205. The Ever-Changing Honkai
Through Vill-V and Mobius's experiments, it was discovered that Vishnu's growth had virtually no upper limit.
Or rather, it seemed they couldn't reach that limit at all at the moment.
However, the more Vishnu devoured, the less rationality it retained. After devouring a King-level Honkai Beast, it even attacked the two of them directly.
To prevent Vishnu from being unable to revert to its original form, the two discussed it and decided to terminate the experiment.
It wasn't that they had a change of heart; it was simply that Kevin had gotten involved.
Kevin couldn't accept using his former companion as a test subject.
However, Mobius had already collected enough data and, together with Vill-V, performed surgery on Vishnu, restoring it to its original state.
The surgery was successful. Vishnu not only regained its original appearance but also experienced a significant increase in power, with its stats even comparable to Kevin's current wielding of the Judgment of Shamash.
The two then proposed upgrading Vishnu's rating from Judgment-class to Vipralopa-class.
These are the only two Vipralopa-Class Honkai Beasts.
The first Vipralopa-class Honkai Beast, 'Mahesevara', was already dead when the Fire Moth discovered it.
However, the Honkai energy emitted by his corpse after death far exceeded that of Judgment-class Honkai Beasts, thus earning him a separate classification as Vipralopa-class.
No one knows why it died, nor who defeated it in an era before the MANTIS Warriors appeared.
The cause of Mahesevara's death remains a mystery, and to date, only Elysia has been able to perfectly fuse with his Honkai Beast ICHOR.
Those who fused with Mahesevara's factor either died or became 'Crystallized Beings,' imprisoned in the deepest depths.
Due to Vishnu's unique properties, perhaps Kosma could be given some special missions if the opportunity arises.
He was simply increasing his strength to the maximum extent he could manage; if that was all, Kevin shouldn't be able to interfere.
Dr. Mai was also curious about just how far Kosma could grow.
With Kosma's matter settled, Vill-V returned to her hectic work schedule.
First, she created the Ninth Divine Key, 'Cosmic Harmony', which possessed the ability to manipulate gravity and unexpectedly complemented her major benefactor, Eden.
This also became Eden's exclusive weapon.
Eden made no secret of his fondness for "Cosmic Harmony," which gave Vill-V more available funds to squander on her ingenious little inventions.
This made Mobius green with envy, as their lab's development funds were just as much, if not more, than Vill-V's.
And they occasionally had to cut back on food, living on instant noodles.
The creation of the Eighth Divine Key was also put on the agenda, but the creator wasn't Vill-V, but unexpectedly, Aponia. Perhaps because the core of the Herrscher of Sentience is quite unique, it's better to have a powerful, psychic-sensory MANTIS warrior like Aponia handle the exchange.
Speaking of Aponia, Vill-V always harbored a faint hostility, stemming, of course, from the fact that Aponia wanted to take her beloved younger brother away.
While it didn't quite reach the level of 'stealing,' they would 'occasionally' encounter each other on the road.
Strange, isn't it?
Someone imprisoned in the 'Deepest Place' would casually wander out and coincidentally bump into Vill-V.
Then, with great concern, inquire about her health.
They seemed genuinely concerned for Vill-V, but Vill-V clearly sensed that the other person was worried about Ling, a kind of unfounded worry that Vill-V found odd.
However, Ling had already been thoroughly devoured by several Vill-V's. Even if they were lovers in other worlds, in this world, it's this Vill-V!
Soon, the Tenth Herrscher arrived. Aponia was the first to rescue Mobius and swiftly extracted all the Herrschers from within the Fire Moth.
This made Dr. Mei somewhat suspicious of Aponia, seemingly wondering how she had discovered it.
Aponia explained that she could sense abnormal mental fluctuations, but they were difficult to detect from a distance.
While this explanation didn't convince Dr. Mei, Aponia was, after all, the most powerful psychic-sensory MANTISwarrior, and even Dr. Mei couldn't fully comprehend her abilities.
Afterwards, Aponia immediately found Vill-V and, after speaking with Ling, thankfully, the thing she feared hadn't happened.
"Are you afraid Ling will become that 'Herrscher of Domination'? So, in your world, Ling was once a Herrscher?" Vill-V asked.
"Yes, to prevent the 'Herrscher of Domination' from harming everyone, Ling chose to sacrifice himself, keeping all his evil thoughts within himself, and finally... took his own life."
Aponia seemed to recall that experience, and a tear unconsciously slid down her cheek.
"..." Ling remained silent.
Perhaps due to their different upbringing, he at least lacked that selfless spirit of sacrifice.
He still preferred that as long as Vill-V lived, everything else was irrelevant to him.
"Then do you know what the next Herrscher will be?" Vill-V asked, her eyes half-closed.
"Yes." Aponia nodded.
Before Vill-V could speak, Aponia added, "But I can't say."
"Why?" Ling raised an eyebrow. If she knew what the next Herrscher would be, wouldn't they be able to prepare in advance?
"There's no way to prevent it. The Honkai changes. If I tell you, and you've prepared beforehand, then the Herrscher that descends won't be the one I'm talking about," Aponia explained.
"…Indeed, the Honkai is constantly testing humanity's limits."
Vill-V had discussed this issue with Ling before.
After the Seventh Herrscher, the Eighth and Ninth Herrschers' fighting style had actually shifted from frontal attacks to flanking maneuvers. The arrival of the Tenth Herrscher is a prime example.
The turning point for the Seventh Herrscher was the birth of the MANTIS Warriors.
The power of the MANTIS Warriors is undeniable; Kevin, fresh from surgery, was even able to defeat the Herrscher of Fire single-handedly.
The other MANTIS Warriors were generally capable of fighting Emperor-level Honkai Beasts individually, with exceptionally skilled ones even capable of soloing Judgment-level Honkai Beasts.
Given this situation, even Vill-V didn't know how humanity could lose.
Then, during the Eighth Honkai Impact, the Herrscher of Sentience appeared. Her memetic contamination was insidious; simply seeing the word would cause unconsciousness, or even control by the Herrscher of Sentience.
If Aponia hadn't placed a commandment on Kevin, he might have been controlled.
The Eighth Herrscher was successfully defeated thanks to the efforts of Su and the Fifth Laboratory Doctor.
While the Ninth Herrscher also possesses formidable combat power, its impact is clearly inferior to that of the Herrscher of Fire, who incinerated an entire Australia.
The Ninth Herrscher, upon its appearance, caused the sinking of the Mu Continent, the most technologically advanced place in human history.
Previously, Herrschers appeared primarily on the front lines; the Ninth Herrscher essentially severed a path for humanity, disrupting its social structure.
The Tenth Herrscher, the Herrschers of Domination, caused unrest in various parts of the world, clearly targeting the very fabric of interpersonal relationships.
After the collapse of social structures, many people band together for survival, relying on each other.
The Honkai aims to disrupt this situation.
All of this demonstrates that the Honkai is adept at choosing opportunities to trip up humanity, and each time it strikes at the heart of the problem.
…