Honkai: Man(Sludge) From Future

This was Bronya's first time entering a Stigmata Space.

It wasn't that she hadn't encountered Stigmata before, but the Kaslana family's Stigmata Space was truly uncharted territory for her.

After donning the living Stigmata battlesuit, Bronya felt that strange sense of déjà vu, like the one she had with the "Parasitic Armor."

This subtle genetic information swam within her body, as if she possessed two life existences at once.

The Kaslana Stigmata Space was the key to constructing the upper echelon of ARC City. Only those who could pass through this screening could become the new humans truly fitting Noldrei's needs.

So am I considered a new human?

She entered an as-yet unknown world.

Unlike typical illusions, the illusions within the Kaslana Stigmata Space were all about telling you straight up: This is an illusion!

False past memories played out before her eyes, and she could vaguely hear a strange rhythm.

Bronya listened intently for a long time, but couldn't find the information she wanted within this pattern.

She looked down at her feet. Beneath her was a red substance, something between sand and flowing water. It wasn't sticky, nor was it soft.

"Why does this place look so gloomy and weird? Doesn't Kiana have any intention of cleaning this place up?"

Kiana actually wanted to clean it up, but the lingering wills of past generations within the Kaslana Stigmata Space were too strong. Most of them had merged with the ideology of revenge against the Honkai, making cleaning a very troublesome task.

Why else would Kiana find this job so bothersome?

"It doesn't seem that scary...

That's what Bronya thought, but she didn't dare go in completely unprepared.

Since the space was telling her it was an illusion, there had to be something that would make her feel lost and break her defenses.

"Yo! Hello there, Ural Silver Wolf."

A familiar voice interrupted Bronya's thoughts.

Appearing before Bronya was a punk-styled version of herself, dressed even more provocatively than her usual attire. This Bronya had a single ponytail, tinted sunglasses, and even short fishnet stockings.

That's too avant-garde. Wouldn't those stockings feel uncomfortable inside her shoes?

Bronya figured there must be other socks underneath.

"Who are you?"

"Me? I'm Alloy Gear Bronya Fang, your gaming account. For easier understanding, you can call me Silver Wolf. I'm the you from your memories."

Bronya wore an incredulous expression. She didn't think the "her" in her memories was this... liberated.

"I know you don't believe me, but this place is connected to the Imaginary Space. The Kaslana family Stigmata Space is linked to the Imaginary Space. Isn't that interesting?" Silver Wolf clapped her hands and said with a smile, "What does the Imaginary Space represent? It represents the ability to reach the legendary reverse side of the material world, the Quantum Sea you've been yearning for!"

Even though Bronya knew this was an illusion, her mind was still greatly shaken.

"Do you think everything I say in this illusion is fake? Actually, it's not. Human dreams are connected to Stigmata, and Stigmata retain the will of genetic information. Stigmata themselves have the power to control Honkai energy. They all stem from the same source. Don't you understand by now?"

Silver Wolf smiled and said, "I'm just a mixture of the you in your cognition and the genetic information within the Stigmata Space. In other words, I know everything you know, and I also know what you don't know. Whatever you desire, it can't escape my eyes."

Bronya was stunned, momentarily silenced.

"What are you afraid of? Are you worried that you won't be able to open the path to the Quantum Sea in this lifetime? Or... are you afraid that the paths presented to you are all fake? That's why you hesitate, worry about this and that. You can't find a way to seek your friends, and you don't know if the paths others give you are real."

"Is what Ms. Rita gave you real? Why not experiment and see? Can the X-10 experiment be replicated? Can the Project Bunny help you research quantum technology?"

"Does Dr. Tesla know the communication method of the Quantum Sea? Can Anti-Entropy's quantum technology achieve that effect?"

"Or do you rely on that future person you completely don't understand?"

"Your life is filled with anxiety, even anxious about reaching the Quantum Sea and not finding your friend there, perhaps vanishing like a wave in that vast ocean."

The Bronya manifested by the Stigmata will launched a mental assault on Bronya.

The barrage of questions stunned the girl, leaving her completely unsure of whom to trust among these choices.

But she also knew that she was the observer Cocolia had arranged to retrieve Raiden Mei.

Had she truly opened her heart to these girls, these new friends?

Bronya didn't know; she didn't even dare to think about it. Once suspicion began, it was a bottomless abyss.

"You can't shake Bronya."

Bronya spoke, interrupting Silver Wolf's incessant chatter. She thought about how to escape this illusion.

"No, no, no, I can't shake anyone. Have you forgotten? I'm your cognition; I am you. But why can I say these things so openly? Because I know, Bronya is not me. And Bronya, do you really recognize who you have built a strong connection with in reality?"

"Oh, right, that thing is called... 'kizuna' in the Japan." [Kizuna: Japanese for "bond"]

Silver Wolf winked playfully. She knew Bronya's mental state all too well and went in swinging like a button masher.

"Do you trust Raiden Mei? Do you think she can help you? She can't, right? Mei-senpai isn't an artificial Herrscher and has no intention of taking any initiative. She lives like a housekeeper in her own world. She enjoys these peaceful days; what's wrong with Mei-senpai's choice?"

"Then do you trust Kiana? She seems dumb and indecisive. She eats, plays, eats some more, and even skips sleep. Do you think she can help you?"

"Or do you trust Cocolia? Oh my god, you don't actually trust Mama Cocolia, do you? You poor thing."

"Or is it Ms. Rita? I admit Schicksal's technology is good, but why don't you ask her if she can take you to see the Quantum Sea first? Try it out, what's the harm?"

Bronya, overwhelmed by Silver Wolf's words, fainted right there in the Stigmata Space.