In the Honkai Impact series, the appearance of the event known as "Midsummer Phantom Night" was an unprecedented surprise for the Captain, a figure whose identity fluctuated between a "cleaner who does splits in mid-air" and a "super-awesome traverser of the Sea of Quanta."
In this world overflowing with citrus-scented romance, Luna Kindred, designated "A-872," who appeared in a world bubble observed by the Second Divine Key, was one of the only two officially designated "wives" of the Captain.
The young man, who had once been a Captain himself, stared at the system mission template that had suddenly popped up—one he had nearly forgotten existed—and fell into deep thought.
Mission: Midsummer Phantom Night
Requirement: Save Canghai City
Reward: Stone Mask, Super Aja
Accept / Decline
Failure / Refusal Penalty: None
Has Chaldeas's twisting of the timeline already affected the Sea of Quanta this quickly?
The young man, whose eyes were a vivid red and whose canine teeth were more prominent than a normal person's, thought to himself as he looked at the suddenly issued mission.
In the future, Chaldeas would activate at least twice more to save two more people.
First, Welt Joyce, the tragic hero and soul of Anti-Entropy, who was screwed over by Otto during the 1955 New York showdown.
Second, his mother-in-law, Cecilia Schariac, who was also screwed over by Otto during the Second Honkai War in the year 2000.
These two rescues were mandatory.
After all, saving these two was a necessary condition for peacefully acquiring the second Herrscher of Reason core and for appeasing both Sirin and Kiana.
Once those two time-travel events are carried out, the Sea of Quanta's interference with the main Honkai world will become even greater.
It will probably be even more chaotic then.
However, that had little to do with him.
Li Zihan thought to himself.
He had come to this world purely to take advantage of the situation. If it weren't for the girls around him, he would have slipped away long ago. Why else would he be here now, only symbolically resisting the Honkai?
The young man, who had never been serious about fighting the Honkai from the very beginning, naturally clicked "Accept" on the mission panel.
Solving the problem in Canghai City wouldn't be difficult for him.
"Luna Kindred" was from another worldline where Otto, after creating A-310, did not stop his experiments but continued with his cloning projects. Otto believed that "Vishnu's" cells were too powerful and harmful to the clone's body, and that other elements were needed to maintain balance.
Thus, in 1996, Otto attempted to infuse the clone's body with the energy of the Key of Erosion, thereby creating experimental subject A-872.
The result was that A-872 gained a peculiar characteristic: through the act of blood-sucking, she could inject bacterial-type Honkai Beasts into her victims, transforming them into half-human, half-Honkai beast existences within 48 hours. The infected would become puppets who shared a life force with A-872 and possessed an insatiable urge for blood.
The crisis facing Canghai City was nothing more than the human world triggering A-872's intense bloodlust. Unable to suppress her urges, Luna Kindred would go around sucking blood and creating more infected.
As long as I find Luna Kindred, this problem can be solved, can't it?
The young man thought, he himself being one of the top-tier combatants in this world, and someone who could command both Schicksal and World Serpent in the names of Otto and Kevin.
By mobilizing the forces of Schicksal and World Serpent, it wouldn't take much time to find Luna Kindred.
It wouldn't interfere with his upcoming discussion with Kevin about the Fire-Moth Project at all.
Besides, Luna Kindred was an officially designated wife, wasn't she?
Now that she had appeared, was failing to make contact something a real Captain would do?
The young man, who was clearly planning to stand Kevin up for a few more days, thought to himself.
He could meet a wife and obtain the Stone Mask and Kars's Happy Stone. It was a double surprise.
The young man, who was also very interested in the Stone Mask inlaid with Kars's Happy Stone, smiled as he looked at the mission rewards.
In the manga series called JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, a species of humanoid beings with immense life force lived deep beneath the Earth. They had absorbed the essence of the sun and moon for eons, evolving to become immortal and possessing great wisdom and power. However, they had a single weakness: they could not be exposed to sunlight.
Later, a genius emerged from this species—Kars.
To overcome his race's only weakness, Kars created the Stone Mask, which could stimulate the brain and unlock one's potential.
And the Super Aja was the super gemstone that could power the Stone Mask.
Kars, who would be nothing more than a normal Dead Apostle in the Type-Moon world, was able to transform into the Ultimate Life Form after activating his potential—an entity capable of freely altering the cells of his bones and muscles, incorporating and surpassing the abilities of all living things.
For example, the teeth of a squirrel that could bite through alloys, scales that could be attached to his wings and fired to pierce aircraft, piranhas he created that could even survive in the air and chew up planes, and octopus tentacles that could destroy a plane's propeller...
Then what about me?
The young man, whose own condition was far superior to Mr. Kars's, narrowed his eyes.
"System, do you think the Stone Mask can activate my potential?"
"Activating your potential is certainly possible, but activating all of it is impossible."
The system replied honestly.
Li Zihan possessed far too many things, spanning the fields of biology, mystery, and Honkai science. To fully activate the power of all those things would be asking too much of the Stone Mask.
"However, I believe the Stone Mask can at least provide you with a concept, an idea of how to activate your own potential."
"True."
Perhaps because he was used to the system being unreliable, Li Zihan wasn't too bothered that the reward it gave didn't seem to be perfectly useful.
Once he obtained it, he could contact Otto or the people from the Wandering Sea to upgrade and optimize it. It should be useful to him then.
Speaking of which, once I put on the fully upgraded Stone Mask, I'll also be an Ultimate Life Form, won't I?
For some reason, I feel like I could already play the part of any boss in the JoJo series, except for Tooru.
The young man, who was quite adept at manipulating time and space, couldn't help but laugh at the thought.
After playing the hero for several months, his abilities were becoming more and more like a villain's setup.
Perhaps I should try to develop some more righteous and noble powers, the young man thought as he quickly stood up from the table and bid farewell to his female companion.
"Rita, something's come up. I have to go."
"Not staying the night at a hotel?"
The Scum Maid, feeling that his reaction was a bit hasty, narrowed her beautiful eyes and teased him.
"Something's happened in Canghai City."
The young man, who would next head to Chaldeas and use it as a transit point to Canghai City, let out a yawn.
His canines, which were much longer than a normal person's, peeked out from between his lips.
"I should go take a look."