Thanks for the invitation! I am in Honkai, still connected

In the lore of the Honkai series, Merlin, the great mage who assisted King Arthur in legend, was a real historical figure.

He was none other than Kevin Kaslana, humanity's strongest MANTIS, who has survived since the Previous Civilization Era of fifty thousand years ago.

Much of the Arthurian legend, stripped of its mythological elements, consists of Kevin's actual deeds from that time.

For example, with Kevin's help, King Arthur once attempted to use the Second Divine Key to open a portal to the Sea of Quanta, to establish a new home within a world bubble.

And the true identity of Nimue, the Lady of the Lake in Arthurian legend, was precisely Su, the original owner of the Second Divine Key, a psychic-type MANTIS from the Previous Era and Kevin's closest friend.

At the end of the Arthurian legend, Kevin intended to prematurely execute the "Stigma Project," which would have led to the deaths of a large number of humans.

Su, entrusted by Dr. MEI with the mission to "supervise Kevin and prevent him from going berserk," subsequently lured Kevin into a world bubble and, staking his own life, fought him (though he was on the receiving end of a beating the entire time).

In the end, Su, relying on their bond of brotherhood, caused Kevin to waver. He sank Kevin into the Sea of Quanta, and then Su himself chose to retreat into the Second Divine Key for self-imprisonment, beginning an observation period that lasted 1,500 years.

"So, if either Kevin or Su had been a woman, what would Merlin have even been needed for?"

The red-eyed youth stood on the soil of London, gazing at the River Thames before him, recalling his knowledge of the Forerunner Su and Kevin, and sighing with emotion.

After receiving the system's compensation and dealing with the issue of a certain Pufferfish, he hadn't, amidst the (humorously imagined) simmering resentment of countless cleaning staff over his high-maintenance new command, stormed the Hyperion to forcibly claim his post and dues.

Instead, he chose to leave St. Freya Academy and head to the city of London in Great Britain, searching for the whereabouts of the Second Divine Key.

According to the plot of the Honkai Impact 3rd manhua, the location of the so-called Second Divine Key has been fixed for over a thousand years, hidden in a distorted space somewhere above the River Thames.

Due to the Clock Tower being established in London, Li Zihan had found the River Thames with great ease.

"Boss, what are you talking about?"

A voice, tinged with a cute, slightly dazed quality, sounded out.

The source of the voice was a cute girl with light gray eyes and long hair, her face devoid of much expression.

"Nothing, just wondering if, among the countless world bubbles, there might be a what-if world where Kevin and Su are all 'tiētiē' (cuddly and close), with Mei biting her handkerchief in jealousy on the side."

Li Zihan shrugged, uttering words that would be utterly baffling to many.

"Although I don't know what you're talking about, Boss, judging by your personality, it must be something that satisfies your peculiar tastes."

Miss Banya, who had a certain understanding of Li Zihan's character, looked at the river acclaimed as Great Britain's mother river, a longing in her gaze.

Seele had been quantized in the "X-10" experiment. Lacking divine equipment to help absorb Honkai energy, she had fallen straight to the seabed of the Sea of Quanta—into the rifts between worlds.

Unable to escape her quantum state, she could only drift along with the currents of the Sea of Quanta, her current whereabouts unknown.

Without coordinates, finding a single person in such a vast Sea of Quanta, even if limited to the rifts between worlds, was like searching for a needle in a haystack.

Therefore, to find her, they absolutely had to find the Second Divine Key.

The Second Divine Key, capable of observing the Sea of Quanta and even directly connecting to the Imaginary Tree.

"The Second Divine Key is hidden in a distorted space somewhere above a stretch of the River Thames in London. In the world bubble closely connected to it, exists the Forerunner, who has been observing countless world bubbles alone for five hundred years."

"If we find him, it won't be difficult to pinpoint Seele's specific coordinates within the rifts between worlds."

Recalling her boss's words, Bronya's heart couldn't help but accelerate.

As long as they could find the Second Divine Key, find the coordinates, they would naturally be able to see Seele.

Mama Cocolia in prison could also rest assured.

Rarely, the girl whose face usually held no expression revealed an exceptionally stunning, warm smile.

"Want to grab a bite first?"

The youth, noticing a sign at a riverside restaurant advertising "All Day English Breakfast," spoke to the girl who was envisioning the future.

"Filling our stomachs before searching for the Second Divine Key is also very important."

Hearing those gentle words, Bronya's gaze wavered, and her expression became complicated.

That was her nominal boss, someone inexplicably kind to her, and among all the people she knew, arguably the most comprehensively capable.

Mysterious identity, formidable strength, gentle temperament... at least, very gentle in front of her, and knowledgeable about numerous world secrets.

Even Welt, the Sovereign of Anti-Entropy, paled in comparison to this fellow who could always effortlessly achieve his desired outcomes.

Everyone strives to overcome anxiety and fear to live with peace of mind. Whether for fame and fortune, dominating others, or earning money, it's all for that sense of security. Marriage or making friends is also for security; even working towards peace is ultimately a way to justify one's own quest for it.

Boss was precisely the type of person who, if he was willing to step forward, could easily resolve all sorts of seemingly intractable problems, bringing peace of mind to those around him.

Actually, accepting Boss's confession wouldn't be so bad, would it?

The girl, who, despite their infrequent meetings, had indeed felt a sense of security from Li Zihan, thought.

He was inherently the type to put her at ease, and he was so good to her that she didn't know what to say.

He could search for the Second Divine Key because of a casually made promise, to negotiate with its master, all just to locate her sister's coordinates.

He could also, in the capacity of a test subject, enter the long-since-closed "X-10" laboratory, venturing into the Sea of Quanta, which teemed with numerous dangers.

And the dangers within the Sea of Quanta, even just thinking about them slightly, were enough to make one's hair stand on end.

Honkai Beast Shadows in a quantum state, nearly impervious to physical attacks; super-soldiers imprisoned within, capable of even breaking through world bubbles; the rifts between worlds from which one could not escape once fallen into without super-standard weapons...

No matter how inexplicable his affection for her was, to do so much for her, he was definitely putting his heart and soul into it.

The girl, who had already felt the weight of such so-called attentiveness, felt her heart grow a little heavy.

It's just that, if she accepted Boss's pursuit, Seele would be very sad, wouldn't she?

"Boss, aren't you angry?"

All traces of a smile vanished from Bronya's face. She looked at the youth beside her, who didn't seem much older than herself, and spoke softly.

"Even though... I've already clearly rejected you."

"That sort of thing doesn't matter at all."

The youth, Jizo Mitama already in his hand, looked at a certain stretch of space above the River Thames, shrugged, and said.

Even without Bronya, he would still try to retrieve Seele.

Although such an action would cause him a lot of trouble, she was, after all, a girl who had served as his poster girl.

To have the ability but not save her would indeed be a bit too heartless.

Besides, this trip to the Sea of Quanta wasn't without its benefits for him.

The youth, Jizo Mitama in his hand already unfolding its First Rated Power, chuckled softly, his smile light and cheerful.