Honkai: Man(Sludge) From Future

"Theresa, our lives and fortunes are in your hands now."

Welt, with a grave expression, entrusted everything to Theresa, claiming he was powerless and had been utterly defeated by the man from the future's plans. Humanity was doomed, he declared, and only Theresa was their last hope.

Whether any of this was true didn't matter. Welt had already thrown his pride to the wind.

Theresa stared blankly at her friends from Anti-Entropy, her heart pounding in her chest. How had she, the little granddaughter of a Schicksal Overseer, suddenly become Anti-Entropy's last hope?

"Look, I even brought you the Core of the Herrscher of Reason. Theresa, you have to accept it!"

Welt tilted his chin up, and Einstein immediately stepped forward, stuffing the Herrscher Core into the stunned Theresa's hands.

Before Theresa could even react, the Herrscher Core, as if it had found its master, zipped into her body.

This just goes to show how good the Kaslana bloodline is. If it had been Bronya, she would have had to undergo some kind of test. But with Theresa, there was no need for such formalities. She took it and started using it on the spot, without a single hint of discomfort!

"Ah! Ah! Ah! What are you doing?! What is this?! Are you crazy?! This is the Herrscher of Reason's Core! Oh my god! What are you trying to do?!"

Theresa shrieked in terror, trying to claw the Herrscher Core out of her body. But Welt had already thought of this. He had the Herrscher Core dissolve into molecules and completely permeate Theresa's body, making it nearly impossible for her to remove it.

"I, a dignified Schicksal S-rank Valkyrie, have just become a Herrscher?! You've ruined me! Don't you think I know? Becoming a Herrscher means I'll definitely become that guy's pony! You're pushing me into a fiery pit!"

Theresa was on the verge of tears. She never imagined that a simple friendly dinner would end up with her being tricked like this.

First, she got a Herrscher Core. Then, she got an invitation from her friends. Two joys intertwined, and this double joy brought even more joy. She should have been living a dreamlike, blissful moment. Yet, why did things turn out this way?

As she cried, Theresa designed herself a typically ornate and over-the-top Herrscher battlesuit. Clearly, the Herrscher Core knew Theresa better than she knew herself.

Seeing this scene, Welt felt even more emotional.

He and Joyce had never received such treatment. They had never experienced a Herrscher Core creating such a magnificent battlesuit for them. This just went to show that the Honkai's favoritism towards women had reached the point where it wouldn't even give a man a single piece of clothing.

'Hmph, a mere Herrscher Core. I've long since stopped caring about it.'

As the saying goes, "to take, one must first give." Welt knew Theresa's lazy, procrastinating habits all too well, so he had long planned to cut off her escape routes. It now seemed that this was the greatest use of the Herrscher of Reason's Core.

Welt was preparing to transition to becoming a Stigma Battlesuit warrior. Fortunately, he already possessed a Stigma, which was enough for him to find a way to develop his own private Stigma Space. With this opportunity, Welt was no longer attached to the power of the Herrscher of Reason.

"You've ruined me!" Theresa sobbed, tearfully accepting the Herrscher Core.

It was a good thing, she had to admit. She had actually wanted it.

But that didn't mean she wanted to face Noldrei and become a pony. If this had happened a year or two ago, she would have been ecstatic. But now, it was a mix of joy and unease that left her feeling stuck and uncomfortable.

"Look at her, smiling while crying. Isn't she kind of adorkable?" Welt whispered to Einstein. "Theresa isn't incapable of handling things, but from what I've observed, she often lets her emotions get the better of her, and she's easily fooled by people she trusts. These are all minor issues. But with the Herrscher Core, Theresa won't be so easily led astray by Otto."

At the very least, Noldrei would pay a little more attention to a Herrscher. This extra attention could be all Theresa needed to take off, and she would become Overseer Otto's biggest liability.

Welt knew that Theresa and Overseer Otto were not on the same page. Their actions made that clear. The only thing tying them together was their rather complicated grandparent-grandchild relationship.

Welt was certain that Otto had some affection for Theresa, but it was nothing compared to his feelings for Kallen.

"Alright, tell me what you want me to do," Theresa said, realizing she had accepted her fate. She looked as tragic as Jing Ke on his way to assassinate the King of Qin.

Einstein began her persuasion. "It's like this. We're not asking you to do anything dangerous. We know you're not cut out for that kind of work. As for tricking people or using underhanded tactics like Otto, we have no such expectations."

Theresa's small face stiffened. She couldn't tell if Einstein was complimenting her or insulting her, and the little Theresa was quickly starting to see red.

"What do you mean by that? You're insulting me, aren't you?! You're definitely insulting me, right?!"

Theresa stomped her feet in anger, thinking to herself that she would definitely grow up to be big and beautiful and stun everyone!

"No, no! How could we? We're steadfast allies! How could we do something so improper?!" Welt immediately refuted Theresa's nonsense. "I even gave you the Herrscher Core! How could you think of your allies like that?!"

Theresa was at a loss for words. She would have been better off without the Herrscher Core. What if the Will of the Honkai targeted her next because of the immense amount of Honkai Energy she now carried?

Would she be dragged out by Tesla and beaten up?

"Fine, you're right. Just tell me what you want me to do. And get out of here as soon as you're done!!!" Theresa completely forgot that she was the one who had been invited out.

"Well, we have a plan that's not really a plan. How about this, Theresa... why don't you go study with Kiana? We just want to know more about Noldrei. If you hang around him, you'll definitely find out more." Einstein presented her idea, which stunned Theresa on the spot.

So, in the end, they still wanted her to become a pony, right?!

'For the Herrscher Core, I'll endure it! Worst case scenario, I'll just find a way to stay in my human form. I don't see Mei and the others staying as ponies all the time.'

After much thought, Theresa concluded that this wasn't too dangerous for her. Lured by the Herrscher Core, she gritted her teeth and agreed to the proposal.