the pavement each step oddly rhythmic, as if keeping time to an invisible beat.
Cecilia froze mid-step, her eyes instinctively scanning the empty street.
She was the only one there.
Turning around, she found a green-haired beauty standing behind her.
Cecilia blinked hard, her expression shifting into slight bewilderment.
Pointing a slender finger at herself, she asked cautiously,
“Young lady… are you talking to me?”
Two-year-old Kiana, meanwhile, just stared blankly at the refined green-haired stranger.
Her gaze lingered on the long, black-stockinged legs, the graceful sway of her skirt… and she seemed a little dazed.
“Of course I was talking to you, Mother in law.”
Feeling a bit self-conscious under Kiana’s curious gaze, C.C. nevertheless smiled warmly and offered a textbook-perfect bow, her voice dripping with elegance.
“Um… I think you’ve mistaken me for someone else. My name is Cecilia Schariac.”
Her tone remained gentle.
Being humble by nature, Cecilia didn’t find it suspicious at all that someone from Schicksal’s floating island might not recognize her, an S-rank Valkyrie.
She raised a finger, kindly explaining to the mysterious yet dashing young woman before her, “And by the way, ‘mother-in-law’ is what a man calls the mother of the woman he’s married to.
A girl shouldn’t use it like that.”
C.C. crouched down slightly and extended her arms toward little Kiana in a testing gesture.
The child wasted no time diving straight into her embrace, curling up against her chest and rubbing her cheek against the softness there — like a spoiled kitten seeking warmth.
C.C. chuckled softly and gave Cecilia another brilliant smile.
“I haven’t mistaken you for anyone. I am Kiana Kaslana’s lover.”
Cecilia’s gentle smile froze in place.
Her eyes shifted to the green-haired girl with the kind of look one reserved for… well, perverts.
[TL Note – FBI OPEN UP!!!]
