Thanks for the invitation! I am in Honkai, still connected Chapter 37 37 - Li Zihan's Desire

"So, Zihan, your idea is actually to awaken the so-called 'Herrscher of Erosion'?"

After parting ways with Theresa, and Kiana who had been dragged off by Theresa, Raiden i, who was walking with Li Zihan, sighed, her voice tinged with weariness.

Although she wasn't entirely clear on what a 'Herrscher' was, seeing the reactions of everyone around, she could guess it was an extrely terrifying existence, making her break out in a cold sweat.

And as it turned out... the so-called Herrscher of Erosion was still sleeping underground. Without the influence of Honkai energy, it wouldn't awaken for decades, perhaps even centuries.

Recalling that white-haired dango who claid to be Kiana's maternal aunt—how her expression shifted from a resolve to face death unflinchingly, to utter bewildernt, and then to one that practically scread 'MMP'...

Raiden i felt that if Kiana and the lady nad Murata Hiko hadn't restrained her, that white-haired shorty, who felt like her emotions had been thoroughly trifled with, would have tried to fight Li Zihan to the death.

"That can't be helped. The Herrscher of Erosion's destructive potential against modern society is too great. If we don't deal with it sooner rather than later, it's capable of causing world-ending devastation."

The young man spoke, simply stating the danger of the Herrscher of Erosion, then ntioning that he had asked Theresa to have soone check if the so-called Teacher Yang was still at St. Freya Academy.

"Rather than letting the Herrscher of Erosion remain underground like an unstable ti bomb, it's better to take advantage of this free ti and available strength to dig it out and deal with it directly."

"It's always best to resolve hidden dangers early," the young man said with a shrug, confident that Theresa and Welt would think the sa.

"That's true."

The Herrscher of Rice, who had so understanding of the Herrscher of Erosion's terrifying abilities, felt a lingering fear.

Back then, the Beacon Country had forced the Far East to surrender with just "Little Boy" and "Fat Man." Now, there were tens of thousands of nuclear weapons in the world, each with "Little Boy" and "Fat Man" as their basic unit of power.

If those weapons of peace were detonated all at once, human civilization could officially declare its entry into the wasteland era.

"However, confronting such a dangerous enemy will likely be very perilous, won't it?"

Raiden i recalled Li Zihan's description of the Herrscher of Erosion's abilities, a hint of worry in her voice.

"It is indeed a bit dangerous. Without the assistance of Judah and Lord Welt, I wouldn't have a hundred percent certainty of dealing with that fox," the young man admitted, genuinely finding Higokumaru's abilities unsettling, hence his decision to drag Welt and Judah into this before making a move.

"However, compared to the benefits I can gain from it, taking so risks is worthwhile."

"Eh—eh—"

Raiden i's expression was one of utter astonishnt, completely taken aback that Li Zihan would say such a thing.

"With the principle of 'using the power of Herrschers to fight Herrschers,' the Previous Era scientist, Dr. I, designed and created weapons called 'Divine Keys' using Herrscher Cores."

The young man, for whom many plans would be impossible without Divine Keys, pursed his lips, revealing part of his objective.

"If the Herrscher of Erosion is thoroughly defeated, the Twelfth Divine Key, Jizo Mitama, will be fully ford. And that is precisely the weapon I desire."

Raiden i was completely stunned.

It wasn't that she was surprised by Li Zihan calculating his own reasons; during the ti Raiden Ryoma was imprisoned, the classmates who had once been close to her had mostly drifted away.

Since then, she had understood that many relationships could only be maintained by giving sothing in return.

What truly surprised Miss i was that Li Zihan had so openly stated his not-so-glorious objective.

"Are you disappointed in my character?" the young man, whose integrity was a clear stream among magi but certainly not that of a good child by normal standards, asked casually, looking at the pretty face of the girl beside him.

"After all, when facing an enemy that could potentially end world civilization, still having the mind to calculate personal benefits and such... it sounds pretty la."

"Not at all," Raiden i shook her head, not expecting Li Zihan to confide his motives in her.

How many people could truly disregard their own interests and offer everything for all of humanity?

Not everyone was nad Welt Joyce.

"On the contrary, I feel that this you is more real."

"Eh? Are you saying I seed very unreal before?" Li Zihan asked casually, while simultaneously mulling over which Mystic Codes to use if certain uninvited guests were to appear.

He had spent many years in Spirit Tomb Albion, an environnt remarkably similar to the Age of Gods, and had amassed quite a few interesting collectibles. If those materials were made into Mystic Codes, their power wouldn't be inferior to his Exorcist Attire: Kiritsugu.

"Zihan, soone who is overly mysterious won't feel real to others."

The girl, who had known Li Zihan for so ti but still had no understanding of his background, sighed softly.

She found that many things about Li Zihan couldn't be deeply investigated, because even a slight probe would unearth a series of enigmas.

Unravel one mystery, and two or three more would appear, as if he himself lived in a world made of enigmas.

"Is that so? Didn't they say mysterious n are more popular with won?" the young man said with interest, roughly understanding what Raiden i ant.

For a mont, Raiden i didn't know what to say.

When girls liked sowhat mysterious boys, or boys liked sowhat mysterious girls, it was largely because they enjoyed the feeling of uncovering that mystery bit by bit during the process of exploration.

It was like solving a math problem; after deep contemplation yielded the answer, there would be a sense of pride, generating the desire to continue.

If such emotional feedback was applied to relationships between n and won, it would lead to more opportunities for interaction.

But—

Facing a problem one had a way to solve was different from facing a problem that made one doubt their existence just by looking at it.

Soone like Li Zihan, who seed to have co from another world entirely, if compared to a math problem, would probably be a Lie group.

Though not yet at the level of NP-complete problems or the Hodge conjecture—things that made one question life itself upon sight—it was enough to make the vast majority of people lose interest in exploring further.

"I think, Zihan, if you weren't so overly mysterious, it might be a bit better," Miss i, gentle by nature and not one for directness, thought for a mont and hinted tactfully.

"Overly mysterious people give off a very illusory, unreal feeling, making them difficult to approach."

"That's quite troubleso. Sounds like it's very difficult for to even make a friend," the young man, whose very existence was an unknown to the people of the Honkai world, replied casually.

Raiden i looked at the young man, who seed indifferent to his own state of loneliness, and her brow furrowed slightly.

He sowhat resembled her own isolated self back in school, yet also seed different.

However, this was definitely not a good state to be in.

If Kiana hadn't opened her heart, would she have beco like this?

The girl, feeling a trace of her own shadow in the young man opposite her, pursed her lips, her gaze lowered, lost in thought.