72 Chapter 64: Illusions
Moth had seen tons of success with the MANTIS soldiers. Kevin has been leading the most successful squad and vanquished tons of honkai beasts.
While in another continent, another genius presented herself. Making a weapon that was less powerful than the divine keys and MANTIS, but more efficient due to their numbers. Dr. Einstein has made combat androids named ELF's (Equipment Living Form).
Using a Soulium core that contained their data and programming. With the help of the main base, they were created with 3 major thoughts. Defeat the honkai at all costs, do not harm humans, and survive.
They also have a kind of hive mind that lets them develop more easily. Exponentially increasing combat effectiveness and tactics.
Dr. Einstein has made a major contribution to lessen human casualties. (Pic of Einstein here).
"Dr. Ein. It is weird that I would call you with my own nickname." The blue haired scientist cringed.
"Haha, it is kinda weird." Ein scratched his head. Damn, a genderbent Einstein. Would you look at that. He marveled at the existence of the woman.
"No matter, thank you for providing the Soulium needed and lending Prometheus. We would've spent more time if we didn't have those." Einstein bowed her head and fixed her glasses.
"Hmmm. Thanks as well, because of the ELF's we're gaining ground. But there's a problem, isn't it?" He squinted his eyes, remembering that the ELF's are basically sentient.
She sighed heavily. "Yes. The ELF's are sentient, and have a functional body. Even senses like taste buds, so they started to protest about rights. Thankfully, it hasn't blown out of proportion to a civil war, we can't shoulder the consequences of infighting."
"Mediate with the government immediately, they're your creations. And I can see that you are fond of them, that's why you made them have senses right?" He smiled and patted her on the back.
She blushed a bit and coughed. "I am, so I will try to make the government give them human rights at least, but they'll inevitably weapons for the war." She said in a somber tone.
He looked up at the sky. "Well, aren't we all are? Honestly, if I could turn everyone into a MANTIS, I would've done it in a heartbeat. This is a war for survival, not those political type bullshit. So I'll help you with it as well, I'll pressure the government. Like agree or get erased from existence or something." He laughed boisterously.
She looked at him with gratitude. "Thank you Dr. See you again, talking with you was extremely pleasant." She cracked a small smile from her usual emotionless face.
"Anytime, Ein." He ruffled her shaggy hair as she pouted at him.
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Meanwhile, with Su. The resources of the main base thanks to Ein greatly helped him for their research. They managed to make a cure for honkai corruption by modifying the immune system. With the tech to create MANTIS, and Ein's and Mobius' help, they made a serum that could help create anti bodies. Making the human body's adaptive immune system better equipped in handling honkai energy. Mei also had an idea about her future projects, now she has completed it. Which is Project S.A.V.E.
S. For stigmata, imitating the true stigmata from herrschers. She wants to make a gene that would give humans abilities and enhance them greatly. Without the high risk unlike Project soldier and Odin.
A. For Ark, Ein discovered a pair of twins that they would send out to the quantum sea to find suitable planets or universes that humans could migrate to. Ein has tested the cosmic juggernaut and have found a void with countless universes. Confirming the existence of the multiverse, but he already knows that. The twins are loaded with multiple human genomes so they could proliferate with other similar organisms or procreate with each other. Without the risk of genetic defects.
V. For Veluka, this has been back seated for now. As Ein is too busy to observe the bubble universes extensively to inhabit properly.
E. For ember, in accordance with project Sanctuary. Where humans of this generation enter cryosleep. They'll appear in the next era, a person will teach the new generation about the tech of the old era, making them more advanced.
Sadly, the cure Su has made could only prolong a person's life. And it is ridiculously expensive to make. And Ein cannot heal every single person that contracts honkai corruption.
Kosma received the genes of Vishnu, surprising Ein. As he didn't thought that such a violent honkai beast that could make people explode with regeneration is compatible with him. He was quickly added to the ranks, Kevin as his team leader. But with his poor communication skills and awkward social skills. He was scolded by Kevin a lot, and he even cried.
Now, Ein was developing uniforms for the MANTIS soldiers with Vill. Because whenever Kevin wields the 7th key, he would end up naked. Embarrassing Mei to no end.
"Okay Vill, Kevin needs a special uniform unlike Elysia and Eden. We got to make it, or the poor guy would always be naked in the battlefield. I have immense control over honkai energy, that's why I don't end up naked everytime." He nodded sagely.
Vill scratched her head as she smiled wryly. "Uhh, that is a bad thing all right." They once watched the early missions of the MANTIS squad, with Kevin ending up naked after unleashing the 0th power of Shamash.
They made a good looking trench coat that was weaved using soulium as the threads. Ein did a prank though, and put a little slit on the chest, a little boob window. (Pic here)
Sakura got a sturdy headphone as an extra as Ein heard her listen to some edm and heavy metal. Which surprised him greatly, with her fighting style that focuses on speed, he taught her how to use the judgement cut. By bending space around the area, using her sword as a medium. She unleashes multiple slashes, like a bubble that slices everything in the area.
He also remade bury the light, rules of nature, the only thing I know for real, red sun, taste the blood. And a few more game osts from his past life.
But she needs to be a bit more motivated to make things immovable like judgement cut end. As she can't copy it yet when he showed it to her.
For Kalpas, because of his efficiency and 100% success rate. He made doom osts as he played it full blast while killing everything in his way like a mad man. Laughing like a maniac while tearing them limb from limb.
When the uniforms arrived. Kevin wore it quickly and noticed the boob window. "What... The hell is this?" He pointed at it as he glared at Vill and Ein.
She whistled innocently as Ein bullshitted his way out. "You know? A vent, to let the extreme cold escape and the heat enter from the 7th key, so your clothes would be stable. And not end up naked again." He said with a straight face.
Kevin narrowed his eyes as he knew he was lying. But what can he do? Be naked, or have a boob window. Pretty easy choice.
Elysia laughed her ass off from seeing his uniform. "Kevin... Hah, it really suits... You. It looks cool as hell." She tried to speak but her laughter interrupts her.
Phyllis also decided to undergo the meta morph surgery. It was a neutral honkai beast that was like a leopard. With a stinger on the tip of its tail. Her eyes turned heterochromatic and looked like a cat, she also had cat like tendencies. (pic here)
Except that she was weak as hell. Relatively strong compared to a human, but weak when put side by side against the other fusion warriors.
"Nyahahaha! Ein. You're so awesome!" She laughed at Kevin's boob window as Kevin couldn't do anything but take it all.
Aponia was also on the side. Taking care of Griseo, she started to follow him whenever he was inside the base. And she couldn't go out anyway. So she followed him everywhere.
"Aponia mama. Why are they laughing at uncle Kevin." He received emotional damage from such a young looking girl calling him uncle.
"It is due to Ein-sama little Griseo. Due to Kevin's foolishness, he is now receiving divine retribution for his choices." She said, as it only confused Griseo and everybody around.
"Ohhhh. So many colors, and new inspirations." Griseo started to paint again.
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In the course of the coming month. There were 2 honkai beasts that appeared, a peacock like one, and a butterfly. They caused mass hysteria and confusion.
When Moth arrived at the scene. Even the soldiers were affected, attacking their fellow humans and soldiers. Seemingly caught in a daze, whenever they were incapacitated and caught. They remembered that they were in a dream. And didn't recall any memories that they fought anything in the 1st place.
Kevin subjugated the peacock one. Bathing it in the flames of Shamash, while Elysia killed the butterfly. Kevin said that it tried to show him illusions of him killing Mei, but with his honkai resistance. He could get out of it pretty quickly.
Elysia made a peace sign while reporting and smiled widely. "It was a piece of cake! It couldn't escape my crystal dome and I showered it with beams. It was like a disco." She gave the report excitedly.
With the honkai beasts eliminated. Moth was on the watch for a herrscher. "I've given these missions for the new generation of super soldiers, but I'll take care of the herrscher." Ein made a statement as he ordered Moth to keep a look out for strange phenomena.
The newly subjugated honkai beasts were compatible with Su and Aponia. As Aponia quickly agreed in undergoing the surgery, while Su hesitated a bit.
Ultimately, Su agreed and he gained a sort of enlightenment from the procedure. "I can predict and see things. It feels weird." By analyzing the surroundings and observing it. He could predict the future, albeit severely limited.
It also came with powers that could control others mentally. Essentially using honkai energy to trick the senses, or shutting people down with illusions like a genjutsu.
"Su. Whenever you use your powers, close your eyes and open them quickly. Then say Tsukuyomi, it would work 100 percent." Ein gave a thumbs up at Su.
He looked at Ein and tried to get a read on him. But what he saw was only immense destruction, tightly jailed inside his body. Awaiting to be unleashed on the world. "Uhhh. Okay, I'll do that..." He agreed unconsciously, stunned from the revelation he just witnessed.
Meanwhile, Aponia started to hypnotize everyone and made them do her bidding. Making her receive a bonking from Ein. "Aponia, don't use your powers on other unsuspecting people if it isn't necessary. Your illusions and foresight is much stronger than Su's." He noticed that the only ones who was unaffected is Elysia. Even Kevin got affected, albeit slightly.
Her illusions were almost reality breaking. Once she has you in her illusion, you were already in a bubble of your own delusions. Her foresight and illusions were quite terrifying. Even Mei wanted to detain her in the deep end of Moth. The prison that was made to keep extremely dangerous materials, honkai beasts, and individuals. It was a separate dimension that was created by using the 0th power of the 2nd key. Although, it was very small. Only about the size of a city, so humans cannot inhabit it.
Ein disagreed and just kept her inside his room until further notice. "Thank you for your trust in me Ein-sama. I only wanted to make the people here act for your best interests." She bowed at him.
He sighed heavily at her quirks. "Aponia. You don't need to do that. And first of all, I neither trust you or distrust you. I don't know what to do with you, that's all. But putting you there isn't really gonna do us any good." He pulled her up to make her stand.
"Even so. With your kind heart, you've given your trust to me unknowingly. Without you, I would be in a jail. Locked up due to the danger I pose. And you prevented that without expecting anything in return." She rebutted.
"Hah. Just don't cause any trouble okay? And one more thing... If you break illusions on somebody. Say, you're already in my genjutsu. Or shatter, Kyoka Suigetsu." He was projecting his Chuuni on the other MANTISes.
"As you will, Ein-sama. It must be profound knowledge that could instantly incapacitate people." She whispered to herself.
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During this time, a lot of people started to enter a coma and never awaken. Which was instantly noticed by Ein and ordered an investigation.
They learned that the people who fell into a coma were browsing the internet before they turned into a vegetable. "If we base the honkai beasts that were born to the 8th's powers. Then she could put people into illusions, but how? Using the internet as a medium is tremendously dangerous." The ELF's were assigned to try and find what they were reading before being engulfed in an illusion.
It was relatively successful, as the Elf's found out that the humans blacked out when reading certain keywords. But it begs the question of why they never wake up.
Ein and Mei hypothesized that in the illusionary world, death there would result in a spiritual and mental death in the real world, as the victims have no brain activity but their bodies can continue to function.
With Su and Aponia protecting others in a bubble called the cognitive cage. It was a barrier of honkai energy that would disrupt the herrscher's power.
They tried to locate the herrscher as Ein gave a pulse of energy. Like a sonar, but it bypasses matter like neutrinos and gives him information in real time. It would get anyone's brain fried excluding him from the immense information. But it was the best thing to locate a spot with pinpoint accuracy as he started to get a headache in trying to find the herrscher.
Su finally bypassed the dream of the herrscher but he was affected by her powers.
"What? Where am I?" He tried to look at his surroundings. His friends then went up to him and they cheered. "Su! We've cured the honkai! We're finally able to live in peace thanks to you."
Su was elated. It was his dream to make a complete cure and save as many lives as he could. Before he could savor it though, Ein whacked him on the head.
"Wake up Su. You're under her influence." He saw Ein with him while the herrscher was in front of them. She looked lanky and weak, but Ein knew better to underestimate them.
The herrscher tried to combat them by terraforming the surroundings into a hostile environment. The ground turned to hot lava as the air turned poisonous.
Ein touched the lava and rubbed it on his hands. "Hmm, nice and toasty. You have pretty excellent powers herrscher. Too bad, you can't use it to your full potential." He thought of her creating supernovas and galactic phenomenons inside the dream, which made his blood run cold. Making her the most unbeatable herrscher if she could put you inside the dream.
Ein forced Su outside the dream world as the battle would be cataclysmic. As volcanoes erupted and meteors rained down from above.
He destroyed everything that was going to hit him, as the realm shook from the apocalyptic disasters. The herrscher then started to drop chemical bombs and thermonuclear ones.
The bright light engulfed everything as Ein closed his eyes and shielded himself with crystals and ice.
The massive shockwave and immense heat hit him, launching him away. He quickly corrected his position and took a deep gulp of air.
His chest expanded and he unleashed a black beam from his mouth. That hit the herrscher's location on point.
It then exploded. It contained so much energy, it was like a huge meteor impacted the earth, as the heat and shockwaves threw him away much farther than the herrscher's attack.
He saw her with an energy shield of honkai that blocked most of the blast. But she was mangled, her legs bent wrong and burns all over her body. Her arm that concentrated the shield was vaporized to the torso, exposing her thoracic cavity.
He then put his hand inside her chest quickly. And ripped out her herrscher core without incident. As the dream world shattered around them and they were back to where they once stood.
Ein pinpointed the herrscher's location as he saw her on a bed. With her body incredibly weak. "Rest in peace." He put a stop on her body functions and took out the real core.
It took around a week for them to locate her, and the damage she caused was high against the human population. A lot died as she spread her influence on the internet. It might not be physical destruction like the 7th, but it certainly left a dent on the remaining human population, killing millions.
Making this victory, another tragic one.
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Thanks for reading guys. The 8th herrscher isn't really exciting, so I basically sped through it. If I make her more powerful, then she would be unbeatable in her domain. The 9th though? Oof, anyways, ciao.
