"What in the actual FUCK is this monster!"
Kuklops, piloting the Mistilteinn, struggled to his feet amidst the smoke and dust-filled ruins.
The situation was, let's say, just a hundred million tiny little bits different from what he had imagined.
Logically speaking, even after receiving that universe-scale, life-sacrificing support, the Knight Captain shouldn't have much Honkai energy left.
But right now, the opponent looked like it was in perfect condition.
Not to mention that slash just now...
It neither dodged nor took the hit head-on, but instead, with surgical precision, directly sliced the warhead apart from its rocket booster—the flames and smoke were merely from the fuel's explosion; the actual deadly warhead was currently spinning uselessly on the ground like a top.
"Bang!"
Then, the Knight Captain casually kicked it away, and it soared into the sky hundreds of meters distant, erupting into an impassioned symphony.
"BOOM!!"
The humanoid upper body was merely the puppet of a Knight-class.
This creature, having lost its beast form... no, having merged with its beast form, displayed a "thought process" perfectly befitting its new appearance—remarkably human-like.
"This thing..."
"Did it absorb the 'Variant' and become a Variant itself?"
He was only half right.
But an incorrect conclusion didn't stop Kuklops, who believed he'd figured it out, from taking action... the action of fleeing.
There were no more complete, combat-ready "Divine Machines."
The remnants of the entire "Cyclops" regiment currently possessed no means to counter the Knight Captain. The reinforcements he'd called for hadn't arrived as scheduled. Fighting head-on would only lead to a dead end—not many frontline personnel remained, but as long as they preserved their effective strength in the rear, there was still a chance to stage a comeback.
The intelligence gathered from this battle.
It was definitely more important than capturing two new test subjects.
With this thought, Kuklops, having already sent the latest orders to the rear base, prepared to slip away... however, it was too late.
Tsch!
Rhomboid crystals materialized in the air.
Sharp spear tips pointed menacingly at every human present.
Precisely because he was now thinking like a human, he understood the principle of cutting the weeds and eliminating the roots—how did that saying go again?
Blood flows, leave no one alive.
"Swoosh!"
"Pfft!!"
Lu Xing lowered his raised left arm.
Advancing to Knight-class had not only granted him a massive boost in all attributes, but his Honkai energy reserves had also more than doubled.
[Honkai Lance Projection]
This rather costly move, when used by him now, already had a hint of the "little Lamppost King" about it.
One large, seven small.
A total of eight crystal lances firmly locked onto everyone present.
In an instant.
The flowers of the battlefield scattered across the mountains and fields.
Like gentle streams, they caressed the sand, soil, and iron scraps, blooming in their own vibrant and splendid glory.
Lu Xing had made his decision.
He struck with his full power, without a shred of hesitation or delay.
If intelligence about him leaked, he would be the one to die—when faced with an enemy that constantly grew and evolved, no, even when faced with other humans who simply stood on a different side, the human race would absolutely show no mercy.
The traces of Honkai Beasts were already few and far between.
The enemies that still posed a threat, or could pose a threat in the future, were on the other side of the city.
Therefore...
The autumn wind grew colder. Even though the Knight Captain's power had dissipated, white sprites still descended from the sky.
Gently, they covered the vivid crimson.
Such a scene was a clear declaration—
Winter is coming!
Two hours later.
The sky rippled like a pond disturbed by a thrown stone.
Concentric circles spread outwards, and a faint, almost illusory steam whistle echoed from the void.
The next second—
"Crack!"
Space shattered like a lens.
A dark blue vehicle body, golden gears, and a colossal ramming prow that should never have appeared on such a thing.
An imposing locomotive, brimming with power, burst forth from the void—
The Second Key of God, the Key of Eon, Cosmic Juggernaut!
"Toot!!"
The renewed sound of the steam whistle announced its arrival.
However, neither the spatial vibrations rippling through the entire city nor the massive locomotive head hovering suspended in the air managed to attract anyone's attention.
Because...
Mount Isa City, a mining town in central Australia, once ravaged by Honkai Sickness, then occupied by Honkai Beasts in a protracted struggle with humans, a place that had endured numerous tribulations.
It had already become a dead city.
"Thud!"
A mech, exuding a strong mechanical-punk aesthetic—constructed from gears, rivets, and armor, filled with classical style—transformed and descended from a carriage of the [Cosmic Juggernaut].
"Oh dear."
The "Great" Mechanist, whose style perfectly matched the mech, stood on the "Giant's" shoulder with a disappointed expression.
"I had thought this would be quite the stage."
"But now it seems,"
"Never mind the audience who received invitations, there isn't even a single tourist to recruit on the spot," Vill-V said, utterly bored.
There was no grand stage.
In fact, even before the curtain could be drawn, the bustling theater had already fallen silent.
This was something Vill-V, as a performer, absolutely could not accept.
"Stage?"
"Vill-V, that's not the reason you dragged me here."
Purple eyes, not yet turned red, eyes still willing to open.
The tactician who sought to eradicate Honkai but would not ignore sacrifices—the future Flame-Chaser of the Thirteen, bearer of the Insignia of [Celestial Wisdom], "The Awakened" (Lady of the Lake, scratch that) and doctor: Su.
"Is that so? I seem to have forgotten."
"In any case."
Vill-V's expression wasn't as solemn as Su's.
But her slightly furrowed brows also indicated her rather foul mood: the deathly silent city held no trace of any living creature. Neither the Divine Machine system she had "assisted" in creating, nor the reasons she had to personally risk danger to come here—the Knight Captain with special attributes, and the 'Great Universe' newly discovered in frontline intelligence—all had vanished without a trace.
"There's no detection value left here."
"No..."
Su refuted Vill-V's statement.
Regarding this "friend of philosophy" whose mental state wasn't quite normal, Su's opinion of her creations... how should he put it? There were no issues with the general direction and functionality, but minor problems always seemed to crop up.
For example, now.
Vill-V was quite certain that neither the "Honkai Energy Detection Radar" nor the "Human Vital Signs Detector" showed any signs of life.
But Su, as a doctor.
Still prepared to personally go into the city and take a look.
However, just as Su was about to disembark from the Cosmic Juggernaut—
"VREEEEE!"
A piercing screeching sound tore through the void.
A pitch-black rift appeared out of nowhere, a gash stretching across the sky, slowly materializing amidst Honkai energy that surged out like a tsunami.
A colossal life form gradually revealed its true self.
With its appearance, the expressions of both Su and Vill-V turned cautious—the Cosmic Juggernaut and the mech Vill-V had created simultaneously entered combat readiness (if they had one).
If Lu Xing were here.
His [Appraisal] skill would definitely uncover something extraordinary:
Type: Leader·Variant·Ice Emperor
Level: 60
Other: Unknown
Author's note:
P.S. MHY's new main story quest stabbed my outline in the back, but aside from new members added to the Honkai Beast family, I've decided to magnificently ignore the other parts for now~