Honkai Diary: Start With Picking Up A White-Haired Treasure

"He strong let him be, like breezes caressing mountains; He ruthless let him rage, as bright moons illuminate rivers..."

"Riding on the essence of nature, mastering the transformations of the six energies, one traverses infinity..."

"From Zhao's land with tasselled sword... every ten steps, a life taken..."

Zeke set down several manuals, rubbing his temples in frustration.

There were two sword manuals, one for fist techniques, one for lightness skills, and one purely focused on cultivation methods—a total of five secret manuals. All appeared complete, though their levels and tiers were hard to gauge. At least, they covered a diverse range of styles.

The cultivation outlines were written in ancient script, understandable given the authors' era. One also had to consider proprietary lineage issues, necessitating certain literacy barriers... but the content was incredibly abstract!

How could poetic and philosophical concepts be translated into practical physical models? No wonder Otto's collaboration with Fu Hua for so long yielded no significant martial arts experts within Schicksal, nor did he himself master any such skills.

Su Tan mentioned that understanding these required innate insight. To Zeke, it seemed one needed sufficiently abstract thinking to align with the logic of the manuals, enabling them to decipher their practical applications. Moreover, the insights gained were likely only usable by the individual themselves; expressing them to others would prove difficult due to language limitations.

As Zeke flipped through the books, his superior intellect allowed him some vague realizations, but they remained elusive, making it challenging to immediately apply them.

Part of this stemmed from the authors' insufficient skill, lacking clear explanations of underlying principles. Additionally, the old-fashioned mentality of withholding knowledge played a role, as the texts contained considerable filler material.

"I need to find a sect and observe firsthand. Or perhaps, devise a way to invite that 50,000-year-old ancestor over?"

Zeke pondered the possibility of poaching someone from Otto's team.

Come to think of it, Fu Hua's goal was to protect Shenzhou, and he could contribute to that as well. There might still be room for negotiation...

"Buzz~"

A message appeared on Zeke's phone:

"Third floor, north balcony."

The sender was Cocolia, with no further context, just specifying a location. This indicated that Bolon Albert, whom Zeke had been waiting for over two days, had finally arrived.

Zeke followed the instructions and arrived at the specified location.

At this high altitude, the moonlight appeared exceptionally bright.

The expansive balcony had been cleared of furniture at some point. In the center stood a three-meter-wide redwood circular table surrounded by three luxurious black leather sofas, arranged like a tripartite negotiation setup.

Cocolia and a robust elderly man wearing a black hood already occupied two seats, leaving the remaining one undoubtedly for Zeke.

Zeke calmly took his place, picked up the nearby wine glass, and gave it a swirl. Inside was a rich-colored red wine emitting a subtle sweetness—undoubtedly quite expensive.

After pondering briefly, Zeke decisively poured out the wine, then refilled the glass halfway with a sudden splash of dark red liquid from mid-air.

He swirled the crystal-clear wineglass once more; now filled with the same dark red liquid, still exuding a faintly sweet aroma, but bubbles within the glass were distinctly visible.

"Not drinking alcohol since I'm underage. Is it okay if I have cola instead?" Zeke casually asked, holding up his glass.

Holding up his glass nonchalantly, Zeke asked.

Cocolia felt exasperated; despite being a prominent figure with more authority than either of them on paper, he displayed such casualness—it was truly...remarkable!

"Ah, youth indeed! Naturally, you may," Bolon replied in a robust, albeit aged voice.

Zeke took a sip of cola, savoring its pleasantly sweet and tangy taste.

In Siberia and Europe, he enjoyed Shenzhou's teas. Now, upon reaching the ancient and picturesque Yellow Mountain in Shenzhou, he found cola quite appealing again. Perhaps what he truly relished was this unique sense of enjoyment?

"All right, I dislike wasting time. Mr. Bolon, since you specifically requested this meeting, what is it you wish to discuss?"

"A collaboration."

"What kind of collaboration?"

"The Gem of Desire."

Bolon spoke casually, yet his words were undeniably shocking.

Zeke's hand paused mid-shake, and Cocolia's expression momentarily froze.

"Isn't that gem located at Schicksal Headquarters?" Cocolia questioned skeptically.

Attempting to raid Schicksal Headquarters for the Herrscher Core would be akin to digging one's own grave, erecting a tombstone, and playing a funeral tune—inviting disaster upon oneself.

Zeke wasn't overly surprised; he simply finished his cola and signaled the invisible worker drone hovering nearby for a refill before asking:

"Tell us your plan."

Bolon glanced at Cocolia with a meaningful smile. Then, turning towards Zeke, he slowly began:

"A few months ago, a significant event occurred near the Mediterranean Sea. Schicksal amassed a large force, and both the former Kaslana family head and our esteemed Alliance Leader appeared on the scene. The ensuing battle drastically altered the landscape across hundreds of miles and caused an unusually intense heatwave lasting two weeks.

"Afterward, Anti-Entropy relocated its headquarters, and Schicksal's network system was crippled for two weeks—a clear case of mutual attrition. Both organizations were in turmoil for quite some time. While I have access to more intelligence than most, it's still not precise enough to fully grasp the situation. However, I suspect...the issues with Schicksal's network system had something to do with you, didn't they?"

Despite claiming it as a guess, Bolon's tone sounded more certain.

Zeke countered, "What makes you say that?"

"Hmph! Tesla and Einstein may indeed be geniuses, but I know their capabilities well enough. I believe they could infiltrate Schicksal's systems, yes. But to completely cripple Schicksal's network and even sway the course of war... If they possessed such power, Anti-Entropy wouldn't have been forced to develop like rats scurrying through sewers all this time."

"Hmm, that makes sense. Continue."

"Since I've determined they lack that level of expertise, there must have been some unforeseen variable at play during this event. In Anti-Entropy, the most significant wild card at the time was undoubtedly you, the suddenly emerging Enforcer. And let's face it—we both know you're the true inventor behind Cocolia's groundbreaking technologies. Doesn't everything become clearer now?"

Zeke nodded; Bolon's explanation seemed plausible.

"And what does this have to do with your plan?"

"...Cocolia, it's time for you to exit the stage." Instead of answering Zeke, Bolon turned towards Cocolia, who eagerly awaited more revelations, and spoke coldly.

"Don't get too arrogant, old man. Times have changed. Once, I could easily lead you by the nose, but now... Would you care to glimpse the scenery of hell?"

Cocolia lifted her wine glass, a smirk playing on her lips, as if countless vengeful spirits emanated a dark aura behind her.

"A beautiful vase, slightly prickly, but still just a decorative piece. That's who you are, Cocolia. In the face of true power and authority, you fall far short. You have no right to participate in this conversation... Recognize your place, it might preserve your beauty for a little longer."

Bolon's unperturbed advice carried a tone of concern, like a caring elder speaking to their junior.

Cocolia laughed, her smile enchanting yet filled with soft menace—a sign she was about to act.

Then Zeke raised his hand.

"Enough. Go rest for now, Cocolia."

"You dismiss me too?!"

"No, I'm simply intrigued by his plan and want to hear more. Whether you need to know or not, I'll decide after listening further."

"...Hmph!" Cocolia glared at Zeke, ignoring Bolon completely, and stormed off.

"That's better. Little kitten, stay out of grown-up affairs. Just follow your master's instructions—where to sleep and what games to play today."

In response to Bolon's amiable, smiling tone, Cocolia paused momentarily before continuing her departure without looking back.

Zeke glanced at Bolon with a subtle expression.

This guy truly had guts—whether it was his plan to steal the Gem of Desire or repeatedly provoking Cocolia... In the original storyline, he either ended up getting dealt with by Otto while attempting the theft, or became a stepping stone on Cocolia's rise to power.

Either way, neither outcome seemed particularly peaceful, did it?