"I… I'm back?"
Elias stood dazed in front of the mirror.
Instinctively, he glanced at the clock to confirm what the system had told him. Even though he had spent several months in the other timeline, not even a second had passed in his original timeline.
His body had also reverted from that of a child back to a teenager. The parts of his body that had been eroded by Honkai energy were now completely restored to normal.
At the same time, several new powers surged within him.
[Congratulations, Host! You have completed the Second Eruption simulation. Based on the bonds you have formed, your rewards have been successfully distributed. Please confirm.]
"Hm? Oh? Let's take a look then."
Elias raised an eyebrow. Perhaps he was still caught in the lingering emotions of his adventure, as he didn't display much excitement. However, he was eager to see just how much stronger he had become.
The next second, the system interface changed, revealing something akin to a character status screen from a video game.
[Your gains from this simulation include: Herrscher of the Void's Authority (Fragmented), Herrscher of Death's Authority (Fragmented), Herrscher of Fire's Authority (Fragmented), Herrscher of Wind's Authority (Fragmented), Herrscher of Thunder's Authority (Fragmented), Fusion Stigmata (Schariac + Kaslana), Schariac Holy Blood, Kaslana's Physical Prowess, Superior Gaming Talent, Personal Limit Breakthrough, Absolute Honkai Energy Adaptation…]
Elias blinked. He didn't quite understand everything listed, but it all seemed impressive—maybe even overpowered. Though, was there something strange mixed in?
"Superior Gaming Talent? What the hell is that? This reward doesn't match the others at all!"
In response, the system provided an explanation.
[Host, your rewards are determined based on the powers you acquired in the simulation, as well as random abilities from those you formed bonds with. During this simulation, you became a Five-Core Herrscher, thus obtaining five fragmented Herrscher Authorities. Additionally, you formed bonds with key figures such as Sirin, Cecilia, and Kiana/Durandal. As a result, you have gained their respective stigmata, holy blood, and some additional random abilities.]
"…Huh. So that's how it works."
Elias raised an eyebrow but accepted the explanation.
Thinking about it, the Superior Gaming Talent was probably from Cecilia. After all, despite her elegance, she was secretly a gaming prodigy.
At the same time, he noticed a unique stigmata on his back. Unlike the typical three-piece sets in the game, this one was a singular yet incredibly intricate design that covered nearly half of his back. Within it, he could sense two distinct forces intertwined.
"And what's this stigmata about?"
[This is your exclusive stigmata. Its function is simple—it allows you to fuse the power of other stigmata. Currently, you have merged the Kaslana and Schariac stigmata, granting you access to both their strengths simultaneously.]
"Whoa, seriously? Wait a second… doesn't this mean I now have the same setup as Durandal? Haha, this is insane! Ultimate Future Potential unlocked!"
For the first time, Elias was genuinely thrilled.
Durandal was practically the true protagonist of Honkai Impact. In the original story, she had survived a direct head injury and a freefall from tens of thousands of meters as a child—
And as an adult, she possessed a talent that allowed her to grow infinitely stronger as long as she kept pushing herself.
The fundamental reason behind this was her perfect fusion of Schariac and Kaslana bloodlines, inheriting the stigmata of both. With such a configuration, given enough time to grow, Durandal could very well be capable of single-handedly ending the Honkai.
Though Elias, being a self-proclaimed slacker heavily influenced by 21st-century procrastination culture, doubted he could ever match Durandal's discipline and work ethic, his setup alone meant that even if he tried to underperform, he wouldn't fall too far behind.
Beyond that, the fragmented Herrscher Authorities—though inferior to the full powers of an actual Herrscher—were still enough to elevate Elias' strength by several levels.
The Void's mobility, the Fire's destructive power, the Death's regenerative ability, the Thunder's interference, and the Wind's defensive capabilities—all incomplete, but when combined together?
Elias felt his current strength was already on par with an S-rank Valkyrie. At the very least, he was confident he could take on the Herrscher of Sentience's clone without breaking a sweat!
"Ah~ this is amazing, I just hit the jackpot."
Elias placed his hands on his hips, grinning with satisfaction.
Just earlier that night, he had been nothing more than an ordinary person without even the slightest Honkai resistance. Now, he had the power to directly influence the early events of Honkai's main storyline.
"Wait… how's the storyline looking now?"
Suddenly remembering something, Elias turned to the system with concern. After all, his time-traveling had altered countless events. Who knew how badly the plot had been derailed?
The system had previously told him that historical correction forces had little influence over him, meaning the events he changed wouldn't easily revert.
[Rest assured, Host. Based on this system's investigation, Cecilia and Siegfried, both alive, have joined Anti-Entropy, while Sirin and the others remain safe.]
[Theresa has still founded St. Freya Academy, though she has now completely severed ties with Schicksal.]
[However, please note that while historical correction forces are weak against you, they still exist. The general course of events remains largely unchanged. For example… had you not intervened, the Honkai outbreak in Nagazora City would still occur.]
[Additionally, Kiana/K423 still exists. Your alterations to the past did not erase her from ever being born.]
The system displayed an extensive amount of information, detailing the differences and deviations caused by Elias' interference with the Second Eruption.
Yet despite these changes, the overall trajectory of the world remained largely intact. Schicksal, Anti-Entropy, and World Serpent still existed, their conflicts unchanged.
At that moment, a realization dawned on Elias as he stared at the system's visualization of the "Threads of Fate."
"System… does this mean…?"
[Host, it seems you have understood. This system has merely granted you the opportunity to return to the past. You were free to rewrite history, but the present and the future are different—they are yours to shape.]
The past, having already happened, could still be rewritten.
But the future, which had yet to unfold, could not be changed in advance.
If left alone, events such as Final Lesson, Meteoric Salvation, and Flame-Chasers' Legacy would still take place without fail.
But now, Elias had the power to act. The system had allowed him to return to the past, to gain strength from it—
And with that strength, he would carve out a brand-new future.
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