It was clear that the Sun God held a pessimistic view of the situation. In his confrontation with the Mother of Flesh, he seemed to have never considered defeating her, focusing instead on defense and evasion from the very beginning.
This wasn't to say the Sun God was cowardly. If he were, he would never have become the Sun God in the first place, nor would he have endured here for so long. Rather, he possessed a profound understanding of the Mother of Flesh's power—an enemy he couldn't possibly defeat, regardless of the means he employed. Therefore, defense and evasion were his only options.
Moreover, as the Sun God had just stated, it wasn't he who was escaping, but the Material World itself.
"Once we find the coordinates of another world," the Sun God explained, "the Magic Ship's internal space can carry a million people at a time. With multiple trips, we can evacuate the entire world's population."
Hearing this, Hysilens couldn't help but ask, "Have you never once considered defeating that Outer God? Defeating the Mother of Flesh?"
The Sun God wore a helpless expression. "Long ago, when I was younger and more hot-blooded, I might have entertained that possibility. But it's simply too difficult. As a god who has devoured countless worlds, its power is overwhelming. Moreover, its corrupting influence has a natural advantage against us Faith Gods."
This "natural advantage" stems from the Outer God's ability to subtly distort the Power of Faith, inflicting irreversible damage upon the Faith Gods. Combined with His superior strength and Authority that counteracts ours, the Sun God stands no chance in a direct confrontation.
Hysilens interjected, "Then what if... no, what if we could kill this Outer God?"
The Sun God glanced at Hysilens, then at Castorice and Hyacine hovering in the sky. "Your strength might be considerable, but it's not enough. Even if you could defeat it once, you can't kill Him. It will inevitably return, resurrected in full power. Will you still be at your peak when It does? And even if you are, are you prepared to fight it endlessly, repeating this cycle again and again?"
The Demon Axe had revealed that the Mother of Flesh would resurrect unless her entire existence was completely annihilated in a single strike. The Sun God was clearly aware of this as well.
In a sense, the Mother of Flesh's relentless invasions of countless worlds were simply the manifestation of her instinct for self-preservation.
Hysilens countered, "But endless flight isn't a solution. If we flee to a New World, how will we manage our relationship with its native inhabitants? And what if the Mother of Flesh finds that New World too? Will we just keep running?"
The Sun God paused, then replied, "Still, it's the best option we have right now."
Hysilens retorted, "No, it's not. That's why I said we might be able to kill this Outer God."
Only now did the Sun God fully grasp Hysilens' meaning. She wasn't merely suggesting they try to kill it, but that they might actually succeed. His eyes widened. "Are you... serious?"
Hysilens nodded firmly. "Absolutely."
She had already extracted the vast majority of "Demigods" from the System. Only a handful remained. Even if we ignored the others, just Phainon alone, once summoned, would give her absolute dominance in direct combat.
However, how to prevent the Mother of Flesh's endless resurrection remained a critical question.
The Sun God's expression was complex. He finally sighed, a look of relief washing over his face. "If that's the case, then I entrust this task to you. I will endure for as long as possible, but I cannot say how long that will be."
"During my initial clash with the monster that attacked me earlier, I discovered it possesses Authority over Shadows. You must be especially cautious. If I were to be extinguished, it might gain the ability to infiltrate the Material Plane..."
Speaking of Authority over Shadows, the ability to move freely within shadows would undoubtedly be essential. However, this ability is completely nullified by the Sun God, as there are no shadows on the sun itself!
Thus, when Castorice and the others attacked the Child of Flesh earlier, it likely used this ability to teleport away instantly. Normally, it would have lurked in nearby shadows, biding its time for a second ambush.
But because there are no shadows on the sun, its teleportation left it stranded.
So, could the Child of Flesh use its teleportation ability to reach the Material Plane within the World Barrier?
At least not now. As the Sun reignited, its light radiated outward from the planet, eventually enveloping the entire world below. Yet it merely enveloped, failing to penetrate downward. The reason was simple: it was night.
This was a world where Heaven was round and Earth was square, with no axial rotation or orbital motion. Theoretically, if the Sun God hung permanently in the sky, shouldn't this world be perpetually bathed in daylight?
How, then, did night come to be? Surely the Sun couldn't simply extinguish itself each evening.
The answer was actually quite simple. When night fell, the Sun didn't go out. Instead, it merely controlled its light, preventing it from reaching the Material Plane.
Thus, while to those in the Material Plane it appeared dark and filled with shadows, to the Child of Flesh beyond the Barrier, the world remained perpetually illuminated, utterly devoid of shadow.
However, if the Sun were truly extinguished, plunging the entire Material Plane into an Eternal Night, the Child of Flesh might be able to bypass the Barrier and exert its influence upon the Material Plane.
Rather than directly entering the Material Plane, the Mother of Flesh would exert indirect influence, but even this would be a catastrophic disaster for its inhabitants.
Realizing that time was growing short, Hysilens wore a thoughtful expression and said, "Regarding our efforts to combat the Mother of Flesh, we may need your assistance."
The Sun God nodded resolutely. "I will do whatever lies within my power," he affirmed.
With his agreement secured, a small Century Gate materialized beside Hysilens. A book fell out, and she immediately enveloped it in her divine power to prevent it from spontaneously combusting. She then presented the book to the Sun God.
The Sun God accepted the book solemnly and saw its title: The Okhema Chronicles: A History of City-Building.
The Sun God: "?"
The book was, in fact, a historical account of Okhema. Naturally, since Okhema's history was inextricably linked to Tribios, nearly half of its contents detailed the Holy Maiden's deeds.
Hysilens's goal was simple: to gain Fame from the Sun God. As the most powerful Faith God in this world—and without peer—even in his weakened state, the Sun God was sure to contribute a substantial amount of Fame.
While forcing a patient to read her biography might seem rather abstract, wasn't it all for the sake of the Material World?
The Sun God looked utterly bewildered. "Read a book? Is that really important?"
Hysilens nodded firmly. "Yes, it's crucial."
Though still bewildered, the Sun God nodded and said, "Alright, I'll read it carefully."
With the Sun's affairs resolved and successfully managed, a Century Gate materialized before the trio. Hysilens leaped back onto Pollux's back, and the dragon flapped her wings and soared through the portal.
Simultaneously, on the Moon's surface, amidst thunderous booms, Mydei surveyed his surroundings. Red spears pierced the ground as far as the eye could see, and the once-smooth terrain was now cratered and scarred. A mountain had risen on the left, while a canyon had cleaved open on the right.
However, these injuries were relatively minor for a celestial body like the Moon. Mydei's destructive power was already considerable, but the feat of "planet-busting" remained just beyond his reach.
Regardless of the current state of the battle, Mydei had successfully completed his mission of holding the Moon. After Hysilens departed, he slightly raised his hand, then brought it down with a sweeping motion. Instantly, over a thousand crimson spears materialized in the air, plummeting like a swarm of missiles.
After annihilating another wave of lunar surface monsters, a Century Gate appeared behind Mydei. Without even glancing at where the spears were falling, he turned his back, listened to the thunderous roars behind him, crossed his arms, and strode through the portal.
Everyone converged at Okhema. Tribios glanced at her System Page, recalling that her Fame had been at 3,110,000/4,000,000 before she set out. Now it had skyrocketed to 3,980,000/4,000,000.
Clearly, the bulk of this surge in Fame came from the Moon, battered by Mydei; the Child of Flesh, pummeled by Castorice and her companions; and the Sun God, who had witnessed the Child of Flesh's beating.
Tribios stood silently in place, waiting as her Fame continued to skyrocket. After about twenty minutes—likely because the Sun God was absorbed in Okhema's historical records—the final 20,000 Fame points flooded in, bringing her total to the 4 million mark.
Without hesitation, Tribios immediately chose to "Draw a New Identity."
The 4 million Fame points vanished instantly, and the System Page refreshed to display:
[Flame-Chaser Identity System at your service]
[Currently unlocked Identities: Cipher (Cifera), Mydei (Mydeimos), Castorice, Tribios, Aglaea, Anaxagoras, Hyacine (Hyacinthia), Hysilens (Helektra), Cerydra, Evernight (March 7th) ]
[Increase Fame to unlock another Identity Draw. Current Fame: 0/4,000,000]
At Tribios's mental command, a pink-haired girl materialized before her.
The girl wore a black flower ornament on her left temple and an inverted, question mark-shaped earring on her right ear. Her garment was black on the left and white on the right. However, when Evernight tugged at her hem, she discovered it was actually two separate pieces: a black jacket draped only over her left side, revealing a white underlayer solely on her right.
Moreover, the white sleeve on her right shoulder appeared corroded as if by black ink, exposing her entire pale shoulder. Similar ink-like stains marred her chest as well.
Evernight gently poked her chest, touching the ink. She realized it wasn't merely decoration; it was a cold, slightly viscous liquid, almost like glue.
As she withdrew her hand from her chest, a thin, black thread stretched out with it.
This wasn't grime or dirt, but rather a manifestation of some power within her body. Though its exact nature remained unclear for now, she planned to investigate it further later.
On Evernight's right breast was a floral ornament identical to the one on her head, though this one was a vibrant red.
This appeared to be all she was wearing. Compared to her upper body, her lower body was practically naked, save for a classic Mihoyo thigh ring on her right thigh. Her slender legs were completely exposed to the air.
Notably, the thigh ring was made of an ink-like substance that adhered directly to her skin. Evernight tilted her body slightly, bent down, and touched it. The small circle of ink, originally shaped like a thigh ring, spread across her thigh with the slightest brush, creating an inexplicably provocative effect.
Finally, Evernight wore a pair of black high-heeled leather ankle boots with red soles. She tapped her toes lightly and took a few steps, feeling no awkwardness or discomfort.
Tribios circled Evernight, her gaze finally settling on the girl's pupils.
Evernight's deep crimson eyes lacked any visible highlights. This wasn't because she couldn't see them, but because her eyes were simply like that.
In the Honkai: Star Rail game, this visual distinction served as a clear indicator: if the red pupils had that telltale gleam, it meant Little March was in control of the body; if not, it was Evernight. One body, two personalities—a common trope in Mihoyo games.
Despite sharing the same body, March 7th exuded a naive, lively, and adorable charm, while Evernight was somewhat intimidating, even hinting at a subtle yandere vibe. The contrast was stark.
Yet she was neither March 7th nor Evernight. The persona currently controlling the body manifested as Evernight?
But that wasn't the main point anymore. Whether the outward appearance resembled March 7th or Evernight, both forms were undeniably stunning.
After scrutinizing her new appearance, Evernight began to focus inward, sensing the body's capabilities, particularly its memory-related abilities.
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Volume 5 end