"Wrong position..."
"Didn't go in..."
"This isn't working either..."
"...(Sweating profusely, if that were possible for me)"
"...It's finally done!!"
Time didn't exactly fly.
Even so, a full half-hour had passed since the Magic Knight had come to "help," before Lu Xing, after a period of "un(good)describable" activity, finally completed his random mission to his satisfaction.
Putting other things aside.
Just the sensation of those smooth, delicate, slightly cool thighs... no, to be precise, "the sensation of the horse legs of the equine beast-form of an ice-attribute Knight-class Honkai Beast"—it was truly something one couldn't get enough of.
What's that?
You suspect Lu Xing's X.P. needs medical attention?
Then one can only say that you, sir, do not understand the merits of a horse. One need only mention a few names—Tokai Teio, Silence Suzuka, Mejiro McQueen... How about it? Are you not immediately beginning to reshape your understanding of the words "horse legs"?
In short.
Under circumstances where the details couldn't be elaborated upon.
Lu Xing finally "drilled" his way out from between the Knight-class's hind legs. Slightly abashed—if this particular Knight-class hadn't possessed so little intelligence, he would have had to pack up and leave Earth overnight—he dismissed the Magic Knight and began to study his new weapon.
At this moment.
Lu Xing, focused on the rewards of his mission—and perhaps feeling a little awkward about making eye contact with the Magic Knight—failed to notice something.
The Magic Knight he had summoned.
When departing, it didn't obey his command as completely as an ordinary Knight-class would.
The puppet-like figure on its horse-back, when Lu Xing's attention wasn't focused on it, subtly glanced back at its BOSS.
If Lu Xing had used [Appraisal] at that moment.
He would certainly have seen an extremely brief blur before the Magic Knight's [Legion Guard] affix: this was proof that a new affix was about to be born.
In other words.
If the above "actions" were repeated a few more times... No, it should be said, when a Honkai Beast increased its "intimate contact" with Lu Xing without being killed.
The possibility of obtaining an affix.
To be precise, the possibility of obtaining the [Variant] affix, would be greatly enhanced.
————
"Thud!"
The pitch-black knight lance fell to the ground.
This was the reward for Lu Xing's random mission—the Grade +1 didn't turn the [Plasma Lance] into a blue-quality weapon, but rather directly advanced the lance into an entirely new weapon:
Name: Erosion-type Radiant Star
Type: Weapon
Grade: Hardware (Blue, Elite)
Effect: [Radiant Flame] - Increases thrusting attack damage by 20%. When hitting a unit whose constitution is lower than the wielder's attack power, a throwing technique can be unleashed. When the wielder uses any skill, damage taken is reduced by 30%.
Its entire body was like the pitch-black night sky.
The silver light flowing along its edge and shaft was like the Milky Way hanging in the sky on a sultry summer night.
"Schwing!"
He lifted it in a reverse grip.
Looking at the transformed knight lance, Lu Xing felt quite good—compared to the [Plasma Lance], which he hadn't even used once, the [Radiant Star], while lacking a sense of technology, had an overall color scheme that better matched Lu Xing's current attire.
White skin, black clothes.
It was a perfect match.
"Whoosh!!"
Lu Xing tried swinging it a couple of times. The heavy sound of it cutting through the air was completely different from the light, agile feel of [Frost's Lament], which moved like an extension of his own arm.
The [Radiant Star] was ten times heavier than [Frost's Lament].
Besides its tip, which could be used for thrusting, its sharp shaft could also be used for slashing—its four-edged structure allowed this weapon to be used for cleaving, much like a two-handed greatsword.
Even though he still needed more practice to wield it effectively.
Once he mastered it, the [Radiant Star] would undoubtedly become a new killing tool in Lu Xing's hands.
And just as Lu Xing was about to find a Honkai Beast to practice on.
"Whoosh—"
There was no natural wind in this underground space.
The "spring breeze" that rushed towards him, carrying a sensation comfortable to Honkai Beasts, was an energy tide emanating from the central Honkai Fissure.
However, what was different from usual was that this time, the tidal energy surging into his body also carried a command from the Ice Emperor:
"Rest for a moment, then the entire army moves out."
————
The phrasing above.
Was Lu Xing's translated version.
Anyway, the meaning was more or less correct—this space itself was a gathering point. The Honkai Beast legion, poised and ready, didn't need to rest at all. As long as the "gate" was opened, they could charge out immediately.
The so-called rest.
Actually referred to opening the portal to the surface.
To send all the Honkai Beasts out in one go was likely beyond the Ice Emperor's own power.
It had to borrow the help of the Honkai Fissure.
To put it simply:
The Ice Emperor was now about to start channeling the portal spell!
"Humans..."
Lu Xing's gaze slowly drifted upwards.
The high dome was not without end. Somewhere above this space, covered in Honkai energy crystals, was very likely a human city.
According to the intelligence obtained from the tablet computer.
Among the six remaining cities in eastern Australia, even the one with the smallest population had a full... 100,000 people.
It sounded small.
But that was when measured against the population density of the Celestial Empire.
On the Australian continent, which was already vast and sparsely populated, even the capital, Canberra, had a population of merely four hundred thousand.
And that was the figure before the Honkai Eruption.
The Honkai, which had appeared from the west and continuously eroded eastward, now approaching the border of the central-eastern region, had caused the entire Australian population to plummet by 75%—less than half of those had truly died from Honkai Sickness or Honkai Beasts; the vast majority of residents had already left their homes, taking their families with them.
In other words.
The "city with the smallest population" Lu Xing had just referred to was, in fact, the capital of the entire continent.
There was no reasoning with the Honkai invasion. Once the legion moved out, hundreds of thousands of lives would be utterly wiped out in a short period.
"Hah!"
Lu Xing heaved a long sigh.
The truly wealthy and powerful had probably already left this "dangerous" land.
Those who still chose to remain in Australia, apart from politicians, experimental organizations, warmongers, and speculators, were mostly ordinary people who found it hard to leave their homeland—either they were elderly, had mobility issues, were overcome with nostalgia, or... were simply deceived.
Lu Xing was not human.
But he wasn't purely a Honkai Beast either.
Lu Xing, who stood with a foot in both camps but was already leaning more towards the Honkai Beast side, still decided to "help" the ordinary people as much as he could.
Call it hypocrisy, or self-satisfaction that set his mind at ease.
In short.
Lu Xing wanted to do something.
He plunged the pitch-black lance into the fissure, gathered his few belongings, and strode towards the very center of the entire space.
His body was that of a Honkai Beast.
He would not stop the Ice Emperor, nor would he shy away from participating in this war... or slaughter.
But before that.
Lu Xing hoped to save as many innocent lives as possible, even if just a few more.
That was all.