When the Sinking Began 6k

Fire Moth Headquarters.

The entire council stared in disbelief at the ever-expanding black hole on the screen and the calculated time remaining until the sinking of the Mu Continent. One councilor from the Mu Continent murmured, "The Ninth Herrscher... how could she... how is this possible..."

"The defense system of the Mu Continent is now close to complete collapse. At present, neither Mu Continent nor the Fire Moth has the ability to dispel the Simulated Black Hole created by the Ninth Herrscher through self-destruction," Mei said, looking at the screen. "It is precisely because of this that we now have the opportunity to contact Mu Continent again and contact the Fusion Warrior who are currently on the Mu Continent. Dr. Mobius is in contact with Feng."

"The Ninth Herrscher's power... if it's about controlling supergravity to create Simulated Black Hole, I remember some Fusion Warrior have similar special abilities, right?" a councilor said. "If we send those still in the base out now, along with Hen who was already on the Mu Continent, could we dispel this Simulated Black Hole?"

"Congressman Quentin, I must reiterate that neither the Fire Moth nor the Mu Continent currently possesses the ability to dispel the Simulated Black Hole," Mei said calmly. "Indeed, the special abilities of several Fusion Warriors, including Hen currently on the Mu Continent, could theoretically offset the Ninth Herrscher's abilities. However, in reality, given the vast difference in Honkai Energy between the two sides and the Simulated Black Hole's current size, even if all of them were dispatched, it would only slow down the expansion of the Simulated Black Hole at most."

"Will this black hole continue to expand?" another councilor asked. He belonged to the Mobius faction and didn't care about the life or death of the Mu Continent. Mu Continent's existence had a real impact on the interests of the Fire Moth, creating obstacles in many places. Given that Mu Continent was now beyond saving, abandoning it wasn't out of the question in his view.

We'll talk about what happened later. Why things turned out this way is not within the scope of this emergency meeting. What he's worried about is whether this Simulated Black Hole might continue to expand. What if the Simulated Black Hole hasn't disappeared and continues to expand after the sinking of the Mu Continent?

Mei glanced at the councilor who had spoken, then said, "Based on the data urgently shared by the Honkai Observation Center of the Mu Continent and the analysis and comparison of the Fire Moth's own, the creation of the Simulated Black Hole is closely related to the existence of the Ninth Herrscher herself. In other words, although nominally this is indeed a self-destruction act by the Ninth Herrscher, her true form is not completely dead yet. When the Simulated Black Hole expands to a certain extent, she herself will also be annihilated within it. Once the Herrscher is annihilated, the Simulated Black Hole will also disappear."

"So, in other words, the Ninth Herrscher's self-destruction this time will at most destroy the Mu Continent, and will not continue to expand and affect humans on other continents, is that right?" the councilor asked again.

"That conclusion isn't entirely accurate either," Mei said, adjusting her glasses. "Because the direct cause of the final destruction of the Mu Continent was its sinking, and the impact of one continent sinking can't be said to be completely unaffected by other continents."

"Then we should now notify the coastal areas of other continents to take appropriate precautions."

"What about the rescue of the people on the Mu Continent?" a councilor couldn't help but ask. Now that the sinking of the Mu Continent was a foregone conclusion, those people on the Mu Continent should also receive a definite outcome.

"With less than an hour left before the complete sinking of the Mu Continent, the Fire Moth has no way to complete the transfer of the Mu Continent's people in such a short time," Mei calmly pointed out.

"So we're just going to stand here and do nothing, watching the Mu Continent sink like this?"

"But what can we do? After all, didn't Mu Continent issue a solemn declaration back then, vowing to take on the Ninth Herrscher alone? Isn't their arrogance the reason things have turned out this way?"

"We also sent out Fusion Warrior like Feng and Kevin, but didn't they make any difference either?"

"How do you know that Mu Continent didn't send those Armed Doll troops to intercept our Fusion Warrior? We'll only know the details when Feng and the others return."

"Things have come to this point, and there's nothing we can do to change them. Perhaps we should even feel fortunate that we broke with the Mu Continent relatively early and established our own industrial system. Otherwise, after the Mu Continent sank this time, humanity's industrial system would have collapsed. What we lost was not hope, but a hindrance."

Mei silently watched the councilors arguing amongst themselves, her thoughts inevitably drifting to her boyfriend, who was currently on the Mu Continent. According to the original plan, Kevin was supposed to be one of the attackers alongside Zhu Yufeng in the Ninth Herrscher's campaign against the Ninth Herrscher. Although the news from Mobius's side indicated that everyone was safe and sound and preparing for evacuation...

Guo Xin is still a little worried.

This should be considered the most painful defeat that humanity has suffered since it began fighting against the Honkai. Perhaps the constant victories had made them somewhat complacent, and when faced with this sudden "disastrous defeat," when the Honkai began to show its fangs as they had expected, even Mei was briefly caught in a state of bewilderment.

Mobius Laboratory.

"Are you really sure you're alright? Don't you know what kind of damage Honkai Energy Jamming Bullet can cause?" Mobius frowned as he looked at Zhu Yufeng on the screen. "I don't want to go through the trouble of saving you again!"

"It's just one shot, so it doesn't really have a big impact right now." Zhu Yufeng glanced at the wound on his left shoulder and then said, "We also need a wound like this to quell public opinion afterward."

Mobius was taken aback. She knew what Zhu Yufeng meant. No matter how much Mu Continent antagonized the Fire Moth, it was still the country with the most advanced technology in the current world, the so-called "hope" in the hearts of countless ordinary people. Mu Continent was sunk by the Ninth Herrscher's self-destruct attack when it fought against the Ninth Herrscher, which could easily cause the people's hearts to crumble, and once again sow the seeds of trouble for the Tenth Herrscher's turmoil.

After all, people's hearts are hard to fathom, and it's impossible to guess what a person's true inner thoughts are just by looking at the surface.

Leaving this wound provides ample justification for later proving that it was the result of the Mu Continent's own willful actions. The Fire Moth dispatched its top Fusion Warrior, and Mu Continent secretly developed a special weapon capable of inflicting massive damage on the Fusion Warrior and launched an attack on the Fusion Warrior who came to support them.

This would break the halo that many people hold in their hearts regarding the Mu Continent, thereby mitigating the negative impact of the Mu Continent's sinking.

"We can use more than just this one method..."

"We should use all available means because this is a war we cannot afford to lose," Zhu Yufeng said.

Hearing this, Elysia, who was standing next to him, looked at him again, and even Sakura couldn't help but shift her somewhat complicated gaze to him.

A war we can't afford to lose...

If we don't consider the next generation, then we really can't afford to lose.

It's a bit odd that Zhu Yufeng said this, because he's not from this world, and he knows that humanity still has a way out, namely, to become the next civilization.

Elysia had more to think about, and her feelings were more complicated.

She recalled the promise she and Zhu Yufeng made to each other at the amusement park years ago, that they would definitely save each other. According to Zhu Yufeng, if she did not sacrifice herself, the next civilization's Herrscher would be just like this one, and no one would be born as Herrscher. If she failed in this era, then her final fate would be unchangeable.

This is what Zhu Yufeng meant by "not being able to accept defeat." He still adhered to the promise he made back then, and then...

Elysia's gaze fell on the wound that Zhu Yufeng had deliberately left untreated. On the way to the retreat, Elysia had repeatedly confirmed with Zhu Yufeng that the wound really wouldn't have too many negative effects on him.

However you may not believe it, it's still a wound caused by a bullet; and no matter how insignificant you may seem, the Honkai Energy Jamming Bullet are not entirely useless...

How could nothing be wrong?

He probably felt that this level of pain and injury was not something he cared about.

He was that kind of person, stubborn to the extreme, taking many things in life too lightly, and to put it bluntly, probably... for him, no matter what kind of harm he suffered, as long as he didn't die, that was enough.

So...

If we don't find a solution...

If in the end there's still no way...

He will still end up like he did back then.

He said that in the next generation of civilization, humanity will surely defeat the Honkai, and that in the next generation of civilization, there will be more Herrscher like himself. These were indeed the scenes he once wanted to see. However, for him... he should care more about the path he is on now, and he doesn't care about the things that will come.

Because he already knew, because he had already seen it before.

The scene they could only imagine from his descriptions, but he had actually seen it.

"I've wondered why I came to this era, why I'm here... I've seen wandering knights aloof across the skies, seeking redemption; I've seen the thunderous Sinner's Elegy echoing across the heavens; I've seen the inextinguishable flames that burn away a thousand faces of mockery... The stories of these young girls continue, their futures stretch ever onward, and people like me wish their futures will unfold as they envision, finding solace in their growth..."

"Afterwards, I saw your story."

"The story of the Thirteen Heroes of Fire Moth, thirteen individuals who can become Heroes."

"You left the most beautiful wishes for the next era, and sowed the seeds of hope for the next era. You looked forward to its sprouting, but in the end, you were unable to see its result."

Why does the story of the Thirteen Heroes of Fire Moth hold such a grudge for me? Perhaps it's because when I first learned about this story, it had already come to an end, and no new chapter would ever be turned.

"So, that's probably why I ended up here. Although I was in a rather disheveled state when I came here, and I don't have any special physique or powerful cheat codes, I can only reach out my hand as far as I can with what I see."

"Now that we're here, we have to do something, don't we?"

This was a conversation he and she had once shared alone under a starry night sky. Before that, she always liked to ask him about the stories of the next generation of literary figures, but after that, she never mentioned the next generation of literary figures again.

Elysia withdrew her gaze. This time, they would definitely defeat the Honkai and reach the place they longed for. They definitely could...

After Zhu Yufeng ended his communication with Mobius, Kevin also sent a message. Although he had wanted to sacrifice himself to slow down the spread of the Simulated Black Hole as much as possible, Kevin eventually turned to reason and persuasion.

Uh... when did Kevin start using his brain?

In fact, when Kevin watched Hen and the other Fusion Warrior die in his previous life, his heart was not as calm as he appeared on the surface. If the Ninth Herrscher had self-destructed at that time, catching everyone off guard and causing the Mu Continent's defenses to collapse, the Fire Moth would have had to recover as much valuable experimental data and salvageable equipment as possible from the Mu Continent in the shortest possible time, while also urgently evacuating the non- Fusion Warrior soldiers who had been dispatched at that time.

Left with no other choice, he had to acquiesce to the sacrifice of Hen and the others.

But this time is different. Mostima has already started downloading the experimental data, and they already know about the special equipment and which Herrscher they're going to fight. Why not just leave it all to Vill-V and Rovoc? Besides, this time all the people coming are Fusion Warrior. Everyone already knows that the Ninth Herrscher is going to self-destruct.

There was no need for that scar to be sacrificed.

"Boss, Mostima said that little girl named Griseo seems to be in some trouble." Nahamah's voice rang out. "Although Kosma and Disaster are also heading that way, given their personalities, it might be difficult to resolve. They're currently quite close to you. Do you want to take a look?"

"Um?"

On Kosma's side.

Kosma and Disaster glared at Leander weapon was pointed at Griseo. To be more precise, all the researchers at this Honkai Energy Observation Center had been armed and controlled by the royal guard led by Leander.

"I knew it. Pinghen has connections with the Fire Moth. Even if the Mu Continent is about to sink, someone will definitely come and take his daughter and wife away." Leander chuckled and said, "In that case, it wouldn't hurt for us to hitch a ride, would it?"

His orders were to prevent anyone from the Fire Moth from taking Griseo and Blanca away, but the situation was not right. All the high-ranking officials were busy running away, and even the princes and other royal family members had mostly boarded planes to leave the Mu Continent. What about him?

Are we just waiting to die?

Even if doing this now might lead to a lot of trouble later if I get saved, I have to survive first before I can have the chance to think about those things, right?

Leander can only grasp at this straw now. Moreover, as long as the royal family members escape Mu Continent, given Mu Continent's prestige in the world, there will always be a country that can accept them. And as the captain of the palace guard, he will still have some place to stay.

Even if he couldn't defeat the Fusion Warrior right now, so what? They still had to be cautious. Besides, he and his subordinates also had special Honkai Energy Jamming Bullet to deal with Fusion Warrior and Herrscher...

Just as Kosma was confronting Leander, the next second, all the soldiers seemed to suddenly lose consciousness and collapsed to the ground like dolls with broken strings.

"Maple?!"

Zhu Yufeng stood at the door. This was probably the most he could use his powers for, and he had spent it all on the journey... Fortunately, he had borrowed the Feather Dust from Hua when he came here. Originally, he had planned to use the Feather Dust and force him to pack up and take him away in case Hen refused to leave, since he had promised Griseo that he would definitely save Hen...

It wasn't necessarily necessary to Feather Dust, but I still don't understand how to do a "Zawarudo" (a powerful attack), otherwise I would have just stopped time and wiped everyone out.

"Are you alright, Griseo?" Zhu Yufeng crouched down and looked Griseo up and down to determine if she was injured.

"Yes, I'm not." Griseo looked up and immediately saw Zhu Yufeng's left shoulder stained with blood, and his left hand that he couldn't raise at all. "Brother Yu Feng... are you injured?"

"It's a minor injury... I got hit by red paint when I came here."

Griseo: "..."

Do you think I believe that?

"Ahem..." Zhu Yufeng stood up and looked at Dr. Einstein. "You must be Dr. Einstein? And all the researchers here, would you like to come with us?"

Einstein glanced at the data transmission progress on the screen. After calculating that the Mu Continent was about to sink, she stopped Mostima from downloading the experimental data and instead chose to help her download the valuable experimental data.

"In the end, this country lost to its own arrogance..." Einstein sighed with some emotion. "However, as long as the royal family is still alive, as long as there are survivors, the Mu Continent... will continue to exist. Even so, will you still save us?"

"Huh? You guys are talking about members of the royal family?" Lilith's somewhat relaxed voice came through Zhu Yufeng's headset. "Then you can tell Dr. Einstein that the royal family will soon be without any members~"

Zhu Yufeng: "..."

He probably knew what Lilith was doing... no wonder she wanted to act alone.

Wait a minute, the royal family of the Mu Continent isn't exactly small, is it? Even if the king only has a few children, he must have brothers and sisters, right? Did Lilith just wipe them all out?

After a long silence, Zhu Yufeng said to Einstein, "Perhaps... the royal family no longer has any members."

Einstein: "???"

Is the Fire Moth really going all out this time? Are they going to wipe out the entire royal family of the Mu Continent?

Actually, in the previous life, the royal family of the Mu Continent didn't leave much behind. After all, with the disappearance of the Mu Continent, the human industrial system was severely damaged. At that point, who cared whether there were any survivors on the Mu Continent? They were simply thrown to Africa by the Fire Moth.

He then joined the Rebel Army and was eventually annihilated by Zhu Yufeng.

So... it's all the same whether you die sooner or later, so there's no big problem in dealing with it now and eliminating a potential threat.

Elysia glanced at Zhu Yufeng speechlessly. She knew from the conversation that some scumbag was trying to clean up the royal family. Given Lilith's personality, she was certainly capable of such a thing. Moreover, Lilith was far more radical than herself when it came to matters involving Feng. While she herself had been dissatisfied with Lionel's verbal attacks on Zhu Yufeng, Lionel had proven his true colors, and since Feng hadn't taken it to heart, she hadn't paid much attention to it.

But Lilith truly holds a grudge to this day. Lionel has not Rovoc and their relationship is getting worse, largely due to Lilith.

In addition, when Mu Continent tried to win over Lilith through Davien, Lilith turned the tables on them. Elysia didn't know exactly how she did it, but Zhu Yufeng mentioned it with some helplessness, as if it was to urge the king to be suspicious of Lionel.

If you offend Zhu Yufeng, he might not even care, or he might not even care at all, but someone else will care, and he'll remember it forever...

This time, Feng was injured by the Honkai Energy Jamming Bullet that Mu Continent had researched. Although he himself didn't seem to care much and even planned to use it, even he felt sorry for him. It wouldn't be surprising how crazy Lilith's revenge would be...

Even if I tried to stop it now, it would probably be too late. Besides, I don't even want to stop it.

After the tenth Herrscher incident in her previous life, when Sakura and Qianjie were settling scores with the surviving soldiers who had fired shots, Elysia, just like before, did not choose to stop them.

A coastal city on the Mu Continent.

As the ground beneath his feet trembled, Lionel stood amidst the panicked crowd trying to board ships, gazing into the distance at what Simulated Black Hole. He didn't look at Beifengge beside him, but simply asked, "Why did you save me?"

"Don't you think it would be a shame for you to die here?" Beifengge said, arms crossed. "You don't need to sink with this continent."

"Heh... I..."

"Hold on, wouldn't it be better if you could be more flexible sometimes? Now that the situation is settled, which would you choose: the Mu Continent or human civilization?"

"... Beifengge, how could you possibly understand me... Ha, it's just that something has already happened, and it's happening again."

"Hey, hey, Fire Moth, and don't even think about taking on everything yourself, it's impossible. There are just some things you'll need to do."

"Each has their own role... That's true. In any case, human civilization must continue."