The Ninth Floor

Stepping into the elevator with Pet in his arms, Shu pressed the button for B9 and retreated to the center.

Holding a live "cybernetic pet" for the first time, curiosity won. He looked down at Pet, observing the faint vibrations of its internal mechanisms.

"Ethics, can you see?" he asked.

"Affirmative, Mr. Shu. Pet and I share visual input," Ethics replied through the small robot. Pet wriggled in his arms.

It was a bizarre experience—a serious conversation accompanied by… robotic snuggles.

Shu's gaze drifted towards Pet's exposed wires, then quickly away. He wasn't one for petting animals. He preferred to observe.

Pet, seemingly realizing that this "new owner" wasn't going to scratch behind its… circuits, settled down quietly.

The elevator descended for nearly thirty seconds before stopping.

"Mr. Shu, please prepare for combat. Two mutated organisms are present at the elevator exit," Ethics warned just before the doors opened.

Shu paused, looking at his hand, then took a deep breath.

"Here we go… inevitable."

Two intertwined, grotesque figures writhed in the dimly lit corridor outside, blocking the path.

The elevator doors opened. A blur of motion shot out, past the mutants, and slammed against the far wall.

Shu, still clutching Pet, braced himself against the wall, his legs trembling. He was weak, drained, as if his entire being had been momentarily vaporized, only more intensely this time.

It was a double dose of feedback. Fortunately, he'd been prepared, managing to grab the wall before collapsing.

"Mr. Shu, do you require rest?" Ethics's voice, seemingly adjusted to a lower volume, barely reached his ears.

Shu shook his head. "No, just… give me a moment."

The weakness faded as quickly as it had come. He took a deep breath, steadying himself, and looked back.

One wall bore the now-familiar, pristine imprint of his clothes. The other was covered in a fine, powdery dust.

These two mutants were different from the tentacle monster. One was a tangle of twisted limbs; the other, a skeletal creature with exposed ribs.

Both had been annihilated instantly, painlessly. Shu was certain of it. He hadn't felt any pain in the feedback, just that strange… lightness.

After a moment, his color returned, and he could move freely again.

"Farewell…" he murmured, turning and following the route Ethics had provided.

The ninth floor, while not as vast as the eighth, was still far larger than any underground level should be.

Heliopolis had built an entire underground complex down here! Complete with multi-story buildings and swimming pools!

A massive screen on the ceiling simulated the sky above, showing the sun beginning its descent.

It was a subterranean city.

"These rich folks really know how to live…" Shu muttered, crouching behind a low wall, looking up at the artificial sky.

The idea of turning this place into a Fire Moth base became even more appealing.

"Mr. Shu, a mutated organism will reach your vicinity in three seconds," Ethics's voice shattered the peaceful illusion.

Shu sighed, bracing himself.

Another gruesome flower bloomed on the wall, another tormented soul released from its suffering. Shu leaned against the wall, gasping for breath, his face pale, and continued on.

He avoided combat whenever possible. Nearly a hundred mutants roamed this level. After eliminating just five or six, he was already feeling the strain.

But some mutants had heightened senses.

Despite moving as silently as possible, Shu was detected by a creature with dozens of ears, dozens of meters away. It wriggled towards him, its ears twitching.

Shu dispatched it, then collapsed to the ground, exhausted.

"Ethics, how much further until we reach those… special mutants?" he asked, staring at a swimming pool in a nearby courtyard.

He was parched, but he couldn't just pull out a water bottle in front of Ethics.

"You are approximately one-quarter of the way there, Mr. Shu," Ethics replied from his arms. "However, in your current state, you are unlikely to overcome the remaining obstacles."

Shu didn't argue. He could barely stand.

These weren't Honkai Beasts. He could have taken on a dozen Chariots and been less drained.

But these were mutated humans, only slightly stronger than ordinary people, nowhere near as powerful as Honkai Beasts.

And yet, killing them required him to… die a little himself.

What was the point? They didn't give him [hope]! Why was he experiencing their pain?

He desperately wanted to know why his powers were doing this, forcing him to endure this agonizing feedback since last night.

"Mr. Shu, the building behind you is secure and contains necessary provisions. I suggest you recuperate before proceeding."

"Just what I needed to hear," Shu sighed, picking up Pet and hauling himself over the wall into the courtyard.