I'm playing Honkai Impact 3

Page 597

As Qiong watched the slender figure disappear through the doorway in a panic, the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn upwards, forming a smile full of pleasure.

"How adorable, Qi Bao!"

He was the one who turned on the auto-battle feature. How could he not know when Qi Bao's consciousness started controlling the body?

Poor Tom, he was completely manipulated.

what?

You're saying Tom Ben is next door?

That's fine.

"What's next?"

Qiong's gaze seemed to pierce through the thick walls, landing on the corridor outside the door.

The white-haired girl, as if all her strength had been drained, slumped limply against the cold door panel.

A scorching breath, mixed with Qiong's unique scent, escaped uncontrollably from Qi Bao's slightly parted, moist lips, accompanied by heavy, disordered breathing.

"Consider it a small gift; you'll probably like it."

Hey, why didn't you remind me?

Deep within her consciousness, Qi Bao's voice, filled with shame and anger, trembled noticeably.

Faced with this being, in a sense, another version of herself, her natural affinity made her less polite to outsiders and more direct inquiries.

【You're blaming me? I didn't know when the exchange would happen either~】

Her initial tone carried a hint of slight resentment at being wrongly accused, but then seamlessly switched to an energetic yet shy and coquettish voice, mixed with a touch of stubbornness and shamelessness.

[My attention wasn't really on that...]

Qiong perfectly imitated the unique image and mentality of the young version of Paramecium, which was a mixture of naivety, stubbornness and a little bit of willfulness.

Acting skills and ruthlessness~ Sister.

"Ruthless" naturally refers to Kyonna's ability to regulate her own spirit and personality at will.

You...me...

This vivid and charming performance, like a mirror, instantly pulled Qi Bao back to the time of St. Freya.

She seemed to see her former self—youthful, naive, and fearless, the innocent and carefree Kiana Kaslana, like the rising sun.

Indeed, having weathered many storms, she has long since shed her naivety, but her sincere passion and original aspirations for the world have never changed.

But, ultimately, things are different.

This is like the three realms of life:

When you look at a mountain, it is a mountain; when you look at a mountain, it is not a mountain; when you look at a mountain, it is a mountain again.

The first and third levels, where all one sees are mountains, present vastly different levels of understanding and the weight they carry.

Kiana's pure and carefree liveliness during her Paramecium era, and her vibrant liveliness as the Herrscher of the End, who, despite the vicissitudes of life, still chooses to shine.

As her thoughts drifted to this point, the figure of Teacher Himeko, the turning point that inevitably shaped her life trajectory, naturally surfaced in her mind.

Even now, when Qi Bao recalls that figure that vanished in the crimson flames, she no longer feels sadness.

Instead, a touch of student-like pride rose within me, like a student who had finally completed a task powerful enough to change the world, standing silently before the grave of their mentor, offering silent solace:

"Are you still watching me, Himeko-sensei...?"

As if responding to her thoughts, in her vision, Ms. Himeko actually turned around on the sunny playground of St. Freya Academy and smiled gently at her.

For a fleeting moment, Qi Bao's gaze flickered.

But who would have thought that the easygoing Himeko-sensei would wear a formal dress at school?

Hmph, were you drinking again and forgot you had class today?

Why do you look younger?

Cluck cluck cluck, did you use the new cosmetics?

Hurry up and share it!

Has this revolving lantern of longing been going on for... a little too long?

"..."

Qi Bao's thoughts came to an abrupt halt.

She was stunned, her breath almost stopping.

At the end of the corridor, a graceful figure with hair like burning flames walked slowly towards them.

The newcomer clearly noticed the white-haired girl leaning against the door, her expression bewildered and complicated.

Himeko paused slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.

The girl's gaze, fixed intently on him, held a depth that was unlike that of a stranger meeting for the first time.

Himeko felt a strange, familiar stirring in her heart. Suppressing her doubts, a gentle, concerned smile naturally appeared on her face, her voice as soft as warm sunshine:

"Hello, little sister? Are you in trouble? Do you need help?"

That gentle voice, etched deep into her soul, exploded in Qi Bao's ears like a thunderclap from the heavens!

"Hime...Himeko...Teacher...?!"

Qi Bao stared blankly at that extremely familiar face, her eyes widening in astonishment.

Those azure eyes rippled with subtle yet intense emotions.

Her body trembled slightly, her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but she didn't know why.

Himeko's gentle smile faltered for a moment, a hint of doubt flashing across her face.

"teacher?"

She's not a teacher.

Did this child mistake someone for someone else?

But the other person not only called out her name accurately, but the surging emotions in their eyes—shock, ecstasy, deep longing—were intertwined like a net, instantly capturing Himeko's heart.

This made it impossible for her to simply categorize it as an admission of wrongdoing.

Himeko frowned slightly as she carefully examined the white-haired girl's face.

"Little sister, do we...know each other?"

A faint sense of familiarity welled up inside her, like a lighthouse faintly visible in the fog, and Himeko's gaze became inquisitive:

Why do you call me teacher?

"You don't recognize...me?"

Qi Bao looked up at the unfamiliarity in the other person's eyes and suddenly realized.

Oh, I see.

Yes, this should be...

Himeko-sensei from a parallel world...

Just as Qi Bao had sorted out this relationship and was trying to calm herself down, Ji Zi's next words were like a stone thrown into a calm lake, causing her emotions, which she had finally managed to suppress, to surge violently again.

"I feel like I've seen you somewhere before."

“I used to have a lot of dreams, but not the kind of beautiful dreams I had here at Pinocchio.”

Himeko's tone carried a hint of wistful reminiscence, as if she were sharing a little secret from her daily life:

"In my dream, I saw a group of blurry faces. Although I didn't know who they were, we were like family and were constantly fighting against some transcendent being..."

"I clearly remember their confusion and fear, but I also remember that they never chose to give up..."

Himeko's gaze refocused on Qi Bao's face, carrying a strange tenderness and a hint of barely perceptible inquiry:

"In my dream, I remember having a very, very outstanding student. She always made me incredibly proud."

Himeko tried to blur the indistinct outlines in her dream.

But the girl in front of her suddenly began to tremble. Himeko noticed this and said gently:

"You don't look well. Would you like me to call some hotel staff for you?"

Himeko instinctively reached out to support Qibao, whose body was trembling.

next second.

"Himeko-sensei!"

The pent-up emotions, like a flood bursting its banks, could no longer be contained. Upon hearing Himeko's own account of her dream and her talk about the 'proud student,' Qi Bao lunged forward and hugged Himeko tightly with all her might.

"I miss you so much! I really, really miss you...!"

Qi Bao smiled brightly, but her eyes were already filled with tears, and her voice was trembling with sobs.

After becoming the Herrscher of the End, she never cried again.

At this moment, the tears that had been sealed away, like glistening pearls, finally welled up again and slid down her radiant smile.

This was the first time she had shed tears since becoming the End.

"Eh—"

The unexpected action left Himeko momentarily at a loss, but only for a moment, as she sensed the emotions of the girl in her arms.

She smiled wryly, not pushing Qi Bao away, but instead raising her arms to gently but firmly embrace the trembling white-haired girl in her arms, patting her thin back lightly with one hand.

"Okay, okay... don't cry..."

Himeko's gentle voice rang in her ear:

"Although I am not the Himeko-sensei you mentioned, if that story is true, she must be extremely proud of you."

Himeko slightly stepped back and gently wiped away Qibao's tears with her fingertips:

"Look, it's not very convenient to talk here, would you like to... come to my room to sit for a while?"

She extended her hand to Qibao, her smile sincere and welcoming:

"If you'd like... I'd love to hear about you, about your teacher Himeko."

……

Inside the room, Qiong watched the 'reunion' from both first-person and third-person perspectives and nodded in satisfaction.

Hurry up and say thank you, Director Qiong!

At the same time, he also had a question in his mind.

"Is what Sister Himeko said true or false?"

"She dreamed about the Honkai world?"

It must be true; Himeko wouldn't lie at a time like this.

"Resonance between parallel universe counterparts?"

Thinking about the increasingly close mental connection between his own consciousness and the 'substitute AI', Qiong felt that it was 'normal', at least for him.

Qi Bao followed Ji Zi to her room. Bai Lian considerately refrained from causing trouble. Qiong clapped her hands, took off her shoes, and took off her clothes.

"OK, time to drift off to sleep."

PS:

Volume 1: Chapter 548 Come Back, Mikhail, My Proudest Faith

"Welcome to Pinocone, distinguished guest."

"Soon, all your ideals will come to life. Please step into the dream pool and forget the sorrows and worries in your life."

Lying in the center of the Dream Pool in a standard, languid "Tai" shape, Qiong followed the instructions of the Dream Passport in her hand, operating it step by step.

This is a necessary ritual for entering the dream world for the first time.