Herrscher of Restraint, the Final Echo

Within that grand calculation that staked their own lives and the future of humanity, a human named Mei found a way to deal with Fuxi within the limitations of current technology and time constraints.

The girl stepped into the human world from a tributary of the Sea of Quantum. In order to fully access the transmission of neural networks and avoid trouble, her slender and soft body was completely naked at this moment.

She snapped her fingers, and an irregular, pitch-black cube appeared from the void. As it rotated and opened, nanoparticles scattered like dust, weaving into fabric that covered her fair skin exposed to the air. Delicate and exquisite exoskeletons adhered to every corner of her body.

Mei's body was already weak due to a long period of inactivity and lack of a normal diet. After undergoing large-scale calculations and long periods of solitary research, her lifespan was almost that of a mayfly, which lives only a day and dies at dusk, and her brain was also damaged.

This means that the girl may have experienced different levels of damage and wear and tear in areas such as cognition, memory, thinking, emotions, speech, and movement.

She had made preparations in advance to avoid wasting too much time on these aspects.

For example, this exoskeleton that assists in walking incorporates the essence of current technology, allowing for preliminary recuperation and treatment without affecting work efficiency, in order to prevent premature death before achieving one's goals.

For example, special techniques were used to prevent excessive damage to areas of the brain that are essential to their use, and alternative plans were prepared in case of unforeseen circumstances.

At this moment, Mei's retina was filled with superimposed images, and her sense of direction and thinking speed were subtly deviated and lagging behind.

But this still doesn't affect my work.

Although it was not possible to completely leave behind another complete self-personality, it was not a problem to create a flawed Mei by combining cloning and imprinting technologies.

The girl had to admit that she might not be as efficient or decisive as the virtual personality she had created.

But that was precisely the purpose for which he created her.

After that, the first thing Mei did was to input the results of the large-scale calculations into the database and the personality intelligence, and at the same time, she began to pay attention to the data changes and satellite images transmitted by the instruments stationed near Fuxi.

Her expression was solemn, and her already pale skin appeared even paler.

The answer is obvious: time is running out for humanity.

For mortals to attempt to interfere with this level of existence, there is an indispensable prerequisite.

However, Fuxi was still asleep.

If the other party has already awakened, the effectiveness of external intervention and solutions will be significantly less than before.

Even if the original success rate was 90%, it would approach zero in this situation.

Mei's core reason for holding this large-scale calculation was to race against time, to find a way before the other party truly awakened, and to exploit the loopholes in the other party's state in order to successfully implement the plan.

This can be described as a terrifying game where the enemy could overturn the table at any moment, completely ignoring all rules and struggles.

Even if you put in a lot of effort and sacrifice countless times, everything will vanish as soon as the other person Awakened.

Su Qing'an understood this and could not tolerate this helpless and futile waiting.

That's why we have the current dimensional ascension experiment.

Now, Mei clearly understands that the rules of this race against time are about to be broken.

At this rate, Fuxi will be fully awakened in less than half a month.

Humanity's fate will be determined by the will of the other side, and there is no room for direct resistance except to destroy the planet beneath our feet or simply carry out Ark Project.

She sat in the empty room, facing the babbling tributary of the severed Sea of Quantum, on a chair made of stacked squares, gazing at the projection in the air, lost in thought.

To carry out the plan in his mind, he needed to gather a large amount of energy in the world, excluding Honkai Energy, to disrupt the countless Dao [thoughts] of Fuxi, which were not yet unified, to put him into a near-permanent slumber, and to tear apart the complete soul to materialize, thereby indirectly interrupting his passive [purification] domain.

However, the necessary preliminary work cannot be carried out immediately.

In fact, given human intelligence and capabilities, attempting to reach such a level of existence in a short period of time would only be considered a meaningless joke.

It is an objective fact that time is needed to accumulate experience.

This plan itself requires the coordinated allocation of all existing resources and strengths of all humankind; it cannot be fully implemented with just a few words.

Even though everyone faces the same survival crisis, it is still not a simple task to unite all forces into one.

The girl pursed her pale lips and whispered:

"We must make the most of the limited time we have left."

The next moment, Prometheus's message arrived:

"Dr. Mei, it's great to see you have successfully regained consciousness."

"But the Eleventh Herrscher appeared in the Australian capital thirteen minutes ago, and you don't have any extra time to rest right now."

Mei's emotional center tends to be slow and delayed.

Just as she was about to feel angry, sigh, and helpless about this matter, the missed step had already wiped away these meaningless emotions.

The girl was still human after all, and her emotions were not lacking.

In the past, I might not have been able to maintain this level of calm without any breaks.

The brain damage, ironically, acted as a strange, natural calming agent. She immediately banished all distracting thoughts, lowered her eyes, opened the folder Prometheus had previously organized and categorized as containing information she should know, reviewed and digested its contents, and whispered:

"Please provide a complete overview of the capabilities, casualty statistics, and current situation."

Prometheus stated:

"Based on the current situation and satellite observations, a preliminary estimate suggests that the Eleventh Herrscher can create a Honkai Energy, suppresses other energies to varying degrees, and renders all electromechanical systems ineffective. Its radius is approximately one hundred kilometers, enough to cover one-sixty-seventh of the main urban area."

"Currently, the Fusion Warrior of the Moth to Fire division are almost all unqualified to engage in direct combat with it. Based on the battle results, most of the Fusion Warrior will be expelled from the barrier and have their Honkai Energy erased, thus ceasing their life signs and entering death."

"The estimated time was only sixty seconds."

"Furthermore, the Eleventh Herrscher's powers can weaken other forms of energy, including bioenergy. Ordinary civilians and normal soldiers cannot survive within this range for more than five minutes."

Mei was not surprised that such power would appear.

The Eleventh Herrscher can at best be considered an inferior version of Fuxi; her powers ultimately rely on Honkai Energy to be activated, and her essence is not pure.

Past experiences have provided ample lessons for future actions.

As is widely known.

The Honkai will target the technological evolution and development of civilizations, thereby triggering a greater crisis and a wave of Honkai.

This is like a stable filtering mechanism; it reacts by rebounding whenever something crosses the rules.

On the other hand, the Honkai Consciousness possesses a clear intelligence, and it may even engage in conscious and targeted actions.

After the Third Herrscher and Fourth Herrscher were killed by the Honkai Fission Bomb, the Fifth Herrscher used the principle of the Honkai Fission Bomb to spread Honkai environment over a large area, turning the surrounding area into a forbidden zone and causing countless deaths and injuries.

After the Sixth Herrscher was bound by human emotions, resulting in its existence not achieving any results, the Seventh Herrscher's original body was distorted and targeted by the missionaries in advance, so that its original body never had the opportunity to break free from its constraints through emotions and will.

As the ranks of Fusion Warrior grow ever stronger, the appearance of the Thousand Herrscher and the conspiracy they weave become increasingly purposeful.

That is, to kill the one who started it all.

Although the crisis passed quietly, Mei became even more vigilant.

Now, with the emergence of numerous Emperor-class Honkai Beasts and the occasional appearance of Judgment-class Honkai Beast, the Honkai Energy environment has become increasingly dangerous, forcing humanity to shift its primary means of combating Honkai to relying mainly on Fusion Warrior.

In the short term, the Fusion Gene project has indeed achieved some results, successfully delaying the erosion of the Honkai and indirectly prolonging the time for Fuxi's revival.

But Mei always understood one thing.

Humanity has never held a true advantage in the war against the Honkai; the Honkai can come back countless times, it only needs to win once.

Humanity cannot afford to lose even once.

This anti- Herrscher is no longer merely a tool created by Honkai to target Fusion Warrior; it is itself an entity that defies the rules of physics, chemistry, and biology.

This is undoubtedly aimed not only at the Fusion Warrior, but also at the Previous Civilization, and incidentally at the vulnerabilities of humankind.

The Eleventh Herrscher's barrier is indeed primarily designed to target Honkai Energy, but its ability to suppress other energies is also quite formidable.

If humans stay in such an environment for too long, their biological energy will eventually be completely depleted.

Bioelectricity is the most basic life energy for humans, and it is the essence of the continuous flow of ions in the body.

Its disappearance signifies the end of life.

Even if a human doesn't die immediately inside, neural activity depends on the presence of bioelectricity. Its weakening or disappearance will cause the body to become paralyzed.

Human beings' spontaneous ability to act was forcibly erased, vehicles and mechanical soldiers were suppressed, energy supplies were abandoned, and external aid could no longer be sustained.

To summarize...

This means that within a 100-kilometer radius of the Eleventh Herrscher, she only needs to stay for five minutes to easily carry out a bloodless and brutal massacre.

Strictly speaking, such abilities are not only anti-human, but also anti-biological.

Simply put, if the Eleventh Herrscher were to reside in various parts of the world for one cycle, all life on this planet would be wiped out.

The Ninth Herrscher sank the Mu Continent; its efficiency and visual impact were exceptionally terrifying.

But the Eleventh Herrscher, whose mere travel could destroy the world, is even more powerful.

What troubles and evokes the most despair for Mei is not the Eleventh Herrscher herself, but the cruel reality and hopeless future that her existence and actions indirectly push towards.

Thirteen minutes.

It only took thirteen minutes.

However, in terms of efficiency, it was enough for that Herrscher to kill all life within a two-hundred-kilometer radius.

When all those people die, it means that nearly a million, or even more, thoughts and souls will flood into the area where Fuxi is located, igniting the flames that fuel her awakening.

So that's the real reason why there's less than half a month left.

She suppressed her surging yet sluggish emotions, and without ceasing her examination of the information in the archive, continued to ask:

How many casualties were there?

Prometheus stated:

"The Eleventh Herrscher has caused over a million deaths so far. She has a clear objective: after clearing one area, she will move on to the remaining untouched main city areas."

"Kevin and the rest of the Fusion Warrior who had undergone the complete [Transformation] arrived almost within the next few minutes."

"Since the Divine Key is almost ineffective within the barrier's range, Kevin used Judgment of Shamash to attack it from a distance of one hundred kilometers. However, even with his maximum output, after being weakened layer by layer until it reached the Herrscher, the effect was not significant, only delaying it for a few minutes."

"After realizing that the opponent could not affect her, the Eleventh Herrscher chose to ignore the ranged attacks of the Divine Key and continued the slaughter."

Hearing this, Mei understood the choice Kevin would make and realized even more clearly how terrifying the ensuing battle would be.

She took a deep breath and said softly:

"Notify all superiors that Ark Project is ready to be launched ahead of schedule."

This decision was undoubtedly correct.

If humanity cannot stop the Eleventh Herrscher from causing massive casualties, then all current research and efforts on Fuxi will be in vain.

And the outcome after its awakening will be obvious.

Mei had learned from those materials that Su Qing'an was conducting a dimensional ascension experiment that she had not anticipated.

But this cannot be a reason for her not to be pessimistic.

If they fail, Su Qing'an will become a threat to the survival of civilization, just like Fuxi and the Tenth Herrscher.

As for whether it can match that success, that's another question entirely.

But regardless, humanity will still wage a final struggle.

At this very moment, in the main city of Australia.

The Moth to Fire Division.

The birth and departure of the Herrscher of Restraint were both silent.

But she simply stood there, and like Death herself, she whispered the passing of life to everyone's ears, announcing the coming of the end.

The knives and swords that were tightly gripped in their hands lost their ability to be wielded when the enemy actually arrived.

The buildings here are well-preserved and appear to be exactly the same as they were in the past.

The soldiers' corpses connect to form scattered images within the puzzle, using blood and gray death to paint a tragic atmosphere.

The war did not spread to every corner of the city; the absolute death zone of one hundred kilometers was a rapid and gradual tragedy.

However, the Honkai Energy ocean generated at the time of her birth brought about a large-scale screening ahead of time. The Holy Gate route within the city and the planned special shelters limited the casualties, but still caused the remnants of those corpses to be blown up from the sky.

The power grid and the Honkai power plants within a 100-kilometer radius were rendered lifeless, and the backup generators and other equipment were reduced to scrap metal.

Inside the machinery factory in the main city area that was affected, the reactor core melted rapidly due to the shutdown of the cooling system, and nuclear material leaked out and Honkai Energy poured out, creating a somber atmosphere around them.

Distance.

Someone is struggling.

Her vision blurred, as if dust and fog were spreading.

Cool water droplets fell on my cheeks, like a heavy rain.

The suffocatingly dense Honkai Energy had been completely dispelled by the strange power field.

The girl scoffed as she looked up at the black dust falling from the sky. Her golden eyes lowered, tears and rain mixed with the black substance rolled down her skin, and the smile on her lips faded away.

She silently carried her burdens, walking slowly and alone across the deserted streets.

Carole whispered to the girl behind her, whose body was now cold:

"Qiluo, please don't die."

Shiyu Qiluo's eyes were half-closed. She heard the words mixed with noise from the chaotic world, and her lips moved, giving a barely audible response.

"Um."

But the sound was too low and too soft, like a feather swept up high in the sky slowly falling to the ground, light and fragile.

The Herrscher's barrier only covered the two of them for less than a minute, yet it caused a devastating blow.

After losing some of her bioelectricity, Carole could only rely on the exoskeleton she usually used to assist in combat to support her limbs.

She was very lucky. This exoskeleton was a tool created to compensate for slow nerve transmission. Its principle is the use of bioelectricity, so it not only helps with escape, but also has a positive effect on the body.

In comparison, Shiyu Qiluo's situation was undoubtedly much worse.

As a half-baked Fusion Warrior, she is extremely dependent on Honkai Energy.

Just as humans cannot go without breathing for long, the physical structure and characteristics of Fusion Warrior determine that they cannot completely escape Honkai Energy.

Honkai Energy has been incorporated into the energy conversion and circulation system within cells and organs, which is the core reason why Fusion Warrior can control Honkai Energy at will.

This is different from the level of characters like Kevin, Yae Sakura, Eden, and Fu Hua, who possess the Honkai Energy within their bodies and form a self-circulating system.

Shiyu Qiluo is an incomplete entity. After nearly all the Honkai Energy within her body was stripped away and the environment was transformed into one free of Honkai Energy, the loss of her bioelectricity became even more fatal.

She's dying.

If it weren't for Kevin's fiery pillar that cleaved down from the sky like the Sword of Damocles, spanning a hundred kilometers, and striking like lightning, no life within that hundred-kilometer radius would have survived.

That person is truly strong; even after being weakened by repeated attacks, he remains as dazzling and unparalleled as ever.

But the girl who experienced the Sydney fire understands that the once scorching brilliance has been cut down to the mortal world, like the dim starlight in the daytime.

Can humanity truly achieve victory?

As she asked herself these questions, the fluctuations in her thoughts gradually subsided.

Those gradually darkening pupils reflected the heavy rain mixed with black and gray.

It seems to be a final, poignant echo.