Volume 2, Chapter 23: The Revered and Feared Coral Island Experiment

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In Otto's assigned tasks, clearing the Honkai served only as a minor test for the Moon Ash Armor. Based on Moon Ash's performance... well, these Honkai Beasts were not sufficient to fully evaluate its capabilities.

To truly test the armor, he would need to confront an Imperial or even stronger Archon-class Honkai Beast.

His most critical mission, however, was to establish contact with the leader responsible for the Stairway to Galaxy Project.

Assuming no unforeseen issues arose, he would subsequently be stationed at Coral Island, tasked with managing the Honkai incidents there.

If his suspicions were correct, Coral Island was Otto's experimental ground, collecting data on the threshold of Major Honkai Eruptions. This information would directly impact the prevention of future large-scale Honkai events.

Interacting with the project leader confirmed his assumptions.

The leader's surname was Chen, indicating Shenzhou ancestry; his full name was Chen Jiayu.

The man appeared to be in his mid-thirties, exuding a scholarly aura characteristic of traditional Shenzhou culture.

He candidly explained to Xia Chen, "Every individual who comes to Coral Island has signed the relevant agreements, prepared to willingly face death."

"The Valkyries' duty is to bring back data from our Honkai tests to Schicksal Headquarters."

"If Coral Island experiences a Major Honkai Eruption significant enough to birth a Herrscher, then the task of recovering the Herrscher and clearing the aftermath will fall upon you."

Coral Island's civilization was built on the foundation of people generously sacrificing their lives.

It was impossible for news of these numerous Major Honkai events not to have leaked over the years. Clearly, high-ranking officials of the United Nations were well aware of the situation all along.

However, they chose to conceal this information from the world and instead recruited those willing to sacrifice themselves for humanity, directing them to Coral Island.

This world has never lacked Kindling, individuals ready to pave the way for humanity's future.

The Galactic Ladder project could be seen as incredibly naive, with virtually no practical value for exploring the universe.

Nevertheless, it was approved precisely because its technological complexity required harnessing the collective wisdom of humanity, applying it all within this ambitious plan.

However, this very reliance on progress also makes it susceptible to collapse.

The man smiled slightly with a hint of shyness. "Of course, before that, small-scale Honkai incidents will require Valkyries to handle them."

Xia Chen fell silent for a moment, then sighed deeply.

"I will do everything within my power to fulfill my duties."

Initially, he felt elated upon arriving at Coral Island, thinking that the impending Major Honkai Eruption might transform him into a complete Herrscher. But when considering the immense sacrifice of so many...

He couldn't help but sigh once again.

Perhaps, this is the inevitable burden of sin he must bear.

"Understood." Chen Jiayu spoke warmly. "I won't disturb you further then. Feel free to contact me if needed."

Apart from monitoring Honkai events, Coral Island serves as a large-scale experimental ground for cutting-edge human technology. Numerous advancements and their applications are evaluated here.

Without the threat of Honkai, it would swiftly become a beacon for humanity's technological progress.

Never before had people united as they did now.

With Chen Jiayu's permission, Xia Chen began observing the entirety of Coral Island.

To his surprise, alongside the massive research center, Coral Island also housed a typical societal structure.

He learned that among its inhabitants were men infected with 'Entropy Sickness', death row prisoners sent from various places, and numerous vagrants enticed by high monetary rewards.

Currently, Coral Island had a population of approximately 1.7 million people.

Their ultimate purpose, as per United Nations requirements, was to conduct a large-scale social experiment.

Civilization consists of two main aspects: technology and society.

Data on how these components influence Honkai was highly sought after by Schicksal.

Naturally, information about Honkai would be kept secret from the residents. Additionally, United Nations soldiers infiltrated the communities to establish neighborhoods and maintain basic order on Coral Island.

One such example is the Thousand Fists Society.

As the largest underground organization on Coral Island, the Thousand Fists Society documented the impact of community life on Honkai. They were responsible for maintaining social order across this vast area.

However, he did not seek out the leaders of the Thousand Fists Society, despite them being part of Schicksal's arrangements.

"How's your understanding of Coral Island progressing?"

Upon Xia Chen's return to Saint Freya, Otto once again initiated communication.

"From now on, you will be responsible for ensuring the safety of Coral Island's inhabitants."

"Lord Bishop," Xia Chen said with a serious expression, "I deeply admire those willing to make sacrifices, but is there no gentler approach? For instance, using computational analysis based on measured data."

Otto smiled slightly, "Your suggestion mirrors Nagamitsu's thoughts precisely."

"But..."

"If everything could be resolved through calculations, there would be far fewer tragedies."

He waved his hand and continued, "No worries, at present, you don't need to understand too much. Just enjoy your time peacefully at Saint Freya for now."

"I've heard that you're doing quite well here. Would you care to share some details?"

Xia Chen wasn't sure what Otto intended by this. He cautiously recounted some of his experiences at Saint Freya.

There wasn't much to tell; his life here was not significantly different from his time with the Immortal Blades. He omitted mentioning Fu Hua's gift of Taixuan Sword Qi.

Fortunately, aside from listening, Otto didn't ask for any further information.

Although Xia Chen felt his strength had grown considerably, he still lacked confidence when facing Otto. Perhaps it was the commanding presence inherent to those in power.

Perhaps this was the authority wielded by those at the top.

Theresa never exerted such pressure on him.

After ending the communication, Xia Chen couldn't help but sigh in relief.

Regardless, he understood Otto's intentions clearly. His goal was to minimize the impact of Honkai events on humanity outside Sirin's plan.

However, just before cutting off the connection, Otto reminded him to interact more with Raiden Mei.

Xia Chen found it puzzling.

Did the bishop suspect that Xia Chen had already absorbed the Gem of Desire and is now urging him to acquire the Gem of Conquest? Was he trying to create another monstrous entity? Or perhaps leverage this opportunity to directly awaken the Herrscher of the Void?

Moreover, did Fu Hua bestow the Taixuan Sword Qi upon him out of her own volition or under Otto's instruction?

Suddenly, things seemed to have become much more complicated for Xia Chen.

Nevertheless, his approach remained simple: do the opposite of what Otto suggests. While he admired Otto's unwavering dedication, he also feared his obsessive nature.

Little did Xia Chen know, his seemingly ordinary life at the academy had raised suspicions in Otto.

"Moon Ash possesses methods to analyze human physiology. Based on the data, Xia Chen's physical strength rivals that of low-rank Honkai Beasts, yet he has not reached his full potential."

"Yet, she maintains a complete and clear human consciousness. Even on Coral Island, she supports this plan to detect Honkai, displaying a sense of reverence."

"This preservation of her consciousness directly contradicts the nature of a Herrscher."

"If the Void Archives aren't lying, such an existence also existed during the previous civilization era."

"Heh, things are becoming increasingly intriguing."