Honkai: Oh No, I’ve Become the Herrscher of Corruption?! - Chapter 61

It was unclear whether Sirin had regained her confidence quickly on her own or if Cecilia had some trick up her sleeve. But as Enoxia had predicted, within less than a month, Sirin reappeared in the Elysian Realm, strutting proudly with Bella in tow.

“Hey, long time no see. How are you feeling?”

“Fantastic! Even if I run into that Kalpas again, I’ll… I’ll… I definitely won’t be scared of him!”

Sirin’s voice grew quieter as she spoke. After her last humiliating defeat, she knew full well that even with Bella’s help, she stood no chance against him. But losing was one thing—she couldn’t afford to lose face. After a brief exchange with Elysia, she and Bella touched the anchor point in the hall once more.

“What a lively and motivated child. I worried for nothing. Some of the Flame-Chasers have been quite curious about you—please do enjoy their warm welcome.”

In the mob stages, the two couldn’t exactly be described as “fighting their way through,” but at the very least, it was… incredibly boring. The randomly generated Honkai beasts and mechs in the Elysian Realm were far too weak for them, often obliterated the moment they appeared.

After clearing the mobs, a new symbol appeared on the teleportation anchor—a paintbrush smeared with pigment.

The next moment, they found themselves in a bizarre space.

Lush green grass stretched beneath their feet, a beautiful sunset painted the distant sky, and a towering canvas—taller than a person—stood before them.

The scenery was breathtaking, but something felt off. Sirin bent down, plucked a blade of grass, and examined it closely.

The color was uneven, the texture strange, and when she tore it, no plant fibers appeared—as if it had been painted. The trees in the distance and the clouds above were the same, resembling an artist’s creation. How was this even possible?

“My Queen, there seems to be something behind this painting.”

Bella reached out to touch it, only for her arm to phase right through. She took a step forward, poking her head in.

“This… this is… Oh, my Queen, there’s no danger ahead.”

The two stepped through the canvas, and the moment Sirin saw what lay beyond, she understood Bella’s shock.

It was an expansive room, with giant floating palettes large enough to stand on. The walls were covered in countless oil paintings of varying sizes. Sirin was certain—a place like this belonged in a fairy tale.

Directly ahead, Griseo sat on a chair taller than herself, a brush in one hand and a palette in the other, meticulously working on a massive canvas. Sensing their arrival, she paused and turned her head.

Seeing a face even younger than her own, Sirin frowned. A child this small… is also a MANTIS?

Did they sweet-talk her into some lab too, pin her down in a white coat, and inject Honkai beast genes into her veins while she screamed?

“Hello… I’m Sirin, and this is Bella. This place…”

Before Sirin could finish, Griseo interrupted.

“Colors…”

“Huh?” Bella, who had been staring back at Griseo, was puzzled.

“The colors on you two… are special.”

Griseo pointed her brush at Bella.

“Bella’s colors are cold, like ice… but when she’s near Sirin, they turn warm, like the sun.”

Then she pointed at Sirin.

“Sirin’s colors… are like a light bulb. When it’s on, everything around is bright and warm. But when it’s off… everything turns dark and cold.”

Sirin and Bella exchanged glances, then scratched their heads in unison, utterly baffled.

Just then, Kosma strode into the studio, immediately sensing the awkward atmosphere.

“…(They don’t seem to understand Griseo. Should I explain? …No, Elysia will tell them eventually.)”

The moment Bella saw Kosma, she tensed up, recalling the beating he’d given her.

“Kosma, no more fighting with them.”

“I wasn’t fighting them.”

Griseo’s mildly scolding tone made Kosma sigh.

“Kosma, don’t lie. Little Elysia told me—you pinned Bella down before.”

“That… was just a spar.” Kosma glanced at Bella’s wary expression. Truthfully, his only takeaway from their fight was that she was weaker than he’d expected.

“…(Ninth Flame-Chaser, Kosma. And this is the Eleventh, Griseo. …What should I say next to keep the conversation going? They don’t know much about me—or Griseo—so introductions are probably best.)”

“How high is the survival rate for the MANTIS surgery?”

Kosma froze. He hadn’t expected Sirin to ask that.

“Extremely low.”

“Then why inject Honkai beast genes into her?!”

Human experimentation. Extremely low success rate. A child. These three keywords ignited a fire of fury in Sirin’s heart.

Kosma: …(The success rate is indeed low, but aside from rare cases like Pardofelis—who stumbled into it by accident—everyone volunteered. After the Eighth Eruption, the MANTIS procedure was the only way Griseo could survive. They’ve never undergone the surgery… Why are they so angry? There’s clearly a misunderstanding. I should clarify as simply as possible.)

“Griseo volunteered.”

And with that, the misunderstanding deepened.

“Volunteered? Hah! What a joke!”

That word—volunteered—was the final straw. Memories of the past flooded Sirin’s mind. Rage, bloodlust, and destruction overwhelmed her thoughts. She could even picture Griseo being “volunteered” for the procedure. Her Honkai energy spiraled out of control, shaking the entire studio violently.

“Sirin’s colors… turned so dark, so cold…” Griseo shivered, frightened by the out-of-control Sirin before her. Kosma immediately scooped her up, preparing to leave.

Bella was frantic. She couldn’t confront Kosma, nor did she know how to calm Sirin down.

“Tch. The moment I look away, this happens. So troublesome. [Disconnect.]“

Sirin collapsed unconscious into Bella’s arms, all movement ceasing instantly.

“My Queen—!”

“She’s just unconscious. Take her back to the hall.”

Enoxia hadn’t expected that while Kalpas caused no major issues, it’d be Kosma—the socially inept—who’d accidentally trigger a catastrophic misunderstanding. Thank goodness this is a data space. If this had happened in the real world, an entire city might’ve been wiped out.