Consciousness Observation / The Truth...

"Forty-eight hours remain."

The Eighth Herrscher stared at the deciphered image on the screen, waiting patiently.

She is working with other hackers whose consciousness she has controlled to decipher the defense systems of various countries in human society. In about 48 hours, they will be able to completely invade the most prosperous areas of humanity and spread Meme Contamination.

At that time, human society will completely collapse.

To exterminate humanity, she doesn't necessarily have to rely on overwhelming destructive power to conquer cities one by one; she can also use this method to tear humanity apart.

"Four hours have passed since the twenty-sixth attack." The Eighth Herrscher sneered, picking up a can of cola from the table and shaking it. "The intervals between attacks are getting longer and longer. The consciousness of the Flame-Chaser responsible for the attacks is probably about to give out."

Consciousness intrusion carries enormous risks. If the strength of the two consciousnesses is mismatched, the stronger consciousness can easily manipulate the weaker one. Even without any contact, it can steal the consciousness of the weaker one, turning their body into an empty shell.

"But now they're probably thinking that since my Honkai Beast has been defeated, they'll probably create new Flame-Chaser to fight against me."

The Eighth Herrscher pondered for a moment, staring at the slow progress bar on the computer screen, considering whether she should use consciousness transfer to return to someone at the Flame Chaser headquarters to investigate how far they had progressed.

But in the end she didn't do that, because... there was no need.

"However, even if you were to actually enter my consciousness, I'm afraid..."

She gave a chilling smile.

Chapter 118 Consciousness Observation

"Sure enough, everyone I set my sights on has succeeded."

That was the first thing Mobius said after walking out of the operating room.

"Except for you, you piece of trash." She glared at the calm and composed Lin.

She took off her mask, revealing a cold smile, and sneered at the seemingly nervous Spasi, "Go in and see for yourself. I didn't turn your precious apprentice into a monster."

Spasi nodded sullenly and then walked into the operating room, leaving Lin and Mobius alone in the empty corridor where the broken streetlights flickered.

"There's something I'm curious about."

Mobius walked in front, with Lin following behind. They walked to the vending machine at the end of the corridor.

"Please insert coins."

Mobius patted her pockets but couldn't find any coins to pay with. The Flame Chaser badge could also be used, but she didn't have it with her either.

"You might try to brush me off with the excuse that Sue did it voluntarily." The doctor, who looked like an eighteen-year-old girl, casually combed her long hair and pressed the button for hot coffee. "But there's absolutely no way you would agree to him having the surgery for that reason. You can fool Spasi, but you can't fool me."

"Beep... Please insert coins," the startled vending machine announced.

"..."

"..."

Mobius abruptly turned to look at Lin, but Lin seemed oblivious to her commotion with the vending machine, turning her head away instead.

She slapped the vending machine hard, making the whole machine shake.

But it was still no use. The vending machines of the Fire Moths weren't low-tech items that could be dispensed with a simple electrified roundhouse kick. Who knows what the researchers at headquarters were thinking when they installed paid vending machines in a base that was basically free, and equipped these vending machines with anti-theft technology that didn't even have a vault with weapons.

She immediately stopped speaking and moving, staring straight at Lin.

"..." After a moment, Lin shook his head, walked up and used his badge to buy two bottles of coffee, one hot and one cold, and handed one to Mobius.

He opened his can, but the moment his lips touched the rim, he saw Mobius frowning at him and angrily shouting, "You took my coffee! Mine was hot!"

After saying that, he snatched the coffee from Lin before he could even take a sip, tilted his head back, and gulped it down.

After finishing her drink, she wiped her mouth before remembering something. Suddenly, she froze on the spot, lowered her head, covered her lips, and pondered.

"Because..."

Mobius looked up and saw Lin push his helmet up to his nose, revealing a smooth chin.

He opened another can of cold coffee and took a small sip.

Then I looked into Mobius's bewitching, snake-like pupils, which were both clear and clean, yet also complexly murky.

"Because I believe in you."

"How are you feeling, Sue?"

"...I feel...it's amazing." Su was somewhat surprised by his own condition. Ten minutes after the surgery ended, he was able to stand on the ground without any support. He didn't open his eyes, but he could sense the surrounding environment, and even Spasi's breathing, heartbeat and...thoughts.

It was as if he had gained an extra sensory organ, one that was even more sensitive than his eyes.

Su can also sense Honkai Energy. Even in this area with extremely low Honkai Energy concentration, he can control it as if it were his own arm to do certain things, just like the original owner of the Honkai Beast genes in his body.

This gave him a strange idea.

Is he... still human? Or is he just a Honkai Beast disguised as a human?

Spasi saw what he was doing, but said nothing.

Now is not the time to talk about those things; they don't have time, and neither do humans.

"...Let's go." Sue closed her eyes and nodded gently to Spasi.

"Let me explain the situation first. The observation of the Eighth Herrscher's consciousness world relies on the reverse invasion of the consciousness modules of the corrupted. This is not on the same level as the difficulty of her invading our consciousness. It is equivalent to us following the path she left behind to find her lair, but she will set traps along the way. Moreover, the consciousness of the Eighth Herrscher is much stronger than that of ordinary people. If we are not careful, we will fall into her hands and be kneaded at will."

After a period of rest, Dessidobia's condition improved, but she still looked unsteady and could collapse at any moment. If Kosma hadn't been there to support her, she might have fallen to the ground.

Sue listened attentively to Vill-V's explanation with a serious expression.

"To be honest, the two of you alone might not be enough..."

"I'll join you too."

It was Lin who spoke. He stood next to the equipment, took off his helmet, and turned his back to everyone.

"You?" Vill-V hadn't expected Lin to suddenly interfere. She stared at Lin's retreating figure in surprise. "But you..."

"No problem, Aponia will help me."

"Aponia ... okay."

Lin did say that Aponia would do her best to help, and it seems that's what she's doing. I just don't know in what form she will help Lin from afar.

Currently, three psychic Flame-Chaser are working together to observe the consciousness world of the Eighth Herrscher, greatly increasing their success rate. The three of them entered different cabins, and then the EL liquid used for stabilization was injected to submerge them.

"The 27th observation of the Eighth Herrscher's consciousness world begins."

Vill-V, Spasi, May, Einstein, and Mobius, some of the most representative researchers in the field of fire-fighting moths, gathered together to adjust the data of their observation instruments so that they could begin observing the conscious world in the best possible condition.

And at this moment...

Aponia opened her eyes in the darkness, her pupils turning from blue to red. The massive Honkai Energy transformed into a special form, passing between the anchor points on her and Lin. This application of Honkai Energy was close to the Eighth Herrscher attaching their powers to the video.

"Huh?"

As she prepared to help Lin attack the consciousness world of the Eighth Herrscher, she sensed that a certain part of Lin's consciousness that had been replaced was also being responded to. Then, a powerful surge of consciousness energy that did not belong to Lin entered Lin's consciousness world.

Besides her, are there other people helping Lin?

But there was no time to think about it anymore. The instrument had already been activated, and just to be on the safe side, Aponia also channeled her own consciousness into Lin's world of consciousness.

With the help of three psychic Flame-Chaser and an unknown person, as well as the combined attack of Lin's own special consciousness, this time, they broke through the barrier of the Eighth Herrscher's consciousness world.

Yan Luo opened her eyes, and the feathers floating in front of her vanished into thin air.

"So that's how it is. You ate a part of his consciousness and then used that part to pinpoint his location in the Parallel World. So that's why you ate his tongue. I thought you were..."

"Shut up."

Chapter 119 The Truth...

Entering someone else's consciousness world was a familiar feeling for Lin, exactly the same as the dizzying, half-awake feeling he experienced every time his consciousness traveled to Parallel World.

He didn't know how much time had passed when the distorted, twisted, colorful world before his eyes reassembled into a shape that a normal brain could understand.

But when he regained full consciousness and saw the person standing in front of him, he immediately tried to draw his weapon.

But after he put his hand on his waist and found nothing there, he realized that weapons could not be brought into the world of consciousness.

"Welcome to my world." The girl stood before him, smiling as she greeted him. "I know why you've come, but before that, would you be interested in hearing a word from me?"

"You are the Eighth Herrscher!"

Su's heart clenched the moment he saw the girl in front of him. She was using Qianqi's appearance, so he recognized her easily.

He never expected to encounter her the moment he entered this guy's consciousness world. Her smiling face, as if she had been waiting for him for a long time, made him even more vigilant, and he immediately used his still-unskilled abilities to prepare to attack her.

But the Eighth Herrscher raised her hands and gave an innocent smile, "Wait a minute, is it necessary to start fighting right away?"

Su was stunned. He hadn't expected that the Eighth Herrscher wouldn't attack him, but would instead communicate with him.

He reviewed the records of past Herrscher. Most Herrscher had an instinctive hostility towards humans, their consciousness was empty like machines, and they were completely unable to communicate. However, there were some Herrscher who had a rich sense of self and even seemed to have rich emotions like humans. But in the end, they were still the natural enemies of humans who lacked humanity.

It seems that the Eighth Herrscher belongs to the latter type.

"I know, I know." She used Qianqi's appearance to put on a cute act, twirling her raised finger. "You must think that because I am Herrscher, I must be an enemy of humanity. Sigh, human prejudice is truly the biggest obstacle to communication."

"Isn't that right?" Su stared at her sternly, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked, his chest brimming with anger. "Are you still trying to deny it now? You've put so many humans into a deep sleep, disrupted the established order of human society, and caused so much harm to so many people. What else do you want to say?"

His words did not make the Eighth Herrscher uncomfortable; instead, she covered her mouth and laughed heartily.

"Hmm... Is it wrong to disrupt the established order of human society?"

"What?"

Do you really believe that the current established order of humanity is correct?

Her slightly narrowed eyes flashed with a sharp light as she smiled at Su and spoke softly, "Your name is Su, right? Do you think everyone is as passionate and dedicated as you?"

"But that's not the case. Human society is full of fat, lazy, and incompetent scum. They hold high positions to exploit and suck the blood of those below them, preventing ambitious young people like you from climbing up, or simply assimilating them."

"Stop talking nonsense. I'm not here to argue with you about class issues among humans!" Su snorted, not wanting to listen to these fallacies.

"Of course you wouldn't want to argue with me about this."

The Eighth Herrscher extended her index finger, pointing it at Su's heart. "Because you... are from a different world than those people, why should you consider their feelings?"

"..."

Su stared blankly at the Eighth Herrscher's mocking face. She walked slowly beside Su, hands behind her back, and said, "Think about it carefully. You had a complete childhood, a healthy adolescence, an outstanding young adulthood, excellent academic performance and remarkable talent, and friends who can confide in you..."

"But do you know how many people die from malaria every year in this world?"

Su blurted out instinctively, "Two million..."

"Yes, two million, is it just a number to you? Don't you feel sorry for them and want to save them? It's so touching that someone who far surpasses them in status, position, and health would think of saving those miserable people..."

As soon as she finished speaking, the Eighth Herrscher's smile widened to her ears, her eyes widening in mockery like a rag doll with its cheeks cut open.

"Hehehe... So, have you ever had malaria?"

Su remained silent.

"Look, you're a doctor, but you rarely get sick yourself. For you, those patients are the ones you need to help. But what do they think? Of course, those who receive treatment will be grateful to you, but aren't there so many people you can't save? What are they thinking?"

"Why am I the one who got sick? Why do I have to live such a miserable life? Why can you all live so well?"

"Eat well, dress warmly, chat with friends in an air-conditioned room, and even go out to book a hotel on Valentine's Day."

"Of course..." The Eighth Herrscher changed the subject, turned her back to Su, and said with a smile, "As you said, I don't want to discuss this with you. Whether it's the limitation of intelligent life or the special nature of humans, I think it's not important."

"Don't those high-ranking scoundrels have any unspeakable difficulties? Don't they have anything to be pitied? Perhaps they had lofty ideals when they were young. So the question is, whose fault is this?"

The answer is... no one is wrong.

She opened her arms, and beams of light shone behind her, with doors at the center of the light.

"The world is wrong. It forces people to eat each other, turns good people into bad people, and is so cruel that people want to escape."

Instead of saying so much, why don't you go and see for yourself?

The Eighth Herrscher stood up in front of one of the doors and made a "please" gesture.

Lin looked at the Eighth Herrscher in silence. Her smile was genuine and more touching than any actor in an advertisement.