Chapter 258

In the frigid wasteland, Durandal moved nimbly, locked in a fierce battle with the Herrscher. The two were locked in a stalemate, and Mei, witnessing this, once again gained a clear understanding of Durandal's true strength. To be able to fight a Herrscher in this manner while still human, Durandal truly deserved to be called the strongest in the world. Even with the power of the Herrscher of Thunder, Mei dared not say she could defeat Durandal. Even without her, Durandal could probably handle this situation.

Amidst the wind and snow, lightning joined the battlefield. Lightning rising from below severed space. Mei stared at the enemy. She had to seal the Herrscher, even without the Staff of the Underworld. So no matter what, she couldn't afford to lose!

Lightning granted Mei unparalleled speed. The Herrscher of Thunder charged straight at the Herrscher of Ice. She swung her sword and struck. Herrscher, fall!

Chapter 100

The blade pierced through the solid ice, a flash of black light disappearing in an instant. Herrscher destroyed the black veil on the Mei's face with a single blow, and in that instant the veil tore open, a familiar scene unfolded before Mei's eyes. A face that was extremely familiar appeared before her eyes, Kiana... No, not Kiana, but in Mei's eyes this girl looked exactly like Kiana.

Anna Saniyat possesses the genes of the Schariac family, one of the three Schicksal families of Schicksal, as well as the genes of Kiana's mother's family. Thanks to the strength of their bloodline, Anna and Kiana do indeed look quite alike.

Mei tried to regain her composure and raised her knife again. However, this time it was Night Owl's body that blocked the blade. The man panicked when he saw Mei rushing towards him. He used his body to shield Anna; he had to protect her.

"Raiden Mei, if you want to kill her, you'll have to step over my dead body first!"

Sparks were flying from the mechanical parts on his body. The Night Owl, who had just been slightly "taken care of" by Durandal, was now in a miserable state. However, he still stretched out his hands to shield Anna. Sparks flew from his body. The mechanical structure was severely damaged by the low temperature and the knight's lance, but he had no intention of retreating. In a daze, looking at the Night Owl like this, Mei felt that this scene was so familiar.

If sacrificing my life could bring her back... then I would be happy to... after all, it was she who saved my life!

She recalled herself in Changkong City, when facing Raven, she made the exact same choice as Night Owl to save Kiana. The man in front of her was doing the exact same thing. If she were to mercilessly eliminate them here, what difference would that make from denying her past self?

"She gave me my life, and even if it means death, I will protect her!"

Night Owl made this choice, while Mei remained silent. However, Mei's slacking off affected Durandal. She had just worked hard to create opportunities for Mei to attack, but now the woman was just standing there in a daze. If this kind of person were in her Immortal Blade, she would definitely punish her severely. Her distraction on the battlefield would cause trouble for her teammates.

"Raiden Mei, what are you hesitating for!"

A flash of light shot out from behind Mei, the tip of the knight's lance piercing straight at the Night Owl. Raiden Mei, this girl, despite having such great power, still seems unprepared to fight alongside someone like this. It's her misfortune.

Durandal wasn't in a hurry to attack, and her forced offensive this time didn't have the desired effect. A storm erupted from the center of the battlefield, giving the Herrscher a chance to breathe. She gathered Honkai energy and unleashed a powerful attack, which also placed a heavy burden on the Herrscher.

"Aaaaaaah!"

The Herrscher let out a painful shriek, a mournful cry, as the immense energy accumulated within its Herrscher Core suddenly erupted. The two hurriedly tried to defend themselves, but the ferocious impact far surpassed anything they had experienced before. A chilling current engulfed them like a landslide or tsunami, shaking the entire Coral Island. Centered on this point, a surging glacier bloomed like a snow lotus, its icy waves obscuring the sky and earth. The figures of the Herrscher of Ice and Night Owl vanished silently from within. This should be enough to hold them off, right?

In a corner of the desolate city, Night Owl helped the Herrscher of Ice move forward with difficulty. After exerting all their strength, both the Herrscher and Night Owl were extremely weak. Night Owl looked back at the frozen square. He had to bring Anna with him and make her live. He had to make her live!

"Let's go, Anna, we need to find a safe place... Tsk, how could this happen... What a misfortune."

Having taken Anna far away, Night Owl intended to take her far away, but the figure that appeared ahead made Night Owl hesitate. The golden hair was still very conspicuous in the icy snow, and the bright temperature could not make Night Owl feel at ease. How could he have encountered him here? What bad luck, one problem after another.

Meanwhile, Shen Gonglin looked at the figure being helped along and revealed a confident expression. See? As expected, I still have to rely on myself. That Raven guy didn't give me any directions at all. Those guys who said they were bad at directions should all apologize to me!

Shen Gonglin was rapidly approaching the center of the Herrscher's reaction, guided by Raven in the communication, but the sudden attack abruptly severed the already fragile communication. Left with no other option, Shen Gonglin instinctively activated auto-pathfinding. However, as everyone knows, Shen Gonglin ...

There is no auto-pathfinding skill at all. Unsurprisingly, this guy has deviated from the route and gotten completely lost again. But as the saying goes, a blind cat catches a dead mouse, and he actually ran into Anna and Night Owl. This time, it's Shen Gonglin's victory!

"Shen Gonglin, Shen Gonglin... Hello? Shen Gonglin... Damn it, the communication is down again!"

Inside the igloo, Raven anxiously called out to Shen Gonglin, but there was no response on the communication. After losing contact with Shen Gonglin, Raven was very anxious. The inability to understand the situation on the battlefield made Raven restless. They were all fighting hard at the front, and she could not stay here any longer.

Raven clenched her fist. Good. She had regained some mobility. The toxins had been completely cleared. Her current state was only due to the aftereffects of being drained of blood by Shen Gonglin. She had to admit, this guy was really amazing. She probably couldn't withstand this feeling.

Raven swayed as she stood up, Raven against the wall. Her legs were still weak; in her current state... even if she made it through, it would be too late. She hoped to recover quickly; this feeling... she would probably never forget it for the rest of her life. That Shen Gonglin guy, he's really toxic.

I'm sure Mei must have had a similar experience. I really don't know how she managed to get through it. Maybe I can ask my "senior"?

Leaning against the wall, Raven tried to regulate her breathing and recover her strength. Communication was cut off, and she couldn't continue waiting for news here; that wasn't Raven's style. In any case, heading to the location of the Herrscher energy explosion should yield some clues, and she had to get there.

Chapter 101 Couple Pendants

How could such a thing happen? He thought he could escape, but he ran into this guy again. Night Owl silently looked at the figure that appeared in front of him. In his heart, this guy was also a troublesome one, or in some ways, even more troublesome than Durandal and Mei.

Shen Gonglin, why is this guy here? Was all of this part of his plan? Durandal and Raiden Mei are fighting them over there, and he's blocking them here. This wisdom of controlling the whole situation. The intelligence said that Shen Gonglin is a naive and innocent girl, which is the most foolish judgment.

"That's enough. Put down the Herrscher in your hands. You are surrounded!"

Ultimately, it was I, Shen Gonglin, who emerged victorious, standing in front of Night Owl and the Herrscher of Ice. Shen Gonglin lightly flicked the coin in her palm with her fingers. Although she didn't know why Night Owl had betrayed her, it must be related to the Herrscher. Shen Gonglin looked at the Herrscher she was supporting. The ice that had covered her face had been broken, and the face revealed was indeed the one she remembered. However, the girl seemed to still be asleep. Without seeing her face, it was really impossible to be sure that she was Anna.

In Shen Gonglin's memory, Anna was a rather gentle girl, and her hair color wasn't this pale but rather warmer; was it the influence of the Herrscher energy?

"Shen Gonglin... I don't want to say anything more, get out of my way!"

Night Owl raised his sniper rifle. Although it couldn't be used at its rated power, it was still a formidable weapon. The moment he raised the gun, Night Owl pulled the trigger. However, the coin in Shen Gonglin's finger was also ejected and canceled out the bullet in mid-air. This guy really didn't hesitate when he fired. Since that was the case, then I didn't need to hold back anymore.

Her eyes turned serious, and electricity crackled between Shen Gonglin's forehead. Just then, a series of orderly footsteps approached. The two sides turned to look in the direction of the footsteps. Shen Gonglin's expression relaxed, but Night Owl's was ashen. These Valkyrie... are such a nuisance. No, I have to protect Anna.

I absolutely have to rescue her and get her away from here!

"I never expected to meet you here, Lady Rin... And is this the Herrscher of Ice, and the traitor of World Serpent, Night Owl, or rather, Chen Tianwu?"

The members of the Immortal Blade and the Snow Lotus Squad deployed, and a figure wielding a scythe emerged from among them. Rita appeared on the battlefield. The defensive line constructed by the Immortal Blade and the Snow Lotus Squad continued to advance towards the city center, thus confining the Honkai to an increasingly smaller area. Unexpectedly, they encountered Herrscher here. The members of the Immortal Blade were on high alert, while the members of the Snow Lotus Squad had complicated expressions. However, Rita's eyes were only on the figure of Shen Gonglin.

If he's here, what about Durandal and Raiden Mei? Could they have already been killed by the Herrscher?

Although she knew she shouldn't think this way, she couldn't help it—she was just a wicked maid.

"Why did you come here? Weren't you supposed to be building a defensive line on the outside?"

With her eyes fixed on the Herrscher, Shen Gonglin said to the maid who came to her side, "Is this the tradition of the Immortal Blade? Durandal doesn't obey the headquarters' orders, and Rita, the vice-captain, is the same. She truly lives up to her reputation as my maid."

"In times of emergency, one must act expediently. I ordered the defensive line to be contracted before advancing. The Honkai energy of the cold shockwave that just erupted Honkai energy astonishing, almost freezing the entire Coral Island. There is no doubt that this is the power of Herrscher. In addition, since we couldn't contact you and Durandal, simply staying in place and waiting for news is not my style. Furthermore, we need to subdue the Honkai Beast, so we came here. Now it seems that the timing is just right."

Originally, she was a Valkyrie who would never abandon her post, but after spending some time with Shen Gonglin Rita also went astray. However, strictly speaking, she wasn't abandoning her post. Durandal ordered her to hold the line, and even though she pushed the entire line forward, she was still holding the line, so it didn't affect anything. She was still the obedient number one maid in the world.

"Get out of the way! Durandal and Raiden Mei have already failed, and you can't stop us either!"

Seeing Shen Gonglin join forces with the Valkyrie squad, Night Owl's face was extremely grim. Shen Gonglin alone was already difficult to deal with, and now a group of Valkyrie had arrived, including an S-rank one. Night Owl was very worried about this situation. How could he take Anna away in this situation?

As expected, she still needs to continue fighting; only by using the power of Herrscher can she break through this encirclement.

"I'm sorry, but I cannot let the Herrscher leave. Immortal Blade, prepare for battle."

Faced with the Herrscher's battle, Rita did not hesitate to give the order to fight. The Immortal Blade was originally the strongest team created to deal with the Honkai, and there was no reason to retreat just because they were Herrscher, especially since Shen Gonglin was still here. She didn't know what had happened to Durandal, but Rita knew what she had to do now. She absolutely could not let the Herrscher leave!

"Shut up, Anna isn't Herrscher, she's human... Anna, aren't you right?"

Rita's statement enraged Night Owl. In his mind, Anna was still human, and she had not given up fighting the Herrscher. However, the Herrscher of Ice only made a vague and indistinct sound, which was no different from the roar of a monster. Although she opened her eyes, Anna's consciousness did not seem to have returned. This reaction was enough for Rita to make a judgment.

"No need for further words!"

Rita gripped her scythe tightly, but then she noticed that Shen Gonglin beside her seemed to have no intention of fighting. The maid glanced at Shen Gonglin and saw him pull a necklace from his collar; the pale blue pendant shimmered faintly in the blizzard. This thing...

Rita's sharp eyes glanced at the Herrscher over there. Around her neck hung a similar necklace. Upon seeing this, Rita's eyes narrowed instantly. Something was wrong, very wrong. Why would Shen Gonglin have something that looked like a couple's pendant on her? Why didn't she know anything about this? Shen Gonglin had such audacity.

Does she really think she can look down on you just because she's a maid? Even a maid can bite when she's cornered!

Or is this guy actually holding a grudge against me for wearing matching earrings with Durandal?

Chapter 102 An Unexpected Incident

Even though they were on the battlefield, Rita's mind started wandering. She touched her earring. It was quite possible; Shen Gonglin was notoriously petty, and maybe he was getting revenge on her. But this had nothing to do with her. It wasn't like she'd asked the design department to design her armor like this. If she could, Rita would much rather wear matching outfits with Shen Gonglin ...

"Hey, that thing, I remember it was something very important to the captain... Why, why is it on him?"

Besides Rita's Immortal Blade, the Snow Lotus Squad was also present. As Shen Gonglin took out the necklace, one of the Snow Lotus Squad members couldn't help but gasp in surprise. She knew that Anna had always treasured this necklace, so why was the other half on Shen Gonglin?

This person knows the inside story!

Upon hearing the words of this Snow Lotus Squad member, the members of the Immortal Blade instantly focused their attention on her. In the hearts of these Valkyrie of the Immortal Blade, Shen Gonglin was undoubtedly already their son-in- Immortal Blade. Whether it was Lady Durandal or Lady Rita, they were both strong contenders. Although there were maid factions and captain factions within the Immortal Blade, this was, in any case, an internal conflict within the Immortal Blade.

There's no way other teams can reap the rewards. The original CP battle has now turned into a charade. It doesn't matter which of the two wins, but we can't let the newcomer win. But why does Shen Gonglin have this thing on him? When did he get involved with another woman?

This Snow Lotus Squad has absolutely nothing to do with him.

"This... it was actually given to him by Captain Anna, probably... it was to repay a debt of gratitude, right? The two of them seem to have known each other before."

Seeing her colleague trembling like a quail under the watchful eyes of this strongest squad, the only Valkyrie who knew the inside story kindly stepped forward to help her out. Her codename was Eagle, and she had once served as Anna's adjutant, so she knew things that the other members did not. This thing was indeed given by Anna to Shen Gonglin, and the meaning behind giving this thing was even more obvious.

Why is this necklace on Shen Gonglin?

Night Owl was equally shocked. He knew how important the necklace was to Anna; she had mentioned it when she saved him, saying she would give it to the most important person in her life. At the time, Night Owl hadn't expected to get the necklace himself, but it shouldn't be on Shen Gonglin.

How could he possibly be a good match for someone like him?

Having been with World Serpent for so long, Night Owl knows a lot about Shen Gonglin. Besides his strange powers, what's most outstanding about him is his interpersonal relationships, which are all marked in red in his file. Kiana Kaslana, the Herrscher of the Void; Bronya, the new Herrscher of Reason; and Raiden Mei, the Herrscher of Thunder recently joined World Serpent. Not only that, but also the S-rank Valkyrie of Schicksal, the researchers of Anti-Entropy, and it seems he didn't even spare his own master. He's a complete scumbag.

Recalling the information he had seen about Shen Gonglin, besides his strength, his most outstanding trait was his charm with women. But Night Owl never expected that he would also be involved with Anna. According to his investigation, Shen Gonglin and Anna didn't seem to have much interaction. What was going on? Was the world really too big for him to keep up with?

"Anna, do you remember this? I wanted to sell it, but you said absolutely not and told me to keep it safe... You're Valkyrie, you absolutely can't lose to the Honkai..."

Shen Gonglin tried to wake Anna up. He was good at verbal battles, but he wasn't so good at this kind of verbal sparring. So he could only imitate what he had seen in TV dramas. Shen Gonglin tried to use things that Anna was familiar with to wake her up. Tsk, he was really not good at doing this kind of thing. Maybe he should just beat her into submission.

"Ugh... Guh..."

The Herrscher spoke in obscure and difficult-to-understand words. The warm, pale red eyes that Shen Gonglin remembered were now an icy blue. The Herrscher stared intently at the necklace in Shen Gonglin's hand. She seemed to have thought of something, and it was clear that she was also struggling intensely within herself. The Herrscher took difficult steps toward Shen Gonglin. Although she was unconscious, she still felt that this was something very important to her, and the person holding it was also someone very important to her.

"Anna ..."

The Night Owl in the back had a slightly fluctuating gaze. He also hoped that Anna could regain consciousness, but her current performance made him both happy and somewhat frustrated. He had hoped that he was the one who could bring Anna back to consciousness, but now it seemed that the person was someone else. However, it didn't matter. As long as Anna could turn back into a human, anything was fine.

"Rita, the Herrscher, the Herrscher is here!"

However, just as Shen Gonglin and the Herrscher were about to make contact, a member of the Snow Lotus Squad couldn't withstand the psychological pressure any longer. Her eyes were filled with fear. After all, the Herrscher of Ice had left her with a deep psychological trauma. The Snow Lotus Squad had been completely wiped out by the Herrscher of Ice. Other members might have been killed without knowing what was happening, but she had witnessed it all. She knew that the Herrscher was their captain, and she wanted her to come back, but under this immense psychological pressure, she was still struggling to cope.

Although they are Valkyrie, they are actually just a group of normal girls.

Fingers involuntarily pulled the trigger. The gunshot was particularly clear in the blizzard. The bullet shot out accurately towards the Herrscher was approaching Shen Gonglin. This kind of bullet was not much of a threat to the Herrscher, but such a bullet instantly reversed the situation on the field.

The bullets were blocked by ice crystals that suddenly appeared around the Herrscher before they hit Herrscher. At the same time, Night Owl also launched an attack on the Valkyrie forces. He had been on guard against them all along. Sure enough, these people were not trustworthy at all. The Herrscher, who was suddenly attacked, lost control again. The blizzard that had subsided raged again, and the Valkyrie's situation became worse.

Sure enough, I knew it wouldn't be that simple!

Chapter 103 Flames

The battle situation suddenly changed. Shen Gonglin opened a spatial tunnel to block the bullets fired by Night Owl at the Valkyrie had fired the gun. However, the consequences of her previous actions could not be reversed. The Herrscher, which had been calming down, went out of control again. The price of causing the Herrscher to go out of control was something that these Valkyrie could not afford.

"Rita, run..."

Before she could even speak, the violent snowstorm erupted directly from the Herrscher. The first to be hit was Shen Gonglin, who was closest to the Herrscher. Before she could even set up a defense, Shen Gonglin was instantly engulfed by the blizzard. Apart from Rita, who managed to defend herself in time with her S-rank Valkyrie reaction speed, all the Valkyrie were affected by this energy in an instant. Tsk, this is going to be difficult.

Rita's rose-colored eyes took in the entire battlefield situation. Shen Gonglin's condition was unknown, the Immortal Blade and the entire Snow Lotus Squad had lost their fighting ability, while the Herrscher still seemed to have the strength to fight, and there was also that Night Owl... because of the reason behind the Herrscher, he was not affected by the attack, and now the fighting force on her side... seemed to be only herself.

I wonder if Shen Gonglin is alright.

Suppressing her unease, Rita looked at the Herrscher, who still hadn't retreated. She knew what she should do now. As Valkyrie, even if she was the only one left on the defensive line, it wasn't a reason to give up. However, this extremely cold weather was truly the most unsuitable state for her.

"Ugh... uh..."

The Herrscher uttered unintelligible sounds as she stretched out her hand to look at the area ravaged by the blizzard. Despite lacking self-awareness, she felt as if she had done something wrong. The image of Shen Gonglin appeared in her mind. She felt she shouldn't have done this, but... she had been attacked. Out of instinct, the Herrscher had responded in this way, but why did she feel so distressed?

And those Valkyrie in their white uniforms... Anna's heart ached too when she attacked them.

"Mission Log: After encountering the Herrscher of Ice, the Immortal Blade has been wiped out once again. Only Rita Roseweisse remains as a combatant. She will uphold the duty of Valkyrie and fight to the very end."

Rita dictated the mission log, which was recorded by the Valkyrie Armor. Holding the scythe in her hand, she stood in front of the Herrscher and Night Owl. Seeing the Valkyrie blocking their way, Night Owl and the Herrscher of Ice launched an attack. As expected, the battle turned out that only one of them remained. Rita, whose Valkyrie Armor was also damaged, was no match for them. Before long, Rita was already panting heavily.

Having fought in this frigid air for so long, Rita's body has gradually lost its temperature, making her attacks less effective. The Herrscher wields the power of Rita is probably the enemy with the worst compatibility with her Argent Knight: Artemis. However, she cannot retreat. Her mission and responsibility sustain her. She is the last line of defense on the battlefield. If she falls, the Honkai will spread beyond Coral Island.

Such consequences were unacceptable to Rita.

"It's over... You should understand that the attack just now did not cause fatal damage to these Valkyrie. If you stop now, they still have time to recover."

Looking at Rita, who was almost exhausted, Night Owl silently tried to persuade her. Perhaps because Anna's humanity had not been completely extinguished, her attack had not actually killed the Valkyrie. However, losing consciousness in such an environment was a terrifying thing. The human body simply could not withstand such low temperatures for long. Even his own body, which was mostly replaced by mechanical modifications, could not withstand it, let alone the Valkyrie.

So the Night Owl wanted to use this method to dissuade Rita, saying that there was no point in her continuing to block her way.

"I understand the state of my colleagues, and I also understand their beliefs. Don't underestimate... the Valkyrie!"

Unaffected by Night Owl's words, Rita activated the Argent Knight: Artemis, which emitted icy blue light particles. A gigantic figure materialized before Rita, and the Valkyrie launched another attack. However, this weakened attack had no effect on the Herrscher. With a wave of her hand, the Herrscher unleashed a powerful blast of cold air that engulfed Rita. Ice crystals spread across her body, and Rita gradually lost consciousness. In her vision, the Herrscher and Night Owl disappeared into the distance.

"I'm sorry..."

Leaving behind these words, Night Owl and the Herrscher passed through the last line of defense erected by the Valkyrie. He hoped that the Valkyrie were alright; if possible, he really didn't want any lives to be lost at Anna's hands.

"Phew... It's freezing!"

Not long after Night Owl and the Herrscher left, an arm emerged from the snowdrift, followed by a burst of flames. Strangely, the flames did not cause any damage to the arm; the bluish-purple frostbite on the fair skin healed rapidly under the influence of the flames. Shen Gonglin climbed out of the snowdrift and looked at the Shen Gonglin in her hand, equally puzzled.

She remembered that she didn't have the ability to burn flames, but this flame full of life... She couldn't understand it. Maybe it was some kind of power hidden in her body. When her life was threatened, her body would automatically unleash a power that she was unaware of. Shen Gonglin was already used to this.

In any case, her own body is full of mysteries. Even if she were to grow bat wings someday, Shen Gonglin wouldn't be surprised at all, since she already has the characteristic of a vampire.

With the help of the flame, Shen Gonglin finally regained her fighting ability in the icy wilderness. Mei is Herrscher, and she has a strong resistance to the environment. Durandal's Valkyrie physique is also not to be underestimated. Although Shen Gonglin has the power of Herrscher, he does not have the physique of Herrscher. Therefore, since arriving at Coral Island, his fighting ability has been restricted by the low temperature. Otherwise, he would not have been so easily defeated by the Herrscher just now. But now he is finally safe. With this flame, he can finally show his true strength.

However, before pursuing the Herrscher, she had to deal with the current situation first. Looking at the fallen Valkyrie around her and the Rita- shaped ice sculpture in the center, Shen Gonglin stood up and realized what she should do. If she didn't start a rescue, they would probably really be doomed.