I'm a little panicked when I cross the collapse

When the news broke, the laboratory lights stayed on all night, and the instruments beside the operating table gleamed with a cold, silvery light.

The once extremely stringent selection criteria have been relaxed time and again. The qualifications of the candidates that used to require multiple layers of verification are now included in the list as long as their Honkai resistance meets the standard—all the improvements made by Mebius have been in vain.

The success rate of the surgery is over 90%, but that success rate can only be achieved by people who have passed the physical examination and whose physical functions are excellent.

Simply using Honkai adaptability as the testing objective will only lead to many unnecessary deaths.

When Kevin learned the news at the training ground, he was punching the simulated Honkai Beast mech (mass-produced by Dr. May specifically for training Fusion Warriors) and metal fragments flew everywhere. He paused in the action of retracting his fist.

The adjutant delivering the message bowed his head and said, "The higher-ups said that only by expanding our combat strength can we be able to stop it when the next Honkai energy eruption occurs..."

Upon hearing the news, Kevin's eyes grew even colder. He was practically among the first to go to the operating table to participate in the fusion experiment, so he naturally knew how many conditions were involved in the test. Although it wasn't too difficult, it wasn't easy either.

Undeniably, the decision made above was correct. In the last battle, Kevin witnessed countless comrades die at the hands of the Herrscher of Death... Considering the overall situation, everything was a helpless measure, and he couldn't do anything to change it.

Every day, sobs echo through the corridor outside the operating room. Some wake up ecstatic with newfound strength; others close their eyes forever, their names never even recorded.

Kevin stood at the end of the corridor, watching the medical staff carry away bodies covered with white sheets, and Mei, who was in charge of the fusion surgery, came out of the operating room every few hours to rest for a while. His obsession with defeating the Honkai grew even stronger.

.................................................

Alicia, strolling inside the Fire Moth, twirled a half-eaten sweet pastry between her fingers. Leaning against the mission notice board, her brows furrowed, her doubts undiminished.

On the day that the Fire Moth discovered the Herrscher of Death's whereabouts, she was dispatched to clear out several Emperor-level Honkai Beasts dozens of miles south of the city where the Herrscher appeared. When the Honkai Beast's core shattered after being pierced by an arrow, she subconsciously glanced in the direction of the Herrscher's battlefield, but did not catch that familiar gray figure.

"Why didn't Xiaoqiong come this time?"

She repeated these words to herself no less than ten times.

Since the two of them met, he has never been absent from the battles against the Herrscher.

Even though she always wore a black mask covering her face, her voice was low and indistinct, and even her robe was the most inconspicuous dark color, she would feel inexplicably at ease as long as that clear and calm aura entered her senses.

It was a tacit understanding that belonged only to her and him, requiring no many words—it was the silent shield he took from her during their battle with the Herrscher, and it also included their playful banter afterward.

The sweetness of the pastries spread from my fingertips, but it couldn't suppress the emptiness and lingering concern in my heart.

Alicia straightened up, a hint of determination flashing in her pink eyes, and murmured to herself, "Hmm, then I'll go find him."

...........

So he lived in Himiko's house?

Alicia found her way by sensing the faint Honkai energy within Lu Qiong's body.

Knock knock knock!

"anyone there?"

Lu Qiong opened the door: "?"

"Ellie, what are you doing here? Wait, how did you find me?"

"Xiao Qiong, what are you doing hiding here?"

Alicia suddenly poked her head in from outside the door, her fluffy hair still dappled with tiny specks of light. Her smiling eyes darted around, as if searching for someone in the room.

Lu Qiong was slightly taken aback, then shrugged: "Don't look, Himiko hasn't had time to rest yet, she's not here."

"Oh, so she's not here?"

Alicia drawled out her words, the end of her sentence carrying a hint of something indescribable.

Her gaze fell on Lu Qiong, her curved eyelashes trembled, and her eyes seemed to have hooks, slowly sweeping from the ends of his hair to his slender fingers resting on the door frame before a more obvious smile appeared.

Then, as if she had shed some invisible constraint, she relaxed completely, resting her elbows lightly on the door frame, leaning forward slightly, and asking in a slightly coquettish, tentative tone, "So... Xiao Qiong, aren't you going to invite me in for a bit?"

Lu Qiong then turned his gaze to her again. Sunlight streamed through the window and fell on his profile, outlining his handsome features.

Lu Qiong stared at Alicia with a strange expression for a moment, then said, "Of course not, please come in."

“Huh~, huh~”

Alishia, sitting on the sofa, was gently blowing on her teacup. The steam from the freshly boiled tea rose gently from the cup, enveloping her crescent-shaped eyes.

She gently stroked the cool porcelain surface with her fingertips, her eyes lowered as she watched the emerald green tea leaves rise and fall in the cup, looking very relaxed, as if she had come here simply to ask for a cup of hot tea.

Lu Qiong didn't believe she would be so carefree. He leaned back in the chair opposite him, arms crossed, his gaze fixed on her, his tone direct and without the slightest beating around the bush: "So, tell me, why did you come to see me?"

Alicia then raised her eyes, her eyelashes seemingly damp with moisture, making them appear even more lively.

She brought the teacup to her lips, took a small sip, and as the warm tea slid down her throat, she slowly looked up at him, her voice trailing off softly with a hint of coquetry: "Of course it's because I haven't seen you in so long, and I've been missing you."

Lu Qiong raised an eyebrow, a playful curve forming at the arch, his tone tinged with amusement: "Really? Then why don't you kiss me to prove how much you want me?"

Alicia's pretty face instantly lit up with a bright smile, her eyes shining like stars. Far from being shy or timid, she leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees, her eyes brimming with eager anticipation, and decisively replied, "Okay, but don't use your abilities to run away, little Qiong~"

As her smiling eyes drew closer and closer, and her faint fragrance wafted over, Lu Qiong's heart skipped a beat. He quickly raised his hand to block between them, calling out, "No, no, no, I was just joking. Seriously, what brings you here?"

"Okay~_~".

Alicia sat back on the sofa dejectedly, pouting and looking extremely disappointed, as if she had missed out on a fortune.

She lowered her eyes, fiddling with the rim of her teacup. After a few seconds of silence, she slowly composed herself, looked up at Lu Qiong, and the coquettishness in her tone faded, replaced by a hint of seriousness: "Why did you suddenly... choose to retire?"

"I'm a little confused."

Alicia's fingertips still lingered on the warm rim of the cup as she looked down at the swirling tea. Her previously casual tone now held a subtle seriousness. She had intended to ask him directly why he no longer accompanied her on missions, but the words caught in her throat, and she chose a more subtle way to phrase it.

Seeing her suddenly bring up this topic, Lu Qiong leaned back in his chair and chuckled softly, tapping the table lightly with his fingertips. His tone was devoid of much emotion: "Didn't I make it very clear why I retired? It's because of the experiments..."

"But your Herrscher core is still full of vitality."

Alicia looked up to interrupt him, her eyes, which were always smiling, now held a stubborn seriousness.

"Haha, Ellie, you're right."

Lu Qiong shrugged, a self-deprecating smile curving his lips, his tone laced with a playful self-mockery, "But do you think there's a possibility that my current situation could be called a final burst of energy before death?"

The moment the words left her lips, the smile on Alicia's face vanished without a trace, like a candle flame suddenly extinguished.

Her fingers tightened slightly around the teacup, her knuckles turning a little pale, and her brows furrowed slightly. Her voice carried a hint of urgency that she herself didn't realize: "Xiao Qiong, put your hand out!"

Holding Lu Qiong's hand, Alicia carefully sensed the Honkai energy within him. Her fingertips tightened abruptly, gripping the man's slightly large hand, her voice heavy with undisguised seriousness: "Qiong, your body..."

Lu Qiong nodded slowly, his voice inexplicably carrying a hint of a sob, his eyes seemingly reddening slightly: "That's right, my body is already broken, and I can no longer fight alongside you, Sister Ai Li."

He lowered his head slightly, "Waaah, Sister Aili, I... I don't want to die."

Alicia's heart clenched instantly, her chest filled with a mix of emotions, a surge of heartache and anxiety.

She looked at the person in front of her, countless thoughts flashing through her mind, and a firm idea gradually took shape—she had to do something, no matter the cost.

Just as Alicia's fingertips turned white from the force she exerted, her mind filled with ideas for a rescue, Lu Qiong suddenly clicked his tongue softly.

The next second, he suddenly raised his head, his previous tearful, cowardly, and aggrieved appearance completely gone, replaced by a calm and indifferent demeanor, with even a sly smile playing on his lips: "You probably thought I would beg you like this, right? How could that be?"

Lu Qiong explained, "My body does have a slight problem, but it just means I can't use Honkai energy frequently anymore."

Alicia was taken aback at first, then looked down at the hand she was still holding, and then looked up at Lu Qiong's sly look. She instantly realized that she had been tricked.

She released her grip, lightly poking Lu Qiong's forehead with her fingertips, feigning anger as she said, "So you actually lied to me?!" Her voice, however, held no real anger, but rather a hint of helpless exasperation.

The anxiety and heartache I felt just moments ago have now turned into a fit of irritation that I have nowhere to vent.

She leaned closer, her beautiful eyes narrowing slightly, carrying a hint of threat: "And here I am, worried about how to help you improve your health, and you're joking about something like this. So, how are you going to make it up to me?"

Lu Qiong seemed to have anticipated this and stepped back slightly, dodging her fingertips. His smile deepened: "Compensation? How about a cup of tea? I brewed it myself."

As he spoke, he deliberately shook the teapot beside him, his eyes full of smug satisfaction.

Seeing his expression, Alicia couldn't help but chuckle. She reached out and snatched the teapot from his hand, pouring herself another cup: "One cup of tea isn't enough."

She looked up at him, her eyes gleaming with a cunning no less than his. "You have to agree to one more condition."

.....................

No one knows what Lu Qiong said in the end, but Alicia hummed a cheerful tune and skipped away with light steps, her skirt swaying gently with her movements, her back view revealing her undisguised happiness.

The room fell completely silent. Lu Qiong stared at the door that had been gently closed, then slowly withdrew his gaze, a long sigh escaping his lips.

"Finally got away with it." He muttered to himself, his fingertips unconsciously tracing the spot where Alicia had just squeezed him, where a trace of warmth still seemed to linger.

Yes, his pretentious performance just now was all an act from beginning to end.

He knew Alicia's personality all too well. She seemed charming and carefree, but in reality, she was incredibly perceptive and possessed quite a few strange abilities. A few casual words couldn't possibly fool her. Only by putting on a half-truth, half-fake performance could he temporarily dispel her doubts.

However, this can only provide temporary relief.

Lu Qiong looked down at his palm, his eyes deep and filled with a weariness and helplessness that no one knew.

However, something even worse was yet to come; changes began to appear on Himiko's body.

It was 3:17 a.m. when the crimson wind swept across the dome of the Firemoth headquarters.

The command center was still brightly lit, its lights burning all night. The energy readings on the screen were stabilizing at the midpoint of the safety threshold. The researcher on duty yawned as he recorded the last set of data, then turned to go to the break room to make himself a cup of instant coffee. Suddenly, the emergency lights in the corridor emitted a crackling sound, followed by a sudden blackout of all the lights in the building, leaving only the green light of the emergency exit flickering in the darkness, like the pupils of a dying person.

"What happened? Did the power system trip?"

"Check it immediately! The stabilizer for the new reactor cannot be disconnected—"

A cacophony of screams and frantic footsteps erupted in the corridor, and the source of it all was right in the center of the energy core room.

Himiko lowered her eyes, her long red hair cascading down like a waterfall, the ends brushing against the epaulets on her uniform. The badge, engraved with "Elite Squad Leader," was now slightly hot from the intense heat, the metallic edges beginning to melt. She was supposed to be on duty at the outpost on the northwest front, but half an hour ago, she had appeared without warning in this heavily guarded core building, without alerting any of the security personnel.