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Having witnessed this tragedy unfold, Xia Chen surprisingly didn't feel profound sorrow. Strictly speaking, he wasn't particularly close to Elysia or even this world at large.
However, another emotion resonated deep within him. It was difficult to describe yet complex.
He had a sense that what befell Elysia could also happen to him.
"Severing the connection between Honkai and humanity, huh?"
Xia Chen unconsciously closed his eyes.
Civilization itself is a unique form of Honkai, with humans being its creators. When this bond is severed, Honkai naturally loses control over whether the world progresses through its training mechanism.
As a result, human civilization could undergo countless restarts in this world, rather than becoming a world bubble and sinking into the Sea of Quanta once it ceased to exist.
This latest Honkai event came abruptly and ended just as swiftly.
Just when he thought it was over, a sudden voice reached his ears:
"Come here."
It was a gentle voice, devoid of any hostility.
Xia Chen couldn't resist turning back to look.
"Come, come here."
He recognized that the voice closely resembled the Commandment's tone.
But why would she be calling him?
His eyes filled with suspicion, yet he did not refuse.
Following the guidance of the voice, Xia Chen found its source.
Deep beneath the Fire Moth facilities, dangerous individuals were imprisoned. Perhaps their 'danger' wasn't by choice, but due to Honkai, they had no other place to stay.
However, below these prisoners existed another unique underground level.
Xia Chen descended without encountering any obstacles.
In this lower chamber, there was only one nun present.
"At last, I get to meet you," the nun spoke softly, causing Xia Chen's caution to heighten instinctively.
"Who are you?"
"I am Aponia. There's no need to be wary; come closer."
The nun named Aponia appeared serene, resembling a devout follower of divine beings. Unconsciously, her presence could alleviate one's caution.
However, Xia Chen grew even more guarded.
"Do I know you?"
"Until now, we were strangers," Aponia spoke slowly. "But I had foreseen your arrival."
"Foreseen my arrival?"
"Yes," she murmured softly. "Including the fact that you are not from this world—it is all part of fate's intricate arrangement."
Xia Chen was increasingly astonished.
This was the first time someone within a simulation scenario had directly revealed his origins. Who exactly was this Aponia?
He inadvertently asked, "Since you know where I'm from, can you tell me who caused my current situation?"
For quite some time, he had pondered the origin of the system. Everything he experienced indicated that it wasn't just a simple case of transmigration with a golden finger. Although treated as the protagonist in this world, he felt more like an observer.
As Mobius suggested, someone might be using his body for an observational experiment, making him merely a disposable resource.
Aponia replied calmly, "It is not 'Lover'."
"What?"
He subconsciously thought it might have been a slip of Aponia's tongue.
"Not just any lover," Aponia repeated firmly.
Xia Chen frowned.
"May I ask if this refers to a name or an attribute?" He found no clarity from this descriptor, as the only person he could truly call his 'lover' was Ana.
Wait...
Xia Chen's pupils slightly contracted.
He suddenly remembered that he had confessed his feelings to Finality before.
Could it be such a coincidence? Besides, she hadn't accepted either.
Suppressing these thoughts, he heard Aponia say, "Please, come closer to me."
Still bewildered, Xia Chen involuntarily moved nearer to her.
The nun extended her gentle hand and placed it on his face. Xia Chen felt a soothing healing energy coursing through him.
Gradually, with this power, the simulated memories accumulated over time began to dissipate.
As he looked at Aponia, within the depths of the nun's eyes, he glimpsed the most original and true version of himself.
"I..." Xia Chen's voice sounded somewhat hoarse.
The reflection of himself within Aponia's eyes felt utterly unfamiliar.
In her pupils, he appeared as a Honkai Beast, despite having his identical face.
He was a unique Honkai Beast with self-awareness, once bonded to the former Thirteenth Herrscher, Elysia.
"This is the thread of destiny."
Aponia blinked again, and Xia Chen noticed that the reflection of 'himself' vanished from her eyes.
However, this profound memory could not be forgotten so easily.
"There must be some mistake." Xia Chen shook his head, hastily denying it. "If you can see fate, then surely you also know I have a father and mother. Although they aren't present in this world, their genes are undoubtedly part of my inheritance."
While he didn't discriminate against MANTIS fusion fighters or humans transformed from Honkai Beasts, the idea of becoming human himself seemed impossible and unreal.
Pausing, he mocked himself, "Is this just a cruel prank?"
"You can view my memories, correct?"
"Please do not worry," Aponia's words brought him calm.
"Honkai Beasts born under extraordinary circumstances do not exhibit traits through conventional genetics. Similarly, humans are manifestations of Honkai themselves."
Xia Chen took a deep breath and said, "So, this simulator within me... No, wait, if it were Elysia, she wouldn't possess such power."
The simulator essentially functions as an enormous stigma space encompassing all worlds and parallel dimensions. Not even a Herrscher from one civilization or a planetary-scale Honkai Beast fluctuating in the Sea of Quanta could achieve this feat.
Therefore, the entity granting him the simulator could only be either the Imaginary Tree or the Sea of Quanta itself.
He asked, "Since you can see fate, do you foresee future generations overcoming Honkai?"
Aponia remained silent for a prolonged moment.
"The inability to overcome Honkai is written as a fundamental rule within this civilization, but this rule is gradually being altered." Her words were ambiguous.
Yet, Xia Chen felt filled with hope.
"Thank you."
He turned, ready to depart.
Knowing that there's a possibility of defeating Honkai made his journey worthwhile.
And Aponia did not attempt to detain him.
[Your experience in the Honkai World has concluded. You may permanently retain the following items and extract them into the real world. Congratulations! You have obtained Homunculus Energy Fragments x2. Extract now?]
[Aponia has left a special Commandment on you.]
[Commandment: Not Your Beloved]
When Xia Chen woke up, he was still in a dazed state.
To find out that he is actually the companion Honkai Beast of the Thirteenth Herrscher felt like an immense joke.
He clearly had both parents!
And then there's Aponia's Commandment...
Xia Chen closed his eyes, trying to decipher its meaning but gained no insights whatsoever.