After some time, Kate and Yang Kai were stopped by a commotion ahead. When they arrived at the scene, they saw Su Mu, the younger brother of Su Yan, lying on the ground being beaten up by a disciple from Storm Manor and his friends. "Looks like he's not as good as his big sister," Kate remarked dryly.
"Let's go," Yang Kai said, leaping into action without hesitation. Kate followed suit, targeting one of the Storm Manor disciples with a powerful kick that sent him flying.
"Another High Heaven disciple delivers themselves to get beat up. Beat them up!" Chen Shao Feng ordered, directing his group towards Kate and Yang Kai.
"Let me take care of this," Yang Kai said, taking charge of the main group.
"Then I'll take care of that girl," Kate replied, running towards the female disciple among their opponents.
The girl sneered at Kate's approach, readying herself for a fight. Kate could see the confidence in her eyes, but it didn't deter her. She summoned her strength, drawing on her experience and training. The female disciple launched a series of quick strikes, but Kate deftly dodged each one, countering with a powerful blow that sent the girl stumbling backward.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai engaged the rest of the Storm Manor disciples, his movements swift and precise. He fought with a controlled fury, each strike landing with precision. Despite being outnumbered, his opponents were no match for his skill and determination.
Kate, after ensuring her opponent was incapacitated, turned her attention to the remaining disciples. "Looks like we're almost done here," she thought, moving to assist Yang Kai. Together, they made quick work of the remaining Storm Manor disciples, their teamwork seamless.
Chen Shao Feng, seeing his comrades defeated, tried to retreat, but Kate and Yang Kai were too quick. Yang Kai intercepted him, landing a decisive blow that left Chen Shao Feng on the ground, groaning in pain.
Kate walked over to Su Mu, who was still on the ground. "You okay?" she asked, offering him a hand.
Su Mu looked up, clearly shaken but grateful. "Yeah, thanks," he muttered, accepting her help to stand.
"Next time, try not to get into fights you can't win," Kate advised with a smirk.
Su Mu nodded, still processing the sudden turn of events.
Yang Kai joined them, dusting off his hands. "Let's get moving," he said, glancing at Kate.
Kate and Yang Kai made their way back to the sect, helping a battered Su Mu along the way. Upon arriving, Kate noticed the casual reactions to their condition.
"Getting into fights is so normal here that no one even bats an eye," Kate observed.
"As long as no one dies, the elders turn a blind eye to it," Yang Kai replied.
"Since we're back, I'll just go cultivate more," Kate said.
"Right," Yang Kai replied.
After some time, Kate made her way back to the scene of the earlier fight. Seeing the Storm Manor disciples still unconscious, she decided to take matters into her own hands. "They're still asleep?" she thought to herself while hiding in a tree.
Kate opened a Gate beside her and retrieved Hades' Cap of Invisibility from within. Putting on the cap, she became invisible. She then jumped down, opening another Gate from which emerged the hilt of the Noble Phantasm Merodach.
"I'll kill all of you besides Chen Shao Feng," she whispered to herself, determined and cold.
Stealthily, Kate moved through the shadows, taking out each of Chen Shao Feng's underlings with deadly precision. Her movements were swift and silent, ensuring that none of them had a chance to react or defend themselves.
Chen Shao Feng remained unaware of the fate that had befallen his comrades, still groaning in his unconscious state. With the task complete, stood over Chen Shao Feng.
"You'll live today, but remember this," she muttered, feeling a dark satisfaction in her actions. She left Chen Shao Feng to wake up to the grim reality of his situation.
Returning to the sect, Kate felt a mixture of satisfaction and a tinge of guilt. She justified her actions as necessary, a means to protect herself and Yang Kai from future threats.
Back in her temporary house, she removed the cap and the hilt, placing them back into the Gate. She then sat down to cultivate, her mind focusing on the next steps to strengthen herself. The path she had chosen was ruthless, but she knew it was necessary in the harsh world she found herself in.
As Kate continued her cultivation, she pondered over the implications of her recent actions.
"When I killed those four disciples, the cooldown of the Universe Transfer decreased by four months," she thought to herself. "If I just kill more, then I might be able to transfer to another universe again. Thirty minutes... I think the timer is about thirty minutes."
The realization was both unsettling and intriguing. On one hand, it meant that by taking lives, she could expedite her journey and potentially gain more power or knowledge from other universes. On the other hand, it raised moral questions about the cost of her actions.
Kate sat in silence, her mind racing with possibilities. She had always been pragmatic, but this newfound power and the associated cost brought a new level of complexity to her decisions.
"I need to be strategic about this," she thought. "Killing indiscriminately will draw too much attention and could put me in danger. But if I choose my targets carefully, I can make the most of this ability."
She decided to make a plan. First, she needed to gather information about other disciples and potential threats within the sect. She couldn't afford to kill randomly; each target had to be justified either as a threat to her and Yang Kai or as someone who wouldn't be missed.
Kate resolved to observe the sect more closely, keeping an eye on potential targets. In the meantime, she would continue cultivating and preparing herself for whatever came next.
"There's no room for hesitation," she reminded herself. "This world is ruthless, and I have to be just as ruthless to survive and achieve my goals."
With a clear plan in mind, Kate refocused on her cultivation, her determination stronger than ever. The path ahead was dark, but she was ready to walk it, no matter the cost.
As Kate continued to cultivate, another realization dawned on her. "Aren't there Holy Grails in the Gate of Babylon?" she wondered aloud. Curiosity getting the best of her, she opened a gate and out came the Grail of Uruk.
"It is here," Kate muttered, rendered speechless by the sight of the legendary artifact. The sheer power it represented was almost overwhelming.
"What should I do? Should I make a wish?" she pondered. The possibilities were endless, and the temptation was strong. However, due to its rarity and her own nature, she hesitated.
"Agh, this is extremely dumb," she said to herself, conflicted. "But collecting limited items is a trait of mine; that's one of the reasons I became a researcher."
She carefully placed the Grail of Uruk back into the Gate of Babylon. The temptation to use it was immense, but the collector and researcher in her couldn't bring herself to squander such a rare artifact on a whim.
"I need to be smart about this," she reminded herself. "Rushing into using such a powerful item could have unforeseen consequences. I need to gather more information, strategize, and make sure that when I do use it, it's for something truly worthwhile."
With that resolution, she closed the gate and returned to her cultivation. The Grail of Uruk was a powerful tool, but she knew she had to wield it wisely.
As she continued to meditate, her thoughts shifted back to her immediate goals. She needed to strengthen her abilities, gather more resources, and prepare for whatever challenges lay ahead.
"Patience is key," she thought. "Rushing into things without proper preparation will only lead to disaster. I have the power, now I need to use it wisely."
With a clearer mind and renewed determination, Kate focused on her cultivation, ready to face whatever came next with both caution and confidence.
The next day, as Kate was deep in her cultivation, she suddenly opened her eyes and leaped towards the door in panic. "Ho? Looks like this little sister of mine is as cautious as ever," said a mysterious glowing ethereal being.
"You again?" Kate said, dropping her guard upon seeing the being. "What do you want now?"
"I'm here to tell you something," the being replied.
"What is it then?" Kate asked.
"As you know, I'm interfering with your life. I want you to help Yang Kai get stronger," the being said.
"But he's destined to get stronger," Kate replied.
"With your existence, it's now not absolute," the being said.
"But his-" Kate started, but was stopped by the being.
"What I want is for you to make him stronger, even if it's just a single realm higher than the original," the being said.
"Why are you doing this?" Kate asked.
"There is something going on in a place I know you know well, being a researcher and all," the being replied. "Here." The being handed Kate a set of five cards.
"What's this?" Kate asked.
"Another selection opportunity," the being replied, slowly turning to smoke and disappearing.
Kate looked at the cards in her hand, curiosity piqued. Each card had an inscription, much like the previous ones she had encountered. She examined them closely, ready to make her next choice, knowing it would shape the path ahead for both her and Yang Kai.
"There is definitely something going on, and something I know?" Kate thought to herself. "I thought she's busy, and now she's here," Kate said out loud. "Anyways, she gave me these."
Kate looked at the cards while a gate opened in front of her. She put the four sets into the gate, leaving a single set of cards. "This set has ten cards," she said while opening them. As soon as she did, all ten cards flew into the air in front of her. Words started to form, saying, "Choose three cards out of ten from the Universe Leaf that will be anchored to you."
Kate read the words and wondered what they meant. "Anchored to me? Does that mean these abilities or items will stay with me permanently?" she mused.
She carefully examined each card, considering the potential benefits and drawbacks of each choice.
"First card reads 'Fate Series'," she murmured, noting each one in turn. "Second card, 'I'm an Evil God'. Third, 'Against the Gods'. Fourth, 'Demon Slayer'. Fifth, 'Apotheosis'. Sixth, 'Solo Levelling'. Seventh, 'Honkai Impact 3rd'. Eighth, 'Azur Lane'. Ninth, 'The Irregular at Magic High School'. Tenth, 'Doom Breaker'."
"These are from Earth," Kate remarked. "Well, that galaxy only has life on Earth to begin with, so these must all come from there. So, I can pick 3 from these cards."
Kate closed her eyes and delved into the depths of the Void Archives. "Alex made a feature of the Void Archives named Memory Materialization; it should have the books about these cards or information about them," Kate mused. After several hours of intense research, Kate emerged with newfound confidence in her decision.
"I pick the Third card, The Second Card, and the Seventh Card," Kate declared decisively.
The three cards turned to light and seamlessly merged into Kate's body. As she focused on her Character Creation and Customization screen, the Universe Leaf tab opened up, revealing the three cards she had chosen: The Honkai Impact Universe Leaf, Against the Gods, Universe Leaf and the I'm an Evil god Universe Leaf
Kate observed the Universe Leaf tab, noting that while there was also a cooldown period, it currently showed zero. "Seems like I can now access these universes," she concluded to herself.
Kate observed the newly discovered "Synthesize" button on her Character Creation and Customization (CCC) screen. Puzzled by its function, she decided to explore it further and pressed the button. A new interface appeared with two slots at the top and a third slot at the bottom.
"Hmm, Synthesize," Kate pondered, contemplating the potential outcomes. After some hesitation, she urged herself to proceed. "Just do it and stop procrastinating," she encouraged herself.
Kate retrieved the Void Archive and the Gate of Babylon key named Bab-Ilu from her possessions and placed them in the two slots at the top. With a determined press of the "Synthesize" button, she initiated the process, eager to discover the results.