I am a hero of the former civilization.

To be inhuman? That makes some sense.

Hua subconsciously took it and was about to pour it into his mouth when he suddenly froze, remembering what Carol had told him.

You're like a straight-laced woman; if you want others to notice you, you have to keep a girlish heart.

Aren't you thirsty?

"Uh, I have water." Hua quickly shoved the bottle back into Ryan's hand, her face flushed, perhaps from running.

Good, good, you've finally learned to be shy.

Ryan was somewhat relieved. Hua was not only old-fashioned and stubborn, but also had some boyish habits. He always dressed in a neutral style and didn't care about physical contact.

That's normal. She's practiced with boys since she was little, so she can't just dodge and weave when sparring.

Fake feminism treats anyone who touches it as a scoundrel, while real feminism is about physical confrontation, beating your opponent until they're a pig's head.

"Senior brother, how can I stop being human?"

Ryan was thinking when he suddenly heard these words and almost spat out his water. When he looked up again, he saw Hua's serious face, so serious that it made him feel guilty.

"I just said it casually, why did you take it so seriously?"

"But you're not human, at least not human."

"You're itching for a beating, aren't you? Why are you suddenly cursing at me?"

“No, that’s not what I meant. I meant your inhuman, no, superhuman power…” Hua stammered, unsure how to explain, until Ryan pressed his hand on his head.

"Alright, I'm not teasing you anymore. The time isn't right yet. When it is, I won't stop you."

The so-called timing refers to the Fusion Warrior Project. Ryan is not arrogant, nor does he act like a savior who decides Hua's fate. Since the relationship is good, he should be given more respect.

With my help, she can only do better what she could do before.

At first, the girl tried to struggle, but she quickly calmed down and understood Ryan's approval. This trust and respect made her feel comfortable, and she even enjoyed the stroking on her head and regretted being covered in sweat.

Ryan rubbed his hands together, then withdrew them, looking up at the surrounding fields: "Are you sure we've wandered into the restricted area?"

Hua glanced furtively at Ryan's hand and replied seriously, "Once we get over the barbed wire, we're in. Is there a problem?"

The local government had erected a wire fence around the perimeter, and police were stationed at the intersection, but Ryan and Hua could easily bypass this level of security.

There are indeed some problems.

Ryan touched his chin. He could feel the abnormal Honkai energy in the air. Fearing it was just his imagination, he even took out a detector from his bag.

“5 HW is already corrosive to the human body. The barbed wire is about 2 HW, which is barely within the safe range, but it is certain that the concentration will be higher the closer to the sea.”

Hua watched curiously as Ryan fiddled with the equipment, feeling both pleased that Ryan hadn't avoided him and somewhat surprised.

The way he operated the equipment was like a geological surveyor, completely different from what she had imagined. She used to think that Ryan was like a hero in a movie, secretly fighting against the devil.

"Senior brother, what is this?"

“A Honkai energy detector, capable of detecting energy values,” Ryan replied casually, then moved several dozen meters eastward, and sure enough, the value after the decimal point increased slightly.

What is Honkai energy?

Hua was even more confused. Seeing Ryan's focused expression, he didn't want to disturb him. He just followed behind him, while furtively looking around. His clenched fist never loosened.

It's strange. Although this kind of Honkai energy is not enough to create Honkai Beasts, its long-term existence has an impact on the environment and humans. Why don't the Fire Moths come and deal with it?

This didn't follow the procedure for the "Moth to Fire" (a metaphor for a moth that chases flames), but he didn't call to ask.

The organization is not lacking in talented individuals at higher levels, and it cannot be ruled out that they are deliberately trying to antagonize the local government or engaging in other despicable acts such as harboring bandits.

We'll have to see it for ourselves.

"Hua, it might be dangerous to go any further. Do you want to turn back?"

"With you here, there will be no danger."

Well, you really think I'm Superman.

Ryan looked at the stubborn girl and didn't try to persuade her further. He just happened to have some questions for her.

"Stay close, and don't look like you're facing a formidable enemy. No one can touch you before I die."

His casual remark sounded as firm as the truth, and Hua blinked, a surge of intense joy instantly appearing on his usually expressionless face.

"Yes, senior brother!"

The two continued walking, encountering not a single person along the way, and not even hearing the barking of dogs.

Honkai energy is like radiation; individuals without the ability to adapt will experience dizziness and vomiting if they stay there for just one day, and will develop a terminal illness if they stay there for more than ten days.

In fact, there were already many animal carcasses in the fields on both sides, and with the dilapidated houses, it felt like walking in a wasteland. Hua glanced at the fishpond and couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine.

A thick layer of fish carcasses floated on the water's surface. The dense white bellies could trigger trypophobia on the spot, and the air was filled with a strong stench. She quickly suppressed her breathing to avoid vomiting.

After walking a little further, a village appeared ahead. A typhoon had just hit last month, and the deserted village was littered with debris, with some roofs broken off.

Hua suddenly stopped and stared intently at the pond at the village entrance.

There lay a person lying face up, their muscles weathered away, their empty eye sockets staring at the sky, and some crystalline things appearing on their body surface. Yet, this corpse was neither rotting nor infested with maggots, like a specimen dried by the sun.

The stench and the corpses made my already dizzy head feel even heavier, and I felt like I couldn't hold it in any longer.

"Senior brother, that is...!"

"The wanderer must have been trying to make a fortune by sneaking in, but his health was too poor, and he died before he could withstand a day of Honkai radiation," Ryan said casually, without mocking the somewhat flustered girl.

Hua is a martial artist, not a veteran or an assassin, so it's normal for him to be afraid when he sees the corpses of his own kind.

"If you feel like throwing up, just throw up. Don't hold it in. You'll get used to it."

Upon hearing this, the girl, who had been holding back all the way, finally couldn't take it anymore and started vomiting while leaning against a telephone pole.

Ryan shook his head, walked over and gently patted her back, rinsed her mouth with water, and in doing so, also thought about his own past.

The first time I dealt with assassins, the smell of blood and corpses almost made me faint from vomiting, but now I've actually gotten used to it.

He didn't know if this could be considered a tragedy, as he patted the girl's back while looking around.

The Honkai energy has risen to 8 HW, a significant increase, but it still hasn't reached the level of instant lethality, let alone generating Honkai Beasts.

Even the weakest assault class emits about 20 HW of energy, and the minimum required to produce suicide soldiers is 10 HW.

In the deathly silence, an eeriness permeated the place, and he recalled the urban legends Hua had told him.

"You just said that there are frequent incidents of people falling into the sea here?"

"Yeah, it started about two months ago. People have been coming here to jump into the sea to commit suicide. Carol browsed the Canghai forum and said there were dozens of people doing it, but those posts were all deleted later. The police even arrested a few people who were spreading rumors." Hua wiped his mouth and washed his face with water, finally feeling much better.

Since the posts were deleted to clarify the situation, then there must have been something like this.

Ryan knew the Firemoth's PR department all too well; no wonder they'd sealed off this area and wouldn't let anyone in. So, here's the question.

Was it a genuine suicide by jumping into the sea, or was it a cover-up for the Honkai Beasts' carnage?

He carefully surveyed his surroundings again—the village, the fields, the fishponds—but saw no signs of battle, no craters left by heavy munitions. Then—

wrong.

Ryan suddenly frowned, feeling that his dizziness was not normal, because the dizziness was mild and had lasted for a long time. He had previously thought it was because of the strong stench.

"Impossible. I've seen thousands of corpses in Marseille. What's this stench compared to that? Could it be that I deliberately ignored this anomaly?"

He was immediately jolted awake, quickly turned his head, and saw Hua rushing forward beside him. A child as obedient as her would never act on her own.

Jumping into the sea? A psychological trap!

The thought flashed through Ryan's mind quickly, and without the slightest hesitation, he chased after them.

At his speed, he could overtake Hua in an instant, keeping only a meter behind her, his eyes fixed on the village entrance.

Let me see who's behind this?

Author's note on the product launch!

I finally had time to write the author's note after getting off work at 8 p.m. As a part-time writer, I've managed to maintain an average of 200,000 words per month for the previous book for a year, and I've never missed a reward payment. I can say that I've done right by my conscience.

Longtime readers, no need to say more. New readers, feel free to turn on auto-subscription. Please support this newbie writer!

Ahem, let's get back to the book.

First, let's talk about the subject matter.

Shushu is a sensationalist on Shuke, known for her hit stories, especially the "Mourning Lamp" theme. This "debuff" is like a stubborn plaster, impossible to remove. Like this time, I felt like I'd gotten a little bit of attention, but then again, I didn't get anything at all. It was just a tiny bit, and I couldn't seem to get it in. (So frustrating!!)

Of course, it's not just about luck. The most important reason is the original intention of starting the book. Backstabbing and such are not important. Believe me, with a certain foundation of original plot (nonsense), I can still rank Hedgehog Cat. I can definitely make a self-consistent plot for Starry Sky Railway, which can be called a β world line. So why did I write about a pre-civilization?

Because my original intention in starting this book was to finish it, to finish it as perfectly as possible, to finish it without any regrets. That way, I can give you and myself an explanation. What if I write 500,000 words and get betrayed and reduced to ashes, and then I can't continue writing? Wouldn't that be a pity?

Just like the last book, I was very satisfied with it, wasn't that great?

Secondly, let's talk about the content.

As one longtime reader said, this is a challenge for Shu, because Shu has long written about niche and hardcore themes, but everyone knows what the focus of Honkai Impact 3rd is, so this is indeed a challenge.

But to put it another way, everyone has their own preferences. Faced with a whole lot of peach-themed articles, there should be something different, right? That's why I chose the pre-civilization story. Because this era is indeed cruel at its core, and I hope to show the true pre-civilization story.

It should contain genuine emotions, heroic laments, desperate cries, and the sunshine of hope.

On this basis, I also need to make progress, increase the description of emotions and daily life, and increase interaction. As my old readers know, the tree used to be like a giant rock, and I always need to add a few more colors.

Here, I would like to thank scholars like '丞相の野望' for their support. The setting can't be wrong, and constantly rewriting the source material can be quite a headache sometimes.

Thirdly, I want to thank everyone for providing me with food. Although I've been very busy these past few days, I still want to express my gratitude in this small way:

Tomorrow, I guarantee five chapters. If the number of first subscriptions exceeds five thousand, I will add an extra chapter. There is no upper limit!

Let me see, our passion!

Sala Trees

May 18th night

Chapter Forty-Five: I'm Not Afraid!

Before me lay a typical fishing village in China, with some tattered fishing nets drying in the doorway, and scattered around haphazardly arranged two-story buildings, with blue house numbers on the walls.

Yuyang Village?