Escalation Of The Situation

"Zhao Qi, wake up!"

Zhao Qi heard a familiar voice calling his name and opened his eyes in a daze.

"Hiss, my head, Gu Yan, you bastard!"

Gu Yan chuckled sheepishly, feeling a bit embarrassed. He had been so focused on running that he hadn't considered Zhao Qi couldn't keep up, dragging him along and causing him to bump into things until he passed out.

"If we weren't old buddies, I'd definitely extort a house from you!" Zhao Qi wasn't one to make a fuss. He knew the situation had probably been sudden and only complained a little.

"What was that just now? You suddenly lost your mind and dragged me away."

As soon as Zhao Qi finished speaking, he saw Gu Yan glance nervously toward the entrance.

"It was a nuclear explosion. We're about twenty kilometers from the city center, and those near the entrance were affected. The blast must have been significant. Luckily, I ran fast."

With Gu Yan's physique and buffs, he could easily break human limits.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Qi was first shocked, then lamented, "What a shame. My childhood dream was to see a nuclear explosion up close."

This guy's brain is wired wrong, Gu Yan thought.

There were seven air-raid shelters in the eastern suburbs, and they were in one of them. It was currently holding tens of thousands of people, yet it didn't feel crowded.

Inevitably, many people overheard their conversation. Some understood Chinese, which caused a small commotion.

What did it mean to detonate a nuclear bomb in a super-first-tier city of a superpower? People couldn't quite grasp it, but undoubtedly, whoever did this was a complete lunatic.

"We don't know what's happening outside yet. We should wait for things to stabilize. By the way, did you bring any water or food? I'm not sure how long we'll be waiting."

"I was haggling when the explosion went off, so I didn't have any food or water." Zhao Qi chuckled, "But you know, haggling with foreigners is really fun, haha!"

"..."

Gu Yan didn't actually believe he would be trapped. However, if he encountered that Herrscher, he might be able to leave alive as a half-colleague. Zhao Qi, on the other hand, might not.

He had only been in this world for a few hours. Without the original body's memories, he and Zhao Qi were merely strangers. He could have ignored Zhao Qi's fate.

But Gu Yan was an emotional person. Zhao Qi's willingness to carry him to the air-raid shelter without a second thought showed how close he was to the original body. Gu Yan, from the bottom of his heart, didn't want to abandon his companion.

The ease with which he interacted with his friend was genuine, and the memories from his past life were undoubtedly real. So, what exactly was "Gu Yan"?

Gu Yan's conclusion was that he had inherited the original body's memories, perhaps a complete fusion. He was the original body, he was Gu Yan himself.

"System, was my guess correct?"

The affirmative answer brought Gu Yan some joy. The fusion of two Gu Yans, belonging to two worlds, rather than being a lonely soul lost in a foreign land.

He was a transmigrator, and also a native resident.

Understanding this, he felt an invisible burden placed upon him.

Honkai?

It made sense. If he had always considered himself not belonging to this world, perhaps the moment he became a Herrscher, he would have become a puppet of the Honkai, solely focused on destroying the world.

To live well, he seemed to have only two choices: either fight the Honkai, or become its slave.

He punched Zhao Qi's back hard. Damn it, I can't be the only one suffering.

From the moment he woke up until now, he had been on the run.

Damn it, I just wanted to be a lazy bum!

Inside the Pentagon

It was already dusk, two hours after the nuclear explosion in Jinshan City.

High-ranking generals of the Beautiful Country gathered, their faces grim.

A document appeared on the conference room's holographic screen. The attached photo was slightly blurry, but it was unmistakably Ji.

After all, Ji was a very standard Western beauty.

G, real name unknown, born December 1, 2200, in Wright City...

Abandoned at birth at age 0, she lived in an orphanage until age 7, then was sold to an illegal organization. As an experimental subject with extremely high resistance to the side effects of certain drugs, the organization studied her for twelve years but still failed to awaken her abilities.

The irrelevant details, the codename "G," and the tragic experiences described in the dry text did not stir the generals. The only useful information was that she "failed to awaken her abilities."

During the first engagement, all the ability detection equipment operating in Jinshan City had not detected any fluctuations in Ji's abilities, so it was basically confirmed that she had no abilities.

Without abilities, yet stepping into the extraordinary. Before this, there were only two such cases globally.

Could it be that the illegal organization, by some fluke, had cultivated such a monster?

As everyone was at a loss, the document on the holographic screen disappeared, replaced by a voice communication.

Even though those present had weathered many storms, they were now filled with confusion and shock. Whose voice communication could reach the Pentagon conference room at this time? Aliens?

"How is it, did you find anything?"

It was Ji!

"What do you want?" an elder with high prestige questioned. The insignia on his uniform indicated he was a Marshal.

The old Marshal didn't ask Ji "why," but rather what she wanted. Ji's actions had already been classified as crimes against humanity; "why" was no longer important.

"No need to rush, let's wait a moment..." Ji chuckled, her tone flippant and playful.

The others remained silent. Only a few attempted to pinpoint Ji's location, but their efforts were fruitless. She seemed to exist outside of this world, rendering the Beautiful Country's proud technology utterly useless. After leaving Jinshan City, she had vanished as if into thin air.

An ability beyond human comprehension.

Soon, everyone understood what Ji was waiting for.

Wright City, Westford City... a total of twenty-six coastal cities were struck by nuclear missiles. The news arrived, and an indelible sorrow and indignation filled everyone's hearts.

Bang!

"You are declaring war on all of humanity!"

The old Marshal slammed his fist on the table, his eyes wide with fury, veins bulging on his forehead.

The anger made everyone wish they could tear Ji apart.

A lunatic, a madwoman beyond redemption!

"That's right!" Ji's voice held a hint of excitement, and even through the communication, her contemptuous tone was evident.

"As an envoy of the Honkai, the First Herrscher, the Herrscher of Reason, I hereby declare war on humanity!" Her tone was no longer flippant and playful, but carried a sense of piety, as if she were undertaking a glorious and great endeavor.

"This world will not allow you to act recklessly!" the old Marshal's voice was firm.

"Haha~" Ji seemed to hear a joke, her voice turning dangerous:

"I don't care who allows me, but who can stop me."

"Humanity, prepare yourselves for despair!"

The communication cut off.

"Immediately mobilize the military to participate in the rescue efforts for twenty-seven cities, including Jinshan City. Contact the ability management division..." the old Marshal began issuing orders, his face grave and furious.

"Oh, and release the communication content to high-level officials of all countries. Investigate thoroughly what 'Honkai' and 'Herrscher' are." He tapped the table twice, enunciating each word:

"No matter what they are, we will fight until death!"