Chapter 349

This really left Kevin both amused and exasperated. Since you've invited me, I'll go take a look.

"It seems the Honkai Index is starting to return to normal." Kevin could feel that the Honkai Index, which had just suddenly erupted, was now gradually returning to normal. It seemed that, just as MEI had said, there was no need for him to worry about it at all.

"The Honkai of this world is truly quite strange," Kevin remarked.

"If we could travel to one or two more worlds, we'd probably encounter even more strange Honkai," Li Pu said.

"Travel to two more worlds?" Kevin pondered Li Pu's words for a moment, then asked, "Mei, are you planning to travel to several more worlds?"

"I would say we still have some right now," Li Pu said after thinking for a moment. "If we can travel through more worlds, we can collect more information about the Honkai. Didn't I say before that, based on current inferences, if it's an independent origin and independently evolved type of energy, even if there are similarities, they can't be completely identical?"

"However, although the Honkai of the two worlds does seem different, there are also many similarities." Li Pu said hesitantly, "Therefore, conversely from the previous concept, if they have the same origin but some differences arise due to changes in the environment, it is reasonable that these differences are based on the same origin."

"If we could travel through one or two more worlds," Li Pu said somewhat uncertainly, "We might be able to find the root of the Honkai."

"If we want to completely eliminate the Honkai, the best way is to uproot it completely; otherwise, we will have to face the situation of coexisting with the Honkai for a long time without being able to eliminate it."

What could this root be? Could it really be the world I originally came from?

If it's the world I originally came from, then wouldn't the root be Mihoyo? Is this... is this reasonable? Because Mihoyo created the concept of Honkai and the setting of the Honkai world, these things would exist. But if that's really the case, then what is Mihoyo?

A creator god?

This...

This is utter nonsense!

Li Pu genuinely didn't know how to comment on this; it seemed reasonable yet also absurd. The legendary Brother Dawei and his Mihoyo were supposedly creator gods or something...

Can you be any more ridiculous?

"If it really needs to," Kevin said, seemingly without much hesitation, as he patted Li Pu's shoulder. "Then let's go. Traveling through several worlds won't hurt. As long as you're willing, Mei, I'll stay with you forever."

"Let's walk together..." Li Pu asked, completely still and expressionless, "Is it because of Mei? I'm not..."

"If it's just because of Mei, then you're underestimating me." Kevin said honestly, "I know I've been deceiving myself all along. Mei is gone and can never come back. You are not Mei; you are merely Mei's successor, inheriting her will and thoughts."

"Then you..." Li Pu was a little incredulous. Wasn't Kevin usually so stubborn? Was he so convinced that he was MEI?

"Reality is cruel to everyone." Kevin said calmly, "I am the strongest Fusion Warrior, but I am also human. Even if there is a dream that can truly heal the wounds in my heart, I would not want to wake up."

"I know you are not MEI, but I still want to believe that you are her, and I also want to believe that what you did is what MEI wanted to do."

"But I'm not MEI," Li Pu said.

"I know," Kevin said calmly. "If you still think I only see you as a mistress, then you are underestimating me, you are underestimating Kevin."

"For me, this is also a new beginning, just like when I joined the Fire Moth in the first place, it was only because of MEI." Kevin explained, "But because of MEI and because of Sakura, I understand what Honkai is, and I understand the responsibility I bear. Fighting Honkai! Protecting our long-suffering homeland is the duty I have upheld and practiced throughout my life."

"And now I believe that your choice is MEI's choice. MEI has her reasons for choosing you, and I don't want to delve into what those reasons are, but I believe that what you are doing now is what MEI wants to do." Kevin said, "If I go with you, I believe we will definitely be able to fight against the Honkai and save our world from suffering."

'Ah...' Li Pu was speechless. She felt that there must be something wrong with Kevin Bar.

MEI didn't choose him, and never did. He just happened to draw her in a gacha pull, so what he did wasn't MEI's choice, but his own.

But...

Never mind...

If we're being honest, Kevin has already done a remarkable job, emerging from the despair of shattered hope. Although he still fabricated a reason to convince himself, it's still much better than before.

Humans always need hope; only hope can guide those in danger and despair to keep going.

If I were to ruthlessly shatter even this hope of mine, wouldn't I be too heartless?

"Okay." Li Pu said happily, "I just haven't decided yet, because there are too many dangers and variables in time travel. Even if we decide not to go back to our original world for the time being, we can't be sure what the next world will be like. Will that world be subject to Honkai?"

"Perhaps we will face even more dangers, and we may never be able to return to our original world," Li Pu said. "Even so, are you still determined to come with me?"

"Yes." Kevin said without hesitation, "You go, I go, wherever you go, I will follow. No matter what the future holds, I will walk with you."

Feeling a little touched, Li Pu smiled and said, "Go over there and take a look. I reckon Ichigo is about to come up."

"I need to finish this project as soon as possible," Li Pu said.

Ichigo's training should be nearing its end, although it seems Ichigo training in the original work wasn't that long. That guy, who didn't undergo any actual training, basically relied on instinct and talent to brute force his way through.

"Ah, right." Li Pu suddenly thought of something and said, "If possible, could you give Ichigo swordsmanship or knife skills?"

Ichigo fought his way through on his own strength; if he could get some pointers, he might be even better.

"And what about here?" Kevin asked with concern.

"You can't help me with this." Li Pu waved his hand and said, "This thing isn't actually that difficult to make. After all, it's not about creating a real Herrscher Core, but just a Sub-Herrscher Core used to replenish energy. The difficulty is very low."

Li Pu didn't lie about this matter; this was simply the creation of a secondary Herrscher Core.

It's not a true Herrscher Core; in fact, it doesn't even qualify Herrscher Core. At most, it's just an energy block with a massive amount of active energy.

The difficulty and required craftsmanship are not considered high, and MEI's memories include research on the Herrscher Core.

The original Divine Key was created based on the research and modification of the Herrscher Core. Now, all that is needed is to create a Sub-Herrscher Core that can provide energy, which is not too difficult.

Li Pu resumed his work, and Kevin returned to the Death Squad.

He glanced into the pit and, sure enough, the Hollow he had just seen was now changing. Although the disintegration was slow, the mask had begun to gradually break apart and peel away, and the Shinigami uniform, known as the Shinigami Suit, was now appearing on the orange-haired boy's body.

'That's quite interesting.' This was the first time Kevin had ever seen someone infected by Honkai and almost turned into Honkai Beast manage to turn back.

In the original world, infection with Collapse Sickness or being transformed into Honkai Beast by Honkai infection is almost irreversible.

"This is a somewhat interesting world." Kevin felt a surge of interest in Ichigo and the Shinigami of Soul Society.

"Oh my~" Kisuke Urahara seemed to sense Kevin's interest and said, "So, Mr. Kevin, are you also planning to get involved?"

"I wasn't planning on going," Kevin said. "Since that's the case, let's go to Soul Society. I'm really curious to see what that thing you made is."

Hogyoku? Herrscher Core?

Chapter 413 This combat power is outrageous.

Everything seemed to be going very smoothly, and Li Pu created several Sub-Herrscher Core in one go.

Making two is enough, making three is a backup, and making more is always better. Adhering to the principle that the raw materials aren't his own but the product is, and that he shouldn't miss out on any opportunity to profit, Li Pu transformed all the Honkai Crystal from this world sent by Kisuke Urahara into Sub-Herrscher Core.

"The Goddess really is..." Kisuke Urahara said, looking speechlessly at the thick stack of documents in front of him, "She's not being polite at all..."

Kisuke Urahara felt he had lost out big time. Collecting and creating Honkai Crystal in this place was no easy task. All the Honkai Crystal he had accumulated were turned into the God Race's 'Moon Stone' by Li Pu, which made Kisuke Urahara feel like he had lost a lot.

"Didn't you tell me to use it?" Li Pu said, seemingly without any remorse. "Before the system is back in operation, the more of this stuff the better for me, so I turned it all into Moon Stone."

"Moreover, I am a very trustworthy person. I have already compiled all the technical information you requested, which will make it very convenient for you to access and study it."

This might actually be a well-founded and irrefutable argument; Li Pu did indeed prepare everything and put it there.

Looking at the compiled materials, Kisuke Urahara whether to express his gratitude or not. The materials were indeed more important than the raw materials. Having these materials would be of immense help to his research. However, the problem was that obtaining these materials was extremely difficult. Kisuke Urahara truly didn't know whether he had gained or lost out.

"If possible, I would like to obtain an entity as a reference," Kisuke Urahara stated as his final request.

"Absolutely no problem," Li Pu readily agreed, taking one from the Sub-Herrscher Core he had prepared and handing it to Kisuke Urahara.

Holding the not-too-heavy Moon Stone in his hand, Kisuke Urahara felt a mix of emotions. He felt like he'd really lost out this time! Exchanging such a small amount for just a few things really felt like a bad deal.

Hopefully...

Hopefully, the data will still be worth something.

"Speaking of which," Li Pu said, tilting his head to look at the other side of the training ground, "Ichigo isn't ready yet? Didn't he regain his Shinigami powers and become a Shinigami again?"

"How should I put it?" Kisuke Urahara thought to himself and said, "Although he has regained the power of the Shinigami, he is still lacking. If that's all there is to it, then that's all there is to it."

"Ha~" Li Pu said with a twitch at the corner of his mouth, "It's true that hearing your words is like hearing a lot of advice. If you don't want to talk about it, then forget it."

"Ah~ no, that's not it." Kisuke Urahara explained when he saw that Li Pu had misunderstood. "It's just that Ichigo has only gone through the second stage and regained his Shinigami powers. That's all. His current strength is no different from before. Entering Soul Society would just be a repeat of the tragedy. So now he needs to go through the third stage to further unleash the power of himself and his Zanpakuto."

"Oh~" Li Pu then remembered that there seemed to be such a plot.

"Is it okay for Kevin?" Li Pu asked. "I was just mentioning it casually, but Kevin seems quite serious. Will he disrupt your training schedule? If so, I'll have Kevin stop."

"Of course not," Kisuke Urahara said. "I've already told Ichigo everything I needed to know beforehand. This training is mainly for Ichigo."

"It doesn't matter who executes it specifically; perhaps it would be a good thing for Mr. Kevin to do it."

"Oh~" Li Pu said after tidying up his Moon Stone, "Then I'll go first. If Kevin asks, just tell him I've already gone back to the temple. Also, just let me know when it's time to leave."

One of the main reasons Li Pu wanted to keep Kevin around was to let him further understand the nature of power in this world.

Although Shinigami are not Hollows, the fact that Shinigami and Hollows can transform into each other indicates that Shinigami also wield some power over Honkai. This utilization of power is a crucial piece of data.

"Mr. Kevin..." Ichigo said cautiously, clutching his broken sword, "You..."

"Don't worry~" Kevin seemed to see Ichigo's worries and said, "I promise I won't use any weapons, I'll fight you with my bare hands."

"No, no, no~ that's not what I meant," Ichigo said. "Um... Straw Hat Clogs just told me to defeat you, this is the third stage of the test..."

What the hell is this?! Ichigo knows Kevin's fighting strength; he doesn't seem weaker than that Goddess. He's supposed to fight him?! This... this is ridiculous!

Are you sure there's no mistake with that straw hat and wooden clogs?

"Actually, this third stage was originally supposed to be a fight between you and the straw hat guy." Kevin pointed at Kisuke Urahara and said, "But the Goddess felt that your current fighting power was still far from enough, so she asked me to teach you a few moves. I just had some free time to give you some pointers."

The main issue was still that Zanpakuto; after several uses, it was reduced to a tiny bit, a broken piece of junk. Kevin could still feel the power contained within the sword.

It only needs a trigger, an opportunity, to unleash its full potential.

'It seems there's absolutely no way to escape.' Ichigo isn't a coward, but he was a little scared given the huge difference in strength. But now it seemed he had no choice but to face it.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Kevin." Ichigo brandished his sword and charged forward.

With only the Zanpakuto of the blade remaining on the hilt of his Zanpakuto, Ichigo needed to advance even further to reach Kevin. Ichigo forward at his fastest speed, but Kevin made no attempt to dodge; he didn't even flinch.

'What is Mr. Kevin planning to do?' Ichigo suddenly felt a little scared; he didn't know what he would face next.

But the knife in his hand was already moving uncontrollably; the momentum of the knife propelled his arm toward Kevin's neck.

A crisp metallic clanging sound rang out.

There was no bloodshed. Kevin lay on the ground, decapitated. He blocked Ichigo's sword with just one finger and said, "What are you thinking, brat! Why did you hesitate when it came at the last moment? Were you scared? Or were you not confident enough? Or should I say a bit of both?"

"If this is all you're capable of, then I'm very disappointed," Kevin said coldly. "You'll die if you don't have the resolve to die."

He lightly nudged Ichigo's forehead and said, "Are you prepared to die?"

The next second, Ichigo flew away backwards.

Chapter 414 Why

'Insignificantly weak, though certainly somewhat unusual.'

Kevin knew about Ichigo's weakness, but he only realized it while observing him. Kevin could tell that Ichigo was basically relying on brute force, with virtually no skill involved.

Only after actually fighting him did he realize that Ichigo was even weaker than he had imagined.

Kevin drew a very clear conclusion after just one round of matches.

"Your attack is slow, your defense is loose, your footwork is weak, and your reaction is sluggish," Kevin said sarcastically. "Every single movement you make is decent. It's only because you're still alive that you've survived until now that you're safe and sound, it's truly a miracle that all the gods are protecting you, you idiot."

"The attack should be like this!"

Before Ichigo could even stand up, Kevin had already covered a distance of about ten steps and appeared in front of Ichigo, grabbing him by the collar and throwing him away. Before Ichigo could even land, Kevin lunged forward and kicked him in the face, sending him flying into the air.

"Swift as the wind, silent as the forest, aggressive as fire, immovable as a mountain—you can't even do one of these basic things."

Ichigo fell to the ground, gasping for breath for a long time. When he finally came to his senses, he felt a salty, metallic taste in his mouth. He covered his mouth and nose and felt a warm current in his palm.

I took a look at it.

It was blood! His own blood. Mr. Kevin seemed to be serious now; he hadn't killed him yet, but even so, he was powerless to resist.

Impossible! There's no way we can win. If this continues, it won't just be a simple loss, we'll die!

They're definitely going to die!

Ichigo watched as Kevin slowly walked towards him, each step filled with immense pressure, making him feel as if he couldn't breathe.

Should he continue fighting? He had absolutely no intention of doing so, and he turned and stumbled away.

Is this running away? Yes, this is running away. It's shameful, but at least it serves a little purpose.

"Huh? He ran away?" Kevin was stunned by Ichigo's sudden turn and escape. According to the plot Mei had given him, shouldn't he gradually put pressure on Ichigo to ignite his fighting spirit and force him to unleash his Sōpakutō?

Why did they turn around and run away? Did I go a little too far?