Benares, the Endless Nightmare

Fiji.

Kevin gazed silently at the mythical creature in the distance, its wings flapping and blotting out the sky.

This is exactly what the teacher meant when he said it's the most suitable tool for verifying training results, and it is indeed suitable in every sense.

In today's world, apart from the Herrscher who will soon appear one after another, it is difficult to find objects that are sufficient for Fusion Warrior to measure combat power, and the Judgment-class may be the only existence that meets the standard.

An intensely oppressive force nearly overwhelmed and ravaged the entire island, and the thick, viscous Honkai Energy resembled a prison that influenced the Celestial Phenomenon.

Although this Judgment-class Honkai Beast matches the legendary dragon-like appearance, it is clearly a completely different type from Chi You, who floats in the deep sea and devours continents.

The nameless dragon stretched out its white skeleton, its sky-blue wings soaring through the dark sea of clouds. Its streamlined body gave a comfortable impression, and the whole creature did not appear bulky.

The Judgment-class Honkai Beast's entire body is covered in a base of white scales and jet-black keratinous shells, and at this moment, the two pairs of beast eyes on either side of its dragon head are like pure blue gemstones.

It gazed upon humanity, so incredibly small yet radiating an intense sense of presence, and let out a roar that tore through the wind.

The man silently gazed at the ancient dragon's appearance. The Parvati genes within its body were stirring and trembling at the dragon's presence. However, after intertwining with its own genes, the seemingly inferior Emperor-class genes were able to avoid the natural force of this oppressive aura.

But he could also understand from this just how powerful this terrifying being, which resembled an ancient dragon from mythology, truly was.

As expected of the Judgment-class, it is currently the only Honkai creature that can be confirmed to be infinitely close to the Herrscher level. For the white-haired warrior who has just entered the mature stage of gene fusion, the only opponent he can currently use to verify his own strength and even the results of his cooperation with Su Qing'an is this dragon in front of him.

Kevin glanced at the swaying illusionary rings surrounding him, then slowly raised the Holy Judgment in his hand and addressed the high and mighty dragons, declaring the start of war.

In a coffee shop not far from the battlefield, Su Qing'an stood behind the bar, quietly grinding coffee beans in the cabinet with a hand-cranked grinder, his expression serene.

This is a shopping mall in Fiji. The outside world arbitrarily alters the Celestial Phenomenon, and the energy tides that affect countless areas seem to have nothing to do with this place.

The boy's pure white hair fell to his shoulders, and his crimson eyes were fixed on the book that was slowly turning the pages with the Honkai Energy threads. He smelled the aroma of coffee beans being ground into powder, and felt a little nostalgic.

These beans have all undergone roasting and vacuum storage; otherwise, they would probably have expired long ago.

Roasting is a crucial step in the long yet short life cycle of a coffee bean.

Aroma, sourness, sweetness, bitterness—to fully bring out these complex elements, one must observe the specific temperature during baking.

From bland, tasteless raw beans to a lingering, rich aroma in the cup.

Such a change can only be described as magical; at least, it was this initial attraction that gradually led Su Qing'an to develop a liking for something called coffee.

Even now, the simple process of making coffee brings him inner peace.

The boy looked up at the clear sky outside, which had now been cleared up.

Clear sunlight streamed into the room, making the atmosphere of the café effortlessly lazy.

An endless expanse of crimson stretched into the horizon, engulfing the raging lightning and magma within the [Stigmata].

The Black Abyss White Flower on the table then emitted strange wavelengths, and the Honkai Energy threads, acting as a carrier, connected his limbs, thus utilizing the Honkai Energy absorbed from within the [Stigmata] to transform into a power phenomenon.

A deep purple mist then surged into the world, corroding and disintegrating parts of the Judgment-class Honkai Beast's body.

Caught off guard, the ancient dragon's wing membranes were forcibly devoured by the Herrscher of Death's [Annihilation] power, causing it to fall from mid-air. The surrounding Honkai Energy particles surged into a magnificent sea of light, with each black point of light rotating and extending into bundles of threads, the interwoven Honkai Energy beams directly covering a large area of the airspace.

The Judgment-class Honkai Beast still couldn't stop its body from falling, but this prevented Kevin from using it to press his advantage.

But the freezing cold, like an ocean, eroded the ancient dragon's offensive to nothingness. All the Honkai Energy extending near the man returned to its original, unclaimed particle state, no longer able to stir up any waves.

The cold wave continued to spread and grow, closing the distance with its annihilating offensive, while also attempting to completely bind the ancient dragon like vines.

But as it roared and howled, its body began to emit a pale blue glow, and from this it emanated a chilling aura, effectively ignoring the attack.

Kevin was not surprised by this. The only Judgment-class Honkai Beast that has appeared so far is Chi You, which can convert all matter into its own Honkai Energy and even its physical form.

Based on this, the definition of Judgment-class Honkai Beast is different from that of normal Honkai Beast. In addition to their Honkai Energy limit and destructive power far exceeding that of Emperor-class Honkai Beast, their terrifying special abilities are also a key factor.

This is similar to the power of Herrscher, yet vastly different, much like comparing the seemingly endless Honkai Energy of Judgment-class Honkai Beast to the Herrscher Core connected to the Imaginary Space.

However, given the limitations on the Herrscher's output permission, Judgment-class Honkai Beast can approach their opponents in various ways, rather than being completely overwhelmed.

Based on the Herrscher' strength as revealed so far, this is the conclusion we can draw.

This ancient dragon initially displayed a unique ability to naturally manipulate Celestial Phenomenon, so it's not surprising that it continues to exhibit the ability to transform its form.

Kevin indifferently raised the Holy Judgment towards its still-falling body. The crimson feathers around him no longer formed a protective ring, but instead shaped a calibration cannon muzzle stretching for a kilometer along the trajectory of the impending attack.

[Stigmata] draws upon the Honkai Energy within the Black Abyss White Flower, weaving a corresponding structural model within the one-kilometer-long external cannon muzzle constructed from this illusion, striving to maximize the offensive power.

Every cell within the man's body was circulating and supplying a trace amount of Honkai Energy, which converged into a vast river that flowed entirely into the Holy Judgment.

Kevin lowered his eyes. The Judgment was not the Divine Key after all, and its maximum output capacity was quickly thwarted.

To successfully seize a fleeting opportunity, one's own combined attack power is far less efficient than that of weapons.

Logically speaking, even if the enemy aircraft is captured, it would be normal to fail to launch a single attack if the power and output cannot be adjusted to be higher in time.

But with the help of his teacher, he was confident that he could kill this troublesome Judgment-class Honkai Beast in one fell swoop.

The Honkai Energy within the Holy Judgment was thus transformed into thermal energy, and after the gap between the transformation of reality and illusion passed, it gathered into a magnificent pillar of fire.

Layer upon layer, gradually advancing.

Through the divine judgment's own intelligent calculations, the calibrated crimson feathers are imbued with multiplied power.

Finally, all of this was accomplished in two seconds, and the target was successfully hit.

After a moment of silence, a deafening roar reached our ears. The enormous dragon's body was reduced to a corpse, which then crushed an office building before crashing tragically onto the deserted street.

Kevin frowned as he looked at its carcass. The chill in his hand brought the Sacred Judgment back to normal temperature. He glanced at the data displayed on the dial and muttered:

"The data collection is not yet complete."

"With the strength of Judgment-class Honkai Beast... it's no longer a suitable benchmark for me when I'm in teacher-support mode?"

"It seems we can only wait for it to arrive on its own."

This is not arrogance, but simply a statement based on the current situation.

Judging from the outcome of the battle, with the Herrscher Authority of Death and the [Stigmata], the Ancient Dragon died before Kevin could even last three rounds.

Once it loses its vitality, it becomes impossible to build up a real feel for the game and gain practical experience by using a corresponding number of enemies.

Regardless of how massive the Honkai Energy tide that served as a harbinger before the birth of the Seventh Herrscher was, the fact that Judgment-class Honkai Beast did not appear as companions to Herrscher is already a special phenomenon. It is unrealistic to expect an even stronger Judgment-class Honkai Beast to appear as a sparring partner.

But then Kevin noticed that the body, which looked like a corpse, suddenly showed signs of life.

This Judgment-class Honkai Beast not only possesses the ability to manipulate Celestial Phenomenon and change its form, but also has an incredibly terrifying regenerative ability that is almost like resurrection.

The man watched as it gradually recovered its original state and said indifferently:

"He's still alive? That's a good thing."

The coffee shop is located on High Command of the shopping mall.

Through the reinforced glass, Su Qing'an gazed at Kevin's retreating figure as he walked towards the ancient dragon.

But after a short while, he stopped paying attention and turned his gaze back to the metal filter, continuing the coffee-making process while maintaining natural breathing.

Theoretically speaking, having the supporting teenager do trivial tasks to distract them is a choice that would drastically reduce the efficiency of cooperation between the two parties.

On the ever-changing battlefield, they cooperate with others to control Udu-dust to accurately use [Stigmata], and release power through multiple transformations of the medium when necessary.

This was a difficult task for Su Qing'an. Given his personality and cautious approach, there must have been a compelling reason for him to choose to observe from a distance only occasionally.

That is indeed the case.

If we delve deeper into the fact that Su Qing'an is unable to fight, we will discover the reasons why he did so.

For today's teenagers, participating in combat is a form of torture.

Actively using [Stigmata], actively using powers, and actively seizing opportunities in battle—combining all of these elements essentially makes the difference between this and personally participating in combat negligible.

Therefore, Su Qing'an had to find a way to calm his mind while assisting the other party, otherwise it would be difficult for him to maintain normal cooperation with Kevin.

Su Qing'an's indirect interference in the battle would give him the illusion that he was killing his own loved ones.

Of course, this deeply ingrained impression and the sticky, slippery feeling that lingers on the palm are much less pronounced than doing it yourself; otherwise, the so-called coordinated operation would be utter nonsense.

Even Mei, who proposed the plan, probably didn't expect that Su Qing'an's condition had reached a critical point, turning her good intentions into a silent violence against his mental state.

The boy, his eyes slightly closed, leaned against the bar counter, listening to the bubbling of the boiling water, quietly waiting for time to pass...

A long time.

Su Qing'an teased the Little Feather beside the coffee cup, pretending to be very weak, and stated to the white-haired warrior who stepped into the room:

"You killed it."

Kevin asked:

"Does the teacher have any preferences regarding the codename for this Judgment-class Honkai Beast?"

The boy said softly:

"You spent an hour killing it dozens of times, burning its corpse to [Ashes] before you could truly stop this resurrection-like ability from continuing to work. Perhaps only the [Creation] power of the Herrscher of Death can surpass it, so let's call it Benares."

Kevin seemed to understand something; it was rumored that those who died in Varanasi could transcend the cycle of birth and death and have their impure souls cleansed.

For this mythical creature that almost represents the concept of immortality, using Varanasi's alternate name— Benares —as a codename is appropriate in every sense.

Although it still died at its own hands, a code name is ultimately just a code name.

Su Qing'an poured Kevin a cup of coffee, watched him sit down, take a sip, and then said:

"How long do you think it will be before the Honkai eruption caused by the birth of the Seventh Herrscher?"

Kevin, savoring the bitterness in his mouth, replied without changing his expression:

"Mei's data shows the most likely timeframe is three weeks."

"More than a month has passed since the first successful experiment with the Fusion Warrior. In this month, the Honkai Energy environment of the entire world has changed."

"Overall, it's like a pot of water gradually being boiled, but the exact time it takes to boil depends on the heat, the total amount of water, and the medium responsible for conduction. No one knows the exact time when this pot of water will boil."

"Compared to the reactions to the birth of previous Herrscher, this time it's clearly very different."

"Assuming the longer the accumulation period, the stronger the upcoming Seventh Herrscher will be, on the worst-case scenario, I'm more inclined to believe that the time will be delayed further."

Su Qing'an pulled the Little Feather back from his head, which was about to take a nap. He carefully picked up a small wooden comb and groomed its soft feathers, listening to its purring, much like a kitten, as he said:

So you think she'll appear even later?

Kevin watched the boy's posture as he combed something in the air, and couldn't help but feel worried. But to expose this situation would be like forcibly waking someone who was sleepwalking, which was really dangerous.

So he could only answer the other person's question:

"Yes, but more accurately, we should lower our expectations that she will appear sooner."

Kevin's words are easy to understand. After the Fusion Warrior's period of rapid growth ended, the short time available could not erase the rate of progress between the two, and in fact, they had already fallen into a disadvantageous position.

Because the Seventh Herrscher would inevitably become stronger if she were born a day later, but Kevin Kaslana could no longer do the same.

Unless a second Fusion Warrior is created, or Divine Key compatible with Kevin truly appears, the prolonged delay will become the worst-case scenario.

Su Qing'an naturally understood this principle, so he didn't say anything more. He simply put the small comb back into his pocket with satisfaction, then tossed the Little Feather back into the Mind Lake, and poured Kevin another cup of coffee.

Kevin gazed wistfully at the black liquid slowly rising to the rim of the cup. Sometimes he really wished that his teacher's hobby wasn't making coffee, but making milk tea.

This way, after cooperating with the training, he won't suffer repeatedly.

"Captain Himeko."

"Captain Himeko?"

The red-haired woman suddenly noticed the report the soldier was handing over. She rubbed her temples and softly apologized:

"Sorry, I've been having trouble sleeping lately."

"Is it about the second test report for the Chibbinorton Lake District?"

The girl stated earnestly:

"Yes, after repeated testing by personnel and data reports from transporting large instruments to the site, the results are still the same as before."

"Most of the remains of the fifty-three victims dissolved into an equal amount of black ash residue, and the few severed limbs also conformed to the attack methods of Assault-type Honkai Beast."

"Based on data from the local Honkai Energy detectors, it is highly likely that another Honkai Energy backflow event occurred in the Chibbinorton Lake District. Judging from the fact that the tragedy had already occurred when you arrived, it probably happened on your way here."

"And that wasn't the same miniature Honkai Energy vortex as the original, but a higher-level Honkai Energy tide. Most of the people probably died directly from the Honkai Energy's corrosive effects, turning into black ash. The remaining survivors perished in the attack of the Assault-type Honkai Beast."

Himeko was stunned for a long time. As the soldier looked worried, she responded:

"Okay, I understand."

"It's really troublesome to have you investigate this case repeatedly."

The soldier responded softly:

"This is my duty. Compared to me, Captain, please get some rest these days."

"I always felt that you were even more exhausted than when you were on the front lines."

The girl glanced at the silver hair ornament on the bright red hair. As a soldier who had repeatedly assisted in the investigation of the orphanage tragedy, she knew that the hair ornament was a gift from the captain to one of the children.

The soldier's eyes dimmed slightly, and she said softly:

Please accept my condolences.

Himeko didn't notice when the other person left the office, nor did she care whether she said goodbye.

Her mind was filled with the bizarre and fantastical dreams she had been having recently, and she was feeling increasingly exhausted and overwhelmed by them.

Himeko clearly remembers killing that Assault-type Honkai Beast, but the recurring dream forces her to search for a truth that most likely doesn't exist.

The scenes of children and staff dying played out repeatedly day and night, and the woman could always see the nun named Flora devouring all the children.

That scene was both ferocious and terrifying, yet it also exuded a sense of tranquility.

Like a nightmare from which you can never escape.