I Am Honkai

This place resembled the dark cosmic domain of primordial times, before humanity had spread its influence across the universe. The entire land was shrouded in an icy silence, everything suspended in a state of lifeless stillness.

The earth lay in darkness, as if covered by an endless black shroud, rendering visibility nearly impossible.

Gradually, from a distant aerial view, faint glimmers of light began to pierce through the darkness, growing brighter and more numerous until they burst into blinding beams as radiant as the sun itself.

The source of this illumination was an immense fortress-like complex, standing silently upon the barren land.

The dim, purplish-red sky above signified that this was part of the Imperial homeland.

However, this area did not belong to the bustling Imperial metropolitan zones. Instead, under Selene's deliberate planning, it was positioned far from the bustling cities, surrounded by desolation. Imperial urban expansion had been carefully directed to avoid this place.

This was—the Imperial Science Bureau Headquarters.

The nominally largest research facility in the Empire, and simultaneously the heart and brain of the Empire's reserve military power.

At its outermost perimeter were vast hangar bays and industrial warehouses, including countless ore storage depots, smelting plants, refining facilities, chemical factories, repair workshops, and armories—everything associated with known heavy industrial production processes.

Only beyond this outer layer were the massive military factories and cutting-edge research institutes.

Although not the largest manufacturing hub in the Empire, as part of the Imperial homeland, its production capacity ranked among the top of the Empire's operational and under-construction military factories. Moreover, it housed the most valuable and highest-tier industrial facilities within the Empire.

Buzzing—!

Enormous transport vessels slowly moved from the launch ports to the hangar bays, their vector thrusters spewing intense plasma flames. The roaring engines gradually lowered, allowing the ships to settle onto the vast tarmac.

"It's truly massive…"

Stepping out from the central teleportation hall, Mobius surveyed the scene before her with an unobstructed view. The hangar stretched endlessly before her eyes, with layers upon layers of industrial plants extending from beneath her feet all the way to the distant horizon.

And this was just one of the Imperial Science Bureau's many production divisions… Truly, this Empire had a penchant for grandeur, obsessed with colossal and monumental projects.

Meanwhile, she remained a solitary researcher.

Mobius mused to herself.

Despite her considerable renown during the previous Era, and the seemingly endless government research funding she received, the actual scale of her research facilities before joining MOTHs was shockingly small—almost like a family-run workshop.

That was the polite way to put it. In truth, apart from a handful of individuals like her loyal assistants Klein and Blanca, or Griseo's father—those who truly understood her—Mobius had always been a loner.

Blanca, like Klein, was one of Mobius' trusted assistants and Griseo's mother, which explained why Mobius later took such care of Griseo.

Even Fu Hua's close friends, Dan Zhu and Cangxuan, had once served as Mobius' assistants (mostly to slack off and burden Klein with extra work), but unlike Klein, they never fully aligned with Mobius' ideals. Ultimately, they left due to ideological differences.

After the collapse of Griseo's parents due to the Honkai disaster, and Klein's death during the Herrscher of Dominance incident, Mobius became even more of an isolated figure in the field of research.

As for her fellow researchers within MOTHs…

Dr. Mei's fundamental research direction was fundamentally different from Mobius'.

Vill-V specialized in mechanics, engineering, and architecture—fields that had little overlap with Mobius' domain of biology. Unless Mobius abandoned the pursuit of bodily evolution and opted for mechanical ascension instead, their paths would rarely intersect.

It was evident that Mobius' primary focus was on flesh. While she dabbled in mechanics for minor research purposes, the two were more like rivals from different fields, frequently engaging in private exchanges.

For example, she regularly obtained mechanical organs from Vill-V to piece together Grey Serpent's body. Even her current suitcase—an advanced means of transportation—was procured from Vill-V.

As for other close Flame-Chasers like Eden, Griseo, or Elysia... they were out of the question. Seeking them out to explore the mysteries of life?

Forget it. A mere singer, a little girl, and a glutton... Mobius wasn't that desperate.

A glimmer of excitement flickered in her serpent-like eyes, and Mobius spoke playfully with a hint of lightheartedness, "But these are just low-end mass-produced trinkets. Hopefully, their level won't disappoint me."

Just as she was speaking, a small figure suddenly darted out beside her.

This figure bore a striking resemblance to Mobius herself—short green hair, an oversized white lab coat that didn't quite fit, petite legs encased in black stockings, and an eyepatch covering her right eye. Her remaining eye was an unusual gradient of green and red.

She carried a disproportionately large book strapped across her back with a shoulder harness, and her pockets jingled with small fluorescent green vials, seemingly containing medical reagents. The harness fastener was an emerald-green, vertical-slit gemstone resembling a snake's eye.

"This place is so big, Doctor! Klein likes it here. So exciting!"

Since Mobius had embedded a workaholic program into her core coding, the armed doll Klein, modeled after her original assistant Klein, felt exhilarated upon seeing such a massive factory. The thought of working here in the future thrilled her beyond measure.

This place was far larger than the Elysian Realm. The workload must be enormous! Ah...

Ever since the Elysian Realm was decommissioned by Selene, Klein had been on an extended "vacation." Simply put, she couldn't hold it in any longer—she needed work!

"Wow~~!"

Sitting on Mobius' shoulder, her tiny legs swung back and forth, her mouth agape in awe as she excitedly shook her head.

"Dr. Mobius, please follow me."

At that moment, a group of people entered.

There were both men and women among them, all exuding the disciplined aura of military personnel. They were dressed in standard iron-gray uniforms, with the Empire's double-headed eagle insignia proudly displayed on their broad shoulders.

Thud, thud...

Without unnecessary conversation, Mobius was escorted by the group toward a towering structure.

Upon entering the tower's grand hall, Mobius' gaze penetrated through thick grates and numerous obstacles. She caught a glimpse of a massive crimson-purple apparatus.

Countless intricate and sophisticated wedge-shaped metal structures were interwoven with a multitude of black cables, all converging upon a glowing core of condensed crimson Honkai crystals.

"A high-concentration Honkai crystal..."

The structure converted Honkai energy into electricity to power the base.

Tiny, dense pulses of energy crawled across the seemingly tangible energy flow on the device's surface, accompanied by bursts of electric sparks.

However...

Mobius withdrew her gaze with slight dissatisfaction.

As the chief researcher, that so-called Dr. Stylish's lab should have been situated within the central district. But this place... wasn't the central area.

Was this meant to be a show of force?

As Mobius was maliciously speculating about Dr. Stylish's intentions, a sudden, piercing sound echoed through the metal gates.

Inside the building, the air was filled with the enraged, terrified, and agonized cries of beasts.

The interior was brightly lit, resembling a honeycomb, with countless crude "cells" arranged in neat rows. The bars of these cells were made of thick metal rods, each about the width of a forearm, and inside each cell were over a hundred... demi-human creatures.

Following the heart-wrenching screams, Mobius spotted the figure of a middle-aged man standing with his back to her. He wore black-framed glasses, and his white lab coat was stained with the pungent stench of blood.

The screams were truly harrowing, difficult to listen to without feeling disturbed.

And the sight before him—the operating table—was even more grotesque: scattered yellow-green limbs, crushed bone fragments, and severed organs splattered everywhere.

This wasn't a prison.

This wasn't an operating table.

It was a slaughterhouse.

Inside the cells, the creatures huddled together, some covering their heads and lying flat on the ground, others sprawled out, voiding their bowels in fear. Each time the agonized cries of their kin being dissected echoed from the operating table, their bodies would tremble uncontrollably, as if afflicted with Parkinson's disease.

"Ugh! Doctor, this is so disgusting..." Klein, hiding behind Mobius, spoke in a distressed tone.

And this was after the place had been washed down multiple times—one could only imagine the torment of encountering these freshly captured goblins for the first time, an assault on both visual and olfactory senses.

"Sir, Dr. Mobius has arrived," the escorting officer stepped forward and reported cautiously.

"Oh, you're here."

Holding a small chainsaw sword, the man turned around with a bloodied chunk of flesh in hand. Upon seeing the green-haired girl, he merely smiled.

Then, as if realizing something belatedly, he hurriedly tossed aside the gore in his hands and wiped the blood spattered across his glasses, attempting to adopt what he considered an elegant, aristocratic demeanor.

"My apologies for the... less than ideal welcome. I was busy studying these little creatures."

His eyes shone with an uncontrollable excitement.

"Their unique trait of being an all-male species is simply too fascinating!"

He spread his arms wide, his blood-streaked glasses reflecting the lab's harsh lighting, revealing eyes that burned with a twisted scientific obsession.

"Let me introduce myself... Well, I've long forgotten my real name. Everyone calls me Dr. Stylish. Welcome to my domain, Dr. Mobius."

With that, he extended his blood-soaked, grime-covered hand toward her.

"Ah, nice to meet you."

Unfortunately for him, Dr. Stylish miscalculated.

Who was Mobius?

As a scientist obsessed with seeking the truth at any cost, this kind of situation was her normal routine.

Not only did she not hesitate to shake his bloodied hand, but she even grasped it firmly and began rubbing it between her fingers.

Feeling the warmth of the partially congealed flesh under her touch, Mobius showed not a hint of discomfort. She merely looked up, her serpent-like pupils staring into his eyes, and teased with a smirk:

"Doctor, your technique could use some improvement."

Lowering his gaze slightly, perhaps due to the reflection of the lights, Dr. Stylish narrowed his eyes and slowly withdrew his hand. A glint of white light flashed across his glasses.

"Indeed, Dr. Mobius. I've read your profile... You're quite impressive." He spoke in a tone of negotiation.

"So... would you be willing to teach me?"

Without waiting for a response, he snapped his fingers, gesturing with a delicate flourish of his fingers.

Immediately, the guards stepped forward, unlocking one of the cages.

A cacophony of wailing and screaming erupted.

Whack! Whack!

The guards' batons struck down mercilessly.

"Filthy alien scum!"

Bang! Bang!

Although most of the force had been restrained, the two goblins beneath them were still beaten to the point of having their skin split open and their bones shattered. They were breathing more out than in, and it was clear they wouldn't last much longer.

"Oh dear~ Be gentle, don't kill them now," Dr. Stylish let out a slightly effeminate chiding tone.

The others were used to this behavior, but Mobius's snake-like pupils widened in surprise. This man was even more twisted than she had initially thought.

Despite appearing normal in front of Selene, deep down, Dr. Stylish was on the verge of being completely broken.

Although Selene's influence had curbed much of his behavior—causing many of his peculiar fetishes to die in the womb before they could spread—among the high ranks of the Empire, he remained one of the most uniquely perverse individuals.

"Come on, let's begin. Let's see who's better." Dr. Stylish rubbed his hands together eagerly, pointing at the two goblins thrown onto the operating table.

Flicking out her serpent-like tongue, Mobius gazed at Dr. Stylish with a meaningful expression and said, "Sure, but what's a competition without stakes?"

"Oh? And what does Dr. Mobius wish to wager?"

"The position of chief scientist," Mobius revealed her true intentions.

...

The rhythmic tapping of high heels echoed sharply through the otherwise silent office.

Behind the desk, Selene temporarily put down the reports she was reviewing—because she had received an application for an extermination order from Esdeath.

"Oh, so it's just an extermination request for the goblin race," she mused.

Since the trial world was directly administered by the central government and not a newly conquered colonial world, she did not have the authority to unilaterally act on it.

On the application form, Esdeath Baluth's name was prominently displayed. Although the reason wasn't explicitly stated, Selene could easily guess it.

"So... Kiana and the others haven't made a move yet, but Esdeath can't sit still?"

Selene smiled as she held the report in her hands.

Perhaps it was the influence of the Empire's policies she had enacted. Despite Esdeath's deeply ingrained belief in survival of the fittest since childhood, she still made such a decision.

Her perception had slightly shifted—while she still believed the victors had the right to deal with the weak, she now limited that belief strictly to humanity.

When it came to alien species, like most in the Empire with their extreme xenophobic tendencies, Esdeath did not consider them "people"—except for a few aesthetic or useful species such as elves and mermaids (for display purposes) or beastmen and dwarves (for labor purposes).

"Approved," Selene signed the document.

"However... extermination, and a precise one at that—wiping out a single species without harming others—is somewhat challenging. Especially considering that in this world, goblins aren't naturally occurring; their origins are tied to some sort of curse-based law."

Trial worlds, as their name implies, were not governed by imperial administrators. Instead, they were used solely as training grounds for new recruits.

These worlds were typically those lacking substantial agricultural, mineral, or population resources, yet were overrun by various monsters. They were considered neither valuable nor entirely worthless—perfect for controlled testing grounds.

The civilizations within these worlds were left to their own devices, their cultures preserved without excessive interference. The Empire simply observed and periodically recruited the most promising individuals.

Glancing at the document now bearing her official seal, Selene leaned back in her chair and tossed it to the side of her desk.

"Hold off on issuing it for now," she instructed.

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