I've already said this isn't a life simulator!

Then, the mangled body collapsed helplessly, turning into foam in the water. The splashed blood quietly faded away, dissolving into the water and disappearing, leaving only a [Herrscher Core] lying quietly in place.

"........."

Xi Wang silently wiped the corner of her mouth, then continued walking forward at a leisurely pace.

…………

………………

Fewer and fewer voices are being heard in the meeting...

Is there anyone else? Is anyone else able to speak?

It tentatively raised an inquiry during the meeting, but only silence responded to it.

No...that's all?!

Its expression turned terrified, and it quickened its pace of escape once more.

No...no, I must survive, I must survive!

It muttered to itself.

Now I'm all alone... I must live... I must live to avenge "us"... That's it! The spaceship! With my abilities, I can use the spaceship to leave directly! Back to human society! To kill those they protect! Kill them all!

They must pay a price a thousand times, ten thousand times greater than ours!

bang——

It slammed open the gate and rushed through the torrential rain to the square where the aircraft were parked. It jumped directly into one of the aircraft, ignoring the bad weather, and placed its hand on the control panel. Its power began to spread, quickly analyzing the aircraft's system and activating it.

Hurry...hurry...

It muttered anxiously to itself, as if this could alleviate its inner fear.

Whether it was good luck or not, when its aircraft took off and even flew to a certain altitude, Xiwang did not chase after it.

"Thank goodness, they escaped..."

It breathed a slight sigh of relief.

tick-

A drop of rain fell on its face, causing it to freeze.

tick-

Rainwater pierced the glass and slapped against its surface. Although the rainwater was capable of penetrating reinforced glass, it turned back into ordinary water upon contact with it, carrying only a slightly damp smell and a cool temperature.

It was like a prank, like a mockery.

The rain seemed to gain unparalleled impact at this moment. It could even penetrate the reinforced glass on the Fire Moth's aircraft. Even the Fire Moth's special aircraft shell could be dented by the rain. However, when the rain fell on its face, it could only wet its face.

What is this? Is this just playing around?

It sat blankly in the driver's seat, unresponsive to the raindrops pelting its body... It no longer wanted to think.

Because in front of it, in front of the flying aircraft, a huge, azure, translucent whale leisurely leaped out, as if leaping from the sea, displaying its enormous and beautiful body, and then leisurely turned to the side and slowly descended.

What...are you kidding me...?

Watching the "whale" rapidly descending before it, it muttered to itself, staring blankly, as if it had lost the ability to think.

boom! ! !

A huge flame emerged in the rain-shrouded sky, but was quickly obscured by the rain, and even the sound of the explosion was drowned out by the rain.

Snapped--

A Herrscher Core fell and was caught by Xiwang.

"...Have you finished reading?"

Xi Wang turned around indifferently through the rain, looking at the two people standing in the building sheltering from the downpour.

"........."

"Not going to say anything?"

"You... you're still hoping, aren't you?"

"As you can see, I have indeed returned."

Xi Wang tossed the [Herrscher Core] in her hand to the other party, and then planted the dark greatsword in her hand into the ground.

A predatory gaze sweeps over, creating a strong sense of unease, but this feeling quickly fades. Although the discomfort remains, at least the illusion of being "eaten at any moment" is no longer present.

"Fusion Warrior - Wang reporting for duty, Dr. May, Kevin."

He responded in a calm and friendly tone.

"So, can I see them? I... miss them a little."

Chapter Forty-Eight: Happiness is Being Able to See Each Other

[You've returned to land, and although you encountered a Herrscher as soon as you came back, it's a good thing for you. At least you can gain the trust of others through your actions, and it can also alleviate some of the emotions that have been building up inside you.]

The torrential rain that had blanketed the island quickly subsided, and under the bright sunshine, you followed May and Kevin to Vilvie's workshop, where you had a conversation with them... They were indeed still somewhat wary of you, but you didn't care, simply answering their questions one by one.

[For example, how you survived, the special circumstances in the "ocean," how you returned from the "ocean," why you became like this... and, the final fate of Hen.]

Although the process was somewhat tortuous, May and Kevin eventually confirmed your identity and welcomed your return, while officially declaring Scar's condition as "dead."

[However, due to your current special circumstances, you are ordered not to leave the island. After all, the abnormally terrifying collapse emanating from you can put many people on edge.]

You don't care; right now, you'd rather see Alicia and Sakura.

May says that both of them are on their way, and you can rest on the island for a while. After learning about this, you also say that you want to go see Gretchen.

The "deepest part" lies here: you promised to come back and visit her, and now you must fulfill your promise.

You re-enter the "deepest place," facing Gretchen's gaze, pure and without a trace of resentment, and her question, "Brother Wang, have you come to see me?" You simply and gently, slowly, step forward and embrace her.

"Yes, Gretchen, I've come to see you," you replied.

[Having received a reply, Gretchen gently hugged you in return, saying that your "color" was somewhat different from what she had seen before; it had become a little damp, like water.]

Gretchen also handed you the painting she had finished. You looked at the painting, which was covered with a jumble of colors, and you could only vaguely make out another scene hidden beneath the colors. You were speechless for a moment... but in the end you still accepted it.

You met Aponia and Kosmo again. You were fairly friendly to both of them. Although Aponia always maintained that "wanting to say something but ultimately saying nothing" attitude towards you, you didn't mind. On the contrary, it was quite unexpected to see Kosmo here... According to him, he came here for some personal reasons, which also allowed him to take care of Gretsch.

It seems Gretchen is doing quite well here, which is a relief... at least Herm's daughter is doing well, that's good.

[You spent some more time with Gretchen, during which time Kosmo and Aponia repeatedly warned you not to stay with Gretchen for too long, otherwise Gretchen would be like a pure white canvas stained with your "color," changing her personality and even further affecting her as a person... But in the end, you still stayed by Gretchen's side.]

It's not for any other reason, it's simply that Gretchen doesn't want you to leave. In Gretchen's words, she likes the "color" on you; now that you're wet, like watercolor paint, she likes it very much.

This explanation left Aponia and Kosmo speechless, leaving them with no choice but to let Gretsch do as she pleased... And strangely enough, aside from frequently painting scenes of the ocean or marine life, Gretsch herself didn't show any obvious changes, which was both reassuring and somewhat surprising.

After all, you're the only one who can get close to Gretsch without leaving much of an "imprint" on her. Everyone else, even Aponia, Kosmo, or even Mebius, are the same. If they stay around Gretsch for too long, they'll all leave a very strong "imprint" on her.

This is also why, even though Mebius loved Gretchen so much, she rarely came to see her... Mebius didn't want her "color" to leave too distinct a mark on Gretchen, as that wouldn't be a good thing for Gretchen.

Now, others understand why Gretsch "likes" you so much. After all, as long as she stays by your side, she won't have much "color" left on her, allowing her to maintain her own image for a long time... That's how it seems to others. As for what Gretsch herself thinks, that's unclear.

Soon after, you finally met Sakura and Alicia.

There were no dramatic moments when we met; there was no venting or crying. For you, a hug, a greeting, a smile—that was enough.

Being able to be together is the greatest happiness.

However, the long separation still had an effect on you both. Sakura fell asleep in your arms after a long time, her long, slender ears resting on the back of your neck as usual, giving you a slightly furry feeling. She would occasionally nuzzle you gently, showing her affection.

You also tried your best to control the ever-increasing water around you, trying to keep yourself from getting too wet, so that Sakura wouldn't wake up completely soaked like before.

You pulled your "outer shell"...or rather, your "hunter's outfit" a little tighter, extending the trench coat portion slightly, and then gently draped it over Sakura to keep her a bit warmer.

[As for Alicia, she remained as lively as ever. Even in the darkness-filled "Deepest Place," her radiance could not be concealed. When she arrived, it seemed as if the surrounding darkness dissipated considerably, as if influenced by her liveliness and cuteness.]

Alicia wouldn't disturb your time with Sakura. She simply controlled herself, walking lightly but silently to your side, then bending down to gently tease Sakura's animal ears... She liked to do this whenever Sakura fell asleep in your arms, as it was a rare time when Sakura didn't consciously control her animal ears.

At this moment, you might reach out and gently grasp Alicia's hand in your own... This can make you feel a little better, and allow you to truly feel that Alicia is still here, Sakura is still here, and they are still by your side.

Although Alicia was somewhat surprised, she didn't object. She just teased you lightly, saying that you sometimes expressed your emotions too frankly, which made others feel strange and caused some wonderful yet strange misunderstandings... However, she didn't seem to mind. Instead, she responded enthusiastically, gently squeezing your hand to show you—she was right there.

Alicia is still smiling, her bright, unchanging smile as she speaks softly to you. She is still the same as before, as if she has endless things to say and countless stories to tell... And because of this, you can understand more clearly what happened on land while you were struggling in the "ocean".

[First of all, naturally, your "Fusion Warriors" have gained a few more companions, one of whom is Eden, and she has also obtained the right to use "Star Harmony," which is a "Divine Key" weapon made from the "Ninth Herrscher Core."]

In fact, Eden originally wanted to come to the "Deepest Depths" to visit you with Alicia and Sakura, but his request was rejected by the Firemoth.

Afterwards, Alicia recounted some interesting events that had occurred during the Fire Moth's time, and also told you that Möbius might come to see you soon... You weren't surprised by this; even if Möbius didn't come on her own initiative, you would have extended an invitation to her.

It's not that you've changed your opinion or attitude towards Möbius, but mainly it's because she once said that if you had any special circumstances, you should go to her... Möbius has ultimately helped you a lot, and even though you don't particularly like her, you're willing to fulfill these not-too-excessive requests.

[However, since you are now ordered not to leave the "deepest place," you also cannot "visit her"; you can only ask her to come to you.]

However, Alicia seemed to remember something and told you with a smile not to be too surprised when you see Mebius... She said that for some special reason, Mebius has become even cuter, like a little girl.

[And when you see Mebius again, you understand what Alicia meant... Mebius really has become a little girl, although her personality hasn't changed at all, but she's somewhat... strange.]

As for what happened to you in the "ocean," Alicia was very curious, or rather, everyone was curious, about how you returned from the "ocean"... and you told Alicia about your experience without reservation.

[When you were talking about Skadi, you paused for a moment, and your mood seemed a little down, but you eventually told Alicia everything, including the fact that you considered Skadi a friend.]

Alicia was slightly surprised, but then smiled happily and was pleased that you had made a "new friend"... She didn't seem to care about Skadi's Honkai Beast identity; on the contrary, she was quite... happy when she learned about it?

However, others don't see it that way... The Fire Moth learned about your detailed situation in the "Ocean" through Alicia and confirmed that there wasn't anything seriously wrong with what you told May and Kevin, just that it wasn't as detailed as your description of Alicia.

[But Moth of Flame still believes that you are no longer the "Fusion Warrior" you once were. After all... you actually befriended a Honkai Beast, not only can you coexist peacefully with it, but you are even willing to name it, and what's more... you can even understand the "language" of the Honkai Beast.]

Secondly, your fighting style has also raised questions for Moth of the Flame. Your near-slaughter "hunting" of the "Tenth Herrscher" is terrifying, especially based on May and Kevin's descriptions and your own monologues during battle. Moth of the Flame speculates that you may have "eaten" many "Tenth Herrscher individuals."

This near-cannibalistic situation disgusted the Fire-Chasing Moth, further solidifying its belief that you have already been corrupted by the Honkai.

Of course, none of these are the most important things. After all, you have shown friendliness to May and Kevin, Sakura and Alicia are willing to vouch for you, and even Mebius is willing to stand up for you.

[Mebius even refuted the Fire Moth's arguments point by point... Your ability to understand the Honkai Beasts' language is likely due to the overactive "Gabriel" gene within you, although logically you should be suffering a backlash from the "Gabriel" gene at this time.]

[But the fact is you survived and clearly retained your consciousness, keeping you in a "critical" state, which is undoubtedly a topic that deserves a lot of research.]

Secondly, there was the so-called "cannibalism." Mebius scoffed that this was merely the Fire Moth's delusion. After all, they were "Herrschers," and even if they maintained human form, they were still "Herrschers." How could the Fire Moth have the audacity to utter such words as "cannibalism"?

After all, whether it's Honkai Beasts, Herrschers, or Fusion Warriors fighting for humanity, they've all been labeled "monsters" by Flame Chaser. She even allows the public to view Fusion Warriors as monsters without offering any rebuttal. Given all this, how can Flame Chaser have the audacity to say such things?

According to the Firemoth itself, this is merely a unique way to eliminate "Herrschers," simply a normal process of devouring among "monsters," so how can it be considered "cannibalism"?