Starting from the Collapse World, I became the behind-the-scenes boss

Indeed, if they hadn't been dragging Shihen down, the other party would have already slipped away on their own.

Although they wouldn't have been hit by nuclear bombs if it weren't for the Time Mark.

But unlike them who had no choice, Shihen was able to run away on her own.

However, the other party chose to stay.

No matter how many twists and turns there are, she only needs to remember this one thing.

After thinking for a moment, Raven looked at Lena and the others: "Valkyrie of Destiny, you all come up here too!"

If Bai returns safely, I will let you leave.

But what if he doesn't come back...?

Raven flicked out a red claw blade from its hand and didn't continue speaking.

Every debt of blood must be repaid with blood.

She was never a tolerant and magnanimous person who could repay evil with good.

They exchanged glances, and Lena and the other Valkyries nodded slightly, offering no objection or resistance.

Given that the two sides were already at odds, this is the best possible outcome.

After all, Destiny dropped four nuclear bombs here.

The other side killed them on the spot to vent their anger, and they had nothing to say.

Upon seeing this result, Raven nodded slightly, the coldness in his eyes dissipating somewhat.

If it were up to her own nature, she would have already wiped out these troublesome Valkyries.

But... Shihen wanted to keep them.

She didn't want the boy to return later and find that the person he had tried to protect had died for some ridiculous reason.

Just as the transport ship took off, the standoff in the sky finally came to an end.

Bang!

The baseball bat swept across, and the blazing, expanding fireball instantly shattered, turning into countless flame-colored specks of light that scattered and fell in all directions. They were then blown high into the sky by the gale that rose up in the next second, with not a single one falling to the ground.

On that day, everyone in the city witnessed the stars shatter.

Chapter Thirty-Five: On the Price of the Seven Thunderbolts for Purification

Just as the transport ship was about to reach the encirclement of the Far East branch of the Destiny, Shihen finally returned belatedly.

"Hen!" On the deck, as soon as the boy landed, Raven immediately swooped down and hugged him tightly. "Thank goodness! I'm so glad you're alright!"

Once again, she felt she was about to lose her youth.

Held tightly in the mercenary's arms, feeling the soft mounds of the other's chest pressing against him, Shihen was momentarily at a loss. But after thinking for a moment, he gently hugged Raven back and said, "Yes, I'm back."

Even if I had a thousand words to say, this one sentence would suffice.

Although for Shihen, facing a nuclear bomb, which sounds like a life-or-death struggle, is actually not that dangerous.

After reaching the Heavenly Origin Realm, he had already fully acquired the strength of a Herrscher.

The final blow against the third nuclear missile was in no way inferior to the Taixu Sword God of Fu Hua's lineage.

Or rather, the Taixu Sword God is the Heavenly Origin Realm without the Saint Mark, and both ultimately aim to embrace the Honkai through the will of humanity itself.

Given Shihen's current state, if he were given a Plague Gem, he could instantly transform into the fully-fledged Herrscher of Flame, making every basic attack a formidable assault.

After reaching the Heavenly Origin Realm, Shi Hen's admiration for Fu Hua deepened even further.

Because compared to the almost unreplicable Tianyuan, the Sword God has a complete cultivation method, although it also requires extremely high talent.

Regardless of the circumstances, Fu Hua has forged a path distinct from that of the Stigmata.

Moreover, even if one does not ultimately reach the level of a sword god, the process of cultivation is still highly beneficial to people.

In comparison, the Heavenly Origin Realm appears to be extremely extreme.

Not only do they need to develop the Holy Mark to an extremely high level, powerful enough to leave their own mark on the imaginary number, but they also need to overcome their own inner weakness and confusion.

During this period, a slight misstep could lead to losing oneself and causing one's consciousness to be forever trapped in the imaginary space.

In summary, this level of difficulty is no less than creating a Herrscher of Ascension.

All I can say is that Fu Hua is truly amazing.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?"

After a long while, Raven belatedly realized that the two had been hugging for too long. She quickly stepped back a few paces and carefully observed the boy to see if he was missing any limbs.

"I'm fine, I just got a little injured and it took a lot of effort."

Looking at the two blushes on Raven's cheeks, Shihen answered in a somewhat weak voice, while raising his arm to let the mercenary's fingers poke and tap his body.

"That's all?" Upon hearing this, Raven's brows furrowed immediately. "Do you even know what you're doing?!"

Although no obvious wounds were found on the boy, but... going head-to-head with a nuclear bomb, is that something a human should do?

Even if the boy is becoming increasingly inhuman.

In the first few years after joining World Serpent, she was considered a genius in the training camp, but compared to Shihen... is that even a fair comparison?

The raven glared fiercely at the boy.

"I promise I won't do it again next time."

Shihen lowered his head and made his promise, his voice sounding weak and listless.

Although in reality, he had already used up one resurrection item and was now at full health.

While fighting a nuclear bomb wouldn't necessarily cost Shihen his life, the excessive consumption of energy, combined with high-temperature burns, nuclear radiation, and a host of other problems, would theoretically keep him in bed for at least six months.

So, Shihen took 0.3 seconds to think, and then decisively used the resurrection armor.

The main storyline is about to begin, and he doesn't want to waste his precious development time lying in bed.

Even though he was at full health, Shihen still had to put on an act to avoid appearing too terrifying, so that everyone would feel much more at ease.

In a place like the World Snake, he's not foolish enough to reveal every single one of his trump cards.

However, after experiencing it firsthand, Shihen had gained some understanding of the power of a nuclear bomb.

All I can say is that this thing is so-so; its destructive power is average, and it's not even as fun as Durandal.

After all, the terror of nuclear bombs lies in their enormous destructive range; single-target attacks are not their forte.

Even radiation that ordinary people fear like a tiger... in this world, Honkai itself is the most deadly form of radiation.

Hearing the boy's guarantee and seeing how weak he looked, Raven felt a pang of heartache and could only sigh and choose to forgive Shihen.

Raven was at a loss for words, realizing that this mission, which involved taking a young boy on a rare occasion, was even more dangerous than the one in Sicily.

She'd been in the underworld for so many years and had never encountered anything so outrageous.

Could it be that they are inherently incompatible?

The raven fell into deep thought.

"Oh, right, and this too." As he walked with Raven towards the cabin, Shihen pulled out a dull, purplish-black baseball bat from his person. "This thing is probably completely broken..."

As he spoke, Shihen secretly glanced at the raven.

If the Seven Thunders of Purification were in perfect condition, he would be confident that he could launch three more nuclear bombs. But this Divine Key just happens to be broken, and it had been drained dry by Raven before.

Under such conditions, it would be a stretch for the Seven Thunders of Purification to unleash enough power to tear apart a nuclear bomb.

The result of forcing things to this way is what we see now.

If the organization lacks the means to repair it, then World Serpent will likely lose a Divine Key forever.

Even with weaponry at the level of a Divine Key, it is ultimately no match for the relentless passage of time.

Moreover, the Seven Thunders of Purification had already suffered severe damage in the previous era, and had been weakened for many years. It was only now that Shihen had completely drained it.

"Seven Thunderbolts to Purify Sins..."

As Raven took the baseball bat from the boy, he felt a pang of heartache that made it hard to breathe.

This thing... is very expensive!

Although the key to the divine power has been kept by her side ever since she accepted the Seven Thunders of Purification, she only has the right to use it.

She even has to write an application beforehand if she wants to unleash the full power of the Divine Key.

Even if there wasn't enough time at the time, it had to be made up for later.

But now, she probably won't have to write these kinds of reports anymore.

Raven was so heartbroken she almost fainted, but thinking of the boy beside her, she waved her hand and pretended to be indifferent, saying, "It's okay, it's just a weapon. If it's broken, it's broken. Gray Serpent should be able to fix it."

"Yes, he'll definitely find a way, he definitely will..."

Seeing the mercenary queen looking like she was about to go mad, Shihen shook his head and couldn't help but sigh.

Never mind, I'll ask Gray Snake how much compensation they want later.

No matter how many reasons there are, he was the one who brought the nuclear bomb, he was the one who destroyed the Divine Key, and Shihen will not make excuses to escape all of this.

However, since this operation was ultimately a mission assigned by the organization, Gray Serpent couldn't very well go too far, could it?

Chapter Thirty-Six: Tianyuan and the Jackals

What's wrong with you?

Not long after Shihen entered the cabin, the jackal rushed up to him like a shark that had smelled blood, its amber eyes gleaming brightly.

Although she didn't know the specifics, she was certain that the attitude that Shihen displayed when confronting the nuclear bomb was the ultimate goal of the Stigmata Project.

That power is absolutely superior to that of the Herrscher!

If she can figure out the secrets of the Time Mark, she will undoubtedly be able to advance the current Stigmata Project by a significant margin.

"Jackal! Hen just got back; he needs rest now!"

Raven stood in front of Shihen, his expression displeased.

Looking at Shihen's pale face and then at Raven's threatening expression, the jackal hesitated for half a second before choosing to step aside.

She couldn't defeat the crow.

“If it’s just a simple explanation, I’m fine with it.” Shihen gave a weak and feeble smile. “To put it simply, I went to the Imaginary Space and defeated the negative consciousness evolved from the Stigmata there, thereby gaining the power to completely control Honkai.”

Raven & Jackal: "..."

It is indeed very simple to put it that way.

The raven felt like she was listening to gibberish. She recognized each word individually, but when they were put together, she couldn't understand a word.

Unlike the bewildered look on the militant Raven's face, the great scientist Jackal listened with shining eyes, nodding solemnly from time to time.

Although she only understood the part about negative consciousness in what Shihen said.

The Stigmata are a gift left to humanity by the Moths of Fire, but they are far more than just a purely beneficial gift.

As the power of the Holy Mark awakens, the host's negative emotions will also increase accordingly.

If one cannot fight against one's own negative emotions, even a Stigmata Awakener is in danger of being devoured by the Honkai.

Once this happens, it often gives rise to monsters that are a thousand times more terrifying than assassins.

This guy makes it sound so easy, but that battle must have been incredibly brutal, right?

The jackal gave the boy a deep look, a hint of admiration rising in his eyes.

Regardless of how Shihen did it, this is enough to prove the other party's potential.

No, the boy can no longer be described as having potential; he has completely converted his potential into strength.

At this moment, Shihen is definitely a powerful figure whom even the World Serpent must treat with caution.

How did you enter the imaginary space?

The jackal couldn't contain himself and pressed on with the question.

It should be noted that opening the portal to the Imaginary Space is a privilege unique to the Herrscher of the Void.