The night at Saint Freya coincided with the morning in Europe.
Chen Ran and Wendy didn't waste much time and had already arrived at the floating island where Schicksal was located.
For the uninvited guest, Otto did not drive them away.
On the contrary, he treated Chen Ran with great courtesy.
This was Chen Ran's first time seeing the Schicksal Headquarters. To be honest, he didn't feel much while playing the game, but experiencing the airport where the Schicksal Headquarters was located in person made him feel the shock brought by the headquarters.
In the parallel line of sight, there was a huge red sun, and below was an unfathomable layer of clouds.
Beneath the clouds was where humanity resided.
Chen Ran couldn't help but complain: "Otto really is quite ostentatious."
Placing the Schicksal Headquarters above the clouds certainly had the intention of hiding it from everyone, but more importantly, it was just ostentatious.
One could only say that when Otto was being unserious, he was actually quite unserious.
Chen Ran didn't think for long before he and Wendy arrived at the reception room where Otto was.
"Welcome, my friend who has come from the other side of time, from afar."
Otto smiled warmly at Chen Ran and said, "Your arrival truly makes me feel flattered."
Chen Ran raised an eyebrow slightly: "The Bishop Otto I know wouldn't be this humble."
"Proud people, in front of you and the era you come from, will all temper their pride."
Otto said with a hint of meaning.
The Void Archives did not hold Chen Ran in high regard, considering him merely a lucky child of that era.
In the understanding of the Void Archives, the achievements Chen Ran obtained did not come from him but from the three behind him: Mobius, Vill-V, and Mei.
Even now, the Void Archives suspected that Chen Ran's time leap was the handiwork of one of these three, or perhaps a collaboration of all of them.
However, while this handiwork indeed created Chen Ran, it also pushed him into a chasm more terrifying than death.
As the Herrscher of Reason combined with Prometheus to form the Divine Key, the Void Archives naturally understood the strings of time. Although it was a brilliant method, it did not yield satisfactory results.
Thus, it merely changed its evaluation of Chen Ran from a lucky child to a pitiful person.
If given the chance to choose a master again, he would still choose Otto. Chen Ran's own wisdom had not been recognized by the Void Archives.
However, Otto held Chen Ran in high regard.
Indeed, Chen Ran had many impulsive aspects, and sometimes his thoughts could be seen through. But until now, his spirit had not been crushed, and he had been steadily moving towards a goal.
This determination, while not quite matching Otto himself, was not far off.
The Void Archives' evaluations of people were overly rational; this couldn't be blamed on it, as it was a product of programming, inheriting Prometheus, and thus did not understand the miracles that emotions could brew.
Otto believed that this miracle falling on Chen Ran would lead to incredible accumulations.
Chen Ran paused and said, "Bishop Otto, please stop flattering me. You have the Void Archives; my background should be quite clear to you. If you had come to my era, your achievements would surely be higher than mine."
He suddenly thought of Otto from the Church of the Apocalypse in Honkai Academy 2.
That was someone who directly conversed with Honkai.
Chen Ran even suspected that the Otto from the Church of the Apocalypse was actually the agent of the Will Overseer, but since he wasn't familiar with Honkai Academy, he didn't make wild guesses.
"Some things are not judged by results."
Otto paused and said, "Alright, since we are somewhat familiar with each other, let's get down to business."
"I want to borrow the Herrscher Core." Chen Ran paused for a moment and said directly, "The reason I can't tell you for now, but it should be inconsequential for you. Of course, as a condition, I can tell you about the Imaginary Tree's beacon."
He originally didn't know about the Imaginary Tree's beacon.
But after conversing with the will overseer, he learned about it.
As expected, Otto was intrigued.
Otto had never forgotten how to resurrect Kallen.
Although someone had already proven to him the ability to traverse the river of time, what happened to Sirin also made Otto realize that changing time is merely altering a fleeting moment; if a person's fate is destined, even if the trajectory deviates, it will eventually return to its original course.
Thus, his other method, the Sirin plan, which had already seen the disappearance of Sirin, became necessary to execute.
To obtain the coordinates of the imaginary, and then open up new imaginary branches.
In this way, time would not affect the original Kallen; for Kallen, the future she inhabits would be a world unperturbed by fate.
However, the most critical aspect of the Sirin plan was still 'Sirin'; after Sirin's disappearance, Otto's plan encountered a gap.
He could not observe the imaginary beacon, nor did he have the means to do so.
This also gave Chen Ran an opportunity.
Finally, after going around in circles, both Chen Ran and Otto achieved results that satisfied them.
For Otto, the imaginary beacon represented another possibility; he always preferred thorough preparation in his endeavors. For Chen Ran, once he obtained the Herrscher Core, he could find Seele, which meant he was one step closer to the truth of Honkai and quantum.
In short, it was a win-win situation.
——
Fifty thousand years ago, Team One.
Kosma was feeling a bit listless.
His teammates were complaining: "This is the seventeenth time this month. Every time the Honkai alarm goes off, we rush over, only to find it's already been cleared."
"Seriously, it's always just Fire Moth fighting against Honkai. Where did this new force come from?"
During this time, the mood among Fire Moth personnel was quite poor.
The deployment of Cocoon meant that everyone had to be on edge; after all, no one wanted to be targeted.
And that wasn't even the worst part.
The worst part was that for the past half month, after the internal alarm of Fire Moth went off, everyone went to clear the Honkai, only to end up with nothing but cleanup duties.
Cleaning up the battlefield was certainly easy, but if that's the case, what's the point of Fire Moth?
This was the source of their internal frustration.
No one knew who started the rumor, but it was said that the United Nations felt that one Fire Moth was not secure enough, and thus allocated resources to cultivate a competing organization similar to Fire Moth.
Because they were dissatisfied with Fire Moth's work, this organization came into being.
The rumor was quite convincing, yet the higher-ups merely smiled at it.
Fire Moth was not built in a day; similarly, if there really was an organization comparable to Fire Moth, they would not be unaware of it.
However, this rumor gained traction among the mid-level and lower-level personnel of Fire Moth, especially under the anxious atmosphere created by Cocoon, with some even wondering what they would do if they lost their jobs.
Kosma didn't consider the issue of unemployment, but he felt quite indignant.
"Next time, I will definitely win against that person."
Although he had never met the person competing for his job, he had already begun to secretly compete.
There was no helping it; that's just how a middle school boy is.
At that moment, the Fire Moth alarm rang out again.
Kosma's eyes narrowed slightly, while the other teammates looked dejected: "Here we go again. I wonder if this time it will be our mission or someone else's?"
Fire Moth had a task allocation mechanism, and usually, each team had rotations and responsible areas.
But later, perhaps due to too few teams or too many accidents, every mission became a top-down allocation.
It could be said that the reason Fire Moth did not arrive at the scene in time was largely due to the time wasted in allocation.
However, before the allocation could be completed, Kosma stood up.
"Kosma, what are you doing?"
"I don't want to lose."
He was small but bold, already prepared with a flying device, disregarding Fire Moth's internal task allocation, and headed straight for the location of his prepared flying device.
The boy's mind was set on competing, and the others exchanged glances but did not stop him.
They had no intention of going against the rules, but they admired the boy's fighting spirit.
At worst, when Kosma returned, he would just face some punishment.
When the instructor of Team One, Ato, came to assign tasks, he learned that Kosma had already left. He frowned but didn't say anything in front of everyone.
To be able to obtain a flying device within Fire Moth and successfully take it away.
This must have been tacitly approved by the higher-ups of Fire Moth.
One could even say that when Kosma went to get the flying device, the higher-ups of Fire Moth had already sent someone to find him; it was just that the boy was too naive and was kept in the dark.
But to put it another way, to actually utilize Kosma's mindset only indicated that the internal discord within Fire Moth was severe, and they were on guard against external threats.
However, this was not something he should be involved in.
Ato calmly issued the order to depart, but the others were all lethargic.
If nothing unexpected happened, this time they would all become the cleanup crew.
…
…
After another Honkai Beast's mournful cry, Durandal seemed to be deep in thought.
"Although this is not the first time cleaning up the Honkai Beasts in this world, compared to the world I was in before, the species of Honkai Beasts in this world are more diverse and more Perseverant."
"I know, I know, it's because they have thicker health bars."
Bia paused and said, "Honkai creatures can also grow. According to Fire Moth's records, before the First Herrscher appeared, Honkai Beasts were actually easier to deal with, while the Emperor-class Honkai Beasts we face now can be said to be rare; they can't be compared to those of the past."
She sighed, "Sixteen Honkai incidents, fourteen of which involved Emperor-class Honkai Beasts. I can't tell if you're just unlucky or if this world is doomed."
Indeed, the ones currently stirring up trouble for Fire Moth were Durandal and Bia.
After gaining more and more knowledge, Bia had developed the ability to predict the locations of Honkai occurrences and foresee large-scale Honkai events.
Her successful predictions of the fourth and fifth Honkai served as proof; the sixth one didn't count, as it was too sudden and involved human participation.
Through Bia, Durandal was able to arrive at the scene of the Honkai in the first instance.
Perhaps due to the differences in the concentration of Honkai Energy between the two eras, in any case, although both were Emperor-class Honkai Beasts, Durandal felt that the Emperor-class here was tougher than those from fifty thousand years later.
Of course, in front of her, it was only left to be tough.
Durandal was puzzled: "Does this have anything to do with luck?"
Bia tilted her head: "It's possible you're the legendary unlucky one."
"Alright, let's go."
Just as Durandal was about to leave, her expression suddenly tightened.
"Another Emperor-class."
She no longer had the Abyss Flower in her hand, but Bia was still quite adept with it.
This ELF could transform into a doll when bored and into a weapon during battle; one could say it was the greatest invention of Mu Continent.
One could only say that if Chen Ran knew swordsmanship, he wouldn't have lent Bia to Durandal.
Indeed, it was a loan, not a gift; Chen Ran was not like that spendthrift MEI, who would just give away a biological computer she didn't like.
Relying on her impressive swordsmanship, the new Emperor-class Honkai Beast was swiftly cut down, and its core was also extracted by Durandal.
If an ordinary person were to touch this core, they would naturally be corrupted, but she was not an ordinary person, so there was no need for such concerns.
Just as Durandal was about to leave, her eyes suddenly narrowed.
A drone was spying on her.
"Hmm?"
She frowned but then ignored it.
At the same time, not far from there, Kosma was watching the footage transmitted by the drone, feeling a sense of awe:
"So strong."
When the Fire Moth alarm rang out, he rushed over here using his flying device.
Ato's guess was not wrong; the higher-ups of Fire Moth had a tacit attitude towards this, so Kosma had a smooth journey, and even the drone was provided by Fire Moth.
The higher-ups were also quite curious about this group that had been snatching jobs from Fire Moth.
Indeed, almost everyone thought that the ones competing for Fire Moth's jobs were a group.
After all, with so many Honkai incidents occurring at such a high frequency, if it were just one person, their body wouldn't be able to handle it.
But the fact was, the drone only showed one person.
"Could it be a rotation? Or are there accomplices?"
Kosma couldn't help but wonder.
But regardless of the situation, the strength displayed by Durandal was undoubtedly very strong, already on par with Kevin in his mind.
Currently, Kevin and Elysia were ostensibly still investigating the Sixth Herrscher.
Elysia was playing her role to the fullest, so she wouldn't be returning to Fire Moth anytime soon.
As for Kevin, he might have quietly returned to MEI's side by now.
The atmosphere within Fire Moth was tense, and danger could arise at any moment; MEI needed someone to protect her.
But none of this was known to Kosma.
He wanted to use the drone to send a message to Durandal, but he saw Durandal take off right then and there.
Whether it was the Moonlight or Star Armor, both had the ability to fly directly, and such superhuman behavior left Kosma dumbfounded.
"Cool."
However, the drone's data naturally fell into the hands of the higher-ups of Fire Moth.
Cocoon once again conducted an investigation and quickly identified its identity: Chen Ran's cousin.
Then, Kiana and Sirin were questioned by the higher-ups.
However, due to Mobius's influence, the two were well-fed and well-treated, just not allowed to go out.
When Kiana saw Durandal's figure, her eyes slightly narrowed.
She was sorry; she had actually never seen Durandal.
But upon learning that her name was Durandal, a shocking thought crossed her mind.
"Keep it a secret!" she thought to herself.
——
"No, I don't agree!"
In Cocolia's orphanage, the warlord received a communication from Bronya.
Chen Ran and Otto's transaction went so smoothly that it was somewhat excessive, to the point that Bronya's side fell behind significantly.
However, there was no so-called mother-daughter affection; as soon as Bronya made her request, Cocolia frowned and was unwilling to agree.
"Open the Eye of the Abyss, Bronya, I have already lost Seele; I don't want to lose you too."
Cocolia was someone who knew when to cut her losses.
She knew Seele was not dead, but the Sea of Quanta was vast, and finding Seele was not easy.
At this moment, Bronya must not take any risks.
"But Bronya has already obtained the Herrscher Core."
Bronya's words surprised Cocolia.
"What did you say, Herrscher Core?"
"It is the Gem of Serenity. Bronya has reached a cooperation with the people of Schicksal, to be precise, with the people of the Pre-Civilization Era."
Upon hearing this news, Cocolia's expression changed drastically, and she couldn't help but feel a surge of anxiety.
If it involves the people of the Pre-Civilization Era, then there is only one possibility.
The World Serpent has intervened.
Cocolia wanted to confront Gray Serpent, but suddenly remembered what Sin had said.
Before Sirin disappeared, Gray Serpent had come here with the Herrscher Core.
This means that even though Sirin has vanished, it has not affected the course of fate.
But the problem is, how can Cocolia feel at ease letting Bronya take such a risk?
"Mom, this might be the only chance to save Seele," Bronya said earnestly.
Her words left Cocolia silent.
Fate has already determined the outcome, but it does not arrange the process.
This was a summary by Sin, and Cocolia deeply agreed.
If it weren't for the world changing once again, Cecilia would have long since disappeared, and even so, it ultimately ended with Sirin's disappearance.
In any case, Sin has no good feelings towards the appearance of someone who can manipulate time.
Cocolia feels the same way; as a warlord, she despises situations she cannot control.
But the current issue is that Seele will appear in the future. This was revealed by Chen Ran.
Chen Ran has no reason to deceive Bronya and Cocolia; this is the basis for the cooperation between the World Serpent and the radical faction of Anti-Entropy.
Indeed, Cocolia directly classified Chen Ran as one of the World Serpent's people.
She paused and said, "Then what is the cost?"
"Bronya, the World Serpent has paid a Herrscher Core; what is the cost in return?"
Bronya hesitated and said, "I can't be sure if Chen Ran is the organization you mentioned, Mom, but as for the cost, it can't be worse than Seele's disappearance."
"If you don't agree, Mom, Bronya will find a way to gain control of the Eye of the Abyss."
Cocolia's tone was angry: "Bronya, do you know what you're saying? You're going to betray me!"
Bronya did not answer.
But silence was the best answer.
After a long time, it was ultimately Cocolia who compromised first.
She said, "I can agree to you, but Bronya, you only have one chance."
After the X-10 experiment, Cocolia arranged for Bronya to get close to Raiden Mei, with the aim of obtaining the Gem of Conquest within her.
Only the Herrscher Core has the possibility of bringing Seele back, and this was the intelligence Gray Serpent had revealed to Cocolia.
Cocolia was half-convinced about the authenticity of this information.
But with Chen Ran involved, she leaned towards believing it.
Of course, whether to believe or not was no longer important; Bronya was now determined to stand with Chen Ran.
"And if this time you can successfully bring back Seele, Bronya, you should properly thank Chen Ran and then cut off contact."
"Someone like him is too dangerous."
Although Anti-Entropy, Schicksal, and the World Serpent all ultimately aim to deal with Honkai.
The methods Chen Ran displayed made people wary.
Cocolia's unease was understandable.
But Bronya didn't care about any of this; she only cared that Cocolia had agreed this time.
"Okay, I'll prepare to go to the Eye of the Abyss right away."
After hanging up the communication, she immediately informed Chen Ran about this, and Chen Ran did not hide it from Wendy, telling her.
Wendy instinctively said, "I want to go too."
She said, "You will go to the Anti-Entropy place later; I don't feel at ease."
Chen Ran sighed: "Do you think a Herrscher belonging to Schicksal can be trusted in an Anti-Entropy place?"
He didn't want to part with Wendy, but this time it really wasn't suitable to be together.
Cocolia was not a broad-minded person; the reason the X-10 experiment was conducted underwater was to avoid Schicksal's scrutiny. Allowing Schicksal's people to enter the Eye of the Abyss now would be no different from surrendering to Schicksal.
If it weren't for Bronya's special circumstances, Cocolia would have even considered getting rid of Chen Ran directly.
But it was useless.
Sin had also said that for Chen Ran, everything happening now is the future in his eyes. Even if he were turned to ashes, he would still appear lively, which sounds quite perverse, making one suspect that Chen Ran might also be a Herrscher.
Cocolia would not take action against Chen Ran, but she only gave Chen Ran and Bronya one chance.
Although she also knew that Chen Ran had the ability to manipulate time, the so-called one chance was actually no different from countless chances. Ultimately, she still had no means to subdue him.
But Cocolia gave him a way out, and Chen Ran could not refuse.
He said to Wendy, "Schicksal, Anti-Entropy, and the World Serpent, in the end, gather all of humanity's endeavors, and everyone is fighting against Honkai..."
"Alright, I won't preach the grand principles; you understand. This time, consider it Cocolia giving us face, and we can't make things difficult for her, so you'll have to endure staying here for a while."
After saying this, he kissed Wendy on the cheek.
This move was very effective; the young girl had not yet turned into an old married couple, and Wendy quickly shifted her attention, tacitly accepting that Chen Ran would go to the Eye of the Abyss with Bronya.
Of course, Sin would accompany them.
As for how to explain things to Theresa, Bronya had already taken a long leave, and Chen Ran had been absent for a long time. Theresa intended to intervene, but Amber contacted Theresa and said there was no need to bind him.
So Chen Ran was quite free.
After everything was settled, Chen Ran and Wendy returned to Saint Freya, then arranged a time with Bronya to set off for the Eye of the Abyss.
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