Chapter 131
Pardofelis thought for a moment, then couldn't help but sigh, "It does seem quite difficult..."
So far, Pardofelis has not had any direct contact with Herrscher Ai Yue, but judging from how Sakura and Kalpas were sent to the Star of Light, it can be seen that since she was able to force Kevin and the others into such a situation, her strength must be quite terrifying.
But if a clone is already this strong, then how terrifying must the original body be?
"Alright, everyone, cheer up."
Finally, Kevin clapped his hands, trying to boost morale, "At least for now, our tactics are still effective. Since Sakura's attack can cause fatal damage to the clone, it means that the Herrscher's main body is also afraid of this move."
He himself wasn't very confident in saying this, since the same move only worked twice because of information asymmetry (the opponent didn't know that Sakura had regained her fighting ability). To try to make it work a third time would be a bit too disrespectful to the opponent.
But he is, after all, the leader of this team. If he looks dejected at times like this, then the team is really going to collapse.
Unfortunately, his words were clearly no longer convincing, so much so that although everyone nodded, they still looked gloomy.
"Everyone, I have something to say."
At this moment, the drone that had previously carried the Prometheus extension flew back. "Pardofelis brought back my extension from the Herrscher. After reconnecting, I discovered that it contained special information."
"Pardofelis succeeded?"
Kevin then noticed the extra person present, so he nodded to them and said, "Thank you, you've been a great help."
"That's good, hehe."
Pardofelis scratched her head sheepishly, and feeling the gazes directed at her from the others, she instinctively hid behind Elysia.
Clearly, she's not quite used to being part of a team at this level yet; if possible, she'd rather be a pet who just eats and drinks for free.
What kind of information is referred to as "special information"?
Dr. Mei then looked at the drone, "Could it be something Ai Yue left behind before he became Herrscher?"
"The data is encrypted, I'm still decrypting it,"
Prometheus said, "However, judging from the current situation, part of it should be a record of Doctor Ai Yue's whereabouts after he became Herrscher."
As she spoke, she projected a coordinate onto the map. "According to the records, this should be the location where Doctor Ai Yue became Herrscher, and also the center of the Great Honkai outbreak."
"Is this the area shown in the first video?"
Looking at the geographical information displayed on the map, Desdrobia said, "Could it be that the Herrscher's true form is hiding here and has never left?"
"It's not impossible, because according to the information recorded on the extension, Doctor Ai Yue's original plan was to communicate with some kind of being behind the Herrscher through the 'simulated Domination Domain'."
Prometheus projected another strangely shaped hibernation pod, saying, "The 'simulated Domination Domain' needs to be constructed using a large number of Herrscher of Domination."
"No wonder that clone was made up of the core of the Herrscher of Domination."
Dr. Mei nodded, a thoughtful expression on her face. "How many Herrscher of Domination cores does this device have in total?"
Two hundred.
Prometheus's answer was very concise, yet it left everyone present looking astonished.
"Two hundred?"
Cosmo's gaze involuntarily drifted to the table beside him, where the Herrscher Core Kevin had brought back from the place where the clone had vanished were placed. "The clone that Boss Kevin and the others destroyed only used less than ten cores, right?"
This information means that, if calculated purely mathematically, the Herrscher Ai Yue could create at least nineteen more clones.
Keep in mind that there are no more than ten people present, which means each person would have to fight at least two clones.
What's the point of even fighting then?
"I know what you're thinking, but it's probably not that exaggerated,"
Dr. Mei said, "At first I was wondering how the Herrscher remotely controls the clone. Now it seems that it is through this 'simulated Domination Domain'. In that case, he needs at least a part of the core to maintain the construction of this domain, otherwise he would not be able to remotely control the clone."
"Even if Herrscher needs a hundred cores to maintain that domain, there are still more than ninety left."
Cosmo couldn't help but continue, "If he could really create some kind of clone army, then..."
Before he could finish speaking, a piercing alarm suddenly sounded inside the Star of Light, followed by Queen's emotionless announcement: "Warning: Multiple Honkai Beast have been detected attacking the Star of Light experimental base from different directions. Please prepare for battle."
At the same time, multiple images were projected in front of the audience.
When they saw what was on the screen, everyone held their breath.
Above each of the numerous Honkai Beast legions, a figure in a white coat floated.
Cosmo silently covered his mouth, vowing not to offer any further opinions until the mission was over.
104
Chapter 104 It doesn't matter, I will take action.
Two pieces of news are now presented to everyone.
The bad news is that the Herrscher clone army has actually appeared.
The good news is that, based on the current situation, there are only five Herrscher clones. Considering the current number of Fused Warrior, at least one person doesn't have to deal with two Herrscher clones.
"The swarm has gone to engage the Honkai Beast."
Queen's calm voice still echoed in everyone's ears, "Judging from the current situation, the Honkai Beast will take another twenty minutes to reach the Star of Light Experiment Base. Until then, please prepare for the attack."
"The good news is that at least we have something to do now, instead of just sitting here sighing."
In the silence, Kevin, unusually, displayed his inexplicable sense of humor, "Ten minutes of rest, then we'll set off, no problem, right?"
Everyone nodded in agreement, and no one offered an opinion, clearly indifferent to both the current situation and Kevin's sense of humor.
"Instead of making repairs, we should think about whether there is any way to turn things around."
Dr. Mei shook her head. "Su, Elysia, do you have anything to say?"
Compared to the others, Ai Yue clearly had more detailed arrangements for Elysia, and Su, as Mental Perception Fused Warrior, might be able to obtain some information from his perspective that no one had thought of before.
Incidentally, due to the unique nature of her abilities, Desdrobia has always been regarded as a semi-physical enhancement Fused Warrior.
"Judging from the previous situation, my ability should be effective against the Herrscher's clone."
Su said, "With the assistance of the drone swarm, these five clones might not be as difficult to deal with as we imagine."
The reason why Elysia's arrow that ambushed the Herrscher was only noticed by the Herrscher right in front of them was not simply because the two of them coordinated well; Su also played a part in it.
His ability allows him to mentally interfere with the Herrscher clones, thereby disrupting their judgment. In that battle, it was Su who concealed Sakura's presence, allowing Sakura to perfectly unleash her instantaneous strike and ultimately kill the clone.
This strike was the only time the Herrscher clone was truly injured in the two encounters.
Unfortunately, Sue's abilities lack offensive capabilities and cannot cause substantial damage to Herrscher, so she can only play a supporting role in battle.
"So, if it were Mental Perception Fused Warrior like Aponia, perhaps she could easily suppress the Herrscher?"
Dr. Mei nodded. "That is indeed a line of thought, but unfortunately we are currently unable to contact Aponia."
However, to everyone's surprise, the next second, everyone present heard the same voice. "No need to contact me, I've always been here."
"Aponia?"
Kevin was taken aback at first, then realized what was happening. "So you knew about all of this?"
Dr. Mei frowned as well. "If that's the case, why did you only tell us now? If you had helped in the previous operation, everything would have gone much more smoothly."
With Sue's help, Kevin and the others were able to destroy the Herrscher's clones relatively easily. If Aponia had been there to assist them beforehand, they probably would have died the first time they saw the Herrscher's clone.
"That's not the case. I must not reveal my existence until the time is right."
Aponia said, "Because from the perspective of the Herrscher, I am a non-existent person."
"Let me explain."
Elysia picked up the conversation, "Simply put, before becoming Herrscher, Ai Yue divided his own consciousness in some way, causing him to forget many things, such as the knowledge he possessed, and Aponia."
"So, the current the Eleventh Herrscher is completely unaware of Aponia's existence?"
Dr. Mei immediately realized, "So when they consider our combat strength, they won't take Aponia into account!"
"So, you can't even give me a hint?"
Pardofelis, standing nearby, voiced her doubts, "Sister Niya must have been able to tell that what Kevin and the others encountered before was a clone, right? If they had known this information beforehand, things might have been easier."
"That way, the other side will know that we have someone on our side who can recognize the true identity of the clone without touching it."
Kevin always grasped the situation on the battlefield quickly, and at this moment he realized that this was a kind of intelligence exchange. "In that way, even if he doesn't know the true situation of Aponia, he will definitely be prepared for it."
"The Herrscher may not have acquired Ai Yue's knowledge, but his wisdom should not be underestimated."
Aponia said, "Therefore, I must hide myself as much as possible until I am absolutely certain that I can lock him down."
She paused for a moment, then added, "And it's not like I was completely unhelpful—though not by much."
Initially, it was Aponia who noticed the Honkai Beast hidden underground and destroyed them along with the detection devices, thus concealing Kevin and the others' whereabouts. However, this did not prevent Herrscher Ai Yue from launching a sneak attack on them later, so it can only be described as "suspected assistance".
Dr. Mei astutely picked up on the key words in Aponia's words. "So you're contacting us now because you're confident you can pinpoint the Herrscher's location, right?"
"Yes, when you destroyed the Herrscher's clone, I detected a mental energy fluctuation that was transmitted from it into the distance."
Aponia said, "Although the fluctuation was very subtle, I was able to determine a general range."
"So, if we deal with these five clones, we can find the Herrscher's main body, right?"
Cosmo couldn't help but mutter, "It sounds like a prerequisite quest to start a boss battle."
"But the problem now is that if we rely solely on our strength, it will be difficult to deal with these five clones."
Kevin sighed. "Although I'm reluctant to admit it, the power of the Eleventh Herrscher is indeed too much of a constraint on us... no, I should say, it's a constraint on all attacks that can be inflicted through the physical level?"
The best approach Kevin could think of was to exhaust the enemy's energy through sheer numbers or simply launch a carpet bombing campaign.
However, the former would result in a large number of sacrifices, while the latter could neither guarantee the killing of the Herrscher nor save Ai Yue, and would also cause irreparable damage to Australia. No matter how you look at it, it is a means that should not be used unless absolutely necessary.
"No need to worry, I'll take care of the clone."
Aponia calmly said, "But not now."
"Why?"
Dr. Mei asked instinctively.
"Because we still lack a real trump card that can deliver the final blow, and if we alert the Herrscher in advance, it will only give the opponent time to breathe and react. Therefore, the process from discovering the opponent to eliminating the opponent must be fast."
Aponia, unusually, rattled off a string of non-riddle-like statements. "So, we have to wait."
"Wait for what?"
"Wait for Mobius."
105
Chapter 105 Taking the long way around is my shortcut.
"Is the decisive move in Mobius's hands?"
Upon hearing Aponia's words, everyone couldn't help but show expressions of curiosity. "What exactly are these methods?"
"I don't know, neither Mobius nor Ai Yue explained,"
Aponia hesitated for a moment, but finally explained, "Moreover, this is not a means to 'kill the Herrscher,' but a means to 'save Ai Yue.'"
Upon hearing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
To date, everyone involved in this project has tacitly avoided one question: Is there any possibility that Ai Yue can be rescued?
It should be noted that all the Herrscher before this, including all the Herrscher of Domination, totaling 10,009 people, all met their end in death, and none of them had the possibility of returning to human form.
This "returning to human form" does not refer to physical recovery, but rather mental recovery. Ai Yue once used various means to save the lives of several Herrscher of Domination and conducted extensive research on their minds, but ultimately failed to correct their consciousness that had been Honkai.
Once you become Herrscher, you can never turn back into a human—this has always been the consensus.
But because the person who became the Herrscher this time was Ai Yue, who had created countless miracles, everyone still held onto a certain hope in their hearts.
Since Ai Yue became Herrscher after making preparations, perhaps he really has the confidence to turn back into a human?
Before the final outcome arrives, no one can make a definitive judgment. Everyone can only avoid this topic, just like facing "Schrödinger's cat," as if the cat inside wouldn't really die if the box wasn't opened.
Only just now did everyone finally receive a positive answer, and they finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"In that case, we'll take care of the defense."
Kevin said without hesitation, "We will hold out until Mobius's research succeeds."
"Everyone, what I'm about to say might be a bit cruel, but I have to say it beforehand."