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ArabicHonkai Impact: My Power Grows When Valkyries Fall For Me — Chapter 27
Chapter 27: What a Joke!
Seeing Kiana’s uncharacteristically flustered demeanor, Lucian was momentarily stunned, her words echoing in his mind.
“So…” He struggled to keep up with her dizzying train of thought. “I need to establish deep emotional connections with the Valkyries to strengthen the link?”
“Exactly…” Kiana nodded, though her expression was far from happy. “However, you’ll need to ‘conquer’ quite a few people to fully establish the connection with the Cocoon of Finality…” She paused, her gaze turning distant. “The reason you can even see me right now is because you ‘conquered’ the me in this world…”
Lucian’s mouth twitched. ‘What kind of shameless author dreamed up this ridiculous premise?’ he thought, exasperated. ‘An ability that actively encourages building a harem? This is just a lazy excuse to justify a harem without any regard for the world’s internal logic…’
“This doesn’t sound like a method to gain power,” he said aloud, a note of disbelief in his voice. “It sounds more like the setup for some kind of dating sim.”
Kiana’s expression suddenly became subtle and difficult to read. She let go of his hand, took half a step back, and crossed her arms over her chest.
“…In a sense, you’re right.”
“Huh?” Lucian was completely lost.
“There’s really only one way to deepen the connection with the Cocoon of Finality: the Herrscher Core.” She explained. “If I could just directly create a Herrscher Core for you, why would I resort to this method…?” Her voice trailed off, and a strange look crossed her face. “It’s practically like… cuckolding the me in this world…”
“Hah?” This time, Lucian genuinely couldn’t hold it back. The last of his composure shattered, his expression a mask of pure shock.
After letting the words slip, Kiana seemed to realize how bizarre her analogy was and coughed lightly twice.
“Ahem… Anyway.” She tried to steer the conversation back to a serious tone, but her voice wavered slightly. “After today, all the Valkyries who are destined to have a connection with you will meet another version of themselves from a different world.”
Lucian froze, his mind reeling as he tried to process the staggering amount of information packed into that single sentence.
“All… the Valkyries who will have a connection with me in the future?” he repeated slowly, trying to grasp the implications.
“Yes.” Kiana nodded, her expression turning serious. “Mei, Bronya, and even more…” Her eyes scanned him up and down, a teasing glint returning. “Thinking about it carefully, there are actually quite a few… Lucian, you old scumbag, you’ve been leaving your mark everywhere…”
Lucian choked on the sudden accusation, almost losing his breath. “W-wait! How is that ‘leaving my mark everywhere’? I clearly…”
He wanted to defend himself, but he was met with Kiana squinting at him, an expression that screamed, ‘I see right through you.’
“Are you referring to how, just after kissing me, you turned around and went home to spend time alone with Bronya? Boss~?”
Lucian was instantly rendered speechless. His brain raced, desperately trying to formulate a reasonable explanation, but it wasn’t as if he had refused Bronya’s company, either…
“Alright, alright, I won’t tease you anymore.” Kiana suddenly laughed, the sound bright and clear. Seeing Lucian’s flustered look, she stepped forward and hugged him again, her embrace warm and firm.
“I really hope the me in this world can protect you…” Kiana murmured into his shoulder.
But Lucian frowned, his mind catching on to a subtle detail. He paused, remembering a fleeting glimmer he’d seen in her eyes. “You’re not her from the future, are you? You’re not from my ‘future’.”
The smile on Kiana’s face faded, but it didn’t disappear entirely. It transformed into something more complex, an expression tinged with a hint of appreciation and deep weariness.
She sighed, not bothering to deny it.
“Pretty observant, Lucian.”
She released him from her embrace and took half a step back, a faint sense of detachment seeming to envelop her.
“Yes. I come from a failed timeline. A world where we overcame the Honkai… but lost you.” Her voice was quiet, heavy with a history he couldn’t comprehend. “I went through a great deal of trouble to reach this world, and I don’t have much time left here…”
As if on cue, the next second, her figure began to turn illusory.
“…Looks like I have to go.”
“Wait, Kiana…” Lucian reached out, desperate to grab hold of something, but his fingers only brushed past a few dissipating motes of light.
Kiana’s figure faded like morning mist, only her final words lingering in his ears, carrying a hint of mischievous laughter.
“Do your best, Lucian. Don’t make the me in this world sad, too.”
The pure white space instantly collapsed. Lucian’s consciousness plummeted, returning to his body with a jolt.
His eyes snapped open. The familiar ceiling of his bedroom came into view.
Morning light filtered through the gaps in the curtains, casting long, narrow bands of gold on the floor. Dust motes danced lazily in the sunbeams.
“…”
Lucian sat up in bed, unconsciously raising a hand to touch his right eye.
His vision had returned. It was perfectly clear, no different from his left eye.
Lucian blinked a few times, the sudden return of depth perception making him feel momentarily dizzy. He took a deep breath, threw off the covers, and got out of bed. He walked to the window and pulled the curtains wide open.
Sunlight flooded the room, forcing him to squint. The city’s silhouette was slowly awakening in the dawn light.
‘That’s not right…’
Looking at the scenery outside, Lucian frowned. He suddenly remembered what the Kiana from the failed timeline had said.
“【After today, all the Valkyries who will have a connection with you in the future will meet another version of themselves from a different world.】”
And she had mentioned Bronya…
‘So, has Bronya already met another version of herself? Did she receive some kind of information?’
The thought made his heart tighten. He quickly opened his bedroom door and walked into the living room.
There, Bronya was sitting at the dining table.
On the plate in front of her were simple fried eggs and a piece of toast. She held a glass of milk, taking small, deliberate sips.
Hearing the noise, Bronya turned her head. She looked at Lucian, her eyes and face completely expressionless.
“Boss, good morning. Breakfast is in the kitchen. The Bronya prepared enough for two.”
Lucian didn’t head to the kitchen. He walked to the table, pulled out a chair, and sat down across from her. He studied Bronya’s placid expression and decided to get straight to the point.
“Bronya, did you have any dreams last night?”
“The Bronya believes such private matters are not something she has an obligation to inform the Boss about.”
Bronya didn’t even look at him, her gaze fixed on the glass of milk in her hands.
“…”
Looking at her impassive face, Lucian knew he wouldn’t be able to pry any information out of her. He nodded, stood up, and went to the bathroom to wash up.
In the bathroom, water gushed from the tap.
Lucian splashed cold water on his face, trying to calm his chaotic thoughts. He looked up at his reflection. The man in the mirror stared back, his eyes unnervingly sharp. The complex patterns in his right eye were more pronounced now, seeming to pulse with a faint, rhythmic light.
He suddenly remembered the other Kiana’s words again.
‘It seems I can use a bit of Honkai Energy now?’
The thought stirred something within him. He put down the towel, closed his eyes, and concentrated, trying to sense the once-unfamiliar power now residing in his body.
Then, looking at his reflection again, he watched as the patterns in his right eye began to glow.
‘This is… establishing the connection?’
Lucian could clearly feel it. He could now access a certain power, and the feeling was as natural as deciding to break into a run.
He tried to focus his will on his fingertip.
There was no difficult process of energy manipulation, just a passing thought. A small, bright flame suddenly ignited in the palm of his hand.
Success. And it was far easier than he had expected.
It felt as if this power had always been a part of him, a limb that had only recently been reconnected.
The ability to grow stronger by ‘conquering’ beautiful girls—a trope that should have only existed in trashy web novels—had manifested so realistically in his life.
Lucian willed it again, and the flame in his hand extinguished as quickly as it had appeared.
The sense of unreality that came with suddenly possessing such power was greater than he could have imagined. Staring at himself in the mirror, he was overcome by a deep sense of absurdity.
Just yesterday, he was an ordinary person who could be killed instantly by Honkai Energy erosion. Today, he had become some kind of Herrscher who could cheat his way to power?
What a joke! Wasn’t this supposed to be a tale of blood, sweat, and heroic sacrifice? How had it suddenly turned into a cheap power fantasy novel?
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