"Fifth Divine Key entering dive posture."
"Tracking good. Three seconds to Honkai source."
"First rated power, release!"
On the bridge of the Minerva, everyone held their breath, staring at the electronic map. An arc could be seen returning to Earth from outside the atmosphere, approaching the Honkai source at ten times the speed of sound.
A batch of Sky Network satellites was destroyed, but Mei decisively called in more. Since the battle was in full swing, the Herrscher had no time to bother with the eyes overhead. But what he didn't notice was that every time he defended against Ryan large-area attacks, a dot would be left on the electronic map.
That's right, Ryan never intended to fight one against many from the start. All his attacks seemed fine on the ground, but from an overhead perspective in space, connecting these dots would reveal a straight line.
Under Prometheus's calculation, the next possible path was deduced. Then Mei, calculating the lead time, launched the Fifth Divine Key.
Hibernation of All Things, at Ryan request, merged with the 'Scepter of God,' forming an air-based weapon.
Launched from outside the atmosphere, with a waverider warhead, and a dive speed of more than ten times the speed of sound, then human-controlled to unleash accumulated energy, it was a hundred times more powerful than simply dropping a tungsten rod.
"Hit confirmed, Honkai energy covered."
A circle overlapped the previous Honkai source. Many people cheered, but only Mobius, standing at the door, had no smile. Her snake eyes were fixed on the bottom right corner of the electronic map.
"Seven hundred kilometers left. Can it be faster?"
"It's already fast enough." Mei remained calm. After receiving Freya's report, she had quietly prepared to depart, and at full speed since Ryan detonated the valley.
[True Self], [Infinite], [Crimson], plus [Floating Life] which joined en route—a total of four squads were dispatched. Since all personnel were on the Minerva, the commotion wasn't too big.
"Approaching the coastline soon, there will definitely be interception."
"Then send me and that fat hag out. We're faster."
"We don't even know the enemy's situation. What's the rush? Do you want to go rescue Ryan that badly?"
"Who, who said I'm in a rush?" Mobius raised her arms and crossed them over her chest, coldly saying: "I just want to go mock that idiot for not being a proper Chief of Staff and insisting on being a scout."
Mei already knew this platypus's personality, but she didn't agree with the latter part of the sentence. No one but Ryan would dare to delve into such a perilous place.
At least he could fight back if discovered. If it were Sakura, there wouldn't even be a chance for rescue.
"Don't panic. I'll wait for Ryan to get closer."
"You want to use him as bait?!" Mobius voice suddenly sharpened.
"He wants to use himself as bait. Otherwise, he would have retreated at full speed. I suspect there's an emergency, or a specific target is a must-kill."
Mobius expression changed continuously, finally turning around and kicking the door.
"You two are both idiots!"
Being publicly cursed, Mei wasn't angry. She just glanced at the dented automatic door and beckoned to her subordinate.
"Sene, put the repair costs on Dr. Mobius tab. Remember to add five times the compensation."
"Yes."
After giving the instruction, Mei no longer bothered with this small interlude.
She propped up her chin, looking at the electronic map.
At the current speed, they would arrive in two hours.
'Ryan, what is it that makes you so determined to stay? Could the Tenth Herrscher have arrived already?'
Mei had indeed guessed correctly. Ryan was waiting for the Fifth Divine Key.
Ryan stood atop the mountain, seeing a massive ice mushroom blooming before him. Inside the ice cap, the Ninth Herrscher and the flames were frozen together, along with some Honkai Beasts. This instantly made the Herrscher of Blood, who was charging on the ground, stand out.
'Let me test your mettle.'
Ryan licked his lips, raised his hand, and gripped an ice-blue long awl. It was entirely crystalline and smooth, emitting a white mist, sharp at both ends, slightly narrower in the middle, somewhat resembling a double-bladed sword.
Too much energy had been released earlier; the Divine Key was somewhat 'weak.' But held in Ryan hand, it was as if their minds were connected.
Every Divine Key chose its wielder. Generally, a synchronization rate of over sixty percent allowed for use. Ryan, possessing the Authority of Ice, undoubtedly exceeded ninety percent.
First Rated Power: Hibernation of All Things.
Ryan pointed the sword tip, spewing a spiral blue energy wave. Along this straight line, even the air condensed, and an ice pillar instantly formed.
He saw blood-red light appear at the end of the ice pillar. Two types of energy were neutralizing, annihilating, and dissolving each other.
That patch of red light was tiny compared to the ice pillar, yet it could intercept it, clearly with much higher efficiency.
"As expected, it specializes in attacking Honkai energy, specifically targeting me." Ryan body flashed, and he hold the double-bladed sword. "Then, can you block physical attacks?"
He closed in instantly. The Herrscher of Blood rolled to the side without thinking, slapped the ground with his left palm, bouncing up instantly. He watched the sword tip magnify in his vision and quickly averted his head.
Whoosh—
A few trickles of blood sprayed from his cheek, making his already mutated body even more grotesque. But he set his face grimly, quickly crossed his hands over his chest, and felt a tearing pain.
Bang!!
A stepping knee strike sent him flying backward. Ryan raised an eyebrow slightly, roughly understanding.
This Herrscher had high magic resistance, but ordinary physical resistance. Of course, the Herrscher hadn't fully grown yet, and his mere 2300 HW of Honkai energy was overcome by sheer force.
Incineration.
With two fingers raised, flames erupted from the ground, but the ground turned blood-red. As soon as the pillar of fire surged, it dissipated as if its energy had been cut off. Ryan frowned slightly, gaining a deeper understanding.
This Authority was very peculiar, somewhat like decomposing Honkai energy and even absorbing some of it.
A malicious targeting, yet Ryan advanced instead of retreating. That sense of daze had clearly recovered a bit.
Not just the Herrscher of Blood, there was also the Herrscher of Death, specializing in biological attacks, hidden somewhere. He had just felt his vitality withering.
Five seconds.
His toes touched down, instantly rebounding. The double-bladed sword danced, releasing rings of ice that whistled away like circular saws.
The Herrscher of Blood continuously retreated, trying his best to maintain his Authority. He watched these ice rings cut the earth and shatter in front of him, but his heart wasn't flustered. A portion of this energy was being taken by him, just enough to replenish his consumption.
Four seconds.
Ryan charged again, his left hand clenched into a fist.
Combine!
The passing ice rings whistled back, centered on this Herrscher. Even as the ground within a few meters of him crumbled, Ryan was already closing in.
He kept his head down, locking onto the retreating Herrscher. His entire body suddenly transformed into burning flames. At the same time, an imperceptible black smoke formed a pale hand, its slender fingers pointing at Ryan.
Decay.
This was cellular-level corruption and decay, enough to turn flesh into withered bones, and capable of transmitting through airborne microorganisms.
But Ryan Burnd it all, only raising the blazing 'ice awl,' thrusting it furiously forward.
Like an effect being erased, the flames instantly vanished as they approached the opponent, but the Divine Key's core body remained unaffected. This was the most durable Soul Steel.
Two seconds.
Puff.
With the sound of muscle being cut, the blade plunged into his chest. Ryan was about to make him explode from the inside out, but he found that all the scattered energy was being decomposed, and instead, he felt a sharp pain in his abdomen.
The fiery outer layer that Burnd all things was torn open, and a blood-red arm plunged into his stomach. He no longer hesitated, kicking it away and freezing the wound with thick ice.
Time's up.
Crack, crack.
The massive ice mushroom above their heads began to crack, collapsing towards the center. The Ninth Herrscher was only trapped for a few seconds. Ryan didn't hesitate, turning and leaving, continuously swinging the double-bladed sword in his hand.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...
Ten giant ice walls rose in succession, shielding Ryan back. He himself charged northeastward, crossing the small mountain he had just shattered, stepping over scattered corpses.
Maximum speed.
Wind and thunder resonated, and he streaked across the pale night sky like a bolt of lightning. Soon, he saw at the end of the corpses, a heavily wounded girl fighting a 'ghost dragon.'
Her form-fitting suit was torn. The single-minded Hua only focused on completing her orders, no matter how fierce the battle behind her got, she just charged headlong.
Her iron fists smashed the traitorous fusion warriors. Her whip kicks sent Honkai Beasts flying. Even with her energy depleted, she still faced this strongest Judgment-class Honkai Beast head-on.
Inch Force: Mountain Collapse!
The blooming shockwave shredded the blue breath. Her fist slammed onto the hard bone, the recoil numbing her right arm, yet it made this several-thousand-ton Honkai Beast rise from the ground. Despite its wings shattering, it lowered its head to bite.
Its head was like withered bone, its dense teeth capable of tearing steel. Hua, however, stood firmly on the ground, aiming for that giant mouth.
'One punch, and my hand will definitely be gone, but this Honkai Beast will also be heavily wounded, clearing another obstacle for Senior Brother.'
Her will was like steel. Hua seemed to have forgotten that there were still enemies behind this Honkai Beast; she would only give her all.
Inch Force: Open...
Boom!
Before her fist landed, a streak of light shot in, fiercely striking the Honkai Beast's head, freezing half its body into ice. Before it could regain its balance, another meteor violently impacted its body.
Thump—
An Iron Mountain Shoulder Bash slammed into the Honkai Beast's raised chest. The latter didn't fly out; instead, its entire chest was directly blasted into shredded flesh, splattering over a large area of the forest.
Ryan arrived. Listening to the sound of ice shattering behind him, he didn't waste words. He reached out and grabbed Hua collar, pulling her up.
"Go!"
The meteor paused briefly, then accelerated wildly again, passing directly through the Honkai Beast's chest cavity. Ryan then realized that there were indeed people ambushing behind the Honkai Beast.
The first one was blonde, wearing a neat trench coat—wasn't that Calis? Beside him were over a dozen fusion warriors, and two people on either side of him radiated immense energy; they were also high-ranking fusion warriors.
Their eyes met. Then, lightning mixed with strong winds flew over their heads.
There was only one second in total. Ordinary fusion warriors had just raised their muzzles when their target was gone. As they fruitlessly turned to shoot, Calis raised his hand, blocking two of his turning subordinates.
"Just let him pass?" Freya asked coldly.
"If you wanted to fight so badly, you should have made your move earlier. Anyway, if you had, I don't know if he would have died." Calis raised his chin, looking at the ice wall shattering like glass.
"Anyway, we're definitely dead!"
The saying goes, 'Don't pursue a cornered enemy,' let alone Ryan who wasn't exactly cornered.
So Calis didn't intercept. In his opinion, tonight's battle was inexplicably strange from the start. At least he wasn't prepared at all. Was fighting that monster now not setting himself up for failure?
Besides, letting these Herrschers suffer a bit was also good.
He saw the Herrscher of Stars, who had propelled himself with a gravity slingshot. His speed was astonishingly fast. He knew Ryan wanted to escape at all costs, and the opponent simply couldn't stop him.
Simply put, that man was never a reclusive hero; he was the king of humanity, surrounded by a multitude of sharp blades.
The speed of the chase was faster than a supersonic missile, disappearing from sight in an instant. However, soon, a pink meteor appeared in the pale sky, then scattered into thousands of streaks.
Boom boom boom boom...
Like a torrential downpour, the distant area was dyed pink, shaking the earth slightly.
"'True Self' Elysia?"
"It's her, still as impulsive as before, but her timing is terrible." Kalis's eyes showed a hint of remembrance, then he turned his head sharply, "Prepare for a counterattack. The hunt ends here."
Pink arrows covered the ground, adorning this eerie jungle like a flower garden. Elysia held a small longbow and tilted her head in confusion.
"Ryan, I used my full power just now, why was I bounced back?"
The flower-like girl didn't quite understand. Seeing Ryan cold face, she became even more confused: "I saved you, shouldn't you be smiling with relief?"
Ryan remained high in the sky, a bit speechless. He didn't intend to fish, but Elysia appeared without any suddenness, flying straight over.
But then again, her little head obviously didn't understand what a treacherous ambush was.
It was a bit regrettable. If he had lured them another hundred kilometers forward, he would have been the hunter, but the Herrschers weren't stupid. The possibility of them stubbornly chasing to the end wasn't high.
Thinking of this, he let out a long breath, exhaling the lingering regrets, and at least managed a smile.
"That's more like it." Elysia put away her longbow, her gaze shifted downwards, and her expression became strange again, pouting her lips: "Also, can you be a bit gentler with girls? If you don't know how to hug, you can ask me to teach you, I don't mind being a guinea pig, you know?"
Ryan also turned his head, only then realizing that he was holding Hua by her chest with one hand. Flat had its advantages; he had a firm grip on this battle suit and showed no signs of letting go.
Hua wasn't unconscious. After being grabbed by Ryan just now, she had recovered some strength. Meeting Ryan gaze was quite awkward.
"Uh, I was too nervous just now, I don't mind." She quickly spoke up for Ryan, then, after breaking free, she floated in the air, smoothing out the wrinkles on her chest: "Ellie, why did only you come?"
She knew the Moth of Divine Will would definitely come to support. If a few more strong individuals had been ambushed in the jungle just now, the Ninth Herrscher might not have been able to escape.
"I care about you guys, you know." Elysia stuck out her tongue, knowing she had been a bit too hasty, and closed her eyes, "If you want to criticize, just criticize me, it has nothing to do with anyone else anyway!"
"Alright, I won't blame you."
"Ryan, you've become more generous."
"I've always been very generous." Ryan shrugged. His true thoughts were actually very simple:
The Ninth Herrscher didn't use her full power.
If they were truly encircled, these Herrschers, who didn't value life, would self-destruct on the spot, and the self-destruction of the Herrscher of Stars would create a black hole, with a lethal range that could cover the entire continent of Mu.
He was already mostly depleted now, so how could he be sure to eliminate the Herrscher before they self-destructed?
'Destroying an entire continent with one blow, I can't let him use that.'
"Ryan, you're injured." Elysia voice suddenly rose a few degrees, flying to Ryan side with a pink contrail.
"Senior Brother, are you alright?" Hua also noticed that Ryan abdomen was torn, and the bloody wound was frozen by ice.
"Minor injury, that Herrscher of Blood isn't doing well either, but with the Herrscher of Death there, it's not a big problem."
"Who is the Herrscher of Blood again??"
Ryan didn't explain. He hadn't even had time to consolidate information yet. At this moment, the clouds parted, and a massive battleship emerged, its menacing muzzles rotating, and its vertical missile launchers already open.
The Minerva was much more useful than the Raven. At the very least, it could directly reach the front lines, like a mobile fortress, and dozens of Fusion Warriors on flying discs surrounded it like a swarm of bees.
The aft deck had already opened. Ryan and Hua landed back inside the ship, where they saw the worshipful expressions of several repairmen.
Going deep into this continent was unimaginable. The Minerva had been besieged by thousands of Honkai Beasts on its journey here, and they hadn't even seen the Herrscher yet. As a result, those terrifying monsters were driven away by the Supreme Commander.
Ryan didn't greet them, because he looked up and saw Mobius leaning against the wall, immediately frowning.
"Did you tell Elysia to come at full speed to support?"
"Yes, there are many opportunities to kill Herrschers, but your demise would be a big problem. I have to choose a more secure plan." Mobius replied indifferently, then glanced at the disheveled Hua, drawing out her words: "Wouldn't you agree, adventure-loving Supreme Commander, even bringing a beauty along. You really don't consider us subordinates."
Ryan was initially very touched because Mobius prioritized his safety as the most important task. The latter half of her sentence made him roll his eyes several times.
This platypus, she was clearly worried about Hua too, after all, Hua was the most likely to die, but the words that came out were unpleasant.
"This is a combat mission, Senior Brother doesn't have personal preferences." Hua, as expected, corrected her seriously.
"You weren't a burden?"
"Nonsense, I perfectly executed every order. Someone like you, who is disorganized, undisciplined, and lacks practical combat experience, is the burden!"
"What did you say?!" Mobius snake eyes widened. This wooden stick has been giving me trouble ever since she self-destructed last time. She used to give up easily after a few jabs.
Hua resolutely met her gaze, puffing out her flat chest, her fighting spirit undiminished: "I'm just stating facts, Dr. Mobius."
"Do you want to fight me?"
"Didn't we already fight last time?"
The two exchanged words, giving Ryan a headache. He quickly stood in the middle to separate them.
"Alright, alright, Hua, go check your injuries. Mobius, you come with me to see Mei. We're in Herrscher territory now."
Hua was obedient, nodded, and left. After a few steps, she specifically turned her head: "Senior Brother, did I help?"
"Nonsense. If you hadn't cleared the way, do you think I would have escaped so easily? Just that 'Phantom Dragon' could have held me back for a few seconds, okay? A few seconds can decide life or death." Ryan replied without hesitation.
"That's good then." The girl seemed to let out a huge sigh of relief, and a smile appeared on her face. However, as she turned around, she specifically glared at Mobius with an 'I'm very useful' look.
Someone's eyebrow twitched, about to follow, but was blocked by Ryan, immediately becoming displeased and showing a sarcastic smile. However, just as she opened her mouth, Ryan opened his left hand, and electricity was sparking at his fingertips.
This seemed to be some kind of switch. Mobius long, black-stockinged legs squeezed together slightly.
"So many people, you dare."
"Ha, I'm not the one losing face, what's there to be afraid of?"
"I'm not afraid of losing face."
"Then let's see whose skin is thicker between us."
In the end, Mobius was defeated because no matter what she did, she would suffer. She had to swallow her sarcastic words, but after taking a few steps, she suddenly pushed Ryan against the wall.
"What are you doing?" Ryan "feigned surprise." With so many people in the hangar, Mobius was actually trying to "rob his beauty," which was completely unexpected.
"Don't move." Mobius had no trace of a smile. She touched his abdomen, which was still frozen, and looked up suspiciously, "Don't you feel something is wrong?"
Ryan truly hadn't felt anything because that part of his body was frozen and completely numb. Because there were so many things happening, he hadn't thought about it, but upon looking down, he realized something was indeed wrong.
The area around the bullet hole was black, showing signs of decay. This couldn't be a wound caused by a hand.
"Authority of Death? When?"
He was a bit confused. In those few seconds of advancement, Ryan had been most vigilant against the Herrscher of Death, absolutely not letting the opponent's authority touch him.
"It seems the Herrscher of Blood you mentioned isn't that simple. When he attacked you, he attached the Authority of Death."
"Your interpretation is that he can devour authority?" Ryan also understood. Isn't this just like himself?
"Perhaps it's devouring, perhaps it's storing. Anyway, others have dug the pit, just waiting for a fool like you to jump in." Mobius stomped her foot, her tone urgent: "Didn't you say Honkai is targeted? This Herrscher is targeting you."
Ryan didn't retort this time, because after one encounter, it was still difficult to understand the opponent's authority; it seemed very complex, and a Herrscher core was still needed.
However, he agreed with the point about being targeted. This Herrscher had high "magic resistance" and was not bad in close combat, a formidable opponent.
"It seems I need to have a good discussion with Mei."
"Discussion my ass, come with me, I've upgraded the Minerva's infirmary."
Mobius dragged Ryan away, and this overflowing concern warmed the latter's heart, so he let her drag him towards the infirmary, where he ran into Hua, who was already treating her wounds.
Hua wasn't stupid. She knew Ryan didn't need to come to the hospital for ordinary injuries, and seeing Mobius serious expression, her heart was in her throat.
"Senior Brother, are you alright?"
"No big problem, just got ambushed by that new Herrscher, but I also got important intelligence." Ryan casually reassured her, and then Mobius pressed him back onto the operating table.
"Don't go comforting people there. You know how troublesome the Herrscher of Death is. If you hadn't been quick with your authority to freeze it, you'd be dead without even a speck left."
Mobius was blunt, simply tearing open his clothes, putting on an electron microscope, and starting to observe.
This scoundrel, didn't she see I was comforting someone?
Ryan glared at her. Of course, he knew the horror of the Authority of Death. This thing was alive, and if even a bit touched, it would eat a living being completely, like a virus, unlike other authorities that could be annihilated.
He saw Hua expression instantly darken, as if she hated herself, and quickly reached out to pat her head.
"Go rest, I'm fine. A few Herrschers can't finish me off, let alone a petty trick."
"But..."
"Get out, don't disturb my treatment." Mobius didn't even lift her head, her tone very strict.
Normally, Hua would have confronted her, but seeing Mobius inspecting the wound inch by inch, she had no choice but to bow and leave with a somewhat pale face.
Ryan licked his lips, estimating he would have to comfort her well afterward, then looked at the serious and focused Mobius. With that white coat, she really looked like a beautiful doctor.
"Doctor, my illness..."
Mobius looked up, having obviously collected the data, and waved her hand indifferently.
"It's already hopeless, prepare for your funeral."