155. Cocolia's Death! The Chimera Plan Completed
"Why? Why? How dare those bastards from World Serpent treat me like this!" In the dimly lit sewers, a blonde woman gritted her teeth as she moved forward.
She was Cocolia. Who originally cooperated with World Serpent, she was now their wanted criminal.
If it weren't for the fact that, at the brink of death, she inexplicably activated the power of the Gem of Desire and successfully controlled it, she would probably already be a prisoner.
Feeling the powerful energy flowing through her body, even in the filthy sewers, Cocolia couldn't suppress a hint of an excited smile.
"They never imagined I could wield the power of the Gem so perfectly."
"When I return to Anti-Entropy, I'll reclaim everything that belongs to me… World Serpent, I will make you pay for this!" Just as she was immersed in the fantasy of using this power to reshape the world, a strange sense of crisis suddenly gripped her heart.
"What's going on? Something's coming!" Cocolia nervously looked around. But the narrow sewer was completely exposed, empty as far as the eye could see.
However, the wind brought the answer—she looked up abruptly! Boom! A terrifying beam of light pierced through the concrete overhead, tearing through the darkness, and shot down!
"Hah!" Cocolia growled, neither dodging nor blocking, raising her fist to meet the attack. The violent wind pressure instantly coalesced into a solid barrier before her, forcefully blocking the destructive beam.
The beam dissipated, leaving behind a cloud of smoke and dust.
"Who's there? Show yourself!" Cocolia roared angrily at the breached opening.
Footsteps approached clearly. Under her furious gaze, a pink figure, wielding a sniper rifle, appeared at the edge of the opening.
Lemuen remained calm, waving gently:
"Hello, and… goodbye."
Bang!
A gunshot rang out, but it wasn't a bullet; instead, another deadly energy beam shot out!
"A lackey of the World Serpent?!" Cocolia narrowly dodged, her heart blazing with fury.
The next moment, a surge of air erupted around her, propelling her into the air like a cannonball towards Lemuen high above!
Facing the ferocious onslaught of Cocolia, Lemuen remained unfazed. With a flick of her wrist, she used her massive sniper rifle as a blunt weapon, slamming it down to meet Cocolia's attack!
Boom!
The gun blade and the fist of the storm collided violently! The shockwave from the clash of these two terrifying forces spread outwards, instantly turning surrounding buildings into dust like sandcastles!
Cocolia, hovering in mid-air, wore an expression of absolute confidence.
"Do you think I'm still a pawn you can manipulate at will?!"
"Now... kneel before me!"
Before her words even finished, a terrifying wind pressure, centered on her, suddenly contracted like an invisible giant hand! The entire block of buildings was instantly reduced to dust, as if thrown into a shredder!
"See that?! This is me now! The invincible me!" Cocolia's maniacal laughter echoed through the ruins.
However—tap…tap…tap…clear footsteps sounded again. Cocolia's pupils constricted, and she abruptly looked down. In the raging storm of dust, Lemuen slowly raised her head, her face still bearing that gentle, serene smile, her uniform spotless.
"How…how is this possible?!" Cocolia's maniacal laughter froze on her face, disbelief and horror instantly replacing her confidence.
Before she could finish speaking! The sky above her head was suddenly torn apart! A cold glint tore through the storm, carrying a power that pierced the heavens and earth, transforming into a gigantic energy spear that pierced down!
"What?!" Cocolia was utterly horrified, hastily gathering the storm's power in front of her for defense.
Boom!!!
With a deafening explosion, she was slammed to the ground like a kite with a broken string, her body carving a deep trench in the earth.
"Cough...cough..." She struggled to her feet from the rubble, the excruciating pain almost suffocating her.
The next moment, she instinctively looked up at the sky, freezing as if struck by lightning! An unimaginable behemoth obscured her entire vision. A colossal mecha, over a kilometer tall, named "Athena," hovered in the sky, its cold, steel form radiating an oppressive aura of despair.
"What...what is that?" Cocolia's voice was choked with utter shock.
"It's called Athena," Lemuen approached step by step, her footsteps echoing clearly in the deathly silence of the ruins. The gentle smile on her face had vanished, replaced by a cold, scrutinizing gaze, her judgmental eyes fixed on the disheveled blonde woman.
"Cocolia, it's time to settle your sins."
"Settle my sins?" Barely recovering from the shock of the colossal, overwhelming steel behemoth, Cocolia let out a cold sneer.
"You? You think you can do it!"
Before her words even finished, she abruptly raised her arm towards the sky! Rumble—!!! The air shrieked under the immense pressure, instantly distorting! A terrifying tornado suddenly formed around her, frantically tearing everything in its path! The atmospheric pressure of the entire city surged rapidly under this destructive force, like an invisible boulder pressing down! An ordinary human caught in this situation would likely not survive even a single breath, instantly turning to dust!
However, at the edge of the storm's core, Lemuen remained expressionless. The pressure, enough to crush skyscrapers, fell upon her, merely causing her clothes to flutter slightly and her steps to falter slightly—but…that was all.
She didn't even glance at the storm again, transforming into a streak of light, instantly disappearing into the body of the steel behemoth in the sky. Lemuen's Eyes of Star ignited!
Massive mechanical wings instantly unfurled behind Athena, like a god spreading clouds across the heavens! An unimaginable amount of energy began to converge, condensing into a blazing, blinding core sphere of light before Athena's chest, its emanating energy ripples even distorting space itself!
Cocolia, at the eye of the storm, froze instantly, her domineering confidence gone! That locked, destructive aura… was far more terrifying than she had imagined!
Her harsh words still echoed in her ears, yet the alarm bells of death rang loudly!
Without hesitation, Cocolia unleashed the storm around her, pushing her speed to its limit, transforming into a streak of frantic golden light, fleeing desperately towards the heavens!
Escape! She had to escape the lock of that destructive light!
"You—you can't escape." Lemuen's icy voice reached Cocolia's ears.
The next instant! Athena's accumulated radiance erupted! A beam of judgment, piercing the heavens and earth, tore through the storm, ripped through the atmosphere, and struck precisely and irresistibly the golden figure fleeing desperately towards the sky!
Cocolia didn't even have time to utter a cry. Silently disintegrated within the beam of light, leaving not a speck of dust behind.
The storm abruptly ceased, and the raging energy subsided. The colossal machine "Athena," standing tall in the sky, vanished as if it had never existed.
Lemuen landed lightly on the ground. Amidst the rubble, a gem radiating a deep, eerie light lay quietly—the Gem of Desire. She bent down and carefully picked it up.
Just then, the city, previously devastated by the battle, began to dissipate, and soon Lemuen appeared on a bustling street.
The Tarnished gave her a thumbs up.
"Impressive."
The space Remien had just been in wasn't the real world. It was a strange space constructed by the Tarnished, based on the "Reality Marble" of the Type-Moon world and combined with his understanding of the World Bubble—he named it "Inverted Reality."
Here, the aftershocks of battle were perfectly isolated, not affecting reality in the slightest.
That was his magical battle space.
After carefully storing the Gem of Desire, Remien smiled easily and walked towards the Tarnished.
"Let's go to Schicksal."
"Alright, let's go then." The Tarnished nodded and straightened up.
"Thank you both." Fu Hua's figure quietly appeared beside them.
"You're welcome," the Tarnished shrugged.
"You are my master, after all. Helping you return to your body is a small matter."
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Meanwhile, inside the Elysian Realm.
"Hello, nice to meet you. My name is Xiling." Facing the various heroes before him, Xiling smiled gently and waved lightly.
"Hi~~~!" Elysia responded cheerfully almost the instant Xiling finished speaking, waving enthusiastically.
"Xiling! Nice to meet you! Are you Kevin's friend?"
"Yes, I am kind of his best friend," Xiling nodded.
The other heroes exchanged glances. This was Kevin's backup plan, the one he believed would definitely make him succeed in the MANTIS surgery.
While the others speculated, Elysia didn't have so many concerns about him. She stepped closer and asked the question that was on everyone's mind most:
"How does Xiling plan to help Kevin get through that 'surgery'?" Her tone was full of pure curiosity.
Xiling's answer was:
"He trusts me, and I trust him. So, there won't be any surprises in this surgery."
The others exchanged glances again. This answer… was too idealistic, wasn't it?
"Wow!" Elysia's eyes lit up.
"Is this... the unbreakable bond of fate between you two?!"
"It really is."
Compared to the cheerful laughter coming from Elysia and Xiling outside, Mobius in the lab found their noise exceptionally loud.
She stared intently at the constantly updating data reports on the screen, her brows furrowed deeply.
In the center of the room stood a huge culture tank, filled with a luminous green nutrient solution. Kevin's entire body was immersed in it, countless tubes of varying thicknesses, like the tentacles of a living creature, densely connected to his body, continuously injecting fusion agents and forcibly altering his genetic blueprint.
This was supposed to be a surgical procedure with an extremely low success rate and extremely high risk. However, the various physiological indicators and fusion parameters flashing on the screen all conveyed an almost absurd fact to Mobius—the fusion process was exceptionally smooth! Unbelievably smooth, as if it hadn't triggered any of the anticipated severe rejection reactions or genetic collapse side effects at all!
This perfect progress, exceeding all her theoretical and experimental expectations, forced Mobius to abruptly raise her head, her gaze piercing through the laboratory's observation window, locking onto Xiling, who was conversing with Elysia in the outer room.
Sensing the gaze, Xiling turned his head. Facing Mobius's scrutinizing gaze, he merely smiled.
Meanwhile, deep within Kevin's submerged consciousness in the incubation tank, a strange dream was unfolding. He stood alone in a void.
One, two… countless Honkai Beasts of various forms stood silently around him.
These behemoths, which should have been filled with destructive and frenzied instincts, were now unusually quiet, as if trapped in the deepest slumber.
Kevin stood in the center of this jungle of sleeping behemoths, a sense of connection, like countless invisible threads, silently establishing, extending, and merging between the consciousness of these Honkai Beasts and his own…
As if reaching some mysterious, preordained threshold. In the dream, Kevin's consciousness suddenly solidified. In reality, inside the incubation tank, Kevin's tightly closed eyes snapped open!
The Chimera Project—Completed!
Watching this, Mobius felt that the previous data seemed utterly ridiculous.
Kevin climbed out from the top of the incubation tank, looking at his hands, a continuous surge of power coursing through his body.
"I succeeded," Kevin said to Möbius.
"If you hadn't succeeded, would you still be standing here talking?" Mobius's sweet voice carried a hint of annoyance.
"That makes sense," Kevin said, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.
Just then, two hands simultaneously landed on his shoulders.
At that moment, two hands landed on his shoulders almost at the same time.
On the left, Xiling: "How are you feeling?"
On the right, Elysia: "How are you feeling, Kevin?"
Kevin closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and felt the overwhelming, earth-shattering power within him was so real. When he opened his eyes again, a bright smile bloomed on his face.
"I feel... better than ever before!"
[Kevin] stepped forward, his voice echoing in the now silent space:
"Then, only one last step remains."
He turned around.
"Come with us. That final destination is also... a gift we give you."
Leaving these words behind, [Kevin] said no more, striding forward to lead the group. Even the previously agitated Mobius, bypassing Xiling and Kevin, silently followed [Kevin]'s pace.
Xiling and Kevin exchanged a glance before quickly joining the silently advancing group.
The group passed through the hazy light and shadow of the Elysian Realm, and soon they arrived at an open area—thirteen figures already stood silently there. Each occupied a unique position, collectively guarding the center of the plaza.
Standing in the very center of the plaza, [Kevin] slowly turned to Kevin Kaslana, who had arrived with the group. His voice was clear:
"Those of us who remain in this Elysian Realm are merely a frozen past, a lingering shadow projected into the river of time."
"But you are different from us."
"You exist in the 'past'—that failed historical era we personally experienced and ultimately overthrew."
"Kevin Kaslana." The warrior whose name was called stepped forward without hesitation, his spine straight:
"I am here!"
Elysia's face held an unprecedented tenderness and expectation:
"Go and change that past, Kevin. Don't let that tragic drama...play out again."
Su's voice was like a final maxim:
"We are here to bestow upon you the mark of the heroes."
His words, like a command, instantly resonated silently with all the heroes. The voices of the thirteen heroes—some passionate, some serene, some ethereal, some fiery—converged into a torrent, solemnly declaring in the square:
"This is all our past, this is the gift we bestow, and it is...our shared recognition!"
Elysia winked playfully:
"Consider it an investment in you! Remember to bring my cute counterpart from our world over if you have the chance, it'll be super~ fun!"
As the announcement was made, thirteen dazzling lights, each unique in shape and radiating different primal powers, rose from each hero! They coalesced in the air into thirteen imprints embodying unwavering conviction:
1. Deliverance [Kevin]
2. Ego [Elysia]
3. Discipline [Aponia]
4. Gold [Eden]
5. Helix [Vill-V]
6. Decimation [Kalpas]
7. Bodhi [Su]
8. Setsuna [Sakura]
9. Daybreak [Kosmo]
10. Infinity [Mobius]
11. Stars [Griseo]
12. Vicissitude [Hua]
13. Reverie [Pardofelis]
These thirteen imprints, symbolizing the will and power of warriors from the previous era, thirteen dazzling streams of light, carrying the weight of history and the expectations of the future, solemnly and sacredly entered Kevin Kaslana's chest!
The light faded. On Kevin's upright back, thirteen uniquely shaped marks, like sacred totems, slowly emerged, etched into his flesh and blood, and fused into his soul!
Kevin bowed deeply to the thirteen heroes.
"Thank you for taking care of me during this time."
Elysia waved her hand with a smile.
"Don't be so serious."
[Kevin] stepped forward, looking directly at his younger self:
"Now, do what you must do. That is your... final trial." Every word he spoke was like a heavy hammer, striking Kevin's heart:
"Defeat [him]!"
"Fly higher than [him]!"
"For the future you yearn to create—"
"For everything you swore to protect!"
Meeting the gazes of the crowd, Kevin Kaslana raised his clenched right fist and slammed it heavily against his solid chest—
"Yes!"
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The sound of bubbles rose in the snow-covered world. [Kevin] sat high in the sky, looking down at the battlefield below.
Thousands upon thousands of Honkai Beasts were slaughtered below, while in the center of the battlefield, Kiana, with her white hair and blue-golden eyes, fought alongside Welt and Durandal, who were wielding the Black Abyss White Lotus, against the Herrscher of Ice.
This was a cruel whetstone, personally crafted by Kevin to test the current era. Its surroundings emanated an extreme cold power, freezing everything with a mere gesture… its power level far surpassed that of ordinary Herrschers; even so, the warriors of the current era were still able to contend with it.
[Kevin] felt gratified, but one person intrigued him—Kiana seemed to be undergoing some kind of change.
Besides Honkai energy, her power was mixed with another force, a domineering power capable of directly invading and converting Honkai energy. He had only seen this power in one person—Xiling.