Honkai: Oh No, I’ve Become the Herrscher of Corruption?! - Chapter 138

July 8th, 6:00 PM | Skyborne Island, Schicksal Headquarters

Cheng Lixue regained consciousness. With assistance, she rose from the life-support pod, her feet once again meeting solid ground.

“Lady Cheng, you’re out of danger, but please avoid strenuous activity for now. Spicy foods are also best avoided… Honestly, it’s a miracle you made it. To put it bluntly, you were one step away from death.”

Faced with the unusually talkative medic, Cheng Lixue dismissed it as professional concern. After a few polite responses, she left the room and headed home.

Pushing open the door, she found Fu Hua already on her feet, visibly uneasy.

“Master, there’s no need to be so tense. If some memories are lost, don’t force them. Take your time—they’ll return eventually. Let me make you some tea.”

“Lixue, don’t trouble yourself. There’s… something I should have told you before.”

Cheng Lixue’s expression turned solemn.

“Don’t worry, Lixue. After losing some memories, the ones that remain have only grown clearer. You… are my eighth disciple.”

Cheng Lixue froze briefly before relaxing. Given Fu Hua’s true age far exceeded her appearance, having senior disciples before her wasn’t surprising.

“And… my relationship with them… wasn’t the best…”

(“Not the best” as in being killed once by all seven of them combined.)

“Forgive me, Lixue. For now, this is all I can share.”

“Otto needs me. I’m just glad you’re safe.”

Fu Hua gently ruffled her hair before stepping out.

“So… the reason Master left me back then… was because she feared I’d turn out like the others?”

Though Cheng Lixue had only glimpsed a fragment of the truth, having a reason she could believe in was enough.

As her emotions settled, she sat cross-legged on the bed and slipped into meditation.

Before her stretched a tranquil lake—her Heart Lake, the manifestation of her mastery over the [Still Water] realm.

Above it, the once-dim sky began to shift. With the shadows in her heart dispelled, the heavens cleared into an endless blue.

The next day, after over a decade stagnating at the peak of Still Water, Cheng Lixue finally broke through—ascending to the [Dustless] realm.

With this newfound clarity, the world around her sharpened. Under the bright skies of the floating island, she decided to take a rare stroll.

Only a few hundred meters in, she spotted a green-haired Valkyrie hurrying toward the training grounds.

The sight of her stirred a pang of melancholy.

Her name was Renoir. Stationed primarily in Northern Europe, her expertise lay more in command than direct combat. When Cheng Lixue had led the mission against the pseudo-Herrscher, she’d ordered Renoir to remain in the rear.

Of the eight A-rank Valkyries deployed, only the two of them remained. Five had fallen against the pseudo-Herrscher, and another had perished commanding a fleet in the Atlantic when the Herrscher of Flame ignited the seas.

As of July 8th, direct and indirect casualties from the Herrscher of Flame exceeded 400,000—over 320,000 from Iceland alone. The entire nation… reduced to scorched earth. Not a single survivor.

On Schicksal’s side, six A-rank and thirty-two B-rank Valkyries were lost. Had you not ordered the A-ranks to hold the line, that number could have doubled.

“Lady Cheng! It’s wonderful to see you recovering so well!”

Renoir noticed her and waved.

“Renoir, what’s the rush?”

“Ah, you haven’t heard? There’s a sparring match happening at the training grounds.”

“So you’re joining in?”

Renoir shook her hands dismissively.

“Don’t tease me—I’m no fighter. Just going to cheer them on. Remember that girl who fought alongside you?”

“You mean Bianka? She’s recovered?”

“She woke up two days ago. That girl’s a real monster—mastered every weapon in just two days. Given her performance in Norway and her victory over an A-rank Valkyrie, the Overseer granted her A-rank status upon joining.”

“But she’s… only twelve. The youngest A-rank in Schicksal’s history. They say even Lady Cecilia couldn’t manage that back in the day…”

Cheng Lixue sighed softly. To Renoir, who’d served for a decade, Cecilia was already a figure of the past. I really am getting old.

With little else to do, Cheng Lixue followed Renoir to the training grounds.

Bianka’s opponent was another young face—an A-rank Valkyrie wielding a blue scythe. Cheng Lixue recognized her as Rita Rossweisse, recommended by Ragna.

Bianka wasn’t wielding Brilliance, and Rita wasn’t yet the mistress of Icebringer. Their gear was, strictly speaking, even less impressive than standard-issue blue-tier weapons.

“Lady Bianka, I look forward to learning from you.”

With an elegant bow, Rita swung her scythe into the offensive. Bianka met her without hesitation, countering with her spear.

Ten minutes later, Rita’s scythe was sent flying, Bianka’s spear hovering centimeters from her neck.

Little did Rita know, this would be the closest she’d ever come to Bianka’s level. In just two years, she’d lose even the right to challenge her.

As the match concluded, murmurs spread through the crowd at the sight of Cheng Lixue observing from the corner.

“Look—isn’t that Lady Cheng Lixue?”

Though not as renowned as Cecilia, Cheng Lixue had long held the title of strongest A-rank Valkyrie and served as Schicksal’s tactical commander. In Europe, her standing was second only to Otto and Amber, earning her no small measure of respect.

Watching Bianka’s relentless victories, Cheng Lixue itched to spar herself—if only she weren’t still recovering. For now, spectating would have to do.

“If Ragna returned to headquarters and saw how far her students have come, she’d be overjoyed.”

Just as the Valkyries continued their training, Cheng Lixue received an urgent summons.

Puzzled, she entered the meeting room to find an atmosphere thick with tension.

“Lady Cheng, this just came in from the India division.”

“Strike team coordinated with the South Asia branch to eliminate Ganesha… That went as expected—”

Her eyes scrolled further down—then widened. Her breath hitched.

“Following Ganesha’s disappearance, a Herrscher emerged in Kolkata. The Valkyrie strike team… was annihilated.”