As he watched the colossal red maw swallow various bodies, and was swept by those blood-red eyes, a shudder from the soul gripped his mind.
This feeling was strange. After spending a long time with the Herrschers, Calis found that he couldn't describe them with 'madness' or 'cruelty', because the Herrschers simply had no such emotions.
They would laugh, they would resent, but when you looked into their eyes, you could only see the purest rationality.
They were merely a group of robots instinctively advancing towards a goal, and they couldn't even describe what that goal was. At least, I guessed what Honkai wanted.
Calis felt no pride at all, because these things were not important to the Herrschers. Just as creatures associated with Honkai disregarded life and death, putting himself in their shoes, he could only see what the other party intended to do at the moment.
So he gently nodded to the eating figure, bypassed the small mountain, and walked deeper.
'The Ninth Herrscher apparently failed. The Fire Moth, after being controlled by Dr. Ryan, was strengthened countless times. Such a powerful Herrscher didn't even get a chance to see him.'
This was good for humanity, but cruel for him. Calis was not naive enough to think he could be whitewashed. He understood Ryan and Mei very well.
Squeeze out all utility, then behead them with one strike. At most, be quick about it when it's time to act. Trying to whitewash or atone was suicide. He had no choice but to take the most dangerous and difficult path.
Therefore, at this moment, I cannot show the slightest abnormality. MANTIS and the like are no longer so precious.
The cave was deep and hidden underground. Aside from the sound of tearing flesh behind him, it was exceptionally silent. He entered the deepest part and saw dozens of figures simultaneously looking at him.
There were old and young, men and women. Some even wore the military uniforms of the Fire Moth. Their movements and gazes were surprisingly uniform. They glanced at him, then dispersed.
'The Herrscher of Domination left so many Dominators here?'
Calis quietly raised an eyebrow. He still bowed. He had been here for several months, but had very little interaction with the Herrscher. Their attitude was very strange; they neither tried to win him over nor rejected him. The only command in months was the hunt for Ryan not long ago.
He felt truly like a wisp of air. Dr. Damian, on the other hand, had more contact with them. His laboratory was actually in this deepest part.
His curiosity lasted for a while. He saw Dr. Damian in a white lab coat walk out and finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"It's a pleasure to meet a 'kindred spirit' in a place like this."
"The hunt is about to begin. The MANTIS are yours to command. I just happen to have some new products recently," Damian said expressionlessly, as if assimilated by the Herrscher. He simply clapped his hands.
With footsteps, five figures emerged from the deep darkness. They were over two meters tall, wearing some kind of leather military greatcoats, with large chunks of Honkai energy crystals on their body surfaces, and thick tubes connecting their backs to their brains.
'Another new product? No wonder the Fire Moth is desperately trying to kill you.'
Calis mused as he watched. He didn't have many normal people left around him now. His trusted subordinates had undergone various modifications, all looking like neither human nor beast, and the only organized unit, the Dark Cocoons, had suffered heavy losses.
But this was inevitable. The humans brought here either died or became a new species, somewhere between human and Honkai Beast.
"Is he Poison Number?" Calis recognized the nearly three-meter-tall monster as a Dark Cocoon member, who was once a high-tier MANTIS.
"Yes, his genes collapsed after being hit by the ice boy, beyond recovery. So he became a rare material. By modifying his gene sequence, I developed this new product. Praise this place! Living in such a high Honkai energy environment for a long time indeed affects humans at the genetic level, just like natural selection in the wild. The weak will be eliminated, and the strong will be blessed."
Damian finally showed some excitement, speaking at an extremely fast pace. He wasn't discussing or seeking opinions; rather, he was showing off.
"The Twilight Monitoring Project was correct, but unfortunately, the time was too short. If it were extended to decades, perhaps even more special individuals could be born!"
Calis knew he was talking about Twilight Street, that long-abandoned project. Because they saw the results: four of Dr. Ryan closest people were related to Twilight Street.
"No need to go so far. Let's first overcome the current problem. How do you plan to use this new product of yours?"
"How to use it is your problem. I'll just state one thing," Damian patted the warrior beside him, making a muffled, metallic 'thump'. "Once activated, they can unleash very powerful strength."
"How powerful? Be clear."
"Poison Number will increase its output threefold. These four can reach the level of high-tier MANTIS, but the drawback is that their genes will collapse within forty-eight hours. You need to be careful. This flaw can only be adjusted after I figure out that thing."
Disposable armament. Is this intended for a quick decisive battle?
Calis was very clever; he immediately grasped the key point, and was somewhat curious: "What is 'that thing'?"
"Data brought back by the Herrscher of Domination from the central database, called the Stigmata Project. They are indeed more capable than me; they actually found such a method." Damian's tone became distorted, mixed with jealousy and excitement, as he pulled at his hair, muttering to himself:
"Transcending physical modification, reaching the soul level. Why did Dr. Mei choose to resist? If she had joined me, civilization could have smoothly transcended the End. Truly foolish, presumptuous, arrogant..."
Calis had no interest in this rambling, but he found that the doctor was already beyond communication. He was caught in some kind of obsession, his mind growing increasingly abnormal, slowly transforming from a rational, intelligent person into some kind of irrational monster.
'I feel like I'm in a mental hospital, watching incomprehensible performance art every day.'
He glanced at the muttering Damian, then at the constantly disappearing 'mountains of flesh', and slowly raised his head.
"If you can't win on the battlefield, no obsession is useful. The Fire Moth is coming with full suppression. There's no time to consider these trivial matters."
"We can win."
A clear voice rang out. Calis was slightly startled. He looked down into the deepest part of the cave, where a faint light was gradually appearing in the pitch black.
A graceful young girl emerged, her fair skin emitting a faint glow, with light blue hair, a slightly childish face, and purple eyeshadow. Isn't this his subordinate, Freya?
In the last hunt, she was hit by Hua punch and sent back for recuperation.
'Was she also modified by Damian?'
He was initially annoyed, but then he realized something was wrong. She was stark naked, but that unique Herrscher-like oppressive feeling made him instinctively restrain his desires.
"Freya, why are you..."
"That name is a thing of the past. If you insist on a codename to distinguish us and avoid such low-level confusion, then—"
The girl stopped, staring at the blond man with emotionless purple eyes, and gently raised her hand.
"You may call me, Herrscher of Binding."
...
Kill! Kill! Kill!
Let the flames of slaughter consume everything, unleash all power!
A ball of raging fire surged through the jungle, forming a winding curve. The paths it crossed were all ignited, then turned to ash.
Kalpas roared softly. He had been suppressed for too long, too long, tricked, fooled, used by that scoundrel...
'Do you think I don't know?!'
His hand blade pierced through the great shield of a centaur-type Emperor-class Honkai Beast. With a forceful tear, he ripped apart the half-meter-thick armored shield, and then a giant spear appeared before him.
It was fast, and sharp, exactly like a knight's charge. But Kalpas neither dodged nor avoided, simply slammed his head forward in a headbutt.
Boom!
Residual flames scattered. The three-story-tall centaur was actually knocked back, its hind legs sinking into the ground. Before it could regain its balance, a fist directly smashed into its forehead.
Thump, thump, thump, thump...
Fists rained down like fiery meteors. Hundreds of punches were thrown in a single second, literally fracturing the Honkai Beast's sturdy body, then he leaped up, a beautiful spinning kick twisting the centaur's neck 180 degrees backwards.
"Get lost!!"
A roar formed a sound wave, knocking back the figures emerging from the darkness. The supporting warriors behind had just raised their muzzles when Kalpas charged forward again.
Iron elbow to the head, whip kick to the waist. These traitorous MANTIS were torn apart like rag dolls, then turned into charred corpses falling into the distance.
"I just didn't want to stoop to your level!!"
Kalpas took a breath. He would never admit to being held back by anything. His eyes under the mask were fixed on the distance, where a pseudo-Herrscher was continuously sending these trash towards him.
Suppressed to the extreme, then unleashed completely. The exhilaration of slaughter made Kalpas forget his fatigue. He suddenly pushed off his feet.
'Kill. Kill you first.'
Bang—
A swirling storm, mixed with dirt, howled past. The MANTIS following closely had to duck their heads and scramble.
"Don't get too close. Be careful not to get caught in friendly fire. Ilmer, you take the third squad and follow, cover the flank. Don't let the captain get surrounded."
Ludicyna, with white hair and red eyes, looked exhausted. She continuously issued commands through team communication. Her small mouth was slightly agape, giving off a feeling of being 'tired of loving'.
She hadn't actually participated much in the fighting, simply because Kalpas, whom she had to assist, was too eccentric.
Since the team was formed, she had thick-skinnedly tried to communicate with Kalpas, only receiving 'get lost' twice, and one 'Woman, get lost'. She felt incredibly wronged and secretly cried several times in her bed.
There was nothing she could do. All the political affairs and logistics were arranged by her. She worked tirelessly, wanting to gain recognition. However, once she stepped onto the battlefield, she had to admit that Kalpas was a good captain.
Always charging forward, seemingly reckless, but if someone was truly in danger, he would still rush to rescue them. Of course, don't expect a good attitude from him.
He was truly a stubborn yet reliable person, and very passionate when fighting.
Ludicyna intently watched that meteor-like figure, seeing him tear off the head of a Honkai Beast, and also seeing the [Deliverance] detachment charge forward, without formation, just rushing in chaotically.
"Even if my abilities aren't suited for combat, as a high-tier MANTIS, I truly don't qualify."
The girl gave a bitter laugh. Under the escort of a small squad, she closed her eyes. Invisible spiritual power spread with Honkai energy, enveloping hundreds of square kilometers.
Not long ago, all detection instruments and squad communications failed. Her ability was similar to a 'beacon', very suitable for this kind of reconnaissance mission. After sensing for a few seconds, her red eyes suddenly opened.
'This feeling...'
The Herrscher has arrived!
Above the sky, the aerial aircraft carrier Raven was slowly cruising.
Kevin rested his hand on the table, his eyes fixed on a blurry electronic map. Just a few minutes ago, all communications were cut off, and no friendly markers could be found.
According to the technical department, the enemy had somehow concentrated a large amount of Honkai energy for area coverage. Optical satellites were blocked, and communication systems were also heavily interfered with.
Let alone the various units on the front line, even contact with headquarters was intermittent.
The white-haired young man's face was expressionless. He just observed the map over and over, as if trying to decipher the Herrscher true nature.
Clink.
A cup was placed beside him, startling Kevin nerves. He turned to see Elysia with a wide smile.
"Kevin, you... you're not nervous, are you?"
"To be precise, I'm very nervous. I feel like I'm about to throw up," Kevin said with a wry smile, picking up the cup and taking a sip of water, moistening his dry lips. "Before, Mei and Ryan were responsible for these brain-draining matters. Now, so many lives are resting on my shoulders. It's truly suffocating."
Due to Ryan involvement, Kevin participated in combat earlier in this world line, but because Ryan shielded him, he was somewhat like a 'flower in a greenhouse'.
Having not experienced too much pain, nor having left irreparable scars, Kevin growth was naturally not too fast, and his experiences wouldn't be too numerous.
"This proves that those two trust you, Kevin. You can definitely do it," Elysia raised her small fist to cheer him on, which finally made Kevin feel a little better.
"I finally understand how difficult Ryan job is. Just managing one battlefield leaves me stretched thin. I really want to open his head and see what's inside," Kevin glanced at the busy bridge. He had already issued several orders.
Send MANTIS to contact various units, gather at the outpost by the coast, and simultaneously set up relay signal points to connect with headquarters no matter what.
Fortunately, only a few hundred MANTIS were involved in the operation. Each of them was experienced in combat and highly mobile, so they wouldn't be as cumbersome and difficult to mobilize as regular armies.
"We'll be able to withdraw soon. I'm just worried..."
"Worried this is a prelude to a large-scale counterattack?" Kevin finished his sentence, his finger lightly sliding across the electronic map, bringing up the combat power comparison of both sides.
On the Fire Moth's side, there were eleven high-tier MANTIS capable of full combat: Sakura, Su, Andvici, Kevin, Hua, Kosma, Kalpas, Ludicyna, Ato, and the Anna sisters.
With these individuals as the backbone, supplemented by six hundred MANTIS led by powerful figures like Vinal and Himeko, it was clearly a formidable military force.
On Honkai's side, the Ninth Herrscher and Sixth Herrscher were absent. There were only the Eighth and Tenth Herrschers, five or six pseudo-Herrschers, and the traitors led by Kalpas. The number of Honkai Beasts was large, but as long as they weren't surrounded, their numerical advantage couldn't be leveraged.
"Among them, the Eighth Herrscher is not adept at direct combat. The truly powerful one is the Tenth Herrscher, and we still have Ryan as our trump card."
"The situation is looking great, so what are you worried about?" Elysia blinked, a bit confused.
"There are three points. First, when will the two Herrschers on the outer line join the battle? They just fought Mobius and the others, and from the results, the Ninth Herrscher alone can negate nearly half of our advantage," Kevin held his water cup, worried.
"Second, I don't know what's hidden inside Rio, but this iron curtain must be concealing something; third, Kalpas has pushed too deep, I'm worried something might happen." Kevin, who had just claimed to feel nauseous, calmly elaborated, every word precise, which made Elysia smile instead.
"I can't answer those concerns, but Kevin, I just thought of something."
"What?"
"If Ryan were gone, you might truly be able to bear the responsibility of 'salvation'."
The young man, who was drinking water, froze, as if he hadn't expected Elysia to have such a high opinion of him.
He unconsciously thought for a moment.
'Without Ryan, could I truly become that flag?' He wasn't quite sure, but having just tasted it, he understood the weight that flag carried.
It required an iron-like core, and that iron needed to be tempered by suffering.
In this world, being a slacker was the easiest thing.
Let whoever loved troublesome things do them.
"Don't flatter me. I don't want to be abused."
"Kevin, you're like a salted fish."
"Have you ever seen a salted fish whose hair has fallen out? But I can promise you, if Ryan truly isn't here, I will bear this heavy burden." The young man's gaze was firm, an obsession to push forward even if it meant overturning all good wishes.
'It seems I shouldn't have brought up that topic.' Just as Elysia was about to apologize, a sharp, childish voice simultaneously echoed in both her and Kevin minds.
"Herrscher appeared, requesting reinforcements!"
...
Hmph.
Ryan suddenly stood up, pacing back and forth somewhat irritably. The tablet in his hand had cracked from being squeezed too hard in his excitement.
Headquarters had lost contact with the front line, so he naturally hadn't received any news. But just now, communication had finally been restored. Clearly, Kevin had reacted quickly, immediately setting up a signal relay point to transmit the message.
No lengthy explanations, no summaries, just a few words to encapsulate everything:
The Tenth Herrscher has appeared!
"The snake has finally come out of its hole. It seems the Ninth Herrscher recovered combat power in just twelve hours. Truly terrifying."
Ryan knew this was due to the Herrscher of Death's efforts. Authority truly surpassed all biotechnologies. One must remember that Coleman and the others were still lying in bio-repair pods.
"Prometheus has calculated the results. At full speed, the Herrscher can reach the battlefield in two hours. Is this a pincer attack?" Eden read the next piece of information.
"Theoretically, yes."
"Then in reality?"
Ryan didn't answer. He always felt something was wrong. This was clearly a rebound caused by Kalpas crude and chaotic disturbance, and the Herrscher of Blood had targeted him first.
The two sides fought a great battle, but the outcome was somewhat unexpected.
Kalpas lost. Perhaps he had recklessly consumed too much stamina earlier, but he lost nonetheless. Ludicyna led the [Deliverance] detachment and desperately managed to extract him, then Sakura, who had been waiting, met them halfway to escort him back.
Then, the Herrscher of Blood wasn't as volatile as she seemed on the surface. She didn't blindly pursue, but instead retreated.
From the moment Kevin lost to the Seventh Herrscher, Ryan knew that the current Herrschers couldn't be viewed with old perceptions. But he had fought this Tenth Herrscher before. Aside from its somewhat strange Authority, it shouldn't have defeated Kalpas so quickly.
"He got stronger. First, He fought Kalpas, then forced Sakura to use the Third Divine Key. If Hua and Kosma hadn't arrived, He might not have retreated."
"One against four, and still so powerful?"
"It can't be said that way. Kalpas has been fighting continuously for over ten hours; even iron men can't endure that. And Hua and Kosma are relatively weaker in combat power. If Kevin had gone, it would have been much better," Ryan analyzed objectively, not at all intimidated.
The tide had surged. Even without the 'Skynet' map, Ryan could imagine from scattered words:
Countless Honkai Beasts darting out from the pitch-black jungle, enemies everywhere, the heat generated by Honkai energy igniting the earth, and collisions of various abilities and Authorities rising and falling.
But there's no need to rush. After so many years, training so many people, wasn't it all just for this moment?
"Ryan, are you going to deploy?" Eden asked with some concern. In her eyes, this was the real pitched battle; the previous landing was just an appetizer.
Countless schemes intertwined, the amount of information enough to make a human brain explode. The diva immediately felt that she was not good at this aspect.
"Vil-V hasn't sent news yet. Let's wait," Ryan waved his hand, very composed. "With Kevin and the others there, this much turmoil is within their capabilities. So many powerhouses gathered together, the Herrscher can't chew through them."
"But what about the Ninth Herrscher? Aren't you worried about him self-destructing? If it's a black hole, no one can resist it," Eden quickened her pace. She had coincidentally 'eavesdropped' on Ryan and Mei discussion.
"Kevin will be prepared. Don't forget, the Herrscher is a rational machine that calculates every effort and gain," Ryan remained unmoved, even though he knew this would greatly increase the difficulty of the battle.
"The front lines must be gathered, but not too close. If I were the Herrscher, and had a chance to wipe everyone out in one go, I wouldn't hesitate. But if I could only take out two or three, it would be a bit of a loss. After all, neither Kevin nor Elysia individual value is enough for the Ninth Herrscher to risk total annihilation for a trade-off."
Even if he took out Kevin or Elysia, plus two or three high-tier MANTIS, it wouldn't affect the overall situation. He could still turn the tables.
"As long as I'm still here, all Herrschers, Honkai Beasts, and traitors will become food on the table. If I stack this power, even if Honkai wants to save up for something big, their chances of winning will rapidly decrease."
Ryan actually couldn't do it. Currently, the 'exploration' provided by Judgment-class Honkai Beasts was very limited, but the Herrschers didn't know that. The abilities he displayed were too much like consumption.
Eden pondered for a moment, then understood. The Ninth Herrscher would either wipe out Kevin group in one go, completely changing the balance of power, or take Ryan out. Otherwise, eliminating a few high-tier MANTIS would be meaningless.
Ryan would eliminate all Honkai in the world. Until they knew whether his ability was truly consumption or fusion, they clearly wouldn't take the risk, because in that case, an inflated Ryan would be too terrifying. Perhaps only the Herrscher of Finality could suppress him.
So why doesn't the Herrscher of Finality descend now?
Eden didn't know the answer to this question, and even Ryan himself wasn't sure. It seemed some conditions were still lacking. But just as Ryan feared eliminating enemies too quickly might provoke a powerful counterattack, the Herrschers also feared his rapid growth. If Kalpas hadn't been so reckless, this decisive battle would never have happened.
At least in terms of success rate, the Herrscher playing guerrilla warfare alone was the most troublesome, like a slowly tightening noose, suffocating humanity. This was the most efficient plan for destruction, but it had only been used a few times so far, or rather, as soon as it was used, humanity would divert the disaster elsewhere.
So when did the Herrschers, who only knew how to wantonly destroy, become cunning masters of strategy, engaging in a battle of wits with humanity?
This question made Eden ponder for a few seconds. As someone who only joined the war recently, she had only encountered this cataclysm through data. But looking at the constrained Herrschers and the orderly Fire Moth, she finally secretly glanced at the man as steady as a mountain. His gray eyes were very bright, like stars in the deep night.
Because of him.