Regardless of Hua's satisfaction, Ryan couldn't sleep, though he wasn't particularly worried.
After all, a sixteen or seventeen-year-old "Celestial" would naturally harbor fantasies. Once she saw how powerful Honkai Beasts were, she'd become more realistic. Given Hua's personality, she wouldn't be devastated, but she'd certainly understand his concerns.
Ryan showered, then went to the small bedroom. It was simple—a bed, a desk, and a chair. The desk, however, was spotless, covered with a tablecloth.
The bedding was brand new, thick enough for a mattress, with three relatively thin pillows.
"Besides her stubbornness, she's surprisingly thoughtful."
Ryan sighed, then frowned again.
What to do next? Her question implies that the truth of the third Honkai impact will be revealed; no one will be spared. She wouldn't accept any evacuation plan; she'd choose to fight.
"But Hua is such a stubborn person, and seemingly cursed."
Considering Fu Hua's fifty-thousand-year life, you could say she's unlucky, surviving countless life-threatening situations. Yet you could also say she's lucky, as everyone around her died, leaving her alone to struggle.
Loneliness is Fu Hua's defining trait. Her destiny was cruel; yet her stubborn personality proved beneficial. After so many blows, she didn't become insane, only slightly reclusive, always ready to sacrifice herself.
Coupled with the amnesia associated with the God Key 8th, her life has been exceptionally difficult.
"Fortunately, there's one major difference. At least I'm by her side. Fu Hua is the earliest Flame-Chaser I influenced; she won't suffer as much."
Ryan stopped thinking. His trip to Shanghai was primarily to ensure her safety—a simple protective circle. Fu Hua might be stubborn, but she's not a naive child. Once the Honkai is dealt with, she will make the right choice.
Seeing it was early, Ryan took out his laptop, put on his glasses, and updated his novel with a new chapter before downloading Mei's data and starting the analysis.
The dense data was overwhelming. Imaginary numbers were untraceable, yet calculable. After much scrutiny, Ryan finally calmed down.
"Anti-entropy and entropy increase. Mei has researched to this stage. Energy source for motion…so her hypothesis is that the intensity of Honkai energy is inversely proportional to the level of human civilization?"
The hypothesis was intriguing. According to Fire Moth's records, Honkai Beasts existed even during the age of cold weapons, but they were mostly zombies and mutated animals; Knight-Class Beasts were rare.
"That's right. If they, like the Trisolarans, wanted to destroy humanity, they would send a Honkai Emperor and obliterate the world; they wouldn't wait this long."
Thus, those "powerful" Honkai Beasts became legends, and the humans who defeated them became heroes.
The intensity of Honkai is constantly changing. Resistance leads to death; surrender leads to death. Utterly hopeless.
Ryan snorted, typing rapidly to reply to the email, presenting his hypothesis.
"I think we need to take this a step further. Given the lack of descriptions of Herrschers in the early stages, could it be that human civilization has reached a threshold, gaining the ability to fight back effectively? How is this threshold defined? Could it be that given another few hundred years, human development will surpass Honkai's capacity to counter?"
He pressed send. A reply arrived within seconds. Checking the time, he figured it was early morning in Mu Continent.
"Your hypothesis is interesting, possibly relating to Honkai's limits. But there's a paradox. If destroying humanity is the goal, why provide so much time? We should still focus on the mutual growth of civilization and Honkai."
"But your hypothesis is unverifiable. We cannot halt our development or regress to a primitive society." Ryan thought for a moment, adding a paragraph: "Besides limits, there's also range. If we colonize Mars, do you think Honkai will follow?"
He pressed send. This time, he waited much longer, knowing Mei was considering it, and he was too.
He knew about the Flame-Chasers' development, but had forgotten these theories. Or perhaps he'd skipped over them before, simply stating that Honkai energy could do anything; who has time to ponder cosmological truths?
"Your hypothesis is interesting. It reminds me of the first Herrscher's characteristics and appearance time—coinciding with humanity's ability to explore space. I'll apply for funding to focus on space exploration."
Ryan slapped his desk, a flash of frustration crossing his face. As a Pathstrider, he instinctively disliked hindering progress. He could only ponder the situation, unable to simply eliminate Honkai.
"It's worth a try, but building spaceships now is too late. Let's talk about the stable areas you discovered—those quantum spaces that are completely opposite to Honkai."
"That's my main focus; I've assigned the Third Research Institute to it. There are no results yet. We'll discuss this further when you come to Mu Continent."
So, not a word about the Sea of Quanta.
Ryan smirked. He knew this was Mei's nature; she's always rigorous, refusing to conclude without evidence.
He considered engaging in some idle chitchat but deleted the message. Mei was incredibly busy and didn't have time for casual conversation.
'So much has changed.' Ryan looked out the window at the inky blackness, only the distant lighthouse emitting a faint glow. The salty sea breeze carried a sense of clarity.
Everyone had their tasks; it all comes down to the same goal.
"Oh well, I have a lot to deal with." Ryan scratched his head. The third Herrscher aside, he was concerned about the coastal situation.
The Honkai energy presence was faint, yet damaging. What is this branch up to?
Ryan frowned; he was highly sensitive to Honkai energy, almost a living detector. This level of residual Honkai energy shouldn't exist.
Professional cleanup crews handle residual Honkai energy after battles. If they can't reach a location, combat units would clear the path; it wouldn't be left unattended.
"Hua said the government evacuated nearby residents; they clearly know about this. Why haven't they dealt with it?"
He sensed something odd and pulled out a business card from his pocket – Himeko's, with the contact information for the Shenzhou branch personnel. He checked the time and put it away.
I'll deal with it tomorrow.
Ryan closed his laptop. As he sat down, his phone vibrated. He checked it.
[How's your trip to Shanghai? Kevin said if you're free, send some local specialties back.]
Ryan chuckled, scrolling through his unread messages, automatically ignoring the "still no update" messages. Today's messages were from several others.
I'm a small account: [Shanghai has an amazing shop. Want me to send you the address?]
Infinite Possibility: [I've arrived in Mu Continent and started working on your request. Don't ignore me. Also, the expenses for this aren't coming out of my pocket, right?]
The reflection in the glass gleamed; he enjoyed the feeling of being read. He paused before replying.
[If you come to Shanghai, I'll treat you.]
[Of course you'll pay, when you get your salary.]
[Tell Kevin to mind his own business.]
...
Before dawn, Ryan woke up, not because of anything unusual, but because of a series of loud thuds outside.
Pushing open the window, he saw Hua in the courtyard, practicing with a wooden dummy.
The girl moved with medium-intensity strikes, her hands a blur as she targeted the dummy's vital points. Her bluish-grey ponytail swayed with her movements; sweat beaded on her fair neck. Her white T-shirt was soaked, clinging to her body, revealing the straps of her undershirt.
She suddenly bent down, her left hand lifting the heavy wooden dummy half a meter off the ground. As it fell, her right fist smashed into its chest.
Bang!
Deep cracks appeared on the sturdy wood, sending it flying several meters.
Whoosh!
Hua exhaled deeply, her breath steady. She slowly straightened up.
"Your style is quite good. But you need to maintain that continuity, like a furious storm, leaving the enemy no chance to breathe."
Hearing the applause, the girl smiled unconsciously, then resumed her serious demeanor.
"Sorry for waking you."
"It's fine; I usually don't sleep much anyway."
Ryan picked up the fallen wooden dummy, tracing the numerous cracks. He approached the girl and took her hand.
Her fingers were slender and fair, yet calloused—the result of years of training.
Hua lowered her head, wanting to pull her hand back, but found she couldn't. She let him stroke her knuckles; the tingling sensation made her legs involuntarily clench.
"Actually, I had another point. Train diligently, but also enjoy life."
"I don't dare."
"Why?"
The girl looked up, her green eyes filled with determination, and a hint of fear. "Even if I train this hard, I can't catch up to you. If I relax, I'm afraid I'll lose sight of you in an instant."
She was sincere. She'd heard from her father that her Senior Brother had not only mastered their family's martial arts but traveled across Shenzhou, learning various styles of martial art, swordsmanship, and spear techniques, achieving a higher level of skill.
Why do you always compare yourself to me?
Ryan was slightly confused. He had Path's power and had never stopped improving. Before the successful warrior fusion, few could match his individual combat strength.
But Ryan respected Hua's thoughts.
"Relax, you'll catch up eventually. You're a Celestial, after all."
"Celestial?"
"A Japanese saying. Even frying rice can make you a Celestial. Don't overthink it." Ryan waved dismissively, looking east. "Want to go for a morning run along the bay?"
"The bay? That's a restricted area." Hua responded instinctively, then, seeing Ryan's gaze, tensed up.
Could the truth be there?
A mixture of anticipation and apprehension surged through her, but after a few seconds, she nodded firmly.
"Okay. As long as I'm with you, I'm not afraid of anything!"