19. Herrscher of Death, Death and Rebirth!
In a bar in a small far-northern town, a Valkyrie wearing black, form-fitting attire with long ash-brown hair slammed her hand on the table.
"Mr. Gao Qi, I cannot possibly believe the words of an enemy of Schicksal."
This Valkyrie was tall and well-proportioned, carrying a giant sword on her back that gleamed with a green light.
Ragna, captain of the Valkyrie Assault Squad. After three years of reconnaissance, Schicksal had finally broken through Anti-Entropy's deliberate cover-up and sent them here to capture Specimen K423.
"That's not right, Miss Ragna. I come with good intentions, hoping to save the Schicksal Valkyrie Assault Squad from being wiped out. It's not good to refuse so easily."
Opposite her, a tall man with black hair wore a calm smile and raised a glass of wine.
"We are all fighting for humanity—looked at that way, aren't we friends?"
Sliding a glass of wine towards Ragna, Gao Qi seemed to return to his state of mind from three years ago.
The Ragna before him was an excellent teacher who had nurtured three outstanding Valkyries. Yet, at this moment, he couldn't interact with her as a friend, which he genuinely regretted.
"I don't want to argue with you, and there's no need to delay any longer. My apologies—seize him."
With a slight wave of Ragna's hand, several Valkyries in the bar began to approach, intending to subdue Gao Qi.
But as Gao Qi took out a gem, they all stopped in their tracks.
The Gem of Serenity!
"Over these past three years, I have been constantly adjusting my adaptability to Honkai energy, training my combat abilities, attempting to communicate with the will within the Gem of Serenity..."
And in the personal interface of the simulation system, a special status called [Honkai Energy Corruption: Serenity's Death] indicated that he was already beginning to be eroded by the energy.
"I am certain that the moment I accept the Gem of Serenity, I will immediately become a Herrscher—do you want to face two Herrschers at once?"
This threat was no different from strapping a bomb to one's waist and negotiating. Ragna immediately told her squad to move back several meters—this madman was threatening her with becoming a Herrscher!
"Or, you have another choice: let the two Herrschers fight each other, and then you can reap the rewards afterward. The Gem of Serenity is the payment for this deal, and my condition is to give K423 her freedom."
Within Schicksal, there weren't many people who could be trusted, but Ragna was one of them.
Upon hearing this, Ragna hesitated. She knew that it was highly probable the Assault Squad would be completely wiped out on this mission. She could face death fearlessly herself, but she couldn't bear to let the other Valkyries die in vain.
"So, the deal is settled."
Before Ragna could even respond, Gao Qi understood her decision.
"According to calculations, one week from now, the Herrscher of the Void's energy will become uncontrollable. At that time, I will transform into the Herrscher of Death and subdue her. Then, you can take the Gem of Serenity."
Hearing this, Ragna realized that the man before her intended to seek death!
The mission issued by Ms. Amber explicitly stated that Gao Qi was an extremely dangerous traitor who could be shot on sight.
But, even though it was their first meeting, Ragna felt that this man... was very much like herself—both were fools willing to sacrifice their lives for others.
Perhaps sacrifice wasn't necessary. If they could cooperate with Anti-Entropy, maybe—
However, just as she was about to speak, a tremendous buzzing sound suddenly exploded in everyone's ears.
BOOM———
It wasn't the roar of thunder, but a sound of something tearing. Looking outside, they saw a purple gate suddenly rip open in the distant sky.
Gao Qi looked at the scene he had seen in the CG and couldn't help but sigh.
"You see, Miss Ragna, 'Life is rarely perfect, and we can seldom share our troubles with others'—evacuate the people. Take my advice, don't get too close until the fight is over."
The current situation was something Gao Qi had anticipated.
After the last simulation, Gao Qi had a suspicion that the so-called "butterfly effect" wasn't just a series of coincidences, but a deliberate targeting by the Will of the Honkai.
The longer his simulation lasted, the more pronounced this targeting became.
He left Changhai City three days early, and the Honkai eruption occurred three days early. Gao Qi calculated he would treat Kiana in one week, so the Honkai deliberately made the Herrscher awaken one week early.
And the purpose of it all seemed to be to make Gao Qi die quickly and end this simulation.
Gao Qi had asked the system, and the system clearly stated that it was absolutely not deliberately increasing the difficulty.
Thinking of this, Gao Qi sighed, took out the gem, stopped resisting it, accepted it, and directly swallowed it.
Successfully taking the gem, Gao Qi's power immediately surged wildly, increased tremendously, intensified drastically! Kill kill kill kill kill!
His clothes dissipated completely amidst waves of black mist. Accompanied by a halo vibrant with vitality, a set of azure full-body armor, resembling that of a Kamen Rider, materialized on Gao Qi's body, covering his face.
Power surged within Gao Qi. The authority over life and death was grasped in his hands. It felt as if he could control the creation and destruction of all things in the world.
Such domineering ambition, such madness! Such a detestable devil god—what in this world could possibly withstand him!
"Honkai, I have felt your malice, I have understood your ambition!"
With a roar, two crimson semicircles formed the Stigma of the Herrscher of Death on Gao Qi's chest.
And in Gao Qi's system interface, another brand new status appeared.
[Herrscher Transformation: Serenity's Death: You have temporarily obtained the authority of the Herrscher of Death, capable of mastering the powers of apoptosis and creation.
But at the same time, the Honkai is constantly eroding your will, turning you into Its servant.
Mental Collapse Countdown: 9 minutes 52 seconds]
Ten minutes. This was Gao Qi's final time.
"Longer than an Ultraman, it's enough—please take care of Bianka for me. Farewell."
With a wistful smile, Gao Qi nodded to Ragna.
"Kiana, your dad is coming to save you!"
BOOM—
With a powerful stomp that cratered the ground, Gao Qi's figure shot instantly into the sky.
[When you returned home, you saw Kiana, who had fallen into madness, beginning to indiscriminately attack all living beings around her.]
[When you left home, she was still normal. But now, the Herrscher of the Void's dress and light wings had already manifested on her. She deliberately ran far away from home, clearly not wanting to harm you.]
[The Herrscher of the Void sensed your presence, opened a gate to the Imaginary Space, and countless Void Lances fell like rain.]
[You knew that Kiana's transformation into a Herrscher this time definitely involved the machinations of the Will of the Honkai. The Herrscher of the Void at this moment was far stronger than the Kiana Siegfried faced in the original story.]
[But, you were utterly fearless. Even though you were still a virgin, no one was going to take this daughter away!]
[The power of death transformed into boundless black mist, instantly annihilating the Void Lances. You didn't waste time listening to the Herrscher's nonsense, charging fiercely towards her and crashing into her!]
[The battle is joined!]
BOOM———
Although the two Herrschers didn't fight to the end of the universe, grinding down the Great Dao, the shockwaves from their clash instantly blew away all the snow covering the forest and snapped countless giant trees at their waists.
This scene is far more intense than when Mei "disciplined" Kiana!
Both Gao qi and Kiana are operating at a fraction of their potential—one relying solely on Gem enhancement, the other with a partially destroyed Herrscher core—yet they fought to a stalemate.
[The Herrscher of the Void is going all out, her gaze towards you utterly frenzied. You, too, hold nothing back. Only by defeating her can you bring Kiana back.]
[And so, you battle from the sky down to the earth, tearing a several-kilometer-long gash through the frozen soil layer, then plunge from the ground into the ocean, completely shattering the already ice-sealed sea surface.]
[Countdown: Nine minutes left, seven minutes, five minutes—three minutes!]
[The Herrscher of the Void initially tried to maintain her elegance, engaging you from a distance, but you quickly closed the gap. Like a Vermilion Bird treading clouds, you entangled with her, making it impossible for her to break free.]
[The Inch Heart Fist emphasizes close-quarters combat. The stronger the user, the more significantly it boosts combat power. In the previous simulation, you could only fight evenly with Zombies. But over these past few years, thanks to your initial Honkai adaptability, you've become capable of battling Honkai Beasts, and your fist technique has even stepped into the "Empty Heart" realm.]
[And now… you are a Herrscher. So, your Inch Heart Fist—can defeat a Herrscher!]
"Break!"
With a fierce shout, a fist wreathed in the power of Death smashed through the incoming Void Lances. Gao qi's steps were swift, closing in on the Herrscher of the Void. His left fist erupted with deathly energy, slamming into her beautiful face.
Strong Hand Shatters Skull!
The terrifying blow sent the Herrscher of the Void flying from the sea surface back onto land, shook the ornaments from her head, and sent her tumbling several times through the air.
"Damn you, you insect! A flawed product forced into being by a Gem! You're merely a fragment of what I once was! How dare you—!"
The irritable and proud Herrscher of the Void was enraged by the deeply insulting move. Clenching her fists, she purified the death energy corroding her using imaginary energy. The Void Lances behind her spread out across the sky like a King's Treasure and shot towards Gao qi from all directions.
Gao qi's movement was still swift, but facing this omnidirectional,angle-less barrage, he was ultimately too slow.
Thud—
One Void Lance pierced through Gao qi's body, slowing him down. Then, several more lances pierced through his limbs, pinning him to the ground.
[Countdown: 1 minute!]
Unable to move any further, the Herrscher of the Void finally relaxed, approaching Gao qi with an air of triumph.
"My, my. The great hero of that day has finally fallen before me. It wasn't easy. I'll be properly collecting on the debt from last time."
Not intending to kill Gao qi, the Herrscher of the Void floated before him. Because Kiana was only twelve, she wasn't as mature as in the original story, instead appearing somewhat petite.
Lifting her smooth, bare foot, she hooked it under Gao qi's chin, then spread her pearl-like toes and pinched his nose.
"Why are you so weak? Something's not right, let me see— Oh, I see. You don't have her mark on you yet... Interesting."
As if understanding something, the Herrscher of the Void wanted to continue teasing Gao qi, but suddenly, she saw the smile at the corner of his lips— Nothing good ever comes when he smiles.
"Damn it, speaking in riddles, utterly incomprehensible!"
In an instant, black mist severed Gao qi's limbs. Showing no fear of pain, he broke free from the Void Lances, and vibrant green life energy immediately repaired his limbs.
Like a broken car getting four brand-new tires, Gao qi then annihilated and reconstructed his own torso, breaking free from his restraints.
Only half a minute remained. The Herrscher of the Void controlled imaginary space; if she escaped into it, Gao qi would absolutely be unable to follow.
Gao qi was gambling, betting that she, like Sirin, would become overconfident and get close to him.
His newly grown limbs instantly recovered. Gao qi gathered all his power, all the authority of life and death, into his right fist.
"Go back to sleep, Sirin!"
Then, this ultimate power was unleashed by Gao qi using his strongest "technique," crashing into the Herrscher of the Void's lower abdomen.
Inch Force— Open Heaven!
This power contained all of Gao qi's comprehension of Herrscher power within these short ten minutes. Brief as it was, it was enough!
The power of Death penetrated through, shattering all the physical adornments of the Herrscher of Void, revealing Kiana's original clothing. In the next moment, the power of Life had already repaired all the damage Kiana had suffered.
Cough—
The Herrscher of the Void collapsed onto the ground, clearly unable to maintain her existence. Gao qi silently walked to her side.
"Heh, you foolish human... Who told you I was Sirin! Farewell for now."
Looking at Gao qi now, the Herrscher of the Void rolled her eyes, showed no further attachment, and the gold in her eyes completely faded.
"I'm afraid there won't be a 'next time,' Your Majesty."
Then, Gao qi picked up Kiana and silently began walking home.
The countdown reached zero. Gao qi should have been taken over by the Honkai, but there was no reaction—because the Serenity Gem knew this human had exhausted all his power and was certainly going to die. Controlling him was useless now.
As long as Gao qi becomes useless trash, no one can use him!
"Mmm, Dad, just now I— Ah, Dad, you already won. Dad's the best."
Cradled in Gao qi's arms, Kiana slowly opened her eyes. Half-asleep, half-awake, she saw the dad she relied on most, gave a faint smile, and nuzzled her head against him.
"Mm, it's alright. Sleep well. Dad still has things to do. From now on, you'll have to walk your path alone. I might not make it until we meet again— I might kick the bucket. But it's alright. You still have your own friends and companions. Remember what I taught you. Work hard to become stronger. Make the unhappy things... become happy."
Placing Kiana back on the bed at home, Gao qi wanted to say many things to her, but in the end, only a light, whispered piece of advice drifted down.
"Mm, when I become stronger, I'll definitely be able to find you, Dad... Zzz—"
In the end, the weakened Kiana fell into a deep sleep. On Gao qi's body, countless black mists began to surge, and his body started to disintegrate.
Walking outside, Gao qi took the Serenity Gem from his damaged body, stuffed it into the neutralization box, and tossed it to the arriving Ragna.
"I'm entrusting the child to you. If you really want to take her and the Gem back, I can't stop you. But believe me, Otto is a bastard. You'll understand."
This time, leaving didn't bring Gao qi much melancholy. He had burned up everything, leaving only a bright future for Kiana.
"...I will honor our agreement. My respects to you, Mr. Gao qi."
A wisp of black smoke passed. The Serenity Gem fell to the ground. Before Ragna, there was no one left.
And inside the house, Kiana, in her sweet dreams, showed a radiant smile.
In her dream, she had grown up, become an incredibly powerful Valkyrie, flying high, high up into the sky with her dad and her big sister...
[You died.]
[Simulation ended.]
Gao qi opened his eyes. Another beautiful morning.
Gao qi remained motionless for five minutes, doing nothing.
"I have to... find a way to get to Shenzhou, I have to— go find her!"
Then, he made his resolve.
Note: I'm new to translating so please be kind and tell me any mistakes you all find, I will try to release a chapter a day but don't expect much
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Raw: 崩坏模拟器,你找的人是我么?