[After that night, you spent your days either crushing Honkai Beasts or assisting Mobius. Any free time you had was spent performing with Eden.]
[Within the MOTHs, whenever the weary soldiers returned, they would hear a heavenly song that healed the wounds in their hearts.]
[This should have been a good thing, but you noticed that the smile on Eden's face was gradually disappearing.]
[And her song could no longer soothe the sorrow in people's hearts.]
[Meanwhile, you accumulated considerable prestige through continuous battles, becoming an idol-like figure similar to Kevin and Elysia.]
[However, the higher-ups of the MOTHs did not consider you a hero—not until you grabbed them by the neck and made them admit you were a hero.]
[The soldiers in the base's evaluation of you is: 'A person who is very gentle to his comrades.']
[One day, you traveled to the Deep End and met Aponia.]
[She possessed abilities that were not inferior to yours, yet she was willing to seal herself away here.]
[You asked her about fate, and she gave you an answer.]
[She asked you to wait patiently. The Gold, she said, was about to shine.]
Nearly a year had passed since the catastrophe caused by the Seventh Herrscher.
Inside the First Laboratory, Fu Li sat in a chair, skillfully processing the documents Mobius had entrusted to him.
Meanwhile, Eden was sitting in the nearby reception area, discussing the next phase of funding with Klein.
Just as Fu Li finished reviewing the list of volunteers for the MANTIS surgery, Danzhu walked straight toward him.
"Um, Dr. Li, the operations department has discovered a brand-new aquatic Honkai Beast."
With that, Danzhu placed a tablet computer in front of Fu Li.
On the screen was a colossal, ethereal blue whale floating in the air. The mere sight of it was incredibly oppressive.
It was a stunningly beautiful, yet absurdly large, Honkai Beast.
Danzhu promptly explained, "This Honkai Beast is codenamed [Varuna]. Attack methods are unknown, special abilities are unknown. Preliminary classification is Emperor-class."
"Currently, Kevin needs to guard the base, and Elysia is on a mission on the Mu Continent. Therefore, the combat department hopes you will take action."
Varuna?
Hearing the name, Fu Li's eyes lit up.
Wasn't this the most brilliant of Honkai Beasts, the very one that would fuse with Eden? It was an existence powerful enough to rival a Judgment-class.
Since it was related to his Eden, and he also needed its potent healing gene, it was only natural that he would be the one to hunt it.
"Tell the combat department to have a helicopter ready in twenty minutes. I'll take this mission."
Rising from his chair, Fu Li shed his white lab coat, revealing the exclusive combat armor underneath: the Shadownight Armor: Cruelty.
A true researcher, always prepared to solo an Emperor-class Honkai Beast—wasn't that perfectly reasonable?
However, just as he was about to step out, a hand tugged at the back of his collar.
"You're going out to fight again?" Eden's voice was tinged with worry.
Fu Li chuckled lightly. "It's a small problem. Merely Emperor-class, not Judgment-class. What's there to be afraid of?"
"Then... be careful."
After a moment of silence, Eden took a deep breath and let go, watching Fu Li's back as he walked away.
Once his figure had completely disappeared, Eden's fists slowly clenched.
Why can she only watch him leave for danger, time and time again, and wait for his safe return? Why... can't she do anything at all?!
...
Ten hours later.
The squadron of armed helicopters carrying Fu Li had arrived in the sky three kilometers from the target.
Even from this distance, Fu Li could barely take in its full form. He couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath.
You're telling me a creature of this size is a peak Emperor-class and not a Judgment-class?
Even if he entered his Artificial Honkai Collapse form, in terms of sheer size, he would be no match for this beast.
However...
Fu Li's fingertips slowly elongated and turned black, with faint traces of eerie green light flickering within them.
The venom of the Judgment-class [Śeṣa]. I wonder if it can withstand this.
[Faced with a Honkai Beast of this size, you have no desire to fight it head-on.]
[It's not that you can't win, but that the fight would be far too exhausting.]
[Thus, you sprout dragon wings from your back and use the genes of a chameleon-type Honkai Beast to enter a camouflaged state. Without alerting Varuna, you land on its body.]
[Then, your sharp claws tear through its skin, and the eerie green venom flows into its body through the wound.]
[However, just as you are smugly waiting for the venom to take effect, time ticks by, second by second, and you realize something is wrong.]
"This thing... seems to be immune to poison?"
Fu Li stared at the venom he had injected, which showed no signs of corrosion whatsoever. He was momentarily stunned.
Whenever he encountered this type of Honkai Beast, he always tried to win in the easiest way possible to avoid greater casualties and prolonged battle.
But for this Honkai Beast to be able to resist the venom of [Śeṣa] left him feeling a bit helpless.
"Hello? Combat support team, is the preliminary analysis of the Honkai Beast ready?"
Looking at the computer on his arm, which resembled a vambrace, Fu Li retracted his venom and posed the question to the support team.
Soon, his vambrace opened, and a 3D projection of Varuna appeared before his eyes. At the same time, a female voice spoke.
"Mr. Li, what you are seeing now is Varuna's body structure diagram and preliminary analysis."
"According to the current data, Varuna is not a Honkai Beast that excels in combat, but its regenerative abilities are extremely strong. Its sheer size alone could bring ruin to a city. However..."
At this point in the 3D projection, a large red mass appeared inside Varuna's body.
It was an enormous, powerful, and intricately veined heart.
"Mr. Li, if you activate your armor's life support functions and enter its body, you can destroy its heart from the inside."
"As a researcher, you should be able to see that once that heart is destroyed and the Honkai energy supply is cut off, Varuna will surely die."
Hearing this somewhat familiar setup, the corner of Fu Li's mouth couldn't help but twitch.
This Varuna had the same damn weakness as the Judgment-class Chiyou; both had to have their cores destroyed to be killed.
Well, perhaps this was the weakness of all colossal Honkai Beasts?
Chiyou's super-strong defense and Varuna's super-strong regeneration granted them near-indestructible shells but left them with a fragile core.
Still, since there was a way to preserve the body intact, Fu Li was naturally very happy.
Otherwise, if it were left to other units, their lab would likely only receive a few chunks of minced meat.
With this in mind, Fu Li replied with an acknowledgment and, in just a few steps, arrived at Varuna's mouth.
Then, taking advantage of the moment Varuna opened its maw, Fu Li shot directly inside, a cruel smile spreading across his face.
My cute little guinea pig, big brother Fu Li is coming inside now~
Don't be afraid. I'll be very gentle... when I pluck out your heart~
---o---
Author's note:
ps: The protagonist could have easily blown up Varuna with a frontal assault, but out of a researcher's habit, he chose the method that would best preserve the corpse.