These bullets will hit every target you need.And the victim of the final bullet... shall belong to me. ...
Lin discovered a problem: it seemed he could no longer die a normal death.
The last time his carotid artery was pierced, he realized that it wasn't just his consciousness—his body had also undergone a mutation. Certain characteristics of the Sixth Herrscher were appearing in him; his excessively vigorous vitality was identical to that of the original Sixth Herrscher.
Unless his head was separated from his body... no, even without a head, he might not necessarily die. The safest way would be to remove the core and then completely destroy the physical body.
He couldn't remove the core himself. As expected, did he have to find the Fire Moth?
But what would happen if he told the Fire Moth the whole story?
At that moment, Lin thought of two people.
If it were them, it should be fine.
There were many ways to contact the Fire Moth. To avoid wasting time, Lin chose the nearest branch. While the night was still young, he rushed toward the branch as fast as he could.
But what awaited him was...
..........
Clang—!
The spear knocked away the blade flickering with purple lightning. Golden chains, like cunning vipers, closed in. Just the wind from them passing her face made Mei feel a blockage in her use of Honkai energy. She gritted her teeth, controlling the armored arms behind her to swing her blades and parry the chains, while she herself dealt with the silver-haired man's relentless waves of attacks.
Another Abyss Flower, and this man... his build was similar to Lin. Could he be Lin without his helmet?
But Sakura had said Lin had black hair. Moreover, this person exuded pure killing intent, a far cry from Lin hidden, inconspicuous warmth and silence. Even the battle that had given Mei such a strong sense of defeat last time couldn't compare to the pressure radiating from the person before her.
This guy was too pure—so pure that Mei could sense immediately that he wasn't human.
Even with people like Lin and Kevin, one could still feel a part of them was "human." But this "person"—his rainbow-colored eyes, which transcended the human realm—caused a stinging pain in her soul with just a single glance.
There was no time to think. The man with the rainbow eyes seemed to have seen through her attack patterns. His speed suddenly spiked, and the afterimages of the Abyss Flower struck repeatedly against her barely parrying blades.
She absolutely could not be harmed by the Abyss. Wounds caused by that weapon would not heal.
But more than the Abyss, Mei was wary of the golden chains extending from behind the man. She didn't know if she was misseeing, but those chains seemed similar to the chain-blades in the Principal's Oath of Judah, and just being near them suppressed her Honkai energy.
If she were ensnared, the battle would likely be decided in an instant.
Boom!
The moment the Abyss Flower collided with her blade, the man's arm jolted, knocking Mei's blade away from her front.
Is this... Sakura's technique?
Mei was a swordmaster herself, incredibly sensitive to sword techniques. As soon as an opponent moved, she could tell which school they belonged to. Sakura's swordsmanship was the most unique "killing sword." So, when the opponent used a spear to perform sword techniques that felt heavily out of place, it was impossible for Mei to mistake it.
Before she could think further, after knocking the sword aside, the man raised a foot and kicked Mei in the chest. She flew backward, but the lightning wrapped around her body also surged onto the man.
Crackle!
The electric light swallowed the man whole. Mei clutched her chest, kneeling on one semi-collapsed knee, staring at the mass of current sufficient to char any living creature. For some reason, her heart was pounding.
Swish!
The black-and-white spear pierced through the center, tearing the electric net and aiming straight for Mei's head. Immediately after, the man, his body covered in black smoke, escaped the current. His mangled, scorched flesh healed at an inconceivable speed. The golden chains trailed light like tails, binding Mei's legs. The current on her body vanished instantly, and she couldn't even fully maintain the giant armored arms behind her.
Oh no!
In the emergency, Mei could only hold her sword in front of her. But to her disbelief, the moment the knight's lance was about to hit the sword head-on, it adjusted its angle. The shaft of the spear scraped against the blade, showering sparks, while the tip sliced straight across her neck!
"Ugh..."
Mei drove her authority with all her might, using a massive amount of Honkai energy to break free from the chains on her legs, and retreated while clutching her bleeding neck.
It hadn't hit a vital spot. If it had slanted inward just a bit more—even a tiny bit—her carotid artery would have been pierced.
"Don't fight him," The woman voice that had previously disappeared now reappeared in her ears. "That guy is dangerous for the current you."
"You..."
"Stop talking. Come here."
An anchor point appeared behind Mei, and before she could react, it took her away.
.......
"Excuse me, do you need help?"
The sophisticated-looking front desk clerk asked the hooded figure before her, who looked suspicious to the extreme, with a professional smile.
"..."
Lin impression of the Shenzhou branches wasn't very deep. But as far as he knew, most branches in Shenzhou were critical departments and research institutes. Therefore, their outward disguises were either high-end research facilities or they were hidden directly within the city.
So... what kind of high-end research institute was a "Bathhouse"?
Lin was silent for a long time before asking, "How much does a membership cost here?"
"An annual pass is only 2333. If it's a group purchase, it can be even cheaper~"
"Hmm, a group purchase?" Lin looked at the price list with mock seriousness. "Then wait a moment, I'll sign up when my friend arrives. Can I use the restroom first?"
"Go straight to the end and turn right."
After entering the restroom, Lin opened the window and slipped out of the twenty-one-story building. He climbed upward like a nimble gecko. Upon reaching the roof, he looked at everything before him and remained silent.
A Fire Moth research institute? A branch?
There was nothing.
Only billboards and the empty, cold wind.
It was impossible for Lin to remember the location incorrectly. Fire Moth members prioritized memorizing the location of branches in every area so they could provide or receive support at any time.
But what was going on? Were the branch locations in this world different?
Or was it...
A deeper feeling began to brew in his heart. He walked to the edge of the high-rise roof, overlooking the brightly lit city. He brushed the floor and sat down.
With his legs dangling off the edge, Lin propped up his chin, looking down at the endless flow of traffic below.
Is this... a world where the Honkai hasn't happened yet?
Humanity hasn't meddled with the lunar remains; Honkai energy hasn't leaked; the remains haven't separated "that one" to come to Earth... and so, the Fire Moth was never founded?
"Hua, come on, come on! Let's go play arcade games today!"
"Do we really have to go..."
Two student girls, laughing and playing, walked into the mall.
A lone person, in the moonlight, gazed out alone.