They All Said This Wasn't a Life Simulation Game! Section 32

Xi Wang squinted his eyes, awaiting the young warrior's answer.

"I... I still have things I can do... and things I should do."

"I want to go back to Captain and ask her directly... if the person in that body is her, or the Herrscher... I want to know if I still have a chance to save her."

Hua said, bit by bit, finally seeming to have made up her mind, responding with resolve.

"Oh, then you don't need to go."

"...?"

"She's fallen into a deep sleep, floating in the middle of the city, completely still and unresponsive to the outside world. Her surrounding temperature is just continuing to rise. The condition I'm in is a result of trying to get close to her. My weapon completely melted when I was 10 meters away. Without special means, you can't get close to her at all, nor can you communicate with her."

"How could this happen..."

Even the last thing she wanted to do couldn't be accomplished... she couldn't even have a simple conversation with her...

Hua was somewhat dazed. The strength she had finally gathered dissipated at this moment, and her body weakly collapsed, kneeling on the ground like a puppet.

"..."

This child is more fragile than I imagined... but it's good this way, at least she's still alive.

Xi Wang tilted his head, saying nothing more. He calmly stepped forward, grabbed Hua by the back of her collar, and lifted her back like a kitten, placing her by the broken wall so she had something to lean on. He then returned to the gap in the ruins facing outwards, keeping an eye on the surroundings while monitoring communications to confirm the arrival time of the support troops.

"Mr. Wang..."

"No need to be so formal, Miss Eden. Just call me by my name. Actually, I'm something of a fan of yours."

"Basic etiquette is still necessary... but since you insist, you don't need to be so formal when addressing me either. After all, I'm just a singer."

Eden shook her head and said slowly.

"Regarding the details of this disaster, since you said someone will explain it later, I won't ask you about it. However, your injuries..."

"It's nothing, it will recover in a while."

Xi Wang's calm tone made Eden pause. She could hear the composure and sincerity in his words... but it was precisely because of this that Eden felt puzzled. Burns of this severity wouldn't just "recover in a while," would they?

"If you want to alleviate your emotions through conversation, I'm happy to oblige... at least until support arrives."

"...Thank you."

"It's nothing. It's a rare moment of rest anyway... Of course, if you want to thank me, give me an autograph later."

"Ha... Of course."

Eden did need something to distract herself and escape the tension and fear. Xi Wang's calm, placid tone at this moment brought a sense of relaxation... a feeling that everything happening was "nothing much."

"So... were you stopping that warrior just now? Preventing her... from going to her captain?"

"I was just advising her."

Xi Wang said indifferently.

"If she doesn't listen, or insists on going, I won't stop her."

"After all, she's not anyone to me, I don't need to force her to stay... Besides, my mission is to search for survivors, and to find her, and that's all."

"Is... that so?"

"Naturally. And I don't agree with her idea."

Xi Wang shifted his gaze, glancing at the unusually quiet Hua.

"To try and approach a [Herrscher] alone and without any support, let alone whether one has the ability to get close, such a reckless act could easily draw suspicion from Moth to Fire. If her actions cause the [Herrscher] to awaken from her slumber and create greater destruction, she will have to take responsibility."

"If she were to die directly at the hands of the [Herrscher], it would be fine. At most, she'd be branded with a crime after death, stigmatized. But if she were to miraculously survive... she might be forced to bear more bizarre charges, which would be a torment to herself."

"Compared to that, I prefer to give the [Herrscher] a clean and swift release. This would be beneficial for both her and us."

Clack—

Xi Wang popped another candy into his mouth, as if emphasizing something, and added another sentence.

"But as I said, I was just advising her. If she insists on going, I don't mind. After all, my mission is just to find her. As for what happens afterward, I don't care."

"...You're surprisingly a gentle person."

"...You're the fifth person to call me [gentle]. I really don't know how you all come to that conclusion."

Xi Wang squinted his eyes, finding Eden's evaluation somewhat strange.

"The fifth? It seems you have four very good friends..."

Eden exclaimed, then leaned against the nearby ruins, explaining softly.

"It's not an imagined evaluation. It's just that I can feel your concern for this warrior from your words, and your regret for your former colleague... Although you're doing your best to distance yourself, to keep your concern for them at the level of [advice to strangers], it actually highlights that you value your bonds with them."

"As a singer, sensing emotions from others' words has become a habit, and I'm still somewhat confident in this regard."

Eden gently pressed her chest, revealing a slightly proud smile. But soon, she lowered her eyes again, her golden irises appearing hazy, like the gemstone pinned to her chest, buried under dust.

"I don't know why you're restraining your emotions like this, but... it would be better if you were more forthright in your words."

"Ah, I'm sorry. I might have said too much... If I've offended you in any way, please tell me directly. I'm just like this, I always end up saying a lot without realizing it..."

"It's fine, I'm used to it."

Xi Wang responded to Eden while scanning the slowly dying flames around him, a frown creasing his brow.

"After all, I have a friend who, just like you, tends to talk a lot without realizing it, and her assessment of me is pretty similar to yours."

"Oh? That truly is my honor... May I ask your friend's name? Perhaps... we'd get along quite well."

"Her name is Elysia. I'll introduce you later. Actually, if you have any contact with Moth to Fire, you're bound to meet her... Besides, if it's you, the great star, she'd probably be overjoyed to come and make friends with you."

"...Elysia?"

Eden paused, seemingly surprised to hear that name mentioned here.

"Yes, she's a very cute and trustworthy girl... Just a moment."

Xi Wang gestured for Eden to remain silent, his brow furrowed as he scanned their surroundings.

"...Hua, stop spacing out. Get up and stay alert."

"…………?"

It was then that Eden noticed that the sound of burning flames, and the occasional sounds of those [Monsters] moving, had all vanished.

Silence enveloped the surroundings, as if death itself had fallen.

"...Understood."

Hua shook her head, suppressing her complex thoughts and low spirits as she stood up again. She quickly adjusted her breathing, shielded Eden behind her, and scanned the surroundings with vigilance.

She had to pull herself together and fulfill her duty as a warrior, as a soldier... to safely escort the sole survivor she had rescued.

Looking up, through the lingering smoke and dust, she could faintly see white frost spreading from afar, forming tiny ice flowers on the scorched ground.

"…………"

Xi Wang frowned, unsure if this was another trick from that [Herrscher], or if a special [Honkai Beast] had appeared. At the same time, he wondered why the promised support from Moth to Fire hadn't arrived yet.

However, the message that then came through the communication channel made him freeze.

[Seventh Herrscher Subjugation Battle] - Concluded, accomplished by Kevin alone.

Chapter 24: Elysia: Want to touch my ears?

[The Seventh Herrscher Subjugation Battle concluded with Kevin defeating the Herrscher single-handedly. You don't know how Kevin managed it, but it's ultimately a good thing.]

[When the support troops arrived, Eden and Hua described your condition to others, leading to you being semi-forcibly removed from the battlefield to return to Moth to Fire for rest and recovery.]

[Inwardly, you couldn't help but resent Hua and Eden a little, as this would make Elysia and Sakura worry. You thought it would have been better to hide it, as you would have recovered in a few days anyway... But in the end, you didn't say anything, silently accepting their kindness.]

[However, when others lifted your uniform, everyone discovered that almost your entire combat suit had fused with your skin. It could be said that you had shed a layer of skin in a literal sense, to the point where the doctor in charge of you didn't know how to proceed.]

[Upon learning of your condition, Sakura also requested Mobius to come and check on you. Of course, you felt that Mobius would have come even if Sakura hadn't asked, as this was a rare opportunity for her to observe your "Trait" with justification.]

[And indeed, you rested in the infirmary for seven days. During these seven days, besides Sakura coming to look after you, it was Mobius who came with her assistants to collect your bodily data, occasionally prescribing some medicine and performing checks.]

[And under this "casual" treatment, your condition was rapidly improving. The burnt wounds were quickly fading, and by the seventh day, only faint marks remained on your body. In another two days, even those marks would be gone.]

[Your recovery amazed everyone, with many exclaiming, "As expected of Dr. Mobius."]

[Mobius's "interest" in you grew even greater, and her two new assistants—Cang Xuan and Dan Zhu—also developed a strong interest in you... Although one of them was a money-grubber, thinking of dragging you into some "very profitable work," and the other was an ACG enthusiast, very interested in your body's ability to maintain perfect skin at all times.]

[Perhaps it was because both of them were petite, like little girls, that you were more tolerant of them than others. Even when they liked to touch you, you didn't mind, but if Mobius wanted to take the opportunity to get closer, you would immediately refuse her approach.]

[And within these seven days, you also learned about the situation of the "Seventh Great Honkai" from Sakura and Mobius, among others.]

[For example, Kevin was able to defeat the "Seventh Herrscher" alone because Mobius and Mei urgently activated the "Fusion Warrior Project," fusing Honkai Beast genes into Kevin's body to grant him inhuman strength.]

[For example, even though the Herrscher was defeated, the great fire she spread could not be extinguished. With everyone's rescue efforts, and even with the help of Kevin, who had become inhuman and possessed the power to control ice and snow, this fire that engulfed the entire continent of Australia still burned for seven days. The entire continent was in ruins, reduced to scorched earth, with residual Honkai Energy lingering on the land, making the planned recovery efforts difficult.]

[The original population of Australia was tens of millions, and now all the city areas suitable for reconstruction could only support a million people.]

[However, the good news is that less than a million people survived in all of Australia. The reconstructed city areas are just enough for them to continue living in their homeland, and other countries don't have to worry about refugee issues, haha~]

[Not funny at all.]

[After all combat operations concluded, you reunited with your teammates... Well, only a quarter of them remained. It seems they were quite lucky; at least not all of them died.]

[You also met Kevin midway. Having become inhuman, he exuded a bone-chilling cold that made him difficult to approach... He couldn't control this power well yet, and he didn't have the inclination to do so now. He seemed to be experiencing some psychological issues, appearing very withdrawn, and often required psychological treatment after returning to Moth to Fire.]

[And this fire, which directly affected the entire continent, also drew the attention of the world. Moth to Fire had no choice but to step forward, announcing its existence to the world, as well as the disaster known as "Honkai."]

[Perhaps because the lesson learned this time was too bitter, Moth to Fire temporarily set aside internal conflicts and began to act proactively. On one hand, they expanded public awareness of "Honkai" on a large scale, and on the other hand, they put more plans on the agenda and began to push them forward at all costs. The "Fusion Warrior Project," which had just achieved brilliant results, was naturally the top priority.]

[Although the success rate of the Fusion Warrior surgery was abysmally low, they couldn't afford to worry about that anymore. Moth to Fire began recruiting volunteers from within the ranks for the surgery, striving to obtain a few lucky survivors.]

[And you, naturally, were on the list for the surgery.]

[You weren't surprised by this. You had already anticipated that you might be "discarded" by those above. However, you also knew that they wouldn't "dispose of" you directly. After all, there were few people who could "dispose of" you, and those who had the ability to "dispose of" you couldn't directly command them. And this plan with an extremely low survival rate was a good way to "dispose of" you.]

[If you died in the "Fusion Warrior" surgery, it would naturally be good. After all, you were now dispensable to them. They already had enough "blades," and even if they weren't as sharp as yours, they were sufficient. ]

[If you survived, that would be even better. The "blades" in their hands would become sharper. Although they would also become more dangerous to themselves, before completely falling out, they could still command you safely. After all, the "Sheath" plan wasn't a complete failure, was it? Especially since they still retained a certain degree of control over the "Sheath."]

[Although you vaguely guessed their intentions, you had no intention of refusing... although you couldn't refuse anyway.]

[As for you, none of these things mattered. You would survive, you definitely would survive.]

[But what you didn't understand was... why were Elysia's and Sakura's names also on the list?]