The street was bathed in the fading light of dusk, where a slender figure moved at a leisurely pace. The setting sun stretched her shadow long and thin.
She had a head of gorgeous purple hair, with a streak of white at her forehead. But what really caught the eye was her striking, heroic attire and the oversized tachi in her hand—a blade nearly taller than she was.
Her serpent-like vertical pupils held a vacant look, as though lost in thought.
Acheron gazed at the surrounding streets, her eyes clouded with confusion.
"Who... am I? And where... am I?"
Seems I'm a little lost...
Taking in the unfamiliar sights, Acheron muttered inwardly.
It wasn't until a system prompt echoed in her mind that fragments of memory began to resurface.
[Congratulations, Master, on successfully clearing one world and completing a hidden achievement. The system has been upgraded. The System Store is now open. Task points earned from missions can be exchanged in the store.]
[Current system points: 11451.]
What a foul-looking number... Is the system doing this on purpose?
Acheron eyed the digits with mild suspicion.
Still, curiosity got the better of her, and she opened the System Store to browse its offerings.
Inside, she found all sorts of items.
Things like various skills, or even the power of Paths.
But the prices were steep—tens or even hundreds of thousands of points. Far beyond what Acheron could afford right now.
One thing, however, did catch her interest.
A Fusion Card that would allow her to synchronize powers acquired in other worlds to this one.
Meaning, if she ever ended up manifesting as a weaker being in a future world, she could still strengthen herself by exchanging for such items in the System Store.
Of course, the card had its limits—only one ability could be synchronized at a time.
After a quick glance through the store, Acheron lost interest.
She'd look into it more closely if she ever randomly drew a weaker character template. Though she hadn't yet figured out the specifics of this world, with her current strength, clearing it shouldn't be a problem.
As if answering the questions in her heart, the system issued its missions right then.
[Mission 1: Eliminate Honkai Beasts / Honkai Zombies. Each Honkai Beast rewards 1 task point, up to a cap of 10,000.]
[Mission 2: Destroy the Cocoon of Finality and End the Honkai. Reward: 10,000,000 task points.]
Ten million?
Seeing that number, Acheron instinctively felt something was off.
Ten million points would be more than enough to exchange for a sufficient amount of Path power, enough to make her an Emanator. And the cost? Just destroying the Cocoon of Finality?
With her current strength, it wouldn't exactly be easy, but it was certainly within reach.
"Then... what's the catch?"
Acheron furrowed her brow and asked the system.
[The collision between Master and the Cocoon of Finality may trigger turbulence in the Paths, potentially tainting this world with Nihility. Probability: 10%.]
Of course. Nothing good ever comes that easily, does it?
Acheron sighed inwardly.
So much for rushing to the moon and speed-running this by taking out the Cocoon.
Even a ten percent risk was too much—she wouldn't gamble on it even if it were just one percent.
After all, the power of Nihility was far too dangerous. The slightest trace of it would inevitably lead this world to the same fate.
Just like her homeland, Izumo...
That left only one option: wait for the arrival of Finality, then overcome it as intended.
In the end, either she, or some other being of this world, would embrace the Cocoon and become the Herrscher of Finality.
She didn't yet know how far the Honkai disaster had progressed here, but judging by the bustling state of human civilization, it probably hadn't reached the worst-case scenario.
"Have you heard? There's a strange illness going around the city lately. Those infected rapidly age in a very short time... and so far, there's no cure..."
"I know. I saw it when I passed the ICU visiting my grandpa at the hospital. There was this patient—an old woman with white hair—but her chart said she was only in her twenties... It's terrifying. In less than a month, she went from a young girl to that state... I really hope I don't catch it."
"But in a way, isn't that lucky? Think about it—compared to getting Honkai sickness and turning into a zombie... this illness just speeds up aging. At least there's no transformation into a monster..."
"Ugh, don't even mention that. I heard Fire Moth has already sent people. Maybe we'll get answers soon."
"Let's hope so..."
A disease that accelerates aging?
Overhearing the conversation between two young people nearby, Acheron fell deep into thought.
An ability that rapidly ages humans to death... She recalled that should be the power of the Sixth Herrscher—the Herrscher of Death.
So, a Herrscher was about to awaken in this city?
After gathering some basic intel, Acheron learned this was a major metropolis with a population of over ten million. If a major Honkai eruption occurred now, millions could perish.
And that was a conservative estimate.
However, Acheron remembered that this Herrscher was the first to possess self-awareness. Because of that, Kevin had hesitated back then, leading to massive casualties.
The game hadn't gone into detail about why Kevin's resolve wavered, but thinking about it now, it was likely that his moment of hesitation allowed the Herrscher to run amok, causing those millions of deaths.
With that in mind, Acheron resolved that once the Herrscher appeared, she would strike to eliminate it immediately. She couldn't allow it to wreak havoc in this city.
Compared to such powerful entities, humans were far too fragile.
But that was a matter for later. Right now, the most pressing issue... was finding her way out.
Acheron stared at the maze of alleys and towering buildings around her, confusion dawning in her eyes.
Did I... get lost?
I was just on the main street a moment ago—so why can't I find my way back?
Just as she was wrestling with her sense of direction, an unwelcome voice sounded from nearby.
"Hey there, beautiful. You look a little lost. Why not come have a chat with us? Maybe we can help you out."
From the shadows of the alley, several young men reeking of alcohol emerged, eyeing Acheron's slender figure with ill intent.
"Perfect timing."
A faint smile touched Acheron's lips. Gripping her sheathed blade, she started toward them.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.