It didn't take long.
The alarms finally blared, sharp and piercing.
"Report!"
"Honkai energy concentration in Nagazora is increasing rapidly!"
"It's showing a significant disparity compared to other regions!"
"Critical threshold breached, spiking uncontrollably—"
2000HW, 3500HW, 5600HW, 7200HW…
The numbers were staggering.
The readings on the detectors had gone completely mad.
You could practically see the values jumping—like a rocket taking off!
Soon, it broke the 10,000HW mark.
This was simply unimaginable.
Whether it was the soldiers on the front lines, the technicians, the researchers, or other institutions monitoring the situation from afar—everyone fell into a stunned silence.
Just looking at those numbers was enough to convey the sheer horror of it all.
And what about the actual scene? What was happening there?!
Restlessness spread through various defensive positions nearby, but the greatest pressure was undoubtedly on those closest to Nagazora.
The violently rising Honkai energy concentration was like water that had only been knee-deep suddenly surging up, drowning lungs, submerging chests, until even their heads were completely underwater.
Every breath was a struggle—it felt like suffocating!
The protective gear they'd prepared in advance might as well have been made of paper.
Some soldiers, researchers, logistics personnel, and others began showing signs of rejection reactions.
Some were even visibly displaying traces of Honkai erosion.
They hadn't even begun fighting, yet they were already feeling unwell.
This was when human differences became glaringly obvious.
Some could still hold on, struggling to breathe and feeling slightly dizzy.
But others had already collapsed.
And then there were those completely unaffected—like Mobius and Vill-V.
Though surprised that their resistance to Honkai energy was much higher than they'd expected, in times like these, it was clearly a good thing.
Mobius wore a look of disdain, muttering that those with low Honkai resistance shouldn't have come to cause trouble.
But obviously, this was an unforeseen situation.
Instead, she ended up providing emergency aid to many, saving quite a few lives.
As for Vill-V, in just these past few days, she'd absorbed a wealth of information on Honkai-related phenomena.
Using whatever was on hand, she tinkered and hammered together a makeshift Honkai energy shielding device, easing the burden on everyone.
But their location was just one of many camps.
The Honkai energy concentration was rising too fast.
Even with some preparation, no one had expected it to be like this.
Who the hell could've believed it?!
The Second Herrscher was only around 1500HW—a typical failing score.
But this?
This shot straight up to around 10,000HW.
If the Third Herrscher was already like this…
The ones after were simply too terrifying to imagine.
That was what frightened people the most.
Even if Origin and Finality were already on our side, let's not forget—the great lady Finality still has her own trial to face.
If, in the very end, she can't hold on and fails to regain her consciousness, she'll end up destroying the world too.
Damn it.
If the Third Herrscher is already like this, what about Finality?
Just how powerful will the final boss lady be?
It's enough to make your skin crawl!
Truth be told, Elysia and Kiana hadn't specifically set up any protection for the soldiers or the camps around them.
For one, they hadn't expected things to turn out like this.
Secondly, they were playing a bit of a sneaky game—laying a trap for the Third Herrscher without giving themselves away prematurely.
Once they realized what was happening, they immediately used their power to create a barrier isolating Nagazora from the outside.
That gave many people some relief.
After all!
Showing signs of erosion meant they were already overloaded.
But that wasn't usually a big deal.
As long as they could return to a safe concentration zone soon and rest properly with medication, they'd be fine.
Prolonged exposure was what really killed you.
With a decent level of Honkai resistance, as long as it wasn't exceeded by too much, Honkai disease generally wouldn't develop.
However, this also meant these soldiers probably wouldn't be able to join the fight. Even the original plan to support the two great ladies had to be scrapped before it began.
All they could do now was watch.
They'd have to wait until the concentration dropped later…
Lightning flashed and thunder roared across the sky.
Purple bolts, like divine punishment, screamed and flickered relentlessly.
In an instant, all of Nagazora turned into an endless hell—oppressively gloomy and stifling. The occasional flash of lightning illuminated the view, but it only added a piercing, bone-chilling intensity that cut straight to the heart.
That reporter from the Far East had been broadcasting live all this time.
She was afraid of dying—she'd been wearing protective gear from the start. But now, she realized she seemed completely fine.
Others had rushed to put on their protective suits, yet they were worse off than she was.
Maybe her Honkai resistance was much higher than she'd thought.
That was good.
Being symptom-free was better than anything.
But it was also bad.
Because… it was really hard to find a professional reporter with such high Honkai resistance.
If in the future she really had to venture deep into the front lines, they probably wouldn't find anyone else—it'd have to be her.
She really felt like crying, but no tears came.
But there was nothing she could do.
The pay raise was something she just couldn't refuse.
Her cameraman was already down for the count.
Now, she had to find some soldier to help carry the camera.
Luckily, they were only observing Nagazora from a distance, or simply watching satellite footage from the temporary command center in the camp.
As long as she didn't have to go to the real front lines, she could handle it.
Watching Kiana and Elysia on the screen, she silently prayed.
"Is this what Honkai is?!"
"It's horrible—just watching the footage is enough to shake me!"
"Let's not even talk about me? I definitely couldn't handle it!"
Comments and live chat messages flooded the stream. Everyone was watching, everyone was sharing their thoughts.
Some were genuinely terrified.
Some couldn't help but fear.
Others tried to steer public opinion away from pessimism. But most were deeply shaken.
Even through layers of screens, they could feel it—
Something was definitely about to happen in Nagazora!
It was as if some monstrous force was brewing.
Even if you couldn't see exactly where, it felt like the entire city had become a breeding ground—a nest nurturing something monstrous.
Kiana and Elysia didn't act recklessly.
They remained at the highest point in Nagazora.
But by now, they could sense it—they'd locked onto the Herrscher's location. They were just waiting for the Herrscher to emerge from nothingness, to descend into this world, before they made their move.
After all, at this stage, the Herrscher was still in its invincibility phase.
It both existed and didn't exist.
Though Kiana could force it out, that wouldn't be ideal.
Too much effort for too little gain.
But regarding the Herrscher's strength, Kiana and Elysia finally had a relatively clear sense. After comparing it to themselves, they knew where they stood.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
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