Honkai, why do you only throw me into high-level battles? (Chapter 434-436) (Patreon)

Chapter 434: Aftermath (2)

Knock, knock, knock.

"Overseer."

Durandal's voice was as respectful and steady as ever.

She waited outside the door for a moment, and only after Amber had finished her report and stepped out did she raise her hand to knock. She then walked in through the slightly ajar door.

"Bianka, you've come at a good time."

Otto was holding a thick stack of statistical reports, a hint of a headache in his brow. Hearing Durandal's voice, he looked up slightly. Instead of asking her purpose, he took the initiative and smiled.

"Amber just compiled the data from the Vimur Base and is having a hard time with it. Since you're here, I'd like to hear your thoughts."

"Losses?" Durandal asked, a little confused as to why he had brushed past her reason for coming. "Were the losses from yesterday's battle that great?"

Losses? They were immense, Otto thought.

But the real losses were not the complex yet tangible numbers on the report, but something intangible, unspoken, that couldn't be voiced. So, he could only feign ignorance, waving the papers in his hand with a wry smile.

"I didn't expect yesterday's battle to be so fierce. I certainly didn't expect that at the beginning of the battle, that mysterious girl calling herself 'Yae Sakura' could infiltrate the base in disguise and, at a critical moment, use the Third Divine Key to cause such severe damage..."

"I see."

Durandal nodded in understanding. Although she had been fighting outside the base the whole time, she was well aware that this move of "cutting the ground from under the enemy" was Lin Wei's first counterattack, and its timing and effect were impressive.

"The direct losses from the battle are a small matter," Otto continued. "The biggest problem is that the twentieth Hyperion-class Honkai energy engine, which serves as the base's energy hub, also suffered considerable damage, leading to a Honkai energy leak."

He paused, adding, "Many of the technical staff who had been hiding deep within the base since the battle began have been exposed to Honkai radiation and are now under observation in the hospital. Some of them are in critical condition."

"...That's a truly undeserved disaster," Durandal said with regret. After Lin Wei had given up his easily attainable victory, she had been unable to understand the meaning of that battle, especially now that there were innocent victims.

Otto was momentarily speechless.

Was he supposed to say that this was also part of the battle, that those technicians were actually "hostages" in his plan to unnerve the enemy?

A careful review would reveal that Lin Wei was a person unwilling to harm the innocent. Therefore, Otto had not hesitated to use this to his advantage.

The reason he had placed those unarmed technicians on the battlefield before the battle began was to make Lin Wei hesitate, to make him miss his chance.

He had used this tactic with great skill—just as he had with many heroes he had schemed against in the past.

He hadn't expected Lin Wei's subordinate—or rather, that girl named 'Sakura'—to be so decisive, so ruthless. As a result, the problem was thrown back at him.

Once again, he had been bitten by his own scheme.

In the past, he could have easily covered this up with lies—phrases like "Lin Wei is too arrogant, his stubbornness has brought great harm to Schicksal and the world."

But now, that trick wouldn't work.

After Anna fired that "tide-turning" shot, she had not only shrouded herself in a thick layer of tragedy but also pressed a nameless anger into the hearts of everyone present.

At this critical juncture, if he were to put on another such superfluous performance, it would not only be useless but would completely ignite their resentment.

Therefore, Otto could only choose to downplay the issue, smiling as he said, "Alright, don't worry, Bianka. They will receive the most advanced medical treatment in the medical department and will be fine. It's just..."

Otto's expression shifted slightly, perfectly piquing Durandal's curiosity.

"It's just that now there's another, more difficult problem..."

"What problem?" Durandal asked, following his lead.

"Thanks to you, Bianka, the Second Divine Key was recovered safely, and the related experiments and research can be restarted. It's just..." Otto said, feigning difficulty, "As I just mentioned, the Vimur Base, which was originally designated for the observation experiment, has been severely damaged. To prevent further Honkai energy leaks and more serious contamination disasters, Schicksal will have to invest a huge sum to repair it."

"That's a matter of course," Durandal said noncommittally. "After the repairs, the previously shelved observation experiment can continue."

"That's where the problem lies," Otto said. "The construction of that base was already a huge investment, and the subsequent cleanup work will be an astronomical figure. But because of yesterday's battle, I have to consider a new factor: the commotion from that battle was too great, completely exposing the base's coordinates. So, from a confidentiality and security perspective, perhaps we should abandon it and choose a new, safe location to rebuild..."

"If we do that, what about the Honkai energy leak there?" Durandal pointed out the core of the problem with pinpoint accuracy. "And if the Second Divine Key creates that pillar of light to the heavens every time it's activated, I don't think we can achieve true confidentiality no matter where in the world we place it."

She continued her analysis, "So, rather than confidentiality, its security is the primary factor. That is, no matter how much commotion the experiment causes or how powerful an enemy it attracts, it must not endanger the surrounding civilians or cause widespread panic. In my opinion, this is the top priority, besides the experiment itself."

"I see. So you think we should put the Vimur Base back into use after it's repaired?" Otto said as if he had just had an epiphany.

"Yes, Overseer," Durandal replied affirmatively.

"This is why I wanted to ask you," Otto finally smiled. "Who do you think should be responsible for protecting the experimental base, ensuring the Second Divine Key is not threatened, and the experiment proceeds smoothly?"

"Uh..."

Durandal was taken aback. So that's what you were getting at.

"So, you mean you want me to continue to be responsible for its security, right?" She wasn't a fool. After such a roundabout explanation, how could she not understand?

"You also know that in this world, besides our Schicksal, there are many other organizations watching us like tigers, such as Anti-Entropy, and that 'World Serpent' that has just shown the tip of its iceberg..."

Now that it had come to this, Otto no longer pretended. He said with a cold smile, "I believe your brilliant performance in yesterday's battle is enough to deter all the hostile elements who were drawn in by this battle. So, entrusting the Second Divine Key to you is enough to make them tremble with fear, not daring to act rashly."

In fact, although that battle had damaged Otto's personal prestige, it had raised Schicksal's own deterrent power to a new level. The title of "S-rank Valkyrie" didn't tell the whole story, but after that battle, Durandal's strength finally had an undeniable stage to prove itself. Thanks to Lin Wei's disruption, this objective had been unexpectedly achieved, and Otto naturally didn't mind putting it to good use.

"I understand, Overseer. I accept your arrangement."

Durandal nodded. She never disobeyed the Overseer's orders.

"By the way," Otto then said with a smile, as if he had just remembered, "you came to see me so suddenly. Is there something you need?"

"It's like this, Overseer..."

Durandal finally had the chance to lay out her thoughts.

"The atmosphere in the Far East Branch is too lax. If we are to treat that Herrscher as a future comrade in the fight against the Honkai, I worry that in such an environment, she will not be able to cultivate the qualities and character a warrior should have. And..."

Durandal fell silent for a moment, then added, "To fight alongside our own people, even against each other—a tragedy like Anna's, I don't want to see it a second time."

"..."

Otto gave Durandal a deep look. Some things, in the end, were unavoidable.

Cecilia's sacrifice, Siegfried's betrayal, and the lives lost for the man-made Herrscher project...

He thought to himself: If K-423 hadn't defended those cruel truths with her life, perhaps you—Bianka—who now stands before me, speaking so sincerely, would have long since turned against me. And even now, if you knew everything, would you still be as frank as you are now? Or would you turn your spear against me, the villain who created all this?

"'Love' is the most precious human emotion, Bianka," Otto said slowly. "We hope that Herrscher can learn and cherish this treasure. In that case, the so-called 'Herrscher' is just a human with special powers. On this point, I believe Theresa can do a good job."

He changed the subject, "But sometimes, just like the two ends of a scale, love and hate are interdependent. What's more, when one day, that K-423, known as 'Kiana Kaslana,' inevitably discovers that her true identity is just a man-made herrscher vessel, do you think she will hate me, the Overseer who gave her a tragic fate, or will she thank me for bringing her into the world, regardless of the past?"

"If, as you say, driven by hatred, she seeks revenge on Schicksal, then how is she any different from the Herrschers of the past?" Durandal retorted.

"True companionship and meticulous care will be like shackles, firmly binding the hatred in her heart," Otto calmly explained his plan. "And at the right moment, that power will be catalyzed and transformed into what we need. And that is the meaning of Theresa and the others' existence."

"..."

Durandal fell silent again.

"Overseer, I know you always use such near-torturous methods to achieve your goals. For the future you have promised, I am willing to understand and support all your plans." She paused, then raised her eyes. "But... in such a future filled with hatred, what position have you placed yourself in?"

In the past, she had understood Otto as a somewhat eccentric but selfless great man. But now, a trace of doubt had inevitably arisen in her heart.

"Even if some things are destined to be unavoidable, I still hope for a more perfect outcome, Overseer," Durandal insisted. "Whether she is a Herrscher or a Valkyrie, she may be destined to never understand us in the future. But I still hope she can become a qualified warrior and, in the decision that determines the fate of humanity, can put aside her prejudices and stand with us."

She supported Otto as always, but she also held fast to her own principles as always.

Otto had poured his heart into her, and she had returned it with absolute trust—even when doubts began to arise, she would present them frankly to Otto, rather than hiding them in her heart.

Otto looked helplessly at his proudest student of all time. She was sometimes too excellent, which in turn caused him trouble.

"The Second Divine Key and the Second Herrscher experiments are both crucial. I can't let you take something so important and go fool around with Theresa and the others in the Far East Branch."

"...In that case, I will follow the Overseer's arrangements," Durandal said, though with some disappointment. "However, even if I can't go, I can have Rita go in my place."

"...Forget it, no need."

Faced with Durandal's persistence, Otto finally threw up his hands in surrender.

"There's still some time before the Second Divine Key experiment restarts. Before that, just think of it as a few days off for you. If you want to participate in Theresa and the others' training, I won't stop you."

His affection for Durandal was boundless, and he was naturally willing to compromise for her small "whims." But that didn't mean he would relax his restrictions.

His expression turned serious as he solemnly reminded her, "But, I must remind you, in the Far East Branch, the experiment concerning the Second Herrscher will also officially begin from today. So, which matters you can participate in, and which you absolutely must not interfere with—Bianca, I believe you can grasp the fine line between them."

Chapter 435: Aftermath (3)

Some things remained as they were, while others had quietly changed.

But no matter what, as the source of the change, everything had to be tempered and fermented by time to reveal its true impact.

In a way, Lin Wei was both Otto's enemy and the catalyst for his plan. His departure allowed Otto to proceed with his plans without worry, but because he couldn't just disappear completely, the threat remained, prompting Otto to accelerate his plans.

Durandal's arrival had also served as a reminder: the plan needed some new variables...

According to his original plan, he would let K-423 grow freely and then, at the right time, harvest the final fruit, letting this new Herrscher of the Void open the door to the final answer for him.

That was the original idea. Otto, in his pride, believed that no one could stop this process.

Because he, Anti-Entropy, and even Siegfried, who had defected from Schicksal to Anti-Entropy, all knew one thing for sure: "K-423 becoming the Herrscher of the Void" was a foregone conclusion. The only question was what kind of Herrscher she would become.

Would she be like the former Sirin, bringing great disaster to humanity, or would she still believe she was Kiana Kaslana and turn that power into a force to resist Honkai?

On this issue, everyone's interests were aligned, because there was no other choice. So, entrusting the ignorant her to Theresa was the optimal solution that Otto, Anti-Entropy, and Siegfried could all accept.

After all, his rebellious granddaughter's character was trusted by everyone...

And as her Herrscher power began to reawaken, the real struggle would begin, and this too was part of the plan.

As the front line of this "struggle," the Far East Branch would bear the brunt of it. The fractured Anti-Entropy couldn't easily gain Theresa's trust, so a well-timed enemy would push the small team of the Far East Branch to unite even more closely under pressure.

Then, at the most opportune moment, the "nail" Otto had long since planted within this small group would help him reap the rewards first, and then let the cornered Anti-Entropy, along with the betrayed Theresa, help him complete the core part of his plan...

It was an extremely confident and meticulous plan. Before an enemy that could truly threaten him appeared, he was indeed certain of victory.

In the original timeline, during the battle in ARC City, if Durandal hadn't arrived in time, he would have almost completely lost the chance to get Kiana. But that was because, before that, World Serpent had never posed a real threat to him. In his eyes, they were just another group of sneaky rats hiding in the dark.

But now, things were different. Lin Wei's ambiguous relationship with World Serpent had made him feel the hidden threat of that organization in advance.

And at the same time, the surgical precision and deadly threat that Lin Wei himself posed was a thorn in his side, a constant source of anxiety. He had tried to eliminate this threat, putting almost all his cards on the table, believing it to be foolproof. But the final result... was a mutual loss.

So, besides the losses from the battle itself, Otto now had to consider these two hidden threats. For World Serpent, investigation and vigilance were self-evident.

And for Lin Wei, even more vigilance was needed. Especially, he needed to be wary of him suddenly jumping out at the most critical moment and snatching the ripe fruit of St. Freya Academy from under his nose!

Before Durandal's arrival, he had already been thinking about this problem. And Durandal's worries, while not identical to his original intentions, coincided in content.

One unexpected event leads to another. What if one day, K-423 also stood behind Lin Wei, baring her teeth at him?

That guy was completely different from the trash at Anti-Entropy!

Even, in the face of their "common enemy," it wasn't impossible for him and the guys from Anti-Entropy to form a complete alliance. Wouldn't that be even more troublesome?

Even Fu Hua, a key piece he had always trusted—when the critical moment came, would she be as reliable as before, or would she be bewitched and defect to Lin Wei's side?

Everything was unknown, and everything had to be considered.

Because, if before, this was just a possible threat,

Then after yesterday's battle, as long as Lin Wei could return from the Sea of Quanta alive, that guy would definitely do everything in his power to turn this possibility into a reality!

And in such a future, he would be passive everywhere—just as Lin Wei had been so wretchedly hiding from his inescapable net before that one battle...

So, since Durandal had taken the initiative to suggest some changes, he had gone along with her request. Although in the face of the unchangeable facts of the past, these efforts were just a drop in the bucket, but as long as they were made, they would be of some help in the future.

And besides that...

"Lin Wei, and that World Serpent, what is their relationship?"

After Durandal left, Otto muttered to himself.

"From every indication, he is inextricably linked to that organization. But according to the various intelligence Rita has gathered, he is clearly more closely related to Anti-Entropy?"

Otto was desperate to find the final answer to this question, because—

"If the two are not one and the same, but there is indeed a conflict... can it be used to get rid of that guy for me?"

The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Otto's stance had always been flexible. To deal with his greatest enemy, he didn't mind smilingly extending an olive branch to a demon...

---||---

Far East Branch, St. Freya Academy.

It was still as peaceful and serene as a paradise, with the chirping of birds and the fragrance of flowers, laughter and cheerful chatter, the sound of reading and playing echoing endlessly. It made Fu Hua, who had just returned from North Africa, feel a little dazed.

She knew that this tranquility would one day be shattered. But it was precisely because she knew this that she cherished this fleeting moment of beauty even more—even if it was just an illusion deliberately maintained by many...

Because, to Fu Hua herself, no matter how prosperous the city, how exquisite the art, in the face of the great tide of the Honkai, they were as fragile as castles built on sand.

But whether it was herself, her former comrades, or her current companions, wasn't what they had always wanted to protect this seemingly fragile and ridiculous thing?

If the Fu Hua of fifty thousand years ago was filled with confusion, blindly following in the footsteps of others,

Then the Fu Hua of fifty thousand years later, her battle-scarred body had long since forged a heart as hard as a rock, and she would give everything for the ideals she pursued...

"Headmaster..."

Before bidding farewell to Otto and the others, Fu Hua had already returned the "lady riding the 'Moonbeam'," and was now wearing a simple martial arts uniform, back at her "campus." She had prepared a whole speech, ready to report to them on what kind of mission she had just carried out.

Specifically, Otto had already prepared it for her: A-rank Valkyrie Fu Hua assisted the headquarters' Valkyrie forces in successfully eliminating an underground organization "smuggling Honkai energy crystals," an extremely dangerous item, in the Australian region.

She had even found Theresa, who had returned to St. Freya Academy ahead of her and was now working as the headmaster, in front of her.

One could only say that with the Overseer of Schicksal helping to cheat and cover up, you could really do whatever you wanted...

"You've worked hard, Class Rep. Are you injured from the mission?"

With complete paperwork, sufficient evidence, and a seamless story, Theresa naturally couldn't see anything amiss. Seeing Fu Hua safe and sound, she let out a long sigh of relief. "Alright, go back and rest. You still have classes tomorrow."

She didn't want to listen to those long mission reports. In her opinion, as long as the mission was completed successfully and the person returned safely, that was enough. With that time, letting the little one sleep for half an hour and herself read a couple more pages of manga was better than anything!

"Yes. By the way, where is Teacher Himeko?"

After nodding, Fu Hua seemed to suddenly remember something and said with some embarrassment, "I brought back some local specialties from Shenzhou this time. They're not expensive, just a small gift for everyone..."

Of course, these things were also prepared for her by Otto in advance—to better maintain her persona.

"Hey, Class Monitor, you're still so polite."

Theresa "huffed" and jumped down from her chair, walking out from behind the tall desk with her short legs, her chest puffed out proudly. "As for Himeko... that woman is probably busy right now, right?"

"Ah, is Teacher Himeko also on a mission?"

Fu Hua was slightly taken aback and blurted out, "Where is she? Is it dangerous? Do I need to go and support her immediately?"

If at first, coming here was just an act, after more than a year of getting along, she genuinely cared about her companions here.

"No, no, Class Monitor, you've misunderstood. Don't be so nervous."

Theresa raised her small hand to comfort her, then explained, "It's like this—a few days ago, I don't know how, but Kiana was caught skipping class to go online by someone from headquarters. They called my office on the spot, demanding that I enforce teaching discipline. At that time, Himeko was sitting right where your left hand is, munching on..."

As she spoke, her slender little finger pointed to the side, where a large and comfortable sofa was—next to it, on the coffee table, was an opened can of beer, seemingly not yet finished...

No wonder the room smelled of alcohol when I came in, Fu Hua thought strangely.

"Teacher Himeko... must be very angry, right?" she said with empathy. Kiana's nature wasn't bad, it was actually excellent. But for some reason, she was always a huge headache.

"Tell me about it," Theresa shrugged helplessly. "Now the entire combat training camp is basically being used by her to give Kiana one-on-one 'tutoring.' She's really furious this time, and can't be reasoned with..."

As they spoke, faint "thump, thump" sounds could be heard from a distance, along with a muffled but still audible scream...

"..."

Fu Hua was silent for a moment, choosing her words carefully. After a moment's hesitation, she said, "That's really rough..."

"Tell me about it," Theresa shrugged again, looking helpless.

As they spoke, the office door was suddenly pushed open, and a red-haired woman with a murderous aura stormed in.

"Headmaster...eh, Fu Hua, you're here too?"

Seeing the second person in the office, Himeko's murderous aura instantly subsided. Her eyes swept around, then lit up. She walked over, grabbed the beer can from the table, tilted her head back, and chugged it down.

After finishing, Himeko threw it into the trash can with a look of disgust. "Ptooey, ptooey... this has no taste anymore. Theresa, you didn't throw it away?"

"Didn't you put it there yourself?" Theresa shrugged innocently. "And isn't it just right? Drinking is forbidden during class, but this kind of 'wheat beverage' that's been open for a few days and the alcohol has mostly evaporated should still be within the rules, right? It's just... you'll probably have to go to the infirmary later."

This was one of her little pranks. She and Himeko often teased and disliked each other like this.

"Go to the infirmary? You're underestimating the constitution of an A-rank Valkyrie! Get out of the way!" Himeko said with a dismissive pout. She then deliberately pushed aside Theresa's small body and expertly retrieved a new bottle of beer from the headmaster's office cabinet. With a "click," she opened it and chugged it down again, sighing with satisfaction. "Ah... this is what beer should taste like..."

One could only say that neither of them was very proper.

"So, tired from fighting?" Theresa propped herself on the desk, waving her hand in disgust to drive away the smell of alcohol. "Drinking so much, aren't you afraid of not holding back?"

"Not holding back? That girl is tougher than you!" Himeko rolled her eyes and shouted. "You didn't see Kiana's antics just now. She was screaming and jumping around, but she tired me out!"

"Who are you calling tough?" Theresa was instantly offended, jumping up and shouting, "In the whole school, you, the bombshell woman, have the thickest skin!"

She was triggered.

"Alright, alright, there's a student here. Watch your words!"

Seeing Theresa's words getting out of hand again, the morally upright Himeko quickly raised her hand to stop her. She turned to Fu Hua and said, "Class Monitor, you just got back from a mission. Don't stand here watching us boring adults fool around. Go back to your dorm and rest. You don't have to attend classes this afternoon."

"Okay, Teacher Himeko."

Fu Hua nodded seriously like a truly good student, then added, "If there's anything I can do to help..."

"Hey, no need. It's just punishing a disobedient bad student," Himeko waved her hand. "Go and rest. By the way, if you have time, go check on Kiana for me. That girl is always stubborn and likes to act tough. Don't let her hide any injuries and pretend she's fine..."

Even when she was this angry, she was still concerned about her student's physical condition.

"...Okay."

Fu Hua gave her a deep look, left two of the "gifts" she had prepared, and turned to leave the large office.

Behind her, the faint sound of their conversation could be heard.

"That Fu Hua girl is still so polite..."

Himeko said, her tone a mixture of disappointment and frustration. "They're all students in the same class. How can the difference be so big?"

"I don't think the difference is that big. Look, aren't they both embarrassing themselves at headquarters?" Theresa said with a very annoying laugh.

"What kind of headmaster are you?" Himeko was instantly annoyed and shouted, "That good student of yours, skipping class to go online is one thing, but to go to the Valkyrie forums and make a fool of herself? And now you're not ashamed of it, you're proud of it?"

It was both infuriating and funny. Anyone who didn't know better would think she was the headmaster.

"Hey, don't I have you to vent my anger for me?" Theresa said with a smile. "I haven't been on the Valkyrie forums in a while. Because of this, I even went to take a look, to see what kind of earth-shattering trouble Kiana had gotten into this time. But I found something very interesting..."

"What interesting thing?" Himeko scoffed. "That forum has long since become a gossip hub. What's there to see?"

"It's because of the gossip!" Theresa's voice suddenly became mysterious. "Let me tell you, there seems to be a good man at headquarters recently. What's his name... what was it again? Forget it, I can't remember. But from the name, he's probably from Shenzhou like Fu Hua. What do you think, want to seize the opportunity? I'll set you up and marry you off?"

Bang!

Another loud crash made Fu Hua, who was eavesdropping at the door, wince.

"My kindness is taken for granted. If you don't want to, fine. Why such a big reaction?" Theresa grumbled. "The repair costs for the office will be deducted from your salary!"

"..."

Hearing this, Fu Hua didn't listen any further and quietly left. Since they didn't suspect her, she didn't need to be on guard.

It was just...

The person Theresa had accidentally mentioned had surprised her a little. So his name had even reached here.

"Terrifying."

Fu Hua shook her head, thinking, though she didn't know what she found so terrifying.

Was it terrifying that he had no connection to this school? Because a year ago, she had seen with her own eyes that he had a special feeling for this school...

Was it terrifying that he had no connection to her, to the others here? Because this was Otto's experimental ground, she was Otto's accomplice, and he was Otto's enemy...

Or was it terrifying that he had already left, and even if there had been a connection before, there was no chance now? She didn't know.

She only knew that she both regretted his departure and was relieved by it. Because the conflict between him and Otto had not, as she had most feared, resulted in a tragic outcome that would have greatly damaged Schicksal. If that had happened, humanity's already bleak future would have been cast in an even deeper shadow.

"Thank goodness..." Fu Hua thought.

"Terrifying..." Fu Hua thought.

Her heart was full of contradictions.

Just like everyone who knew him, but she had met him first, she had witnessed his initial path, so this contradiction was particularly strong.

She understood his heart, knew that he didn't want his friends to be troubled by this conflict, so he chose to exile himself, actively resolving this conflict for everyone.

So besides relief and regret, her heart couldn't help but feel a sense of guilt, just like the others who were present at the time.

But as his first acquaintance, his witness, this guilt was as strong as that contradiction... Compared to Otto, she would rather be partners with someone like Lin Wei.

Although the two of them had so many similarities, that tiny little difference made Lin Wei a completely different person.

She had seen it, his changes over the past year were great. But she had also seen that even with such great changes, there were some things about him that had never changed...

"Terrifying..." Fu Hua thought, if Teacher Himeko had the chance to meet him, she would probably like him a lot too, right? But if that were the case, would it be a good thing or a bad thing? She didn't know, because such an "if" had never happened...

Fu Hua moved quickly.

As a model student of good character and excellent learning, she delivered the "gifts" she had prepared long ago, one by one, to every teacher's office, every student's dormitory.

She went from door to door, room to room, visiting and leaving, treating everyone equally, with no one being an exception and no one being left out.

For example...

"Knock, knock, knock."

Fu Hua knocked gently on an office door again.

"Come in."

A somewhat weak male voice sounded. Hearing the voice, Fu Hua gently pushed the door open.

"Class Monitor, you're back?"

Welt looked up, his eyes behind the thick lenses smiling at the girl carrying a bag of gifts. He asked gently, "Is there something I can help you with?" His tone was like that of a respected teacher.

"Yes, there is indeed something I need to tell you, Mr. Welt."

Fu Hua politely placed the bag of gifts on the table, took off her glasses, and said in a low voice, "Otto's plan is about to begin. This place will soon become a land of trouble. So, for your safety, it's best to prepare to leave as soon as possible!"

The reason she had gone through such a big roundabout way was for this one small purpose...

Chapter 436: Aftermath (4)

Fu Hua took off the red-framed glasses she used for her "role-playing" and said seriously to Welt, "Mr. Welt, for your safety, it's best to prepare to leave as soon as possible!"

As a participant and partial observer of yesterday's battle, and as someone who had a deep understanding of both Otto and Lin Wei, Fu Hua knew clearly that after the battle ended in such a "mutual loss," Otto's ever-restless heart must be filled with a strong sense of crisis.

Therefore, although Fu Hua had asked nothing and Otto had said nothing, she was extremely certain of one fact: since the result was so unsatisfactory, in order to seize the opportunity while he still had control of the situation, now that Lin Wei had just been driven out of the Eigenworld and would not interfere with him in the short term, he must and had to hurry up and take action...

The arrow was on the bow, it had to be fired. Otto had long since torn up his own retreat path. He had no choice but to continue on the path he had planned for himself.

Therefore, the peace of St. Freya Academy would soon be broken, and Welt's presence here would become increasingly awkward.

Out of the trust and tacit understanding between friends, Fu Hua felt she had a duty to warn him of the risk.

Out of her identity and responsibility here, while conveying her goodwill, Fu Hua was also implicitly warning him—I work for Otto, after all. Before you and I become enemies, hurry up and leave.

She had never asked what Welt was doing lurking in St. Freya Academy.

Whether it was for medical treatment or to monitor Kiana from a close distance, as long as he didn't do anything dangerous, she turned a blind eye to his presence.

But now, things had changed. Once Otto started to move, Anti-Entropy would inevitably follow suit.

In this situation, how could she, Otto's biggest spy in St. Freya Academy, and Welt, the leader of Anti-Entropy personally lurking in St. Freya Academy, greet each other calmly on campus as they had before?

Uh... well, given their personalities, it wasn't impossible...

But no matter how you thought about it, it was strange, so it was better to forget it.

"...Ms. Fu Hua, did you carry out a special mission this time you were out?"

Welt was taken aback and blurted it out, but then he suddenly realized he had overstepped his bounds and quickly added, "I'm sorry, I don't mean to pry into any secrets. I'm just a little surprised by the news you brought..."

He knew how precious the delicate tacit understanding and trust between him and Fu Hua were, so he especially didn't want to cause any unnecessary misunderstandings.

"It's alright, Mr. Welt. I won't suspect you of anything because of this," Fu Hua said. After a moment of thought, she conveyed the information completely and concisely.

"I did indeed carry out a very special mission—to cooperate with Otto and the headquarters forces directly under him to knock the Mr. Lin Wei you knew of before into the Sea of Quanta. Spurred by him, Otto is about to start carrying out his plan and is likely to further strengthen his control over St. Freya Academy."

The content was brief, but the information density was extremely high. So Fu Hua paused for a moment to let Welt digest it before continuing.

"It's no longer safe for you to stay here. It's best to leave as soon as possible."

After saying what she needed to say, without waiting for a response from Welt, Fu Hua took the glasses out of her pocket again, put them on, and returned to her "role," saying, "As a student bringing gifts to the teachers, I won't stay here any longer, otherwise it might arouse suspicion. I'll take my leave now."

After saying that, she gave Welt a slight nod and then walked straight out the door, clearly having no intention of continuing the conversation.

She was a cautious person and would not expose such an obvious flaw in such a small detail.

"..."

Fu Hua came suddenly and left in a hurry. Before Welt could say anything more, he was left alone in the office, with only the "gift" Fu Hua had left on the table.

The information Fu Hua brought was indeed quite unexpected and important.

St. Freya Academy was a relatively closed "paradise," and he himself rarely communicated with the outside world, having been engrossed in his work here. Therefore, his ability to obtain information from the outside world was extremely poor.

Generally speaking, this wasn't a problem. After all, after the Second Honkai War, both Anti-Entropy and Schicksal had suffered heavy losses.

For so many years, everyone had been busy licking their wounds and dealing with the urgent tasks at hand. Generally speaking, no "major accidents" would occur.

After all, theoretically, wasn't the biggest "accident" currently studying at this school?

He was already so close to the "accident," could there be any other accidents?

There shouldn't have been, but now, an accident had really occurred...

Lin Wei, like a suddenly appearing rhinoceros, had charged through the whole world, only avoiding St. Freya Academy. In this way, the prerequisite that allowed him to proceed step by step no longer existed, and Welt himself was still unaware of it.

This was very awkward!

And also very dangerous...

The old and cunning Fu Hua saw this subtle fact clearly.

So, before the storm reached St. Freya Academy, she had taken the initiative to inform him of the major changes and risks that had just occurred in the outside world, helping Welt to fill in this missing key information.

With that, Fu Hua had done her duty. Whether Welt decided to leave or stay, she would not ask any more questions.

In fact, from the moment she walked out that door, the tacit "cooperation" between them had officially ended. Now that their identities and positions were about to become opposed, it was no longer appropriate to maintain ambiguity.

She still wouldn't report Welt's presence, but in return, she would also start to be wary of any dangerous actions Welt might take...

Fu Hua's decisive attitude was tantamount to a further declaration of danger. But even so, Welt was still grateful—or rather, it was precisely because of this that he was even more grateful.

Because...

"Otto, did he succeed again?"

Remembering what Fu Hua had just said about the fate of Mr. Lin Wei, whom he had never met but who had left a deep impression on him, he couldn't suppress the grief and indignation in his heart. It reminded him of the friends who had left him over the years...

"Ms. Fu Hua and that Mr. Lin Wei must be friends too, right? She must be feeling even worse about the current result... Did she talk to me about this because she doesn't want me to end up the same way?"

He empathized with Fu Hua's feelings and began to seriously consider his next move—to leave now, or to continue to wait...

Besides secretly observing Kiana, he wanted to know more about what Otto was planning for her.

So for this period of time, besides teaching seriously, he had been secretly investigating every corner of this academy, trying to find clues to this question.

Now, although he hadn't found the answer he wanted, he had accidentally discovered something else—for example, he had discovered what kind of insane "secrets" were buried in the deepest part of this academy, the Cecilia Clone.

He believed that if he could let that headmaster, whose morals and character were worthy of respect, witness that bloody and cruel truth with her own eyes, then in the near future, exposing Otto's lies, regaining her trust, and even having her, her students, and her followers become allies on his side would not be an impossible task.

With this alone, as long as he could successfully bring this news to the Doctor and the others, his "infiltration" this time would not be in vain!

But in his heart, he didn't want to leave halfway, because—

"I also promised to help Mr. Siegfried and his daughter meet..."

Welt muttered to himself with a wry smile.

"How can a person not keep their word?"

As another "work result" of his "infiltration," using the power of the Herrscher of Reason, he had long since silently hacked into the headmaster's private "holographic training room" and secretly left a backdoor there.

He could see that Theresa doted on her somewhat naughty "niece." To help her improve, sooner or later she would bring her to her private training room for "extra lessons." At that time, using that backdoor, he could link Siegfried, who was outside, into the system, and let this long-separated father and daughter successfully meet once through holographic images.

Wouldn't that be a perfect and logical thing to do?

Welt felt he already owed Siegfried a lot and had a duty and obligation to help him fulfill this small wish.

Welt had originally planned to leave after this last thing. Now that he was so close to success, how could he be willing to give up halfway?

In the end, impulsiveness, emotionality, and so on were not lacking in him.

These traits both gave him abundant humanity and emotion, and also brought him many troublesome flaws, making him and the entire Anti-Entropy always at a natural disadvantage when facing Otto and Schicksal.

Ironically, this seemingly innate passivity had been greatly alleviated after Cocolia joined Anti-Entropy...

He was still struggling with indecision, but the moment he thought of Cocolia, he suddenly calmed down.

"I should contact the Doctor. Tell them the situation here and discuss the next course of action together..."

"..."

Fu Hua didn't linger at Welt's door for even a second, nor did she eavesdrop as she had at the headmaster's office. She just methodically delivered her "gifts" to every teacher and every student.

As the best student of St. Freya Academy, the most respected class monitor, she had a duty to be humble and set a good example...

"Classmate Kiana, classmate Mei, classmate Bronya..."

At the last stop, Fu Hua gently knocked on the door of the adjacent dormitory. A minute later, a slender girl with gray drills for hair opened the door for her.

"Class Monitor, please come in," Bronya said politely, looking up. Her voice was as flat as ever.

"Classmate Bronya, where..."

Fu Hua was about to ask where the other two were when she heard a very recognizable voice from the room on the second floor.

"Mei, be gentle! Gentle... hiss, it hurts... hey, wait, wait, it sounds like someone's here?"

That wailing voice could only be Kiana's.

The next second, a fluffy white-haired head with a yellowish tint curiously poked out the door. The moment she saw who it was, she froze, then her expression darkened, and with a "clang," she slammed the door shut, retreating without hesitation.

"Damn it, why is it this class monitor again?"

Kiana could be heard shouting from behind the door.

"Why is she at our place at this time? Is she here specifically to laugh at me? Hiss... it hurts, it hurts..."

"..."

Bronya looked at Fu Hua innocently. You saw that, right?

She still couldn't understand. Kiana seemed like a nice person usually. Why did she always get so irritable whenever she saw Fu Hua, as if she had eaten gunpowder?

At first, she thought Kiana was jealous of her outstanding peer, but she quickly dismissed that suspicion.

She beat her soundly every time they played games, and that idiot, besides shouting "I'm not convinced, let's go again" after every crushing defeat and continuing to fight and lose with high spirits, she had never seen her do anything to her.

She asked Mei, and even Mei just shook her head. So, she was even more confused...

"It's alright, I won't disturb you," Fu Hua was used to this and wasn't surprised at all. She just smiled and left the last gift, then turned and left without hesitation.

The reason she came was to confirm Kiana's condition. A single glance was enough.

Full of energy, high spirits, looked very healthy!

It was just, could her enviable vitality last forever?

Fu Hua thought silently, hoping it could...

She looked up at the sky, at the gradually setting sun in the distance, and felt a little melancholy and lost for a moment.

"The future, what will it be like?"

She didn't know.

She only knew that after Lin Wei left, she seemed to be alone again...