Honkai Impact: Grandma Pine Sparrow is still chasing me!

Chapter 402 The Jackal Experiment

Clearly, this time no one intends to let Qiong Meng get away with it.

But this is also understandable. His good friend is haunted by an inexplicable "ghost," and when they offer their solutions, the person haunted by the "ghost" even rejects their suggestions? Is it just his so-called intuition?

All eyes were on Sora—Bronya's scrutiny, Mei's worry, Seele's confusion, Anna's bewilderment, and Kiana's curiosity tinged with schadenfreude...

It was clearly for his own good, yet he didn't appreciate it? This was something that everyone found very hard to understand—even though this person was usually a bit puzzling.

Is it just for the purpose of automating the work?

"I don't know anything about her background... but I believe she's not a bad person, and there's nothing wrong with this pen—do you think such a pretty little girl could be a bad person? Would a bad person help me get the job done?"

Qiong didn't want to directly clash with everyone over this matter, but she was also unwilling to cooperate.

"Qiong, intuition is unreliable."

Mei shook her head. It seemed her simple-minded, muscle-bound boyfriend had been fooled by the seemingly friendly ghost lady...

However, due to certain stereotypes, pink-haired girls are not very believable to Mei.

Pink hair, all of them look pink and tender with black hair!

“Mei-neechan is right! Sora-nii, what do you mean ghosts would kindly help people with their homework? It's written in the game Bronya-neechan plays that supernatural beings always have ulterior motives when they approach humans—like absorbing lifespan to turn you into an old man!”

"Seele, that's a game Bronya plays—"

When it came to her area of ​​expertise, Bronya became animated.

"Based on the records, it can be basically confirmed that this 'ghost' possesses the ability to act independently of Brother Qiong. Its purpose is unclear, but it is clearly not entirely passive or dependent on the host's will… But Brother Qiong, what's your basis for saying she's not a bad thing? Is it because she's cute and helped you with the work you hated?"

Qiong couldn't answer Bronya's question, because he really only had intuition—of course, he also helped with the work and repelled Leiera.

"Furthermore, according to Bronya's understanding, in various games, the proportion of sealed villains who exploit human laziness and goodwill to disguise themselves and achieve their dark purposes is as high as 70%..."

"Bronya, don't apply game data to reality..."

Qiong was a little troubled, and Bronya was indeed right about this: unless it was a relationship that went beyond ordinary friendship and could be disregarded for gains and losses, who would let themselves suffer a loss based on the principle of equivalent exchange?

But thinking about it this way, do I owe Xi Lian a huge debt of gratitude? Maybe I should owe her less...

"But Bronya thinks it has reference value."

Bronya stood her ground, pulling Mei against Sora's desk.

“At the very least, Bronya believes that monitoring and isolation are necessary. Mei’s suggestion is reasonable; temporarily isolating and observing this pen is for your own good.”

"Qiong, everyone is doing this for your own good."

Anna added softly, her tone gentler than the others.

"We're not trying to force you. But if you can't give a clear reason, at least let us temporarily isolate this pen and do an examination, okay?"

Everyone except Kiana gathered around. Qiong knew that with Bronya, a person who analyzed things purely with no emotion, there was no way to get away with it with a few sweet words. Besides, they were ultimately doing it for his own good, and pointless resistance was completely unnecessary for him.

Therefore, after weighing the pros and cons, Qiong chose to conditionally raise the French military salute.

"Okay, okay, I admit you guys have a point. I won't be using this pen anymore for a while."

"That's for the best."

Bronya nodded slightly; an incomprehensible existence was a potential threat. It was best not to use the pen until the situation was clear.

"Brother Qiong, where did this pen come from?"

"It was given to me by a friend from afar before he left."

Qiong glanced meaningfully at Kiana, but the person who was smiling didn't react at all.

"Actually, you can rest assured. Himeko-neechan didn't say anything after seeing it. If you're really worried..."

Qiong scratched his head and proposed a solution.

"I'll go find Uncle Yang when I get back; he's an expert in this area!"

"Professor Walter?"

Mei paused for a moment, then a thoughtful expression appeared on her face.

Indeed, if it were that experienced, knowledgeable, and powerful Schicksal agent, perhaps he could see something. The others exchanged glances, and finally, everyone except Kiana and Sora reached a consensus after Bronya nodded.

“Indeed, Professor Walter is experienced and knowledgeable, so perhaps he knows something. But don’t use this pen during this time. Bronya will be watching you, Qiong-gege.”

"Okay, okay, I'll keep an eye on it."

Qiong helplessly spread her hands.

Sigh, with so much work to do, what am I going to do without that pen?

"Then, Brother Qiong—"

Bronya's voice came from the left, and she was holding a thick stack of documents that had appeared out of nowhere. These were part of the work that Himeko had assigned to her.

“Since you’re unwilling to hand over the pen, Bronya insists that you undergo full surveillance until it’s confirmed to be safe and harmless. And the best place for full surveillance is within everyone’s sight. So…”

Mei walked to Sora's side and took his arm.

"Qiong, everyone says they'll all work overtime with you, aren't you happy?"

"wait wait wait!"

Before Qiong could react, Kiana realized a problem: Was she being represented? If so, then everyone had dragged her onto the overtime work bandwagon; if not, then wasn't she being ostracized?

Qi Maomao immediately began to struggle.

"Even if we need to monitor, does everyone have to work overtime?"

"Of course we need it."

Seele peeked out of the lounge carrying a stack of snacks, blocking Kiana's escape route.

“Bronya said that collective monitoring can prevent single-point failures. And if Miss Ghost does anything bad, it’s safer to be there when we’re all there.”

Anna has already divided the documents into several parts and has warmly invited Kiana to come and experience part of her work.

"Kiana, this is my proposed improvement plan for Hyperion energy consumption monitoring... You might not understand some of it, but the data recording—"

"that……"

Kiana weakly raised her hand, wondering how watching the drama unfold had turned into her being forced to work overtime.

Today's task is Valkyrie training, not Captain's secretary training, right?

"I'm feeling a bit like going back to catch up on my sleep right now..."

Anna placed a thick stack of documents in front of her, like a small mountain.

"You want me to make all of these?"

Kiana's voice trembled.

"Of course not all."

Qiong casually picked up an ordinary pen and gave a "kind" smile.

"Kiana, let's do our best! We're on the same team, we share the good times and the bad!"

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As the world's most outstanding scientific mind, Jackal, a cadre of the World Snakes, is a very dedicated person.

How dedicated is she? Even when on a field mission, she doesn't forget to conduct various small experiments and observe data. After each operation, she must obtain precise and perfect data to improve her research. Even on a purely reconnaissance mission like this, the conscientious Jackal can turn this doomed temporary outpost near the Far East Branch into a basic laboratory.

After his men tightened the last bolt, Jackal surveyed the makeshift outpost before him. In less than three hours, the warehouse, which had been filled with discarded parts, had been completely transformed.

Several alloy lab benches were pieced together, their surfaces covered with disposable sterile mats. Portable energy generators and Honkai energy concentration monitors emitted regular beeps, while indicator lights flashed steadily in the dim light. A high-precision map of the Far East Branch's surrounding area was pasted on the wall, several key nodes marked in red, with handwritten data beside them still wet with ink. The musty smell of rust and dust in the air had been largely dispelled by the scents of disinfectant and ozone.

Through the makeshift patrol robots, Jackal could vaguely make out the outline of St. Freya Academy, the Far East Branch of Schicksal.

She didn't dwell on the European-style layout of St. Freya's academy for girls, focusing instead on infiltration—that was the domain of the unfortunate Raven who had been captured. Her gaze lingered on the surroundings; after all, if the Lord were to arrive, even if St. Freya was riddled with traps, it would be futile. More than the academy itself, she was concerned with how many exits there were, how many robots and Death Weavers she needed to deploy, and what level of combat tactics she would employ…

Of course, due to the nature of the Far East Branch, a considerable number of Valkyries are no longer in the academy. In addition, given the special nature of the mission to find out where the jackal was, at Gray Serpent's request, the investigation turned to the direction Gray Serpent couldn't avoid: money.

In layman's terms, while the flow of funds within Schicksal is kept secret, World Serpent has connections within the organization. Furthermore, as the undisputed world's number one organization, Schicksal consistently offers excellent benefits, a key aspect of its public image. Therefore, Jackal quickly ascertained the exact number of people in the Far East branch covered by social security and possessing substantial personal safety insurance, and from this, deduced just how many Valkyries were in the combat ranks of such a large organization…

The number was lower than she had expected, and perhaps due to the lack of recent Honkai events, many Valkyries had been given extended leave, making the Far East Branch unusually empty. Jackal's fingertip slid across the virtual screen, bringing up several relatively threatening files—Theresa Apocalypse, Himeko Murata, and besides these, only a male Valkyrie, Sora, who had just been promoted to A-rank, and several B-rank Valkyries with outstanding potential but not yet fully mature.

My God, is this the Valkyrie who ensures the safety of the world, as mandated by fate?

I thought the purpose of this trip, the Heavenly Judgment, was also there. This place, not to mention that there are plenty of S-class Valkyries, is at least a bit challenging. Is this all?

What a waste of her research time!

"The target total is expected to be seventeen, with no more than eight people stationed there, including two to three high-threat units..."

The jackal muttered to itself, its voice echoing metallically in the empty, makeshift laboratory.

"The perimeter security is moderate, relying on the academy's own defensive fortifications, but lacks specific contingency plans for highly mobile, small-scale infiltrations... Sure enough, a peaceful and comfortable environment makes people complacent."

Even though they had suffered an attack from entropy reversal, nothing had changed much.

However, this does not affect Jackal's plan to test her experimental subjects on the Valkyries of the Far East Branch. Perhaps these Valkyries are not top-tier, but as long as the Lord does not interfere, she can definitely collect a lot of interesting combat data.

Beneath the mask, she smiled with satisfaction. Then she began to methodically carry out her little experiment, which was based on a sudden inspiration. When she was ready to retreat after completing the mission, she would only pack up the most critical core instruments and samples—as for the bulky experimental tables and consumables? They would naturally be dealt with in the subsequent cleaning process, or she would simply leave them to Destiny with a harmless "puzzle" that would give their internal security inspection department a headache for several days.

"It's done!"

Every action is part of an experiment; every person is a potential data source. Jackal firmly believes that the great achievements of the World Snake are built step by step through countless observations, analyses, and refinements precise to the decimal point, searching for "possibilities" in Dr. Möbius's theory of "infinity."

And she, the jackal, was enjoying herself.

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The Hyperion finally returned to tranquility in the dead of night.

When Sora and her group stepped down the gangway, Kiana practically slid down by Mei's arm—it was less of a "walk" and more of a dragging and pulling motion.

"I'm so tired... I'm exhausted..."

Kiana's eyes were lifeless, and even her long hair looked somewhat wilted.

She had never filled out so many forms or checked so much data in her entire life! The densely packed numbers and charts Anna gave her still linger in her mind...

"Does Aunt Himeko usually have to handle so many things...?"

Kiana muttered listlessly, suddenly realizing that being a captain and secretary was really not easy.

"Now you know how hard I've worked?"

Himeko, who was leading the group, was the most energetic, but also the most guilty—she had only intended to exploit Sora's pen, but ended up dragging everyone into this mess...

Overall, it's a good thing, proving that they are an excellent and very united team!

"You've all worked really hard today."

Himeko stopped saying anything discouraging; she felt it was best to encourage the children.

"It's more than just hard work, Aunt Himeko..."

Kiana let out a wail, pressing her entire weight onto Mei, only to be slapped away by Bronya's heavy bunny hand.

"Bronya, what are you doing! I feel like half of my brain cells have died... It's more tiring than fighting Honkai Beasts all day! What do you want to do now?"

Bronya remained silent, only watching Sora, who was walking at the back and yawning.

Seeing Bronya looking at Sora, and then being slapped away from Mei by Bronya, Kiana, whose mind was not quite clear, pounced on Sora and pressed her weight on top of her.

"Dead Gray Hair, it's all your fault! And that ghost too!"

Qiong reluctantly bore Kiana's weight, finding it somewhat amusing. But no matter what, Kiana, despite saying she didn't want it, ultimately shared the work that should have been hers and Anna's...

"Yes, yes, it's all my fault... But thanks to your help, the work was finished ahead of schedule."

Qiong looked at everyone in front of her and smiled.

So many people would rather accompany him to do work he wouldn't normally do than see him face unknown risks alone—even risks he doesn't consider significant.

He suddenly felt that being forced to work overtime... wasn't so bad after all? At least today, he wasn't alone... or even alone.

Of course, it would be best if Himeko didn't suddenly assign any tasks.

It was late at night, so there wasn't much of a feast to be had. Himeko promised the group, who were already in a semi-sleepwalking state, "Next time, for sure," and then they all went home and dispersed.

As for Sora, she naturally returned to Theresa's side carrying Kiana's weight after parting ways with Himeko and Anna's groups.

Kiana, half-asleep and half-awake, was thrown onto her own bed, still putting on a final protest. She was too lazy to even turn over.

"Dead Ash Hair... I never want to... work overtime again... My brain... is turning into a spreadsheet..."

Goodnight, Kiana.

"Feel sorry……"

Just as Qiong was about to drift off to sleep, a very faint voice, as if it had been heard directly in her mind, quietly emerged, carrying a hint of apologetic weariness.

"I'm a bit exhausted and didn't finish properly. I've caused you so much trouble... But everyone's concern is so heartwarming, I can feel their sincerity... It seems you've had a group of trustworthy friends for a long time, haven't you... See you tomorrow."

Qiong suddenly opened her eyes and looked at the ceiling, which was empty—but the sound was definitely not an illusion.

Qiong opened his mouth, he had many questions to ask and many things to say, but in the end he only spoke a sentence to the air in a very low voice.

"Let's talk about it tomorrow. Goodnight, Xilian."

There was no response; perhaps the weariness in the voice meant that the other person had also fallen asleep.

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Actually, I wanted to play Don't Starve earlier, but when I played it, I was bullied by badgers and antlions at home, by a bunch of frogs on rainy days, and by monkeys and rhinos underground...

Then, the guys got angry and decided to add a few Yomi-Rem modules.

Oh, right, a crazy question suddenly popped into my head (actually, it just came to mind unexpectedly after watching Alice's rhythm).

If (I mean, if) Leera used her shadow-shaping power to forcibly turn Sora into a "star," and then transformed herself into "Sora" to consummate their relationship, and it actually succeeded by accident, then after ten months of pregnancy...

Is this child from Xingqiong or Qionglei? Is the hair from a gray-haired homozygote, or is it a juvenile version of Little Leiera, a unique budding reproduction characteristic of the second game?