Regarding the question of whether one thousand lives are enough to beat Honkai Impact 3rd.

When the Honkai truly erupts, all the regions it sweeps through will face a pale torrent and a terrifying Honkai erosion reminiscent of the Black Death in the Middle Ages. Vast swaths of black ash will cover the azure sky, transforming into a monstrous celestial phenomenon, announcing the arrival of the messengers of death.

The challenge that the research team at the Tower of Babylon is now trying to overcome is equivalent to the treatments and methods used to end the widespread spread of the Black Death in the Middle Ages.

Whenever Lomonlossov thought of this, he would feel a special sense of mission.

The reason why Destiny chose to inform the soldiers about some of the experimental projects in the Tower of Babylon was probably to prevent them from becoming mentally numb in the harsh environment.

This sense of mission kept the man, who had just put the vodka back in his pocket, on edge, and a few minutes later he managed to glimpse an even paler and colder unknown presence amidst the vast expanse of white snow.

Lomonrosov's heart skipped a beat, and he slammed down the sensor beside him, which followed a different operating logic, sounding the military alarm.

The man's physique was like that of a brown bear emerging from hibernation, yet his movements were swift and decisive, demonstrating the professionalism of someone in the military.

At that moment, the surrounding soldiers sprang into action, each brandishing their weapons and poised to attack.

Although it is unknown why the outer Honkai sensors failed to issue an early warning, the fact that Honkai beasts were attacking was undeniable.

However, none of the soldiers present panicked. To avoid such situations from the very beginning, this military supply station had put a lot of effort into its construction and its ability to defend against the enemy.

Not to mention the ammunition reserves sufficient to supply ten mechanized teams in combat, the related military equipment is countless.

Whether it's the most advanced Honkai energy sensing equipment of the current generation or the special mines in the distant snow that are controlled by signals to explode, they are only a small part of it.

Those pale behemoths, which had appeared on the vast snowfield at some unknown time, collapsed almost immediately under the hail of bullets. Their final struggles and feeble roars were drowned out by the ensuing barrage of firepower, and they lost all their vitality.

But amidst the vast snowstorm, even more monsters rose up. They came in all shapes and sizes, and most of them were demons that had been corrupted and modified from local animals. Their physical characteristics had been transformed into silicon-based life forms, freeing them from most of the weaknesses and constraints of carbon-based life forms, and they displayed extremely terrifying power and speed.

However, none of these beasts totaled more than one hundred, none of them reached 1000HW in Honkai energy level, and there wasn't even a single Temple-level beast among them. There wasn't a single one capable of gathering Honkai energy to unleash a ranged attack.

Under such circumstances, even though the demons' bodies were all made of steel, they could only perish under the well-trained attacks of modern troops, gradually dissipating the Honkai energy within them and letting it roam freely between heaven and earth, laying a deeper foundation for future calamities.

Such a small-scale war would not occur around the Tower of Babel on average every nine months, but there were quite a few precedents, so most soldiers just thought to themselves that they were lucky and did not feel any crisis.

After all, compared to the endless, seemingly endless life of guard duty where one could be buried in the snow at any moment, being able to occasionally make a sound with one's weapon, and having more to talk about when drinking and eating at night when the shift changes, is certainly a good thing.

The feeling of killing demons is quite stress-relieving, enough to express inner emotions and dispel much of the heavy gloom that is stuck deep in the chest.

36. [The world has kissed me with pain; I will repay it with a spear.]

Amidst the vast expanse of snow, a specially designed drone took off on orders from headquarters. Hovering in the air, it scanned the numerous Honkai beast carcasses scattered across the snowfield, retrieving and comparing relevant data to arrive at its conclusions:

"Based on the scene, most of the corpses were piled up in one place, suggesting that during the intense battle, they were preparing to take some tactical steps to advance, and it is suspected that there were Honkai Beasts with a slightly higher level of intelligence among them."

"The test report shows that all eighteen Honkai Beasts were evolved from local animals. Judging from the gradually decreasing residual Honkai energy power, which is expected to drop below 100HW in ten minutes, there are no survivors. We can try to remove them manually."

"Instructions received, crisis resolved."

The alarm at the A-81 military supply depot ceased, and the soldiers outside the depot lowered their weapons and were put down.

Lomonrosov gazed at the wreckage in the distant snowfield, unscrewed the flask again, took a sip of vodka, and looked up at the clear blue sky in the distance, as if washed by lake water.

The sunlight, breaking through the wind and snow, gradually spilling out, is announcing the arrival of good weather.

Given its location in the area, this is indeed quite rare. Even though the temperature did not rise, the clear view brought joy and even warmed the somewhat chilly body.

If he can stay at this supply depot for another three months, his three-year-long posting will be over. Then he can take his wife and parents to a warm and suitable country for a long-awaited trip.

The man suddenly recalled the black bear that used to frequently pass by in the mountains near the courtyard, and the embarrassing scene of being beaten dizzy by the bear. He grinned.

It's been three years. I wonder if that guy is still in the same place.

Lomonrosov underwent extremely rigorous training in the military. In the meantime, in order to pay for the renovation of his new house, he volunteered for a moderately risky stigma transplant surgery, which successfully amplified his already extremely strong body and even his Honkai energy literacy.

As long as that brown bear isn't corrupted into a demon by Honkai energy, they can still have a wrestling game and a fun duel between men.

Well, one thing worth mentioning is that the person in charge of this project was Möbius.

Although he wouldn't act recklessly like before because of his promise to Su Qing'an, in a sense, being experimented on by this woman was no different from walking through the gates of hell.

After all, unless the power of the Black Abyss White Flower is always by their side to assist them, such transplantation surgery will inevitably result in some casualties.

Therefore, even Su Qing'an could not impose such an unreasonable restriction on Mebius, which absolutely forbade any sacrifices.

On the other hand, the rather generous subsidy reveals the hidden risks involved.

Lomonosov, who miraculously survived, had no idea what was going on. He only felt that he was indeed a strong man who could fight black bears. Apart from experiencing a few painful initial rejection reactions, his body felt full of vitality and energy, and he could wrestle with seven or eight black bears.

This made the man disregard the physical exertion of standing guard. He stood straight in place, gazing at the scenery that would soon be covered again by the wind and snow, until a faint shout came from afar...

...

...

Fifteen minutes ago.

Heavy snow fell on the spruce forest.

The girl huddled in a makeshift house built of resin. Her clothes were still thin, and the bloodstains, now congealed in the fabric fibers, were particularly glaring in the white world.

Ten days without food or water.

Ten days of stagnation.

Celine seemed to be aware of her extremely delicate state. She never tried to recall why she came here, nor did she ever think of leaving this cold and desolate world.

Perhaps, in the girl's mind, the warmth of birdsong and fragrant flowers, and the fairytale-like life, had long been separated from her by a clear boundary, with an untouchable barrier and unfamiliarity.

She not only gradually realized that she was slowly turning into a monster devoid of humanity, but was also losing the courage and ability to accept and be loved.

So, it's fine to just stay here.

It doesn't matter if I live alone forever.

At least……

She also had those close friends who would obediently rub against her ankles, letting her snow-covered fur stroke her. Whenever the night grew increasingly dark, they would all come to her side to keep her company, and together they would fall into a deep sleep in the wind and snow.

For Sirin now, that's enough.

Even in this state, she noticed that her friends were gradually becoming strange. Whether it was the snow wolf, the huge polar bear, or other animals, they were all slowly becoming abnormal.

Their soft fur gradually turned into a paler, harder shell, their teeth in their mouths became increasingly ferocious and sharp, their bodies and shapes slowly grew larger, and their eyes were tinged with a beautiful yet eerie purple. Their overall appearance was completely different from what they were used to.

However, due to her special family environment, the little girl had very limited knowledge. Coupled with her current strange psychological state, she only felt that it was a bit strange and did not have any other emotions. She even became curious about the changes and carefully observed and touched them.

These "friends" remained as obedient and gentle as ever. In this unusual environment, Xilin didn't feel anything was wrong. She carefully named each of her "friends," immersing herself in this hard-won friendship and care, filling the increasingly painful emptiness in her chest.

Xilin stroked the young snow fox in her arms. Its eyes blinked, revealing an adorable innocence. She observed her good friend, who had changed no other way except for its eyes turning purple, and couldn't help but rub against its fluffy ears.

The snow fox's fur was clean and soft, and its appearance and size were almost the same as before. However, its eyes, which were full of eerie purple, and its weight, which was so light that even a frail girl could easily pick it up, were very meaningful.

A professional anatomical analysis would reveal that all the internal organs in the animal's cavity, as well as the flesh and blood of its brain, were transformed into a filamentous network woven from transparent fibers in an extremely high concentration of Honkai energy, which stored an extremely unnatural level of Honkai energy.

This level of Honkai energy, which already far exceeds the limits that the local environment can cultivate, is becoming increasingly terrifying as it spends more and more time with Sirin. It is eager to climb to a higher HW power, gradually surpassing the Temple-level Great Shield Knight, and is evolving into an Emperor-level demon.

This is something only a Herald can do.

However, it seems that the Herrschers of the past have never had the habit of actively promoting the Honkai Beasts under their command. At present, Sirin has clearly not yet fully connected with the Honkai consciousness, but she already possesses some of the abilities that belong to the Herrscher.

Her sudden arrival in Siberia was likely an accident caused by the unstable power of the Herrscher of the Void.

However, considering that Sirin's background, experiences, birthplace, interpersonal relationships, and even a series of other factors have undergone significant changes, the fact that she was able to follow the original timeline's trajectory to Siberia and even reach the area near the Tower of Babel under such "coincidence" and "accident" must be inseparable from the corrective force.

"Yo yo—"

The snow fox suddenly nuzzled the girl's chin with its head, letting out an urgent cry. Its soft, boneless body slipped from her embrace, its limbs falling like cotton onto the snow, circling around her as if conveying some message.

Sirin nodded repeatedly, seemingly understanding. She could use her Herrscher instincts to understand the will of the Honkai Beasts under her command, so it wasn't surprising that these demons, whom she considered "friends," could communicate with her.

The strange thing about this scene is that most of the Honkai Beasts do not have self-awareness. They only have the most basic instincts, and even whether they have emotions is an unknown that is difficult to define.

Even though the Herrscher is a top-tier individual on the Honkai side, capable of easily issuing commands to the Honkai Beasts under their command, the latter's only response is silent execution or a few vague roars.

Even the Judgment-level Honkai Beasts are no exception.

The exceptions are either products of research conducted within humanity or Honkai Beasts that have been endowed with a pseudo-Herrscher core by the Herrschers, and after taking human form, possess intelligence similar to that of the Herrscher.

However, this snow fox clearly did not have a simulated core, nor was it a product of human experimentation, yet it displayed intelligence that seemed to be no less than that of humans, which was obviously extraordinary.

However, if someone could look back on these ten days, they would find that both the snow fox and the other animals could communicate with her in a simple way, and all of them possessed remarkable intelligence.

This snow fox was particularly special; it would even read bedtime stories and Tagore's poems to Celine, just like Celine's mother.

It's unrealistic to say there were no hidden stories or conspiracies involved.

But the girl lacked this common sense. She not only didn't find these things strange or confusing, but also cherished and appreciated the "friends" with whom she could communicate.

This is also why Celine names all the animals.

The most special "friend" right now, Sirin named her Elena.

This sounds similar to her mother's name, and it probably carries a special sentiment.

The girl emerged from the makeshift hut built of branches, her pale feet stepping into the snow, her long purple hair fluttering in the wind. She crouched down, watching the snow fox dance with boundless joy, tilted her head, and said:

"Do you think they ran off to play somewhere else?"

"And then, can I join them too?"

A strong wind blew through the branches of the spruce trees, and the swaying snow startled away several squirrels with furry tails. The temperature here was as low as minus twenty degrees Celsius. Even a strong adult Russian man, without any equipment or external assistance, would become a corpse in the snowstorm if he wore such thin clothing.

However, Sirin is already approaching complete Herrscher transformation without anyone noticing. The core that should be linked to her consciousness and buried in her chest cavity is, like the First Herrscher, being integrated into her flesh and blood in the form of DNA. Therefore, she can no longer be regarded as a normal child at this stage.

Even if one continues to live in such an environment without any intention of eating, the Honkai energy within the body will maintain the health and strength of this body.

However, even so, Celine was not entirely oblivious to the cold or hunger. Subconsciously, she still saw herself as an ordinary human being, and her body's instincts responded accordingly, giving her the corresponding signals and constraints.

In such a harsh environment, the only food available was practically equivalent to what her "friends" ate.

The girl endured it all.

Under these circumstances, Sirin naturally longed for entertainment other than building snowmen, talking to her "friends," and listening to Elena tell stories to distract herself.

Upon hearing this, the white fox nodded in a human-like manner, causing her to smile and respond with a delighted expression:

"Okay, where are they?"

The snow fox rubbed against her palm, let out a few low whimpers, and then, like a snow sprite, left a trail of footprints on the soft earth and walked away into the distance.

Just as Xilin was about to follow its steps, the snow wolf that had been sleeping behind the house slowly got up, obediently jumped in front of her, and lay down on the ground, as if gesturing for her to sit on it.

Like its other "friends," it has undergone a major change in its physical form. Whether it is the structure of its flesh and blood, the density of its bones, or even the material and construction of its fur, it has been completely transformed and can hardly be called the same species as before.

This white wolf was over two meters tall, and its soft fur had been replaced with a thick layer of gelatinous substance mixed with pure white scales as hard as steel. Purple patterns spread all over its body, and its drooping beast eyes were hollow and submissive, making it both majestic and quite beautiful.

Of course, if a normal person were to encounter it, their first reaction would certainly not be that this demon is good-looking.