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

Luo Mo remained silent in response to Elysia's "slander". The so-called truth speaks for itself; he didn't need to explain too much.

His only responsibility was writing the story. How Luo Mo chose to describe it was beyond his jurisdiction.

Even if some details might hurt people a little, as long as one didn't dwell on them too much…

Wasn't everything still fine?

Regardless, no matter how you put it, just eating instant noodles wouldn't lead to a life-threatening crisis.

He simply reassured Elysia to stop worrying.

"Well, in that case… I feel even more concerned now, Luo Mo♪"

Elysia gave him a complex look and spoke with a hint of deeper meaning.

So, without realizing it, had his reputation dropped to zero just from his own words? Luo Mo heard how others perceived him.

---------

That night, in the silent darkness, a faint white shadow flickered past the window.

The falling snow gradually grew lighter, slowly dissipating. The sound of flakes hitting the windowpane melted into dreams.

Inside the fireplace, the flames warmed the weary bodies of those gathered, granting them peaceful sleep.

Fortunately, the expired instant noodles hadn't caused as much trouble as expected. At the very least, they all slept soundly and sweetly that night.

In the grand hall, around the fireplace, everyone had drifted into a drowsy slumber—some wrapped in fur blankets, others completely covered in thick quilts, their soft murmurs filling the air.

Eden and Hua shared a single quilt. Elysia rested her head on Eden's soft lap, while someone else used Elysia as a pillow, sprawled out carelessly.

On the other side, things weren't much tidier. Mobius leaned against a pile of plush dolls, Vill·V resting her head on Mobius' stomach. Griseo was cradled in Aponia's arms, murmuring in her sleep.

As for the male students, they were relatively more disciplined—at least they weren't clinging to one another like the girls…

The most striking among them was Su, who sat cross-legged in meditation. Perhaps for him, maintaining wellness had become second nature.

As time passed, the fire in the hearth gradually dimmed, leaving only smoldering embers and a faint wisp of smoke.

In the room, every now and then, strange occurrences would unfold.

—"Come here, little white mouse. Don't be afraid."

Even in sleep, Mobius appeared unusually calm, a trail of drool glistening at the corner of her mouth.

But then—smack!

Vill·V's hand landed right on her face, abruptly cutting off her words. Yet she showed no signs of waking. Instead, she simply turned over and continued sleeping, blissfully unaware.

Suddenly, a snowflake drifted in from an unknown place, landing on Kevin's face. The icy touch jolted him awake.

He stood up without making a sound, careful not to disturb the others.

Walking over to the fireplace, he picked up two books, tore out a few pages, and tossed them into the dying embers, reigniting the warmth.

Awake now, he kept watch over the others as they dreamed, ensuring their comfort by carefully tucking them back under their blankets.

Yet, as he stared into the flames, an unreadable glimmer flickered in his eyes.

Within the fire, they had once experienced so much together.

-----

[—If only I could share this time with you.]

[Hey, hey, carbon monoxide poisoning is a real thing, you know?]

[Look, they once lived so proudly, unwavering till the very end.]

---------

In reality, In the grand hall

"Kevin … he's really kind. I never expected him to have such a side in everyday life."

"Aha… But after this, he started avoiding fire altogether. That's why you barely ever see him near an open flame, Kevin~"

Elysia smirked at him, waiting for his reaction.

"..."

Kevin shot her a silent, unreadable glance.

Silence was his default expression.

If silence were gold, then he and Kosma would undoubtedly own a mountain of it.

"I, however, have a different thought," Mobius mused deeply. "If you look closely, isn't Kevin acting a little too calm? Many things… he's been unnaturally composed about."

It was an obvious move to steer the conversation in a suspicious direction.

Even though the Golden Courtyard had been mentioned before, it had yet to make an actual appearance. Wasn't that a little odd?

Or… was it because only these thirteen people could appear?

"Hmm?" Elysia took the bait, looking at Mobius in confusion.

"Speaking of which, is it really possible to sleep while sitting upright? That's pretty incredible."

Luo Mo raised an eyebrow, conveniently cutting off their conversation.

"Uh… probably not."

Su let out an awkward but polite smile.

He didn't believe he actually slept in such an unusual posture. Could a normal person even do that?

"Hmph—"

Mobius didn't seem too discouraged. After all, she still lacked concrete evidence.

Instead, she turned to another target—

"Vill·V, why do you sleep so restlessly? Do you need to be examined on my lab table?"

"… Slander. This is pure slander. What does this have to do with any of my personalities?"

"Besides, since when have you and I ever slept together, let alone in the same place?"

Vill·V grumbled in frustration.

----------

In the animation hall, a sharp scream pierced the pre-dawn darkness.

"Aaaah—!"

Disasters always struck when least expected.

Startled awake from her dreams, Pardo gasped, as if she had just seen something terrifying.

Her cry woke everyone up.

Her eyes were filled with fear, her arms wrapped tightly around herself. Shakily, she whispered:

"I just had… a really scary dream. In it, everyone disappeared!"

"There were monsters everywhere, and the moon was so full. I was clutching a small chest, running endlessly… but in just a blink, all of you were gone."

Kevin remained silent, watching her calmly describe her nightmare.

There was no surprise in his eyes.

"Only… me, alone."

Pardo still panted, trying to stabilize her emotions.

"All right, all right, relax." Elysia held her hand tightly, speaking in a soothing tone.

"We're still here, aren't we?"

"As long as we wake up from the dream, nothing will happen," Eden reassured.

"Don't worry, Sister Pardo. A dream won't hurt you."

Griseo shook her head, her short, soft-colored hair swaying.

"... Mm!" Pardo nodded firmly, looking at the people around her who cared about her, eyes filled with warmth and unshed tears.

Meanwhile, Vill·V picked up a box of instant noodles and mumbled softly, "Could this be a side effect of expired noodles?"

Then, a fish-shaped bubble in the sky reflected into the room, and only then did everyone realize—the snow had stopped, and dawn had arrived.

A new year had begun.

The world was now covered in a pure, shimmering white, a vast expanse of snow resembling a frozen wonderland.

"Achoo—"

Pardo, taking in the snowy scene, was suddenly hit by the cold air and let out a loud sneeze.

From his spot leaning against the wall, Kalpas casually tossed a fur blanket over her, wrapping her up. He was always there when people needed him, always gentle... except when he spoke.

"Hmph, don't get the wrong idea. I just don't want to catch a cold from you all."

With arms crossed, he spoke with a stubborn tone.

Griseo had already started piling up snow in the yard, delicately using her fingers to draw eyes on the snowman, a soft smile appearing on her face.

"Oh, the sun is about to rise."

Vill·V exclaimed joyfully.

A streak of crimson appeared on the horizon as the sun slowly rose to welcome the new year.

"Speaking of which, this must be the first time Dr Mobius is seeing a sunrise, right?" Vill·V asked with a smirk.

Hua also chimed in, agreeing—after all, their professor was always buried in research at night.

"Hmph, what's so surprising. It's just an ordinary sunrise."

Mobius scoffed but still took a picture of the rising sun with her phone, sending it to Klein along with a New Year's greeting.

She truly cared for Klein—her only true confidant.

Kosma gazed at the distant sunrise. Seeing him standing alone in the corner, Kevin walked over, preparing to apologize for the expired instant noodle incident.

With an unreadable expression, Kosma murmured,

"Actually, just like Sister Pardo, I had a similar dream... In that dream, we all became heroes. But, we were also failures."

Kevin watched him quietly. Then, a faint smile appeared on his face. The cool morning breeze tousled his hair, and the sunlight that warmed his body didn't feel unpleasant.

He wanted to comfort Kosma.

"As long as even a spark of hope remains, it can't be called failure."

Gazing at the sunrise, he spoke of hope in a soft voice—his outlook different from Kosma's.

And, in doing so, he convinced himself as well.

The dream hadn't truly ended.

"If that day really comes, I believe we will unite once again. No matter how many times, no matter the cost—humanity will always overcome calamity."

He smiled, making a solemn promise to the cold wind.

A person's character is their destiny.

He didn't specify what the calamity was, nor when that fated day would arrive… But he believed in it, and that was enough.

Was it really just a dream? Who could say for sure?

Kosma was stunned, staring for a long time, unable to process those powerful words.

"How… How did you even come up with that?"

Finding a reasonable explanation, he quickly asked,

"Don't tell me you had the same dream too?"

"Nope."

Kevin shook his head slightly, speaking softly.

---

[Kevin: Kevin doesn't understand u]

[Kevin: Can you even dream in broad daylight? I certainly can't.]

[All these dreams together… that's the story of the Elysian Realm.]

[A dream must be the opposite of reality, right?]

---------

Back in the Golden Courtyard

"Two… identical dreams? This, this…"

Elysia's eyes widened in shock, her face instantly turning pale. Her brows furrowed deeply as she looked toward Luo Mo.

Silently asking for an explanation.

"... Who knows? No one ever said this was a dream, nor did anyone say this was reality."

"You could just think of it as a parallel world. They… No, you all, are simply living an ordinary life."

Luo Mo shrugged helplessly.

The implications of these two dreams were too strong—even he didn't know how to lie his way out of it.

If this were all just a setup, they were already at the climax—what more could be foreshadowed?

"Well, this is even crazier than I thought. It outright spells out the suspicion. Maybe this story is just teasing the audience, huh?"

Mobius commented with her usual sarcastic tone.

"But still… Even I don't want to believe this is just a dream."

She sighed lightly and shook her head.

The dream aligned too perfectly with their wishes. For a brief moment, she wished it were reality.

But her rationality—ever-present and sharp—constantly reminded her.

She understood Luo Mo's intent.

If you truly believe, then it isn't a blade.

If you don't, then it's a hidden knife, ready to shatter all beauty in an instant.

"So it's not a dream. It's reality… The tangible reality created in this very moment."

Luo Mo said with a grin.

He watched Elysia's expressions shift—from joy, to questioning, to disbelief, to a complicated mixture of emotions.

And that only made him happier.

"Well, if that's the case, then…"

Mobius shook her head, but said nothing more.

"... Hah. You're as cunning as ever, Luo Mo. Another emotional stab—how infuriating."

Elysia pouted, glaring at him.

Luo Mo suppressed a laugh, forcing himself to hold back—though a few crocodile tears slipped from the corners of his eyes.

"Your smile is way too obvious, Luo Mo! If you can't hold it in, then don't even try!"

She said firmly.

"..." Luo Mo lowered his head, his shoulders trembling slightly.

"Well, it might be a bit early for a New Year's gift, but… Look at this! Blue!"

Elysia couldn't hold back anymore. Quickly pulling out a blue sack from behind her, she made sure to learn from her last mistake—this time, she had chosen a slightly larger size, ensuring a perfect fit.

In an instant, Luo Mo's vision was swallowed by darkness, with only a faint blue light seeping through onto his face.

He had a brief dream, then immediately exhausted himself trying to resist the synthetic threads.

The same trap—he encountered it twice?

In this regard, he was just like Elysia, unable to remember things for long.

"Hurry and let go, Elysia, good Elysia!" he anxiously called out.

"Let me finish watching the ending first!" Ely pressed down firmly on the cave entrance, speaking even louder than him.

---------

In the animation.

Slap-Slap—

Elysia's clapping caught everyone's attention. Smiling, she reminded them that it was time to make their New Year's wishes.

"Everyone, give it a try! Your wishes might come true ♪"

As cheerful as always, she dispelled the strange atmosphere that had just lingered.

"Then I hope I can take a peaceful afternoon nap every day!" Pardo was the first to speak up, having recently been disturbed by strange noises every noon.

"I'm afraid that won't be possible, little Pardo."

Beside her, Vill-V had a mischievous smile, like morning dew in the early hours, as she loudly declared her own New Year's wish:

"My wish is for every noon to be performance time."

Clearly, under the same shared living space, only one of them could prevail.

"Ah?——"

Pardo let out a bewildered exclamation, then immediately wore a bitter expression. Who was really the troublemaker here?

"I hope my graduation thesis can be completed smoothly." Hua's wish was proper and straightforward—just the typical worries of a student.

"I really hope I don't have to work overtime less next year." Sakura gave her wish with a smile

Kevin, with hands clasped, made his wish with a serious expression.

"What about you, Kalaps?" Elysia didn't forget a single one of her little companions.

"Don't look at me, I have no New Year's wishes."

He replied in a deep voice.

"Ah, so that means… you're very satisfied with your current life?"

Aponia smiled knowingly, flipping the question back at Kalpas, leaving him at a loss for words.

"Shut up!"

Kalpas was a little annoyed, but he never expressed his true thoughts from beginning to end.

This was a place that felt like home. Even though these guys were a bit noisy… if something were missing, he truly couldn't imagine what it might be.

"I wish for the sick to be healed and for the world to be free from illness."

Su answered calmly.

As expected of a doctor, his path had always been to cure the world's afflictions.

"Su's wish is a bit difficult. What about you, Eden?"

Elysia asked curiously.

"Me? My wish… is for time to forever remain in this moment, and for tomorrow…"

Eden paused, perhaps forgetting the words, or perhaps unsure of what to say next.

She smiled lightly and turned to Elysia.

"It's just lyrics. I'll tell you more about it later. So, Ellie, what's your wish?"

"My wish… is very simple."

Elysia twirled joyfully, looking at the sunlight of the morning dawn, and smiled as she made her wish:

"I want to create an eternal paradise. A place without disasters, without war—where everyone can pursue their dreams and live happily."

"What are you thinking? That kind of place doesn't even exist."

Mobius cut off Ely's whimsical thoughts, dismissing her wish as unrealistic.

It seemed even more far-fetched than all the others combined.

Leaving her… unsure of how to respond.

"Not necessarily."

Elysia simply raised a finger and smiled knowingly.

As long as one was willing to chase after it, dreams could definitely come true.

But she didn't need to explain, because all that mattered was that she believed.

She turned toward Kevin and tilted her head with a smile.

"Kevin, can you tell me your wish?"

He gazed at the majestic sunrise in a daze. Hearing Elysia's question, he pondered for a few seconds before speaking.

"I have three wishes."

"First, I hope work goes smoothly."

"Second, I hope that next year I can be in the same city as MEI."

Clearly, his second wish was somewhat embarrassing to say in front of everyone.

"..."

"Wow, the sunrise!!" Pardo suddenly shouted, her eyes fixed on the sky. The crimson sun had seized the entire horizon, leaving traces of its brilliance in the sky.

It was dazzling and radiant.

The final wish never got spoken.

"I've always wondered… If we had never met, what would our lives have been like? Compared to being alone, perhaps it's still more beautiful to watch the sunrise together with friends."

"Those fateful encounters transformed ordinary moments into dazzling miracles."

"Even if the wishes we made today won't come true anytime soon, the seeds of those desires have already taken root in our hearts, waiting for spring to bloom into magnificent flowers."

"And that spring… will surely arrive."

Elysia's voice carried the weight of her feelings, as well as her lingering doubts.

Like Pardo and Kosma, everyone had once experienced dreams like these.

They had also been apart from each other.

They had even hurt one another.

But when they awoke from those times, it felt as if they had just emerged from a dream.

Precisely because dreams were fragile and fleeting, they believed even more in the strength and limitless possibilities of reality.

Just like—

Thirteen people, whose lives were originally on completely different paths, somehow ended up together.

That, in itself, was a miracle, wasn't it?

"Kevin, you still haven't told us your third wish."

Bathed in golden sunlight, Elysia urged him to complete his words. She was eager to hear his final wish.

"I hope…"

His lips moved, but no words came out.

He opened his mouth several times, yet no sound was made.

He had spoken something.

But no one could hear it.

The silent hesitation only made people more curious about what his final wish had been.

As the first morning light shone upon them, their New Year's wishes were made, welcoming the conclusion—a beautiful ending.

Perhaps… he simply wished for all of this to be real.

Or maybe…

It was just a very simple, very ordinary wish.

Something that everyone in reality also yearned for.

To be free from pain and illness. To have their heart's desires fulfilled.

A simple dream—where the thirteen heroes could rest.

------

[It must be that he ran out of instant noodles (crying)]

[ Let me shatter your illusions! His third wish: "I hope all of this is real."]

[Why did you have to spell it out? Clearly, the Elysian Realm was the real dream!]

[Dream or reality? I can't tell anymore!]

[At the very least, this moment is definitely not a dream.]

-----

Then, Elysia clutched the blue bag in her hands just a little tighter.

(Image)

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