Necromancer, but pre-collapse civilization

　Admittedly, Councilor Karl, as an individual member of the Thousand Herrschers, has disappeared into the skies above the Australian continent along with the main force of the Moth Chaser Floating Fleet, but his influence has not dissipated.

　During his lifetime, Councilor Karl promoted many individual Herrschers and placed them in various key positions within the Firemoth.

　This practice of placing one's own people in key positions within the organization has become an unspoken understanding and norm among the members of the Moth of Fire parliament.

　Therefore, these highly skilled individual Herrschers were able to remain hidden within the Fire-Chasing Moth for a long time without being discovered.

　Now, with the full rollout of the Thousand Herrscher Project, these long-dormant Herrschers have finally ushered in the moment they have been waiting for.

　As time ticked by, the distance between the thousand Herrschers and the floating warship gradually decreased until that crucial moment quietly arrived.

　When these thousand individual Herrschers realized that continuing to conceal their whereabouts would no longer allow them to approach the anchored floating warship, a tacit understanding that needed no words naturally spread among them.

　Almost simultaneously, the thousand Herrschers launched a premeditated surprise attack on the airport's defenses.

　This raid was exceptionally efficient.

　With their in-depth understanding and meticulous research into the airport's terrain, as well as their analysis and judgment of the guards' operational patterns, the thousand Herrschers moved like sharp blades, each raid precisely tearing apart the Flame Chaser's defensive system.

　Their level of coordination is astonishing; it seems that every movement has been practiced and refined countless times.

　Under this fierce and unparalleled offensive, the Moth of Fire's defenses quickly crumbled.

　However, even under such a surprise attack, the airport base's alarm system was still triggered.

　The Moth warriors guarding the floating warships are clad in high-tech individual combat suits developed with painstaking effort by the Moth research department.

　These devices not only integrate protection, communication, and combat support, but are also closely linked to the soldiers' life signals, forming an inseparable whole.

　Once a brave soldier falls and their life is extinguished, the deep sorrow and urgent alarm instantly transcend space and reach the control center of the airport base.

　"Woo--Woo--"

　A sharp and urgent alarm pierced the night sky, echoing in every corner of the airport base, announcing the full-scale outbreak of battle.

　The peaceful and orderly scene on the deck of the airship was ruthlessly torn apart in an instant by the deafening alarm.

　The crew members of the Fire Moth stationed there were initially taken aback by the sudden alarm.

　A look of astonishment crossed their faces, and their eyes gleamed with disbelief.

　But the shock was fleeting, replaced by calm and resolve.

　As the elite of the Moths of Fire, they have undergone rigorous training and possess unwavering will and steadfast faith.

　These crew members were keenly aware that when faced with the Lawgiver, an existence beyond reason, any hesitation or retreat would be a desecration of their mission and a betrayal of human civilization.

　Under the calm and collected command of the warship's officers, the crew members acted swiftly and in an orderly manner.

　Engineers rushed into the weapons compartments at top speed and activated the warship's standby weapon systems.

　As their fingers danced skillfully across the control panel, the turrets on the warship's deck began to slowly rotate.

　At the same time, a series of booming sounds came from inside the missile silo, which was the signal that the missile body was beginning to heat up under the powerful drive of the collapse energy.

　Meanwhile, the marines on the warship, with their high level of professionalism and military skills, became a solid defensive line inside the warship.

　Using the tools and materials they carried, they quickly and effectively built lines of defense inside the warships to ensure they could withstand enemy invasion.

　In addition, the other crew members on the warship were not uninvolved either.

　They each performed their duties, cooperated closely, and worked together to start the warships that were moored.

　Unfortunately, the gap in strength cannot be changed by willpower.

　Despite the Moth's best efforts to resist, their resistance was ultimately futile against the diverse abilities of the thousand Herrschers.

　Soon, the gates on the outside of the warship were breached, and the thousand Herrschers rushed into the docked warship.

　At this stage of the battle, the outcome was no longer in doubt.

　Inside the warship, the stationed crew members, who had at most undergone enhancement surgery, were clearly no match for the thousand Herrschers.

　In just a few tens of minutes, the few remaining floating warships of the Fire Moth fell into the hands of the thousand Herrschers.

　Just as the thousand Herrschers launched a surprise attack on the Moth Chaser's airport base, the Moth Chaser's new headquarters, which was not far away, was also suddenly enveloped by shrill alarms.

　Dr. Mei still attaches great importance to those few remaining airships.

　Prior to this, she had already successfully dismantled MP Wang's power through her extraordinary wisdom and determination.

　Moreover, Dr. May joined forces with Councilor William, who represented the necromancers, to suppress dissenting voices in the Moth Chaser Council with an iron fist.

　This series of feats not only solidified her position but also earned her command of the airborne fleet.

　Therefore, when Dr. Mei learned that the Thousand Law Enforcers had amassed a large force and were attempting to destroy the airport base in one fell swoop, she immediately made a decisive decision.

　She dispatched a rescue team led by three Heroic-class Fusion Warriors—Alice, Qianjie, and Kosmo—to the airport base for reinforcement.

　Of course, with Dr. May's wisdom, while dispatching rescue forces, she also ensured that headquarters maintained sufficient defensive capabilities to deal with any unexpected situations that might occur.

Chapter 503 The Blank Key

　In their final, desperate gamble, the thousand Herrschers displayed a courage that commanded respect.

　They understood that if no one held back the approaching Firemoth reinforcements, the short distance between the airport base and the Firemoth's new headquarters wouldn't be enough for the Heroic Fusion Warriors to miss their precious opportunity to return and provide support.

　Thus, the thousand healers resolutely made a tragic choice.

　Among them, more than a dozen individuals volunteered to die, willingly becoming the last line of defense for the airport base.

　These thousand individual Herrschers will sacrifice their lives to delay the advance of the Flame Chaser reinforcements, buying crucial time for their comrades.

　The remaining thousand Herrschers boarded the airship and launched a final, fate-determining assault on Dr. Mei's new headquarters of the Firemoth.

　"Mei, are you alright?"

　The white-haired warrior gripped his greatsword, crackling with electricity, and asked Dr. Mei behind him with concern.

　"I didn't say, Kevin, how are things with the others?"

　The purple-haired girl shook her head, indicating that she was unharmed.

　But Dr. Mei's furrowed brows betrayed the turmoil in her heart.

　More than her own safety, she was concerned about the current situation of her comrades.

　Just now, the sky seemed to be torn apart by an angry god, and dense artillery fire poured down like a level four destructive spell, [Meteor Shower], engulfing the new headquarters of the Firemoth in a sea of ​​fire.

　Although the floating warships captured by the Thousand Herrschers were far inferior in combat power to the main force of the floating fleet that had been completely destroyed by the necromancers in the skies above the Australian continent, the Thousand Herrschers still managed to unleash terrifying firepower on these warships, disregarding ammunition reserves and weapon system load.

　"Sakura has led the Poison Chrysalis unit to confront the thousand Herrschers who have landed, but there are too many of them, and too few Fusion Warriors left in the base. I'm afraid we can't wipe out all the thousand Herrschers."

　Kevin reported to Mei in a deep voice.

　His tone revealed deep concern about the current war situation.

　As soon as he finished speaking, the sky above the headquarters of the Firemoth was once again torn apart by intense artillery fire.

　Clearly, the thousand Herrschers have completely abandoned all reservations and launched a frenzied offensive against the headquarters of the Flame Chaser, sparing no expense.

　Even when the warship's weapon systems are at their overload limits, and even if they are at risk of being accidentally damaged by friendly fire, they still unleash their shipboard firepower on the front lines without hesitation.

　Witnessing this scene, a resolute glint flashed in Mei's eyes.

　“I understand, Kevin. I have a way to wipe out all the thousand Herrschers in one fell swoop, but I need your help.”

　Mei's gaze fell on the center of the laboratory, where a rather unusual-looking cryogenic chamber stood quietly.

　"This is too dangerous, Mei!"

　Dr. Mei had just laid out her meticulous plan and the key aspects that required Kevin's assistance when she encountered unprecedented opposition from Kevin.

　The knight, who had always obeyed her every word, now had eyes full of worry and determination.

　"Let you face a thousand Herrschers alone? That's too dangerous!"

　As Dr. Mei's most solid backer

　As the shield and his most trusted partner, Kevin possesses exceptional wisdom and insight.

　He simply prefers to rely on an external brain for analyzing and making decisions about complex problems.

　But this does not mean that he is passive or ignorant in everything.

　On the contrary, Kevin possesses an extraordinary level of clarity and keenness in his grasp of the situation, his understanding of the plan, and even his prediction of potential risks.

　"Even if this armor really allows you to use the power of other Herrscher cores, your body will be the first to give out!"

　Kevin's tone was full of concern and protectiveness towards Mei.

　He would never allow his beloved to be in such a dangerous situation.

　"It's alright, Kevin."

　A resolute glint flashed in Mei's eyes, as if she were reassuring him and convincing herself.

　Kevin's opposition was expected, but to get the thousand Herrschers to willingly step into her trap, the bait had to be of high enough value.

　Of all the options available, only she herself is qualified to be the bait.

　"plum……"

　Seeing the anxious and distressed expression on Kevin's face, Dr. May's lips curled up slightly.

　Kevin's current appearance reminded her of the days when the Third Great Collapse occurred, when the two of them hid in Changkong City.

　Although that period was incredibly chaotic, looking back now, I feel a strange sense of fulfillment.

　"Actually, Velvet and I thought of this problem at the beginning of the design. So, in order to avoid being exposed to the Honkai energy radiation of the Herrscher core for a long time, the Blank Key has additional parameters set so that the Herrscher core can be ejected within a safe time."

　This is how Dr. May comforted Kevin.

　However, only she and Wilvi knew how much exaggeration was contained in this explanation.

　What is a safe time?

　If it were a regular Honkai energy crystal, it would be fine to leave it inserted into the Blank Key, but a Herrscher Core...

　Given the output level of a Herrscher core, for ordinary people, having even half a minute of safe time is considered extremely fortunate.

　Moreover, this data is based on ideal wearing conditions.

　In the harsh environment of real combat, the situation will be completely different.

　Once the battle begins, the leakage and radiation of Honkai energy within the Blank Key will inevitably intensify due to its high-speed operation and fierce confrontation, and the erosion on the user's body will become more severe.

　The intensity of the upcoming operation to wipe out a thousand Herrschers is self-evident.

　Of course, this is something Kevin doesn't know.

　"Okay, Mei, I'll cooperate with you..."

　Kevin opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something more.

　But after realizing that Dr. Mei had made up her mind, he swallowed the argument that was already on the tip of his tongue.

　"Then, Kevin, I'll have to ask you to block the retreat of the thousand Herrschers in a bit."

　Mei smiled and then saw Kevin out of the laboratory.

　Time is of the essence, and she needs to prepare for the challenge as soon as possible.

　However, beneath this seemingly respectable reason for preparing for battle, Dr. Mei still harbors some girlish thoughts.

　Before donning the Blank Key, Mei needs to change into the close-fitting armor that serves as the inner lining.

　It's obvious that Dr. Mei is still a bit shy in front of her lover at this stage.

　Just as Dr. May was putting on the Blank Key, Alicia's arrow pierced the chest of the last Herrscher individual among the thousand guarding the airport base.

　"Cough cough..."

　Spitting out a mouthful of blood mixed with fragments of internal organs, the thousand-member Herrscher, whose life was nearing its end, curled into a mocking smile.

　"You...it's too late..."

Chapter 504 Alicia Calls for Help

　With Alicia's intelligence, she was certainly able to understand the deeper meaning of the words left behind by that individual Herrscher of a Thousand at the last moment.

　In fact, when the Fire Moth reinforcements she led with Qianjie and Kosmo arrived at the airport base, Miss Pink Fairy had already guessed what the thousand Herrschers were thinking.

　However, the thousand Herrschers had already taken the initiative, leading a hastily created Honkai Beast horde to surround the reinforcements sent by the Fire Moth.

　Faced with the siege of a thousand Herrschers and their Honkai beast hordes, even Alicia, the Herrscher of Origin, had to temporarily set aside her worries about the Flame Moth headquarters and instead focus all her energy on dealing with the immediate challenge.

　With her, along with Qianjie and Kosmo's powerful strength, eliminating the Honkai Beast horde commanded by a dozen or so individual Herrschers would not be a difficult task.