Honkai: Fire Moth Herrschers-Chapter 242: Although This Might Sound Offensive

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"Willing to sacrifice realism and allure, just to personally inhabit my dreamscape... Eighth Herrscher, you overestimate me."

The Herrscher's blood-red eyes, tinged with gold, blinked twice, responding with undisguised mockery: "Likewise, likewise. Aren't you the same? Possessing no ability to manipulate minds or consciousness, yet insisting on meddling in this battle. How would humans put it? Feeding oneself to the tiger?"

Michael chuckled dryly. "Speaking of which, you clearly could have interfered with my subconscious, like you did with Kevin, Sakura, or the others, making this dream directly manifest my deepest desires. Yet you chose to personally weave every corner of this dreamscape, resulting in me seeing through it so easily."

A flicker of caution entered the Herrscher's eyes. What Michael said was true. Precisely because this dream was entirely the Herrscher's own fabrication, not following Michael's subconscious, and because she herself was ignorant of what Michael truly desired, he had seen through it easily...

Of course, that wasn't necessarily the whole truth. It was also possible that Michael simply no longer had the capacity to linger in such dreams.

But one thing was certain: because she had immersed herself in this dream, her control over other dreams naturally weakened. The other MANTISes likely fell into dreams similar to Kevin's.

Perhaps some couldn't escape in time, perhaps some lingered, lost in those dreams, but they remained within the recall range of the Observation Hubs.

Wait a minute!

"Are you truly feeding yourself to the tiger? You knew that if I had the chance to trap you in a dream, I would focus all my power on you, making your comrades relatively safer." The Herrscher's eyes narrowed warily. Her focus on Michael's dream stemmed precisely from the bizarre nature of his action. Feeding oneself to the tiger was the polite way of putting it; bluntly, it was... what was that phrase? Meat buns thrown at a dog—no return.

She instinctively felt Michael was plotting something. Otherwise, his plunge into the dreamscape, despite lacking the ability to manipulate minds, was inexplicable.

If someone who couldn't swim at all jumped straight into the ocean... then either that person was insane, or there was something in the sea they absolutely had to obtain, forcing them to jump.

But what could Michael possibly gain? The Herrscher couldn't fathom it. As the Herrscher of Consciousness, logically, she shouldn't need to resort to such reasoning to gauge Michael's thoughts.

The simplest, most brutal method was undoubtedly using her powers to directly view Michael's mind.

Unfortunately, for the moment, she couldn't. Every time she tried, she was blocked by a wall of golden light. Though the wall was already riddled with holes from their collisions, she no longer deigned to try.

Because...

"You should understand perfectly well, even if I am currently self-limited within your dreamscape, so what? I only need to kill you, and all problems are solved!" The Herrscher's expression turned ferocious again.

Yes, regardless of Michael's intentions in coming here, his action was tantamount to suicide.

Because in the realm of the mind, this was the Eighth Herrscher's home ground.

Amidst chilling laughter, the grey mist gradually solidified, coalescing into the Eighth Herrscher's form.

Her features were indistinct, blurry. Perhaps she had never looked in a mirror, uncaring of her appearance. Thus, when shaping herself in the mental world, she could only create an ambiguous, abstract face.

"Hahahaha... Hahahahahaha! You came here to die of your own accord! Don't blame me!" Her body twisted mid-air, shooting towards Michael like an arrow.

Michael was calmer than expected. No excess emotion showed on his face. Was it the resolve of facing death? Or... something else?

Whatever it was, the Herrscher no longer cared. She had already launched her attack; there was no reason to abort mid-way.

Michael bit his lip slightly. The menacing Herrscher charged, only to slam headfirst into an Imaginary barrier. Her grey, mist-formed body nearly dissipated on impact.

The shockwave tore the entire bedroom apart. The entire space Michael could see disintegrated.

As the walls, ceiling, and floor dissolved into swirling grey mist, he could finally see that beyond them lay not a vast world, but empty whiteness.

"Even as the Herrscher of Consciousness, what fills your heart is nothing but such emptiness. That's why the dreamscape you personally wove is so pale and weak, allowing one to realize it's a dream almost instantly." Michael fired off a verbal taunt, attempting to disturb the Herrscher's mind, while his eyes darted rapidly, scrutinizing every wisp of grey mist, calculating where she might reappear.

After all, the Herrscher had only suffered a setback in her initial pounce. As the hunter, she had countless opportunities to attack.

And Michael, the prey, only needed to fail once...

"Hahahaha! Ahahahahaha!" The Eighth Herrscher's voice echoed from all directions, like a surging tide, almost suffocating.

"No way! Did I hear correctly? Someone actually tried to use goading tactics on the Herrscher of Consciousness? Ahahahaha!"

The dispersed grey mist reformed into ribbon-like strands, swirling around Michael. Now, accompanying the Eighth Herrscher's words, they began to twist and change. Fine textures appeared on the "ribbons," resembling dancing strands of hair. Then, at their tips, countless abstract heads of the Eighth Herrscher bloomed.

"Hahahaha! You cannot defeat me here! No one can defeat me!" Amidst the wild laughter, innumerable heads of the Eighth Herrscher lunged forward.

Michael silently enveloped himself in an Imaginary barrier, but sharp teeth grew from the mouths of the heads, frantically gnawing at the supposedly indestructible shield.

"Even within the consciousness space... this idea isn't bad. Using abilities also originating from the Imaginary world to neutralize an Imaginary barrier? Learned something." It might even be considered praise.

Snap!

With a snap of Michael's fingers, the Imaginary barrier, already straining under the assault, voluntarily shattered. Thousands of fragments hung suspended in mid-air.

The scattered fragments acted like fixed anchors. Then, threads of purple lightning connected each anchor, forming a fine electric net. All the "Eighth Herrschers" were instantly trapped within, unable to move.

Then, further out, an even more blinding light flared—the combined halo of countless overlapping spatial rifts.

Innumerable Lances of the Void shot forth, effortlessly striking the grey mist "Eighth Herrschers."

However, the Lances of the Void, which should have been unstoppable under the power of space, encountered a problem.

They weren't blocked, quite the opposite. The almost solidified grey mist was easily pierced and dispersed.

But Michael knew this meant he hadn't inflicted any real damage.

The grey mist had simply scattered, just like when it hit the Imaginary barrier before. That was all.

"Knew it would be like this. But the analysis is mostly done. Let's end it here." Michael gradually withdrew all his powers.

Just then, the grey mist reconverged, the Eighth Herrscher's form reappearing.

"What? Given up completely? Thought you'd struggle a bit longer." Countless grey tentacles extended from the Eighth Herrscher, grasping Michael's ankles, wrists, locking his limbs, binding his torso, and finally closing around his neck.

"Gasp... Heh heh..." This time, it was Michael experiencing suffocation.

The Eighth Herrscher floated up, hovering before Michael with a confident smile, cupping his face enticingly.

"One last chance, First Herrscher. Join me in destroying this world."

"But..."

"Why be so stubborn? Mortal lives have limits, but we, creations of the Honkai, can exist eternally. One day, you will find everything you cherish gone, facing a completely unfamiliar world—Of course, that's assuming you even defeat the Honkai... What's with that look!"

A faint smile touched Michael's lips. As the Herrscher of Consciousness, she quickly grasped the meaning behind it—

"You understand nothing."

The Herrscher became utterly furious. Out of consideration for their shared nature, she had "kindly" offered a final chance, only to receive scorn and mockery.

"Die!"

All the tentacles tightened simultaneously. Before Michael's breath ceased, his body was crushed, pulverized by the tentacles, exploding into a mist of blood that mingled with the Herrscher's dark fog.

Only the Herrscher remained in the consciousness space.

Although Michael's own powers allowed resurrection, and the replicated Sixth Herrscher powers could bring back the dead, this was the world of consciousness. The Herrscher hadn't destroyed his physical body, but his spirit. The aforementioned powers could only restore the body; spiritual death was irreversible.

The Herrscher closed her eyes, calculating for a moment. She wasn't eager to interfere with the other MANTISes' dreams.

That was just a trap anyway. She didn't mind playing house with humans for a bit. After dealing with Michael, she didn't think anyone else in this world posed a threat—perhaps those psychic-sensitive MANTISes could cause some trouble, but just trouble.

However, she still had to venture into those traps. In her earlier impulsiveness, she forgot to search Michael's memories for more information.

Although she felt confident she could wipe out humanity with her own power, if there were easier ways, like tricking Fire Moth into launching strategic missiles at the United Government, inciting human civil war, wouldn't that be much easier than intervening directly?

But she had to wait. The ten minutes in the outside world were almost up. The Observation Hubs would reboot. Since she had barely interfered with the other dreams, their search would yield no results. They would have to restart the Hubs for another round of observation. That would be her moment to strike...

Wait a minute!

The Herrscher suddenly slapped her forehead, stomping her foot in annoyance.

"Wrong! Why don't I just control the First Herrscher's body?"

Should she merge with the First Herrscher's body and Core, personally destroying this world... or stick to the original plan?

The Herrscher sucked her index finger, hesitating.

"The former allows faster destruction, but your close-combat ability is lacking. Even adding my Core can't compensate for this weakness. The latter seems more foolproof, but requires too much time. Though you inwardly look down on humans and those MANTISes, you still fear they might introduce variables given so much time, right?"

A voice inexplicably drifting by her ear laid bare all her thoughts. She couldn't help but nod in agreement.

But her neck suddenly stiffened—that voice... that voice... "my Core"...

She wanted to turn her head, but in this consciousness space, which should be her domain, she couldn't move at all!

The scattered blood mist particles suddenly sprang back to life. They coalesced from points into surfaces, weaving into "ribbons" like the Eighth Herrscher's earlier grey mist. Then these ribbons passed through the Herrscher's body, converging behind her.

A moment later, she felt breathing behind her:

"Although this might sound offensive... this is indeed my current thought—Herrscher of Sentience, you're nothing special."

Behind her, Michael held out his right palm. Azure light flowed within it, outlining a core, finally filled with vibrant azalea pink.

---|----

Gurgle... Gurgle...

"Michael! Michael! Wake up!"

The first thing Michael heard upon returning to his body was an anxious call.

He opened his eyes blearily, the first sight a comical, ugly wooden mask.

His eyes spun dizzily, stinging slightly from the nutrient fluid. He squinted.

He soon found two asymmetrically shaped small holes in the mask. Through the light of the Observation Hub, he could faintly make out the eyes behind them.

If he wasn't mistaken, those eyes had been blazing with anger, but the moment Michael opened his eyes, the fire gradually died down.

"Kalpas..."

Michael shifted his gaze blankly towards Kalpas's right fist. It was raised high, clenched around fire, the skin seared crimson.

Michael's heart tightened. He had recovered his senses. If he remembered correctly, he had left Kalpas in the lab as a final failsafe, precisely for...

But with a cold snort, Kalpas jumped off the Observation Hub. The view previously blocked by his body entered Michael's sight—

Seeing SPACY standing there unharmed, the lab showing no signs of intrusion or fierce battle, Michael couldn't help but sigh in relief.

"Observer 26 mental state stable, brainwaves stable, pulse normal... No need to worry." SPACY reported into the microphone.

Putting down the microphone, he let out a long breath. "Although I don't know how you did it, Michael, congratulations. You successfully located the Herrscher's position—Kevin and the others have already begun tracking via the Second Divine Key."

He started clapping. The other MANTISes, who had woken up two minutes before Michael and hadn't left their Hubs yet, followed suit, clapping within the nutrient fluid, looking somewhat comical.

Michael was about to grin, but suddenly felt a strange sensation. He blinked, looked again at SPACY, and saw small text floating above his head, while his voice sounded in Michael's mind:

"Strange. Michael shouldn't have psychic sensory abilities. How did the Observation Hub react and locate the Herrscher? Did Mobius secretly perform Meta-Morph surgery on him again behind everyone's back? No, there's no need to hide something like that!"

Michael pressed his lips together, shifting his gaze to Kalpas leaning silently against the wall, arms crossed—

"Fucking hell, why does this guy always cause problems? No! Why does he always get to finish off the Herrscher? Later I'll tell him—Hey! Kid! Leave the next Herrscher to me... No, if that woman finds out, she'll lecture me about politeness again, so annoying..."

Michael blinked innocently. He never knew Master Kalpas had such a rich inner monologue... even more Kosma than Kosma!

"But speaking of which, the Eighth Herrscher's powers are really useful. Wonder if I can hear what she's thinking... However, that matter becomes even more baffling."

Michael fell silent. SPACY, thinking he was suffering from mental fatigue, began operating the automatic controls, first lowering the Observation Hub horizontally, then slowly draining the nutrient fluid.

Throughout the process, Michael remained silent, but his mind replayed his previous actions countless times:

He indeed lacked psychic sensory abilities before entering the dream, nor had he secretly fused with Mitrá or Mahamayuri's Honkai Beast factors. He simply pushed himself:

He gambled that the Eighth Herrscher would focus on his dream, being a fellow Herrscher. Since he was deeply drawn into the vortex of her powers, letting her abilities pierce his very being like a knife, through this profound contact, he could analyze her powers.

Thus, even before touching her Core, relying on his own understanding, he could replicate those powers.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

After that, naturally, it was giving her a taste of her own medicine, severely injuring the Eighth Herrscher.

This also resolved the doubt that had lingered in his mind since the Seventh Honkai Eruption—

What he replicated through his own analysis was indeed the power itself, not the Core.

The Core was merely a form of existence.

Just like entering Imaginary Space—Michael, based on ingrained impressions, would see a red desert. But if it were Kevin, without Michael implanting that impression beforehand, the Imaginary Space he saw would change based on his own perceptions, perhaps becoming an ice field.

By analogy, the power was Imaginary Space itself, while the gem-like Herrscher Core was the red sand. If Michael felt mischievous, shaping it into a poop emoji wasn't impossible.

The question was answered, but more questions arose—As Herrschers of Reason, why did neither Joyce, Welt, nor Bronya possess his ability?

Even Otto, whose application of the First Herrscher's power most resembled his own, could only replicate Divine Keys—dead cores—using the Void Archives. Of course, the First Divine Key itself was also a dead core.

If it were Kevin, he'd probably laugh heartily, optimistically believing himself the chosen one.

But Michael firmly believed his luck wasn't good. Rather than believing in his own specialness, it was better to believe this was all some conspiracy from start to finish, aligning with his usual pessimistic outlook.

This also connected to the one in Imaginary Space...

Thoughts ceased. The nutrient fluid had completely drained. Although Michael's mind churned with questions, he didn't want to appear too obvious. He flexed his joints; his body still felt somewhat unaccustomed. He braced himself against the opened glass wall of the Observation Hub and stood up somewhat stiffly.

Only then did he have time to assess the condition of the other MANTISes.

No, not assess. Using the Eighth Herrscher's powers, he could almost instantly determine the mental state of everyone present.

"Su, Dystopia, Blanca, Evangeline..." Though perhaps cruel, he instinctively checked on those he knew better first. After confirming they were all unharmed, he began counting the figures standing up from the Observation Hubs.

He counted once using the Eighth Herrscher's powers. His body froze.

He counted again using the Second Herrscher's powers. He sensed again using the Sixth Herrscher's powers...

His pupils began to tremble violently...

"What's wrong, Michael?" Su emerged from his Hub, still slightly unsteady, but immediately walked over and patted Michael's shoulder.

Unexpectedly, after a brief daze, Michael let out a soft chuckle: "This is great."

Su was already a psychic-sensitive MANTIS. He instantly understood the meaning behind Michael's words, and the reason for his smile—

All fifty-three warriors who participated in this operation survived.

Michael turned to look at Dystopia, who was covering her forehead, eyes wide, still looking somewhat bewildered. He couldn't help but smile again.

"Hey! Dystopia!" He called out gently. A small spatial rift opened beside him. He reached in, pulled out a box, and tossed it to her.

Though seemingly not fully recovered, Dystopia's warrior muscle memory allowed her to catch the small box steadily.

"Isn't this..."

"Well! A gift you prepared yourself, naturally you should give it to Kosma yourself. Speaking of which, the Anti-Entropy internal regulations need a new rule—no casually setting flags before heading onto the battlefield!"

Tears instantly welled up in Dystopia's eyes. Her crying triggered a chain reaction, many other warriors starting to cry as well, laughing through their tears—no one was foolish. Although SPACY had spoken cryptically before, everyone had mentally prepared for sacrifice.

In this era, for warriors like them, sacrifice was no longer terrifying. But surviving, even just for one more day, was undoubtedly something worth crying tears of joy over.

The lab door suddenly opened. Medical personnel rushed in pushing dozens of stretchers. This time, the warriors couldn't afford to cry, waving their hands, insisting they were fine and could walk.

But they were still pressed onto the stretchers by equally emotional nurses. Only Su, with Michael's permission, remained in the lab.

"Well now, at this time, Kevin should have captured the Eighth Herrscher alive, right?" SPACY walked to a side table, took out a pre-filled flask from a drawer, unscrewed the cap with one hand, took a large gulp, then handed it to Su: "As promised before, if you came back alive, I'd buy you a drink."

Su mimicked his action, took a large gulp, tilted his head, savoring the taste. Michael soon heard his inner thoughts: "So this is the taste of alcohol? Feels less tasty than Goji berry tea."

"What's with that look! You're about to be transferred, can't you thank me properly?" SPACY smiled. It seemed everyone was satisfied with this result.

"Transferred, what do you mean..."

"Actually, not really transferred. Just that all MANTISes theoretically fall under Anti-Entropy's structure now. But if you're willing, you can actually continue working in the Fifth Science Department, as long as you can report on time for combat assemblies."

Su nodded vaguely.

But he soon had a new question: "Wait, you just said capture the Eighth Herrscher alive?"

"Yes, that's right." Michael nodded, then turned his gaze to SPACY. "Well, you've had your revenge now. With that knot untied, it's time to switch jobs, right? You should understand that researching drugs is only treating the symptoms, not the root cause, of Honkai sickness."

SPACY shook his head, asking with a wry smile: "Just say it. Which of Mobius's projects is short-staffed?"

"It is my honor to inform you, all of them."