Honkai, Survive

His initial requirements weren't too high; even armor powered entirely by bio-energy would suffice. Selling out Sato Yuno would be more than enough.

Don't misunderstand, Fang Jie meant introducing her to someone who could utilize her talents, someone capable of becoming a suitable vessel for a Herrscher's descent. A Stigmata Awakened, before she became a Pseudo-Herrscher, would be a rare commodity.

"So, the problem is, how do I sell her?"

Schicksal was ruled out first. Otto, that scoundrel, was currently letting the situation in Chang Kong City unfold, feigning a lack of attention. Besides, selling Sato Yuno to him would most likely result in her becoming a Pseudo-Herrscher anyway.

Anti-Entropy was similar. Although they were the most convenient to contact, they were also the radical faction. Clearly, these people would want what I have but wouldn't want to pay for it.

St. Freya Academy was the best option. It was close, and they had principles. After all, Fang Jie wasn't a devil; he still wanted to board the Astral Express.

How could he contact St. Freya Academy?

Chapter 4: Blood Flows Like a River

Although he hadn't experienced Li Mei Barbecue, cherry blossoms were quite common in Chang Kong City.

Fang Jie, no longer ravenous and eating anything, tidied himself up, changed into the same hoodie and jeans as Brother A, and strolled through the cherry blossom-filled day, exploring the city before its collapse and confirming viable contact methods.

He hadn't expected that his time in this city would be so short.

"This feeling..."

He stared blankly in the direction of Chiyu Academy, sensing a vast, immense surge of energy that instantly engulfed the entire city.

Energy perception was a new sense Fang Jie had developed, one that allowed him to survive even in the frozen plains. It was hard to even call it a sense; it leaned more towards a feeling.

Chang Kong City was already permeated with constantly gathering, constantly rising Honkai energy. At this moment, it broke through a certain threshold, exploding in growth.

Like an avalanche, like a tsunami, a terrifying electromagnetic shockwave erupted with the Honkai energy.

But in terms of visually perceivable phenomena, the world suddenly "dropped frames," as if pausing.

A lightning bolt, seemingly piercing heaven and earth, was born.

Then, a storm broke out!

The sky trembled, not from wind. The originally clear sky was suddenly transformed into a void pierced by lightning, tearing through the atmosphere. Inside, seas of clouds churned and were ripped apart. Countless clouds, mist, water vapor, and dust collapsed and were immediately pushed back into the void, piling up and being rendered in deep purple to black. Ten thousand thunderous roars converged on a corner of the high heavens. The blinding sunlight that had just pierced through the void momentarily turned the world white, only for darkness to envelop the land...

Clearly demarcating the normal, clear sky beyond and the sky that covered a corner of Chang Kong City.

Under this sky, Chang Kong City welcomed an unusual day.

And the entire world welcomed a day worth remembering.

Humans are beings with souls, and corpses are the remains left behind after the cessation of their life activities. At the moment of death, the body, devoid of its soul, becomes no different from plants and trees.

And now, a terror that annihilated plants and trees had descended.

The surroundings immediately fell silent, so silent that the drop of a needle could be heard.

But this deathly silence lasted only a moment before erupting violently!

Vehicles without drivers collided, aircraft requiring human operation crashed down, and the sound of current that rendered all electrical precision industrial products scrap, the buzzing of various alarms, and the shattering sounds of dropped belongings, which usually only happened due to "slipping" or "tripping," all converged in an instant, creating a deafening cacophony... All the sounds of things going wrong in an instant, missing the crucial piece of the human puzzle, were gathered together, creating an ear-splitting roar!

For the survivors in Chang Kong City, this was the first cry of anguish after the world's destruction!

"...Ahhhhhh..."

Incomprehension, disbelief, inability to... accept.

Screams mixed with the wails, and the sound of footsteps.

The disordered sound of footsteps reached the ears of every survivor. People were often familiar with this sound; it was hurried, impatient, like hungry students rushing to the cafeteria after class at noon.

But, but, that was absolutely not something harmless.

Gray eyes devoid of much emotion, bodies covered in blood, and strange crystalline patterns. Limping yet moving with a speed surpassing any beast, they lunged at the panicked survivors like zombies from a gore film, eliciting terrifying screams, with bright red liquid splashing everywhere...

Compared to being turned to ash, this scene was often covered in thick layers of blood, with intact chunks of muscle, like ripe fruit, violently peeled from their bodies, then crushed. The warm, smooth liver, spleen, kidneys, intestines, along with the fist-sized heart, splattered everywhere with steaming heat. The blood-red liquid rained down, drenching the sky and the earth.

Although they resembled zombies, they didn't eat people. Many weren't even bitten to death but were violently dismembered, crushed, and ravaged by the Death Troopers!

Yes, Death Troopers.

Humans with Honkai resistance wouldn't be instantly annihilated by Honkai erosion; instead, they would be continuously eroded until they transformed into monsters with no consciousness, driven only by the instinct to kill everything.

No pain, fearless of death, greatly enhanced physical abilities.

After prolonged close combat with normal living beings, the normal living beings would also become infected.

They even possessed intelligence.

—The intelligence of slaughter!

Once all visible normal living beings were killed, they would wander, search, until they discovered new things to kill!

"...Haha... This can't be happening... I'm dreaming... having a nightmare!"

A hysterical roar came from a corner of the city. A woman, driven mad, laughed, crystalline patterns spreading across her body.

Will is not an ethereal thing; it is incredibly precious when needed. In a life-or-death situation like this, lacking sufficient will means death.

Leaving behind a broken body, in the form of a Death Trooper.

Covered in blood, reeking of decay, with ashen skin and vacant eyes, hunting living people...

The next moment, she transformed into a new Death Trooper, chasing down more resistant survivors, crushing and tearing them apart. Honkai had granted it strength, allowing it to rip apart fragile human bodies like cardboard boxes, scattering them everywhere, mixing with the bright red fluids, painting hellish flowers on the pale concrete cityscape.

Life, death, order within chaos. Compared to the highly urbanized past, the few remaining survivors were like ants trapped in a flood, blindly crashing about, screaming, until they met their end at the hands of Death Troopers, or became one of them—

And died to Honkai Beasts.

"BOOM—"

Honkai energy possesses the characteristic of mutual attraction, drawing itself together to give birth to powerful individuals. These monsters, appearing suddenly in the city like Death Troopers, wreaking havoc, possess even greater destructive power than Death Troopers and the same objective.

They hunt for living people, flatten tall buildings, and crush every survivor hiding within.

No one knows where the disaster began to spread, nor does anyone care.

By the time everyone who maintained their sanity snapped back to reality, the only thing they needed to consider was—survival!

A piercing alarm shrieked, and the trained Valkyrie felt her soul tremble, but it didn't stop her from lunging for the console and pressing the red button meant only for the most dire emergencies.

She slammed it with nearly all her might. After doing so, she was covered in cold sweat, looking at the specially made console, which now bore the imprint of her hand. Trembling, she paid it no mind.

"The, the Great Eruption..."

And so, after a series of swift and decisive meetings, the Hyperion set sail!

It wasn't a national agency deploying the military; the first to respond was Schicksal's Far East Branch, aboard their aerial battleship, the Hyperion.

With a total length of 278.5 meters, a flight deck length of 182 meters, and a crew of 50-200 combat personnel, powered by six nuclear fusion furnaces and propelled by the Leonov Anti-Gravity Engine, it was a masterpiece forged by humanity's most advanced Honkai science. It was also the dedicated aerial battleship of Murata Himeko, an A-rank Valkyrie belonging to Schicksal's Far East Branch and St. Freya Academy.

Departing from the artificial island, it advanced at full speed. Soon, the pale hull, a testament to violent aesthetics, hovered high above Chang Kong City, observing the tragic scene of the city that had completely lost contact with the outside world at 10 AM today.

There was no need for further explanation; the Great Eruption itself was synonymous with the end of the world.

In the battleship's command center, a fully armed Valkyrie stood behind a console that was about her height. Only a small, white-haired figure was visible, arms crossed, a look of intense anxiety on her face. She kicked the reinforced steel of the console with a frustrated cry:

"What in the world are those Anti-Entropy guys doing?"

The Valkyrie had white hair and blue eyes, originating from the same source as Kiana. Her mid-length hair was tied into a ponytail and draped over her left shoulder. Her Schicksal Valkyrie uniform, originally resembling a nun's habit, had been replaced by a magnificent Valkyrie armor, carrying a massive cross on her back. However, due to her short stature, she looked like a twelve or thirteen-year-old girl trying to act like an adult, despite her intended imposing presence.

—Theresa Apocalypse, Director of Schicksal's Far East Branch and Dean of St. Freya Academy.

At the same time, she was a former S-rank Valkyrie of Schicksal, a powerhouse who almost single-handedly defeated the Second Herrscher during the Second Great Eruption.

But this did not prevent her from being in a bad mood when facing the Great Eruption again.

"Grandpa, what are you planning this time!"

Theresa's grandfather was none other than Archbishop Otto Apocalypse, who had reigned over Schicksal for five hundred years.

The outbreak of the Third Great Eruption was not without its omens; the Honkai energy readings in Chang Kong City were there, with the HW constantly rising, until it reached over 1000 HW at this moment.

This was the limit. Once the concentration of Honkai energy reached this threshold, it created an environment capable of birthing a Herrscher, transforming minor, everyday Honkai phenomena into a Great Eruption that could potentially end civilization.

For the former, Schicksal only needed to deploy Valkyries, B-rank or A-rank, and victory was almost certain. Similar branches were stationed near the high-energy Honkai furnaces built by Schicksal worldwide, ensuring that Honkai disasters could be quelled.

For the latter, even an S-rank could not guarantee victory, and it was a disaster that would prompt Schicksal's major branches to immediately agree to deploy Honkai fission bombs over Chang Kong City.

However, Archbishop Otto had rejected the proposal and ordered Theresa to lead the Hyperion.

In response, Theresa, having received the order, had already made a guess: the disaster in Chang Kong City was by no means as simple as 'accidentally' giving birth to the Third Herrscher.

But Theresa had no choice but to come. Even though she was a former S-rank Valkyrie of Schicksal, facing a disaster like the Great Eruption, she could only accept and rush to the battlefield, both logically and emotionally.

And she brought her capable subordinate, Murata Himeko, the only other A-rank Valkyrie in Schicksal's Far East Branch who hoped to find a partner before turning thirty, to travel to Chang Kong City aboard the aerial battleship Hyperion.

"This is the Third Eruption."

Murata Himeko, a tall woman like a raging fire (compared to Theresa), also gazed at the city's tragic scene. It was ruins, wreckage, and the foundation of human civilization that was stepping into its twilight.

Her heroic phoenix-like eyes flashed with determination, her golden irises shining captivatingly, devoid of their usual laziness and allure. What existed here now was Valkyrie Murata Himeko.

As the true captain of the Hyperion, she was the one responsible for allocating resources and compiling battle reports.

Gazing at the intelligence gathered on the console, Murata Himeko said in a steady voice, "Academy Director, it has been confirmed that there is a Herrscher in Chang Kong City capable of manipulating electromagnetic force. According to data from an ancient civilization, the title of the Third Herrscher has been tentatively set as the Herrscher of Thunder."

"As expected, after Berlin sixty-two years ago and Siberia fourteen years ago, a Herrscher has finally been born again?"

Even though Theresa had been mentally prepared, she still felt a sense of oppression. Recalling her own experience fourteen years ago, when she fought the Herrscher of the Void alone and was thoroughly beaten, she turned to the tall, fiery figure beside her without any hesitation. "Himeko, I'll leave the on-site command to you."

With that, she shouldered Judah and prepared to land in Chang Kong City.

"Hey, Theresa, stop right there!"

Himeko never expected her close friend to be so reckless.

Even if she was anxious, she shouldn't lose her composure. It was important to know that the only effective way to detect Chang Kong City was by 'sight.' The terrifying electromagnetic shock had annihilated all human technological products; it was the manifestation of the Third Herrscher, the Herrscher of Thunder's power, enhanced by Honkai, which disrupted chemical bonds.

Even the Hyperion could not withstand it and could only hover outside the electromagnetic field, providing the function of 'transportation.'

It looked incredibly cool, but in reality, they could only stare helplessly.

This was the Great Eruption. It was already this troublesome before even seeing the Herrscher, but this was the Great Eruption.

As for rescuing survivors.

Although Schicksal's Valkyries always prioritized the rescue of surviving civilians, which was a great achievement, when facing a Great Eruption with Honkai energy HW above 1000, survival was the only requirement Schicksal had for its Valkyries.

This was also the common requirement that Theresa and Himeko had for their subordinates.

But Theresa actually planned to land like this, clearly not intending to bring anyone with her, going alone!

Even if that's how you did it during the Second Great Eruption, that's still too reckless!

And what do you mean by leaving the command to me? I can go with you!

"You're the Branch Chief!" Himeko shouted loudly.

"Come on, you know my command skills aren't that great. I'm better at doing things my way. The situation is urgent, I'll handle the Herrscher."

Without stopping, all that was left for Himeko and the Valkyries here was the sound of the hatch closing.

.

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ps: Please collect!

Chapter 5: Death and Rebirth

Jarilo, the name of the God of Spring, after which the frozen planet Jarilo-VI is named.

It once had a glorious past, where even interstellar travel was commonplace, but good times didn't last.

Nearly a thousand years ago, resource depletion, the fall of a Stellar Nucleus, and the subsequent Anti-Matter Legion, until the arrival of the Eternal Freeze, which wiped the land clean with pure white... Numerous disasters completely buried Jarilo-VI's glorious yet brief civilization, and the world entered eternal winter.

Now, this name has been forgotten. Survivors of the Eternal Freeze huddle in one corner, building the city of refuge from the cold, Belobog. Relying on the protection of Preservation, although battered by wind and snow, humanity still survives, painstakingly continuing the flame of civilization.

As long as you cross the snowfield, you can see the full picture of Belobog, this last bastion of humanity against the Eternal Freeze, this sanctuary of the Clipper...

Even if Belobog will never see spring again.

"Cough, cough, cough..."