The green-haired woman sat at a computer desk, with a measuring instrument next to her containing the blood sample extracted from Lin.
While waiting for the measurement results, she leaned back in her chair, playing with her earring, an especially playful expression on her face as she looked at the flickering characters.
"Doctor, your coffee is ready."
Klein walked in with a cup of coffee, placed it on the desk, and said to her, "Dr. Mei would like to meet with you. She said Dr. Einstein and Dr. Vil-V would like to host a party."
"A party? At a time like this?" Mobius blew on the hot coffee, snorting, "The Fifth Honkai hasn't even ended yet. I don't think they want to host a party; they probably want to discuss 'that' with me."
Klein repeated, confused, "That?"
"It's nothing, just a plan that came about by chance." Mobius waved her hand, "Instead of discussing that plan, which will eventually be thrown in the trash, I'm more interested in what I have in my hands now."
"What you have now…" Klein shifted her gaze to the blood in the measuring instrument.
"What? Are you curious?"
"No… Excuse me, Doctor."
After Klein left, Mobius turned her gaze back to the screen.
"I was wondering why those toxins didn't have any side effects on you. So that's it…"
…
"The Herrscher's coordinates are approaching. Everyone, enter a state of alert."
Kevin walked at the forefront, carrying his gun and remaining vigilant in this area where the temperature had exceeded the limit of human tolerance. There were few Honkai Beasts here, as they too could not withstand the cold and had left the area.
In fact, Kevin and his team wouldn't have been able to proceed further either; the temperature here was beyond what their cold-weather gear could resist. However, as they were waiting for the transport plane on the outskirts, they suddenly received an order from the command center.
"The temperature in the Herrscher's area is rising, and the Honkai energy signature is decreasing. Nearby teams are requested to proceed for reconnaissance."
The Herrscher's Honkai energy signature had been steadily rising but suddenly stopped and then began to drop dramatically.
This felt like it was saying, "I'm weak, hurry up and come."
Having experienced several Honkai outbreaks and recognized the shift from the Herrschers' initial puppet-like behavior to the Fourth Herrscher learning to strike at the Moth of the Fire's effective combat forces, the first reaction of people after receiving this report was…
It's a trap.
That place was a land devoid of life; humans couldn't reach it. And Herrschers were the highest creations of the Honkai; they couldn't possibly be attacked by their own Honkai Beasts and zombies.
But they couldn't just sit back and wait either. The longer a Herrscher existed, the greater the threat to humanity.
So, after considering the options, Kevin decided to lead the squad for reconnaissance himself.
On the one hand, Squad One was one of the best-preserved squads now. On the other hand, he didn't have the same reservations as others. In battle, he was a more single-minded person than Lin, making him the most suitable person to lead the way.
The people in front hold the torch, and the people behind follow that light. That's probably how it is.
"Another… fifty meters."
The surroundings were silent, as if it were another world. Here, there were only buildings enveloped in ice and snow, devoid of any living things.
Everything visible was in cold tones, like a photographic negative.
Everyone in Squad One held their breath, treading lightly toward the block of ice whose interior couldn't be seen.
The measuring instrument showed that the Herrscher was inside.
Is she freezing herself for protection?
They could now preemptively set up a large number of bombs for a precise and deadly strike against the Fifth Herrscher, but he couldn't be sure if the Fifth Herrscher in this state still had a conscious mind. If she launched a surprise attack while they were setting up, the consequences would be unimaginable.
What should I do…
While Kevin was pondering, something flashed inside the ice block. Then, he looked up, stunned.
Next, under the confused and horrified eyes of his squad members, he walked straight towards it.
"Captain…" Someone couldn't help but call out to him.
"Something's not right." Kevin accelerated his pace, reaching the block of ice in two strides. He didn't come under any attack. He looked at the ice block, which seemed to be sealing something, with a grave expression, "There's… nothing inside."
Hearing Kevin say this, the others were startled and also moved to Kevin's side to investigate the ice block.
"Honkai energy… is weakening." The team member responsible for measurements looked at his instrument and reported to Kevin, "Since we arrived here, the temperature and Honkai energy have changed significantly compared to a few minutes ago. The Herrscher has likely already left this area. But… it's strange that the overall energy signature hasn't changed much…"
The Herrscher disappeared?
This news did not make people happy; instead, it instilled greater fear.
What did the disappearance of a terrifying threat mean?
Kevin, at this moment, did not show the fear that the others did. Instead, he seriously observed the traces on the ground because he noticed something unusual about the ground here. Many areas had frozen cracks that weren't natural phenomena.
Seeing a mark on the wall that looked like it had been struck by something, he took a step and followed the cracks.
Finally, Kevin stopped on a sloped road. After seeing the scene below, his eyes widened in disbelief.
"This is Kevin…"
…
"The Honkai energy signature in Trant City is still rising."
Sigma was frantic, looking at report after report. He was also a bit unsure of what to do now. Ultimately, tactics were only a minor factor in determining the outcome. To truly resolve a large-scale Honkai, the Herrscher was the enemy they had to face.
And a Herrscher was not an opponent that could be defeated by excellent tactics alone.
Now, Squad One had entered the Fifth Herrscher's area for reconnaissance. He believed results would come soon… whether the result was their own report or the monitor reporting their complete annihilation was not up to him.
"Squad One has reached the center… Hmm, why haven't they stopped yet?"
"Static—This is Kevin, reporting reconnaissance findings."
Kevin's voice came through. He seemed to have encountered something indescribable, his tone somewhat strange.
"The Fifth Herrscher is confirmed to have left this area, whereabouts unknown."
This information was a shock to everyone.
But what followed stunned everyone even more.
"There are signs of a battle here. The Fifth Herrscher likely fought with something 'humanoid' before leaving, but it was definitely not human."
"Preliminary assessment: The Fifth Herrscher suffered heavy damage. This is the reason for the decrease in the Honkai energy signature."
"Furthermore, based on the energy at the scene… this battle only lasted less than ten seconds."