I, Herrscher Slayer: A Good Dream

Raven raised her hands in surrender; the battle was over. Even in someone else's dream, the chasm between the two remained unfathomable. Compared to when they were in the Elysian Realm, Raven felt that Mei's strength seemed to have increased.

"Really? You're giving up already? I feel like my opponent is becoming more and more restrained."

Mei her sword to disperse the red dragon in the clouds. Mei also deactivated her Herrscher form. She had expected the outcome of the battle. A mere Raven was nothing to her. Don't think she didn't know. When she wasn't around, the raven had teased Shen Gonglin many times. This time, she would teach her a lesson and let her know that no matter where she was, Raiden Mei was the one in control.

"Is that so? Then I'll give it a try."

As Mei approached, Raven's lips curled into a small smile, and an unsettling short staff emerged from Raven palm. It was called the Herrscher of the Staff of the Underworld, which had severely injured the Herrscher before her on Coral Island. Sorry, Mei, as a member of World Serpent, how could I not have a little backup plan?

Just as Raven was about to activate the Staff of the Underworld, a flash of lightning struck, and by the time Raven reacted, she was already pinned to the ground. Mei held her down with one hand, while in the other hand she held Raven Staff of the Underworld hadn't had time to activate yet. This girl, is she still thinking about such petty tricks at a time like this?

"Sorry, the successor of the Hokushin Itto-ryu cannot be defeated twice by the same move."

Mei toyed with the Staff of the Underworld in her hand. She had fallen for this thing back on Coral Island. Chen Tianwu had used it to trick her once. Raven wondered if she would fall for it again. But to think that even this thing could reappear in a dream was really amazing.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch... My arm isn't made of wood. Okay, I didn't expect you to defeat even this. I thought that the moment I gave up, someone would definitely let their guard down."

With his arms twisted behind his back and pinned to the ground, Raven quickly begged for mercy. He realized he was doomed to be unable to get up on his own; no matter what moves he used, he couldn't defeat Miss Mei. It seemed he would have to work on other things in the future. To reliably suppress Shen Gonglin, it seemed only Shen Gonglin could do it.

Go ahead and be arrogant now. When the time comes, I'll feed the tiger with my own body and then drive the tiger to devour the wolf. Then, you, Raiden Mei, will only have tears to shed. Although I will cry too, your crying will definitely be louder than mine.

"You clearly reminded me that from the moment you left World Serpent, every member of the organization was your nominal enemy. For Miss Natasha, who is a mercenary, this is even more true, isn't it?"

Although Raven was being restrained, the two didn't look like life-or-death enemies. Both had faint smiles on their faces. Mei released Raven's arm, and the mercenary girl stretched her wrists and stood up. It was all over now; she was helpless.

The Raven spread its hands and raised its arms, a gesture that signified Raven complete surrender. It knew it was truly helpless now and had lost.

"Alright, alright, I really have no cards left to play this time. I was hoping to get away with it and take you to New Atlanta, but as expected, Mei isn't so easy to please."

Raven inadvertently revealed a new term, and Mei followed up with questions. "New Atlanta, what kind of place is that?"

"That's where people lived during the operation of the Stigmata Plan. Xiao Kong is also looking forward to camping there."

Without a second thought, he revealed this information to Mei. During the implementation of the Stigmata Plan, he needed to find a safe place for the children, and that was the best place.

Camping? A place to live? It sounds like Noah's Ark.

Chapter 280 Sweet Dreams

My guess was probably right. The so-called New Atlanta should be a place like Noah's Ark. In fact, Noah's Ark was never something that could save everyone. Only a few people were ever able to board it.

"I don't think the World Serpent would be so kind as to move everyone there."

Mei asked the question, and Raven's answer was exactly what she expected. The mercenary chuckled; she already knew the answer, didn't she?

"Ha, how could that be? Ordinary people... would mostly just get caught up in a dream woven from snakes and fall into a deep sleep. Mei, do you think Aponia might agree with this approach?"

Raven shook her head with a wry smile. This was all she could do. Her abilities were limited; Raven couldn't perform the kind of heroic feat of saving everyone. All she could do was protect those she wanted to protect—those children. As a perk for employees of World Serpent, those children would be transferred to New Atlanta. Shen Gonglin couldn't guarantee that Raven and the others would succeed, so having a backup plan was necessary. Someone in the Elysian Realm would probably agree with this approach.

"But clearly, I am not her. At the very least, I will rely on my own strength..."

Mei didn't care what others would do; she only knew what she had to do. However, before the girl could finish speaking, a strange power surged into her heart. Before she could react, Mei's eyes narrowed and she lost consciousness. Her body went limp and she collapsed. Raven quickly caught Mei, preventing her from falling directly to the ground. This was... the power of Yuto?

"It's alright, Raven. In the end, you and she are even, so isn't that good?"

The voice of the newcomer seemed to resound directly in one's mind, just as one had thought. Only she could do such a thing in a dream.

Raven watched the woman slowly approach, pursing her lips in silence. "Hato's here. Well, there's nothing we can do now. I should have let Mei leave sooner." Without saying much to Raven, the suddenly appearing girl came to their side and gently put her arm around Mei's shoulder. The soft touch of that arm vaguely reminded the unconscious Mei of some warm memories from St. Freya.

"I'm sorry... lost child. In this forced dream, you two drift to a distant shore, where you meet a version of yourself that is both strange and familiar. But you need not be afraid. There, you will reunite with the person you cherish most... and the person you cherish second most, and together you will work hard to create a brand new tomorrow that originally only existed in your imagination."

As the gentle voice spoke, Mei's furrowed brows slowly relaxed, and the voice continued.

"After all, redefining the world is always a better choice than redefining humanity. Goodnight, Raiden Mei, may you and your companions have sweet dreams."

Phew... what will happen next?

In the darkness, Theresa breathed a soft sigh of relief, the girl surveying the surrounding darkness. At this moment, as the avatar of Vishnu Honkai Beast that devours everything, she had already consumed seven layers of dreams, yet she remained trapped in this lucid dream. This feeling of knowing she was dreaming but being unable to wake up was truly irritating.

St. Freya, Schicksal Airport, Kolosten, Sea Abyss City, Changkong City, Siberia Snowfield... These dreams she experienced were all microcosms of the ups and downs of her and her students' lives. And what does this empty darkness correspond to now?

[Nice to meet you, Theresa Apocalypse.]

In the darkness, the voice suddenly rang out, a voice both icy and yet carrying a hint of warmth. Startled Theresa in this dreamlike state, the sudden sound made the young girl warily eye the figure that appeared before her.

"Who!"

Theresa looked warily at the man who appeared before her. Although she had never seen him before, his appearance... she had heard Shen Gonglin, Durandal, and Kiana describe him: a white-haired, blue-eyed man Kevin Kaslana?

[The shadow of Kevin Kaslana. An artificial consciousness belonging to the Kaslana Stigmata. For convenience, you can simply call me the Stigmata Consciousness.]

The man in front of Theresa introduced himself. Well, first it was Otto, created by her subconscious, and now there's a Stigmata consciousness... Wait a minute, Theresa vaguely remembered that Siegfried seemed to have talked about this topic, but the most important thing now is why he appeared in her dream, in this deepest, most desolate place? To her, this was clearly just something she'd heard about.

How could it appear in my dream?

[It seems you don't understand how things have escalated to this point. You've clearly absorbed seven layers of dreams and reached the edge of consciousness. But this has been an adventure without a destination, and you still haven't figured out why you're trapped here. Very well, let me show you the whole story.]

Interrupting Theresa's thoughts, the man who claimed to be the Stigmata Will wanted to explain everything to Theresa. The man snapped his fingers, and a familiar figure appeared in front of Theresa. The headmaster stared wide-eyed at this figure who should never be here. Mei, how could she be here?

Let's start with one of your self-proclaimed rebellious students.

The moment Theresa saw Mei's image, a memory too vivid for Mei flashed through Theresa mind from Kevin's perspective. This sudden memory made Theresa instinctively press her temple. This was...

The real Kevin is about to initiate the Stigmata Plan, but Raiden Mei disagrees with his approach. He lets her go, giving her the opportunity to do what she believes is right.

After explaining that memory, Theresa gleaned an important piece of information: the Stigmata Plan had indeed begun.

[You're right. The Stigmata Plan has indeed begun. That's why you were captured by dreams in the Hyperion near the moon and eventually arrived here. This place is only a step away from the core of the Kaslana Stigmata Space, a dark remnant left behind by the real Kevin. However, I think what you care about more than that, what you care about more is the Stigmata Plan itself, right?]

Chapter 281

Indeed, compared to other matters, the so-called Stigmata Plan, which has now begun, is more worthy of Theresa's attention. This project has always been a major concern for the Anti-Entropy Schicksal Alliance, and now that it has begun to be implemented, Theresa can't help but start to worry about her headquarters. What is the situation on Earth now? The headmaster is a little anxious.

"If what you say is true, then there are probably tens of thousands of people on Earth in dire straits right now. How am I supposed to get out of here?"

At this moment, there is no way to contact Shen Gonglin. If nothing unexpected happens, Shen Gonglin should be waiting for her to wake up right next to her body. It is unknown when he will notice this anomaly. Now is not the time for her to sit and wait for death. Theresa has to take action quickly. The girl stared at the so-called Stigmata Will in front of her. Now that it has appeared in front of her, whether it is a trap or a real "guide", she has to move forward.

"You need to pass my test and become a true Stigmata Awakener. Only then will the constraints imposed on you by the Stigmata Plan vanish without a trace. The Sanctuary of the Chosen One will open for you, where you will safely weather this great upheaval in the world."

The Stigmata Will, bearing Kevin's image, spoke. Just as Shen Gonglin had said before, this guy seemed to enjoy speaking in riddles. Although, according to him, he was merely a manifestation of the Stigmata Will, Theresa had already begun to feel a headache at this moment. A test?

"More than these things... if you are truly Kaslana's Stigmata Will, then please tell me how I can save everything from the Stigmata Plan that has already begun. Since you say that disaster has already occurred, then you should understand that the information I need right now is definitely not about safely surviving the upheaval."

Theresa's tone was filled with barely suppressed anxiety. According to him, the Stigmata Plan had already begun, and they didn't know what the outside world was like. Meanwhile, she was trapped in a dream and couldn't extricate herself. This feeling of helplessness and anxiety spread through Theresa's heart. Now was not the time to chat; she had to hurry back to everyone's side.

"Ah. You don't need to be so anxious. The Stigmata Plan currently underway is not a simple replica of the Sky Experiment. Understanding why you, who are in the Hyperion, are also deeply involved will be very helpful in grasping the current situation. Let me reassure you first... As of now, not a single person on Earth has actually lost their life because of the Stigmata Plan."

The Stigmata Will understood Theresa's somewhat anxious state of mind and offered these words of comfort. Although doubt still lingered on her face, Theresa relaxed somewhat. She remained wary of the Will Theresa the Stigmata Will before her, wondering if he had anything else to say.

The fact that no one has lost their life because of the Stigmata Plan is good news.

"So don't panic. We still have time to find out what's going on behind the scenes."

The Stigmata Will flicked its fingers, and looking at the situation before her, which was exactly the same as before, Theresa hesitated before reaching out to touch another memory. This time it wasn't her rebellious student, but the World Serpent executive that Rin Shen Gonglin had told her about who had shown signs of reforming and had been turned by him. This time it was Kevin and Raven's conversation... Was this also something that had happened recently?

But something's not right. Theresa looked up at the Stigmata Will. Whether it was Mei's memories just now or Raven's memories now, these were all things that happened inside the World Serpent. And this being in front of her called himself Kaslana's Stigmata Will. How did he know about the internal situation of the World Serpent?

"Didn't I say? I am the will of the Kaslana Stigmata. I am not a member of your dream, but a real Stigmata administrator who exists in the world. Of course, I also have the means to receive some fragmented memories of the real Kevin. Moreover... due to the Stigmata Plan, the boundary between us will become increasingly blurred."

Seeing Theresa's wariness, the Stigmata Will took the initiative to explain that the situations inside these World Serpent were just fragmented memories it had received, so each memory featured Kevin as the protagonist.

"The boundary between you and Kevin? Or... the boundary between you and me?"

She appears to be an innocent little girl, but in reality, Theresa is a very reliable person, a point that is especially important when the young girl questions her in a deep voice.

"Actually, that's all true. As I just said, so far, no one on Earth has actually lost their life because of the Stigmata Plan, because at the end of this project, the materialized Stigmata will replace humanity. And humanity will also merge into the dream world, becoming one with the past Stigmata Space."

Whether it's the boundary between myself and Kevin, or the boundary between myself and Theresa, it makes no difference. According to the development of the Stigmata Plan, my manifested Stigmata will replace the humans currently living on Earth and fight against the Honkai Finality. So it has no meaning and makes no difference.

"... Regardless of what this statement actually means, it is indeed related to my current situation, isn't that right?"

Theresa gave up on pressing the matter further. Shen Gonglin was right after all; this guy spoke like a riddle master, painstakingly extracting useful information from his incomprehensible words. Her primary goal now was to resolve her current situation.

Someone with low emotional intelligence would say they don't understand, while someone with high emotional intelligence like Theresa would say, "Let's not talk about that for now."

"That's right. The moon is a key node in the Stigmata Plan. Because you approached the moon without knowing it, you became one of the first victims of the project. However, because of Vishnu's characteristics, you did not succumb to the dream, but instead devoured all the illusions along the way, until you came to this."

The moon is a crucial element of the Stigmata Plan. Theresa, aboard the Hyperion, inadvertently entered the moon's near-lunar orbit, thus being drawn into the dream world of the Stigmata Plan. However, our Headmistress is no ordinary person; she possesses genes capable of devouring all Honkai Beast. Therefore, she understood that she was in a dream and used this most powerful weapon to devour multiple layers of dreams. This allowed her to stand before the Stigmata Will and receive this information. Realizing something, Theresa suddenly widened her eyes.

I only know it's a dream because of my special circumstances, but what about ordinary people?

Theresa doesn't believe they can escape this predicament.

Chapter 282 The True Ideal

"Wait, so according to you, if it were an ordinary person... they would be immersed in that initial dream, like the one I just dreamed about, where Himeko and everyone else were still in St. Freya..."

Realizing all this, if she hadn't woken up from that dream, it would undoubtedly have been her most cherished wish: that her dearest friend hadn't left her side, that they were still together. Theresa could still feel that warmth. Undoubtedly, everyone has those warm moments in their hearts, but not everyone is as special as she is, so she would probably have succumbed to it.

"Yes. Their consciousness will transform into the same mode of existence as the Stigmata, retreating from the world of real numbers to the crevices of imaginary numbers. Correspondingly... the thoughts within the Stigmata will materialize and gradually descend into the outer space. They will move towards each other, replacing the quietly sleeping humans."

Theresa finally understood. Shen Gonglin had told her before, but that guy wasn't very good at expressing himself. After listening for a long time, there was only the realization that the Stigmata wanted to "exchange homes" with humans. But now, after hearing the words of the Stigmata Will, Theresa finally understood the true nature of the Stigmata Plan. In other words, the Stigmata would replace humans.

"No, but isn't the so-called Stigmata Plan a plan to select all Stigmata Awakener from among humanity at all costs?"

Recalling what happened in Sky City, when World Serpent wanted to use all the residents of Sky City for experiments to select suitable candidates for the Stigmata. Although they said the plan was a smokescreen, Theresa didn't entirely believe it; the plan should have some feasibility.

"The value of those Stigmata Awakener is naturally extraordinary. But they are merely the intersection between individuals with Stigmata, just the most basic guarantee of the Rooting Project. This may be a little hard to understand... Theresa, let me give you an example."

The Stigmata Will paused slightly, as if considering how to explain it clearly to Theresa. Soon, he had figured out what to say: Does the Stigmata Will have thoughts too?

"Theresa, if the characters from books and stories were to descend upon Shijie and build a world all by himself, extending his infinite possibilities into the future... what do you think such a world would be like compared to the current human world?"

The question was posed to Theresa. Without rushing to deny it, Theresa rested her chin on her hand and considered it seriously. In the end, the girl shook her head. She didn't know what it would be like, but... it probably wouldn't be bad.

"It seems you've taken it to heart. But if I were to add that the characters in books and stories don't experience the pain of birth, aging, sickness, and death, nor are they in danger of the world's destruction, would you still think that this is merely not bad?"

The Stigmata Will continued to speak, and this time Theresa realized the meaning behind his words. The girl looked up, somewhat incredulous. So, that's what he wanted to do.

"Since you've already guessed what it is, let me summarize it like this... If the purpose of Schicksal is to find the right destiny, and the purpose of Anti-Entropy is to resist the wrong destiny, then the purpose of World Serpent is to transcend destiny itself. These three may not be superior to each other... But as has repeatedly happened in human history, when their goals are no longer compatible, friction is inevitable between justice and justice."

The Stigmata Will spoke thus, and Theresa's brows furrowed slightly. Beyond fate? They really dare to say that. If it's beyond fate, why does Theresa feel that it's more like an escape?

"So... in the eyes of those in World Serpent, because the Stigmata Plan can reliably prevent the Herrscher of Finality from descending, all other costs can be ignored, right?"

Is this the purpose of World Serpent? From a certain perspective, the relationship between Schicksal, Anti-Entropy, and World Serpent is not that of enemies, but rather that of competitors. All three organizations are trying to follow their own paths. However, compared to Schicksal and Anti-Entropy's goal of saving humanity, World Serpent's goal seems to be to save the world?

Even if the price is humanity itself.

"It might not be as simple as you think. As I just mentioned, the current Stigmata Plan allows Stigmata to replace humanity. They will inherit all of humanity's existing civilization... In this way, from a planetary perspective, Earth will not only not lose anything, but will also undergo some form of sublimation."

Earth will sublimate? Theresa felt like her brain wasn't working properly. The girl pondered deeply, while the Stigmata Will opposite her was also waiting for Theresa to digest it. If it were Raiden Mei, she should have already understood.

"This matter is still too abstract for you, who are trapped in a dream. Rather than forcing yourself to understand such a thing... perhaps this memory from 50,000 years ago will be more valuable to you. That can be considered one of the starting points of the Kaslana family."

Another memory flooded in— Kevin's own memories, memories from 50,000 years ago, the origins of the Kaslana family? Theresa closed her eyes to process it. She wasn't sure how much she understood. Memories from 50,000 years ago were too heavy, but it seemed that for Kevin or others, the Stigmata Plan had more than just the significance of defeating the Honkai.

"The Stigmata record their knowledge, and also your history. To use the analogy I just used, for civilization... perhaps humanity is just the shadow on those walls, while the Stigmata are the real world outside the cave. Humanity is full of errors and often falls into depravity; although it can create beauty, it often destroys it. It's hard to say that these aren't reasons why they are always dominated by failure."

Kevin's Stigmata continued to pontificate about his views on humanity, while Theresa's face grew increasingly sour. Had she forgotten that a living human was standing right in front of her? What was the difference between his actions and pointing a finger at her and cursing her? She was truly sorry to be human.

"... Are you just bragging, Will of the Stigmata?"

Theresa's interruption of the Stigmata Will was incredibly arrogant.

"No. I'm just relaying a concept. Compared to the true ideal, compared to those awakened humans... I'm still far from it."

The Stigmata consciousness shook its head. It had no intention of boasting or criticizing, and its own existence was not perfect either. Compared to the true ideal form, it was still far from perfect.

Chapter 283 Completely Incomprehensible

Why isn't she awake yet? We already have a solution: devour the dream and wake up. Could some strange variable have occurred?

On the Hyperion in space, Shen Gonglin began to panic as he looked at the unconscious Theresa. He had briefly contacted Theresa's consciousness using the power of the Herrscher of Consciousness, but that space seemed to be preventing him from entering, preventing him from Shen Gonglin any effective help to Theresa. He was expelled from Theresa's dream after only exchanging a few words with her. If he forced his way in again, Shen Gonglin worried that it might damage Theresa's brain. But now, after waiting for so long, Theresa still hadn't woken up.

There's no doubt she's run into some trouble again.

[Boss, is Captain Theresa alright? Didn't you just say she'd wake up soon?]

Hyperion's artificial intelligence was also very worried about Theresa's situation, which made Shen Gonglin even more agitated. No, she couldn't wait any longer. Even if it would damage Theresa's brain, she couldn't wait. At worst, she would raise her herself for the rest of her life if she turned her into an idiot. She had to forcibly wake her up from her dream. She had already tried pinching her waist and buttocks, but it was no use. She could only rely on her willpower.

She switched back to the mode of the Herrscher of Consciousness. It was a pity that Little Herrscher of Consciousness was not by her side. Otherwise, if she had been in control of the power of the Herrscher of Consciousness, this would not have happened. Now she could only be as careful as possible.

That being said, Shen Gonglin certainly couldn't mess around in Theresa's mental world. It wouldn't be good if she really turned Theresa into a little fool. Shen Gonglin could only operate carefully within the scope of what she could do. If such a smart and cute girl turned into a little fool, that would be a huge mess.

"Ideal form?"