Honkai Archives: Old, Short, but Gold

[Numerous geniuses and prodigies gathered at the Fire Moth, including you and the other 12, all with exceptional skills and unique abilities. With Mobius's help, they fused with the ultra-variable factor, becoming powerful and influential fused warriors. Together, they formed the "Flame-Chaser 13" faction, gaining a great deal of power and resources.]

[Under your influence, the Fire Moth was more efficient than ever before. Many plans and projects to combat the Honkai were confirmed.]

[But soon, the First Honkai Eruption broke out, and the Herrschers of Domination descended. Despite your advance preparations, the Herrschers of Domination still greatly affected human society, severely reducing human productivity and causing humanity's faith in defeating the Honkai to plummet.]

[The Second Herrscher, the Herrscher of Corruption, then dealt a heavy blow to humanity's cutting-edge technology and industrial system. But thanks to your planning, it failed to control weapons of mass destruction, and you ultimately eliminated it by nearly destroying the entire internet system.]

[The Third Herrscher descended, a new Herrscher you had never encountered before. Known as the Herrscher of Earth, it caused several large-scale tectonic shifts across the entire planet, nearly destroying humanity's industrial system. Although you ultimately eliminated it, humanity had no future.]

[After the fourth Herrscher descended, everyone but Elysia died.]

[Simulation complete.]

This simulation was similar to the last one. Humanity hadn't even survived until the Sixth Herrscher before throwing in the towel.

But compared to humanity's umpteenth destruction, what sent chills down the spines of the Flame-Chasers who had witnessed the simulation, was that one of the Herrschers that appeared this time was a new one they had never encountered before.

The Herrscher of Earth!

Although its abilities weren't that different from the other Herrschers, and it wasn't anything particularly overpowered, the Herrschers that had appeared in the previous dozen simulations, while different in abilities, had a generally fixed order: Reason, Void, Lightning, Wind, Ice, Death, Flame, Sentience, Rock, Domination, Binding, Corruption…

Oh, and there was the beloved first Herrscher, the Herrscher of Human.

But other than these Herrschers, there had never been a new one.

But now a new one had appeared!

Even Pardofelis, who was usually so laid-back and dim-witted, had sensed something was wrong.

Something was off! Very, very off!

So, feeling anxious and tense, everyone immediately started a new simulation after this one failed.

[The Fifth Herrscher descended. It was a Herrscher who could control water, and the huge tsunami it caused almost submerged all the land.]

[Humanity was destroyed, you died.]

[The Seventh Herrscher descended. It was a Herrscher who could control plants. It carried out a complete and perfect de-urbanization, returning the world to nature.]

[Humanity was destroyed, you died.]

[The Fifth Herrscher descended. It was a Herrscher who could control metal. On that day, humanity felt the terror of being controlled by the steel creations they had made themselves.]

[Humanity was destroyed, you died.]

[….]

Once, twice, three times, four times…

After dozens of simulations, the time in the real world had passed day after day.

The simulations showed humanity constantly alternating between being destroyed and being wiped out, while the Herrschers created by the Honkai were growing stronger and stronger.

As the number of simulations increased, the emotions of the Flame-Chasers participating in the simulations became more and more depressed.

And when a voice echoed in the simulation, those emotions, already at their lowest point, plummeted even further into the darkness.

[The Fifth Herrscher descended. It was a Herrscher who could turn all things into puppets, but the puppets it created would say one thing when they became puppets.]

["Heh heh heh..." "Simulations! Simulations are useless!"]

Mobius and the others had guessed that they might not be the only ones who could run simulations. That there might be others.

But they had never imagined…

That the Honkai could simulate as well!

"The Honkai... is also running simulations?"

Blinking her eyes, Elysia didn't quite understand for a moment.

"So those past dozen simulations weren't just me and some other people running simulations. Even the Honkai itself was taking part in them?"

Watching the end of yet another simulation, Mei finally understood the cause and effect of everything.

Her body jolted violently.

A moment later, under Kevin's gaze, Mei took off her glasses, her hands trembling.

Shock and fear were revealed in her black and purple pupils.

If it was just some individuals among humans who possessed the ability to simulate, it would be equivalent to all of humanity having an infinite resurrection, an ability to find weaknesses.

But if it wasn't just humans, and the Honkai itself could also simulate…

Once upon a time, a certain country had dubbed the release of a certain two-character game, as "the darkest day" for gaming.

Then now, this day when they learned that the Honkai could also run simulations would become the darkest day in human history.

Darkness, had descended.

Leaning back in her chair, facing the simulation interface that had popped up with a request to begin a new simulation, Mobius' lithe waist and body had become completely stiff.

There were no limits to the number of simulations. As soon as one simulation ended, the next simulation could begin.

But now, Mobius didn't dare click on the next simulation.

From other people's point of view, Mobius was a complete madwoman.

But Mobius wasn't actually crazy, just a bit radical in her ideals. Besides, madmen at worst were mentally unstable, but not intellectually impaired!

In the past dozens of simulations, she had seen the horror of the Honkai. She knew that every single move that the Honkai made would bring unimaginable disasters to all of humanity.

If they kept running simulations, the Honkai would use those simulations to make more targeted adjustments against humanity, and eliminate them more quickly.

If before every simulation they ran increased humanity's odds, then now, after learning that the Honkai could also run simulations, every simulation they ran would increase humanity's failure rate.

It wasn't just Mobius; all of the Flame-Chasers who could simulate knew that.

So, no one dared start a new simulation.

But if they weren't running simulations, then what were they going to do?

They couldn't just sit there and do nothing.

"We need to contact the other 12 Flame-Chasers now!"

Mei quickly decided on the next course of action.

Except for a few simulations where humanity was destroyed too quickly, the majority of those who contributed the most to fighting the Honkai or helping the continuation of humanity were the same people.

The Flame-Chasers were an indispensable part of those fighting against the Honkai.

And Kevin was one of them, and she had a deep connection to them as well.

It would be no problem to contact them now.

Mobius and Vill-V had extremely similar ideas to Mei's.

After deciding that they couldn't run a new simulation for the time being, they wanted to contact their comrades from the simulations.

Of course, after making that decision, everyone, except for those who were always goofing off, thought that the first person they needed to contact was that pink, flower-like figure.

Elysia!

She might not have been the most capable one in the simulation, but for everyone, she was the most indispensable!

Elysia was unaware that everyone was starting to look for her.

Her body and mind were still immersed in the simulation.

Yes, her simulation had not yet ended.