(Because the volume was mistaken, Chapter 208 was published before the bonus chapter...)
In the afternoon, Rita and Catherine left the British Museum together.
Rita: "Thank you for your assistance. I've learned a great deal today."
Catherine: "It was my pleasure."
As the two passed by the exhibition hall that had been destroyed by Stan the day before, staff were still cleaning up the site.
"Sigh, the stone slab scroll you were investigating yesterday was also destroyed." Catherine sighed sadly. "Now we have lost another precious artifact."
"Wait, what's this..." Rita noticed an unusual piece of metal in a crack of the shattered stone slab mural.
It was Soulium!
Rita immediately took the Soulium and opened a remote synchronous communication and data transmission channel, sending all the information on the Soulium to Otto.
"It really is Soulium. To think they embedded Soulium in a stone slab from thousands of years ago. It seems things are getting more and more interesting." Otto's lips curled into a smile as he looked at the results of the data analysis.
Rita: "Lord Overseer, isn't the appearance of this Soulium a bit too coincidental?"
Otto: "I've already examined it. It is indeed a relic from the Previous Era, and it stores some information about the Second Divine Key.
The Second Divine Key can open a door in space, connecting to another dimension. The Previous Era attempted to use it to explore the Sea of Quanta, searching for a way to fight the Honkai. However, the specific information has been lost."
"The Sea of Quanta..." Rita lowered her head in thought, she couldn't help but think of her and Durandal's experiences in the Sea of Quanta. "In that case, could the legend of Avalon really be..."
"Exactly. The story the director told you and the information in the Soulium coincide perfectly. Interpreted from the perspective of legend, King Arthur's holy sword is likely a description of the Key of the Void, and Avalon is very possibly a Bubble Universe in the Sea of Quanta."
"Rita, the Key of the Void is extremely important to Schicksal. It will be an indispensable weapon in the fight against the Honkai. No matter the cost, you must find it.
Also, to ensure the safety of your mission, I have arranged for an assistant to help you."
"An assistant?"
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Schicksal's West Asia Branch, Phosphorus Sand Squad.
"Captain!! We've received an email from HQ, it's a transfer notice!" Sophia shouted excitedly to Matila, who was on the sofa.
"That's great! It must be that HQ recognizes the Phosphorus Sand Squad and is transferring us to a more important battlefield! Susanna, come out quickly, our chance for promotion is here!" Matila shouted happily, calling for Susanna in the bathroom to come and hear the contents of the transfer notice.
"Matila, the transfer notice... only lists Susanna..."
"Huh?!"
Matila and Susanna, who had just run out of the bathroom, were one part shocked and one part dumbfounded...
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"Bro, you're awesome! Punching a guy's head off in the middle of the street, this little bro is in awe."
"Yeah! With skills like that, you're wasted staying with us, big bro!"
In prison, a motley crew of people surrounded Ryn, showering him with praise. Ever since someone saw Ryn's delicate appearance and tried to make a move on him, only to have their limbs broken and be thrown out by Ryn, his name had spread like wildfire throughout the prison, instantly making him a celebrity.
After all, no matter where you are, strength always commands respect.
It's just that the way respect was shown was a bit different...
"Don't point your ass at me, I'm not into that shit." Ryn kicked away several burly men who were flaunting themselves in front of him. He wasn't desperate enough to sink to the level of these inmates.
Although Ryn had kicked the men away, Otto's communication had already come through before that.
And as soon as the communication interface opened, Otto saw a group of burly men posing suggestively in front of Ryn. Otto nearly threw up his lunch.
"Tsk, Ryn, don't come into my office anymore. No, don't even enter Schicksal HQ."
"Hey, hey, hey, Otto, don't frame me! I don't have this hobby!"
Ryn snapped his fingers, altering the brains of everyone present and deleting their memories of him. Then he quickly explained to Otto. Ryn didn't want his lifelong reputation to be ruined like this.
Otto: "I understand you less and less, Ryn. I feel like you're not even in the same genre as us. We're in a hot-blooded manga, and you're in a comedy manga..."
Ryn: "What's wrong with being happy and joyful? People always find joy in hardship. There's nothing wrong with being a little optimistic."
"I can't be bothered to argue with you. Let's get down to business. We have a lead on the Second Divine Key, but this has all been too smooth, unbelievably smooth...
Schicksal once dug up the entire UK and found no trace of the Second Divine Key, but now someone is constantly guiding us to search for King Arthur's holy sword.
This is very wrong. Plus, you being framed and imprisoned, and the attack Rita suffered... Someone doesn't want us to find the Second Divine Key, but this only exposes the fact that the Second Divine Key is here."
"Understood. As long as we are still searching for the Second Divine Key, Rita and Durandal will continue to be attacked, so my mission is to protect them?"
"Something like that, but not to protect Rita or Durandal, but to protect another little one."
After hanging up on Otto, Ryn rolled his eyes helplessly. Why was he secretly protecting this little girl Susanna again? Although she was indeed very, very rich, it wasn't to the point where he needed to guard her in secret...
"Forget it, I should leave this place first. Business is more important."
Ryn waved his hand, and the entire prison seemed to come to life. The meter-thick walls opened up like outstretched arms, welcoming Ryn's entry.
The entire prison's surveillance system had already been completely hacked by Cortana, and the people inside the prison had all been controlled by Ryn using control pollen.
In their minds, they would automatically imagine that the criminal who had publicly blown up the merchant's head had been violently killed by them, while the real 'culprit,' Ryn, had long since left the prison, a fugitive from justice.
No, wait, that guy blew himself up. Ryn is innocent!
As Ryn walked forward, rubble flew through the air, constantly gathering together, finally condensing into a solid stone throne.
Ryn shook his hair, sat on the stone throne, and then flew out of the prison.
Ryn was willing to be arrested and put in prison because he had morals and followed the rules. But Ryn was leaving the prison now because rules are meant to restrain the weak, while the strong are the ones who create the rules.
"Get back in there. It's not your time to come out yet. They went to so much trouble to keep you in there; if you run out now, you'll just tip them off."
"Alright then..."
Ryn had to obediently fly back into the prison and wait, relying on Cortana to remotely monitor Rita and the others' situation.