The Limits of Stigmata

Chapter 24: The Limits of Stigmata

Jackal became utterly absorbed in researching the relic, while Raven led Shi Hen through the base, indulging in a lavish lifestyle of eating, drinking, and entertainment.

Although the base was remotely located and lacked many luxury supplies, it had more than enough to provide for a small number of upper-ranking personnel.

And clearly, Raven, as one of the organization's cadres, was among that select few.

As always, the privileges of high-ranking personnel in World Serpent were openly acknowledged.

As long as you were capable enough, you could decide the life and death of lower-ranking personnel at will.

The law of the jungle and survival of the fittest were displayed to their fullest within World Serpent.

World Serpent had never pursued fairness or justice.

Naturally, this was far from friendly toward the weak.

Fortunately, both Shi Hen and Raven belonged among the strong.

While enjoying life at the base, Raven also taught the youth these rules, letting him understand exactly what kind of environment he was in.

Yet before even a week had passed, their peaceful but far-from-dull days were disrupted by an unexpected development—and it came from the owner of this base, Jackal.

"You really know how to order people around, Jackal."

Inside the transport ship's lounge, Raven sneered at the scientist.

"I'm helping you loosen up." Jackal stirred the coffee in her white porcelain cup with a teaspoon as she shot back with a cold laugh. "Stay in that base any longer, and you'll turn into a ball."

Naturally, she knew what Raven and Shi Hen had been doing at the base these past few days. She simply had not cared.

"Hah. My figure is far better than yours."

Raven looked utterly confident.

She was a combatant, unlike someone who holed up in a laboratory all day.

Besides, even while running around and having fun with Shi Hen, she had mixed in some training. For example, they had wrecked over a dozen Tactical Mechs in the base.

The organization would reimburse the expenses anyway, so she did not need to pay a thing.

"Oh? Is that so?"

Jackal puffed out her chest, and her enormous assets trembled slightly.

Raven: "..."

She hated anyone taller than her with longer legs.

Caught between the two trembling cadres, Shi Hen flipped through the information for this mission and asked, "So our target this time is the newly appeared Emperor-class Honkai Beast, Ganesha?"

Something capable of pulling Jackal away from her relic research was naturally no ordinary matter.

And an Emperor-class high-ranking Honkai Beast undoubtedly qualified. Not to mention that Ganesha was the first of its kind to appear in this era.

In other words, Jackal wanted to claim the first clear of a world boss.

In this era, when even the Third Herrscher had yet to be born, Emperor-class Honkai Beasts were rare creatures. One might not encounter one even after several years.

Of course, alongside their rarity, Emperor-class Honkai Beasts were also symbols of destruction.

Under normal circumstances, even elite A-rank Valkyries had to throw away their lives when facing high-ranking variants. Without losing several people, they could not handle one.

However, once the standard rose to S-rank, things became much simpler.

That was also why Jackal had brought Shi Hen along.

As for Raven... theoretically, she possessed strength not inferior to an S-rank Valkyrie, but there were differences even among S-ranks.

Once Rita advanced as well, Raven could probably raise her own rating a little.

After all, S-rank was merely Schicksal's job classification. It was not as if some voice from the world would announce your promotion once your strength reached a certain level.

Before actually fighting one, no one could claim to rival Schicksal's S-rank Valkyries.

When Durandal had been the only S-rank Valkyrie, the strongest at that level could truly be called peerless among men.

But once Rita joined the S-rank ranks, many people's combat prowess could match that of an S-rank Valkyrie.

Hearing Shi Hen's question, Jackal temporarily disengaged from her standoff with Raven and glanced at the youth. "That's right.

"Once we capture Ganesha and fully uncover the secrets of Emperor-class Honkai Beasts, I could even turn you into a Fusion Warrior of the new era!"

Her plan to control Honkai had not yet succeeded, yet Jackal was already making another grand promise.

Then, as if remembering something, Jackal added, "Right, you probably don't know what a Fusion Warrior is yet, do you? I can responsibly tell you that Fusion Warriors..."

"Cut the nonsense. Shi Hen has no interest in becoming a monster."

Raven interrupted her directly.

As a World Serpent cadre who had experienced the Elysian Realm's trials, she knew very well what Fusion Warriors were.

In short, Fusion Warriors could no longer be considered human at all.

Though she often said Shi Hen was as strong as a monster, she did not want him to actually become one.

Shi Hen: "..."

He was actually quite interested in Fusion Warriors.

Of course, he was merely curious. He had no intention of becoming one, nor did he want a few extra pairs of horns growing from his head.

Wasn't being human good enough?

Besides, his system cheat was already enough for him.

"Fine, don't listen. I'm too lazy to explain anyway."

Jackal curled her lip.

How many people would have begged for a personal explanation from World Serpent's chief scientist? Yet these two actually dared to find it objectionable.

"One more thing. When you fight the Honkai Beast later, go a little easier on it. I want it alive."

Jackal said it lightly, as if it were a trivial matter as simple as eating or drinking.

"Wait... capture it alive? Jackal, are you insane!?"

Raven's pupils visibly widened at those words.

Did this woman even understand what an Emperor-class Honkai Beast represented!?

"What? Is there a problem? Shi Hen should be able to do it easily, right?"

Jackal did not think there was anything wrong with that.

In her calculations, S-rank Valkyrie = Herrscher, Shi Hen = Durandal = S-rank Valkyrie.

And as everyone knew, Emperor-class Honkai Beasts were little more than servants before a Herrscher. They could be killed in an instant, so Shi Hen could naturally do the same.

With all that considered, was asking him to capture Ganesha alive not perfectly reasonable?

Shi Hen: "..."

He really wanted to say he could not do it.

In his normal state, he was about as strong as Raven. They belonged to the sort who needed to expend tremendous effort just to eliminate an Emperor-class Honkai Beast.

If he used his burst state, he could gain the power to quickly deal with a Honkai Beast, but... it was exhausting.

He would need a long period of rest to recover fully.

That was why even someone as tough as Durandal would not casually unleash her full power.

"I can do it, but it'll come at a great cost."

Shi Hen was hinting that she needed to pay more.

He felt that he had truly absorbed Senior Raven's essence.

But unexpectedly, Jackal merely frowned in confusion. "Why are you so weak!?"

There was no personal praise or criticism in her voice. She sounded as though she were simply wondering why ripe apples did not fly into the sky, her question carrying an utterly matter-of-fact quality.

In Jackal's mind, Herrschers could casually one-shot Emperor-class variants, so why did Shi Hen fall short?

"..."

Shi Hen's fists hardened.

If you did not know how to speak, you could choose to shut up.

"I heard that there was once a Stigmata awakener in Shenzhou who could slay a Herrscher with a single sword strike. You should be able to do that too."

Jackal spoke with absolute certainty, as though she were merely stating the axiom that one plus one equaled two.

According to the records she had seen, that Stigmata awakener had been able to unleash power comparable to a Fusion Warrior for a short time.

And as everyone knew, Fusion Warriors were far stronger than Herrschers.

Therefore, it was obviously true that Stigmata awakeners surpassed Herrschers.

Naturally, ordinary Stigmata awakeners could not do that, but Shi Hen was not ordinary to begin with, since he could already rival an S-rank Valkyrie.

Whether in Honkai Energy adaptability or control over Honkai Energy, Shi Hen had displayed abilities far beyond those of ordinary Stigmata awakeners.

"I think you should see a neurologist."

Shi Hen offered the suggestion sincerely.

He genuinely felt that something was seriously wrong with Jackal's brain.

What kind of misunderstanding did this woman have about a Herrscher's strength? Did she think Herrschers were stray cats and dogs by the roadside, things she could casually knock out and take home?

As someone who had already developed his own Stigmata to their full potential, Shi Hen could tell her clearly that the limit of Stigmata was merely the ability to contend with Herrschers for a short time.

After all, Herrschers were the true favored children of the era, while Stigmata were merely byproducts of Fusion Warrior technology.

Trying to overcome a superior era with something inherently flawed was impossible, even for him.

"Are you questioning my theory?"

Jackal frowned.

You could question my combat ability, but you could not question my brain!

"Ms. Jackal, do you have a Stigmata?"

Shi Hen asked.

"Of course not." Jackal answered righteously. "I know what you want to say, but I'm also deeply versed in research on zombies and Honkai Beasts. Do I need to become a zombie or Honkai Beast first?

"Do you understand Stigmata better, or do I!?"

Strictly speaking, Shi Hen's Natural Stigmata had not yet been scientifically verified.

But as World Serpent's chief scientist, Jackal was not so incompetent that she could not recognize something so simple.

No one understood Natural Stigmata better than her!

Shi Hen: "..."

He felt that he probably understood Stigmata better, because no one understood him better than he did.

"Ms. Jackal, do you know the limits of Stigmata?"

Shi Hen asked tactfully.

"Of course." Jackal nodded confidently. "Isn't the limit of Stigmata a Fusion Warrior?"

"That's true."

Raven also spoke in agreement, reaching a rare consensus with Jackal.

Having gone through the Elysian Realm and encountered that Mobius, Raven knew that although Natural Stigmata and Fusion Warriors operated on different technical principles, Stigmata awakeners could, in a sense, also be considered Fusion Warriors.

Because the Stigmata genes capable of expressing themselves within human bodies had actually originated from Honkai Beasts.

"You don't need to worry about what a Fusion Warrior is. You only need to know that Stigmata pushed to their limit can easily surpass Herrschers."

Jackal was utterly confident.

World Serpent had recorded quite a few Stigmata awakeners, but not a single one had reached Shi Hen's level. They could not even find someone close.

If even Shi Hen could not surpass a Herrscher, then it would undoubtedly mean that her entire direction of research into Stigmata was fundamentally wrong.