Invited, In Honkai, Grinding Stats to Level Up

Gwen nodded slightly upon hearing this and looked at Anna.

Meeting Gwen's gaze, Anna took a deep breath, exhaled forcefully, and then said loudly:

"Everyone, abandon the camp and retreat to headquarters. Maintain formation and be ready to fight at any moment."

"Yes!" *n

The assembled crowd responded in unison to Anna's command, abandoning the camp and retreating in an orderly fashion as instructed.

At the rear of the formation, Gwen, whose expression had turned serious as he sensed the dangerous aura blooming not far away, gripped his greatsword tightly.

Chapter 47 Clown Alpha: People only learn to cherish what they've lost.

In a building that, under the ravages of the Honkai, already felt abandoned after only a few hours, stood a man who was utterly out of place—

Dressed in a pristine, tailored white tailcoat, a blue rose pinned to his chest, his face hidden behind a white clown mask, and a white hat perched atop his head, he looked like a clown about to entertain at a banquet.

This clown, with his dazzling blonde hair, watched the rapidly retreating team in the camp not far away. Suddenly, a playful voice echoed in his mind—

"As expected, the unexpected still happened..."

"Isn't my appearance here precisely for such unexpected events?"

In response, the expression beneath the white-clad figure's mask remained as calm as still water. He gazed at the figure at the end of the retreating line and said softly, Destiny was no stranger to the sudden appearance of high-tier Honkai Beasts in the later stages, or even near the end, of a Honkai outbreak. Their archives contained more than one such record.

However, Destiny had no foolproof defense against such unpredictable disasters. All they could do was instruct their troops to heighten their vigilance and equip them with more powerful gear to enhance their ability to respond to unforeseen situations.

Yet, unforeseen situations were still unforeseen. Even with the advanced equipment or the arrival of reinforcements to eliminate the suddenly appearing high-tier Honkai Beasts, the Valkyrie units could not avoid casualties.

This was one of the reasons Destiny diligently cultivated S-Class Valkyries—

Even an Emperor-class Honkai Beast, when suddenly appearing, could not act with impunity against an S-Class.

However, with no active S-Class Valkyries currently on duty, such crises became unavoidable calamities.

Therefore, Otto had specifically dispatched his combat-ready Soul Steel body to accompany Gwen on his mission, just in case.

After all, while Otto understood that Gwen needed to experience real battle and hardship to grow to the level he desired, it didn't mean Otto was at ease with Gwen facing danger—

Having witnessed life and death for five hundred years, Otto knew all too well how fragile human life was.

"That's right,"

Void Archives said solemnly upon hearing Otto's words, "If you weren't playing nanny, you wouldn't have followed him all the way here...

Aren't you going to make a move?

That's a Ganesha, the uncrowned king among Emperor-class Honkai Beasts.

Once engaged, with that kid's combat style, he might not necessarily survive..."

"This kid isn't as fragile as you think..."

Otto said softly, watching the figure who had been guarding the rear of the formation.

"Besides, he's special...

Just like little Bianca, not because of his identity or experiences, but simply because of who he is..."

"I admit this kid is a rare genius. Even the progress speed of... back then wasn't this exaggerated.

But..."

Void Archives, instantly understanding Otto's implication, did not deny it but reminded him, "He's still just a genius right now.

He has a long way to go before becoming a true powerhouse.

And a genius who hasn't become a powerhouse is just a corpse."

"I'm well aware of that, otherwise neither you nor I would be here."

Otto nodded in agreement, but showed no intention of acting.

"However, for him, appropriate pressure isn't a bad thing...

He might already be resolved, but ultimately, I'm the one who pushed him onto this path.

Only when he truly moves forward of his own volition from the bottom of his heart can he unleash his full potential.

Just like Bianca back then..."

"Even if he might lose a naive affection because of it, regretting it for the rest of his life, and shedding tears of sorrow in the dead of night?"

Void Archives understood Otto's intention and maliciously reminded him.

"Heh... People only learn to cherish what they've lost through experience..."

Otto, who had donned the Clown Alpha skin after a long time, said calmly as he gazed at the chestnut-haired girl in the rapidly fleeing team.

Through the eyeholes of his mask, his eyes were filled with a profound calmness, showing no fluctuation at the potential death of an S-Class Seed, as if it were merely an insignificant pawn.

At that moment, accompanied by a terrifying surge of Honkai Energy, a distorted purple halo illuminated the sky. A colossal creature suddenly leaped into the air from the churning chaos, its mountain-like body appearing ferocious and terrifying within the glow of the Honkai Energy.

Boom!

With a deafening roar, the giant beast landed, smashing several surrounding buildings into ruins. The dust and smoke that billowed up even obscured the Honkai energy halo in the sky. The earth trembled, and the sky seemed to tear apart.

Even Gwen and his companions, who were already far from the camp, had to slow their retreat due to the tremors.

Amidst the strange tremors underfoot and the earth-shattering noise, someone instinctively looked back. What met their eyes was a colossal figure, as massive as a mountain, clearly visible even from a great distance.

The distinctive features, heavily emphasized in class, caused the girl's face to pale, her steps faltered, and she nearly fell.

"Aino, are you alright?"

Martha steadied her comrade and asked with concern.

"I'm fine..."

Aino, her face pale, shook her head forcefully, trying to control herself and stop looking back. Though her heart was now filled with fear and despair, she knew that if she gave in, everyone would die with her.

Just then, the earth trembled again, making the already uneasy girls' hearts skip a beat.

However, before the girls could even guess what was happening, they heard Anna's command—

"Everyone, form combat formations, spread out, and prepare to engage."

Gazing at the colossal creature in the distance, which had leaped high again, its massive shadow nearly engulfing an entire city block, Anna, her heart pounding wildly, suppressed her tension and fear and raised her lance.

"Everyone, follow Anna's orders."

Gwen also drew the greatsword he carried on his back, narrowing his eyes as he stared at the terrifying giant beast that resembled a mountain.

Unlike the monsters in games that were at most twice a person's height, Honkai Beasts in the real world were each bigger than the last. Take Ganesha before them, for instance; its size was truly mountain-like.

However, despite a faint sheen of cold sweat on his forehead, Gwen wasn't as despairing as the girls behind him, who were mechanically following orders to form ranks—

For one thing, Gwen had witnessed Ganesha being killed last year.

It happened during the late stages of a Honkai outbreak in India, where a Ganesha had appeared, causing the deaths of twelve Valkyries, including two A-Class. Gwen's squad was on a mission nearby and was dispatched as support.

Chapter 48: Seeking Death? Lv5!

Although he only played a supporting role, it was Gwen's first time facing the might of an Emperor-class monster, and he clearly realized that even this mountain-like giant was not invincible.

On the other hand, there was Gwen's own strength—

While Gwen's claim to Anna that his brave performance on the battlefield was to gain merit for an early promotion wasn't entirely a lie, it wasn't the whole truth either.

Besides earning military achievements, Gwen's combat in the field also allowed him to gain significant growth in his stats—

The numerous missions he had undertaken over the past year had brought him immense progress, and he had already surpassed the goal he had set for himself last year—

Gwen—Lv5
Strength—SSS1879
Endurance—SSS1901
Dexterity—SSS1922
Spirit—SSS1999
Energy—SSS1999
Energy System: None
Development Abilities: Nourish Body with Soul, Nourish Soul with Soul, Ten Directions Bearing, Scorching Infinity

In the virtual training room, which was always available and adjustable in intensity, and through frequent missions over the past year, Gwen had leveled up three times. He was now at the peak of Lv5, and even the "Lv5" was slowly flashing, indicating that he could upgrade at any moment.

Furthermore, thanks to the "Nourish Body with Soul" trait, Gwen's attributes were all maxed out at 1999 every time he leveled up, making his "Lv5" exceptionally potent.

Although he still couldn't compare to You Lan Dai Er, another exceptional player, in casual sparring, Gwen's pure physical foundation had reached, and even surpassed, the current A-Class standard.

Over the past year, Gwen's shop had indeed featured a few items that made his mouth water— a Bronze Divine Light Rod with a chance to transform into an old Ganesha, and a Gengnu Vajra that could be carried to constantly enhance spirit and mental energy, reconstructing molecular structures and genes.

However, the exorbitant prices made Gwen sigh in frustration, as he only received a little over ten thousand points each month from an unknown source.

Aside from these desirable but unaffordable items, Gwen had managed to acquire one purchasable item—

Fire Shadow Stone— One of the Light Shadow Stones manifested from the power of light that the Sun cast down to protect Earth from the covetous Shadow Emperor. It possessed a special magnetic field, and prolonged close contact could alter human genes, granting the scorching, infinite power of fire and light.

Although he really wanted to save up for a golden-tier item, Gwen, knowing he only had a few years, didn't hoard every penny. He still bought the second Light Shadow Stone—

If he could buy five, it would at least be a purple-tier item, possibly even gold, a guaranteed profit.

After purchasing the second Light Shadow Stone, Gwen's development ability upon reaching Lv5 also found its purpose, which was "Scorching Infinity." This was also why his energy attribute could reach its maximum value, right after his spirit.

It was precisely because of his solid A-Class foundation and these traits that Gwen had the confidence to contend with Ganesha.

After a final glance at the status panel in his eyes, Gwen closed it, concentrated, and narrowed his eyes, staring intently at the Ganesha tumbling in mid-air.

The mountain-like giant curled its limbs, bent its body, and rolled itself into a cylindrical shape.

The next moment, amidst the earth-shattering tremors, the colossal Ganesha, within the swirling dust and smoke, turned buildings into rubble. Like a boulder rolling down a mountain, it descended upon Gwen and his companions with an unstoppable momentum.

The massive shadow instantly enveloped the group. In front of this behemoth, even towering trees and skyscrapers seemed like roadside weeds, easily flattened.

As for Gwen, who was barely over 1.6 meters tall, he was like a speck of dust before this giant beast.

Yet, even as dust, Gwen raised his greatsword, held it horizontally before him, and planted his feet firmly on the trembling ground. His posture, under the dim sunlight, was like that of a mythical hero in a classical oil painting, facing a monster alone.

As the girls, their hearts nearly filled with despair, watched Gwen's figure, it was as if a beam of light had pierced through them, and their eyes regained their sparkle.

"Open fire!

Help Gwen distract Ganesha!"

Upon seeing this, Anna's pink eyes turned almost blood red.

However, knowing her own strength, Anna ultimately suppressed the urge to rush forward. Gritting her teeth, she gave the order and was the first to open fire.

Several small laser beams and bullets struck Ganesha's mountain-like body without incident, causing its rolling trajectory to deviate slightly, as it intended to crush insects further in the distance.

As for the insects in front of it?

It would just crush them!

Ganesha's brain, insignificant compared to its massive body, made this judgment.

Within a few breaths, Ganesha's colossal body, which shook the very earth, had destroyed dozens of buildings in its path and rolled before Gwen with unstoppable momentum.

Although Gwen had started running, it was clearly too late. Even if he could escape Ganesha's crushing advance, he would be caught in the oncoming gale.

Seeing this, Clown Alpha, who had been calmly observing from a nearby building, could no longer sit still. He raised his hand, pulled out a somewhat illusory but magnificent cross, and prepared to intervene.