Chapter 184

After the farce, the laboratory resumed normal operations. Einstein frowned as he stared at the screen, which, unsurprisingly, displayed the same problem as before. It seemed this was indeed a difficult problem, and he needed to come up with a new approach.

"The recovery failed again. The data was erased too thoroughly. It seems I need to try a different approach. Ms. Theresa, I'd like to use Hyperion's processing system for debugging."

Having abandoned his plans to continue, Einstein looked at Theresa and made the request. This wasn't the headquarters of Anti-Entropy, and the laptops Tesla and Einstein carried couldn't support such massive calculations and debugging, while the Hyperion system could fully meet the requirements. But Theresa ... why was her expression so strange? Was there something inconvenient about it?

"I... I understand... The password is TeriTeri... Please don't look at me like that, it's just a password, of course I wanted to make it easy to remember..."

It was practically a public execution! Theresa's cheeks flushed red with embarrassment. She lowered her head, not daring to look at the people around her. If she had known that Einstein and Tesla would ask for the Hyperion's master password at a time like this, she would definitely have changed it to a more normal password much earlier... But in the end, passwords are a rather private thing, so it's normal to change them to what you like. Theresa didn't believe that Mei or Bronya's personal passwords were some boring numbers.

"Don't worry, Ms. Theresa, the way you set the password is entirely up to your personal preference. I was just a little surprised, but this password style really suits you, Ms. Theresa."

Seeing Theresa's embarrassment, Einstein offered words of comfort. But this only made Theresa more embarrassed. What did she mean by "Theresa suitable for her"? As a dignified headmistress, shouldn't she be using a cutesy password instead of a combination of numbers and letters? But she really loved magical girls! Even though she was an elder, and a headmistress at that, she still enjoyed snacking and reading comics... Oh no! Theresa could always deceive herself before, but now she was completely exposed. Headmistress Theresa was just a child who never grew up.

Theresa was on the verge of tears. She was already socially dead. She should just let herself die peacefully like this. Let the young people do the saving the world.

As a legally cute loli with green paint on her face, Theresa squatted down with her knees drawn up and started pretending to be a mushroom. Anyway, the fact that she was a fake loli who liked to act young had already been exposed, so whatever. She just liked eating snacks, reading comics, and being a magical girl!

Chapter 81 Cocolia's Communications

"No time to dwell on such things. So what if I'm a little immature? It's no big deal... Using the Hyperion's computing engine will make things much easier. Watch how I recover the data right away... Hmm, there's a communication coming in, and it's on an encrypted channel. What's going on, Chicken Coop Head?"

Tesla didn't quite understand why Theresa was so ashamed and furious. Wasn't she just like her, even though she was already... But that didn't matter! From the outside, she was still a young and beautiful girl. Focusing her attention on the android girl, Tesla used the password to enter the Hyperion's main control system. Just then, she received an encrypted communication. How could someone have contacted them?

"Take it, and allow communication."

Einstein nodded, and Tesla clicked to allow communication. The large screen in the laboratory lit up, and a blonde woman in military uniform appeared on the screen. Feeling the small hand gently pressing on her shoulder suddenly tighten, Shen Gonglin looked up at Bronya curiously. Why did this child suddenly show such an expression? What happened?

"Long time no see, Doctor, and Bronya, my daughter... Wait a minute, Bronya, what are you doing!"

The woman on the screen first greeted everyone with a light laugh, then focused her attention on the person she cared about most among the group, Bronya. However, when she saw what her daughter was doing, Cocolia almost went crazy. And why was this girl there? Could it be that they had already found the Herrscher of the Herrscher of the Void's trail? This shouldn't be... However, it seems that the snake's information was quite accurate, and there is a need to continue cooperating.

"Oh, it's my Mother-in-law. I haven't seen you for so long. I hope you're doing well."

Shen Gonglin turned her head and saw that the woman on the screen was none other than the wicked Vixen Cocolia. Upon seeing her, Shen Gonglin recalled the incident with Wendy from long ago at ME Company. Although she had rescued Wendy, the Gem of Desire had been stolen by her. Originally, the Far East Branch had a mission to hunt down Cocolia, but with their defection, the mission was abandoned. What was going on with this woman appearing in front of them now?

"Don't you dare call me mother-in-law! I never agreed to Bronya's relationship with you!"

Upon seeing Shen Gonglin, Cocolia's emotions became somewhat unstable. More importantly, this guy actually called her "mother-in-law." Who was his mother-in-law? From beginning to end, she had never agreed to anything between Shen Gonglin and Bronya. Cocolia would never acknowledge this "mother-in-law" status!

"I didn't say Bronya, I said Liliya and Rosaliya. Mother-in-law, when are you going to agree? I really love them both... Mei, don't look at me like that. And Bronya, you were a little too rough with your hand... Can't you tell I was just teasing that Vixen?"

Shen Gonglin gave Cocolia a big smile on the screen. Besides driving the blonde woman crazy, he hadn't expected to provoke the girl next to him as well. Mei stared at him with a chilling look in her purplish-red eyes, which made Shen Gonglin Shingu feel uneasy. Bronya, who was massaging him, increased her pressure, but even so, Shen Gonglin still had to find a way to provoke Cocolia.

"You! Whether it's Bronya, Liliya, or Rosaliya, you won't get a single one of them... Phew, Bronya, my little cutie, I'm so glad to see you're still safe and sound."

After adjusting her mood, Cocolia forced herself to ignore the human cancer patient enjoying her daughter's care. The woman on the screen glanced slightly at Bronya behind Shen Gonglin. The woman smiled, but Bronya lowered her head and remained silent. She didn't know how to face Cocolia. This person was nominally her mother, and it was she who took her in at the orphanage, but it was also she who controlled her to do things that hurt everyone. So, Bronya was unsure of what to do now.

"Everyone, it's been a long time. How have you been?"

After greeting her daughter, Cocolia ignored Bronya's reaction and looked at her colleagues in Anti-Entropy, Einstein and Tesla, who were also executors of Anti-Entropy. She hadn't seen them for a while.

"Thank you for your concern, everything is going well."

Einstein responded to Cocolia calmly. Although they both belonged to Anti-Entropy, their ideas were completely different from Cocolia's. Unlike the centralized system of the bishops of Schicksal, Anti-Entropy was full of factions. She and Tesla belonged to the conservatives, while Cocolia was a radical. They didn't get along with each other. Why was this woman suddenly contacting them? Did she have some idea?

"Smoothly? Not entirely. The Herrscher of the Void has descended once again, plunging the entire world into catastrophe. As a member of Anti-Entropy, I think it's time for me to do something."

Cocolia tossed her hair, and it was then that Shen Gonglin noticed that this woman also had two perm curls... or rather, Roman curls. Was Bronya's hairstyle inspired by this woman? If she completely adopted her hairstyle and let her hair down, it would actually look pretty good.

"Let's get straight to the point, Ms. Cocolia, and state your purpose."

Having no intention of continuing the conversation with Cocolia, Einstein looked at Cocolia on the screen and asked directly, "If this woman doesn't have anything important to say, there's no need to continue this communication. I've never felt quite at ease communicating with her. "Einstein

"I understand. I know you've been searching for the Herrscher of the Herrscher of the Void all over the world. Although we've found that damn thing now, Schicksal's every move is ahead of ours. Of course, there's nothing we can do about it, since Anti-Entropy's control is limited, and just keeping up with Schicksal's pace is already quite difficult..."

Seeing Einstein's expression, Cocolia stopped exchanging pleasantries and said that this was indeed their current situation. Anti-Entropy was originally a part separated from Schicksal, and compared to the behemoth that Schicksal was, what they could use was indeed not on the same scale. But even so, Anti-Entropy was not something made of dough.

Chapter 82 Otto's Purpose

"However, even so, we cannot let Schicksal do as it pleases. Although we have limited control, it is extremely difficult to gain the upper hand in the confrontation. My experience as a soldier tells me that if this stalemate continues, we will be utterly defeated sooner or later."

Cocolia on the screen said this seriously. Although she didn't want to admit it, the gap between Anti-Entropy and Schicksal in various aspects was indeed quite large. In the struggle against Schicksal, Anti-Entropy had always been the weaker party. In such a war of attrition, Anti-Entropy's defeat was obvious.

"So, you're trying to persuade us to give up on Kiana?"

Theresa stepped forward. Undeniably, what Cocolia said was true. As the former commander of the Far East Branch and Otto's granddaughter, no one knew Theresa 'Schicksal strength better than Theresa. But if she were to back down and admit defeat because of that, she wouldn't be Theresa. She had chosen to compromise before for Siegfried and Kiana, but now Otto was even trying to take away what she had left. In that case, Theresa had to fight for herself one last time.

"No, it's not about giving up, but about saving us in another way. We should establish a foothold where Schicksal is too busy to attend to us, reopen the battlefield, and make Schicksal follow our lead."

Cocolia, she didn't think she could convince Theresa and the other two Anti-Entropy executors with just two sentences. She had dealt with them more than once or twice, Cocolia knew that they wouldn't listen to her unless she had something convincing to offer. Just look at Tesla's reaction over there.

"Cocolia, your plan sounds interesting, but please tell me, why should Schicksal act according to your plan?"

Tesla tapped the red mecha glove on her hand. She didn't want to deal with this Vixen. Communicating with this woman always gave her the feeling that she would trip her up somewhere. Besides, her argument was too naive. Just talking on paper was useless. She didn't expect to convince the Bishop of Schicksal with a few empty words, did she? Or was Cocolia planning to use her Vixen -like appearance to deceive the Schicksal intelligence agents? If that was the case, Tesla felt that deploying Shen Gonglin might be more reliable. After all, this guy could even deceive Herrscher. He might actually have a plan for Schicksal.

"Because finding the Herrscher of the Void might just be part of his plan. Recently, my troops have been attacked by Schicksal multiple times. Judging from the targets, what Otto wants is... the Gem of Desire among the four Herrscher Core... That's right, the one I took from you. Don't look at me like that. That little girl didn't die, did she? But this is indeed beyond my expectations. Having Herrscher Core removed like that should only result in death, but Shen Gonglin, you were able to reverse that outcome. Can you tell me how you succeeded?"

When Cocolia brought up this matter, she naturally received hostility from everyone. This was inevitable. Unlike this radical who was willing to sacrifice the lives of innocent girls to achieve his goals, neither Theresa nor Tesla and Einstein could condone such behavior. However, Cocolia ignored these looks. She looked at Shen Gonglin with interest. No matter what she thought, that girl only had one path: death. But Shen Gonglin was able to save her. This guy is pretty good.

"It's no big deal. Mother-in-law, if you want to try it too, I can. I can take out your heart and make you live and jump around for a while. I feel like I can do it with a little effort. So, Mother-in-law, how about we give it a try?"

Shen Gonglin revealed a harmless smile. He might actually be able to do such a thing. As long as he used the Time Spirit to rewind time and then found a way to change the predetermined "future," given enough time, Shen Gonglin could really change the whole world. Unfortunately, the power of the Time Spirit was different from the other powers he controlled. Although its strength might not be the greatest, its obscurity and difficulty to understand were probably only comparable to the power of realms.

Shen Gonglin could use other powers, but Shen Gonglin had absolutely no clue about the power at this level.

"I told you, don't call me Mother-in-law! Never mind... Fortunately, the gems haven't fallen into Otto's hands yet. Otto wants to retrieve the four lost Herrscher Core and restore the Herrscher of the Void to her full power. It seems that simply reviving the Herrscher of the Void is no longer enough to satisfy this guy's madness."

Cocolia rubbed her temples. She knew that the bishop of Schicksal was quite crazy, but she never expected him to think of doing something like this. That man was really too terrifying. Compared to him, she, an Anti-Entropy advocate, was simply insignificant.

"Shen Gonglin, you once transformed into the Herrscher of the Void, and you still retain the power of the Herrscher of the Herrscher of the Void. You should know that there is still a considerable gap between you two, right? This is because of the difference in the Herrscher Core. You only used the simple Herrscher of the Void's ability, while she had the Conquest Gem and the Serenity Gem in her body at that time, in addition to the Herrscher of the Void. Otto wanted to create a complete Herrscher with four gems. Needless to say, you know what the consequences would be if he were allowed to complete it."

Having specifically pointed this out, Shen Gonglin's expression turned serious. He had personally experienced what Cocolia described. Although he could still use the power of the Herrscher of the Void, and he was confident that given time he could use it perfectly, even so, the power of the Herrscher of the Void he used was still much weaker than that of Kiana when she Herrscherization. Was this the difference in the gems? What if he could use these gems...?

"So, instead of searching for a Herrscher whereabouts are elusive, why not help me transfer the Gem of Desire? As long as we always possess the Gem of Desire, Otto's ambition will always be missing a piece. Wouldn't that be simpler?"

Cocolia explained her plan, and the woman on the screen paused to wait for the others' reactions. She was confident that they would agree to the proposal, since they shared the same goal, and this was the best solution.

Chapter 83 The Snake Attack

It has to be said that Cocolia's idea is quite interesting. Anyway, as long as it doesn't make Otto happy, it's a good thing. Anti-Entropy's consistent approach is to go against Schicksal, and this kind of thing is quite in line with Anti-Entropy's code of conduct. Although Cocolia also has her problems, this is ultimately an internal conflict. It's normal to unite against a common enemy in this situation, but...

"Hey, Cocolia, did I hear that right? Are you begging us?"

Tesla spoke up in a loud voice, looking at the woman on the screen with great surprise. This woman had always been at odds with them, but now she was taking the initiative to call and ask for help... This felt as strange to Tesla as seeing Shen Gonglin giving someone a shoulder massage. This woman would do such a thing? It was truly rare.

"I prefer to call this a mutually beneficial cooperation, Doctor. I know you don't trust me, but that's alright. One day I will prove my loyalty to the belief in Anti-Entropy. As for Ms. Theresa, we used to have different positions, but now Otto is our common enemy. So please put aside your doubts and fight against Otto with me. The choice is yours."

Ignoring Tesla's sarcastic remarks, Cocolia turned her attention to Einstein and Theresa. She knew that these two held the decision-making power, and as the most intelligent among them, Cocolia believed that they would make the right choice... But why were they both looking at Shen Gonglin?

Could it be that they want Shen Gonglin to make the decision?

"Shen Gonglin, what do you think? Do you think Cocolia is trustworthy?"

Ignoring Cocolia's presence, Einstein quietly raised the question to Shen Gonglin. Cocolia's words made a lot of sense, but Einstein didn't want to make a decision on her own. Logically, she should have consulted Theresa, since Theresa was the one in charge. But for some reason, both Einstein and Theresa looked at Shen Gonglin. Even though he was the most unreliable one, everyone seemed to trust him.

"Hmm, Shen Gonglin, what do you think? Finding Kiana is very important, but what Cocolia just said is also very important. If Grandpa... I mean, the Bishop, also takes away the Gem of Desire, and then the Herrscher descends again, then I'm afraid we won't be able to do anything about it."

Theresa stroked her chin, deep in thought. Cocolia's words made some sense; as long as they possessed one piece of the puzzle, Otto's plan wouldn't succeed. However, finding Kiana was also crucial. As for what decision to make now, Theresa wanted to see what kind of decision Shen Gonglin would make.

"This seems quite interesting. Anyway, the ultimate goal is to go against Otto, right? Smearing roasted sweet potatoes on my face isn't enough for me anymore. This time, I'll listen to my Mother-in-law's advice. Mother-in-law, what are our rendezvous points?"

Although she felt uneasy, after all, the other party was Cocolia, Shen Gonglin's subconscious told her that there was probably a deeper meaning to this matter. Even if they didn't agree, Shen Gonglin didn't think Cocolia would give up so easily. According to what she just said, she seemed to be being hunted by Schicksal. Although her Mother-in-law despicable, she was still Bronya's mother, and the two little ones should also be with Cocolia. So, no matter how you look at it, it was worth a try.

"I've already sent the coordinates to the Doctor's terminal... Yes, that's the place. It's a mess, isn't it? My secret base has been largely destroyed by Schicksal, so I can only stay here for the time being. I will stay here and wait for everyone to arrive."

Cocolia finally understood Shen Gonglin's position. As long as he made a decision, it seemed that neither Theresa and the others, nor Tesla and Einstein, had any objections. Originally Cocolia only thought that Shen Gonglin excellent in combat and had an eccentric personality, but now... Although she lacked leadership skills, she had the power to unite others. Was this what they called... a mascot and a role model?

Shen Gonglin is truly an extraordinary person.

"You're stationed in Sea Abyss City?... Hello? Cocolia?"

Seeing the coordinates on his phone, Einstein looked at Cocolia on the screen with some surprise, but the image on the screen was not moving. What was going on? Had this woman lag? It was hard to imagine that she would lag in this day and age. Was she using an old-fashioned phone in Sea Abyss City?

"Doctor, what kind of place is Sea Abyss City?"

Theresa had never heard of the place name Sea Abyss City before. She looked at the two doctors from Anti-Entropy, whose expressions were grave. What exactly was Sea Abyss City? Cocolia was hiding there, and the Gem of Desire was also located there.

"That's our secret underwater fortress that we've been hiding all along... So even that place is going to be discovered by Schicksal? The fact that they're stationed there proves that Cocolia has really been driven to the brink."

The existence of Sea Abyss City is an absolute secret, yet Cocolia is waiting there to reunite. This proves that what this woman said is true. Schicksal has been sending troops to hunt her down, otherwise she wouldn't have sought help from here.

"Otto has already sent... to seize it, and this time... he is determined to succeed..."

Cocolia continued speaking, but then the signal suddenly became unstable. The communication equipment in Sea Abyss City shouldn't have this problem, and neither should the Hyperion. If that's the case, then it must be external interference!

[Unidentified signal has entered communication, Hyperion defenses are ineffective, how could this be... It seems to be an attack from within, Lady Theresa, interference... System overload...]

Suddenly, alarms blared in the Hyperion Research Lab, and communications for the staff became intermittent. Cocolia's communications were finally cut off completely after a short while. However, at that moment, a new communication came in, and a figure in a black robe appeared in the center of the screen. When Theresa, Mei, and the others saw this person, their eyes widened. What was going on? Why was it him?

Isn't this Gray Serpent already dead?

Chapter 84 The Transaction Continues

Excuse me, everyone, let's continue with the transaction in Sky City...

Cocolia on the screen was replaced by the image of Gray Serpent. The sight before him suddenly changed from a beautiful blonde woman to a gaunt and eerie man, which startled Shen Gonglin. He quickly unplugged the power cord of the monitor. Only when the image of the Gray Serpent disappeared from the screen did Shen Gonglin breathe a sigh of relief. Thank goodness, that was really scary. This thing is terrifying. Forget about hacking techniques, physical methods are definitely the most effective.

Simply unplugging the power cord won't work... Someone should stop him. I believe you all know that I've already implanted a virus in the Hyperion... I've already said that unplugging the power cord won't work. Are you just going to let him run wild like this? If you do, the transaction can't proceed.

Gray Serpent's figure lit up on another screen. After seeing that Shen Gonglin was still looking for the power cord, Gray Serpent quickly stopped him. Couldn't he wait until he finished speaking? Just as the intelligence report had indicated, Shen Gonglin was used to acting recklessly, and these people really spoiled him, not even caring about something like this. Gray Serpent probably understood why Shen Gonglin was so unscrupulous. This guy was completely spoiled.

"Alright, Shen Gonglin, I know you were scared, don't be afraid... Headmaster, you can continue."

In the end, it was Mei who pulled Shen Gonglin aside and calmed him down. This guy actually has a fear of ghosts. This Gray Serpent looks even more eerie than a ghost, so it's understandable that Shen Gonglin reacted this way. Who told him to suddenly jump out and scare people like that? Didn't you see how scared he made Shen Gonglin?

"It really is the Gray Serpent... but this place should have been taken by Rita..."

Seeing Gray Serpent's reaction to Shen Gonglin, Theresa realized that this was not a recording but a real person. If it was a real person, then it was a bit scary. They had examined Gray Serpent's body and confirmed that he was definitely dead. But if that was the case, then who was the person on the screen now?

"Headmaster, could it be that the one who died was actually just a stand-in?"

Mei offered this conjecture, and it seems that this is the only reason that can explain the Gray Serpent in front of them. Rita killed only a stand-in, while the real Gray Serpent is still alive. However, they did obtain a lot from the dead Gray Serpent, as well as the highest authority of the humanoid robot girl 2B. How is this possible?

Death is the life lived, and life is death on the way. Don't be surprised, everyone. Snakes are not creatures that succumb to death. Although I was briefly interrupted by that annoying little girl, a deal is a deal. Even in hell, I will fulfill the terms of the contract, black and white.

The seemingly mechanical voice uttered such cryptic words. Upon hearing the Gray Serpent's mention of a deal and Theresa, Theresa's brow twitched. Although she didn't know why the Gray Serpent was still alive, how dare he say such things? What kind of deal was this?

"A contract? Not only did you not hand over the intelligence, you also lured away Schicksal, resulting in us being hunted down all the way. If it weren't for Rita showing mercy, we don't know if we would have made it back alive. Is this what you call a deal?"

Indeed, if it weren't for the coincidence of Shen Gonglin being present, Theresa wouldn't have been confident of escaping from Rita's clutches. Although both are S-rank, Theresa, being the least qualified S-rank, wouldn't be a match for Rita. Among Schicksal's four S-ranks, Theresa is the weakest.

I'm sorry, but how Schicksal acts is beyond my control. As for the intelligence, didn't I already give it to you? So just stay there and relax.

He kept apologizing, but Gray Serpent showed no remorse whatsoever. His red eyes, hidden behind his mask, looked at the quiet, waiting android girl. The intelligence had already been taken away by them.

"Humanoid machine... I mean 2B has been formatted!"

Does he mean that they obtained intelligence by taking the humanoid machine away? This statement infuriated Theresa. She had long known that these intelligence brokers were unreliable, and no matter what, he was right.

[You took someone else's things without permission... and even renamed them. Taking the humanoid machine is equivalent to obtaining intelligence. As for how to open this "box" and get what you want, that's your own responsibility. In my opinion, the deal is done. As payment, I will take what I want from you.]

As soon as she finished speaking, Gray Serpent cut off the communication. At this moment, the Hyperion's main control system still hadn't recovered. Einstein, realizing something, suddenly changed her expression. She rushed to the computer, and sure enough, the humanoid machine's quantum engine had started operating. The strongest fortresses are often breached from within. They used this to break through Schicksal's defenses, and Gray Serpent's current methods were exactly the same as theirs back then.

"Damn it, this guy is using the humanoid machine to infiltrate this warship. Besides all the humanoid machine's permissions, there's a hidden program embedded. Once it connects to the Hyperion's main control program, this program will start operating. This guy... he deliberately handed the humanoid machine over to us. He calculated that we would use the Hyperion's computing engine for decryption. At this rate, the Hyperion will soon be under his control..."

Einstein, with a somber expression, described the problem they were facing: he hadn't expected to be tricked like this. It was as if they had deliberately injected the virus program into the Hyperion, and now they were in deep trouble.

"Immediately sever the connection between the humanoid machine and the Hyperion's main control system!"

Theresa cried out anxiously, but Einstein shook his head. Doing these things now was pointless; the program had already been implanted, and it was too late. Sure enough, the alarm sounded, revealing this tragic truth.

[Weapon system has ceased operation]

[Detection system has stopped working]

[Emergency descent commences; the Hyperion is about to enter berthing position.]

"Damn it, all the functional areas have been locked down. It's a joke, we've been hijacked on our own warship!"

The laboratory shook violently Hyperion made an emergency landing on the sea. Tesla slammed his mech gloves against the table, feeling utterly disgusted by being outmaneuvered.

Chapter 85

[Headmaster, the sentries have reported visual inspection: unidentified mechanical forces are approaching us and attempting to board the Hyperion's deck!]

Just as one problem was being solved, another arose. While the Hyperion's main control system was being compromised, another message came in: all the evidence proved that they had indeed fallen into the trap of the Gray Serpent. The Hyperion was currently unable to execute defensive commands, so eliminating these intruders would have to be done manually.