Honkai: Oh No, I’ve Become the Herrscher of Corruption?! - Chapter 16

Due to the Herrscher’s appearance, Cecilia immediately arrived at the scene. At the moment, Siegfried and the others assumed she was here to block their path, so they drew their weapons.

“We meet again. Care to explain why you’re here?”

“Sigh, finally, someone who can talk properly. The area ahead is filled with extreme low temperatures and abnormal gravity. With your current level, you’d probably die before even catching a glimpse of the Glacier Herrscher. Did you really think sheer numbers would make a difference against a Herrscher?”

“But protecting humanity and eliminating the Honkai is our duty as Schicksal. Even if we know the danger, we won’t back down,” a Valkyrie declared firmly.

“From the Ural Mountains to the Kamchatka Peninsula, survivors are still fleeing for their lives. Yet here you are, lining up to feed yourselves to the Herrscher. Is this how you protect ordinary people?”

“But… that Herrscher is the root cause of these disasters. If we don’t eliminate it, this Honkai eruption will never end—”

Cecilia and the others began arguing with Enoxia. Just as tensions were escalating, countless missiles streaked across the sky, instantly turning the battlefield ahead into a sea of flames. Contrary to intelligence reports, the missiles were unaffected by the abnormal gravity and struck their targets precisely.

“If I hadn’t stopped you earlier, how many of you would’ve been injured—or even killed—by your own side’s missiles?”

Enoxia knew Schicksal’s Valkyries well. If she outright blocked their path, they’d risk their lives to push forward. But if she made them choose between advancing or retreating, they’d be more willing to stop and talk.

Minutes later, as the smoke cleared, the Glacier Herrscher stood alone—most of the Honkai beasts surrounding it had been wiped out. Only then did they understand her true intentions.

“The moment gravity normalized, they launched missiles without caring about friendly casualties. I think we all know who’d do something like that,” Enoxia said coldly.

If she were being honest, out of the seven named individuals present, Cheng Lixue and Cecilia were the ones she most wanted to survive. As for the rest… Her gaze lingered on Shigure Kira for a few extra seconds. As the only member of the Snowwolf Squad to survive in the original timeline, she was ironically the one Enoxia least wanted to save.

“Let’s go.”

Enoxia signaled the Emperor-class Honkai beast to lead the way, with the Valkyries following closely behind. Whenever they encountered resistance, the beast would simply swat the enemies aside.

With minimal combat, the group quickly arrived within a kilometer of the Glacier Herrscher. Strangely, the closer they got, the fewer Honkai beasts there were.

“That’s odd. Wasn’t the Herrscher supposed to manipulate gravity? Why is everything normal now?” Siegfried muttered in confusion.

The others also noticed that the Glacier Herrscher’s position had shifted—originally at the center of the crater, it had now moved four or five kilometers outside.

“If you think everything’s peaceful, it’s because someone’s carrying the weight for you. Don’t think the Glacier Herrscher suddenly grew a conscience and normalized gravity.”

Enoxia pointed at a figure locked in combat with the Herrscher.

The moment she spoke, the figure was sent flying, landing right in front of them. Siegfried looked down—and his eyes widened.

“Welt?!”

The man lying in the snow, his clothes disheveled, was none other than Welt Yang, who had collaborated with Schicksal just days ago. He had been fighting the Glacier Herrscher the moment Schicksal’s bombing ended, preventing it from running amok. And it was he who used the Star of Eden to restore normal gravity.

But for a Herrscher of Reason to maintain gravity, fight a dual-core Herrscher, and avoid Schicksal’s missiles—that was asking too much.

“He volunteered to hold this thing off while I brought reinforcements. And to turn enemies into allies. Good thing we weren’t too late.”

Enoxia fired an arrow, shattering an ice spike aimed at Welt.

“Turn enemies into allies?” the others questioned.

“Mhm. Like this Emperor-class Honkai beast—and many others fighting the Honkai earlier. They were originally born in Siberia under the Herrscher’s influence, but now they obey me.”

Honkai energy concentrates within a Herrscher to form a Core, granting them the authority to create and command Honkai beasts and zombies—up to and including Judgment-class beasts.

The relationship between a Herrscher and their Honkai beasts resembles that of a queen bee and her workers. A Herrscher’s birth triggers a surge in Honkai beasts in their region, like a queen producing more workers to defend her hive. These beasts are fiercely loyal to their Herrscher, like soldiers to a monarch. Even if two Herrschers appear in the same region, neither can command the other’s beasts.

Of course, this was the usual case.

Enoxia, as the Herrscher of Corruption—capable of even corrupting other Herrschers—could forcibly rewrite the data of Honkai beasts, essentially brainwashing them into serving her instead.

By now, the Glacier Herrscher no longer resembled a budding flower. Its five petals splayed outward, each edged with blade-like ice spikes. Two floating Glacier Lanterns hovered at its sides. Up to this point, its appearance was nearly identical to the Glacier Herrscher she had seen in the Abyss and battlefield.

But the figure standing at the flower’s center was nothing like the white-haired girl, Ana Schariac, after her Herrscher transformation. Its body was pitch-black, barely discernible as humanoid, wreathed in eerie dark energy.

As Welt charged forward again, Cecilia immediately ordered all A-rank and below Valkyries to retreat several kilometers, maintaining communications, assisting potential casualties, and dealing with any low-level Honkai beasts. She then raised the Abyss Flower and rushed into battle.

“Everyone, cover me!”

Cheng Lixue, Shub, and Salome dashed ahead, each drawing the attention of one ice spike. Theresa intercepted the remaining two, while Siegfried and Seele provided ranged support, shattering incoming ice projectiles. Welt, still maintaining gravity, summoned an army of mechs to suppress the Herrscher with firepower.

With everyone fulfilling their roles, Cecilia quickly found an opening. She leaped into the air, using a Glacier Lantern as a stepping stone, and hurled the Abyss Flower downward—piercing straight through the Herrscher’s body.

Gunfire rang out as Siegfried and Seele shattered the ice spikes aimed at her. Cecilia landed safely.

Watching the Herrscher’s body destabilize under the Abyss Flower’s power, Enoxia felt something was off. After such a grand entrance, it’s defeated in one strike?

Then, the impossible happened.

Though the Herrscher stopped attacking, the wound inflicted by the Abyss Flower regenerated at a visible rate—vanishing completely within seconds. The spear embedded in the ground emitted a wisp of black smoke.

A moment later, a devastating shockwave erupted from the Herrscher, tearing apart the earth. Welt’s mechs disintegrated, and the Valkyries at the front were sent flying.

The battle had only just begun.