12. K423, The Birth of a Princess.
Subject K423, the 423rd product of the plan to revive the Herrscher of the Void.
The secret within the bloodline of the Kaslana family has always been something the Overseer Otto desired but could never obtain.
During the Second Eruption, facing the threat of a Herrscher, Siegfried Kaslana unleashed an extremely terrifying power to protect his wife while confronting the Herrscher.
This power did not come from a Divine Key but from the dreadful potency within his bloodline. It twisted Siegfried into a half-human, half-Honkai beast abomination. Even the Second Herrscher, Sirin, who possessed multiple Cores, was simply pinned to the ground and beaten mercilessly.
Of course, this was partly because Sirin was inherently incompetent yet loved to show off, possessing great power but no tactics, constantly oscillating between setbacks and overconfidence—like a pufferfish. But it was enough to demonstrate the strength of the Kaslana bloodline.
So powerful that even Otto, the Overseer who controlled all the forces of Schicksal, felt immense trepidation.
Although Gao Qi hadn't seen Otto since the simulation began, in the simulation's background, Gao Qi had spoken directly with Otto once or twice. In reality, he often saw the Overseer speaking in the news.
In front of others, Otto appeared gentle and refined, speaking with a warmth that felt like a spring breeze. Even when dealing with subordinates, he never put on airs.
But Gao Qi knew that Otto had an extremely strong, almost obsessive desire for control. Upon realizing the Kaslana bloodline's power exceeded his control, he directly launched a Honkai fission missile at Siegfried, which led to Cecilia's death.
Afterward, he began replicating the Kaslana bloodline, striving to master this power. After hundreds of test subjects failed to develop consciousness, this time, he creatively implanted the Core of the Herrscher of the Void into the cloned vessel.
Finally, after 422 failures, Subject K423 neither became an empty shell nor a rampaging zombie. Instead, she awakened into this world as a "true human".
"This is Subject K423, Researcher Gao Qi. Even Overseer Otto has stated that her birth was an unreplicable accident. The Core of the Herrscher of the Void was damaged after implantation, and we are incapable of creating a K424."
In a laboratory bathed in ultraviolet disinfectant light, a young woman with long white hair and an amber visor walked slowly, leading Gao Qi, who was wearing a lab coat.
"Researcher Gao Qi, our priority is to ensure K423's survival, after which we will attempt to educate and guide her. The research institute unanimously believes you are the most suitable for this task."
The woman wore a braid, and her figure under the black uniform was exceptionally curvaceous. Though she appeared young, she gave off a capable and mature aura, with a hint of mechanical precision in her movements.
Amber, the Overseer Otto's assistant. Most of the coordination with subordinates was handled by her, making her Gao Qi's superior in a way.
"Putting that aside, Miss Amber, on my way here, I ran into S-Rank Valkyrie Theresa. She asked me to say hello to you—if you're willing, the two of you could meet up."
Walking up to Amber and moving alongside her, Gao Qi's tone remained somewhat casual.
He knew that Amber was one of the only two surviving clones from the same batch as Theresa, designated A-303, making her Theresa's older sister. However, she lacked Honkai beast genes and was instead a bionic entity supported by machinery—essentially, she had achieved mechanical ascension.
Looking at Amber's impressive bust and recalling how, not long ago, the legal loli "Aunt" Theresa had actually acted cute and played innocent with Gao Qi for some Homu merchandise, Gao Qi thought—mechanical ascension was truly superior.
"…Perhaps, if there's a chance."
Upon hearing Theresa's name, Amber's rhythm faltered for a moment before she calmly declined.
Along the way, Gao Qi saw many laboratories bustling with researchers. He observed numerous high-level zombies restrained in containment and even pink-and-white Honkai beasts.
He also noticed prototype weapons under development, along with what seemed to be combat armor—whether it was the third or fourth generation of Valkyrie battle suits was unclear.
Soon, the two reached the innermost, most secure area of the laboratory. Only a few researchers were permitted entry, and every move was strictly monitored.
Then, a large translucent cultivation pod came into Gao Qi's view. In the slightly murky nutrient fluid, he could vaguely make out a young girl curled up like an infant, wearing a snow-white dress.
She was sleeping peacefully, her head close to the pod's wall, allowing Gao Qi to barely discern her features.
She looked exactly like Kiana, indistinguishable in every way. If he had to point out a difference, the one before him had a slightly longer strand of hair sticking up.
Beside the cultivation pod, a deep blue gem was protected by heavy anti-radiation equipment, seemingly connected to the pod. The energy output was gradually being cut off.
"K423's body is not yet fully developed. The connection between the Core of the Herrscher of the Void and her nervous system is still being established. We speculate that this period is an opportune time for her education and guidance. Even if she forgets these hazy memories after her development is complete, we can still instill certain concepts in her mind."
Walking to the control panel, Amber pressed a few buttons. The nutrient fluid in the cultivation pod began to drain slowly as she assigned Gao Qi his task.
"Researcher Gao Qi, you have successfully built a good relationship with Kiana Kaslana, which indicates you have some experience in dealing with children."
Having lived in the murky fluid since her "creation," K423 was breathing nervously as she encountered air for the first time. She didn't know how to walk yet and could only crawl on the ground, looking around helplessly and anxiously.
"We have numerous experiments and studies to conduct on K423. You will have two hours each day to spend with her. Remember, we need a warrior who serves Schicksal, not another Kiana… Researcher Gao Qi?"
Before Amber could finish, she saw Gao Qi stride swiftly to K423, picking up the tense and panicked girl and holding her in his arms.
"There, there, Miss Amber, show a little more compassion for the child. Humans aren't calves—they can't stand and run right after birth. It's better to take it slow."
The girl in his arms was slightly lighter than Kiana, and her skin was more delicate compared to Kiana, who often roughhoused outdoors. Gao Qi held her gently, afraid of hurting her with even a little force.
"Mmm… ah."
As a test subject, K423's physical age was nine, but her instincts were no different from an infant's. Feeling Gao Qi's strong arms and seeing his smile, she struggled for a moment before slowly realizing he meant no harm. Finally feeling safe, she wrapped her arms around him tightly, holding on with all her strength.
"Good, good, good—although I know humans don't have imprinting behavior, Miss Amber, would you like to hold the child too? You might be seen as her mother."
Patting her damp little head, Gao Qi stood up with Kiana in his arms and raised an eyebrow at Amber nearby.
"No, I don't engage in meaningless actions. I won't interfere with your educational methods, but I will periodically review your results. Note that this is classified information. If Siegfried learns of this, we will face significant difficulties. Understood?"
Her expression remained unreadable, and Amber stayed calm, but she couldn't help recalling the day of her own "birth."
[If someone had held me like that back then… No, Theresa did save me.]
Seeing Amber's demeanor, Gao Qi said nothing more. He simply held K423 in a princess carry and looked into her curious blue eyes.
"You have a long road ahead, with great potential, my little princess."
And in his heart, Gao Qi finally uttered the name he had always wanted to call her.
[Hello, Kiana, my adorable tuna.]
Then, time flew by.
[And so, you became the teacher to both Kiana and K423, teaching the former about Honkai knowledge and the latter language and common sense. Your workload doubled, but both were exceptionally well-behaved, and you found great joy in being with them.]
[Kiana's personality grew increasingly cheerful. Though K423 was still childlike, she trusted you deeply. With your help, this little girl began to babble like an infant.]
[Using Kiana's DNA as a blueprint, the research institute continuously adjusted K423's physical condition to prepare her for becoming a warrior. Most of the time, she needed to lie on an operating table or in a cultivation pod.]
[K423 trusted you immensely. The two hours she spent with you each day were what she looked forward to the most. She was quiet, obedient, and would always listen quietly to you speak. She especially enjoyed making eye contact with you and occasionally stumbling over a few unfamiliar words.]
[Because the laboratory was filled with surveillance cameras and microphones, you could only follow the standard procedures in raising K423 and couldn't say anything unnecessary. Even so, K423 still grew closer to you.]
[The longer you spent together, the harder it became to connect her with the future Kiana.]
[Of course, when you visited Kiana's house another day, you encountered an furious Theresa. She had originally intended to give you a severe beating with the Oath of Judah, but you had already prepared a case of bitter melon drinks as a tribute, narrowly avoiding disaster.]
[Theresa often visited Kiana and remained wary of you. Little Kiana now had one more person to mediate between.]
[And so, time passed until December. Kiana's birthday was approaching.]
[On this day, when you arrived at Kiana's house, you found Siegfried and Theresa sitting in the living room, both looking at you with strange expressions.]
[You knew it was time to put your plan into action.]
Note: I'm new to translating so please be kind and tell me any mistakes you all find, I will try to release a chapter a day but don't expect much
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Raw: 崩坏模拟器,你找的人是我么?