Tap, tap, tap...
The dense sound of horse hooves struck the white stone road. Looking out, the sides of the road were still full of life.
The fields were filled with waves of wheat, the fruit trees were laden with heavy fruits, and even the unkempt hills were blooming with colorful wild flowers.
This world bubble was so fertile that any random place was more beautiful than that 'paradise' on Earth. But Ryan had no time to think about questions like 'Elysia would definitely like this'.
I swear, I've never hated illiterates so much.
When Hua reminded him, he was speechless. He and Mobius had been analyzing things back and forth, strictly abiding by the identity of a 'passerby', and finally found some clues and the mastermind behind the scenes.
Then he remembered that there were two illiterates in this world bubble as well. The Herrschers might have a wonderful instinct and could also find some clues, but they would never think deeply, because the knowledge they possessed simply couldn't reach this level.
"I've been so careful, and I've been glared at by Hua several times. But you guys, you're just doing whatever you want without any scruples."
"The Herrschers at this stage can't understand human words at all, so there's no possibility of a union."
"So, has the unknown being who is influencing the rules of this world bubble already cast its gaze on us?"
One question was more deadly than the next. How did I end up with pig teammates? No, these illiterates can't even be called teammates. Why don't you use your spare time to study some science?
Hua secretly glanced at Ryan's back. The resentment she had before had long since disappeared, replaced by a sense of worship. If it weren't for her senior brother stopping her, she wouldn't know how she died.
"Stop looking. Just listen to me obediently. It's actually not important whether you can use your brain." Mobius had her feet in the stirrups. The continuous horse riding made her butt ache.
"Do you have the nerve to laugh at me? Didn't you also want to buy experimental equipment on the way and were stopped by senior brother?"
"Are you kidding? Would I buy those primitive people's experimental equipment!?"
"I happened to record it. Do you want to listen?"
Mobius stared at Hua, her eyes twitching, but she couldn't see any clues on this wooden stake's face. She muttered in her heart:
'Is this wooden stake my natural enemy? No, aren't these kind of silly women the easiest to fool? And, that Sakura is also very difficult to deal with, not to mention Elysia...'
Mobius was suddenly startled. She might, possibly, probably be at the bottom of the food chain??
'Impossible. I, Mobius, am immortal and invincible. How can I doubt myself?'
This thought flashed by, and she immediately became confident again, ignoring Hua's strange eyes.
Ryan didn't notice this little interlude, and even if he did, it would be useless. Standing on either side would be a dead end.
He gently pulled the reins and stopped in the middle of the road. In the distance, he could see snow-capped mountains, and not far away, there was a prosperous city-state, but there were many constables in green cloaks patrolling back and forth, and a sign that said 'Welcome to Fleece City' stood on the side of the road.
"Should we go around?"
"No, let's go straight in. We've been in this world bubble for so long, you haven't had a good time, have you?"
His attitude changed 180 degrees. Hua was about to ask why, when she saw Mobius riding out on her horse.
"You want to test if your hypothesis is accurate?"
"Yeah. If it's true, those idiot Herrschers would have been exposed long ago. It doesn't matter if we're passersby or not. On the contrary, if these rules are benevolent, aren't we fighting with air?"
This... seems to make some sense?
Mobius was convinced. She followed Ryan and left the main road to go to the nearby town. It was obviously heavily guarded, and it wasn't long before constables came up to check.
However, Ryan was wearing a top hat, and his gold double-breasted tailcoat looked very expensive. The rimless glasses and his handsome face made him look like a scholar. The two beautiful women behind him, Mobius and Hua, were also rare beauties. After a brief questioning, they were let go.
"Looks like it's all about looks in the world bubble too." Ryan stroked his sparse beard, a little smug.
"Tsk, that's because of my looks. What's so good about you and this plain wooden stake?"
"Who are you calling plain!"
Ryan picked at his ears. Mobius used to be very cold, when did she become like this? Anyway, it's not my fault. But hearing her smug giggle, he couldn't help but side with Hua.
"You don't understand. Only being plain can highlight a girl's youthfulness and innocence. Everyone has their own strengths."
Strengths?
Mobius glanced at the secretly happy Hua, thinking to herself, 'It seems her legs are just longer than mine, and this girl didn't even wear skirts before, I wonder when she learned to play to her strengths.'
"What youthfulness and innocence? Are you also interested in girls like Rin and the stupid cat?" She said casually, and saw Ryan was visibly stunned. She immediately showed a disgusted expression, "Wait a minute, you're not also interested in Griseo, are you..."
"Of course not!" A vein popped on Ryan's forehead, and he immediately lost his gentlemanly demeanor, which made the pedestrians on both sides turn their heads to look. He had to lower his voice: "Don't talk nonsense and ruin my image."
'Hehe, from the moment you sided with your junior sister, what image is there left?'
Mobius smiled and raised her chin, not saying a word. Ryan stared at her fiercely. After he found that his gaze couldn't cause any harm, he waved his hand helplessly.
"Let's find a restaurant to eat and get some information about the Herrschers. Judging by the level of alertness, this place should not be far from where they are rampaging."
'Tsk, when you can't win against me, you put on a serious face.'
Mobius chuckled to herself, a little strange that Hua didn't jump out to help her senior brother speak. She turned her head and saw that the girl's eyes were very complex, and seemed to hide a trace of envy.
She was stunned for a moment, and then a meaningful smile appeared on her face. There weren't many people who could frustrate this invincible Commander, and I, Mobius, am one of them!
Because of Mobius and Hua, Ryan didn't choose a mixed place like a tavern. It would be rude for some cliche events to happen. He just found a decent restaurant. The sunlight shone in from the floor-to-ceiling windows, and the light green tablecloth looked fresh and elegant.
The waiter brought the menu. Ryan saw that there was coffee in the world bubble, so he ordered two cups. Then he gentlemanly let the two ladies order. Mobius and Hua were in high spirits. They had to avoid the natives during this time and had been sleeping out in the open, almost becoming savages.
It wasn't long before the table was filled with food. This world bubble was very rich, and the specialty was various fruits. A bamboo basket was filled with sliced bread, and next to it were golden, purple, and blue fruit jams, giving off a sweet aroma.
Hua subconsciously touched her pocket, only to find that she hadn't brought her phone.
"Want to post on your Moments?" Ryan asked, holding his coffee. The beans here had a natural sweetness, and he was very satisfied.
"Yeah, it's really different from Earth. Elysia and Carroll would definitely be interested."
"Then remember this trip and tell them about it when we get back. Haven't you always envied Elysia for traveling all over the world and having a lot of experiences?"
Elysia's ability to tell tall tales was based on her life experiences. Only Eden, who was equally knowledgeable, could compete with her. For a high school student like Hua, and a homebody like Mobius, they could only obediently listen.
"That's right. Elysia has never been to a world bubble either. I'll have something to talk about in the future." Hua smiled, her eyes narrowed. She finally had an experience that belonged solely to her.
A fertile continent, a world bubble without war, and a conspiracy hidden behind the scenes. Although it wasn't what she had originally imagined, wasn't this an adventure?
Mobius didn't say a word, she drank her coffee silently, ate a piece of bread with jam on it, and propped up her chin: "By the way, do you have money to pay for all this stuff you ordered?"
"Of course not. The gold coins from those constables and bandits have already been thrown away."
"Don't you have any shame? The great Commander is eating and running?"
Ryan ignored the sarcasm and took a sip of his coffee: "Based on the phenomena we've observed, do you think you can finish this meal in peace? Don't forget how unlucky we've been on this journey."
Even if they did nothing, trouble would find them. It was like a sense of deja vu from 'Final Destination', but Ryan didn't plan to hide this time.
As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of dense horse hooves came from outside the window. A group of constables with sabers at their waists and flintlock guns in their hands galloped by, causing the people in the restaurant to turn their heads and look.
"See, trouble has arrived." Ryan ate a meat pie with bread. The golden jam on it was very appetizing. "It's like it's on a schedule. No matter how you run, trouble will follow."
It was too much of a coincidence, or rather, the whole journey was full of such coincidences, but what Ryan wanted was proof.
Sure enough, under his gaze, the constable at the end suddenly stopped. He saw the three warhorses tied at the entrance of the restaurant. This person seemed to be very meticulous and immediately called over his colleague.
Ryan could vaguely hear things like "This horse seems to be from the south" and "I think I saw it at the hunting competition in the City of Atrophy". He then rolled his eyes at Mobius and Hua.
"I'm starting to lose my faith in science."
"This can also be explained by probability."
"I'm tired, if it's not scientific, then it's not scientific." Ryan picked up a napkin and slowly wiped his mouth, looking at Hua: "Act. Be sure to catch a few people and ask them why they are so persistent. It's just robbing a few constables, it's not enough for them to track us for a thousand miles, how did they connect us with the Herrschers?"
"Yes, I got it."
The girl stood up from the table. Her mouth wasn't tough, and she couldn't frustrate Ryan like Mobius, but her fists were tough. She could complete all of Ryan's orders without question.
The team outside the window stopped. The leader had obviously received information and happened to turn his head to meet Ryan's gaze. In just one look, this experienced constable was sure that Ryan, who was dressed as a scholar, was suspicious.
But Ryan didn't look at him. He even asked the terrified waiter to come over and refill his coffee. Then he heard a dull thud, and the constable who had just entered the shop to check flew out.
A girl in a sky-blue short skirt stood at the entrance. Her fists were clenched tightly, and her petite figure was like an iron tower.
Listening to the 'clang-clang' sound of sabers being drawn, Mobius raised her eyebrows and looked at the flying person. After using Honkai energy, Hua's speed was too fast for her eyes to follow. Every punch and palm sent a person flying on the spot.
"So barbaric."
"That's how martial artists are. And haven't you seen an old movie called 'My Sassy Girl'?"
Sassy girl??
Mobius's eyes twitched. She rested her chest on the table and showed a kind smile: "My dear Mr. Ryan, what am I?"
"You?" Ryan glanced at her, and leaned back slightly. As the sound of glass shattering, a person covered in blood fell directly onto the table.
"A platypus with a soft body and a hard mouth."
A platypus or quick-drying cement, Ryan didn't have a clear concept. All his interpersonal relationships seemed to be woven into a net, giving him a feeling that a slight movement would affect everything.
So Mobius wouldn't go too far. Even though this world bubble trip didn't go well with Hua, she had never acted out, only secretly venting her resentment on Ryan.
Bang!
As soon as the man finished speaking, his shinbone was hit hard. His expressionless face immediately flushed, and because the atmosphere was well-built by Hua, he had to maintain his demeanor.
"Mobius, you've been provoking me lately, aren't you afraid of my revenge?"
"You can only blame your precious junior sister. She made me unhappy first, and I can't break up with her, so I can only find trouble with you?" Mobius answered as a matter of course. It was nothing for Ryan to call her a platypus, but the key was that just as she wanted an answer, a fainted constable was thrown in front of her.
'Alright, you're even guarding against me during a fight, are you?'
Ryan felt like he was caught in the crossfire. He could only quietly rub his shin: "When will this endless cycle of revenge end? Can't you two just get along?"
"She's the one who wants to fight me to the death. And what's the use of me getting along with a wooden stake? Do I have to learn to be friendly with Elysia and talk and laugh with the vixen? Oh, and Eden and that priest... Tsk tsk, is my dear Commander fighting Honkai, or is he taking the opportunity to..."
Mobius's tone was full of amazement, and the key was that she didn't finish her sentence, which left Ryan speechless. He could only drink his coffee to deal with it, and on the surface, he gave in, but he secretly made a note in his heart, just waiting for an opportunity to settle the score with her.
"Senior brother, I've got the information."
At this moment, Hua returned. Even though the town was filled with screams due to the sudden chaos, she acted with caution. The constables were defeated, and no innocent people were hurt. Looking at the indifferent Ryan, she thought to herself that her senior brother was truly imposing.
Ordinary humans like these didn't have the qualifications for him to act, so sitting and drinking coffee was the best choice.
"These constables are not just tracking us, they're also investigating the Herrschers. According to them, an ancient prophecy has come true, and the world will welcome the end."
Prophecy? Why is it so superstitious? And 'end', I get a little stressed just by hearing it.
Mobius's truth serum definitely had no problems, and it was impossible for Hua, who had received training as a special agent in the intelligence department, to make such a low-level mistake. He was immediately interested.
"What prophecy?"
"When a disaster comes, abundance will no longer exist, and the world will return to eternal night. Before the end, the world will give a response to the wishes of the heart."
Disaster? Are they talking about us and the Herrschers? Is this some kind of automatic defense mechanism?
Ryan and Mobius exchanged glances. They felt that it was not very logical, because the combat power of this world bubble was too weak. Even if everyone was armed, they couldn't stop a single high-level Fusion Warrior.
The Honkai energy in the environment was very little, but it wasn't zero. Ryan had recovered most of his combat power during this time, and he could kill these constables with gunpowder guns with just one finger.
"It seems that the focus of this prophecy is the second half of the sentence. The humans in the world bubble can't deal with the threat, but they will pray, and their wishes will be granted in some way."
"The effect is like sounding an alarm?"
"Something like that. It seems that the 'wishes come true' hypothesis is correct." Ryan rubbed his chin. He had the answer he wanted, and there was only one question left. "Those illiterate Herrschers have been causing trouble, if they were to pray, they would have done it already."
"So... there's already a problem. No wonder they're not just after us." Hua suddenly understood. These people went north to investigate something, and they just 'happened' to find them.
Ryan scratched his head. He didn't like this vague feeling, but after spending more than half a month recovering his Honkai energy, he finally had some confidence. The part of him that was eager to court death was stirring again.
"Let's go. There's no need to get entangled with the natives of the world bubble. I want to see how this great being reacts."
He put down his coffee cup, and then was slightly stunned, and slowly sat down again, which left Hua confused.
"Hmm? Senior brother, you're not leaving?"
"No need to go, because they have already arrived."
!?
Suddenly and without any warning, the clear blue sky instantly dimmed. The process was so fast, as if someone had turned off the lights. A moment ago, it was a clear sky, but in an instant, it was a cloudy sky, no, there weren't even clouds, it was just that the sun was covered, and the world was plunged into darkness.
For a moment, even the screams disappeared. People didn't even try to escape, they just stared blankly at the sky. Only the three of them remained calm.
"As expected, it has no good intentions, and no benevolence." Mobius tilted her head up. She didn't fear gods, nor did she believe in them. The so-called gods were just beings that had walked further on the path of evolution.
"I've been saying that this place is like a farm. Why would it absorb so much energy for no reason? But our appearance seems to have triggered an alarm?" Ryan shook his head slightly, feeling that this being must have received a message and was casting its attention on them, but he was still unclear about the purpose of the invaders.
Two Herrschers and three high-level members of the Fire Moth. This scale would make even the Cocoon of Finality cautious. And Ryan quickly confirmed that the other party had intelligence, unlike Honkai which only acted on instinct.
No matter what the purpose is, with so many powerful beings appearing, this world bubble can no longer be a farm, so why not use it in a different way?
The fields outside the town rumbled, and the soil gathered, as if being kneaded by invisible hands, gradually taking shape.
"This entrance is a bit unique..." Ryan was very interested. Honkai beasts seemed to be created from the void, but this thing was made of mud?
No, according to the strange energy in the soil, this thing has no essential difference from a Honkai beast, especially after it took shape.
"A Templar-class Honkai beast!?" Hua recognized her old opponent at a glance. Isn't a large shield and a long spear a Templar-class? But why did it become black and semi-transparent like a ghost?
"It seems that the one behind this also has a connection with Honkai. But if you sense it carefully, it's not just pure Honkai energy, it seems to be filled with something else." Ryan narrowed his eyes and looked carefully, then snapped his fingers, "Hua, go and see what the difference is from Earth."
"Okay." The girl didn't say a word and rushed out directly, activating her Honkai energy and raising a storm, which scared the dazed people on the road to quickly take cover.
"See? My junior sister is so obedient." Ryan slightly tilted his head and quietly raised his chin. After a while, he finally heard a cold snort.
Unlike a certain distorted person, Hua would execute all of Ryan's orders, and she had a pure obsession as a martial artist. She rushed out of the town like a gust of wind, and when she saw the Honkai beast in the field, she didn't think about anything and just clenched her fists.
All I can do are these small things!
She moved forward, and the wind pressure she raised sent sand and stones flying. A pair of hands suddenly extended from the dust and slammed onto the large shield.
Bang!
Two clear marks appeared on the ground. The black shield lit up like a shadow, making the several-meter-tall behemoth roll a few times.
It didn't break?
Hua frowned slightly. She had killed dozens of Honkai beasts of this size on Earth. She first suspected that she was weak, and then she felt that something was wrong.
Swoosh.
Four long spears stabbed at her at the same time. However, Hua was already standing on the tip of a spear, and what they pierced was just an afterimage. The girl, like a tigress, bowed her body, and the fist hidden under her ribs suddenly shot out.
Inch Strength. Collapsing Mountain.
The pure energy formed a shock wave, which hit the surface of the Honkai beast and a light shield appeared. This time Hua saw it clearly.
The air was distorted, and the energy in the middle was superimposed and then collapsed, like a force field that spread out the concentrated burst of energy.
I'm not weaker, nor are these Templar-class Honkai beasts stronger. It's this force field that has a problem, and it seems that something is attached to me?
While thinking, the long spear was retracted, and the large shield slammed down like a door. Hua leaned back, almost falling to the ground, watching the large shield pass by her nose, and then with a strong force from her waist and abdomen, she did a beautiful backflip and jumped up.
Palm Push.
The root of her palm slammed into the jaw of the Templar-class Honkai beast in front of her, sending it flying. She then moved forward, flicked her wrist, pulled out the Key of Blankness, and the frozen long spear stopped in the center of its eyebrow, while the chest of the Honkai beast holding the spear was already pierced.
This kind of energy had a restraining effect on Honkai energy, but it also had a limit.
The twin-headed sword shook, and the three-meter-tall body of the monster turned into ice fragments and dissipated. Hua turned and swept her leg, chopping off another head. The Honkai beast she had just hit fell back to the ground, and what greeted it was a slender long leg.
Hua spun in place, her hair flying, and straightened her right leg.
Bang!!
The force was so powerful that not only the light shield, but also the shield itself was torn apart. This Templar-class Honkai beast immediately became a giant flying object, smashing its own kind all over the ground. Before they could get up, the Divine Key had already arrived.
The ice spread on the ground, freezing everything it touched. The follow-up straight punch, smashed these monsters into pieces.
"Hua is too serious. I forgot to tell her not to waste too much energy. It's not easy to replenish it in this ghost place."
Ryan stood on the town's clock tower, watching Hua sweep away the Honkai beasts, but his tone was full of pride.
As a representative of 'ordinary people', Hua had reached the peak after being tempered. At least she was no worse than an elite warrior like Coleman.
"That's why she's not smart enough. If it were me, I wouldn't be so troublesome."
"That's why you couldn't find what I wanted." Ryan glanced at her, ignoring Mobius's angry eyes.
After Hua's fight, he saw it clearly. This thing was like a Honkai beast, but it wasn't.
'So something else was added. No wonder I couldn't absorb that energy directly. If I'm not wrong, it should be the energy of the Sea of Quanta. But why would it be based on Honkai energy?'
He knew that the land had problems, but he couldn't use it as a Honkai energy crystal. In theory, it would be difficult for the Blood Herrscher as well, because the thing that was added was called 'rules'.
Could it be a combination of imaginary energy and the Sea of Quanta? It actually had a rejection reaction to Honkai energy. The stuff in the Sea of Quanta is interesting.
Ryan made a reasonable guess. Before he could think about it carefully, he and Mobius turned their heads at the same time and saw a figure standing at the entrance of the clock tower.
A green cloak, a saber at the waist, a slender figure, like a woman, standing in the shadows, her face was unclear.
Mobius tilted her head to look. The hand hidden behind her back was flashing with dark green electric arcs. She obviously knew that normal people wouldn't, and wouldn't dare, to approach monsters like them.
Ryan was also inexplicably confused. He didn't feel any strong Honkai energy on the other party. He only saw the figure take a step forward. The kerosene lamp on the wall illuminated his face, and his appearance was reflected in Ryan's contracting pupils.
For a moment, he almost couldn't maintain his expression and blurted out.
This, this is...
Su?!