"I see. So what brings a busy honcho from Fire Moth to our little Sundown Alley? This humble corner of the world isn't exactly fit for a big shot like you."
Kalpas nodded as he spoke to Elysia and Acheron, not batting an eye.
Then again, it'd be more suspicious if someone did react strongly just hearing Fire Moth's name.
Hot-tempered as he was, Kalpas wasn't stupid.
There's a clear line between being quick to anger and being a reckless brute.
"Oh, it's nothing major, just a routine patrol," Elysia chimed in with a cheerful smile. "With Honkai disasters popping up more and more, Fire Moth has to stay on its toes. If a full-blown Honkai outbreak happened here, the damage would be devastating."
She'd noticed the slight shift in Kalpas and Pardo's demeanor when she and Acheron revealed their affiliation, but she chose not to press further.
"Heh, who would've thought! Sis Elysia and Sis Mei here are actually big shots from Fire Moth!" Pardo exclaimed, her eyes wide with surprise as she looked at the two.
"We're just ordinary combat personnel, completely unremarkable within Fire Moth," Acheron stated flatly from the side.
Pardo and Kalpas didn't seem to doubt this. In their minds, Sundown Alley was far too insignificant to warrant attention from Fire Moth's upper echelons.
Soon after, Acheron and Elysia were introduced to the children from the sanatorium. Each of them bore signs of Honkai sickness to varying degrees.
However, under Aponia's meticulous care, the erosion symptoms hadn't truly spread.
There was no hiding this situation, so it was better to be upfront and let Elysia and Acheron see it for themselves.
This, too, was Aponia's intention.
"It must be incredibly difficult, caring for so many children all by yourself?"
The true master of the sanatorium, Aponia, emerged from her office. Dressed in nun attire, her figure was full and graceful.
Seeing these children, Acheron felt genuinely moved.
She'd known about Aponia's work beforehand, but in these end times, someone taking in so many children was still a profoundly noble act.
"Please, do not speak of this place to others," Aponia's voice carried a heavy, suggestive weight.
"If the wrong people learned so many children with Honkai sickness are gathered here... they would be in grave danger."
An ordinary person would likely have felt compelled to obey her unspoken will without question. But then, Aponia's expression softened with regret. "My apologies, that was not intentional."
Her abilities often manifested unconsciously.
However, neither Acheron nor Elysia were ordinary people.
Elysia, needless to say, was immensely powerful, and Aponia had only used the word 'please' instinctively, so the effect was weak.
As for Acheron... did something even happen?
Her very nature made her immune to such influences.
Any form of mental assault simply brushed past her like a gentle breeze.
After all, walking the path of nothingness was itself the most potent mental attack there was.
Of course, this was before Aponia became a MANTIS. Her abilities were far from reaching their later, 'Discipline' level.
Acheron and Elysia didn't pay much mind to Aponia's slip of mind. They could tell it was unintentional. They didn't linger long either; after confirming the children's condition, they left Sundown Alley.
"After I get back, I'll have a word with Mei," Elysia said, thinking of the sanatorium. "They've taken in so many children. Relying solely on their own resources, they can't hold out for long. Fire Moth's supplies could be a great help."
The pressure on the sanatorium was immense.
"But... won't that be difficult?" Acheron paused. Fire Moth's higher-ups didn't care about the lives of ordinary people.
"Hehe, it'll work out. We'll just have to trouble Dr. Mei with it~" Elysia replied without a hint of worry.
If she brought it up, all she had to do was leave the rest to Dr. Mei to handle the bureaucracy. With Dr. Mei's eloquence, getting it done wouldn't be a problem at all.
Upon returning to Fire Moth, Acheron and Elysia were both tight-lipped about what they'd seen on Sundown Alley, including the children with Honkai sickness at the sanatorium.
However, Fire Moth's leadership would likely set their sights on the children of Sundown Alley sooner or later.
After all, the mysterious ballad circulating there: "That day, it fell from the heavens, and thus beheld the starry sky..."
It concealed the very secret Fire Moth most wanted to bury—the story of the moon, the Origin Incident.
Now that Acheron was here, she wouldn't stand idly by.
If she didn't intervene, those in power would inevitably extend their claws toward those children.
Acheron's solution was simple: draw attention to the place.
The easiest way was through Eden.
With her star power, simply having her visit the sanatorium would attract countless eyes.
But that alone wasn't enough, and it would put Eden in danger.
Though Eden's cooperation with Fire Moth had been smooth so far, who knew what those people were really thinking?
For now, Acheron would personally ensure the safety of both Eden and Sundown Alley.
Sakura's surgery would take some time, so there was plenty of opportunity.
"Mei, you called for me?"
With a soft 'click,' Elysia pushed open the door and entered Mei's office.
But besides Mei, someone else was present—Dr. Mobius.
Seeing the two of them together, Elysia's eyes widened slightly in surprise.
"Hmm... Let me guess. With both of you here, does that mean my Honkai Beast factor is ready?" Elysia clapped her hands together, looking at them expectantly.
"Perceptive as ever. Correct. After careful selection, Dr. Mobius and I have finally identified the Honkai beast gene with a one hundred percent compatibility rate for you."
"Which one is it? Please don't tell me it's some ugly Honkai beast."
"Maheśvara, Elysia. You should remember it," Dr. Mei stated.
Elysia certainly did. That Honkai beast had caused Fire Moth significant trouble back in the day. When it first appeared, its power was nearly on par with a Herrscher's. If it had reached its full potential, Fire Moth's losses would have been far greater.
It was, after all, judged to be a Honkai beast of Judgement-class.
Its rarity was comparable to that of a Herrscher.
"Honestly, I'm a little nervous."
The surgery was scheduled swiftly. Standing outside the operating room with Acheron by her side, Elysia looked at her anxiously.
"Don't worry. There's no risk to your life," Acheron shook her head.
In a way, the success rate of the MANTIS surgery was exceptionally high for specific individuals.
Without exception, these were people gifted with extraordinary talent.
Even without Acheron's presence, Elysia's surgery would have been a resounding success.
"It's not that I'm worried about that. The MANTIS surgery causes some physical changes. What if I end up growing something weird after the operation?" Elysia cupped her cheeks, her concern evident. "What if I become less cute?"
As she spoke, her eyes shimmered, clearly hoping for a specific response from Acheron.
"Elysia, you will be beautiful no matter what form you take," Acheron sighed, indulging the girl's small expectation.
"Hehe, with you saying that, I feel much better, Mei~ I'm going in now. Wait for me~"
With that, Elysia briskly entered the room.
--+--
True to form, the surgery was a success, and Elysia emerged from the operating room shortly after.
"So this is what the surgery feels like? It's a bit... strange..." Elysia mused, looking at her newly pointed elven ears.
After two—or perhaps three—successful cases, the acceptance of becoming a MANTIS within Fire Moth had grown significantly.
The leadership no longer obstructed the process.
Soon after, Dr. Mobius fused with the Honkai beast Sesha, joining the ranks of the MANTIS.
However, Mobius found it odd that she experienced no side effects after the fusion.
The MANTIS surgery always came with some side effects, however minor.
Kevin's body temperature had dropped several degrees. Elysia's ears had become pointed.
But what about Mobius?
Since the surgery's success rate was now one hundred percent, Mobius had no need to 'die' once.
Without death, the side effects of the MANTIS surgery remained unknown.
Yet, Dr. Mobius eventually discovered the side effect—and the ability she gained—by sheer accident.
When the others heard how she'd discovered it, they couldn't help but chuckle.
After becoming a MANTIS, feeling her enhanced strength, Mobius threw herself into her experiments with even greater abandon.
Then... then she pushed herself too hard, neglected rest, and accidentally worked herself to death.
"A powerful ability, but... Dr. Mobius, I really think you should get proper rest. It's plain to see you've grown noticeably younger after your experiment. Your resurrection isn't without cost. If you abuse this ability, you might eventually regress into a child incapable of caring for yourself," Elysia expressed her concern.
"Tch... I know," Mobius brushed it off, continuing as she pleased.
In fact, with this immortal body, her behavior grew even more eccentric and reckless.
Knowing she couldn't die, many of her experiments became far more radical than before.
She used herself as a test subject, constantly administering potent drugs with severe side effects.
Within a month, Mobius had transformed from a mature woman to a form verging on adolescence.
The results, however, were astounding. Thanks to Mobius's wild actions, the Honkai energy inhibitor was successfully developed.
Its effect was straightforward: it reduced the erosion of Honkai energy on the body, effectively slowing the transformation of humans into Honkai beasts or zombies.
A fundamental invention with profound implications for the world, created effortlessly by Mobius.
Of course, Acheron deserved some credit for this too.
That genius's manuscript had provided immense inspiration for both Mei and Mobius.
Even if the subject matter differed, as the world's top talents, the two quickly extrapolated and developed numerous remarkable inventions.
However, perhaps due to the butterfly effect, the Eighth Herrscher arrived with shocking speed, catching everyone off guard!
A massive psychic web enveloped Fire Moth's headquarters. Alarms blared throughout the base.
"These readings... a Herrscher? Why so soon?" Dr. Mei stared at the instruments, stunned.
Less than a month had passed since the Seventh Herrscher's appearance. While Honkai incidents occurred frequently worldwide, the Eighth Herrscher gave humanity no breathing room, descending directly upon them.
Moreover, it appeared right in the middle of Fire Moth's base, when their guard was down.
Clearly, it aimed to wipe out Fire Moth in one fell swoop.
'To catch bandits, first catch their king.' It seemed the Honkai understood this principle too.
"Can we identify the Herrscher's true form?" Kevin, standing beside Mei, asked sternly.
"Not yet. Its presence is too erratic; we can't lock onto its location. But many of our combat personnel have already fallen unconscious," Dr. Mei's face was grim. She knew if they didn't find the Herrscher quickly, those who'd fallen unconscious might never wake up.
Meanwhile, Acheron stood in a corridor as a figure gradually materialized before her.
It seemed to lack a physical form, able to appear anywhere within Fire Moth at will.
No wonder Fire Moth was struggling to pinpoint its location.
But as Acheron faced the Eighth Herrscher, a blank look crossed her face.
What's this? I didn't even go looking, and the enemy delivers itself to my doorstep?
Seeing Acheron, the Herrscher broke into a confident smile.
"I found you in their memories. As Fire Moth's strongest warrior, defeating you means these humans will have no means of resistance." Her smile turned manic. "I am the Herrscher of Sentience! Ordinary means are useless against me!"
With that, her form turned into a blur, charging straight at Acheron and plunging into her mind.
Her goal was to invade Acheron's consciousness and... defeat her utterly!
?
Acheron tilted her head. Are all Herrschers of Sentience not particularly bright?
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.