The Twelve Trials Starting from Zero

A sudden gust of wind arose, sending pieces of paper flying everywhere. Su Qi flashed out of the bedroom and instantly appeared in front of the mirror in the bathroom.

"Feel……"

He stared intently at his hair in the mirror, carefully examining each strand and follicle. After a while, his brows furrowed slowly. "This is bad. It feels a little thinner, and my hairline seems to have receded another millimeter."

A year has passed, and thanks to the One-Punch Man template, coupled with Su Qiyuan's even more efficient training methods than Saitama's, he is now a true One-Punch Man. Whether it's an Emperor-level Honkai Beast, a Judgment-level Honkai Beast, or the three Herrschers that appeared in the past year, they were all annihilated by his single punch.

Because of this exaggerated record, he has earned nicknames on the internet such as "The Strongest Male Martial God of Destiny", "One-Punch Man", "Super Boy", "Su Aotian", "Light of Humanity", and "Cheater Superman".

But while his skills improved by leaps and bounds, he also had a special problem – hair loss.

Although with Su Qi's superhuman physique, hair loss should be impossible, this phenomenon seems more like a curse associated with the One-Punch Man template. Even though he carefully and precisely controls his training volume and meticulously checks and cares for his hair every day, he still cannot avoid the phenomenon of hair falling out.

Damn it, it's all Otto's fault! If he hadn't been so good at playing defensively, I probably would have already finished the game and returned to the starting point. I wouldn't be working like this every day, exhausted and facing hair loss...

Su Qi once again shifted the blame to Otto, and was about to use a secret hair conditioner that embodied the highest technology of destiny to nourish his hair when Roselier suddenly sent him a message.

"Huh? That thing's finished? Finally, I can go and beat up Otto!?"

He was slightly taken aback, then overjoyed. It was a relief; his hair and his handsome image could finally be saved.

Ugh, the closer I get to the end of the book, the more I struggle with getting stuck...

Chapter Sixty-Five: From Archbishop to Thief

A few minutes later, Su Qi left the dormitory and headed to the research institute where Roselle was located.

Boom boom boom boom...

Walking on the main floating island of the Destiny Headquarters, one sees a constant stream of people, transport vehicles, Valkyries, and various mechs, with the constant roar of explosions.

He looked up and saw a massive, dome-like protective shield above, completely enveloping the entire floating island. Outside the shield, countless flying Honkai Beasts were launching relentless attacks.

Meanwhile, the various turrets placed on the floating islands continued to retaliate, with continuous bursts of fire exploding among the Honkai beast horde. Every moment, a large number of Honkai beasts were blasted to pieces and disintegrated, which was the source of the roaring sound.

"Here we go again..."

Su Qi glanced at it only once before looking away, his expression remaining unchanged. This was because he had become accustomed to such scenes over the past few months.

The reason for this is that over the past year or so, the intensity of the Honkai disaster has increased at an alarming rate.

While it's far from the exaggerated situation where Emperor-level Honkai Beasts are as common as dogs and 100-meter-level Honkai Beasts are everywhere, the frequency of appearance of elite Honkai Beasts above Emperor-level is more than ten times that of a year ago, and low-level Honkai Beasts are appearing in swarms like rats giving birth. Basically, every human settlement has to deal with attacks from more than 10,000 Honkai Beasts every day.

As a result, in just one year, humanity lost more than a quarter of its population. Almost all small and medium-sized cities, urban clusters, and underdeveloped countries were destroyed by the overwhelming Honkai Beasts, leading to the current concentration of the vast majority of the population in more than two hundred megacities scattered around the world.

However, it was precisely because of the oppressive threat of terrifying natural disasters that the "Human Union" was established at an unprecedented speed, and all human forces were united as never before under the goal of "fighting against the Honkai and saving the world from extinction."

Fortunately, every cloud has a silver lining. Thanks to the combined strength of all humanity, the stimulation of the war against the Honkai, and the sharing of Destiny's anti-entropy technology, human civilization itself has made rapid progress in its technological level; otherwise, the number of casualties to date would certainly not be only a quarter.

Among the many new technologies, the most important are the Stigmata popularization technology developed by Rozell, the fifth-generation Valkyrie (suit) technology developed by Tesla, and the mechanical Valkyrie mass production technology developed by Einstein.

The original stigma implantation surgery implanted the entire stigma in one go, while the new stigma popularization technology has changed it to three types: segmented implantation, cultivation implantation, and gene-adjustment implantation. This further reduces the Honkai energy compatibility requirements and greatly increases the number of combat personnel who can use Honkai energy weapons.

As for the Valkyrie suit technology and the mechanical Valkyrie mass production technology, they are optimized versions of the Destiny Valkyrie armor based on the Roseriel stigma weaving technology, as well as upgraded versions that combine the Soul Steel Valkyrie with Titan and Destiny original mecha technologies.

Otherwise, human civilization would not have been able to withstand the continuous attacks of countless Honkai Beasts until now.

Besides, Su Qi, who transformed into One-Punch Man, has also made a huge contribution to the fight against the Honkai. He has now successfully replaced nuclear bombs, Honkai fission bombs, and annihilation bombs, becoming the strongest strategic weapon on the human side. And its usage is extremely simple: just throw it wherever it can't hold on. Whether it's a massive horde of hundreds of thousands of Honkai beasts or the descent of a Herrscher, they can all be dealt with with a single punch.

However, he is still just one person, and even with his high movement speed, he cannot protect all cities at the same time. Therefore, he also needs a large number of helpers, otherwise countless Honkai Beasts would be able to destroy most of the cities while he is away.

"The intensity of the Honkai continues to increase. If the current situation continues, even if my power keeps growing stronger, the number of humans will definitely decrease, unless one day I become strong enough to protect everyone at the same time. But by then, I don't know how many humans will be left, and I can't act as a human wall for all of humanity indefinitely. The only solution is to find Otto as soon as possible and eradicate the root of the Honkai... Fortunately, it's finally coming to an end now."

With this in mind, Su Qi arrived at the First Research Institute, located beneath the main floating island and home to most of humanity's elite scientists.

"Is this what the finished product is?"

Not long after, in a laboratory, Su Qi looked at the platinum-gold ornate spear displayed on the platform and said this.

Tesla, standing to the side with one hand on his hip, said with dissatisfaction, "What do you mean by 'this thing'? This is our masterpiece, the pinnacle of human technology created together, the highest technological achievement of this generation, a super weapon comparable to the Key of God—the Gungnir, the Unstoppable Gungnir! Show it some respect!"

"A shot that is sure to hit will never miss; that's common sense."

"What kind of common sense is that!? In any case, my Gungnir is invincible, it can easily pierce Otto's heart!"

"Using Gungnir to kill Otto, how ironic..."

Undoubtedly, miHoYo has played with many Norse mythology references and metaphors in the Destiny organization, such as the Valkyries, and the naming of the Destiny mechs and laboratories. As the Archbishop Otto, who leads all the Valkyries and is set to possess the highest intelligence among humans, he naturally corresponds to Otto, the chief god in Norse mythology.

Therefore, Su Qicai said it was somewhat ironic to say that he used Gungnir to kill him.

"Alright, enough chit-chat. Our time is precious. Now let us explain Gungnir's functions to you..."

After Tesla's quick explanation, Su Qi understood that Gungnir's function was simple yet powerful.

First and foremost, it is a weapon specifically designed for Otto, created by Roselle and her two companions by drawing inspiration from Feather Dust. It can record, analyze, and track similar consciousness fluctuations within a radius of one thousand kilometers.

Secondly, it is made of the highest grade of soul steel, which is extremely tough and sharp. The gun body can be transformed into different forms by switching modes, just like memory metal. It can be stretched up to a thousand times the length of the normal gun body.

Finally, an artificial Herrscher core made of high-concentration Honkai energy crystals was implanted inside Gungnir. Through the Stigmata formula woven by Roseriel, Honkai energy can be converted into powerful propulsion, allowing the gun head to pursue the enemy at speeds up to ten times the speed of sound, like an automatic missile.

"I see, no wonder it's called the 'Shot That Always Hits'."

Su Qi suddenly realized. If he had Gungnir, he could lock onto the enemy beforehand, activate the artificial Herrscher core, and then throw it, or simply extend the gun's barrel, to automatically pierce through the enemy at ten times the speed of sound. Most opponents wouldn't even have time to react.

Roselle, who was standing nearby, said, "However, this function probably won't be of much use to you right now."

“That’s right.” Tesla looked Su Qi up and down with the eyes of someone looking at an alien. “A monster who can easily exceed ten times the speed of sound with just his physical body, are you really still human?”

"Cough cough, it's okay, at least it can be used to clear out some of the grunts, saving me the trouble."

As Su Qi spoke, he stepped forward, grasped Gungnir, and tried to control it using the method Tesla had just instructed him on. The next moment, the golden spear suddenly shrank and thinned, winding its way up to his wrist like a snake. Then, it bent on its own, its head and tail intertwining, transforming into an ordinary platinum gold bracelet.

"Not bad, very convenient, but to find Otto's true form, we'd need to find at least one of Otto's clones first, right?"

Although Gungnir can search for similar consciousness fluctuations over a wide range, it needs to record samples first, and its internal database is currently completely blank.

“That’s right, but we’ve already prepared for that.”

After speaking, Roselle ordered the main AI in the experiment to project images and data in front of Su Qi, explaining: "Not long ago, we discovered a large number of experimental samples and materials being abnormally leaked from Laboratory C666 in Boston. After a secret investigation, we confirmed that the senior personnel of the laboratory had all shown signs of being interfered with by consciousness, and through repeated review of internal surveillance footage, we found a figure that was extremely similar to Otto in the corner of a frame."

Su Qi immediately realized, "Oh, is that old thief Otto here to steal things again?"

Over the past year, Otto has kept an extremely low profile, essentially disappearing from public view, but he hasn't been completely inactive. Besides stealing technical data, his most frequent activity has been stealing various valuable experimental materials, most of which are various drugs and resources related to gene modification and Honkai energy neutralization.

Because he possessed the Void Treasury, which allowed him to simulate the Feathered Dust for brainwashing, and with the assistance of remaining forces and powerful artificial intelligence, Otto's thefts were extremely difficult to detect. However, the stockpile of resources was ultimately finite, and several of his thefts were discovered, naturally leading to investigations and battles.

However, Otto's mischief always involved clones, so even though Su Qi and his team discovered Otto's actions several times, it was to no avail. At worst, they could just kill one and create another. Of course, Su Qi and his team also tried to deliberately let it go and track the clones in an attempt to find Otto's true body, but the latter was far too cautious and meticulous in this regard. They tried several times but couldn't find the slightest flaw.

However, to be fair, Otto, who was originally a great figure standing at the top of the world and the supreme leader of Destiny, has now fallen to the point of sneaking around and stealing experimental materials. He has really fallen to a certain level of destitution.

However, Su Qi and the others did not underestimate Otto in the slightest because of this.

Roselle said seriously, "It's best not to be careless. That man endured humiliation and stole so many supplies; he's clearly preparing a trump card that could help him turn the tide."

Su Qi nodded. "I also think he was planning to create a big scandal, but it seems we've taken the lead. Do you think Otto would make such a basic mistake, given that he was caught on surveillance footage?"

"Perhaps it's a trap, or perhaps he has other motives, but in any case, you can find clues about Otto there. And for you, it probably doesn't matter whether it's a trap or not, right?"

“That’s true.” He said confidently, “I’m very strong now, super strong, so strong that I’m afraid of myself. Even if the Herrscher of the End descends, I’m confident that I can fight back, so no matter what he’s prepared there, I should be able to get out unscathed.”

"The plane is ready for you. Would you like to go now?"

"Of course, my fists are itching to get going, but the plane is too slow, so I'll just run there in the morning."

……

So half an hour later, Su Qi, like an old man doing his morning exercise, "jogged" from the headquarters of Destiny in Italy to Boston on the Atlantic coast of northeastern United States.

Along the way, he was like a moving giant natural disaster passing through, deliberately taking routes away from human settlements and close to Honkai energy gathering points. The air explosions, turbulence, and hurricanes created by his rapid movement alone destroyed tens of thousands of Honkai Beasts. One unlucky Emperor-level Honkai Beast happened to be on his morning run route and was directly smashed into dust by him.

As he approached his destination, he gradually slowed down. He first made a phone call to notify the local garrison, then flew over the outer high wall defending against the Honkai Beasts, moving through the city at a pace faster than a sports car, and quickly arrived at his destination—the C666 Honkai Beast Gene Fusion Research Institute.

Su Qi stopped in front of the research institute's gate and first called Roselle, "I've arrived. Have you coordinated with the local garrison yet?"

There might be a battle this time. Although he was confident that he could kill most of the enemies instantly, he still had to be prepared for the possibility that the surrounding areas might be affected, just in case.

"Don't worry, the isolation field is ready. Once you enter the research institute, the personnel on standby will activate the generator to isolate the entire area where the institute is located. However, if you throw a serious punch, you could probably raze the entire city to the ground, so if possible, you should try to restrain your power and avoid harming innocent people."

"Understood, I will try my best not to demolish the entire city."

After hanging up the call, Su Qi did indeed sense someone watching him from not far away. There was no malice in their gaze; they were probably from the local military.

He didn't care and walked straight to the gate. Under the watchful eyes of the security personnel and guard robots, he took out the identity card that Roselle had prepared for him, easily swiped it to open the access control, and entered the laboratory.

"So, where might the thief be hiding?"

Su Qi narrowed his eyes, just as he was about to unleash his senses to explore the interior of the laboratory, when he saw a female researcher in a white lab coat walking straight toward him.

He stopped and watched the other person approach, then said expressionlessly, "Are you Mr. Su Qi?"

His eyes were unfocused, his expression was slightly stiff, and he clearly had a mental problem...

Su Qi's heart stirred, and he immediately activated Feather Dust to take a stroll through the consciousness space of the person in front of him, but he did not find many clues. He only knew that she had been implanted with the command to wait at the door and take him to a certain location when she saw him arrive.

It wasn't direct conscious intervention, but rather indirect hypnosis; so Otto wasn't actually seen...

His eyes flashed, and he nodded in response. "That's right, I am Su Qi, the handsome and dashing number one man in the Destiny. What can I do for you, beautiful lady?"

The latter did not react to the strange words and actions of the person, and still said "Please follow me" with a blank expression, then turned around and led Su Qi into the depths of the laboratory.

A moment later, Su Qi saw Otto again in the laboratory's cold storage after more than a year.

The air conditioning in the cold storage room had been turned off, and all the cabinets were open, revealing that they were empty. He sat leisurely in the middle of the cold storage room, legs crossed, smiling as he looked over. "Su Qi, you're too late."

Chapter Sixty-Six: Hundreds of Lives in a Second

Su Qi sighed and stepped forward. "I'm sorry, but as you know, I'm very busy right now. I'm the light of humanity, a superhero. Every day, cities are waiting for me to save them, and hundreds of lives are lost every second. So it's inevitable that I'll have to postpone even unimportant appointments a little."

"Ha, an unimportant date... Haven't you been looking for me all year? Oh, and all those cute little toys I buried around the world, it seems you've already pinpointed their locations."

The so-called cute little toys are actually the Honkai fission bombs that Otto had prepared. These fission bombs are scattered all over the world, and once he dies, they will be launched simultaneously at major human settlements, turning cities into seas of fire and causing all of humanity to perish with him.

This is Otto's trump card to prevent others from killing him. If you want to kill him but don't want all of humanity to perish with him, you must first remove the fission missile silos hidden around the world.

Knowing this, Su Qi and his team certainly couldn't have done nothing over the past year. However, the fission missile silos were all secretly built by Otto himself, leaving no trace in Schicksal's archives. Even a trusted confidant like Amber only knew of a few of them, making it impossible to trace them.

Therefore, they could only resort to a crude method: a carpet search to detect all the collapse and fission bomb reactions around the world in order to locate each launch silo.

To accomplish this, Tesla and Einstein delved into the technology of the Honkai fission bomb, tracing its principles. Starting with the characteristics of the core material "Honkai collapse fluid" that the Honkai fission bomb must contain, they created a dedicated radar for the fission bomb through the aggregation and repulsion reaction of the Honkai energy itself. Then, they had Su Qi take it all over the world and finally found the coordinates of all of Otto's launch silos.

To avoid alerting Otto, Su Qi secretly infiltrated each launch silo using quantum state transformation, installing signal shielding and self-destruct devices on each disintegration bomb, thus quietly disabling Otto's trump card with double protection. He also secretly sent people to monitor each launch silo, preparing to ambush him. But now it seems that Otto has already discovered the anomaly.

However, once discovered, Su Qi, who already had Gungnir in his hands, didn't care. As long as Otto couldn't drag all of humanity down with him, that was enough.