Thousand-Person Ruler's Personal Opinion

Cocolia: "Buy... uh, you don't need to buy this. Just have the technical department make it for you."

Cocolia brought the children to the restaurant, making all sorts of generous promises along the way.

So, when it was time to eat, the three children doted on their beautiful and generous Mother Cocolia. Someone massaged her shoulders, someone served her food, and another person specifically poured her drinks.

Cocolia enjoyed her lunch, feeling quite pleased with herself.

But the happy days didn't last long.

On a stormy night, Rosaliya and Liliya came down with a fever.

"It's confirmed. It's an outbreak of Honkai Energy corrosion."

"Cure them!"

"We've done everything we can, Madam Cocolia. There's no real cure for the corrosion. Even with the progress from previous experiments, we can only alleviate the symptoms at best. I know this is hard to accept, but Madam Cocolia, they... they probably won't last much longer. You need to be prepared."

"...How much time do I have left?"

"It's hard to predict, but three to five years at most."

"Alright, do your best."

Cocolia's expression was blank. She took one last look at Rosaliya and Liliya, who were asleep on the experimental table with numerous medical tubes inserted into their bodies, and then quietly left the laboratory.

She went to the resting room outside and sat on a bench. Tilting her head back, she covered her eyes with her arm and sighed, her heart filled with unease.

'The purpose of the X-10 Experiment was to find a way for the human body to coexist with Honkai Energy, thereby saving the children Cocolia had taken in in this country who were suffering from Honkai Energy corrosion.'

'Unfortunately, the experiment ultimately failed. Cocolia lost Seele, lost Bronya's trust, and later lost those children one after another... Now, Cocolia Orphanage, once a safe haven for these unfortunate children, only has Bronya, An, Rosaliya, Liliya, and Seele, who is lost in the Quantum World.'

'No wonder she was so desperate, even risking an attack on Raiden Ryoma, and even going so far as to create Herrschers. Because Herrschers were the only possibility for the X-10 Experiment to succeed. If she couldn't complete the experiment and find a treatment, she would soon lose Rosaliya and Liliya.'

'Hateful people can also have their own hardships and shining moments. Is this what it means to be a character in a 2D world?'

'Or is this simply human nature?'

The Anqis pondered for a while before giving up on delving deeper into Cocolia's true nature.

Whitewashing the current Cocolia, Anqi, was a matter of the Anqis' self-interest.

As for whitewashing the original Cocolia, sorry, the Anqis didn't have that kind of saintly heart. A simple "good riddance" was enough.

"Mom?"

As Cocolia was lost in thought, she heard An's soft call, tinged with worry.

Cocolia lowered her arm, opened her eyes, and saw An standing beside her with a slight frown. Cocolia offered a faint smile, reached out to touch An's face, and said gently, "It's so late, why aren't you asleep yet?"

"Don't ask what you already know! So, how are those two idiots? Is it serious?"

"It's nothing, they just ate too much during the day and got a stomachache..."

"Do you take me for a child?"

An rolled her eyes, put her hands on her hips, her furrowed brow betraying her agitated and impatient mood.

Cocolia's smile faltered. Helpless, she gently hugged the girl in front of her and soothed her in a soft tone, "They're really fine. They'll be back to their energetic selves in a couple of days."

"...How much time is left?"

"To be conservative, three years. But don't worry, I have many ideas. I will definitely find a cure within three years. Trust me, Mom!"

"Mhm."

An nodded slightly.

Having experienced Mother Cocolia's affection these past few days, in this suddenly somber atmosphere, An felt Cocolia's burden and her love for them more than ever before.

Thinking this, An bit her lip and finally stroked Cocolia's back, comforting her, "Actually, none of us blame you, Mom. Elizabeth, Fabelin, Luluan... We all understand that you saved us. You've already done enough, and you've tried your best. So, if, I mean, if even those two idiots... don't blame yourself, because they definitely wouldn't blame you either, Mother Cocolia."

An tried her best to find comforting words in her mind, but she had never done anything like this before, so the more she spoke, the more confused she became. She could only try her best to express her thoughts.

Cocolia was stunned for a moment, her eyes flickering. Finally, with a soft, rippling glow, she smiled and said, "Thank you, An. Mom is very touched."

"Who, who, who... Who needs you to be touched! No, I mean, just pull yourself together!"

An's face immediately turned red. She replied awkwardly yet caringly.

There were other children alive in the Cocolia Orphanage, but those characters were too difficult to develop, so let's consider it a disparity between parallel worlds. The setting here is that only the few girls who appeared in the game's story remain.

Chapter 39: Gray Serpent: I've Discovered Your True Nature!

"Do you think Cocolia is a failure?"

"Hmm?"

"It's awful, trying so desperately to hold onto everything in my hands, only to keep losing it all. Even the ones I cherish are pushed away by my own doing. What a terrible life this is! Don't you agree, Gray Serpent?"

"Hmm? I came to ask why you suddenly destroyed Welt's experimental base and all the experimental data and records. Did you forget to share your portion with me?"

On the floating communication screen, Gray Serpent, shrouded in a black robe against a pitch-black background, had only a mechanical eye emitting a cold, ominous red glow.

Cocolia, however, paid no mind to her ally's unfriendly demeanor. She stroked An, who was dozing on her lap, and gazed at An's adorable face. Without looking up, she said, "The X-10 experiment was a complete failure. I lost Seele, and then I was about to lose even more children. I was so desperate, with no other path, that I chose to induce artificial Honkai, creating a Herrscher experimental subject in Changkong City myself... and then I failed again."

"Cocolia, don't beat around the bush! I'm talking to you about Welt's experiment!"

"Gray Serpent, Gray Serpent, what have I done to make you disrespect me so much?"

"Huh?"

Gray Serpent on the other end of the communicator was taken aback, his thought process momentarily freezing.

Wait, normally, Cocolia would be smiling and making demands at this point, asking for some technical benefits in exchange for experimental data, right?

What's with this vague, inscrutable attitude? What does it mean?

Cocolia still didn't look up, letting the communication screen hover in the air as she focused on tidying An's hair. Her voice was melancholic, "You painted a rosy picture of the X-10 experiment's success. I trusted you, and I followed through at any cost, even persuading my daughters to become experimental subjects. But all I've gained so far is loss."

"When my experiments repeatedly failed, you did nothing. When I abandoned my humanity to trigger artificial Honkai for experiments, you did nothing. When I failed again and faced multiple pressures from the radicals, conservatives, and even Schicksal, you still did nothing."

"I know that your God-City Pharmaceutical Shenzhou branch has recently been completed, giving you more funding, connections, and facilities. You no longer need an ally like me. But after I exhausted myself dealing with a series of unstable factors, and then my daughters' Honkai illness acted up... on the worst day of my life, you show up and question me: where's the experimental data?"

Cocolia slowly raised her head, her purple eyes devoid of any emotion, like a cold, humanoid machine.

This was a look Gray Serpent had never seen before.

Gray Serpent couldn't help but reflect.

Indeed, Cocolia was the collaborator I chose, a tool, to put it bluntly. But a tool is still a person, with complex human emotions. Cocolia has gone through so many terrible things, and I, as her ally, start with an accusation. Have I truly hurt her feelings? And this tool still has a lot of value to exploit; perhaps I should try to appease her?

"Gray Serpent, Gray Serpent, what have I done to make you disrespect me so much?"

Cocolia looked at the screen, her expression icy cold, but in terms of sheer presence, she was in no way inferior to Gray Serpent on the other side.

Gray Serpent's mechanical eye flickered. After weighing the pros and cons, he deemed it necessary to understand and appease Cocolia's negative emotions.

"I apologize, perhaps I was too hasty. As you said, to better conduct the experiments, I've spent most of my energy on the construction and communication of the Shenzhou branch recently, and I failed to consider the overall situation. I apologize to you."

"...I've found Welt Yang's whereabouts."

Cocolia offered the intelligence casually, without commenting on Gray Serpent's apology.

Gray Serpent's mechanical eye flickered again.

"Is that so? Then I understand. If that Leader is still well, then there's a reason to destroy the Joyce Clone Experiment. After all, a clone is still a clone. That kind of power is fine for dealing with Valkyries or Titans, but it's insignificant compared to the original."

Although it's a bit overly cautious and doesn't quite fit Cocolia's usual aggressive style.

But considering Cocolia's series of aggressive actions has put her in a difficult position, caught between internal and external pressures, her desire to avoid the malicious intent of Welt Yang's ultimate power is understandable.

Gray Serpent weighed his options. He actually already possessed most of the data from this experiment. Cocolia destroying the laboratory only meant he was missing some recent data, and the loss wasn't severe. Besides, Cocolia might not have destroyed the final portion of the data; she might still be holding onto it, waiting to trade with him.

With this in mind, Gray Serpent decided not to provoke Cocolia, who was clearly not in the right emotional state.

"I apologize for intruding tonight. I'll leave you to it for now, and we can talk when you have time."

"Wait."

As Gray Serpent was about to cut the communication, Cocolia spoke, stopping him.

Gray Serpent paused, finding the current state of Cocolia unsettling and difficult to fathom. He decided to maintain his composure and asked, "Is there anything else?"

"Medicine to treat Honkai illness... I'm not asking to save all the children in the world anymore. I just want to treat Rosaliya and Liliya, even if it's just to reduce their suffering to some extent and buy us time... Do you have anything?"

"..."

"Schicksal's Oceania branch is planning to artificially create Herrschers, and they desire the Gem. Schicksal Headquarters holds the Gem of Serenity and is planning the same thing. Furthermore, Welt is at St. Freya, and I'm still investigating what game he and Theresa Apocalypse are playing. This is also the main reason I haven't stormed St. Freya to retrieve the Herrscher and my daughters."

Cocolia threw out a few more pieces of information. The first two were absolute secrets still in Schicksal's planning stages, information that even World Serpent couldn't have known in advance.

Gray Serpent remained outwardly still, but inwardly, he was quite shocked and constantly speculating:

'When did her intelligence network become so terrifying? Have I been underestimating her all along? Yes, as Dr. Mobius said, humanity's greatest strength lies in infinite possibilities, which also represents infinite growth potential. She's climbed to this position step by step; I really shouldn't underestimate her.'

'Perhaps the image she projected to me in the past was all a deliberate disguise to lull me into a false sense of security?'

'It's just that tonight, her emotions are close to breaking, and she's truly at her wit's end, so she can't wear her mask and is showing her true self.'

Gray Serpent felt that if he could make facial expressions, his face under the hood would likely be smiling.

This communication tonight wasn't in vain. At least I've seen how extraordinary Cocolia is. In the future, I must adopt a more cautious attitude, lest I be tricked by her someday.

Gray Serpent replied, "I don't, but we have indeed made attempts in that regard. If we achieve any results later, I will notify you."

"Alright, we'll talk next time then. I'm tired, goodbye."

Cocolia cut off the communication and then, truly exhausted, let out a sigh.

"Tricked them."

"But robots are really difficult to deal with."

"Does he genuinely not have it yet, or is he waiting for a better offer? I remember the Ashwatthama Gene Fusion Potion that Rosaliya and Liliya used last time was given by Gray Serpent back then, wasn't it?"

"But we don't have anyone in World Serpent yet, so we can't do anything about him now."

"Currently, the only confirmed antidote—HSN-b46 Serum, invented by Schicksal's Dr. Maki—has been recognized by the higher-ups of Schicksal, Anti-Entropy, and World Serpent as a treatment for Valkyries. After being improved by Tesla, it can even suppress Sirin back into Kiana's body."

"Everyone, for the sake of our lovely Rosaliya and Liliya, I'm afraid we'll have to send personnel to Schicksal headquarters. We can't just wait for Dr. Maki to defect and then snatch it like in the original story. After all, we've all gotten involved in this world, and there are already too many uncertainties."

"This is really damn exciting! I originally wanted to avoid that Archbishop as much as possible, but now I have to go near him proactively. If things go wrong, we might all get wiped out!"

"So, are we doing it?"

"For two lifetimes, this is my first time being a mother."

"Such cute children..."

"Well, in life, there are always times when you have to take risks for something."

"Besides, Otto needs Dominance, so we'll inevitably clash sooner or later. Planting a mine near him is something we'll have to do eventually."

"We might not get exposed."

"Then let's do it!" xn

Chapter 40: Anqi: This is a win-win!

The plan to infiltrate Schicksal headquarters took a turn the next day.

"Ah, thinking about it, it was too reckless."

"Yeah, yeah, that's Schicksal headquarters, right under Otto's nose, a true concentration of black technology! It's not like St. Freya, which is just a toy prepared for Headmaster Theresa."