Chapter 77
However, doing something wrong is doing something wrong, and it won't change in the slightest just because you have a deep relationship. Anna was able to leave because her crimes were attributed to An Yu, without An Yu's knowledge. It's more like a toddler gaining power.
But someone has to take responsibility for this; the brief reunion is only for the eventual separation.
"Perhaps this world really needs a war."
He whispered to himself.
Unfortunately, reality didn't give him time to reflect.
Bang!
The bullet, having adjusted its trajectory, pierced through the air and penetrated layers of obstruction. Long before Kalpas could hear the sound, it had already pierced through both of their bodies, and the dazzling spray of blood left Kalpas stunned on the spot.
Simple, yet efficient.
It wasn't that Kevin was heartless, but the memory of Wendy from the previous level was still vivid in his mind, and coupled with the previous Herrscher of Death, he was truly traumatized.
As for the warmth... once the two have finished catching up and parted ways, it's unlikely that such a zero-loss situation will occur.
Anna and An Yu both possess explosive power.
"The Fifth Honkai has ended."
Kevin didn't follow up, which was a significant test for him, as he wasn't yet completely cold-hearted.
"But what is the Herrscher betting on?"
Aponia couldn't understand it. Given the abilities An Yu had demonstrated in previous levels, surely he must have some hidden tricks up his sleeve?
But these are bullets from the Seven Thunders of Retribution, the pinnacle of Vill-V's early work. How could he possibly block them?
[Twin Familiars - Anna Critically Wounded and on the Verge of Death]
[Fun fact: The natural enemy of electromagnetic force is brute force. In fact, to put it simply, within a small area, electromagnetic force has no effect on brute force.]
[Fun fact: Death from a bullet penetrating the heart is often due to impaired heart function and the impact damaging the areas surrounding the heart.]
[And the Ice Herrscher can temporarily stop the heart from beating, causing bullets to only inflict penetrating wounds on that small area.]
[As for how long he can live after receiving the help of his powers?]
[That's not important.]
[An Yu already knows the location of the Fire Moth, and he is confident that he can achieve the completion condition for this level in the last moment of his life.]
He gently wiped the blood from Anna's lips, and his body slowly went limp.
He extended his little finger and hooked it around Anna's somewhat weak fingers.
"An Yu..." she called out weakly.
"I am here."
[Twin Familiars - Anna Leaves the Battle]
The atmosphere in the passageway grew increasingly oppressive. Upon receiving the order, Kevin quickly fired a second shot, but it was blocked.
Pure, powerful ice froze everything around it. The icy chill spread outwards from An Yu's center, this time without even avoiding Kalpas.
"Kalpas..."
This time he did not address the deity as "Great God." An Yu placed Anna's body into the ice coffin beside him, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and stood up.
A long, slender ice blade gradually condensed in the air. An Yu grasped it and pointed it at Kalpas.
This is a declaration of war.
Kalpas's aura grew increasingly violent, but his throat felt as if it were blocked by something, and he couldn't utter a single word.
As an NPC, he was never on the same page as the others, and he lacked the wisdom to understand and integrate into the atmosphere.
This stalemate continued until Ai Qilixia destroyed the frozen cage on the land, and San hurriedly rushed to the battlefield.
"Kalpas, you retreated first. The Herrscher's condition is not right; he may be about to experience a final burst of energy before death."
Why didn't An Yu die?
Because previous Ice Herrscher only demonstrated the ability to solidify molecules, no one would have thought of them as having great power. After all, Ice Herrscher don't really have much expressive power, do they?
"He's a hero..."
An Yu spoke softly, but surrounded by ice crystals, her voice was audible to everyone.
Elysia breathed a sigh of relief. No matter what, the Herrscher was seriously injured, which was good news.
Who fired the shot?
How could I possibly tell you... but the voice came from behind me.
Volume 1: Chapter 113-112 Everyone Has a Bright Future
Elysia's heart sank. "Kalpas, I'll explain these things to you later, okay?"
This is something everyone agrees on. Indeed, the past of Kalpas was sacrificed, but An Yu and Anna deserved to die. Anna destroyed half a city, and An Yu destroyed several cities after becoming Herrscher.
"Who fired the shot?!"
Kalpas's voice was deep and muffled, carrying a hint of unyielding anger.
The only response he received was a ripple from the Key of the Void silently spread behind An Yu. A thunderous blade, imbued with destructive power, emerged from the Imaginary Space like a venomous snake, aiming straight for An Yu's back!
An Yu reached out and grasped his hand. Now Kevin understood why the Seven Thunders of Retribution were ineffective.
The powers of the Ice Herrscher and the underlying code of the Herrscher of Thunder have always been in conflict, but with An Yu alive, only one core of the Seven Thunders of Retribution remains.
"It's you again."
An Yu's voice was eerily calm, devoid of anger or resentment, only a deathly, icy stillness.
He didn't choose to fight back; the extreme coldness spread rapidly along the Soulium of the Seven Thunders of Retribution to Kevin's arm, like a leech clinging to bone.
Defeating Ice Herrscher is quite simple; just use fast and powerful attacks, since An Yu is merely a biological entity.
We can't let this stalemate continue.
"Kevin! Don't let go!"
The Seven Thunders of Retribution cannot be given to the Herrscher! She rushed to help, Zero
But the flames behind her forced Elysia to cancel her attack once again.
"Kalpas!"
To quell external threats, one must first secure internal stability. Elysia no longer hesitated; the power of Origin responded to her expectations. Although it was a little slower this time, did you really think I couldn't defeat you?
It's too late, Elysia.
To preserve his fighting strength, Kevin was forced to abandon his sword. His body could not withstand such low temperatures, and the cell membranes in his body would be pierced by ice shards.
"Then I won again." An Yu suddenly breathed a sigh of relief.
The so-called Soulium is nothing more than a mass of nanobots condensed together in flowing metal. After being subjected to Extreme Cold, the blade breaks when gently bent.
An Yu swallowed the Herrscher of Thunder Core without hesitation.
This saved him a lot of trouble; at least An Yu could have a more dignified farewell, and perhaps Kalpas wouldn't need to help her.
The impact of a damaged heart is indeed significant, but electromagnetic forces can temporarily maintain the heart's function.
The ripples of the Void Realm reappeared, and Kevin's sword was a step too slow again. A step too slow, always a step too slow.
"How is that possible!"
A look of disbelief flashed in Kevin's eyes. This was exactly the same situation as with the Third Herrscher, but the Herrscher had only just swallowed the Herrscher of Thunder Core!
Elysia followed closely behind, filling the gap in Kevin's attack.
An Yu's body hardened, enduring the blow head-on. Although it would cause irreversible damage to her body, it was almost over, so who cared?
Kevin sighed, abandoning the high mobility of the Key of the Void. His previous dream told him that the Herrscher of Herrscher of Thunder's ability could detect Imaginary Space.
Kalpas's figure slowly crawled out of the shattered ice, filled with rage, targeting the companions who had invited him in the past.
A three-way power struggle has emerged, with An Yu and Kalpas currently acting as allies.
"Kalpas, can I explain this to you later?" Elysia pleaded wearily.
She even felt that she had already made too many concessions this time.
Logically, An Yu should have tried to interrupt them, but he only spoke softly, "Has any of you... paid attention to the conductivity of ice?"
What does that mean? Elysia quickly recalled her high school physics knowledge: Ice and Lightning don't have combination attacks, right?
"The electrical conductivity of pure ice can be considered to be zero."
An Yu's self-questioning and self-answering explanation.
What's the meaning?
This means that when fighting against the Ice and Lightning Herrscher, you should never choose Xiao Kong.
Kevin instinctively swung his arms, trying to escape the battlefield using the Key of the Void, but the wind-up animation for using the Key of the Void seemed so long compared to lightning.
The pure, white, and transparent ice was instantly covered by a violent and dazzling purple lightning.
Elysia's almost instinctive Starry Sea's Protection successfully brought the Herrscher to the brink of death. The space was small; at worst, they could all perish together.
"Hahaha..."
Huh? You can withstand the electric current and give me a hard hit?
An Yu suddenly felt relieved. Indeed, this was a world that valued strength. Apart from a few physical characteristics that could be used to overthrow superiors, a high level of power meant true strength, and strong numerical values meant pure strength. Not using any cunning was tantamount to courting death.
However, the next level is yet to come.
A massive amount of Honkai energy surrounded and protected the goddess. Elysia barely managed to support her body as the Herrscher finally reached out and clenched her fist.
She didn't understand what this meant, but the remnants of the Key of the Void beneath the Herrscher gave her a sense of foreboding.
Elysia staggered, trying to pierce the Herrscher's body, but failed. Even though the Herrscher was frozen, her life was rapidly slipping away, and she was nearing her end.
"To die together?"
Elysia didn't understand the Herrscher's purpose in doing this until she saw the ice coffin beside her. Even though pure ice has almost zero conductivity, it had lost its protective barrier after the previous attack.
Ultimately, this is a real world; putting in more effort will always bridge the gap, it's just a matter of efficiency.
"I guess you could call it a win..."
When she crawled out of the intricate dungeon, the ground had lost its brilliance; ice crystals covered the Fire Moth. This once-prosperous city with 20 million permanent residents seemed lifeless.
"What a joke..." she murmured absentmindedly, "The Key of Wind was meant to deal with attacks on cities, how could it have fallen to this state?"
Elysia casually killed Honkai Beast that darted out from the side, and casually pushed open a door. Extreme Cold ice spikes were intertwined inside the room, and blood was flowing all over the floor, still dripping as she pushed open the door.
The sound caught in her throat. Then she remembered; she finally knew where that ominous feeling had come from.
"Null..."
The Herrscher of the Void used it on the Great Britain Island. The gaze of the Void Realm would help him aim at everything, but the Herrscher only obtained the core of the Void before his death.
Even before the Seven Thunders of Retribution were initially stolen, the Herrscher's intention was clearly to escape.
She staggered to the command center.
The magnificent building has now been transformed into an ice and snow castle, its gates tightly shut, lifelike. Elysia looked at it, but she simply didn't have the strength to push it open.
She leaned against the cold wall, slowly slid down to the ground, looked up at the azure sky, and let the Honkai Beast roam the city, as if they were also carrying out some kind of mission.
"Ruthlessness leads to efficiency... Efficiency is correct, but what about ruthlessness?"
Elysia didn't know, but with each restart and each time she chose to give up in order to take a shortcut, she seemed to have lost something.
The kindness, gentleness, and empathy she once took pride in are being eroded little by little, and her heart, like this frozen land, is gradually becoming numb.
With her Origin divine power, even in its purest form, she could withstand the previous attacks. When did she... become so weak?
"I'm so tired..." She closed her eyes, a bitter, slightly salty taste on her lips.
"If Xiaoyu were here, he would be the smartest."
[Game Level 5, Condensed from Frost - Completed.]
[Friendly reminder: You are getting closer to the truth of the world.]
Book 1: Chapter 114, Section 113 Anna Shaniat
Vienna