The new Herrscher is quite difficult to deal with.
Even though it was a Herrscher whose core had not yet condensed, its authority already made Chen Ran feel it was tricky: controlling Honkai to change the nature of life.
For example, making life undergo irreversible fibrous changes, just like a boiled egg can never turn back into a raw one.
And those who were pierced by Sato Yuna and turned into corpses even directly bloomed flowers.
Chen Ran held a gun, aiming for the core on Sato Yuna's body to shoot, but the bullets were too fragile and were directly blocked by the vines.
Although these vines were not as hard as pure Honkai Beasts, they made for excellent cover.
"This is completely unscientific; clearly, in the apocalypse, hot weapons are the most effective."
Chen Ran complained and simply discarded his gun.
At this point, he probably had only one option left.
Now that the capacity for consciousness had not reached its limit, in the simulated scene, he could still use his last resort: Herrscher authority.
"Since you like flowers, then I'll give you a sea of flowers."
Invisible winds densely began to cut through the surrounding vines.
Sato Yuna's expression turned painfully contorted, but the vines on her body seemed to have self-awareness, stabbing towards Chen Ran.
He immediately dodged, showcasing the combat skills he learned from the first squad.
After dodging countless vines, the boy's fingertips began to gather a storm, intending to inject it directly into Sato Yuna's brain, aiming to destroy her directly.
Chen Ran did not plan to follow the protagonist's group, intending to use love to influence a Herrscher.
He didn't have that capital.
So, the safest method was still to resolve the Herrscher before him.
However, just as he made contact with this Herrscher, his expression suddenly changed.
A light green powder spread out, like spores, filling the air.
"Damn!"
He immediately manipulated the surrounding air to form a simple barrier.
Some plants rely on spores to reproduce, and the opponent was a Herrscher; if he were touched by the spores, the outcome would be unpredictable.
He didn't think a fox would conveniently come by to save him; he wasn't Kaslana.
Speaking of which, after the Major Honkai Eruption spread, that fox would probably come out too.
So, in the small Nagazora City, three Herrschers were born during a Honkai event?
What kind of place is this!
…
…
While Chen Ran was fighting the Herrscher, Wendy was facing considerable pressure.
The girl was skilled with a gun and had top-notch combat skills, wearing the third-generation Valkyrie Armor, making ordinary Honkai Beasts and Zombies no match for her.
However, these Honkai Beasts and Zombies all possessed one characteristic.
They were immortal!
To be precise, they weren't immortal; after being killed by her once, these Honkai Beasts and Zombies would transform into plant-type Honkai Beasts that feared Flare.
Both their appearance and attack methods underwent significant changes. Although Wendy could burn them with bullets, it was still quite troublesome.
But the most troublesome part was not this.
It was the spores in the air.
Even though she tried her best to avoid them, these spores could drain her stamina.
She knew that if this continued, she would inevitably lose.
"I shouldn't have been so impulsive; I should have contacted for support first."
Wendy's eyes slightly furrowed as she thought, "I wonder if contacting Teacher Theresa at this time would be timely; I need to think of a way."
However, just as she was about to open the communication, she felt danger once again.
Many Honkai Beasts and Zombies charged towards her, led by two Emperors of Honkai.
"Tsk, although I could challenge this in the memory battlefield, but..."
Her brows furrowed slightly, "I can't delay any longer."
The spores on her skin were draining her stamina, and Wendy knew that the longer it took, the more dangerous she would become.
Wendy gritted her teeth and began to activate the auxiliary functions of her Valkyrie Armor.
Time-space rupture system.
She planned to use this to leave first, clear the spores on her body, and then return.
However, just as she activated the time-space rupture system, Wendy's pupils suddenly constricted.
She saw another version of herself.
The girl suddenly fired her gun: "Who are you!"
…
…
Three minutes ago, Elysian Realm.
"Cosmic Juggernaut is a Divine Key that can observe the reality beyond our world. Theoretically, it cannot traverse time. However, in the world constructed by consciousness, the world we are in loses the dimension of time, where the past and future exist merely in another space."
"Of course, your physical body cannot travel back to the past, but your consciousness can."
Expert Vill-V had unknowingly transformed into a conductor, passionately introducing to Wendy: "You are a natural Herrscher, and the Herrscher Core is stable enough to support your consciousness, especially since all Stigmata have been developed."
"Right now, you are capable of traversing back to the past within your consciousness."
"However, it is important to mention that because this is a product of consciousness, the Cosmic Juggernaut can only lock onto the coordinates within your consciousness."
Wendy countered, "So I can't go back to fifty thousand years ago?"
"If you have enough understanding of fifty thousand years ago, then you can." The conductor paused and said, "But in your memory, you should have the location of that man, right?"
Wendy's expression was blank as she adapted to the Cosmic Juggernaut introduced by the conductor.
"Lab rat, remember to bring the imprint before we set off."
Mobius reminded her, "The Infinite imprint can connect your thoughts with mine. I also want to know what he is doing now."
Wendy: "So this counts as a live broadcast? And I'm the camera?"
She suddenly felt that this time travel didn't seem as sci-fi as she had imagined.
Whether it was Mobius or Vill-V, they didn't mind; although it wasn't sci-fi, it was practical.
They even planned to set up a big screen, get some food and popcorn, and treat it like a movie. They were equally looking forward to Chen Ran's continuous adjustments to the future and fate.
Wendy's lips curled slightly, but she found she had no room to refuse.
From Mobius and Vill-V, it seemed they had all developed a super friendship with Chen Ran.
For this, aside from sulking, she seemed to have no other way.
After understanding the use of the Cosmic Juggernaut, she began to lock onto her target.
This target was within her memory.
The Cosmic Juggernaut succeeded.
Wendy smoothly arrived a year ago, in Nagazora City, which in reality was in 2013, but the events that occurred were after her memories.
She saw herself as a Valkyrie fighting against a Honkai Beast, and due to inexperience, she was being drained of stamina by spores.
Then, she locked eyes with herself.
"Who are you!"
The girl's voice was filled with surprise and fear, which quickly turned into anger as she shot directly at her.
She thought this was another creation of the Honkai Beast and shot without hesitation.
Then, the bullet was dodged by Wendy.
The time-space rupture system could sever time and space within a short range, and at that moment, the unobserved quantum state could also be observed.
This was originally a power belonging to the Second Herrscher, which had been popularized by Schicksal.
Thus, this awkward coincidence occurred.
However, she seemed to think of something, and a gust of wind gathered at her fingertips.
"Do you want to defeat the enemy?"
"I can give you power."
Before the girl could respond, the time-space rupture system disappeared.
The girl's eyes could no longer see the future version of herself, as if everything that had happened before was merely an illusion.
She instinctively rubbed her eyes, suddenly feeling a warning sign.
A Zombie was swinging a scythe at her without her noticing.
"Annoying!"
The girl pouted, intending to use the auxiliary function to create distance, but now she could only brace herself.
At this moment, Wendy, seemingly separated from the world by a barrier, could only silently lament the missed opportunity.
She couldn't directly impart the power of authority to her past self; after all, she was merely consciousness now. But if she could merge with her past self's body, perhaps the transformation of her consciousness could allow her to touch the pseudo-authority.
That is, she could use Herrscher's abilities without a Herrscher Core, achieving a Pseudo-Herrscher state.
However, this required the consent of her past self.
The Valkyrie time-space rupture system didn't last long, but perhaps it wouldn't be able to complete the fusion of two consciousnesses.
Wendy tried to control the fluid, but the quantum wind could never break through the barrier of the world.
Suddenly, she remembered the storm Chen Ran had stirred up when she fought Durandal.
"So, when I couldn't find him, he was actually always by my side?"
The girl's eyes revealed shock and emotion.
She didn't know how a person could break through Binding to traverse time, but she knew that it wouldn't be easy.
She looked at the building tightly bound by vines; in her 'memory,' Chen Ran was fighting inside.
Ignoring the obstacles in front of her, she quickly saw where Chen Ran was located.
She gazed at the fighting boy in a daze.
"I finally found you, Chen Ran."
…
…
Chen Ran felt he was having a tough time.
"Why am I just a Fire Moth researcher, reduced to the point of having to face a Herrscher alone?"
Even though he was controlling the power of the Herrscher, he knew he couldn't hold on for long.
Once his consciousness reached its limit, he would automatically exit this scene.
Although exiting and re-entering didn't seem to be a big problem.
But why should a researcher be doing this?
If Chen Ran had the weapon made by Vill-V, he would be confident in taking down the Herrscher. But the current situation was that the 'defense line' constructed by spores in the air couldn't be blown away, no matter how much wind he used.
He tried several times to create pressure explosions, but they only caused the Herrscher pain.
"Under these circumstances, do I have to cut with ideal fluid?"
Chen Ran couldn't help but feel a headache.
Even the abilities of the Herrscher had their differences.
He could control all fluids for combat, but fundamentally, it still relied on the powerful Honkai Energy as its driving force.
That is to say, the so-called 'my thinking power.'
Theoretically, he could control ideal fluid.
But the reason ideal fluid is called ideal is that it hasn't been discovered by humans in reality, or it simply doesn't exist. It is a theoretical fluid state created for ease of calculation.
In other words, he had to create it out of thin air.
Of course, it didn't have to be entirely from nothing.
Just because something doesn't exist in reality doesn't mean it doesn't exist elsewhere.
Imaginary numbers and quantum.
He accelerated the consumption of his consciousness capacity, trying to control the world beyond the world.
Although he wasn't a Herrscher yet, he had already gained the power to connect with the world beyond.
A storm named quantum began to gather, and the ideal fluid slowly took shape.
Cold sweat began to bead on Chen Ran's forehead; under the current circumstances, the consumption of his consciousness capacity was intensifying.
He wasn't directly confronting the Herrscher's abilities; even though he had participated in the fourth Honkai's assault on the Herrscher of Wind, fundamentally, that Herrscher was 'committing suicide.'
The Herrscher of Wind indeed wasn't good at direct combat.
Wendy's downfall was justified.
Chen Ran's lips began to turn bitter.
"This level of power is still not enough; it seems I can only wait for the next time."
After all, he could check the strategy after the simulation ended; it wouldn't be a big deal if he died at the hands of the Herrscher once.
For Chen Ran, since he had died once, it wasn't a terrifying thing.
Just as he was about to give up, he suddenly felt the ideal fluid he was gathering strengthen.
His eyes widened slightly in surprise, as if he heard a whisper in his ear: "This time, let me help you."
"Fierce wind, submit to me!"
The formless ideal fluid sliced through the Herrscher Core birthed by Sato Yuna like a guillotine.
The Herrscher let out a series of wails, and just as Chen Ran wanted to continue, a system command rang in his mind.
[Warning, the current simulation has reached the host's mental consciousness capacity limit. Continuing the simulation will lead to consciousness confusion.]
[The system temporarily ends the simulation scene; congratulations, the host has gained Stigmata resonance *6000.]
[Stigmata resonance: In peace, the resonance power resides here. When the war horn sounds, the resonance gathers, forming Stigmata.]
[Please note, Stigmata resonance has been embedded in your genes. When you engage in the next battle, there will be a chance to generate special Stigmata within you. Even the system cannot intervene.]
For a brief moment, he saw Wendy embracing him.
——
World Serpent, Elysian Realm.
When Wendy appeared from the Elysian Realm, a pale expression surfaced on her face.
The conductor Vill-V, who was supposed to prepare popcorn, was not here, and Mobius, who always cared about whether she would succeed, was also absent.
"Your actions are very dangerous, test subject."
A small Klein looked at Wendy, her eyes filled with warning: "Consciousness can influence reality; I think you should know this. However, the consciousness that influences reality must have a carrier, just like the Stigmata of this era."
"If you hadn't resonated with the body of researcher Chen Ran just now, your consciousness would likely have collapsed. Even in the Elysian Realm, there are no means of healing."
Wendy belatedly understood the meaning behind Klein's words.
She instinctively asked, "Can you see what I'm doing?"
"After you conducted the doctor's experiment, the doctor assigned me to be responsible here. She needs to observe your bodily data."
"I thought Dr. Mobius would just watch a live broadcast."
Wendy complained.
Klein shook her head: "The doctor often doesn't pay attention to entertainment projects, and even if she wanted to watch, she wouldn't need to find a specific place like a real person. Your consciousness has the doctor's imprint; she can see it at any time."
Wendy: "..."
Well, whether it was Mobius or Vill-V, she realized she still knew too little.
Klein's doll-like voice reproached softly: "Moreover, as a test subject, regarding the doctor's words… Well, I know I shouldn't say this from my position, but since you are an important person to researcher Chen Ran, I must remind you that the Elysian Realm is not as simple as you think."
"The people here are also not as pure as you imagine."
Just as Klein finished speaking, Wendy was about to ask something when a voice called out.
"Klein, how's the lab rat doing? Has she turned into an idiot…"
Mobius walked in and then saw Wendy's indifferent face.
Wendy: "I'm sorry to disappoint you; I haven't turned into an idiot."
Mobius immediately corrected herself: "You heard wrong; I never said that."
"Then what did I just hear?"
"You had an auditory hallucination." The scientist with a girl's form said without blushing, "There will be a moment of discomfort when consciousness returns to the body, it's normal."
Wendy: …
She took a deep breath and said, "I don't want to argue with you about this, and I have your imprint on me, you should know what I've been through."
"Then tell me, why do Chen Ran and I have resonance? He also possesses authority similar to mine."
"To be precise, it's not similar." Mobius paused, and said, "You may not know, Chen Ran, besides being an employee of the First Research Institute, also fought alongside Fire Moth to defeat every Herrscher."
"Of course, he failed in the face of the final Finality."
She said, "And in his first participation in the crusade against the Herrscher, he had already mastered the power of the Herrscher of Wind. People of that era all had secrets, even I can't guess where his power came from."
"Until, we met you."
Wendy's pupils constricted slightly.
"Continuously adjusting time to change fate, perhaps it is indeed a path to change tragedy." Mobius played with her hair, "But obviously, since you from this era are here, then Chen Ran's fate is a certain failure under the gaze of destiny."
"It's a simple grandfather paradox: A person travels through time and kills his young grandfather, then he will naturally not be born, but in that case, his grandfather will not die."
"From the moment he tried to adjust time to change his fate, time was also adjusting him."
After Mobius finished speaking, Wendy fell silent.
Although she was young, only 14 years old, she understood what the grandfather paradox meant.
The future she was in now was the result of Chen Ran constantly adjusting time.
And now Chen Ran is constantly adjusting time to reverse the past fate.
But if the past fate is reversed, there will be no present future.
He fell into a paradox of fate.
This paradox is simply desperate.
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