Xin Yu looked at Theresa's somewhat awkward expression, then thought back to how things were when he parted ways with Kiana and the others. He started to understand – she probably felt awkward because she thought Kiana and her friends had spread false news of his death.
"Actually, what Kiana and the others said wasn't wrong."
"Huh? But aren't you sitting here just fine right now?"
"Truthfully, I have died once already. The reason I can still sit here now is merely because I luckily crawled back from the brink of death. At that time, I didn't expect to survive either. Later, some other things happened, and I only returned to Longkong City recently."
"You... why did you come back here?"
"For any potential survivors, and also so that the souls trapped within the bodies of Deadmasks and Honkai Beasts can find peace."
Theresa looked at Xin Yu before her. This young man was truly mysterious. She had previously used her resources to investigate him, and all the information obtained was extremely normal and ordinary. The only suspicious point was that his school's online records indicated he was on long-term sick leave, yet she had also found out that during that period, he had worked as a delivery driver. Could someone seriously ill really work as a delivery driver?
Moreover, it was during this time as a part-time delivery driver that he had seemingly coincidental contact with Kiana's group...
Considering this situation and the strength he currently displayed, he was either someone sent by her grandfather, or someone sent by another mysterious organization that had learned about Kiana's situation.
Theresa hesitated for a moment. She didn't know how to face this young man. If he was sent by her grandfather, even if she sent him away now, her grandfather would definitely arrange for him to enter St. Freya Academy again, putting her in a passive position. But if she invited him in, and he turned out to be a member of another organization, wouldn't she be letting the wolf into the sheepfold? Furthermore, he had just saved her life. Doing nothing would make her seem too petty.
Xin Yu looked at the conflicted expression on Theresa's face, unable to guess what she was struggling with. Was she agonizing over how to repay his life-saving grace?
"Actually, there's no need for you to struggle over repaying me or anything. I merely saw injustice on the road and drew my sword to help. There's no need for any reward. Besides, you're awake now and should be able to make contact normally. I should probably be going now."
Xin Yu stood up, preparing to leave. Since an organization fighting against the Honkai had already appeared, the remaining issues within Longkong City no longer needed his resolution. It was time for him to unlock his sealed transmigration.
Having condensed a Golden Core within his body—though his Golden Core was more like a crystal core—Xin Yu had completed this stage of transformation. He could now control his constitution that caused him to transmigrate from time to time. He could now choose whether to activate that constitution, like flipping a switch.
Currently, the biggest difference between this random transmigration and subjective transmigration was that random transmigration incurred no cost. In fact, after a random transmigration, he could even gain a certain increase in lifespan. He didn't know exactly where the difference lay between the two.
Perhaps, his random transmigrations were actually achieved with the help of that unknown existence, while his subjective transmigrations were initiated by himself, thus requiring him to bear the cost.
"Wait, at least leave a contact method."
"Sorry, my previous phone was completely destroyed during the Honkai outbreak. I don't have a phone now... Oh! Right, it's probably better to leave a contact method. After all, that Kiana girl still owes me a drink."
Xin Yu raised his originally empty left hand. In his palm, a lotus flower formed from crystal bloomed.
Theresa stared at the purple crystal lotus flower, her eyes somewhat captivated for a moment. This crystal flower itself possessed a presence far exceeding ordinary objects, inexplicably drawing one's gaze.
Xin Yu handed the crystal flower to Theresa.
"If you ever need help, just crush this flower. Or, when that Kiana girl remembers the drink she owes me and plans to fulfill her promise, she can also crush it. I will come here then."
"Of course, if you don't need it, that's fine too. You can treat it as a decoration. If you grow tired of it or dislike it, just throw it into water, and it will disappear on its own."
Xin Yu watched Theresa somewhat dazedly accept the crystal flower he had created, feeling a slight urge to laugh. Her current expression really resembled Kallen's when she was wrapped up like a mummy.
"Well then, descendant of an old acquaintance, may fate bring us together again."
"...Wait! Kiana and the others! They've always wanted to see you, always wanted to apologize to you!"
"There's no need! They haven't wronged me in any way. Besides, everyone has their own lives; there's no need to disturb them."
This time, Theresa didn't try to persuade Xin Yu to stay. He simply vanished from the spot in an instant.
Not long after, following the signal from Theresa's damaged but still functioning communicator, Himeko and the three girls finally arrived.
"Where's Xin Yu?"
Seeing only her great-aunt sitting dazedly on the bed holding a crystal flower, with no sign of Xin Yu, Kiana immediately asked anxiously.
"Sigh! He left. He said if we need help, just crush this flower... Kiana, he also said you owe him a drink, and when you plan to fulfill your promise, crush the flower too. What's that about?"
At the mention of the drink, Kiana's expression instantly stiffened. It would have been better not to mention it. Just hearing about it brought back the image of Xin Yu dissipating before her eyes not long ago, and reminded her of how she had prioritized her crush over her friend back then.
"...Does he... not want to see us?"
Raiden Mei's expression darkened slightly.
"He said you all have your own lives and there's no need to disturb them."
Theresa sighed. Did this young man really not know? How much favorability does saving a damsel in distress generate? Especially when the rescued party already felt indebted.
......
Xin Yu regained his senses from this instance of random transmigration. Back when he was still weak, he couldn't feel anything during random transmigrations; it felt like just the blink of an eye. But now, as his realm continuously improved, he could indeed perceive some ineffable sensation from these transmigrations.
Xin Yu found himself in a rainy night. Surrounding him were towering skyscrapers, appearing full of modern sci-fi style. The flashing neon lights made the dark night seem less oppressive, but for some reason, it added a sense of inexplicable loneliness.
"Hmm?"
Just as Xin Yu was about to walk out of the alley he had appeared in, he saw a figure collapsed next to a nearby trash can.
"Is that... Kiana?"
Xin Yu looked at the person collapsed by the trash can. It was Kiana, but she looked much older than the Kiana he knew, and her hair wasn't tied up.
Xin Yu immediately walked over to check her condition. He found an abnormally large amount of Honkai energy within her body, constantly eroding her. This would inevitably lead to Kiana being in a terrible mental and physical state. No wonder she had collapsed here unconscious.
"Fate really does work in strange ways."
Xin Yu picked up the Kiana lying on the ground. The raindrops, originally falling heavily enough to drench everything, now curved around above the pair's heads, as if an invisible wall was deflecting them all.
Holding up an invisible umbrella, Xin Yu carried the unconscious Kiana and walked into the rainy night.