Lupus city
Buildings were deranged as people's voices rang continuously in the face of roaring monsters that caused a disaster. Peace was nowhere found and only lingering flames of destruction were left as a sign of this cause
The remnants of Lupus City's citizens were either screaming as they ran or were hiding with haggard breaths. Nothing was calm while a lone short figure shot himself inside a pile of broken buildings
The monsters just passed this place, as they say, 'The most dangerous place is the safest'. Uesugi Shuu thought absentmindedly.
'It has only been minutes since I woke up to this mess. If this is transmigration then at least show me what happened'. Uesugi couldn't help but sigh at his fate and the fact that he subconsciously hid in the current spot. Glancing outside, he witnessed the monster that caused the damage in Lupus City.
"That is a... Honkai Beast?" His dazed thoughts instantly became shocked as he realised the world he was transmigrated in
Honkai Impact 3rd, the existence of Honkai energy has brought forth forces in the form of Honkai Beasts, they are said to be a tribulation for humanity as alongside these monsters, humans were capable of utilizing Honkai Energy to combat otherworldly enemies
In the initial phases of Honkai Impact 3rd, two major organizations were formed as protectors of humanity, Schicksal and Anti-Entropy. The main protagonist is in a school called St Freya High School that nurtures Valkyries who can use Honkai Energy under Schicksal as trainee Valkyries
"I just finished the story of Honkai Impact and now I'm dragged into this mess." Sighing at his fate, fear soon arose as he rationalized his ability to survive the storylines was minuscule to none
"This is my first sincere prayer since I was born. God please at least let me use Honkai Energy." Seconds became minutes as he finally gave up his naive thoughts when suddenly, his eyes became tinted with blue as a blue screen was displayed before him
Uesugi Shuu (Human)
LvL: 0
Talent: Focus, [UNAWAKENED]
STR: 5, DUR: 5, INT: 10
Energy: 0
"Indeed, a weak human with hardly any outstanding features except his inhuman level of concentration"
A simple set of stats and comments on his existence was shown. Uesugi Shuu blanked out momentarily and immediately snapped out of it with an outburst of glee
However, he realized there was no further information supplied or any starter packs for him to gain.
He couldn't even gain access to Honkai energy, even though there's an energy stat, he needed it now. This predicament left him sighing with despair as he glanced at the havoc caused by the Honkai Beasts
'Hiding will get me nowhere, I better leave the city and find a way to join Schicksal or Anti-Entropy. Though I'll only be a lackey' Silently making up his mind, Uesugi carefully got out of the rubble and began to find a supermarket to refill his supplies
Clenching his fist and moving his body, he didn't notice any abnormalities, which was neither good nor bad. It's good because there are no hidden dangers. Bad means he's average with no special qualities
Sighing again, he sneaked into the alleys without entering the streets to avoid being detected by both Honkai Beasts and humans.
In an apocalypse, the highest level of danger originates from fellow humans. Enmity is just the beginning, betrayal and sacrificing one another cause a lack of trust and conflict
This is why Schicksal and Anti-Entropy, as well as other minor organizations, are not united, for not sharing the same belief, let alone the common people who cause chaos whenever the situation is unfavorable for them
10 minutes later, a shopping mall was found. Uesugi decided to stock canned food and water, a phone with a portable charger, and a metal bat tied to his traveling bag
"A bat in an apocalypse, this is the Kaslana's way to survival" Uesugi muttered under his breath jokingly, trying to settle his unease
*Tap* *Tap*
Footsteps echoed within the open space of the shopping mall. Uesugi flinched at the sound and immediately held his bat, ready for combat
The approaching figure was thin and had pale skin, ragged clothes, and horrifyingly, without a face. It carried a scythe twice its size and faced Uesugi's direction
'Zombie' Uesugi Shuu proclaimed as he sighed at his bad luck.
Honkai Energy can infect humanity with low resistance or high exposure to its atmosphere. Those who survive the exposure can contain Honkai Energy within their physical vessel
However, Valkyries can still experience corruption if exposed to levels of Honkai Energy beyond their resistance
Zombies are born from humans incapable of surviving Honkai Energy. They are the lowest grade of enemies and generally, a B-Rank Valkyrie is required to eliminate them
This is not to say that C-rank is weak, but that exposure to volatile Honkai Energy and Honkai Beasts can speed up Honkai Cascade
Currently, Uesugi is just a normal human. His resistance to Honkai Energy is untested but he decides to test his protagonist's luck
Trembling was unavoidable as Uesugi Shuu tried to calm down his nerves and ready himself to escape. His back is against the batting center with no entrances left and right
His only option was to pass through the zombie. However, even a full sprint surprise dash won't be able to fool the zombie as it acts instinctively. There was only one last gamble he could rely on to deal with the zombie
Unreliable as it is, Uesugi planned on activating his talent, [Focus] to determine his future. 'Maybe this is my cheat,' getting sidetracked before implementing his idea
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath while stabilizing his trembling with coordinated breathing and heartbeats, imagining a blank figure seated in a meditative state within a void background.
Surprised by his actions, Uesugi dispelled his wandering thoughts and concentrated on that feeling. Calm exuded from his presence as he slowly opened his eyes. He witnessed a world of wonder, speckles of light lingered in the air yet none approached him.
'Is this... Honkai Energy?' Uesugi Shuu's thoughts were soon interrupted as the approaching zombie was about to swing his scythe to chop his neck.
Uesugi reacted instantly, the bat parried the scythe upwards as he swung his bat at the zombie's head. The force mainly relied on the weapon's material and bluntness.
The Zombie ignored the impact and waved its arm. Uesugi reacted slowly this time as it hit his left arm. The strike nearly crushed his arm causing his face to scowl in pain
His attempt failed but this did not discourage him. Uesugi Shuu was an ordinary human, many may desire conflict and a thrill-seeking adventure but most cower in the face of fear
Uesugi was no exception, it was only due to [Focus] that he was able to remain rational in front of the zombie
He made multiple attempts to bypass the zombie but was repelled each time. The zombie had no signs of fatigue while Uesugi was panting heavily from the consecutive failures
[Focus] is more like an imposed state of calmness and rationality, Uesugi Shuu's spirit was suffering from the pressure of death and the physical fatigue of having an ordinary body.
'This isn't getting me anywhere'. Uesugi directed his attention to any grasping straws and realized the option was before him
'Honkai Energy! But how am I supposed to utilize them, and I haven't measured my resistance against its infection.'
For some reason, the zombie only blocked his path and remained stationary like a puppet. Uesugi took the chance to focus on his mental state
The blank figure meditating appeared before him again. This time, the speckles that appeared in the real world surrounded the blank figure
Only now did Uesugi realize that none of the specks of light approached him. As if there was an invisible barrier blocking the interaction
He could only frown at his last hope. When suddenly, his eyes flickered with blue light again.
'Mission options'
1) You will be offered a meditation technique that allows you to absorb Honkai Energy
Reward: Be glad that you're alive (Nothing)
2) Fight against the zombie for 30 minutes
Reward: STR +20, INT +20
3) Defeat the zombie within 10 minutes
Reward: Obtain a new talent
System notice: This is an opportunity before exposing yourself to the new world. The system exists only to support you and the only interference you get is pausing the zombie until you exit the mental space
The list of words caused Uesugi's mind to blank for a second. Immediately, a burst of ecstasy surged from his existence.
'Finally, my cheat has arrived', it felt like tears were about to fall, but he was currently in his mental world
Shaking off the flutters in his stomach, Uesugi planned out his new course of action.
Generally, the most common option in games is to choose the most rewarding mission. However, this is reality, he never thought of himself to be a genius and from his previous attempts, the third mission was impossible for his current state
The first mission was a freebie, Uesugi believed along with [Focus] and Honkai Energy, he could defeat the zombie single-handedly. Pondering along these lines, Uesugi glanced at the stat rewards from the second mission.
Usually, these kinds of rewards seem simple and lackluster compared to gaining a technique or talent. However, Uesugi Shuu decided to gamble. Lasting against the zombie for 30 minutes would be grueling for his first battle, but it was his best option compared to defeating it or getting a freebie for nothing
Besides, Uesugi realized a loophole in the missions supplied. It is in fact, the mental space.
The system's powers stopped the zombie for him, while he could not train his body, he could plan out his future course of actions, ready his mind for battle, and especially, discover a way to utilize Honkai Energy even without specific guidelines.
Without any further delays, he copied at the blank figure and started calming down his nerves
The events of reincarnation were sudden, ecstasy, euphoria, and fear merely covered the fatigue he experienced during this period
An hour later, he awoke from his state. The next step was to absorb Honkai Energy in the atmosphere
Honkai Energy is a byproduct of the manifestations of Honkai within the universe.
As previously mentioned, the concept of Honkai is considered a tribulation for humanity as standard features consist of the corruption of sentient beings regardless of having a physical or non-physical form
It filters out the common people and unleashes trials, and until Honkai is eliminated, Earth's population won't be increasing drastically anytime soon
At first, Uesugi wanted to test his resistance to Honkai Energy before any tests, but since there was no infection, his Honkai Radiation Adaptability should be trustworthy
Since the system would reward him with an absorption technique, it might be possible to absorb a certain amount to use
The only tool for absorption was to use [Focus]. The mental space became tranquil as the void background slowly began to shift.
Pondering slightly, Uesugi visualized his old house's room. Feeling at ease, he tried extending his mental energy, albeit to nothing
He was merely fooling himself, believing he could materialize mental energy and grab onto the floating specks of light in the air
Realizing nothing else could be achieved in this space, he decided to exit as the mental space dissipated from his sight