Chapter 80 Invitation of MOTH

After killing a zombie in an alley, Orion returned to his "home" in this world.

The room is small, but it has everything he needs. Compared to the life Orion had with his parents, the "Orion Astra" of this world feels like a character straight out of a comic book.

An accident while his parents were traveling left him as the only family member, with no siblings.

Unlike TV shows where greedy relatives fight over inheritance, Orion fully inherited his parents' wealth.

To avoid feeling sad, he rented out their house and found a smaller place to live. Thanks to his parents' money and the rent, Orion could live comfortably so long as he avoided spending recklessly.

Sitting at home on the floor, Orion thought about the fight he just had. Even though his body felt weak and he had fragments of his original powers, this gave him a chance to train and gain better control over his core skills.

When he was in the Astral Express world, the power he could use felt limitless, like an ocean. It was tough to avoid causing damage with a single blow, and it took skill to control it.

But now, in this world, Orion had found a new approach. With less strength, he realized that precise control could really improve his combat ability.

Orion looked at his right hand and frowned.

On the right fist peak, purple-red lines appeared on the blood vessels, and the skin looked much paler than the surrounding areas, making it look very unhealthy.

"Honkai Sickness?"

Orion's face suddenly turned grim. He didn't expect that his body had such little adaptability and resistance to the Honkai. This meant even a brief contact could turn him into a monster.

Silver light shone in his eyes, flowing from his brain to all parts of his body. Orion used his mental power to control nerve signals, reducing blood vessel dilation and heartbeat fluctuations and slowing the flow of blood. The sound of breathing in the room was reduced to almost nothing.

Thanks to his experience in controlling Honkai energy with mental power, he managed to suppress the spread of the transformation to some extent. Otherwise, if it were that easy to suppress Honkai infection, everyone suffering from Honkai disease would be in suspended animation.

Fine beads of sweat appeared on Orion's forehead. He didn't dare transport any of this Honkai energy into his mental space.

What if there was some reaction from the Herrscher's core?

His current body was too fragile to handle it.

Unless absolutely necessary, Orion would never want to use his Herrscher's powers.

Fortunately, his mental power was precise enough, and the Honkai energy on his hands was minimal. In less than a few minutes, Orion's expression returned to normal.

He found a roll of bandages from the drawer and carefully wrapped his right hand. After making sure it didn't hinder his finger movements, he leaned his hands behind his back and sighed.

"There's a long way to go."

Diving into his own mind, Orion's spirit transformed into a white light and entered a vast mirror world.

The golden light in the sky of this spiritual world had vanished. The light came from fragments of the [Remembrance] at the center. Now, the colorful light was much dimmer.

The various light cones on both sides were still there but seemed unusable for now.

Orion stepped into his spiritual space, feeling calmer. He walked slowly toward what had brought him here.

In front of him, like a mirror, was another version of himself—eyes closed and looking as if asleep.

Orion waved his hand in front of this other self, but there was no response. He didn't expect any, so he circled around to observe.

"Why would the Honkai Will target me?" Orion wondered aloud, puzzled. He sat down to think.

"Could it be that as soon as I arrived in this world, I was locked onto by the Honkai Will?"

"It's possible, but usually, those chosen by the Honkai Will have some degree of mental pollution. If the Honkai can influence them, they become what's called a Herrscher."

"And how could someone like me with a strong mind and will be targeted?"

Orion reluctantly recalled his state upon entering this world.

At that time, there were two voices in his mind. One was a wild, hostile voice that seemed to want to destroy everything.

"Burn and destroy everything!"

Just recalling it, Orion felt a creepy sensation. At the same time, another voice echoed in his mind, cold and eerie, like the sound of jade clinking together.

"Let go of your material existence and embrace spirituality."

It felt like swallowing a box of mints and then drinking a large glass of ice-cold water.

Orion was enveloped in a strange sensation from head to toe. This feeling made him decide to abandon his current body. The two sources of this strange feeling left him confused.

"Anyway, the person behind the time catastrophe that trapped me on Jarilo-VI might be one of the masterminds behind this chaos."

Orion's eyes showed deep thought. The level of power that made him lose control was clearly beyond his own. Such power was rare in the Astral Express world. The answer was clear.

"Could a powerful Aeon be involved?!"

While Orion was deep in thought, the phone at his home suddenly rang, interrupting him.

"Hey, sorry, I'm not interested in buying anything."

The voice on the other end paused, surprised by Orion's quick rejection.

"Orion Astra, born in 2000, is an only child. His parents had an accident on a cruise five years ago. He now lives alone in Unit 502, Building 13, Nimbus Avenue, Skydrift City. Is that correct?"

The caller read out Orion Astra's address and personal details like a news report. An ordinary person might have been intimidated by such information.

But after Orion had fought on the battlefield for several years, he wasn't fazed at all by the threat. He replied coolly, "If you have something to say, just say it. We both know there's no point in wasting time."

"Alright, alright. You really are the 'public enemy of mankind' who caused the deaths of 703 soldiers, the crash of 50 armed helicopters, and the loss of nearly 100 ground forces in the neighboring city."

Orion's expression didn't change. He knew his location wouldn't stay hidden long with modern surveillance. Though his past actions weren't what he wanted, his current position was definitely precarious.

"You didn't capture me immediately, so you must have your own plans."

Orion, still seeking more information, spoke cautiously.

"I need you somewhere, alone."

Orion didn't respond right away. He knew the other party had more to say.

As expected, the other side revealed an address near his home, a café.

"Don't refuse too quickly. We have agents near your home watching you around the clock. Every move you make is under our control."

Even though the curtains in Orion's home were drawn, he felt as if there were eyes everywhere.

"Alright, I accept."

Calmly, Orion made the only choice he could.

"Wise choice, Lord Orion. We look forward to your arrival."

With that, the other end of the line hung up, leaving Orion no chance to respond or get more information.

In the dimly lit room, Orion remained alone, sitting quietly.