The sky was brightening; the two figures ran eastward along a small path through the fields.
The sea breeze whipped at their faces. With no one else around, Ryan felt as though only they two existed in the world, their footsteps lighter.
Since gaining control over Honkai energy, he'd long surpassed the need for physical training. After many years, he enjoyed the morning run again, finding a different flavor.
The girl's soft breathing was close by. Hua's stamina was comparable to Kevin's; running ten kilometers was effortless, but sweat beaded on her face; she occasionally brushed away stray strands of hair.
Ryan only broke a light sweat, occasionally turning to run backward.
"What? Need a break?"
"No, I can keep going!" Hua resolutely shook her head, looking at Ryan's casual attire with a frustrated expression.
Her martial arts and strength were impressive, but why was her stamina so inferior? She ran every day.
"Alright, alright. I'm not trying to race you." Ryan stopped, twisting open his water bottle and taking a couple of sips. "Humans have limits; pushing them will only lead to injury."
Hua leaned on her knees, gasping for air. Hearing this, she looked up resolutely. "Then how do we transcend our limits?"
"By not being human, of course." Ryan smiled, offering her the bottle.
Not being human? That makes some sense.
Hua instinctively reached for it, about to drink, then froze, remembering Carole's and her own words.
You're like a hardened warrior; to attract attention, you need to maintain your femininity.
"Aren't you thirsty?"
"Oh, I have water." Hua quickly returned the bottle to Ryan, her face flushed from the run.
Good, good. She's finally showing some shyness.
Ryan was pleased. Hua wasn't just stubborn; she also had some boyish tendencies—always dressing neutrally, unconcerned about physical contact.
That was understandable. She'd trained with boys since childhood; you can't dodge in a fight.
"Senior Brother, how do we stop being human?"
Ryan was momentarily stunned, nearly spitting out his water. He looked up to see Hua's serious, almost intimidating expression.
"I was just joking. Why would you take it seriously?"
"But you're not human. At least, you can do what humans can't do."
"You're itching for a beating, aren't you? Suddenly insulting me."
"No, that's not what I meant. It's your… inhuman, no… superhuman strength…" Hua hesitated, struggling to articulate herself, until Ryan placed a hand on her head.
"Alright, I'm not teasing you. The time isn't right yet. Wait, and I won't stop you."
The time he referred to was the warrior fusion project. Ryan wasn't arrogant enough to act as a savior, dictating Hua's destiny. Since they had a good relationship, he'd give her more respect.
She could achieve even more with his support.
Initially, the girl tried to pull away, but quickly calmed down. Hearing Ryan's approval, the trust and respect he showed brought her comfort. She enjoyed the touch on her head, even regretting the sweat on her forehead.
Ryan gently stroked her head before withdrawing his hand, gazing at the surrounding fields. "Are you sure we're heading towards a restricted area?"
Hua secretly glanced at Ryan's hand, then answered seriously. "Once we cross that fence, we're in. Is there a problem?"
The government had erected a fence around the perimeter, with police guarding the access points. But this level of security was easily bypassed by Ryan and Hua.
There was indeed a problem.
Ryan stroked his chin, sensing unusual Honkai energy in the air. To be certain it wasn't a hallucination, he pulled out a testing device.
"5HW, already corrosive to humans. The fence shows around 2HW, still within the safe range, but the concentration increases significantly closer to the shore."
Hua curiously watched Ryan operate the device, pleased he hadn't avoided her. She was also surprised.
The device looked like a geological survey tool, unlike her image of Ryan as a movie hero secretly battling evil.
"Senior Brother, what is that?"
"A Honkai energy detector; it measures energy levels." Ryan replied casually, then walked a few dozen meters further east; the numbers on the display increased slightly.
What is Honkai energy?
Hua, even more confused, watched Ryan's focused expression, hesitant to interrupt. She followed closely, furtively surveying her surroundings, her fists clenched tight.
Strange. This Honkai energy wasn't strong enough to create Honkai Beasts, but its prolonged presence would affect the environment and humans. Why hadn't Fire Moth cleaned it up?
This didn't align with Fire Moth's procedures, but he didn't call to inquire.
The organization had plenty of brilliant high-ranking officials; they might be deliberately targeting the local government, or engaging in some other underhanded scheme.
Let's see it for ourselves.
"Hua, it might become dangerous further ahead. Do you want to turn back?"
"With you here, there's no danger."
Ryan looked at the determined girl and didn't push further. He wanted to ask her something.
"Stay close, and stop looking so tense. Before I die, no one will harm you."
He spoke casually, yet with unwavering certainty. Hua blinked, a bright smile spreading across her usually stoic face.
"Yes, Senior Brother!"
They continued forward; the road was deserted, not even a dog bark to be heard.
Honkai energy, like radiation, affects the unprepared. A single day of exposure could cause dizziness and vomiting; ten days could lead to incurable diseases.
There were many animal corpses in the fields, along with dilapidated houses, giving the place an eerie, deathly atmosphere. Hua glanced at a fish pond, her scalp tingling.
A thick layer of fish carcasses floated on the water's surface. The countless white bellies could trigger trypophobia. The strong stench of decay made Hua's stomach churn; she quickly held her breath to avoid vomiting.
Further on, they reached a deserted village. A recent storm had ravaged it; debris was scattered everywhere; some roofs had collapsed.
Hua suddenly stopped, staring at the water's edge near the village entrance.
A corpse lay face-up, the muscles petrified, empty sockets staring at the sky. Crystalline structures were visible on the body; yet, the corpse showed no signs of decay or maggots, like a sun-bleached specimen.
The stench and the sight of the corpse intensified the dizziness and nausea. Hua felt like she was about to vomit.
"Sen… Senior Brother, that's…"
"A vagrant. He stumbled into a windfall, but his body couldn't withstand a day of Honkai radiation." Ryan replied casually, not mocking the slightly distressed girl.
Hua was a martial artist, not a veteran soldier or assassin; it was normal to be frightened by the sight of a human corpse.
"If you need to vomit, do it. Don't hold back; you'll get used to it."
Hearing this, the girl, who had held back the entire time, finally couldn't contain herself and vomited violently, leaning against a utility pole.
Ryan shook his head, patting her back and using water to rinse her mouth. He recalled his past experiences.
The first time I dealt with zombies, the smell of blood and decay nearly made me faint. Now, I'm used to it.
He wasn't sure if this was tragic; while patting the girl's back, he looked around.
The Honkai energy had risen to 8HW, a clear increase, but still not immediately lethal, let alone enough to create Honkai Beasts.
Even the weakest Seraph-Class Honkai Beast emits approximately 20HW of energy; the minimum for creating zombies is 10HW.
The silence and eerie atmosphere brought to mind Hua's mention of local legends.
"You said earlier that there have been frequent incidents of people jumping into the sea here?"
"Yes, starting about two months ago. People kept jumping into the sea here; Carole, who explored Shanghai, said it was over a dozen people. But later, the information was removed; the police even arrested a few people for spreading rumors." Hua wiped her mouth and splashed water on her face, feeling much better.
If they're deleting posts and suppressing rumors, something is definitely going on.
Ryan knew Fire Moth's PR department well; no wonder they sealed off the area. So, the question is:
Were people actually jumping into the sea, or was it a cover for Honkai Beast attacks?
He carefully examined the area again—the village, the fields, the fish pond—but found no signs of combat, no craters from heavy ordnance. But at that moment—
Wait.
Ryan suddenly frowned, feeling an unusual dizziness. It was mild but persistent; he'd initially attributed it to the stench.
"No way. I've seen over a thousand corpses in Marseilles; this stench is nothing. Could I be overlooking something?"
He instantly snapped to attention, quickly turning to see Hua suddenly running towards the water's edge. A well-behaved girl like her wouldn't act on her own initiative.
Jumping into the sea? Mental manipulation!
This thought flashed through Ryan's mind. Without hesitation, he pursued her.
He could easily overtake her; he stayed a meter behind her, his eyes fixed on the village entrance.
Let me see who's behind this.