Bab 13: Volume 1, Chapter 13 - How Do You Know Kaslana Gunmanship?
"Eight laps, nine laps... Auntie, where did you find such a monster?"
At the resting area near the training ground, Kiana counted Xia Chen's running laps, astounded by his performance.
The training ground's lap wasn't large, just four hundred meters. Yet Xia Chen was running with fifty kilograms of additional weight without wearing any Valkyrie Armor.
Judging by his appearance, he could continue for much longer, leaving her utterly astonished.
"Hmph, I always told you to train properly, but you never listened. Now look at him," Theresa criticized Kiana, taking this opportunity. "His name is Xia Chen, and he belongs to the Immortal Blades as a B-rank Val... no, a Valkyrie, despite being male."
In the past Schicksal, male combatants against Honkai were referred to as knights. However, due to their scarcity now, all fighters are uniformly called Valkyries.
"B-rank?" Kiana felt bewildered. "He's B-rank too, just like me..."
Confused, she wondered aloud, "Then how insanely strong must A-rank Valkyries be?"
Theresa also found it peculiar.
According to the data Amber provided, Xia Chen had eliminated four Emperors during the Manila Honkai incident. With the ability to defeat top-tier Lesser Honkai Beasts, he should ideally possess the strength of an A-rank Valkyrie.
Could it be that the criteria for male Valkyries were more stringent than females?
Just then, she noticed Kiana eagerly flexing her hands.
"Stupid niece, what are you doing?"
"Obviously, I'm going to spar with him," Kiana replied, brimming with determination. "I heard Durandal, Schicksal's strongest Valkyrie, is part of the Immortal Blades. First, I'll challenge him, and then take on Durandal. That way, I'll become the mightiest Valkyrie."
Theresa remained silent, thinking:
Foolish child, you have no idea how truly terrifying Durandal is.
Wait, how did Kiana even know about Durandal? Theresa couldn't recall mentioning it herself.
"Where did you hear about Durandal?"
"It was Bronya who told me." She paused before continuing, "Once, when I asked Bronya who the strongest Valkyrie in Schicksal is - because this young lady intends to defeat them - she said it's Durandal from the Immortal Blades."
Before Theresa could react, Kiana excitedly rushed over. However, instead of immediately interrupting Xia Chen, she grabbed two bottles of saline solution and patiently waited for his training session to conclude.
Xia Chen continued running until his pent-up frustration had mostly dissipated.
As he stopped and removed the weights, he realized belatedly that his entire body was sore.
The Stigmata significantly enhanced his endurance, but it didn't lessen the strain on his muscles. In fact, overtraining due to the Stigmata's influence could easily lead to heart failure and sudden death if not monitored carefully.
Just as he planned to take a break, a bottle of water appeared within his view.
"Here you go."
"Oh, thanks."
His condition had improved considerably; at least his complexion no longer looked so strained compared to earlier.
"And this is for you too."
Kiana handed him a chocolate bar.
"Hmm?"
Xia Chen felt slightly puzzled.
She explained, "After running for so long, your body must be exhausted. This chocolate bar is from Mei, specifically designed to replenish energy."
"Uh, I thought there were nutritional supplements available here."
"They taste awful," Kiana responded matter-of-factly.
She had grown accustomed to using chocolate as a substitute for those supplements.
Of course, this also highlighted how Saint Freya's training standards fell short compared to the Immortal Blades. Otherwise, such practices would risk draining Kiana's physical reserves completely.
"Alright, thank you."
He took a sip of water, then unwrapped the chocolate bar and gently bit into it.
While these candies couldn't match the effectiveness of nutritional supplements, they were certainly better than nothing.
However, after finishing the chocolate, Kiana didn't leave; instead, her eyes sparkled with anticipation.
"Is there something else, Kiana... Can I call you by your name?"
"Sure, no problem," Kiana replied. "Rest up quickly, and then let's spar."
"Spar?"
"Yes." She wrinkled her nose slightly, saying, "Auntie always says I don't train seriously enough. As a member of the Strongest Valkyrie Squad, I want to challenge you."
"If I win today, tomorrow I'll dare to challenge Durandal."
Kiana's optimism was undeniable.
Xia Chen pondered for a moment before asking, "Alright, should we spar wearing our armor or without it, using only hand-to-hand combat?"
The strength of a Valkyrie doesn't solely rely on individual physical attributes; their armor and weapons contribute significantly as well. In the Immortal Blades, many Valkyries had average physical abilities but achieved high scores in the Memory Battlefield when equipped with their armor and weaponry.
Therefore, it's crucial to clarify beforehand whether armor will be used during sparring sessions.
"Of course, with armor. Don't worry, I'll go easy on you," Kiana confidently stated.
Moreover, she felt it would be unfair to fight without armor, considering the legendary Kaslana superhuman strength wasn't just for show.
"Let's head to the training ground then."
"Now? Don't you need some rest first?"
"No, I'm fine." He shook his head.
Xia Chen possessed decent recovery abilities and already felt about halfway rejuvenated at this point. This was likely due to the Stigmata; although the game-derived ones might not match natural Stigmata, they were superior to artificial ones.
"Alright, remember, you asked for it. I won't go easy on you because of that."
Xia Chen donned his armor and followed Kiana to the training ground.
Theresa hurriedly trailed behind, genuinely concerned that their spar could escalate, potentially resulting in two additional hospital patients—a situation she wanted to avoid.
Currently, Kiana was a B-rank Valkyrie, but she had always displayed A-rank potential, with her only shortcoming being academic subjects.
It's precisely these seemingly evenly matched battles that are hardest to control.
Worry clouded Theresa's eyes, regretting not bringing Judas along.
Despite Theresa's concerns, Xia Chen and Kiana's battle commenced nonetheless.
"Neko Charm."
Giant cat claws materialized in mid-air, descending like pillars towards Xia Chen.
The Mark-III Valkyrie Armor's White Iron auxiliary functions were Kiana's secret weapon. Often, simply activating these features ensured her victory.
However, Xia Chen was unlike any of her previous opponents.
He had experienced battle firsthand.
To Xia Chen, Kiana's cat claws posed no greater threat than a Knight-class Honkai Beast charge.
Agilely evading the feline strikes, he sought an opportunity to close the distance and swiftly moved in.
Kiana quickly realized something was off and promptly abandoned relying on her armor's assistance. She aimed her pistol at Xia Chen's armored area, intending to force him back.
But Xia Chen was faster, disarming her instantly and pressing his own gun against her neck.
"You lose."
"Kaslana Gunmanship," Kiana blurted out, "How do you know this?"
She couldn't be mistaken; it was the same gunfighting technique taught by her grumpy old man.
"The Science Division has analyzed Kaslana Gunmanship, and now it's been disseminated within the Immortal Blades." He holstered his gun, explaining matter-of-factly.
Kiana felt a mix of emotions well up inside her.
Relieved, Theresa sighed, "Thankfully, both are unharmed."
"Oh my, quite lively here."
At that moment, Himeko appeared beside Theresa. "I assume this is our guest from the Immortal Blades? Hello there."
Suddenly, as she met Xia Chen's gaze, she couldn't help but feel surprised.
This face... Why does it seem so familiar?
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone