Chapter 257

Raven coughed as she told this lame joke. Although she knew it wasn't the time to talk about such things, she couldn't help herself. Suddenly, she felt that this code name suited Mei very well. As the Herrscher of Thunder of Thunder, to be outmaneuvered by a human—wasn't that a disgrace?

"Where are you? I want to talk to you about something."

Mei silently clenched her fists. Leaving aside the previous red electric dragon, this Chìdié was a complete personal attack. It wasn't like she wanted to be humiliated. And Shen Gonglin, that girl, why does she tell everything to outsiders? And this girl even dared to mock her, making it sound like she hadn't been humiliated or schemed against. Who was it that was affected by the neurotoxin and couldn't speak properly?

[Let's talk about business later... There's some bad news, I just found out, Durandal... is... heading your way... Be careful, phew... I need to rest for a bit.]

She chuckled awkwardly and changed the subject. Despite being paralyzed by the neurotoxin and unable to move, Raven still tried her best to tease Mei. That was just her personality. When they first met, Mei thought she was the kind of cold-blooded mercenary who didn't talk much. But after seeing her taking care of the children, Mei's opinion of her changed. Finally, there was the time when she silently served herself several bowls of food in the World Serpent...

And now she's giving herself this random code name. What would happen if Shen Gonglin heard it? Just as Mei was about to threaten Raven, news came from her side that Durandal had arrived. This was truly bad news.

[Durandal ...I understand. I can see her now. Take care of yourself. I'll come find you after I've taken care of everything.]

Mei silently pondered the name, while the figure walking out of the blizzard in the distance confirmed the authenticity of Raven's information. Mei hung up the communication, and Durandal had already arrived in front of her. It seemed that she would be acting together with this strongest Valkyrie this time.

Chapter Ninety-Six: Who Buried You?

"Raiden Mei, I know what's going on. Can you still fight?"

Speaking crisply and directly, Durandal approached Mei and said these words. She already knew the current situation on the battlefield. The Herrscher of Ice had moved to another location, leaving only Raiden Mei here. Judging from her current appearance, she had probably been tricked earlier.

"Certainly."

Mei straightened up. It seemed that she had no choice but to cooperate with Durandal now. It looked like the Valkyrie had decided to confront the Herrscher directly. This was originally her mission, so how could she hand it over to someone else? Mei took a deep breath. She wasn't without temper. Of course, she would avenge being schemed against!

"Then follow us. We don't have time to waste. Also, this is Shen Gonglin asked me to give you."

Durandal pulled out a jet-black longsword from behind her back and returned Mei's weapon. Even after becoming Herrscher, the girl still preferred to fight with a sword. Without a sword, Raiden Mei's strength couldn't be fully utilized. The upcoming battle was going to be tough, Durandal had to ensure that Mei's combat power was intact.

"How did the Key of Punishment end up with you?"

Grasping the sword Durandal handed him, he felt the power of the Herrscher of Thunder within him begin to surge. Only this sword could unleash his true power. But wasn't it taken by Shen Gonglin before? How did it end up in Durandal's hands now? Shen Gonglin asked her to give it to him. And where is Shen Gonglin? Was she with her before?

"It's Shen Gonglin. He said it was too heavy and asked me to help carry it... Huh? Where's Shen Gonglin?"

Durandal turned to look at Shen Gonglin, but the person who should have been following behind her was nowhere to be seen. The Valkyrie had been so composed just moments before, was now in a state of panic. What was going on? Hadn't Shen Gonglin come with her? Where was he? Had she lost Shen Gonglin?

"... You'll get used to it. I've done this kind of thing all the time. Let's go to the Herrscher first. If he's there, we can find him. If he's not there... then it's safe, so don't worry. Let's go."

Mei looked at Durandal speechlessly. This most Valkyrie... Well, you can't blame her for this. After all, this kind of thing often happens to her too. Shen Gonglin is a directionally challenged person who doesn't realize how bad he is. If you're not careful, he'll get lost. Mei has been through this before. It's normal for a "junior" like Durandal to be unprepared.

What is Durandal doing? We were about to have a battle, and she just disappeared after I didn't see her for a second. It's really worrying. This girl who is called the strongest Valkyrie doesn't seem to be very reliable. Where did she go now? This blizzard... Oh well, it's not surprising that she got lost.

Wearing a thick coat borrowed from Alvit, and wrapped in Raven's cloak, Shen Gonglin struggled through the blizzard. Dressed like this, she was finally not cold anymore. She had come to meet Mei with Durandal in preparation for their mission to defeat the Herrscher of Ice, but she got lost halfway there. The Valkyrie Durandal, supposed to be the best at directions, was so embarrassing.

Completely unaware of the truth, Shen Gonglin could only wander alone in the icy snow. Only by walking through the disaster caused by the Herrscher could she truly understand how dangerous the Herrscher was. If the Snow Lotus Squad hadn't evacuated the crowd in time when the Honkai erupted, the casualties would probably have been much greater. Even now, some people have lost their lives.

Looking at the motionless figure lying in front of her, Shen Gonglin's heart grew heavy. In the end, someone had not escaped the Honkai. Judging from the amount of snow on the corpse, it had probably been there for some time. Given the resistance of ordinary people to the Honkai, whether they were corroded by the Honkai or frozen to death, even she could not help them at this point. The only thing she could do now was to let him... or her, die with some dignity.

Let me help build a grave; it's the only thing I can do for this person who perished in the Honkai.

Holding the snow in her hands, the blizzard hadn't stopped for a moment, so the snow on the ground was very thick, and her palms were very cold, but Shen Gonglin still insisted on completely covering the body of the victim with snow, hoping that by the time he was reborn, the Honkai of this world would have been eliminated. Humanity will surely defeat the Honkai.

Shen Gonglin knelt before the small snowdrift and made this vow in her heart. This was a belief that countless people held firmly: humanity would surely defeat the Honkai, and they would surely be able to transform this imperfect world into the world they most desired. Shen Gonglin was absolutely certain of this!

Just as Shen Gonglin was mourning with her eyes closed, an arm suddenly stretched out from the snowdrift, followed by a series of heavy breathing sounds. Startled by this zombie-like scene, Shen Gonglin sat down on the ground. What was going on? How could it suddenly come back to life? No, could it be Suicide Squad?

Shen Gonglin was prepared and ready for battle, but the person who slowly crawled out of the snowdrift struggled to raise her head. Those wine-red eyes were very familiar to Shen Gonglin. Eh, how come it's her? She's someone I know.

"I... I think I can still be saved..."

Raven struggled to lift her head, and whether it was just her mind playing tricks on her or not, she vaguely saw Shen Gonglin right in front of her. Was she somewhat delirious from the neurotoxin? Why did she vaguely see Shen Gonglin holding a brick? She had just fallen into a coma when she was frozen awake. Then Raven realized that she seemed to have been buried by someone. A strong will to survive made Raven crawl out with all her might. She wasn't dead yet; she could still be saved.

"Hey, Dodo, what happened? I just got here and saw someone bury you, and then that person ran away. Are you alright?"

So it was her! So she wasn't dead! After seeing her face clearly, Shen Gonglin immediately dropped the brick he was holding, feeling a little embarrassed. He quickly ran over and pulled Raven out of the snowdrift. It had nothing to do with him; someone else had buried her there. He was just saving her.

Chapter Ninety-Seven: Waiting for You to Die

Has someone buried me? Does this guy really think he's stupid? How could there be anyone else in a place like this? Raven doesn't really believe that a kind Honkai Beast would make a tombstone for him. It's probably this guy's doing. Honestly, I don't have any assets to leave him. Does he want me to die so badly?

I absolutely refuse to grant Shen Gonglin's wish. I must live well, I must strive to live on!

"Is that so...? Well, thank you so much... Could you please...? Ugh, could you do me a favor? My body is numb right now... I have antitoxin serum in my clothes, please... If you don't let me take the antitoxin serum quickly, I'm afraid I'll really die."

This was the weakest Raven had ever been. The Dodo bird weakly pointed to her clothes with her chin. The effects of the neurotoxin were still spreading. The Night Owl must have slightly reduced the dosage of the toxin, otherwise she would probably have died in the blink of an eye. However, the situation was still not optimistic. Raven could feel her life force draining away. If she wasn't rescued quickly, even if she survived, it would cause irreversible damage to her body.

"Oh, so if you die, can I have your money and this equipment?"

Kneeling beside Raven, Shen Gonglin checked her pulse. Based on his experience, Raven's condition wasn't as bad as he thought. With him by her side, what could possibly happen? This girl just had an incredibly strong sense of danger. Even if she died, Shen Gonglin could bring her back to life. Shen Gonglin had never seen Raven like this before; she was quite interesting.

"... You don't need to wait until I die. Even if I'm not dead, I'll still give you the money. You bastard... If I had the strength, I would make you die with me."

What kind of person is this? They have some kind of relationship, right? Does he really intend to just watch me die? Shen Gonglin only truly understands today how awful Rin Raven has a terrible personality. He would never just watch me die, but this attitude is just unbearable. I don't know how Mei tolerates this guy. Why hasn't she strangled him yet?

"Don't get excited, I was just joking. Where is the antitoxin serum again?"

Seeing the sickly flush on Raven's face, could this be a final burst of energy before death? Shen Gonglin stopped joking. He first pulled the poisoned arrow from Raven's shoulder. He'd received intelligence that Night Snake had betrayed the World Serpent, and this Dodo-bird lady was probably injured by him. Neurotoxins, really ruthless. Thinking this to himself, Shen Gonglin searched Raven's clothes, but found nothing except some strange bits and pieces.

"... Inside the clothes... inside, near the chest..."

Raven stammered out these words, her face turning even redder. This was truly embarrassing. She had never imagined asking someone else to get the antidote for her, so Raven always kept it where she could easily reach it. But now, this was incredibly awkward. She never thought she'd encounter something like this; she'd rather just die...

But since I'm still alive, I can't give up hope of surviving.

"... I'm not saying this to be mean, but do all women with good figures have this kind of hobby? This is clearly not a place to put things. You're like this, Himeko is like this too. Can't you learn from Theresa and the others? They always put their things properly where they belong. They put them in a good place. Don't do this again next time."

Shen Gonglin was speechless. He really wanted to ask Raven if women like them liked to do this kind of thing. Himeko used to like doing this, and she still does it now. She always likes to put strange things in weird places... This is such a strange statement. The headmistress and Class President would never do such a thing. Compared to them, this is really not something a decent person should do.

"Stop talking nonsense and hurry up!"

Raven simply closed its eyes, out of sight, out of mind. Anyway, it was a complete disaster today. First, it was betrayed by that Night Owl, and now it not only had to endure Shen Gonglin's sarcastic remarks but also had to prepare for this extremely shameful thing. Ah, it must have been because it didn't check the almanac before going on this mission. Why was it so unlucky?

"Oh, then don't move... although you can't move even if you want to."

Shen Gonglin nodded in agreement, and then he got to work. He couldn't delay any longer, or the Dodo would really be doomed. After all, he had dealt with her so many times, and he couldn't just watch her die. This was the time to show his understanding and compassion.

Yes, Shen Gonglin is quite adept at understanding other people's clothes.

Unzipping Raven's combat suit, her beautiful figure, encased in the suit, immediately burst out. Since Raven had her eyes closed and head turned to the side, Shen Gonglin didn't need to pretend to close her eyes anymore. Impressive! Shen Gonglin spotted the antidote over there at a glance. So it really could be placed here. Shen Gonglin had learned something new.

"Hiss... It's cold!"

Raven had been trying to endure Raven with her eyes closed, but the temperature of Shen Gonglin's fingertips suddenly became unbearable. "So cold!" Raven's face turned even redder as soon as she uttered a sound. "Destroy it," she thought. "Maybe I shouldn't have let Shen Gonglin help me at all."

"Don't scream, or I'll stuff snow under your clothes... Phew, how do you use this? Is it effective?"

Startled by the sudden cry of the Raven, Shen Gonglin almost dropped his hand. He quickly took out the antidote and roughly pulled her clothes back on. Shen Gonglin took a deep breath to calm himself down. Looking at the red liquid in the syringe, he thought, "No wonder he's a mercenary. He always carries something like this with him. It's always good to be prepared."

"Just find a vein and stick it in... I don't know which neurotoxin Night Owl is using. This is just a general-purpose one, but it should be able to stop the spread of the toxin, and then we'll have time to research a specialized antidote."

Calm down. She was a ruthless mercenary. This kind of thing was no problem for a mercenary. Lying on the ground, Raven forced herself to calm down. Then she instructed Shen Gonglin to help her detoxify. She attributed everything that had happened to her to Night Owl. If it weren't for him, she wouldn't have ended up like this!

Chapter Ninety-Eight: Detoxification

"Huh? Is that all the effect you've got? It only slows down the spread of the toxin. If you don't detoxify for a long time, your nerves will suffer."

So it's a general-purpose antidote, not specifically for this neurotoxin, but rather a general antidote with minimal effect. Come to think of it, that makes sense. How could they possibly prepare an antidote specifically for a particular toxin in advance? Holding the still-warm antidote in her hand, Shen Gonglin frowned. This won't do.

"There's no other way. Right now, all we can do is slow down the spread of the toxin. Once the mission is over and we get back to headquarters, I will... Hey! What are you doing?!"

This was indeed a temporary measure, and there was no other way. What else could I do? However, at this moment, Raven saw Shen Gonglin casually throw the antidote away. The glass syringe shattered into pieces upon hitting the solid ice. Shen Gonglin was stunned by Raven's sudden action. What was this guy trying to do?

So eager to inherit my estate? I never said I'd give it to him. Does he just want me to die already? This antidote can't completely cure the poison, but it can at least save my life. But now, all hope is gone.

"If you use this kind of thing to injure your body, your nerves will die if you keep doing it for a long time. Be grateful that I came, otherwise Xiao Kong and those kids would have been eating a feast sooner or later."

He casually tossed away the inferior antidote. With Shen Gonglin by his side, why would he need such an antidote? To him, Raven was a decent person. Consider it payment for almost burying her earlier. He'd let Shen Gonglin, this all-purpose antidote, be used on her for a while.

"What do you mean... Hey, hey, what do you want to do? No, no..."

Before Raven speak, Shen Gonglin helped her up from the ground. The mercenary was too weak to do anything but watch as Shen Gonglin approached her neck. Suddenly, she remembered the intelligence she had gathered about Shen Gonglin. The way he was acting... there was no doubt that he wanted to bite her neck. Although there was no evidence, all the clues indicated that this was not a simple matter.

"Hehehe, go ahead and scream. No one will come to save you even if you scream your lungs out. You should thank this young master instead."

Acting like a spoiled rich young master, Shen Gonglin approached Raven's neck. For a neurotoxin like hers, direct feeding was obviously too slow; it was better to inject it directly into the blood vessels in her neck. Shen Gonglin opened her mouth, and two sharp little fangs pierced the skin on Raven's neck. As she felt a slight pain in her neck, Raven opened her wine-red eyes wide.

So, so this is what it feels like... This is much more potent than neurotoxins. Her body, which had been stiff from the poisoning, completely softened. Raven's face flushed red, and she was on the verge of tears. She could feel her body gradually recovering, and even the hidden injuries she had sustained while she was a mercenary were healing. But... but she still couldn't move.

Oh no, the Raven has completely crashed.

[The Herrscher is in front of you, then turn right. Remember, right, the hand you use to eat with... not this side, but the other side. I know you can hold chopsticks with both hands, but the other side...]

In the icy snow, Shen Gonglin was approaching the Herrscher. As expected, Durandal and Mei were almost there, and Shen Gonglin, after Raven Herrscher, was also accurately approaching the Herrscher's location under her guidance. With the Dodo bird's direction, Shen Gonglin finally overcame her terrible sense of direction and could now arrive at her destination precisely.

"I understand... By the way, how is your body now? The toxins should have been completely cleared out by now, right?"

Turning around and running to the other side, after returning the coat and cloak to Raven, Shen Gonglin felt like she was freezing to death. Only by moving around could she generate a little warmth in her body. There was no other way; after all, Raven was an injured person and needed to be taken good care of.

"...Well, the toxins have been completely cleared, but I still can't move... You understand why without me explaining! I'm a bit dehydrated right now... The only support I can offer is intelligence. Be careful of Night Owl; he's the one who plotted against me. Don't fall for his trap."

Even Raven fell silent when this question was raised. At this moment, the mercenary girl had been placed in a safe place by Shen Gonglin. For some reason, although the toxins in her body had been completely cleared, she was still unable to regain her mobility in the short term. This was something that those who knew, knew. However, she had established communication with Shen Gonglin, and with her guidance, Shen Gonglin could quickly approach the battlefield.

In a house covered in ice and snow, Raven struggled to lift his hand to pick up the nutrient solution and drink it. Heaven knows he would encounter dehydration, and these clothes... why don't they have an automatic drying function? What is the World Serpent's R&D department doing? Jackal is really incompetent.

"I understand. You just need to show me the way. He can't outsmart me..."

Shen Gonglin responded to Raven in this way, while rapidly approaching the Herrscher's location. Herrscher, Herrscher of Ice, Anna... Shen Gonglin slightly tightened his grip on the necklace around his neck. The blue necklace shone with a unique light in the snow and ice. If he could, Shen Gonglin also wanted to save her. And that Night Owl, based on the known information, Shen Gonglin felt that he might have the same intention.

Regardless, let's see them first. By now, Durandal and Mei should have found the Herrscher of Ice, and a fight is inevitable. I hope they're alright... or that everyone is alright.

Knowing how strong Durandal, even as Herrscher, Shen Gonglin doesn't think she'd be a match for her, let alone Herrscher like Anna who lacks her own will and acts only on instinct. Not to mention Mei Herrscher abilities are equally formidable. They're both Herrscher, but look how well Mei's Herrscher Persona gets along with her, even giving her her body directly. And then there's Bronya; those two are truly worry-free.

Thinking about it this way, it seems that Kiana is the weakest of the three little ones, and the Herrscher and her are practically mortal enemies... Wait, that's not right. Thinking about it this way, it seems like there are more and more Herrscher on the Hyperion?

I hope it doesn't increase. The Herrscher is right next to me.

Chapter Ninety-Nine: A Similar Scene

Anna, do your best. If that girl can do it... you can too. You're not Herrscher, you're human.

At the heart of the Honkai, Night Owl, the traitor of World Serpent, stared silently at the Herrscher before her. Perhaps out of instinct, the Herrscher did not attack Night Owl. In this state, the Herrscher seemed to sense Night Owl's goodwill. Her face, veiled by black ice, remained obscured, but Night Owl felt as if he could see the girl's face.

She must be fighting now, so giving up is impossible. I have to help her, just like... she helped me before.

As his consciousness drifted away, Night Owl remembered the past, the time when he was called Chen Tianwu. It was this girl who saved him when he had lost all hope. She dug him out from among the ruins. From that moment on, Chen Tianwu had decided that he would live the rest of his life for her.

However, she probably doesn't remember herself anymore?

Chen Tianwu looked at the Herrscher's neck, where a blue pendant hung. Night Owl remembered Anna's necklace; she had said it was something very important to her. Now, only half of the necklace remained. So it was a disassembled type. As for the other half... it seemed she had someone she liked. A slight bitterness welled up in his heart, but Night Owl quickly put that feeling behind him.

Whether she has someone she likes or not, it doesn't affect what I want to do. All I want to do is protect her.

"Have you already given the necklace to someone else? I think that person is probably waiting for you to come back. Don't worry, no matter what happens today, I will be by your side. This is the life you gave me, and I will burn for you until the last second."

Night Owl's words were gentle yet powerful. He reached out to touch the Herrscher's face, but the severe low temperature caused Night Owl's mechanical body to groan under the strain. Even if he touched her, he probably wouldn't be able to feel Anna's current temperature anymore. The Herrscher instinctively dodged Night Owl's touch, and Night Owl couldn't help but chuckle.

Anna realized her actions were a bit abrupt, since the other person already had someone they liked. But judging from her reaction, Anna hadn't lost yet.

"Night Owl!"

Just then, a sharp voice broke in. Night Owl's expression froze. He knew this moment would come soon, but he didn't expect it to be so fast. The Staff of the Underworld had indeed failed to bring down Raiden Mei. Moreover, how did this strongest Valkyrie end up here? It seems this time, things are really a bit troublesome.

Night Owl turned around and saw Raiden Mei and Durandal standing there solemnly. It seemed another battle was about to begin. Night Owl picked up the sniper rifle he had taken from Raven. "Come on, I'm prepared."

"Don't get in my way, Herrscher of Thunder!"

"Night Owl, do you understand what you're doing?"

Having broken through the defenses of the blizzard and Honkai Beast, Raiden Mei and Durandal arrived in front of Night Owl and the Herrscher. Mei, now in Herrscherization, stared at the man who was ready for battle. They had previously belonged to the same organization, but Night Owl's actions had completely put him on the opposite side, betraying World Serpent. He should understand what he had done.

"Of course, I will rescue Anna, free her from the shackles of Honkai, and turn her back into a human. I know the ways and goals of World Serpent. You won't give me a chance, and I have no other choice. But, Raiden Mei... since you can control the power of Herrscher, I can definitely make Anna do the same!"

He expressed his unwavering belief that there was no reason why only Raiden Mei could do such a thing. Night Owl believed that Anna could definitely do it too with his help, after all, it was not an isolated case. Not only Raiden Mei, but also Shen Gonglin could overcome the Herrscher personality... However, Night Owl did not know was that Shen Gonglin Rin had never had such a problem. Those Herrscher Core in his body were as docile as puppies and kittens, while Mei... she herself did not know how to explain it.

She openly said that her Herrscher Persona was incredibly kind to her, protecting her when she needed to fight, supporting her after she made a decision, and even giving her body to her to choose to assimilate with her. As a result, Mei can be a queen whenever she wants, or a girl next door whenever she wants. Do you think just anyone can have such a good relationship with Herrscher?

Joke.

There was no point in saying more. Night Owl clearly knew this too. He pulled Anna along, and the two gradually concealed themselves in the blizzard. Durandal, of course, wouldn't just let them leave like that. The girl leaped into the air, a blue comet shooting straight into the sky. Using the momentum of the dive, Durandal gripped her lance and began to fight. No way out!

However, Mei stood rooted to the spot, her heart torn between hesitation and questioning. Ever since she parted ways with Kiana in Changkong City, she had spent countless days and nights knowing that she would eventually face this choice. Everything she had done was for that girl, to sever her destiny. Yes, for these reasons, she would definitely, absolutely seal the Herrscher of Ice!

But how similar are the current Night Owl and Anna to myself and Kiana back then?

Despite her inner conflict, Mei still grabbed her sword and joined the battle. The Herrscher of Ice faced off against the attacks of the strongest Valkyrie and the Herrscher of Thunder, while Night Owl provided support from afar with a sniper rifle. The icy wind howled, and the rail elevator, submerged in the eye of the storm, teetered on the brink of collapse. Everyone had their own stance. Perhaps there is no eternal right or wrong, but they will ultimately dedicate everything to what they want to protect!