The Final Descent

All information about the missionaries was recorded within half an hour. Because Himeko's mental state was at its worst, her train of thought broke down repeatedly, but she had to try to maintain it back to the original logical framework and continue to write down the terrifying reality that was a mixture of her subjective judgments and objective facts.

[Code name: Missionary]

[Current pseudonym: Flora.]

[Current Event Statement: Suspected mastermind behind the Yakarta incident.]

[Currently confirmed abilities: memory modification, cognition modification, disguise and mimicry, interference with electronic devices, and triggering Honkai Energy tides.]

[Information subject to change: The target typically appears as a human nun, characterized by dull, lifeless eyes and scars spreading across her body and even her face (similar to the symbol of the Moth to Fire), and possesses an extremely strong affinity.]

[Origin Speculation: Although the information is limited, the appearance of a miniature Honkai Energy vortex and a Honkai Energy tide in the Chibbinorton Lake District suggests that the target may possess the ability to control Honkai Energy and even create Honkai Beast. This indicates that the origin of the Missionary's existence is not incomprehensible; it is still some kind of extremely special Honkai creature, and its bewitching ability can be attributed to something as irrational as the Herrscher Authority.]

[Danger Level: If left unchecked, the damage to civilization will far exceed that of a single Herrscher. It is suspected that the ideology of Honkai has already spread across various regions, planting countless hidden Honkai Cultist. The various Moth to Fire branches may be corrupted, and the total number affected will likely far exceed the limits reached by the previous Herrscher.]

[Recommendation: Find and kill the missionary at all costs.]

After creating all these files, uploading them to the database, and even sending them directly to Mei and Su Qing'an, Himeko's condition had deteriorated to the extreme.

She suspected that while the other party had tampered with her, they also possessed the ability to monitor her thought fluctuations in real time. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been such a coincidence that she was suddenly struck by such intense pain just as she deduced the other party's true identity.

Himeko knelt on the ground, her face pale, large beads of sweat dripping from her forehead onto the white ground.

Amber eyes reflected the gradually shattering and splashing liquid. Time seemed to slow down and stand still, and thoughts froze. It was as if the power originating from the earth was being transmitted from there, wanting to be the last straw that broke the camel's back, completely destroying one's own resistance.

The woman seemed to understand why Su Qing'an had sensed that strangeness in the souls of those who had been seduced by the missionaries.

If this link, which transmits the other party's power, is a strange medium that always appears in the host who has been spread with bewitching power, then it is undoubtedly the true source of the strangeness that Su Qing'an sensed.

Theoretically speaking, as the only person currently capable of discovering and exploiting the flaws in the missionaries' tricks, Su Qing'an should have the potential to resolve his current problems.

Of course, judging from the boy's decisive and swift decision to kill over a thousand people that day, perhaps all hope and possibility were just a pipe dream.

However, it is still necessary to try, and Himeko had already thought of this from the beginning, which is why she sent the records directly to Su Qing'an.

Even though she is facing unparalleled hardship, the woman still does not believe that she has reached a point of despair.

The missionary's methods of controlling the rest of humanity were so unreasonable and self-distorting, yet she had to employ a process akin to gradually eroding herself to achieve her desired outcome.

This means that human will has the ability to resist it; as long as one does not choose to give up, it will not be so easy for the opponent to truly defeat her.

Himeko didn't understand that the fundamental reason the missionary couldn't directly control her was because her soul was very special; compared to this element, willpower was only a secondary key.

However, the woman's realization was not without meaning; at least she persevered for a longer period of time based on that realization.

Unfortunately, Himeko, who had lost his former insight, failed to notice an important phenomenon.

In the brief moment when the brain encountered even more terrifying pressure, the faint fluctuations of Honkai Energy at a strange frequency caused the information it was uploading to be completely disconnected and unable to be sent.

It's a foregone conclusion that Wenming will be aware of this news. This action only prolongs the time it takes for others to receive the message, but that's enough.

Even though they were thousands of miles apart, the missionaries still planted this glimmer of hope in the moist soil, extinguishing it completely.

This is Iceland, where the Atlantic and Arctic Ocean meet, and also the country furthest from Australia.

The capital city, Reykjavik.

It is said that in the old days hundreds of years ago, there were very few factories here, and it was almost unpolluted, so it was known as the "smokeless city". In the era of great technological advancement hundreds of years later, this region, which is inhabited by a small population, and whose entire population is less than 400,000, still maintains its original appearance, like a stubborn aristocrat who follows ancient rules.

Even before the Great Honkai, Iceland had been ranked as one of the happiest countries in the world for many years. Even after the Great Honkai, perhaps due to the extent of technological advancement or sheer luck, it remained a peaceful and serene Pure Land.

This time, however, it seems to have encountered an unfriendly guest.

As the missionary gazed at the mirror-like, crystal-clear lake before her, the smile that usually graced her face vanished, replaced by indifference.

This is Lake Tōning, which is undoubtedly larger and more beautiful than Chebin Norton Lake. As far as the eye can see, you can see ducks, seagulls, swans and other wild animals playing and frolicking in the clear lake water.

It is said that even in winter, when the lake is covered by ice, the scalding geothermal water still creates some scattered activity areas for waterbirds, allowing this scene to continue.

The nun's reason for choosing this location is simple: Lake Tōning is situated next to the Reykjavik City Hall, surrounded by numerous museums and the University of Iceland. This location is essentially in the heart of Reykjavik, and for her, who is accustomed to using her power to control people, conducting this activity close to the center of her authority has become a habit.

Unfortunately, unlike other cities and countries with convenient transportation, Iceland has neither trains nor subways. To get from one place to another, you can only choose to walk, cycle, drive, take a taxi, or take a public bus. To get to other small islands, you need to take a ferry or plane.

In today's world, this can only be attributed to the unique characteristics of the region.

Aside from the few countries where the missionaries first demonstrated their powers in their early stages, they deliberately used interference techniques granted by the Honkai Consciousness to infiltrate human society throughout their subsequent journeys, disguising themselves as ghosts who seemed to exist in the world at all.

It is precisely because of the concern about not being truly recognized by civilization that the basic act of traveling becomes a problem.

The nature of her powers and her personal abilities prevented her from using Honkai Energy to move at high speeds while simultaneously and accurately blocking every surveillance device that could leave an image.

So the nun named Flora followed one of Iceland's few bus routes and arrived at the edge of Lake Tōning, where she sat on a bench and gazed at the swans in the distance.

It looks as if clergy members whose faith has wavered in their service to the gods are using this opportunity to relax and seek answers to themselves in the beauty of nature.

At the very least, people passing by would subconsciously feel that this nun possessed noble character and a gentle nature.

This inherent allure is the real reason why missionaries have always been successful in their lives in the human world.

But probably no one could have imagined that this seemingly pitiful nun, now a victim of Honkai invasion, was recently feasting on innocent children, turning the former church-turned-orphanage into a bloody hell.

The Honkai Consciousness stated:

[She's caught you; this is the first time your true identity has been exposed to her.]

The missionary was somewhat surprised. Although leaving Australia was a decision she made the moment she created a loophole to commit the heinous murder, she still hadn't expected it to end like this.

The missionary's thoughtful whisper:

"If she hadn't deliberately chosen to present the dream as entirely realistic, she wouldn't have been able to expose this flaw. It's quite interesting; this is the emotion that humans possess, arrogance."

The nun understood, of course, how dangerous it was to come to Australia. She could do whatever she wanted in the rest of the world, but Australia, as the only place where Su Qing'an resided permanently, was a forbidden zone.

The boy, who possesses the ability to observe souls, should theoretically be able to spot his weaknesses upon first meeting him.

Of course, this is on the premise of not using power itself as a cover.

The current [bewitchment] technique can conceal the unusual aura on the souls of oneself and even those nearby who are bewitched, but it requires a great deal of effort to maintain for a long time, and the risks involved are still very high. If it were not necessary, the missionary would never choose to come here in person.

Unfortunately, the soul that is compatible with the Herrscher Authority possesses a tenacity and strength that makes it impossible to achieve victory without deliberate calculation.

Even after committing such egregious crimes, the missionaries remained extremely cautious and fled directly to Iceland, the furthest point from Australia.

Fu Hua's visit to the orphanage that day was completely unexpected. If Su Qing'an had learned the whole story from Fu Hua's perspective, she might have been caught red-handed.

Judging from the mobility the opponent displayed in their previous confrontations with the Herrscher, if their exact location were known, even if it were the distance between Australia and Iceland, I might not be able to escape unscathed.

The missionary never expected that in the end, it wasn't Su Qing'an who discovered her true self, but Himeko, who was in a state of intense torment.

This really excited her, but it didn't matter anymore.

Rather, Himeko's actions only hastened her downfall, and... the true implantation of that information.

The Honkai Consciousness said:

You don't seem worried or afraid.

The nun responded calmly:

"It was bound to happen sooner or later."

"But it doesn't matter, what difference does it make even if we know?"

"Whether this civilization has the ability to find me, besides that person, is still unknown, and how much power they will have left to deal with me after that is an even more probable question."

"Moreover, you should understand that I am neither afraid nor worried; this is a natural trait."

She gazed at the shimmering lake surface and the seagulls soaring above it, and murmured softly:

"But the real fun is yet to come, my lord."

Mu Continent.

The capital city, Hiranibula.

The third international airport.

The man pulled his suitcase out of the café where the wind chimes swayed. He glanced at the flight schedule that popped up on his terminal, and a few strands of worry flashed across his Amber eyes as he lowered them.

My daughter, who had never talked about her health in recent days, suddenly displayed strange emotions in several phone calls, and later described memory confusion and delusions that she had already died.

Ryusuke Muryōtō had no doubt about Himeko's judgment of him. He conducted a more professional investigation into the physical data and mental tests Himeko sent him. Although he was not a leader in this field, he had been engaged in scientific research for nearly 30 years, and his network of contacts could be a useful help at this time.

But it ended without any results.

The absence of any abnormality is the biggest abnormality. The man, worried about his daughter's safety, had planned to visit her in person three or four days ago, but unfortunately, the project he was currently working on did not allow him such ample free time.

Just like Professor Muen's Sea of Quantum Project, Ryusuke Muryōtō is also in charge of one aspect of the Kindling Project.

In a sense, this plan still has a predecessor.

--The Lunar Ark Project.

That is, sending DNA samples from the 6.7 million known species on Earth to the moon for preservation, using the moon as an ark to preserve Earth's genetic diversity in the event of a global catastrophe.

At that time, these calamities were limited to supervolcanic eruptions, global nuclear war, asteroid impacts, pandemics, accelerated climate change, global solar storms, and global droughts, among others.

But now, the biggest crisis is the outbreak of Honkai.

The project's proposers at the time hoped to store the DNA of 6.7 million Earth species on the moon and devised several effective schemes for this purpose.

For example, the "Ark" will be housed in cavities and tunnels beneath the lunar surface and powered by solar panels.

These structures, which resemble lava tubes, formed approximately 3 billion years ago during the moon's scorching early years and served to protect the "ark" from meteor impacts and radiation that could damage DNA.

The proposed ark will consist of two main parts, above ground and underground. Gene samples will be stored in cryogenic storage modules inside lava tubes, which will be connected to the surface via elevators. Communication arrays and solar panels on the surface will enable the ark to maintain itself autonomously.

The idea of creating gene banks to restore biodiversity is not new. Hundreds of years ago, scientists stored more than one million seed samples in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, located in the Arctic Circle of Norway.

Even in the most affluent circumstances, humans often lack a sense of crisis; at least some believe that establishing such facilities on Earth is not without its risks.

For example, rising sea levels caused by global warming could cause the Svalbard Seed Vault to disappear beneath the waves.

Therefore, only by storing this genetic information elsewhere in the solar system can we ensure its survival should Earth face any existential threats, and the Moon is undoubtedly the ideal habitat for this outer space "ark".

The project led by Ryusuke Muryōtō has completely abandoned it, partly because no one knows whether the distance between the Earth and the Moon is truly enough to isolate the Honkai, and more importantly because humanity has found a more perfect storage location.

That is, the Sea of Quantum linked through the completed Eye of the Abyss.

In this situation, the time-consuming and labor-intensive Lunar Ark Project would become meaningless.

Now that the location storing traces of human existence and even the inheritance of civilization has been found, the plan that Ryusuke Muryōtō is in charge of is naturally not the same thing.

It is still an ark, but it is not an ark in the same sense.

Assuming humanity ultimately falls to the clutches of the Honkai, the survivors who have lost their homes cannot simply choose to await death.

The so-called Ark Project aims to create a giant spaceship capable of carrying a portion of the population to outer space under the worst-case scenario, in order to find habitable planets that are not yet Honkai, so that human civilization can survive and reproduce and grow again.

It is conceivable how significant this plan is. The exact weight of the future it involves remains to be seen, but a civilization always needs to have a backup plan.

And this ark, which is still under construction, is one of them.

Ryusuke Muryōtō's ability and experience are one factor in his becoming the person in charge of this project, but in a sense, his identity as the captain of Himeko's Moth to Fire is also inseparable from it.

In short, finding the time to freely spare is indeed very difficult for him nowadays.

The fact that it was only delayed by three days is already a very efficient result, especially considering that Australia is one of the safest regions today, which allowed his travel application to be approved so quickly.

Ryusuke Muryōtō knows his daughter very well. She should have gone on to become a researcher but instead became an excellent warrior. Her will and mental state are not only very strong, but her logical thinking is also different from others. It is an abnormal event that Himeko would have confused memories.

Whether it's to witness her current state firsthand or to appear before Himeko in his own living form so that those memories won't torment his nerves so much, Ryusuke Muryōtō decides to travel to Australia to see his daughter in person.