MDV 151-160 (Patreon)

MDV 151-160

Chapter 151: Scare Ana Half to Death First

After some discussion and thinking, Rita finally decided to follow Lin Ling's advice and change the course. After all, the most urgent thing was to check her body first.

When Durandal handed her over to her, she fell into a coma without any scars on her body which was very concerning.

So, Rita continued to operate her personal terminal and changed the automatic navigation target of the small fighter to the south.

"Coral Island is an artificial island city with a permanent population of 1.8 million. It is located at the junction of Southeast Asia and Oceania. It is an important economic and trade center in the Pacific region and one of the most important bases of Schicksal in the Asia-Pacific region."

Then, Rita told Lin Ling about the destination.

"Oh, yes, the artificial city should be very sci-fi." After listening to Rita's story, Lin Ling nodded thoughtfully, and then she asked the question she cared about most, "So, are there any pretty ladies there?"

"..."

Rita was a little speechless but still ignored Lin Ling's question and continued to explain, "The ones stationed here are the Schicksal Valkyrie Unit, codenamed 'Snow Lotus'."

"Snow Lotus? It sounds good. So, are there any pretty ladies?"

Lin Ling continued to ask persistently.

"Alas, You're thinking about these things again after just waking up." Rita sighed helplessly. "However, if we have to talk about appearance, the captain of the Snow Lotus Squad, the A-rank Valkyrie Ana Schariac is indeed a very cute and powerful little one."

"Cute? How cute, is she cuter than Rita?" The white-haired girl widened her big, watery eyes and looked at Rita sincerely. "In my heart, you are the cutest in the world~"

"Hmm..."

Rita was stunned at first, then a faint blush rose on her face like she was a little drunk.

Speaking of which, it had been a long time since anyone used "cute" to describe her.

After all, now everyone talks about her more...

"Don't interrupt!"

Being a little happy inside, Rita pretended to be angry and rolled her eyes at Lin Ling. "It's very rude to compare girls. Don't say that next time. However, Miss Ana is indeed not simple. She rescued dozens of victims by herself in the Honkai of Manila in 2015. Because of her outstanding performance, Schicksal specially reorganized the 'Snow Lotus Squad' that suffered heavy losses in that disaster and appointed Ana as the captain. Now, the Snow Lotus Squad has been rebuilt with Ana's efforts and is stationed on Coral Island, protecting the millions of local residents."

"Wow~" Lin Ling acted a little surprised. "It's a bit amazing to hear you say that. Well, it's decided, my next wife will be her, le-- hiss..."

But before Lin Ling's heroic words finished, the severe pain from her ears made her shut her mouth, no, it should be said that she grinned.

"You dare!?" Rita grabbed Lin Ling's ear hard. "When you get here, be honest. Don't do 'bad things' and 'be fickle' everywhere. Don't embarrass our headquarters, do you hear me?"

"I heard you, I heard you."

Being handle was held by Rita, Lin Ling nodded like crazy. "Ah! By the way, didn't I give you a memory card before? Did you keep it well? Let me see."

"Hmph~" Seeing that this little girl used a clumsy way to change the subject again, Rita let her go and then handed Lin Ling a delicate little box wrapped in a silk scarf. "Don't worry. I kept it well for you."

"Ah this... smell sniff~" Lin Ling sniffed and found that she had sprayed perfume, so she complained, "I really suspect that you have obsessive-compulsive disorder. Are you going to tie yourself up with ribbons when you get married?"

"I'm just pursuing perfection," Rita replied with a smile, then her eyes slightly raised. "Well... But I'm also considering your suggestion, and I'll treat you like this in the future."

"Huh? Shouldn't it be Dudu?"

Beep beep beep...

Just as the two were arguing, a vibration sound came from Rita's wrist. It was a communication from the Schicksal Coral Island Base. After receiving and confirming that it was indeed a request for help from the S-rank Valkyrie, they immediately sent troops to support and escort.

Rita didn't think much about it but just signaled the always restless Lin Ling to keep quiet and then answered the call.

"Lady Rita!" On the other side of the screen, there was a B-rank Valkyrie who looked a little excited. "I didn't expect you to come here!"

"I'm very sorry to bother you." Rita bowed slightly. "My mission went wrong, and I urgently need the help of your Coral Island Base."

"Don't worry, Lady Rita!" The Valkyrie patted her chest. "The captain has personally led the Squad to greet you! There will be absolutely no problem!"

"Oh? Is Ana here? Speaking of which, we haven't seen each other for a long time." Rita's still elegant and gentle appearance made the Valkyrie on the other side of the screen more and more fanatical.

"Yes! The captain immediately set out to greet you after hearing that you were coming. Now she should be almost at your location."

"It's really fast, worthy of being the 'Snow Lotus' Squad..."

While Rita was communicating with the people of the Snow Lotus Squad, Lin Ling was fiddling with the memory card she had just taken back from Rita to prevent it from being damaged by the strong electromagnetic field around the opponent's body when fighting with Mei.

There are good things in it~

After inserting the memory card into a playback device, the screen lit up...

...

"Kiana... You are more important to me than this world!..."

"Mei, no!..."

...

"OK, it looks intact. Next, I will back it up in the cloud disk. Hehe~"

Unlike the CG animations she saw before, after seeing the 108k ultra-clear live video on the screen, Lin Ling laughed like a prank.

She felt that this live-action version of "Sinner's Elegy" was... more chuunibyou and more shameful!

"If I wait for Mei to calm down, I will play it in front of her. It will definitely be exciting~? Well... Playing it alone is not enough. I want to play it on the public screen in front of everyone! Ha ha ha..."

"Hmm?"

Lin Ling's strange smile naturally attracted the attention of the Valkyrie on the other side of the screen. She curiously looked over and asked, "Lady Rita, what's the strange sound? Is it... Honkai Beast?"

"No." Rita helplessly held her forehead. This little girl really didn't care about her image at all and was actually mistaken for a Honkai Beast.

However, for the sake of the reputation of the person she cared about the most, Rita still explained seriously. "She is my companion and the rescue target of this mission. She is the new S-rank Valkyrie of Schicksal. I feel a little unwell now, please forgive me."

"Oh, it turned out to be me?!...Ah! Lady Rita! I saw you!"

Suddenly, the Valkyrie's voice became louder!

Whew!

At the same time, the roar of the engine far exceeded that of the small plane from the porthole.

Lin Ling turned her head and saw a huge floating warship.

...

...

..

After Rita controlled the plane to park in the floating warship, she opened the hatch.

She was greeted by a team of neatly waiting Valkyries, led by a girl with long chestnut hair and pink eyes.

After seeing Rita for the first time, she saluted her respectfully. "Welcome, Lady Rita."

"Thank you for your hard work, Ana."

"It's not hard. I was just cleaning up the Honkai nearby so it's convenient for me to come and greet you."

For some reason, the Honkai Outbreaks near Coral Island had become more frequent recently. Therefore, as the captain, Ana had been busy with the Honkai Eruptions that kept popping up around her. She was very busy.

Even now, she hadn't closed her eyes for several days in a row and hadn't even had time to pay attention to the relevant information about the newly canonized S-rank Valkyrie at the Schicksal headquarters.

Just now, she heard her Squadmates gossiping that the newly appointed S-rank Valkyrie is a super womanizer who calls everyone her wife. It is said that she has an affair with the captain and vice-captain of the strongest Squad of Schicksal, the Immortal Blade, and even the entire Immortal Blade is her harem.

Therefore, she, who had always admired Lady Durandal, couldn't help but feel a little dissatisfied with this Miss Lin Ling, who had a bad reputation.

However, since she was here and she was the superior, she naturally had to express her welcome.

She saluted the white-haired girl who had her back to her for some reason and didn't come out of the cabin: "Lord Lin Ling, your subordinate Ana Schariac welcomes you to inspect and please give me more advice."

"..."

However, the white-haired girl didn't seem to pay attention to her but just raised her hands at the height of her face, as if fiddling with something.

"Lord Lin Ling?"

Seeing this, Ana tentatively called out again...

"..."

But still, no response.

"Lin Ling, what are you doing? Why are you ignoring Ana-chan? Didn't you just yell for a pretty lady? Now she's behind you."

"..." Finally, after hearing Rita's words, Lin Ling stopped what she was doing and slowly turned around...

"Huh!?!"

However, it didn't matter if she didn't turn around. Once she did, Ana's pupils instantly dilated to the extreme...

------

Chapter 152: Ana and Lin Ling's Evil Relationship

"Miss Ana..."

Accompanied by a vague sound that seemed like she was chewing food, the white-haired girl finally turned around slowly...

In an instant, the stable and mature captain of the Snow Lotus Squad, Ana, immediately lost the majesty of the captain.

Her eyes widened, her mouth opened slightly, and her face was full of fear!

Because what appeared in front of Ana's eyes was a face full of blood and unknown viscous liquid, a big mouth that almost reached the back of the cheek, and a small piece of teeth hanging out of the mouth.

After eating the intestines, a few drops of blood were still dripping from the intestines...

It was like an unjust soul in hell asking for theur life, it uttered the rankic line of a ghost:

"Give me your life..."

"Ah!!!"

Then, the girl's screams echoed throughout the battleship...

[Ding~ The system prompts that the host made Ana Schariac very surprised and frightened, and the Honkai control power increased by 13%.]

Oh, You are worthy of being a member of the Schariac family. You are also worthy of being selected as the next Herrscher. She has improved me so much. Hehe, it seems that I should scare her a few more times..

"Hiss!! It hurts."

And just when Lin Ling was secretly feeling proud, she felt a double pain at the base of her ears.

That was when Rita grabbed her ear again. "Lord Lin Ling~ What are you doing!?"

……

Three minutes later, in the bathroom of the floating battleship.

"Really, I told you to be more serious before getting off the plane, but why didn’t you listen? Is it fun? Look how scared you made Ana! Huh?! After all, she is a captain, guarding the lives and property of millions of people in the city. How can she establish her prestige and lead her own Squad if you do this?"

While Rita was preaching to Lin Ling, she was cleaning the very realistic horror set makeup items that Lin Ling had gotten from nowhere off her face.

"Huh? Now she can't lead the Squad? If they can't accept it when they see the fragile side of their captain, it only means that their relationship isn’t deep enough. It's okay not to have such teammates!" Lin Ling retorted, unconvinced.

"You don’t want teammates? You’re making all kinds of nonsense." Rita shook her head angrily and then grabbed a piece of 'rotten skin' on Lin Ling's face very conspicuously, "By the way, where did you get these things? I want to confiscate them all!"

"I picked it up on the road. I originally planned to scare Durandal, but I fainted before I could." Lin Ling explained casually.

"Huh? Scared Lord Durandal? How could she be scared by you?"

Rita shook her head helplessly. She really couldn't imagine the most powerful Valkyrie in Schicksal being scared.

"But speaking of it, I didn’t think that Ana would be frightened like that. It really reminds me of the time when she was still a trainee Valkyrie. It seems that she is still not fully grown up."

The corners of Rita’s mouth raised slightly, and a trace of nostalgia for the past appeared in her eyes.

Ana Schariac was born into the Schariac family, one of the three major families of Schicksal. She had been trained to fight against the Honkai at the Schicksal headquarters since she was a child, showing considerable talent.

Therefore, when she was a child, she was very good friends with the equally talented Durandal and the slightly older Rita and others. Even after she became an official Valkyrie and was sent to the Schicksal Headquarters, she often met with Rita, Durandal, and the others, exchanging letters and giving each other gifts on birthdays and major holidays.

However, since experiencing the disaster 15 years ago, Ana who was once like a biological sister seemed to have changed.

Since then, her face almost lost its smile, and even her letters with Rita and others lost the warmth between close friends.

Instead of playing around and venting dissatisfaction with the current situation, they only communicated about work and sought opinions, becoming very formal.

As if overnight, the once innocent and lively girl with dreams grew into a boring adult.

Today, with the help of Lin Ling's prank, Rita saw the girly side of Ana again, and she couldn’t help but feel a little emotional and nostalgic in her heart.

"Humph, no matter how old she grows, she will always be the cutie in my heart~"

At this moment, Lin Ling seemed to have spoken out Rita’s innermost thoughts, while pretending to be very disgusted, "By the way, listen to your tone. You seem to prefer Ana when she was younger? Sister Tazi... are you really a lolicon?"

"What are you talking about?" Rita gently gave Lin Ling's little head a headache. "I think your ears are itchy again? Okay, let me take a look." Rita took a few steps back and observed Lin Ling carefully.

During this cleaning, she not only removed the stains from Lin Ling's face but also trimmed her hair, making the already pretty white-haired girl look even cuter.

"Yeah." Rita nodded satisfyingly, "It's a pity that there aren’t enough tools here. Otherwise, I really want to dress you up, but I can barely clean it up. Okay, let’s go and apologize to Ana first."

"Okay, I'm going to propose to her and apologize."

"You dare?!"

……

"Captain, are you okay? Come and have a drink of water."

On the other side, in the ship’s lounge, the captain of the Snow Lotus Squad was sitting on a chair with a frightened look on her face.

"Thank you, Lina."

She took the glass of water handed to her by the squad member, took a small sip, and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Really, we really don't know what that new Miss S-rank was thinking. Why did she make a joke like this? She’s like a naughty child! It’s really annoying."

Then, another squad member complained on behalf of her admired captain.

"It’s okay, it’s okay, haha." Ana forced a smile, expressing that she didn’t care, "Maybe this is the way that Miss Lin Ling greets people. It’s quite... friendly, which is good for getting along. Keep good relations with your subordinates...well...that’s about it."

"Is that so? Hehe, let’s scare the captain more in the future."

"Yes, yes, I didn’t expect that the captain actually has such a side. Although it may not be good, but I really want to see the captain’s girlish appearance a few more times~"

Afterwards, several of Ana’s Squad members began to whisper among themselves.

"Ahem!" Ana who was blushing slightly coughed twice, interrupting the whispers of the Squad members. At the same time, she put away her smile and reprimanded with a stern face, "Also, what kind of naughty kid? Don’t speak behind people's backs. They are bad words! Lord Lin Ling is an S-rank Valkyrie, and she is worthy of learning from all of us Valkyrie."

Although Ana reprimanded the Squad member seriously, the anger hidden in her slightly furrowed brows betrayed her true feelings.

Obviously, what she was most afraid of was zombies and the like, but this person had just used this method to scare her as soon as he came up.

It’s really bad!

The persona of a stable and mature captain that she had finally established in front of her Squadmates was completely shattered!

Damn it, is this girl actually one of the only four S-rank Valkyries in the world? Why does it feel like she was sent by Honkai to trick her on purpose?

Ana couldn’t help but secretly complain in her heart.

"Hi Ana-chanI haven’t seen you for a few seconds. It’s like three autumns. Do you miss me~"

At this moment, Lin Ling’s voice came again, but it was different from the tone of the zombies in the game movie that was deliberately imitated at first. It was the sweet and melodious sound of silver bells.

After hearing the voice of this energetic girl, even Ana’s depressed mood from being teased by the other party felt much relieved.

"It’s okay, Lord Lin Ling, I’m just making too much of a fuss...huh!?? You...you! It’s you! No, it’s impossible! It’s impossible!"

Suddenly!

Ana's eyes became frightened again, but this time the fear did not come from the outside world, but from the source, hidden deep in the deepest part of her memory, dust-covered—the memory she least wanted to face...

She hugged her head and buried her face, unwilling to face all of this...

"Huh?! What’s wrong with you?"

Seeing Ana's strange look, Lin Ling leaned over curiously and looked at her panicked face from bottom to top, "Really, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have just been playing a prank on you, so there’s no need to be so afraid of me."

"Ah!!!"

However, after seeing Lin Ling's lovely face again, Ana stood up in a daze, muttering something in a low and trembling voice, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I... I didn't mean to do it. I have other obligations. I didn't mean it..." and other confusing words. She stepped back toward the door, then quickly turned around and left.

"Emmmmmmm..."

Seeing the figure of the long chestnut-haired girl leaving in a panic, Lin Ling pouted with some dissatisfaction, feeling suddenly angry and resentful in her heart.

Ah, this... is my face scarier than a zombie?

[Ding~ The system prompts that the host has greatly surprised and frightened Ana Schariac. The Honkai ability qualification increased by 14%.]

In fact, Lin Ling didn't even bother to pay attention to the system's voice in her mind, which was reminding her that she had won the grand prize.

"..."

Just as Lin Ling was thinking to herself, the other members of the Snow Lotus Squad, including Rita, looked at each other in surprise.

Captain Ana had been scared by Lin Ling pretending to be a zombie before. They could understand that, because, while not as exaggerated as Ana, girls like them were also slightly scared by Lin Ling's realistic zombie costume.

But now that Lin Ling had revealed her lovely true face, Captain Ana appeared to be even more scared.

They really couldn’t understand it.

...

In an awkward atmosphere, everyone finally returned to the Schicksal Base on Coral Island and immediately used the base's most advanced facilities to conduct a detailed inspection of Lin Ling.

The final result was, of course... nothing was detected.

Although Lin Ling's body was a little weak, she was still overall healthy. Moreover, the adaptability to Honkai energy that she had shown was second only to the strongest Valkyrie in Schicksal, Durandal.

Afterward, Lin Ling went to the cafeteria for a big meal.

"It's really strange that you have such a good appetite," Rita commented, holding up her chin and carefully watching Lin Ling eat. She always felt that the medical examination equipment at this base wasn’t advanced enough to detect something. "Obviously, since Lord Durandal took you, your face was pale, and your breathing was weak. You looked very bad. You really need to be taken back to the headquarters for a thorough examination."

"I'm fine. I don't need to go to any headquarters. Maybe it was that lovely little sister Ana who gave me the power to defeat the evil Honkai Will," Lin Ling said truthfully.

The only way to fight against the erosion of Honkai energy was to improve the adaptability to it. She had just received a large amount of Honkai energy adaptability from Ana. Now, as long as she didn't forcefully use the two Herrscher powers of thunder and wind, her body could basically remain healthy under normal conditions.

"Is that so? But speaking of Ana..." Rita narrowed her eyes. "Lord Lin Ling, could it be that you've done something to Ana before? For example... considering what you do in daily life, could it be that there's still... a love debt with her?"

"I'm not sure." When it came to this, Lin Ling was also very confused. She scratched her head innocently. "If my memory serves me correctly, this should be the first time I've met her, right?"

Speaking of which, since Ana left in a panic, as though running away, Lin Ling hadn't seen Ana again, even though they'd sailed on the battleship, gone through inspections, and eaten in the cafeteria.

It was as if Ana had been deliberately hiding from her, which made Lin Ling even more dissatisfied.

Damn it, I’m so cute, there are beautiful girls everywhere in the Schicksal Anti-Entropy world who want to marry me. How dare she despise me like this? She doesn't even want to see me? Hmph! I don't believe it.

Finally, the white-haired girl who had always felt 'disliked,' felt an unknown desire to win.

...

...

...

"Captain, is she okay?"

"I don't know. I've been busy cleaning up the Honkai these past few days. Maybe she's resting in her room."

"Are you going to sleep now? Speaking of which, her captain has not only been sleeping these past few days but has also not eaten a bite of food. This will damage her body."

"How about we bring her some food?"

At this moment, two members of the Snow Lotus Squad passed by Lin Ling and were discussing their captain in a low voice.

"Hey, two beautiful ladies, can you marry me? Oh, no." Lin Ling, almost falling into a habit, stopped the two.

"Huh!? Master Lin Ling! Master Rita! Do you have any orders?"

The two Valkyries were shocked when they heard this, then quickly saluted Lin Ling and Rita with a military salute.

"Well." Lin Ling pressed their respectful hands with an affable look. "We are all a family, so don't be so formal. I just want to ask where your captain's room is."

"The captain's room is in Room 001 of the base. Please tell me, Lord Lin Ling, if you want to see the captain, I will inform her right away."

"No, no need. I seem to have gone too far with my pranks earlier, and I feel a little guilty. I want to apologize properly. By the way, you just mentioned that she hasn't eaten for a long time. Since I’m apologizing, I want to carey the rice. Please forgive me?"

"Carrying rice...?" Another Valkyrie was a little puzzled. She didn’t quite understand what "carrying rice" meant. "Wait, carrying the rice? Doesn't it mean putting food on one's body? That means..."

"Ah!" Suddenly, she had realized something, and her face turned red. "Lord Lin Ling, this... isn't this bad? I’ve never heard that the captain likes women's bodies, and Lord Lin Ling, you are the commander, so even if you are apologizing, it would be too..."

"Ahem." When Lin Ling heard this, her face turned red. "You’re just a little girl. Your brain is filled with nonsense. What I meant was that I’ll bring her some food."

"I'm sorry, I misunderstood! Lord Lin Ling! In order to better protect the local residents, I have been learning some Eastern human geography and knowledge recently, and I accidentally misunderstood!..."

The Valkyrie quickly bowed and apologized, though there was a somewhat disappointed look on her lowered face.

...

On the other side, The troubled Ana was lost in her thoughts. She returned to her room as soon as she got off the battleship and locked the door tightly.

She then sat at the computer desk, opened her computer, and, using the authority of the top commander of her base, entered the name into the database...

"Valkyrie files, S-rank Valkyrie—Lin Ling, search..."

Click.

As the Enter key was pressed, a message from that familiar girl appeared before her eyes:

Name: Lin Ling.

Birthday: Unknown.

Age: Unknown.

In 2015, the only survivor rescued by the A-rank Valkyrie of the Far East Branch on a coastline railway in Manila. A mysterious girl who claimed to have lost all her memory...

"In 2015, Manila City, survivors..."

After looking at these three keywords that appears to be engraved into her soul, Ana stared at her hands in fear, as if they were covered with blood. "Sure enough... is it... is it her? Yes, I'm sorry..."

A scene from two years ago appeared in Ana's dazed mind. It was her most painful memory:

In 2015, a major Honkai Eruption occurred in Manila, the largest port in the Southeast Asian island country of the Philippines and the hottest tourist city. Countless residents were killed, and even the Valkyrie Squad "Snow Lotus," stationed there suffered heavy losses, with many members killed in battle, and the remaining personnel torn apart.

Ana who had just become a formal Valkyrie was one of the survivors in the Squad. After the Honkai Eruption, she and her captain, along with all the members of the Snow Lotus Squad, lost contact with each other.

She went to the battlefield for the first time. Out of panic about losing her support and fear of death, she faced countless armies of Honkai beasts and made a choice she would regret for the rest of her life.

She became a fugitive. She retreated desperately, even abandoning the refugees who needed rescue along the way...

But in the end, she suddenly recalled the original intention of becoming a Valkyrie, and she regretted it!

She returned to the ruins like crazy, constantly rescuing refugees at the cost of her own life, and even saved dozens of people single-handedly in that disaster, earning the highest award from the Archbishop of Schicksal.

But it was too late after all; some people can never be found again once they're missed...

"Yes, I'm sorry..."

Ana curled up in her seat, hugging her calves and burying her head in her knees, unable to get up for a long time...

She didn't know how much time had passed...

"Hey, sister Ana~ I'm Doomsday Iron Fist, I'm here to eat~"

Suddenly! Ana heared the whisper from the devil...

----

Chapter 153: I'll Never Run Away Again! I Don't Want to Be a Deserter Again! Let Me Marry You!

"Hmm!?" The chestnut-haired girl looked up suddenly, her pink eyes wide with disbelief. She glanced at the door, which was still locked, yet the white-haired girl had somehow appeared beside her.

"How did you get in? How could you appear here without any warning... Could it be!?"

The more Ana thought about it, the more scared she became. The memory of the terrifying girl who had turned into a hellish ghost to take her life earlier that day resurfaced in her mind.

Panicking, she had a bold idea. "You, you, you are really a ghost!?"

"Ghost? Mmm..."

Lin Ling thought for a moment. Although the game setting in her previous life described Ana as a very orthodox Valkyrie, she was essentially an ordinary girl who was very afraid of zombies and the like.

But she hadn’t expected her to be this scared, which surprised Lin Ling.

However...

Since Ana was so frightened, Lin Ling decided to take the opportunity to tease her more. It was the perfect chance to gather more information, power and prepare for the upcoming war.

"Yes! Yes, I am a ghost!" Lin Ling thought for a moment and decided to play along. "But you are also a ghost, you heartless ghost! You abandoned me! I'm here for revenge!"

Before Lin Ling's voice had even finished—

Swish!

Ana was so scared she stood up from her chair!

She reached out to cover her eyes, too afraid to look directly at Lin Ling. "No, no, don't come near me! I didn’t mean it! I... I... I... didn’t want to abandon you..."

As Ana babbled due to her fear, she kept retreating until the hard metal wall of the base blocked her way.

Dong~

Taking advantage of the situation, Lin Ling stepped forward, placed one hand on the wall beside Ana's head and shoulders, and pressed her gently against the wall, leaving her unable to move.

But Ana still turned her head and raised her arms to shield her eyes, as if she couldn’t bear to look at Lin Ling, who was now so close.

"Please~ look at me carefully." Lin Ling used her other hand to force Ana's arms apart. "Miss Ana, a cute girl like you is born to be eaten by other girls. Escape is futile! Do you think you can still escape from my grasp?"

"Escape?! Escape?!"

The word awakened something in Ana.

After Lin Ling mentioned it, Ana immediately stopped struggling.

Am I really going to abandon my duties and run away like I did last time? Am I still that cowardly, selfish deserter? Am I only going to escape when faced with difficulty? ... No! I won’t run away anymore!! That’s right! She’s here now—this is what I’ve dreamed of, what I’ve always wanted! The person I failed to save, the one I regret losing for the rest of my life, has appeared before me again. Isn’t this my chance to make up for the regret that has haunted me?

Suddenly, Ana who had been in a state of panic understood something.

The fear, anxiety, and urge to escape that had consumed her since meeting Lin Ling vanish in that instant. She silently swore she would never make the same mistake again and would never run away.

At that moment, only two words remained in her mind—compensation.

She thought:

Perhaps, only by compensating the one she had hurt could she earn the other’s forgiveness. Or perhaps, only then could she truly forgive herself and find peace in her exhausted heart.

"Hehe~ The more you resist, the more I’ll pretend~" Lin Ling continued teasing. "Be obedient, Miss Ana, and be my wife~"

"Yes!"

Ana finally opened her eyes and stared directly into Lin Ling’s pupils with great seriousness. The firm belief in her heart and the burning heat in her gaze even made Lin Ling who had been teasing her feel a bit embarrassed to look back at her.

Ana nodded solemnly at Lin Ling. "I promise you!"

"Yes... yes!?"

Lin Ling was stunned

This time it was her turn to widen her eyes. "You, what did you say?"

While Lin Ling was still in shock, Ana suddenly exerted force with both hands and embraced Lin Ling.

"I'm sorry..." Warm crystal liquid overflowed from Ana's eyes and soaked Lin Ling’s shoulders. "I know it’s too late to say anything now! No matter what I do, I don’t deserve your forgiveness! But I don’t want to escape anymore! I’m willing to do anything for you!"

Lin Ling raised an eyebrow. "Anything?"

"Yes!" Ana nodded again to confirm. "Speaking of which, are you going to... marry me in the underworld? I’ve heard of Eastern legends that underworld marriages are for finding spouses for the dead. Some boys and girls die before getting married. If they’re not married, their souls cannot rest in peace and cannot reincarnate. Their ghosts will cause trouble... So, if my second half of life can bring you peace, I’m willing to marry you without complaint. By the way, when will it start? Do you need an 'auspicious day,' or should we start right away?"

"Rest in peace? Underworld marriage? Wait, wait, wait!"

Lin Ling began to feel something was wrong the more she listened.

Did Ana really want to marry her? The misunderstanding appears to have gone way too far. How could this be allowed?

"Ahaha~" The white-haired girl laughed nervously, releasing her hold on Ana and scratching the back of her head awkwardly. "Sorry, Miss Ana, I was just joking. I’m still alive, though? Oh, seeing that you were particularly afraid of ghosts and zombies, I couldn’t help but scare you. You won’t blame me, right?"

"Still alive...?!" Ana's eyes widened with suspicion. She glanced at the intact door once more.

"You may not know, but I have the ability to open a portal and move instantly. I’m not a ghost or anything that lacks substance and can pass through walls." Lin Ling saw Ana’s doubt and quickly explained. "If you don’t believe me, touch my heart. It’s still beating... Wait! Where are you touching? A little lower!"

"Huh~" After testing it herself, Ana breathed a sigh of relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from her heart.

She reached out and gently stroked Lin Ling’s cheek, feeling the delicate warmth from her fingertips. She smiled, tears in her eyes. "Great... Great, you’re still alive. You’re still alive... still alive..."

"Ah..."

Lin Ling felt something was off. This Ana was different from the one she had known in her previous life. Whether she thought Lin Ling was dead or knew she was alive, her reaction was too exciting.

"Emmmm..." Lin Ling frowned. She felt an odd sensation she couldn’t quite place.

"Great! Isn’t that even better!" At that moment, Ana seemed a little too excited. "Then we can have a real wedding! Whether it’s Eastern or Western style, as long as you like it, I’ll do it!"

"Uh..." Lin Ling helplessly held her forehead. "Actually, marrying me was just a joke."

"..."

Ana’s smile froze on her face, and her expression shifted to panic again. "Then, then, then do you need me to do anything?"

"No." Lin Ling shook her head.

"Really?" Ana took a step forward, almost pressing her face to Lin Ling’s.

This time, it was Lin Ling’s turn to look away, unable to face Ana who was now too close to her. "Really, really, it’s not necessary."

"If it is... co... Miss Lin Ling, if you want, I am willing to do anything for you! No!" Ana became excited again. "Please let me do something for you!"

"No, no, really, no. I don’t need your help for the time being. Oh, by the way." Lin Ling finally asked the question that had been on her mind. "Why do you want to do things for me? And from your tone, do you know me? I don’t think we’ve met before?"

"I..." Ana glanced at the screen that had automatically turned off, thinking of Lin Ling’s amnesia, and in the end, she couldn’t bring herself to say it out loud.

Damn it! Why! Why can't I say it? Am I not escaping again?

No, no, no, I can't disturb Lin Ling's peaceful life now. Although she has lost her memory, she has also forgotten all the pain she once had...

By the way!

In the midst of the struggle, Ana's confused mind suddenly recalled her Squadmates' comments on Lin Ling – a super lecherous demon, a yuri beast who couldn't walk when seeing a beautiful woman, a super womanizer who tried to bring all the Schicksal Valkyries into her fold, a ruthless tofu-grinding machine...

She appears to like beautiful girls very much?

Thinking of this, Ana hugged Lin Ling's arm again as if she had grabbed the last straw: "Miss Lin Ling, how about... let me marry you! Let me be... well, the kind of concubine in your Eastern history is fine! I don't need a name, I just want you to be satisfied and happy!"

"Huh?! Why did you turn back?"

Lin Ling looked at Ana's pupils which appeared to be a little too dilated, with a hint of enthusiasm in her sincerity and a hint of pleading in her enthusiasm...

"Stop."

She couldn't help but swallow her saliva in fear.

...

At the same time, in the World Serpent Base.

In the data-dappled space, Mei sat quietly, meditating with her eyes closed.

This was the state she was most familiar with when studying kendo, and the state in which she could concentrate the most. During her time in World Serpent, this closed training room was the place where she spent the most time.

Here, she could forget everything, focus on the present, and focus on improving her strength...

"Training module activated, environmental calculation started, virtual machine deployed."

Suddenly, a cold synthetic sound echoed in her ears, and several mecha weapons materialized from the air and smashed to the ground.

Mechanical sound: Calculation completed, battlefield being generated—

Mei opened her eyes slowly and grabbed the weapon placed aside.

Then, she instantly pulled out the sharp blade with a roar—

The jumping electric current raged in the space, the mecha was shattered by the lightning, and it turned into scattered light points that dissipated in the air...

Mei quietly put away the knife, and the electric current gradually subsided. The digitized images faded layer by layer, revealing a dim corridor.

"Pah pah pah..."

"Heh, you are really working hard, Herrscher of Thunder."

In the depths of the corridor, someone was walking slowly.

It was a woman wearing a dog-head mask.

"The Honkai energy in your body has stabilized. Just as I thought, you can control that power."

"I said, don't disturb me."

After seeing who was coming, Mei said coldly, not giving her a good look.

"Don't be so cold. Now we are companions; we should get along well. Hehe, I really want to know more about you..."

Jackal chuckled, and there was a hint of getting close in her words. No one knows if she really wants to get along with Mei or if she wants to get close to this Herrscher which is rare research material in a thousand years.

"Jackal, don't waste your time."

Another voice sounded in the darkness, interrupting Jackal.

Raven appeared out of nowhere and stood between the two of them. "Let's talk business."

"Ah~ How boring." Jackal shrugged helplessly. "Raiden Mei, it's time to contribute your strength to the World Serpent. According to the observation of the imaginary singularity, the next large-scale Honkai will come soon, bringing the cornerstone for the World Serpent to achieve its goals: the strongest creature bred by the Honkai – yes, Raiden Mei, a 'Herrscher' like you."

"..."

Mei appeared unmoved by Jackal's insinuation.

"In short, an important part of Project Stigma requires obtaining all the Herrschers. Now, the Lord has important things to do and cannot come to command in person. This is an opportunity for our loyalty to become the Lord's solid backing and ensure the implementation of Project Stigma. Raiden Mei, your strength will be an indispensable weapon for the World Serpent. Therefore, we need to work together to deal with the upcoming Honkai." As she spoke, Jackal became excited again.

"I will fulfill my promise, but we are just mutually beneficial. Don't treat me as a companion." Then, Mei poured cold water on her.

"I am a mercenary and never treat others as companions. So is it enough to just destroy the Herrscher?" Raven also said in accordance with Mei's meaning.

"No, a dead Herrscher is meaningless." But Jackal didn't care much. She continued to explain, "What the World Serpent needs is a Herrscher that is 'stagnant.'"

"Stagnat?" Mei was puzzled.

"I have prepared a small gift for you... Please call it – 'Scepter of Duat.'"

Jackal took out a box that was more than ten centimeters long. The black and gold surface reminded people of the mask of Pharaoh Tutankhamun.

Mei didn't know what was in it, but this device, like its maker, made her feel uncomfortable.

Raven looked at the strange item with some curiosity. "Oh, is this the imaginary interferometer mentioned in the plan?"

"Interferometer? Don't call it by such a cheap name. It is a great anomaly left by the previous civilization, a scientific miracle that cannot be reproduced by Schicksal, and you can't imagine its value at all. To be honest, I really want to let you experience its power in person now. But unfortunately, it is so precious. With the materials collected by the World Serpent, only eight can be made at this stage. These eight Scepter of Duats must be used with caution."

Raven was too lazy to listen to Jackal's long explanation and asked directly, "So, what is it used for?"

"Haha, you will know." The woman sneered from behind the mask. "Okay, I'm not a combatant. I'll give you the items, and my job is done. The rest is up to you."

Jackal waved her hand and left.

"Miss Raven." After Jackal left, Mei turned her attention to Raven again. Compared with the previous research-obsessed madman, she even felt that Raven had become more pleasing to the eye.

Or rather, after talking with those children and seeing Nagazora City saved, cooperating with, and letting her go, she did change her mind about this mercenary who only cared about taking money and doing things.

"Don't be so polite. Just call me Raven, and I'll call you Mei directly. Tell me, what do you want to ask me? Forget it, you don't have to answer. It must be about those two girls, right? Kiana was safely brought to Anti-Entropy, and because you separated the power of Herrscher of Thunder in her body, she is no longer in danger of life."

"That's good." Mei secretly breathed a sigh of relief; her efforts were not in vain.

"As for Lin Ling..." Raven frowned slightly. "Durandal stopped the Hyperion, which wanted to take her away, and then she was taken to an unknown place by Miss maid. There is no news about her for the time being."

"Her whereabouts... Unknown..."

Hearing this, Mei's heart, which had just relaxed, tensed up again.

Lin Ling, are you okay? You must not get involved in any dangerous incidents again...

----

Chapter 154: But! I Refuse!

The next day~

"Hmm? What is this...?"

When Rita saw Ana and Lin Ling who had disappeared for the whole night, she was surprised by the scene before her eyes—

In just one night, Lin Ling and Ana's positions suddenly reversed.

Ana who had been hiding from Lin Ling and appeared to be very afraid of her was now clinging to Lin Ling's arm like an octopus.

Meanwhile, the little one who had said she wanted to marry Ana the night before was now acting like a modest gentleman.

Although she was treated intimately by the lovely girl, she maintained a "gentleman's friendship is as light as water" and "starting from emotion, stopping at courtesy" approach. She only made contact to a certain extent and never took the initiative to cross the line.

It was better to say that she kept persuading the other party to calm down.

For example, telling her to let go first.

"Miss Ana, this is the equatorial region. It's so hot—can you let me go first?"

Unfortunately, it didn't work.

After hearing Lin Ling hint that she should stay away from her again, Ana who was holding Lin Ling's arm, raised her head and looked at Lin Ling with her big pink eyes. "Lord Lin Ling, why are you chasing me away? Do you... hate Ana? If you hate me, I will disappear from your world immediately!"

It seemed that as long as Lin Ling refused, her tears would burst out in the next second.

"Ah... don't use those eyes," Lin Ling turned her head away, afraid to look at Ana again. At the same time, she finally gave up resistance and spoke with a tone that seemed a bit harsh, "Okay, hug me if you want."

"Yeah!"

Finally receiving the approval she desired, Ana hugged Lin Ling's arm more tightly and kept rubbing one side of her cheek. She was clearly right in front of her, but she was very afraid that she would suddenly disappear.

At the same time, this made Lin Ling's expression even more twisted.

"Hiss~"

If I hadn't stolen some physical strength from the immortal, I might have been strangled by her sudden force and fractured. So...

"Miss Ana, are you hungry? Do you want to let me go first and let's go eat something? You suddenly fell asleep yesterday, and you didn't have time to eat the food I brought you. You must be very hungry now, right?"

Lin Ling had to change the subject again and suggested they go eat. After all, you can't hold onto someone tightly while eating.

Yesterday.

Perhaps Ana's biggest regret in her life finally had a chance to be made up for. Perhaps the continuous long-term and high-intensity combat of the past few days had already drained her mental and physical strength. After saying "Let me marry you!" for the last time, she suddenly fainted.

Fortunately, before she fainted, she was holding onto Lin Ling tightly, so she was still hanging onto her body...

"Alas~ How could this be?" Lin Ling sighed, picked up Ana, and put her on the bed.

Then, she removed the Valkyrie Battlesuit, combat boots, etc.—which left her partially unclothed, but with some slightly heavy armor in places.

Finally, she helped her cover with the quilt.

After doing all this, she planned to escape. Oh no, she meant to turn around.

After all, Ana's situation was a little wrong. Lin Ling seriously suspected that she wasn't clear-headed because she had been fighting for too long, so she planned to wait until she had a good sleep and calmed down.

"No! Don't go!"

But just when she wanted to turn around, Ana appeared to have sensed it in advance and suddenly hugged her arm tightly, preventing her from leaving.

Of course, with Lin Ling's strength, she could easily break free from the clutches of the sleeping girl, but...

"Please, don't leave me... Please, please..."

When she heard the girl's soft, pleading cry and dream talk, and looked at the girl's face—usually youthful and lively but now filled with haggardness and sadness—

Lin Ling's heart softened, and she didn't have the heart to forcefully break free from the other's arms.

Instead, she just sat by the bed, quietly guarding this pitiful girl, and eventually, she fell asleep unconsciously, slowly leaning limp beside the chestnut-haired girl...

Time returns to the present:

Gu~

Perhaps Lin Ling's words aroused Ana's hunger, and after hearing the word "eat," her long-empty stomach made a gurgling sound.

"Hmm."

After making a somewhat embarrassing noise, Ana blushed and shyly buried herself in Lin Ling's arms, whispering, "Well, I'll listen to you."

"But what should we eat? The cafeteria? Well... forget it, let me treat you to a good meal."

Lin Ling's taste had long been spoiled by Mei. Although the cafeteria's large-pot meals weren't bad and were nutritionally balanced, the food there was very Western, which wasn't exactly to Lin Ling's liking. In fact, she had seen the "Die Unclosed Eyes" faction in the cafeteria yesterday.

"Hmm? Then shall we go out to eat? Oh no!" Ana suddenly remembered something. "How can I let Lord Lin Ling treat me? It should be me treating you, right? Lord Lin Ling, what do you like to eat? There are many types of food in this city. Anyway, as long as Lord Lin Ling likes it, it's fine! Don't worry about me at all."

"Emmm." Lin Ling scratched her head innocently, "Don't worry about me, I like everything. I want to eat what you like, Ana."

"Then... what Lord Lin Ling likes is what I like!"

This scene which looked like a couple in love made Rita who had been silent, narrow her eyes.

There must be something wrong when things are abnormal. The changes between the two were so dramatic that it was hard not to suspect that something extraordinary happened the night Lin Ling and Ana were alone.

"Could it be that this little one loves Ana?" Rita had a bold guess but immediately dismissed it. "No, no... She shouldn't have the courage. And Ana's behavior yesterday was very strange. Hmm, could the two really have had any prior connection? Oh, the little one has lost a lot of memories. It seems that when I return to headquarters, I need to check the database for the detailed information on the two and see if they really have any connection."

"Rita, what do you like? You decide."

At this time, the indecisive Lin Ling had to throw the question to Rita, planning to bring her along.

"Oh?" Rita pretended to be surprised and covered her mouth lightly. "Actually, there is still room for Rita? Lord Lin Ling wants to accompany Ana to the candlelight dinner for two but brought me along? Rita is really terrified."

"Huh... Sister Tazi, what's wrong with you?" Hearing Rita's obviously sour words, Lin Ling touched her forehead in confusion. "Are you sick?"

"Lord Lin Ling, please rest assured, Rita is fine now." Rita gently pushed away Lin Ling's hand from her forehead and then said to Ana, "Ana, Lord Lin Ling, it seems you like Nyotaimori very much."

"Nyotaimori?" Ana was a little confused.

"What is that?"

"Ana, the so-called Nyotaimori is actually..." Rita explained to Ana.

"Is... is that so?"

Under Rita's explanation, Ana's face grew rosier. In the end, she gritted her teeth and said with shining eyes, "If that is what Lord Lin Ling wants! I can! But... do you want to eat me, or be eaten by me?"

"Ah, this... we are in Southeast Asia, not Japan. Why are you so obsessed with Nyotaisu?" Lin Ling helplessly held her forehead, then shook her head, discarding the strange image that suddenly appeared in her mind. "Just eat something normal. Let's go, Rita too."

"Swoosh! Boom!"

At that moment, like a meteor, a golden light suddenly fell from the sky in front of everyone, smashing a big hole in the ground and raising a lot of dust.

"Rita, Ling! Are you okay?"

Before the smoke and dust dissipated, a voice came from the smoky pit. It was the voice of Durandal.

After a fierce battle, she had single-handedly stopped all the pursuers of Anti-Entropy, mainly the Hyperion. Following Rita’s encrypted message, she deliberately tricked the pursuers to another location, then suddenly accelerated, got rid of them, and arrived at Lin Ling’s location.

"We are fine." Rita responded, then stepped forward. "Lord Durandal, are you okay?"

"I am fine too. This degree is nothing." Durandal nodded, then looked at the two people who was together like conjoined twins in great surprise.

"What are they doing?" Durandal pointed at Lin Ling and Ana, asking Rita. "What’s going on? When did Ana get so close to Lin Ling? Did they know each other before?"

In Durandal’s impression, Ana should be a relatively gentle and virtuous girl. It was the first time she had seen her so physically attached to someone.

"Well, I don’t know." Rita shook her head. "But I guess it’s the fault of some womanizer."

"Womanizer?"

Durandal was a little confused. She didn't know who the "womanizer" Rita was referring to was.

"Oh, Wife Dudu, you’re back. Have you eaten? Come with us."

At this moment, Lin Ling invited her to dinner.

Durandal walked straight to Lin Ling, touching her here and rubbing there, carefully checking Lin Ling's physical condition. After confirming that she was fine, she breathed a sigh of relief.

Then she addressed the chestnut-haired girl beside her. "Ana, long time no see."

"Lord Durandal, long time no see." Ana bowed slightly to Durandal, though her hand was still holding Lin Ling's arm.

"Yeah." Durandal's eyes focused on the place where the two were holding each other, frowning slightly, but didn’t make much of it. "Let’s go... I’m a little hungry too."

Beep...

At that moment, there was a vibration on Lin Ling’s wrist.

Lin Ling turned on the communicator on her wrist, and a projection of a blond man appeared.

"Oh, you're all here, just in time~ Three of my most powerful S-rank Valkyries, the fate of the world is now at stake... Beep!"

However, before Otto could finish his words, Lin Ling had already pressed the power off button.

"Lord Lin Ling..." Rita said worriedly. "The Overseer must have something important to tell you. Isn't this a bad idea?"

"Hmph, I don’t care. I get annoyed when I see him!"

Being fooled by Otto not long ago, Lin Ling now got annoyed when she saw that smiling face she thought was 'like a spring breeze.' She wished she could hear the sound of Otto’s soulium face creaking under her fists in advance.

"Ahem." Fortunately, at this time, Otto's figure reappeared from the projector in front of Durandal. "Three ladies, through the observation of imaginary nodes and the sudden decrease of global Honkai Eruptions to zero, I suspect that this is the calm before the storm. The fifth Herrscher is about to appear. Therefore, in order to maintain world peace and tranquility, all S-rank Valkyries, please return to the headquarters immediately and prepare for orders. Once a new Herrscher is found, attack simultaneously and destroy it with the full power of the strike. And Ana, please continue to protect the people of Coral Island."

"Yes, Bishop." x3

All the Valkyries present immediately agreed.

"But, I refuse!" Except for Lin Ling, who arrogantly said to Otto, "I want to stay here! I want to stay with Miss Ana forever! What does world peace have to do with me!?"

"Well... Well, let Miss Lin Ling stay on Coral Island for a vacation and rest for a while." To everyone’s surprise, Lord Otto actually agreed, and even said to the local highest official, Ana, "Ana, remember to take good care of Miss Lin Ling."

"Yes, Bishop! I will serve Lord Lin Ling at all costs!"

"Well." Otto nodded slightly, then hung up the call.

Of course, the reason why Otto agreed to this was based on his calculations. Durandal alone was enough to deal with a new Herrscher, and it wouldn’t make much difference whether Lin Ling went or not. In fact, it might be better if she didn’t.

Otherwise, if the next Herrscher turned out to be another lovely girl, Lin Ling might not be able to handle it and could even hinder the actions of others. Moreover, if Lin Ling had any accidents, his final plan might also be affected.

"Sorry." Durandal then said to Lin Ling and Ana, "We have to leave again after just meeting. Let’s have dinner together again when we have time."

"It’s okay, my Wife Dudu." The servant Lin Ling patted Durandal’s shoulder very ‘magnanimously’ and smiled, "Let’s not talk about dinner. We can sleep together when we have time in the future."

"Sleep?" Durandal tilted her head. "Three people... won’t it be a bit crowded?"

"Let’s go, Lord Durandal. That little guy may be eager for us to leave." At this moment, Rita couldn’t bear it anymore. She pulled Durandal up and was about to leave. "This way, she and Ana can continue their world of two people, so let’s not disturb them..."

"Is that so?"

Then the two of them got on the small fighter plane that Rita and Lin Ling came with and returned to the Schicksal headquarters.

After the two left...

"Ling!" Ana suddenly pounced and even threw Lin Ling to the ground. "You actually disobeyed the order of the Overseer for me! As expected, you actually like me!"

Although Lin Ling had previously said she wanted to marry her, she later claimed it was a joke and seemed to have an unknown resistance to her.

Ana had been uncertain about what Lin Ling truly felt for her—was it love at first sight? Or just saying it for fun?

However, after Ana saw Lin Ling refuse the order of the highest leader of Schicksal just to stay with her for a while—something she, as an ordinary A-rank Valkyrie, could never have imagined—she no longer doubted...

----

Chapter 155: Herrscherization?

Since the Honkai Eruption in 2016, the scale and frequency of Honkai Eruptions have gradually increased worldwide, reaching their peak with the last incident of the Herrscher of Thunder's return in Nagazora City.

During this period, the Valkyries of Schicksal became increasingly busy, and in many cases, they could only eat while on the move due to urgent military situations.

But strangely, after the Herrscher of Thunder announced their return, the Honkai Outbreaks across the world suddenly stopped at the same time. Those who were unaware of the truth might cheer, but to those with discerning eyes, it was the calm before the storm—like the sudden ebb of a tide that foreshadows the coming of a tsunami...

But~

"As the saying goes, you should enjoy yourself to the fullest when you are happy and not let the golden cup face the moon in vain. Now that the Honkai Outbreak has completely disappeared, we should hurry up and have fun! And look, your subordinates are watching."

A white-haired girl who was being ridden by a chestnut-haired girl in public said to the person on her, who appeared a little too excited.

"Hmm..." After hearing Lin Ling's words, Ana hurriedly looked around.

Sure enough, the Squad members were gossiping.

"Wow, the captain is so proactive? This isn't right... Is this still the captain I know?"

"I have to say, this lady Lin Ling is really just like the rumors— a female vixen! Once you get tangled up with her, you can't get away. Even the captain was defeated in one night. I guess I have to stay away from her in the future."

"Really~ Hehe." Some people said they liked this, "Hehe, Lin Ling, my Lin Ling, she is so cute. I envy the captain so much."

"I’m absolutely sure that the captain and Miss Lin Ling are still cute. It feels so pleasing to the eyes and so happy to see them hugging each other~"

Some even started to ship the couple...

"That's true."

Seeing this, Ana quickly stood up from Lin Ling's body and then pretended to be serious. She addressed the surrounding Squad members.

"Why are you all standing here? Although there is no need for a mission since there are no Honkai Eruptions, we can't neglect daily training. According to reliable intelligence, a large-scale Honkai may occur soon, so we must be prepared for battle at any time. I have been ordered by the Archbishop to entertain Miss Lin Ling. She wants to go to the city for dinner, and I want to protect her personally. You may leave now."

The members of the Snow Lotus Squad saluted quickly.

"Yes! Captain!"

Under the captain's authority, the members of the Snow Lotus Squad reluctantly dispersed.

Although they could no longer watch, it didn't stop them from gossiping about the captain, who became different than usual, and the scandal involving the new S-rank Valkyrie of Schicksal~

"Captain and Miss Lin Ling are developing so fast. Are they going out on a date? They won’t be coming back tonight, will they?"

"Not coming back? Where will they sleep if they don’t come back?"

"You’re so dumb. Don’t you know about hotels? And they must be the type where only one room is booked for two people. Then, hehe~ I wonder who will be on top."

"It should be Lady Lin Ling. After all, she is an S-rank Valkyrie. She is very powerful, and she looks very strong. She dared to tease the captain when they first met..."

...

Lin Ling stood up, took out her phone, and looked at the map casually. She was quite curious and said,

"Oh, your island actually has several layers inside. It feels more cyberpunk than Arc City."

"Well, after all, it's a purely artificial island with various high-tech applications. But I must apologize, Lord Lin Ling. Although I've been here for two years, I have never seriously explored it. I don't really know... Wait! Lord Lin Ling, are you going to leave the city like this?"

Suddenly, Ana was concerned. "The people from Anti-Entropy are putting a bounty on you everywhere. Shouldn't you be hiding your identity now?"

"That's right. If my wives over there come over, things could get troublesome."

Lin Ling dragged her chin and thought for a moment.

"Wife?... The wives?"

Little did she know, her words made Ana's eyes shift slightly.

But... compared to hearing about Lin Ling's other wives, what surprised Ana and causing her to lose her composure was still yet to come.

Lin Ling reached out her hand and touched her head. Her long snow-white hair turned black, a common color in the East, though it was slightly gray.

"Well, not bad~ I’m naturally beautiful, smart, exquisite, and pure. I can easily control any hair color." After dyeing her hair, Lin Ling took out her phone to take a selfie and boast.

"Hmm?"

But at that moment, she noticed Ana staring at her motionlessly, so she asked curiously,

"Ana, what’s wrong with you?"

"..."

But it wasn’t entirely accurate to say Ana was simply looking, as she only snapped back to her senses after Lin Ling waved her hand in front of her for a while.

"Hmm? Ah! Lord Lin Ling, what’s going on? Do you need my advice?"

"I don't have anything to do, but why were you in a daze? Hehe, could it be?" Lin Ling leaned close to Ana's ear, exhaling sweetly. "Were you looking at me in a daze? Miss Ana, do you like me that much?"

"Yes."

Ana admitted without hesitation.

"Huh?" This surprised Lin Ling a little.

She still couldn’t understand why Ana gave herself up so suddenly. After all, she would have to lose at least an arm or a leg before...

"Emmmm, forget it, let’s not talk about this for now." Lin Ling scratched the back of her head, too lazy to dwell on it. She had been worried about how to win over Ana, but now that it had come so easily, there was no need to worry. "Don’t call me Lord Lin Ling. It sounds better if you just call me 'Ling,' like everyone else."

"Yeah." Ana nodded, "Ling l l... no, no, sorry Lord Lin Ling, I..."

But she opened her cherry lips slightly several times and still couldn’t call Lin Ling by name alone.

"No hurry, no hurry." Lin Ling rubbed Ana’s head. "Take your time..."

But at the same time, Lin Ling felt something strange.

Ana agreed to marry her, but still couldn’t call her by name?

This made Lin Ling feel increasingly uneasy, a faint sense of foreboding gnawing at her...

...

Then, the two arrived at Coral Island City, this high-tech artificial island city. They made their way to the food street. At this moment, Lin Ling suddenly saw the sign of "Longan Hot Pot City" and stopped.

"Hmm~ Hot pot, I really miss it. I haven’t eaten it for a long time. I’m already drooling just thinking about it."

"Lord Lin Ling, isn't this a bit..." Ana said worriedly, "Not good, the nutritionist in the army said this kind of food isn't very healthy."

"Hey." Lin Ling immediately became unhappy. "It's rare for me to go out and have fun. Don’t worry about it! And I don’t just want hot pot! I want spicy hot pot! I can’t compromise on the double-flavored pot! And it’s just for once. By the way, you’ve never had hot pot before, right?"

"Well..." Ana nodded. "I’ve only seen it on TV. When I was a child, the elders at home, and the superiors who raised me, never allowed me to eat that kind of food."

"Poor kid, it's really a sin~ in this case!"

However, Lin Ling instead felt an indescribable excitement in leading a good girl astray, so she took Ana's hand and brought her into the hot pot city. "Then I have to eat it even more."

"Wait! Lord Lin Ling..."

…

"How does it feel?"

After having a spicy hot pot for breakfast, Lin Ling asked Ana who had flushed slightly sweaty, and had a few strands of chestnut hair stuck to her cheeks.

"Hmm..." Ana stuck out her tongue and fanned it with her palm a few times. "It's so spicy But it tastes really good! Very, very exciting! There is sense of pleasure after eating it?"

"Yes, that's the feeling! How about it? Isn't it much better than those nutritious meals that seem to be tasteless?"

"Hmm..." Ana stroked her chest gently. It was her first time eating 'junk food', which made her feel a little guilty, so she said apologetically, "Then, Lord Lin Ling, after dinner, should we go back?"

"Huh? How can this be? Otto gave you a holiday specifically for you to play with me. It's rare for you to take a break, how can you not have a good time?"

"Hmm..."

Afterwards, Lin Ling ignored Ana's protests and took her to play in the city.

Amusement parks, game halls, cinemas, video game arcades, KTVs, Internet cafes, etc.—all the entertainment facilities that Lin Ling saw here—she took Ana to experience, and of course, her mouth was not idle.

Whatever milk tea, cola, and various snacks she saw, she bought without hesitation.

She didn’t feel bad about it. Anyway, Otto would reimburse her.

At first, Ana just wanted to have fun with Lin Ling, but later, she couldn’t resist these things. Under the dual discipline of the Schariac family and Schicksal, she, who had never had any entertainment activities, slowly became interested!

And Lin Ling was reminded of the memories of her previous life. She put aside all the calculations and plans in her heart and played happily with Ana, like two carefree girls.

"How is it? Is it fun?"

After getting off the 100-meter roller coaster, Lin Ling asked Ana beside her.

"Yeah~ I like it so much! Let’s do it again!"

Looking at Ana who was like a child on her first spring outing, Lin Ling couldn’t help but smile sincerely. Then she pointed to another facility on the side. "You've played it five times; aren’t you tired of it yet? Next, let's go play that one!"

Ana followed Lin Ling's gaze and saw a door formed by a huge skull.

"Woo-woo-woo!" Ana shook her head like a rattle. "Don't do it, Lin Ling. Really, you know that I’m most afraid of these! Bad guys! You just want to scare me."

While speaking, she even hit Lin Ling lightly with her little fist.

It seemed that after this...

"Hehe." However, Lin Ling smiled. "Scary? The scarier the haunted house, the more fun it is. Let’s go, let’s go! If you’re scared, just close your eyes and hold me tight!"

"Um..."

Under Lin Ling's 'compulsion', Ana half-pushed and half-followed Lin Ling into the haunted house.

Happy times are always short~

It seemed as if everything had just begun, and it was nightfall again.

The two that were tired from playing took off their shoes and walked barefoot on the soft sand by the sea.

"Hey~ I haven't had so much fun in a long time." Walking in front, Lin Ling suddenly sighed.

"Long...?" Ana behind her looked at the back of the gray-haired girl in front, stretched out her hand, and then retracted it as if worried about something.

She couldn't be sure whether today's happiness would be just a dream and whether she was worthy of staying by her side... Then, as if by some strange coincidence, she asked a question that seemed to spoil the mood: "Miss Lin Ling... I heard that you... lost your memory?"

"Yeah." Lin Ling didn’t mind. She nodded. "I was fished out of the sea by Teacher Himeko two years ago, and I have no memory of what happened before."

"..." Ana was silent for a while, biting her lips lightly. "Then... after you regain your memory, will you still treat me like this?"

"Recover your memory?..." Lin Ling looked up at the sky, and the shining stars reflected confusion in her clear eyes.

In fact, this question had always puzzled her. Whenever it was late at night and she was alone, she couldn’t help but wonder whether her soul had traveled to this world and attached to a person who was already dead. Or if she was originally a person in this world, but just lost her original memory and gained some memories she shouldn’t have.

But she may never know the answer to this question.

So, she didn’t answer directly but instead asked Ana another seemingly irrelevant question: "Ana, have you heard of wolf children?"

"Wolf children? No." Ana shook her head.

Born in the Schariac family, she had been fighting for humans, Schicksal, and the bishop since childhood. The knowledge she received was mostly combat skills, and she had almost no chance to learn about strange things.

"Well, the so-called wolf children," Lin Ling explained slowly, "refers to human children who were captured by wolves and raised by wolves by chance. They can walk on all fours, sleep during the day, and come out to move at night. They are afraid of fire, light, and water; they only know to find food when hungry and sleep when full; they do not eat vegetarian food but meat, do not use hands to pick it up, put it on the ground, and tear it with their teeth; they cannot speak, and they howl like a wolf after midnight..."

"Is... that so? It sounds... a little scary. And... a little pitiful. So... have they been rescued?"

"Rescued? Does it mean returning to human society? Alas~ maybe..." Lin Ling shook her head and sighed. "For them, returning to human society is a tragedy. After a little wolf boy was brought back to human society, after 7 years of education, he only mastered 4 or 5 words, reluctantly learned a few sentences, and began to move towards human living habits. However, he died at the age of 16, and his intelligence was only equivalent to that of a 3- or 4-year-old child. This is not just an isolated case. Most wolf children died within a short time after returning to human society."

"... It's really pitiful, but." Ana was a little confused. "Well... Why do we suddenly want to talk about this?"

"I want to say that a person’s experience, that is, memory, will greatly affect a person’s personality, or even the 'soul'. A pair of identical twins will become two completely different people if they are placed in human society and a wolf pack respectively... So, maybe for a person, losing memory... is the same as death... I am now completely different from the person I was before I lost my memory."

"Hmm!"

Instantly, Ana was shocked and froze in place.

"Losing memory... is the same as death... Then I am not, I..."

She looked at her hands and trembled. Her hands, which had obviously become clean, seemed to be stained with blood again.

Instantly, a trace of cold air came from behind Lin Ling.

"Hmm? This is..."

At the same time, Lin Ling found that the sea water under her feet suddenly began to retreat on a large scale... Suddenly!

She thought of the encyclopedia she had seen in her previous life. The sudden drop in the sea rank was likely a tsunami.

However, to her surprise, the sea in front of her suddenly exploded with a huge wave of dozens of meters.

But the source of this huge wave was not a tsunami.

It was a huge Honkai beast that emerged from the sea.

And there was more than one. Immediately afterward, a large number of Honkai beasts emerged from the sea, as if all the Honkai beasts that had disappeared in the past had come here.

They rushed toward the two of them like a tide, as if the stars were embracing the moon...

————————————

Chapter 156: How to Warm the Heart of the Ice Herrscher

"Save, save me..."

In the ruins, a black-gray-haired girl was crushed under heavy metal debris. She stretched out her hand to a chestnut-haired girl, hoping to get her help.

"Hold on! I'll save you!"

The chestnut-haired girl didn't hesitate at all. She rushed up at the fastest speed, trying to grab the girl's hand and save this innocent girl...

But just as the two girls were about to hold hands, the world spun, and a strange light suddenly hit.

The next moment, when the chestnut-haired girl opened her eyes again, the ruins and the girl disappeared, leaving only a deep darkness.

This was——

The dream was over...

Since that day in Manila two years ago, countless nights, after countless difficult sleeps, Ana always saw a helpless girl reaching out to her for help. But every time she wanted to hold that hand, reverse history, and change the decision that made her regret her whole life...

The next moment, she would suddenly wake up from her dream.

She was left with only a cold sweat and deep guilt, unable to sleep all night in bed...

...

But yesterday, everything have taken a turn for the better.

No one knows if it was a coincidence or fate.

Ana actually met the girl who she thought had died because she didn't save her.

Two years later, the girl had grown up a lot. Her height had caught up with hers, and her face and figure had become more beautiful.

What surprised Ana even more was that the girl didn't come for revenge. She didn't have any complaints about herself, and even... brought her... redemption?

She appears to have forgotten everything...

Even though she had done such an excessive thing, and her sins were unforgivable no matter what, the girl made Ana feel real "happiness" for the first time.

As a person born into the Schariac family, whose mission was to fight against the Honkai and be loyal to Archbishop Otto, Ana Schariac had, since she could remember, been forced to take courses that were prescribed to the second every day and eat the diet arranged by a special nutritionist down to the gram. Her every move was under the absolute control of the family and Schicksal.

Even her thoughts and wishes were not her own, but the great and ambitious "saving the world" that was constantly imposed on her at a young age.

Her life seemed to have never belonged to her, but just a puppet, a human-shaped tool.

But today, for the first time in her life, she experienced the "happiness without any purpose, just for the sake of happiness" that she had only seen in books. This happiness swept away the gloom that had been lingering in her heart for two years since that incident.

The two joys overlapped with each other, and this double joy brought more and more joy.

She should have had a dreamlike, happy time, but why, why, did it become like this?

"Sure enough, in this world... where is the regret medicine? After committing a sin, no matter how much you do, it can no longer be made up. History, the past, everything that has happened, after all, cannot be changed... My choice, in the end, still made a soul completely disappear..."

At this moment, the haze in Ana's heart returned again, bringing a deeper sense of guilt and a more painful sense of despair...

At this time, in the dark, it seemed that something was staring at Ana, as if something unimaginable to human thought had chosen this poor girl. Then, no one knows whether she was deceived, guided, or for some other reason, 'it' signed a 'contract' with the desperate her...

...

"Hey, Ana-chan! Let's get out of here!"

On the other side, after seeing a large number of Honkai beasts appear, Lin Ling hurriedly tried to call Ana behind her to leave.

It's not that these Honkai beasts were so difficult to deal with. With her current strength, she could easily destroy them in one fell swoop.

Unfortunately, she was in a delicate balance in her body, so she couldn't use too much power for the time being.

Otherwise, this balance would be broken, and once the balance was broken, the consequences would be disastrous.

So she could only hope that Ana would take her away. But what made Lin Ling feel strange was that Ana behind her didn't react at all. She only felt a bone-chilling chill coming from behind.

"Huh?! What is this?"

At the same time, Lin Ling suddenly found that her feet could no longer move. She lowered her head and found that the sea water under her feet had frozen into solid ice at some point.

Not only under her feet, but also looking further away, the beach in this tropical area had frozen into a huge ice surface, and even the freezing was still spreading outward.

On the other side, the surrounding Honkai beasts formed a circle on the ice surface, with Lin Ling at the center.

"Ah..."

Then, under a series of roars, all Honkai beasts bent their front knees, as if... to themselves... to express their submission?

These successive changes all pointed to the same answer.

"No! These Honkai beasts are not kneeling to me, but... did Ana still became the Herrscher?"

[Ding~ System prompt: The host successfully made Ana enter extreme regret, self-doubt, and self-denial, and obtained 5% of the power of the Herrscher of Ice.]

Then, the system prompt sound came in Lin Ling's mind, confirming her guess.

"Damn it! How could this happen? Why so fast? So suddenly? She was talking and laughing with me just now, and she was having a happy day. What happened?"

Although she felt bad, Lin Ling didn't care so much. The strong Honkai energy burst out from under her feet, forcibly breaking free from the hard and abnormal ice that had frozen her feet, which was far more than ordinary ice.

Then, she looked at Ana hidden in the dim night.

"No, no, no, it shouldn't be like this!"

At this moment, the chestnut-haired girl's hair had suddenly turned half white. She was holding her head and slumped on the ice. Her eyes were filled with fear. The frost appeared to be materialized and spread around her....

Lin Ling didn't have time to think about it. The most urgent thing was to take Ana away from here first. Behind this beach was the prosperous coral island city.

Once the Honkai spread completely, I don't know how many innocent people would be affected!

So, Lin Ling could only endure the intense cold and move toward Ana in her heart.

But as she approached, the coldness of the air could no longer be described as biting cold.

Even the elastic rubber band of the low ponytail that Ana had tied in her hair earlier when she was playing couldn't withstand the excessive cold and collapse...

Fortunately, Lin Ling had obtained the ability of the emperor-rank ice-type Honkai Beast Parvati from Kevin and had a very high resistance to cold, so she didn’t die immediately.

"No, don’t come near me! I’ll hurt you!" In pain, Ana covered her face with one hand and reached out to Lin Ling with the other, trying to stop her from moving forward.

At this moment, even though she tried her best, she couldn’t stop her power from leaking out.

But it was useless. The white-haired girl in front of her still forced herself to come closer.

"Ana... I want to take you away from here."

Lin Ling reached Ana and extended her hand, but as soon as she lifted it toward Ana's body, she was completely frozen by the extreme cold in an instant.

"No!!!" Ana let out a heart-wrenching and desperate wail!

She dropped her arms helplessly and buried her head.

Last time, she had watched a death without intervening, and now, she had killed the other person with her own hands.

"Swish!!"

But at this moment, a powerful storm cut through the ice formed by the water vapor and frost around Lin Ling's body.

"Don’t cry, idiot. I’m not dead yet."

Lin Ling walked quickly forward to Ana’s side and picked her up who was unable to move.

"Hiss~"

Instantly, a heart-wrenching cold surged from where the two touched. The cold was so intense that, even with Parvati’s power, she couldn’t bear it for long.

But she could only use the power of Honkai to strengthen her body, even activating the power of the Herrscher of Thunder to let the current flow in her body and generate strong heat, allowing her to barely resist it.

Then, Lin Ling activated another power of the Herrscher of the Void, opened a medium-distance imaginary portal, and jumped in with Ana in her arms...

"Huh!"

A strange space hole suddenly opened on the sea surface a hundred miles away.

Then, a shivering girl holding a cold girl jumped out of it.

The girl landed steadily on the sea surface, which had been full of flowing waves but was now completely frozen.

"You froze the whole sea in an instant, Ana... You’re so cold."

At this time, Lin Ling smiled at the girl in her arms. "It seems that no one will dare to marry you in the future, and I’ll have to bear the trouble of being your husband."

How could she still joke at this time?

Ana was very worried and very angry. At the same time, although her body was already extremely cold, she still felt a little warmth in her heart.

"Stupid! Hurry, leave me! I’ll hurt you again!"

But she still tried to persuade Lin Ling to leave.

"No need," Lin Ling refused casually, then said, "By the way, I took you to an uninhabited area, where you can release your power to your heart’s content. I understand this feeling. It’s not good to hold it in."

"Then you..."

"I’m very strong."

Lin Ling waved her hand, and several gems appeared in her hand, each containing powerful energy. "Don’t worry about harming me."

"Well..."

Then, countless waves of cold spread around with Ana as the center, freezing the sea. At the same time, heavy snow and hail fell from the sky...

Not only that, but there was also ice that appear to defy the laws of physics, falling from the sky.

More and more of it hit the thick ice shell on the sea surface, and eventually, icebergs formed...

At this time, Lin Ling pressed the switch that Durandal had given her. She had just used too much of the Herrscher’s power, and she felt her body churning. It seemed that something hidden was about to come out...

...

"Everyone..."

In the other half, in the World Serpent base, accompanied by the noisy sound of electricity, Mei heard the voice of a strange man.

"A minute ago, a large-scale Honkai broke out in the waters near Coral Island in Southeast Asia. The Valkyrie troops of Schicksal have already attacked. Let’s start the operation."

Hearing this, Mei turned her head and glanced at Raven.

There was some hesitation in her eyes, as if she wanted to say something.

Raven didn’t care and smiled. "Let’s go, Miss Raiden Mei, let’s go together and take my fighter."

...

At the same time, at the headquarters of Schicksal in Europe.

A group of girls had gathered, fully armed and ready to go.

"Everyone, here is the content of this operation. The Honkai has occurred near Coral Island and its surrounding waters. Coral Island is an artificial island city with a permanent population of 1.8 million. It is located at the junction of Southeast Asia and Oceania and is an important economic and trade center in the Pacific region. The Honkai has been ongoing for 30 minutes, and the severity is increasing. The local Snow Lotus Squad can no longer cope with it. The situation is not optimistic."

In front of the Squad, the special intelligence officer Alvitr briefed the Squad members on the mission details.

"In addition," Alvitr stared at the display in her hand and emphasized, "The bishop ordered that the World Serpent will also participate in this operation as an ally. Schicksal will only carry out the conventional Honkai response operation. If the Herrscher is found, it will be fully handed over to the World Serpent. Do you understand?"

"Understood!"

"Attention, all Squad members, prepare to attack!"

Then, at Durandal’s command, all members of the Immortal Blade boarded the exclusive warship and headed towards the target.

A few dozen minutes later, a huge floating battleship of Schicksal docked on a very sci-fi cross-sea bridge in the equatorial region.

At this time, the bridge leading to the city was filled with smoke, and the disaster spread like wildfire, ruthlessly devouring the fruits of civilization.

"Captain, the battleship has landed. We are currently on the cross-sea bridge on the outer ring of Coral Island. The Immortal Blade needs to cross the bridge, enter the urban area, and establish a defense line to prevent the Honkai Beasts from attacking ordinary citizens."

Alvitr reported the situation again.

"Rita and I will rush to the front line to eliminate the Honkai Beasts, and others will prioritize rescue missions and protect the survivors for evacuation."

Durandal issued a specific combat order, then took the lead, throwing the black abyss white flower in her hand, instantly piercing through the bodies of a long line of Honkai Beasts.

In the chaos, the Immortal Blade marched step by step toward the city.

"Lord Durandal." Just as the Squad was fighting urgently, Rita came to Durandal and said, "I just contacted the Snow Lotus Squad. They said that Captain Ana and Lin Ling have not returned since they went to the city this morning, and now they have lost contact."

"Damn it? How could this happen?..."

Durandal was very upset. If she had known the Honkai would break out nearby, she should have taken Lin Ling with her.

Beep beep~

Fortunately, at this time, the communicator on Durandal’s wrist received a vibration from Lin Ling, signaling that she was still safe.

"Huh~" Durandal breathed a sigh of relief quietly.

"Report to the captain, the Honkai energy of Coral Island is still rising. Just now, a reaction from the Herrscher was detected on the coastline! I will send it to you immediately."

But at this moment, Alvitr’s exclamation came from the communicator again, and at the same time, she sent the coordinates of the newly appeared Herrscher to Durandal.

Then, something shocking happened to Durandal.

The position of the white dot representing Lin Ling on the wrist projection actually overlapped with the red dot of the Herrscher!

----

Chapter 157: Three-party Fight for Lin

Durandal and Rita looked at each other.

"Rita, come with me to support!"

Rita nodded without hesitation.

"Yes, Captain!" But after hearing this, the logistics coordinator Alvitr was a little worried. "The Overseer told us not to interfere in the affairs of the Herrscher. If we act on our own... we will be punished, right?"

"Alvitr," Rita explained, "Our mission is to deal with the Honkai, and rescuing the lost Valkyrie is naturally included. At this time, we must know how to respond immediately."

"Oh, that's it..." Alvitr on the screen nodded in sudden enlightenment. "Then it's not disobedience! The deputy captain is really smart!"

Then, Durandal ordered the Squad members behind her: "Others continue to act according to the original plan!"

After that, she took Rita and jumped up, flying toward the location shown in the coordinates.

Soon, a huge Iceland that shouldn't appear in tropical areas appeared in front of Rita and Durandal.

It was covered with strange icebergs with jagged rocks, and the bone-chilling cold made the two S-rank Valkyries feel a piercing chill, as well as more and more powerful Honkai beasts than on Coral Island.

"It's just the periphery, and it's already so bad... I wonder how Lin Ling is doing now..."

Looking at the weird and terrifying scene in front of her, Rita had a bad premonition in her heart.

Durandal pulled out the Black Abyss White Flower. "Rita, we have to hurry."

But fortunately, both of them were strong and were still advancing rapidly. However, in addition to the Honkai beasts, the huge, strange icebergs of various lengths and widths that blocked the road made this Iceland feel like a maze.

"Lord Durandal."

Fortunately, not long after, Rita who was well-versed in intelligence, found a quick route in this Iceland based on the satellite detection from Schicksal. She suggested to Durandal, "We will go faster from the passage over there."

"Well, let's go!"

Crack! Boom!

At this moment, a huge red lightning suddenly fell from the sky, turning all the Honkai beasts within a radius of dozens of meters in front of them into charcoal.

In the center of the lightning stood a purple-haired girl holding a katana, with a pair of horns on her head.

"You are... Raiden Mei?" Durandal saw Mei in this form for the first time. Compared with the weak little girl she met in Arc City, Durandal could feel that her strength had increased tremendously.

And it's not just her strength; more importantly, her cold, arrogant, confident, and powerful eyes were completely different from her past.

"I didn't expect you to join the World Serpent," Durandal said, a little emotional.

"I have my own path to take, that's all," Mei replied coldly, without much explanation.

"Oh? Miss Mei, it turns out that the ally the Overseer is talking about is you," Rita stepped forward, her tone somewhat disdainful. "The newcomer who just joined was assigned to such a dangerous place. It seems that the World Serpent... really has no one available."

"Hey, isn't this Miss Rita? Long time no see." However, the one who answered for Mei was the hooded girl who emerged from another crack in the iceberg—World Serpent agent, Raven.

"Raven..." After seeing this cloaked woman, Rita immediately frowned, her tone completely different from the frivolous one she had used with Mei. There was no teasing for old friends or acquaintances, only pure disgust.

After all, this woman had once caused her great harm and almost made her and even the entire Immortal Blade die there.

"Don't worry~" However, Raven didn't seem to care. Just as Rita had teased Mei, she chuckled and said, "Unlike Schicksal, the World Serpent has never liked human wave tactics. However, although there aren't many of us, we will complete the mission."

"Oh, that's really offensive," Rita smiled lightly, but her eyes became cold. "I'm looking forward to it. What are you going to use to deal with the Herrscher this time? Gas? A truck? Or a suicide bomb?"

"Sorry, Miss Rita." Raven nodded slightly and apologized. "I ruined your mission before, and I still feel bad about it."

"I'm sorry," Rita also expressed her "apology" not to be outdone. "I hindered the plan of Heliopolis Life Sciences and made your great cause fail."

"Don't be polite. This time, I have to trouble Miss Rita with the logistics, and we will handle the Herrscher."

"That's really a big trouble for you, Miss Raven. Please rest assured. If you accidentally die, I will definitely bury you with honor."

"Thank you for your kindness. You should also pay more attention to your own safety."

"Hmm, you too."

The two of them confronted each other, their smiles gradually becoming sharper, and the smell of gunpowder spread in an unprecedented way.

"Rita."

Durandal reminded softly when she saw this.

Rita realized her own gaffe.

"Excuse me."

She lowered her head and took a step back, no longer bickering with Raven.

"I don't want to conflict with Schicksal." At this time, Mei extended her hand to Durandal to show her attitude.

Durandal looked at the girl. Since they parted in Arc City, she had changed a lot. Although they had different positions, she actually admired her very much, so she shook hands with her.

"We have the same goal. Since we are allies, we should complete our respective missions and not interfere with each other. The Valkyrie troops will garrison the city and evacuate the survivors. Rita and I will prevent the Honkai of this Iceland from spreading. According to the agreement, you will fight against the Herrscher, and we will not interfere at will."

However, although she was a bit dull in some aspects, Durandal was not a fool. She still kept a watchful eye and did not reveal her true thoughts. She pretended not to participate, but was actually ready to find an opportunity to rescue Lin Ling.

Although Lin Ling was indeed very dangerous next to the Herrscher, she should be fine for a short time with her strength.

However, if she were taken back to the crazy World Serpent which looked like a terrorist organization, that would be a real big problem.

"Yeah." Mei nodded. "In that case, the periphery is left to you."

"Yeah~" On the other side, Raven looked at Mei and Durandal's actions, thought for a moment, and then smiled, stretching out her hand to Rita. "Then, Miss Rita, let's shake hands and make peace."

"Sorry, I won't shake hands with someone who tried to kill my Squadmates!"

And Rita naturally refused decisively, not even wanting to give the fake smile she had before, her face full of extreme disgust.

"Oh, don't be angry." After seeing Rita's angry look, Raven felt as if she had won in some aspects, and her smile became brighter. "Weren't you and your Squadmates saved by that little wolf?"

As she said this, Raven took half a step forward, making a gesture that she must shake hands with her.

Swoosh!

However, the scene in front of her flashed, and Raven found that what was waiting for her was the edge of a spear, and a blonde girl stopped her.

"If you keep pestering me, I won't be polite!" Durandal said angrily.

"Well, okay. It was my wishful thinking."

Seeing that Rita was protected by someone, Raven could only spread her hands helplessly. Then, she looked up and glanced behind Durandal and the others, asking another thing. "Oh, by the way! Where is that little wolf? Didn't she surrender to your Schicksal? Why isn't she here this time?"

"Lin Ling... um..."

"It's like this." Without waiting for Durandal to speak, Rita spoke for this honest girl, who was not good at lying. "Lord Lin Ling is teaching the Valkyries at the Schicksal headquarters and has no time to take care of other things, so she didn't come this time."

"Hand in hand? Um, isn't she taking advantage of the Valkyries in the name of... teaching? Tsk tsk tsk, you guys are really bringing a wolf to the sheep if you take that little guy back. It's too dangerous. How about this?" Raven suggested. "Why not hand over that 'little trouble' to us and let us, the World Serpent, bear this pain for your Schicksal?"

"Don't bother with that."

After hearing what Raven said, Rita thought of that timid and lustful guy who only dared to talk but was actually very cowardly, and couldn't help but chuckle. "That little guy is quite likable. We all like her very much in Schicksal, so don’t try to snatch her away."

"Really?" Raven looked unbelieving. She had been teased by Lin Ling before, then glanced at Mei beside her.

"Hmm..."

Mei's eyes narrowed slightly, and her already peculiar gaze sparked with arcs of electricity, as if... a little angry?

"Okay, time is running out. Let’s talk about her later."

Durandal also sheathed her weapon and turned away with Rita.

...

Watching Durandal’s retreating figure, Raven nodded to herself and sighed, "The strongest Valkyrie in Schicksal is really a tough one."

"Okay, let’s go." Mei still had a cold expression.

At that moment, Raven looked at her communicator and pointed in a direction. "The end of this tunnel is connected to the Herrscher's location, and Night Owl will meet us there."

...

"Well, Mei, this is it."

Soon, the two walked out of the tunnel, and the howling cold wind mixed with snow and ice hit them, obscuring the white world around them. The closer they got to the center of the island, the colder it became.

However, Mei looked around but didn’t see anyone waiting to meet her and asked in confusion, "Where are the others?"

"They’re coming."

Subtle footsteps echoed beside Mei, and the empty light gradually distorted, outlining the figure of a man with black and gray hair.

"Why did you come just now?" the man asked, his voice listless, as if nothing could spark his interest.

Raven smiled. "Nothing. I ran into an old friend and said hello."

"That S-rank Valkyrie? Why did you mess with her? You’re asking for trouble... Forget it." Perhaps feeling this wasn’t the time to discuss such matters, the gray-haired man dropped the subject and turned to the newcomer he had never met before. "I’m an agent of the World Serpent, codenamed Night Owl. It’s our first meeting. I’ll help you complete the task."

Mei, still cold and somewhat arrogantly, replied, "I don’t need help."

"Is that so? Then I’ll leave the Herrscher to you. I’m off." With that, the man turned and walked away without another word.

Raven’s eyes narrowed as she sternly warned, "Say that again?"

...

After a few minor episodes, the three members of the World Serpent continued toward the Herrscher’s center.

Mei walked ahead, dispatching Honkai beasts as easily as chopping vegetables.

Raven assisted from the side.

Meanwhile, the man codenamed Night Owl followed the two girls without reacting, doing nothing, as if he were just on a sightseeing trip.

"Can’t you lend a hand?" Raven finally snapped in frustration.

"With Raiden Mei here, my abilities are useless. It’s better to save my energy for fighting the Herrscher," Night Owl explained nonchalantly.

"You..."

Faced with such laziness, the always sharp-tongued Raven was left speechless.

"Stop arguing. How is the Herrscher now?" Mei asked after taking down another Honkai beast.

"Well, it’s ahead. The Herrscher’s signal stopped moving just now," Raven said, frowning slightly as she stared at a screen. "This is where she last appeared."

With that, Raven pointed in a direction.

Mei looked over, and a huge radioactive ice pillar loomed before them.

At the same time, Mei felt a deep sense of crisis. "I can feel the Herrscher nearby. Hmm? Is it this ice pillar? Honkai energy is constantly overflowing from it. The Honkai energy inside is still increasing. It seems the Herrscher is corrupting, and these Honkai beasts are just stalling for her."

"You attract the attention of the Honkai beasts, and I’ll find a hidden spot to prepare for the fight with the Herrscher." Finally, Night Owl made a move, his figure twisting and vanishing.

"Then I’ll drive her out first."

Raven drew her Divine Key, the Seven Thunders of Retribution, transforming it into a powerful sniper rifle. She crouched down, found the iceberg's weak point through the scope, and pulled the trigger.

"Smash it!"

The powerful Honkai energy gathered at the barrel, and the next moment, purple lightning shot toward the iceberg with unstoppable force.

In an instant, the ice shattered and flew in all directions...

Amidst the scattered ice crystals, the Herrscher finally appeared.

She was a girl wearing a fur cloak, her entire body, including her face, hidden beneath strange black and white garments.

As soon as she appeared, Night Owl lurking nearby took action.

"Target locked, Scepter of Duat... prepare to load..."

"Ahhhhhhh—!"

But at that moment, the Herrscher let out a loud, piercing scream, followed by a shriek, and a bone-chilling cold blast erupted!

A frost shockwave rapidly expanded from her center, and the moisture in the air quickly condensed into ice shackles, tightly binding Mei and the others.

"Sh... Gah... Woo..."

The Herrscher murmured, her indistinct syllables carrying an eerie quality.

As she whispered, the Herrscher’s body twitched and writhed, as though struggling against some invisible force.

No one knew her intent, as if the person before them was not the Herrscher but a lifeless soldier who had lost consciousness.

The situation was strange, but at that moment, there was no time to hesitate.

"The battle continues!" Mei ordered, and Night Owl and Raven prepared for action.

But the next moment!

Whoosh!

The storm subsided, and everything was frozen by ice and snow. Only a massive ice wall stood between them and the Herrscher.

Raven crouched down, closed her eyes, and sensed the remaining Honkai energy in the ice crystals. The Herrscher’s presence had already faded, and she frowned. "The Herrscher is leaving. We need to catch up."

"Wait a minute. It’s too reckless to chase her blindly..." Night Owl stood up from the snow, brushing off the frost that had covered him. "We’ve seen the Herrscher's abilities. It’s tougher to deal with than we thought. Although your strength can match hers, capturing her for Jackal will be no easy feat. We need a more complete countermeasure."

After some discussion and formulating a better plan, they continued the pursuit.

...

But not long after they left, a golden light flashed.

Durandal and Rita appeared once again.

Rita scanned the area. "Very good, those World Serpents drove the Herrscher away and are chasing her now. Lin Ling should still be around here, right?"

"Yes." Durandal nodded, her gaze turning toward the ground. "The coordinates show she should be deep within this ice layer..."

---

Chapter 158: Ambush

Durandal slowly inserted the Black Abyss White Flower in her hand into the ground.

She then slowly released her grip on the gun handle.

The next moment, the Black Abyss White Flower began to rotate at high speed, from slow to fast. Finally, it quickly penetrated the thick ice like a shield machine. Durandal then jumped into the hole.

Beep...

While Durandal was trying to rescue the frozen Lin Ling, Rita received a call from the Valkyrie team.

"Lady Rita!" Alvitr's voice came from the communicator. "We have successfully reunited with the Snow Lotus Squad. Some Squadmates were injured by the impact of the Honkai Beast, but most of them are safe and sound."

"Well, that's good," Rita nodded. "What's the situation over there now?"

"It has settled down for the time being. The Immortal Blade and other Valkyrie troops have successfully blocked the major passes of Coral Island. The Honkai Beasts have basically been stopped outside the city. However, we still can't find the whereabouts of Lady Lin Ling and Miss Ana... But!" Suddenly, Alvitr's voice became a little excited. "We found a Valkyrie communicator on the coast east of the city... It recorded some not-so-... Forget it, Lady Rita, I'll send you the images recorded by Miss Ana's communicator!"

"Zizizizi..."

After a shock of electricity, Rita's communicator projected the scene that happened between Ana and Lin Ling on the sea...

"No! Don't come near me, it will hurt you..."

"Ana... I'm going to take you away from here."

...

"In this case, it's just said... that Herrscher is actually... Miss Ana?" Rita's expression became more and more heavy and complicated. Her former friend had become the representative of the greatest enemy of mankind now...

"I didn't expect that it would be such a result..."

At this time, Durandal flew out of the cave holding an unconscious gray-haired girl. She also saw the communication between Rita and Alvitr, but at this time, she was more worried about the girl in her arms, whose hair color had changed but whose face remained the same. "I'm sorry, Ling, I failed to protect you again."

"Alas, Lord Durandal, this is not your fault." Rita sighed slightly. "Almost every time there is a Herrscher incident, Lady Lin Ling happens to be at the first scene. I really don't know if she is too unlucky or for some other reason... In addition, Lady Durandal, do you want to tell the World Serpent about our discovery?"

"Yes." Durandal nodded, then said to the projection of Alvitr, "Alvitr, send them Ana's information, but keep Lin Ling's affairs hidden."

"Ah? Is this really a good idea? The information of the Valkyrie is confidential," Alvitr asked with some concern.

"As allies, it is also our responsibility to provide the other party with necessary information," Durandal explained.

"As you command."

...

In the central city of Coral Island, a bonfire was lit in the world dyed white by ice and snow, which was particularly conspicuous. Those were the three cadres of the World Serpent who were temporarily repairing here. Under the extreme cold and the erosion of the rich Honkai energy, the drone detectors they carried had all failed. In addition, the increasingly dense frost fog also blocked the observation of satellites and reconnaissance aircraft in the sky, which put their actions into a stalemate for a while.

On the other side...

Crack... crack... the sound of the ice breaking echoed in the desolate Iceland.

Then, with a dull bang, another ice wall collapsed.

"Okay, all obstacles are cleared." Raven walked out of the broken ice wall and pointed in a direction. "The last drone shows that the Herrscher is in that direction. Let's keep going..."

Beep beep...

But at this time, Raven's communicator rang.

"Hmm? This communication is... Schicksal?"

Looking at the screen of the communicator, Raven thought for a while. After all, the two sides are allies now, so he still connected.

A short-haired girl appeared on the screen. "Everyone of the World Serpent, I am Valkyrie Alvitr of the Immortal Blade Squad. I am ordered by the captain to convey the information of the Schicksal investigation to you."

"Durandal's order?" Raven was a little surprised and confused.

"Tell me, what information?" Mei stepped forward. She didn't care about the source of the information, as long as it could help the mission.

"According to the investigation, this Valkyrie named Ana is the Herrscher born in this Honkai," Alvitr said.

"She is actually the Valkyrie of Schicksal?" This surprised Raven even more.

"We were also surprised... but that's the truth. Ana Schariac became the captain of the 'Snow Lotus' Squad two years ago and was sent to Coral Island for garrison. She unfortunately became a Herrscher after the outbreak of Honkai... but from the communication records, she tried her best to resist the erosion of Honkai, but unfortunately, she failed in the end. Now, there is probably not much human consciousness left in her body."

At the same time, the eyes of the Night Owl, who had always been like dead fish eyes without any spirit, changed and muttered to himself: "So, did she freeze herself?"

"In addition, a large area of frozen area was found at the place where the Herrscher was born. Although the ability is not yet clear, the Schicksal Headquarters has temporarily designated it as the fifth Herrscher, codenamed 'Herrscher of Ice."

"You only know about it in Schicksal? We have already experienced the power of the Ice Herrscher." Raven said unhappily.

Alvitr was shocked. "So? You have fought with the Herrscher?"

"We had a brief fight, but she escaped. As you said, the Herrscher knows ice, and the cold wave that breaks out is also destructive and cannot be underestimated. She is a troublesome enemy," Mei said. "However, we will find a way to deal with her as soon as possible."

"Understood, I will report these situations to the captain. Thank you for your assistance."

After that, Alvitr closed the communication.

Then Raven sorted out the current situation and said to the other two Squadmates: "Currently, the Herrscher is moving towards Coral Island, and the reconnaissance equipment arranged by the World Serpent has been paralyzed. The last data showed that the Herrscher created a large number of Honkai beasts during the journey. These Honkai beasts will form ultra-low temperature areas around them, which is a deadly place that ordinary people cannot set foot on. If you want to get close to the target, you must eliminate all these Honkai beasts."

"Even if I can get close to the Herrscher, I also need a more complete plan, otherwise she will just escape again." Mei turned her eyes to Night Owl. He knew that it was right to stop arranging this not-so-strong man to stay here.

"The key to the plan is this," Night Owl took out a strange device. "Scepter of Duat."

Mei was a little puzzled. "What exactly is that?"

"In short, it is a restriction device for the Herrscher core. According to Jackal, it can greatly interfere with the connection between the Herrscher core and the imaginary space, distort the 'channel' between the two in a short period of time, and make the Honkai energy in the Herrscher's body fall into disorder. It will not kill the Herrscher, but it can greatly restrict her actions. Under normal circumstances, this restraint will not last long. But if you first cause severe damage to the Ice Herrscher and weaken her power... then the duration of the Scepter of Duat will be greatly extended, and we will have enough time to hand it over to the Lord and let him seal the power of the Herrscher. By then, the Herrscher will fall into a state of suspended animation and become a safe and harmless 'vegetable.'"

"..."

"Sorry." After explaining the Scepter of Duat, Night Owl turned his eyes to Mei, who was silent. "As a Herrscher, it must feel very cruel, right?"

But it was Raven who responded to him. "Cruel? When did she become so kind?"

"I just think that at least we have a Herrscher around us," Night Owl explained.

"It doesn't matter." Mei didn't seem to care. "If this is the only way, then I will complete what I should complete."

"In that case, let's formulate a battle plan as soon as possible. The longer the time is delayed, the more disadvantageous it will be for us."

"Leave the frontal attack to Mei, and we will fight in the way we are good at."

"Yeah, I think so too..."

Perhaps because he felt a little cold, Night Owl added some fuel to the fire. "First, we need to determine the position of the Herrscher. But right now, we can only search for the enemy with our naked eyes. I'll find a high vantage point to lock in her location and provide you with remote support." Raven looked around, and her eyes finally settled on a huge frozen mountain.

"Once we locate the Herrscher, I'll set up the Scepter of Duat in the trap, and then you'll lure the Herrscher into it."

After Raven finished, Night Owl also assigned his duties.

Mei nodded slightly, without objection.

Still, Night Owl seemed a little concerned. "But that Herrscher was once a well-trained Valkyrie. Is this plan too simple?"

Raven shook her head. "The premise is that she still retains some human consciousness. But from the previous battle, she lost even the ability to speak, and I'm afraid only the impulse to destroy remains."

"Her state is very special." Mei gazed at the flickering firelight, recalling the theory she had heard from Einstein earlier. "Although the Valkyrie's body has been completely eroded, her heart still resists the Honkai. Neither her self-consciousness nor Herrscher consciousness can dominate her body. If her personality had completely succumbed to the Honkai, it wouldn't be like this."

"She... is still fighting the Honkai?"

Upon hearing Mei's words, the last trace of doubt in Night Owl's eyes disappeared. His previously dull eyes were now filled with determination, as if he had secretly made up his mind. He spoke to Mei, "Raiden Mei, you protect Raven while she finds the high ground. I need some time to prepare and set the traps."

"Understood."

"Let's go."

Mei then took Raven to climb the highest iceberg nearby.

"Huh... It's so cold..." As the altitude increased, the temperature dropped further. Raven exhaled and rubbed her hands. "Mei, talk to me for a while, or I'll freeze to death."

"..." Mei looked at Raven's tights hidden under her cloak, which covered her whole body but was a little thin. "Who told you to wear that?"

"This is a special combat uniform!" Raven replied, speechless. "It's designed to keep out the cold, but who would have thought the Herrscher would be one of ice? Alas~ Night Owl must have found an excuse to stay by the fire because he didn't want to freeze. Has he always been like this?"

"You seem very familiar with him." Mei was a little curious, listening to Raven's tone.

"Of course. He used to be 'my mission target.'" Raven began recounting the past. "I met him on the battlefield. My target was an organization called 'Thousand Fists' in Asia, and he was a bodyguard hired by the other side. Afterward, I had a lot of conflicts with him, but of course, I won in the end. He was the same then as he is now. Calm and indifferent, even with a knife at his neck. I found him interesting. So when I destroyed the Thousand Fists, I let him go and introduced him to the organization. When I saw him again, he had become an agent in World Serpent, and I got a bonus for it. Though he's lazy, he's capable. He always finds the most effective solution and never does unnecessary things. In Gray Snake's words, he's an efficient tool. But... in my opinion, he's not cut out to be a Squadmate. After all, you never know what he's thinking."

"It doesn't matter." Mei, seeming unconcerned by Raven's hints, replied, "As long as he completes his task."

"Heh." Raven chuckled. "You're really carefree."

As they continued talking, the two reached the top of the mountain, where the view was wide, and most of the Ice land was visible. Mei stopped responding to Raven's conversation and said, "Let's stop chatting here. You're in position, and it's time to carry out the mission."

"Understood, understood. It's all up to you~" Raven nodded, then asked one last question, "By the way... don't you have a cadre codename yet?"

"No."

"I advise you to come up with one quickly, or Jackal will assign one to you. You don't want that to happen, right?"

"..." Mei didn't answer. Now was not the time for such trivial matters.

Raven shrugged slightly, ignored her response, and looked out over the distance from the mountaintop.

A huge blizzard was swirling in the distance.

Raven leaned down, and a beam of blue-purple light bloomed from her hand, transforming into a sci-fi sniper rifle.

Through the sniper scope, the images in her vision overlapped layer by layer, unfolding from a higher dimension.

Her vision was no longer limited to the physical realm. Beyond the three-dimensional concept, nothing could hide.

As expected, under the thick ice and snow, there was the silhouette of a girl.

"Found it," Raven said lightly. "The target is 7,400 yards away, located in an ice-covered canyon, heading west. It seems she intends to return to Coral Island?"

"Well, the task of monitoring the Herrscher is now yours."

"Don't worry. Go meet up with Night Owl."

Mei jumped up, fell from the high altitude, and disappeared into the dense white frost.

A moment later, thunder suddenly sounded, and a flash of light shot straight into the distance. Before Raven could fully see it, only a vague trail remained.

Meanwhile, Night Owl who had been waiting heard the thunder from a distance.

He closed his eyes and counted silently. After several seconds, Mei appeared beside him.

"Raven has found the Herrscher. She's coming this way. Are you ready?"

Night Owl shook the device in his hand and put it back in his pocket. "Yes, let's go."

----

Chapter 159: Forced Kissing Ana

"Sha, Sha..."

Without the mediation of Raven, Mei and Night Owl—two people who were not very talkative—just moved forward silently, and the only sound echoing in their ears was the rustling sound of stepping on the ice field.

"If you can't hold on, go back."

Suddenly, Mei said to Night Owl behind her.

"Huh?" Night Owl raised his head, a little puzzled.

"Going forward, the temperature will only get lower, which is not something ordinary people can bear." Mei stopped, but her eyes were still looking forward. "Give me the device, and I will deal with the Herrscher."

"I see, thank you for your concern. But don't worry, I'm not as fragile as you think." Night Owl pulled open his cloak, revealing his body covered by clothes.

"This is..."

What Mei saw was a mechanical module with a metallic luster.

"74% of my body has been transformed into machinery. Clothes are just decorations. This little bit of cold can't affect me."

Seeing this, Mei thought of the scene she had seen in Arc City and frowned slightly. "Did the World Serpent transform you into this?"

"No, I asked for it myself. I am not like you who was born with stigmata that can resist Honkai. For me, this is the only way to survive. Two years ago, I suffered a Honkai. Although I survived by chance, my original body tissues suffered serious internal injuries. I wanted to find a way to heal my body in the World Serpent, but the more I searched, the more powerless I felt. In the end, I could only abandon my original body. With the help of machinery, I can at least live longer. Ha." Night Owl smiled self-deprecatingly. "This is why I fight for the World Serpent. Isn't it ridiculous?"

"There's nothing ridiculous about wanting to survive." After saying that, Mei continued to move forward without asking Night Owl to stay.

"Thank you, I thought so too." Not long after, the two stopped at the same time again.

"At present, the Herrscher has stopped in front, keeping silent, with no signs of activity... Like, deliberately waiting for us to go there?" Night Owl looked at the center of the storm in the distance, and there was no emotion in his voice.

"Yeah." Mei nodded, then drew the sword in her hand. "Time is tight, act according to the plan. I will go to meet the Herrscher."

Night Owl also took out some strange devices. "It takes ten minutes to set up the trap. I will send you the coordinates after it is completed. If there is an emergency, I will try my best to cooperate. In addition, the trigger time of the Scepter of Duat is very short, so please be sure to lure the Herrscher to the correct position."

"Understood, action begins!"

With Mei's order, she turned into a ray of lightning and rushed to the center of the frost storm...

And the next moment, when thunder and frost met!

In the frozen sea of flowers, the Honkai energy rolled up a frenzied vortex, stirring lightning and frost. The two huge energies collided, burned, and collapsed into a violent disaster in a small space, sweeping everything in it.

This is a battle between Herrschers, a death battle that goes beyond the laws of physics and common sense.

"Raiden Mei, the trap has been set, please lure the Herrscher to the coordinates."

Exactly ten minutes later, the voice of Night Owl came from Mei's headphones, and he was ready.

The Scepter of Duat was ready, waiting for the Herrscher to take the bait.

Mei stopped fighting with the Ice Herrscher and immediately turned into lightning, passing each other through the ice cracks, and rushed towards the location where Night Owl sent her, followed by an extremely cold ice storm, with ice spikes splashing everywhere, like the sickle of the god of death chasing its prey.

At the same time, several consecutive lightning flashes penetrated the ice fog, and Raven pulled the trigger several kilometers away.

She cleared the obstacles blocking Mei's way one by one, helping her move forward.

And the Herrscher appeared to have completely lost all consciousness of being a Valkyrie, and only chased the lightning that had just attacked her, completely disregarding the consequences.

"I have arrived at the coordinates!" Soon, Mei arrived at the location that Night Owl had specified.

"Received." Night Owl confirmed immediately, "The Herrscher's path has been confirmed, and the Scepter of Duat is about to be activated."

The wind and snow were wrapped in the cold current, and the Ice Herrscher rushed over.

Mei held the knife and was ready to go...

Finally!

The Herrscher who had lost her humanity and also lost the ability to analyze and judge rushed into the trap without hesitation!

"Night Owl, it's now!" Mei reminded Night Owl to take action at the same moment!

"..." But the answer to her was unexpected silence.

"Night Owl?"

When Mei confirmed for the second time, a little red light appeared under her feet, and then a magic circle-like restriction field appeared.

The red light under her body became stronger.

She felt that the Honkai energy in her body was rapidly losing balance. For a moment, her internal organs were churning, her breath was chaotic, and she was powerless...

"No, this is... the Scepter of Duat?"

Mei immediately thought of the effect of the Scepter of Duat that Raven and Night Owl had told her about, and then she wanted to escape from this trap immediately.

But!

The Ice Herrscher, who had been chasing her, had already arrived in front of her!

Under the dark veil, Ana's appearance and expression could not be seen clearly. She just instinctively raised her hand and summoned countless ice spikes, attacking Mei like a storm...

Under the double-sided attack, Mei had no way to avoid it.

But at this moment!

A strong storm suddenly appeared like a sharp blade, blocking Mei and Ana, breaking all the ice spikes and blowing them away...

Then, a white lightning followed closely, pressing the violent Ice Herrscher in the air to the ground.

"Huh!?"

"What!?"

"How could it be!!!?"

Then, Raven and the Night Owl watching from the top of the distant mountain, appeared, and Mei was shocked.

The white light turned into a girl, and after pressing the Ice Herrscher, she kissed her forcefully!

----

Chapter 160: The Object I Want to Save is the Person Who Once Abandoned Me

"Save, save me..."

In a trance of nothingness, Lin Ling saw the scene again.

Under the ruins, she trembled as she reached out to a passing Valkyrie for help.

"I'm sorry..."

But she was ruthlessly rejected by the Valkyrie in front of her.

However, this time, it was different from the previous haziness.

This time, she finally saw clearly who the girl who had rejected her in the dream was... It turned out to be—Ana!

"Hmm!? This... this is not a dream?... This is... another person's memory?"

The scene was too real, too unforgettable. Lin Ling began to doubt whether everything in front of her was not an illusory dream, but a reality that had existed in the past.

"Could this be the memory of the original owner of my body?"

"*...) YPOH:... (＆ (..."

Just as Lin Ling was doubting, the scene in front of her changed again.

The Valkyrie walked backward and left. Then, the ruins pressing on her body began to automatically lift and return to their original state...

Time started to flow backward.

In the blink of an eye, Lin Ling found herself on a moving train. She saw a group of people, some taking pictures, others laughing and chatting like cheerful tourists. There was also a man who looked similar to her next to her...

Before Lin Ling could think further, the speed of the backflow suddenly increased, faster and faster!

Like a fleeting moment, countless scenes passed by her eyes in an instant!

At the same time, more and more memories began pouring into her mind like a revolving lantern...

"No, this is not someone else's memory...? This is... my own?!"

Finally, she understood everything!

She was indeed Lin Ling, but after traveling through time and reincarnation to this world, like drinking the legendary Mengpo soup, she had lost all memories of her previous life and gained another name, another new identity—Chen Tianwen.

From then on, she began her life in this world.

During a trip, she and her family encountered the Honkai Outbreak in Manila, falling into the abyss. She drowned and suffered brain damage, losing all memories of this life.

But perhaps it was a blessing in disguise, for she accidentally awakened the memories of her previous life...

Now, under the guidance of the unknown, all the experiences of birth, growth, joy, sorrow, and happiness from her past two lives, bit by bit, returned to her in this moment, completely integrated and connected...

"Hahahahahahaha..."

Suddenly, the girl in Durandal's arms began to laugh loudly, from weak to heroic to crazy.

"Hahaha! So that's it... It turns out that the reason Ana agreed to marry me and treated me well unconditionally was not because she really liked me, but because of her... her guilt toward me? It turns out that the person I wanted to save was the one who abandoned me! Haha... It's ridiculous..."

"Huh!?"

This sudden change shocked Durandal and Rita, who were beside her. This person had just been rescued from the ice seal created by the Ice Herrscher and was about to be sent back to the headquarters for treatment with the best medical facilities.

Now, she suddenly woke up by herself and was talking to herself in strange words.

"Lin Ling, you woke up, are you okay?"

Listening to the strange laughter of the girl in her arms, Durandal asked with some concern.

"I'm fine!" Suddenly, the girl in Durandal's arms opened her eyes, "I already... understand everything!"

Before she could finish speaking, she stretched out her hand, hooked Durandal’s neck, then leaned forward and kissed her fiercely!

"Hmm!!!"

Durandal, who had never experienced this before, widened her eyes instantly.

She couldn’t believe that Lin Ling, who had just woken up, would do such a thing to her!

She was completely unprepared and was overwhelmed by the kiss...

[Ding! System prompt: The host successfully took Durandal's first kiss, leaving her extremely shocked and shy. The effect of Schariac’s holy blood increased to 20%!]

Not only Durandal, but Rita, who was beside them, also stood in shock at the scene before them.

After an unknown amount of time, Durandal and the two people she had been holding in a princess carry finally ended their entanglement.

"How was it? My silly Dudu, are you comfortable?"

"Hmm!"

Looking at the teasing expression of the girl in front of her, Durandal’s body trembled and she accidentally pushed Lin Ling away.

Fortunately, Lin Ling was no ordinary girl. She flipped lightly in the air like a flexible swallow and landed steadily on the ground.

"Tsk tsk~" Lin Ling clicked her tongue at Durandal, who was covering her mouth in disbelief, and laughed, "Hehe~ The feeling is comparable to that of Wife Rita. They are both women I like."

"You!" Durandal was furious, but didn't know what to say.

"Lin!" Finally, Rita snapped back to her senses. She asked in disbelief, "Lord Lin Ling, why did you suddenly do this to Lord Durandal?! What's wrong with you?"

"Don’t worry, Rita, I still love you." However, what answered Rita was Lin Ling’s somewhat shameless confession, "But I also love others, so... I’ll leave first! I have something else to do."

After saying that, she was ready to get up and leave.

"No, you can’t leave!" Rita immediately blocked Lin Ling's way. "I won’t let you leave!"

"Be careful! Don’t get close to her!" But at that moment, Durandal stepped in front of Rita even faster. "She’s very strange now. I can feel that a lot of Honkai energy is gathering in her body."

Durandal frowned deeply because she could feel the extremely powerful and dense Honkai energy gathering around Lin Ling, far exceeding the rank of the Ice Herrscher she had met before!

In fact, solid Honkai energy crystals had already begun to form around Lin Ling...

Under such a concentrated amount of Honkai energy, even an A-rank, no—an ordinary S-rank Valkyrie would be corroded.

"Huh~"

And Lin Ling herself narrowed her eyes and breathed in greedily, absorbing this rich Honkai energy without any concealment or caution.

"Ms. Ling, what’s wrong with you? Are you okay?"

Seeing this, Durandal couldn’t help but worry about the girl who had just forcibly stolen her first kiss.

Rita also nervously observed everything happening with her.

"Me...? Am I okay? I’m fine! I’m so fine that it’s like... I’ve been reborn!"

Lin Ling opened her eyes again, and a strange light streaked across the dark sky. She stretched out her right hand toward the sky and clenched it tightly when it reached the height of the moon.

"Hahahaha! I finally became complete!"

With Lin Ling’s gesture, the moon in the sky appeared to be shattered.

A brilliant light shone, and five gems of different colors emerged from her hands, circling around her like stars embracing the moon!

The colorful light dyed the snow-white ice field created by Ana...

"It’s bad, Lord Durandal! Another Herrscher reaction has appeared!"

At the same time, Alvitr’s anxious voice came through the communicator into Durandal’s ears...