"Grandpa, what's... going on with you? What are you scheming now?"
Watching Otto struggling to suppress the shifting expressions on his face, Theresa immediately raised her cross in alert.
As if one more chuckle from Otto would earn him a smack from that cross.
Ahem, ahem. "My apologies, Theresa. I must admit, I did lose my composure somewhat."
It took a full few seconds for the changes in Otto's expression to finally settle. He then cleared his throat, fixing an unusual stare on Lynelle that made the girl feel intensely uncomfortable.
"Miss Lynelle, at this point, I must concede... your educational methods are, perhaps, uniquely effective."
"Oh?"
A victorious smile spread across Lynelle's face. "Sirin succeeded?"
"Correct. She successfully solved the puzzle I left for her. Moreover, she did so in a manner I had never anticipated."
Otto gave a slight nod. "This round goes to you. However... I find myself quite satisfied with this loss."
"Hmph, glad you recognize it..."
Lynelle let out a soft snort. "Well then... as per our usual arrangement, since you've admitted defeat, compensation is naturally in order, right?"
"Of course."
Otto nodded briskly and tossed an item to Lynelle. "This should be sufficient in value, I believe?"
"This is..."
Lynelle glanced at the storage device Otto had thrown over. Her Herrscher of Corruption powers swiftly infiltrated it, and she immediately drew a sharp breath. "The formula for the God-Slaying Lance?"
"Precisely. Possessing this will significantly reduce Schicksal's threat to you, to a certain extent. Furthermore, for the coming period, I myself will be... keeping a lower profile, temporarily entrusting Schicksal's affairs to Amber and Rita."
As he spoke, Otto turned his gaze to Theresa. "My dear granddaughter, if you wish to return, serving as an acting overseer for Schicksal wouldn't be out of—"
"Absolutely not!"
Theresa shook her head vehemently. "With Rita and the others managing things here, I'm perfectly at ease... It's you I'm worried about."
"Don't tell me you're planning to hide away and cook up some grand scheme again."
"Ha ha ha..."
Otto let out a hearty, unbridled laugh.
"Worry not, my dear granddaughter, and you as well, Lynelle..."
"Next time we meet, I shall have a grand surprise for you... Rest assured, it will be of benefit, not harm, to humanity's fight against the Honkai."
As his words faded, his figure instantly "vanished" from the spot, leaving behind only a pile of inert, depleted Soulium.
"...I see. His Soulium body was on its last legs, no wonder he left so abruptly."
Lynelle half-crouched, pinching the Soulium debris on the ground between her fingers, a slight frown forming.
"However, he took the Herrscher of Death's core with him... Of course, if he has the ability to instantaneously teleport Void Archives, then moving a single Herrscher core is no great feat. He likely utilized a simulated version of the Cosmic Juggernaut. With Sirin not here, there's little we can do about it."
"So, what exactly happened here?"
Theresa looked at Lynella, puzzled. "While we were fighting at the Third Air Terminal, we suddenly received word from Cecilia. She said Fu Hua seemed to be in trouble? And she warned us to be careful of Otto making a move against you."
"So, we had Cecilia, who had just returned, take over command from me. Then I used Wendy's beacon to infiltrate the central floating island to assist you... But it looks like you and Grandpa were relatively restrained throughout your fight?"
"Well, you're not wrong about that."
Lynelle nodded plainly. "My initial plan was indeed to deal Otto a heavy blow. But plans never survive contact with the enemy."
"Sirin didn't achieve the level of enhancement I had anticipated, and Otto had already taken precautions against my moves..."
"It's fine, really! Grandpa's as cunning as they come; it's normal not to gain the upper hand against him."
Theresa comfortingly patted Lynelle's shoulder. "Besides, we did obtain the God-Slaying Lance formula, didn't we?"
"Uh..."
A sly smile crept onto Lynelle's lips.
"I'll admit I didn't achieve a decisive victory over Otto this time. But, Theresa, who told you I didn't gain any advantage?"
"Take a guess. Why do you think Sirin didn't come to find me immediately after breaking Otto's little trap?"
"You didn't send her to ambush Grandpa, did you..."
"Ambush Otto? What for? He's got more Soulium bodies than you can count; destroy one, and another pops up."
Lynelle shook her head slightly. "Actually, I assigned Sirin to retrieve something for me."
"To be precise... a Herrscher core."
"The Gem of Haste."
--+--
Meanwhile, elsewhere.
"It seems your worries were unnecessary, Natasha."
Grey Serpent stood up. "In fact, Miss Lynelle is perfectly capable of handling this crisis... Although, I did manage to capture quite a bit of footage of Miss Lynelle in combat. The scenes of her utilizing the power of the esteemed Elysia are particularly noteworthy. This should suffice for my report to the Master."
"The Master assigned you such a task?"
"Of course. The Master is deeply concerned with Miss Lynelle's physical and mental well-being. After all, by seniority, the Master could be considered Miss Lynelle's... Ahem, never mind, forget I said that."
This particular Grey Serpent, well-versed in unofficial histories, promptly clamped shut his all-too-eager-to-share mouth.
"Anyway, it's time for us to return..."
"Don't be in such a hurry to leave, you two."
A voice tinged with light laughter came from not far from their hiding spot.
"Having come all the way to Schicksal, how could I, the host of this organization, not perform my duties and offer you some hospitality?"
"Dammit..."
Raven's face changed. The Seven Thunders of Retribution materialized instantly in her hand, aimed in a specific direction.
"Make as big a commotion as possible. Draw Lynelle and the others here..."
Grey Serpent whispered.
"Now, now, don't be so agitated. I swear upon Kallen's name, I bear no ill will towards either of you."
Otto's figure emerged from the swirling black mist and he gave a slight bow.
"I merely wish to... discuss a transaction with you."
"A transaction?"
Grey Serpent and Raven exchanged a glance.
"You're not hoping to form an alliance with us against Anti-Entropy, are you? With all due respect, even now, I don't believe Anti-Entropy possesses the capability to utterly destroy Schicksal."
"After all, this time, Anti-Entropy mobilized over half of their Titan battalions, while Schicksal's defenses consisted of only a single mechanized unit and two fully-manned Valkyrie squadrons."
"The Serpent may be adept at lying in wait, but we are not blind to the current situation."
"Ha ha ha ha... Rest assured, you two. I come with genuine sincerity."
"Because I can offer you something you currently cannot obtain, yet desperately need—a Herrscher core from this current era."
Otto extended his hand. A gemstone emitting a dark, mist-like aura materialized above his palm.
"And in return, what I hope to receive is something you can provide with the greatest of ease."
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.