Gray Serpent: Bound to Fail / Jackal

"Honkai has occurred in Dubai, UAE. According to data analysis from headquarters, it is possible that Emperor-class Honkai Beast will be born. I need to go and support the local Valkyrie."

"I see. Then I wish you good luck in your military campaign. I just received a new mission and need to go back to headquarters to check some information, so I can't accompany Durandal."

Rita sighed with some regret.

We had already come this far, and I thought we would have some time alone together on the way back and on the way there.

Then, with a hint of expectation, Rita asked:

"For Durandal, this kind of mission shouldn't take too long, and you'll be back at headquarters afterward, right?"

"Well, not really. I've already accumulated quite a bit of vacation credit, and after this mission, I was planning to go on a trip."

Durandal stroked her chin with great interest, seemingly considering her upcoming itinerary.

Rita paused for a moment, then smiled and said:

"... Then have a pleasant journey."

Durandal, a high-grade wood born of Schicksal!

After so many years of relationship, you're going on a trip alone?

You could at least invite me!

Durandal instinctively sensed something was wrong. She looked at Rita, but after a while, she lowered her head again, having gained nothing, and continued to think about her travel itinerary.

At this moment, Delta seemed to become interested and suddenly said:

"Do you have a preferred location, Durandal?"

"Hmm, I remember mentioning England when I was chatting with Rita last time. I'm quite interested in it. How about we go check out London?"

"London, huh? It seems quite famous. But I've heard that outside of the famous tourist areas, the sanitation conditions aren't very good."

"Huh? Is that even possible? Hmm, let me see for myself first."

Durandal scratched her head and replied with a smile.

Delta tapped the metal armrest of her wheelchair with her fingers, turned her head to look out the window, and saw the long-lost outline of the Oceania Branch appear beneath the sea of clouds.

Then, she subtly raised the corners of her mouth.

'London City Holiday.'

'The second Divine Key hidden above the Thames, a crucial link in Otto's plan to ascend to godhood, along with the perfectly disguised Susana, and the World Serpent attempting to conceal the Divine Key.'

'So, it's come to this.'

'The long-feared Schicksal Headquarters, the elusive World Serpent, and the Divine Key —it seems I'll have to take a risk this time.'

Anqi pondered, they all revealed sly and adorable smiles.

Chapter 124 Gray Serpent: Taking the Pill

"Otto has set his sights on London. It seems he's confirmed that the city holds clues to the Second Divine Key, or perhaps—he's confirmed that the Divine Key is located in that city. What do you say, Gray Serpent?"

In the dimly lit office, Cocolia sat with her legs crossed in a high-quality leather office chair, stroking Xing's head. Her casual words carried an inexplicable air of authority.

The Gray Serpent remained silent, and the red light in its mechanical eyes showed no fluctuation.

I was actually very panicked.

Damn it, we went to great lengths to erase all the clues, and we haven't found Otto in five hundred years. How did we suddenly hit the target?

Could it be that a traitor has emerged from my World Serpent?

"Well! I think he might be guessing?"

Are you out of your mind?

Cocolia returned a polite look.

The Gray Serpent choked for a moment, realizing he had spoken without thinking, and then said again:

"What I mean is, this news is very important. If it's the Divine Key, we must get our hands on it first, or at least not let it fall into Otto's hands, otherwise it will be very disadvantageous for us."

"Yes, that's what I meant too. So, that's why I came to share information with you. According to the intelligence I have, the whereabouts of the Second God's Sword should be closely related to the Arthurian Legend of the Ancient British Peninsula."

"Cough cough cough!"

The Gray Serpent tried to cover itself up with a loud noise.

Damn it, how come you, you vixen, guessed so accurately? Was my cover-up too clumsy? Or has there really been a traitor?

Cocolia curled her bright red lips into a smile, stroking Anzu's head with even greater affection, and said:

"It seems my information was correct."

"Uh, please don't misunderstand, what I mean is..."

"Alright, alright, there's no need to repeat the same things to fool idiots. I know your world has an extraordinary origin, and I'm too lazy to dwell on what you did in ancient times, but what you said is true—in any case, it's acceptable for the Divine Key to fall into my hands or yours, but it just can't be given to Otto."

Cocolia, appearing extremely composed.

The Gray Serpent found humans truly troublesome, especially their current allies and Otto, who had been secretly watching them—each generation was more cunning than the last!

Cocolia sighed calmly, leaned forward slightly, and said in a slightly imposing manner:

"I don't like all that formalities. To be frank, I can offer a Ninti. What about you?"

The Gray Serpent's electronic eyes finally started flashing.

"Ninti? It's said that she fused with the power of the Honkai Beast Chiyou?"

"Yes! It's a little embarrassing to admit, but I only intended for her to broaden her horizons and get closer to our beloved Alliance Leader. Who knew she'd be so mischievous, actually managing to subdue Chiyou and make him willingly entrust his life and power to her? Sigh, a child only a few months old has already learned to be rebellious; I don't know how I'll manage her in the future!"

Cocolia looked embarrassed and troubled.

The Gray Serpent listened quietly.

Yes, it's really mischievous. It's become the first perfect-level Fusion Warrior of the new era, directly possessing the power to suppress Artificial Herrscher. Even in the previous era, it wouldn't be considered cannon fodder.

To put it bluntly, at this stage, Cocolia has the potential to sweep through the entire World Serpent with just Ninti alone. Not to mention she also has the Titan BT72 Model, enough to entangle with the Herrscher.

The balance of power has been reversed.

Now, Cocolia is no longer a pawn that Gray Serpent can easily manipulate; instead, she has become a force that he must be wary of.

Doctor, is this what you've always referred to as the infinite possibilities of humankind?

"I also admire Miss Ninti's strength. But Europe is still the stronghold of Schicksal, and it is unwise to confront it head-on."

"You mean?"

"Let them search in the wrong places. Many years ago, Otto searched the entire London, but he didn't know that the Second Divine Key was not stored in the real world, so he found nothing. It's the same this time. Let them waste their time for a while, and they will naturally give up."

Knowing more about Cocolia than expected, Gray Serpent decided to be more open and didn't hide his intention to continue hiding the Second Divine Key.

However, this time the Gray Serpent had underestimated the situation.

The Second Divine Key is crucial to Otto's ultimate plan, and this time, he is determined to achieve his goal.

Cocolia wouldn't warn Gray Serpent. She hadn't planned to get involved in the London incident anyway; capturing Saniyat was already sensitive enough, and getting involved in Otto's plans might just provoke the pure-hearted war goddess to lose her temper.

Cocolia get some benefits along the way.

"Since you've said that, I can stay out of it, provided you guarantee Otto won't get it. That guy has accumulated 500 years of foundation, and his current advantage is already terrifying enough. If he gets another Divine Key, it will be even harder to fight him."

"Thank you for your understanding. I will send you some information about Fusion Warrior later, which should be helpful to Miss Ninti's situation."

"The Gray Serpent said calmly."

This was precisely what he intended to give away—the concept of a new era's Fusion Warrior resonated deeply with him. Upholding the heroic beliefs of this Flame-Chasers of hope for the new era, Gray Serpent was happy to offer its assistance.

Now is the perfect time to repay a favor.

Cocolia nodded, a satisfied smile on her face.

"Next time you find something good like this, tell me sooner. It's not like I can't exchange it. Like I said, as long as it's good for my daughter, I don't mind taking a loss."

"I've got it. I'll go arrange the operation in London now. Thank you for the intelligence; it was very helpful to us."

"You've become much more polite. It seems you've reflected on what I said to you last time?"

"Thank you for your guidance. See you next time."

The Gray Serpent cut off the communication.

Then, he pressed his hand to his mask and sighed with a headache.

"Otto has indeed found a direction, which is not easy. If it is only Rita Losweiser, it will be fine, but if Durandal or Delta are involved, I have no trump cards to use. Cocolia, that she-fox, is also eyeing the situation covetously. I cannot let her interfere, otherwise the situation will be even worse."

"Fortunately, she has kept her word in all the collaborations so far, so there is still some guarantee of her credibility, right?"

"In any case, the Second Divine Key is related to the Hengsha Project, and it is also Venerable Lord ordered us to take good care of. We cannot hand it over!"

Gray Serpent thought for a moment and then dialed the Jackal's communication line.

However, what appears in the picture is a pair of round and full spherical arcs, seemingly held by Jackal, while she herself is moving up and down, searching for something.

"Jackal, what are you doing?"

"Huh? I'm looking for the cat! What do you want? Don't bother me if you don't have something to say, my time is precious! Stan, Stan, Stan, where are you? It's time to eat~~"

"Stop fooling around!"

"Why are you taking it out on me? You think you can take a chicken feather for a big deal? Don't forget we're equals, and I'm not much less experienced than you. Stop pretending!"

The camera on the other side was still moving, with nothing but the perfectly rounded arc that remained close to the lens and the Abyss valley.

The Gray Serpent took a deep breath.

A crisis is imminent, and our teammates are a dim-witted Jackal who can't distinguish between what's important and what's not, and a Raven takes money and does things half-heartedly.

World Serpent are doomed if they eat dates!

Chapter 125 Jackal—

No, no, no, calm down!

World Serpent carry an important mission!

We must also welcome back the Venerable Lord and push forward the implementation of the Stigmata Project until we defeat the Honkai!

The Thirteen Flame-Chasers are still watching us!

Gray Serpent, you need to stand up straight!

Gray Serpent mentally prepared himself and successfully calmed down, uttering a cold voice.

"Cocolia just corresponded with me. Based on the movements we detected earlier, combined with the information she provided, we can basically conclude that Otto has found the correct direction for the Chikai Ichijo."

"What? News about that woman? Are you sure you're not being fooled?"

The Jackal finally stopped looking for the cat, turned the camera on itself, and revealed a charming face with golden eyes and brown fur.

She always felt that Gray Serpent's change in attitude towards Cocolia was very strange, and instinctively felt that Gray Serpent had been fooled.

However, Gray Serpent remained adamant that Cocolia was a partner whose value was rising.

"Since we started working with her, haven't we received enough resources and important intelligence? The World Serpent's thriving development and accumulation of strength are closely related to my vision. You're just a researcher, stop worrying about economic and political issues!"

"Oh right, you're smart, you're awesome! Okay, so what if Otto found the right direction? He did cross the London back then, and he still came up empty-handed, didn't he?"

"Because he has already searched once, the fact that he is doing this a second time means he must have found a crucial clue. We cannot sit idly by!"

"Okay! Let's use the people we left behind, make them suffer and give up in a sorry state, that'll be easy!"

Jackal waved his hand dismissively, showing no sign of taking the matter seriously.

The Gray Serpent paused, and after a moment of contemplation, said helplessly:

"You've been handling this before, so I'll leave it to you this time. You must take it seriously. Just to be on the safe side, I'll also send Raven over to support you. Make sure the safety of the Chikai Ichijo is ensured."

"Absolutely!"

Jackal hung up the call with a disdainful yet confident smile.

The Gray Serpent pondered for a while, trying to calm itself down, but in the end, it just couldn't.

"Forget it, I'll secretly send a few clones over too. Hopefully, I won't mess it up."

The hardworking Gray Serpent let out a weary sigh, like a helpless corporate slave.