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

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"What's wrong? Why are you looking at me with such a peculiar expression?" Zeke noticed Otto's gaze and asked, puzzled.

Otto shook his head.

"Nothing, I just realized...how remarkably similar we are."

"...Don't overthink it; I won't become someone like you."

"Perhaps not." Otto sighed deeply.

What kind of person was he? A madman, rogue, executioner, tyrant, wicked beyond redemption, deserving only death—these descriptions were likely accurate. No, more precisely, Kallen would see him this way, making them undoubtedly true.

Everything changed from the day Kallen left.

Or perhaps nothing truly changed; the present Otto was merely a demon who once willingly embraced the light but, upon losing its radiance, reverted to his original form.

It had been a long, long time since Otto last reflected on his actions or pondered notions of right and wrong, justice and morality. He knew he stood entrenched in the mire of darkness, forever irredeemable. Maybe when Kallen opens her eyes again, it will mark his complete descent into the abyss.

But none of that mattered now. All Otto had ever desired in life was to witness that beam of light once more. Compared to Kallen, notions like justice, protecting the world, and even his own life seemed utterly insignificant.

The corners of Otto's mouth lifted slightly as he suppressed the overwhelming longing, replacing it with a casual nonchalance. He asked, "What do you think about Soulium?"

"A material composed of nanorobots, capable of fully automatic repair and intelligent adaptation to various usage environments. Overall—it represents highly advanced technology, almost miraculous, making one suspect it could only emerge during the era of interstellar space travel. However..."

"However, what?"

"However, regarding nanorobots, I have my own ideas. Between you, Dr. Ein, and Dr. Tesla, at least one of us should be able to develop them independently. If solely based on nanorobots, it couldn't possess such immense capabilities, nor would we rely exclusively on archaeological findings without any means for mass production."

Zeke furrowed his brow slightly.

His superior intellect allowed him to effortlessly grasp the beginning, end, and paths between all knowledge domains. Thus, even when proposing groundbreaking theories akin to the Information Origin Theory, he already comprehended the next steps clearly; it was merely a matter of time and efficiency.

However, with this piece of Soulium, its deeper intricacies couldn't be directly observed; he had to rely on conjecture, systematically testing each possibility against known evidence—a challenging task.

Otto initially wanted to share some findings from his archaeological research and studies. But seeing Zeke deep in thought, furrowing his brow without any intention to ask questions, Otto suppressed the urge to explain and simply awaited Zeke's conclusions with a smile.

"Soulium, with perfect adaptability to Honkai Energy—so much so that it can even accommodate a Herrscher Core and be forged into a Divine Key. Explaining its exceptional compatibility with Honkai Energy solely through the self-repairing properties of nanorobots seems rather implausible." Zeke pondered aloud as time ticked by, his thoughts evolving.

Observing him intently, Otto smiled and gestured for Amber to prepare refreshments, ensuring the still-human Zeke received the necessary hydration and sugar for sustained contemplation.

Unfazed, Zeke continued analyzing and hypothesizing.

After hitting dead ends with multiple guesses, his expression briefly shifted. Perhaps it was time to change his approach?

"I've long believed that while simple nanomachine structures might suffice for automatic repair under minimal Honkai Energy exposure, accommodating a Herrscher Core and enduring Herrscher-level energy would require an even more astonishing technology..."

"Based on the scans earlier, Soulium's nanomechanical technology, advanced as it may be, isn't quite at that unimaginable level. So... is it an issue with the material itself?"

"If there exists a substance capable of containing Herrscher-level Honkai Energy—the remains of a Herrscher!"

Zeke drew a deep breath, feeling everything fall into place.

Since Soulium incorporates components from a Herrscher's body, it inherently possesses extremely high resistance to Honkai Energy.

In other words, unless the scale of Honkai Energy reaches a certain threshold, Soulium can completely withstand it. Even for Herrscher-level energy, the material itself absorbs most of it, leaving only minimal damage for the nanomachines to repair.

Put simply, each Divine Key essentially encapsulates a Herrscher core within elements derived from a Herrscher's corpse, making it akin to a complete Herrscher.

No wonder Divine Keys exhibit power equivalent to that of a Herrscher—structurally, they mirror a true Herrscher! And when combined with the wielder's abilities, theoretically surpassing a Herrscher becomes feasible.

It now made even more sense why Soulium could only be obtained through archaeological excavation.

In this era, the First Herrscher, Welt Joyce, due to excessive Honkai Energy usage instigated by Otto, had his body spontaneously disintegrate upon death.

The Second Herrscher, Sirin, along with Cecilia's body, vanished amidst the power of the Honkai Fission Bomb and Abyss Flower.

Evidently, Einstein and Tesla never had sufficient opportunities to study Soulium thoroughly. The only one who might have deciphered this secret was Otto, but he couldn't obtain a Herrscher's corpse either.

Thus, the impossibility of producing Soulium now made perfect sense.

"Clap! Clap! Clap!"

"Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! It took me several decades to unravel this mystery, yet you accomplished it in just an hour! Zeke, you truly are the greatest genius without question!" Otto laughed heartily, offering genuine praise for Zeke's intellect surpassing his own.

To Otto at present, the more extraordinary Zeke's talent, the happier he became.

Whether he would be killed by Zeke in the future mattered little; reviving Kallen was his utmost priority!

However, Zeke shook his head, pressing gently on his temples to alleviate the mental exhaustion from intense brainstorming. He said:

"Don't overthink it. I just had ample information beforehand, allowing me to quickly pinpoint the correct approach. But it's only an idea; we need your insights to see how feasible it is. If I were starting from scratch like you, it would have taken me considerable time as well."

Zeke's explanation didn't dismiss his reputation as the greatest prodigy—while his achievements might seem like cheating, his intellectual prowess was undeniably formidable. Whether in comprehension or practical application, no one could truly match him.

Unfazed, Otto maintained his smile and nudged the sweets closer to Zeke, ensuring he had easy access for refueling. He then said, "My perspective aligns fully with your proposed approach." With admiration evident in his voice, Otto sighed and continued, "As the wielder of the First Divine Key, the Void Archives, I possess technology distilled from the previous era's civilization. However, it hasn't been cooperative, requiring significant time to tame. In its early days, my understanding was limited too. When I first encountered the concept of Soulium, I knew nothing about it. It took me decades to research its creation and usage methods."

"You've had such experiences?"

Zeke blinked, seemingly surprised.

Otto spread his hands and chuckled nonchalantly, saying:

"What did you expect? Where in this world can wisdom and power be instantly attained? Even for a genius like yourself, it took over a decade of chaos before your sudden awakening, followed by more time to vigorously accumulate knowledge, leading to your current achievements. My journey was even more so. Reaching where I am today wasn't due to innate ability or luck; I worked incredibly hard, alright?"

Zeke nodded in agreement.

Indeed, beneath Otto's apparent success lay numerous unseen efforts and sacrifices that brought him to his present position.

"So, dear friend, is your curiosity about Soulium satisfied now?"

"I suppose one question has been answered. However, I still want to delve deeper... Why is it called 'Soulium'?" Zeke suddenly posed this peculiar query.

Taken aback, Otto stroked his chin, recalling as he replied:

"The term originally came from some records of the previous civilization. After deciphering and translating them into modern language, it became known as 'Soulium,' and I have always used this name. Is there something specific about it that interests you?"

"Does the term 'soul' from the previous civilization also refer to the spiritual essence?"

"Not exactly... Wait, do you mean?"

Otto's pupils contracted momentarily before widening with realization.

Holding a small piece of Soulium, Zeke weighed it in his hand thoughtfully. "Since I proposed the Information Origin Theory, and given how advanced the previous civilization was, there might have been other theories related to souls. Is the name 'Soulium' truly just for its pleasing sound?"

"But the Void Archives contain no such records. Neither have excavations of the previous civilization's ruins revealed any information on this topic."

"No library, regardless of size, can possibly document every detail of an entire civilization. Perhaps their theories were not sufficiently clear, making them unrecordable; or maybe they involved some danger or privacy concerns, leading to a deliberate decision against dissemination. Alternatively, the theories may have still required refinement at inception, so they weren't documented initially, and by the time significant advancements were made, there was no opportunity to record them; or simply due to the researchers' personal preferences... There are numerous possibilities. Absence of evidence does not mean evidence is absent."

"Zeke, what exactly have you discovered?" Otto asked deliberately, his voice filled with anticipation and barely contained excitement.

Holding the piece of Soulium, Zeke slowly responded:

"Using a Divine Key to control a Herrscher Core, separated by just one layer of Soulium, doesn't significantly differ from direct manipulation. So, how does the wielder of a Divine Key become immune to the influence of the Will of Honkai?"

"That... perhaps due to Soulium's unique properties?"

"What makes it unique?"

"It contains fragments from a Herrscher's corpse, which could deceive the Will of Honkai, making It believe that the core is being used by an already recognized Herrscher... Ahh! But without a soul, merely possessing dead Herrscher remnants cannot possibly fool the Will of Honkai, allowing for continuous, side-effect-free use of the Herrscher Core!"

Previously, due to the Void Archives' lack of information on this topic, combined with skepticism and even denial regarding the existence of souls, Otto had never considered this angle.

With Zeke's insight, this chilling realization now confronted him head-on.

Zeke placed the Soulium crystal back into its metallic box, observing as it regained the same jet-black color and metallic sheen as the container. Then, he nodded and said:

"That's precisely what I mean. What if the name 'Soulium' implies that its composition actually includes fragments of a Herrscher's soul?"

"...I'll make adjustments to allocate more Soulium for you, as much as possible."

"Good. Just deliver it to the orphanage; you know the address."

"All right, only you can conduct this research. Everything rests on your shoulders." Otto extended his hand towards Zeke.

Zeke firmly shook it.

As they locked eyes, both shared a smile.