Chapter 9: Derivative Uses of Honkai Energy

If one were to describe the life of Thomas Platinaberg in a single phrase, "smooth sailing" would be the most fitting.

Born into a wealthy family, raised with privilege, he received a refined education and later achieved great success in the investment world. This earned him immense wealth and authority. By his thirties, he had already been appointed as one of Academy City's Directors.

He had never tasted failure, always riding the wave of success.

His record was spotless, and he was convinced that one day, he would become the General Director of Academy City.

What he never expected...

Was to have someone come knocking at his door—with murder in mind.

BOOM!!!

Blinding light consumed all vision. The roar of an explosion drowned every other sound. In an instant, terrifying energy reduced the entire building to rubble.

What was once the glorious Board of Directors' office was now just a heap of debris.

Only moments ago, Thomas had been impeccably dressed. Now, he crawled through the wreckage like a mangled mutt.

Step. Step~

From above, Selene descended slowly, walking across floating violet panels, and came to a stop before Thomas.

"You got too used to smooth roads and thought you could throw your weight around on my turf? Quite the nerve you have, Thomas."

"C-Cough... You... You are..."

Selene raised a single finger toward Thomas. Energy sparked at her fingertip.

"W-Wait... Stop!"

She ignored him entirely. The energy discharged.

BOOM!

When the smoke cleared, Thomas had been completely vaporized by the blast.

It was Selene's first time killing someone, yet she felt no fear or anxiety—as if she had simply squashed a bug. She was disturbingly calm.

"I just killed someone? Why do I feel no fear... maybe even a bit of satisfaction?"

Woo-woo! Woo-woo!

The sudden blare of alarms snapped her back to reality.

"Time to disappear."

Whoosh — Selene vanished without a trace.

...

The next day.

Selene sat up in bed as usual and stretched with a yawn.

"The report should be out by now..."

She stepped barefoot onto the handwoven carpet and turned on the television.

The familiar anchorwoman appeared on screen with the daily news, "Breaking story: Yesterday, the estate of Academy City Director Thomas Platinaberg was attacked in a suspected terrorist act. He died at the scene. The Board has issued a statement of grave concern..."

There was no mention of Selene. No suspects, no surveillance footage. Clearly, Aleister had already taken care of the aftermath. All that remained was for Selene to collect the spoils.

"Still, I ought to show a little appreciation."

She promptly contacted Aleister and offered to increase the monthly supply of Honkai energy—a gesture of gratitude for his help.

"Now then, it's time to clean house."

...

District 2, Schicksal Research Institute.

The heads of each major project had gathered in the meeting room after receiving notification. Once Selene arrived, the meeting officially began.

She got straight to the point. "I'm extremely displeased with the data theft incident yesterday. I didn't purge the research staff because I still had a sliver of trust in you. But you have betrayed that trust."

"So I've decided to give everyone in the institute a little 'insurance.'"

Before anyone could react, Selene unleashed a Honkai energy barrier that engulfed the entire facility.

"The source of Honkai energy is me. Naturally, I should have control over it."

As Selene's plans advanced, it was inevitable that the research institute would expand in size, and along with that expansion came the need for a large number of talented researchers.

But with the emergence of a new power, existing interest groups would inevitably be challenged. It was also unavoidable that she would brush up against the darker sides of this world.

That meant one thing: the question of loyalty.

Experimental Honkai-enhanced drugs, high-tech weapon development, high-energy explosives—the benefits these projects could bring were astronomical. And as for trusting researchers' morals? Not a chance.

In the face of such massive incentives, Selene had no faith in so-called integrity or loyalty. Controlling them via Honkai energy became an essential measure—the only way she could truly feel at ease.

But this type of control required a different approach. It wasn't like traditional mind control, which targeted a few individuals for a short time. This would need to cover a wide range and last for extended periods.

For this application, Selene gave it a name dripping with dark humor: "Mental Seal."

The concept was simple: release a barrier that continuously sends subtle suggestions to anyone inside it, reshaping their thinking to foster loyalty toward Selene without compromising their intelligence or initiative.

Like a frog being slowly boiled, the more time they spent under the influence, the more profound the transformation. Combine that with sci-fi-tier medical care, sheer force of intimidation, and increasing material rewards...

Eventually, they'd be bound to Selene entirely. Anyone causing trouble for her would be disrupting their livelihoods. Selene wouldn't even need to lift a finger—they'd deal with the threat on her behalf.

Based on the list of spies she had identified the day before, Selene issued a direct order: "Fire everyone on this list."

Whether it was fear or the early effects of the mental seal, the rest of the staff, though visibly uncertain, complied obediently. "Understood."

With the meeting wrapped up, and several future development plans passed under her firm guidance, Selene was the first to leave the room. But she didn't return to the School Garden. She stayed at the research institute for an important experiment.

As is well-known, electricity is the foundation of modern life and arguably its most critical energy source. Humanity's dependence on electricity rivals its need for oxygen. Without it, civilization would be stumbling through darkness.

Electricity is also one of nature's most common phenomena, emerging from the interactions between subatomic particles like electrons and protons. It is one of the universe's four fundamental forces.

Selene's current goal was to master the conversion of Honkai energy into electricity. On one hand, she needed this for self-defense against mental abilities—electromagnetic barriers could block many of those. Selene had no intention of letting anyone peek into her mind.

On the other hand, electromagnetic force had a sky-high power ceiling. If mastered, it could massively amplify her combat effectiveness.

...

In the lab, a crackling cacophony filled the air.

Under the guidance of several researchers, Selene conducted a series of electromagnetic experiments.

BOOM!

Looking down at her charred hand, she frowned. "The energy output format is still off?"

A nearby researcher explained, "From an electrical charge perspective, the essence of electrical phenomena is the directional movement of charged particles."

"From an energy perspective, the essence of electricity is energy transfer or conversion. Matter is made up of atoms, which consist of a nucleus and orbiting electrons. The nucleus is positively charged, while the electrons are negatively charged. These electrons orbit the nucleus at high speed, with charges equal and opposite..."

"Technically, your approach is correct. So where exactly is the problem?"

Suddenly, a black-haired researcher in his thirties slapped his forehead. "Oh! I get it now!"

"We fell into a conceptual trap. You're an original—a 'Gemstone.' Honkai energy is fundamentally based on your original ability. There's no need for calculations. Just try it. Don't overthink the formulas. Simply will lightning into existence."

Selene paused. "That's right... Why am I wasting time on theory? I just think it, and it becomes real."

Without hesitation, she acted.

Zzzzt... Crackle!

Blue lightning arced across her body, snapping sharply through the air. Metal objects in the lab trembled, defying gravity, rising toward her.

An invisible force surged outward, prickling everyone's skin. The acrid scent of ozone filled the air—the smell of oxygen being split apart by electricity. It screamed danger.

"E-everyone out! This is way too dangerous!"

Selene marveled at the raw elemental power in her hand. To command nature's fury so easily stirred something deep within her.

Zzzzt!

With a thought, the crackling lightning faded.

She called over the researcher who had helped her. "What's your name?"

He answered with excitement and pride. "Subordinate Shuji Matsuzaki."

(A wholly original character meant to serve as Selene's loyal aide.)

"Very good. Shuji Matsuzaki, I won't forget this. Effective immediately, you're promoted to project supervisor."

Buzz! Buzz!

"This is your reward... And one more thing: go coordinate with the enhancement serum project team."

As she spoke, Selene condensed a glowing, purple-red Honkai crystal in her hand and passed it to Shuji Matsuzaki.

"This is raw material. Relax, I've treated it—as long as you don't try to eat it, there won't be any side effects. How you use it is up to you."

With that, Selene vanished in a flash.

Only the lingering ozone and residual heat gave proof to the extraordinary scene that had just unfolded.

The remaining researchers, though envious, said nothing. One by one, they quietly dispersed to resume their own work, and the lab once again fell into silence.