I Am Honkai

Ten minutes ago, Egypt, Giza Province.

In the northeastern part of the provincial city circle, near the city park in a suburban industrial zone, stood a production factory operated by Heliopolis Life Sciences Pharmaceuticals in Giza Province.

The architectural style here was rather unique, combining a sense of sci-fi with traditional elements, exuding a certain artistic appeal. Visually, the clean and steady geometric shapes, clear axes of symmetry, and deep spatial layouts complemented each other harmoniously.

Like Heliopolis Life Sciences' branch in Arc City, the industrial zone's design bore the strong influence of its founder, Jackal's preferences, featuring an Egyptian aesthetic... well, since this is Egypt, that makes sense.

Still, it unmistakably gave off a cemetery-like illusion, as if inspired by a pharaoh's tomb. Coupled with the occupation policies of the 17th Legion, the Imperial Heralds, people had been gathered at designated points to listen to the Holy Words personally penned by Lorgar.

At this moment, the vast industrial park was completely deserted—not a single person, not even a rat, giving it an eerie atmosphere. It seemed steeped in a foreboding tomb-like aura.

The setting sun's rays pierced through the overlapping architectural layers, casting light into the space.

Light and shadow intertwined in the air, while faint crackling sounds of burning flames could be heard, echoing from scattered embers.

Piles of mech wreckage produced by World Serpent were strewn across the roads. Broken circuits tangled together, craters from projectile weapons, plasma weapon melt scars, and the dense "honeycomb" remnants of laser weapons were everywhere.

They tangled into chaotic barricades, blocking paths.

Tap-tap-tap~

Scattered yet steady footsteps echoed from the underground levels of the administrative building in the industrial park's northern section.

"Report: A large-scale firefight was discovered in Zone D on the first underground level. The scene contains numerous mech wrecks and human soldier corpses. Judging from the wounds, they were Astartes Angels!"

"Report: Nothing found on the second underground level."

"Report: A few corpses were discovered on the third underground level. Dead for over ten hours, presumably from the initial sweep... hmm, suicides?"

In the vast underground space, the sporadic sound of gunfire shattered the air with booming echoes. Yet the massive structure remained like a slumbering beast, utterly still.

"Leave necessary guards on each level, both overt and covert. Everyone else, move on. New findings reported on the fourth underground level."

The crisp sound of tactical boots striking the smooth concrete floor reverberated as the team advanced.

A mixed squad of auxiliary troops and servitor forces gathered in the bunker of the administrative building's fourth underground level.

Passing through a heavy alloy door that had been blown open, this floor looked relatively new compared to the previous levels. It was well-maintained, with ample and bright lighting.

However, upon entering—"What the hell?!"

Even as soldiers, they couldn't suppress the chill creeping through their hearts.

The sight on the fourth level was entirely different from the upper levels. Rows upon rows of glass incubation tanks were densely packed together, and what was stored inside was utterly horrifying!

All kinds of body parts—brains, limbs, hearts, internal organs, and more. Some were human, some were from animals, and some even from Honkai Beasts.

That's right. High-level Honkai Beasts were composed directly of Honkai energy, but lower-level Honkai Beasts, being silicon-based lifeforms, could be dismembered, captured, and preserved.

It was precisely due to these specimens that, after long-term research into the structures of Honkai Beasts and zombies, Jackal was able to create numerous synthetic monsters.

Looking at the bluish glow of the incubators, each containing grotesque hybrids of human and Honkai beast flesh, even the auxiliary troops and servitor soldiers, despite their strong mental fortitude, felt their stomachs churn.

If it were just corpses, or even mutilated remains, they wouldn't care—they could even eat a meal right next to them. But this scene was different: the isolated organs were still alive!

Soaked in nutrient fluids and connected to various tubes, the organs continued to twitch and writhe!

"Oh, by our Empress above! As expected, anything connected to the World Serpent must be eradicated completely," one soldier exclaimed.

Though the Empire's own chief scientist, Dr. Fashion, was similarly deranged, the Empire had no moral high ground to criticize others. But, of course, Dr. Fashion had since been "purified" by Selene. Not that they knew this.

In their extremely biased reasoning: our science is safe and acceptable; your science is savage and blasphemous.

"Inform Lord Astartes. This place should indeed be burned to the ground!"

True to their military training, after the initial shock, the troops quickly adjusted their emotions and refocused on the task at hand.

They swiftly navigated the passage lined with glass incubation tanks.

Moving past wooden furniture, glassware, and Egyptian-style carpets, it was evident this area served as a lounge for the laboratory staff. The owner seemed to have decent taste. However, one particular support pillar in the northern part of the workshop stood out—it was abnormally large.

Currently, the surrounding walls were in ruins. Digital screens were shattered, rubble and cement debris were scattered everywhere, and the wall had been violently breached, revealing a hidden alloy door behind it.

From the exposed edges of pulleys and other mechanisms, it was clear that the wall had been a concealed mechanism, designed to camouflage the hidden door.

"Like ringing a bell to cover one's ears... I get it now. This isn't a bunker at all but someone's private facility. The furniture on the fourth underground level was likely their relaxation area," the officer mused.

"Maybe this is a secret belonging to a Heliopolis Life Sciences bigshot."

Leading the group was an auxiliary officer with a tactical mini-explosive pistol and a plasma handgun holstered at his waist. Wearing a wide-brimmed hat, he observed the heavy alloy door and spoke calmly.

"Use thermite charges. Perform a directional micro-breach to blast it open."

"Yes, sir!"

The gathered soldiers quickly retreated, taking cover behind the workshop's support pillars. When the soldier setting up the charges signaled "OK," the officer nodded and pressed the detonator.

Click—BOOM!

In an instant, a burst of blinding sparks erupted from the center of the alloy door. A circular hole, roughly four meters in diameter, was blasted open, and molten metal dripped to the ground with a sizzling hiss.

A hidden staircase was revealed before them.

"To think there was a concealed location beneath the administrative building. It's either a shelter or a research facility..." the auxiliary officer remarked. Gesturing to his troops, they advanced, activating their tactical flashlights as they descended.

"Clear!"

"Sir, it seems to be an elevator platform."

"An elevator? A research facility, then? Move out!"

Without hesitation, the officer signaled his soldiers to follow while speaking, "Something's definitely off here. Report this to command. We may have uncovered a World Serpent research facility."

At the center of the elevator platform, all pretense was gone. The Heliopolis Life Sciences logo had vanished, replaced by the coiled emblem of a rattlesnake.

It was well-known among the 17th Legion Imperial Heralds that the founder of Heliopolis Life Sciences, Jackal, was a high-ranking World Serpent operative.

After all, when Jackal's presence was discovered, Legion Commander Lorgar had stormed down from orbit in a fiery descent. Everyone understood that anything related to the World Serpent was a battlefield merit.

To think this corner-sweeping detachment would stumble upon such a significant discovery.

Beep, beep, beep—

They activated the elevator controls, and in an instant, it began to descend at high speed.

It was unclear how long had passed, but when the elevator finally stopped, they found themselves staring at an even older man-made structure deep below the laboratory.

Another emblem?!

This... was like unwrapping a nesting doll.

First, it was Heliopolis Life Sciences' industrial park, then the World Serpent's laboratory, and now at the very bottom, a large MOTH insignia appeared.

Wasn't this supposed to be a World Serpent facility? Where the hell did this come from?

The stone gate seemed ancient, carved into the terrain rather than constructed downward like the modern structures above. It looked as if the Heliopolis Life Sciences industrial park had been intentionally built atop this ancient site.

The walls were covered with overlapping geometric patterns. "A cat?" If viewed in its entirety, the overlapping shapes resembled an animal when magnified.

"Everyone! Prepare for combat!" the officer barked.

"Yes, sir!"

...

Ten minutes later.

Boom! Boom!

Crash! Crash! Crash! Crash!

Thick, continuous crimson laser beams and explosive projectile rounds tore through the air, shattering everything in their path. Debris rained down as fragments of stone and concrete collapsed.

"You're so annoying! If you push me any further, I'll fight back, you know!" A girl (a five-thousand-year-old girl?) nimbly leaped and rolled between buildings as she shouted.

The girl had curly brown hair, topped with a pair of brown cat ears. Her lips, parting to speak, revealed sharp little fangs, and her fair skin glowed with a healthy blush.

Her delicate features exuded a hint of animalistic wildness, forming a strikingly beautiful visage. Most captivating were her heterochromatic eyes—left blue and right green—shimmering like clear, radiant gemstones.

She wore a revealing blue outfit, black-and-white long boots, and a white cloak with a hood draped over her shoulders.

Her response was met with the sharp metallic sound of weapons being readied—clang!

"Wow! That was close."

A warrior from the Imperial Heralds, equipped with a jetpack, descended from the sky, wielding a chainsword. With a crack, the blade pierced the spot where the girl had just been, slicing through it as smoothly as cutting butter.

The chainsword plunged deep into the steel-reinforced concrete of the building, all the way to the hilt. The force of gravity alone carved a trench tens of meters long into the ground.

"It was you who provoked me first! Why should I run? You're making it seem like I'm the one in the wrong here," Pardofelis complained.

Having just awakened from her stasis pod, her "home" was bombed, and then a group of burly, hostile men stormed in, weapons pointed at her face. What was she supposed to do?

With no other choice, she used her agile and versatile movements to toy with them before stylishly escaping. She couldn't wait to explore the world outside.

But it didn't stop there. Those same burly men, despite their intimidating appearances, couldn't catch her and called in reinforcements.

When she burst through to the surface, what greeted her wasn't the bright sunlight but a "wall" of enemies and the roar of projectile weapons.

A group of heavily armored giants descended from the sky, weapons in hand, shouting "Die, mutant!" as they prepared to take her down.

As she fled, more pursuers joined the chase—coming from both the skies and the ground.

"Why is this happening to me?!" Pardofelis cried out in frustration, pausing mid-air on the side of a building. Her strong legs coiled, muscles tensed, and in the next second, she launched herself forward with an even greater leap.

In a flash, her speed surged, widening the gap between her and the pursuing Astartes warriors.

As the last-ranked among the Thirteen Flame-Chasers, bearing the sigil of [Reverie], Pardofelis often claimed she was the weakest among them. She frequently shirked tasks, lazing around and avoiding assignments.

But truthfully, she was probably second-to-last—at least stronger than [Star] Griseo, who was still a child.

Moreover, as a fusion warrior merged with feline Honkai Beast DNA, Pardofelis might lack raw offensive power and destructive capabilities, but her feline agility, speed, and reflexes made her the slipperiest among the Flame-Chasers.

Much like her personality.

"Dammit! This mutant seems to predict our moves! She's too fast—we can't catch her. If we can't use high-damage weapons, it's nearly impossible to land a hit."

Without overwhelming strength or the ability to use high-power, destructive weaponry, the ordinary Astartes warriors, even with jetpacks, found it nearly impossible to keep up with her intricate and unpredictable movements when she decided to run.

The strength of the Flame-Chasers was undeniable.

But why were Kevin and Mei beaten so badly? Well, look at who they were up against—it's hardly the same thing.

"We can't use them. Have you forgotten General Alex's orders? The legion commander explicitly stated that the 17th Legion must strictly follow Her Majesty's will."

"Where are the unit commanders?" someone asked.

"The nearest Second Company commander is in Cairo for a sermon. The Fifth Company commander is in Rome... yeah, he's currently in the Vatican. The other commanders are clearing out Heliopolis Life Sciences' headquarters."

"And the legion commander?"

"Uh... after dealing with Jackal's situation, the legion commander went to Jerusalem."

Equipped with jetpacks, the soldiers of the 17th Legion seemed at a loss.

The Giza Province had already been swept clean once, and there were no organized resistance forces left. This was confirmed by the team's soul-seekers.

The remnants of Heliopolis Life Sciences and World Serpent's hidden forces in Egypt had been unearthed, either destroyed or on the verge of being wiped out.

As a result, only a portion of the Astartes warriors remained to maintain order. Most of the command structure was preoccupied with large gatherings for sermons.

Secondary and tertiary city sweeps had been delegated to the auxiliary and servitor forces, with the Astartes providing strategic support from the sidelines.

Who could have predicted that Pardofelis would suddenly emerge from underground, conveniently during an operational lull?

Thud!

Amid the rubble of an explosion, Pardofelis spun 180 degrees as she landed. She lifted her head, her heterochromatic beast-like eyes flashing with visible annoyance. "Alright then, don't blame me for what happens next."

Before the airborne Preachers could react, a claw formed from condensed Honkai energy struck out...

"A cat's claw?"

With that thought, one of the Astartes was slammed into a nearby building, shattering large swathes of glass as he was sent flying.

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