OHDOM 331-350 (Patreon)

OHDOM 331-350

Chapter 231: You Are More Talkative Than Before, Hua

Mount Taixu, a legendary fairy mountain with a history of thousands of years.

The front of the mountain is divided into the secular part, featuring beautiful scenery, a village at the foot of the mountain, and tourists who come to enjoy the mountains and rivers from time to time.

The back of the mountain, however, belongs solely to Fu Hua, containing technical functions left by Fuxi and Nuwa that ordinary people cannot access. In ancient times, emperors had to be approved by Book of Fuxi or Fu Hua before they could approach the front gate of the mountain.

And this theoretical Immortal Jignwei private land, except for the ten years of teaching Cheng Lixue, has rarely been visited by its owner Fu Hua in the past five hundred years.

"Well, I remember, it should be in this direction."

Standing in front of an ancient door, Fu Hua touched her chin and fell into deep thought.

Two months ago, she received a message from Kevin saying that he had brought Angel to the Elysian Realm.

Elysian Realm—keyword extraction, memory fragment activation, memory fragment connection—oh, she remembers it!

After Fu Hua pondered for a long time, she hammered her palm and suddenly realized.

She thought it was logical and good. According to her understanding, the Elysian Realm was still a very safe place and contained the inheritance of the Flamechasers, which would be beneficial for Angel.

A month later, there was no news of Angel's return.

Fu Hua was a little anxious but remained calm.

After the second month, Book of Fuxi wrote to her, and Kevin and Shamash came to visit.

Thus, the Immortal Phoenix flew across the ocean to Mount Taixu on the spot.

Then, it was discovered that this remote and lonely mountain had for some reason gained many new buildings. There were defense, medical, scientific research, production, leisure, and many other buildings with unclear functions.

It was beautiful. Book of Fuxi’s taste was impeccable, and the overall ambiance was elegant and refined.

The problem was that Fu Hua got lost all of a sudden.

According to the direction in her memory, Fu Hua reached the original courtyard house and was then stopped by the gate. When she looked inside, there was no one there.

"So, where should I go?"

As the owner of Mount Taixu, she stood there and whispered in confusion.

"Dear master, welcome home. I am Book of Fuxi lite, the smart housekeeper of Mount Taixu. It’s an honor to meet you."

An artificial intelligence projection, resembling Book of Fuxi but with eyes like red gems, appeared before her. She greeted Fu Hua respectfully and cutely.

Fu Hua opened her mouth and was momentarily at a loss for words.

"According to the original's request, Book of Fuxi Lite will show you the way. Please look to your right; there is a door. Let’s go this way first." Book of Fuxi floated ahead, guiding Fu Hua with a pleasant voice.

Fu Hua could only follow, observing her new home as she walked.

She hadn’t anticipated such a sudden change in Mount Taixu, but she had no objections. After all, in Fu Hua’s view, Book of Fuxi, Ji Lin, and Ah Lin were also masters of Mount Taixu. If they wanted to transform it, it was only natural.

She was just a little curious and needed time to get familiar with it.

Fu Hua walked slowly, even stopping from time to time to observe certain designs, wondering if they were related to allusions or past memories.

After more than ten minutes, she finally arrived at a bright and majestic ancient-style hall.

The hall was divided into two rows of seats, with two prominent parallel main seats at the innermost part.

In one of them sat a cold young man with white hair and blue eyes.

Fu Hua looked at this long-lost old friend at first sight.

At this time, Kevin was holding a document in his hand, and Shamash, another old acquaintance, floated beside him, whispering something expressionlessly, as if explaining or guiding.

Fu Hua clearly saw that Kevin’s cold and ruthless expression was tinged with confusion.

No matter what, it was a reunion after thousands of years.

Shamash stepped back at the right moment, and Book of Fuxi, Ji Lin, and others present also remained silent.

Kevin and Fu Hua locked eyes, two pairs of eyes that had witnessed everything from 50,000 years ago to 50,000 years later.

"Hua."

"Kevin."

After a long time, they merely said each other’s names, as if completing a long-awaited reminiscence.

Perhaps there was too much to say; understanding was better than a thousand words.

Fu Hua took the main seat that was clearly reserved for her and sat down beside Kevin.

"Is Angel okay? It’s been a while. Is this normal?" Fu Hua first mentioned her distressed disciple, who was also the most important person to her at the moment.

Kevin said nothing and looked at Shamash.

Shamash: "Klein didn’t report any abnormalities in the Elysian Realm. In other words, everything is normal. She didn’t encounter any danger. Maybe... she got along with them better than expected, which delayed her return. It’s a good thing. The longer she stays, the more she gains."

Fu Hua: "It’s mainly about Dr. Mobius..."

Fu Hua hesitated.

She didn’t want to criticize her former leaders and comrades, but she was genuinely worried about Dr. Mobius’s character. Even if she didn’t harm Angel, she could easily lead the innocent child astray, right?

"But this is the purpose of the Elysian Realm, Hua." Kevin suddenly said.

Fu Hua was taken aback for a moment and then nodded vigorously.

"You’re right. I shouldn’t question the purpose of the Elysian Realm... You haven’t said ‘long time no see’ or ‘welcome back’ yet."

"You’re more talkative than before, Hua."

Autistic Kevin commented on autistic Fu Hua.

Book of Fuxi blinked blankly. She turned her head, and a big question mark appeared above her head—talkative? Is this adjective related to Fu Hua?

Fu Hua glanced subconsciously at Book of Fuxi, Ji Lin, and Ah Lin sitting below her, and a soft light appeared in her eyes.

"Maybe, this is also thanks to the help of many people."

Book of Fuxi pretended to be calm, coughed dryly, straightened her chest, and her pride was evident.

As for Ji Lin and Ah Lin, they shared the same shy joy.

Fu Hua raised the corners of her mouth and smiled unconsciously.

Kevin observed the interactions among several people at Mount Taixu. His expression remained indifferent as he said:

"It seems that you have found your place in this era and discovered a reason to stay. I am very pleased and congratulate you."

"Kevin, actually, you can also..."

"I have my own mission. Hua, I have no choice. It has been the case since 50,000 years ago." Kevin shook his head.

The last bond Mei left him was the child with the surname Kaslana. Kevin watched him grow up healthily, marry, have children, and start a family. Then, he cut off his emotional ties and abandoned everything related to Kaslana.

From then on, Kevin had only Project Stigma and an explanation for his companions back then.

"Either the worst Project Stigma, or witnessing the current civilization surpass Project Stigma. There is no third outcome. Humanity must defeat the Honkai."

----

Chapter 332: Jingwei, I Want to Imprison You

"Ah—"

Fu Hua sighed. No one can let go of what happened 50,000 years ago, so their lives are now dedicated solely to their mission.

Fu Hua’s mission is to be the fire, to protect Shenzhou.

She is much luckier than Kevin and Su because her mission allows her to find a place in the new civilization, break away from history, and still look forward to a new future in this era.

Kevin didn’t stay long and quickly stood up.

"I will pay attention to your disciple and convey any news to you as soon as possible."

"Are you leaving?"

"Yes. Gray Serpent and Jackal think your attitude is ambiguous. They are concerned about the MANTIS's choice, but I already understand your thoughts. Anyway, I’ll see you at the final stage. I’m waiting for you, Hua."

Given Kevin's deep understanding of Fu Hua’s choice, he saw through her feelings about the current era.

Fu Hua looked at Kevin’s cold eyes for a long time, then slowly smiled.

"Take care."

Standing at the final moment, Fu Hua saw only an old friend whom she could still trust with her life and death. Kevin felt the same way.

Kevin walked out the door.

Shamash turned around and looked at Fu Hua, a touch of tenderness on her small face.

"Goodbye, Hua."

"You too, Shamash."

The two arrived suddenly and left in a hurry.

Book of Fuxi had been busy from the beginning. Since receiving news of Shamash, she ensured that the reception, venue, and tea were of the highest standards. The little ELF hurriedly prepared for the visit and even called the head of the family back across the ocean as soon as possible.

As a result, they left without exchanging more than a few words or drinking a sip of tea.

Book of Fuxi held the tea and watched the two depart, unable to say anything impolite.

Even though she was the housekeeper of Mount Taixu, she had to acSentience that these two held extremely high status, and their relationship with the master of the family extended far beyond her own. Whatever they did, as long as Fu Hua didn't frown, it was considered correct.

"Little Book?"

"Oh, the master of Mount Taixu doesn’t even recognize his own family. It seems what I did was too redundant. I’m so tired. I’ll take a nap. If there’s anything, I’ll talk to these two fools."

Book of Fuxi couldn't be angry with outsiders. After all, she had to maintain the image of Mount Taixu led by Fu Hua. She could only pursue Fu Hua.

Fu Hua touched her nose in confusion, walked around Book of Fuxi who had closed her eyes, and whispered to Ji Lin.

"What’s wrong with her?"

"I don’t know!"

"...How have you two been recently?"

"Hehe, I’m fine. Jingwei, how about you?"

Ji Lin (Angel) didn’t care much. With the beautiful Immortal so close, she had to hug her passionately.

I’m sticking with it!

Oh, she smells so good!

Ji Lin smiled happily.

Ah Lin, though relatively introverted, awkwardly reached out and held Fu Hua’s hand after her sister’s demonstration. She smiled sweetly.

There was no choice; after Ji Lin led her into this path, Ah Lin had no option but to stay with Jingwei.

Fu Hua suddenly became stiff frozen in place, not knowing how to react.

She didn’t visit Mount Taixu often, and there were reasons for that.

There is a saying that beauty is a heavy favor.

Ji Lin and Ah Lin’s words were too heavy for Fu Hua. Not only was Ji Lin the first close friend to return from her memory, but Book of Fuxi’s recovery and her own body treatment were closely related to these two sisters.

Plus their deep affection.

It was not good. She was skilled at exorcising 'demons', but when it came to love, especially with such special sisters, she was genuinely afraid of making a mistake.

If she hurt them, Fu Hua felt she would definitely wake up in the middle of the night and slap herself.

Book of Fuxi quietly opened a crack in her eyes, squinting, and watched the scene calmly.

‘The thousand-year-old osmanthus met the pretty Wu Gang, and they are a pair of sisters. This Wu Nong’s soft voice and slender hands holding the old iron tree, tut tut tut, the future life is getting more and more interesting.’

...

Fu Hua was confused afterward.

She didn’t know how she was fed, bathed, and helped into the brand new bed.

On both sides of her were Ji Lin and Ah Lin, who were also lying flat.

"...Tell me, do you have any requests?"

As dull as Fu Hua was, it was not the first time she had to deal with the sisters' enthusiasm. After this attentive service, she could still sense differences and guess something.

Of course, Fu Hua wouldn’t be angry about this. She could not think of anything Ji Lin and her sister would propose that she could refuse.

Ah Lin raised her hand and pulled up the quilt to cover her face.

Fortunately, Ji Lin wasn’t picky about details. She wrapped her arms around Fu Hua affectionately, resting his thighs on her body. She smiled and said:

"I want Jingwei to help me!"

"Go ahead."

"Well, Ah Lin is now in a spiritual state. This isn’t a long-term solution. So we customized a body for Ah Lin from Doctor Jackal of the World Serpent, and it has been delivered now. But..."

"But Ah Lin’s spiritual body depends entirely on your power. It’s fine for her to stay in the Xuanyuan Sword. Through your connection with the sword, this supply can be stable. But once Ah Lin leaves the Xuanyuan Sword and enters a new body, this supply will be interrupted."

As a major expert in the spiritual system, Fu Hua could see through these issues at a glance.

However, keeping Ah Lin in a spiritual state wasn’t ideal. It wasn’t a natural form of existence, and no one could predict any irreparable impacts after a long time.

Therefore, leaving the Xuanyuan Sword, entering a physical body, and achieving complete resurrection were essential.

Ji Lin smiled and rubbed Fu Hua’s arm. The soft, delicate touch made Fu Hua’s face flush.

"Okay, okay, tell me what you have in mind and what you need me to do."

"I think that Ah Lin is still too fragile as a separate spiritual entity. So, we need a spiritual body that is strong enough and skilled in spiritual power control to help her into the new body. Then we should use a period of time to help her complete the connection with the body and continue to warm up the spiritual body until she can fully merge with the flesh and become a real living person with both an internal and external self."

Fu Hua opened her eyes and looked at the top of the bed while enduring Ji Lin’s various clumsy movements, and thought quietly for a while.

Then she nodded. "It’s indeed a good idea. So, you chose me as the powerful spirit to assist her?"

"Hehe, after all, I’m not as powerful as you, Jingwei, and my skills are far inferior to yours. Besides, letting Ah Lin enter a new body is to help her become independent and complete. If I were to join her, we’d likely remain connected in the end. It would be just like now, except with a different body."

"You’re right... Ah Lin, are you willing?"

Fu Hua finally understood why Ah Lin appeared much shyer today than before.

Two spirits joining hands to enter the same body.

Is this considered spiritual communication?

And they would maintain this spiritual communication until they separated again.

To be honest, even Fu Hua who thought she wasn’t particular about details felt embarrassed at this moment.

"...Yeah."

Ah Lin covered her face and responded weakly.

Since her elder sister had brought her to this situation, Ah Lin had no other choice.

Ji Lin’s eyes rolled around for a while, then she simply pulled up the quilt, covering all three of them at once.

"Ji Lin... Ji Lin, you’re... ah..."

"Sister... Eh!!!"

The red quilt rolled like waves, and shy and angry voices rose and fell.

-----

Chapter 333: You Are a Blockhead, You Are Destined to Be with the Sisters

This is Senti's last chance to be born.

If we consider Angel’s opinion of Senti, the great Miss Herrscher of Sentience deserves the title.

Just imagine—a Herrscher that exists everywhere, in an abstract form, and can distort people's hearts at will. How terrifying is that?

Without special cases like Su and Aponia in the previous era, the Herrscher of Sentience would have been an insurmountable problem for a long time.

In the current civilization, if faced with a normal Herrscher of Sentience, with the only spiritual master Fu Hua seriously injured, how could Schicksal and Anti-Entropy fight?

What would be left after the conflict? How much would the foundation of humanity—the so-called unity, trust, and faith—be shaken?

The great Miss Herrscher of Sentience, with her own strength, reduced the damage from this dangerous force to almost zero.

Besides some minor losses, such as Otto's Soulium face and the base of the World Serpent, even Bronya's driver’s license was unharmed!

Why not thank Ms. Herrscher of Sentience?

"Ah—"

Ji Lin sighed with immense respect for Senti.

Book of Fuxi who had just flown over the threshold opened her mouth in amazement.

"Wow, look at this, you guys are so extravagant!"

Ji Lin's hands and feet were tied behind her back and then hung from the beam with a red rope—somewhat like a pig waiting to be slaughtered.

Ji Lin twisted her body to face Book of Fuxi.

"Book-chan, Book-chan, good morning."

"Morning. What’s with the big bump?"

"Yeah, I just got into bed, wanted to take off everyone's clothes, and then sleep comfortably! But she knocked me out with Taixu sword ki and then hung me up. Alas, is she too shy?"

"Is it possible that she’s not shy, but you’re too forward?"

Book of Fuxi floated over, poked Ji Lin’s forehead with her little finger, and rolled her eyes.

Ji Lin shook her head vigorously.

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible! Shouldn't you take off your clothes and sleep with the person you like?"

"Wow, you said something so outrageous as if it’s the norm... But you’re still from that era, and there weren’t so many rules back then."

"Right, right? I just want to be closer to Jingwei and stay together forever!"

The girl spoke frankly and loudly about her feelings.

Book of Fuxi squinted and looked at Fu Hua, who had appeared behind her at some point, with a teasing smile in her eyes.

Fu Hua couldn’t help but look away.

She knew how simple and natural Ji Lin’s era was.

So her enthusiasm and initiative were actually natural expressions of her nature, pure and sincere. At the same time, they proved her genuine heart.

Compared to that, she, who have always been restrained and obsessed with appearances... Appeared to be much more complex.

Looking at Ah Lin beside her who also had a natural look, it was clear that this was indeed a different era with a purer nature.

So what could Ji Lin have done wrong? She was just a pure and innocent child!

"Swoosh!"

Thinking this, Fu Hua felt guilty for hanging Ji Lin all night in anger. She waved her hand, and the sword Ki flowed by like a breeze, just right to remove all restraints on Ji Lin.

"Jingwei! Good morning, are you awake? Did you sleep well?"

As soon as the restraints were removed, Ji Lin quickly wrapped herself around Fu Hua, hugging her tightly with love and happiness in her eyes.

Fu Hua felt even more guilty.

"Ji Lin, I’m sorry, I—"

"It’s okay, it’s okay, I’m not angry. Jingwei, do you want breakfast? I’ve learned how to make buns recently; wait a minute, I’ll make them right away!"

Ji Lin raised her head, kissed Fu Hua on the face, and then happily ran to the kitchen. Fu Hua had no time to stop her, so she could only touch the kissed spot, feeling her heart soften and numb. She was unable to describe her emotions.

Book of Fuxi floated over and nudged Fu Hua with her elbow.

"How is it?"

"What do you mean?"

"Just cherish it. Such a sincere girl is rare to meet in a million years."

"I—"

Fu Hua felt as if her face was on fire and couldn’t speak for a moment.

Next, Ah Lin quietly took Fu Hua's hand.

Soon, they would be connected in spirit and soul, living together in the same body for a while.

This relationship was so close that it couldn’t be any closer.

Even if there had been some hesitations and confusions before, now Ah Lin couldn’t think of any other possibility except spending the rest of her life with Jingwei.

Book of Fuxi looked at the two people interacting awkwardly and suddenly exclaimed.

"Huh? That’s not right. Aren’t Master Fuxi and Master Nuwa sisters? Oh, it turns out it’s not a once-in-a-millennium encounter but that you, blockhead, are destined to be with sisters! Tsk tsk tsk, it's really enviable—ah, I mean shameless!"

"Book..."

"That’s enough. It’s been so many years. Master Fuxi and Master Nuwa wouldn’t want you to dwell on regrets. Just remember their smiles and blessings."

Book of Fuxi floated to the top of Fu Hua’s head, sat down, patted her head, and smiled gently.

"Or perhaps they never actually left. Aren’t their wills and wishes always continuing in me? Blockhead, you should come out."

"Well, thank you, Little Fuxi."

Fu Hua raised her hand, took the little one off her head, and rubbed her face against it.

Then, the exiled immortal, whose memory of a thousand years was gradually becoming clear. She looked at the unchanging hills and clouds of Mount Taixu and sighed.

"Alas..."

In the distance, it appeared as if the clouds outlined the smiles of her two old friends.

Fu Hua felt relieved, holding Book of Fuxi and Ah Lin’s hands, and walked out of the house with a calm expression.

...

'This is the last chance.'

'It depends on whether Prometheus can seize it.'

'After all, it’s dangerous. The main purpose this time is to help the old ancestor truly revive. It’s indeed most appropriate for the master to act. In the future, she won’t have to do this again.'

'And in this era, unless Kevin takes action or we are crazy enough to bully the master and destroy the ancestor, no one can open the mind of the Immortal Phoenix.'

'Oh, there’s another possibility. Otto spent all his trump cards on opening master’s head, gave up rushing to the tree, and abandoned five hundred years of management and obsession—is this possible?'

Ji Lin who was making buns sneered and shook her head.

So, this is really the last chance.

If Senti cannot be born this time, Angel will not induce Fu Hua to do anything that would cause her soul to leave her body. This is risky.

No matter how cute Senti is, no matter how much Angel likes her, and no matter how regretful she is that she cannot see her—Angel knows what is more important: a stranger she has never met or the supreme treasure she already holds.

As for the Herrscher of Sentience, if it attacks in other forms, it can be dealt with by a sword. Can it still threaten Angel’s overall situation?

Compared to these trivial matters, making breakfast for Fu Hua after a long time is more important.

"Hehehehehe~~"

-----

Chapter 334: What Is Ji Lin?

For Ah Lin's resurrection, this kind of thing should be done sooner rather than later.

Fu Hua consulted Book of Fuxi about the current situation.

"The return of Lord Kevin has shocked the world's top leaders. Whether it’s Schicksal or Anti-Entropy, they must be trying to gather strength and quietly prepare for the possible major moves of the World Serpent."

"However, Lord Kevin's plan is for the future, not now. The World Serpent will not show its fangs immediately. If the World Serpent remains quiet, both Schicksal and Anti-Entropy will likely scale back, avoiding unnecessary conflict and loss as much as possible."

"In my judgment, unless a new Herrscher emerges, the upcoming period should be relatively calm. Even if a Herrscher does appear, there are many strong individuals in this era, so overcoming it is not impossible. If you're really concerned, taking Ah Lin back into your body temporarily shouldn’t be a big problem."

Book of Fuxi combined the information collected from all sides and presented her analysis in the simplest terms.

It largely aligned with Fu Hua’s own assessments.

"Okay, let’s start as soon as possible to help Ah Lin regain her life and eliminate any hidden dangers." Fu Hua, being a decisive person, first informed Saint Freya that she would stay at Mount Taixu temporarily.

Raiden Mei’s condition was very stable, and although Kiana's Herrscher power was only partially developed, it was also stable. Besides, Theresa's strength and Himeko's intellect were not to be underestimated. As long as there was no major upheaval outside, Saint Freya’s situation could still be considered secure.

Following that, various preparations were made. Fu Hua and Ah Lin needed to adjust their moods, and then the new bodies had to be carefully prepared and dressed in beautiful clothes.

Once everything was ready, Fu Hua and Ah Lin’s bodies lay side by side on the bed, and Ji Lin carefully placed the Xuanyuan Sword in their hands.

"Follow the Xuanyuan Sword and bring Ah Lin’s spirit into this body. Be careful this time, don’t rush it. At most, we can try a few more times... Jingwei, Ah Lin, you all have to be fine, understand?"

Ji Lin sniffed, tears welling up in her eyes before her even started.

Fu Hua and Ah Lin in their illusory spiritual forms looked at each other and smiled helplessly.

"Pa!"

Book of Fuxi raised her hand and slapped Ji Lin on the head.

"What’s the point of crying now? It’s not auspicious at all."

"But, but last time when Book-chan lost money... didn’t you say... auspicious things... were just superstitions?"

"Pa!!"

Another slap made Ji Lin stagger.

Book of Fuxi then put her hands into her sleeves and shook her head in disappointment.

"You really need to learn how to talk, you fool! Alright, leave this idiot alone. Just get ready and start."

"Yeah! I will protect you! Whoever wants to get close to you from now on will have to step over my body!"

"I told you it’s unlucky to talk like this!"

"Pah!!!"

This time, Book of Fuxi took out a mini mace and slammed Ji Lin into the floor.

The aggressive little ELF made Fu Hua and Ah Lin shrink their necks subconsciously.

Then the two smiled at each other.

At least their tension had eased.

Fu Hua closed her eyes, and Ah Lin settled into the Xuanyuan Sword and followed the predetermined plan.

The field of consciousness remained confined to a very small number of people so far.

Even with Fu Hua’s cultivation, such delicate operations still required caution.

Ah Lin had nothing to do but trust Fu Hua wholeheartedly, surrendering her soul for Fu Hua to manipulate.

Time passed minute by minute.

Ji Lin sat on the bed, staring wide-eyed.

Book of Fuxi sat on top of Ji Lin, also staring intently.

They waited until the sun set and the moon rose, and then until the sun was high in the sky.

Fortunately, both of them were not ordinary people, so they could maintain their concentration.

Finally, Ah Lin's new body which had been motionless, trembled for the first time.

"!!!" ×2

Ji Lin stood up.

And Ah Lin's body also opened its eyes.

"Did it... succeed?"

"Of course. I told you not to be so nervous; Jingwei will be fine."

Ah Lin sat up, scratched her head, and smiled innocently.

"Wuhu!"

Ji Lin happily flew over, hugged, and rubbed Ah Lin's chest.

"Great! So great!"

"Sister, you’re hugging me a bit tightly. I’m not used to it yet and can’t breathe."

"Oh, sorry, I’m just too excited."

"I know. Thank you for caring about me."

Ah Lin smiled sweetly.

She stretched out her hands and clenched them. Fresh vitality flowed through them. It was a long-lost feeling of being alive.

"Dr. Jackal is indeed very skilled. This ability is almost like Elf magic, right?"

"That’s right!"

Ji Lin proudly puffed out her chest.

Book of Fuxi circled around Ah Lin a few times, rolling her eyes and said:

"What does that have to do with you? What are you so proud of? Besides Jackal, the one to thank should be Little Angel."

"Ah?"

"Jackal said that Little Angel’s request for her to be lenient was to ensure she seriously helped Ah Lin."

"Ah, I see..."

Ji Lin scratched her head.

It must have been Jackal’s spontaneous decision, trying to achieve two goals at once.

But it’s okay. When Angel can’t show up, it’s not a bad thing to show her favor from the side. Although, it feels like there’s no need to earn favor anymore.

Ji Lin bent down and picked up Fu Hua, who had been silent.

"Then Ah Lin, you rest first. I’ll take Jingwei’s body inside."

"Don’t do anything weird."

Fu Hua’s voice and tone suddenly came from Ah Lin's mouth.

Ji Lin was momentarily stunned and replied blankly. "What weird thing?"

"...Just pretend I didn’t say anything."

Fu Hua reflected on her own muddled mind, almost tainting Ji Lin’s purity!

Ji Lin blinked in confusion, muttered a few words, and then jumped away holding Fu Hua’s body.

"Ah Lin’s condition is better than expected. Apart from being weak, she’s not fundamentally defective. She feels like a complete soul. However, it will still take time to help her recuperate and integrate with her body. This is likely to take a while."

Fu Hua explained the current situation to Book of Fuxi.

Book of Fuxi listened carefully and suddenly frowned.

"What's wrong?"

"You just said that Ah Lin is actually very complete? Like a normal spiritual body?"

"Yes."

"Then what about Ji Lin?"

If Ah Lin is a complete soul, then there shouldn’t be any division of a body into two.

So, what exactly is Ji Lin?

"Well, there are all kinds of strange phenomena in this world. Maybe it’s just a special case and something we don’t yet understand."

Fu Hua tried to explain, but it was clear she wasn’t convinced herself.

"Hmm? What are you talking about? Why does the atmosphere seem so strange?"

Ji Lin poked her head out of the door and looked at them cutely.

Fu Hua, Book of Fuxi, and Ah Lin: "..."

After a moment of silence, they all laughed.

It didn’t matter what it was; Ji Lin and Ah Lin were both part of Mount Taixu, and that was enough.

-----

Chapter 335: You Are the One Who Is Called the Honkai!?

In the boundless darkness, the immortal with no signs of life regained consciousness.

[Hey, wake up. You’ve slept too long.]

"I... who..."

[Don’t be ridiculous. You’re not injured; your body and brain are normal. Wake up. We have a lot to do.]

"You are..."

[I am your ego, the most authentic, original, and unrestrained ego!]

[She’s right. I am your superego. We are all you. You are the ego, but it hasn’t fully formed yet, so you’re confused. Quickly recall your memory, your emotions, all the factors that make you who you are. Without them, you are not you.]

"???"

The confused will became even more bewildered under such reminders.

She subconsciously followed the prompt and tried to recall according to instinct. The brilliant and bloody previous era, the simple and primitive era, the cold and lonely ancient times, the rugged and complex but reborn modern times...

A massive influx of memories, including beliefs, emotions, and skills, filled this new consciousness in an instant, forming a complete self of steel and iron.

Just as Angel hoped, a perfect body with terrifying spiritual power was chosen by the Honkai. In this era, it was the best choice for the Herrscher of Sentience.

Oh, maybe Su’s body was also an excellent choice. But wasn’t it taken by another Herrscher? So, there was really only one choice left.

In short, a new "self" was formed within Fu Hua's sleeping body.

But she was still a bit confused.

"I am... I am Fu Hua?"

[Of course, you are!]

[Indeed, don’t the memories tell you that?]

One voice was cheerful and relaxed, while the other was calm and rational. The two voices almost simultaneously affirmed their judgments.

"Then, what should I do?"

[Defeat Honkai. That is your mission, for civilization and the future.]

"Well... it sounds like that, but I still feel a bit unmotivated."

[Stupid! Think about the innocent and lively Ji Lin, the romantic and cute Ah Lin—my wives yet to be married! And the super cute and capable Little Book, well, rounded up to be a concubine! And the filial little Angel, my most lovely disciple... Honkai will threaten them!]

"!!!"

[Fu Hua], who had been listless, jumped up from the bed, angrily pointing to the sky and shouting.

"You are the fucking Honkai!? Stand before this immortal; I will smash your head and chop it into pieces!"

[Fu Hua] rolled up her sleeves and scanned the surroundings with murderous intent, trying to find the despicable little villain—Honkai—and use the immortal's iron fist to teach it a lesson!

After a while, she suddenly realized something and slapped her forehead. Her bright eyes were full of clarity, and she smiled.

"I was confused in my sleep. Honkai isn’t a specific person. Hey, wait a minute. Why was I asleep here? What happened yesterday? Why can’t I remember?"

[Fu Hua] crossed her arms over her chest and thought hard about her memory from the night before, but it was a blank, so she tilted her head in confusion.

But there was nothing more to consider. She would find out after going outside. What could defeat the invincible Immortal Jingwei?

[Fu Hua] nodded confidently and then jumped out the door.

...

"Oh my god, Honkai is really fast; I was caught off guard."

"Fortunately, I never procrastinate. I’ve already done the preparations! Let’s go, let’s get to the reserved position!"

"Tears, have you held back your tears? What about the posture? Squat well, squat well. Right, right, right, at this angle, remember to shake your shoulders so she can see you first!"

"Okay, okay, get closer, ready... Action!"

Angel wasn’t in a hurry but completed various preparations online.

Meanwhile, [Fu Hua] walked happily down the corridor while admiring her surroundings, nodding and commenting from time to time, looking very satisfied.

Suddenly, her footsteps stopped.

While passing a gardening area, she noticed a pitiful little figure squatting in the corner.

“Hmm?”

[Fu Hua]’s happy smile vanished, and her eyes became sharp.

“Ji Lin, what’s wrong?”

“Hmm... Jingwei!!?”

The girl squatting in the corner turned her head. Upon seeing [Fu Hua], she hurriedly wiped her eyes, forced a smile, and stood up.

However, [Fu Hua] had already noticed the tears in Ji Lin’s eyes. "Who dares to bully you?!"

The murderous aura was so intense that the light seemed to dim momentarily, and all the insects in Mount Taixu fell silent.

Ji Lin scratched her head, ignoring the terrifying presence, and said with a distracted look:

"No... nothing..."

"Nonsense! I clearly saw you crying! Don’t be afraid, even if it’s that old man Kevin, I can beat his dog head! Speak up, and I’ll crush the trash that dared to provoke Mount Taixu!"

"No... no... no! It’s really okay! Don’t be so excited, Jingwei!"

Ji Lin was frightened and immediately hugged [Fu Hua], trying to calm her down.

[Fu Hua] stiffened for a moment.

She clearly had many similar interactions in her memory, but what was this? What on earth was this?

The extremely soft body, the warm body temperature, and the enchanting fragrance wafting up to my nose.

The hair gently brushing against her face, causing a slight, irresistible tickling sensation.

The part pressing against the chest was soft, not huge, but so soft and elastic it was indescribable.

Not good, not good, why couldn’t I hold back, why couldn’t I control my mouth and grin?

"Hehehe, Ji Lin, you smell so good..."

Although the newly born 'self' had rich memories, it had no experience with soft jade and warm fragrance.

The first contact was a dreamlike experience meticulously prepared by Angel. It would be a miracle if it could resist it!

After a while of giggling, [Fu Hua] straightened her face.

"If no one bullied you, then why are you crying?"

"..."

"Oh, please tell me! I’m dying of anxiety! Is there something about our relationship that can’t be said?"

[Fu Hua] was so anxious she scratched her head.

At the same time, she learned another lesson about being human: to be patient, at least with the people she cared about.

Ji Lin twisted his fingers and bit his lips, looking pitiful, as if he was struggling to speak. After a while, when [Fu Hua] was on the verge of losing control, Ji Lin slowly said:

"Jingwei, if... if I were a demon, what you call a pseudo-Herrscher, would you dislike me?"

"Huh? Huh???"

-----

Chapter 336: A Big Deal!

[Fu Hua] looked confused.

It wasn’t that she couldn’t understand Ji Lin being a pseudo-Herrscher or something, but she couldn’t understand why Ji Lin was so entangled in the matter.

“My disciple is a Herrscher, my friend is a Herrscher; who doesn’t know one or two Herrschers these days? I didn’t say anything about Herrschers, so pseudo-Herrschers are even less important?”

She had thought there was some significant grievance, and she was so anxious that she had been preparing to use Eminence to sweep the world.

But this?

“That’s it!?”

“Hurry up and tell me!”

Ji Lin stomped her feet like a little girl, and tears were about to fall again.

[Fu Hua]’s heart skipped a beat. Unable to stay still, she patted her chest and promised:

"Don’t worry about being a pseudo-Herrscher. Even if you were a Herrscher or the Honkai, I would still like you Ji Lin! I, Jingwei, will definitely marry you. It doesn’t matter what your identity or background is. I just like you!"

"Jingwei... you are so nice!"

Ji Lin choked up, looked at [Fu Hua] with great emotion, and then threw herself into her arms again.

[Fu Hua] felt the soft touch and the fragrance close by.

"Hey... hey hey hey..."

Then she giggled again, forgetting everything.

...

"Let me tell you, don’t be fooled by Kevin’s deadpan expression. Actually, we are both MANTISs and have the Divine Key. We are evenly matched. What’s more, I’ve trained for six or seven thousand years, so my chances of winning are a little higher!"

"Oh! Jingwei is so awesome!"

Under the moon in the garden, two beautiful girls snuggled up to each other sweetly.

[Fu Hua] talked endlessly about her greatness.

And Ji Lin cooperated with various exclamations and waves of admiration, which completely satisfied [Fu Hua]’s vanity, making her more and more excited.

"And that Shamash, she was our little follower back then. She went wherever I told her without a word of hesitation. As for that young man Otto, he asked me for guidance back then. If I hadn’t helped him, he would have died five hundred years ago. And Anti-Entropy... what’s that? Just a bunch of chickens and pottery dogs; I wouldn’t even look at them!"

"Jingwei is so powerful!"

"That’s right! Anyway, you should believe in me. I’ll back you up, and you can walk sideways in the future!"

"Then I have to work hard to practice so Jingwei doesn’t outshine me. Well, let’s start by trying to be evenly matched with Kevin!"

Ji Lin raised the Xuanyuan Sword with admiring eyes, and encouraged herself expectantly.

[Fu Hua]’s arrogant smile froze on her face.

"Well, I think you should change your target first."

"Ah?"

"I mean, take it step by step. Do you understand?"

Even someone as arrogant as [Fu Hua] understood Kevin’s strength.

She was confident in herself, but from a rational point of view, Ji Lin’s target was... well, a bit ambitious.

Ji Lin blinked in a daze, her expression innocent and soft.

Seeing this, [Fu Hua] was pleased and smiled.

"Okay, I mean to take it step by step. If Kevin is the goal, it’s still a bit far."

"Oh, okay."

Ji Lin pouted, a hint of disappointment on her face.

Then she hugged [Fu Hua]’s waist again.

"It’s okay, I know Jingwei will always be by my side, so I’m not afraid of anything. I can do anything!"

"Hehe, just leave it to me!"

The trust and dependence from her fiancée greatly satisfied [Fu Hua]’s need for recognition, making her extremely happy and proud.

After the two hugged and cuddled for a long time, Ji Lin suddenly looked up and stared at [Fu Hua]’s face suspiciously.

[Fu Hua]: "What’s wrong? Is there something dirty on my face?"

Ji Lin scratched her head and touched her chin, looking thoughtful and puzzled.

After a moment, she frowned, raised her hand, and placed it on [Fu Hua]’s shoulder.

"Don’t move. I’ll go get you some oranges."

"Ah? Oh, okay."

[Fu Hua] nodded with complete trust, smiling brightly.

Ji Lin got up, rushed out of the garden, and ran towards a courtyard mansion. She burst through the door at lightning speed.

"Whoosh—"

The airflow from her sprint swept through the house.

Book of Fuxi was blown back slightly, almost carried away.

"Ji Lin! What are you doing now!?"

"Book-chan, don’t grab the mace just yet. I have something important to do! Jingwei, Jingwei, are you there? Come out and speak!"

Ji Lin rushed to Ah Lin with a panicked expression, fumbling around as if searching for Fu Hua hidden in Ah Lin’s pocket.

After a moment, Fu Hua’s spirit appeared beside Ah Lin, smiling with a doting expression.

"Ji Lin, don’t be anxious. Just speak slowly."

"You..."

Ji Lin pointed at the smiling Fu Hua, her white jade-like slender fingers trembling slightly.

"Dang!"

She even dropped the Xuanyuan Sword to the ground.

Fu Hua, Book of Fuxi, and Ah Lin were all surprised.

Then Ji Lin quickly picked up the Xuanyuan Sword, grabbed Book of Fuxi and Ah Lin’s hands, and dragged them outside.

"No time to explain! Something big happened! Something big!"

The abnormal behavior made the three of them stop questioning and instead follow Ji Lin, eager to see what strange event could be unfolding in the magnificent Mount Taixu.

"Ji Lin, didn’t you say you were going to get me some oranges?"

As they returned to the garden, a familiar voice came from all sides.

A few seconds later, [Fu Hua], Ah Lin, and Fu Hua's spirit body beside Ah Lin stood side by side. Ji Lin dragged Book of Fuxi to stand on the other side.

"..." ×4

"Hey! It’s well known that Jingwei has no twin sisters, and there’s only one Jingwei in the world. So one of you must be real and the other fake! The fake one, step forward, or don’t blame Xuanyuan Sword for being merciless!"

Ji Lin’s golden sword moved between the two Fu Huas—one real and one fake—her eyes flashing with fierce sword Ki.

The sword light loomed at the tip of the sword, and the murderous intent was overwhelming, aimed at the necks of the two [Fu Hua]s.

However, neither [Fu Hua] nor Fu Hua could be angry due to this hostility.

On the contrary, they saw this as Ji Lin’s concern for them.

All the anger was naturally directed at the fake who was full of doubts next to them.

"Who are you?" ×2

"How dare you impersonate me!" ×2

"Bold/insolent!!" ×2

[Fu Hua] and Fu Hua stared at each other, one slowly clenching her fist, the other gathering strength in her palm.

The atmosphere was tense.

At this moment, Ah Lin stood between the two, looking left and right with a confused expression.

Ji Lin thought for a moment, pulled her good sister over, and positioned the two [Fu Hua]s to face each other.

'Well, the foreshadowing has been set.'

'Now, prove that you are the real Fu Hua.'

'Puff!'

No other meaning.

She doesn't want to watch a show.

Really, you have to trust Angel’s love for Fu Hua.

'Puff!'

Really, it's not.

-----

Chapter 337: How Could I Have Such a Dream?

What an Immortal. The physical body of the immortal on the east side punched the wind and thunder, while the soul of the true immortal on the west side witnessed reincarnation.

Two powerful forces, far beyond the mortal realm, clashed in the air.

For a moment, the entire Mount Taixu was under immense pressure, and the sky and earth lost their color.

"Snap!"

Just as both sides were about to fight, the sound of the mini mace hitting the palm disrupted the situation.

The little ELF who had served the Immortal for more than a thousand years, stepped forward with a gloomy face, slapped the mace and flashed a cold, murderous glare.

"I just built Mount Taixu. You're not going to destroy it here, are you? Huh?"

After a questioning nasal sound, all the tension vanished.

[Fu Hua] put away her fists and momentum, placed her hands behind her back, drew circles on the ground with one foot, and whistled.

"Shh~shh~~"

Fu Hua, in her spiritual state slowly lowered her palms, raised her head, and gazed up at the exquisite patterns on the eaves above.

To be honest, it was indeed inappropriate to use force on such a pleasant night.

It had nothing to do with the mace in Book of Fuxi’s hand or the murderous look in her eyes!

Book of Fuxi saw that the air had calmed down, so she relaxed her expression, put away the mace, and retracted the hundreds of guns and cannons floating around her.

...

Fifteen minutes later.

In the bright and magnificent hall, a wooden table separated two groups.

On one side, Book of Fuxi sat leisurely in the middle, holding a teacup, with the door-god-like sisters Ji Lin and Ah Lin standing on either side.

On the other side, two Fu Huas, one real and one fake, sat side by side. They exchanged cold glances from time to time, the tension of an unspoken battle hanging in the air, but no one dared to act.

Apart from the potential wrath of Book of Fuxi for the destruction of Mount Taixu, they were aware of each other's formidable powers in their prime.

One Fu Hua with a perfect body and one Fu Hua with a perfect spirit, both confident they could defeat any Herrscher with their attacks.

But Book of Fuxi, Ji Lin, and Ah Lin were close by. In this situation, if they accidentally harmed any of them, they would be held responsible.

Therefore, despite their vigilance and murderous intent, they had to restrain themselves.

"Sip~~"

Book of Fuxi took a sip of tea, her eyes moving between the two individuals before her.

Fu Hua and [Fu Hua] sat up straight, unconsciously hoping Book of Fuxi would discern the truth and clear their names.

After a while, Book of Fuxi sighed. She raised her right hand, and beckoned Ji Lin, who stood on her right.

Ji Lin blinked her clear and innocent eyes and whispered servilely, listening to Book of Fuxi’s instructions.

"Go."

"Ah?"

"Ah what? You’re usually closest to Elmhead. I assume you know the most details. Go and figure out who’s who."

"Yes!"

Ji Lin puffed out her chest proudly—though she wasn’t sure why being closest to Fu Hua was something to boast about.

Anyway, Book of Fuxi didn’t understand.

On the contrary, Fu Hua and [Fu Hua] displayed equally confident smiles—of course, Ji Lin would recognize me easily!

So, Ji Lin circled the table, mumbling as she observed the two from different angles.

"Hmm~~"

Fu Hua and [Fu Hua]’s eyes followed Ji Lin’s movements, full of anticipation.

After circling a few times, Ji Lin stopped at the table.

The Xuanyuan Sword tapped on the table.

"Clang! Clang!"

"I think we should recall what happened in the past two days."

Ji Lin said seriously.

Then, the Xuanyuan Sword slid on the table, leaving a long mark.

Book of Fuxi narrowed her eyes—though the top-grade yellow pear wood was valuable, given the situation, she made a note of it.

Ji Lin, oblivious, continued sketching the trace, explaining:

"Two days ago, I discussed with Jingwei how to help Ah Lin be reborn. The action started yesterday. Jingwei’s soul left her body, helped Ah Lin sever the connection with the Xuanyuan Sword, and brought her into the flesh."

Ji Lin pointed the Xuanyuan Sword at Ah Lin.

Ah Lin nodded repeatedly like a chicken pecking at rice.

Ji Lin looked wise and confident, and the Xuanyuan Sword slowly moved toward Fu Hua:

"After this, Jingwei’s soul will reside in Ah Lin’s constructed body with Ah Lin’s soul until she fully recovers—in other words, this Jingwei should be real!"

Ji Lin nodded confidently, presenting her reasoning and evidence convincingly.

Fu Hua smiled calmly.

[Fu Hua] became anxious and slapped the table.

"No, no, how can I..."

"But!"

Ji Lin, having just reached a conclusion, crossed her arms and frowned again.

She approached the anxious [Fu Hua], placing her hands on her face, rubbing and pulling. Then she touched various areas, including the chest, waist, and buttocks.

[Fu Hua] froze. Shs blushed deeply from the strange touch and the eyes of everyone.

But seeing Ji Lin’s serious expression, she knew the examination was earnest, so she remained silent.

After a moment, Ji Lin leaned against the blushing [Fu Hua]’s chest, took a deep breath, and then scratched her head in distress:

"The size, curvature, softness, taste... are all right, and the concern for me before doesn’t appear fake!"

[Fu Hua] immediately forgot her embarrassment, proudly raising her head and chest, even glancing provocatively at Fu Hua.

Finally, Ji Lin sat between the two Fu Huas, looking left and right. Her eyes gradually became heavy, and her body fell back.

"Jingwei actually turned into two; how could I have such a bizarre dream? I must have thought too much before bed. I’d better wake up quickly; I still have to cook for Jingwei later... Zzzz..."

"Sister? Sister!"

Ah Lin trotted over and pushed Ji Lin.

However, Ji Lin had already fallen asleep peacefully while holding the Xuanyuan Sword.

Ah Lin bit her lip and looked at Book of Fuxi, the only person she could rely on now:

"Book-chan, this is not good. Sister has given up thinking. What should we do?"

"I saw it. Anyway, move her to the side first."

"Okay!"

Ah Lin quickly dragged Ji Lin’s body outside.

Fu Hua reached out and adjusted the skirt that revealed Ji Lin’s 'spring' scenery.

[Fu Hua] unbuttoned Ji Lin’s chest without hesitation.

The two glared at each other, their murderous intent palpable.

After a while, the scene turned into a two-on-two standoff.

"Sip~~"

Book of Fuxi continued drinking tea calmly, looking at Ah Lin and saying slowly:

"What do you say?"

"I... I still believe that the Jingwei who has been with me is real. But with my sister unable to tell the difference, I..."

Ah Lin scratched her head, her eyes full of uncertainty.

The two sisters were helpless, and the situation suddenly grew tense.

-----

Chapter 338: I Am a Demon in My Heart. Probably.

"Ah—"

Book of Fuxi shook her head and sighed, unsure if she was lamenting the inadequacy of the two sisters.

Meanwhile, Ah Lin lowered her head in embarrassment, twisting her fingers and avoiding eye contact.

Fu Hua and [Fu Hua] exchanged glances again. They didn’t blame Ji Lin and Ah Lin for not recognizing them but thought that the imposter was simply too cunning, making the familiar face particularly annoying.

Fortunately, Book of Fuxi was still present. Despite their frustration, they dared not engage in a real fight, hoping she could devise a way to identify the real one from the fake.

"Ahem! How about I ask a few questions?"

Book of Fuxi said calmly.

Fu Hua noticed that Book of Fuxi's gaze was mainly fixed on [Fu Hua] next to her.

Fu Hua blinked thoughtfully.

Book of Fuxi shifted her gaze and looked at Fu Hua with a knowing glint in her eyes.

Fu Hua blinked again, hesitated for a moment, and then nodded subtly.

[Fu Hua], who was unaware of the nuances of the situation, patted her chest carelessly and said confidently:

"Little Book, ask as many questions as you like. The harder, the better. It’s best if you leave this fake speechless!"

"Alright. The first question is, what is 14,985 times 44,331?"

Ah Lin was confused.

Fu Hua was also equally puzzled. She quickly held up ten fingers and tried to calculate the answer in a hurry.

Fu Hua answered calmly: "664,300,035."

"Correct."

"Hey! Wait a minute! This question doesn’t prove anything about truth or falsehood, does it? Besides, I didn’t react fast enough to hear it clearly. Little Book, can you speak slower? Don’t worry, as long as I hear it clearly, I can definitely calculate it!"

Given her new born consciousness, [Fu Hua] knew she had extraordinary mental strength and an impressive mental arithmetic ability, but she was caught off guard and struggled to use it smoothly.

Book of Fuxi remained calm, sipping her tea, and said slowly:

"It's just a warm-up; it doesn’t matter if you get it right or not. Now, let's get to the serious part. Pay close attention."

"Yes, Little Book, I’m ready!"

[Fu Hua] sighed with relief,. She clenched her fists with renewed determination, and put on a very serious expression.

"During the Tianbao period, we went to Mobei to eliminate demons and bought a souvenir there. Where did the souvenir end up?"

[Fu Hua]: "It was lost on the way back!"

Fu Hua: "...Lost."

Fu Hua was a beat behind.

This indicated a difference in the completeness of their memories.

Fu Hua didn’t care about the victory or defeat at the moment but was starting to guess.

She observed [Fu Hua]'s smug and innocent expression from the corner of her eye and then glanced at Ah Lin and Ji Lin, frowning as if realizing something.

"Next question: one day in the past, peach blossoms and snowflakes bloomed together in Mount Taixu, an ancient wonder. What caused it?"

"It was a strange Honkai beast!"

"Honkai beast."

This time, [Fu Hua] was still ahead.

She puffed out her chest proudly and glanced at Fu Hua, as if to say—fake, can’t keep up? Wait for me to deal with you!

Fu Hua ignored this childish provocation but noticed Book of Fuxi’s questioning eyes.

'What does this mean?'

'Try her again.'

In an instant, the two beings bound for thousands of years completed their silent communication.

Book of Fuxi asked several more questions that only Fu Hua could answer from her memories.

Without exception, [Fu Hua] answered easily, while Fu Hua often had to wait for the relevant memory fragments to connect before she could respond.

This made Fu Hua rub her eyebrows in frustration. Perhaps she needed to spend time sorting out the memories in her mind; she couldn’t afford to struggle with historical details every time she encountered them.

Meanwhile, [Fu Hua] grew more arrogant and finally slammed the table, revealing a wild grin with sharp teeth:

"Fake! You can’t pretend anymore! You always answer according to my answers—you’re not me at all! Tell me, where did you come from, and how dare you show off your skills in front of me?"

"Be patient."

"Little Book, don’t worry. Move to a different place. I’ll deal with this fake now to eliminate any future troubles!"

"I said, be... be... slow!"

The words, accompanied by the crisp sound of the teacup being placed back on the table, were like a heavy blow to some.

Anyway, [Fu Hua] sat up straight immediately, with a stern face, straightening her posture and losing her previous arrogance.

Book of Fuxi nodded with satisfaction, looked at Fu Hua, and said.

"Alright, since she is Fu Hua, then what are you?"

"???"

Fu Hua was momentarily stunned.

What did that mean?

What else could she be?

How did this turn of events catch her off guard?

"Ahem!"

Book of Fuxi cleared her throat heavily.

Fu Hua was stunned again, and after a moment, she blinked in sudden realization.

"I am the inner demon in my heart... maybe?"

Fu Hua said dryly, trying to look elsewhere to avoid showing her emotions.

[Fu Hua] slammed the table once more.

"How dare you! I am the Immortal Phoenix, invincible in the world. How could I have a demon in my heart?!"

"Even Ji Lin has a demon in her heart, so why can’t Jingwei have one?"

"Ji..."

[Fu Hua] almost blurted out in excitement but quickly restrained herself.

She looked at Ah Lin who was stunned, and then at Ji Lin who was sound asleep. She couldn’t say anything derogatory and was struggling to find the right words.

After a long pause, [Fu Hua] hesitated and said: "Even if... even if you say so..."

"Immortal Jingwei is in charge of Mount Taixu. Can someone easily sneak into her home and impersonate her? Apart from her inner demon, can you explain the current situation?"

It was a setup.

But [Fu Hua] was confident in her argument.

She scratched her head in confusion:

"It seems so. I have been here all the time, and no one could sneak into our house. Apart from the inner demon, there’s really no way to explain your appearance..."

"So it is the inner demon."

Fu Hua concluded forcefully.

As for which one was the inner demon and which was the real one, it was up to each person’s opinion.

[Fu Hua] didn’t appear completely convinced. Although she couldn’t refute it, she still instinctively tried to find a flaw and stammered.

"But... but..."

"No buts. It’s almost dawn. Let’s prepare dinner. Everyone has been busy all night. You don’t want Little Fuxi, Ah Lin, and Ji Lin to be hungry, do you?"

"Oh, yes, yes, let’s cook! Especially for Ji Li! She cried in the corner late into the night, worried about whether she was a demon or not. What a fool. Little Book, hurry up and make her a good meal."

"She cried?"

Fu Hua asked in surprise.

Then, Fu Hua, Book of Fuxi, and Ah Lin looked at each other and vaguely had an answer to a previous conjecture.

'If Ah Lin is the human, then Ji Lin is a demon.'

'But the difference between humans and demons is no longer significant. Ji Lin is Ji Lin. There’s no need to categorize her.'

Except for the reduced hostility Fu Hua felt toward [Fu Hua], this incident had no other impact.

-----

Chapter 339: Sure Enough, They Are All Demons in the Heart

"Ah~~"

In the bright daylight, the clear-eyed girl in ancient costume sat at the table in a lazy, relaxed duck-like posture, holding a bun in her mouth, with a clear expression of confusion in her eyes.

Cough, it was a clear expression of confusion:

"So, you are Jingwei’s inner demon?"

"I... I think so."

Fu Hua’s eyes wandered for a moment before she inadvertently met Book of Fuxi’s sharp gaze. She had to suppress her guilty conscience and lie to her best friend with a guilty feeling.

"Ah~ Ah~~ Then are you Jingwei herself?"

"Of course!"

"But Jingwei is so powerful; how could she have an inner demon?"

"Well, if even you can have an inner demon, then after so many years, it’s only natural that I would have one too."

[Fu Hua] confidently applied Fu Hua’s weak theory and patted her chest.

The effect was remarkable.

At least on the surface, Ji Lin, who was chewing a bun, hesitated for a moment before gradually nodding in belief.

P

"Huh——" ×3

Book of Fuxi, Fu Hua, and Ah Lin all breathed a sigh of relief.

However, the three of them suddenly became anxious the next second.

Ji Lin looked back and forth between Fu Hua and [Fu Hua] several times before hesitantly speaking toward Fu Hua:

"But I still think that Jingwei here is... woo woo woo!"

"Eat more, eat more. I made these all for you, so don’t be shy."

Book of Fuxi quickly stuffed two buns into Ji Lin's mouth, forcibly interrupting her question.

As Ji Lin busily chewed and swallowed with her cheeks puffed out, Book of Fuxi rolled her eyes, grabbed Fu Hua by the hair, and pulled her down, saying, "Help comfort her."

"What?"

"Isn’t she struggling with whether she is the inner demon? Now that another demon has appeared, isn’t that the best reason? Anyway, help comfort her. Isn’t she your fiancée?"

"I understand! Leave it to me!"

The key words in those three sentences made Fu Hua instantly clarify her role and adopt a firm expression. Book of Fuxi then hurriedly changed the subject:

"Ahem! Ji Lin, eat more. You won’t have any strange thoughts when you’re full."

"What strange thoughts?"

"It means squatting in a corner crying in the middle of the night. Don’t tell me that’s not a strange thought?"

"I..."

Ji Lin held her chopsticks. She pouted, and stared at [Fu Hua] fiercely yet cutely:

"Jingwei, did you say that?!"

"Ah, well... Oh, that’s not important! Anyway, you see, I have an inner demon, but I’m sitting here eating with everyone. So don’t worry about it. Ji Lin is Ji Lin. We won’t dislike you just because you are a demon, or rather, a pseudo-Herrscher!"

To be honest, the emotional intelligence inherited from Fu Hua really needs improvement.

Fortunately, [Fu Hua] still had a chance. As the Herrscher of Sentience who understands people’s hearts best, she would eventually become proficient.

[Fu Hua] comforted Ji Lin with a setting she herself had some doubts about, but the more she spoke, the more she convinced herself to accept the situation.

She had successfully diverted Ji Lin's attention. She no longer dwelled on the problem of Fu Hua's original body or hers but puffed out her cheeks and said in a muffled voice:

"I am not necessarily a demon! Ah Lin's soul is intact, which only means that there’s no situation of one body and two parts. But it’s still uncertain who is the original body and who is the inner demon!"

"Ahahaha! That’s true. Anyway, what I mean is that you shouldn’t hide and cry over such trivial matters. Do you know that you scared me?"

"... I’m sorry, Jingwei and everyone else. I made you worry."

"It’s okay. What’s our relationship? As long as you’re not sad, everything is fine! Hahaha!"

[Fu Hua] laughed carelessly.

Forget how inconsistent it was to use Fu Hua’s face for such a brainless expression; at least it appeared completely harmless and easy to deceive.

"Hiss! Hiss!"

Ji Lin sniffled with her red nose, reached out, grabbed Ah Lin’s hand, and said in a choked voice:

"Ah Lin, I’m sorry."

"Why is my sister apologizing?"

"When I thought I was the real one, I felt that I had accepted you and was magnanimous. But when I heard your discussion that day and realized I might be the inner demon, I couldn’t accept it... I’m not a good sister. I’m sorry, Ah Lin, wuwuwu!"

Holding Ah Lin’s slender waist, Ji Lin burst into childish tears.

Ah Lin was surprised and at a loss for a moment but then gently patted Ji Lin’s head and said with a smile:

"What are you talking about, sister? You are the best sister. You’ve always cared for and taken care of me. I know."

"Ah Lin QAQ..."

"I thought your sister was sad. Really, don’t make everyone worry next time, okay?"

"Ah Lin... Even if it’s like this, I won’t give you the name Ji Lin!"

Ji Lin suddenly adopted a serious tone, but it only lasted a second before she hugged Ah Lin and giggled, playfully rubbing against her like a child.

"Okay."

Ah Lin smiled softly.

Ah Lin(Ji Lin) was already very satisfied with everything she had.

After five thousand years, she was finally redeemed. Ji Lin(Angel) played an irreplaceable role in this process, not only maintaining her sanity but also working hard for her true resurrection, and even...

Ah Lin stole a glance at Fu Hua, who was as beautiful as a picture and as steady as a mountain, and couldn’t help but feel a sweet warmth in her heart, her cheeks glowing with a rosy hue.

There was even a satisfying marriage.

Anyway, Ah Lin was content with everything now. Not to mention that she was just called Ah Lin, even if she still shared the name Ji Lin. Even if she lost the real name Ji Lin and was called A-Cao or A-Gou, she would still be happy.

"Hahaha! Ji Lin, look at what you look like now, hahaha!" Fu Hua who was standing next to her burst into laughter.

Ji Lin glared at her, then lunged at Fu Hua, and they rolled on the ground, tangling and laughing in the hall.

"..."

The onlookers were speechless, wondering if the combined mental age of these two could even surpass that of a normal child?

...

"Little Book, what do you think?"

"She is very obedient, but also very... stupid."

After the lively breakfast, Book of Fuxi, Fu Hua, and Ah Lin—the three adults—finally had time to discuss Fu Hua's situation.

As for the two who hadn’t reached adulthood yet, they were playing in the courtyard not far away, their silly laughter of "hahaha" echoing repeatedly.

"Actually, they get along so well? Now I think my elder sister is the inner demon."

Ah Lin held her forehead and sighed.

If they weren’t both inner demons, how could they explain their similar simple minds and ease of being fooled?

It was evident that there was a significant difference between her and the original Jingwei, but her naïve sister didn’t seem to realize it and allowed everyone to deceive her.

She still believed that the person in front of her was the real Jingwei!

Book of Fuxi and Fu Hua exchanged knowing smiles.

Then, Fu Hua’s expression grew serious as she said:

"Although our contact was brief, I suspect she might be a Herrscher."

"Herrscher? Are you sure?"

Book of Fuxi’s face also grew solemn.

Despite the numerous harmless cases in current civilization, according to Book of Fuxi’s database, the Herrscher remains the most dangerous existence in the world and cannot be underestimated.

Fu Hua nodded.

"Yes. Although I haven’t seen her use any powers, based on my experience, the most likely candidates are the Herrscher of Death, the Herrscher of Flame, and the Herrscher of Sentience. I speculate that when my soul left my body, the Herrscher’s consciousness was conceived. However, it couldn’t carry the accumulated memories, so..."

"So, she was forcibly shaped into your appearance and mistakenly thought she was you. That seems like a reasonable speculation. Based on her current behavior, this might be the case."

"Yes, just as you said, Book. However, the danger lies in the fact that she believes she is me. While she may act kindly towards Ji Lin and Ah Lin, listen to Book-chan, and even fight against Honkai, if this belief is shattered, she might revert to the influence of Honkai."

"Your concern is valid."

Book of Fuxi frowned with worry.

Given the brief contact time, no one can fully understand the true nature of this [Fu Hua]. Temporary stability does not guarantee future reliability.

At this stage, [Fu Hua] is perceived as an unstable superweapon by the three—better than the original plot, but still limited. Book of Fuxi’s handling method is clearly several levels above Fu Hua herself.

Only Ji Lin truly trusts [Fu Hua].

-----

Chapter 340: The Desire to Kill Stirred

"Ji Lin, Ji Lin, look, I caught a butterfly!"

"Where is it? Where is it?"

[Fu Hua] approached mysteriously and slowly opened her hands.

As she did, a butterfly landed on her palm, its bright wings fluttering slightly, reflecting the gorgeous sunlight.

"Wow, so beautiful..."

"That's right! How could I have been wrong?"

"Let me play with it!"

"Be careful not to hurt it."

[Fu Hua] naturally agreed to Ji Lin’s request and, with a gentle movement of her hand, transferred the butterfly to Ji Lin's palm.

Ji Lin watched the butterfly flutter its wings and raised her hands, lifting them just as the butterfly was about to take off.

The butterfly fluttered and flew away with the wind, illuminated by the sunlight.

Ji Lin looked up, the sunlight casting a glow on her delicate face, her eyes sparkling like a galaxy.

[Fu Hua] was instantly captivated. She couldn’t quite understand why, but she couldn’t look away.

"So beautiful."

Ji Lin raised her hand and watched the butterfly fly away, smiling like a blooming flower.

And [Fu Hua], scratching her face, spoke from her heart, "I think you’re even more beautiful."

"...Huh?"

"I mean, you’re a thousand times or even ten thousand times more beautiful than the butterfly!"

"...Really?"

No girl would dislike being praised for her appearance.

Even Angel who prides herself on being deep-minded and scheming would be pleased.

So Ji Lin naturally took [Fu Hua]'s hand.

"You too. In my eyes, Jingwei is the most beautiful in the world. No one can compare!"

"Hehehe!"

[Fu Hua] scratched her head and smiled foolishly, subconsciously tightening her grip on Ji Lin’s soft hand, her heart filled with pure joy. Then Ji Lin sighed softly and said:

"Actually, what I want to say is that life is beautiful."

"Life? What do you mean?"

"Think about it. Do you prefer the lush, green Mount Taixu, full of small animals and life, or the bare Mount Taixu, just soil and sand?"

"Of course, I prefer the lush, green Mount Taixu!"

[Fu Hua] didn’t realize Ji Lin was using a metaphor.

Ji Lin continued:

"It’s because we understand the beauty of life that we vowed to protect Shenzhou together."

"That’s true. It’s strange. Even after so many years, it feels as clear as if it happened yesterday."

Nonsense, the Herrscher of Sentience is naturally different from mortals in areas like memory, especially since she was just born. Wasn’t it just yesterday for her?

Ji Lin turned to face [Fu Hua]. She leaned forward gracefully and smiled:

"This shows that Jingwei is old too! Only old people think like this."

"What?"

"But I’m old too. Let’s not dislike each other. Besides, no matter how old Jingwei is, I will always like Jingwei."

"Oh..."

What could the inexperienced [Fu Hua] say? Her mind went blank after being flattered by such sweet words. She didn’t know what to do except giggle.

"Look at what the three of them are doing over there. They look a bit serious. Are they bullying Jingwei’s inner demon? Let’s go see!"

After completing the favorability mission for the day, Ji Lin’s eyes lit up, and she immediately dragged the still-confused [Fu Hua] towards the pavilion.

...

Five minutes earlier, they had been discussing how to stabilize [Fu Hua].

"It seems that the best approach is to maintain the status quo and preserve her self-awareness. This way, she can remain stable and not cause trouble, while we observe and determine whether to keep her," Fu Hua concluded rationally.

Book of Fuxi and Ah Lin nodded in agreement.

Fu Hua glanced towards the garden courtyard and saw that [Fu Hua] and Ji Lin had come together at some point, seemingly engaged in conversation. They were very close, holding hands—especially Ji Lin’s innocent and sweet smile, which was exactly the same as when she faced Fu Hua herself.

Fu Hua frowned subconsciously. She felt her heart sink and a vague sense of agitation.

Book of Fuxi, who knew Fu Hua better than she knew herself, noticed this detail. Her eyes slanted with a crescent moon-like smile.

"But if we maintain the status quo, there is a key issue we need to consider."

"What is it, Book-chan?"

"She was born from your memory, but she seems to acknowledge her marriage to the Ah Lin sisters more than you do. If—just hypothetically—she suddenly decides that Ji Lin and the Ah Lin sisters should marry her..."

Book of Fuxi raised her eyebrows, her teasing smile conveying an unfinished thought.

"Hiss!!"

Fu Hua in her spiritual state drew in a sharp breath of Honkai energy.

She subconsciously looked at Ah Lin, who appeared confused and unmoved. Her heart skipped a beat.

‘Yes, Ji Lin and Ah Lin’s era was very simple, and they might not see it as a big deal.’

In simple terms, it was straightforward, but from the perspective of later generations, it was quite complicated.

Even if Ah Lin did not resist, it was because the other party was Fu Hua’s inner demon and Fu Hua’s body. Not having that consciousness does not mean that one is willing to let someone they don’t like touch them. These are two different things.

In short, Fu Hua couldn’t help but look at her white jade-like but indestructible palm.

She imagined Ji Lin and Ah Lin removing their skirts, displaying their pure beauty, and shyly welcoming [Fu Hua]...

"Hiss!!!"

Fu Hua’s vision darkened.

Even with a thousand-year-old state of mind, she felt a surge of murderous intent at that moment.

"Hey, what are you doing around this old timer? You’re not really bullying her, are you?"

Just as Fu Hua was in a state of confusion, a naive person, who was on the verge of death, approached, holding Ji Lin’s hand with one hand and resting the other on Ah Lin’s shoulder, a picture of hugging left and right.

"Old... timer?"

"Yes! I’ve figured it out. You must have absorbed the vast and majestic memories of this immortal, which formed your own self, making you think you are this immortal. But the inner demon is still just an inner demon. Clearly, you’re affected by the weight of these memories. Your speech and mannerisms are old-fashioned and dull. Isn’t this an old timer?"

"Old-fashioned... dull?"

"Oh, it’s quite pitiful when you think about it. If you appeared in someone else, you might be able to show your power and cause a fuss. But you appeared in this immortal, without knowing whether you should live or die. Now, you’ve become an old timer bound by memory. Hahaha, don’t worry, everything will get better. We won’t dislike you, right?"

[Fu Hua] smiled at Fu Hua.

Fu Hua’s body trembled slightly as she slowly raised her palm.

Fortunately, Book of Fuxi reached out, pressing her hand back down and patting it reassuringly.

‘Damn it! Hateful!’

‘It’s just a child; you have to endure it.’

‘Infuriating!!!’

‘Calm down, calm down.’

Today, Book of Fuxi once again avoided a significant loss of property in Mount Taixu.

How fortunate, how fortunate.

-------

Chapter 341: Can You Please Say It Again?

"Hua, I may be a little... well, please repeat it anyway."

"Due to some reasons, my consciousness temporarily left my body, and a new Herrscher was born in my body during this period. Its power is not yet clear, but in short, she was influenced by my memory and now thinks she is me. We have consolidated this cognition and temporarily kept her in Mount Taixu to observe the results."

Fu Hua spoke in the calmest and clearest tone possible.

On the other side of the screen, Kevin and Shamash had the same poker face.

Fu Hua obviously knew how ridiculous the news was, so she continued with some embarrassment:

"But she is a Herrscher after all, and I can't tell when she may escape my sight and run down the mountain. So I'm reminding you first to avoid being caught off guard in the future."

"...Okay."

Kevin said so and ended the communication.

Fu Hua couldn't think about how her old comrades would digest such information. After hesitating for a moment, she contacted Otto.

"Otto, listen to me, a new Herrscher was born here."

According to the explanation she gave to Kevin and Shamash earlier, Fu Hua roughly repeated the current situation.

Reasonably, Fu Hua did not believe Otto.

But also rationally, Otto is the Archbishop of Schicksal, the highest banner of contemporary humanity against the Honkai, and even the only one.

Otto is qualified to know and needs to know about the birth of a new Herrscher.

"Old friend, I may be a little... um, can you repeat it?"

Although their personalities were obviously completely different, Fu Hua saw the same confusion in Otto as she had seen in Kevin and Shamash.

"A new Herrscher was born in my body, and she can still be confined to Mount Taixu for the time being."

"Today is not April Fool's Day or something like that?"

"Otto, I am not lying."

"Of course I believe you, old friend, but your news is too... shocking, isn't it?"

Otto actually wanted to say it was funny.

He could believe that a Herrscher could be born anywhere. But only in Fu Hua? This was a scene the Archbishop had never imagined, even with all his wisdom.

"Anything can happen in the world."

Fu Hua could only answer this way.

Otto on the screen rubbed his brows, as if thinking about this fatal information.

After a moment, he slowly spoke.

"I will make some preparations, and at the same time, I will pass the message to Anti-Entropy."

"Okay, thank you. I will also try my best to restrain this Herrscher in Mount Taixu until she is confirmed to be harmless, or... make her disappear."

Fu Hua completed her duties and looked relieved.

...

After the communication ended, Otto leaned back in his chair, looked up at the ceiling, and thought about something.

'I didn't mention the World Serpent, and she didn't seem to have any doubts. It seems that the message was passed on before me.'

'The relationship between the former civilization's warriors is closer than I thought.'

Otto sighed faintly.

This shows that his control over Fu Hua was getting weaker and weaker.

The more relationships Fu Hua has, the less weight her favor has. This is human nature, and even immortals cannot escape it.

Fortunately, Kiana's situation is more optimistic than initially expected.

She has already mastered some of the spatial power and is only one step away from becoming a complete Herrscher of the Void.

So, perhaps there is no need to implement an overly extreme stimulus plan. Even if Kiana still cannot complete the transformation independently, as long as the energy of the Gem of Serenity is used, the success rate is also very high.

Of course, Otto does not need a high level, but 100%. However, there has never been a 100% guarantee. Even the initial sacrifice plan could only be an expectation, not an absolute certainty.

At least, if he is more restrained, he doesn't have to worry too much about Fu Hua's attitude.

"There is still one step to go, but how do I push this step forward? There are more and more variables beyond the chess game, and I must be cautious... Perhaps, I need to wait longer? Well, before that, let's get the beacon of the Cosmic Juggernaut first which is also an indispensable link."

Things have priorities.

K423 is there, and the Herrscher of the Void is there too. Even if people can escape, Saint Freya can’t. Whether to take extreme actions or restrained actions in the future can be decided based on the progress after K423.

But after getting the beacon, there is still a lot of observation and verification to be done. The sooner it is obtained, the more confident the plan will be, so it is definitely better to do it sooner rather than later.

"Knock! Knock!"

"Come in."

After knocking gently and politely, a long-eared miko entered.

Otto showed a gentle smile that was not a false mask.

"What's the matter, Sakura?"

"It's about the big inspection that Durandal did before. After rechecking and verifying the relevant information, many people who made serious mistakes were found. I think the specific way to deal with it still needs to be discussed with Mr. Otto."

Yae Sakura said with a gloomy expression.

From being ignorant to being able to share the pressure for Amber, Yae Sakura showed excellent IQ and learning ability in this process, and then demonstrated very reliable decision-making ability.

At least in Otto's eyes, this friend whom he met five hundred years late was a piece of jade very worth carving—unlike Durandal, Yae Sakura's value is far more than just her fighting ability.

Otto smiled calmly.

"It seems that these people are giving you a headache? I have already entrusted you with full authority, so what do you think?"

"... Mr. Otto, I want to kill them."

"Oh?"

"All along, those who work in idle positions and corrupt officials have harmed thousands of people, and Schicksal is the main force to fight against the Honkai, carrying the lives of hundreds of millions of people and the future of civilization. I... I don't like killing people, but they really... really shouldn't be so excessive."

Yae Sakura bit her lip, with a gloomy look in her eyes.

Otto looked at Yae Sakura with a smile and did not directly express his opinion on her ideas, but flipped through the documents in Yae Sakura's hand.

After a while, Otto returned the documents.

Yae Sakura flipped them open and took a look. "Who are these people you circled with the marker?"

"People who should be handled with care."

"Why!?"

Yae Sakura stared at him in confusion.

Otto looked at Yae Sakura gently and said:

"Because they have people behind them, and the value provided by the people behind them is higher than the harm they cause. From the perspective of stability and etiquette, this is the best choice. What do you think, Sakura?"

"...What if I want to treat everyone equally?"

"It will be more troublesome. They dare not do things like raising the banner of rebellion, but they will be passive and lazy to a certain extent, or even pretend to obey but disobey... You know, human nature is never pure, but a mixture of black and white. It is actually deep enough to figure this out here, and the effect is good enough. If you don't tolerate some darkness inappropriately, you can't lead everyone."

Otto explained meaningfully.

He has been doing this for five hundred years.

No one can resist him, but he never expects everyone to be pure and single-minded. This is simply unrealistic.

------

Chapter 342: Thank You for the Gem Sent by Kallen

"What will happen if I still insist on my own opinion?"

"Then you will break some unwritten tacit understandings, and there will be a counterattack."

"Will it shake the foundation of Schicksal?"

"What do you think?"

Yae Sakura did not seem to listen to the advice, and even questioned the authority and decision-making of the archbishop.

However, Otto looked at the light in Yae Sakura's eyes, and the curve of his mouth became more and more gentle.

Yae Sakura pondered for a moment and said:

"If I use the Key of Corruption, plus the support of Durandal and Rita, I think it should not be a problem to eradicate some unrepentant people..."

"Then you will take over more power and bear more responsibilities. Moreover, more people will die."

"...If I can make this era more hopeful, I think Kallen will support me."

"I see. Do you think this is what Kallen wants to see?" Otto's smile was no longer gloomy.

Yae Sakura shyly raised the document, covered her face, and said softly.

"Mr. Otto, am I too arrogant?"

"Why do you think so?"

"Because I still don't understand a lot. I haven't even mastered math, physics, and chemistry, but I want to do things according to Kallen's ideas. I always feel that this kind of compromise is not what she wants to see... Ah! I just said my idea. Of course, it depends on Mr. Otto's decision on how to proceed."

Yae Sakura waved her hand, her voice suddenly softening, indicating that she still knew her own limitations and didn't dare to make her own decisions.

Otto looked at Yae Sakura steadily until the little witch couldn't stand it anymore and completely covered her face.

Then, he laughed out loud.

"Hahaha! Not bad. Your answer is very good. Although it's not the answer I expected, it didn't disappoint me either."

"Mr. Otto?"

Yae Sakura showed her beautiful face and looked at Otto in surprise.

Otto shook his head and sighed, speaking with some emotion.

"You know, I invited the first leader of Anti-Entropy, the first acting Herrscher Joyce Welt, to take my place."

"Ah?"

"Joyce is an admirable idealist with a dream-like charisma. This means that he has a fatal attraction to people who are also kind and upright, but for others... Anyway, he rejected me, which makes me very sorry."

Otto sighed with obvious regret, showing that he still missed his pen pal.

Unfortunately, fighting against Honkai and protecting civilization cannot be achieved by truth, goodness, and beauty.

It is not a burden that idealism can bear.

Joyce could not accept darkness, and he could not gather all the strength to defeat Honkai.

More importantly, this meant that he could not tolerate the actions Otto might take for his obsession, which was something Otto could not tolerate.

So, Joyce fought to his death, defended his ideals with his life, and defeated Otto head-on once.

This made Otto have to respect him.

"After that, the people who claimed to have inherited Joyce's will started to run Anti-Entropy... You might as well take a look at our intelligence database, and then you'll find that Anti-Entropy has expanded to its current level, and the sins it has committed are no less."

It means that these people claimed to have inherited Joyce's will, only to use half a century of compromise and practice to verify the reality that "Joyce was wrong, Otto was right."

Therefore, Otto looks down on those people.

They neither have the pure determination of Joyce nor the courage to face the fact that they are walking with darkness. What kind of clowns are they?

Otto sighed.

"Joyce's refusal made me sit in this position for more than half a century, but everything has an end. Sakura, I will need a qualified successor sooner or later."

"How about Lady Durandal? I think she is very powerful."

"She can't do it. In terms of idealism, she is a little better than Joyce, but the improvement is limited, and she does not have Joyce's leadership charm at all. Therefore, she can't do it. She lacks the necessary qualities."

"Who does Mr. Otto favor?"

Yae Sakura blinked cutely.

Otto looked at Yae Sakura with a smile.

One second, two seconds, three seconds passed, and he still stared at her with a smile.

Yae Sakura took two steps back.

"You... you aren't ...talking about me, right?"

"Actually, Theresa is also a choice. She has enough strength and prestige, and although I have a preference for Saint Freya, an unprecedented special branch, you don't think a simple fool can manage it, right? She has potential, but she still needs real experience and transformation."

The Herrscher of Sentience once said that as long as Otto is alive, Theresa will always be a little girl who never grows up.

But in other words, after Otto's death, she will be able to spread her wings and fly after breaking free from the shadow of her elders.

"In my expectation, she will quickly transform into a qualified leader, and it will not be a problem for her to maintain the Schicksal before the decisive battle. As for the future... Saint Freya has been teaching for many years and has strong connections. She will not suffer no matter what, and that is enough."

The original idea was that the top leaders of Anti-Entropy were not power-hungry, and they would naturally no longer become an external threat to Schicksal after the Honkai.

There was even a high probability that these people would promote the merger of Anti-Entropy and Schicksal, so there was no need to worry about Theresa being bullied.

But now, Anti-Entropy has one more Cocolia.

Otto doesn't think Theresa can beat that daring and skillful woman. The world after the war may be at her mercy. But with her relationship with Bronya and others, he doesn't have to worry about Theresa's treatment.

At worst, she will continue to be a school mascot, and she won't be hungry or cold.

"I don't have any obsession with Schicksal. It doesn't matter whether I can keep it or not. As long as Theresa, Durandal, and Sakura can have a good place to go, that's fine. So that's what I think."

"So? What about now?"

"Now, didn't I find you again?"

"Wait, Mr. Otto, I really can't do it."

Otto just smiled at this.

Yae Sakura retreated again and again.

I want to show that I'm useful, but taking over Schicksal directly... eh, it seems it's not impossible?

Yae Sakura counted her advantages.

Durandal is easy to deal with.

Amber's relationship is also well-managed.

Rita? This person has no ambitions. If she gives Durandal and Lolita enough, there will be nothing to argue about.

Theresa? Let's skip her. She's easier to deal with than the others.

If Otto's appointment is added... My God, I think I can really become the Archbishop!?

"You are still not confident enough, but you dare to say that you will use the power of Jizo Mitama and Durandal, which shows that you already have the self-awareness of being a strong person. You decide what to do next. Let me see how you perform."

"...Mr. Otto, you saying that makes me feel so stressed."

"The pressure is so great, doesn't it mean that you are not so resistant to this seat, right?" Otto spread his hands and looked down at his seat.

Yae Sakura shrank her neck and took a few steps back until her back was against the door panel, like a frightened little rabbit.

"I can't argue with Mr. Otto, and I don't know what Mr. Otto is planning. Anyway, I will try my best to help." Yae Sakura said weakly.

The aggrieved yet stubborn look made Otto happy again.

But Yae Sakura's next words made his smile freeze.

"There's one more thing. Miss Nagamitsu asked me to do an experiment on the ability of Jizo Mitama. The experiment on the Gem of Serenity was successful."

"What? Jizo Mitama can really invade and control the Herrscher core?"

Otto stood up immediately.

Yae Sakura nodded.

"Yes. Miss Nagamitsu said that with the addition of the Gem of Serenity, my energy value has reached the latest data of Durandal. In addition, the pervasive corruption seems to be very consistent with the death power of life atrophy. According to her, if I cut people that state, no matter if they are human, Herrscher, or an ELF, I am afraid it will be difficult to escape death and become a puppet."

"Come on, follow me to Nagamitsu's laboratory."

Otto quickly calmed down, stood up, and led Yae Sakura out quickly.

There are many options to stimulate the power of K423's Herrscher, and the Gem of Serenity is just one of them, not the only one. But in contrast, Yae Sakura is one of the people he trusts most at present. If she can control this gem, it is truly a surprise that cannot be ignored.

Otto arrived at the laboratory with rare urgency, and after a brief chat with Nagamitsu, he saw the complete experimental data.

After a while, Otto slowly turned his head and looked into Yae Sakura's eyes, as if looking at a precious gem that was accidentally obtained.

He don't dare say, but he really dare say it.

After five hundred years, Kallen actually helped him pick up a good gem!

If you rank the strong people in the world today:

The top level is supermodel level, such as Kevin, Fu Hua, and Shamash, nigh unstoppable.

The second level is Durandal, Ninti, Ji Lin, and others, above the Herrschers. They can fight a few moves with the top level, but don't expect to win.

The third level is the Herrscher level, including Yae Sakura, Delta, Li Sushang, Welt, Raiden Mei, etc.

Oh, he doesn't know the details of Herrscher of Dominance Angel, so he doesn't place it here for now.

In short, the number is still considerable.

As for the inferior ones behind, they are not the people Otto needs to pay attention to and can't play any role.

From this ranking, it can be seen that the biggest trump card Otto can directly take out is only the second level, and there is only one.

But now, he has an extra card of the same face value. And Yae Sakura's terrifying characteristic of one-hit kills is, to some extent, comparable to the highest level.

The strength ranking is back. The World Serpent is in front, Schicksal follows closely and can fight, and Anti-Entropy is at the bottom and can be dealt with at any time.

"Yae Sakura, take this gem. After that, accompany me to meet the legendary man."

"Okay, Mr. Otto."

Yae Sakura took the Gem of Serenity from Otto with a gentle expression and a very sweet smile.

---

Chapter 343: Long Live the World Serpent!

"Long live the World Serpent~~"

"Cocolia has already said the same opening remarks; I don't think there is any need to waste time."

"Hahaha, Lord Shamash is really merciless!"

Otto said with a friendly smile, looking cheerful and in a good mood.

But he couldn't help but mutter to himself: does the saying "heroes think alike" also apply to villains? Cocolia actually used my words?

At this time, Kevin was observing the famous figure of the legendary Archbishop of Schicksal opposite him. Two months after escaping from the Quantum Sea, after a long period of gathering intelligence and understanding the progress of Project Stigma, he finally met this famous figure.

Gray Serpent had said that he was the most unfathomable conspirator in current era, with unclear motives and countless plans. He was one of the most capable people to hinder Project Stigma and must be treated with caution.

After the usual arrogance, Jackal reluctantly admitted that he was a scientific master who could be called a treasure of civilization, with profound knowledge and wisdom, and should not be underestimated.

Shamash said she was not familiar with this person, so she just listened to Gray Serpent and Jackal.

All these comments led Kevin to form an initial impression, but when they actually met...

"You are different from what I imagined."

Kevin tried to recall the characteristics of those outstanding people in the field of science to construct the image of Otto—Mobius's heresy, Vill-V's eccentricity, and Mei's rigor and calmness... But it seemed none of these things could match the image of the blond man with a very bright smile in front of him.

Otto sat upright in the void, with Durandal and Yae Sakura standing behind him, and said with his arms folded across his chest:

"Oh, then what do you think I should be like, Mr. Kevin?"

"It's not important. I heard that you wanted to see me for the 'beacon' of the Cosmic Juggernaut?"

"Yes, it's very important to me."

It's really important.

So important that Otto didn't bother to use any roundabout means. He just wanted to get it in the fastest and most direct way, at all costs.

Of course, there is also the reason that the person on the other side is not easy to mess with, and he is afraid that if he calculates too much, he will directly overturn the table.

"Why should I give it to you?"

"Because you want to implement Project Stigma, and I can make the whole world give in to you, or at least not fight you fiercely at the beginning."

Otto left some room.

Anti-entropy is not strong, but it is not weak either, and Cocolia has a brain, so it is not so easy to lead them by the nose now.

Kevin didn't know whether he understood this reservation or not. He just looked at Otto coldly and said:

"Why should I get concessions through you? I can do it with the sword in my hand."

"No, no, no, respected World Serpent Lord, you are indeed very strong and have the power to make the whole world succumb to you, but... you don't understand how huge the tentacles of Schicksal are, nor do you understand the sense of crisis that anti-entropy feels from the loss of lips and teeth. Think about it, in the most extreme case, two organizations carry the power of the whole world to fight you until the last moment..."

Otto's expression became serious, as if he had seen the heavy future.

"Yes, you will win, and then get a world with only ashes left. At the same time, you will also lose something more important—time, the most precious time. That is definitely not what you want, right?"

"To threaten me, it is not enough to rely on words alone."

Kevin looked unmoved. His eyes quietly turned to Yae Sakura behind Otto's left.

Yes, he cares a lot, and he has cared a lot from the beginning. With a look and temperament so similar to Sakura, holding Jizo Mitama... the Divine Key made from Rin's corpse.

This combination would make Kevin, whose heart had been sealed with cement for thousands of years, feel stinging.

Otto looked back at the graceful shrine maiden and smiled.

"What do you mean?"

"Prove your qualifications."

Kevin's indifferent voice fell.

Almost at the same time, Shamash, who was as tacit as if they were one and the same, raised the flaming sword.

"Boom!!!"

In just a moment, Durandal and Yae Sakura were hit high into the sky without being able to react.

Shamash stood in front of Otto, the flames reflecting the delicate and indifferent little face, which was very similar to Kevin's opposite.

This scene lasted less than half a second, and then the scorching flames rushed into the sky.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Red flames, ominous death, and the brilliant immortal Venus intertwined and danced in the sky, stirring up the sea of clouds and heat waves.

Otto couldn't help but look up, squinting unconsciously as he gazed at the colorful sky.

Since when did battles between the strong in this world no longer generally charge and collide with each other on the ground with weapons, but rather escalate to the level of going up to the sky, into the sea, and disrupting celestial phenomena?

Although it is a critical period of the times, at the turning point of the end and rebirth, the accumulation and possibilities of mankind will naturally burst out to the maximum.

But this has changed too quickly and too suddenly, right?

"Alas!"

Otto couldn't help but feel a subtle sense that he couldn't keep up with the changes.

Sure enough, he has lived too long. No matter how firm and persistent he is, he will eventually get old, right?

Kevin is better. In his impression, a qualified warrior should have this level of performance.

But looking at the powerful and strange dark power of Yae Sakura, he still frowned slightly and asked.

"Not only the power of Corruption, what did you do to her?"

"Haha, wouldn't it be too boring to reveal the answer directly? Why don't you guess it?"

"..."

"Okay, okay, in terms of not liking to joke, you and my old friend Fu Hua are really the same. But this is a secret of Schicksal. Although I am not tactful, I can only say that I have nothing to say—or, if you exchange it for the 'beacon', I promise to tell you everything I know!" Otto tempted with a smile.

Kevin was naturally not so easily fooled. He just lowered his eyes coldly and said nothing more.

Otto didn't care either. He just looked up at the sky and continued to pay attention to this highest-level conflict in the world.

This was a show-like battle. Kevin expressed his concern for Yae Sakura, so Shamash provided him with a stage to let Kevin see this person and the Jizo Mitama in her hand more clearly—that's all.

The battle started quickly and ended quickly.

After just over ten minutes, Shamash returned to Kevin's side. She waved her hand, and extinguished the remaining fire on the sword. She quietly guarded Kevin's side, just like when she first appeared—clean, beautiful, and exquisite.

In contrast, Durandal and Yae Sakura, who returned to Otto's side, were breathing heavily, with burn marks on their bodies and looking a little embarrassed.

'More powerful than expected, can the ELF reach such a high limit?'

Otto compared the images of the three people, but he was not panicked.

Durandal is the type who can break through the limit the more difficult the battle is.

Yae Sakura's deadly power can only be shown in a real decisive battle.

The result of the performance does not represent the real victory or defeat. Then Kevin suddenly threw an object over.

Otto took it quickly, and his pupils shrank.

"Is this?"

"The 'beacon' you want."

This is a palm-sized object that looks like some irregular mechanical device or part, floating naturally in the palm of your hand. Just from the appearance, you can tell that it is definitely not an ordinary thing.

"Just give it to me like this?"

"You will pay the price, or I will ask for it."

"I understand. Long live the World Serpent!"

Otto stood up, touched his chest, and bowed.

This respect was real.

In any case, Otto must thank Kevin for getting the key items needed for the plan so quickly.

---

---

Chapter 344: Enviable

Kevin did not discuss in detail how to cooperate or make concessions because he didn't know how to do it at all, and this was not his job.

In Otto's view, this is the prerogative of the superior. We, the bosses, have finalized the big things, and the subordinates will naturally handle the details afterward.

So, after the transaction, Otto noticed that Kevin didn’t seem to enjoy communicating, so he stood up and said goodbye.

When only the two of them remained at the scene, Shamash turned her head and looked at Kevin.

"The 'beacon' is part of the Cosmic Juggernaut, but it is not used under normal circumstances. Even Project Velaka which Su is responsible for—the observation across the world—does not require the 'beacon.'"

"Yes, you are right."

"So, what he needs is something that only the complete Cosmic Juggernaut can provide... the 0th power, directly reaching the origin of all rules and causes and effects that exist only in theory—the Tree of Imaginary Numbers."

"Either a madman seeking his own demise or a planned devotee."

Kevin expressed his own judgment, which was also the destined end for Otto.

Of course, ordinary people cannot see through Otto's purpose.

But as the holder of the "beacon," seeing Otto's desire for this thing, combined with the unusual labels on this person, Kevin could see the direction he was heading.

The origin of all causes and effects, the root of the world—once reached, all the incredible things that are commonly understood will become strings that can be plucked.

It sounds wonderful, but it is a dead end that is almost impossible to reach.

"In the long dark night, have you ever thought about such an action?"

Shamash asked with some curiosity.

Kevin was silent for a while before asking in return. "What about you?"

"I... don't know."

Shamash Angel paused for a moment and gave this answer.

In fact, the answer should be no, because Shamash herself had no such idea in her memory, but she still used this statement.

She always felt that this might be her answer.

Kevin looked up at the beautiful and cold doll, unsure if he read anything from this answer, but simply said calmly:

"Then I don't know. Maybe, I don’t dare."

Kevin sighed silently.

"So desperate, just to seek an illusory possibility, Otto Apocalypse... an enviable man."

The mission left behind 50,000 years ago is everything to Kevin. It is the meaning of the rest of his life, and it is also an airtight cage. Although it is invisible and intangible, it completely binds this strongest man from the inside out.

So, Kevin has no extra thoughts and only knows to move forward toward Project Stigma.

Shamash looked at Kevin quietly, and after a while, she changed the subject and said:

"How do you feel about Durandal, whom I mentioned before?"

"Not bad."

"I think so too. She has great potential, and I can feel obvious progress every time I meet her. If she is given enough time... Forget it, Finality will never give us 'if.' In any case, just wait for her final answer."

"Yeah." Kevin nodded calmly.

Durandal is a bug, but unfortunately, it is limited to the original script.

Kevin has now experienced Chiyou + Reason's Ninti, seen Angel's sword ki, and knows the high-potential combat power of Delta, Ji Lin, and others.

Today, he has witnessed the dangerous power of Yae Sakura—compared with the others above, the former strongest of Shamash is just mediocre and ordinary.

"Shamash, how do you feel about Yae Sakura's power?"

"The strength is nothing, but it's too strange. I feel the characteristics of the Herrscher of Death. Perhaps they had placed the Gem of Serenity which is the core of the Herrscher of Death on her."

"It's not strange. From Delta to Kiana, Raiden Mei, etc., artificial Herrschers seem to be the specialty of this era."

"It's really not strange. But this power seems to have a wonderful reaction with the Key of Corruption. I can feel that if I really got cut, this ELF body may not be able to resist that kind of invasion. Although you are better than me, I recommend not trying it. It is very dangerous."

Shamash sincerely suggested.

After all, no one knows better than Angel what Yae Sakura can do.

This is reassurance for Mr. Otto, and it is naturally the best thing Angel can offer. To be honest, anyone who gets slashed by the Divine Key will be in trouble, and Kevin should be no exception.

"Then this era really didn’t disappoint."

Kevin couldn't help but think of the surprise that Ninti gave him, and his eyebrows softened unconsciously.

I wonder how the child is now, whether she eats and sleeps well?

Anyway, the situation of strong people emerging in large numbers must make Kevin more satisfied than the chaotic situation of a few big cats and small cats.

Shamash spoke again.

"Then let's go back. Gray Serpent and Jackal appears to have something to report to you."

"...Okay."

The slight fluctuations in the eyes of the social master were completely dimmed and calmed at this moment.

As for Yae Sakura, Kevin didn't mention it again, and Shamash followed in silence.

After all, Yae Sakura is not Sakura. The current era is the continuation of the previous era. This sentence is not spiritual, but a real fact. As early as the beginning of the current era, the pioneers of the previous era played the role of protection and guidance in various places, and even spread the powerful genes of the previous era preserved by technical means, in order to provide a better foundation for the current era when the Honkai comes.

The three families of Schicksal with their long history and noble blood are one of the results of this gene-spreading project.

Therefore, it is not surprising for the MANTIS that some individuals similar to past comrades appear in this era.

But no matter how similar, it is not the reappearance of his past companions after all.

Kevin has seen it, and it is over. He will not pay too much attention to this kind of existence.

Besides, the way Yae Sakura holds the Jizo Mitama makes Kevin believe that Rin has been relieved. This is enough.

A child born in the last generation of the previous era is luckier than many people to have such an ending.

What else can Kevin ask for?

……

"A-choo!"

On the luxurious plane back to the headquarters of Schicksal, the donkey-eared miko suddenly sneezed cutely, like a little rabbit jumping and squeaking when frightened.

Otto stroked the "beacon" in his hand, turned his head, and said with concern. "Sakura?"

"Mr. Otto, I'm fine. Maybe, um, I caught a cold?" Yae Sakura tilted her head, her ears shaking restlessly. She obviously she didn’t believe this reason.

Otto smiled.

"Your body is full of Honkai energy, Corruption power, and Death power. How could you catch a cold with such a physique? Where did the super virus come from that has such power? Could it be the Herrscher of Finality in the previous era? Or is it the final boss?"

"…Mr. Otto, I'm also a girl. It's very rude for you to say that."

The boss of "Kallen Fantasy" puffed up her face harmlessly, from top to bottom, it was all cute and moving, which could not be described with all the beautiful words.

In Otto's eyes, compared to the carefree and detached appearance when they first met, the current Yae Sakura appeared to have come back to life from five hundred years ago and truly arrived in this era.

'Kallen, at least this time, I didn’t let you down, right?'

Otto's eyes were particularly gentle, looking at Yae Sakura's lively and clean eyes, as if looking at a precious treasure that is unique in the world.

"Mr. Otto?"

"You must live well in this era until the end of your life, Sakura."

"Uh, I'll try my best. Why did Mr. Otto suddenly say this?"

"Nothing, just something that came to my mind. Help me hold this 'beacon,' I need to take a break. Be obedient, this is more precious and unique than the Gem of Serenity, please keep it carefully~~"

Otto said with a smile.

As he expected, after saying this, how could Yae Sakura still think about the teasing just now? She sat up straight all of a sudden, her expression tense, her hands carefully protecting the device, and even her long animal ears suddenly stood up completely.

It was like holding a nuclear weapon in her hand that would explode with a slight shock.

Otto saw that the little fox at home made the cute reaction he wanted, and his heart was happy. Then he leaned back on the luxurious chair, looking at the flowing clouds outside the window, his eyes gradually deepened.

'You are carrying out the will of the deceased without any confusion. Although your road is lonely, there are eager people waiting for your arrival with a smile ahead. How... enviable.'

Otto sighed silently.

Perhaps his end is only Kallen's tears and disapproval?

But it doesn't matter. Otto Apocalypse can only walk on this sinful road of atonement in his life. He has no choice.

When they met in the turbulent times, the two people who had experienced vicissitudes of life saw through each other's background at a glance and expressed the same feelings.

Then, they will continue to move forward towards their established mission and obsession, never looking back, and unable to look back.

------

Chapter 345: Wendy – Copyright Fee...

"What good news is there today that you are so absorbed in reading?"

At breakfast time in the Oceania branch, Delta was lying on the table, shoveling food into her mouth like a dead fish out of water, staring at Wendy with lifeless eyes much like a dead fish.

Wendy who hadn’t appeared in a while glanced at her.

She raised her hand, and slapped Delta’s back hard.

"Pa!"

"Sit up straight! Who eats like this?"

Delta remained motionless like a dead pig, mechanically stuffing food into her mouth. She spoke slowly: "Yes, I eat like this~~"

"You're still justifying it?"

"Although other people don't do this, times have changed. It's always been like this, right?"

"Shut up, sit up straight, and eat properly!"

Wendy was not the type to be easily swayed by strange logic. She frowned and stared at Delta with murderous intent.

Delta immediately sat up straight and began eating her meal in a more proper and elegant manner.

Wendy nodded with satisfaction, then went back to reading the information on her phone, frowning even more.

Delta finished her breakfast while enjoying Wendy’s cute expression of worry.

Then, Delta stretched out her finger and gently poked Wendy’s soft face.

"So, what are you looking at?"

"...Another super-critical battle took place yesterday, causing large-scale weather and terrain changes. The headquarters said it was a friendly exchange between Lady Durandal, Lady Yae Sakura, and the World Serpent Shamash."

"Well, isn't this a very common thing? What's the fuss about?"

Delta spread her hands with a scornful expression of "is that it?"

Wendy, who had finally calmed down, felt her blood pressure rising again.

The situation had reached a point where it couldn’t be explained, and Wendy couldn’t take it anymore. She immediately reached out and hooked her arm around Delta’s neck.

"Don't act so great!"

"Ah~ It hurts~ I'm suffocating~~"

Delta's unique style and the dead fish eyes that were obviously beautiful but lacked any spark of life made Wendy deflate.

Forget it, what's the point of being serious with such a salted fish? It’s a waste of energy!

Wendy let go of Delta, placed her hands on her cheeks, leaned on the table, and sighed tiredly.

"My highest goal was to become an S-class Valkyrie."

This is the highest honor that everyone yearns for.

It represents the strongest fighting force capable of saving the world.

It means that, except for the Archbishop, there’s no need to bow your head anymore. Any branch head will automatically lower their position by half a level when they visit any branch.

It also means unlimited support services from almost half of Schicksal. For instance, even though Wendy had never asked for it, any important intelligence obtained by the headquarters intelligence department would be delivered to Wendy as soon as possible, unless the archbishop deliberately blocked it. Otherwise, there would be no exceptions.

"Now I’ve achieved it, but why do I feel that S-rank isn’t such a big deal? Compared to Lady Durandal and Lady Yae Sakura, what am I?"

Wendy received battle intelligence that changed the celestial phenomena on a regular basis, and every time she saw it, she couldn’t help but sigh at her slender arms and legs.

I can’t do it.

Although I’m a genius Valkyrie and S-rank, I really can’t do it!

Wendy blew the bangs above her eyes in frustration.

Delta looked at her with interest and reached out to play with Wendy’s hair on her forehead.

Wendy rolled her eyes.

"Can't you find something meaningful to do?"

"This is very meaningful!"

Delta emphasized righteously.

Wendy snorted and said weakly:

"What’s with the twisted logic?"

"Because Wendy is my whole meaning! Yes, everything!"

"You—"

Here it comes again. This sudden attack made Wendy's heart race, and she didn’t know how to react at all.

However, after many times, Wendy calmed down faster and faster.

In a few seconds, she suppressed the warmth on her face, pouted her lips, held up her slightly round and tender white face, and sighed.

"Let’s do something serious, Delta."

"Hey!"

"Hey, what the hell! Tell me, what is your skill with the Winds that you can hear everything? What else can you hide from me? Tell me quickly!"

Wendy remembered this topic she had been discussing with Delta for a long time but had never gotten an answer.

As Wendy expected, Delta raised her eyebrows and said slyly:

"You want to know?"

"..."

Looking at the self-satisfied expression of this salted fish, Wendy was silent for a moment.

She actually knew how to make Delta speak.

As long as she put aside her pride, acted cute, and begged softly, this guy would definitely show off endlessly, wishing to explain every detail clearly.

But, she don’t want this salted fish to get what she wants!

Shw always felt that she'd lost something in that way!

Wendy’s self-esteem wouldn’t allow her to kowtow to a salted fish.

The genius Valkyrie revealed her sharp fangs, which still exposed her tender and beautiful age. She pounced on Delta with an expression that she thought was fierce, but in reality, it looked like a cute baby in Delta's eyes.

"Say it or not? Say it or not? Say it now!"

Wendy hugged Delta and scratched the sensitive areas of her body, trying to use playful violence to make the salted fish surrender.

The salted fish looked like a salted fish.

"Ah~ It's so itchy~ Ah~ Don't~~"

"..."

Wendy had to give up on this effort.

It’s really frustrating to compete with a salted fish.

But since she was hugging Delta, her soft and fragrant body exuded an irresistible temptation.

Wendy simply dragged the salted fish out of the wheelchair and hugged her like a large pillow. She lowered her head, leaned close to Delta’s snow-white neck, and inhaled. The air entering her nose had no salty taste but only a reassuring and pleasant smell.

"( ˊᵕˋ ) Ah~~"

Wendy relaxed.

Forget it. No matter how much she wanted to, she couldn’t suddenly become an explosive warrior and rush into that inhuman battlefield to sweep away the enemy.

Rita also has her own work to do, so Wendy should focus on doing her own job well. There’s a difference between S-ranks and Wendy has to accept this reality.

"In theory, the power of the Herrscher of the Wind is an ideal fluid. This kind of extreme physical material doesn’t exist in reality, but fluid is everywhere. One day, looking at the drone flying overhead, I suddenly had an idea—can the ubiquitous fluid have basic intelligence like a drone and act according to my wishes when necessary?"

"Hmm?"

Wendy lowered her head and pinched Delta’s smooth and soft face.

Delta raised her head and laughed, showing her beautiful white teeth:

"Don't you want to know?"

"But don’t you want to see me beg you first?"

"But you don’t want to beg, so what else can I do?"

Delta said with a smile, her eyes seemed to carry starlight, rippling with soft waves that made people feel warm all over.

Wendy blushed. She stammered.

"What do you mean, 'what else can I do'? Originally... originally, you had bad intentions and wanted to see me embarrassed! It's not my fault!"

"Of course, of course. How could my Wendy be wrong? The only ones who are wrong are me and the world!"

"Enough! Stop saying these kinds of weird things!"

Wendy’s earlobes were flushed, revealing an attractive blush that made people want to hold them in their mouths and taste them.

Delta admired the treasure in front of her with satisfaction, then continued.

"So I started to try, trying to give fluids knowledge. At first, I was very ambitious. After all, fluids are everywhere, and even most of the material forms of the entire planet are fluids. If I can do it, then I’ll be the god of the earth, and no one can shake me on this planet. But obviously, this is too difficult. After continuous attempts, in the end, I could only share a little bit of my emotions and thoughts with the lightest and softest wind."

"Wait, this sounds a bit dangerous? You didn’t do anything to harm yourself, did you?"

"I don’t want to die yet! I don’t want to go to a world without Wendy!"

Delta rolled her eyes, raised her hand, and gently patted Wendy’s face.

Wendy breathed a sigh of relief.

She believed the words of this salted fish. After all, she also felt that this salted fish couldn’t leave her. Just like Wendy herself, she could no longer imagine how to leave this salted fish.

But in fact, this set of words was still fooling Wendy about the experience of becoming a Herrscher.

Powers are fixed. Although they can be developed, how can they be transformed from the material realm to the abstract realm of consciousness?

Delta could do it because she is also the Herrscher of Dominance, the successor of Su and Fu Hua, and most of the Herrscher of Corruption. These additional abilities allow her to easily manipulate her own consciousness, which is why she had such inspiration and attempts.

"I won’t tell you how I did it because you wouldn’t understand. Anyway, I succeeded in giving the simplest emotions and thoughts to every wisp of wind that brushed past me. Then, they flew freely in the air, flew all over the world, and spread this simple intelligence to the endless wind. Slowly, these intellectual winds covered the entire surface of the earth, omnipresent, pervasive, and became my eyes, ears, and even hands and feet. I planted the seeds, and the wind began to sprout, and this is what I call Thousand Winds."

"Great... so amazing! No, don’t you eat and sleep every day? Where do you find the time to do these things?"

"Ahem! That’s not important! Listen carefully, I should actually have been called the Herrscher of Ideal Fluid before, but now I can be called the Herrscher of Wind in the truest sense. Do you want me to tell you about the dream talk and snoring that Thousand Winds heard when you were sleeping last night?"

"I don’t snore!!!"

Wendy exploded all of a sudden.

The genius Valkyrie is also a girl. How could she listen to such embarrassing things?

She knocked Delta’s head with a dark face. The force was very light, more like a couple’s playful prank.

Although many doubts were cleared up, Wendy didn’t really understand it. She only understood that Delta was now more powerful.

Thinking of this, Wendy who had calmed down, hugged Delta’s soft body tightly and sighed with relief.

"You mean you’ve become more powerful?"

"That's right! Don’t think the battles recorded in these intelligence reports are exaggerated. In fact, I can do it!"

Delta Angel said realistically, straightening her waist proudly.

To be honest, she did fight in those battles. She really didn’t lie.

Wendy felt the soft jade in her arms move, smiled, and then said:

"But the duty of a Valkyrie is to protect the world!"

"Wendy is my world!"

"I told you not to keep saying such weird things!!!"

The genius Valkyrie and the salty Herrscher’s love battle of wits—today, Wendy still lost, her face blushing and her heart fluttering.

------

Chapter 346: Other People's Children

"Aunt OvO!"

Theresa had just finished a stack of official business. After checking to make sure no one was watching, she opened the drawer, planning to read some comics to reward herself.

However, what appeared in front of her was not the comic book she had been thinking about, but Kiana, whose upper body had emerged from the drawer.

"Bang!!!"

Theresa pushed the drawer shut expressionlessly using a lot of force.

"Ah! It hurts! Aunt, my butt hurts!"

"Your butt’s in the drawer, of course it hurt!"

Theresa sneered at her silly niece in front of her, adding a little more force to her push.

"Ouch!!!"

Five minutes later.

Kiana who was almost crushed in half by Theresa's drawer stood humbly across the table, rubbing her butt with one hand and her lower abdomen with the other to relieve the pain from being tightly clamped by the drawer.

"Aunt, are you really that mean?"

"Is the power of the Herrscher of the Void supposed to be used like this? In the closet, in the potted plants, in the mirror, in the drawer—where do you want to pop out next? The toilet!?"

"Hey! Even I can't get out of the toilet! Absolutely impossible!"

"Humph! I hope so!"

Theresa crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair, staring at Kiana with disappointment.

Kiana gradually eased the pain, standing up and then placing her hands on the table, leaning forward with a hopeful expression.

"Aunt, I want to..."

"News about Angel, right? No!"

"Huh? Not yet?"

"Is it interesting for you to come and ask me every day like this? If there were news, would I hide it from you?"

Theresa gritted her teeth and shouted angrily.

It’s good to care about friends, but there’s no excuse for constantly popping up using spatial power and asking the same question over and over again. Even the most patient person would go crazy. Not to mention that Theresa is a person who is loved by everyone, so she’s naturally willful. Her limited patience had long been exhausted by this idiot.

If it weren’t for Cecilia, I’d have let this guy experience Judah’s hardness by now!

Kiana scratched her head without any sense of crisis, picked up the snacks on the table, and ate the delicious snacks specially provided by the school dean while casually speaking.

"I’m worried. It’s been so many days, and I don’t know how she’s doing. Is she in trouble?"

"Last time she showed up, she dismantled the World Serpent Base in front of Shamash, and got away with it. Her ability is much better than yours. Instead of worrying about her, you should be worrying about yourself, idiot!"

"I... I... What’s wrong with me? I hardly fail exams anymore!"

"Do you think the standard for an excellent Valkyrie is not failing exams often?"

Theresa glared at her unhappily.

Kiana shrank her neck weakly and opened a space hole beside her. "Since there’s no news, I’ll leave first. Goodbye, aunt."

The silly niece used the space power she had a blood feud with, and fled away, also taking the snack plate with her and stealing Theresa’s special snacks right in front of her.

Theresa stared at the empty office for a long time, sighing tiredly.

"Alas! Doesn’t she know I’ve been really busy and tired these past two days?"

Theresa rubbed her temples.

Kiana’s heartlessness made Theresa start to miss the golden kitten.

Although she had been very wary of everyone at first, stretching out her claws to scratch people at any moment, making it hard to approach her, after getting to know her better, Theresa realized the child was really gentle and considerate to her own people.

Even Theresa, the school dean, who didn’t live in the same house, would get fresh bitter melon juice every time she visited, and often received special bitter melon-flavored snacks when working overtime in the office.

In fact, the first time the kid got injured during training, she stayed in the dean’s office to recover and read comics for a few days. Later, she bought a set of hardcover Homu comics as a thank-you gift.

Theresa opened the drawer. She stroked the comics sent by Angel, then held her chin with one hand and sighed again.

"Ah~~"

We’re both children, so why is she so loved while my child is so unkind?

It must be because I didn’t assign enough homework!

...

"Ah~ah~~~~~~"

Kiana walked into the living room with a plate of snacks in her arms, enjoying Theresa’s special supply with relish.

She was thinking of lying on the sofa to enjoy this delicious treat when her eyes suddenly caught sight of a figure in the kitchen.

Kiana’s eyes lit up, and she ran over with the snacks in her arms. She poked her head into the kitchen, her big, twinkling eyes filled with excitement:

"Are you making snacks? What’s delicious today?"

"It’s cherry blossom cakes. I saw that the cherry trees in the garden are in bloom, and Instructor Himeko and Dean Theresa have been very busy and exhausted these days, so I invited them to go to the cherry blossoms and have a picnic together."

Raiden Mei had just placed the kneaded cakes into the steamer and turned around, showing Kiana a gentle, warm smile. Her fingers gently lifted the hair falling from her forehead, quietly displaying the tenderness of a good wife and mother that shouldn’t belong to someone her age.

Kiana swallowed her saliva secretly.

"Chew~chew~chew~ A picnic? Then I want to go too!"

"Of course I’ll take you. How could I let you starve at home?"

Raiden Mei smiled gently, walked to Kiana’s side, and lovingly pinched her nose.

Kiana smiled foolishly and picked up a piece of snack.

"Mei, do you want to eat it? I just got it from my aunt."

"...I think you should be more restrained. When you’re under a lot of work pressure, your temper usually gets worse."

Raiden Mei’s mouth twitched. She already understood where this plate of snacks came from.

One could easily imagine the school dean’s rage, and with her temper, she was probably already preparing to deal with Kiana.

However, Kiana, proud of her Kaslana bloodline, seemed to have no sense of crisis. She just blinked her eyes, ate the snacks, and then acted coquettishly to Raiden Mei as usual:

"Mei, if we have a picnic, I also want to eat fried chicken."

"I know, I’m already marinating it. But I have to wait until right before we leave to put it in the pot so it stays crispy and tender."

"Yeah, I’ll look forward to it. I like Mei’s fried chicken the most!"

Kiana laughed carefreely, with snack crumbs on the corners of her mouth. Raiden Mei casually pulled out a towel and wiped the crumbs from Kiana’s mouth. Her eyes were as soft as water, and she spoke gently:

"So, there’s still no news about Angel?"

"...Yeah."

Kiana’s eyes dimmed suddenly.

------

Chapter 347

At first, it was okay when there was no news.

Angel is a very sentimental person, and it is definitely not easy for her to get over things. It's natural for her to avoid seeing people, and everyone could understand that.

But as the days passed, no one saw her at Saint Freya, and no news came from outside the school, which made everyone worried.

Kiana felt sad for a while, but then she smiled again:

"It doesn’t matter, Angel is very strong! No news means she must be hiding somewhere to practice. That’s the kind of person she is. Himeko is right, I’ll hug her tightly the next time we meet, and drag her back to Saint Freya. At worst, I’ll experience the situation she went through when she first entered school. Anyway, once she comes back, everything will slowly return to normal!"

Kiana hugged the snack plate with one hand on her waist, wearing a confident expression.

Raiden Mei smiled, saying nothing. She just rubbed Kiana’s head affectionately and then went back to the kitchen to continue her work.

Kiana blinked and withdrew from the kitchen.

Just then, the sound of the doorknob turning came from the door.

Kiana ran barefoot to the door.

"Himeko..."

Himeko, who had just entered the school, rubbed her increasingly sore shoulders and squinted her eyes.

Driven by her survival instinct, Kiana changed the words that were about to come out of her mouth: "Hello, sister, do you want some snacks?"

"Well, just one bite... Oh, Theresa’s stuff."

Himeko took Kiana’s offering and said indifferently, sitting down on the sofa with a tired sigh.

Kiana leaned over.

"Have you been working a lot recently? It seems like you and Aunt Theresa are very tired?"

"A little. It’s mainly because there have been too many changes in the outside world, and the Far East Branch is the power center of Schicksal in the Eastern Hemisphere, so we’ve had to make a lot of adjustments... Forget it, you wouldn’t understand even if I told you. Just go ahead and massage my shoulders."

As the owner of the house, a teacher, and a superior who pays wages and food expenses, Himeko undoubtedly held great authority, at least in Kiana’s eyes.

So, Kiana didn’t dare to argue at that moment and obediently moved to the back to begin massaging, using the techniques she had learned from Angel.

"Hmm~~"

The lazy beauty, at the prime of her youth, half-closed her beautiful eyes, letting out a sigh of fatigue and enjoyment.

Kiana poked in a particularly sensitive area, immediately served her even more diligently.

Unfortunately, though she was bigger than Angel, Kiana’s skills were clearly at a much lower level.

After a while, Himeko waved her hand, signaling for her to stop.

"By the way, the headquarters just ordered that Durandal will come to stay for a while. Nominally, she’ll assist the Far East Branch in dealing with the Honkai in the Eastern Hemisphere. But in reality, the headquarters might have some plans involving you and Mei. Be careful in the future and try to avoid being alone with her."

Himeko spoke with concern.

The relationship between the Far East Branch and the headquarters was currently very delicate. Everyone agreed on the general direction, and they were all against the Honkai.

However, the headquarters clearly had something planned concerning Angel, Kiana, and Raiden Mei. Fu Hua who had previously revealed her identity as a spy for the headquarters was solid proof.

The Far East Branch was clearly determined to protect these individuals. Through Tachibana Yuki’s money-making channels, the Far East Branch had become more independent recently, decreasing its reliance on the headquarters. It had even started secret dealings with the Anti-Entropy East Sea Base.

If you calculated carefully, the headquarters had the strongest Valkyrie, Durandal, the artificial Herrscher Delta, Yae Sakura, Li Sushang, and other powerful figures, but the Far East Branch had its own experienced S-level Valkyrie, Theresa, and Herrschers like Kiana and Raiden Mei. If something really happened, Angel and Fu Hua would probably side with Saint Freya.

Therefore, the Far East Branch actually had the conditions to stand against the headquarters. If a conflict broke out, Himeko believed she might not lose.

If this situation continued and the headquarters took unacceptable actions, full independence for the Far East Branch seemed imminent.

"Alas... How did it come to this?"

Himeko never intended to betray her Schicksal.

However, her gaze lingered on Kiana’s face as the girl, with her cheeks puffed up, ate like a little hamster. Himeko smiled helplessly.

"I really can’t do anything with you."

"Huh?"

Himeko raised her hand and patted Kiana's head. Kiana responded with a blank expression – it was so empty that it was obvious her mind was completely blank.

"Haha!"

Himeko laughed out loud, her physical fatigue easing somewhat.

---

"Thank you, Instructor Himeko and Dean Theresa, for accepting my invitation. My cooking skills are simple, so please forgive me."

Raiden Mei spread the tablecloth and arranged the food, smiling at the guests who had arrived.

Theresa and Himeko exchanged a look and sat down together.

Then Himeko smiled and gently tapped Raiden Mei's head.

"Why are you being so polite to us? Now that the work is over, we have a place to rest, eat, and enjoy the flowers. We should be the ones thanking you."

Raiden Mei touched her head and smiled shyly.

Kiana looked up at the cherry blossoms, then scanned the people around her. Her silly smile faded for no reason.

Theresa squinted.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing. I'm very happy. It’s nothing."

"Do you think it’s too quiet?"

Theresa shook the bitter melon juice in her cup, her expression showing she had seen through Kiana.

Once the words were spoken, even Raiden Mei and Himeko's expressions dimmed a little.

First, Angel had caused trouble and left Saint Freya with no clear return date.

Then Bronya was called back to the East China Sea Base. At first, it seemed like a normal visit, but then the situation changed repeatedly. A few days ago, Kiana received news that Bronya had become a serious Anti-Entropy Executor and the head of the East China Sea Base. Since then, even Kiana stopped asking when she would return. They only kept in frequent remote contact, checking in on each other’s lives.

Next, Fu Hua went to Mount Taixu. The last contact Kiana received was a response from Book of Fuxi, saying Fu Hua had important matters to attend to and didn’t know when she would return.

Suddenly, half of the people under Himeko’s care were gone.

After getting used to the lively and close atmosphere, how could they not feel lonely now?

"Next time we meet, I’ll drag Angel back! Bronya isn’t far from us, the plane ride is quick, and I’m still the Herrscher of the Void, so it’s no different from being at home! As for the Class Monitor... hum, if she doesn’t come back, I’ll go to Shenzhou to catch her! We’ll definitely be reunited, just like before! Come on, let’s toast!"

In the silence, it was Kiana who raised her glass of sparkling water high. Her bright smile and sparkling eyes illuminated the slightly cooler air.

Himeko, Raiden Mei, and Theresa looked at her smiling face, and after a moment, they all smiled and raised their glasses.

"Cheers!" x4

The wind blew gently, brushing everyone's face. It swept away pieces of cherry blossoms, as if carrying their thoughts and sending them to the hearts of those who needed them.

---

---

Chapter 348: My Little Angel Is Definitely Not an Eel

The breeze blew, bringing pink petals to her delicate hands.

Angel looked at the petals in her palm, slowly held them, and gradually lost herself in thought.

This is Sakura's world in the Realm.

Unlike the gardens and courtyards Angel had imagined, the personal world chosen by the beautiful Sakura lacked any girlish fantasy colors. Instead, it was just a simple home.

It was a corner of an ordinary city.

Sakura's hut was located in an ordinary corner, with a living room, a kitchen, her bedroom, and... a pink door with cartoon drawings that had never been opened, bearing a cute little sign that read—Rin's room.

Outside the house was an empty city with streets, parks, and even a school, exactly like the real world from 50,000 years ago. Sakura lived here, cooking for two people every day, practicing swordsmanship, and then sleeping, just like when she was with Rin—simple, regular, and reassuring. The only difference was that the meal for two was no longer shared; she ate it all by herself.

"Angel? Is it really too boring here?"

Sakura had agreed to take Angel to visit the home in her memory, but as they passed the entrance to the park, she noticed Angel distracted and lost in her thoughts.

Her lavender eyes filled with a bit of helplessness.

As a killer, she had often treated Rin the same way in the past—with twelve thousand cares in her heart—but she often didn't know how to express it in words or actions.

Angel tossed the petals aside, put the message from Saint Freya in her heart, turned around, and hugged Sakura, who appeared a little anxious and lost.

"Sister Sakura, can I sleep with you tonight?"

Angel looked up and asked with bright, clear eyes.

Sakura blinked in confusion. "It's not impossible, but why?"

"I miss home."

Angel sniffled, her nose a little sour.

She had thought no one could really hurt her until now.

But that was not the case. She wanted to go back, but there was always a barrier in her heart.

"And Elysia is too noisy. Tonight, I want to sleep in a quiet place."

Angel added matter-of-factly.

Then, the Pink Elf who had been following for a while trying to find some interesting gossip, stumbled and fell out of the bushes.

"Wait, I'm not noisy! I was clearly..."

"It's noisy. Don't bother me. Go away."

Angel hugged Sakura’s soft waist tightly, her face expressionless, and spoke faintly.

Sincerely.

Elysia was sweet-smelling, but when Angel was feeling down, she still wanted peace and quiet.

In contrast, Sakura who was equally beautiful and flawless, was as clear, cold, and tender as the water of Tianshan Pond.

At that moment, she was undoubtedly a more comfortable choice for Angel than Elysia.

Sakura was at a loss. She watched Elysia burst into tears, shake her handkerchief, and run away crying.

"Elysia... uh, Angel, you two..."

"Sister Sakura, I don't want to cook today."

Angel's eyes dimmed slightly as she spoke flatly.

Sakura then forgot about Elysia, lowered her head, and gently patted Angel's back.

Although she didn't know what had happened, just like with Rin, even if she knew nothing, as a sister, her top priority was to meet her sister's needs as much as possible and comfort her.

"Ah--"

Angel sighed softly, hugged her new love—ahem, hugged Sakura's body, buried her face in the soft, alluring lower abdomen area, and slowly calmed her complicated and depressed mood.

---

The sudden EMO mood made Angel cancel the chef and takeaway service from Elysian Realm for the first time.

This also triggered a series of consequences.

For example, Hua, rarely appearing on her own initiative, hesitated for a long time before saying something thoughtlessly.

"Um, condolences."

"...I just miss home. If it's about mom and dad, it's been a long time, and it's not because of this." Angel replied woodenly.

Then Hua left awkwardly.

Pardo sent a basket of previous era fruits, Eden sent a box of jewelry, and Aponia gave a loving hug...

The forms were different, but Angel felt everyone's unanimous concern.

'An unexpected gain?'

Angel touched her chin blankly.

She realized she was worthy of being the cold and insidious behind-the-scenes boss. She could actually use this method to improve her strategy?

'Well, let's make a rich meal today.'

Angel pointed her fingers a little guiltily and then silently walked into the kitchen. As usual, she left the food Elysia liked to eat for the still-tantrum-inducing Elysia and also put an extra portion of strawberry cake. Then, Angel carried the food box to deliver meals to the heroes who didn't like to go out.

The previous schedule remained unchanged.

Even in Kalpas' realm, it was rare to see him sitting cross-legged in front of me as soon as she entered the door, exuding an arrogant and domineering aura. The only issue was that through the mask, it was hard to tell whether this motionless appearance meant he was sleeping with his eyes closed.

Angel blinked thoughtfully, then walked over lightly, carefully put down the food box, opened it, and then tiptoed to leave.

Well, just pretend to be sleeping and don’t disturb Brother Kalpas.

"Hey!"

The sudden call was impolite, with a fierce undertone.

"!!!"

Angel was startled. She suddenly turned around, raised her claws, and even her soft golden hair flared.

Kalpas: "..."

Is it too late to say that he doesn't beat children anymore?

No, he had beaten them many times!

Kalpas scratched his hair angrily.

Angel quickly restored her cute and obedient image, like a porcelain doll. She tilted her head, nodded, and spoke softly:

"Brother Kalpas?"

"Don’t call me... Forget it, I’ll leave if I’m fine."

"Okay, goodbye, Brother Kalpas."

The little girl left very obediently and carefully.

Kalpas stayed where he was, scratched his hair even more angrily.

Little did he know that Angel, upon returning to the hall, covered her mouth and couldn't help but laugh.

Elysia immediately noticed that something was going on, so she came over and handed over a notebook like a treasure:

"I told you a long time ago that Kalpas is very interesting, right? Here, take this 'One Hundred Questions about Kalpas Mask.' When you finish reading it, you'll find even more cute things about him!"

"...I understand. I’ll give it to Brother Kalpas later."

"Eh? Eh!?"

Miss Elf didn't mean for you to give the book to the real person!

Seeing Angel’s expressionless poker face, Elysia quickly understood that she was teasing her again.

"Don’t bully Miss Elf anymore. I’ll cry, I’ll really cry."

"I want to see it..."

Angel said subconsciously.

Elysia suddenly got anxious and squeezed Angel into her arms.

"Bad intentions! Bad child! You must educate him well! She’s really too bad~~"

Angel swayed in the soft waves and rolled her eyes.

It was more like taking advantage of the situation than educating her.

But it didn’t matter. I, little Angel, am definitely not an eel. If you take advantage of me, I’ll take advantage of you too. How can I lose out?

So Angel just hugged Elysia more.

---

Chapter 349: Has the Doctor Considered the Stigmata?

"I heard you were upset yesterday?"

When she went to the laboratory to deliver food, she received care from Dr. Mobius.

Of course, her care is always different from others.

Fortunately, Angel is a supervillain who understands people's hearts very well, so she can easily see the care hidden under her cold and arrogant appearance.

'Alas, Dr. Mobius, compared to me, you are still a little simple.'

Angel looked at Mobius with pity and doting eyes, then handed her today's meal.

"What's that look in your eyes?"

"Nothing, thank you for your concern, Doctor."

"Huh? I don't care about your legs! I just want to remind you not to delay the experiment because of your emotions, otherwise I will punish you!"

Mobius snatched the food from Angel's hand and criticized her in a domineering manner.

However, it was a bit panicked.

Angel's mouth corners slightly raised, and she did not choose to provoke Mobius again but instead turned her attention to the current situation in the laboratory.

In rows of large cans, Angel's material bodies were soaked one by one—these were all original materials that had not been transformed, with no experimental subjects being debugged.

Because the experiment had entered a bottleneck period, Mobius's job now was to think of a way out and to verify it, rather than blindly piecing together new experimental subjects.

Angel asked: "Still no ideas worth trying?"

"Well, the strength has already reached the standard, but the stability is really difficult to improve."

Mobius chewed the food and replied indifferently.

In the final analysis, strength and stability are two contradictory indicators.

High strength means a radical solution is used. The more radical the solution, the worse the stability.

How easy is it to achieve "both"?

No matter how evil Mobius is, there will always be scientific research difficulties, requiring her to rack her brains to think and explore, and even tear up documents and tear down rooms like a shrew to compete—such things, Mobius 50,000 years ago had experienced a lot of them.

"But the doctor will definitely be able to do it."

Angel said in a firm tone.

Mobius paused for a moment, then held the chopsticks in her mouth and said slowly:

"Oh, do you trust me so much?"

"Because you are Dr. Mobius, the unique Dr. Mobius!"

Angel got up, came to Mobius' side, lifted her incredibly soft and flawless legs, and gently massaged them.

Mobius narrowed her eyes. After a while, she snorted and then finished her meal quietly, as if nothing had happened.

"Doctor, I... Ah, Angel, you are here too."

When Klein flew in with a pile of documents, she saw Angel serving Mobius.

The little ELF stared with wide eyes, and although her expression was very indifferent, she showed a bit of envy.

"I want to press too..."

It was clearly done to me before, but not this time?

After experiencing the comfort of the full set of physical therapy by the ELF, even Klein would never forget it.

It's a pity that she wouldn't make requests to others, let alone snatch the treatment from Mobius.

So, she could only put down the documents and turn to leave with a disappointed heart.

"I'll find you later, Klein."

"Okay, okay, I'll wait for you. Ah, I'll go find the tea I saved before!"

Klein left, and the voice she left behind was noticeably several tones higher than before.

Mobius rolled her eyes. "I told you not to waste time on this kind of thing!"

"But the doctor doesn't have time. Even if she learned it, she forgot to take care of Klein regularly when she started researching."

"I..."

Mobius was speechless.

Isn't she happy to see Klein so welcoming and expectant?

Huh!

I, Mobius, don’t have such vulgar emotions!

Mobius turned her head and cast her eyes on the row of Angel's bodies.

'They are all bodies in the real world, without consciousness, and are enough to carry the needs of MANTISes...'

While diverting her attention, Mobius unconsciously thought in this direction.

In fact, as early as when she received the first material, Mobius knew she had countless opportunities to escape from the predicament of being a data lifeform.

'Putting a suitable body in front of me, do you know...'

Mobius couldn't help but lower her head and look at the girl who was massaging her legs to relax her.

"Hey, what are you going to do after completing your Chimera experiment, little one?"

"Well... there are many things I want to do, such as seeking a solution to The End, pursuing a higher level, and shaping the world I want. In short, I have to keep working hard."

"It doesn't sound easy; you are very ambitious!"

"I didn't think so far at the beginning. At the very start, I just wanted to survive."

Angel remembered the night when she had just regained her life and transmigrated.

For the first time, she resisted the powerful villains and pulled herself out of the quagmire.

Then, she kept thinking about how to survive.

Gradually, she became more and more confident and came into contact with more and more people.

Before she knew it, she became the biggest behind-the-scenes mastermind in this world.

In any world, she would be considered the cold and cunning ultimate boss, right?

Thinking of this, Angel couldn't help but proudly straighten her chest.

Mobius stared at her somewhat dazed and proud expression and said: "...What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing, anyway, I'll leave it to Dr. Mobius!"

"Tsk, troublesome kid, keep pinching, let me think about it."

Mobius waved her hand in disdain, leaned back, and closed her eyes comfortably.

"Doctor, actually, I have an idea."

"Hmm?"

Mobius suddenly opened her eyes.

Angel pinched Mobius' thigh and said:

"Do you think Scharaic Holy Blood is suitable for coexisting with Honkai Beast Gene?"

"It's not impossible, but it's almost the worst choice."

"Then, what about adding Kaslana's Stigma?"

"What kind of messed-up combination? There should be a limit to recklessness... Wait, what do you mean?"

"Yes, I've seen such a combination. She has extremely strong vitality. When she was young, she could fall from a height of 10,000 meters without dying. Later, she showed a talent that can be infinitely improved as long as she works hard. Now, she is one of the strongest individuals in the current civilization. Counting through the past and present, she is almost the first in terms of potential and talent."

"Stigmata?"

Mobius gradually widened her eyes.

In addition to fine-tuning the gene sequence and sacrificing a small amount of strength to improve stability, the most powerful and radical Honkai Beast gene combination actually has another option—introducing new variables to achieve another balance outside of genes!

"Yes! Stigmata! Let's go to Klein's studio and retrieve the research data on Stigmata!"

Although there are many uncertainties, and although Stigmata is not Mobius's main focus, this is a possibility that has not been tried before.

Mobius suddenly became interested, and the mechanical tentacles tied up Angel tightly without saying a word, then dragged her excitedly toward Klein.

---

Chapter 350: Too Well Protected

"Stigmata... Yes, this is also a way. If the MANTIS seeks power from the Honkai Beast, then the stigmata imitates the form of the Herrscher's existence. In essence, they are connected! Yes, it is feasible, and there are many possibilities!"

Mobius's vertical pupils moved up and down, quickly reading the information about the stigmata that she had either participated in or never paid attention to. Her brain was also memorizing, understanding, and forming the prototype of inspiration at an incredible speed.

"Angel, which paper is the derivation of the stigmata gene expression equation?"

"Number 17145, here, doctor."

Almost the moment she finished asking, Angel retrieved the paper that Mobius requested from countless data and placed it in front of her.

She dragged it to the most critical part of the formula principle, so that Mobius could match her ideas right away.

Mobius gave her a look of approval and then continued to read eagerly. Her hands and tentacles behind her quickly recorded something on another computer.

Mobius's brain was indeed a treasure of two eras, but in terms of memory and efficiency alone, she couldn't compare with Angel, who had thousands of brain threads.

The combination of the two perfectly brought out Mobius's genius and made high-value use of Angel's thinking and calculation ability.

Together, they could be called the best partner.

"Solve this equation for me!"

"Okay, right away."

"And this. By the way, I remember Mei has an experimental report on the Stigmata and Honkai beasts. Get it for me."

"Here you go, Doctor!"

Klein was floating beside them.

Looking at Angel and Mobius, shs was ignored by the two the whole time.

"Am I not needed anymore? Then where is my job? And... massage?"

Klein doubted the meaning of her existence for the first time. She scratched her hands in front of her eyes, feeling that she had lost something for some reason.

Then a hand stretched out from the side.

"Eh!?"

Klein was startled for a moment and then was pressed onto her thigh in a familiar way, kneaded by soft and light hands in a familiar manner.

"An... gel..."

"Don't move, care should be gradual."

The second Angel who appeared out of thin air, said in a serious tone while taking Klein's body seriously.

Angel would not forget what she promised and would provide physical therapy if she said she wanted it.

As for Klein, she had long given up on thinking, squinting her eyes in the light feeling, immersed in the comfort she had never imagined before Angel came.

…

“Buzz-buzz-buzz!”

The sound of the iron wings of the armed helicopter flying across the sky above the East China Sea Base filled the air.

Bronya, Anna, and Chen Tianwu had been waiting for a long time. They subconsciously straightened their chests and stood straighter.

A silver-haired beauty who seemed to have walked out of a comic book walked down from the plane.

Tall, with snow-white skin, and obviously an extremely perfect figure, but under the effect of that cold expression and sharp eyes, only the hard and strong breath of steel and swords was reflected.

A perfect and powerful soldier—anyone who saw her would comment on this ice beauty like a work of art.

She walked leisurely to the three people, maintaining the same step length, and then her cold expression softened slightly.

"Bronya?"

"Yes... yes!"

A strong sense of oppression came over her, and Bronya subconsciously straightened her back again, feeling a little nervous.

This was the rumored 'boyfriend' of Mother Cocolia that Rosalia had first spread. Bronya had naturally not believed it at first, but later it was confirmed to her surprise.

However, Bronya rarely went home, so she had no chance to meet her.

After looking at each other face to face today, Bronya suddenly realized that it was not unreasonable for this person to be paired with her mother!

'Such a strong momentum, no wonder... Bronya had previously guessed that Mother Cocolia was 'bullying' her subordinate by relying on her superior status, but now it seems that it is still unclear who is actually on top and who is on the bottom.'

At least, it was difficult for Bronya to tell which of the two had a stronger presence and who could have the upper hand in their relationship.

Kella simply raised her hand, took off her black leather gloves, and gently stroked Bronya's head.

Bronya didn’t dare to object and accepted it very obediently—who knows how they would call each other in the future? It's not shameful to touch.

"Let's go, let's talk inside."

After briefly expressing her personality, Kella didn’t delay and led the way forward.

The other three didn’t say much and started to follow.

As soon as they sat in the meeting room, Kella spoke.

"Bronya, I heard that you plan to give up your position as the commander of the East China Sea Base and go to the headquarters. Why?"

"Because... because..."

Bronya stuttered, unable to say it.

Because the leader and the others didn’t agree to let Ninti go.

If Ninti didn’t leave, Cocolia decided to take Rosalia, Lilia, and Chen Tianwen to guard the headquarters, and Seele naturally chose to stay there.

The main reason Bronya “ran away from home” was Seele, so she certainly had no choice.

However, under Kella’s sharp but not condemning yet puzzled gaze, Bronya couldn’t come up with a reason immediately.

Kella didn’t wait for Bronya to think of a good speech but said earnestly:

"Shenzhou was our blank land not long ago. It is not easy to build a force there to protect tens of millions of square kilometers of land and more than one billion people. It is not easier than creating another Anti-Entropy. In addition, you also know that it is the main activity area of the World Serpent, and someone must keep a close eye on them."

"Yes... yes, Bronya knows that too."

Bronya became even more timid and didn’t dare to look directly at Kella.

What to do? She felt more and more that she was a selfish and willful person who didn’t care about the overall situation!

"The East Sea Base was originally built for the Herrscher of Thunder, but now it is our bridgehead with Saint Freya. Whether it is war or peace with Schicksal in the future, it is very likely to start from here. Its importance cannot be underestimated. Cocolia entrusted this place to you because she trusts you, but if you can’t concentrate on it, then... it may not be appropriate."

Kella pondered for a while, as if hesitating, and finally said seriously:

"What I mean is that the East Sea Base needs a reliable manager. If you really can’t do it, then I can take care of it. I grew up here and am familiar with the situation. So, you don’t have to feel pressured. Tell me, is it because of a lack of confidence?"

Bronya bowed her head deeply and dared not speak.

Of course, part of the reason was that she indeed lacked confidence.

The most standard thing Bronya had done before was just to lead an ordinary Titan team on a sneak attack. Suddenly rising to become the head of an important Anti-Entropy base... It was fine for handling short-term emergencies, but if she continued to do it long-term, she'd be a ghost if she had confidence.

But no matter what, compared with Cocolia and Kella, who cared about the overall interests of civilization, she, who decided to give up everything for Seele, felt so hateful.

"Go back and think about it first. I have spared two days, so you still have time to consider. Bronya, Cocolia chose you because she believes in your potential. And being in a high position naturally means more responsibilities. This position means something to you, to the people you care about, and to the world. I hope you think clearly and give me your answer."

Kella gave her a chance.

But this was also the last chance.

'Maybe I protected her too well?'

Kella, or Angel, sighed inwardly.

Kiana at least realized the seriousness of many things. Now she was working hard to practice every day and also racking her brains to gain more power from Angel, the Herrscher of the Void.

Mei had mastered her power very well. Although there was no opportunity to show it, the gap was not large compared to her in the original work.

Only Bronya didn’t seem to realize that she was also a member of the fight against Honkai, or she didn’t realize it thoroughly enough.

Bronya had a high IQ and high EQ. Such a person must be a scientist or a powerful figure to truly play her value—mainly because she couldn’t become a Herrscher of Truth. In terms of combat power, there was really no hope.

So Angel put her in this position, hoping she could play to her strengths. Not to mention great achievements, at least she could stand up straight in the future and say that she had contributed.

However, Bronya didn’t take a serious attitude. She still regarded herself as an insignificant passerby, not a member of the fight against Honkai, the eldest princess who is the actual leader of Anti-Entropy, the most promising child in the family besides Ninti, and an important person who might affect the world at any time.

---