Didn't you go to Teyvat to earn money to support me?

But Ling still showed signs of Honkai energy reaction, which means something happened to her... But if something hadn't happened to her, things might have been even worse...

"Where are the fusion warriors with flight capabilities? And the drones? Send them up and see what's going on in the experimental area!" Mei decisively ordered, but then she paused, suddenly realizing something, and abruptly pulled up her terminal, shouting, "Why do I need to remind you? You should know what to do! Are you deliberately not going up? What's up there!?"

The fusion warrior on the other end of the terminal was silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed.

"Dr. Mei, is it because the Herrscher is your friend that you can choose to give her a way out? This is a betrayal of humanity, Dr. Mei. But I believe you are just being sentimental for a moment, so it's okay. We will take care of the cleanup. You can settle accounts with us however you want afterward. For the future of humanity, we have already decided to do whatever it takes."

Mei Xin felt a chill run down her spine. This wasn't just one or two people breaking free of control; it was all planned. Even the fusion warriors on duty today... were troublemakers.

The next moment, Mei felt the ground beneath her feet shake for a moment. She swayed and grabbed the table for support. Then the communication suddenly went out, the screens in the entire central control room went out, and the emergency lights dimly lit up.

"What happened!" Mei asked immediately.

"It's the power station! Someone has cut off our power station in Sector A1! This means the Fusion Warriors at command center can't go to the hangar to retrieve armor and weapons, and the emergency procedures have been activated! Every sector has been isolated, and our Fusion Warriors can't reach Sector D5!"

Come prepared.

The emergency procedure is an automatic activation mechanism that takes effect when the Fire Chaser base's energy system is compromised. It physically isolates different zones to prevent enemies who have infiltrated Fire Chaser from escaping and causing chaos in other areas. Since Fire Chaser still has many civilians, this system ensures they have ample time to evacuate.

However, at this moment, the system actually hindered Mei's command. Once the isolation wall was raised, it was not easy to destroy, as it was an isolation wall made using the Fifth Divine Key.

----------

A1 zone nuclear reactor power plant.

A fusion warrior on guard duty suddenly covered his colleague's mouth from behind, and a powerful sedative was poured into his nose. The man struggled for less than five seconds before collapsing limply.

Then the fusion warrior brandished his combat-grade Zhoubo knife, turned and entered the reactor safety room, easily stabbing the power reactor's cooler with a single strike.

The alarm immediately sounded: "Reactor overheating. The reactor temperature has exceeded the limit and is melting. Condensate is being prepared. Do not perform any operations. Reactor overheating..."

"boom!"

The violent explosion shook the entire A1 area. The fusion warriors who had deactivated their defensive field turned to look at the ground outside the room. A transparent wall was rapidly rising and enveloping all the buildings in A1 area.

"Key of Stagnation - All Things Sleep," a divine key created from the core of the Herrscher of Ice, crafted by Velvet. Although Shen Liang believed this thing should be turned into a weapon, the Fire Chaser Base still didn't quite understand how to utilize the power of the Herrscher of Ice, so it was made into an isolation wall.

This barrier has the property of slowing down the movement of particles that are fundamental to matter. In short, any matter in motion will slow down when it gets close to it, so in a sense it is almost an absolute defense. Only a handful of fusion warriors can break through its defenses.

The fastest way to break down this wall isn't by hacking it down, but by repairing the power station and entering the password to shut it down. However, this would take half an hour to an hour, enough time for them to kill Ling.

----------

In the central control room, the communications officer realized what these people were up to. She looked at Mei anxiously and said, "This is a rebellion!"

Mei remained silent, deep in thought, her eyes darting around rapidly.

"Call Mr. Kevin! If Mr. Kevin comes back, they won't dare to make a move!"

“East Asia has fallen. The Honkai Beast tide outside the base has lasted for half a month. Kevin is the strongest force against them. He can’t come back. The outside world is more important than the inside.” Mei said coldly. “I will come.”

"You've come?" The communications officer was dumbfounded. "You've come? What a load of rubbish! You're just an ordinary person! Those who are launching a rebellion now, trying to assassinate Herrschers while the high-level Fusion Warriors are away, are at least Fusion Warriors themselves!"

“The Blank Key, and I also have the core of the Herrscher of Binding stored here,” Mei whispered. “Twenty minutes. Give me twenty minutes and I can open the isolation wall and go to the hangar to install the Blank Key. I hope Ling can hold on for twenty minutes…”

But deep down she knew very well that it was impossible for her to make it in time.

Ling is an ordinary child; she wouldn't last two seconds against a fusion warrior, let alone twenty minutes. Moreover, the Honkai reaction has already occurred, meaning the fusion warriors have begun their battle.

Mei was filled with a mixture of anger and confusion. She couldn't understand why such a group so hostile to the Herrschers had suddenly appeared in the base. Her only hope was that Ling's vital signs were still present; at least she was alive, though she didn't know why the fusion warriors hadn't succeeded yet.

--------------

Five minutes ago, Ling was taken to the rooftop of the tallest building in the experimental zone.

"This time, we should give her a quick death," said the fusion warrior who kicked Ling to the edge of the rooftop. "Although she is a Herrscher, she is still human. We don't need to treat her like a Herrscher. Just kill her cleanly with one strike."

Another executioner who drew Zhou Bo's knife laughed and said, "Xima, you're the one who's most jealous of others, aren't you? Now you're pretending to be a good person."

"I just can't stand those high-ups' hypocritical ways. Doesn't this little bastard deserve to die? She's only alive because she's Sakura's sister. This kind of double standard only destroys what little unity humanity has left!" Sima said coldly. "Kill her and throw her here, let those high-ups see our determination to eliminate the Honkai. Not even their parents are safe, let alone their sisters! Every Herrscher must die, that's the rule they set!"

Ling was pinned down by two fusion warriors, her shoulders pressed against a dented wooden table. She struggled, which displeased the executioner. He stomped down hard, stepping on her neck to force her to kneel in front of the table, her neck pressed against the dent.

Ling lowered her head, and suddenly realized what the "table" was. It wasn't actually a table; it was a wooden pillow with a groove for the neck. It was an ancient device used for beheadings. The fusion warriors had even specially crafted a wooden one for her execution, so that when they chopped her off, her head would fall smoothly off the building.

It was very ceremonial.

These people hate her, hate the Herrscher with a vengeance. They even want to kill her swiftly and impactfully, so they found this thing to demonstrate their unwavering determination to kill.

They weren't afraid of offending Sakura at all; Ling thought they had gone mad.

The fear had reached its limit and was no longer so terrifying. Ling clutched her phone tightly inside her clothes. She didn't know if she had turned off the phone's communication. If she hadn't, wouldn't she be broadcasting her death to Shen Liang live? It was too horrible, too ugly. Compared to death, she suddenly felt that letting others hear the sound of her dying was even more terrifying.

She struggled to lift her head to look at the smiling fusion warriors around her, but they looked like ghosts to her.

Why are they laughing so happily? I did nothing, why do they hate me so much? Thinking of their menacing posture, their teeth grinding and blood-sucking posture, she felt a chill in her heart.

—But one cannot be cold…one cannot harbor hatred…

Ling suppressed her fear and grief, knowing she couldn't have too many negative emotions. The Honkai was watching the dark places in your heart. You were the Herrscher's body, the vessel chosen by the Honkai. The more fear, hatred, and anger you felt, the more you fell into the Honkai's trap, and you might truly lose control and become a Herrscher yourself.

Even now, Ling doesn't want to become a Herrscher; she's suppressing her emotions.

Because she didn't want to let down those who trusted her: Mei, Sakura, Eve, Alicia... those who believed her will could overcome the Honkai, those who encouraged her to bravely confront the Herrscher consciousness and live as a human.

But will Sakura come to save her?

Will the doll come to save her?

Ling suddenly thought, a slight shiver running through her, her heart filled with anxiety... She was about to die, would anyone come to save her? She had done it, even in death she had never succumbed to the collapse, so could she, before she died... see those clear eyes? That cold, aloof child who had stolen her heart?

“Lower your head,” Sima whispered in her ear with a smile, “Close your eyes, so you won’t be afraid or in pain when you die.”

"Pain?" Ling smiled through gritted teeth. She thought that this person must be going crazy with hatred and jealousy towards her. She was a miserable wife who had lost her daughter and husband, but she was a young and beautiful fox. Eve only played with her once and forgot her name, but she could call Wawa whenever she wanted. She was one of the recognized official girlfriends of Wawa in the circle.

How much of your hatred for me is just jealousy? You people are suffering more, aren't you?

And do you even know what fear is?

What's so scary about dying?

The fusion warrior stepped on her with great force, and she couldn't even struggle anymore. The buzzing sound of Zhou Bo's blade was close by, and the fear that she had been fighting against all along rose up.

Because she realized she had a sliver of hope, she longed, so longed to see the child come to save her before she died. But she was terrified. She knew Eve couldn't possibly come. The child's entire understanding was instilled in him; he didn't understand emotions or love. He didn't even know how to be a "boyfriend," he simply treated her as a playmate.

So he had no independent will; perhaps even now he was just obediently staying in Sakura's room, following the base's orders. He wouldn't leave unless permitted by the base, as docile as a toy to be manipulated. From beginning to end, Doll was merely a caged bird raised by the Moth of the Flame... She slowly despaired.

Suddenly, a huge spotlight shone on, almost blinding Ling. The fusion warrior carrying out the execution glanced at the brightly lit rooftop and laughed, "Now everyone in the entire Fire Chaser Base can see this! Live broadcast! Let's cheer and witness the execution of the Twelfth Herrscher!"

Ling suddenly realized that this was her end. The group of madmen turned on their searchlights so that everyone could see her being beheaded, but they could also see her now.

She could no longer endure the torment of still caring about someone until her death. She decided that, at least in her final moments, she would let that child know that she loved him! That child didn't understand love. Mei couldn't teach him, Ying couldn't teach him, and those women who doted on him were all too powerful, so powerful that they could survive without his love. Therefore, he couldn't learn.

But at least now he knows that he is needed by someone, someone who would spend their entire short life calling his name.

The executioner raised the Zhoubo knife high.

Looking at the pitch-black fire-fighting base outside the high-rise building, Ling shouted loudly, "Shen..."

Shen? Why Shen?

Ling hadn't realized what she was shouting; she couldn't even hear her own voice. She heard the wind behind her getting closer, the blade of death about to fall, but she had shouted it out, and she was no longer afraid.

But the sound of Zhou Bo's blade didn't subside; on the contrary, an even more powerful sound arose.

A young man with blue wings on his back floated in the sky, his black hair flying in the wind. He held a white longbow in his hand, the string still vibrating. His expression was no longer silent, but rather as fierce as iron.

It was like a caged bird that finally broke free of its golden cage in anger.

"Eve...? How could Eve be here?" the executioner cried out in terror. Then, she belatedly felt the pain. She looked down and found that her abdomen had been torn apart. A black arrow had pierced her waist, and a strange force was gradually disintegrating her body.

"Black Abyss White Flower!" Someone gasped. "How did Black Abyss end up in his hands?!"

"No! No, no, no, it's not just Black Abyss White Flower! The Herrscher of Wind's core is also on him!" the sharp-eyed fusion warrior exclaimed. "The doll has an affinity for the Herrscher core! He can utilize the Herrscher core!"

"You're insane! Eve!"

Despite the great distance, Ling looked up and met Shen Liang's gaze.

“I heard you,” Shen Liang said softly, “but it’s better to keep quiet and not let the dream collapse.”

No one knew what he was saying, including Ling. But Ling realized he was talking to her, and she bit her lip, tears streaming down her face, and nodded heavily.

Chapter Twenty-Four: The Boy's Dead End

Countless fusion warriors emerged from the rooftops of high-rise buildings from all directions. It was a carefully planned operation, and at least half of the fusion warriors remaining at the base participated in the attack.

This is the best time. The high-ranking fusion warriors who are close to Ling have been fighting outside for several days because of the Honkai Beast tide. Although the warriors who stayed behind were relatively mediocre, most of them had been keeping an eye on the Herrscher for a long time.

The command center and D5 district had lost contact, and by the time Mei arrived, it was all over. In the minds of the Fusion Warriors, this wasn't a rebellion, but a mutiny. They genuinely believed that the high-ranking leaders had been influenced by the Herrscher, allowing him to live so ostentatiously for so long. But it wasn't Kevin and the others' fault; as long as the Herrscher was eliminated, everything would return to normal.

Even with Eve's appearance, they showed no restraint, only anger and embarrassment.

"Eve has been bewitched too!" Sima roared. "Capture her alive! Eve is the core of the Son of Man plan. Just cripple her, but don't kill her!"

"rest assured."

The squad leader on duty today nodded and beckoned the fusion warriors who possessed the ability to fly to take off. "Let's all attack together! Don't fire randomly, we can take down the doll with a knife! This kid must be crazy, he's got some nerve!"

Shen Liang looked at the squad leader's fleshy face, silently nocked an arrow, and drew the bowstring.

He had no scruples left; in fact, these fusion warriors would only maintain their thoughts for ten seconds at most, because he had killed people and was going to continue killing.

When these people realize that he is killing for the Herrscher, he will be completely on the opposite side of them, and at that time they will not hold back.

But Shen Liang didn't care about any of that. All he wanted was for Ling to live, and he was willing to kill all of them for that.