Honkai Impact 3rd, but I have too many mods.

Page 545

"But from a personal perspective—it's better to rely on yourself than on others."

"...Coming from someone like you who has always been relied upon by others, it's hard to tell whether to call this convincing or just nonsense."

"Ah no, I guess we all... are more like mutually dependent. Do I look like a nanny who does everything from top to bottom, taking care of every little detail? I also rely on the abilities of others... Hmm, that sounds like something a passionate protagonist would say."

"Whether it's a nanny or not, I don't know, but you definitely did it from top to bottom." Kiana rarely made a dirty joke in front of him.

However, after Kiana finished speaking, she suddenly looked Liu Bai up and down.

"...Liu Bai, how about we get married?" Kiana looked at Liu Bai and suddenly spoke up, "That way, the Far East Branch will be yours."

Isn't Karen pushing her to do this kind of thing?

"What if one day, when we're together, something happens to me?"

Liu Bai calmly cut to the heart of Kiana's problem.

"I...I won't let anything happen to you! I...I can be like Huang Quan..."

"Then why don't you ask now, 'Is there any way to keep Karen out of this mess?'"

Liu Bai's stern rebuke left Kiana speechless.

“From a profit perspective, with Pi Cao and the power to take over, I have no reason to refuse. But you know the question you're pondering right now isn't ‘who to hand over the Far East branch to’ or ‘how to avoid trouble,’ but rather ‘can I handle the consequences when that day comes?’”

This is Kiana's growth.

Kiana wouldn't have fallen into depression if she were only thinking about how to keep Kallen and the others from getting into trouble or leaving her.

Because this problem is essentially about "escaping reality".

Kiana's dilemma is what she will do if no one is around—this is called facing reality.

"...Why aren't you playing dumb now, you bastard?"

"I don't know why you think I like to play dumb." Liu Bai was speechless. "I only play dumb when I need to maintain a facade of virtue. After all, if I wanted to sleep with Kafka right after sleeping with Huang Quan, I had to act like I was 'helpless' rather than 'eager,' so that everyone would feel more at ease."

"Aaaaaaahh ...

Although Kiana was going crazy, there was still a hint of a smile in her tone.

"...Speaking of which, no matter what, I can't compare to you, right?" Kiana's expression relaxed a little as she lifted herself up from the table and rested her head on her hand.

"Actually, I've known for a long time that some things can't be solved by trying hard."

"Hard work is useful; what's the point of having geniuses or cheat codes?" Bai summarized this cynical piece of advice.

"And there are also geniuses who work hard and those with cheat codes in this world!" Kiana complained indignantly. "Take my sister, for example. Isn't 'hard work pays off' just a motivational saying? Why is it the truth for her?"

"Even if it's wrong, it's still a gain for ordinary people to learn from the experience."

Stop talking nonsense!

“Okay… but you’re a genius too, right?” Bai Baobi said.

Don't be fooled by Kiana's enthusiastic吐槽 (tu cao, a Chinese internet slang term for sarcastic or critical comments); she's a genius, even a top-tier genius.

“But I’m not a genius at governance,” Kiana said sadly.

"When you are a leader in the world of the super-elite, you often don't need to use your brain. In fact, the answer to this question is the same as the one you initially pondered: 'I don't want my loved ones to leave.'"

Liu Bai seemed to have thought of something, and gave a very displeased sneer.

"If this world didn't have Honkai energy or anything like that, I would immediately recommend that you go to a better university. But since there are all sorts of fancy things like Honkai energy right now, my advice is that you just need to get stronger."

"……What's the meaning?"

"What I mean is that in the ordinary world, everyone has two shoulders and one head. Can they fight? What's the use of being able to fight? You can't even get a slap in a thousand years if you're a hundred men. If you want to be a warlord, you need to have some brains."

Liu Bai explained to Kiana.

"But this is not an ordinary world. If you are strong enough, it means you can wipe out all schemes with one slap. Wise people? They are just a bunch of people on the roadside. Whether you don't want your loved ones to die or you want to shoulder heavy responsibilities, all you need is strength—of course, the former requires even more strength."

Liu Bai harbored deep resentment, clearly recalling the time when he first arrived and had to keep a low profile.

Well, never mind, Mebius was quite a treat, and being with Mebius wasn't so bad... you could even say he was free like an experimenter.

"...What if there's something even stronger?" Kiana's tone wavered slightly.

It seems... Liu Bai's words are actually quite true?

"For example, those things that can never be surpassed."

"If you can't surpass them, use your brain."

Liu Bai crossed his arms, looking like "only fools in this world need to use their brains," but seriously, most of the time, wisdom in this world still relies on the power of putting it into practice.

"I feel like you're insulting yourself." Kiana didn't know whether to be speechless or laugh.

“I am a different matter... If I only wanted to exploit this planet to the bone, I could have pacified all forces within three days and bloodily suppressed the vast majority of the planet’s rebels within a month—theoretically.”

"...The topic suddenly became terrifying."

"Everyone says that I've talked about Ryu and Rin, but in reality, most people wouldn't support me doing this. I don't have the ability to do it all by myself. By the way, I think I quite like this world and everyone else."

Liu Bai sighed.

"So, Kiana, you get it now. This world is essentially power-based. If you're not strong enough, you have to weigh all the pros and cons—well, or rather, it's the same whether you're superhuman or not, except that you'll be a bit more gentle if you're normal."

Kiana nodded. There was a comparison. Although they had Honkai energy here, ordinary people still lived relatively normal lives.

News reports also feature various stories of ordinary people scheming and plotting against each other.

"...So, the answer is that simple?" Kiana truly understood this time, but the simplicity of the result was unacceptable to her.

She thought she would go to a prestigious university to study, read thick books, and learn how to recognize and judge people.

As a result, Liu Bai told her, "Study what? Just put all your points into Strength, and when you can't put any more points into Strength, then put the rest into Intelligence."

This doesn't fit Liu Bai's persona at all.

She was even considering whether she should learn this kind of thing from Liu Bai... As long as Liu Bai could teach her something real, she would be happy to be a vacuum maid and be harassed by Liu Bai every day.

"If you just want to protect yourself, the answer is this: be strong enough, know that you don't have a brain, and don't do anything ridiculous or become some kind of world boss. That's more than enough."

Liu Bai nodded.

"If you don't have the strength, then don't be shameless. Be kind to others, and you can protect yourself even if you have to put in several times the effort."

"...And what about going a step further? Like you, for example." Kiana felt she was being quite greedy; after knowing how to pass, she wanted to know how to get a perfect score.

"The two are combined."

Okay, that concludes the discussion.

Liu Bai's current goal is entirely focused on saving the world, so he's putting in both physical and intellectual effort.

"...But then again, isn't it too difficult to become stronger? Although I complain about my older sister, it's still normal for her to become stronger."

It's probably when everyone thinks, "She's worked so hard, she should get a little stronger," that Bianca actually does get a little stronger...

It seems normal in reality, but it's actually not normal at all.

Moreover... not everyone is like Bianca, who has no level cap.

Kiana can actually clearly sense where her limits are.

I've really tried my best... Over a year has passed, and I can barely compare myself to my current parents?

Saying this feels a bit like insulting my older sister's hard work, but the problem is, she only reached her limit in a year.

Moreover, after gaining experience from Liu Bai, this level of strength is not enough!

Not to mention it will take another year.

Kiana decided to be a little greedy; she didn't want her friends and family to leave before her eyes.

(…Wait a minute, could this be Liu Bai doing this?) Kiana suddenly paused.

"...So, isn't there any way to become stronger while lying down?"

"If you're going to ask me that, I might as well research how to become stronger by using mugwort."

Liu Bai was speechless. Kiana's talent was still being used to achieve quick success. If Eden knew this, he would probably be furious.

Wait a moment.

"...I almost forgot you're Kiana."

Throughout the conversation, Liu Bai maintained a high level of intelligence, to the point that while he called out to Kiana, he didn't treat her as Kiana at all.

"You..." Kiana was furious, but the next moment her expression changed and she sidled up to him.

"Brother Liu Bai! What's the plan?!"

Kiana called me "brother" for the first time in this setting...

How have your dreams been lately?

"It's much better." Kiana tilted her head. "I almost forgot—what does it have to do with dreams?"

"You know the main characters in most old-school action manga..."

"You mean my dreams are a hidden power within me?"

Kiana understood immediately.

"Yes." Bai nodded. "Go and take the girl to discover the power within you!"

"I feel like you're lying to me."

Kiana is so calm.

Surprisingly, it didn't let out a loud cry or run away like SpongeBob SquarePants.

"What did I lie to you about?" Bai was speechless. Why did Kiana make it sound like he had cheated her out of money and sex?

"You're trying to trick me into leaving."

Kiana took a deep breath, blushed, and kissed him fiercely.

They touched each other very awkwardly and then separated.

"No, don't misunderstand! This is a thank you gift for taking care of me for so many days!"

"..."

She didn't even stick out her tongue, why be so shy?

Hmm... but Kiana is indeed very girlish.

Considering the situation with Firefly, Kiana's reaction was quite normal.

But why did I have to compare myself to fireflies...?

"Remember, remember this! Don't misunderstand me! Also! Let's go!"

It's almost like they're saying, "Hurry up and misunderstand what I mean."

So is it "straightforward meow meow" or "arrogant meow meow" now?

But then again... Liu Bai glanced at the surveillance camera above his head.

And now is not the time for intimacy.

Although Liu Bai guessed that Kallen and Cecilia wouldn't have any objections if it was just kissing and touching... well, let's just forget about it.

It's not like there aren't other people who could take advantage of the situation.

"I...I'm leaving?" It was clear that Kiana really wanted Liu Bai to stop her.

"Mimi~~" Bai beckoned to Kiana and made a cat-calling sound.

"What...what do you mean by this?" Kiana was stunned.

The gesture was an attempt to persuade them to stay, but why couldn't I understand their voice?

"Sucking?"

Okay, Kiana understands.

"Get out of here!"

"General! Did you look for me?"

A two-tailed cat ran in through the door, and after a cloud of dust, the cat, whose pet niche had been suppressed by the Fox Palace and the Divine Child and had little presence, appeared.

"You get out too!"