I'm Not a Flame-Chaser

Lin connected "Herrscher of Domination" with "game," and said with a serious expression, "For the Herrscher of Domination, they are just playing a game, and the content of this game is to play the role of the Herrscher of Domination."

Then he equated "Herrscher" with "Player".

"They are game players, humans whose consciousness has been affected by the Honkai, and they manipulate the bodies of the Herrscher of Domination through this game."

"Wait a minute." Tesla understood what Lin was trying to say. Pointing to the word "player" in surprise, she said, "So, the Herrscher of Domination we encountered was actually a manipulated puppet, or a character in the game?"

"That's right."

Lin nodded slowly. "If we replace what they've shown so far with game terminology, for example, that space is the player lobby and map, the spatial rift is a teleportation point, the Herrscher is a BOSS, Anti-Entropy is a hostile organization..."

"I see. That explains why they can disappear anytime, anywhere." Among the people present were several skilled gamers. Welt nodded knowingly. "They just 'log off.' Once they're offline, their characters disappear. When they log back in, they'll be in the player lobby."

This method enabled them to teleport anytime, anywhere, much like the Herrscher of the Void. They also understood why the Herrscher of Domination's teleportation would turn into azure particles, because those were not physical entities at all.

"Is this even possible?" Kiana asked in surprise. "Just by playing a game?"

"No, this should be a combination of the reorganization of matter and the connection of consciousness." Fu Hua frowned deeply and looked at Lin. "Their main bodies exist in one place, and then they control the Herrscher bodies created by Honkai Energy and Herrscher Core through the superposition of networks and consciousness."

"Then why not just capture the main body?" After the Herrscher's secret was revealed, Tesla immediately proposed a feasible suggestion. "Jizo Mitama to infiltrate the network, lock onto the human behind the Herrscher's body, and then capture them in reality."

"No." Lin shook his head. "First, the network used by the Herrscher of Domination may not be a simple internet, but rather a quantum entanglement that uses the concept of the internet to represent itself. Second, even if Jizo Mitama to invade, it is impossible to lock down a thousand people globally."

A true Herrscher of Erosion might be able to do it, but putting aside the consequences of a global internet intrusion, the sheer power of that ability is beyond what a Bell, currently just a Divine Key, could achieve.

"Hey! If you ask me, the plan that the red-haired short guy and the messy-haired guy mentioned before isn't entirely unworkable."

At that moment, an untimely, eccentric voice rang out, and the Herrscher of Reason stood arrogantly at the door with his hands on his hips and a smile on his face.

"Why not just find a way to catch one? What are networks and consciousness? There are Herrscher here who specialize in dealing with those two, aren't there?"

Coral's "Reversal": Chapter Nineteen - All Equipment Relies on Stealing

"Disappeared again?"

Jiu, who was still in the Herrscher of Domination space, lost contact with Lin. He frowned as he was heading towards Lin.

Lin was most likely able to enter through the power of the Herrscher of the Void, and her departure now is probably also through the Herrscher of the Void.

This is troublesome.

Jiu glanced at the Herrscher of Domination, who was constantly resurrecting and dying. This group of persistent ghosts had changed again. They could take turns resting, but Jiu couldn't.

However, now that Lin has discovered the Herrscher of Domination, he will definitely come to fight again, and Jiu just needs to wait.

Jiu was very confident in Lin's efficiency in defeating the Herrscher.

It should only take a day or two, hurry up, Lin... I'll take you and this bunch of fakes together...

Jiu himself didn't realize that he still hadn't been able to break the Herrscher of Domination's abilities, but he had already assumed that Lin would definitely be able to defeat the Herrscher of Domination.

Of course, even if he found out, he wouldn't admit it.

"Oh! This power..."

While he was distracted, the Herrscher of Domination on the ground made strange noises for some reason. He looked down and saw the Herrscher of Thousand People on the ground excitedly raising their arms. Then, a layer of armor covered their arms.

What?

Originally, the armor of the Herrscher of Thousand People was limited to their joints, which could enhance their performance, but in other aspects they were similar to ordinary humans, at most they were just humans wearing Powered Armor.

But now, the armor covering their entire arms is gilded gold, with a cross pattern engraved on the arm armor, giving it an absurd sense of holiness.

What's going on... this feeling...?

Jiu sensed a familiar yet unpleasant aura emanating from those armors.

There's no mistake... that's... his own power.

How is this possible? Why do these guys have the power of the Herrscher of Binding?

However, Jiu noticed that the Herrscher of Thousand People, who would have died in less than a minute and was unable to use Honkai Energy, was now able to move freely, indicating that what was opposing his ability was the same Authority of Binding.

Although their powers are still insignificant compared to Jiu Yi's and will be continuously suppressed by his powers, extending their original one-minute death time to three minutes, these extra two minutes are enough for them to now be able to approach Jiu Yi, even though they were previously unable to get close.

Jiu quickly realized it was the power he had "lost" outside.

These despicable bastards actually managed to obtain the Oath of Judas? Damn it, which idiot in this civilization holds the Oath of Judas?! It was stolen so easily!

There was no time to think it through. The Herrscher of Thousand People, who had obtained the power of the Herrscher of Binding, charged forward while howling. Jiu hurriedly went to meet them, only to find that their speed and strength had actually increased to another level!

"While you stand still, we are making progress every second! Herrscher!" He attacked Jiu from both sides at the same time, gripping a chain in each hand, severing their limbs with terrifying speed and force as if wielding a longsword.

But the two of them were nothing to the swarm of locusts. The next second, they revived and, to Jiu's astonishment, they also pulled out a chain and swung it at him!

"You dare to advance?! You bunch of thieves, you've stolen everything and dared to mention advancement... You even have the nerve to use my power!" Jiu's heart overflowed with rage towards this group of Herrscher. He had never been so angry at an individual or group of beings. Humans were merely objects to be exterminated, and Lin was a target to be surpassed, but what was wrong with this Herrscher?

A bunch of fakes.

Lacking self-awareness, they neither consider themselves human nor Herrscher; they are merely a group of misfits, aimless, and willless puppets, even inferior to insects!

Jiu suddenly contracted the barrier, reducing its area while increasing the power within it, maintaining it within a radius of one hundred meters.

The sudden increase in power made the Herrscher of Thousand People, who had just gained power, feel their own power draining away again. A white-haired man with a ferocious expression rushed into the crowd, wielding chains, severed limbs, and blood like a gust of wind, stirring up the entire group!

"Damn it! Isn't it ready yet?! Is it only the power of the Herrscher of Binding?!"

Seeing the situation turn one-sided again, the Herrscher of Domination on the periphery gritted their teeth. Even if they wouldn't die, being dragged back into the same quagmire just as things were starting to look up was a significant blow to their morale.

"Oh! Here it comes!"

Jiu, whose body was covered in blood, was jolted awake and accurately caught the voices in the crowd in the distance. He looked up with his bloodshot Prismatic Eyes and saw that some more armor had appeared on the bodies of the Herrscher of Thousand People who were standing still.

This time it was the calves, where a thin layer of light purple armor appeared, with faint flashes of lightning.

The Herrscher of Thunder?

Before Jiu could even be surprised at having gained yet another power from the Herrscher of Thousand People, his punch missed its mark!

The speed of the Herrscher of Thousand People before them suddenly surged to an unbelievable level! Electric current surged beneath their feet, allowing them to cover nearly a hundred meters in the blink of an eye, as if they were teleporting!

Moreover, the total amount of Honkai Energy in their bodies has expanded to one-third of that of ordinary Herrscher, which is comparable to that of Pseudo-Herrscher!

Are you kidding me...?

Jiu blocked a person who was rushing towards him with a strange cry, but was kicked hard in the back. He flew forward and gritted his teeth. He opened his arms, and a large number of chains flew out from his sleeves and stuck into the ground, forming a golden spider web that stopped his body.

Even if the barrier is compressed to a radius of one hundred meters, it is not enough to control the actions of the Herrscher of Thousand People. Now they are equivalent to having the three Herrscher Authority of domination, restraint, and lightning, and... they are a group of monsters that cannot die!

But the shock didn't stop there. In Jiu's deep gaze, a flame ignited on the thigh of the approaching "monsters," who were mocking him, and a piece of deep red armor covered it.

Herrscher of Flames...

Where did this bunch of trash get so many Herrscher Core?

If it weren't for the constraints on their power, even if they obtained more Herrscher Core, they wouldn't be able to do anything to Jiu, but they just happened to get them!

The Herrscher of Binding, who should be the hunter who hunts humans, is now the prey that has fallen into the demon's lair, howling and struggling.

"Here it is..."

When Mei came to her senses, she was already on this floating island that looked like some kind of platform.

"Welcome to the new contestant! The culprit who triggered the Third Honkai War of Changkong City! The Queen of Thunder who defeated the Herrscher of the Void! Noble, aloof, powerful, ruthless... and currently the most complete Herrscher — the Herrscher of Thunder, Raiden Mei!"

Mei raised an eyebrow, noticing the audience seats and screens that had appeared around her. She drew her long sword, coldly raised her head, and said to the grinning Ito Kyō on the screen, "Is this some kind of reality show for me?"

"No, to be precise, it should be called 'Hero vs. Demon King'."

Ito Kyō, whose entire body was covered in armor, spread his arms wide and burst into laughter.

The Coral's "Reversal": Chapter Twenty - Destruction and Regeneration

"Transport the Herrscher of Rock's core to headquarters?"

Even Tesla, a guy known for his audacity in testing drugs on himself, couldn't help but frown repeatedly.

"The Salt Lake Base is no longer safe." Einstein twirled a stylus in her finger and sighed. "Since the Herrscher of Domination's goal is the Herrscher Core, what we need to do is prevent them from accessing Herrscher Core."

"But isn't headquarters more troublesome?"

Tesla is referring to another faction besides theirs, namely the faction represented by Cocolia. Even though Cocolia has been arrested and most of her subordinates have also been arrested, people gathered under a faction are not completely obedient to their leader. They may only have a cooperative relationship, so they are still active even without Cocolia.

To completely remove the chaotic roots within, we must wait until after Honkai Welt ends and Welt, as the Anti-Entropy Leader, reorganizes Anti-Entropy.

With Welt around, they won't act openly, but they definitely covet the Herrscher Core in secret. In order to study the Herrscher, they caused the Third Honkai War, which led to the Great Honkai of Changkong City.

"There is no better option now, and even if the goals are different, the idea of fighting against the Honkai is the same, which is one of the reasons why Anti-Entropy can be established."

Of course, what appears to be a debate about the core of the Herrscher of Rock is actually part of a plan to lure the Herrscher of Domination out.

To lure the snake out of its hole, one needs a well-thought-out plan and superb acting skills.

"When?"

"Tomorrow."

"So fast?"

"It's already very slow. I originally wanted Welt to take the core away today, but the preparations weren't sufficient, so I postponed it to tomorrow."

After listening to the two-person skit being performed in the conference room, Lin got up and left. He possessed the Jizo Mitama, making him a target of the Herrscher of Domination as well, so he had to be constantly vigilant.

The possibility of targeting Kiana is very small. Herrscher of the Void can enter and exit their space at any time. The most likely candidates are Bronya, Herrscher of Reason, and Kelvin. In addition, Welt, Seele, and Fu Hua, who are related to Herrscher, are also potential candidates.

Now, we'll see what tomorrow brings...

"Brother Lin, can you come here for a moment?"

The familiar, slightly soft voice pulled Lin back to reality. He looked up and saw Seele standing at the corner, waving timidly at him.

"What's wrong?" Lin stopped and asked calmly.

That's how they treated Seele as just an ordinary person they'd only met once.

Seele's expression darkened when she saw his face. "... I have something I want to tell you."

"Hoo..." Lin let out a breath, but didn't refuse. He walked over to Seele's side and looked directly into her timid eyes. "What's wrong?"

"I think..."

Seele's voice was so low it was almost imperceptible, and Lin couldn't hear it. He frowned, lowered his head, and brought his mouth close to Seele's lips.

"... I'll send you to your death."

Suddenly, a change occurred. The low voice turned icy cold, and slender fingers grabbed Lin's arm and pulled him back. Immediately afterward, a rift appeared behind Seele. Before Lin could react, she pulled them both into the rift!

The whole process took less than a second. When Fu Hua, the second person to walk out of the meeting room, came out, there was no one left in the corridor.

"Thump!"

After a dizzying spatial displacement, Lin landed on the ground. He had no time to think about anything else, and the familiar scene made him stand up instantly.

It was that floating island-like space again. According to the characteristics of the Herrscher of Domination, this should be the "main city" for the players. This time, he was already surrounded by the Herrscher of Domination as soon as he arrived.

All the Herrscher of Domination wore blindfolds and wore uniform, twisted smiles as they stared at their prey who had fallen into their trap.

"These are the warriors of Previous Civilization? How stupid."

"Haha, you're always worrying about women, serves you right."

"Look at him, the way he looks after being deceived by a woman is just too funny."

A series of mocking and laughing voices rang out. Lin looked expressionlessly at the Herrscher of Domination around him, who had undergone a complete transformation. Soon, he spotted Seele among them, her eyes bloodshot. She was also standing among the Herrscher of Domination with a sinister grin.

"You look surprised, don't you?"

A researcher who used to work at Anti-Entropy stepped out from the crowd and couldn't help but laugh as she said, "It's okay, we'll explain our plan to you step by step. Anyway, you're not going anywhere."

"Where should I begin... Oh, right, last time you seemed to have some misunderstandings about us, thinking that we were testing you to see if you were qualified to cooperate with us."

"But in reality, we have no intention of cooperating with you, much less with that evil organization Anti-Entropy. We just intend to make you our comrades."

The researcher smiled slightly. Although each of them had a different physique, under the cover of the blindfolds, they seemed to be the same person, a series of distorted and exaggerated dolls arranged together.

"Seele was also on our shortlist of potential companions. We genuinely wanted you to fight the Honkai with us. However, in the end, only Seele passed our test."

"It's impolite, but I actually know about your relationship. I overheard your conversation. Oh dear, what a regrettable relationship." The researcher's words were mocking, not regretful.

"Then, we suggested to her that we make her and you one of us, so that you could pay more attention to her and realize that she is not the Herrscher of Death from the Previous Civilization."

"Ah, of course we won't force anyone to join us. We always join voluntarily, so we'll let her think it over herself. There's another one of our companions in Salt Lake, Seele can contact him if she's made up her mind."

That person was the owner of the decoration shop in Salt Lake Town.