"Craaaack!"
At the base's laboratory, amidst an atmosphere saturated with Honkai Energy—so dense even Kiana and Bronya felt uneasy—a sudden metallic snapping sound echoed.
"The metal chamber cracked! Hey, what happened there? Did something go wrong?!" Kiana exclaimed anxiously, almost shouting in panic.
Hera paused, observing the data that had surpassed all initial expectations. Ignoring Kiana, she muttered to herself, stunned:
"How is this possible... With so many unpredictable variables, how did he manage to control them all? It's as if...as if he knew from the beginning exactly how it would turn out. It went smoother than a scripted movie scene!"
Hera tugged at her hair, her lips curving dramatically upward.
Yes, only a genius capable of inspiring awe—even in her—could achieve what no one before him could!
Hera wanted to burst out laughing.
If not for this prodigy surpassing her own brilliance, how could she dare hope?
Kallen! Kallen! Kallen!
It's almost here—the hope lies with Zeke. Who else but him could surprise her like this?!
Then, immense Honkai Energy began seeping through the tiny crack, exerting increasing pressure that steadily split apart the pitch-black metal door.
"Kiana, retreat! It's about to explode!"
"Huh? But Zeke is still inside..."
"He'll be fine; the experiment is over. If we don't leave now, we might end up in trouble."
"Okay! Hera, right? Follow us!"
Despite her disdain, Kiana's inherently kind nature wouldn't allow her to abandon Hera to danger, so she reached out to pull her along.
However, Hera swiftly shrugged off Kiana's hand.
"I'm not leaving. I must witness this moment firsthand! In fact, only I am worthy enough to be the first to behold his transformation and offer congratulations and praise!" Hera raised both hands, resembling a fervent devotee.
Kiana's face darkened visibly.
"What do you mean 'only you'?! Got the guts to say it again to this young lady?"
"Little pet, you better step aside obediently. We're friends, after all—the only ones in this world who truly understand and appreciate each other!" Hera declared confidently, even arrogantly, her face beaming radiantly.
Kiana's expression darkened further. For some inexplicable reason, at that moment, her disdain for Hera reached new heights.
"Kiana, ignore her! Let's withdraw!"
Bronya swiftly pulled Kiana along, casting a deep glance at Hera before rushing out of the laboratory with her charge.
"BOOM!!"
Almost instantly after they left, unimaginable energy erupted from the cramped experimental chamber. The massive shockwave tore through the ceiling, lifting it skyward and taking the entire orphanage building above it with it.
"Roooar—"
Outside, amidst the snow-covered ground, Kiana and Bronya lay prone, partially buried by the scattered drifts. Faintly, they heard an earth-shattering dragon's roar.
Moments later, the previously pervasive Honkai Energy vanished abruptly, as if absorbed entirely by some unseen force.
Kiana and Bronya emerged from beneath the snow, exchanged glances, then charged into the dissipating smoke towards the center of the colossal crater.
Soon after, they spotted Zeke.
Naked and standing on the ground before them, he was examining his right hand as it rotated, seemingly observing its transformation.
To Kiana and Bronya's eyes, he appeared slightly taller, with a face now more refined and cold than before. His physique had gained some well-defined muscle tone—overall, not many noticeable changes.
Hera stood opposite Zeke, beaming with unbridled joy.
"Congratulations! You now have the strength to challenge me head-on. Your metamorphosis is astonishing, but your genius even more so. I, Hera—or rather, Otto Apocalypse, hereby proclaim you, Zeke, as the greatest prodigy of this era!"
"...Get me some clothes."
Zeke's response to Hera's praise remained remarkably indifferent.
Hera scratched her face, somewhat flustered.
"No, seriously, can't you stop mimicking Amber? It's really embarrassing for me."
"Do we have any clothes?"
"You blew everything around here away; where would I find clothes?" Hera spread her hands helplessly.
Zeke stared at Hera, who returned his gaze, creating an awkward silence between them.
Zeke was primarily embarrassed; being naked in public would make most people uncomfortable, right? As for Hera, whether she acted normal or not... well, those who knew understood.
Blushing, Kiana approached hesitantly and handed him a pair of long gray pants she had found along the way. "Here, I picked these up earlier. Put them on quickly."
Honestly, how could he be so bare in front of strangers? If he wanted to strip, at least wait until they were alone behind closed doors—Kiana thought absurdly, unable to resist stealing another glance at his toned abs and certain indescribable areas, nearly causing her traitorous tears to drip from the corners of her mouth.
Zeke glanced sidelong at her, sensing something peculiar lurking in Kiana's mind. Then, turning to Bronya, he noticed her expression tense, her gaze wandering, clearly avoiding eye contact with him.
'Bronya seems more normal, at least showing some modesty.'
As for Kiana—well, let it go for now; there'll be time to discuss this later.
"Keep up, I'm heading over first," Zeke said mildly as he gestured with his hand. Two worker bees carrying the Key of Thunder and Judgment of Shamash flew towards him from afar, delivering the artifacts directly into his grasp.
Instantaneously upon receiving them, the Key of Thunder transformed into black arm bracers wrapping around his right forearm, while Judgment of Shamash materialized as a blazing greatsword.
'So he mastered both Divine Keys instantly?'
Hera squinted, her curiosity piqued by Zeke's transformation.
With one step forward, Zeke vanished before their eyes, leaving behind only two deep footprints.
Due to the detonation of Honkai Energy, the Titan force momentarily froze, and the Hive System experienced a brief data overload, rendering it unresponsive as it floated aimlessly in the air.
In contrast, the remaining few Honkai Beasts, now adequately nourished, transcended their size and energy limitations, reaching the pinnacle of lesser Honkai Beasts—the Emperor rank!
Unimpeded, they swiftly advanced towards Wendy's location.
Had Wendy still been in her core meltdown phase, the Honkai Beasts likely would have ignored her or even bowed in reverence, not entirely impossible.
However, fate had other plans; she had emerged from that state.
Without embodying the presence of a Herrscher, Wendy was merely human scum to the Honkai Beasts, destined for elimination.
One beast raised its massive forelimb, intending to crush both Wendy and the immobilized Rita into pulp.
Wendy glanced apologetically at the pale-faced Rita, grateful that Seele and Rozaliya were taken away earlier. Then, she closed her eyes, surrendering herself to the fall and impending death.
"This must be the inevitable fate of a Valkyrie," both Wendy and Rita thought simultaneously.
To Wendy's surprise, she didn't feel the impact of hitting the ground. Instead, a hand gently supported her weakened body.
"Boom!!!"
Wendy opened her eyes to see a blazing inferno soaring towards the sky, incinerating the impending death and shattering through layers of clouds, bringing sunlight down upon her.
"You're..."
The familiar profile, serene blue eyes, silver hair shimmering under the sun—Wendy admitted that for a moment, her heart skipped a beat.
"Not dead yet? Or on the verge of becoming a Herrscher perhaps? If you do turn, can I just kill you outright and extract the gemstone?"
Zeke lowered his gaze, scrutinizing Wendy thoughtfully, almost like how Hua Brothers would assess if a bamboo rat had heatstroke.
"..."
His cold voice instantly brought Wendy's racing heartbeat back to normal.
"Get lost!" Wendy exclaimed, uncharacteristically irate.
She was well-known among her former teammates for her gentle demeanor and good temper. Even during failed experiments or when facing researchers with ill intentions, she never resorted to profanity. In the orphanage, despite the constant mischief from Rozaliya, Lia, and Kiana, which often grated on others' nerves, Wendy usually responded with no more than an eye-roll.
Yet this guy alone repeatedly made Wendy forget her usual gentleness. If not for her inability to move, she might have throttled him right then and there.
Zeke frowned.
"Looks like you still have plenty of energy..." His tone carried hints of disappointment and regret.
Wendy felt her blood rushing to her head, veins pulsing on her forehead as she gritted her teeth and exclaimed:
"(▼へ▼メ)! If I turn into a Herrscher, your life will be the first one I take!"
While Wendy was venting her frustration, more Honkai Beasts took notice, lumbering towards them with relentless pressure, launching successive assaults.
However, all Wendy saw were Zeke's calm blue eyes, which strangely reassured her amidst this chaos.
Perhaps his reliable and seemingly omnipotent demeanor had deeply ingrained itself in her mind?
As Wendy pondered distractedly, she watched Zeke swing the blazing Cleaver of Shamash, its scorching aura threatening to ignite even the sky. In an instant, he annihilated all threats within a fiery sea.
Gradually, her eyelids grew heavier, unable to resist the deepening heaviness, and finally, she drifted off to sleep.