"Be careful, there are enemies nearby."
Yae Sakura's warning pulls Lin Wei out of his "mission accomplished" mood, quickly raising his guard.
He trusts Yae Sakura's intuition completely. She's far stronger than him and can sense changes in the subtle energy flow in the air, picking up danger.
She rarely shows off this ability, not wanting Lin Wei to become lazy from relying on her.
Lin Wei himself doesn't want to rely on others too much. The feeling of being "not in control" and being manipulated makes him very uneasy,
Even though he's more of an "accessory" in their current situation.
But the equal and friendly relationship between them, and Yae Sakura's wholehearted help, are built on the foundation of Lin Wei's self-reliance.
How would you describe it?
Standing tall while eating this soft rice.
"Is it Anti-Entropy or someone else? Can you identify their characteristics?" Lin Wei takes the katana from the cart, hanging it at his waist, while his other hand conjures a black pistol.
Honestly, if the so-called enemy were an Anti-Entropy mech unit, Lin Wei wouldn't be worried at all.
And that's all Anti-Entropy has to offer right now.
"No. The other party's aura is chaotic and violent. It's a Honkai beast."
Yae Sakura gives the specific information and points out its approximate location.
Lin Wei is surprised. He was ready for PVP, but it seems that's not the case.
Looking in the direction Yae Sakura indicated, it's right towards the shelter, about two blocks away.
"Is that Honkai beast powerful?" Lin Wei asks. He had encountered and eliminated many Honkai beasts along the way, and Yae Sakura, other than pointing out his shortcomings and areas for improvement during the battles, hadn't interfered too much.
So... am I facing a final boss?
Lin Wei gives the cart full of books and toys a weird look—isn't this a collection quest?
How did it become a sweep quest?
Lin Wei shakes his head, shaking off the absurdity he feels. This isn't a game.
"It's okay, it's manageable."
My god, she's too humble! She wasn't like this when she faced Kalpas with her sword!
He inwardly complains. But Yae Sakura's calm voice gives Lin Wei confidence. He starts to think things through.
His path home is blocked, and taking a detour would take up too much time.
Moreover, the shelter isn't that far from here.
Lin Wei looks again in the direction of the Honkai beast, his gaze extending into the distance. Although he can't see the light from here, a group of innocent children is living there.
With Raven gone, letting a Honkai beast that Yae Sakura specifically called out roam freely might eventually endanger the children.
It might even track him back to the shelter.
And...
Lin Wei narrows his eyes, thinking of a lot of things.
"Let's go take a look."
Nagazora City has already given birth to two powerful beings, the Herrscher of Thunder and Yuno. Even though the transformation process of both was interrupted, it did consume a significant amount of Honkai energy.
I wonder how Yuno is doing in St. Freya?
No point in thinking about that now.
Shaking off the distractions, Lin Wei decides to investigate.
He really wants to see if the remaining Honkai energy in this city can actually give birth to a third monster!
He conceals the little bit of aura he has to avoid provoking the unexpected roadblock, while Yae Sakura prepares for any sudden situations.
Lin Wei climbs to a "lookout tower" he had already identified, the tallest building. From the high vantage point, he looks toward the eye-catching Honkai beast.
It's a Honkai beast emitting a powerful aura, about four or five stories tall. It floats aimlessly in that street, its limbs nowhere to be seen. Its strange body shape, its unique way of floating above the ground, and the purple arcs of electricity that surround it all identify it as a Honkai Emperor.
"Heh, looks like someone wants to watch a gladiator fight," Lin Wei chuckles to himself.
"You mean someone deliberately lured it here?" Yae Sakura understands what Lin Wei means.
"Yeah, the whole thing is too convenient. It appeared just as we were returning, blocking our path."
Lin Wei's smile turns cold as he scans the empty city ruins, looking for something.
"And it happens to be the only Honkai Emperor in this city, tch tch tch. Everything is so ironic. How could it be so coincidental?" Lin Wei mocks, laughing. "After the two rounds of exploitation by Raiden Mei and Yuno, the remaining Honkai energy in this city could probably only create a Honkai Emperor. Look, we just happened to catch the grand prize."
How boring. A Honkai Emperor is just a low-level Honkai beast. Why not throw in an Emperor-class Honkai beast?
World Serpent has that technology, right?
Lin Wei can tell with his little toe who's behind this. Who else would control and command Honkai beasts but World Serpent?
As to why they didn't do that, it's probably to avoid attracting the attention of other players on the world stage with the sudden appearance of an upper-level Honkai beast.
So, they're still scheming against me, but what's the goal?
Is this a job interview?
Lin Wei's smile becomes strange. If I can't figure it out, then let's play this game!
Since World Serpent is setting this up, they'll have to show themselves and give me an explanation.
If they don't show up, that means they've officially made themselves my enemy. Lin Wei doesn't think that would benefit World Serpent.
If that's the case, then to protect myself, I might actually defect!
Bringing all of World Serpent's secrets to Schicksal might be too much for them to handle, especially without Kevin.
World Serpent probably wants to make me their enemy, that would be more in their interest!
Wait, an enemy of Schicksal?
Lin Wei seems to grasp something, but it's like looking at flowers in the fog, unclear.
"Do you need me to take care of this?" Yae Sakura asks, seeing Lin Wei's fluctuating emotions.
"Haa!"
If I can't figure it out, I won't! I'll take this welcome gift first!
"No, you can't interfere, Sakura." Lin Wei decides instantly. "Someone is watching in the shadows. I have to keep a trump card for myself, to prevent them from seeing through my abilities."
World Serpent only knows he has a Stigmata, but they don't know how special it is.
"...What are you going to do?" Yae Sakura has always unconditionally supported Lin Wei.
She used to hate the name "Sakura" as much as she hated that Flame-Chaser.
But Lin Wei told her that it's her own name, a term of endearment only close people could use.
How could she give something like that so easily to someone else? So, Yae Sakura accepted the gift.
"Using the Stigmata's enhancement alone, my body can endure for a while now, right?" Lin Wei asks Yae Sakura. As the true owner of the Stigmata, and an observer, she understands his situation better.
"...Only for a short time, about two or three minutes. You have to make it quick, it's not good for a prolonged battle." Yae Sakura understands what Lin Wei is planning and worries that he might overdo it.
She knows that when this man gets reckless, he doesn't care about the consequences.
"Ha, that's enough."
The existence of the Divine Keys and the Stigmata are all information that World Serpent already knows. There's no point in hiding it.
Since that's the case, I'll show you everything so you can get to know me even better.
Since he's made his decision, he won't hesitate.
Lin Wei smiles, a very wicked smile.
First, let me set up the stage for my performance!
Since I'm going to put on a show, let's make it magnificent, so the audience in the shadows will feel like they didn't come in vain!
.........
A Honkai Emperor, the limit of low-level Honkai beasts, is known for its terrifying destructive power.
It currently patrols its territory, like a true emperor, with a few dozen minions.
Its massive size makes the originally wide street seem narrow, but this doesn't hinder a Honkai Emperor's progress—of course, it doesn't have legs.
No matter how magnificent the buildings are, they can't stop it; the once incredibly sturdy buildings that can withstand high-intensity earthquakes are as fragile as tofu in front of it, collapsing in wailing crashes.
Every now and then, a couple of unlucky minion Honkai beasts are mercilessly buried under falling debris.
However, the surviving minions continue to surround the "Emperor" as if nothing has happened. As the "Emperor" patrols, more Honkai beasts gather nearby as if answering a call.
"Ha... ha... that's quite the spectacle."
On another tall building, Lin Wei, who has finished his preparations, watches the magnificent "parade" in the distance while breathing heavily.
It's not because he's too tired from climbing the building, but because of the previous high-frequency use of the Divine Key. It made his body exhausted, feeling like his heart was about to explode.
"Interfering with reality using Imaginary energy" has a cost, even with Pandora's high compatibility. This is especially true when it's used in such a "wasteful" manner.
To not alert the Honkai beasts, he didn't use the Stigmata's power to enhance himself, relying solely on his pitiful body.
His heart is about to burst. If he doesn't inhale enough oxygen, Lin Wei feels like he might pass out at any moment!
"You're being reckless," Yae Sakura's cold voice is filled with dissatisfaction. He's just playing with his life!
"Ha... ha... it's fine, it's complete... next, it's time to release everything!" Lin Wei says, his voice weak and uneven.
But his expression is extremely excited.
He reaches out again, summoning Pandora. This time, the black box doesn't circle around but quietly rests in his palm, as if it knows its master's current state is poor and doesn't want to add to his burden.
"Pandora, this is your debut performance, enjoy it." Lin Wei forces a smile and speaks to the quiet black box before putting it away.
All preparations have been made, and there's no need to hide anymore.
Lin Wei focuses his mind, activating the Stigmata's power. A red light faintly glows on his back, and his black hair is tinged with a cherry-colored hue. The immense pressure on his body suddenly decreases, and the feeling of relief makes Lin Wei sigh out loud.
He snaps his fingers, flamboyantly, "Showtime!"
The crisp snap is like an order. The dead city suddenly becomes noisy!
A completely black, slightly transparent mechanical construct appears in front of Lin Wei. With a series of "clunking" sounds, it quickly unfolds, extending monstrous cannons and ruthlessly firing at the distant Honkai beast group.
Almost at the same time, on five other rooftops in different locations, five other construct units appear, firing different calibers of weapons.
Rocks split, flames soar, creating a sea of fire in an instant!
"Haha, Vill-V's creations are so useful!" Lin Wei gives Vill-V a thumbs up from afar as he watches the minions get swept away.
Pandora has devoured too much data from the Elysian Realm. It's not just Divine Key data, but also all those weird "Anti-Kevin weapons."
Of course, in Lin Wei's opinion, most of them are useless.
Too flashy. You deserved getting your budget cut. Lin Wei grumbles.
"That's enough, it's time for the next part."
Seeing that only the Honkai Emperor is left in the sea of fire, struggling to hold up an electromagnetic barrier, Lin Wei feels his own stamina dropping rapidly and calculates how much time he has left before ordering all cannons to cease firing.
Lin Wei waves his hand, and the construct in front of him begins to transform again, becoming a uniquely shaped glider, carrying Lin Wei toward the Honkai Emperor's head.
"Here's another surprise!" Lin Wei slams down on a large button in front of him, grabbing the handrails.
The machine shakes and drops a huge bomb, falling directly towards the struggling Honkai Emperor.
A surge of electricity hits the bomb before it lands, creating a small mushroom cloud in the air. The shockwave forces the monster to the ground and weakens its electromagnetic barrier, making it flicker.
"ROAR!" The Honkai Emperor, flustered by the sudden attacks, roars in anger.
"I'll let you open your shield!" Lin Wei laughs. Even though the smoke obscures his vision, he can guess that the Honkai Emperor isn't having a good time.
Drawing energy from the Imaginary world with the Divine Key to affect reality is a huge burden for Lin Wei, acting as both the anchor and the transmission channel.
The barrage of fire had pushed Lin Wei to his limits, even with the Stigmata's enhancement.
It's time to end this quickly!
"The third act, the climax!"
Lin Wei retracts the glider, letting himself fall through the air, and orders the five other cannons to disband, returning to the Imaginary world.
Then, his descent suddenly accelerates!
"Projection—Ninth Divine Key—Star of Eden!"
Gravity suddenly increases, making Lin Wei plummet to the ground like a meteor, breaking through the smoke and charging toward the battered Honkai Emperor!
The increased gravity even forces it back to the ground.
He can directly mimic Divine Keys in the data space, but in reality, he can only project them.
Although the effect isn't much different, the consumption is multiplied.
Lin Wei can only project one Divine Key at a time, so he has to calculate carefully!
The meteor is about to crash. Lin Wei retracts the projected Ninth Divine Key. Gravity returns to normal, but the momentum remains.
"Projection—Third Divine Key—Seven Thunders of Retribution!"
A black katana crackling with electricity appears in his left hand. He draws the katana hanging at his waist with his right hand and shouts inwardly, "Yae Sakura, give me a hand!"
Lightning flashes, and he crashes down!
The projected Seven Thunders of Retribution shatters the remaining electromagnetic barrier. The left and right blades cross, cutting off the Honkai Emperor's sharp arms as they meet!
"Projection—Sixth Divine Key—Abyss Flower!"
Falling at meteor speed would surely result in death. Lin Wei throws the black lance at the ground after a successful hit!
Instead of spring water flowing and a hundred flowers blooming, a black flower blooms from the void, gently catching Lin Wei and saving him from death.
"ROAR!"
The Honkai Emperor is unwilling. It only needed to raise a hand to shatter that annoying ant!
But it had already been heavily injured, with its arms severed.
But it can't let him go!
"Thump! Thump! Thump!"
Purple-pink energy spikes emerge from the ground, surrounded by faint electrical arcs. They reach out toward Lin Wei, who's not even ten meters away, like they're alive.
"Projection—Eleventh Divine Key—Oath of Judah!"
Lin Wei retracts the black flower. A huge black cross stands before him, deeply embedded in the ground, steadily withstanding the "stride" of the spikes, allowing them to strike its surface. Protected behind it, Lin Wei is safe.
The cross successfully defends, and then suddenly unfolds. Thirteen black spears rise into the air, pulling thirteen long chains that firmly bind the Honkai Emperor to the ground, stopping its attack.
"Ha... ha... next, the final blow!"
Too frequent use of the Divine Keys and the burden from the Stigmata's enhancement is pushing him to his limits, but the battle isn't over!
Lin Wei grits his teeth and desperately squeezes out every last bit of energy.
"...Projection—Seventh Divine Key—Judgement of Shamash!"
A large black sword surrounded by dark flames appears in his hand. The Oath of Judah disappears, and the chains and restraints vanish with it. The Honkai Emperor is about to regain its freedom.
There's only one chance!
Lin Wei feels a ringing in his ears, but forces himself to hold onto the fading Stigmata's power.
He's come this far. He can't give up now. He has to end this himself!
Now isn't the time to reveal Yae Sakura!
Lin Wei takes a deep breath, ignores his ringing ears and blurred vision, summons the last of his strength, and charges towards the already crippled Honkai Emperor. With all his remaining power, he plunges the sword deep into the Honkai beast.
"Thump," energy is released!
Flames rise inside the creature, even bursting out of the severed limb wounds. The heat makes Lin Wei's mouth dry.
The Honkai Emperor lets out a wail. Its massive body collapses for the third time, but it can no longer struggle.
"Is it dead?" Lin Wei is out of energy but still doesn't trust that it's dead. He decides to make sure.
He puts away the Divine Keys and draws his katana again.
Lin Wei holds the crimson katana in both hands, but he can't seem to bring himself to swing the final blow that would sever its head. He hesitates for a moment before ultimately giving up.
If he swings that blade, he'll probably pass out, leaving both of them vulnerable to whoever's watching.
Lin Wei's reason tells him that he has to leave a way out for himself, otherwise his only option will be to let Yae Sakura clean up the mess.
Then what would have been the point of his entire show?
He already did everything he could. The audience in the shadows should show themselves.
After weighing his options, Lin Wei decides to wait.
As expected, the instant Lin Wei stops, a crimson arrow rushes towards the Honkai Emperor and pierces it through the mouth, snuffing out its last breath of life.
Black feathers fall, and a petite figure appears like a ghost, catching Lin Wei and injecting him with a syringe. She examines him and says, not unkindly, "I was only away for a few days, and you've made such a mess?"
Lin Wei opens his heavy eyes, looking at the girl before him, not surprised at all, "Should I call you 'Natasha,' or 'Raven'?"