The Nature of Corruption

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Another morning, and Lin Wei was once again jolted awake by the loud noises coming from upstairs.

Seriously?!

He jumped out of bed, marched upstairs, and kicked the door open.

Since their last encounter, he had shown Vill-V no courtesy, their interactions consisting of sarcasm and mockery.

Knocking? That wasn't his style.

The door crashed open, the noise intensifying.

"No visitors during working hours (especially wandering successors) - Vill-V" A large blackboard stood in the hallway, a message scrawled across it in bold letters.

"I don't care," Lin Wei scoffed, about to push the blackboard aside, but stopped himself at the last moment.

He retreated outside, summoned Pandora, shifted it into its pistol form, and shot the supports of the blackboard.

Bang!

The supports snapped, and the blackboard crashed to the floor.

He waited, but nothing happened.

No traps, it seemed.

"I guess I was overthinking it," he muttered. This was the main hall, after all, not the Deep End. Causing trouble here would be a major inconvenience.

The other Flame-Chasers wouldn't tolerate Vill-V's shenanigans in the main living area.

He dismissed Pandora and stepped into the workshop.

As he took his first step, he felt something under his foot.

"Crap!"

Before he could react, a jolt of electricity surged through him, and he lost consciousness.

When he woke up, he was back in the lounge, staring at the familiar ceiling. Vill-V was sitting nearby, fiddling with an antique pocket watch.

"Yo, you're awake." She looked up, a disarmingly innocent smile on her face. "You were out for 24 minutes and 11 seconds, much longer than I anticipated. Too bad I don't specialize in biology. That's Dr. Mobius's area of expertise. She could have conducted some… interesting experiments in that time~"

Lin Wei sat up, checking himself over. He felt fine. He summoned Pandora, and the black box appeared obediently in his hand, its light subdued.

"Don't look at me like that, you brought this upon yourself. If you had ignored the blackboard and continued walking, nothing would have happened. Of course, you would have been chased out by the 'expert,' but that's beside the point. She's still fuming about you destroying her workshop in the Deep End~" Vill-V explained, putting away her pocket watch, shifting the blame effortlessly.

"Really? So that trap wasn't for me?" Lin Wei had never been outsmarted like this before.

"Of course it was for you. Clever people tend to overthink things, leading them to fall for obvious traps," Vill-V said, jumping off the sofa, stretching, then bowing theatrically. "Consider it… payback. You did the same to me, remember?"

She was referring to the Faraday cage and the subsequent electric shock.

If she hadn't been prepared, that could have been quite unpleasant.

I'm just a frail researcher, and you attacked me without mercy!

"Really? I was just providing you with combat data, as requested. And you seemed to be enjoying yourself quite a bit," Lin Wei retorted coldly, not mentioning the trap.

He was the one who had been outsmarted. Dwelling on it would only make him look like a sore loser.

But bringing up the incident in the Deep End would annoy Vill-V.

As expected, her expression turned slightly uncomfortable. "Don't even mention it! You and Kevin completely destroyed the place! There's nothing left! It'll take ages to rebuild… Seriously, you two were way too rough."

"Oh really? So I imagine it's Pardo's playground now?" Lin Wei pictured the scene – Pardo sneaking into the ruined Spiral Workshop, calling out tentatively for Vill-V…

After making sure the coast was clear, she would pounce on the wreckage, her eyes gleaming, rummaging through the debris, occasionally pulling out some strange object and excitedly showing it to Can, who would dutifully carry it away in a large bag…

Rather amusing~

Lin Wei chuckled at the thought.

"Probably. Let her have her fun. She's been eyeing my inventory for a while now," Vill-V said, then looked at Lin Wei with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "But now… I'm forced to return to this cramped workshop. I'm bankrupt, after all. Can't be too picky, right?"

She feigned a mournful sigh, ignoring Lin Wei's darkening expression. "We're neighbors now, so please be nice~"

Playing the victim card, huh? Is this how we're going to be from now on?

"Isn't the Elysian Realm a data space? Just rewind it," Lin Wei scoffed at her excuse.

"Oh? You're quite knowledgeable! Too bad, you're wrong~ This involves data related to the Key of Corruption. Rewinding would erase that data, and all my hard work would be for nothing!" Vill-V sighed dramatically, spreading her hands.

"So…?" You're actually bankrupt? Lin Wei looked at her, his expression a mixture of disbelief and amusement. Even she fell for her own tricks?

Vill-V, understanding his unspoken question, nodded glumly.

Lin Wei grinned, satisfied. Good! She deserves it!

"So, what did you learn from the data?" Now that he was feeling better, he got down to business.

"Well, as I said, you're essentially a monkey with a gun," Vill-V said, taking off her hat and pulling out a holographic device, tapping on it. "After all, even a monkey can be dangerous with a gun if it figures out how to pull the trigger, right?"

Her tone was almost mournful, as if lamenting his wasted potential. "Simply put, you have a superficial understanding of the power of Corruption, relying on guesswork and intuition. And your application of that power is… abysmal."

She recalled his weakened state after their last encounter, barely able to stand. "I have to admit, your compatibility with the twelfth Divine Key is higher than any other Flame-Chaser's with their Divine Key, including Kevin. However, it's not demonstrating its full potential in your hands."

Lin Wei listened silently, his expression unreadable. Pandora circled his hand comfortingly, as if saying, Don't listen to her nonsense.

"Enough with the condescending tone, Vill-V," he said, not needing Pandora's reassurance. He wasn't bothered by her disdain. "Whether you think my strength or understanding is comparable to a monkey's, that's your opinion. I don't care."

"I'm just an ordinary person, utterly helpless against the Honkai, one wrong move and I'm dead. I'm not a Honkai expert, nor am I a genius like you. It's only natural that I know nothing about Honkai or Herrschers."

He lowered his hand, and the black box settled obediently on the table in front of him, like an extension of his own will. "Vill-V, I'm not interested in playing guessing games with you. It's here, that's a fact. And it belongs to me, that's also a fact."

"If you're trying to provoke me so you can experience what it's like to be 'corrupted,' just say so. Then go ask Kevin and Elysia for permission. If your leader and vice-leader agree, I wouldn't mind fulfilling your wish – though I can't guarantee you'll be returned to them in one piece."

The black box floated up, shimmering, and vanished behind him, absorbed into his body. "If I'm not mistaken, you tried to find it while I was unconscious, but you couldn't, right?"

Interacting with Vill-V was like playing a guessing game. You had to sift through her words, identifying the insignificant details while ignoring the deliberately emphasized parts.

After all, "magic" was the art of misdirection.

"Too bad, you're wrong~ I did try to find the twelfth Divine Key, and I did detect it," Vill-V said, her expression and tone a mix of amusement and frustration. "But I couldn't separate it from you. So, as you can see, the result is… without your permission, I can't even touch it."

"Really? You should have hit me harder then. That might have given you a chance to get up close and personal with it," Lin Wei retorted, summoning Pandora again and spinning it between his fingers like a coin, mocking her casually.

It might look harmless now, but if she triggered its defenses, it could dismantle this place in seconds.

"Hey, that's too much! You're sitting here perfectly fine, don't make me out to be some dangerous villain like Mobius!" Vill-V protested, throwing Mobius under the bus. "Tell you what, let me study it, and I'll tell you about some backdoors in other Divine Keys. You'll encounter them eventually when you return to the real world, won't you?"

"...No, thanks." Lin Wei looked at her suspiciously. Backdoors? She wasn't even trying to hide it. Or was there another motive?

Just in case, he refused.

"You've gathered enough data, haven't you? Don't waste time, just tell me your conclusions. Or do you need me to 'cooperate' again?" He interrupted her again, his tone mocking.

This Elysian Realm is not easy, he sighed inwardly.

Why did she keep provoking him? He just wanted to relax here!

 (ー`ω´ー)

No wonder Mei became so irritable and sarcastic after spending so much time here—

Dealing with these people would mess with anyone's sanity.

"Fine, fine~ I believe it's necessary to upgrade the Elysian Realm's firewalls to enhance its defenses against the Herrscher of Corruption."

"I remember your suggestion was for World Serpent to seal the outside passage with ten thousand tons of concrete, so no virus could get in. And if that wasn't enough, another ten thousand tons~" Lin Wei's tone was flat as he delivered his sarcastic remark. After all, the most effective antivirus measure was to unplug the internet.

"...You and Kalpas would get along splendidly," Vill-V said, her lips twitching. Then, her eyes lit up with a mischievous glint. "Besides, your understanding of Honkai is truly… superficial. Who told you the Herrscher of Corruption couldn't directly manifest in the Elysian Realm?"

Lin Wei looked at her, his expression even stranger than before.

Don't you think I know you're on good terms with the Will of Honkai?

Suddenly, a thought struck him—

Mei had faced the Will of Honkai in the depths of her Herrscher core, and the Herrscher of Corruption had been born, infecting a part of her without her knowledge.

The question was, why would the Will of Honkai release its final monster at that moment? Knowing the past and the future, didn't it know Mei would eventually return to the Elysian Realm?

Lin Wei's expression turned serious, his eyes distant. He had realized a possibility he had overlooked – the Will of Honkai had intentionally used Mei to plant the seed of Corruption in the Elysian Realm.

After all, the Elysian Realm itself was the perfect breeding ground for the Herrscher of Corruption!

But what was its purpose?

He didn't know. He lacked information, but the possibility was there.

"What are you thinking about?" Being interrupted from his thoughts was unpleasant. He frowned at Vill-V, then quickly dismissed his irritation.

"You mean the current Herrscher of Corruption doesn't necessarily need a human host like RIN, but can directly manifest in the Elysian Realm, like a virus? But this place is isolated. How? What would be the medium?" He rephrased his suspicion as a question.

"Oh? A bold hypothesis!" Vill-V looked impressed, studying him intently. "Tell me, what is your understanding of the power of Corruption?"

"An ultimate virus with self-awareness, capable of infecting organisms, machines, and networks, replicating, spreading, expanding…" Lin Wei recited the textbook definition, knowing Vill-V would have a different answer.

"Hmm… sixty out of a hundred. Passing grade. After all, that's pretty much all the information we left for the next generation," Vill-V said noncommittally.

As expected.

Lin Wei gestured for her to continue.

"The virus is its manifestation, but it's just a superficial form, not the whole story. Lin Wei, don't you find it strange? Why do other Herrschers seem like divine beings descending upon the world – the Herrscher of Wind, the Herrscher of Thunder, the Herrscher of Ice – because they control a corresponding law of reality, electromagnetism, gravity, etc… but the Herrscher of Corruption, who stands alongside them, is just a… persistent virus?"

Vill-V's expression turned serious, her voice taking on a strange tone. "And why was RIN's power only unleashed after her death?"

"Good point. So there must be something more to it," Lin Wei said, playing along.

"To put it simply, the essence of Corruption is exactly what the name implies – the 'corrosion' of reality by the Imaginary," Vill-V explained, choosing her words carefully. "I assume you have some basic education, so I won't explain the terminology in detail. As you know, Honkai energy is Imaginary energy, born in opposition to the real energy of our world. The essence of Honkai is the interference and corrosion of reality by the Imaginary."

Do you have some misconception about "basic education"? Do second-graders learn advanced mathematics in your world? Lin Wei complained inwardly.

"Other Herrschers usually exist in real space as macroscopic Honkai energy aggregates. Their powers are concentrated within these aggregates," Vill-V continued, her voice strange. "But for RIN, her physical body was a constraint, preventing her from fully unleashing her power. We couldn't even detect a physical 'Herrscher core,' despite the undeniable presence of Herrscher-level energy readings. That's why the Flame-Chasers chose to imprison her."

"And when she was killed, that physical constraint was broken, the barrier between the Imaginary and reality removed. That's when the Herrscher of Corruption's power truly manifested, in the form of a virus, in the form of nuclear explosions…" Vill-V's voice trailed off, her expression distant. The weapons she had created, meant to protect humanity, had become instruments of destruction. It was a burden she carried.

"From that perspective, Pandora's Box… the name you gave to the twelfth Divine Key… is quite fitting."

After a pause, she continued, "Penetrating the boundary between the Imaginary and real, corroding reality, and establishing new connections. Its manifestation in objective reality is similar to a virus hijacking a computer system. That's why its 'viral' nature is so prominent, and calling it a virus isn't entirely wrong."

"If the Herrscher of Reason represents the ultimate 'existence,' then the Herrscher of Corruption represents the ultimate 'nothingness.' One understands and creates reality, the other invades reality from nothingness, like two sides of a coin, a reversal of spear and shield."

Lin Wei, interrupting her lengthy explanation, summarized his understanding. "So, if other Herrschers' powers are manifestations of natural laws, then the Herrscher of Corruption is the manifestation of the phenomenon of 'Imaginary corrosion' itself?"

"Hmm… that's not entirely wrong, but you wouldn't get full marks on a test. Anything else?" Vill-V considered for a moment, then accepted his interpretation.

It wasn't just natural laws. Otherwise, how would one explain the Herrscher of Reason and the Herrscher of Binding?

"You said 'hijacking.' So it does have the ability to invade and control, like a virus, right?"

"Not entirely." Vill-V looked at him, her expression serious. "Let me ask you this. If your twelfth Divine Key corrupted and controlled me, would that Vill-V, under your control, still be me?"

A philosophical question? Lin Wei's brow furrowed, then a thought struck him. "Are you saying it destroys the original individual during the corruption process?"

Like Honkai energy corrupting humans and turning them into Honkai beasts?

"Not exactly. It hijacks the physical entity and acquires all its stored information. But it needs to establish its own information exchange process." Vill-V didn't expect much from his knowledge, but he was still within the realm of comprehensible conversation. "Take 'Vill-V' as an example. If the Herrscher of Corruption controlled me, it would have my appearance, my body, all my memories and knowledge, but not my way of thinking, my consciousness itself. Do you understand?"

Lin Wei nodded. "If we compare a person's way of thinking to computer code, it's an astronomically large amount of data. Changing even a single plus or minus sign during the corruption process could cause the entire system to crash. Is that what you mean?"

"Precisely. Corruption is a process of destruction and reconstruction of the information exchange process," Vill-V confirmed, then looked at him meaningfully. "Returning to the original question… do you consider the Elysian Realm, a purely data-based space, real or illusory?"

A chill ran down Lin Wei's spine. He opened his mouth, but no words came out.

"Back to your Divine Key. Just as a virus can coexist with a cell, RIN essentially chose to coexist with you. Her consciousness is dormant, her power contained, under your control. The result is the twelfth Divine Key in your hand." Vill-V eyed him strangely, finding this unique case worthy of further study, perhaps even dissection, with Mobius.

"So, you're saying… I'm half Herrscher of Corruption?" Lin Wei asked, his tone incredulous. That was absurd!

Herrscher powers in the Previous Era were bound to their hosts, non-transferable. You had to defeat them to obtain their powers!

"No, no, don't worry, you're still human… for now," Vill-V said, her reassurance strangely ominous. "For now"?

"What I mean is, your Divine Key, after absorbing the Elysian Realm's vast accumulated data, has become… interesting," she continued, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Interfering with reality from nothingness, combined with the data of all these Divine Keys… it could potentially become another Void Archives? Too bad the Elysian Realm doesn't have the Void Archives' data. That would be even more fun."

"Projection, you mean?" Lin Wei understood her meaning, then asked another question that had been on his mind. "Could Yae Sakura exist in the real world through this method?"

"Oh, Miss Yae Sakura?" Vill-V considered for a moment. "It's… possible, but don't get your hopes up. Her power is too great. Even as a projection, she wouldn't be able to maintain her form for long."

She studied Lin Wei, explaining in terms he could understand. "After all, 'Imaginary interference with reality' requires a channel, and your body serves as that channel. If we use a network analogy, your 'bandwidth' determines the upper limit of the Divine Key's power, and whether Miss Yae Sakura can exist in the real world."

Just call me a weakling already, Lin Wei thought glumly.

Alright, he had a general understanding now.

Suddenly, a mischievous idea popped into his head. He looked at Vill-V. "You said earlier that the First Herrscher represents the 'ultimate reality,' and the Twelfth Herrscher represents the 'ultimate nothingness,' right?"

"...Yes, why?" Vill-V had a bad feeling about this, but tried to maintain a casual demeanor.

But there was no way Lin Wei would let her off the hook.

"I recall there were thirteen Herrschers before the Final Herrscher. So, what about the Thirteenth Herrscher?"