Cultivating in Honkai!

Tesla briefed me with some information for today's meeting over the phone. 

First, she will bring another friend, Einstein.

Second, all I have to do is to explain spiritual qi to them verbatim.

Third, I will receive some sort of compensation. As to what it was, it is up to me.

"Spirritual qi does not exist normally. My master emphasized that, and the prominence of honkai energy. It is a method to turn all sorts of energies into a viable energy. That is spiritual qi…"

Five minutes passed with only me speaking. It is strange to teach something to Tesla and Einstein at first, given their identities on my Earth, but I gradually forgot about it.

"Can I try it now?"

"Sure."

Tesla is the first one to try. I took out a piece of paper in my pocket and handed it to her.

"The formula… phrases, or mantra. It induces you to enter a trance for a few seconds. It will be successful if you feel a sense of control in your surroundings."

The [Two Phase Art] is nothing difficult in itself. You only have to memorize the phrases by mind. The recitation can be done mentally or orally. The only condition is that there won't be any pauses longer than a second, hence the mumble rap of a mess Kiana did before.

Since there are twenty sentences in total, it is a pain to memorize. The difficulty amps further since it is written in simplified Chinese. Later on, I managed to ask the golden orb to create a version in English… which somehow worked.

Don't ask me why, okay?

The paper I gave has both versions. Much to my surprise, Tesla is proficient in simplified Chinese. She managed to pronounce that version correctly.

Thin and transparent blue gas started to emerge out of nowhere. It is invisible to most people except the ones with clear eyesight.

My spiritual consciousness left my body. It turned into dozens of strands, each enveloping a portion of the blue air. They then turned into hundreds of smaller veins.

With spiritual consciousness, this is the new mode of cultivation. I can actively gather spiritual qi to shorten the gathering spiritual qi part. 

A one-hour session can be shortened to forty minutes as a result.

Not long, a blue sphere made of thicker spiritual qi is made. It floated silently atop the table.

I noticed Einstein taking a look at the small device she brought.

"This is it?"

"My master likened it to purified water. Other types of energy are not suitable for human consumption."

Tesla curiously poked at it. Aside from the ripple it sent, nothing else happened.

"It's under the radar." Einstein commented.

"Invisibility? I am not sure about that part…"

I glanced at Welt Yang who looked like an unassuming middle-aged man in the corner.

I wonder…

What will a Herrscher see?

*****

It is an unusual day.

Keyword: unusual.

"Oh… It's all my fault!"

When Kiana slowly became clearheaded, she regretted running away from Shi Tian. It is her mistake, after all. For the fourth time, she sleepwalked to his side.

They had not even talked since the morning!

She just had the thought to grab a snack when her lucky stars smiled at her. The place she wanted to go to is none other than the one Shi Tian went.

Kiana instantly saw him across the huge glass windows.

For some reason…

She chose to take several steps back.

"He really ate without me…"

Kiana took a small peek inside. She did not care whether the bystanders thought of her as weird.

Shockingly, she did not focus her sights on him. She knew very well that Shi Tian has 'eyes behind his back'. Its prowess was shown when they played tag for thirty minutes straight.

"Hm..?"

She saw two unfamiliar women sitting across his table. A quick look was all it needed to see them talking about something. The one who stood out was the red haired woman with twintails. She did not mind the other woman with messy and coop-like hair.

Her eager reactions made Kiana think something was happening.

Little did she know, they could be her grandmothers. The Sixth Divine Key is the biggest cheat code women can ever ask for.

"Who are they..?"

An incredulous thought appeared inside her tuna brain.

"Is he being hit on?!"

Shi Tian is only twelve years old, though his appearance makes him look older. Add to that his maturity exceeding his peers, it won't be a surprise if someone mistakes him as sixteen years old.

Add to that the things Kiana saw while roaming the world…

Nothing is impossible.

"...and he really entertained them! Is he feeling bad for…"

"Kiana?"

"Eek?!"

Kiana's entire body jolted as it turned to the voice's direction. 

"Oh… Seele!" Her tense body relaxed. "Chores?"

Seele and Bronya carried a few boxes of pastries with them.

"Um. You?"

"I want to eat…" Kiana hastily made up an excuse.

Bronya did not mind the two and followed Kiana's previous line of sight. Lo and behold, she saw Shi Tian. She easily spotted the two women he was talking with.

Her mind involuntarily went back to the scene she saw this morning.

Bronya's emotional quotient is very low due to her days as the Silver Wolf of the Urals. The negotiations demanded her to be very straightforward.

"Why are you two not eating together?"

"..."

"..?"

Seele swiftly saw the awkward air between Kiana and Bronya. It also prompted her to take a look inside the glass window.

Just as she was about to do so, Bronya gestured her to go back. She also got out of the glass wall swiftly.

"Nyet. We almost got seen."

"He has eyes on his back. He can feel whenever someone's looking at him." Kiana explained.

"..."

"..."

She resumed peeking, not realizing it made her sound like a rookie stalker. It took her ten seconds to process things.

Kiana instantly looked back to the silent duo.

"It's not what you think!"

'Kiana is an idiotka.' 

Bronya reached a conclusion. Seele tried to brush it off with an awkward laugh.

"Do you want us to help?"

Seeing Kiana choose to peek, Seele thought of a clever way.

"We can go inside and pretend to eat."

"No, no. There's no need to."

 "Ah! W-we don't have much to do…"

Bronya watched as the two fell into a cycle of offering and rejection.

In the end, there are two additional stalkers beside Kiana. 

One of them is very professional.

*****

I looked at the glass window and found no one.

Strange.

That gaze did not return. I looked at Tesla and Einstein.

Did Anti-Entropy seriously dispatch a team for a kid like me? 

How flattering. 

I can remember Kiana's mom, Cecilia, having the same treatment. My improving memory recalled Cecilia's short-haired look. No wonder Kiana has that lethal face card.

…

I should really leave this for later. 

"This sums it up. This is what my Master explained to me during our first lesson."

"...Years of progress. Got it." 

Tesla appeared to be the main speaker throughout this meeting. Einstein chided in whenever there's something that needs clarification.

"Can we ask you to conduct practical tests? The combat ones." Tesla asked. "You can count this to the favor we owe you."

"Sure. Where will it be?"

"Salt Lake. We will take care of transportation. We can bring you back before the day ends."

"Fine by me. There's something I want to ask, though…"

"Hm?"

I thought about it for a while. 

As much as I want Kiana to meet up with Siegfried, I am hesitating. He left her side since he is afraid of Sirin breaking out again. The last time it happened, it wiped out Himeko's entire squad.

Even so.

I want to arrange a meeting with him.

If he won't meet his daughter, I will meet him. Letting him know about her concerns and the likes…

Naturally, I have to play the role of an unknowing child.

"You know where Kiana's father is, right?"