Making Honkai Impact lll In A World Where Kallen Exists [Continuation]

In reality, the topic among the group had gradually gone off track, but they had somehow reached a mutual understanding, discussing what kind of dumplings they would prepare for New Year's Eve.

Theresa was also excitedly participating in the discussion. However, Luo Mo really didn't want to end up eating bitter melon-flavored dumplings. From the bottom of his heart, he hoped to avoid that fate. After all, that would be nothing short of a punishment.

Seeing the group passionately discussing, Luo Mo chose to stay away with a respectful distance.

But when it came to the grilled dishes prepared by the Celestial Master, he was somewhat curious to try them.

After all, it was the Celestial Master.

----------

The anime was still playing.

In the grand hall, Aponia was also making dumplings. When she noticed Sakura struggling, she chose to help by preparing the dumpling filling.

Aponia always carried an image of being extremely gentle, as if she had never been angry before.

But the moment she picked up a pair of twin blades, the atmosphere shifted. Her blue pupils turned red, radiating killing intent, and her entire aura took on a slightly yandere-like quality.

"Please, turn into meat-filled dumplings."

She said it so calmly, yet her eyes had lost their usual glow. Her gaze was unfocused, and an overwhelming sense of danger filled the room.

Then, with lightning speed, she wielded her twin blades, slicing through the mound of filling with such fluidity that afterimages formed. The filling scattered everywhere from the force.

"Such an incredibly strong presence!"

Sakura watching on the side was completely stunned. She had never expected the gentle and kind Aponia to have such a terrifying aura hidden within her.

And her sword skills—no, her knife skills—were just as impressive. The onlooker couldn't help but admire the scene before them.

So...

"I have to work even harder!"

Taking a deep breath, Sakura also drew her cooking knife and enthusiastically joined in the "butchering" of dumpling filling. At that moment, an intense aura surrounded her as well, making her knife skills seem just as formidable.

In an instant, a rivalry was born—neither could afford to lose!

To outsiders, it looked as if both of them had been enveloped in a golden battle aura, locked in a fierce competition.

It seemed less like making dumplings and more like a high-stakes sword fight.

Mobius, meanwhile, was idly playing with a snake puppet in her hands, watching the two with a puzzled expression.

She didn't understand what was happening.

And then—bam!

Vill-V suddenly placed a freshly repaired machine onto the table, looking excited as she presented her new creation.

"Next... I will now demonstrate the latest function of my household robot!"

She dramatically pulled off the white cloth covering the machine, revealing a green-haired humanoid robot, forcibly dressed in a white maid outfit. The robot let out strange, unintelligible sounds:

"Dum... Dum... Dum."

Mobius' expression darkened.

She stared at what had become of Klein, and her face twisted into a look of pure horror.

This was her Klein!

How did she end up like this?!

Vill-V, on the other hand, was completely unfazed, confidently introducing her creation to her former owner. She continued fiddling with the white dough-like substance in her hands, as if she were handling some kind of experiment.

Mobius had a very bad feeling about this.

"Still troubled by mixing dumpling fillings? Still frustrated with inefficient cooking methods? Well, worry no more! Just put the ingredients inside, and the process will be automatically completed!"

As Vill-V spoke, she prepared to prove her words with action. She tossed the dough into the machine's ingredient intake slot and flipped the activation switch.

"Hik Hik Hik Hik Hik...!"

The robot let out a strange, "perfectly normal" sound, its eyes flashing green as binary numbers rapidly flickered across the display.

Then, four large words suddenly appeared on its chest: "Dumplings Flooding the Sea."

Mobius' face darkened even further. The ominous feeling in her heart intensified.

And then—

The conveyor belt on the machine's chest suddenly activated, spewing out dumplings at high speed toward Mobius. They formed a massive pile, like a small mountain of dumpling soldiers.

Some even landed directly on Mobius' hair.

"You... are... DEAD!"

Mobius gritted her teeth, emphasizing each word with rage.

Her eyes burned with fury as she locked onto Vill-V, the one who had dared to tamper with Klein.

The snake puppet in her hands was instantly torn apart. A dangerous red glow flickered in her eyes, much like a berserk Eva unit going out of control.

"What's wrong? Please, just enjoy the convenience of my marvelous invention! No need to thank me!"

Vill-V, still treating this as a grand performance, bowed with a mischievous grin before attempting to escape the crime scene.

"You—what did you do to my Klein?!"

Mobius' fury erupted as she lunged after Vill-V. A commotion broke out in the room, shaking the very roof and sending snow tumbling down.

As it turned out, no matter the circumstances, Klein was always Mobius' most precious treasure.

-----------

Back in Reality

In the real-world grand hall, Mobius' expression was ice-cold. She glared at Vill-V with barely restrained anger.

"Dumplings Flooding the Sea? Convenient machinery? And also..."

"Hik Hik Hik Hik?"

Klein tilted her head slightly, looking up at both Mobius and Vill-V, repeating the words she had just heard.

Mobius' expression instantly turned blank, filled with bewilderment.

She hesitated for a moment before instinctively patting Klein's head.

Fortunately, at least in reality, she wasn't a machine.

"... Hm?"

Vill-V restrained her smile, furrowing her brows as she looked at the animation.

They were badmouthing her!

Spreading her hands, she spoke openly, "Mobius, you know me well. If I were to undergo modification, it wouldn't be this simple."

"At the very least..."

She pinched her fingers together, and after a brief awkward silence, she lowered her head and coughed lightly twice.

She chose to remain silent as a response.

Mobius nodded slightly. Indeed, this was just an animation… She had simply been too concerned about Klein.

Besides, just like her… If it didn't come with a shocking surprise function, could it really be called Vill-V's work?

Even though this modification was a bit eccentric, compared to Vill-V's usual standards, it was still far from enough.

"I'm really happy that you understand me, Mobius. Even if it's not exactly the right understanding, at least we've reached a mutual recognition."

Vill-V nodded in satisfaction, cutting off Mobius's attempt to pin any strange accusations on her. Without evidence, she could simply deny it all.

"Well, that's not necessarily true. How do you know she won't show any other signs of modification?"

Luo Mo interjected, still having full confidence in Vill-V.

"Ah… You have a point. Do I have no choice but to take the blame?"

Vill-V opened her mouth but could only sigh in frustration.

A robotic assistant like this… Should she say it's fitting for a world without Honkai? Why did it seem so strangely ordinary?

"...Actually, I don't think I ever smile like that when I cook."

"Then… Doesn't that make it seem even stranger?"

Aponia touched her lips, a faint trace of confusion on her face as she asked.

Besides, no matter how she looked at it, she wouldn't end up in a knife fight with her over cooking.

Could it be… some intentional dark portrayal?

"Haha— I actually think it matches your personality well. Isn't this just another expression of your tragic nature?"

Kalpas teased from the side, taking the opportunity to poke fun at Aponia.

Little did he know, the one being teased next would be himself.

------

In the animation, the Golden Courtyard group had completed the dumpling-making process.

Elysia even bragged to Eden, who hadn't returned yet, about personally wrapping the dumplings. The pink filling and white dough layered together looked just like a blooming flower.

—Aside from the fact that they didn't look like dumplings, everything else was perfect, as beautiful and radiant as flowers.

Kalpas's dumplings, too, were exceptionally unique. Under everyone's expectant gazes, he brought a frying pan, flames roaring as he reduced the water content…

The moment the lid was lifted, a golden glow flashed.

Without a doubt, it was a testament to Kalpas's cooking skills.

Inside, the fried dumplings were golden and crispy, covered in layers of glistening oil. The aroma wafted straight into everyone's hearts.

It was hard to believe that such a sunny and lively young man could make dumplings this dazzling.

Even Elysia couldn't resist leaning in to take a photo as a keepsake, showering him with genuine praise.

One by one, the others also presented their creations. The table was soon filled with a variety of bizarre dumpling shapes, white rabbit dumplings, green snake dumplings, dumplings that seemed to launch themselves off plates, and even dumplings sewn shut with string...

Ignoring their strange shapes, their colors alone were enough to make someone swear in disbelief.

Each reflected its creator's unique style.

However, when the focus shifted to Kalpas's face…

The players were even more shocked to see his face completely covered with a beauty mask, complete with two slices of cucumber, making his entire appearance utterly illogical.

[To this day, we still don't know what Kalpas actually looks like.]

[Aside from Kalpas's, are any of these dumplings even edible?]

[This isn't dumpling-making anymore. This is art.]

[Kalpas's dream has come true. This, this is his home.]

---------

In reality, within the Golden Courtyard.

Elysia's face held an awkward yet polite smile. Come to think of it, she had never actually seen Kalpas's face before.

Why was that?

Every time she tried to find out, something always interrupted her, leaving the matter unresolved. Was this some kind of intentional interference by the world's will?

She didn't know. But now, looking at Kalpas's mask again, she felt an insatiable curiosity itching inside her.

"Kalpas, we're companions, aren't we?"

She asked with a playful smile.

"…I feel like that might not be the case."

Kalpas averted his gaze, refusing to answer directly.

He had already seen through her motives!

"Hmm…"

Elysia lightly scratched her hair. In the end, she decided to let it slide. No need to ruin the New Year's mood over something so trivial.

"Ah, has Kalpas really never taken off his mask?"

Theresa poked Luo Mo's back and asked in a whisper.

"Uh… Well, dear little lady, whether or not he has taken off his mask doesn't really matter. What's important is that none of us have ever actually seen his face."

"For all we know, he might be an alien. But beyond that? No one has ever seen his real face. According to him, those who have… are already dead."

Vill-V sighed in disappointment and shook her head.

"Oh, I see… But can we at least remove the subtitles?"

Theresa clenched her fists but then released them, sighing helplessly.

Even though she was the youngest among the thirteen Flame-Chasers, the others were all nearly a hundred times older than her. A sense of powerlessness crept over her.

Before, she could still use seniority as an excuse to demand answers, but now, she was completely outmatched.

Damn it!

She cursed internally, watching as Vill-V shook her head in amusement, which only made her angrier.

Vill-V patiently explained, "Look, don't we always call her 'little Griseo'? It's just another way of identifying someone."

"…"

Theresa was speechless.

She had a feeling that if this conversation continued, she would only end up feeling even more embarrassed.

Meanwhile, Hua was staring at the dumplings on the table in silent shock. She wanted to say something but hesitated. However, her desire to participate in the next round of dumpling-making only grew stronger.

Her companions clearly had dexterous hands, capable of shaping dumplings into countless forms.

But… If they weren't meant to be eaten, wouldn't that be better?

---------

In the animation,

It is clear that some people have raised a similar issue.

"These dumplings... can they really be eaten?"

Kosma, seeing the feast on the table, couldn't help but question in his heart.

He didn't feel that the food, which looked so beautiful, would taste good. In the natural world, the rule had long been established, the more beautiful the food, the more likely it is to be toxic.

On the table...

He couldn't help but lean down and whisper to Griseo, "Maybe don't eat them, be careful not to upset your stomach."

Griseo nodded nervously, thinking Kosma wouldn't harm her!

Moreover... She made the dumplings herself, so of course, they were very adorable. If she ate them... she wasn't sure if it would still be very cute.

Unexpectedly, a shadow appeared behind them, and they were surrounded by a powerful aura of resentment, it was Aponia, the mother.

"A good child should not waste food."

Her breath had a somewhat damp feeling, but both of them trembled involuntarily and swallowed nervously.

This... Such a strong aura.

Elysia also held her mobile phone and showed Eden a large plate of dumplings, Eden smiling warmly as she watched the special video, even though she might be a little late...

But seeing the others enjoying it so much, she felt happy too.

Until...

After Elysia searched for a while, she still hadn't found a work by Kevin

At that moment, Kevin appeared from the corner, carrying a stack of dumplings, and placed them on the table.

Compared to the raw dumplings he made earlier, these looked much better now. Even though they were probably still not perfect, they looked more normal now.

"Much better than before," Elysia and the others immediately welcomed him and were a little surprised by Kevin's 'first creation.'

They could clearly see how much better they had turned out compared to the first batch.

"Truly impressive for a first try."

He sighed, impressed that the dumplings could turn out so well on the first try.

"No, every dumpling is perfectly shaped... This skill is probably much better than mine."

Su closed his eyes and praised without even looking at them.

"Wow." Kosma finally realized the dumplings were edible.

"Actually... I... uh..."

Kevin's eyes wandered, and his words stuttered. He had planned to announce something at the start, but now surrounded by everyone, he wasn't sure how to explain it reasonably.

Ellie, quick-witted, noticed a small bag in the trash, "Are these dumplings already cold? Also, is this shopping receipt from 30 minutes ago?"

She picked it up and immediately realized, glancing at Kevin.

Su, too, tried to hold back his laughter, glancing at Kevin. Relating to the earlier conversation, it suddenly became amusing.

"Laziness isn't acceptable, Kevin, the task of making dumplings tonight is now on you."

Elysia winked, her finger tracing her face, then recorded a video on her phone, teasing Kevin.

The pink imp girl never expected something like this would happen.

Eden also saw Kevin's powerless expression through the video, unable to hold back a chuckle.

In the end, he had no choice but to agree to this unfortunate task.

Everyone waited for the dumplings to boil while chatting idly. Kosma and Griseo played a game on their phones, using Kosma's transformation form to fight against Kalpas in Honkai 3rd.

-----------

In the Golden Courtyard.

"Ah, this... Did I see you play Honkai 3rd in an anime?"

"Am I seeing things? Haha— that world... does it also have a game like that?"

Elysia paused for a moment, then smiled and said.

"In that case... I really would believe that such a world exists♪"

"Right here... at this moment ♪"