NOVEL NEXT Chapter 433: Untitled
As the monitor of the multiverse on the branches of the Imaginary Tree, the Honkai cluster never imagined that even a god could be deceived. Only after accessing the current world's historical records did it realize that the same individual had destroyed its two previous terminals.
Now, tricked by 17th's trojan program into severing its connection to the Honkai, and confronted by this apparent repeat offender, Ren, the cluster understood – this was a trap specifically designed for it.
Though lacking human emotions, the Honkai cluster possessed immense intelligence. Recognizing the trap, it immediately moved to eliminate the hostile targets.
"Seal!"
The god-like Senti raised a hand, intricate patterns of law shimmering in its palm.
While 17th's trojan program had severed the connection to the multiverse, it couldn't affect the cluster's own authority. As the administrator of the Herrscher network, the Will of the Honkai had the power to strip a Herrscher of their authority at any time.
Identifying Ren as the Herrscher of Dominance, it began to form a golden Celtic triskelion, the symbol of Dominance, in its hand. But as it attempted to reclaim the authority, it found it couldn't lock onto Ren's existence.
Confusion flickered in the God of the Honkai's eyes. It checked its connection to the current world's Herrschers. The Herrscher of Dominance's designation was still active in the network, but Ren's profile was blank. It couldn't even find him, let alone seal him.
17th had known this, which was why she had chosen to contact Ren outside the current world.
Ultimately, Ren didn't belong to this world. It wasn't that the Honkai had granted him the Herrscher of Dominance's authority; rather, he had taken it.
The cluster reacted quickly, realizing Ren's unique nature. If it couldn't erase him through the laws of the Honkai, then direct confrontation was the only option.
Fortunately, as an administrator, the cluster itself possessed considerable combat power. Previously, the world's limitations had prevented it from personally eliminating rogue Herrschers like Kiana.
But now, having descended as Senti, it had access to unlimited Honkai energy within the mindscape.
"[Erase]!"
As its command echoed, the sky, cleansed moments before by 17th's Finality Protocol, turned dark once more. Churning clouds roiled like a stormy ocean, creating the illusion of an inverted world.
No, not an illusion. The world was inverting.
Like a reset hourglass, the boundary between earth and sky flipped. The ground beneath Ren's feet plummeted towards the heavens, and black tentacles reached out from the churning clouds, grasping at him.
"Kiana, hold on tight." Scooping Kiana into his arms, Ren leaped high, sprinting towards the fissure 17th had opened.
The Will of the Honkai's consciousness was far stronger than Senti's. Remaining in the mindscape was a losing proposition. While he had agreed to deal with the cluster, Kiana's safety came first. Staying here would only hinder him.
"Wait, what about Class Monitor?" Kiana, sensing his intentions, grabbed his arm.
"I'll get you out first…" Ren hesitated.
He knew what would happen. While the mindscape was almost entirely under the cluster's control, as long as he and Kiana, two independent wills, remained, it was still technically part of the shared consciousness space created by Senti.
Once they left, it would transform from Senti's domain into the Honkai's, and Fu Hua and Senti, still trapped within, would be assimilated and erased completely.
But even knowing that, Kiana's safety was paramount. If he had to choose between their lives and Kiana's, he wouldn't hesitate.
Besides, the Will of the Honkai was subject to the world's limitations. It was invincible within the mindscape, but once the domain vanished, its infinite energy supply would be cut off. Ren had other ways to deal with it then.
"*Ren!*" His silence didn't fool Kiana. She cupped his face, forcing him to meet her gaze.
Looking into those determined blue eyes, Ren felt a tremor in his heart, his resolve wavering.
"Kiana, you don't understand how dangerous that thing is. I can't let you risk it. I'll get you out first, and then I'll come back for them." His explanation sounded weak, but it was the best course of action.
He wasn't bound by the Will of the Honkai, but Kiana was a Herrscher, and currently almost completely powerless. If they stayed together, she would be his greatest weakness.
But his words were just that – words. The fissure in the mindscape wasn't a spatial rift in the real world. Like a dream, you were either awake or asleep; there was no in-between.
If he sent Kiana out, he would inevitably wake up as well. There was no "coming back" later. The most logical course of action was to wait until the Will of the Honkai lost its power source and then deal with it in the real world.
Kiana didn't speak, her gaze fixed on his, burning like a fiery inferno, searing his heart.
"Ren, Class Monitor is my friend. I understand you don't know her well, but there are some things I have to do." She spoke softly, not in a lecturing tone, but stating a simple truth.
"Just like when you died in Nagazora, no matter how far, even if it's across the boundary of life and death, I will always come for you."
Those words struck Ren like a physical blow. His eyes trembled.
"So, just let me go…" Kiana continued, but Ren needed no further convincing. His expression softened, his gaze filled with affection.
He couldn't resist her.
"I understand. I'll help you."
So what if it was a god? It wasn't his first time killing one.
He stopped, the tentacles still pursuing them relentlessly. But as they reached him, a golden light flared.
In an instant, the tentacles turned to dust, and Ren's eyes shifted from gray to gold.
"What…?" Surprise filled Kiana's eyes. She had never seen Ren like this. The reversed sigils of the Imaginary Tree on his eyes radiated an ancient, boundless power, warm and bright.
She had seen a different Ren in the memory space, a cold, indifferent figure that had led her to believe he had become the Herrscher of a Legion.
But the Ren before her now proved that illusions were just that – illusions.