The arriving researchers saw Dr. Miriam and her assistant on stretchers, covered by a waterproof cloth, their bodies obscured, eyes tightly shut, faces and hair coated in white frost.
"Doctor..."
A girl in the team welled up with tears.
These researchers typically spent their days in the headquarters of Schicksal or in major branches, focusing on studying technology related to the Honkai. They were, in fact, quite distant from the front lines where the real battle against the Honkai took place.
Now, seeing their mentors and colleagues turned into lifeless bodies and the Valkyries around them with varying degrees of injuries under the soaring flames, they felt, for the first time, what Honkai truly represented.
The crying girl wiped away her tears, eyes burning with the flames of hatred. She hurried over to Luo Lin's side and hoarsely said, "Hello, I'm here to take over your work..."
"Oh, you're here!"
Luo Lin was struggling with how to adjust the subtle parameters of the instruments.
Although she had learned relevant operational knowledge before, she was ultimately just a novice. Seeing the professionals arrive, she immediately handed over her work to them.
"This is the waveform parameter of the Honkai energy on the Herrscher of the Void..."
"Okay, I can see... It's completely different from ordinary Honkai beasts." The researcher girl tapped on the keyboard, ignoring the dust on it, "Like this... it's done."
The detector rotated its radar laboriously, emitting a dangerous creaking sound, but it looked a bit worse than it actually was. If nothing unexpected happened, it could continue to work for a long time.
Luo Lin was about to leave when the researcher girl stopped her.
"Um... How did the doctor...?"
"Ah..." Luo Lin looked at the girl, tears filling her eyes, and said softly, "The Herrscher ambushed us, and the doctor and... they didn't feel much pain..."
"Ah...!!"
Another researcher patted the girl's back, showing a smile more miserable than crying,
"Thank you... Miss Luo Lin..."
Luo Lin shook her head, leaving these grieving people behind, and walked towards Ragnar.
"Back already? They don't look too good."
Ragnar glanced at the researchers in pain next to the instruments and asked.
The girl forced a smile, "After all, they're just researchers, they shouldn't have come to a place like this in the first place."
"Indeed, reality is never as good as one wishes."
Ragnar watched as the Valkyries collected the bodies of the fallen, sent them onto the helicopter, and took off amidst the roar of the engine, heading back to the Belarus branch.
Then, silence fell.
The two watched as the flames gradually burned down the forest within the firebreak.
Occasionally, a few sparks would emerge from the dried carbon blocks. The Valkyries patrolled back and forth, and the eastern horizon gradually brightened, but the sky was still filled with a faint, lingering purple.
"Did you really hear her asking for help?"
"Yes, I heard it."
"..."
Ragnar took out a water bottle, took a sip, and walked towards the researchers who had finished their busy work.
"Have you found the results?"
The slightly recovered female researcher handed her tablet over and said, "Yes, based on the waveform, we have roughly located the whereabouts of the Herrscher of the Void... But you need to conduct an on-site inspection to confirm."
Ragnar took the tablet, looked at the blue area circled on it, which was more than a hundred kilometers away from here.
"She's run quite far..." Ragnar sighed, "Thank you for your hard work. If the Herrscher moves again, how long will it take for you to track her position?"
"We've already locked onto the Herrscher's waveform. If she moves, we only need a few tens of seconds to locate her position again."
"Good, well done... I'll have the Valkyries from the Belarus branch stay here to protect you and set up a base..." Ragnar turned to the Valkyrie commanders behind her and said, "The Assault Team will go straight to the Herrscher with our reinforcements."
"What about the other Honkai beasts? They seem to still be advancing..."
"Let's deal with the Herrscher first. As long as the Herrscher is gone, the remaining Honkai beasts are just a minor issue, we need to concentrate our efforts and deal with the biggest problem as soon as possible."
Ragnar shook her cloak, and the Heavy Sword "King Cobra" was behind her. The heavy and reliable touch of it calmed her heart.
"Luo Lin, you..."
"Captain, I'm going with you!" Before Ragnar could speak, Luo Lin preemptively replied, "I've fought the Herrscher of the Void before and at least know some of her moves..."
"Okay."
Ragnar nodded. She had already communicated with her team members after arriving, and Luo Lin had shown outstanding performance in battle, proving to be an excellent combat force.
After quickly packing some energy bars and drinking water, the Assault Team quickly got ready and boarded the transport helicopter again.
Siegfried also boarded the transport helicopter, familiarly securing himself in his seat, but he seemed a bit anxious. "Have you located her position?"
"We have a rough idea, but we still need to go check it out."
Ragnar handed the tablet to him, and the white-haired man almost snatched it, staring at the markings on it.
From Luo Lin's perspective, she could also see the map, densely packed with red dots, making her feel overwhelmed with fear.
"There seem to be a lot of Honkai beasts..."
"These? Not many. You just need to cover me."
Siegfried handed the device back to Ragnar, speaking calmly.
Then, the white-haired man proved his words with actions.
The Honkai beasts surged like a tide, and the helicopter first used its close-defense cannons to shoot down a few approaching Assault-level Honkai beasts, then used machine guns and missiles to create a small clearing amidst the beasts.
After that, Siegfried jumped out of the open door.
With Judgement of Shamash in hand, flames of anger spewed from the barrel of the Key of Destruction, turning every Honkai beast he passed into a sieve, their bodies filled with terrifying voids, falling into purple Honkai energy shards.
Siegfried went against the white tide, strolling leisurely.
His every move was like an antelope's horns, unpredictable and without a pattern. The Kaslana Gun Technique had been completely disassembled by the man, forming his own unique combat skills.
Soon, he alone shattered the tide of beasts, and the terrifying cries of the Honkai beasts now sounded like frightened wails, quickly ceasing.
"Don't let him fight alone!"
At Ragnar's call, the Valkyries jumped out of the helicopter, of course, not as high as Siegfried's jump, and not as fast as the helicopter.
The members of the Assault Team waved their large swords, tearing through the battle line formed by the Honkai beasts.
Soon, the attacking Honkai beasts were almost completely eliminated.
Siegfried looked into the distance.
In the bright purple light, a small figure floated, absorbing the gathered Honkai energy, trying to recover her former state with every minute and second.
Around her were countless purple and white figures, separating the Herrscher and humans.
The Herrscher of the Void turned around, emitting an impatient voice.
"Ants... You've come quite quickly..."