It had only been a little over twenty years since Ryan arrived in this world.
It had only been a little over ten years since he killed his first Honkai Beast and used it as a stepping stone to embark on the Path of the Herrscher.
It had only been a little more than four years since he made contact with the authority of the Third Herrscher and underwent a qualitative change.
Even for Kevin, it took more than fifty thousand years to reach the level of the End, and even excluding the time he was asleep, that was a very long period. Compared to him, Ryan's increase in strength was as fast as a warp shuttle.
"If I were to really give it my all, how could I compare to someone's tens of thousands of years of accumulation? But since I dared to stand here, I must have some skill."
Ryan surveyed the void. Not a single particle remained of the powerful sun that had just flared up.
The Authority of Blood and the Authority of Constraint were his reliance. At least in the Imaginary realm, these two Authorities could give him a huge advantage, an advantage he had earned by risking being targeted.
But even so, my counterattack didn't even cause a ripple.
His mood became complicated. He was happy that these two Authorities were indeed extraordinarily effective, yet he was also shocked that his counterattack had been completely ineffective.
That blood spear was a physical manifestation of his Authority; it could repel any energy body it touched, including the Constraint field. But just now, he had felt no feedback whatsoever. Dropping a rock into the ocean would at least make some noise.
Absolute defense? No, it should have thrown my attack far away. No wonder 'Genesis' couldn't blast it open.
Ryan didn't let his thoughts wander and looked around, asking, "How does it feel?"
"Hiss, it's much stronger than I imagined. Can we really defeat this thing?" Kevin looked at the unmoving 'Cocoon' and suddenly felt his throat dry. The instantaneous severance of vitality just now was an unpleasant taste.
His realization was correct. Half of the power of End could wipe out the Flame-Chasers in a few minutes, and given this thing's determination, it had certainly unleashed more than half of its power.
He had no reference point for the exact amount, but he knew that this kind of attack didn't even count as an appetizer. The key point now was to make the Cocoon move so they could execute the second step of the plan.
"It's too late to regret now. With Elysia as the leader, attack with full force. We have to make It panic first."
Kevin nodded heavily, no longer worrying about distance. At the very least, they couldn't allow the opponent to attack unhurriedly without any flaw.
Then, let's go all out!
Artificial Collapse.
Excluding Elysia, the others shifted from human to monster, and their Honkai energy rose another notch. Then, Elysia flew forward a little.
Authority of the Human.
The link between soul and body, ice and fire danced like spirits, gathering in the long arrow in her hand. Ryan lagged half a step behind; he was clearly stronger in terms of attack power, yet he made no move to strike.
I am testing you. What does it matter if I expose my own information?
He gripped his right hand, and an invisible energy gathered into a beam. Seeing the rain of light spears pierce down from the sky, he waved his hand towards the void.
Sword of Constraint.
The Authority gathered into a beam, completely erasing the light spears raining down from the sky. With him covering her from behind, Elysia became even more confident and could take her time to aim carefully.
'There seems to be a domain-like thing isolating the inside and outside. No wonder the 'Genesis' shot had no effect just now. But, why do I have a sense of familiarity?'
Theoretically, Elysia shouldn't have had any chance to link with the opponent, but the feedback felt very strange, as if she had already made contact with the Cocoon before.
Strange, have I seen it somewhere?
Elysia muttered. Invisible to the naked eye and undetectable by instruments—even Ryan couldn't see any clues—she aimed purely by feeling and released the bowstring.
"Let's just give it a try."
The arrow, gathering the power of Kevin, Andevich, and Kalpas, streaked across the universe. In terms of sheer power, it couldn't be stronger than Genesis, but it was nimble enough to weave and pass through the dense barrage of light spears.
Ryan, while erasing all the attacks around him, focused his attention on the arrow.
'There's a barrier around the Cocoon of End, which should be related to space-time. If we can't find its weakness, the subsequent plan cannot be carried out at all.'
Ryan's thinking was very clear. They couldn't just have a head-on clash with the Cocoon, which leads directly to the Imaginary Space and possesses almost infinite energy. Since the Cocoon could bypass the wall and attack them, there must be a 'firing port.'
He couldn't see it, and Mei, who was analyzing in secret, also needed more information. At this moment, it was better to put their hope on Elysia.
The arrow was extremely fast, leaving a winding trajectory in the dark universe. But before it could get close to the 'Cocoon,' Ryan noticed that the endless rain of light spears suddenly vanished. No, they flew towards the light arrow and tore it to shreds with tens of thousands of times the quantity.
"Damn it, simultaneous offense and defense, infinite energy!?" Kalpas punched the void because the Cocoon's attack came again when the light arrow disappeared.
It was no longer light spears. Like the spotlights in a dance hall, multi-colored light beams swept in from the void. The sheet of ice released by Andevich was instantly cut into countless pieces.
The beams swept back and forth with no pattern, and after intersecting, they even refracted, making it instantly impossible to know how to dodge. Kalpas engaged in a forceful clash, but soon began to dodge again.
Just two light beams could disperse the flames on him. Even in the Artificial Collapse state, he couldn't sustain this kind of consumption. Moreover, the attacks were too dense. At their current speed, they would likely be exhausted by the time they got close.
'Does this time even include the domain in the calculation?'
Ryan's eye twitched. Unless he deployed the domain, a single sword couldn't erase them. But the Constraint field didn't distinguish between friend and foe, and the people around him would have to experience the feeling of death again.
Furthermore, these light beams were bursting out from the void, and their emergence points were tens of thousands of kilometers away. Ryan couldn't erase an attack point that far away. Even if he erected a domain for defense, the light beams would still be endless. How long could Elysia and the others endure the severance of their vitality?
The 'targeting' permeated every detail. Fortunately, he had evolved his Authority one step further based on the Herrscher of Constraint.
If it can be a sword, why can't it be a shield? And who told you that I can't control two Authorities simultaneously?
He raised his left hand, seemingly holding up an invisible shield, which coincidentally erased all the light beams shooting down from above. He shouted urgently, "Elysia, we can't be drawn into a war of attrition."
Just holding up this Shield of Constraint wasn't too taxing, but if it came to a head-on clash, Kalpas wouldn't last long either.
Seeing Elysia once again draw her bow and nock an arrow, linking the abilities of the others, and shooting an arrow under Ryan's cover, the light beams that had been cutting back and forth instantly disappeared, accurately shining on the light arrow and exploding it in mid-air.
That's right, Elysia can indeed capture the weakness; her attack can break through the space-time layer.
Is it an innate connection like that of parent and child? Or did It leave something behind from Calis?
The reason was unknown, but he had a guess: "Elysia, point out the target for me."
"Mhm." The girl linked with Ryan's 'heart.' She didn't know why, but she could act based on feeling and then convey that feeling to others.
Ryan suddenly had a strange sensation, as if there was an invisible thread, bridged by Elysia, ultimately linking to a certain spot on the Cocoon of End. This thread was intermittent, and when the link was established...
It just happens to be when you launch your attack!
The rhombus in the center of the Cocoon of End suddenly became dazzling. A chilling energy was gathering, and with everyone currently sheltered under Ryan's shield, they were undoubtedly a perfect target.
"Scatter from my side, and attack one spot according to Elysia's feeling."
No sooner had he spoken than a cross star burst forth from the distance. An indescribable torrent of energy roared in, illuminating the universe once more.
Whoosh—
The energy made their souls tremble again. The torrent, which should be described in 'kilometers,' seemed to split the starry sky in two, sweeping past the Hyperion and the space above Earth, all the way to the edge of the universe.
This power was even more violent than 'Genesis.' If it were to hit Earth, it could easily blast a continent into the sea.
Ryan was instantly swallowed, but Kevin and the others didn't hesitate or grieve. They closed in according to Ryan's command, were linked by Elysia, and launched an all-out attack towards the Cocoon of End.
A huge ice cone, a pink light arrow, and a roaring heavy punch—the energy, filled with determination, cut across the bright universe. But before hitting the 'Cocoon,' it was blocked by a series of transparent square light screens.
They couldn't break through at all. Even Kalpas's full-force punch could only shatter five layers, and there were hundreds of these light screens. However, Elysia and the others became excited instead.
It worked! This is the first time the Cocoon has been passively defensive. It's no longer unmoving and despair-inducing like before.
"Then let me penetrate it."
Kevin landed last, gripping his greatsword with both hands. The ignited flames turned him into a blazing torch, yet he wasn't aiming at the remaining square light screens.
From a visual perspective, the area behind the light screens must be the weakness, but he chose to trust Elysia.
The Calamity of Heavenly Fire!
Stepping forward with his left foot, he slashed in a lowered stance. A massive, crescent-shaped beam of light surged like a striking tsunami, roaring towards a certain spot on the Cocoon's head. This attack looked as if it would be annihilated by the space-time barrier just like Genesis or the blood spear, but just before contact—
Boom!!
Energy collided, and purple ripples spread across space, upon which a flower of flames blossomed.
"As expected, this flaw is mobile!" Kevin's profile flickered in the light of the flames, bearing an excitement that suggested, 'I'm so smart, I didn't fall for the trap.'
Gripping the sword hilt with both hands, he poured out Honkai energy like a tide, completely ignoring the purple light blossoming in the deep sky above his head.
Suppress It, eliminate It. Maybe this will be the end.
The purple greatsword slashed down. How vast was this light sword? In front of it, Kevin was about the size of an ant. Yet, the other two ants proactively met it, ice and fire unfolding in succession.
"You won't get past!!" Kalpas crossed his arms, feeling as if he wasn't blocking a blade but a sweeping mountain peak.
But so what? His legs rooted themselves in the void, and together with the silent Andevich, they slowed the speed of the greatsword, halting its thunderous momentum.
Gritting his teeth, blood seeped from his arms, and a tearing pain shot through every muscle. His constricted pupils then looked to the side.
Another purple greatsword formed in just one second, sweeping in from the frontal lunar surface.
Clang!
Before Kevin could be annihilated, this purple greatsword also came to a stop. Ryan, who had been lurking from the Sea of Quanta, stood precisely in front of him, pressing his left hand on the greatsword and constraining it.
"Ryan, you!!" Kevin was not at all delighted; instead, he roared as if his eyes were splitting open.
He certainly knew that the cross star wouldn't take down this man, but this bastard should have seized the opportunity he fought for to add more fire, instead of being foolishly kind and saving his life.
Ryan tilted his head and said coldly, "What are you arguing about? Do you think it's just a few of us fighting, and everyone else is watching a show?"
No sooner had he spoken than the light of the Honkai Energy Fragmentation Cannon swept over their heads, fiercely blasting into the flower of flames. In Ryan's pupils, the Hyperion was approaching at full speed, and its main cannons were continuously firing light beams.
No, it wasn't just the main cannons. Emerald green lightning, formless psychic power, dense bullet barrages, and hundreds of missiles whizzed over.
The entire Fire Moth-Chaser launched a charge. Even though they had seen how terrifying the Cocoon of End was—that this thing could easily sink continents and vaporize oceans with a single blow—there was no need to overthink at a time like this.
Earth is behind us. We have nowhere to retreat!
Then, let our lives burn, just to fire one more round, just to tilt the scale of victory a tiny bit more!
Boom boom boom...
Ryan felt countless explosions ringing in his mind. The flower of flames flickered but grew even hotter, and the ripples on the purple light screens became even more noticeable until hundreds of nuclear bombs bloomed simultaneously.
Boom—
The calculated detonation points by Prometheus caused the explosion energy to converge at one point. The Cocoon of End was immediately obscured by a blinding light, making it impossible to look at directly.
"Is it finally going to break?" A hint of excitement also appeared on Ryan's face, but it quickly turned cold again. "No, It's not only stronger than I imagined, but also more cunning than I imagined!"
"Kevin, keep the pressure on. Elysia, point out the target for me. We can't keep going like this."
At the exact same moment, the two purple greatswords, one above and one below, shattered. One split into two, two into three, and three into tens of thousands. It was like stepping into the world of a cultivation novel, with thousands of flying swords floating in space, then whistling towards every target.
They were full of agility, as if every sword edge possessed intelligence. But casting aside the metaphysical layer, Ryan knew these were tens of thousands of drone swarms equipped with artificial intelligence.
Shuttling, slashing, and impossibly sharp.
The power armor's shield was shattered after blocking a dozen consecutive shots. A warrior continuously parried with a chainsword, but the 'flying swords,' which were several times the speed of sound and only palm-sized, shuttled back and forth, cooperating with each other, quickly making it impossible for the Fusion Warrior to fend them off.
Swish—
Dozens of palm-sized flying swords merged into a three-meter-long greatsword, which—with even greater power—cut the warrior in half at the waist. As the blood still floated in space, it broke down again and flew to the next target with its companions.
Merging, splitting, surrounding, scattering.
The sequence of operations was dazzling. Fortunately, the Fire Moth-Chaser's reaction wasn't slow. They quickly formed ranks, and the core High-tier Fusion Warriors could barely counter the siege.
Clang clang clang clang...
Sakura slashed dozens of times with her katana, shattering the surrounding 'flying swords.' Before she could catch her breath, the fragments formed into light needles, densely stabbing towards her.
Smaller, faster, and sharper, as if testing the limit of her blade speed. The moment lightning was released, a ring of ice froze it.
"Don't smash them; focus on freezing and restraining!" Hua shouted a reminder, firmly guarding Kevin's side, allowing the latter to relentlessly release Honkai energy.
Based on the current intelligence, the 'eye' of the Cocoon of End was mobile. They had to suppress It with powerful firepower.
Hua didn't even have the time to look for Ryan's whereabouts but understood that her Senior Brother certainly knew what to do better than she did.
A war of attrition was meaningless. Whether it was the cross star, light spears, rays, or greatswords, the energy was like clay, easily molded into different shapes, like massive waves hitting the shore—you could hold off one wave, but there were countless more behind it.
"I can only suppress you."
Ryan, who had leaped out of the Sea of Quanta, suddenly appeared in the center of the flames. While resisting the scorching heat, he stared at the flickering purple ripples ahead.
Kevin couldn't break through, and the Fire Moth-Chaser was immediately suppressed after one activation. But the scale of victory, from the very beginning, had one more weight than in the original worldline.
"Do you really think I forcibly kept Elysia just to dream of the impossible?!"
Guided by the feeling in his heart, Ryan thrust out the Crimson Helix. This long spear looked incredibly tiny in front of the purple light screens, but he aimed at the spot he determined, condensing everything into a single point—a point that could reach the peak!
Zero Rated Output: Nihility's End.
Singularity Constraint.
This single spear was unremarkable. It was nothing compared to Kevin's full-force attack, let alone the light of a nuclear explosion. Yet, it was this spear that caused the purple light, which still had reserve power, to tremble violently and begin to collapse towards the center.
Crack.
As if passing through a shattered pane of glass, Ryan felt a gaze.
A gaze that was curious, scrutinizing, and surprised, much like a human's.
"Is It looking me over? What's with this feeling of illusion? Also, is the person who told me to 'be careful' Su?"
Ryan felt his thoughts were somewhat chaotic. He looked up. The meteor-like Cocoon was close at hand, the rhombus symbol flashing with purple light.
Did I pass through the space-time wall? Wait a minute, why didn't Kevin's flames penetrate with me?
Time was being stretched infinitely like a noodle. This feeling was somewhat similar to when he had wandered in the Imaginary Space during a dream before, making logic lose its continuity.
In another blink of an eye, his vision seemed to be distorted because the 'meteor' in front of him had disappeared, replaced by a pure white space.
There was nothing but pure white. Ryan froze, then looked back, but saw no purple barrier, no flames, and no chaotic battlefield or shuttling flying swords.
Who am I? Where am I? What should I do?
The three philosophical questions automatically surfaced in his mind, but he remembered using the Authority of Blood and the Authority of Constraint to open a hole and pass through the space-time wall.
And then? Did I directly cross worlds? Or is this a visual trick by the Cocoon? Or is it—
An anomaly caused by my identity.
He couldn't be described as anxious or bewildered. Ryan looked ahead as if he had expected it, finally seeing another object appear in the pure white space.
It looked like a person outlined by someone with a pencil, without facial features, though he could vaguely see the limbs. But that gaze was quite familiar, much like the one that was cast over him at the moment of his passage.
"Having overcome numerous obstacles, I finally see you." The figure stood up, placed their right hand over their chest, and bowed slightly.
"The honored Outsider."