Chenling was already prepared for battle.
However, just as she was about to teach this human girl a small lesson, her opponent suddenly relaxed her guarded stance.
"Are you a MANTIS?"
"…"
A brief silence followed.
The Loli Demon God likewise halted her advance.
The Monarch's order was to capture "those" humans, and the one before her was especially important. If the problem could be solved with words, it was, of course, far simpler than resorting to force.
"No."
"MANTIS is the human term."
The Loli Demon God gently shook her head.
Her drill-like twin-tails swayed in mid-air. If one were to ignore the terrifying aura she exuded, her face alone was exceptionally cute.
"We have our own name—"
"The 'Newborn Species'."
That's right, the "former MANTISes" were also classified as a part of the Honkai Beast civilization. Unlike the [Machine Race], which was born from the fusion of Honkai Beasts and the aura of civilization, these beings, who were originally human but had their forms and even consciousness altered by Honkai energy, had received the new designation of [Newborn Species].
"And I."
The Loli Demon God slowly raised her right arm.
Her joined fingers rested on her chest, slightly to the left. The heart, what should have been one of humanity's most vital organs, had long been replaced by a crystalline Honkai core, similar to that of a Herrscher.
"Under the command of the Monarch, Last Seat, Primordial Species · Chenling."
This title was not one the Loli Demon God had given herself.
After obtaining the Authority of Domination, her actions had indeed earned the Monarch's approval. In the human society of only four remaining cities, the parts that were "buried deep underground" had been more or less completely infiltrated by her:
The vast majority of the so-called "resistance organizations" and "opponents of the Fire Moth" had, without their knowledge, been brought under her control.
That's right.
Whether it was the "white path" that theoretically already belonged to the Monarch, or the "black path" that secretly opposed him but whose every move was thoroughly understood; all forces within human society were now within the Monarch's line of sight… not a single shadow remained.
In the process of carrying out this plan.
Chenling had also earned the identity of the Monarch's eleventh [Retainer]. This "honor" stemmed not only from Chenling's faith in the Monarch but was also proof of the increased trust she had earned from him.
"The Black…"
"No, the Monarch."
Rin fell silent for a short while.
"Miss Chenling."
"If I follow the procedure of the mission, will I be able to meet this 'Monarch' while still conscious?"
Rin's words were somewhat unexpected to Chenling.
A human who actively wanted to meet the Monarch… this was truly a path she had never imagined.
"An audience with the Monarch?" the Loli Demon God asked back, puzzled.
"What do you want to do? No, what can you do?"
"You are indeed no longer weak among humans. In terms of Honkai energy adaptability alone, you are countless times stronger than I was when I first awakened."
"But so what?"
The Loli Demon God first praised Rin "without a hint of jealousy."
Then, her tone shifted:
"The Monarch's power far exceeds your imagination."
"Forget about relying on that fledgling Authority of yours. If you could unleash all your power and still stand upright before the Monarch's throne… I would even praise you for a job well done."
The Loli Demon God truly had not guessed Rin's intentions.
Perhaps the Authority of the Twelfth Herrscher was somewhat special, and she wanted to use this power to "assassinate" the Monarch. But Chenling, who deeply understood the Monarch's power, knew full well that let alone a Pseudo-Herrscher who had yet to awaken and only grasped the雏形of an Authority, even a true Herrscher… the last one who dared to try that had been thoroughly crushed to death by the Monarch.
"No."
"Miss Chenling, you've misunderstood my meaning."
Rin shook her head, refuting the Loli Demon God's assumption.
"I believe that since the Monarch has chosen me as a target for your mission, he must have some intention of meeting me."
Rin very consciously switched from the common human term "Black Emperor" to the respectful title "Monarch," used by his legions and Retainers.
"Although this may sound like self-praise."
"I do feel that I am a little bit special," Rin replied, lightly covering her chest.
"…"
"My mission is to bring you back, safe and sound."
"Whether you can 'meet the Monarch while conscious' as you say is hard to tell, but since you have chosen to surrender, then prove yourself before the Monarch's throne—if you are truly as special as you say."
Rin was not the only target of this plan.
In fact, she was the last target Chenling was personally handling. Across the four human cities, more than thirty Honkai-compatible individuals had been captured by Chenling's squad. And these individuals were also the only remaining humans who possessed the talent to become Herrschers.
That's right.
The Monarch was "gathering" all the Pseudo-Herrschers.
He wasn't trying to use this method to prevent the birth of the Twelfth Herrscher. After all, the Herrscher of Binding could be pieced together from human corpses; living, Honkai-compatible humans were clearly not a mandatory requirement.
What the Monarch intended to do was… have the Twelfth Herrscher, the Herrscher of Erosion, be born in a "location" of his choosing.
Vmm.
A golden ring cut through the mid-air.
The Subspace Lance, used as a brush, dissolved into motes of light, and the Loli Demon God and Rin appeared together on this land covered in solid ice.
No…
This was still the Antarctic continent, that much was true, but the scenery had undergone a world-altering change.
A miraculous iceberg stood in the center of the continent, and atop its summit, a crude yet majestic palace shone like the morning star. A resplendent aurora encircled the very peak of the mountain.
All of the above.
Was the masterwork of Xiao Zi.
One could say it was for her to familiarize herself with the creative power of the [Authority of Reason] to create something from nothing, or one could say she had simply built a palace befitting Bai's status.
In any case, the memories Xiao Zi had obtained from Lu Xing were not limited to the appearance of an "angel." They also included Lu Xing's singular vision for this type of architecture from "that time, that moment," a vision that was also the most fitting impression for ice and cold wind:
"The Frozen Throne."
That's right.
This was a throne constructed entirely from piled ice, frozen solid by the [Authority of Ice], a throne that would absolutely never melt.
And upon it.
Atop the ten-thousand-meter-high peak (Xiao Zi believed the throne's position must be at the highest point in the world), the Monarch, with one arm resting on the armrest, quietly gazed out at the entire world.
Only by looking closely could one see.
The dazzling light was not an aurora—the ribbon of light that enveloped a quarter of the Antarctic continent was, in fact, the manifestation of the power from the cape of Authority flowing from his back.
The Divine Ring at the peak.
Like the light of an unchanging star, it shone upon the entire Antarctic continent.