Honkai: Oh No, I’ve Become the Herrscher of Corruption?! - Chapter 35

“Huh? Why did the 2nd Herrscher suddenly stop moving?” Dr. Tesla scratched his head as he stared at the motionless red dot on the map.

Since Enoxia had added Sirin to the whitelist, none of Earth’s current detection systems could identify her Herrscher signature—meaning her embarrassing combat record remained unknown.

“She likely paid a heavy price to weaken the Ice Herrscher. Earlier data shows the Ice Herrscher’s recovery rate has slowed significantly. It’s been stationary near Lake Baikal for a long time now, barely moving. If this isn’t a trap, then it’s on its last legs.”

“Perfect! That means we should gather our forces and wipe it out for good! Hey, Egghead, let’s head there now in the Moonlight Throne mech!”

“Dr. Tesla, given the Moonlight Throne’s speed and the distance to Lake Baikal, the battle will probably be over by the time we arrive. But… if it turns into a prolonged fight, we might still be able to help. For now, let’s inform Joachim.”

…

While Sirin was busy chasing down the Ice Herrscher, the key figures from Schicksal and Welt Yang took a rare moment to rest at the Siberian branch.

From the afternoon of February 8th to the morning of February 10th, the Schicksal team hadn’t eaten a single meal or slept for even an hour. Theresa, in particular, was pushing her limits—despite her genes containing the DNA of a Sovereign-class Honkai beast, sustaining the Divine Prayer barrier had drained her completely. She knew that pushing further would only burden the others, so she decided to stay behind, assisting Anti-Entropy in coordinating the battle, maintaining communications, and providing support when needed.

It wasn’t that they didn’t want to support Sirin—it’s just that no one doubted her victory. Even if she couldn’t kill the Ice Herrscher, capturing it alive shouldn’t have been a problem. Besides, Schicksal had no authority to command her, and attempting to assist might backfire—her Herrscher abilities could easily catch allies in the crossfire.

Then, Einstein briefed everyone on the situation.

“To summarize, we believe the Ice Herrscher’s current state is—”

Perhaps out of habit from years of research, she unconsciously slipped into technical jargon and complex theories.

Siegfried and the others: [Confused screaming in “Mom gave birth to this”.jpg]

Cecilia sighed with a wry smile. “Let me put it in gaming terms. Think of the Ice Herrscher like a boss with both a ‘Stamina Bar’ and a ‘Health Bar.’ The difference is, dealing damage to its Health Bar barely affects it—unless the Stamina Bar is fully depleted, it not only locks its HP but also fully heals on its turn. That’s why we could never defeat it before. But now, thanks to Sirin and the others, its Stamina Bar is almost empty. Was that explanation accurate, Doctor?”

“Not entirely rigorous, but much easier to understand.”

Niggurath perked up immediately. “So you’re saying we should go all out? Why not just say that from the start?”

With that, she grabbed Crimson Whisper and turned to leave.

“Ahem. Niggurath, precisely because it’s weakened, we must be wary of its last-ditch efforts. We still need a plan.”

…

February 10th, 15:00 – Lake Baikal

The Ice Herrscher’s presence had plunged the already frozen Lake Baikal into even deeper cold. The ice was now so thick that even a mech could walk across it safely.

A missile launched from Schicksal’s base streaked toward the Herrscher—but just before impact, it froze solid mid-air, its thrusters dying as it plummeted helplessly.

An ice spike shot out, striking the missile with just enough force to divert it without triggering an explosion.

Watching the missile detonate harmlessly in the distance, the team realized that even without the Herrscher of Earth’s authority, close combat was their only option.

“Report: Lady Cecilia, confirmation received—all civilians and Valkyries near Lake Baikal have been evacuated. The Overseer has ordered the attack to commence.”

Cecilia raised Black Abyss White Flower, her gaze unwavering as she pointed forward. “Move out.”

Surprisingly, the Ice Herrscher didn’t obscure the battlefield with ice mist. The sky over Lake Baikal was clear, and the frozen surface mirrored the heavens like a flawless, crystalline mirror.

The Ice Herrscher hovered in the air, standing roughly two meters tall. A veil of pale blue ice draped over half its body, obscuring its face in a hazy blur.

Welt Yang took the lead. Under the team’s covering fire, he swiftly soared above the Herrscher.

“Kneel.”

Deprived of the Earth Core, Ice Herrscher crumpled under crushing gravity, slamming onto the ice, immobilized.

Hundreds of cannons materialized around Welt. With a flick of his wrist, they roared in unison, riddling the Ice Herrscher’s body with holes. With a dull thud, it collapsed onto the ice, seemingly lifeless.

Yet as Welt stared at the fallen Herrscher, something felt off. He intensified the gravity—instantly shredding its body into dust. But no Herrscher core appeared.

“This… was just a puppet made from its authority. Damn it—!”

Before Welt could react, the once-calm ice erupted. Countless spikes shot up like bamboo after rain. Though none struck the team, the jagged ice walls successfully split Cecilia and the others apart.

“The reflection was the real one?” Noticing the puppet’s reflection remained intact, Welt unleashed a gravity wave, shattering the ice—only to find another puppet.

The ice cage was no match for Cecilia. Before anyone could assist, she shattered the spikes with a single kick.

Just as the team puzzled over the Herrscher’s feeble attacks, a crisp crack echoed. The ice beneath them splintered at terrifying speed.

BOOM—CRASH!

Thousands of square kilometers of ice collapsed in an instant. Even with Welt adjusting gravity mid-fall, those at the lake’s center had no hope of leaping to shore. After a brief hover, they plunged into the freezing water—just as the entire lake refroze in seconds.

“White Flower—save them!”

Cecilia thrust Black Abyss White Flower downward. A colossal vine erupted from the ice, yanking the submerged Valkyries to safety. Siegfried, hauled up by Welt, was unceremoniously tossed onto the vine alongside the others.

Standing atop the trembling vine, the team gasped for breath. Without Cecilia and Welt, they’d have been frozen solid.

The Ice Herrscher’s domain was absolute—wherever ice existed, it reigned supreme.