34. Devour Me, Mobius!
Gao qi realized he was becoming increasingly familiar with the process of burning his own life force. After all, those who don't care about their lives naturally have far fewer worries.
But to say he had no concerns at all wouldn't be true.
Upon discovering that these two simulations had entered a continuous worldline, and that Hua was still the Hua he knew, Gao qi could say he was almost stunned on the spot.
Although he had simulated several decades more of life, the time Gao qi actually spent in simulation was either spent taking care of his little sister or taking care of his daughter. It wasn't like he had been scheming and fighting with others for decades, so he naturally didn't become much smarter – frankly, with reckless women like Fu Hua and Kiana around, it was a miracle they didn't lower his IQ.
If he had to say where he grew... his ability to sweet-talk children was still intact.
Thanks to these somewhat useful moments of "wisdom in desperation," Gao qi made Hua believe that he had just temporarily forgotten her after being resurrected, and later slowly remembered her.
Gao qi didn't like lying, because lies often require more lies to cover up. So when he did lie, it was usually right before he died.
But now, facts proved that even lies told before death could be dragged back up when someone resurrects you, forcing you to explain them – which was a bit annoying.
However, if it was to save his little sister – Gao qi was willing to tell one last lie of his life and burn his life force once more!
"Damn it, out of all fourteen Herrschers, you're the one I hate the most, you endlessly chattering Herrscher of Dominance – just shut up!"
The Stigma of Death flickered. The Herrscher core within the lance in his hand provided a continuous stream of energy, causing the originally dark green Blank Key on Gaoqi's body to instantly turn half black and half green.
This was truly a... 'Best Match'.
This was the latest achievement developed by Dr. Mei and Mobius – the power of the Blank Key.
The task of burning her life force to fight the Herrscher of Dominance, which should have fallen to Mei, was snatched away by Gao qi. He hoped she could live longer this time.
Boom—Boom Boom—
"Your forehand is weak, your backhand is inept, your footwork is sloppy, your reactions are slow – how dare you use Hua's body! Her mastery of fist techniques is enough to beat me soundly!"
Gripping the Black Abyss and White Flower with his main arms, with four additional arms sprouting behind him due to Artificial Stigma Manifestation, Gao qi – who had once again taken on the form of the Herrscher of Death – continuously unleashed the Inch Heart Fist technique. He relentlessly pushed the power within his body, launching a fierce assault against the Herrscher of Dominance, momentarily gaining the upper hand.
The power of the Blank Key combined with a Herrscher core had been proven before on Himeko. And Gao qi was more familiar with the laws of the Herrscher of Death; the powers of life, death, creation, and destruction flowed through his hands.
But the Herrscher of Dominance was, after all, the 10th Herrscher. The 9th Herrscher destroyed the Mu Continent, the 11th Herrscher reduced the number of MANTISes to just 13. Combining the power of a thousand individuals, her strength was immensely powerful; otherwise, she couldn't have succeeded in ambushing Kevin.
Soon, the Herrscher of Dominance adapted to Gao qi's explosive power and, with a malicious sense of fun, began fighting Gao qi using the Inch Heart Fist herself, while continuously employing the powers of the first nine Herrschers.
The two of them came from the same school; every move and style was identical to what they had learned back in the day.
Taught by the same master – they couldn't break each other's techniques!
"Come on, kill me, Gao qi! No, Zero! You failed from both your lives! Weren't you so amazing? Why do I feel nothing! Nothing at all!"
Every move Gao qi made was met with the same move from the Herrscher of Dominance. He stopped deliberately using the Black Abyss and White Flower and began fighting her with his fists, imbued with the power of necrosis and creation.
Bang!
Herrscher armor covered both their arms as they collided, erupting in a dazzling brilliance. It was as if they had returned to years ago, when Gao qi and Hua, still a young boy and girl, sparred with each other in their family's martial arts hall.
"Zero! Contain your power, you can't keep consuming your life force like this!"
To the side, Mobius rushed forward again, forcibly maintaining her Artificial Stigma Manifestation. Her materialized serpent form disappeared, replaced by a condensed, emerald-green radiance. She suppressed her own power and pulled out a purple bow from beside her.
The Third Divine Key – Seven Thunders of Retribution, another creation of the engineer, Vill-V.
Mobius didn't care about Fu Hua; she only wanted Zero!
She nocked an arrow on the Divine Key bow, aiming at the Herrscher's core. But the next second, Gao qi moved to block her line of fire, even turning his head back to give her an apologetic smile.
"Zero, you bastard!"
Immediately after, the Divine Key in Mobius's hand suddenly transformed into... a slingshot?!
"Useless, useless! No one can leave my theater! None of you can defeat me!"
Countless fists converged, carrying the power of the Herrscher of Sentience and the Herrscher of Stars (Earth), and smashed towards Gao qi. The Herrscher of Dominance grew increasingly frantic.
She knew her opponents weren't just the ones before her. MANTISes from all over the world were rushing to this location. She couldn't afford to disperse her power. The result could only be—
"Give up, Brother Gao qi. You can't save her. But I can let you join us. Even Mobius can join. You can be together forever!"
Faced with her desperation, Gao qi welcomed it gladly. Finally, he sensed that perfect moment.
If the goal was to "kill" a Herrscher, Gao qi had many methods.
His only chance to "defeat" the Herrscher of Dominance was now!
"Let Hua say those words herself— This is the final blow! Let's decide this!"
Thud—
A brilliant smile on his face, Gao qi's arms forcefully drove the Black Abyss and White Flower through his own body, causing the Herrscher core within to resonate completely with his own being.
"Wha— Then bring it on! Human!"
For a brief moment, the Herrscher of Dominance wanted to flee; she was inherently despicable and cowardly. But the soul struggling within her body, at the final moment, chose to throw the same punch from their past sparring sessions with her Brother Gao qi.
As if by agreement, both Herrschers mobilized all their muscles, all their Herrscher power – for a single punch!
"Inch Strength—"
"—Open Heaven!"
Hummmmm——————
The power of the two Herrschers condensed into a single punch. Where their fists met, there was no massive explosion or flashy special effects, only a silent annihilation.
They seemed to see each other as they were years ago: the youthful girl, the bright-eyed boy.
Crack, crack crack crack—
Cracks spread across the Herrscher armor of both combatants— Then, the Blank Key on Gao qi's body instantly shattered for the most part, along with nearly half of his body exploding open, bones almost visible.
Victory—
A feeling of joy filled the Herrscher of Dominance's heart. Everyone who joined her was a failure, making her crave victory all the more.
But, seeing the smile on Gao qi's face, the Herrscher of Dominance faintly felt that something was wrong. She subconsciously threw a punch at the exhausted Gao qi.
However, the next second, a pillar of emerald green thunder, accompanied by the phantom image of a great serpent, crashed down upon the Herrscher of Dominance, paralyzing her instantly – Mobius was going all out!
"Su, Kevin! Use ice! If you dare hurt Little Hua, I'll fight you to the death right now!"
Then, accompanied by Gao qi's roar, a formidable power awakened.
"Causality— Transference!"
In the next instant, Su, half of his body transformed into a beautiful peacock, rushed over. Aiming at the Herrscher of Dominance, he unleashed his strongest attack with full force.
The power of the Herrscher of Dominance was turned back upon herself. Finally, the Herrscher energy within her body began to run rampant.
The next second, Kevin, who had been like a sleeping bear but now jolted awake, had already drawn the Judgement of Shamash and was charging forward. But upon hearing Gao qi's words, he forcibly sheathed the drawn greatsword of Judgement, and pointed his finger like a sword, pressing it against Fu Hua's forehead.
"Seal—"
The profound extreme ice manifested, seizing the Herrscher's weakest moment. Kevin subdued her with a single strike.
The power brought by Parvati instantly sealed Fu Hua in ice. Kevin looked gravely at Gao Qi.
"How do you plan to save her? We have no way to rescue a Herrscher from the influence of the Will of Honkai."
But Gao Qi simply smiled and looked at Kevin.
"You mentioned the Will of Honkai, right? But since it's a will, it always prefers something better—now, a powerful being capable of becoming a Herrscher has appeared beside the dying Herrscher of Dominance. Would the Will of Dominance turn me into another Herrscher?"
Gazing at Fu Hua before him, Gao Qi took a deep breath, pulled out the Black Abyss White Flower from within himself, dispelled the Herrscher of Death form, and spurred the Honkai energy in his body, pushing himself toward the brink of the madness that is Artificial Stigma.
"Wait, Zero, that's just theoretical exploration. You don't need to take this risk—I forbid you from doing this, stop!"
Beside him, Mobius, still in her Artificial Stigma form, rushed anxiously to Gao Qi's side. She understood his plan.
Other Herrschers might not have a high chance of success, but the nature and instinct of the Herrscher of Dominance are proliferation and reproduction. When realizing it is in a desperate situation, it would instinctively abandon its original body and seek a potential host.
This was one of Mobius's hypotheses. She and Mei had planned to kill a large number of Dominance Herrschers, forcing them into a potential host's body.
"Look at you, Mobius. Didn't you say that the best test subject for a researcher is themselves?—See, I'm about to make the two people I love most cry. In a way, I'm a failure too, aren't I?"
Within his body, Gao Qi dissipated all the power of the Herrscher of Death, increased his Honkai energy contamination through Artificial Stigma, and simultaneously dropped all mental defenses.
Like a steaming bowl of pork knuckle rice placed before a starving person, Gao Qi knew the Herrscher of Dominance would be unable to resist this instinct!
Even if it knew it was a trap, it would want to try—with its current power, to control Gao Qi, it must release Fu Hua!
Sure enough, even though she was already frozen, the Herrscher stigmata of Dominance on Fu Hua's body gradually faded, while Herrscher stigmata began to appear on Gao Qi's body.
"Huuuu——"
A mad will began to stir within him. Gao Qi took a deep breath, struggling to stay conscious, and gave Mobius a hug.
"Alright, Mobius, I know about your Molting ability—now, please devour me, like a female mantis."
Herrscher energy was restless. Unlike the sensation of the Herrscher of Death, the transformation into the Herrscher of Dominance was a different experience.
"Make use of the Herrscher's energy for yourself. Although Kosma could devour me too—but, why let benefits go to others?"
In that brief moment, Gao Qi had thought of the only way to free Fu Hua from her Herrscher state.
If he had a vial of Schariac holy blood, Gao Qi certainly wouldn't need to go this far. Herrschers in the Previous Era couldn't defect en masse like in the modern era. The best method Gao Qi could think of—was to become a Herrscher himself.
Life was Gao Qi's own currency.
"I salute you, Jörmungandr."
Kevin and Su silently stood up, stepped back, and began gathering their power. Next, they prepared to deliver a fatal blow to the Herrscher-fied Gao Qi.
"No, no, you're different, Zero. I forbid you from doing this! You are my possession, my test subject! We still have so much to do, there must be another way! Let me do it, you know about my Molting. If you kill me, I still have a chance to revive—"
Mobius, who feared nothing, now seemed as vulnerable as an ordinary little girl. She clung to Gao Qi, tears welling in her eyes.
Mobius hadn't cried for countless years. She claimed to have discarded the useless emotions of humanity, but now she realized she just hadn't met the right person.
"Brother, I—don't, don't leave me like last time! Don't!"
On the other side, Fu Hua also recovered from her Herrscher state. Abandoned by the power of Honkai, she understood what Gao Qi intended to do and hurriedly knelt beside him.
Experiencing the pain of parting twice with the one she loved most was a blow that nearly drove Fu Hua mad!
"You—you scumbag, how dare you! Don't touch him!"
Mobius was now utterly distraught. Clutching Gao Qi to her chest, she threw a punch at Fu Hua. Fu Hua didn't dodge, but Gao Qi's hand blocked the strike. He whispered quietly to both of them.
"Alright, alright, don't be sad. After I rampage, I'll be extremely powerful. You can devour my main body; only then will you have enough power to defeat the Herrscher—Mobius, you said you aren't afraid of death. Let me tell you a secret: I'm not afraid either."
On his left and right, Gao Qi gently held Fu Hua and Mobius's delicate hands, as if resolving himself.
This time, he hoped he wouldn't have to make Fu Hua and Mobius sad again. Even without revealing the simulator, he wanted to leave them a thread of hope.
"Mobius, you've always been curious about how I could suddenly revive from a corpse but couldn't find the answer, right?"
Gao Qi forced himself up and gave Mobius a deep kiss.
"Actually, I have my own 'Molting,' though I don't know when I'll awaken again—it might not even be in my current identity. As for the principle, I'll leave it to the great Dr. Mobius to figure out?"
He ruffled her hair, his face full of reluctance.
"Continue pursuing the truth you seek, Mobius. Live on, attain the infinity and eternity you desire—"
"Hn, hnn."
Mobius was already sobbing uncontrollably. Gao Qi then turned to look at Fu Hua beside him, who was also weeping bitterly.
"Alright, don't blame yourself. I'm the one who should apologize..."
He could have revealed his identity to Fu Hua long ago, but because of his own foolishness, he had to fabricate a reason of amnesia to deceive her. Gao Qi felt that all his simulations had truly been for nothing—he was too much of a scumbag.
What could he do? He just couldn't bear to deliberately deceive those who loved him.
"Live well. I know you don't like your sister Mobius, but you have to believe she's a reliable person. Don't conflict with her anymore; her advice is valuable—if you can't pursue infinity, then enjoying a brief life is also a good way."
Understanding Fu Hua's feelings, Gao Qi gently kissed her lips as well, then struggled to his feet and took two steps back.
"Alright, come on. You can treat my words as another lie, or—choose to believe me. I love you both."
Spreading his arms, the stigmata of Dominance appeared on Gao Qi's body. He could feel the Herrscher's will trembling with fear, trying to control him to escape. In the sky, countless puppet strings and arms reappeared.
And Mobius also stood up, wearing a sorrowful smile uglier than crying.
"I love you too, Zero."
The next second, in Gao Qi's eyes, the emerald-green head of Nyx charged toward him, jaws wide open.
"Go, Mobius. Make time fear you, make the ages dread you."
Gao Qi felt his body instantly lose its autonomy, merging with something warm, being absorbed, digested, its power drawn out.
Then—accompanied by a pained and desperate roar, heaven and earth were covered by thundering crashes, unmatched even by the Herrscher of Thunder.
"This is—the moment of ascension!"
The next second, Gao Qi's consciousness vanished.
[You were devoured and digested by Mobius in her Artificial Stigma state.]
[You died.]
[Simulation ended.]
Gao Qi opened his eyes. This time, he wasn't overly sad.
"Heartbreak... but we'll meet again someday, right?"
Note: I'm new to translating so please be kind and tell me any mistakes you all find, I will try to release a chapter a day but don't expect much
Please support the original author: warboss
Raw: 崩坏模拟器,你找的人是我么?