This unknown Herrscher was indeed very sinister, almost like a true mastermind. But, as Copper Rust had said, the best battlefield for this ability was infiltration and control.
Quietly dismantling resistance, even turning important enemy figures into one's own, this was undetectable. The reason Ryan could sense it was, in his estimation, because it felt like "a kindred" feeling.
That's right, no more talk of science, 'feeling'—this mysterious thing—was now on the table.
"But I have to thank this mystical, stepping away from logic, and making decisions based on instinct!"
Raging snowflakes struck his face. The earth had already melted into a large hole, filled with residual electricity and flowing water.
Ryan looked toward the distant mountain, the abandoned research facility he visited a few days ago. There were no clues, no signs, but Ryan had a strong sense about it.
It was as if he'd just written a series of complex formulas, and now the answer was almost clear.
Well then, here I come.
Boom—
Lightning streaked through the cloudy sky, cutting through the heavy snow. The small mountain exploded immediately, the snow and pine trees flying into the air, creating a spectacular mushroom cloud.
However, the grand scene made of frozen soil only lasted a moment, and then the howling winds wiped it all clean.
A large crater was left on the peak, revealing what was inside: a fully enclosed chamber, with no vents. Twisted steel was scattered everywhere.
Not far from there was a jet-black sphere, blocking the storm, leaving smooth cut marks on the ground.
In front of it, once again, the storm howled, and lightning flashed. A man knelt on one knee, gradually straightening his body.
"So, you're here, you trickster insect."
When Ryan saw the black sphere, all his calculations came to a conclusion. As he expected, the hideout was right here.
It was indeed hidden well; just a hundred meters away from me the other day, yet I didn't notice it. If it weren't for following the trail step by step, I'd never have found it, even digging to the depths.
The shadow separated like flowing water, revealing what was inside, reflecting in Ryan gray eyes, causing his brow to furrow involuntarily.
There was a bed, with many small teddy bears placed on it. A slender figure sat by the window, wearing a linen robe. From under the robe, a pair of pale, slender legs stretched out, with no shoes or socks.
White hair, crimson eyes, appearing about twelve or thirteen years old. The face was pitifully delicate, but there were many scratches on the long neck, almost like a desecrated piece of art.
The reason Ryan furrowed his brow wasn't due to her appearance, or perhaps he had seen too many Herrschers deceive with their appearances, but it was the feeling this girl gave him.
She seemed like a Herrscher, yet not entirely like one, strange but also somehow a relief.
How could humans create a real Herrscher? She must be some kind of experimental product, specifically a pseudo-Herrscher?
High adaptability to Honkai Energy, individuals exposed to long-term, high-concentration Honkai Energy experience an accumulation effect, resulting in mutations, but without forming the Herrscher core.
A humanoid Honkai beast, a pseudo-Herrscher. Over time, she might eventually become a real Herrscher.
'I remember in the future, there was a pseudo-Herrscher who made Teresa eat dirt at lightning speed, but I've forgotten the name.'
Ryan mind churned, but one thing was certain—this thing was no longer human.
"Aren't you a bit strange?" the girl raised her head, her voice clear, but faint, like a frightened little rabbit.
"What's so strange about it? The world's full of oddities, isn't it?" Ryan didn't rush to take action, finding this girl intriguing. "You seem more human than those monsters. Very misleading."
"Can't I be like a human?"
"No," Ryan shook his head firmly. "You'll slowly lose these traits, and in the end, you'll still become a heartless monster."
He nearly understood. A pseudo-Herrscher was more like a contract worker, while a real Herrscher was akin to a permanent employee—both were chosen by Collapse. Over time, there was a chance for promotion.
Ryan would never let her get promoted!
Such power, no, this ability, was even more dangerous than a true Herrscher of wind. It could truly crumble human society.
"One last question: why are you mixed up with them? At the moment you stopped being human, you should have known your mission, right?"
The girl tilted her head, looking troubled, instinctively answering, "Humans truly believe in me, so why not give them something in return?"
This...
Ryan was left speechless. Was this pure naivety? Or were those people just asking for it?
"How did you become a pseudo-Herrscher? Theoretically, it shouldn't have been successful."
The girl looked even more troubled and asked in return, "Have you ever heard of 'Paradise'?"
Paradise?
In an instant, Ryan understood completely, recalling the photo Mei had shown him. He saw the girl rise, slowly pulling up her robe.
"You know, you're right about one thing. I am indeed a monster, I will destroy humanity, and I must eliminate this rotten civilization. Want to know my name?"
Ryan pupils rapidly contracted as the robe was lifted.
This wasn't a girl—it was...
"My name is Adam. You can call me the one who has suffered."
Ryan wasn't surprised. To be chosen by Honkai, hatred for the world was one of the prerequisites. Still, human nature instinctively generated the word "sorry."
He didn't turn into the Holy Mother on the spot. Instead, he raised his right hand, lightning flickering, forming a purple thunder spear in his palm.
"I'm sorry, but I'll send you to your release!"
No need to contemplate philosophical dilemmas. Regardless of Adam's tragic past, from a standpoint of principle, he had to be sent to his death.
A hundred meters apart, Ryan looked deeply at the boy, took a step forward, and threw the spear.
Thunderstrike Spear!
The shockwave spread before him. The moment it left his hand, the spear fell into the distance, and the world seemed to pause for a moment.
Boom—Rumble—
The roaring Honkai Energy covered everything within a hundred meters, like a bolt of lightning splitting from the ground to the sky. The wooden bed and toys vanished in an instant.
He wasn't dead.
Ryan confirmed it with feedback, narrowing his eyes as he looked to the side. He saw a giant scythe sweeping towards him, like a pendulum.
Silent, yet cutting through the ground as if slicing cheese. It slashed directly at Ryan, stopping just a few meters from his chest.
The air shimmered with ripples. The invisible authority stopped it. The scythe disintegrated in an instant, transforming into hundreds of black ribbons, wrapping toward Ryan from all directions.
Swish, swish, swish.
The ground was cut, rocks were shattered, and anything that touched it was torn apart, ultimately forming a sphere.
'The extreme Honkai Energy is about 1000HW. It's still far weaker than a real Herrscher, a bit stronger than an adjudication-class Honkai beast, but its abilities are more aligned with authority.'
What they called authority was to overturn a rule. And with its humanoid form and small size, it was extremely hard to capture.
"Sorry, I also want to experience the feeling of breaking through ten with one!"
Arc after arc appeared on the surface of the air bubble, atomic-level links formed a net-like structure, which then became dazzling under the violent Honkai Energy.
From the inside out, annihilating everything!
Boom!
Purple lightning exploded the black sphere. Ryan vision cleared. He scanned the surroundings and saw the shadows receding like a tide. His brow furrowed.
He couldn't find the original body. Had it hidden?
It wasn't that he couldn't find it—it was that Adam was everywhere, in the projections of the rubble, beneath the shadows of the broken wood, giving off the feeling of being inside a domain.
Such a unique ability. Could it be that the body he had gathered earlier was also fake? Otherwise, there's no way it could escape my attack range.
Ryan mind raced, and the black shadows returned. This time they came from behind, crawling along the ground like twisting poisonous snakes.
Changed tactics, huh?
Swish—
Ryan turned around, sweeping his right hand. The ground was sliced in half, splitting the shadows, but the front halves continued forward, causing Ryan to instinctively leap into the air.
However, just as he climbed, he sensed something was wrong, because the shadow snakes didn't pursue him. Instead, they lunged toward the remnants of his projection on the ground.
Boom!
Lightning struck, turning these black snakes into nothingness before they could touch it. This thing was indeed strange, but at its core, it was still an extension of Honkai Energy. Ryan could use stronger Honkai Energy to obliterate it.
It was both scientific and magical.
In the blink of an eye, he shot up several dozen meters into the air. Looking down, Ryan saw that the black shadows, which had previously surged like a tide, were now splitting into millions of pieces, dodging and advancing, chasing the projections he left on the ground.
His ability needs to touch my projections to activate? A defect of the pseudo-Herrscher?
Ryan quickly arrived at a conclusion. He knew what he had to do.
Retreat was impossible, so—
Even greater Honkai Energy gathered in the air, and Ryan transformed into a dazzling plasma ball.
With even greater output, I'll crush you!