Herrscher of Dominance in Honkai, starting with the abduction of Kiana

Chapter 260: A New Plan and the Ultimate Goal



[Attention all citizens in shelters, please remain calm. Our rescue personnel will guide you back to your homes. Injured individuals, please stay where you are; medical personnel are on their way. We will ensure the safety of every citizen.]

On the streets ravaged by Honkai Beasts, rescue workers were maintaining order. With the Honkai Beasts gone, the city's defense systems were back online. The mechs, modified by Ren, worked efficiently, quickly clearing the debris and collapsed buildings. The broadcast repeatedly played reassuring messages, doing its best to calm the public.

Soon, order was mostly restored. Aside from the injured, most people had returned to their normal lives. Moreover, under Ren's control, those affected by the Honkai eruption received compensation, far better treatment than in other cities.

"Excuse me, coming through." Amidst the dispersing crowd, a blonde girl with short hair pushed her way forward, a camera in hand. It was Susannah, the B-rank Valkyrie.

Passing through the throng, the scene of destruction came into view. Susannah quickly raised her camera and took pictures of the area.

Looking at the devastation, clearly the work of an Emperor-class Honkai Beast, Susannah felt a shiver of fear. She was glad she had arrived after the chaos had subsided; otherwise, she would have walked right into the beast's path.

"Even an Emperor-class beast appeared. Could it be true, like Lord Otto said, that a Herrscher is lurking in this city?"

Initially, Susannah had been excited to receive a direct assignment from Otto; it was a great honor for a Valkyrie. Moreover, her friend Alvitr had said that as long as they didn't encounter the Herrscher of the Void, ARC City should be safe.

However, less than half an hour after arriving, her reconnaissance mission had turned into a desperate escape. If not for her luck in encountering the red-haired woman, her name would probably be on the Valkyrie casualty list by now.

Knowing the truth, Susannah felt immense pressure, especially after Otto's subtle mention of a Herrscher when she reported the situation.

As a Valkyrie, even without participating in a Herrscher subjugation mission, she knew how terrifying they were. Every Herrscher's appearance meant the destruction of at least one city.

Moreover, barely half a month had passed since the Pacific battle. As a participant in the relief efforts, Susannah had witnessed the Far East swallowed by the sea and ice, a catastrophic event etched into the memories of everyone present.

However, Otto had assured her that as long as she found Li Sushang, she would be safe.

"Sushang is so powerful; she must have been the one who resolved the Honkai eruption." Recalling the valiant girl she had met briefly, Susannah's anxiety subsided.

"Meow." Just as she was fretting over not being able to find Li Sushang, a cat's meow reached her ears. She looked around, her gaze finally settling on something at her feet.

A small black cat, seemingly lost during the chaos, looked up at her with pleading eyes. Susannah, an animal lover, couldn't resist. She crouched down and gently stroked the cat's head.

The cat wasn't afraid of her, rubbing against her hand affectionately. It then meowed twice, its gem-like eyes looking at her pitifully.

"Poor thing, are you lost?" Susannah reached out to pick up the cat, but it startled, meowing again before darting away.

"Wait, it's dangerous that way!" Seeing the cat run towards a potentially dangerous area, Susannah, worried, chased after it.

However, when she caught up, the black cat had already jumped into the arms of a boy. The gray-haired boy stroked the cat's head, looking at the breathless Susannah with some confusion.

"Oh, you found your owner?" Susannah sighed in relief, offering an awkward smile. As the boy and cat walked away, she noticed she had unknowingly arrived at ARC City's hospital.

Just as she was about to reorient herself, a familiar figure entered her line of sight.

"It's Sushang!"

Taxue, having completed its task, obediently slipped into Ren's collar, returning to the dilapidated Theater. Ren glanced in Li Sushang's direction, shook his head, and quickly merged into the crowd.

This Honkai eruption was the result of Otto's scheme. Otto knew Ren wouldn't casually kill an innocent Valkyrie and had exploited this. Since the incident had been resolved, he must have guessed that Ren was still alive. Moreover, Kiana's presence in ARC City probably hadn't escaped his notice. However, Ren wasn't so easily manipulated.

If Otto was going to use Susannah to cause him trouble, Ren would naturally return the favor, using Susannah to achieve his own goals.

Learning Taixu Sword God was far more complex than he had anticipated. He had assumed that enduring a few attacks from Sword God would be enough to replicate it. But after interacting with Li Sushang, he understood just how demanding the technique was.

Even Sword God had varying levels of power.

The Taixu Sword God Kiana had used during the Pacific battle hadn't been refined, but fueled by her emotions towards Ren, it had been powerful enough to destroy a portion of the Honkai consciousness cluster.

Now, however, she couldn't even match Li Sushang. This was the influence of one's mental state on Sword God.

Ren needed to acquire complete data on Sword God, to experience its full power head-on. And the only one capable of providing that was Li Sushang. However, with their current relationship, Li Sushang wouldn't use lethal force against him. Even if she used Sword God, she would undoubtedly hold back.

Therefore, he needed to give her a reason to unleash its full power, a reason driven by the conviction to kill him.

Those who succumb to inner demons must be eliminated.

This was the weapon he would give Li Sushang, the conviction that would allow her to strike without hesitation.

"Now, it depends on how much information Susannah reveals to Li Sushang. But judging by Otto's manipulative nature, it should be quite effective."

Having determined his ultimate goal, Ren had another matter to address: the Herrscher of Reason core.

The core was still resisting him. Even with his Domination forcibly extracting its power of creation, the output was limited.

This body, created by the core, was inevitably influenced by it. No matter what Ren did, the 300,000 wills within were an obstacle he couldn't avoid.

Their resistance towards him was clear. They had seized the opportunity to rebel during Otto's scheme, and if left unchecked, they would undoubtedly betray him again.

Ren had to find a way to deal with this hidden danger. The worst option was to simply erase them. With his current power, he could easily do so, but the resulting core would be nothing more than a toy, devoid of any real value.

If he erased them, he might as well leave the core with Welt and steal its power directly with Domination. Such an inefficient approach wasn't his style.

So, if these wills were destined to betray him, why not utilize their betrayal?

To master Sword God, one couldn't have any significant mental vulnerabilities. And Ren's current weakness…

Well, he wasn't eager to admit it, but it was undoubtedly Kiana.

If he could use the 300,000 wills' betrayal to eliminate this weakness, to forcibly erase this vulnerability from his heart, mastering Taixu Sword God would become much easier.

However, eliminating this weakness meant Kiana would truly vanish from his memory. Moreover, such an act carried immense risk, even for him. If he wasn't careful, his Hive Mind could be affected.

But he had no other choice.

The aftereffects of the "Lovesickness Plan" were far greater than Ren had anticipated. Both his impulsive act of shielding Li Sushang from Sword God and revealing himself after Kiana's collapse deviated from his original goals.

He had to eliminate these lingering effects completely.


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