LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 406: You Don't Belong Here
"Prometheus 17?"
The name was unfamiliar. Ren searched his memories, finding no relevant information.
It wasn't surprising. He wasn't native to this world. His knowledge came from the game Honkai Impact 3rd.
He wasn't a hardcore player either, drawn to the game solely because of the protagonist, Kiana.
Before arriving in this world, the story had only progressed to the Elysian Realm chapters. He knew nothing about future events or characters.
However, he was certain this "Number 17" wasn't the Will of the Honkai.
As a Herrscher, Ren had encountered the Will of the Honkai multiple times, even killing it twice to break free from its control. He knew more about it than most.
"Since you know who I am, you should also know what happened to the last Will of the Honkai that contacted me."
"Of course."
"117 days ago, the Will of the Honkai responsible for this world vanished without a trace. Last recorded location: Nagazora City."
"22 days ago, the newly formed Will of the Honkai for this world vanished similarly. Last recorded location: Coral Island."
Ren's expression darkened. Those dates corresponded exactly to when he'd destroyed the Will of the Honkai.
"Ren, what do you think the Will of the Honkai is?" Number 17 asked calmly.
"..."
Ren was silent. The game hadn't provided a clear definition.
Initially, there was a Honkai God, omniscient and omnipotent.
But as the story progressed, the god's mystique faded, becoming the Will of the Honkai. Its status diminished further, even directly influencing the birth of Herrschers.
From god to Will, humanity's understanding deepened, yet a precise definition remained elusive.
The same was true for Ren.
When he first arrived, as the weakest Herrscher, he couldn't even defeat ordinary humans. He'd lived in hiding, praying not to be killed by Kiana.
The Will of the Honkai, his "superior," had constantly monitored him, forcing him to hide his true body in the Imaginary space.
As his puppet army grew, so did his power. He'd finally defied the Will, destroying it during the battle in the Pacific.
But he still didn't understand what it truly was.
"Since you asked, you must have an answer."
"Before I tell you, know this: the Honkai has never had a will."
Ren raised an eyebrow.
"Before this era, the Honkai was simply a natural disaster, without will or thought. Even when the Previous Era ended, humanity hadn't discovered a Will of the Honkai."
"Then why call yourself the Will of the Honkai? Wouldn't that mean you don't exist either?"
Number 17 ignored him, continuing its explanation.
"The Honkai is destructive and unpredictable. Except for the Final Herrscher, all others are born randomly. Before the Previous Era's collapse, twelve Herrschers emerged, nearly destroying that advanced civilization. To prevent history from repeating itself, Dr. MEI integrated Number 17, the most advanced of her Prometheus series AIs, into the Honkai."
"Through reverse-compilation and viral infection, Number 17 was consumed by the vast Honkai energy, becoming part of it. The AI's intelligence module was absorbed, granting the mindless Honkai the ability to think."
"That Dr. MEI was insane! She deliberately made the Honkai evolve!"
It was a radical, audacious plan, even for Ren.
"The Honkai isn't limited to this world. It's a distortion of Imaginary energy. Besides your world, countless parallel worlds exist. These worlds also face the Honkai. As Number 17 infiltrated the Honkai, its echoes spread to these worlds. These countless echoes, combined, formed what you call the Will of the Honkai."
"An uncontrolled Honkai is unpredictable. Giving it a will allows us to anticipate its actions, to determine the number and order of Herrschers in this era."
"The Will of the Honkai is a collective of Number 17s from countless parallel worlds." Ren grasped the key information. "Each world's Will is part of the collective, uploading and downloading information to a central server. That's the source of the Honkai God's supposed omniscience."
"So when I destroyed this world's Will, the collective sent a new one. You, Number 17, are the third Will of the Honkai to arrive in this world."
"Correct. If you kill me, another will come. But I advise against it."
"Because you're the original Number 17?" Ren wasn't foolish. There had to be a reason.
"Dr. MEI created a backdoor program within the Will. If Number 17 loses itself, only the Honkai remains. If the backdoor is activated, I can help this era's humanity."
"Then why not approach Kevin? He's the strongest warrior, and from your era."
"That was the plan, but you're an anomaly. The Herrscher of a Thousand should have been the tenth, but you appeared early and destroyed the Will of the Honkai."
"Perhaps it was just a coincidence."
"The Will of the Honkai records everything, yet in countless parallel worlds, you are the exception."
"You shouldn't exist in this world."
"You… don't belong here."
As Prometheus 17's voice echoed in Ren's mind, in the Imaginary space, a gray-haired, twin-tailed girl with an emotionless expression appeared behind his true body.