After the assistant entered the laboratory and the light outside changed from green to red...
The surgery began.
Fully Armed
"Your adaptability really is astonishing. The first time you replaced a limb, your body showed a severe rejection response. The second time, you immediately adapted to the new limb." Doctor Mobius took a few steps back and smiled in satisfaction at her work. "Or was it because we didn't use anesthetic that you skipped the rejection response altogether?"
"..."
Lin silently sat up from the operating table and raised his brand-new left hand to inspect it.
The muscles were sturdy, powerful, and full of explosive strength. The bones were thick, and even the skin color at the connection point was no different. It was practically identical to his original arm.
As for his original arm, whose bones had been shattered to pieces, the assistant Bianca had taken it away. What would be done with it was anyone's guess.
Doctor Mobius's technology was truly astonishing. Her limb cloning and regeneration alone were at least decades ahead of the rest of the world. Who knew how many biological technologies she was still researching, or had already completed, without revealing them?
Perhaps she had even achieved the immortality humanity had pursued since ancient times.
"Thank you." Lin clenched his fist, feeling the strength flowing through it as he quietly gave his thanks.
"There's no need to thank me. This isn't charity; it's a transaction. Don't think you can brush it off with a single thank-you." Doctor Mobius seemed dissatisfied by his rare sincerity. She narrowed her eyes, taking in Lin's current appearance with her distinctive green pupils. Her cold gaze seemed to be assessing a useful tool.
"I know." Lin's black eyes stared seriously at Doctor Mobius through the gaps in his bandages. He let out a breath. "If Doctor Mobius needs anything in the future, she can contact me."
Doctor Mobius's brow twitched. "...Why does that sound so strange?"
Forget it.
Doctor Mobius cast those trivial matters aside. She picked up several syringes filled with glowing green reagent from a nearby table and tossed them to Lin, a faint smile curling across her face. "Then your first task is to help me test these. They can temporarily enhance your physical abilities and reduce your pain. Aside from your left arm, the rest of you is badly injured too, isn't it? Don't think you can get something for nothing, refuse to pay, and then die in this operation."
"...Thank you."
"Tch, I told you not to thank me. Besides, they aren't without side effects. Once the effects wear off, all that pain will return twofold. You might even be tortured to death."
"I'm deeply grateful."
"..."
Lin took the medicine and his bloodstained uniform before leaving. Bianca had just finished dealing with Lin's ruined arm and walked out. Looking at his disappearing back at the corner, she sighed. "That young man's endurance is incredible. That was the pain of reconnecting nerves one by one, yet his expression never changed from beginning to end."
"But he is still within the category of an 'ordinary human.'"
For some reason, Doctor Mobius murmured softly, an unknown light flickering in her eyes.
"Team Member Lin!"
Hun and Himiko, who had been waiting in the hallway for a long time, saw Lin approaching from Doctor Mobius's laboratory. Hun, who looked somewhat haggard, happily waved at him. A scythe-shaped weapon was strapped to her back as well.
Lin walked over as steadily as still water. Only then did Himiko notice that his arm had already been fully restored. She asked in surprise, "You actually let Doctor Mobius operate on you?"
Doctor Mobius's operating table was practically a species-conversion machine. You went up as a human, and you might come down as some unknown creature destined to be recorded in history. That was why most people in Fire MOTH went pale at the mention of Doctor Mobius's name.
Hun looked at Lin worriedly. "Team Member Lin, your body this time..."
"No problem."
Lin calmly shook his head, brushed past the two of them, and headed toward the Research and Development Department.
New equipment was waiting for him there.
"Lin."
The Head of Research and Development had bloodshot eyes. After the Honkai outbreak, the Research and Development Department had been working at high intensity to modify new equipment for the soldiers, and even now they were still constantly tightening screws.
Someone had informed him of Lin's arrival long ago. The two had become acquaintances through their previous dealings. The Head of Research and Development customized excessive armaments that only Lin could use, while Lin served as a test subject to evaluate their performance. There was no need for pleasantries. The head knew why Lin had come.
He handed Lin his signature helmet.
"In just a few months, communications technology has gone through three generations of upgrades. Everyone else is using lighter, more convenient equipment, but I know you need this, so I made some technical adjustments and upgrades. I believe only you can handle it." A trace of pride showed through the Head of Research and Development's exhausted expression.
Without saying a word, Lin accepted the helmet and put it on over his bandages. After fastening it, he activated the system inside.
A red line swept across his iris. The inside of the helmet suddenly lit up, returning him to the familiar interface.
Physiological indicators confirmed.
The feeling of information flowing through his mind returned. The data was even more detailed than before, as if the entire world had been laid bare before him.
"Your jumping, jet propulsion, and grappling hook have all been improved accordingly. I also added some new movable units to the external Powered Armor, so you can store whatever you want in it." The Head of Research and Development shrugged. "For example, you could put a photo of your little sister in there, then take it out before a battle to show everyone."
"..."
Everything the Head of Research and Development mentioned could be seen through the helmet's display. Lin could absorb information through text much faster than the man could speak, but the man still wanted to say it.
It was like a handover ceremony. In ancient times, when a father bestowed a sword upon his son, it carried the same meaning.
"Of course, those are all standard features. They probably aren't anything new to you." The Head of Research and Development smiled freely. "So I'll show you something unconventional."
"Unconventional?" The data had already appeared before Lin's eyes. After a quick glance, he understood what it was.
New weapons?
Following the Head of Research and Development to a warehouse, Lin watched him press a button and take out a rifle with an unfamiliar standard design.
"You should know that Fire MOTH has always been researching Honkai Energy. This energy source, which is almost omnipotent once its biological corrosiveness is removed, has become a new direction for weapon development. And in the short time since you went to Canghai City and the Third Herrscher was born, we succeeded."
"The Third Herrscher is surrounded by an electromagnetic field capable of forming a shield. Conventional weapons are completely ineffective against her, which is why these weapons that can convert and utilize Honkai Energy were created."
"Honkai brings us not only destruction. Perhaps it also brings gifts."
Himiko's greatsword and Hun's scythe from earlier had probably been made using this technology too.
Was humanity advancing a little too quickly?
Lin stared at the rifle for a long time without saying anything. After taking it, he placed it into the weapon slot on his back. There were also new pistols, grenades, and...
"A knife?"
The final item was a blue-and-white blade slightly longer than a dagger.
Only a short section was edged, while the blade itself was a peculiar azure, as though blue blood flowed within it.
"This is still an experimental weapon, my personal creation. Consider it compensation for your injury last time." When Lin took the knife, reluctance flashed through the Head of Research and Development's eyes, but he quickly concealed it. "This is a High-frequency Cutting Blade developed using data from the Second Herrscher. It cuts through microscopic particle vibrations. Considering the dagger style you usually use, I adjusted it to this length."
"..." After scanning the weapon, Lin did not immediately put it away. Instead, he looked up at him.
The Head of Research and Development understood what he meant and smiled unconcernedly. "It's fine. I'm the only one who knows about this knife. Use it however you like, just don't tell people I gave you special treatment."
"Thank you."
Lin felt like he had said those words especially often these past few days.
"Oh, and take this too. The data has been adjusted, but there's still no guarantee it will function properly. Whether you use it is up to you."
"This is my personal advice: don't use it unless you have no other choice. This time, it might cut your head off."
Lin stared at the watch-shaped device before him.
There was a chance he would die?
He extended his hand and accepted the immensely heavy Phase Transfer Device.
Squad Five, Reinforcements on the Battlefield
"Splash..."
The deathly rainstorm washed away the sins of the world, as fierce and unceasing as Noah's flood. The brewing thunderstorm was ready to descend at any moment.
Changkong City was like an island amid the tides, covered in darkness, silence, and death.
Bang!
A sharp crack tore through the rain. A bloodstained Baseball Bat ripped through the curtain of water and slammed into a zombie's face, viciously smashing its nose and piercing its already inactive brain.
A zombie on the right howled and lunged forward. It had only just raised its hands when a kick struck its stomach and sent it flying.
"Mei! This way!"
The young man's sportswear was soaked through by the rain, and his once-brilliant white hair clung to his skin. His normally handsome appearance had become somewhat bedraggled. He swung his Baseball Bat, knocking the zombies aside as he called out to the black-haired girl with glasses behind him.
There was no panic in the black-haired girl's expression. On the contrary, while the young man fought, she carefully observed the zombies whose skin had turned pale.
In only a few short hours, their world had changed beyond recognition. Some classmates and teachers had died beneath the rubble, while others had transformed into zombies and attacked them. The quiet, peaceful city had become a devouring maw, trying to swallow these two tiny humans in the torrential rain.
What exactly had happened?
Kevin screamed inwardly, desperately wishing someone could answer his question.
But he could not collapse. Not before Mei was safe.
Kevin pulled Mei into a convenience store, locked the door behind them, then slid slowly down the wall as he panted heavily.
"Mei... Are you okay?"
Kevin's excellent physical condition had allowed him to survive the first wave of the Honkai outbreak, while his talent for fighting had helped him endure the zombies' attacks.
But Mei's physical condition was far inferior to Kevin's. He had to find a place for them to rest after running for a while, yet if they stayed in the same place too long, those living dead would swarm them as though they had built-in sensors.
"Mm... I'm fine." Mei's pale face clearly did not look as relaxed as she claimed. Sitting on the floor, she used tissues from a shelf to wipe the rainwater from her glasses. "Kevin, you really don't need to worry about me..."
Before she could finish, Kevin fiercely objected, "How could I not worry about you?!"
If he abandoned Mei, then even if he escaped, what would be the point? How could he ever face Lin again?
Kevin walked to the counter, picked up the phone, and dialed. The busy signal soon made him weakly put the receiver down. "The phones here don't work either?"
Mei glanced at the lightning flashing among the clouds outside the window and calmly said, "It's probably the electromagnetic field."
"What?"
"Nothing."
Kevin would not understand the principles anyway. Mei knew this big boy, who was wholeheartedly devoted to her, inside and out. That was thanks to someone who had once tirelessly introduced Kevin to her, to the point where she even knew which hand Kevin used to wipe himself after using the bathroom, and how many sheets of paper he used.
So Mei had never understood why Kevin liked a boring bookworm whose field had absolutely nothing to do with his.
But...
"Mei, don't worry. I'll definitely get you out of here." Seeing Mei looking at him, Kevin forced out what he believed was a sunny smile, wanting to encourage her.
His handsome face was covered in mud and rain, exhaustion written all over it, yet in his eyes burned a flame the rain could not extinguish.
Mei could not explain what kind of flame it was. No, for someone who placed reason above all else, using such an emotional expression was unexpected even to herself.
She analyzed the environment and calculated their chances of escape. The more she calculated, the smaller that number became.
But for some reason, Mei did not want to believe the number she had calculated this time.
"Mm, I believe you." Mei answered with a faint smile.
Kevin gave her a broad smile as well.
"Roooar—"
A deafening roar shattered their brief warmth, freezing Kevin's smile.
The source of the roar was very close.
Practically right beside them.
"Honkai Energy readings are rapidly rising again at another location within Changkong City!"
"500 HW, 600 HW, 700 HW... It's still rising! This location is less than ten kilometers from the Herrscher!"
Inside Fire MOTH's temporary combat command center in Changkong City, the monitoring staff watched the terrifying Honkai Energy curve reach another peak. With trembling fingers, they sent the data and coordinates over the channel, then swallowed before reporting, "This is the Monitoring Department. The Third Herrscher's accompanying Honkai Beast has also been born. Its currently detected readings have already exceeded those of the Upper-class Honkai Beasts from the Second Honkai War. It is provisionally designated as..."
"An Emperor-class Honkai Beast."
This was undoubtedly more bad news.
At present, every squad was struggling through the rainstorm, where visibility was extremely low and signals were unstable. Although the new weapons and armor had greatly increased the combat personnel's strength, the chaotic electromagnetic field had crippled nearly all electronic devices. In the dark curtain of rain, zombies and Honkai Beasts could spring out at any moment to launch deadly attacks.
Two hours had passed since the operation began, yet no squad had reached the Third Herrscher's location. The two closest squads belonged to Kalpas and Elysia, while the number of soldiers swallowed by the rainstorm, killed, or cut off from contact had already nearly reached one-fifth.
The squads' own monitoring equipment had failed, leaving everything dependent on reports from the central monitoring department. This method was terrifyingly inefficient.
And now, another ferocious beast of unknown form had been released into this hunting ground of monsters.
Before you continue