After the family finished lunch, Shun began the work he had been doing for the past few months. As for why he was only starting work now — you wouldn't think he could get up before noon, right? Sirin had found an opportunity to tell him everything that had happened after they separated, so he naturally learned a secret completely different from the original plot.
Cheng Lixue had not died in the Tower of Babylon. Instead, she had been thrown into the Sea of Quanta by Sirin. Unlike Shigure Kira's situation, Cheng Lixue being thrown into the Sea of Quanta could be said to be an unexpected problem. Considering her importance to Fu Hua, Shun had spent several hours every day over the past few months exploring the Sea of Quanta.
Unfortunately, the Sea of Quanta was simply too vast. In these few months, Shun had already explored many World Bubbles, yet he still hadn't found any trace of Cheng Lixue. With her abilities and the performance she showed when her inner demons retreated before facing Sirin, her Taixu Sword Qi must have improved significantly. It was impossible for her, whose strength had increased, to die easily in the Sea of Quanta.
Fortunately, Sirin still remembered the specific location where she had thrown her. Starting the search from that position at least meant they weren't completely without a lead.
After withdrawing from a World Bubble on the verge of collapse, Shun left a mark in place — an image of the "Red Kite." This was not only to tell himself that he had already checked here, but also in hopes that Cheng Lixue would see this mark and come looking for him in return.
Time to head to the next World Bubble… Shun didn't linger and moved toward the direction of the next World Bubble he sensed.
There were so many World Bubbles in the Sea of Quanta, and each one varied in scale. Some World Bubbles could even be compared to planets, while others were only the size of a single city.
Moreover, obstacles were often encountered during exploration. Shun didn't know if all World Bubbles in the Sea of Quanta were like this, but the ones he had experienced so far all bore traces of Honkai. It could only be said that the Cocoon of Finality's reach was still too long.
Just like now — Shun had barely entered one World Bubble when he felt that its structure was already on the verge of destruction and about to disappear.
Fire rain descended upon this city like a declaration of the end times. Thick smoke billowed across the sky, and the blazing flames illuminated the earth like a living hell. On the streets, people fled madly in all directions amid desperate wails. Fear had twisted their faces, and their panicked footsteps shattered the peace of the past.
Amid this chaos, only Shun's expression remained grave. He knew very well that the Ether Anchor of this World Bubble had already been mercilessly destroyed, severing the last connection to the outside world and turning it into an island abandoned by fate. Those who could not escape the World Bubble were imprisoned by an invisible cage. There was only one ending awaiting them — to perish together with the complete collapse of this World Bubble, their traces of existence forever erased in the endless void, leaving behind not a single proof that they had ever lived.
Shun's figure appeared especially lonely in this collapsing World Bubble. His eyes were filled with deep loss and confusion as he muttered to himself: "It seems this World Bubble won't have Cheng Lixue either…" With that, he sighed softly and was about to lift his foot and leave this despairing place.
At that moment, his sleeve was suddenly pulled by a gentle force. Shun's heart jolted violently, and he instantly became alert, thinking to himself: "Who is it? To be able to approach me so silently!" Without the slightest hesitation, he quickly turned around, his entire body tensing as he prepared to face any danger.
However, what entered his sight was not the troublesome figures he had imagined. Standing before him was a pure-looking girl dressed in a white robe. Her gray-green long hair looked especially messy from the chaos of fleeing, with several strands casually falling on both sides of her cheeks, adding a touch of delicate and moving fragility to her appearance. Her white robe was also covered in dust, no longer clean, yet even so, it could not conceal her innate elegant and refined temperament. Her pair of crimson eyes, like brilliant gemstones, were now filled with a pitiful expression that made one unable to help but feel compassion.
Shun's brows furrowed slightly as his gaze locked onto the girl before him, filled with doubt. An indescribable sense of familiarity quietly spread in his heart, as if an invisible thread was gently tugging at his memories. Yet no matter how hard he racked his brains, he could not grasp that elusive thought. His mind remained a complete blur.
"Please, can you save me?" The girl's voice was like a soft hook, carrying a trace of trembling and pleading, as if it could drill straight into a person's heart. Any man who still possessed even a shred of compassion would probably find it difficult to harden his heart and refuse.
"Me? This world is about to be destroyed. We're all going to die. How can I save you?" Shun shook his head and refused. Although the girl's breathtakingly beautiful face was like a delicate flower blooming in spring, and her pitiful appearance resembled a weak willow in the rain that could easily touch the softest corner of one's heart, Shun was not a saint. He had always kept his purpose firmly in mind.
"No, you're different from the others… We're all hiding from those monsters. Only you aren't afraid at all. I even saw you casually defeat those enormous monsters that could take on armies. If it's you, there must be a way, right?"
A hint of surprise flashed in Shun's eyes. He hadn't expected that she had seen him when he first arrived in this World Bubble and took care of a few Honkai Beasts.
"Then why should I help you?" Perhaps because he saw a familiar feeling in the girl's eyes, Shun didn't appear as impatient.
The girl's cheeks flushed slightly. She bit her lower lip, as if she had made some kind of decision. Her hands slowly moved toward the sash at her waist as she said softly: "If you don't mind…"
With her movement, that white robe originally wrapped around her body gently slipped off, revealing a jade-like smooth and delicate back. In this dim world, it emitted a soul-stirring luster, like a forbidden yet alluring painting slowly unfolding before Shun's eyes.
"Wait, wait!" Shun immediately covered his eyes with his hand and refused. "Put your clothes back on first. Don't take them off."
Good grief, she was actually using this to test a cadre. If this had been before he met Ana, he might have feasted his eyes on it. After all, it was free benefits. But now he was a married man.
"Oh? So you're still quite shy. What I like most is a shy little boy like you." The girl's originally pitiful tone became flirtatious, transforming from a pitiful little girl into a man-eating fierce tiger in an instant.
In the next second, a cold gleam flashed. A sharp blade shot straight toward Shun's abdomen like a venomous snake leaving its cave. The one who attacked was none other than the girl who, just a moment ago, had pitifully tried to "offer herself" in exchange for Shun's protection.
"Eh?" The girl let out a soft sound of surprise, her brows furrowing as her eyes filled with confusion. This blade had clearly touched its target, yet the anticipated sensation of piercing into flesh did not come.
However, before she could react, the next second, a long spear over two meters long came whistling through the air like lightning, fiercely striking toward her face. The spear tip gleamed with a cold light, as if it could pierce through anything in its way.
"Aiya, that was close~" The girl cried out in alarm. Her body reacted instantly, rapidly flying backward like a light swallow. Her toes lightly tapped the ground as she twisted her body, narrowly dodging Shun's fierce and deadly spear thrust at the critical moment. That hair-raising scene was like the Grim Reaper's scythe brushing past her hair.
"Heh, it seems you didn't completely believe in my little sheep appearance either. You even went to the trouble of putting on that shy act. Did you know that Big Sister here was almost hooked by your disguise?" The girl's figure lightly floated in mid-air. At her side, an exquisite "gear" interwoven with gold and green slowly rotated, emitting a mysterious and dangerous aura.
Nearby, the feather blade that had just ambushed Shun quietly floated, its tip flickering with a cold, chilling light, as if recounting its unfinished killing intent. At the same time, the girl's clothing underwent a wondrous transformation, like a dreamlike change. The style looked bizarre and strange, yet oddly harmonious, exuding an indescribable unique beauty.
It was adorned with numerous peacock elements. The gorgeous colors and intricate patterns seemed to drape the nobility and mystery of a peacock over her body, making her look like an elf who had walked out of a foreign myth.
Shun snorted coldly, the corner of his mouth curving into a mocking arc: "What? I was silently grabbed by the sleeve by someone getting close to me. Doesn't that already ring alarm bells and make me stay on guard? Besides, such an abrupt attempt to throw yourself into my arms without any foreplay — don't you think it's too fake and artificial? I'm not so conceited as to think I'm so handsome that you, young lady, would fall in love at first sight and be unable to control yourself, am I?"
Upon hearing this, the girl not only didn't get angry but instead giggled. Her laughter was clear and melodious, like silver bells swaying: "Hmm, that's not necessarily true. After all, Big Sister here is genuinely interested in you right now. A clever yet cautious boy like you — Big Sister really likes you a lot." With that, she deliberately threw him a flirtatious glance, her eyes full of slyness and amusement, as if this life-and-death confrontation before them was merely a game of love to her.
"Is that so? Then I'm truly flattered!" Shun didn't believe a single word from this person who basically had "I am a bad woman" written all over her face.
Moreover, he had finally figured out where that sense of familiarity came from. After the other party changed into this outfit filled with peacock elements, Shun completely remembered.
Wasn't this the genderbent version of Su that one would fall for at first sight? She really resembled him quite a bit. This made Shun involuntarily recall how Su had once mentioned in the Elysian Realm that he had observed a "genderbent" version of her.
"May I ask for the young lady's name?" Shun's gaze was like a torch, tightly locked onto the other party. His body was slightly tense, and his words carried a hint of vigilance and caution.
The corner of the girl's mouth lifted slightly as a trace of slyness flashed in her eyes. Her tone carried a hint of playfulness: "Hmm? When I say my name, as a gentleman, shouldn't you report your name first?"
"Shun." His answer was very concise. He didn't want this genderbent "Su" to fish out any more information.
"Shun? That's a really nice name. I find that I like you more and more!" The girl said playfully while clapping her hands.
But this appearance of purely lying with her eyes wide open — Shun wouldn't believe a single punctuation mark. Whoever believed it was an idiot.
"Listen carefully. My name is Vita. It's the 'Vita' where you gently bite your lip with your teeth, and the 'ta' where you lightly flick your tongue against your teeth." She spoke with a bright smile, as if the person who had harbored ill intentions and ambushed Shun earlier was someone else entirely. She had completely lost the fierceness and decisiveness from before. Her ability to change expressions was so fast that it left people speechless.
"Then, Miss Vita, you probably aren't someone from this World Bubble that's about to be destroyed, right? I came to the Sea of Quanta to find someone. If I can't find her here, then I'll go back."
Shun felt that the Fenghuang Down he used to protect himself had been triggered. Obviously, as the genderbent version of "Su," the other party definitely had spiritual attainments. If he stayed in front of her any longer, that would really be holding a lantern in the toilet — looking for (shit) death.
In the next instant, Shun's figure shot out like light and instantly disappeared from the spot. Seeing this, Vita wanted to make a move, but her body seemed to be restrained by an invisible force and couldn't move. In reality, it wasn't that she didn't want to intercept him, but a more powerful will in the dark had prevented her action.
"Agent, do not provoke the person who came from the Third Planet. Do not attract His attention because of a momentary impulse. You only need to focus on fulfilling your own duties." A majestic and mysterious voice sounded beside Vita's ear. This was a direct command from the "God" she served — cold and unquestionable.
Vita knew very well that she had no power to disobey this order. After all, the insignificant authority she currently possessed was only temporarily granted by the other party during the execution of her mission. If she made even the slightest mistake and angered this exalted existence, perhaps the power she had obtained in this short time would be mercilessly taken back, leaving her powerless once again.
"I understand… 'Sa.'" Vita respectfully bowed deeply toward the empty direction, a barely noticeable gloom flashing in her eyes.
Relying on the Cosmic Juggernaut to quickly return to the main world, Shun felt a strong sense of having survived a disaster. To think he had encountered a hidden boss while exploring the Sea of Quanta — should he say his luck was good or bad?
It seemed… he should temporarily stop going to the Sea of Quanta for now. If that Vita had marked him, wouldn't he be instantly killed the moment he showed his head?
Also, in the depths of the Sea of Quanta not far from the main world, such a terrifying existence existed. He wondered if Kevin and Su knew about it.
"Sigh… I'll find a chance to ask them again someday!" Shun let out a long sigh. Dragging his exhausted body, he slowly lay down on the lush lawn of St. Freya Academy.
He gazed up at the sky, blue like a gemstone. Sunlight gently fell on his face, bringing a trace of warmth. Gradually, he felt the fatigue in his body and mind surge like a tide. His eyes slowly closed, temporarily shutting out this chaotic world as he fell into a moment of peace and rest.