Honkai Diary: Start With Picking Up A White-Haired Treasure

Zeke was adapting well to the new world.

The primary reason lay in his possession of superbrain capabilities.

To describe it more precisely, for people in this world, learning and comprehending knowledge is akin to navigating a maze to find the exit.

The more complex the knowledge, the larger and more convoluted the maze becomes. A small minority possess exceptional memory and analytical skills, coupled with some luck, allowing them to quickly locate the exit. However, the vast majority must wander through the maze, often expending considerable effort without any guarantee of finding their way out.

In contrast, for Zeke, it's like viewing the maze from above; he doesn't need to concern himself with its intricate twists and turns. The entrance and exit are immediately apparent to him from the outset.

Zeke named this unique trait "Overarching Intelligence"!

Perhaps, as some internet memes suggest, Zeke's original world was that of higher-dimensional observers, which might explain how he acquired this ability?

As of now, he had no definitive explanation for it.

Regardless, this was an extraordinary gift, and his current understanding was clear: utilize it effectively to survive better in this world.

Thus, he recruited a tool person.

His purpose wasn't solely for wealth or power but rather for creating a suitable research environment—meaning a comfortable lifestyle and abundant resources.

Once the development under his tool person's management got on track, Zeke transformed into a homebound recluse, fully dedicated to climbing the technology tree and enhancing his own capabilities.

At this very moment, he was in his underground laboratory within the estate, attempting to study Honkai Energy using samples extracted from himself and various substances obtained from paramecia.

Firstly, he aimed to extract Honkai Energy, determining its nature, how it reacts with specific materials, and exploring ways to effectively utilize it—this was the first step towards creating Titan mechs.

Secondly, he sought methods to suppress Honkai Energy. Zeke himself was an adapter of Honkai Energy, but the extent of his adaptation remained uncertain; it might just be slightly stronger than that of ordinary individuals. Considering the inevitable recurrence of Honkai events in the future, for the sake of his own survival, both protective measures and treatment options were crucial.

Currently, Zeke was hunched over a microscope, observing the results of his latest experiment.

"Boom!"

Suddenly, an explosion sounded above him.

The blast overhead caused minimal vibrations, yet for the delicate experiment currently underway, it was enough to destroy all prior progress.

"Qii...aannnaaaa!!!"

Zeke instantly knew the culprit without even needing to think.

"Calm down!"

"It might not be her. Let's hope for the best; perhaps it was just another Honkai Manifestation?"

"Icarus, report on what happened."

Icarus referred to the artificial intelligence Zeke had created.

While far from achieving sentient life status, its self-learning and evolving capabilities were at least two centuries ahead of contemporary technology—excluding the cheat-like advancements by Schicksal and Anti-Entropy, of course.

After developing Icarus, Zeke understood why so many people, even within clichéd web novels, raved about AI assistants—they were incredibly convenient!

As for why it was named Icarus... well, any seasoned anime enthusiasts would likely grasp the reference. For those who didn't, explaining it involved intricate layers, but suffice to say, those who knew, understood. In short, that's how it came to be called Icarus.

"Yes, My Lord," responded the robotic female voice. Then, Icarus retrieved surveillance footage and projected it onto the wall before Zeke.

Upon viewing, as expected, he saw Kiana emerging from the smoke-filled kitchen.

"My Lord, as you can see, the explosion occurred due to Miss Kiana attempting to cook."

"...Fix it, and put up a sign at the kitchen entrance: 'Kiana and Idiots Not Allowed.' Also, hang her outside to bask in the sun for two hours... no, make it three."

"Yes, My Lord!"

While Zeke claimed he was making Kiana suffer under the sun's rays, winter sunlight wasn't actually torturous; in some ways, it could even be enjoyable.

For Kiana, the most humiliating aspect of being suspended like this was losing face in front of little Vera.

"Clank-clank!"

Kiana writhed mid-air like a caterpillar, attempting to break free from the iron chains. However, her efforts only produced crisp metallic clanging sounds without any real effect.

"Ahh... Damn you, Zeke! I just wanted to cook out of kindness, and this is how you treat me? You big idiot, Zeke! May you never find a girlfriend for the rest of your life!" Kiana cursed vehemently, twisting persistently in frustration before finally giving up in despair. She hung motionless, dejected, her eyes devoid of spirit, resembling those of a lethargic salted fish as she stared at this absurd world.

"Heave-ho! Heave-ho!"

At that moment, Little Vera's voice echoed nearby.

Straining with all her might, her tiny body struggled to carry a stool step by step beneath Kiana.

She set down the stool and dashed back inside with a tap-tap-tap, returning moments later with a cup of warm water.

Vera climbed onto the stool, holding up the cup to try feeding Kiana.

Unfortunately, Kiana was still too high off the ground; even on tiptoe, straining her arms as much as she could, Vera only managed to reach Kiana's waist—far from where she could actually drink.

"Just...a little more... Huh?"

As Vera continued her efforts, she suddenly let out a surprised exclamation.

The iron chains extending from the ceiling slowly lowered, gradually bringing Kiana down to a position where she could finally sip some water.

At the same time, two mechanical arms emerged from beneath the floor, stabilizing Vera's stool.

Blinking, Vera turned and called into the room:

"Thank you, Big Bro Zeke."

"Mm-hmm."

Zeke's nonchalant response echoed through the room's speaker system.

Then Vera faced Kiana, gently helping her take a few sips before pulling out a clean handkerchief from her pocket to wipe Kiana's soot-covered face.

"Vera, QAQ! You're so kind!"

Touched to tears, if not for her chains, Kiana would have eagerly hugged and nuzzled Vera right then.

Vera brushed aside her hair, sighing like a miniature adult. "Big Sister Kiana, maybe you shouldn't go into the kitchen anymore."

"I just wanted to cook everyone dinner!"

"But nobody uses flamethrowers to cook."

"Well, it's not like... Anyway, robot-made food has no soul! Hmph!" Stubbornly, Kiana lifted her head, refusing to admit any wrongdoing. At most, it was just a minor mishap—after all, no one got hurt, did they?

Little Vera shook her head after finishing feeding Kiana water. "If that's how you feel, next time I'll do the cooking instead!"

"You? Little Vera knows how to cook?"

"Of course! My toast is delicious; Papa always eats two extra slices whenever I make them... Hmm? What's wrong, Big Sister Kiana?"

Vera noticed a sudden shift in Kiana's expression, as if she had instantly lost her defiance and indignation. In its place emerged an emotion Vera couldn't quite understand.

Kiana then lifted her lips again, facing Vera with her usual goofy grin.

"Sure thing! I love toast too. Can't wait to taste your cooking, Little Vera!"

"No problem, leave it to me!"

"Why don't you head inside first? I'll just enjoy some more sun here."

"All righty, if Big Sister Kiana gets thirsty, remember to call for me."

After Little Vera left, Kiana slowly lowered her head.

"Toast..." she murmured, savoring the word and recalling countless memories.

Siegfried often cooked for her, but there was only one dish he could make successfully: toast.

Thus, throughout Kiana's brief life, the most familiar food to her had been Heaven's Fire's homemade toast—Zeke's special edition.

"Heh!" Kiana shifted her body, causing the iron chain holding her up to spin around.

As she revolved, it felt like the world itself was turning around her.

Watching the scenery continuously change before her eyes, Kiana reminisced about her life since meeting Zeke.

Apart from the initial few chaotic days, life with Zeke was safe, stable, and filled with abundant food and clothing. Although she constantly tried to provoke him each day, Kiana knew that her reckless behavior was only possible because Zeke would never abandon her.

Upon reflection, it seemed unclear when exactly Kiana had grown accustomed to relying on Zeke, drawing immense comfort from his presence. She could act freely without worrying or overthinking, simply pursuing whatever desires struck her fancy.

After all, for anything within reason, Zeke would always have her back without needing to be asked. And for any missteps, he naturally intervened to steer her away.

Zeke wasn't gentle; rather, he often appeared quite fierce, even terrifying at times. Just in the past month, he averaged suspending her from the ceiling one or two times daily.

Yet, Kiana didn't dislike Zeke, not even the slightest bit.

Honestly, there wasn't a hint of animosity towards him.

As the spinning gradually slowed down, Kiana, finally hanging quietly mid-air, looked up towards the sky.

'Zeke is truly wonderful.'

'Vera is also very adorable.'

'But, have I stayed here for too long?'

Through the clouds, Kiana faintly glimpsed a goofy smile—the face of Siegfried, who had been missing without a trace.

Kiana squinted, suddenly feeling that today's sunlight was unusually harsh on her eyes.