Honkai Diary: Start With Picking Up A White-Haired Treasure

Wendy felt utterly bewildered.

Early in the morning, Bronya—cold on the surface but oddly caring underneath—had wheeled Wendy to the bathroom. There, Miss Seele, radiating gentleness from every pore, helped her freshen up for a crisp start to the day.

Then Wendy had pushed herself out to the garden, intending to enjoy some fresh air alone before breakfast and unwind a bit.

Only to encounter three people leaping right in front of her eyes.

"I am one of the Three Heavenly Kings of the orphanage, Kiana!"

"Two of the Three Heavenly Kings, Rozaliya!"

"And three, Liliya!"

"Rejoice! For this is the moment when the Heavenly Kings descend!" x3

The girls struck peculiar poses and burst out laughing in unison before Wendy.

This was precisely what puzzled Wendy. Logically speaking, shouldn't Anti-Entropy assign someone more competent than these three idiots to host their captive? The cool, aloof guy from yesterday would have been more fitting.

"You..." Wendy hesitated. Could it be that Anti-Entropy recently started a theater program, and she accidentally stumbled upon their rehearsal scene?

Then Kiana placed her hands on her hips and declared pompously, "Wendy, listen up: We're the leaders of the orphanage's invincible organization that commands all the kids! I really admire you, so we're inviting you to be our fourth Heavenly King. Don't thank me too much—just think about what pose you want!"

"...Wait, aren't there only three Heavenly Kings? How can there be a fourth?"

"Don't worry about those details!"

"I decline." Wendy turned her wheelchair, intending to find some fresh air elsewhere.

Kiana and Rozaliya hastily grabbed hold of the chair from either side.

"Hold on, why would you refuse?!" they exclaimed simultaneously.

"Exactly! We mean it sincerely!"

Under their anxious gazes, Wendy slowly turned her head, scanning them with a deadpan expression. She replied flatly, "Because this is way too silly."

Click! Click! The two fools froze, swaying as if about to shatter in the wind.

Liliya covered her face, shook her head, and sighed emotionlessly.

Finally, someone had spoken the truth. If not for these two idiots constantly pestering her, she wouldn't have bothered joining in at all!

Wendy pried off the hands resting on her wheelchair, pushed herself away decisively, and distanced herself as though fearing contamination.

But once Wendy turned away from them, a faint smile appeared on her face.

This was different—different from the Oceania Branch.

At bedtime, she'd be surrounded by other girls whispering late into the night. Rozaliya's snoring could get loud, but it made sleeping feel especially peaceful.

Not everyone here was exceptionally friendly; there were plenty of oddballs, to be sure. But no one watched over her constantly, and nobody mocked her for needing a wheelchair. She could even move around independently with her chair.

Was this truly Anti-Entropy? Or perhaps, is this what the real Anti-Entropy is like?

Wendy found another quiet spot, closed her eyes, and took several deep breaths. Suddenly, being brought here due to her desire for gemstones seemed somewhat acceptable after all.

This morning's breakfast was exceptionally lively—perhaps the liveliest yet at the orphanage.

To accommodate everyone, Welt casually extended the large round table in the living room significantly, giving it the feel of a noble family's long dining table.

Welt sat in the middle with a book, engrossed in his reading. Judging by his intense focus, one might suspect he had been up all night poring over those pages. Being a Herrscher, though, his alert demeanor didn't necessarily indicate whether he'd gotten proper sleep.

On either side of him were Tesla, yawning, and Einstein, ever devoted to her black tea. The trio shared no conversation, but there was an inexplicable sense of tranquility among them, creating a remarkably harmonious atmosphere.

Raiden Ryoma and his daughter took seats nearby, subtly indicating their alignment.

The children from the orphanage occupied most of the chairs around the elongated table, with Zeke seated amidst them. Several overly energetic kids, notably Kiana and Sin, chattered incessantly near him, causing Zeke to rest his head on his hand, close his eyes, and appear rather worn out.

Wendy wheeled herself to the living room, expecting to be placed somewhere easily monitored. Instead, no one paid her any attention at all. After quietly observing for a moment, she found a spot with enough space among the girls and silently took a seat.

Then, she noticed a woman next to her with short gray hair dressed in a white dress, sitting stiffly with a blank expression—the only person here Wendy hadn't met before.

She considered it briefly but decided against greeting the stranger. They were unfamiliar, after all—probably some high-ranking member of Anti-Entropy, right? As a proud Valkyrie of Schicksal, she would never casually initiate conversation with someone from that faction!

Everyone here is an enemy! Wendy narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing the crowd who had barely acknowledged her presence, reminding herself to stay resolute and remain vigilant.

Soon, Seele, Bronya, and Cocolia, who had been busy preparing, finally emerged with breakfast.

One portion per person; after several trips back and forth, everyone received their meal and began eating.

"Oh, right, this is the World Serpent member we captured. I interrogated her already; she doesn't know much, but at least we have a basic understanding of the organization now. What do you think, Zeke?"

Cocolia skewered a grilled sausage and pointed it at Raven, who had been forced to wear an innocent-looking white dress.

Taking a sip of milk, Zeke slowly turned toward Raven.

"Let's keep her as manual labor or bait—might even lure something interesting. What about the Third Divine Key?"

With a wave of his hand, Welt produced a black sniper rifle-like weapon on the table and pushed it towards Zeke.

"The Third Divine Key, the 'Key of Lightning,' possesses remarkable capabilities with its unique higher-dimensional perspective and potent localized destructive power. Especially noteworthy is the atomic disintegration bomb—it can temporarily disable itself to decompose a target into individual atoms, theoretically ensuring a certain one-hit kill. It's truly terrifying," Welt marveled, still filled with admiration for the groundbreaking technology of the previous civilization.

Zeke glanced sideways at him.

"So, have you learned to replicate it yet?"

"Cough! Cough!"

"I mean, Herrscher of Reason, resorting to replicating just an aircraft carrier during battles? Don't you find that embarrassing? At least try imitating three or five Divine Keys; that would be more acceptable."

"Well, it's not as simple as you think," Welt responded, slightly awkwardly.

To replicate a weapon, one must first understand its structure and principles. Just comprehending something as complex as an aircraft carrier would take Welt a considerable amount of time. Currently, he had only mastered the construction of the Star of Eden, achieved with Joyce's residual imprint and assistance from Tesla and Einstein. Analyzing another Divine Key to that level would likely take him at least five to ten years.

Zeke shook his head.

"So I say again, the power of the Herrscher of Reason is truly wasted on you. Why not hand it over to me instead?"

"Enough already! How long are you going to keep harping on this joke?"

"I'll gladly accept the Divine Keys then. Conveniently, Otto will be sending me a batch of Soulium soon; we can study them together."

"Not well-versed in scientific research myself, but hopefully, you achieve great results. With Tesla and Eins' expertise combined, there should be no issues," Welt smiled warmly.

Raven mechanically ate her food, seemingly indifferent despite being the topic of their conversation—after all, countless hidden robots were undoubtedly monitoring her every move, and sitting under the same roof was the First Herrscher himself. Resistance seemed futile; each day alive felt like borrowed time.

Wendy, holding her glass of milk, shot her a sidelong glance.

"So you were captured too?"

"...And you?"

"Yep, I'm Wendy, Valkyrie of Schicksal, bearer of the Gem of Desire. Nice to meet you."

"I see. In my case, the Third Divine Key was crafted from the core of the Herrscher of Thunder by the previous civilization—it used to be my weapon, so our reasons for being captured must be similar. Just call me Raven; I'm with World Serpent."

The two girls shook hands—seemingly casual, yet internally both exclaimed, "Holy shit!"

Gem of Desire?!

A Divine Key?!

Raven knew that Judgment of Shamash had also been brought here.

Wendy remembered there was another person implanted with a core in the laboratory last night: Raiden Mei, harboring the Gem of Conquest within her body.

Damn! Anti-Entropy is seriously this formidable?! (x2)

As they finished their handshake, any lingering hope either held of leaving soon vanished.