134. A Mission Inevitable to Die
"Kalpas, what is that?" Ling lay on the hospital bed, looking at Kalpas, who had come to visit him.
His eyes held a hint of anticipation and excitement. In that state, Kalpas was very strong, even stronger than Kevin (in his normal state).
"I don't know. After the 'MANTIS Warrior' surgery, I suddenly became like this." Kalpas waved her hand.
"Why did you hide the 'MANTIS Warrior' surgery from me?" Ling was awakened by Kalpas's words, his face showing a hint of anger.
"Heh, do I have to report to you what I do?" Kalpas couldn't help but chuckle.
"...At least don't hide it from me, okay?" Ling's tone carried a hint of pleading.
"Tsk...I know, I know." Kalpas clicked her tongue, waving her hand impatiently.
She was so easily manipulated by Ling. Every time Ling showed the slightest weakness, Kalpas would become incredibly cute, then use an impatient tone to mask her shyness.
"Yes!" Ling answered happily.
"So why did you undergo the 'MANTIS Warrior' surgery?" Ling returned to his initial question.
Kalpas recounted her encounter with the 'Asura' during her mission.
"That Honkai Beast, called 'Asura,' might have come from the same place as me," Kalpas said calmly.
"The same place?" Ling blinked.
Come to think of it, he seemed to have never asked Kalpas where she came from.
He himself possessed such power because he was a 'Stigmata Warrior,' but what about Kalpas?
Her background was shrouded in mystery; no one knew her past.
"I don't remember," Kalpas shook her head.
The past was too distant, so distant that she couldn't even recall the battlefields.
She only wanted to remember the present, to remember the people before her.
To remember why she fought.
"Well, I was hoping to learn more about Kalpas," Ling said, sounding somewhat disappointed.
"…" The expression on Kalpas's face behind the mask was unreadable, but it must have been quite a sight.
The two chatted casually, and soon Dr. Mei sent over a 'fees list'.
Besides the training room damaged during Ling and Kalpas's fight, the other training rooms were also damaged to varying degrees.
In total, it amounted to almost half a year's income for both of them...
Although neither of them had any major expenses.
"How about another fight?" Ling, seeing the punishment was practically nonexistent, was already itching to fight again.
"Perfect timing!" Kalpas smiled.
Then... the newly repaired training room was destroyed again.
This time, Dr. Mei directly forbade the two of them from fighting inside the Fire Moth training room. Once they started fighting, they couldn't control themselves, completely losing their minds, each more ruthless than the other.
The two could only find places to fight in the deserted areas outside, and after each fight, Kalpas would usually carry Ling back.
Then Su or Mobius would treat him. Under such immense pressure, Ling quickly found himself able to fight Kalpas to a standstill.
Just as Ling was basking in the joy of his increased strength, the eleventh Honkai eruption occurred.
This time, an 'Anti-Herrscher' appeared!
She could deploy a barrier with a maximum radius of 110 kilometers, constantly moving and expanding its range after awakening.
All Honkai energy weapons within the barrier malfunctioned, and MANTIS warriors died within one minute due to bodily dysfunction.
After their initial exploration failed, the Fire Moth sent ordinary soldiers to investigate. These soldiers died upon entering the barrier, their bioelectric voltage disappearing, and their electronic systems also malfunctioning.
This bug-level ability left the Fire Moth helpless.
Born of Honkai yet capable of nullifying it...
Ling was urgently summoned by Dr. Mei to a high-level meeting.
Here, Ling met the supreme leader of the Fire Moth for the first time.
"Ling, we have a task for you."
…
"Dr. Mobius, we're counting on you," Ling said to Mobius.
"I won't agree." Mobius refused this task that was so important to her.
"Why? If you had my Corpse, it would be very beneficial to the research of the 'Stigmata Project,' right?" Ling tilted his head, not understanding why Mobius would refuse.
"Do you think Kalpas would agree? I don't want my lab to be broken into by a masked person every day." Mobius explained.
"This shouldn't be an obstacle for Dr. Mobius." Ling still didn't understand.
"You think you know me well?" Mobius stared at Ling with cold, serpentine eyes, exuding a chilling pressure.
"...In that case, I have no choice but to ask Dr. Mei."
"Don't use her to pressure me!" Mobius gripped Ling's collar tightly, her snake-like eyes filled with rage.
Undeniably, she had developed a subtle feeling for this obedient guinea pig.
But it was this subtle feeling that temporarily suppressed her reason.
"You're more valuable for research when you're alive. Dead, you're nothing." Mobius released Ling, reason regaining its hold.
"Dr. Mobius, I was born a jinx, only bringing disaster and misfortune to those around me and to the world."
"If...I mean, if my existence could truly allow the new spark to be passed on to the next generation, I think...that itself would be a very valuable thing."
Ling left, heading towards the 'Herrscher of Binding'.
He was the only one who could still use his full strength within the barrier.
Stigmata belong to the 'Quantum' category.
While Herrschers and MANTIS Warriors belong to the 'Imaginary' category. Therefore, this barrier has little suppressive effect on a 'Stigmata Warrior' like Ling.
However, he only has half an hour.
Within this half hour, his bodily functions will gradually deteriorate.
He is, after all, a human; no matter how powerful the Stigmata, it cannot eliminate the effects of the 'Herrscher of Binding' ability.
His goal is simple: to find the Herrscher's location within the barrier before the time runs out.
Then, he will use the 'Staff of the Underworld' to create a momentary opening for Kevin to attack.
The 'Staff of the Underworld' uses a special electromagnetic field to interfere with the connection between the Herrscher's core and the imaginary space, distorting the "channel" between them for a short time, causing the Honkai energy within the Herrscher to become chaotic.
Ling needs to use his own 'Stigmata' as a catalyst to create an environment where he can use the 'Staff of the Underworld'.
However, even when enveloped by Ling's 'Stigmata' power, the range of the Staff of the Underworld's influence is extremely limited; therefore, he must be very close to the 'Herrscher of Binding' to succeed.
In the split second that the opening appears, Kevin will unleash a full-force attack. Under this attack, Ling, who is extremely close to the Herrscher of Binding, will essentially be facing Kevin's attack head-on.
The chance of survival is zero.
This is the mission Dr. Mei has assigned him.
A mission that will inevitably lead to his death.
...