It said, "I will overturn everything."
It said, "I can twist five entire tens of thousands of years of reality."
It said, "Every one of you will stop my descent."
But unfortunately, you failed.
I will embrace this world,
and you will slumber here...
—The Herrscher of Loss
Ding! Support system binding successful!
Loading incomplete, progress: 50%
Mm...
"What's going on?"
His body was completely immobile, and...
Ugh...
Gu Yan's thoughts were hazy. Only after a "ding" rang out in his mind did he gradually come around.
As a bookworm, he naturally knew what a system was. It was just that this system had arrived at a rather inopportune time. He had only just arrived in this world and had yet to accept the fact that he had transmigrated when explosions began going off one after another, burying him beneath the ruins.
He had injured his head, and his consciousness had been blurred for some time. He probably had a mild concussion, but the more serious problem was likely his legs.
Gu Yan tried moving his lower body.
"Hiss..." Pain. Excruciating pain.
Damn it, the pain was in his lower back. He had no sensation at all below his waist.
Other people transmigrated into worlds where they were surrounded by beauties. His starting point was being completely incapacitated...
Still, he was fortunate to have kept his life.
The chunks of concrete weighing down on him probably totaled several tons. There was no way he could escape using his own strength, and moving would only worsen his blood loss. Waiting for rescue was the best option.
Even in such a terrible situation, Gu Yan calmed himself down. Countless thoughts flashed through his mind, though in reality, only a few seconds had passed.
What worried him now was whether his injuries would allow him to hold out until he was rescued.
But...
Host critically injured; automatic recovery has been enabled by default.
A cool energy flowed out from near his heart, lingering around the wounds on his head and lower body.
The wounds on his head healed at a speed visible to the naked eye. The bleeding in his lower body also began to stop, and the injuries started repairing themselves.
Gu Yan was overjoyed. His latter half of life... No, his lower body was saved!
This system was fairly decent. He would reluctantly overlook its late arrival to save him.
"Hey? System?"
Gu Yan tentatively called out in his mind. Since he had a system, he naturally had to learn about his cheat.
Host, please state your question.
As the system responded, a panel invisible to outsiders unfolded before Gu Yan.
Host: Gu Yan
Yet to be explored
The contents were simple to the extreme...
Just as he was about to ask for more information, the energy that had finished repairing his head drilled into his brain through the wound. Gu Yan's head swam, and he nearly fainted outright.
From what he could sense, Gu Yan's concussion had been healed. Even his legs, which had nearly been crushed into rotten meat, were reconstructed. His entire body was cleansed by an unknown energy, while his bones and flesh underwent transformation bit by bit. It was nothing short of a miracle.
Body repair complete.
"This system is pretty powerful." Gu Yan was astonished. His body had practically been restored to its original condition, and it now contained a powerful force that shocked him.
The sensation of possessing strength... It was wonderful. Truly wonderful!
With a thought, he opened the system panel again.
Third Herrscher Support System Host: Gu Yan Physique: 45 (average adult value: 10) Superpowers (?): Plunder, Grant Loading incomplete; progress: 50% Lawbearer dossier: Recorded (0/16)
Third Herrscher!? Ability!?
The contents of the system panel had updated. Gu Yan glanced at them, a trace of confusion flashing through his eyes.
"There's a lot to unpack here. Is this Herrscher the one I understand it to be?"
Before coming to this world, there had been a game in his original world that used the term "Herrscher."
Herrschers were the messengers of gods and the incarnations of the will of Honkai.
If he had come to the world described in that game, then the Third Herrscher should have been the Herrscher of Thunder, who controlled electromagnetic forces. But...
The information revealed by the "Herrscher Archive" indicated that there were a total of sixteen Herrschers, while the world in that game had only fourteen.
Was this a different world? Or had two additional Herrschers appeared by coincidence? If this was not the world he knew, then the "Third Herrscher" was not necessarily the Herrscher of Thunder.
The energy from earlier should have been Honkai Energy. With a thought, Gu Yan drew a wisp of Honkai Energy from within his body and attached it to his fingertip.
It seemed that he had yet to form a Herrscher Core, and the Honkai Energy within his body was extremely limited.
As for this ability, he did not know whether he alone possessed it or whether this world itself had many Ability Users.
Unfortunately, the original owner had only been an ordinary person. Gu Yan had transmigrated while he was studying abroad, and even if there were Ability Users, the original owner would never have come into contact with them.
His physique had multiplied several times, and the ton-heavy chunks of building debris could no longer trap him. Gu Yan easily crawled out from beneath the ruins, then glanced at his bloodstained clothes and sighed.
He looked just like a zombie from some movie. But Gu Yan was in no mood to play dress-up. He was a very clean person, after all.
At first, he had thought this was merely a terrorist attack that would end quickly, so he had not paid much attention to it. The authorities would act soon anyway. Looking completely covered in blood yet entirely unharmed would be suspicious, so he decided to find some clothes to wear.
At that moment, he sensed something. His brows furrowed, and he looked toward the city center.
A rumble echoed through the heavens.
Dozens of helicopters circled above Jinshan City. This largest city on the Pacific coast now resembled a battlefield.
Explosions, screams, wails...
Skyscrapers had turned into rubble, and thick smoke rose into the air. Viewed from above, corpses littered every part of the city, victims of stampedes, explosions, and collapsed buildings. It looked as though the city had just endured an earthquake measuring eight on the Richter scale.
Yet satellite imagery revealed that these horrific scenes had been caused by only one person and several missiles that had appeared out of thin air.
"This target appears to be a top-level Ability User. Ground units, evacuate civilians first to prevent further casualties. Air units, search for the target. Once located, report its position. The Seagull Team will head over immediately."
"Copy that."
Inside the helicopter, five people wearing specially designed combat uniforms looked grim.
They were the Seagull Team, responsible for controlling Ability Users in Jinshan City. Ordinary weapons were of little use against powerful Ability Users, and they were professionals when it came to handling them.
But even with their considerable strength, they felt immense pressure facing an Ability User capable of causing such devastation.
They knew nothing about the target's level, abilities, name, or background. This situation, completely beyond their control, left them somewhat frustrated.
When the helicopter neared the city center, there was no need for a report. Everyone spotted the target—
She was a girl as beautiful as an angel, seemingly no more than eighteen, with chestnut hair, blue eyes, and a typical Western face. A long dress that looked as though it had been woven from clouds drifted gently in the wind.
She stood on a metal disc made of an unknown material, suspended two hundred meters in the air. When she saw the helicopter approaching, she merely smiled, looking impossibly sweet.
But every combat operative felt a chill of terror.
"You've got to be kidding! The ability-detection equipment isn't reacting at all? She's floating right in front of the helicopter—how could she possibly not be using an ability?!"
Ding, Herrscher energy fluctuations detected. Current intensity: 4120 HW.
Gu Yan sucked in a cold breath.
He had only just transmigrated, and he had already encountered a Herrscher!
That did not include a half-baked Herrscher like himself. He merely had the title; he did not even possess a core.
According to the memories in his mind, this world's technology was somewhat more advanced than that of his original world, roughly twenty years ahead. But that was hardly something to celebrate: the stronger the civilization, the stronger the Honkai, and the more powerful the descending Herrschers.
Not only that, but he still had not figured out his own ability or strength.
"Although the system transformed my body, I don't think I can challenge a Herrscher. The Herrscher and the military are bound to clash. I'd better evacuate with the ordinary people. Otherwise, I won't even know how I died."
He quickly made up his mind. Gu Yan decided to lie low for the time being, then turned and ran toward the air-raid shelter in the eastern suburbs.
Along the way, he often saw soldiers, armored vehicles, and tanks heading toward the city center, completely ignoring the civilians' terrified gazes. As expected of the Beautiful Country...
Unfortunately, the existence they were about to face was a Herrscher. Bullets and armor were nothing more than children's toys before it—powerless and laughable.
However, Gu Yan had no intention of explaining "Honkai" or "Herrschers" to the people of this world. He could not explain how he knew about them, nor could he guarantee that the information was reliable.
Moreover, Honkai was a trial for civilization. Even if he had the resolve to disregard his own fate, helping civilization "cheat" would cause Honkai to unleash consequences of unimaginable severity.
At that moment, a squad of soldiers heading toward the city center passed by him in the opposite direction. Gu Yan glanced at them without paying much attention.
Ding, Plunder has been enabled by default.
Buff acquired: Strength, Swift Steps. Passive acquired: Combat LV15, Firearms LV24
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