บท 66: Volume 1, Chapter 66: Herrscher Unrecognized by the Will of Honkai
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By the time Xia Chen fully regained his consciousness, it was already the next day.
Despite Rin's efforts to dull most of the memories, his head still throbbed painfully.
The consciousness residing within the Red Sakura spoke to him, revealing that some of her memories contained higher-dimensional information, which Rin could not process.
It was similar to the system's reward, "Mysterious Wandering Sound."
Xia Chen knew exactly what Rin meant by 'higher-dimensional information.'
It referred to the essence of the Mark of End.
Initially, he assumed that the previous era's civilization had no recorded Authorities related to the Herrscher of Finality because they perished too swiftly before its presence. However, after his recent experience, he realized this was not the case.
Instead, it was because the Authorities of the Herrscher of Finality simply cannot be documented.
If one compares a world to a game server, then she is akin to an administrator with the power to cleanse server data.
This ability to erase information across time itself embodies the Authority of Finality.
Or more precisely, just one aspect of her Authority.
For instance, when humans died in the sanctuary, it wasn't merely destruction by the Herrscher of Finality; rather, it signified setting a termination point along the timeline named Time.
Due to certain unique circumstances, Xia Chen managed to evade this erasure.
However, his situation remained precarious.
[Mark of the Herrscher of Finality: The pheromones left by the Herrscher of Finality within your soul will not disappear due to consciousness transfer. Through this mark, He can locate you, and perhaps you may use it to find the Herrscher of Finality first.]
[Alternatively, you might seize this opportunity to grasp the Authority of the Herrscher of Finality, ultimately replacing the Finality itself.]
[Of course, players could also utilize this chance to confess again. The system eagerly awaits such moments.]
This mark was the reason for Xia Chen's disoriented state.
Although just a trace of pheromones, their origin from a higher dimension made them impervious to Rin's neutralization, forcing them to remain embedded in his brain.
It felt akin to having a smartphone with 256GB storage, where 60GB is occupied by indeletable text junk files.
Dazedly, he got out of bed, unsurprisingly finding a large damp patch on the sheets.
There was still one more simulation attempt remaining for the week, but Xia Chen decided against using it.
He needed to ponder another issue—the Authorities of Herrschers.
With merely a thought, a small whirlwind formed at his fingertips.
"This time... I probably can't attribute it to my Stigmata anymore," he grimaced involuntarily.
After stripping the wet sheet and placing it in the washing machine, Xia Chen drifted back into deep sleep.
Early the next morning, upon entering the training room, Xia Chen found Wendy already present, her complexion noticeably improved compared to before.
Xia Chen rubbed his slightly throbbing head. Noticing this, Wendy asked, "What's wrong? You don't look too good."
"It's nothing; I just didn't sleep well last night." He smiled and quickly changed the subject, "About your situation, I've spoken with Ana. She mentioned she'll visit personally after some time."
"And there's one more thing I haven't told you," Xia Chen candidly revealed, "Ana and I are in a romantic relationship."
He chose not to hide the truth from Wendy or create any ambiguity between them. It wasn't due to moral superiority but rather because he felt he lacked the intelligence for such games. Moreover, with limited time on his hands, wasting it on these matters seemed too impractical.
However, Wendy didn't seem bothered by this revelation. Instead, she simply smiled and said, "Thank you."
"Thank you for agreeing to my impulsive request at that moment. If Miss Ana misunderstands, I will explain everything to her."
"No need, sometimes explaining only makes things worse," Xia Chen casually responded. "Let's focus on training instead."
He decided to end this conversation.
"Um..." Wendy appeared somewhat hesitant.
"What is it?"
"I'd like to spar with you." Taking a deep breath, she turned to Xia Chen and continued, "Gretel mentioned how skilled you are, so please allow me to trouble you today."
Wendy was a prodigy, and prodigies possess their own pride.
During her time at the Ocean Branch, Wendy had gradually regained some of her past abilities through basic training. However, the branch's training facilities left much to be desired.
To further improve, she needed a suitable opponent.
Gretel wasn't present, and as for the other Valkyries... Wendy didn't mean to sound arrogant, but their military skills and combat abilities at the Ocean Branch were simply not noteworthy.
Thus, Xia Chen remained the only viable choice.
Instead of feeling disheartened or avoiding him after learning about his relationship with Ana, Wendy remained focused. For her, nothing mattered more than regaining her strength.
Her determination made Xia Chen feel deeply ashamed.
He nodded and said, "Just remember, don't blame me if it gets intense."
"That's fine; as long as you don't kill or cripple me, I'm good," Wendy replied without hesitation.
For Wendy, as long as she wasn't fatally injured, she would continue to rise and fight.
On the training ground, Wendy's fighting style naturally lacked her usual elegance.
She excelled with dual pistols, combining gunplay with Valkyrie Combat Techniques effectively.
Against Xia Chen, Wendy wouldn't use firearms—not out of sentimentality, but because once one reaches a certain level of power, conventional guns become ineffective. Even Valkyrie Armor has the ability to resist bullets, making firearm-based combat suitable only for basic engagements.
Consequently, Wendy primarily relied on combat techniques against Xia Chen.
Taking cues from Durandal, Xia Chen also restrained his strength, focusing solely on technique to maintain an evenly matched fight with Wendy.
Xia Chen held immense respect for Durandal. During their sparring sessions, she always held back her power, ensuring the practice had meaning. Otherwise, it would simply turn into a one-sided thrashing.
What surprised Xia Chen was that during his encounter with Wendy, the overwhelming desires he previously experienced seemed to have vanished.
The Authorities of Herrschers possess uniqueness. Clearly, he has become the host vessel for the Herrscher of Wind's Authority.
However, the reason he hasn't fully transformed into the true Herrscher of Wind is likely due to the absence of a Major Honkai Eruption, which is necessary for becoming a Herrscher.
There are two conditions to become a Herrscher: first, possessing a Herrscher Core, akin to holding the key; second, gaining recognition from the Will of Honkai.
A significant prerequisite for this acknowledgment is experiencing a Major Honkai Eruption.
Although Kiana, Raiden Mei, and Wendy were initially chosen artificially as Herrschers, once they triggered a Major Honkai Eruption, they gained acceptance from the Will of Honkai.
If anyone stands out as most unique, it is Bronya.
Bronya, not recognized by the Will of Honkai, possesses an incomplete Authority. This explains why she often faces setbacks.
Currently, Xia Chen's situation is similar to Bronya's.
However, his physical condition far surpasses hers at this point.
After a brief moment, Wendy becomes exhausted.
"I've lost."
"You're already incredibly skilled," Xia Chen couldn't help but praise her. "It took me three intense months of training with the Immortal Blades to reach your level."
This wasn't mere boasting; without the system, his lifetime potential might have been comparable to Wendy's current abilities.
Just then, his communicator beeped.
"Hey, where are you and Wendy? I've arrived."
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