Honkai impact 3rd: I Use Everything of Yours to Love Me

After leaving Mobius's lab, Elysia happily found Chang Yuan, who was on his way to Mei's research lab.

"Yuan, where are you going? Take me with you. I want to come too."

"Fine, keep up. It's not like I'm going to fight a Herrscher. Do you really have to follow me so closely?"

Seeing the pink-haired elf suddenly pop up, Chang Yuan shook his head helplessly.

It seemed that ever since he had said those words, Elysia had been following him around intentionally or unintentionally.

Wherever he went, it wouldn't be long before Elysia showed up.

"Mhm, isn't it because I'm afraid you'll leave me behind and go fight alone again?"

With a smile, Elysia placed her hands behind her back and walked beside Chang Yuan.

Soon, the two arrived at Mei's research lab.

This time, Chang Yuan had come because Mei said her Stigma experiment had succeeded.

"You're here. Look, this is the first successful case. You should be familiar with her."

"...Hua?"

"Yes, Vice Captain Chang Yuan."

Seeing that the first person to receive a Stigma was Hua, Chang Yuan was a bit surprised.

He had thought it would be someone else, maybe even someone he didn't know.

"After what happened at the concert, when the captain turned into that state, I couldn't do anything. So I wanted to gain more power. That's why I asked Dr. Mei to let me be the first Stigma recipient."

"How do you feel now?"

"Great. According to Dr. Mei's estimates, I should be comparable to some MANTIS warriors who fused with Emperor-class Honkai beast genes. Plus, with the combat experience inherited from the Stigma, my fighting skills are much better than before."

Hearing that just a Stigma could boost someone's combat power to such a level, Chang Yuan turned his gaze to Mei.

"What level is this Stigma?"

"Mid to low tier. Creating higher-tier Stigmas requires a lot more work, like collecting genetic fragments from the target and combining them with other materials to form the Stigma."

Mei, who was well-versed in Stigma creation, honestly explained the level of Hua's Stigma.

Hearing that even a mid to low-tier Stigma could grant such power, Chang Yuan estimated that the highest-tier Stigmas might allow their users to rival Herrschers.

Of course, this was the best-case scenario. More likely, they would only be comparable to MANTIS warriors fused with Judgment-class Honkai beast genes. But that was still enough to make them a pillar of strength.

"If the Stigma's strength depends on the target's genetic fragments, what level could a Stigma made from my genes reach?"

"...To be honest, your combat skills aren't particularly noteworthy. And since you only fused with an Emperor-class Honkai beast, it would probably reach mid to high tier."

Mei and the other doctors were well aware of Chang Yuan's combat abilities.

To put it bluntly, he was only slightly better than an ordinary person. Compared to those who had trained in martial arts since childhood, he was nothing special.

The only thing worth praising about Chang Yuan was his unshakable will, something many people lacked.

At the very least, they didn't think they could last as long as he did in the mental realm against a Herrscher with the power to manipulate consciousness.

Moreover, they had heard from Chang Yuan about the layers of illusions—dreams within dreams, mirages within mirages—where even death was fake, designed to make the target believe they were back in reality.

If not for his unwavering will and ability to spot every flaw, he would have truly fallen into the illusion and died.

"What about me? What about me? Mine would definitely be top-tier, right?"

Hearing this, Elysia's eyes lit up. If a Stigma could be made from her genetic fragments, it would undoubtedly be incredibly powerful.

That way, it could also give Chang Yuan a boost in strength.

"It's possible, but creating it would require a lot of resources and time. The exact timeframe is unknown."

If it were a normal MANTIS warrior fused with a Judgment-class Honkai beast, Mei could guarantee it would be done within a month.

But the problem was that the Honkai beast Elysia had fused with was still unknown. No one had ever seen its true form, but according to Chang Yuan, it was likely a Honkai beast born alongside Elysia, the Herrscher of Origin.

Its classification was "Apocalypse-class," meaning it couldn't be defined. It might be stronger than Judgment-class, or it might be weaker.

Combined with the fact that Elysia herself was the Herrscher of Origin, Mei couldn't even imagine how powerful a Stigma made from her genes would be.

It might allow an ordinary person to instantly become a powerhouse rivaling a Herrscher. That was the dominance of Stigmas.

Not only would the user gain all the combat experience of the Stigma's original host, but they would also inherit their Honkai resistance and other unique traits.

Of course, Mei couldn't say for sure whether the user would inherit the Herrscher's authority, but it was unlikely.

This was another method Mei had come up with to save Elysia, following Vill-V's plan.

If it succeeded, great. If not, they would still gain a top-tier fighter.

"Eh, you don't know? I thought it could be done quickly. That way, Yuan could use it to boost his strength."

Hearing that the timeframe was unknown, Elysia's excitement instantly deflated.

"If we start now, it might be ready before the 10th Herrscher appears."

"Then let's do it. What do you need from me?"

"Nothing much. The genetic fragments in your blood will have everything we need. We'll just need to combine them with other materials. But we'll need you to donate blood regularly."

After some thought, Mei explained.

"I see. Then, can I name the Stigma once it's made?"

"Of course. But we'll have to wait until it's finished."

"Yay! Then I'll leave it to you, Mei. But now that you have a mature method, it should be easier for you. You should go see your boy more often.

I heard from Yuan that he's been complaining about who came up with the Stigma plan. He's been really troubled by it~?"

Hearing this, Mei glanced at Chang Yuan.

Although in the future Chang Yuan had seen, this plan was something she would propose much later,

the reason it was being implemented now was because of him.

But she understood why. In the future he had seen, she had only completed the Stigma fragments for females, leaving males with little Honkai resistance.

"I understand. Aside from the tasks that require my direct involvement, it's time for me to relax. I think Kevin will be very happy to see me."