283. A Glimmer of Hope?
Himiko's struggles gradually weakened until she collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath.
"I...won..."
An indescribable joy spread across Himiko's face. She had won! She had truly won!
She had killed the Herrscher personality!
As things gradually became clearer, the faces of Ling and the others appeared before her.
"It seems our guess was correct after all. Captain Himiko, welcome back."
"Dr. Ling...Dr. Mobius...thank you!"
Himiko struggled to her feet, but nearly fell again.
Kiana wanted to help her up, but Himiko stopped her. She wanted to savor this feeling of controlling her own body!
She had never felt so happy to be able to stand, like a toddler learning to walk, her steps unsteady, her face full of hope for the future.
"Captain Himiko, would you please cooperate with us for some checks in a moment? Are you ready to become a 'Herrscher' fighting for humanity?" Ling asked.
"Of course... I am always ready!" Himiko straightened her body and saluted Ling.
After Himiko had adjusted to her body for a while, Ling and Mobius eagerly began their examination.
The power of the Herrscher of Fire was perfectly preserved in her body, and the core remained stably within her... meaning Himiko could now freely wield the Fire Authority!
The Flame Authority could accelerate molecular thermal motion, possessing an extremely powerful destructive force. Even if the original Herrscher of Fire had freely activated the authority, it was conservatively estimated that it could have burned down the entire country of Australia within a week.
Actually, besides creating a Herrscher with humanity, Ling had another bold idea: to give the Herrscher of Ice's core to Kiana, allowing her to break through her limits once again.
However, although Dr. Mei currently held the highest authority over the Fire Moth, she was still constrained by the other high-ranking members.
Kiana's existence didn't seem like that of a warrior of the Fire Moth; rather, it was more like Ling's private army. Therefore, the Fire Moth would almost certainly not consider handing the core over to Ling, and Dr. Mei probably shared the same thought.
Moreover, Kiana's current strength was still unmatched even among MANTIS warriors. If she were to lose control and allow the Herrscher of Ice to revive within her, the consequences would be absolutely devastating.
Himiko's recovery stirred up quite a storm within the Fire Moth.
Many feared she would lose control again and suggested imprisoning her in the 'Deepest Abyss'.
Because in many people's eyes, Herrschers had become synonymous with disaster.
They didn't care whether you had recovered or not; as long as you were a Herrscher, you would be labeled extremely dangerous.
However, Dr. Mei quickly overruled the objections and protected Himiko.
Even disregarding Himiko's past achievements, her ability to manipulate power at will was enough to make her decision.
So, Himiko quickly took up her post, and her first task... was to learn physics.
While Himiko could perfectly wield her authority, how she used it was crucial.
Simply adding heat or setting fires wasn't enough.
Looking at previous Herrschers, very few knew how to manipulate their authority, which gave humanity many opportunities.
Take the Third Herrscher, the Herrscher of Thunder, for example. The Herrscher of Thunder could manipulate electromagnetic force. As one of the four fundamental forces with the widest applicability, mastering the electromagnetic force essentially made one a demigod.
After all, most forces between macroscopic objects are manifestations of electromagnetic interactions. By disrupting these interactions, one could directly transform any object into an atomic state.
Or, one could directly reverse the process, strengthening their own electromagnetic interactions, making them impervious to harm.
Of course, the Herrscher's core output power is limited; it's impossible to truly achieve that level. But compared to the Third Herrscher, who only knew how to discharge electricity, wasn't it much better?
This also demonstrates just how crucial physics knowledge is for the use of authority. Meanwhile, Ling and Mobius were also engrossed in their research.
Using Aponia as a model, the two quickly determined their research direction: Active Honkai Reaction.
"By the way, how's the reagent research going?" Mobius licked her lips.
Although she could perform the MANTIS warrior surgery herself, the risks were too great, and… that reagent was a token of Ling's goodwill, so… she'd reluctantly wait for him for a while.
"We've incorporated the Active Honkai Reaction part, but the success rate is still only 50%." Ling shook his head.
Mebius opened her mouth, wanting to say that 50% was already a lot, but seeing Ling's still dissatisfied expression, she didn't say it.
"Okay, then keep trying… By the way, didn't you make one for yourself?" Mobius suddenly asked.
"No, I'll make mine after I finish yours." Ling shook his head.
Mobius blinked. Perhaps she could also create a corresponding reagent for him?
It wasn't about exchanging tokens of love; it was just that Mobius didn't want to owe anyone a favor. That's all.
Soon, Mobius, through the Love Suit matching system, determined that the most suitable Honkai Beast for Ling was an Emperor-class Honkai Beast named Black Tortoise.
How to put it... It felt a bit beneath Ling.
Ling gave her the Judgment-class Sesa, which he had continuously improved upon. She should at least return the favor with a matching gift.
Since Black Tortoise is a water-type Honkai Beast, what if she fused the other water-type Honkai Beasts' genes...
A bold idea gradually took shape in Mobius's mind.
Since there wasn't a suitable Honkai Beast for him, she would create one.
A composite of water-type Honkai Beasts... how about calling it 'Leviathan'!
"Hmph, what I make will definitely be no worse than what you gave me!" A beautiful smile appeared on Mobius's lips.
Suddenly, she recalled Aponia's words from not long ago, and her heart sank.
If Aponia's words are true, then Ling...
Mobius took a deep breath, clearing her mind of the jumbled thoughts, and continued to concentrate on her research.
Under the guidance of Ling, Mobius, and Dr. Mei, the overall strength of the Fire Moth was increasing at a terrifying rate.
When facing the Eighth Herrscher, it seemed that because the Seventh Herrscher had been turned against them, the Honkai had reverted to its original method of selecting Herrschers. Therefore, by exploiting the emotions of clones, they directly created the Eighth Herrscher.
Unfortunately, this type of Herrscher cannot be persuaded to change her mind. However, because the Eighth Herrscher is a Herrscher of Sentience, her combat ability is extremely weak; even ordinary warriors could capture her alive.
Although she attempted to manipulate others using her ability to control consciousness, her power was useless against Aponia's defenses.
Humanity thus easily survived the Eighth Honkai Impact.
Then came the Ninth Honkai Impact, taking place on the Mu continent. This time, it befell a scholar, but unfortunately, he lacked Himiko's unwavering willpower, and his humanity was quickly consumed by his Herrscher personality.
He used his authority to create a pseudo-black hole, intending to sink Mu continent to the bottom of the sea.
However, Kiana arrived in time, shattering the pseudo-black hole with a single blow and killing the Ninth Herrscher.
The success of the two Honkai Impacts led some within the Fire Moth to become arrogant, believing that humanity had finally gained the strength to fight the Honkai.
In a laboratory, a handsome man chanted Buddhist scriptures.
"All effects arise from causes; all retributions arise from karma."
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