Honkai: Starting to Wander with Kiana

Ryn watched as Kiana started crying, unsure of what to do. Not knowing how to comfort her, he could only sit beside her and gently pat her on the back.

As night deepened, Kiana's tears eventually led to sleep. Ryn carefully draped a blanket over her, then lay down next to her. He raised his hand, starting to examine the stigma.

This time was different. Now, faint purple lines had appeared on the skin around the stigma.

"Are you there? Can you tell me what happened this time?"

[Yeah, I'm here. Let me ask first: Do you know about parallel worlds or the concept of 'trees'?]

"I know about parallel worlds, and I know about trees, but I don't know what you mean by 'trees' in this context. Can you explain?"

[Let's start with the Imaginary Tree and the Sea of Quanta. The exact concepts of these are hard to describe and can't be fully explained in words. But simply put, the Imaginary Tree is like the world tree from Norse mythology, and the Sea of Quanta is the Dirac sea that makes up the world.]

[The Dirac sea is the fundamental nature of space. And the Imaginary Tree is the foundation for the existence of civilizations. It represents order and rules, much like the Dao in Chinese philosophy. You can think of it as a concrete form of the laws that shape the world.]

[The world of existence depends on the Imaginary Tree, equivalent to its "leaves." Already withered but not yet decomposed worlds are "fallen leaves," also known as "world bubbles." These world bubbles fall from the tree into the Quantum Sea, where they're gradually eroded and absorbed by it—this marks the end of the world inside the bubble.]

[World bubbles provide nourishment for the expansion of the Quantum Sea. In turn, the Imaginary Tree stands tall over the Quantum Sea, extracting its nutrients to continually create new "leaves."]

[These "leaves" undergo constant testing through "Honkai," with failed worlds falling back into the Quantum Sea as nourishment. Those that pass the Honkai test rely on the Imaginary Tree, approaching other "leaves" to enter what's called the "Age of Stars."]

[Different worlds have different Honkai tests. In my world, Honkai was pure destruction. Humans had to go through countless cycles before finally barely overcoming it. But this world's Honkai is different—it's called "Embrace?"]

[For the world you're in now, Honkai is a gift to people. But it's far too heavy a burden for fragile humans—it's almost cruel.]

[They're right. The selection processes in different worlds are unique. I can't help feeling a bit envious of this world now. Wait, the strongest 'Honkai Beasts' here are only at the Final Law level? In my world, we had planetary-level threats and beyond. Although she's terrifyingly powerful, she chose to stand with me. But I feel guilty; throughout countless reincarnations, I've only ever asked her for more, never meeting her expectations...]

[The first time she appeared in front of me, she was so adorable. Hm... I wonder what exactly she looked like again...]

As Stigma continued, getting more and more excited, Ryn knew they were veering off-topic and said, feeling helpless:

"You're losing focus. Let's get back to discussing the world bubble. We need to finish this important task first!"

Instantly, Stigma's energy surged, and a warm sensation flooded through Ryn. Though pleasant at first, it quickly turned into a strange itching, as if his body were being torn apart and reborn. Ryn was in so much pain he couldn't speak. The bizarre energy engulfed him completely, making it hard for him even to cry out. Seeing Ryn speechless, Stigma seemed satisfied and flashed twice more.

[I've been sending you power to change your body. A normal person's body can't handle Honkai corruption. How rude of you, interrupting a lady's speech is impolite.]

[I haven't spoken properly in countless ages. I'm losing almost all my memories. It's rare to remember so much, but too bad, I can't picture the girl I just mentioned. I've even forgotten her name...]

[Ah, eternity is perhaps the cruelest punishment.]

[I stand at the world's peak. How can a part of the world deny the whole?]

[I obtained the power to deny the world from beyond it. That's why I placed many of my stigmata in numerous "leaves." I hoped someone with a stigma would come before me to save—no, kill me. I'm a sinner. I should have died with them long ago, but Honkai gave me a "reward." Heh, what a great reward that was.]

[It's too bad only two of you awakened your stigmata. You two look strikingly alike! In a single world, there can't be identical leaves, yet in different worlds, there can.]

As we spoke, energy from the Stigma flowed through me, reaching every part of my body. The pain lessened, and I felt light and airy. But the sensation of being torn apart and reborn was still there - it was a pain etched into my cells. It was a strange feeling. Although I knew my body should be in agony, I felt incredible.

"You mean we're like parallel counterparts? That's fascinating. Did he also end up here like me? What's happening to me right now? This is bizarre."

[I've separated your consciousness from your body for now. You can't enter the Stigma Space yet, but this is the simplest way to ease your pain. Keep your mind active and try to stay connected with me. Even if it's tough, push through. It'll help strengthen your will.]

[Also, your double from the other world isn't here. Or maybe something went wrong during the teleportation. You've been sent to a world that's similar to mine, but it's not actually mine.]

"...So I'm like a hero distracted by the flowers and grasses along the roadside, exploring the world while forgetting to save the princess, huh?"

[Hey, don't be too hard on yourself. You're here too, in a different world with its own Honkai. You just have to beat it, like you would any other.]

"From what you're saying, it sounds like I won't be able to visit your world though. Am I allowed back in my own?"

[I'm sorry, but that's not possible for now. Once beings from the main world enter a Honkai-trial world, they can't travel between other worlds. However, different world bubbles are free for you to switch between.]

[If you can survive the Honkai trials in your world and defeat your own version of me, then you might get a chance to see my true form in my world. Otherwise, you'll only be able to see me through the Stigma space.]

"I get it. It's like battling monsters, leveling up, beating the final boss, and moving on to a new map with fresh enemies. I guess I am still a mighty savior, after all!"

[When someone dies, they're gone for good. I hope you take care of yourself. One wrong move, and you won't even be worthy of being etched into the Stigma. Death means GAME OVER.]