"Ah, indeed, the more dire the apocalyptic crisis, the cheaper favorability becomes. Or is it that greater despair leads to greater hope?" Chen Luo looked at the 9/10 progress of [Loli King] before him and couldn't help but nod with satisfaction.
In the few hours between Chen Luo sleeping from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m., Raven had already brought back the remaining survivors, bringing the total to exactly 15 people.
One could only say the talent panel is forever godly.
Among these 15 children, only three were male, which goes to show how suppressed males are in the Honkai world.
Among those 12 little lolis, only nine had a favorability towards Chen Luo of over 80.
According to Chen Luo's estimation, in the talent panel's calculations, full favorability should be 200. A 50% discount is achieved at 100 favorability, and only after reaching certain special relationships can this favorability continue to increase further.
80 favorability is almost equivalent to a 40% discount level.
Of course, these are just estimates, and even if these little lolis reach a 40% discount, they still can't buy anything because they truly have nothing.
Is being skilled at cat's cradle count?
One could only say that in this apocalyptic crisis, combined with the grace of saving their lives and the ability to bring them into normal society, this stacked favorability barely manages to reach a 40% discount.
This is almost equivalent to the grace of rebirth.
Of course, because this 40% discount is relatively difficult to achieve, not all little lolis can reach 80 favorability. There are three newly arrived, relatively shy little lolis whose favorability is still slightly lower, perhaps because they don't yet understand the weight of the grace of being taken out of Nagazora.
Naturally, Chen Luo doesn't expect them to repay this grace; Chen Luo just wants their favorability. The children are so young, and striving to study hard is the right path.
Chen Luo just wants to complete an achievement.
Farming the favorability of little lolis in an apocalyptic world—this counts as Chen Luo finding a fast way to farm favorability.
It's just that being stuck at 9/10 for this achievement is truly frustrating.
If it weren't for the fact that favorability modified by the Herrscher of Sentience's doesn't count as favorability, Chen Luo would have the impulse to mentally reform all the remaining little lolis.
But it's just as well, since the Herrscher of Sentience is nearby, Chen Luo can use her mind-reading ability to easily farm their favorability.
"Plant flowers intentionally, and they may not bloom; plant willows unintentionally, and they may form shade."
After 20 minutes of effort, Chen Luo didn't achieve the Loli King achievement but instead achieved a [King of Children] achievement.
[King of Children] (4-star): 10 children under the age of 14 have a favorability towards you of over 60.
Effect: Initial favorability from children under 14 towards you increases. Your words are more likely to convince them. They are more willing to respect you as their leader. You are the brightest King of Children among them.
Promotion Path: Cannot be promoted.
"Ah, this... My evaluation is that it's not as good as [Lolis, Submit to Me]," Chen Luo muttered quietly.
One could only say that all achievements that cannot be promoted to 5-star ultimately lack that special attack effect that can defy the heavens, the earth, and the sky.
This isn't to say that 4-star achievements are garbage. This King of Children achievement and that Non-Human Friend achievement are both quite powerful, but they don't have the skills that can produce qualitative changes like 5-star achievements.
For example, the lollipop skill attached to [Lolis, Submit to Me].
The one-hit kill execution skill attached to [Honkai Terminator].
The skill attached to [Lunatic's Hand] that converts a building into one's own unit.
"Chen Luo, are all the survivors in all of Nagazora here?" Raven asked Chen Luo.
"All the survivors worth saving are here," Chen Luo said without nodding.
Not all survivors need to be saved, just like not all people are truly people.
Anyway, if Chen Luo doesn't go, someone else can.
Even Raven's requirement for saving survivors was only children, so why would Chen Luo add unnecessary complications?
"If that's the case, then it's fine. So next, you should come back to World Serpent with me, right?" Raven stared intently at Chen Luo.
If there weren't other people around, Raven would have grabbed hold of Chen Luo.
Joking aside, he is worth $3 million.
Little darling.
"And also, it's time to pay the remaining $4 million in gold, right?" Raven took another step closer to Chen Luo, almost pressing against him now.
"You really are... How could I possibly owe you gold? I'm a traveler from another world. Money is like dirt to me." Chen Luo looked at Raven disdainfully.
"Then give all that dirt to me. I don't mind."
"Don't be ridiculous." Chen Luo instantly became unhappy.
"See?" Raven looked at Chen Luo discontentedly.
Raven always said, how could anyone in this world not like money? All people who claim not to like money are pretending.
"Ahem, rest assured. Although this gold is of some use to me, I will definitely give it to you as promised. I don't mind giving it to you now, but if I give you the gold, how will you carry it out? Don't forget you still have to take these 15 children with you." Chen Luo pointed at the children playing happily over there.
Although the apocalyptic crisis is indeed difficult for them to accept, being able to leave this place that can be called an apocalypse soon is truly something worth being happy about for them.
"..." Raven had no rebuttal.
Although gold is valuable, Raven doesn't have means like Chen Luo's inventory. Carrying large amounts of gold would inevitably be inconvenient.
And the $1 million gold deposit Chen Luo originally gave was still hidden by Raven in some corner.
Even just carrying that $1 million in gold isn't very convenient.
"So why don't you return the $1 million in gold I gave you and let me hold it for you? I'll give it back to you after you leave. Given our good relationship, I won't charge you a storage fee," Chen Luo said.
"!!!" You're taking my gold and even asking me to pay you a storage fee?
Even if I put it in a bank, the bank would give me some interest.
And you haven't even given me all the money yet, and you're already asking for money back. It feels like you're trying to scam a wave of money and run.
But in the end, Raven still chose to believe Chen Luo.
After all, what choice is there?
The gold is in his hands.
"So how do we get back to World Serpent next? My vehicle can't fit this many children. Almighty Traveler, can you give a solution?" Raven said to Chen Luo.
Moreover, Raven's car wasn't parked in Nagazora. Although it was a company car, it's better not to damage it if possible.
Leave it in Nagazora? That would just be abandoning it to be scrapped, right?
[Ding! You have a new commission!]
"That's simple. You drive the super go-kart out of Nagazora, and we'll wait at the survivor base or the bar."
"...You're doing this again?" Raven looked at Chen Luo discontentedly.
You all get to enjoy drinks and snacks in the bar while I'm the only one suffering, driving that thing that looks like a children's toy through Nagazora filled with Honkai beasts and zombies. Even though that thing miraculously doesn't need gas, this is just too much.
"No way. Forget everything else—at the very least, you have to suffer with me!" Raven insisted firmly.
Because Raven knew that if Chen Luo were to drive alone, he definitely wouldn't be willing. So the best way was for both of them to suffer together. Anyway, Raven wasn't willing to suffer alone.
"Seriously? That super go-kart can only fit two people. It'll be a bit crowded if two people sit together," Chen Luo said.
"If it can fit two people, then let's have two people sit in it. Anyway, you must suffer with me! Otherwise, I'll go to the bar, and you can drive that piece of junk go-kart out of Nagazora by yourself." Raven still held a grudge against Chen Luo for abandoning her outside the bar.
If I'm going down, I'm taking someone with me!
"This... alright, if you insist." Seeing how adamant Raven was, Chen Luo could only reluctantly accept the proposal.
Because Chen Luo didn't want to suffer alone either. At the very least, he needed to drag someone down with him.
"Oh, right, where did that person who looked exactly like Hua run off to?" Raven asked casually.
Raven had carefully observed for a long time but couldn't figure out where that person had gone. Could she still be in the bar and not come out?
"Who knows?" Chen Luo said, glancing at the Herrscher of Sentience standing right beside Raven.
Upon hearing Raven was looking for her, the Herrscher of Sentience made a face at Raven.
Is it really true that with hypnosis, you can do whatever you want?
Hearing this, Raven couldn't be bothered to think too much more about it. For some reason, Raven felt this didn't seem like an important matter. It was better to just ignore it.
"Oh, right, shouldn't you return my Divine Key to me now?" Raven checked the clock hanging in the survivor base and said to Chen Luo.
Chen Luo had been holding this Divine Key for an hour already. Really, Raven never imagined someone could be so fond of a weapon.
Could this be the reason why Chen Luo is so popular?
Maybe I should try it sometime too?
"Fine..." Chen Luo returned the 3rd Divine Key to Raven without any reluctance. After all, he had already finished analyzing it. If he wanted to use the 3rd Divine Key in the future, he could just use his own Void Archives.
The only pity was that even after limit breaking it, Void Archives couldn't enhance a 4-star top-tier weapon's power to 5-star level when replicating it.
Even so, the ability of a 4-star top-tier 3rd Divine Key was indeed precious enough.
However, it was foreseeable that against certain people, this weapon wouldn't be able to achieve a one-hit kill.
For example, that angel who had already died at Chen Luo's feet.
To be fair, that angel was indeed strong, with power even showing signs of a breakthrough. But who asked her to be an angel?
"I wonder how Sakura will react when she sees her sister and someone who looks almost identical to her." After retrieving the 3rd Divine Key, Raven looked at Rin and Yae Sakura.
While driving the super go-kart here, Raven had already reported the current situation to Grey Serpent.
After hearing this utterly absurd news, Grey Serpent didn't seem to find it too outrageous.
And when Grey Serpent heard Chen Luo's threat relayed by Raven, he remained silent for a few seconds before agreeing to let Raven bring Rin back to the Elysian Realm.
It was as if Grey Serpent had actually accepted this threat and didn't plan any funny business.
Whether Grey Serpent planned mischief or not—this was something Raven could somewhat detect.
This made Raven even more curious about what kind of background Chen Luo had to make even Grey Serpent wary.
Although both Raven and Grey Serpent were cadres of World Serpent, not all cadres were equal. Grey Serpent clearly had higher authority.
"Hmm? I think you might have misunderstood something." Chen Luo paused upon hearing Raven's words.
"What do you mean?"
"Rin will follow you back to World Serpent, but Yae Sakura won't. Yae Sakura will go to St. Freya Academy," Chen Luo said.
"Ah, why?" Raven couldn't help but ask.
"If Rin goes to World Serpent, at least after entering the Elysian Realm, she'll have Sakura to protect her. If anyone dares to harm Rin, Sakura will fight them to the death. You can't refute that, right?" Chen Luo asked.
"That's true," Raven nodded.
For all sister-con, if you harm my sister, I'll kill your whole family—especially someone like Sakura, who originally came from "Cocoon." After fifty thousand years, seeing her sister again, if you dare to take her sister away, she'll fight you to the death.
"But Yae Sakura is different. If Yae Sakura is sent to World Serpent, I bet there's a 20% chance she'll be taken by Jackal to undergo strange experiments," Chen Luo snorted coldly.
After all, Yae Sakura is a pseudo-Herrscher. Such a sample would be exceptionally precious to World Serpent.
Especially since that Jackal is like a mad scientist—it's hard to be sure what she might do.
"Then what about the other 80% chance?"
"The remaining 80% chance is that after successfully entering the Elysian Realm, she'll be taken by Mobius to undergo strange experiments. Or do you think Mobius wouldn't be interested in researching Yae Sakura upon seeing her?" Chen Luo glanced at Raven.
"Uh, you have a point. But do you know Mobius too?" Raven nodded, thinking of that woman dressed in green.
When it came to Mobius, unless necessary, Raven didn't want to bring her up. That woman exuded danger from head to toe.
She was truly terrifying.
Among the several Flame-Chasers Raven had met in the Elysian Realm, Mobius was the one she least wanted to interact with.
Look how friendly Sakura is—she even wanted to teach me cooking.
Look how friendly Eden is—she even wanted to share drinks with me.
Look how friendly Su is—he even wanted to tell me riddles.
Look how friendly Kevin... uh, never mind that one.
"Well, unlike Grey Serpent, Mobius and I are indeed quite familiar."
"Quite familiar? How familiar?"
"I've even seen Mobius drunk, singing and dancing while pulling people into drinking games," Chen Luo said proudly.
"Tch, you're just boasting." Raven looked at Chen Luo with complete disbelief.
Mobius? Doing something like that?