Volume 1, Chapter 34: Simulation - Fourth Honkai Event

As Xia Chen regained consciousness, he immediately realized he was at the center of a storm.

The hurricane whipped up dust and sand, making it nearly impossible to open his eyes.

He shielded his face with one hand, waiting until the storm gradually subsided before cautiously moving his body.

Before him lay utter devastation.

He seemed to hear someone gasping in distress and rushed over hastily. However, upon arrival, he found the person already suffocated under collapsed debris.

"The Fourth Honkai..." Xia Chen silently murmured the term.

This future Honkai event silenced half of New Zealand, resulting in hundreds of thousands dead and millions displaced. The tragedy was caused by the Oceanic Branch's misguided experiment with the Gem of Desire.

Wendy.

At just 14 years old, she was already an A-rank Valkyrie and had the potential to become Schicksal's fourth S-rank Valkyrie. However, due to the Gem of Desire experiment, her legs were crippled, leading to her confinement and loss of freedom.

Ultimately, fueled by anger and resentment towards the experiments, she succumbed to the Will of Honkai, transforming into a Herrscher.

He took a deep breath.

Despite being often referred to as the most disgraceful Herrscher in the previous game, her destructive capabilities against the continent were terrifying. Half of New Zealand sank, leaving countless people homeless.

The true horror of the Herrscher of Wind lay not in combat but in the devastation inflicted upon civilization.

However, now was not the time for such reflections.

With Red Sakura in hand, the young boy embarked on the arduous task of clearing Zombies from the area.

Perhaps due to the relatively low concentration of Honkai Energy, the encountered Honkai Beasts and Zombies were also of lesser strength. Their level seemed comparable to what an A-rank Valkyrie squad could effortlessly handle.

For Xia Chen now, clearing these enemies posed no significant challenge.

As he methodically eliminated the zombies one by one, seemingly sensing something, his gaze met that of a girl provocatively staring at him.

The Herrscher of Wind.

Without hesitation, the girl launched her attack, sending rapidly formed wind pressure bombs towards him like silent projectiles.

These wind pressure bombs were akin to air-based explosives, nearly soundless and invisible.

However, Xia Chen remained unfazed.

Harnessing the power of Stigmata, he swiftly condensed the surrounding atmosphere, almost freezing even the air itself. Consequently, the intangible wind pressure bombs dissipated effortlessly.

Wendy's eyes flickered with surprise, but instead of fear, they revealed anticipation, eager for more.

She raised her hand again, generating even more intense gusts.

In this moment, she truly resembled a deity, looking down upon Xia Chen caught within the swirling winds, as if taunting him.

Suddenly, a blood-red flash of blade light appeared.

"That's enough, Wendy."

Unbeknownst to Wendy, Xia Chen had leaped high into the air. His clothes were torn by the wind blades, making him resemble a beggar. Strangely, despite the onslaught, not a single wound marred his body.

With Red Sakura in hand, he swung towards Wendy.

Honestly, this felt like his closest moment to subdue a Herrscher yet.

Compared to Sirin's overwhelming presence, Wendy posed significantly less of a threat.

However, just as his blade descended, Wendy managed to dodge.

Xia Chen slightly narrowed his eyes.

"So this is Schicksal's S-Class Valkyrie?"

The controlled girl, speaking clearly while flying beside Xia Chen, said, "Then try this."

He sensed the air around him gradually being sucked away.

The Herrscher was creating a vacuum domain, aiming to suffocate him to death.

Yet...

In the past, he might have been helpless against such a tactic, but now, with the power of Stigmata at his disposal...

"Ana, please lend me your strength."

An intense chill radiated from his body, swiftly freezing Wendy's form.

The vacuum domain instantly collapsed.

Xia Chen's gaze turned cold as he rapidly executed his sword technique.

Sakura Fubuki.

Like streaks of blood-red cherry blossoms slicing through the air, Wendy barely had time to evade this time.

Suddenly, he foresaw imminent danger.

A small strategic missile was launched directly at him.

With no other choice, he abruptly altered his trajectory mid-flight, redirecting his lethal strike towards a boulder behind Wendy instead.

Xia Chen safely landed but couldn't suppress his heavy breathing.

Forcing a mid-air trajectory change still strained him significantly.

Although Ana bestowed him with Stigma's power, it didn't equate to possessing the full authority of a Herrscher. Despite their striking similarities.

He instinctively turned back and spotted three familiar faces.

Kiana, Raiden Mei, and Bronya. Clearly, the one firing those shots was Bronya.

His eyes subtly hardened.

If this were just a game, he would have gleefully called them "wifey" while staring at the screen. However, now it wasn't a game.

Wendy is a Herrscher, and they are Valkyries.

They nearly attacked him for the sake of a Herrscher.

Their positions mirrored his own during the Coral Island incident, with him essentially playing the role of Rita. Nevertheless, Xia Chen felt deeply frustrated, almost driven to commit murder.

Human nature often exhibits double standards rather than empathy.

At that moment, Wendy, who had been frozen by Xia Chen, managed to break free and immediately fled.

Noticing this, Xia Chen's gaze narrowed slightly.

He warned Kiana and her companions sternly, "If there's a next time, I will kill you."

With those words, he swiftly pursued Wendy.

Kiana and the others remained stunned on the spot.

Tracking the Herrscher of Wind was challenging, especially without any specialized equipment.

Although Xia Chen possessed the ability to leap swiftly through the air momentarily, he couldn't truly fly.

With no other choice, he followed the direction Wendy had taken, clearing excess Honkai Beasts along the way.

Upon spotting Kiana and her group earlier, he barely managed to suppress his urge to kill them. The frustration of falling just short of victory was indescribable.

As his irritation grew, he suddenly sensed a high concentration of Honkai energy nearby.

Xia Chen frowned instinctively.

This level of intensity indicated at least an Imperial-class presence.

Unable to resist, he approached and witnessed a surprising scene.

Wendy was slaughtering a newly born Imperial Honkai Beast.

"Is this... infighting?" He furrowed his brow but saw it as an opportunity.

He noticed fatigue on Wendy's face, which raised questions: Could Herrschers experience exhaustion?

Despite his confusion, it didn't hinder his actions.

With a swift flash of blade light, the Red Sakura successfully pierced Wendy's body.

However, Xia Chen's expression suddenly changed.

He noticed relief flicker in Wendy's eyes as she uttered two words to him:

"Thank you."

[Congratulations on completing this Honkai Event! You may permanently retain and extract the following items to the real world. Well done, your compatibility with Honkai Energy has increased. Honkai Fragments x10.]

At the Oceanic Branch, the unconscious girl within her cage stirred awake.

"Is this my fate?" she murmured softly, "I truly wish... for it to arrive soon."