Chapter 256

Mei asked, and at the same time, she inexplicably thought of Shen Gonglin. If he saw Night Owl like this, his eyes would definitely light up and he would say, "How cool!" After all, this guy's thought process is different from ordinary people. It's a good thing he's not here, otherwise, given how off-topic he is, he might easily provoke others, and then she would have to apologize. Raising him is like raising a naughty child, which is very worrying.

"Two years ago, I experienced a Honkai. Although my face survived, my original body was severely damaged. I wanted to find a way to heal myself in the World Serpent, but the more I searched, the more powerless I felt. In the end, I could only abandon my original body. With the help of machines, I can at least live a little longer."

His tone was as calm as if he were talking about someone else's business. Night Owl didn't care at all about the modifications to his body. However, this broken body still had to do some things that he had to do, and he couldn't afford to collapse at a time like this.

"Is this my reason for fighting for the World Serpent? Isn't that ridiculous?"

Night Owl looked at Mei, but the Herrscher of Thunder shook her head. She didn't find it funny at all, and even agreed with the belief in wanting to live.

"There's nothing laughable about wanting to survive."

"Thank you, that's what I thought too."

The conversation ended there, since the two weren't exactly acquaintances. After learning that the Night Owl's body wouldn't be unable to move forward due to the cold, Mei quickened her pace and finally arrived at the center of Coral Island.

A magnificent orbital elevator soars into the clouds. It is the city's flag and the crystallization of human technology. Earth's civilization will set sail from here to explore the universe. However, this equally magnificent staircase was plunged into calamity before it was even completed. Looking at the solid ice that had formed on it, Mei shook her head. This place has become the cradle where Herrscher reside.

"We've arrived. If I'm not mistaken, the Herrscher is right ahead. "Mei took a deep breath. Her sword had been taken by Shen Gonglin, which would slightly affect her fight against the Herrscher. However, given the Herrscher's chaotic state, even without her sword, Mei didn't think she was no match for Herrscher.

After all, the Herrscher of Thunder's destructive power is among the best of all Herrscher, and the Herrscher of Thunder's power is also very compatible with Mei herself. There was no conflict between her own will and the Herrscher's will. Compared to Kiana, Wendy, or this Herrscher of Ice, it is much better.

Chapter Ninety-Two: Another Traitor

[Mei, you are about to enter the area of Coral Island rail elevator facility. The Herrscher of Ice is hiding in the garden area within it. Currently, the Herrscher remains silent and shows no signs of activity.]

Preparations were complete. Raven relayed the Herrscher's current situation to Mei and Night Owl. Mei took a deep breath upon hearing this. Her task was to make contact with the Herrscher, engage in battle, and then lure her to the location Night Owl had set up to trap her. It sounded pretty simple.

"Setting the trap will take about ten minutes. I will send you the coordinates once it is complete. I will do my best to cooperate with you in case of any emergencies. Also, the activation time of the Staff of the Underworld is very short, so please make sure to lure the Herrscher to the correct location."

Night Owl squatted on the ground, fiddling with the Staff of the Underworld. The man's voice remained calm and indifferent, but for some reason, Mei suddenly had a bad feeling. However, after thinking about it, Mei couldn't find any answer. Maybe she was overthinking it. Mei shook her head and shook off the other thoughts. It's better not to think too much and just focus on the present.

"Understood, let's begin."

Mei transformed into a streak of red lightning and dashed away, while Raven stared indifferently in the direction Mei disappeared. He squatted on the ground, continuing to fiddle with the trap set by the Staff of the Underworld. This was the spot. Now, all he had to do was wait for the Herrscher to step on it. With this level of effort, it should be able to trap the Herrscher for a while.

They're here! I can already sense it. The Herrscher is here, the Herrscher of Ice, she's coming!

As she approached the frozen elevator, perhaps it was an instinctive connection between Herrscher, but Mei suddenly sensed a power that shared the same origin as her own. In the silent plaza, the only sounds besides the falling snow were Mei's footsteps. Sensing that something was approaching, Mei raised her arm, and a stream of red light formed the sharpest blade on her arm. The girl swung the blade and cut through the ice crystals that were attacking her. Mei looked up at the Herrscher descending from mid-air.

Indeed, she truly is like a snow sprite.

The Herrscher of Ice, crowned with a crown, spun and fell through the air. Beneath the chasm lay a body covered in black ice. The white ice on her legs contrasted sharply with the black ice on her upper body. Her face remained hidden beneath the ice. Indeed, her will had not given up. Was she still fighting against the Herrscher's consciousness?

Unable to perceive the existence of reason, the current Herrscher is acting solely on bodily instincts, making this Herrscher weakest stage. If she is lured into a trap, everything can be ended.

A biting cold wind blew in her face, Mei raised her hand and rushed forward. Although her best fighting style was swordsmanship, the Herrscher.

Remembering how she had beaten Kiana before, Mei's expression suddenly turned somewhat ugly. However, the girl's attacks were not chaotic at all. In this frozen sea of flowers, the Herrscher of Thunder and the Herrscher of Ice engaged in a fierce battle. Honkai energy stirred up a chaotic vortex, and lightning and frost were stirred in the wind. Is this what battles between Herrscher are like? Indeed, it is a power that ordinary people cannot comprehend.

Through the sniper scope, Raven gasped as she watched the aftershocks of energy erupting in the plaza. Only after witnessing the clash of Herrscher- level powers did she realize the insignificance of human power in such a situation. This was not a battlefield that humans could influence, yet they were plotting against Herrscher. Truly, what a crazy operation.

This is a battle between Herrscher, a death match that transcends laws and common sense.

[Raiden Mei, the trap has been set. Please lure the Herrscher to the coordinates.]

On the raging battlefield, Mei heard Night Owl's communication. The girl kicked the Herrscher into the ice with a whip kick, and countless ice crystals shot out from the destroyed ice hole. Mei's palm transformed into a blade and destroyed all the incoming ice crystals. Very good, she was finally ready. Next, she would lure the Herrscher away.

No longer wanting to entangle with the Herrscher, Mei transformed into a bolt of lightning and streaked through the ice crevice the moment the instruction sounded. The Herrscher of Ice followed closely behind, trailing a dark purple stream of light. A chilling current followed, scattering ice spikes wherever it went, chasing its prey like the scythe of death. Very well, just lure the Herrscher to the trap.

Looking at the Herrscher behind her, Mei slowed down to make sure she could keep up. The Herrscher of Thunder was one of the fastest Herrscher. She heard several flashes of lightning. Several kilometers away, Raven pulled the trigger at her pre-set sniping position. Her mission was to clear away any obstacles in Mei's path. Good, the plan was going even more smoothly than expected. It seemed this mission was easy.

Seeing that the plan was going smoothly, Raven suddenly started to think, "It should be fine, right? In the current situation, even if I were to think this way, I wouldn't have to worry. Raven really couldn't imagine what unexpected things might happen."

I have arrived at the destination.

Having lured the Herrscher over, Mei dodged the ice crystals shooting from behind. She could sense that the Herrscher's power seemed to be increasing, which proved that she was moving towards a state of consciousness. Whether Valkyrie Anna's consciousness prevailed or the Herrscher's consciousness took the lead, it was not a good thing. If she regained her senses, anyone could probably see through this crude trap.

But it's probably all over now, Herrscher has already entered the ambush location they set up beforehand.

[Received... Herrscher path confirmed, Staff of the Underworld to be activated soon.]

The sound of the Night Owl made Mei stop in her tracks. She couldn't run any further; if she did, the Herrscher would escape. In the icy wind and snow, the Herrscher of Ice charged forward, while Mei stood ready, prepared for battle. The girl was poised to strike, and when she saw the Herrscher about to enter the ambush point, she decisively shouted into the communicator.

[Night Owl, now's the time!]

However, Mei's voice went unanswered; there was an unexpected silence on the other end of the line. What was going on? Had something happened with Night Owl?

Seeing the Herrscher attacking, Mei gritted her teeth and could only prepare to retreat. Although she didn't know what had happened with Night Owl, the only thing she knew was that the plan had gone wrong. Really, where exactly did things go wrong?

Chapter Ninety-Three: A Character Like a Darling of the Group

[Night Owl, what's going on...?]

Had the plan gone wrong? Seeing the Herrscher about to attack, Mei had no choice but to abandon her original plan to capture the Herrscher. She prepared to retreat, but at that moment, she felt a stiffness in her body. Mei looked at the ground in astonishment. At this moment, the ground was flashing with a strange red light. This feeling was the Staff of the Underworld!

But why was it placed under my feet? Shouldn't this be aimed at the Herrscher of Ice? How could a trap designed for the Herrscher of Ice appear under the feet of me, the Herrscher of Thunder? Good heavens, is this what they call attacking an ally? Even Shen Gonglin wouldn't do something like this. What's wrong with Night Owl...? No, perhaps, from the very beginning, he wasn't an ally.

It's not a mistake; he was targeting me from the very beginning.

Suddenly realizing this, Mei's Herrscher state was instantly disrupted by the power emanating from the Staff of the Underworld beneath her feet. The red gauntlets beside her gradually became transparent and disappeared. Mei was unable to use the power of the Herrscher at this moment. This was happening during such an intense battle. No, if this continued, it would be truly dangerous.

Mei tried to move her sluggish body, but the Herrscher of Ice in the air didn't give Mei the chance. The ice sprite-like figure raised her hand, and azure ice crystals gathered around her. Before Mei could dodge, the ice crystals fell from the sky like meteorites. In the dust, only a painful groan from Mei could be heard. Very well, the Herrscher of Thunder is temporarily dealt with.

[Mei, Mei ... Red Electric Dragon, what happened? Why aren't we following plan...?

Through the sniper scope, Raven also saw the changes on the battlefield. This was different from what she had planned. Had something gone wrong with Mei? Smoke and dust obscured the view, and Raven couldn't see the changes happening on the battlefield. There was also no sound from Mei in the communications. The situation was bad. Raven instinctively tried to get up and investigate Mei's situation, but at that moment, a heavy blow struck the back of her neck. A huge wave of dizziness washed over her, and Raven fell heavily to the ground. The mercenary turned around with all her might, but what appeared before her was a figure she never expected.

"Night Owl... you... bastard!"

Struggling against the dizziness, Raven tried to get up. She finally understood why the plan had gone wrong. Without a doubt, it was all Night Owl's doing. He had schemed against Mei, and now he was scheming against her. What was this guy up to? She was right. This guy was really not suitable to be a teammate. No one would know what he was thinking!

"As expected of a senior, you haven't even fainted after being hit with such force. But it's alright, I had anticipated this situation, so I prepared this for you."

Raven was clearly no longer capable of fighting, yet Night Owl still pulled out a tranquilizer gun. The pale green liquid inside made Raven grit her teeth, giving her no chance to speak. Night Owl aimed the tranquilizer gun at Raven and pressed the trigger. Fortunately, Shen Gonglin didn't come over because she got lost, otherwise her plan might have had unexpected consequences.

Under the influence of the drugs, Raven had lost all consciousness, while Night Owl picked up the sniper rifle beside her. "The Divine Key, I should use it first. Although I don't have the access right now, I can still use it in a simple way."

Meanwhile, on the outskirts of Coral Island, the joint defensive line formed by the Immortal Blade and the Snow Lotus Squad had sealed off all the passes. With the addition of these Snow Lotus Squad members, the pressure on the Valkyrie of the Immortal Blade was greatly reduced. The Snow Lotus Squad was originally the garrison force of Coral Island, and they knew much more about the situation than the Immortal Blade. Moreover, with the help of those two S-rank Valkyrie, the situation had finally stabilized somewhat.

Compared to the two Valkyrie fighting over there, this one here seems much more relaxed... Well, strictly speaking, he is still a traitor to Schicksal, so we can't expect too much from him.

Alvit glanced speechlessly at Shen Gonglin. Not only her, but several other Valkyrie were also glancing at Shen Gonglin. After all, it was rather inappropriate for him to be doing this while everyone else was fighting so hard. It was fine with the Immortal Blade members, but the Snow Lotus Squad ...

"Um, senior... why is he just sitting there warming himself by the fire? Isn't he going to join the battle? Durandal and Lady Rita, won't you say anything about this?"

Fighting alongside the Immortal Blade is the dream of many Valkyrie squads. In the eyes of these Valkyrie of Schicksal, the Immortal Blade is like an idol group. The fact that she can fight alongside them now makes this member of the Snow Lotus Squad very excited. She thought she was about to die, but then she came back to life and was able to build a defensive line with the Immortal Blade. This is really lucky. However, she is also puzzled by what is happening with Shen Gonglin. Everyone is fighting hard, but why is that guy just sitting there warming himself by the fire?

He had a very powerful-looking longsword right next to him, but he didn't seem to have any intention of fighting.

"Shh, keep your voice down. If Shen Gonglin hears you, he'll remember you. He's very petty. As for what you said... don't worry about it. Neither the captain nor the vice-captain cares about this kind of thing. You don't know Shen Gonglin's status in our Immortal Blade. Tsk tsk, it's incredibly high. And don't think he hasn't done anything. Haven't you noticed that none of us have been injured yet?"

This member of the Immortal Blade whispered this warning to the Snow Lotus Squad member beside her. She was too inexperienced to understand, but she herself was perfectly clear-headed. Furthermore, Shen Gonglin hadn't been doing nothing. Whenever Valkyrie was in danger of being injured during battle, she would be rescued and transferred by a golden aura. It was because of this that they could fight without restraint, and all of this was because of the group's beloved Shen Gonglin.

"So that's how it is... But didn't headquarters already issue an arrest warrant, saying that Shen Gonglin and the entire Far East Branch have defected? Now that he's appeared in Immortal Blade like this, aren't Durandal and Lady Rita going to do anything about it?"

The Snow Lotus Squad members nodded silently, but she was still very puzzled. It was strange that he had just appeared here so openly.

Chapter Ninety-Four: The Self-Awareness of a Tool

Tsk tsk, this child is still too naive. Unlike me, the best reaction in this situation is to pretend I didn't see it. After all, the captain and vice-captain have tacitly agreed to this situation. What can these lowly staff members do?

Silently shaking his head, the member of the Immortal Blade team continued his work. Sometimes, it's best to pretend you know nothing.

"Durandal, the climate on Coral Island is very unstable. The cold current generated by the Honkai is forming a powerful hurricane. If the Herrscher is not eliminated as soon as possible, this hurricane will have a great impact on the climate near the equator and evolve into a global disaster."

After clearing the Frost Honkai Beast had breached the defensive line, Rita looked up at the gloomy sky. The maid's expression was very solemn. The defensive line preventing the spread of Honkai Beast had become relatively stable, but the disaster caused by the Herrscher was not just limited to Honkai Beast. This abnormal climate would gradually spread to the whole world.

"I understand... Alvit, how is the World Serpent doing?"

Durandal's expression was also very solemn. According to the alliance's requirements, the Herrscher was to be dealt with by World Serpent, but it seems that the Herrscher's situation is still not optimistic. Is there something wrong on their side? It's really worrying. The Valkyrie turned to ask Alvit, who was busy in front of the computer, "I don't know how far World Serpent is progressing."

"Just as the vice-captain said, all communications have been cut off due to the hurricane. According to the last communication records, the battle between World Serpent and the Herrscher has begun, but there seems to be internal conflict among them... A cadre named Night Owl has betrayed World Serpent. Moreover, I discovered some strange things while investigating Miss Anna's file just now."

Alvit was also quite troubled. She found that things were not as simple as she had thought. She had been investigating Anna's situation and resume since the beginning. Perhaps it was her intuition as a tool, but Alvit felt that there must be something worth studying here. Sure enough, she found it.

"Based on the survivor information in Miss Anna's mission log, I discovered a file that closely matches that of Night Owl, a World Serpent executive. Lord Rin has also confirmed that Night Owl is Chen Tianwu. This man was saved by Miss Anna during a Honkai in Asia two years ago. I don't understand why he has now become Night Owl, an executive of World Serpent. There is some contact between World Serpent executives and Miss Anna. I feel there must be something fishy going on here."

She reported all the information she had gathered to Durandal and Rita. Alvit lived up to her reputation as a tool, having investigated so much in such a short time. She truly had a specialty.

"Is that so, Shen Gonglin? It seems we need to take action."

They made a decisive decision: the defenses here were already stable and could be maintained without their high-level combatants; however, the situation of the Herrscher remained unresolved, and they could no longer wait here.

"Ah? Durandal, are you about to depart? Wouldn't it be better to wait a little longer and report to headquarters after communications are restored?"

Alvit instinctively tried to stop her. After all, Schicksal was only responsible for the regular defense of the Honkai this time, and the Herrscher had been handed over to World Serpent. Would there be any problems if they broke in without authorization now?

"No need. The risk of waiting is too great, and we don't have time."

Durandal looked at the ice pillar in the center of the city. The Valkyrie had already made her decision. She was not the type to wait for orders; she was prepared for the worst.

"That's right, now it's up to us to make the judgment. Lady Rin, are you prepared? I'm sorry, but you'll have to bear this cold for a while... By the way, Alvit, since communication has been cut off, how did you access the database?"

As Durandal made her decision, Rita had already arrived at Shen Gonglin's side. The maid reached out and stroked Shen Gonglin's hand, feeling that it was still a little cold. She then showed an apologetic expression, saying, "I'm so sorry. Although I wanted to keep him here, to avoid any unforeseen circumstances, it would be best for Shen Gonglin to stay with Lady Durandal." At this moment, Rita also noticed Alvit's problem. Communication had been cut off, so how did she manage to investigate?

"Hehe, of course this is just my sense of duty as a tool. I was worried that this situation would happen. After all, we, the Immortal Blade, have failed to report communications in time several times, so I copied the relevant data to my local machine a long time ago."

Alvit proudly boasted that this was a victory for her as a tool. Looking at the admiring gazes of the Immortal Blade and the Snow Lotus Squad around her, Alvit was very happy. See? She was right to have foresight. This is the ability of a professional tool!

"Alvit... Unauthorized copying of data is a very serious violation of discipline, Durandal, what should we do in this situation?"

Seeing the smug-looking Alvit, Rita hesitated for a moment before pointing it out. Alvit froze. What? A violation of discipline? How could she have forgotten about that? But she had only done it for the mission.

"I see... Let's punish them by deducting their wages. Rita, you can decide how much to deduct. Rita, you will temporarily take over command of the Valkyrie Squad. Shen Gonglin, let's go and check on the Herrscher's current situation."

Durandal imposed this punishment, and Alvit, who had been smug just moments before, was now on the verge of tears. What kind of nonsense was this? To think of violating rules at a time like this? Miss Rita, are you a dog? And deducting wages like this? Durandal, you can't do this!

"Durandal, are you planning to go with Lady Rin? If it's just the two of you..."

Putting the matter of punishment aside for the moment, Rita looked at the two people in front of her with great hesitation. If possible, she would also like to join the battle.

"Rita, this is also an equally important battlefield. I need you to take control of the overall situation and absolutely not let the Honkai break through the defenses. Don't worry, if World Serpent has any conspiracies, I will make the decision. I'm leaving this to you. Shen Gonglin, let's go."

Durandal turned around sharply, while Shen Gonglin patted Alvit's head reassuringly and followed her. Seeing Alvit's blissful expression, Rita was already silently calculating in her mind. It seemed she had to punish Alvit severely to teach her a lesson.

Chapter Ninety-Five

I feel like it's almost done.

On the quiet street, a wear mark stretched across the snow like a black line across white paper, ending in a massive ice crystal. Within this ice crystal, a pulse of power suddenly emanated—it was Mei. Attacked by the Staff of the Underworld, Mei had managed to gather the power of the Herrscher of Thunder at the last moment to block the Herrscher of Ice's attack. And now, her power had finally returned to the point where she could break free from the ice crystal.

A streak of purplish-red light flashed, and Mei's hand slashed through the ice wall that was blocking her way with lightning speed. In the white world before her, she was all alone. Mei clenched her fist and could feel her strength returning. The power that had been stagnant because of the Staff of the Underworld was slowly returning to her body. Mei's face looked terrible. Why was the Staff of the Underworld being used on her?

The plan wasn't formulated this way. Logically, I should have lured the Herrscher of Ice into the encirclement, and then Night Owl should have used the Staff of the Underworld to limit the Herrscher's power. But now it's been used on me instead. If I'm not stupid enough to fall into the trap, then the result is pretty obvious.

[... Raven, Night Owl, answer quickly!]

Mei called out to her two teammates through the communicator, but only silence answered her. There was no mistake, the communication was unresponsive. This information confirmed an answer she didn't want to believe. So World Serpent also produces a lot of traitors. They really are birds of a feather with Schicksal. Both organizations are full of double agents. Fortunately, Kiana and Shen Gonglin are currently in Anti-Entropy, otherwise they might have encountered the same backstabbing situation as her.

Taking a deep breath, Mei opened her eyes. The depths of her purple pupils were tinged with red. Honkai energy was gathering, eliminating the interference from the Staff of the Underworld. Lightning crackled again, and the power of the Herrscher of Thunder was once again on display. She had fully recovered. Since the previously planned scheme had failed, she would have to do it her own way. She had to find the Herrscher of Ice as soon as possible and find the source of all the questions.

Mei turned her head to look in another direction. Perhaps because of the relationship between the Herrscher, Mei could sense that the Herrscher was in that direction. As long as she went there, everything would become clear.

[...Ya... Mei ...]

Just then, a weak voice finally broke through the silence of the communicator, like a child who had just learned to speak. After a burst of noise, Raven's voice finally rang out. Hearing her voice, Mei felt a little relieved. The fact that she could still speak proved that the situation wasn't as bad as she had imagined.

[Raven, what happened!]

Mei quickly pressed for details, and Raven's answer was pretty much what she had expected: there really was a traitor in World Serpent.

Night Owl... betrayed us... the exact reason is still unclear... but he used the Staff of the Underworld on you and attacked me from behind... he also stole the Divine Key... but without authentication, he can't use its rated power...

Raven's voice was somewhat hesitant, Mei could tell that the World Serpent was currently enduring immense pain; it seemed her condition wasn't much better either.

How are you? Are you alright?

"... To be honest, this isn't good... It's probably a neurotoxin, but don't worry about me... I'll figure something out myself... Chìdié, you have to catch up with them, you absolutely can't let that guy take the Herrscher away!"

Raven's voice was full of determination. Although she was in a bad state, what bothered Raven the most was being betrayed. The mercenary gritted his teeth and squeezed out these words. To be schemed against like this was simply unbearable for Raven. She would handle her own affairs. As for Mei, her current task was to catch up with the Herrscher as soon as possible!

[... Chìdié? Who is that?]

Suddenly, I heard a strange code name in Raven's words. Was she contacting other World Serpent executives? What a strange code name.

[Hoo... Haha... This is the codename I gave you, what do you think? Not bad, right?... I heard from Shen Gonglin that you often got the short end of the stick when you were still Valkyrie... And it's still the same now that you're Herrscher, plus you often use red lightning... So your codename is Chìdié... How about that, pretty fitting, isn't it?]