I Am Honkai

The goblin race in the 5th Trial World (Goblin Slayer) under the Military Affairs Department is undoubtedly unique. They are not a product of natural evolution but rather creations of the supernatural beings of this world...

In other words, they were created by "gods."

Because they found the world too dull, these so-called "gods" created goblins to add some noise and color, using them for amusement.

A mere distraction to ease their endless emptiness.

"Trivial gods, dull affairs." This was Selene's evaluation. Their spiritual wealth was pathetically barren and crude.

As an extraordinary being revered as a goddess by countless intelligent life forms, Selene found it insulting—too beneath her to even scorn. Comparing herself to them would only degrade her own standing.

Indeed, using the power of a Herrscher, Selene could create grotesque creatures, a mix of Honkai and biological constructs, to wreak havoc upon the mortal world for her entertainment.

But that would go against her principles—against her aspirations.

How could she pursue her grand ambitions while sharing the same tastes as these vermin?

Selene, after all, had greater ambitions.

Similar yet vastly different.

Perhaps, under Selene's expanding ambitions and desires, the number of lifeforms purged beneath the iron hoof of the Holy Empire's Great Crusade already exceeded the total human population of the entire 5th Trial World by tens of thousands of times.

Indeed, a single extinction order for an alien planet, even at its lightest degree, could utterly destroy the entire ecological system of the world. Over 98% of the species would be wiped out.

Yes, Selene was ruthless, hypocritical, arbitrary, and excessively cruel. She would wipe out entire clans and exterminate entire races without hesitation. Her tyranny was beyond measure.

And yet... she was still considered a wise ruler.

At least, she was not a foolish one.

Compared to the absurd atrocities committed by those so-called "gods," Selene's bottom line still seemed relatively high.

While Selene's "quantity" of destruction was overwhelming, in terms of "quality," she conceded defeat. She simply didn't indulge in such perversity.

At the very least, she did not torment the subjects within her own empire. On the contrary, despite constantly claiming that her rule was self-serving, an undeniable fact remained: her people were living better lives under her reign.

"Kill them all...."

As she spoke, Selene pulled a report from the pile of documents on her desk. A brief glance was all it took before she extracted a section detailing the myths of this world.

With a flick of her fingers, the parchment ignited, flames dancing in her cold eyes.

In the next moment, the charred remnants of the document fell from her fingertips, reduced to ashes.

This report had been submitted by the Empire's high-ranking Inquisitors responsible for scouting the world. While collecting intelligence, they had also discreetly introduced Honkai energy into the realm.

By the time the gods noticed and reacted, it was already too late. Selene's sub-conscious avatar, stationed within the Empire's hyperspace network, had torn through the world's barriers, assimilating its essence and imprisoning the deities.

Subsequent Imperial exploration forces meticulously surveyed the realm. After thorough discussion among senior Inquisitors, Auxiliary Forces generals, and civil administrators, it was unanimously decided that direct governance over the primary human-populated planet was unnecessary.

However, the two peculiar planets—one red and one green—were deemed highly valuable for resource extraction. With their surfaces completely exposed and devoid of significant lifeforms, they were prime candidates for mining operations.

Thus, the Empire's Forging Department was deployed to oversee the development of these twin resource planets, while the blue planet was designated by the Imperial Training Corps as a suitable training ground for new recruits.

This world was officially classified under the designation: Military Affairs Department 5th Trial World.

Since only the gods of this world had been imprisoned and taken away, the fixed rules they had imposed for their amusement remained unchanged, leaving the world itself largely unaffected.

Of course, without those so-called "entertainers," the series of grotesque changes caused by their interference would no longer continue to appear.

Buzz—!

Selene extended her hand, and a magnificent chessboard materialized.

It was a board composed of three marbles—Blue Star, Red Star, and Green Star—arranged in a triangular formation. Surrounding it was a board formed by countless radiant starlines.

At this moment, with the triangular marbles at the center serving as the core and boundary, the board was divided into two halves. One side radiated a pure and holy light, while the other emitted a gloomy, destructive darkness.

"Light... Darkness, there's no difference. They are but the same breed of beast."

These two sides respectively symbolized the gods of the Order faction and the evil gods of the Chaos faction, both originating from the 5th Trial World.

This chessboard was the game they used to determine the fate of the world—the roll of the dice.

Thousands of years of warfare had greatly diminished their strength, and bound by the world's laws, they were no longer able to intervene directly. Thus, they could only use this board, born from the world's very essence, to pass the time.

Whether it was creating new races or manipulating the fate of mortals... everything could be achieved through the board.

As for how a few six-sided dice could have so many "playstyles," perhaps only they themselves knew. Selene, however, had no interest in finding out.

"Keeping this around is such an eyesore...."

Murmuring with a faint smile, she linked her consciousness to the depths of the Imaginary Space, peeling away layers of sealing prisons. Slowly, Selene stood up from her office chair.

Under the reverent and fearful gazes of the attending chamberlains—

She took a single step forward.

Swish!

The view before her instantly expanded—growing wider and wider. First came the deep, brilliant starry sky, then the three vividly colored planets, and finally, a hazy dimension.

And at that moment, with Selene's arrival, the once murky, shapeless space—

Had unknowingly shifted from illusion to reality, gradually becoming crystal clear!

This was the Chessboard of the Gods, or rather... the imprisoned board.

The gods on both sides continued to gaze upwards at the mysterious dice in the sky, as if time itself had frozen. Not only did the dice fail to descend as they usually did, but even the gods remained in stunned stillness.

"Not a bad display...."

Especially the Order faction gods, who largely took on humanoid forms, unlike the Chaos faction gods—many of whom appeared in inhuman, grotesque shapes that could serve as psychological attacks in themselves.

Bathed in divine radiance, these beings varied greatly—male and female, tall and short, fat and thin, masculine and feminine, venomous and pure, beautiful and hideous... an endless variety.

Some remained in their indulgent postures, unaware, while others, sensing danger, were preparing to rise. A few had already drawn their weapons and were cautiously assuming combat stances....

"It's time to move on."

As Selene's voice echoed, the imprisoned space suddenly seemed to come alive again....

This was not a manipulation of time; Selene did not possess the ability to reverse time.

Under the symbiotic system of the Imaginary Tree and the Sea of Quanta, even if she could extract a timeline and generate a new bubble world, the fundamental laws forbade the reversal of time itself.

Unless Selene could transcend beyond these limits.

Even for worlds that originally possessed time magic, once devoured by Selene, the corruption of Honkai energy would assimilate them. Bound by the root constraints of the Imaginary system, time magic would become completely defunct.

Would it still be usable if left unassimilated?

The answer—yes.

Selene could use time magic herself, but only if she entered that world and started learning from scratch, without using even the slightest bit of Honkai energy.

The moment she used it, the Honkai energy within her would begin to erode the external world. The more she used, the stronger the suppression on time magic would become.

Even after mastering time magic, she could only wield it within that single world where time manipulation was allowed. Furthermore, it would only affect the native inhabitants who had never come into contact with Honkai energy.

Thus, even if she learned it, it would still be useless to Selene.

In short, despite her immense power, Selene was still lacking the authority to manipulate time, which truly distinguished her from the gods.

"Run!"

The strongest of the gods were the first to break free from her control. No one knew who shouted it first, but in an instant, they transformed into streaks of light and exploded away in a frenzy.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

In their panic, they paid no heed to their weaker kin who hadn't reacted in time. Some were directly crashed into and burst into countless bloody fragments, their divine forms shattering into mist.

They deliberately caused a commotion, hoping to awaken the others... and their purpose was self-evident.

Better they die than us—at this moment, divine friendship meant nothing.

The remaining gods quickly regained their awareness and instinctively looked to the leaders of their pantheon... but they were nowhere to be found.

They had fled without hesitation, their figures reduced to mere fading afterimages, disappearing beyond reach. The remaining gods were left dumbfounded.

A deep foreboding seized their hearts. Where was this place? Weren't they just about to roll the dice to test an interesting variable?

"You will never roll the dice again, insects."

A cold, incomparably arrogant female voice echoed from deep within their souls, turning their premonition into reality. An indescribable horror descended upon them.

This fear had no apparent source—it was beyond comprehension, beyond description, beyond anything their knowledge could measure or explain.

It transcended the concept of a single world, defying their ability to define it. It was an existence they had never encountered before...

"Who... what are you—"

Snap!

The pure white Divine Empress merely snapped her fingers.

An irresistible, invisible force simultaneously locked their bodies in place.

Their mouths hung open, tongues frozen mid-speech, making them resemble dazed frogs.

"None of you shall escape. Die."

There wasn't even an attacking motion—her voice alone seemed to carry an extraordinary power. Simply uttering the notion of their demise sent them into unimaginable terror.

They suddenly realized that their very essence—what made them gods—was disintegrating of its own accord, beyond their control.

An indescribable fear permeated every inch of their consciousness.

No, no, no! I don't want to die!

Boom—!

Their divine bodies began collapsing from the core, unraveling at a fundamental level.

This unraveling wasn't due to any physical or energy-based assault. It was a disassembly without cause, as if their very existence was rejecting itself.

Even though their conscious minds screamed against death, their bodies wanted it—thus, they "self-destructed."

Or rather, they were forced to self-destruct.

And worst of all, this self-destruction was slow, continuous, and drawn out—Selene had not granted them the mercy of numbness to their pain.

Seeing this horrifying scene from the corner of their eyes, the remaining supreme gods fled even faster.

Unfortunately for them, this was the depths of the Imaginary Space—Selene's domain. Escape?

Frozen in place by Selene, they were peeled apart like eggshells. Their divine flesh, once imbued with power, splattered and dissolved, layer by layer, from the inside out.

In an instant, the entire prison became a living hell, filled with heart-wrenching screams of agony.

Cries so harrowing that they could bring sorrow to any who heard them, and tears to those who witnessed the horror.

There's no need to describe the specifics any further.

A tragedy, a massacre—those are the only fitting words.

...

The 5th Trial World, Blue Planet.

It was the early morning wilderness, where the night had just receded and the sunlight was slowly gaining strength.

Golden rays pierced through the thick clouds, yet the lingering chill of the night's frost remained. The biting cold swept through the land, sending shivers down one's spine.

A lone shadow moved along the damp mountain path, the sound of footsteps faint against the soil.

Judging by the figure, it was a man.

His armor, made of metal, was covered in grime, with numerous visible scars adorning its surface. A small shield was strapped to his left arm, and a sword of moderate length hung at his side.

There was nothing remarkable about his appearance—despite being fully armed, the quality of his armor was subpar. It had been intentionally aged to look worn and weary by its owner.

Perhaps the most striking feature about him was the golden badge glinting on his chest.

Those familiar with it would recognize it instantly—it was the proof of a third-rank Silver-class adventurer, granted by the Adventurer's Guild.

The man's footsteps halted unconsciously. He looked up at the sky, his thoughts wandering.

Why did I make such an irrational decision?

The goblins would attack the farm, and aside from himself, there were only his childhood friend and her uncle.

Three people facing over a hundred goblins in an open plain with no natural defenses, while also needing to protect two civilians—he knew it was impossible.

They could have just fled to the town.

Or, he could have knocked her unconscious, tied her up, and sent her to safety somewhere else.

Why did I choose to stay?

"Boys should protect girls... right?"

Because he never wanted to see her cry again.

He gazed up at the sky. The two celestial bodies still loomed there... but a year ago, after the 'Purple Sun' event, he had seen it—a shadow so vast it blotted out the sky, something had descended.

Something had settled upon those twin planets. And then, as if nothing had happened, the world returned to normal.

But he knew—that day, it wasn't an illusion. Something monumental had occurred.

Why cover it up?

"Gods... do they really exist? If they do, then if I pray to them, will they grant my wish?"

The eradication of all goblins.

Shaking his head, he dismissed such unrealistic fantasies. Right now, the most important thing was to protect the farm. To protect her.

And just as he took his next step—

"Hey! Excuse me, sir, please wait a moment! Can you tell me how to get to the nearest town?"

A lively female voice called out to him.

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