Honkai Star Rail: Summoning the Chrysos Heirs — Chapter 50

Chapter 50: Ancient Relic

The fluorescent screen flickered faintly in the dim room, its cold white glare reflecting off the lenses of Lin Bowen’s gold-rimmed glasses and casting a chilling, clinical glow across his features.

His slender fingers tapped a rhythmic, precise cadence against the keyboard, freezing the playback on a high-resolution image. On the monitor, a jagged cleft tore through a distant mountainside, the earth itself split wide open.

“It’s that white-haired youth again.”

Lin Bowen pulled up the encrypted field report just uploaded by the Five Elements Hunting Squad. His finger slid smoothly across the touch pad, scrolling through the dense streams of raw data.

“But this time, at least we have a name to put to the face. That, and a concrete measurement of that sword’s destructive yield.”

Lei Zheng stood off to the side, his gaze locked onto the screen. His Adam’s apple bobbed heavily.

In the frozen frame, the once-towering peak looked as though it had been cleaved by the executioner’s axe of a god. The massive gash curled outward in grotesque, jagged formations, and thick streams of uncooled lava dripped sluggishly from the exposed, glowing rock strata.

“But this level of destruction…” Lei Zheng’s jaw tightened, his voice straining against the sheer absurdity of the image. “According to the Five Elements Hunting Squad’s on-site telemetry, splitting a mountain of that density in two… this pure destructive output is at least above the standard threshold for an S-rank, isn’t it?”

“Not necessarily.”

Lin Bowen shook his head, his expression remaining perfectly composed. He rotated the monitor toward Lei Zheng, his index finger tapping directly on the image of the massive, flame-wreathed greatsword.

“Retrieve all current combat footage regarding the subject designated ‘Phainon’.”

At his verbal command, several auxiliary windows snapped open across the screen, each displaying different angles of Phainon in the heat of battle.

“Look closely. All of his high-burst attacks rely on the exact same core pivot: this strange, burning greatsword, paired with physical martial techniques that show absolutely zero reliance on standard Awakened energy fluctuations.”

Lin Bowen pushed his glasses higher up the bridge of his nose. Behind the lenses, his eyes narrowed into a sharp, scrutinizing glare.

“Under our existing model, the physical enhancement of an Awakened is usually a secondary byproduct of their core Ability. They are stronger than ordinary humans, yes, but there is a strict biological ceiling. This Phainon, however… his explosive kinetic output and neural reaction speeds completely shatter the physiological common sense of any non-physical enhancement type.”

He paused, letting the silence hang for a fraction of a second, before pulling up a newly decrypted video file.

It was a slowed-down recording of Phainon dropping the massive sword. The heavy blade dissolved into a brilliant cascade of golden particles before smoothly reconstructing itself back into solid matter.

“Now, factor in the ultra-high-temperature flames generated by the blade itself, and this localized particle reconstruction phenomenon.” Lin Bowen held up three crisp, steady fingers. “A super-tier physique. Elemental flame generation. Matter reconstruction. For a single human entity to possess three completely divergent, high-intensity power systems simultaneously is a statistical impossibility in the modern study of Supernatural Abilities.”

Lei Zheng’s brows locked together tightly. The gears in his head turned as he grasped the terrifying implication. “You mean… the source of the power isn’t the man himself, but the object? An Ancient Relic?”

“Correct.”

Lin Bowen snapped his fingers, a rare flash of fanatical, predatory research desire bleeding into his usually sterile gaze. “That greatsword is absolutely not a product of modern technology, nor is it a manifestation of conventional Abilities. But if we classify it as an ‘Ancient Relic’, the entire logical loop closes perfectly.”

He crossed his hands, resting his chin against his steepled fingers, his speaking speed accelerating as the theory solidified. “The weapon itself possesses the inherent traits of absolute sharpness, elemental flame, and self-repair. Phainon himself is highly likely a pure physical-enhancement type Awakened. Only a body pushed to such monstrous physiological extremes could even lift, let alone wield, such a violently unstable weapon.”

Lei Zheng nodded slowly, his eyes drawn back to the footage of the blade dissolving into golden light. “Then this golden particle reconstruction… that is also a characteristic of the relic?”

“It is the only working hypothesis we have.” Lin Bowen spread his hands, his tone carrying a trace of helpless, academic rigor. “The samples of Ancient Relics we have managed to excavate over the years are pitifully few. Our exploration into the lost ruins of the old world is merely scraping the tip of the iceberg.”

Having delivered his conclusion, he efficiently killed the screen’s power and slipped his encrypted phone into the pocket of his pristine white lab coat.

“I will draft a special priority report to the higher-ups immediately and issue a general advisory to all Awakened squads operating within our jurisdiction.” Lin Bowen turned and strode toward the exit, his leather shoes clicking with sharp, measured precision against the polished marble floor.

“A lone wolf with an entirely blank background, wielding an active Ancient Relic, and possessing S-rank destructive capabilities is a massive destabilizing element.” He paused at the door, casting a long glance out the window at the sprawling, neon-lit nightscape of the city. His eyes grew deep and unfathomable. “Until we completely strip away his secrets, he remains a potential hazard of the absolute highest tier.”

The next day, Xinhai City First Hospital.

The mid-morning sunlight filtered softly through the plastic blinds, casting warm, mottled shadows across the sterile white sheets of the hospital bed.

Cyrene rubbed her sleepy eyes with the back of her hand, letting out a soft, lazy exhale as she finally surfaced from a deep, dreamless sleep.

Knock, knock, knock.

A gentle rapping echoed through the quiet room, breaking the tranquil silence.

“Cyrene, are you awake in there?”

An Ning’s distinctive voice drifted through the heavy wooden door. She sounded significantly more relaxed and grounded than the tense officer who had brought her in yesterday.

“I’m awake, Sister An Ning.”

Cyrene braced her hands against the mattress, pushing herself up against the headboard. She smoothed down her messy, sleep-tousled hair and called out softly toward the entrance.

The door swung inward.

An Ning stepped into the room, a slightly worn plastic bag dangling from her hand. She had traded her cold, rigid tactical uniform for a simple, oversized beige knit sweater. The casual attire softened her sharp edges immensely, though the faint, bruised shadows beneath her eyes betrayed the fact that she had barely slept the night before.

“Glad to see you up. You must be starving by now, right?”

An Ning walked straight to the bedside and set the plastic bag down on the small nightstand. With practiced ease, she pulled out a steaming, plump meat bun, pierced the seal of a warm soy milk cup with a plastic straw, and handed both over.

“Eat up while it’s hot. This is a meat bun from that old time-honored shop right outside the hospital gates. The line was out the door.”

“Thank you, Sister An Ning~”

Cyrene accepted the breakfast with both hands, her nose twitching instinctively.

A rich, heavy aroma of freshly steamed dough mixed with the deep, savory scent of spiced meat wafted up to her face, instantly triggering a loud, demanding rumble from her empty stomach.

She opened her mouth and took a massive, eager bite out of the soft bun.

The fluffy white dough broke open instantly, and a rush of boiling, savory meat juice flooded her mouth. The filling was a masterclass in balance—the perfect ratio of rich fat to tender lean meat, heavily spiced and utterly delicious without a single trace of gaminess. Only the pure, unadulterated fragrance of slow-cooked meat exploded across her taste buds.

Cyrene narrowed her eyes into happy little crescents.

Without missing a beat, she leaned over and took a long, greedy sip from the straw. The warm soy milk slid down her throat. It was rich and mellow, carrying just the right touch of sugary sweetness to instantly wash away the heavy, savory grease of the meat broth.

It was an absolutely perfect neutralization of flavors.

“Mmm… so good!”

Cyrene’s cheeks puffed out to their absolute limit, making her look exactly like a little hamster hoarding seeds, as she let out a muffled, highly satisfied sound of praise.

This simple, heavy taste, so utterly saturated with the mundane flavor of human life, gave her a deep, grounding sense of actually living and breathing in this strange new world.

“Slow down and chew, no one is going to snatch it away from you.”

Watching Cyrene’s blissfully content expression, the lingering tension around An Ning’s mouth finally melted away. She reached out with a gentle hand, tucking a stray lock of hair behind Cyrene’s ear.

Cyrene swallowed the heavy mouthful of food, looked up, and flashed An Ning a brilliantly sweet, innocent smile.

“It’s really delicious. Thank you so much, Sister An Ning~”

Having delivered her thanks, Cyrene immediately dropped her gaze back down, dedicating her absolute focus to demolishing the rest of the breakfast in her hands.