chsdbacks Page 190
Page 190
He not only made good use of the timing, but also concealed his identity from the very beginning, and made use of everything at his disposal. Through these three methods, he successfully eliminated Otto, who had held the position of world ruler for five hundred years.
Since that's the case, there's really no need to worry too much. Even if Jiang Cheng doesn't want to live, he has to fight against the collapse and live for his lover and the people he cares about—this weakness is also a metaphor for not wanting to give up.
In this sense, having a harem might be considered a good thing, at least ensuring that one of them is a precognitive being with foresight and also possesses strong combat abilities, so that they can wholeheartedly fight against the Honkai.
As for what will happen in the future, will the world be ruled? Or how will the world continue to operate?
This is not something it needs to worry about.
All we need to do is fight against the Honkai.
If we can't overcome the difficulties in front of us, then there is no future at all. Even the worst possible outcome is much better than no possibility at all.
Therefore, Gray Serpent chose to remain silent and handed over Feather Rabbit/resources to a more suitable person.
of course.
Jiang Cheng certainly wasn't only concerned with this matter.
There's no need to announce becoming lovers to anyone, and there's no need to actively seek out the individual gray snakes on the floating island. They're here because they have important business to attend to.
"From now on, you must strictly follow every word I say and every instruction I give you, and do not do anything extra," he emphasized repeatedly.
A precise, biting sound came from beneath the gray snake's black trench coat—the moment metal knuckles brushed the lower edge of the mask, the red light in the eyes turned to a ghostly green like a signal light switching protocols, and data flowed across the surface, drawing waterfall-like fluorescent blue codes.
"Appreciate further details."
The synthesized voice mingled with the ticking of an old-fashioned telegraph machine. For humanity, the most classic conservative agreements and methods of demonstration still hold sway today, just as red heralds impending danger. Jiang Cheng and Qi Si Jiu Ba engaged in an arm-wrestling match, and the hilt of the Jizo Mitama sword surged with flowing darkness, weaving fragments of memory into a suspended holographic projection—one frame showing Wendy lying on the operating table indicating the cause, followed by the girl in a wheelchair—as if the imagined future had been materialized.
"The fourth Herrscher is Wendy, the Herrscher of Wind. In about a year or two, the negative influence she has accumulated will be enough to make her a Herrscher. She is not strong in combat, so we don't need to worry about her."
The old tricks are showing up again—projecting one's own memories and knowledge into images, which are then suspended in the air and played out as if in a film.
Gray Serpent followed the instructions perfectly. Underneath the black mask, his right eye socket activated a special, incomprehensible mechanism, temporarily commencing analysis.
All information about the New Zealand branch and Wendy was brought to light. What was originally not a focus of attention, merely considered a humanoid container temporarily storing the Herrscher's core, is now being seriously analyzed from the outset.
"Referring to the birth of the Second Herrscher, the threshold for the Fourth Herrscher's awakening has been marked as a negative emotion index of 71.83." Its synthesized voice from its throat propeller remained cold. "Is a psychological intervention procedure necessary?"
"There's no need. She's weak and she's taking up a spot. It's better than fighting a real Herrscher."
Jiang Cheng flicked his fingers, scattering a frame of Wendy being injected with the drug, and the dark shadows reassembled into a model of the Manila coastline.
He looked up again to examine the situation, making sure the gray snake remembered it thoroughly enough, before continuing—
"Manila will be facing a sudden massive collapse. Anna Schariac will be the only survivor of the Snow Wolf Squad. She is the original body of the Herrscher of Ice and has considerable talent and the potential to become a Herrscher who fights for humanity. This is a difficult situation for you to deal with. I will provide her with psychological counseling later. You just need to observe her. There is also a person named Chen Tianwu. His Honkai energy resistance is not high, but he has a Stigmata and survived a massive collapse. We can consider bringing him under control in advance."
"Do we need to carry out a modification plan? And do we need to avoid Miss Kiana?" Gray Serpent's gaze fell on the white fur ball next to the boy, whose eyes were drawn with circles.
"There's nothing to hide from her; all that's needed is to inform her slowly."
Jiang Cheng tightened his grip on the girl, while the tip of his other blade flicked up an image of Chen Tianwu crawling through the ruins. The holy marks floating behind the boy were devouring Honkai energy—even though it was just a man-made scene, it was enough to match everything described in the original work.
“Recording complete,” the recorder lens retracted to a pinhole, and the gray snake's circuit completed its third calibration—it slightly lowered its body. “The snake will be keeping a close eye on these two Herrscher bodies. May I use this…”
"I know about the Staff of the Underworld, and I also know that it's not very meaningful; fighting for Honkai energy is pointless..." He rejected a future plan from the very beginning, even before the proposal was put forward—
"In short, you just need to make sure the world is stable enough and there won't be any trouble. I'll handle the necessary fine-tuning myself. You all don't know enough about it, and there's a high chance things will go wrong. Also, prepare for me to enter Paradise. The time is almost here."
"Yes."
"Your Majesty Bishop."
Jiang Cheng sheathed his sword, the light he had severed condensing into a still cross in mid-air. The corrosive authority returned from the blade, turning around and grabbing a bewildered Kiana, while Mistelin naturally took her left hand. The green light in the gray snake's eyes turned back to dark red as the command ended. When she faced the departing boy again, she bowed obsequiously.
"In addition, help me overcome Himeko's physical problems; both her combat strength and lifespan need to be improved." He turned his head away at the end.
The response was, of course, unquestionably, bowing down.
“—As you command.”
……
……
……
He took a few more steps forward, his head bobbing against his shoulder with increasing frustration. When he turned around, he was met with Kiana, who was gritting her teeth in deep thought.
It was obvious why the girl was agitated, and Jiang Cheng immediately made a promise.
"Is it hard to understand? I'll explain it to you properly."
Being extremely careful.
Their voices seemed as delicate as that of the rabbit lady.
This inexplicably gave the girl the illusion that she was being held and fed like a kitten.
what……
also……
"No, not really. I can tell you don't have any bad intentions, Xiaocheng. And even if you're involved in a lot of strange things, it's all for the sake of fighting against the Honkai."
"Anyway, I believe that you, Xiaocheng, are definitely doing this for my own good. There are some things that really need to be said, but it would take a long time to say them, so I can't say them for the time being."
Her beautiful blue eyes blinked innocently, and the girl's eyebrows were raised in an excessively cute way. Even the slightest bit of color in them was reflected in her puzzled pupils. Ripples appeared in her pupils, which resembled half a cherry blossom slowly falling on a clear lake. The ripples caused by that cherry blossom were harsh, resolute, and like a knight reciting a vow.
That's precisely why it's unnecessary.
You must tell the truth or something.
Such concealment—it doesn't even amount to anything.
Even if she can't make a confession as passionate and moving as Mistelin, the girl who once declared that she wanted to become her lover will definitely stick to it to the end.
Jiangcheng might think this is something terrible.
They believe that it is a bad thing to hide things from others casually.
what……
That's a perfectly normal thought.
Looking back on all the people I've encountered who don't speak like human beings—either my stinky dad left without a word, just like this time, or Auntie who seemed to know something, but if I asked, the final answer was always the same: first, I should work hard to achieve certain goals, and then we'll talk… It seems like no one ever thought about making amends.
I've never experienced anything like the feeling that hiding things from myself is a bad thing before.
Is it a bad thing?
do not know.
Is it really a bad thing?
Yes.
Because that's what the boy's pupils said—those gently gleaming eyes said just that.
Concealing things is a bad thing.
Those who deliberately act as riddle tellers are even more so.
Even without speaking or communicating, simply by sensing the color in the eyes and the unreserved thoughts, one can clearly capture the boy's feelings.
"So there's no need to rush. Just find a small town and time that suits you."
……
As long as it's about fighting against Honkai, there can't be any mistakes, right?
This is also about saving others.
Even the girl herself didn't know where her obsession with fighting against the collapse came from.
Perhaps it's like what Jiang Cheng said before about the so-called ideological imprint, the so-called engraving in one's blood, the necessity to save the world, and the willingness to give up everything for it.
Perhaps this is why my stinky dad hates me so much. After all, wasn't there a time when I suddenly had to abandon the people around me and sacrifice myself to save the world?
It shouldn't be something I dislike, but the thought that it was imposed on me by someone else makes me inexplicably unhappy and want to rebel against it. Moreover, Xiaocheng seems to think it's a bad thing too, so it should be... no, it must be a bad thing.
"Don't think too much about it. In short, I will definitely find an opportunity to tell you the whole truth later. You just need to believe that I will not hurt you."
There are many things related to Kiana that people dare not even mention, such as her identity as a clone.
If being abandoned was enough to make this young girl sad, then the revelation of the clones...
Ah. I'll probably be facing the Herrscher directly.
——Xilin.
Because there won't even be any sadness or similar emotions along the way, Kiana will break down to the point that the will of the Herrscher of the Void will manifest.
"I was just telling Kiana not to think so much, but now you seem to be thinking a lot about it yourself."
The touch of her slender, soft fingertips snaked up her neck, and the white mist from Mistelin's breath gently clung to her earlobe. Her long, silver hair, as if floating like stardust, cascaded over her shoulders, the icy blue highlights at the ends blending with Kiana's eye color in Jiang Cheng's eyes to create a dangerous spectrum.
"I'm thinking about something..."
"Is it important?"
Her fingertips, smoothing her collar, carried the lingering scent of pine resin; her fingertips were so delicate and soft that they resembled works of art sculpted by a master sculptor.
They were asking questions, yet they did so casually, as if it were just a small part of their daily life at home.
"Instead of all that, shall we eat first?" She suddenly turned her chin with a gentle, origami-like force. "I'm sure Miss Mei and the others have also prepared a feast."
The drooping eyelashes stirred up tiny avalanches on the surface of her beautiful eyes, and in those swirling silver-gray and pale purple hues, the hesitation that belonged to a young man was clearly reflected.
"Okay..." Jiang Cheng nodded hesitantly, "But do we really have to go find them now?"
"I've said it before, I'll face it."
"But……"
"I'll face it."
The force supporting her chin was gentle yet undeniable, forcing her to tilt her head back and meet the shimmering light in her eyes—that iris purple color offered no room for objection.
Gentle yet assertive, like the wind blowing from Siberia, seemingly soft, yet silently freezing the entire body stiff.
The girl's will was frighteningly strong.
They really don't intend to drag this out any longer.
Or perhaps they truly don't intend to continue hesitating and agonizing like this—
"So let's go eat first, don't waste any more time here, Jiang Cheng's getting hungry too," Kiana suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck from behind, leaving a warm kiss on Mistelin's neatly straightened collar, her soft lips and tongue silently banishing the lingering scent. Her defiant tightening of her arms sent a soft cloud of sensation down the boy's spine. "Right, right? It's been almost a whole day already!"
"Let's go."
When Mistelin chuckled, it was as if she were shaking off stardust from her shoulders. Her fingertips, which had moved away from her chin, simultaneously touched her palm, seemingly still carrying the warmth of her previous body.
Everything was done without leaving any room for refusal, and Jiang Cheng was thus half-pushed and half-pulled in and left.
Perhaps it's a better choice to let someone else give you a push in matters of the heart.
At least it's better than an indecisive ordinary person continuing to dawdle.
All action and awareness are only fully manifested in the matter of survival. When facing outsiders or strangers, one can maintain a third-person, God-like perspective and deal with them calmly. Only when it involves people who can be considered close to oneself will one hesitate like this.
Just like the instructions just now, the use of the Staff of the Underworld can be easily rejected—simply because it is meaningless—and the Grey Serpent can be dealt with almost as a command.
Although the difference in combat strength between himself and his opponent was indeed a complete and utter crushing defeat, if he didn't want to, he could have made it so that Kevin would never be able to come out.
"In short, use me if you need anything." — This is the only response you'll get after gripping the Jizo Mitama.
There's no room for further hesitation now...
Hoo... Ha...
……
……
Night had fallen, and as they left hand in hand once more, even the twilight had dissipated, leaving only darkness. Moonlight shattered into liquid silver on the stone steps of the porch, and stardust leaked through their intertwined fingers. The cold light reflected from Mistyrin's blue rose dress and the warm glow of Kiana's chameleon hair clip battled in the night wind, their conflict still present in the smallest details. The boy's shadow was being torn apart by them into a sacrifice offered to the church.
They were people who could have made peace at the beginning, and even Mistelin tried to dissuade the boy from accepting Kiana, but now they are constantly competing with each other.
The boy experienced both pain and pleasure, enjoying the unique comfort of the two girls while simultaneously bearing the immense pressure that seemed to tear his soul apart.
Unlike the silent conflict between Mei and Sakura, the competition between the seemingly gentle but actually strong Misterin and the outwardly energetic Kiana is truly superficial.
The staff of Destiny have not had a moment's rest, operating 24 hours a day. Especially in the Destiny headquarters, which had been destroyed by the Thunderers, even in remote areas, the lights have never stopped. In fact, as long as you look into the distance, you can see the bright lights again—the flashing lights almost turn the night into tomorrow.
Fortunately, at this moment, the two girls were able to realize what was important and did not really put all their energy into competing with each other.
The three of them walked under the cover of night, moving at a speed that seemed to erode space itself, each step covering thousands of meters, heading straight towards the hospital that had been used as a temporary residence in a perfunctory manner, and which had not been completely replaced even now, and was even brightly lit and shimmering with a different kind of brilliance because of the banquet being held there, a place that could be called a large villa.