LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 405: Prometheus 17
Crystal tears traced paths down Kiana's cheeks, falling onto the dusty stone, forming tiny, shimmering rainbows.
The Gem of Haste had made the memory vivid. Kiana, seeking to understand Fu Hua, had been transported back in time, meeting Elysia.
Though just a fragment of the Previous Era, the memory resonated deeply. Standing on the scorched earth, witnessing the destruction of humanity's last cities, seeing the cheerful Elysia unable to smile—it touched Kiana's deepest fears.
The Honkai was no game.
Even as the Herrscher of Void, having experienced so much, Kiana felt a flicker of despair after witnessing the Previous Era's even more brutal apocalypse.
Could she truly create the world she envisioned?
A wave of helplessness washed over her, the memories transforming into a chilling fear.
Just as despair threatened to consume her, a warm embrace enveloped her like the rising sun, melting the icy dread.
Kiana looked up, tears blurring her vision, and saw Ren's familiar, reassuring smile, just as she had in ARC City.
"Don't worry, I'll help you. Against the Honkai, against anything. I'll always be with you, until the very… end."
Ren gently wiped away her tears. Sunlight bathed them, etching their figures onto the tranquil slopes of Mount Taixu.
"..."
"Tsk." Senti, disguised as Lin Zhaoyu, had been waiting for a chance to tease Kiana after she emerged from the memory, but the unexpected embrace annoyed her. She cleared her throat, interrupting their moment.
"Ahem, it seems you've obtained the immortal's memories. Did you find what you were looking for?"
Comforted by Ren, Kiana recovered.
The memory had been a haunting dream. Though deeply moving, it was still just a dream, a tragedy from millennia ago. She couldn't change it, nor could she let it deter her from fighting the Honkai.
"That was just one of Sempai's memories. I need to understand her more. Zhaoyu-san, are there more of these feathers?"
"Of course. The immortal has lived for eons, her experiences unimaginable. Taixu swordsmanship places a heavy burden on the mind. The immortal had to burn away her memories, sealing them within these feathers."
Lin Zhaoyu led them further up the mountain. Ren and Kiana followed.
They reached another platform, where three more red feathers lay embedded in the stone. Absorbing them would increase Fu Hua's chances of awakening, but…
"Burning memories? You mean these feathers are Class Monitor's burned memories? Does that mean she's forgotten a lot?"
"Immortal Jingwei has fought countless battles, many filled with pain. These memories led to the incident five hundred years ago..."
"Can you tell us more?"
Lin Zhaoyu shook her head, gesturing towards the feathers. "Since you seek the immortal's past, why not see for yourself?"
This mysterious woman clearly knew what had happened five hundred years ago, but she was right. Experiencing the memories firsthand was better than hearsay.
Kiana looked at Ren, seeking his approval. He nodded.
She approached the feathers, but this time, she was prepared. She wouldn't let the memories consume her.
She took out her own Fenghuang Down feather, touching one of the others. A new memory unfolded.
"Nuwa..."
...
Ren watched Kiana enter the memory, his expression somber.
Though she'd recovered, the tear stains remained, a lingering sadness in her eyes.
Before the ARC City illusion, Ren hadn't understood his own feelings. He'd woven a lie to protect himself, believing they'd part ways, that he could make her forget. He hadn't realized their fates were intertwined, bound together since that night of falling stars.
Her tears were precious, yet he'd made her cry. Seeing her tears now was a sharp pain in his heart, making it hard to breathe.
"I still have time. I still have..."
"You have seven months."
A cold, emotionless, electronic voice echoed in his mind. Ren looked around, startled.
Only Senti (Lin Zhaoyu), shifting her weight impatiently, was nearby. She hadn't reacted, seemingly unaware of the voice.
To transmit a voice directly into his mind without being detected…
"Who are you?" Ren asked calmly, his Hive mind analyzing the voice.
"There's no need for alarm. Don't bother scanning my voiceprint. I am merely an observer, not an interferer."
"Unknown entities aren't easily trusted." Ren continued his scan, but found nothing. Even tracing the voice's origin yielded only emptiness.
It was as if the voice didn't exist.
"It's futile. I don't exist in this world. Even you can't trace me."
"Allow me to introduce myself. I am an AI created by Dr. MEI in the Previous Era—Prometheus 17. Or, if you prefer, you may call me… the Will of the Honkai."