Honkai Impact 3rd.

"Wait…! Elysia?!"

Mobius was completely stunned on the spot, her brain crashing instantly. How, how is it possible… Even her counterpart has appeared in Amphoreus!!

"Th-This…"

Her pupils shook, but before she could recover from the shock, Elysia's cries already rang in her ears.

"Aaaaaah——!!"

"Is this me in my childhood form? So cute! So small and soft~ Kevin, I told you, on the Flame-Chasing path, there will definitely be cute girls like me to be your companions ♪"

Seeing her own counterpart make her debut for the first time, Elysia was extremely excited. She grabbed Eden, who was in a drunken state beside her, and shook her desperately.

"Eden, wake up and take a look, isn't she from Amphoreus super cute?"

"Elysia… stop shaking, you're always cute no matter when…"

After glass after glass, Eden was completely drunk and her eyes became hazy. In her vision, Elysia split into three, and one even ran up into the sky.

"Eh, Elysia… you even became smaller…"

"That's not right, Eden, take a closer look." Elysia leaned close to her face. "That cute 'Elysia' in the sky is my counterpart ♪"

"Counterpart… Counter… Eh?! Counterpart!!" Eden instantly sobered up, and the Elysia in front of her began to merge into one, while the one on the Celestial Screen…

"This must be a romance story unlike any other—you think so too, right ♪"

Elysia was still standing in front of her, mimicking the appearance of the pink-haired girl from just now with her hands behind her back and eyes curved into crescents. Her imitation was spot-on, down to the rising inflection at the end.

Herself… it was literally herself!

"Elysia, even your counterpart has appeared, then this one bearing the name of'Salvation' is undoubtedly, one hundred percent, Kevin's counterpart." Eden looked down at the wineglass in her hand, her face rippling in the amber wine as she slightly frowned. "…Eh, but why is there no mine?"

"Not having one might be a good thing." Mobius snorted. "'Salvation', 'Flame-Chasing'… The fate of the Amphoreus Chrysos Heirs is likely similar to us Thirteen Flame-Chasers. If your counterpart isn't in there, perhaps she's living a happy and fulfilling life in some other world."

——

【Aglaea brought the two to the Spring Spirit to learn about the past and present of Amphoreus, but only halfway through, Stelle couldn't help but yawn.】

【"What's wrong? The spirit's narrative isn't over yet, but I sense… anxiety and unease from you." Aglaea stepped forward and asked.】

【"This history is a bit too complicated…"】

【"I see. Perhaps its narration is too rigid and hard to remember. But it doesn't matter, let's change the approach. Do not underestimate the Bath Spirits; they know best how to cater to others' preferences."】

【Sure enough, the art style of the Bath Spirit changed abruptly, and its voice transformed directly from an old man's into Tribbie's tender and cute childish voice.】

【"Alright! Sit properly, sit properly, the history lesson of Amphoreus is about to continue!"】

【Stelle felt as if she instantly switched from a science and education channel to a children's channel. This might be a bit childish for mature and steady people, but for someone like her who had just turned two years old, it was just right.】

【"Is this catering to preferences?"】

【"Hey—don't interrupt! We're in class right now. Ahem, where did we leave off last time—oh right!"】

【"In the beginning, Amphoreus was a ball of chaos! Then, the three Destiny Nautilus wove the laws of the world! The three Pillar Nautilus created the earth, ocean, and sky; the three Creation Nautilus forged life, you, and me—and finally, three villain Nautilus descended into the world, triggering a terrifying disaster!"】

【"The Nautilus were furious, none yielding to the others, and their people also began to show hostility toward each other, fighting and killing. This divine war lasted for a very, very long time, bringing misfortune to all living beings above and below, until one day—a tremendous event occurred!"】

【"An oracle appeared! It suddenly descended upon Amphoreus—that Trinity Force oracle said there was only one way to end this war—"】

【"That is to gather a group of powerful heroes, powerful enough to challenge the twelve Nautilus, and re-Ignite their Spark. In this way, the anger of the gods will subside, and the world can return to peace."】

【"And this group of heroes shares a common name. Do you still remember what they are called? That's right—the Chrysos Heirs!"】

——

A Record of a Mortal's Journey to Immortality.

"An oracle… Interesting." Han Li's mouth curved into a cold sneer. "Could it be that these Chrysos Heirs have never doubted the authenticity of this oracle?"

Silver Moon's expression turned solemn as she straightened her posture. "Does Master mean someone is pulling the strings behind the scenes?"

"This oracle is full of suspicious points. Leaving aside who delivered the oracle, which deity is the one who issued it? How can the Chrysos Heirs verify that the issuer of the oracle is a god rather than some demonic external path intentionally manipulating Amphoreus?"

Along the path of cultivation, Han Li had experienced life and death several times, harboring an almost instinctive vigilance toward such overly 'certain' intelligence. He never believed that anyone would give you the correct path for no reason. If the one who issued the oracle really was a deity wholeheartedly wanting to save Amphoreus, why didn't it manifest in person to lead the Chrysos Heirs in destroying the Nautilus and re-igniting the Spark? Why go through all these winding and roundabout methods?

Silver Moon listened with a shudder in her heart. Being an intelligent person, she understood immediately upon a hint. "Does Master mean that this oracle itself might be a trap? And that the so-called 'Chrysos Heirs' are merely chess pieces for the one manipulating things behind the scenes?"

"Mhm." Han Li shook his head and softly sighed. "If someone is truly manipulating Amphoreus behind the scenes, they are most likely the mastermind behind using the Stellaron to spread the Black Tide. Their goal might even be to kill the Nautilus to take control of Amphoreus more easily. If the Chrysos Heirs succeed and the Nautilus's Spark is re-ignited, the one who descended the oracle will achieve their goal without lifting a finger; if they fail, it's merely the death of a few mortals, what loss would that be to them?"

How many Secret Realm dungeons had he ventured into along this journey, and how many fellow Cultivator had perished along the way? Which of them hadn't thought they had obtained some fortuitous encounter or destiny? Yet in the end, they were merely chess pieces in someone else's game.

"That oracle… is probably the true tribulation of Amphoreus, right?"

——

【After finishing learning about the history of Amphoreus, Stelle turned around and asked Aglaea, "Do you really know nothing about the outside world?"】

【"You mix pity into your question. Deep down, you may have already pronounced us weak and helpless." Facing Stelle's doubt, Aglaea wasn't angry, only saying indifferently, "Since the two of you already have a basic understanding of Amphoreus's history, let us move on to the main topic. Please follow me."】