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

"Hmph, of course! But isn't my gem inside you enough? Why are you still after other random stones?" Fu Shi puffed her cheeks, clearly displeased.

"How can that be the same? Your core is in that body, but this one's still empty~" Fu Lin channeled Honkai energy into his hand, slicking back his hair dramatically. His entire demeanor shifted, transforming from an innocent, puppy-like boy into an unrestrained, roguish young master.

"What kind of sleazy talk is that? And how did you even managing to change your hairstyle with just a swipe of your hand?" Fu Shi retorted, unimpressed.

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"Don't ask, just accept that Honkai Energy can do anything." Fu Lin put on a pair of gold-rimmed glasses that he pulled out from who knows where, speaking indifferently.

"You're using Honkai energy for something like this?" Fu Shi straightened her posture, speaking with a hint of disbelief.

"Aren't you using your herrscher authority to commit fraud?" Fu Lin spread his hands and shot back.

"That's just equal exchanges; what does it have to do with me? I've never done such a thing… although I'd love to try."

Only then did Fu Shi remember the 'unequal exchanges'(her scamming other people) involving her, and she couldn't help but feel a bit tempted. She almost wanted to go out right then and commit fraud—no, engage in mutually agreed-upon, fair exchanges.

"True enough…" Fu Lin nodded in agreement, thinking his Senti was still quite well-behaved.

"…Mr. Fu Lin, how do I and Higokumaru return to the Stigma Space?" Yae Sakura asked cautiously, noticing how immersed the two were in their conversation.

"Huh? Isn't staying outside fine? I can book another room if needed." Fu Lin tilted his head, puzzled.

Yae Sakura's Stigma Space was linked to another body, so it definitely couldn't be extracted. If Kiana sensed it in such a short time, that would be troublesome.

"Mm… sorry for the trouble, Mr. Fu Lin." Yae Sakura glanced around, reluctantly nodding.

"Don't call me Mr. Fu Lin anymore. Just call me Lin, like Fu Shi does," Fu Lin suggested amicably, noticing that Yae Sakura was still reserved despite spending some time together.

"…Alright, Li… Lin," Yae Sakura stammered, her ears twitching slightly as she forced the words out.

"That's more like it."

"By the way, shouldn't we buy a house as a base for our group? Staying in a hotel makes it hard to move freely," Fu Lin said, looking at Fu Shi to hear her opinion.

"Buying a house requires paperwork, doesn't it? With your current identity, you can't buy one. All three of us are technically off the grid…" Fu Shi looked at Fu Lin and Yae Sakura as she spoke.

"…"

"Really? …Then where should we stay?" Fu Lin, understanding Fu Shi's thoughts, played along, knowing that buying a house couldn't possibly be impossible just because they were "off the grid."

"Ahem! Since you're asking, I'll say it."

"Let's just go to the Taixuan Mountain of the old antique. No one's there anyway. It's free, spacious, peaceful, and scenic," Fu Shi exclaimed excitedly, throwing herself into Fu Lin's arms and wrapping her arms around his neck in glee.

"Ugh, that… sounds good. Let's go with your suggestion," Fu Lin said after staggering a few steps from her sudden tackle, wiping the corner of his mouth.

"Your mouth is bleeding?" Fu Shi released her hold and asked anxiously.

"It's just a minor injury. Nothing worth mentioning." Fu Lin felt a strange sensation within him, the pain in his chest gradually subsiding. He also felt a stronger connection with the Serenity Gem.

Could the Herrscher of Death actually be… myself?

"I just instinctively pounced on you and forgot that this isn't your previous sturdy body. I'll be more careful next time," Fu Shi said, biting her finger with a guilty expression, looking pitifully at Fu Lin.

"It's alright, really," Fu Lin reassured her, rubbing his nose and thinking that even this clumsy version of Fu Shi was adorable.

Meanwhile, with the activation of the Serenity Gem, chaos erupted in one of Schicksal's laboratories.

"Dr. Markey, the Serenity Gem has suddenly started reacting violently…"

"How could this happen? Is the experiment going to fail again?" Dr. Markey cried out in despair, staring at the Valkyrie within the glass enclosure, writhing and screaming in pain.

"Doctor, should we report this to the Overseer?" a younger researcher asked hesitantly.

"No, let's wait a little longer."