Before them was a typical Shenzhou fishing village. Dilapidated fishing nets lay at the entrance, followed by haphazardly built two-story houses with blue house numbers.
Yu Yang Village?
Ryan glanced at it; he'd never heard of it. His eyes scanned the area.
No Honkai Beasts, no zombies. The storm debris was scattered everywhere; a damaged utility pole blocked most of the road. The surveillance cameras were active.
New, anti-interference equipment. Fire Moth is monitoring this place?
Ryan ducked under the pole. Hua was several meters ahead, running silently towards the harbor at the end of the street.
Even without the detector, Ryan felt the Honkai energy rapidly increasing, like approaching a bonfire; beyond a certain point, it would become unbearable.
'The problem is at the shore? Why aren't they dealing with it?'
He couldn't understand what the Shenzhou branch was doing. Rounding a corner, a small harbor came into view.
Several rusty fishing boats were moored; a mist hung over the sea; only the distant lighthouse was visible. The sound of crashing waves filled his ears.
About one hundred meters away, Hua suddenly burst into a sprint. Without thinking, Ryan followed.
"Stop!"
He grabbed the girl's thin shoulders, pulling her back slightly. Unexpectedly, Hua resisted. With a rip, a large hole tore in her T-shirt, revealing a simple undershirt.
Simultaneously, Hua spun around, her elbow aimed at Ryan's temple, the blow vicious.
Completely lost control?
This counterattack was unexpected. It didn't seem like a lure, but rather control, yet the difference in their strength was too vast.
Ryan crouched, dodging the elbow strike. A swift sweep of his leg sent Hua flying. She tumbled through the air, displaying incredible flexibility, using the momentum to kick towards Ryan's head.
But she was too slow. Ryan caught her chest and pinned her to the ground.
"Her eyes are vacant, like sleepwalking. The Honkai energy on her is concentrated, like a thin membrane. Therefore…"
Within seconds, Ryan analyzed the situation. The hand pressing on her chest emitted a red glow.
Shock!
The energy dissipated instantly. Ryan's eyes shifted; a fist was aimed at his temple.
So, that's it.
He breathed a sigh of relief. He'd encountered spiritually-specialized Honkai Beasts in Japan. This Honkai energy was truly versatile, capable of cutting through anything like a laser, and invading one's mind.
Illusions, lures, even mental control.
"Hua's Honkai energy adaptability is high; even she fell for it, proving this isn't simple."
His mind raced, considering Fire Moth's actions. Simply containing this terrifying thing with a fence—was this not disregarding human lives?
"Sen… Senior Brother?"
A soft murmur reached his ears. He saw those clear green eyes regain their lucidity, looking at him with confusion.
"You're awake. What did you feel?"
"A sudden dizziness, then I don't remember anything." Hua was still slightly disoriented. Then her gaze dropped; she saw Ryan's position—his knee pinning her lower abdomen, his right hand on her chest.
Her face, including her neck, flushed crimson. However, unlike in a melodramatic scene, she didn't scream; only her voice was slightly rough.
"You… you're pinning me; it hurts. Could you get up?"
"Oh, sorry." Ryan realized his awkward posture and awkwardly stood up, flexing his fingers.
It was really flat; there was no grip…
Ryan felt no embarrassment. He hadn't meant to; besides, he'd been in similar positions before.
Her bluish-grey hair obscured her delicate face. Hua secretly glanced at Ryan's unfazed expression and, for some reason, bit her lip gently.
A mixture of shyness and annoyance, eventually settling into her usual serious expression. She covered her forehead with her hand.
"I… I was hypnotized?"
"More accurately, your mind was controlled. I suspect it's a field, targeting individuals based on their Honkai energy adaptability. Ordinary people would be affected from afar; your adaptability is high, only succumbing near the village entrance." Ryan licked his lips, gazing at the chaotic little harbor.
"Yes, individual willpower also plays a role. Your vomiting calmed your mind; that's when you fell into the trap."
It's that Honkai energy again.
Hua, only half understanding, frowned. "Then why were you unharmed?"
"Experience, and strength. This thing is far from a match for me." Ryan said calmly, placing a hand on a nearby utility pole; his fingers sunk into the cement like hydraulic clamps. "Hua, you wanted to know the truth of the world. How do you feel now?"
The girl's breathing hitched; she couldn't speak. If it weren't for Ryan, she would have already collapsed. She unconsciously clenched her fists; her knuckles were white.
She'd fought zombies, believing they were Ryan's enemies. But now, the true enemy was far more complex than she'd imagined.
"Don't be disheartened; you were just unlucky; you encountered a high-level threat immediately. I brought you here, not to destroy your confidence." Ryan chuckled.
"Then why?"
"To fulfill your wish, to show you how cruel the future is. Because even if you're afraid, you can't escape. Remember what I said a year ago?"
Crack, crack, crack…
A utility pole, firmly embedded in the ground, was pulled out inch by inch. It wasn't human strength. Hua's eyes widened; she exclaimed.
"Only by facing fear, with hope in your heart, maintaining your true self, are you worthy of being called strong."
"Exactly!"
Ryan spun around, throwing the utility pole like a javelin. Its trajectory cut through the morning sun, colliding violently with something in the fog.
Boom!
It was half a fishing boat. The collision of steel and cement sent both flying backward. A resounding crash brought down a two-story building dozens of meters away.
Hua's already dazed expression became even more blank. She couldn't comprehend what she was seeing; she didn't even have time to react, as the man before her vanished after "throwing" the pole.
"Let me see what you really are."
Honkai energy coalesced into steps. Ryan stood on a platform dozens of meters above the water. The fog thickened, obscuring his view, but he sensed a powerful Honkai core in the sea.
An Emperor-Class Honkai Beast, capable of mental control.
In a flash, Ryan saw several fishing boats hurtling towards him. These dozens-of-ton vessels were like giant projectiles. But before they hit—
Rumble, rumble, rumble!
Beams of light appeared, slicing through the boats as if they were butter. The steel and iron shattered, passing harmlessly by Ryan.
He didn't bother to watch, merely leaning slightly, head down.
Thump!
His feet landed heavily; a figure pierced through the debris. The blurry sea surface rapidly expanded in his vision. Ryan finally saw the creature.
Roughly oval-shaped, with a bumpy, brown chitinous shell. Using the nearby boats for reference, he estimated its diameter at fifty meters.
Half-submerged, the colossal creature revealed four crab-like claws. A massive eye dominated its back. When that black eye focused…
Bad.
Ryan felt a sudden, violent headache, as though someone had struck his forehead. He instinctively leaped sideways, then saw the Honkai Beast's tail, like a colossal fish's.
Swish!
A beam of light pierced the fog, arcing through the air, disintegrating the falling boat wreckage into particles, then cleaving the sea in two.
The destructive power was terrifying, surpassing even Adieto.
Ryan's pupils constricted. He leaped across the water, extending his right hand, concentrating all his energy.
Concentration, formation!
Honkai energy coalesced in his hand into a sphere, then elongated into a short spear. As he landed on the shore, he spun and threw it with force.
Falling Star spear!
Whizz!
The still-unsettled sea surface was cleaved again. The crimson meteor struck the creature's claws at incredible speed.
Energy intertwined and clashed. After a moment, the condensed spear broke through the Honkai energy, piercing the chitinous shell, compressing it until it could no longer maintain its form, unleashing all its energy.
Boom!!
A blinding crimson sphere erupted on the sea's surface, warming even the cool sea breeze. Ryan watched the light sphere, exhaling a plume of smoke.
Not enough. This thing is too big; even with the Honkai energy I've concentrated, I can't kill it.
Energy condensation and shaping are extremely energy-intensive, but Ryan wasn't worried. It was his home turf. He looked up to see several "meteors" with long fiery tails descending from the sky.
Rumble, rumble, rumble…
Similar blinding light spheres exploded, heating the warm sea breeze intensely. Ryan lowered his shielding hand, his brows furrowed.
Honkai energy warheads? Seems I've misjudged them.
This was Fire Moth's latest equipment, storing energy in special alloy warheads. Without Soulium, their lifespan was short; an explosion at the base would be catastrophic, so each branch only received a few.
But those warheads couldn't kill an Emperor-Class Honkai Beast.
Ryan watched the dissipating fog; the colossal creature was gone, only debris bobbing on the waves.
It escaped.
He didn't pursue. High-Rank Honkai Beasts weren't stupid. Dealing with Adieto required strategy; he wasn't going to chase it. Who knew if Fire Moth might launch another attack, taking him out too?
The Honkai Beast's appearance and escape took less than two minutes. The Shenzhou branch wasn't negligent; they were on high alert, launching attacks as soon as he engaged.
"Fishing? Yes, dealing with sea-dwelling creatures, you can only fish." Ryan shook his head, turning back towards the village.
The battle's aftermath had torn apart the seaside buildings; seawater flowed into the streets. Ryan walked towards a collapsed building and pulled open the metal door.
"It's me."
Fists raised before him, the worn-out girl was crouched defensively. Seeing Ryan, her fists dropped weakly.
Hua was scared and dazed, but mostly filled with frustration. It was as if she'd discovered she was living in a post-apocalyptic movie; a profound sense of helplessness overwhelmed her.
"I'm sorry, Senior Brother. I only managed not to hinder you; I couldn't help at all."
The scene replayed in Hua's mind. Dozens of tons of fishing boats were like paper. She bit her lip, feeling like a child throwing a tantrum.
"No, you used your strength to handle what you could. You did very well; this trip wasn't in vain." Ryan placed his hand on Hua's head, calmly saying, "Congratulations; you saw the truth of the world. Are you scared?"
The truth of the world—each word weighed a ton. Her previous understanding shattered. When his hand rested on her head, Hua instinctively trembled.
She knew the power in that hand, enough to obliterate a small town. Yet, she felt no fear.
Some admiration, some reverence, but mostly—
Hua looked up. The tall man before her not only blocked her view but also seemed to shield her from the terrifying storm.
After a moment, the girl raised her hand, embracing Ryan's waist, her head buried against his chest. She shook her head firmly.
"I'm not afraid."