HI3: Starting from the Previous Civilization

[General POV]

During this period, Uncle Mu and Yan contacted some of their old comrades—people who, like them, were victims of the Honkai, drifting aimlessly through life. Each had lost something or someone, and many had grown cynical or hopeless. Now, they found a faint glimmer of purpose.

Their current base of operations was still the vast underground hollow ("Big Hollow"). One of the Engineer Robots stayed behind to oversee daily tasks, while its main body led an entire robotic construction battalion digging passageways through the bedrock—eventually boring all the way to a remote mountain range. There, they laid subterranean rail lines and carved out multiple tunnels leading into the depths of the mountains.

Meanwhile, others disguised themselves as traveling merchants, gathering supplies bit by bit—especially grain. It was all part of laying groundwork for the eventual campaign.

Mu and Yan welcomed newly recruited veterans, each of whom got to see their loved ones via the soul-summoning device. After that, the group promptly underwent fusion surgery. Not even Mu and Yan themselves were exempt; they received an "upgraded" version of the gene injection. Both spent three minutes writhing on the floor before finally staggering upright. Had Fan possessed DNA from a higher-tier Honkai Beast (like an Emperor-class), they might have become even stronger, but that would have to wait for the future.

[General POV: Dr. EINSTELN's Breakthrough]

During the same timeframe, Dr. EINSTELN completed the production of a special metal known as "Houkai Steel" (also called "Herscher-killing Steel," "Soulsteel,"). Hearing of this development, Fan's eyes went round.

"Wait, I just casually suggested something about nano-metal aggregation the other day—and you've already made it reality?"

But once the initial shock wore off, Fan shrugged. 

"Fine, if it's ready, let's build some self-governing combat units."

No sooner had he spoken than Dr. EINSTELN gave a little push of his red-framed glasses and produced two tiny bunny-eared contraptions from behind his back. They waved at Fan in cheerful greeting.

"…Um, okay, that's adorable," Fan mumbled. "Even if it's a bit terrifying how quickly you churn out results."

Yet all in all, everything progressed smoothly. Some who'd suffered at Honkai's hand chose to join them. Others, after learning the dire truth, sank into despair and ended their own lives. A few even tried reporting them to the authorities for a reward. But, as it happened, Fan's family had owned a funeral home—a perfect place to handle, shall we say, "complications." The entire staff had been replaced by Break of Dawn agents, ensuring no inconvenient leaks. 

[General POV]

Fan himself divided his time between further research, daily mission routines, and practicing hand-to-hand combat with the ex-military members. He quickly picked up many new techniques, integrating them with his own skillset. Once or twice, Yan, Mu, and Maya tried to get revenge for all the times they'd been run over by a jeep. But they underestimated Fan's hidden aces—Time Alter magic (limited though it was) and a handful of other abilities. 

"Sure, I can't maintain the Noble Phantasm or time manipulation for more than five seconds," Fan muttered. "But five seconds is enough."

Predictably, their grand plan of payback ended in another round of bruises. Still, they all took it in good spirits; after all, the next time might be different, right?

[General POV]

One day, a stray thought pricked at Fan's mind: 

'There's someone I can't forget… Hua from the Thirteen Flame-Chasers. At this point in time, she's probably just a little kid—her father still runs that martial arts dojo. Right… the story mentions him passing away during the Third Honkai Eruption, leaving Hua to rely on her fighting skills in college.'

Fan pondered. 

'But if I intervene and bring them under our wing, and if I can get them that gene serum... who knows what might happen? Besides, traditional martial arts—done right—could be a valuable skill for my group. Let's do this.'

Hence, he founded a security company—"Dawn Security Services"—and formally invited Master Hua (the father) to become an instructor at Mu Continent. The invitation letter was delivered to their modest dojo. Master Hua, seeing the oddly official offer, felt downright baffled. Wasn't traditional martial arts falling out of favor? And yet someone had somehow discovered him in a backwater district, offering him a teaching post overseas. Even better, the company would handle travel documents, plus let him bring his family.

Standing in the dojo's doorway, the aging master glanced outside, where a petite figure—his daughter, Hua—was diligently pounding away at a wooden training dummy. Then he looked down at the invitation, two airplane tickets slipping from the envelope. 

"…This might be our chance."

[General POV: Hua's Perspective]

Inside the dojo courtyard, Hua's fists hammered the wooden post with steady rhythm. A few more strikes and she'd be done for the day. Then her father called out:

"Hua, come inside. We need to talk."

She paused, exhaling. Grabbing a nearby towel, she wiped the sweat from her brow and stepped in.

"Yeah, Dad?" She blinked. "What's up? You look… happy?" Her father rarely smiled, being a strict, somewhat grim man.

Master Hua inhaled. "Hua, I'm planning to close the dojo." 

Halfway through, Hua cut him off. 

"Dad, what do you mean?! This place is your life's work—how can you just—"

"Wait, listen. I didn't say I'm throwing it all away. I just… got an offer from this security company, in Mu Continent. They're willing to pay for your education, cover our travel. Sure, the dojo means a lot, but it's not really bringing income anymore, is it?"

He explained the situation to her in calm detail. At first, Hua clenched her fists, gazing around the only home she'd ever known. Nostalgia stung her, but she also knew how tough things had become. With few students paying for lessons in "traditional wushu," the dojo barely scraped by. Sighing, she whispered:

"Alright. Let's… do it. I'll start packing."

Turning, she strode briskly to her bedroom. 

"Hold on, hold on," her father called after her with a laugh. "The flight's the day after tomorrow—no need to rush so much."

But Hua only peeked her head around the door, cheeks puffed like a small steamed bun. "We might as well, right?" she said. Then she withdrew with a faint grin.

Master Hua shook his head in amusement. That night, he brought out an old bottle of fine liquor he'd saved for special occasions, plus a hearty dinner. He poured himself a small cup and scanned every corner of this humble place, recalling countless memories. Then his gaze drifted to his daughter, who had dozed off at the table, face practically in her bowl.

Usually, he'd reprimand her for such sloppy manners. Today, though, he just let her be, a soft smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. 

Raising his chopsticks, he placed a tender chicken leg on her plate, downed the wine in a single swallow, and whispered a silent promise to the future.