The Pseudo-Herrscher That Devoured Its Own Kind

Cold, deathly silent, empty.

All the senses in my body were caught in an invisible, deep vortex, the pitch-black color blurred my vision, and a numbing, stinging sensation grew like branches along my bone marrow, permeating my limbs and bones.

Come down.

A strange sense of weightlessness pervaded the air, giving rise to a suffocating feeling of urgency.

As the boy's consciousness gradually returned, he vaguely saw overlapping images.

The sea of light shattered the barrier, severing the warrior's Time Cutter.

Cherry blossoms scattered across the Nine Nether cannot hold back the scythe of fate.

Fight, fight, fight, never stop.

Images of every battle fought using Artificial Stigmata kept flashing before my eyes.

His dazed mind couldn't discern whose lingering affection had caused these memories to resurface. Before his consciousness truly cleared, the boy in the medical pod moved his lips and murmured barely audible words.

Those nearby noticed the unusual activity inside the medical pod, Su Qing'an could vaguely hear fragmented conversations coming from a distant place:

"Mr. Su...? Mr. Su?"

Mei's voice, penetrating the deep medium and piercing through the chaotic interplay of rocks and waves, converged into the final glimmer of hope that dispelled the drowsiness, allowing the boy to slowly open his eyes, which were shrouded in gray mist...

Su Qing'an unlocked the door with her fingerprint and entered the hall.

He was unconscious for only a short time, from 11 a. m. to 4:30 p. m., and his injuries had partially healed in the highest-level medical ward, allowing him to regain consciousness.

[Soul Essence: 47.19 (78.31)]

The resilience and recovery rate of the soul have been gradually increasing with use, but Little Feather is still sleeping soundly in the boy's hair, looking somewhat sickly, its radiance dimmed.

However, its occasional lazy rolling over and tumbling through its hair made Su Qing'an suspect that it could actually adjust the brightness of its aura, and was now pretending to be sick. Otherwise, according to convention, being listless should have made it more appropriate to stay in the Mind Lake to rest.

However, the boy also felt a little guilty towards Udu-dust. It was a bit capitalist of him to always make such a small feather work hard for him for free. So he maintained a deceived attitude and would show some concern and pet the feather like a cat.

Physically, Mei suggested that Su Qing'an stay in the medical ward for another week to recuperate.

Even though Mei successfully severed all the organs and flesh that had come into contact with the Artificial Stigmata —including the parts that died from the exhaustion of the Herrscher Authority —and then used precious culture medium to promote flesh growth and temporarily replaced it with Nanobots, the body's functions still suffered varying degrees of damage as the Artificial Stigmata were exhausted.

The erosion Honkai Energy is too subtle. Even if all the flesh and bones in the body are replaced, the degree of erosion will quickly return to its original state.

The injuries have not yet fully healed; the Nanobots inside the body are still embedded and will require a short period of time before they can be filled with real flesh and bone to fill the original structure.

However, basic physical activity is not a problem.

Based on past judgments of the Herrscher's appearance cycle, even if the interval between the next Herrscher's appearance is greatly shortened, it will still be enough for Su Qing'an to choose this inefficient treatment plan. Therefore, Mei also allowed this somewhat willful approach.

As for the reason for not staying directly in the medical ward to recuperate...

Su Qing'an glanced at the bear-shaped cotton slippers next to the spiral staircase; he couldn't bear to leave Seele alone at home.

Since the Great Honkai began, the opponent has been in a state of isolation.

During her slumber Fu Hua and the others, as warriors of the Moth to Fire, were constantly busy carrying out missions, which resulted in very little time being able to spend with her.

Seele is a very obedient child, but it is precisely because of her good behavior and understanding that we cannot ignore her feelings.

Since returning, Su Qing'an could clearly sense that the other person's emotions had also become heightened.

Even though she was just an empty shell before, for Seele, living as she was was enough.

Sitting on the sofa watching TV, eating together at the dinner table, and occasionally playing games—these seemingly mundane things were enough to make the boy and Seele feel vibrant and wonderful.

While this situation is far less peaceful than during the Canghai City era, how long can this localized peaceful life last?

Su Qing'an couldn't get an answer.

But it is precisely this unknown and uncertain nature that makes time so precious.

Physical suffering and mental exhaustion are not uncontrollable, but the passage of time cannot be changed by one's own will.

Su Qing'an had long been accustomed to enduring her own pain and to caring more about the feelings of those she valued.

Such a choice may be a good thing for the person being cared for, but it can also be a torment at times.

Upon entering the second floor, the boy saw Seele.

The living room lights were off, only the television playing documentaries cast a dim light. She curled up on the sofa, her eyes lowered, as if gazing into an empty void.

The dim lighting made it difficult to see her delicate face clearly. A little light diffused across her fair skin, eventually casting hazy shadows along the lines of her collarbone. The way she held the blanket was somewhat endearing, and her hand gripped a cell phone that emitted a faint glow.

When Seele Fulei saw Su Qing'an, she paused for a moment.

She thought that even if Sister Hua suddenly returned home from Estonia and unexpectedly ended her mission early, it wouldn't be such a shocking thing.

However, Su Qing'an, who had just killed Herrscher a few hours earlier and was in a state of serious injury, should absolutely not be here.

But the reality is that he came back, like a dragon-slaying hero who, instead of properly recuperating after his victory, and instead of singing with his comrades afterward, chose to support himself and return to the alley by the roadside to feed stray cats.

The price has dropped drastically.

Seele can rightfully regard Su Qing'an as family, as her older brother.

But if the other party did that, she couldn't just accept it so easily.

Perhaps it was like this from the very beginning. The little girl's inner inferiority complex made her believe that she was not worthy of Su Qing'an's efforts for her. Even though she would be moved and happy by his efforts, this idea never wavered.

So at that time she felt it wouldn't matter if she just left, because Seele Fulei's existence wouldn't have much meaning or weight for anyone.

The ease with which she agreed to Mei's offer back then also stemmed from a weak sense of self-worth, a distorted and intractable flaw.

Seele Fulei is unable to understand her own value. Even though she craves freedom and autonomy, fears death, despises suffering, and refuses to be used as a mere tool to achieve what others deem correct, the life she was given from childhood has determined that her ideological foundation is incompatible with that of ordinary people.

Even though the boy's steps were so careful, as if each step followed the swing of the hall clock, and the unspoken care and the warmth in his eyes clearly spoke volumes, Seele still felt it wasn't worth it.

Why should we value ourselves?

Even though confusion arose in her heart, and a sorrow far greater than joy welled up in her chest, she still chose to show a faint smile, like a younger sister waiting at home for her brother to return, completely unaware of the storms outside.

Because Seele understood that this was the only way to make Su Qing'an feel better.

Questioning the other party about why they didn't take good care of their injuries would not only expose their relationship with Sister Mei, making their brother sad, but also betray their good intentions.

However, given Seele's personality, indulging in the whims of her emotions is something she cannot do.

She slumped onto the sofa, hugging a blanket and swinging her bare feet, murmuring softly in a sleepy voice:

"I'm hungry, brother."

Su Qing'an turned on the light, then took a nightgown from upstairs and draped it over the little girl. He said:

"There's still plenty of food in the fridge. Is there anything you'd like to eat?"

Seele glanced at the boy sitting next to her, her heart filled with complex emotions.

Recently, my brother has gradually recovered to the state he was in when he was in Canghai City, which is undoubtedly a good thing.

But the more something is lost and then regained, the harder it is to accept the possibility of losing it again.

With the Sea of Quantum project essentially completed and the Eye of the Abyss project handed over to Ein, Seele no longer needed to conduct experiments. What followed was a sense of powerlessness and emptiness that permeated her soul.

The reality that she couldn't do more for Su Qing'an made Seele Fulei feel no true satisfaction or joy.

The source of all sorrow is the feeling of watching someone carry a heavy burden and witnessing firsthand the hardships they endure.

"Anything is fine, brother. Do you need any help from Seele?" She put on her pajamas and also slipped on the fluffy stockings the other person handed her, replying.

The indoor chandelier cast a soft, orange glow, bathing the boy's face in it. His expression was natural, his breathing steady, and his tone gentle and soothing.

If it weren't for Prometheus's existence, no matter how much Seele guessed or imagined, she would never have known that Su Qing'an was fighting Herrscher with the potential to destroy civilization just a few hours ago.

This is how my brother cares for me; it's the gentlest decision he can make.

Perhaps accepting it with a clear conscience is the best outcome for the older brother.

Because that's the kind of person he is; that's the kind of person who would give the personality and self of Seele Fulei, who is clearly not valued by anyone, to someone who cares about him.

For Su Qing'an, taking on certain responsibilities has become a routine decision.

To avoid causing concern, and considering the limits of their abilities, remaining silent is the only option.

But...

Su Qing'an looked at the little girl with her long sleeves drooping and seemingly sleepy-eyed appearance, and said with a smile:

"No need, Seele looks a little sleepy. She should go back to her room and get some sleep."

--Inside the sleeve, the phone screen turned off on its own, and Prometheus, sitting in the corner of the wallpaper, quietly hid away.

--She didn't want Su Qing'an to know that she had made contact with Mei, otherwise she would inevitably leave clues that couldn't be revealed. Therefore, Prometheus, who had been instructed in advance, would naturally disappear when the boy approached.

Seele rubbed her eyes and whispered:

"Good."

But... she herself did not accept this gentleness.

Almost simultaneously, in Barcelona.

A girl dressed in a black nun's habit walked through the scorched earth that stretched to the end of dusk. She gazed at the strange field where Honkai Energy and Nuclear Radiation intertwined. The air, which seemed to be distorted by heat and refracted light, showed a wavy shape, yet was also filled with a hazy darkness.

As sunlight falls into this area, it undergoes a strange refraction, creating bizarre illusions that affect the senses of living beings. However, the missionary is clearly unaffected by this. His chaotic eyes, devoid of whites, narrow into curved lines, and his lips curl into a genuine smile.

She took a deep breath, gazing upon the world where fragments of the dead still lingered and the soil filled with a sweet fragrance, and then let out a joyful sigh:

"Human gifts are both expensive and cheap."

The Honkai Consciousness was linked to the missionary's soul, so her sense of closeness to this land and her eerie hunger sparked her interest in recording what was about to happen.

The girl gazed at the blood-red sunset, smiled, and whispered:

"My kind is being born."

"I'm a little curious to see what kind of child will appear."

The missionary followed his body's instinct and walked to the center of the Sky Island that drooped down.

That is, the domain where the Fifth Herrscher previously resided.

--It was a flower field that maintained its icy appearance even at normal temperatures. Pure white and colorless should have been the main theme here, but a mass of flesh and blood, twisted and tangled like countless placentas and black mud, ruined the atmosphere.

The girl closed her eyes, and a serene and peaceful smile, like that of a saint, graced her face.

The missionary made a gesture in front of her chest that imitated human religion, then slowly opened her chaotic eyes, which could only convey a sense of horror, and looked at the bizarre mass of flesh filled with a gelatinous texture.

She picked it up with her slender hands, her movements as careful as if she were handling a fragile piece of porcelain.

The girl's gaze was so gentle, like a mother looking at her child, or a deer gazing at its reflection in the water, filled with the innocence and kindness of humanity.

Let me see how far you can go.

As the will of the gods led, her fingertips gradually sank into the restless, surging placenta, slowly but surely disappearing completely into the unborn sibling.

The missionary murmured:

"She's an excellent child, innocent, naive, blank, yet full of vitality."

She spoke with an expectant tone, as if cradling a baby, while her twisting, writhing flesh swelled uneasily, separating into countless scarlet lines that wove together into a fine net, and her mouthparts, full of sharp teeth, tore at her soft, white hands.

But the result was... the snow-white skin, gnawed open by a sharp weapon, revealed a horrifying sight.

Hundreds of tiny, densely packed eyeballs suddenly opened, like the softest gelatinous material, deforming under the force yet remaining unharmed, embracing all the gnawing.

Seeing this, the girl's eyes curved into crescents, and she parted her lips to whisper:

Are you curious why there's no blood?

As the flesh rippled, the undulating eyeballs mimicked the expression in the missionary's eyes at that moment, together drawing a curved arc.

The nascent monster, which should have been temporarily devoid of consciousness, stopped all its movements at this moment, as if it had sensed a chilling fear and ceased its resistance.

"What a good child! A child who knows how to listen deserves praise," she whispered.

But if that's all there is to the truth, it might not be so terrifying...

The real reason, however, lies in the mysterious power embedded in the missionaries' words.

She justified her behavior in the eyes of this nascent monster, as if she were a person with a conscience and a sense of repentance who, under her mother's earnest teachings and gentle gaze, had chosen the right path—an act that outsiders would only admire and praise.

At this moment, in its eyes, being devoured by the missionaries was the greatest happiness and honor, and it should not have any resistance or defense.

The girl said with a smile:

"Because I'm a monster, just like you."

"A monster that wants to wipe out all humanity."

The black oil gradually seeping from the whites of its eyes completely submerged the mouthparts that had been devouring it, and the flesh and placenta-like matter obediently lined up and flowed into those hands filled with eyeballs...

At the last moment, the instinct for survival caused the remaining half of flesh to suddenly erupt in a feeble struggle. The originally obedient lines were stretched into even thinner shapes, and the sharp teeth at the edges of the flesh began to gnaw at themselves and then break off rapidly, seemingly in an attempt to sever their tails and survive.

This process happened in the blink of an eye. In the next instant, the eyeballs covered in black grease suddenly expanded and piled up in huge numbers, eventually converging into a ferocious, blood-red maw that swallowed all resistance into the missionary's body.

The girl maintained a slender, perfectly human-shaped body, still displaying a graceful appearance, but no one could imagine that within it lay strange organs accumulated from chaotic and terrifying elements.

The missionary's body was writhing constantly, as if something foreign was struggling and howling beneath her skin. Her expression remained calm, but deep, invisible cracks occasionally appeared on her fair face, intensifying the inhuman and grotesque feeling.

She whispered:

"They really have a lot of energy!"

"But Mom hasn't finished eating yet, can you please behave a little?"

The power called [Bewitchment] completely extinguished its last shred of resistance. The girl felt the burning pain transmitted from the tattoo on her skin, and for some reason, this hatred grew even stronger.

She gazed at the slowly descending dusk, her breath creating a field of Honkai Energy and radiation that swirled around her, gathering into a continuous flow of wind...

Soon after, the broken, black cocoon shell was placed in the center of the flower field.

The things within have long since vanished without a trace.