Starting as a Behind-the-Scenes Boss in the Honkai World Chapter 24

And clearly, she wouldn't be wrong.

Therefore, the ones who must be wrong are those who awakened Stigmata.

"???"

Shi Hen felt like his understanding of the world was flawed.

While Stigmata technology was related to fused warriors, the two were fundamentally different things.

The limit for fused warriors was Kevin, and the limit for natural Stigmata... theoretically, it should be him.

In his perception, the Stigmata within his body had already been fully developed, with no hidden power remaining.

But even when he exerted the power of his Stigmata to its absolute limit, he could only contend with a Herrscher for a short time, falling far short of a fused warrior.

Yet, why did Jackal and Raven both believe that Stigmata could rival fused warriors?

Was it a difference in understanding between him and the executives, or had he overlooked something?

Gazing at the scenery of the underwater spaceport through the lounge's porthole, Shi Hen couldn't help but fall into deep thought.

Chapter Twenty-Five: Third Squad

Somewhere in Northern India.

Two days prior, this had been a thriving urban area, home to hundreds of thousands of people who had built a home that, while perhaps not luxurious, was sufficient for their needs.

But at this very moment, regardless of whether the buildings here had been ornate or dilapidated, only the broken remnants of ruins remained.

White hordes of beasts walked among them, occasionally letting out loud hisses, as if proclaiming themselves the new masters of this place.

However, if one looked down from high above, they would notice that the city hadn't completely turned to a desolate gray; a small area in the southern part still retained its vibrant colors.

Green-painted armored vehicles formed a perimeter on the outside, with green dots moving within – these were the troops and soldiers on patrol. Further behind was a conspicuous expanse of white, which were the bandages being dried by the hospital.

And at the very back was a chaotic patch of colors, a temporary refugee settlement, its colors jumbled but full of vitality.

Within this same city, two colors stood in stark opposition, refusing to yield, like two bulls locked in combat, tensing all their strength to tear the other apart.

Throughout history, in all directions, the confrontation between Honkai and civilization had largely been like this: if you retreat, I advance, with no room for buffer, only the demise of one side to declare the end.

Standing on the deck of the aerial battleship, witnessing this scene, Leona couldn't help but feel a moment of distraction.

No matter when it was, humanity's and civilization's resilience were always so astonishing.

The wind at high altitude blew fiercely, lifting the Valkyrie's long, coffee-colored hair and brushing against her cheek with a slight tickle.

"Leona!"

A voice called from behind. Leona turned her head and saw a woman with waist-length black hair walking towards her against the strong wind.

"Shima!"

Upon seeing the woman, a smile naturally appeared on Leona's face.

"I knew you'd be here."

Saying this with a smile, Shima sat down next to Leona.

The deck of the aerial battleship was not equipped with protective railings or anything similar. If an ordinary person were to stand on the deck of a moving battleship, they would likely have been flung into the air to experience freefall.

But for two well-trained Valkyries, walking on the deck as if on solid ground was not difficult.

In certain situations, they even had to run across the battlefield on drones in their high-speed states.

"Compared to the projection screen, I still prefer to observe the battlefield with my own eyes."

Tucking a stray strand of mischievous hair behind her ear, preventing it from hitting her companion beside her, Leona explained with a smile.

Even though the images seen through a screen were clearer, and the onboard AI even helped to mark details, she simply preferred to see things with her own eyes.

Only by doing so could she deeply feel how close she was to the battlefield, so close that it felt like she could leap forward and land right in front of those monsters.

Although, in most cases, that was indeed the reality.

Aerial battleships were steel fortresses born for combat, never hanging back.

"Mhm, it really does look different from how it appears in the bridge."

Shima also leaned her head slightly forward, looking down at the scene below, her tone carrying a hint of emotion.

From this height of a thousand meters, everything on the ground appeared as small as ants, and the buildings were like building blocks.

Her gaze swept across, taking in the entire battlefield, giving her the illusion of controlling everything.

Watching the various lights flicker on, with black smoke rising and forming thin lines, Shima fell silent for a moment before speaking, "The first squad deployed three minutes ago."

In the face of large-scale Honkai disasters, Valkyrie units typically wouldn't deploy just one squad.

Coordinated operations involving multiple squads, supplemented by artillery barrages, were the standard methods for people in this era to deal with Honkai.

What era was this? Who would still engage in a fair 1v1 duel with Honkai Beasts?

Just like now, the regular troops had already been deployed to the battlefield three hours ago, aiming to scatter the Honkai Beasts, reduce their numbers as much as possible, and create opportunities for them, the Valkyries, to attack.

After all, Valkyries were also human, not monsters who could fight for seven days and nights without rest after drinking a few potions.

Normally, for a three-person squad to eliminate twenty Honkai Beasts in a day would be considered a remarkable achievement.

"How much time do we have left?"

Leona asked, her tone as calm as a lake on a clear morning.

"The estimated time from above is ten minutes," Shima replied in the same calm voice. "But if the first squad is lucky, it'll be less."

It was a case of one move affecting the whole board.

Multiple Valkyrie squads gathered together, forming a massive war machine, where one gear completing its objective would trigger the next.

"I see."

Leona sighed, her tone gaining a slight tremor.

"The target this time is Ganesha, a new Emperor-class Honkai Beast," Shima said, her voice involuntarily deepening.

Leona remained silent.

"One day ago, the seventh squad encountered Ganesha. Not a single one of them survived," Shima continued as if to herself. "Afterward, intelligence analysis indicated that Ganesha's carapace was too strong for the seventh squad's firepower to penetrate its defenses."

For some, a new Emperor-class Honkai Beast meant new research material.

But for frontline Valkyries like them, a new monster meant mystery and the unknown, as well as death.

Every piece of intel about its abilities had to be bought with the lives of Valkyries.

"I'll do it."

Leona finally spoke, her voice gentle yet firm.

"Mm, I believe you," Shima nodded.

"I will definitely do it," Leona reiterated, her brown eyes shining brightly.

"Leona..."

Looking at the determined girl, Shima seemed lost in thought.

"I am the third squad's best heavy artillery specialist, so I will definitely do it," Leona said, as if explaining or declaring, her voice slow and heavy, each word carrying weight. "I will definitely bring everyone back."

For Valkyries, every sortie could be a final farewell, as you could never predict what you might encounter.

Some who went out never came back, their positions left vacant until a newcomer filled them.

But no matter how well a new squad bonded, the scar of that vacancy would always remain, never disappearing.

Having been a Valkyrie for eight years, Leona had long grown accustomed to such occurrences.

Yet, even so, she had never chosen to accept it, always fighting against it to the very end.

Because she was the third squad's best heavy artillery specialist, the third squad's captain for four years...

"Captain..."

Shima couldn't help but utter the title she hadn't used in a long time.

Having been partners for many years, they had long since grown accustomed to addressing each other by name.

"Mm," Leona responded softly, glancing at the signal flare rising below. She patted her uniform and stood up. "Let's go, Shima. The first squad has found Ganesha."

The first squad's mission was complete; now it was time for their third squad's battle.

Chapter Twenty-Six: Raven's Repeated Defeat

The transport ship departed the port, its energy shield already raised, separating it from the seawater. This kept the hull dry even when submerged nearly a hundred meters deep.

On the deck, looking at the energy shield above, which protected the floating battleship like an eggshell, Shi Hen couldn't help but exclaim, "What amazing technology."

Although he could also use Honkai Energy to create a similar effect, he still couldn't understand how the machinery managed it.

After all, he was purely a combatant and couldn't even pilot a mecha.

"What's this? I heard Anti-Entropy has an underwater city. That's truly spectacular," Raven scoffed, feeling a sense of superiority over the boy's "Grandma Liu visiting the Grand View Garden" behavior.

She was a mercenary who had seen the world.

Jackal... oh, sorry, Jackal was still holed up in the lounge.

As a researcher, Jackal didn't possess the immense power of Shi Hen and the others. Staying on deck might lead to him falling off at any moment.

"Has Natasha been there?" Shi Hen asked with some surprise.

At this point in time, Sea Abyss City was still an unreleased map. Even Schicksal didn't know of such a place. World Serpent... well, it was common knowledge that Anti-Entropy was a branch of World Serpent. Any more exclamations would just be padding.

"No," Raven stated frankly, her pride undiminished.

Shi Hen: "..."

What are you so proud of if you haven't even been there?

Bang—

The transport ship broke through the surface of the sea, and bright sunlight immediately spilled down, giving a feeling of exhilaration like the clouds parting to reveal the sun.

At the same time, the energy shield was retracted for energy-saving purposes, and a strong wind immediately blew, causing the clothes of the two to flutter.

"Ah, I haven't felt the sun in so long."

Stretching lazily, Raven's ample chest also trembled, making the young man beside her subconsciously avert his gaze.

The Mercenary Queen only looked young, but in reality, her figure was quite well-endowed.

"Oh my, are you embarrassed by this? Many assassins like to use the honey trap tactic, you know~"

Noticing the change in the young man's gaze, Raven couldn't help but tease him, deliberately swaying her chest.

She felt like she was on top of her game again.

Feeling even more flustered, Shi Hen couldn't help but take half a step back and said, "Those people are not qualified to use tactics in front of me."

Even with his eyes closed, he could still wreak havoc in the underworld.

For those who had not mastered Honkai Energy, the terror of someone like Shi Hen was unimaginable.

In the primitive era before the development of science, Stigmata awakeners were equivalent to gods walking among mortals.

Of course, this was only limited to those who had developed their Stigmata to a certain extent.

As a fellow Stigmata awakener, Shi Hen could already go toe-to-toe with Schicksal's S-rank Valkyries, while a certain coward could only hide in a toy box.

"What about me, then?"

Saying this with a charming laugh, Raven leaned closer to the young man again.