Necromancer, but pre-collapse civilization

　Upon hearing this, Alicia's eyes were filled with even more emotion.

　"Thank you, Morros. Having you by our side is not only my good fortune, but also our shared happiness."

　Eden smiled and nodded, the gentle light in his golden eyes as soft as the morning sun.

　"Yes, Morros, in this world full of challenges and trials, we are not only comrades-in-arms fighting side by side, but also an indispensable and irreplaceable part of each other's lives."

　Looking at the two women before him, Moros felt a surge of warmth in his heart, which warmed his soul and strengthened his resolve.

　He slowly reached out and took Alicia and Eden's hands, embracing them tightly as if he wanted to forever etch this moment of warmth and happiness into his heart.

Chapter 688 Persuasion and Determination

　Moros released his arms from Alicia and Eden, and officially steered the conversation onto the right track.

　“Ellie, Eden, I implore you to choose to stay away from the battlefield in the upcoming final battle.”

　This is the deeper reason why the necromancer conveyed the story of the "Thirteenth Herrscher," which Dr. May and other high-ranking members of the Firemoon, to Alicia and Eden without reservation.

　He hoped to use this as a basis to persuade them to stay away from that brutal final battle.

　In the long history of the Extinction World, the Herrscher of the End who descended on the far side of the moon has fully demonstrated his unparalleled power with an indisputable strength.

　Even after completing the Chimera Project and wielding the Seventh Divine Key, the Key of Destruction, Judgment of Heavenly Fire, Kevin still felt completely outmatched by the Herrscher of the End.

　In that final and fiercest battle of the pre-civilization, although eight heroes stepped forward, the battle lasted only five minutes before two of them tragically perished.

　Even Moros, who is considered a strongman among demigods, was not entirely confident of defeating such a powerful opponent.

　Moreover, this is still in our native world.

　On this planet, the Herrscher of the End, who is about to descend, will be far more powerful than her counterparts in this world.

　In the main world, the Cocoon of the End did not personally participate in the final battle of the Honkai Judgment.

　Descending on the far side of the moon, the final law of judgment bestowed upon the former civilization.

　The system is entirely controlled by an AI that can only be described as mentally challenged.

　However, on the branches or leaves of this tree of imaginary numbers, thanks to the necromancer's activity, the Cocoon of the End has focused its cold gaze on this blue planet.

　Aponia's prophecy has revealed just the tip of the iceberg of that dark and terrifying future for necromancers.

　At the moment of the final judgment, the Cocoon of the End will also use the Herrscher of the End to conduct a final test on the necromancer.

　It is conceivable that the power of the Herrscher of the End, personally controlled by the Cocoon of the End, is far beyond what a Herrscher of the End, controlled by a near-foolish AI, could possibly possess.

　Hearing Morros's earnest and caring request, Alicia and Eden were slightly taken aback.

　After exchanging a glance, the pink fairy broke the silence first.

　"Moros, your thoughtful care for me fills Alicia's heart with joy~"

　As she spoke, she naturally reached out and gently brushed her fingertips across the necromancer's cheek, as if conveying some kind of silent strength and comfort.

　"But, as a beloved fairy, how could I possibly stand by and watch you risk your life to face that powerful Herrscher of the End for my sake, while I comfortably hide in a safe demiplane and do nothing?"

　Although Alicia's words still carried her signature playfulness and humor, her azure eyes shone with an unwavering determination.

　"Ellie, I..."

　Moros's words lingered in his throat, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't.

　He knew the Pink Fairy's personality very well, which made him momentarily at a loss for words to respond.

　Just then, Eden, with her heavenly voice, chimed in.

　“Moros, Ellie is right. We’ve been through so much together, and we consider each other an indispensable part of our lives.”

　Gazing into the necromancer's deep eyes, she continued, with an elegance and solemnity that bordered on an artistic performance.

　"I, Eden, as a Fusion Warrior, am willing to fight alongside you, to face the impending final battle together. No matter how difficult the road ahead may be, we will advance hand in hand until the final victory."

　Sensing the unwavering resolve in Alicia and Eden's words, Moros opened his mouth, wanting to persuade them again, but ultimately couldn't utter any more words of advice.

　He knew that at this moment, any persuasion would seem pale and powerless.

　However, the necromancer still made his request.

　“Ellie, Eden, I can’t convince you, but…”

　As he spoke, he stared intently at Alicia and Eden's flawless, beautiful faces, his eyes revealing an undeniable resolve.

　"I will not allow you to enter the front lines of the battlefield where you face the Herrscher of the End!"

　Upon hearing Moros's resolute words, Alicia and Eden's expressions became complicated.

　They exchanged a glance, seemingly communicating their inner struggles and considerations in silence.

　After a moment of silence, Alicia sighed softly, a hint of bitterness lurking beneath her playful smile.

　"Moros, the fairy maiden has sensed your determination."

　Eden nodded, her voice carrying a subtle yet clear tremor, like a note gently plucked on a musical string.

　“Yes, Moros. We understand that your intention is to protect us. As the shadow of the final war looms over the land, your concerns are not unfounded.”

　Upon hearing this, Moros felt a surge of warmth in his heart, but at the same time, he also felt a sense of unease that was hard to describe.

　He stared intently at Alicia and Eden, afraid of missing any subtle expression on their faces.

　“But, Moros…”

　Alicia stepped forward and gently embraced him, her voice filled with undisguised love.

　"We don't want to be a burden to you. Our bond prevents us from retreating and running away when faced with a crisis."

　Taking over the conversation, Eden's golden eyes shone with a light as brilliant as the stars in the night sky.

　"We are willing to fight alongside you and face the challenges ahead together. But we also understand that on the battlefield, the situation can change in an instant, and life and death can be decided in the blink of an eye. Therefore, we are willing to make compromises."

　Upon hearing this, Moros's heart skipped a beat.

　He hadn't expected Alicia and Eden to be so considerate.

　"We are willing to provide you with support from a location far from the heart of the battlefield."

　Ignoring the subtle change in the necromancer's expression, Alicia continued.

　"That way, you can focus all your energy on the battlefield without any worries, and wholeheartedly deal with the enemy."

　Her voice was full of trust in Moros.

　This trust deeply moved him, and it also strengthened his resolve to have a proper encounter with the Herrscher of the End, and even the Cocoon of the End.

　Taking a deep breath, the necromancer's gaze darted back and forth between Alicia and Eden.

　Wandering.

　“Ellie, Eden, your courage and determination fill me with both pride and heartache. I know that no matter how I try to persuade you, I cannot change your resolve to fight alongside me. But please promise me that no matter what, you must protect yourselves. Your safety is more important to me than anything else in the world.”

Chapter 689 The Necromancer's Preparations

　In this era that is about to face the final judgment, enjoying the pleasures of daily life has become an extremely rare and luxurious experience.

　This is true even for a demigod-level necromancer.

　In order to defeat the invincible Herrscher of the End in the final battle, and to find a glimmer of hope amidst the repeated interference of the Cocoon of the End, Moros had to painfully give up the warm time he spent with Alicia and Eden.

　In the glow of the teleportation spell, the necromancer, having bid farewell to Alicia and Eden, appeared in the mysterious alchemy laboratory deep within the magic guild.

　Those who are family know their own situation best, and Moros has a very clear understanding of his own strength.

　When it comes to ultimate destructive power, with the two extremely special legendary spells, [Soul Torrent] and [Legion Power], the necromancer is confident that he can rival, or even be on par with, the Herrscher of the End.

　In terms of self-preservation, with the two equally unique and amazing legendary spells, [Legion's Protection] and [Time Warp Field], he was also confident that he could survive the terrifying attacks of the Herrscher of the End, or even the Cocoon of the End.

　However, this is the limit of what he can do.

　Moros still harbored some confidence in defeating the Herrscher of the End.

　However, once the opponent changed to the Cocoon of the End, which was comparable to a Star God, he could only rely on the cover of the undead army to barely escape into the demiplane in order to protect himself.

　In the past, this level of achievement might have been sufficient.

　In any case, necromancers don't feel much of a sense of belonging to human civilization in this era.

　In Moros's view, stepping onto the brutal battlefield to face the Herrscher of the End, or even the Cocoon of the End, and casting a few seemingly flashy legendary spells as a token gesture, is enough to give Alicia and Eden an explanation; there is no need to be overly obsessed with the victory in battle.

　But the unconditional trust that Alicia and Eden had shown before subtly changed his original thoughts.

　The thought of the sorrowful expressions on their faces as they faced the end of the world made Moros realize that he should try even harder.

　Yes, even though he was moved by Alicia and Eden's trust, the necromancer's thoughts never included pursuing victory in battle.

　He has always maintained a high degree of self-awareness.

　Facing a being at the level of a Star God, how could he, who had not even reached the limit of demigod strength, possibly hope to win the battle?

　Reality is not like the fictional plots in TV dramas.

　There is no miracle that can reverse the course of events simply through friendship, bonds, or aspirations for the future.

　The reality is extremely cruel.

　If it works, it works. If it doesn't, it doesn't work.

　In the world of extraordinary individuals, the gap between power levels is an insurmountable chasm.

　Exemplar, legend, demigod, deity...

　Each leap in life level represents an absolute and overwhelming advantage over the next lower life level.

　This gap cannot be easily bridged by skill, tactics, or strategy.

　It is rooted in the essence of life and is an unshakeable iron law in the extraordinary world.

　Moros was well aware of this.

　However, he was not discouraged or despaired because of this.

　The reason is actually quite simple—

　Even though the final outcome is already predetermined, the process of moving towards that outcome still has immeasurable value and significance.

　With his memories as a captain in his previous life, the necromancer deeply realized that the goal of the Cocoon of the End was never to destroy civilization, but to find friends who could embrace it.

　As for the civilizations that were erased in this process?

　The Cocoon of the End never paid it any attention.

　The vast gap in the hierarchy of life causes the Cocoon of the End to exhibit an almost indifferent detachment when examining human civilization, an attitude quite similar to humanity's unintentional disregard for the ant world on the ground.

　For the Cocoon of the End, the importance of human civilization is almost negligible, just as humans usually don't care whether their walking affects the world of ants.

　This is a disadvantage, but also a advantage.

　As long as one can demonstrate their value to the Cocoon of the End and prove themselves, they will have the opportunity to succeed as the Herrscher of the End and become the object of the Cocoon of the End's favor.

　So, how exactly should one demonstrate their value and prove their existence to the Cocoon of the End?

　Kiana, who is in the original world, has already given her answer.

　She chose to accept the power of the Herrscher (daring to embrace the Cocoon of the End), thus gaining the qualification to compete for the embrace (by leveraging the special nature of the Origin, she obtained the initial power of the End).

　Then, by defeating [Savior] Kevin (thus completing the power of [End]), he himself...

　(More complete), finally embracing the cocoon.

　Of course, this is not the only unshakeable path.

　If someone possesses enough power, they can also defeat the Herrscher of the End, controlled by a mentally challenged AI, and embrace the Cocoon in a more direct and impactful way.

　After all, what the Cocoon of the End longs for is simply an existence that can truly embrace Him.

　As for how this being actually did this, the cocoon didn't care.

　Based on this understanding, Moros was naturally able to deduce certain attitudes of the Cocoon of the End.

　As this final trial against human civilization on this blue planet has just begun, He will likely not intervene personally.

　Deep within the cocoon of the end, there is always a deep longing for someone to embrace.

　Even if He is curious about the existence of necromancers, He will not go all out from the start.

　Because if this happens, those human civilizations in this era that have chosen to confront the Honkai test in a confrontational manner will be destined to fail this trial.

　This clearly goes against the original intention of the Cocoon of the End.