Chapter 13: Herta Gets a Shock

Theresa noticed the curious glances directed her way. After a moment's hesitation, she nodded, seeing that even the ever-skeptical Welt had chosen to believe Asta and Herta.

"Actually, like Welt, I come from a distant world," Theresa began, addressing the group. "I was forced to come here for reasons I can't fully explain, and I was rescued from space by the Astral Express crew."

"Exactly! Same here!" March 7th chimed in excitedly. "I was encased in a Six-Phase Ice cocoon, while she was trapped in an air bubble!"

"So, you and Mr. Yang are from the same planet?" Herta asked, her curiosity piqued. "Does that mean the cross you summoned earlier also originated from your homeland?"

"Yes, the Oath of Judah," Theresa replied. "It's the Eleventh Divine Key from the Previous Civilization Era, created with a Herrscher—a being who embodies the ultimate mastery of physical laws. The Oath of Judah was crafted from the Herrscher of Binding's Law Core and forged with Soulium."

"And, not to alarm you," she added, "but every Herrscher is at least as powerful as that Doomsday Beast we faced earlier, provided they know how to wield their authority."

"Herrscher of Reason: Replicates and restructures all matter. Herrscher of the Void: Teleports and manipulates space for devastating attacks. Herrscher of Thunder: Commands magnetic fields and lightning. Herrscher of Wind: Controls all fluids and gases. Herrscher of Ice: Manipulates molecules to create extreme cold environments. Herrscher of Death: Holds dominion over creation and decay. Herrscher of Flames: Commands the ultimate destructive power of accelerated molecules and extreme heat."

"None of these Herrschers are weaker than the Doomsday Beast we just fought. And then there's the most formidable of all: the Herrscher of Finality, who embodies all the powers I've mentioned. It's the ultimate fusion of all Herrschers, the truest and most complete form. This ultimate being can effortlessly annihilate human civilization and is no weaker than an Emanator."

"If not for the Cocoon of Finality restricting them, it wouldn't be impossible to call them an Aeon. Our civilization has been baptized in Honkai in every era."

Theresa's solemn expression silenced the group from the HSR universe. Compared to the worlds Theresa and Welt came from, the Antimatter Legion suddenly seemed less terrifying.

"This is practically a death sentence for civilization! Uncle Yang, Theresa, you two actually come from such a horrifying world!" March 7th exclaimed in fear, while Stelle, Himeko, and Dan Heng remained silent, stunned by the revelation.

"No, there's more," Theresa continued, noticing their dazed expressions. "It's said that above the Herrscher of Finality exists the Will of Honkai, a god-like entity capable of granting anyone the power to become a Herrscher, but at the cost of becoming its puppet."

"And beneath the Herrschers lie Honkai Beasts. Starting with the Seraph-Class Honkai Beast, with a three-meter wingspan, there are also Knight-class, Catapult-class, Chariot-class, Templar-class, Emperor-class, and Judgment-class. The first five are classified as Lower Honkai Beasts, while the Emperor-class and Judgment-class are Upper Honkai Beasts."

"The further back in history you go, the larger the Honkai Beasts become," Welt said with a wry smile. "It's said that in the previous era of our homeland, even Chariot-class Honkai Beasts could reach colossal sizes, some measuring fifty meters in height and thirty meters in width. The Honkai Beasts of this era have been significantly weakened."

"Even so, Emperor-class Honkai Beasts still reach lengths of at least two to three hundred meters. Weaker Judgment-class specimens can be five hundred meters long, while stronger ones stretch to a kilometer—truly colossal. Legend has it that in ancient Shenzhou, a Judgment-class Honkai Beast named Chiyou emerged, sustaining itself by devouring entire continents. Its body spanned ten thousand meters, a colossal mountain of flesh."

"Ahaha, your civilization must be incredibly resilient," Asta chuckled awkwardly, sweat beading on her forehead. She finally understood why Theresa and Welt were so powerful—if they hadn't been, their world would have perished long ago.

"Unbelievable!" Herta exclaimed. "Your homeland actually survived such absurd Honkai outbreaks. Theresa, your weapon is the Oath of Judah, a Divine Key crafted from the Herrscher of Binding's core, right? Can anyone wield it?" Herta asked curiously. After all, everyone is naturally curious, and no one could resist being intrigued by such a powerful weapon.

"Ordinary people aren't qualified to experiment with it," Theresa explained. "The Oath of Judah chooses its wielder, since it weighs half a ton alone. More importantly, it requires someone with Honkai energy adaptability. Honkai energy is unique to our Homeland—a highly corrosive force. Even the slightest leak can reduce anyone without Honkai resistance to ashes."

"And don't even mention the divine keys forged from Herrscher cores—the most terrifying weapons imaginable. Ordinary people have absolutely no right to wield them."

Herta cast a reluctant glance at the Oath of Judah, her curiosity piqued.

"I strongly advise you to abandon any desire to study it, Miss Herta," Welt cautioned solemnly. "Once you begin researching artifacts from our world, you risk attracting His attention. You wouldn't want a Honkai eruption engulfing the entire galaxy, would you? Not even the Interastral Peace Corporation could contain such a catastrophe!"

Theresa added gravely: "Old Yang isn't joking. The moment you investigate Honkai-related creations, Honkai itself will descend here. Apart from our Astral Express crew, everything else would be consumed by a massive surge of Honkai energy, reduced to ash. Then, a Herrscher would be born. Without the Cocoon of Finality's limitations, that Herrscher's power would easily rival even an Emanator!"

Theresa's words left Herta speechless. Reluctantly, she nodded. As the second-to-last member of the Genius Society, she had always strived to prove herself and climb the ranks.

But she couldn't bring herself to gamble with the lives of an entire galaxy.

"Enough," she said. "I can't take such a risk. I'm not crazy enough to bet the lives of an entire galaxy. Asta, forget about this from today onward."

"Then I have a request," Herta continued. "Screwllum, Ruan Mei, Stephen, and I have been collaborating on a project. We've struggled to find suitable test subjects, but now I'm curious. What would happen if we ran a Simulated Universe simulation using Stelle as the Stellaron's vessel and Theresa from the Honkai World? Would it attract an Aeon?"

Herta voiced her idea. The Nameless readily accepted it. As long as Herta refrained from recklessly researching Honkai, Welt and Theresa had no objections either.