Honkai, why do you only throw me into high-level battles?

Lin Wei was unaware of the chaos he had caused at St. Freya.

After Bronya logged off, the computer, which knew too much, decided to end its overburdened life. The fan gave a pained shriek before the whirring abruptly stopped. Amidst a faint burning smell, it breathed its last.

"Coral Island..."

Lin Wei remained unfazed, leaning back in his comfortable chair, gazing at the world map hanging on the wall. His eyes were fixed on a small dot on the map, lost in thought, recalling the island city that appeared in the story only to be destroyed.

The world map was slightly different from the one in his memories, especially the location of Coral Island—"155.6 degrees East, 0 degrees latitude." In this world, it was at the junction of Southeast Asia and Oceania, situated among the islands, and conveniently located in international waters, providing a practical foundation for large-scale land reclamation projects.

In the world of his memories, these coordinates would have been in the vast Pacific Ocean.

Perhaps the tectonic shifts were a consequence of the Herrscher of Rock destroying Mu continent 50,000 years ago?

Lin Wei tried to discard his previous "geographical knowledge." His mind raced, his knuckles tapping unconsciously. Various pieces of information collided and recombined in his mind, trying to find a clear perspective.

It was known that Southeast Asia was a convenient neutral zone between Schicksal and Anti-Entropy;

And Coral Island was a major international project jointly undertaken by Southeast Asian countries and Australia. More importantly, it was completed smoothly, without the usual bureaucratic delays common in international collaborations;

Also, immediately after Coral Island's completion, the United Nations spearheaded the construction of a space elevator, a mega-project of the century, on this equatorial island...

Were the people of this world this united?

Lin Wei was puzzled. The irreconcilable conflict between Anti-Entropy and Schicksal represented humanity's division.

Moreover, Coral Island's project had no mention of Schicksal or Anti-Entropy's involvement;

And they weren't secret organizations. They operated openly, only concealing Honkai-related information.

More importantly, Coral Island was completed first, with the space elevator being a subsequent addition. Yet, looking at the island's layout—three island platforms, responsible for residential, economic, and scientific functions, formed a triangle around a central platform; and the central platform was the base and construction site for the space elevator.

It was like the first and second phases of a complete project, consistent and unified.

A project of this scale, its complexity, risks, and costs, were beyond the capabilities of ordinary international cooperation. It would probably require a legendary united human government to have such executive power!

A united human government...

At this thought, Lin Wei's tapping stopped abruptly. His eyes narrowed, then relaxed.

Heh, interesting. Truly remarkable. Their shadows are everywhere...

Combining this information, the outline of the truth became strikingly obvious!

Otto, are you blind?

Lin Wei was exasperated.

But what does it have to do with me? Lin Wei sneered.

He had planned to call Anti-Entropy and ask for information about Coral Island, to gather more intelligence.

But he discarded that idea—with the extent of World Serpent's infiltration into Anti-Entropy, it would be like alerting a snake.

After all, this ancient serpent was extremely sensitive. He shouldn't let them know that he was onto them.

Therefore, since he was playing dumb, he shouldn't make any unnecessary moves.

Everything was just a coincidence!

Lin Wei made up his mind, discarding all his thoughts. He stood up, mourned for his deceased computer for a few seconds, then carefully unplugged it to prevent a short circuit and fire.

After that, he turned and walked out of the room. He took down the sheathed katana from the top of the bookshelf. Pandora transformed it into an unremarkable black hiking stick.

Lin Wei gripped the stick, feeling the familiar texture in his palm. He shook his head helplessly and walked out of the warm, familiar house, disappearing into the pre-dawn darkness. He strode forward without hesitation,

Remembering to lock the door before leaving.

.........

Coral Island, with a total area of 790 square kilometers, wasn't large, about the size of a county in Shenzhou. Yet, it had a permanent population of 1.8 million, and an unknown number of transients, its population density rivaling Hong Kong.

The island had seven cross-sea bridges, each spanning tens of kilometers. Six of them connected to neighboring island nations in three directions, bustling with traffic. The remaining bridge served a different purpose—connecting Coral Island to the airport on a remote island.

"Truly spectacular..."

At noon, Lin Wei, having disembarked from the plane, boarded a taxi. On the long cross-sea bridge, he gazed at the densely packed buildings on the famous island in the distance, and the towering pillar reaching the sky. He couldn't help but marvel. The name Coral Island was truly fitting.

Located in the equatorial doldrums, the ocean was a tranquil blue mirror, a sight to behold.

Lin Wei recalled his anxiety when he first arrived in Nagazora City, afraid of the taxi driving onto the cross-sea bridge.

It truly was a different scenery.

Recalling his past helplessness, Lin Wei smiled faintly.

"Young man, is this your first time on Coral Island? I see you don't have much luggage. Are you here for sightseeing?"

Taxi drivers were talkative creatures in any world. Glancing at the subtle changes in Lin Wei's expression in the rearview mirror, the driver started a conversation.

"Yes, first time here. It truly is a magical place..."

Lin Wei didn't mind and casually replied.

Then, the driver began to talk incessantly—introducing famous multinational corporations, research institutions, renowned schools, and gesturing, saying they were concentrated on the east and west island platforms.

"What about the one in the middle?"

Lin Wei interrupted, pointing towards the end of the road.

Another torrent of words followed, describing various hotels, high-end pedestrian streets, and a magnificent Homu theme park…

The division was quite clear.

"You seem very familiar with this place..."

Having gained a general understanding, Lin Wei interrupted the driver's speech.

For him, the more he saw, heard, and interacted with, the more vivid and substantial this world became.

"Of course! I was one of the first residents here. I witnessed this city being built brick by brick!"

The driver chuckled, then patted the steering wheel with some emotion.

"Ten years have passed in a blink of an eye! My son is almost graduating from elementary school. Hey! Time flies!"

"...Have you ever thought about moving to another city?"

Lin Wei's tone was peculiar.

This enthusiastic taxi driver, if nothing unexpected happened, would also become a lifeless ice sculpture one day, just like the other 1.8 million residents here.

Having met by chance, Lin Wei felt a pang of sympathy.

Honkai was born with technology. This city was practically on the death list. Even if Squad Snow Lotus wasn't stationed here, its destruction was inevitable.

"Move to another city? Why leave?"

The driver was puzzled by Lin Wei's abrupt question.

"Think about how easy it is to make money in this city! Every day, so many young people like you come here looking for work. Everyone wants to squeeze in. Hehe, but speaking of which, when I've earned enough money, and my child has grown up, finding a quiet place to retire wouldn't be bad..."

He chuckled, seemingly trying to dispel the awkward atmosphere.

"That's true."

Lin Wei smiled, not pressing further. He had been impulsive.

Even if he told the truth, he would be treated as a madman. Why should anyone believe him?

Moreover, where could ordinary people go even if they left?

Times had changed. This wasn't Nagazora City anymore.

The Second Honkai Eruption caused by the Herrscher of the Void's awakening had plunged the world into hellish chaos. During those nightmarish four months, the number of deaths worldwide, the villages, towns, and small cities destroyed, were unimaginable.

At least during that time, this isolated island could still shelter its residents, allowing them to live normally, until the next Honkai descended.

Self-righteously making people leave might lead to an even earlier and more painful death.

The foundation of this world was always cruel. Living a few more days than others was already a rare blessing.

Gazing at the beautiful, tranquil blue ocean, the futuristic city in the distance, and the towering pillar reaching the sky, the cross-sea bridge beneath his feet seemed like a path to the future.

Lin Wei even wondered if this magnificent city was one of the altars World Serpent had prepared for sacrifice?

A foundation paved with endless deaths, a tower of white bones built with countless corpses, igniting new life on the sacrifices of flesh and blood, both rotting and fresh.

If that was truly the case, it would be too cruel…

Lin Wei closed his eyes, not wanting to speak further. He wasn't angry, only feeling an inexplicable sadness.

The driver, seeing this, also fell silent.

Between the tranquil sea and sky, in the still, windless zone, silence returned.

.........

"Young man, we're here!"

Over an hour later, the taxi arrived at the cargo port on Coral Island. This was Lin Wei's destination.

"Take care, driver."

Lin Wei paid, smiling as he watched the taxi leave. When it turned the corner and disappeared, he sighed.

"Sakura, have I changed?"

Lin Wei clearly felt subtle changes within himself, but he couldn't articulate them.

"Lin Wei-kun, don't worry too much. You've always been gentle and kind."

After a moment of silence, Yae Sakura's voice sounded, as cool and gentle as a summer breeze.

"Is that so? That's good."

Lin Wei smiled. It seemed it wasn't an illusion. Something had indeed changed.

Good or bad?

Unclear. At least, Yae Sakura's meaning was clear. Some core aspects hadn't changed, hadn't they?

In that case, he would just have to wait and see.

Lin Wei looked up at the shifting sunlight, inwardly complaining about how quickly time passed.

Aside from those few hours on the plane, I haven't slept since yesterday!

"Alright, it's getting late. Let's start the investigation."

Lin Wei mentally shook off his negative emotions and began to focus on his true purpose.

He tapped his stick lightly on the ground. Pandora smoothly infiltrated the port and customs network through the underground cables, like driving on a highway.

Then, it began to wail…

"Without Bronya's help, how long will it take me to go through all this data? Sigh… Thankfully, the scope is already narrow. Let's just investigate one by one..."

After some self-consolation, the diligent Lin Wei began to manually weave together clues from the complex information.

.........

Under the dim night sky, the ethereal-looking Lin Wei followed a container truck. At the end of the road, he craned his neck, watching the truck disappear into an unremarkable warehouse. It was connected to a strangely shaped building, quiet and seemingly ordinary, like a commercial or technology park.

"This is it, right? That truck was very suspicious. It probably contained people."

Lin Wei yawned. He was exhausted…

"You should rest first."

Yae Sakura suggested with concern. Dark circles were starting to form under Lin Wei's eyes.

"Night is the best cover. Moreover, World Serpent is very alert. Delaying until tomorrow might introduce variables."

Lin Wei shook his head, trying to stay focused.

"I'm worried about unforeseen complications. It's best to act quickly. That poor old leader of mine is still hoping for a family reunion."

After that, Lin Wei straightened his collar and walked towards the building. The security guard, seeing him, raised his hand to stop him, then scratched his head and put it down, ignoring the automatic opening and closing of the gate.

Lin Wei was used to this. He unlocked the security system and strolled deeper inside.

Entering the building, he passed through several doors without incident. Inside, it was eerily quiet, seemingly deserted. Lin Wei prepared to continue his search.

"Careful! Someone's approaching!"

Yae Sakura suddenly warned, her voice urgent. She was even preparing to take control and counterattack.

As her voice faded, a door near Lin Wei suddenly opened. A figure lunged at him!

"Sakura, wait!"