Chapter 149: Hybrid Edition

The World Snake's conference room has a hue that is perennially a few shades grayer than Du Ya's mood.

Du Ya rests his chin on his hand, his fingertips tapping intermittently on the cold metal tabletop, his gaze fixed on the crack in the opposite wall—the one left when Hu Lang's test subject went berserk last time.

Since Past World Paradise vanished without a trace, the whole organization has been like a hornet nest that's been pierced, the kind that has had its royal jelly stolen.

Hui She, or rather, his myriad mechanical bodies scattered everywhere, have entered a visibly "high‑energy‑consumption" state.

(He must be terribly worried, definitely worried.)

Du Ya silently adds a voice‑over in his mind for that top‑ranking superior.

(After all, losing Le Tu is like losing the Sovereign. Look, even the metallic sheen on his head has dulled lately; he might be overloaded to the point where the internal fan whirls—briefly called "smoke on the top".)

"Hey, Hu Lang."

Du Ya speaks lazily, looking toward the woman seated at the other end of the long table, idly fiddling with a miniature Holographic Projection device.

Her wolf‑head Mask looks somewhat ferocious in the dim light, but Du Ya is already immune.

"Do you know what this emergency summons is about? A new directive from the Sovereign? Or has Hui She finally decided to expand the search range to Mars?"

Hu Lang doesn't even lift his head, letting out an impatient snort from behind the Mask: "Hmph. Who knows which logical circuit those iron clumps miswired this time. Suddenly sending a message, his tone is, as always, that of a charlatan. Just wait, it's either catching a new test subject or mobilizing for some 'sacrifice for the snake' scheme."

Her tone is full of contempt.

Du Ya shrugs; she's been transmigrated into this world for several years, from initial shock and confusion, to hard‑won survival through disguise, to now becoming a veteran "corporate drone" of the World Snake, and considers herself well‑versed in turmoil.

But the complete disappearance of Past World Paradise still exceeds her comprehension.

Is this in the original plot? No!

She remembers clearly that Le Tu vanished only after Yimei "graduated", when an Invasive Lawgiver triggered an internal crisis that ultimately caused its dissolution.

Such a "move‑out" disappearance, leaving not even a scrap behind, is as absurd as someone erasing the four characters "Past World Paradise" from the world line with an eraser.

(It can't really be that I slipped into a hybrid version of Honkai 3, can it?)

The thought startles her, making her flinch; she quickly shakes her head.

At that moment, the heavy blast‑proof door of the conference room slides smoothly to one side with a hissing release of air pressure.

The one who enters first is Hui She.

He still wears that signature outfit, brandishing an umbrella, his cybernetic eye emitting a cool red glow.

But whether it's psychological or not, Du Ya feels that today Hui She's gait seems to have an extra hint of fluidity beyond his usual mechanical stride.

As if something more alive than a program were being controlled underneath.

Her thoughts are interrupted by the silhouette of someone walking in behind Hui She.

With just one glance, Du Ya's fingers striking the table abruptly halt, as if frozen instantly.

His ash‑gray shoulder‑length hair, not meticulously groomed, carries a familiar casualness.

Golden irises... merely lacking highlights, like a sunset veiled in a thin mist.

His attire, strikingly similar to that of a certain Galaxy Bat Knight, appears haphazardly assembled yet unexpectedly pleasing—

(Star???)

Du Ya's mind feels as if struck by a heavy ice pick, buzzing, and slipping into a brief idle spin.

A hand under the table clenches suddenly, nails nearly digging into the palm; relying on a mercenary‑honed instinct, he forces himself to release quickly, keeping a Calm expression.

(What kind of universe‑scale joke is this?!)

(Why is the Pioneer from the Honkai Star Rail's Astral Express appearing in the Honkai 3 World Snake conference room?!)

(The set's wrong, bro! This is the Honkai 3 set where we clash with Honkai, battle Herrschers daily, and each person carries deep psychological trauma! It's not the Honkai Star Rail set where we ride the Astral Express across the universe for fun!)

(I've been transmigrated for so many years, memorized the script inside out, and there's no such part! Could it be a butterfly effect? Should I not have saved that child back then? Or should I not have saved that money by not buying the Destiny stock?)

Inside, a storm of turmoil rages, yet Du Ya's face shows only a slight constriction of his pupils before returning to normal.

Only his mind is boiling over, countless question marks and sarcastic comments scrolling wildly.

"Du Ya, Hu Lang."

Hui She (under Heimu's control) walks to the main seat, a steady electronic tone sounds, showing no abnormalities.

"This is the newly added member; you may call her 'Xing'."

A Xing steps forward half a pace, calmly nodding.

Her gaze sweeps over Du Ya and Hu Lang, showing no extra emotion.

(New member? Xing?! Joining the World Snake?!)

Du Ya feels the muscles at the corner of his mouth twitching uncontrollably.

(This plot is more absurd than Past World Paradise's on‑the‑spot escape! From which dimensional talent market did Hui She recruit her? Does her résumé list 'skilled in Galactic exploration, trash‑can appraisal, and trouble‑attracting at the Herrscher level'?)

Heimu Doll continues in his polished tone: "Xing possesses extraordinary strength and will be a vital aid in confronting our current predicament. Her addition has been approved by the Sovereign."

(Sovereign's approval? Kaiwen the Ancestor approved a 'Pioneer' whose artistic style is markedly different, seemingly having jumped over from the neighboring set?)

Du Ya can't help wildly rubbing his forehead in his mind.

(Has the Ancestor been in the Quantum Sea too long, connecting to some strange cosmic signal?)

Hu Lang, however, examines A Xing with interest, his gaze beneath the Mask filled with curious inquiry.

"Oh? A new face. Looks... quite sturdy. Any special abilities? How does she adapt to Honkai Energy?"

She has already begun asking professionally.

A Xing looks at Hu Lang, remains silent for two seconds, then speaks, her voice flat: "She can wield a bat and... a Flame Gun. Adaptability is unknown, but testable."

She adds deliberately, "Slice‑study not recommended."

"Specific abilities will manifest during the Task."

Heimu Doll interrupts Hu Lang's potential continuation of the 'academic discussion', steering the topic back on track.

"The reason we summoned you is because we have new clues and an action plan. The disappearance of Past World Paradise tramples the dignity of the World Snake; we must make the thief pay."

(Here it comes, the classic blame‑shifting segment.)

Du Ya rolled his eyes.

(Although everyone knows deep down that the "thief" who could whisk away the entire Letu without anyone noticing is probably beyond ordinary comprehension, we still need a target now to vent our anger and demonstrate our initiative.)

"After intelligence analysis,"

The Heimu Doll's electronic eye emitted a faint red glow, "All signs point to—Tianming. They have coveted the knowledge and power of the former civilization for a long time; this operation is likely a vile ambush commissioned by Aotuo."

(Tianming? Aotuo?)

Du Ya almost couldn't hold back a snort of laughter.

(That blame is being tossed around so big and round. That bishop likes to stir trouble, but lacks the ability—better to say he's still pining unrequitedly.)