Honkai Impact 3rd: Catching the Herrscher of Sentience at the Start

"Phew, get ready to admit defeat, Bronya! You have no chance of winning now." Feeling the power, a surge of confidence rose within Fu Lin.

Channeling the Herrscher of Sentience's attitude, he silently chanted in his mind, "You've lost, you've lost, you've lost, you've lost…"

"Bronya… is Bronya really going to lose?"

"It can't be! Bronya clearly has the advantage."

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Seeing that Bronya had fallen into self-doubt, Fu Lin knew that victory was already within reach. He pursued relentlessly, ultimately winning the game.

"Bronya actually lost… impossible!" Bronya stared at the game controller in her hands, unwilling to accept defeat, and challenged Fu Lin again: "Class monitor, Bronya hereby challenges you again! This time, I will not lose."

"Your skills don't warrant my full effort," Fu Lin replied coolly, standing up.

To Bronya, the figure before her seemed like a king from the game, and she couldn't help but imagine that the class monitor hadn't been using her full strength—leading to her defeat.

Fu Lin noticed Bronya's expression and realized he might have gone too far with his act.

Due to Fu Lin's posturing, it was Fu Hua who ended up suffering later on. Bronya started challenging her every chance she got, leaving Fu Hua completely defeated and nearly ready to quit the game.

"The party is about to start," Mei called out, carrying a cake from the kitchen.

"We got back just in time," Himeko said with a smile, opening the door and taking in the warm scene.

"Himeko, you're blocking my view," came Theresa's voice, complaining from behind her.

"Sorry about that, Director," Himeko teased, seeing Theresa's pouty expression.

"Principle, Teacher Himeko, you're here!" Mei placed the cake down, then took Himeko's treasured red wine from the wine cabinet and set it on the table. Looking at the spread of delicious food, she felt a strong sense of accomplishment.

It would have been perfect if Kiana's sneaky hand hadn't reached out.

"Is there a bitter melon juice fountain prepared, the one I've always dreamed of?" Theresa excitedly asked, tossing her boots aside.

Fu Lin silently observed Theresa, the short white-haired woman, and couldn't help but reflect on how, at over forty, she still acted like a child. How had Otto raised her?

"Smack!"

"Auntie, how could anyone actually drink that stuff?" Kiana said, glancing at her reddened hand and looking at Mei with a pitiful expression.

"Bitter melon juice is clearly the best and most nutritious drink in the world, you silly niece!" Theresa immediately retorted, hands on her hips in defiance.

"So hot! Bitter melon juice... ugh... it's both bitter and astringent, how could it possibly taste good?" Kiana said, popping a chicken nugget into her mouth.

"Principle, here's the bitter melon juice you wanted," Mei said as she walked out from the kitchen, holding a glass of freshly squeezed bitter melon and offering it to Theresa.

"Gulp, gulp! Delicious! Another glass, please!" Theresa exclaimed, downing the bitter melon juice in her hand, her expression resembling that of a gamer finishing a can of cola.

Fu Lin walked over to Kiana, snatched a chicken nugget from her hand, and shoved it into his mouth. Just as Kiana was about to say something, Fu Lin silenced her with the chicken nugget.

'Why does Class Monitor Fu Hua seem off today? She feels so much like Fu Lin,' Kiana thought, chewing on the nugget and feeling an inexplicable sense of familiarity as she watched the 'Fu Hua' in front of her.

"Is there something on my face?" Fu Lin asked, noticing Kiana staring at him. He touched his cheek, finding nothing stuck there.

"Nothing at all," Kiana replied, quickly diverting her gaze, feeling a bit guilty.

"Ah? Fu Hua, you're here too," Theresa finally noticed Fu Lin beside Kiana, but then scrutinized him closely. "Fu Hua, why do you seem a little different today?"

"What's different about me, Principle?" Fu Lin furrowed his brows at Theresa's comment, worried that she might have figured it out.

"Uh—" Theresa stammered, but with her level of intelligence, she couldn't actually pinpoint what was different.

"Director Theresa, didn't you notice that Fu Hua isn't wearing her glasses?" Himeko reminded from the side.

"Right, that's why I felt something was off," Theresa finally noticed that the 'Fu Hua' in front of her wasn't wearing those clunky glasses.

"So that's it?" Kiana also finally pieced it together and stopped overthinking the real reason, saving her brain from overthinking which would heat it up.

"Yeah, I left my glasses in the dormitory." Fu Lin relaxed, grabbing another chicken nugget and continuing to eat. He thought he might not get to enjoy Mei's cooking, but thankfully, he hadn't been recognized.

Once Mei brought over the last dish, the party began in earnest.

"Cheers!" 

As they all enjoyed the dishes, time went by in a flash... 

At the party, everyone was already drunkenly sprawled over the table, except for Theresa; she was tipsy from the bitter melon juice.

"I can still drink~" As the only one not to drink alcohol, Bronya helped each of them back to their rooms.

Fu Lin shook his glass, looked at everyone with a deep sigh, then turned his gaze outside. His slightly hazy pupils glimmered as he set down his glass and walked outside.

Fu Lin spotted a tuft of golden hair and a small body peeking out from the bushes, revealing a playful smile as he approached. He immediately shouted:

"Hey, kid! Who taught you to pee anywhere? Don't you have any shame?"

Suddenly, the lights in the nearby houses lit up, and people peeked out to see who was being so unhygienic.

A golden-haired, blue-eyed little boy burst out of the bushes, grabbing Fu Lin and pulling him away, afraid of being seen.

"Whew! Old friend, I don't think I've offended you anywhere, have I?" Little Otto said, looking at Fu Hua with a melancholic gaze.

Indeed, this golden-haired, blue-eyed boy was none other than the current Overseer of Schicksal, Otto Apocalypse.

And the appearance before him was just one of his many forms, the likeness of him as a child.

"Otto, did you come this time for something specific?" Fu Lin asked, forcing himself not to smile as he held back the twitch at the corner of his mouth.

"I mean, old friend, can't I just come to see my lovely granddaughter, Theresa?"

"Don't think of me so poorly. Can't I be a good grandpa?" Otto said, sitting on the bench, clutching his heart with a pained expression.

"...." Fu Lin looked at Otto, unable to suppress a silent curse —what a dramatic guy.

"Old friend, do you remember the scene from our first meeting?" Otto, seeing Fu Lin's skepticism, put down his hand from his chest and tilted his head to look at the starry sky, suddenly asking.

Fu Lin maintained an expressionless gaze on Otto, feeling on guard; it wouldn't be fun if he got caught in one of Otto's schemes.

"Five hundred years have passed in the blink of an eye; I can't help but reminisce about the past. Now, only you, old friend, can understand my loneliness," Otto said in a deep tone, his gaze dimming. Yet, combined with his childlike appearance, it was oddly amusing.

He looked like a kid pretending to be an adult.

No! I don't understand! Fu Hua wouldn't understand either!

Fu Lin was filled with disdain for Otto internally.

But after the second time the Honkai affected Fu Hua and she lost her memories, she probably wouldn't remember, right? Fu Lin thought uncertainly, unsure how to respond to Otto's words.

His gaze flickered as he recalled the Honkai main storyline comic he had seen at Mihoyo.

During the East Expedition of the Shenzhou, as the Honkai weapons were about to fall into defeat in the land of the Shenzhou, Fu Hua intervened single-handedly to thwart the plans of the East Expedition. She even defeated the strongest Valkyrie of the time, Kallen Kaslana; however, when Kallen was ultimately no match for Fu Hua. Just then, Otto arrived in time and stood in front of Kallen and against Fu Hua.

This was the first meeting between the Red Kite Immortal and Otto Apocalypse.

"I'm sorry, I…" Fu Lin covered his forehead, putting on an act of suffering from a headache, forcing himself to make a choice, hoping he had bet right.