The sudden storm swept through the center of the Honkai, and Kevin, unable to move forward due to the low temperature, instinctively shielded his eyes with his hand.
This terrifying storm came from nowhere, lifting the dust and ice spikes from the ground, obscuring Kevin's vision.
He was not unaware that Chen Ran could raise dust with a wave of his hand; after all, he had fought alongside Chen Ran against the Fourth Herrscher.
However, such a terrifying low temperature gave Kevin a very bad premonition.
"Chen Ran, Sirin!"
Kevin struggled to move forward, but the wind mixed with the low temperature became his greatest obstacle.
He was not yet MANTIS.
Even the Fire Moth combat suit had its limits.
The terrifying low temperature had already caused frostbite on his ankles and joints, and at this moment, his hand gripping the machine gun could not assume any other position.
His skin had already stuck to the metal.
But that was not the most important thing; the most important thing was that in the middle of the storm, both Chen Ran and Kiana were inside.
A sense of anxiety flashed through the young man's heart, and the invisible barrier formed by the low temperature made him feel powerless.
The high concentration of Honkai Energy continued to spawn Honkai Beasts, and he could only move in a limited area, using precise shots to eliminate these Honkai Beasts.
Even though he was trying to conserve energy, Kevin could still feel his stamina rapidly depleting.
"If Elysia were here, it probably wouldn't be like this," Kevin thought. After some training, Kevin could win against Elysia. But that was only under normal conditions.
In such low temperatures, Kevin believed that the dazzling girl, like flying flowers, would definitely be able to move freely here.
So, he did not take pride in his combat ability.
The young man's emotions began to grow complicated, and then he suddenly realized something: "Am I thinking so much because I'm about to die?"
Death was a word Kevin was not unfamiliar with.
During the first squad's mission, some comrades had died.
When Nagazora City faced the Honkai, millions perished.
To Kevin, everyone would face death; it was just a matter of sooner or later.
However, when his friends were on the brink of death, Kevin realized he could not remain calm.
He fired at the Honkai Beasts, seemingly trying to vent his anger and cover up his helplessness.
His stamina drained even faster.
Just when Kevin's mood hit rock bottom, he suddenly felt the terrifying low temperature around him beginning to ease.
The sun and geothermal heat slowly restored the temperature on the surface, and Kevin quickly looked towards the center of the storm, only to find that the storm had weakened.
At this moment, waiting for the storm to subside before entering would be the best choice.
However, Kevin disregarded everything and continued to trek inside.
"Chen Ran, Sirin!"
He continued to call out his companions' names.
The wind and sand whipped up ice debris, hitting his face, the cold sensation stimulating his senses, keeping Kevin alert.
His body could not help but gasp for breath, and his limbs were becoming stiff.
Based on his limited physiological knowledge, he judged that the blood in his body had already frozen, and he might even need to amputate.
The Fire Moth combat suit could only ensure his main heart rate and metabolism remained stable, but it could not fully protect his joints.
But he still did not want to give up.
Fortunately, the geothermal heat was more abundant than he had imagined, and soon, the temperature here quickly returned to around -50°C.
This was close to the physiological limit for normal humans, but for warriors like Kevin, it was still bearable.
Although Mobius had not made physiological modifications to the Fire Moth warriors, some of the medications they used daily could subtly provide some effects.
Finally, in the center where the wind gradually weakened, Kevin saw the eye of the storm.
Here, it was empty.
...
...
"Hey, hey, hey, where are we going?"
Kiana was being dragged by Wendy, flailing her arms.
After shouting for who knows how long, she was finally let down.
Wendy said lightly, "We came here by accident; too many people cannot know. At least we cannot be seen as coming from outside the world, or it will only bring you trouble."
She looked at Chen Ran, who was holding the Herrscher, a glimmer of joy flashing in her eyes.
"I can finally participate in your past, Chen Ran."
Chen Ran's eyes revealed excitement, but he forced himself to suppress his overwhelming emotions.
Meanwhile, Mei was supporting Kiana: "Are you okay, Kiana? How have you been during this time?"
"Mei, I'm fine."
Kiana felt excited upon seeing Mei: "But how did you all end up here?"
Raiden Mei quickly recounted the events regarding the Elysian Realm.
At this moment, Chen Ran also set the Herrscher down.
In an instant, using the ideal fluid, and under the cover of the storm, Chen Ran directly cut at the core of her body.
However, the Herrscher did not die.
Such vigorous vitality was not due to the Herrscher herself, but because Chen Ran borrowed the power of the Pseudo-Herrscher provided by the system to sustain the Herrscher's life.
"It seems you want to say something to me?"
He directly asked the Herrscher before him.
Chen Ran naturally would not show mercy to the Herrscher; that was unrealistic.
The arrival of the Fifth Herrscher brought with it a terrifying concentration of Honkai exceeding 8000hw.
Although this time the Honkai did not sweep across half the continent like the 3rd Herrscher due to the shorter duration of the battle, the rapid spread of its range still affected many people.
Even though MEI notified multiple locations to evacuate, the number of people leaving was not significant.
Who would be willing to heed a mere verbal warning from an administrative officer and venture far away?
The sudden onset of Honkai meant the death of millions, even tens of millions, and the displacement of countless others.
However, at the moment Chen Ran severed the Herrscher Core, this Herrscher surprisingly regained clarity of consciousness and murmured something to him.
At that moment, Wendy and Raiden Mei suddenly appeared, and Chen Ran could only hastily use the wind as cover to take them away.
He had to do this.
If it were just Kevin and MEI here, it would not matter if Chen Ran revealed part of the secret to them.
But the Fifth Squad was also present.
The internal situation of Fire Moth was not calm; Chen Ran believed that even within the combat teams, there would be spies planted by the higher-ups.
If Fire Moth knew that someone was descending from the distant future, would they still have the will to resist Honkai?
To be precise, at that time, no one would be thinking about resisting Honkai; instead, they would be looking to utilize Honkai to traverse time.
Thus, he had to keep it hidden.
Of course, there was another reason for Chen Ran to take the Herrscher away.
That was the extremely abnormal, ultra-high concentration of Honkai Energy.
Chen Ran had only heard of 8000hw concentrations of Honkai Energy while playing Honkai Academy.
Logically speaking, such a high concentration of Honkai Energy should not exist in this era unless it came from the world of Destruction.
Chen Ran needed to figure out the reason.
However, the Herrscher did not look at him but instead turned her gaze to Wendy.
She seemed to sense that Wendy was her kind, and her eyes held a hint of envy.
"You have already been able to break the shackles, how wonderful."
Wendy frowned, "What do you mean?"
The Herrscher seemed to want to say something, and Chen Ran's expression changed slightly.
"The severed Herrscher Core is self-healing."
He looked into the Herrscher's eyes, which were fluctuating with uncertainty.
If the core healed, it would mean the Herrscher would once again connect with Honkai and then go out of control.
The Herrscher of Ice seemed to sense Chen Ran's thoughts.
She said, "Kill me."
"But as long as civilization does not end, there will still be another me, and another after that."
The Herrscher is a rule.
To be precise, the true Herrscher is actually a manifestation of the rules that have been altered by Honkai; it is precisely because they grasp the rules that they are called the agents of the gods.
Honkai grants the rules consciousness and manipulates them, thus the Herrscher becomes an unassailable, exalted deity.
The Herrscher that people defeat is merely a vessel carrying the altered rules.
Just like a cup holding water, if it breaks, there will be another cup.
"However, I truly envy your freedom."
This statement was directed at Wendy.
Wendy instinctively looked at Chen Ran.
Chen Ran asked, "I really want to know your origins, and why you can unleash such a high concentration of Honkai?"
"You can help us, right?"
It is quite a ridiculous act for a human to question a Herrscher.
But neither Chen Ran nor Wendy found it to be a joke.
Chen Ran knew that when he fought the Herrscher of Ice, she had actually held back.
The Herrscher, capable of reducing the thermal motion of matter, was not weak at all, but she only released ice spikes, making it seem like she was just playing around during the battle.
The Herrscher of Ice still kept her gaze on Wendy, responding, "I don't know."
"I haven't lived well; my heart desperately needs power, and then I gained power."
"I actually don't want the world of Destruction, but I am powerless."
"It bound me to something else, and before this, I didn't even know what a Herrscher was. I had no thoughts of the world of Destruction."
"It was Honkai controlling me."
Chen Ran frowned, "Will of Honkai?"
"Not consciousness, but thought." The Herrscher of Ice denied, "Honkai can amplify the hidden desires for Destruction within the heart. That is why I envy her."
She looked at Wendy, her eyes still filled with envy.
No matter who it is, the ability to control one's own power and act from one's own consciousness is what the Herrscher envies.
The Herrscher of this era is merely a high-level Zombie.
Yet, even now, Chen Ran still did not quite understand why the concentration of Honkai Energy from the Fifth Herrscher had skyrocketed to 8000hw.
The Herrscher also did not know the answer.
"I should be dying."
She said softly, "If possible, please apologize to the innocent on my behalf. My name is Ana, and I should be going to hell."
This Herrscher was still a Catholic.
After saying this, she ceased to breathe.
Chen Ran and Wendy exchanged glances.
After a long while, Wendy spoke, "What will happen to her in the end?"
"The body and core will be separated and taken back to Fire Moth for research."
Faced with the girl before him, Chen Ran could not hide the truth.
"The fate of every dead Herrscher is the same; some of the technology within Fire Moth was discovered from studying the corpses of Herrschers."
Just like Schicksal studied the time-space rupture system from Sirin's corpse, the technology developed from the corpses of Herrschers within Fire Moth would only be more.
Wendy fell silent.
She was not exactly a soft-hearted person, yet Chen Ran's words still had a significant impact on her.
"This world is truly too rational to the point of fear," she commented.
"Now, tell me about you."
Chen Ran did not engage in meaningless arguments or entanglements on this topic.
He noticed the wristbands on Wendy and Raiden Mei and couldn't help but ask, "Has Vill-V's technology already been able to create tools for time travel?"
"Yes, regarding Time Armament No. 000, Vill-V said its original name was actually Time Armament No. 000 for Chen Ran."
Wendy blinked, "You can travel through time; it must be Vill-V's invention, right?"
"I could have confidently said no, but now I'm not so sure."
Chen Ran felt a bit of a headache.
He was somewhat unfamiliar with Wendy's wristband; at least he had not seen it from Vill-V.
However, whether it was Wendy's wristband or his own system, they both bore Vill-V's consistent naming style.
Theoretically, if the future Vill-V indeed had inventions related to the field of time and sent them to the past, it would not be impossible.
However, relying solely on Vill-V might not be enough.
For some reason, Chen Ran always felt that the rationality of the system resembled that of MEI.
He shook his head, casting aside this thought.
"Forget it; now is not the time to dwell on this."
Chen Ran looked at Wendy and smiled, "If we can travel through time, how long can you stay here?"
"Four hours; that's the limit."
"Then let's go; I'll accompany you for these four hours."
Chen Ran paused, then waved to Kiana, "Cousin, you watch over Bia here."
At this moment, Durandal had already shut down, being held in Kiana's arms when they arrived.
Raiden Mei & Wendy: "Cousin?"
Kiana grinned, "Taking advantage of me, you despicable bastard."
She briefly recounted her journey to this world and finding Chen Ran.
Upon learning that Kiana used the name Sirin, Raiden Mei and Wendy couldn't help but laugh and cry.
However, after hearing the whole story, Mei looked at Wendy, "It seems we still need to go to Schicksal Headquarters."
"This is necessary; Bishop Otto must be getting anxious."
Wendy paused and smiled, "But let's talk about it when we get back; bye for now."
Next, it was time for the two of them to enjoy their romantic moments.
...
...
The wind brushed against the girl's cheeks, every strand of hair at the tips revealing a freedom called whimsy.
Chen Ran had his arm around her shoulder as they walked through the center of Mu Continent.
After reporting his safety to Kevin, he turned off the communicator.
"No one here knows you and me."
Mu Continent is a developed place, one of the few areas where Fire Moth cannot monitor.
After all, many of Fire Moth's technologies are developed based on Mu Continent, and monitoring would be the greatest disrespect to their partners.
The order here is not chaotic; on the contrary, it is quite organized. And Mu Continent, known for its academic reputation, also has many entertainment activities.
Whether it's amusement parks or cinemas, Mu Continent is not lacking in entertainment.
But Chen Ran and Wendy were just holding hands, strolling down the street.
"So no one will make us do anything; even if we just daze here, it is still our time."
Wendy rolled her eyes, "Actually, this is just your excuse for not being able to think of a date idea."
"Your mouth is getting better at deceiving, Mr. Chen."
The last two words, 'Mr.', made Chen Ran's heart flutter.
These two words, spoken by Wendy who admired him, carried immense impact.
He forced himself to retort, "Who said I didn't think of a date idea? I just feel that the significance of these four hours is extremely important, so I must give you a very important, unique date experience."
Wendy blinked, "Then what do you want to do?"
Chen Ran noticed someone playing the piano in a nearby corner, and his eyes lit up slightly.
Although Mu Continent is extremely averse to entertainment, people's demand for entertainment will not be extinguished because of that.
After he returned from Mu Continent to Fire Moth last time, Eden had already conquered the entire Mu Continent.
Even here, he could encounter Eden's fans.
Of course, Chen Ran did not care about that.
He walked over to the captivating pianist and said, "Brother, can I borrow your piano? I want to express my heartfelt words to my girlfriend. You know, some things can only be conveyed through music."
The musician looked at Chen Ran, then at Wendy, and couldn't help but smile.
"Of course, I'd be more than happy to."
Wendy watched as Chen Ran took a seat at the piano and couldn't help but ask, "Can you do it?"
"Don't worry, at least this time I won't embarrass you in front of others."
Using music to woo someone is a high-level skill, and Chen Ran originally didn't know how to do it.
But let's not forget, he had the knowledge gene implanted by number 666.
In fact, Wendy was right; he hadn't really thought through the date arrangements.
But now, he had it all figured out.
Their conversation attracted a few onlookers, and Chen Ran felt the melody brewing in his heart, then a beautiful tune slowly rose.
This song was one he had loved to play on repeat before he crossed over.
He had wanted to sing it to Wendy for a long time.
Because the lyrics were just right.
"How many times can I say the same thing to you without getting tired?"
"Just sitting across from each other, unaware of the world outside?"
"You said we never needed letters between us?"
"Even on the highest mountains, our fingerprints are still intertwined?"
"Watching time flow, in the blink of an eye, the world has changed?"
"Same painting, pondered over countless times, yet still left blank?"
"Who will fulfill the unfinished vows now?"
"Even longing gradually turns into stolen moments of leisure?"
"Revisiting, rereading the abandoned poems?"
"I once thought of using a simple phrase from back then to rewrite the past?"
"But even fragmented images are the most touching verses?"
"Only to blame time for its heavy ink, writing yet shallow?"
"I once thought my proud tomorrow would be one with you by my side?"
"The end of the poem always continues the affection with a period?"
"Our story has too many chapters, yet only the prologue is completed?"
Since she could brave the thorns to participate in his past.
Then, he naturally should respond to her future.
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