Bab 74: Inhuman
The reinforcements sent by headquarters weren't numerous, just ten individuals. They wore strange, beast-like masks, standing silently in two rows within the cramped shelter, making no sound—not even the rustling of clothes.
Only the slight rise and fall of their chests indicated their slow, shallow breathing.
They hadn't spoken a word since entering the shelter, nor had they interacted with the Squad 5 soldiers, just standing there coldly.
Trusting their supposed "allies," the Squad 5 soldiers initially paid them little attention. Except for a couple of sentries, the rest continued to rest.
But the air grew heavy with a palpable sense of hostility and coldness, especially within the confined shelter. Aldemir was the first to notice. Feigning casual conversation, he woke the others one by one. Soon, all the soldiers were awake.
They still leaned against the walls, but their rifles were clutched in their arms, safeties off. Aldemir had even chambered a round.
Despite the escalating tension, the masked figures remained impassive.
Mikael and Elysia returned to the shelter to find this strange scene.
"Poison Cocoon?"
The masks were too distinctive. Mikael discreetly touched Elysia's hand, and they both went on high alert.
"You're Squad Leader Mikael, right?"
The masked figure closest to the entrance turned to Mikael.
He was clearly trying to sound gentle, but his cold eyes betrayed him.
"That's me."
Mikael nodded curtly, offering no further words—no welcoming pleasantries or expressions of gratitude.
Now, even the most oblivious person in the room sensed something was amiss. The click-clack of safeties being disengaged echoed around the shelter as the Squad 5 soldiers formed a circle.
A ripple of movement went through the masked figures—no one spoke, but subtle shifts and twitches, amplified by the tense atmosphere, created a sense of unease.
The masked figure who had spoken, seemingly the leader, instinctively reached for the dagger at his waist, but quickly corrected himself, scratching his side, then his thigh, his hand hovering near a small pouch on his pants.
"My, my! Why are you all so tense? Shouldn't you be offering a warm welcome? After all, they've come all the way from headquarters to reinforce us! We can't be rude!"
Elysia stepped forward, her flawless smile and exaggeratedly cheerful tone dispelling the tension.
The Squad 5 soldiers stood up, slinging their rifles, muzzles pointed downwards.
Even the masked leader visibly relaxed, lowering his hand to his side.
From behind the concrete wall, a low, melodious humming drifted into the shelter, adding to the unsettling atmosphere.
"Oh! It seems Eden is singing! Mmm-hmm! The famous Eden! Honestly, if she's going to hold a shelter concert, she should at least inform us. Leaving us out like this is so annoying!"
Elysia smiled, taking a half-step forward.
Sensing Elysia taking control of the conversation, the masked leader coughed. "We're here on orders to reinforce Squad 5. We heard Squad Leaders Mikael and Elysia have already engaged the 3rd Herrscher. Headquarters has instructed us to gather information…"
Mikael nodded, remaining silent, his gaze turning cold as a wave of intense killing intent washed over the masked leader.
"He could crush me like an ant…" The leader swallowed, his bravado fading. He knew what the man before him was—a monster, a Herrscher, anything but human.
And that seemingly harmless girl also possessed superhuman strength. After learning about "companion Honkai beasts," some in the strategic command had even theorized that Elysia was Mikael's companion Honkai beast.
He, on the other hand, was purely human. No amount of training could give him the confidence to face either of them, let alone both, even with his entire team.
Especially not when they were on high alert.
Poison Cocoon demanded its members abandon all emotions, but how could a person be devoid of emotions? Especially these individuals, not soldiers trained from childhood, but hardened criminals.
He cursed the strategists who had devised this plan—they always believed any obstacle could be overcome.
That a Herrscher's power wasn't that great—he admitted, he'd thought so too, before coming here. But only after witnessing the devastation of Shanghai firsthand, feeling the suffocating Honkai energy, did he realize the true terror of a Herrscher.
Ordinary humans were utterly powerless against them.
That based on the Herrscher's past behavior, it seemed to retain human emotions, wouldn't resort to extreme measures, valued its bonds with humanity… wait, then why capture it?
He'd heard rumors. While most of the higher-ups (actually, only Phamas had opposed it) believed the Herrscher should be immediately contained, they were divided on what to do next.
One faction advocated for immediate elimination, while the other believed a live Herrscher was invaluable for research, hoping to unlock the secrets of Honkai power.
But it didn't matter.
Sweat trickled down his forehead and into his eyes. Unable to wipe it away due to the mask, he squinted.
Regardless of what the higher-ups wanted, his mission was to bring the Herrscher back to Poison Cocoon headquarters. Their disagreements were irrelevant to him.
If he failed…
In Poison Cocoon, failure usually meant death—not just his own, but also those he cared about. Being discarded as a pawn, like Agent 007, was a relatively merciful outcome.
Of course, it wasn't an impossible mission. Humans had their resources, and Poison Cocoon had its trump cards. As long as…
But he couldn't delay any longer. He had to act fast!
They had arrived when Himeko and the main force of Squad 5 were away. They hadn't expected their target to be absent from the shelter. They'd already wasted too much time…
So, accompanied by Eden's mournful yet hopeful singing from next door, he forced himself to speak. "Since this conversation involves classified information… Squad Leaders, could we speak privately?"
Mikael crossed his arms, his expression saying, "Really?"
Elysia, though more polite, was equally unyielding. "Hmm… come to think of it, the 3rd Herrscher shouldn't be classified information! Everyone here might have to face her, so I don't see the need for secrecy."
The Squad 5 soldiers remained silent, most still confused. Their initial hostility had stemmed from ingrained obedience.
But now they were starting to question—these were reinforcements from headquarters, why were they clashing with their squad leaders?
They exchanged uncertain glances.
Eden's singing grew louder, her voice, powerful enough to fill an opera house, easily penetrating the concrete wall and echoing through the shelter.
She was singing an aria from the opera she was supposed to perform last night at the skyscraper:
"Crimson moon hangs high, you are no longer human."
"Your soul wanders lost, yet you haven't forgotten me."
"The world rages on, consumed by malice."
"Counting your sins, an inhuman creature."
"Yet my heart, still yearns for you."
"Even if you are no longer human, then I…"
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone