NOTICE
Tomorrow I will release the latest chapter until the final chapter (End) on my Patreon[1]. Thank you and happy reading.
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The battle ended.
From the appearance of the Honkai Beast to its disappearance without a trace, it only took one hour, but it had razed more than half of Canghai City to the ground. Not a single complete building could be seen.
The giant pit would soon become a lake, and in a few years, it might become a city of a thousand lakes again.
Ryan's expression was not relaxed or happy, but it was not solemn either. The result was within his expectations, and the two experiences were surprisingly consistent.
"I understand why the Cocoon of Finality chose to eliminate them."
"In terms of combat power, they are not weak. At least their destructive power is outstanding." Sakura replied coldly. She saw that the amusement park had turned into a canyon, and the place where they had just made wonderful memories was gone in an instant.
"The cost-effectiveness is too low, and they are too clumsy. If it were a Herrscher of the same energy level, it would be a fierce battle, and they might even escape."
"That's true. Their large size makes them like a target. It's hard for them to escape." Sakura, as a combat expert, also saw the pros and cons. She slightly turned her body: "But it's very beneficial for you. It's just not as much as a Herrscher."
Honkai energy is not a rare thing. With the current concentration in the air, Ryan could gather a huge amount of energy if he was willing to spend a long time, just like what that Pao did in the Sea of Quanta.
Only authority is unique. Each one represents a rule.
"High risk, high reward. Fortunately, I didn't lose anything. At least I can save a lot of time." Ryan waved his hand gently, making the diffusing dust and energy particles disappear into thin air. He then looked away, unwilling to look at the city he had visited several times turning into ruins.
"This should be the most important thing." Sakura also knew that Ryan lacked 'blue.' Just like in the art of killing, technique is important, but the strength of the swing is even more important.
"It's not the most important thing. Authority, Honkai energy, and the quantum ability from the fusion surgery. These three form the three pillars." Ryan had no need to hide. He generously exposed his trump card: "Looking at the current situation, it's impossible for the Honkai to be stupid enough to send me authority. Mastering the rules allows a single point of energy to unleash ten points of effect."
"Mm. So you have to use the Authority of Blood to harvest Honkai energy. It seems there's no need for a hunt."
"Sakura, you're thinking too simply. This is a chess game. It's impossible for the Honkai to stop its actions and watch me harvest its pieces. It's also impossible for the other chess player to let me delay for free. Every minute and every second has a price."
Seeing Ryan's serious expression, Sakura didn't say anything. She also knew that the 'Cocoon' was a supercomputer, so how could it give Ryan time to grow comfortably?
"By the way, can we do anything with the quantum ability?" Sakura's concern was different from a normal person's. She focused more on power.
What a capable wife. Her career ambition is too high.
"That's a good direction, but it's like playing a game. We've just started this technology tree. It's not easy to go further."
"Because of time?"
"Not just time. In the end, this body is from the imaginary side. My path is also not simple or straightforward. I need an opportunity to take that step."
Ryan's head hurt when he thought about it. He knew that if he wanted to face the Finality, he would definitely be more formidable than in the original worldline. To win, he had to find a different path.
He only started this technology tree two months ago. Where would he have the time to delve into it? He couldn't just ignore everything and jump into the Sea of Quanta to train in seclusion. In the end, the Trailblazers path was not just about fighting monsters and leveling up.
Research and experience could increase understanding, but it was different from enlightenment. He couldn't just have a sudden enlightenment and level up instantly.
"The Sea of Quanta, through the fusion surgery, has become known. I need a special environment to Trailblazers the unknown. An environment where imaginary and quantum are mixed, or I need to spend a long time on research. But these two conditions are not something I can achieve through hard work alone."
Sakura opened her mouth, but she had to close it again. She didn't understand at all, so she couldn't offer any suggestions. She just felt that Ryan's 'path' was abstract and troublesome. She preferred things that she could see and touch.
For example, doing a thousand push-ups every day and seeing her strength increase by a bit.
"Don't overthink it. Let's first reap the benefits we have now. I'll discuss the Sea of Quanta problem with Mei when I'm free. I already have a clue, and there's a being who can create that kind of environment." Ryan smiled and patted Sakura's shoulder.
"Who?"
"The Finality."
Sakura's pupils contracted slightly. Shouldn't they have this trump card before challenging the Finality? How could it be the other way around? But she didn't ask anymore.
Anyway, even if she asked, she wouldn't understand. It was enough to just follow orders.
At this time, Su also floated over. He nodded to Sakura and showed a gentle smile: "The destructive power is really something. Canghai was a city with tens of millions of people, but it was leveled so easily."
"I'm sorry, but I can't suppress my power. But on the bright side, we won't have to demolish and rebuild it anymore." Ryan put his hands back in his pockets. He had destroyed too much, and he had long lost his sense of guilt.
"You actually held back. Look, that's Hua's old high school, isn't it?" Su pointed his hand. In the distance, a building still remained next to a giant crater. He had accompanied Ryan there one summer and remembered it.
"It's just a coincidence. By the way, you have a really good memory. You remember it after only one visit."
"It's a side effect of the fusion surgery. Some things are hard to forget. And don't look at me like that. It's disgusting." Su subconsciously took a step back and showed a look of emotion: "I went to Nagazora City. The second teaching building of the academy is still there. It's really sturdy. Do you want to go and see it?"
Nagazora was also completely destroyed by Hua, which was a mutual base trade with Ryan.
"Forget it. The bald professor I hated the most taught in that building. He deducted two points from me and made me lose to Mei."
"But you got a perfect score in all subjects. Kevin was so jealous, and I was lucky to get fourth place."
"It's because he didn't meet the goal Mei set, and he was banned from dating for a month."
Sakura listened quietly to the humblebragging of the top students. She was very interested in Ryan's past and felt that his life was much more colorful than her monotonous life as an assassin. She didn't think that Ryan losing to Mei was a shameful thing.
At that time, the 'Blood Devil' was in its prime. She had wondered what this peer was doing in his free time, but she never imagined he was a top student.
It was too strange. She finally couldn't help but ask: "Ryan, were you really a student back then?"
"To be precise, I was a student during the day and dealt with Honkai Beasts at night. On weekends, I would take jobs to kill people. There was nothing I could do. I was weak back then. Even if I wanted to rest, I had to do dirty work for those big shots." Ryan looked at her with some confusion, seeing her eyes twitching slightly, as if she had a lot to say.
"Is there a problem?"
There's a huge problem. How could you do all these completely unrelated things at the same time and do each one so well?
"You're... a real time management master."
"I'm a famous time management master. I didn't enjoy dating in my youth. This price..." Ryan's words trailed off. Sakura was looking at him with a gentle expression, and Su kept giving him winks.
It seems Sakura is not as easy to talk to anymore? Is this the possessiveness that comes from having a taste of it?
Ryan was confused for a moment and then decisively changed the topic. He raised his hand and pointed south: "There's another Honkai Beast over there. It's much more sensitive than that 'Godzilla'."
"Mm. It's indeed fast. It should be a Psychic-type." Su cooperated decisively. He took the tactical terminal from his subordinate: "Including this one, uh, Godzilla is also the same. At first, it didn't have crystal defenses or spit out energy rays, which means..."
"It evolved new abilities while escaping." Ryan raised his eyebrows. This chase was originally an experiment. More and more information was gathered, revealing the truth.
This was another upgrade path. The 'Beast' was closer to the laws of nature than the 'God'-given authorities of the Apostles-like Herrschers.
"It should have used it earlier. It's still too rigid. That specific targeting sometimes turns into a good thing." Ryan mumbled to himself, without explaining to the confused Sakura and Su.
The Honkai's specific targeting was, to put it bluntly, a kind of passive nerve reflex. It continuously adjusted its plan based on humanity's counterattacks. It probably didn't expect Ryan to mess up the worldline in just a few years.
Fortunately, this was an exam. Even if the answers were fixed, the proctor didn't need to be very proactive. Otherwise, it would have just brought down a Herrscher to beat humanity into submission and then forced humanity to copy the answers.
What a despicable proctor. When you want too much, you often get nothing.
"Follow me. The other one is very weak. Don't let it run away. Su, create a mental barrier for me. Sakura, you go ahead and stop it."
"Roger."
With two decisive replies, Sakura activated her human collapse and disappeared. A thundercloud immediately appeared in the distance, carbonizing the ground with a crackling sound.
Ryan paused for a moment and looked at the city ruins in front of him. He subconsciously raised an eyebrow. When an invisible mental force swept in from the front, he chased after it along the coastline.
...
A frog-like eyeball floated with the waves, reflecting the brilliant lightning that almost split the sky in half. The Honkai energy of the eyeball was so low that it could even dissolve into the air.
The image was fed back to a distant location. The energy frequency was then converted into an electromagnetic signal and projected onto an old, square television.
In a completely sealed-off deep underground cave, the fluorescent light of the screen illuminated Calis's side profile, making it impossible to read what this man was thinking.
"He's gone. To be honest, your deliberate misleading played a key role." The cramped cave was empty, and only a gentle voice echoed: "Of course, Dr. Ryan is not stupid. He now has multiple authorities, but to defeat the Honkai, he still lacks the most basic energy. This requires a lot of time to accumulate."
"But he doesn't have time. These remaining Honkai Beasts are the most precious nutrients that can solve his urgent needs." Calis took over the conversation and slowly crossed his hands: "And I didn't mislead him. In time, the 'Beast' would have had a chance to evolve to the extreme. At that time, would it matter if the one who brought the Finality was a Herrscher or a Honkai Beast, Dr. Damian?"
The answer was obvious. The Fire Moth, which had the information from Venus, would of course take the threat of the Beast seriously.
"I'm curious. It should be most beneficial for you to let the Fire Moth delay. Why did you help?" Damian didn't quite understand.
"Because another attempt has been seen through. I've found that it doesn't have much patience left. At that time, you, me, and him will all be failures." Calis's expression was a bit solemn, and a hint of bitterness appeared: "Dr. Ryan and I can't have mutual trust. I also don't know if he is aware of where the real crisis comes from. I can only go to this extra trouble and hope he can figure it out."
He was by no means Ryan's friend. All they had was an unexplainable tacit understanding, a trust in each other's intelligence.
If they were to flip the table, everyone, except for the Cocoon of Finality, which had no concept of winning or losing, would lose everything.
"Maybe he already figured it out?"
"It's possible. Dr. Ryan's planning ability is at the peak of humanity. But I can't pin my hopes on him because he sometimes cares too much about emotions."
Calis said slowly. He saw a 'blazing sun' rising in the distance, turning the night into day. He saw a worm-like monster wailing and melting in the 'sunlight.' The apprehension in his eyes became stronger.
The strongest power, the highest reputation, the smartest intelligence, and the most abundant combat experience. Against a person like this, he didn't even have a one percent chance of winning, let alone the qualification to make a deal.
"So I can only be like a mouse, trying to use the power of the Honkai to break that lock, so I can advance to the next step."
"The success rate is too low. I don't have high hopes."
"I have to do it anyway. It sounds sad, doesn't it?"
"You don't want to be a tool, you want to enter the game. That is the necessary price." Damian's tone was a bit sarcastic. Two gods are fighting, and you, a mortal, insist on entering. Of course, you'll be turned into powder if you're not careful.
"I have a better sense of self-awareness. I'll merge my ideals with the Honkai. But as a friend of many years, I don't mind helping you with this small favor."
The voice gradually became blurry, as if the persistent doctor was walking away. Calis, who was leaning against the wall, was silent for a while before letting out a light sigh.
In this grand war, they could only be considered small characters. As for ideals and persistence, the Honkai didn't care, and Ryan didn't care either. In essence, they were no different from the civilians who died in the Honkai.
But even a tiny firefly wants to emit a faint light, not to illuminate the world, but to see its own future, even if it's just a tiny bit.
He looked at the screen again. The 'blazing sun' in the distance dimmed with a roar. Under the siege, the powerful Honkai Beast didn't last for long. And that man was still getting stronger.
Can I hide from him? Or did he already know and is using me in return?
Calis found that he didn't have much confidence. He just raised his finger and wrote characters in the air.
Let me see if fate can really restrain you.
[1] patreon.com/Matsuo4