Chapter 331

"Phew... You're good at math, aren't you? Why don't you count some more and see if you still have a chance of winning? You've already lost."

Kiana, holding her gun in both hands, stared at the doll in front of her and said this. This guy actually dared to mock her for being bad at math. She, Kiana, was very smart. She was just too lazy to think normally. She had been kept nagging and complaining by this doll. Enough already.

The battle situation is quite clear now. Kiana isn't alone anymore; everyone is around her, and the Hyperion behind her can provide the strongest support. This puppet doesn't like this person very much, so let's do as it wishes. Now, our side has a bit more.

Why does this suddenly feel a bit like school bullying?

"It's not over yet!"

Even in the face of danger, the dolls still twisted their bodies and let out eerie laughter. Did she think it was over? That would be a gross underestimation of them. Although each of them might be weak, as long as they united, they could overcome any difficulty. If they were together, they would definitely give their all to make Kiana one of them!

The doll emitted a resentful sound, and then Tesla and Einstein in the Hyperion also detected the unknown signal coming from the radar. Alarms sounded one after another, and the two doctors stared wide-eyed in surprise at the constantly flashing red dots on the radar.

These red dots... are all dolls!

[Watch out, everyone! All five hundred puppets in the theater are rushing towards you. It seems the puppets are going all in, resorting to this human wave tactic. They've run out of ideas, haven't they?]

Einstein finished speaking, Tesla piloted the Schicksal Mech constructed by Shen Gonglin and charged forward. Who cares? This is the time to slaughter everyone. Kiana, Shen Gonglin, and the others also quickly joined the battle. Although the enemy numbered five hundred, no one present believed they would lose against such a formidable opponent.

Five hundred puppets walked towards the crowd like marionettes. Each of these puppets had a name and represented an individual. They were puppets created by the Herrscher of Domination from various people full of resentment found all over the world. As long as they were united, they could do anything!

The dolls firmly believed this, and they did just that, but the results were disappointing. Kiana and the others, who had emerged from countless battles, were not going to be defeated by such a rabble. They gathered together, and so did they.

The tacit understanding cultivated during their shared battles came into play at this moment. Kiana focused solely on the enemy before her, while the puppets preparing to ambush from behind were Heavy-duty Rabbit. Fu Hua fought alone, her Cun Xin Fist subtly incorporating some ink-wash-like Taijitu. Meanwhile, Shen Gonglin's performance was even more dazzling. The methods of using Yin-Yang artifacts she had learned from Little Herrscher of Consciousness allowed her to create many variations. The abilities of the Herrscher of the Void and the Herrscher of Thunder shone brightly on the battlefield. These puppets were truly no match for them.

Human wave tactics, is that all?

"Phew... That's enough. What are you still laughing about? Can't you see you're all alone now?"

All the dolls were cleared away, and now only the original doll remained. Kiana took a breath and stepped forward, wanting to see what other tricks this doll had up its sleeve.

"Hahahaha... Yes, yes, I'm all alone again... Just like back in Sky City! Kiana... What was the point of all this? You wiped us out without hesitation, as if we were emotionless monsters. Think about it, Kiana. We had beliefs, wills, and comrades... And you killed us so easily for those muddle-headed, hopeless humans. Was it worth it?"

The only remaining puppet spoke these words in a sorrowful tone. When it mentioned Sky City, Kiana's eyes flickered slightly. It seemed this puppet's host was from Sky City. But for it to say something like that...

"Are you finished speaking?"

The girl's eyes were calm. She was not swayed by the doll's words. Her heart remained steadfast. She always knew what she needed to do and what she should do.

"Hehehe... Think about it carefully, Kiana... Think about it carefully..."

The doll wanted to say something, but Kiana had already raised the gun in her hand. After a gunshot, the doll fell to the ground, its broken body faintly reflecting the theater it could no longer see. It was all over.

Kiana shook her head, turned to look at her friends, and gave a relaxed smile. It was over.

"It's done! The reactions of the remaining five hundred puppets have all disappeared! Well done!"

Tesla's voice was filled with joy. The happy Doctor even made the Schicksal Mech dance. Theresa, on the other hand, stepped forward with some concern and looked at Kiana. The girl looked a little tired. Did the last doll say something to her?

Kiana, are you alright?

"It's nothing, I'm fine... It's just that I'm suddenly a little tired... Eh, the space seems to be starting to Honkai. The Domination Theater might disappear soon. Let's go back to the Hyperion first. We should go home... Shen Gonglin, will you carry me?"

Faced with Theresa's concerned inquiry, Kiana shook her head to indicate that she was fine. She was probably just a little lost after finally resolving the matter. Noticing the space around her beginning to Honkai, Kiana gave Theresa a reassuring smile. Then she turned her attention to Shen Gonglin. She had worked so hard this time, so he should pamper her a little, right?

"What the heck? What are you thinking... Bronya, can you carry me? It's too high up here, I'm scared."

However, as always, Shen Gonglin's reaction did not disappoint anyone. This guy took it for granted and started acting like a monster towards Bronya, making Bronya carry him. How could Shen Gonglin say something like that?

Chapter 145 Loyal Dog Cat

With a deafening roar, the Hyperion emerged from the spatial rift and shone brightly in the sunlight once more. The scene of blue sky and white clouds brought a sigh of relief to everyone standing on the deck. The atmosphere in the Domination Theater had been far too oppressive. Indeed, these girls were much happier under the sun.

"Seriously, why can't I do it... I should be able to open a tunnel big enough for the Hyperion to pass through by myself, but I still have to rely on Shen Gonglin. I'm so unhappy."

Kiana leaned on the deck railing, muttering to herself. She had originally intended to open a spatial tunnel to send everyone back, but because she couldn't locate them, she still had to rely on Shen Gonglin. This gave Kiana a strange sense of defeat, as if she had lost to someone with no sense of direction when it came to finding her way. She was really disappointed.

"Ha, Kiana thinks she can defeat me? You should go train for a hundred or two hundred years first."

Shen Gonglin's voice sounded particularly proud. Who said that she, a fake Herrscher, couldn't defeat the power of a real Herrscher? She could manipulate the Herrscher of the Void's abilities to an extreme degree. How could Kiana, a mere mortal, think she could defeat her in such a way? She was simply naive.

"Heh, it would be more convincing if your legs weren't shaking when you said that. You're just a stupid idiot who's afraid of heights."

Kiana rolled her eyes at Shen Gonglin, and the girl retorted without backing down. This guy was already shaking with fear, yet he still couldn't resist mocking her. Despite being so scared, Shen Gonglin insisted on standing on this side of the fence. It was as if this guy wanted to experience this kind of thrill. He was really asking for trouble.

It's not enough that he comes here alone to court death; he has to drag me along to be his bodyguard. Sometimes I really don't understand what Shen Gonglin is thinking.

"Phew, finally back, everyone... Ouch! What is all this?"

To welcome the victorious return of the crew, Tesla and Einstein, who had been in the command room, came out. As soon as they stepped off the bridge, Tesla tripped over a pile of things on the deck and fell hard. The red-haired, twin-tailed man was filled with impotent rage. What was all this?

"It's the remains and broken cores of those dolls. I thought these things were very useful, so Shen Gonglin and the others collect them."

Einstein nimbly jumped out. Now the deck was littered with the broken bodies of these dolls. Although it looked strange, it was something that these researchers had to do. Tesla should have understood this as well.

"Five hundred in total? My goodness, that's a huge project... But it's definitely very important. Let Anti-Entropy handle the physical labor of recycling. Everyone, you've worked hard today! Get some rest... By the way, Chicken Coop Head, who was on duty today?"

Tesla stared in disbelief at the trash on the deck. Sigh, it was troublesome, but it was something that had to be done. The combatants only needed to fight, but the research had to fall on them. However, they were indeed exhausted this time, so Tesla waved his hand and said that this task would be left to the duty personnel for today.

After making the announcement in a very generous manner, Kiana's side had already started cheering before Tesla remembered today's duty roster. Einstein, looked at Tesla helplessly. Didn't this guy ever think before he spoke? He only cared about how good it felt to say it... Sigh, that's just Tesla.

"It's you, Dr. Tesla. Keep up the good work, I'm off to have some fun."

"What?"

After leaving those words behind, Einstein immediately tried to back away. However, Einstein was focused on his research, was not as quick to act as Tesla. The lively red-haired girl with twin ponytails was much better off than her. When she saw Einstein trying to run away, she grabbed Einstein's leg.

"Chicken Coop Head... No, Aiyin, you're not just going to watch me clean all this stuff by myself, are you? If you do, I'll be completely ruined. Please, Aiyin, let's split it in half, okay... No, how about I take two-thirds and you take one-third?"

When she was boasting, she didn't notice who was on duty. After finding out, Tesla wanted to kill herself for saying those things. In essence, Tesla was still just an ordinary girl. Unlike those Valkyrie with their abnormal physiques, she would get tired after climbing three floors. It was really impossible for her to handle so many things by herself.

"Do your own work, Dr. Tesla. Remember when it was my turn to do chores and you wouldn't even lift a bucket of water? Since it's your turn to do chores today, please do it properly... Or you could ask someone else for help?"

At this moment Einstein fully demonstrated what it means to be vengeful. Tesla has also had her day. Thinking back to the past... tsk tsk, I'm not going to bother with her.

"I can only rely on you, Ai Yin... I just said that they don't need to be responsible for these things, and now I have to ask them for help. Even I have my pride, Ai Yin. Please help me, just help me. This is the last time. I beg you. I'll even kowtow to you if you don't agree."

To resolve his predicament, Tesla had completely lost all sense of shame. These five hundred dolls would really be useless if he were to be dealt with. The girl looked at Einstein eyes, while Einstein, whose leg she was clinging to, was also somewhat helpless. This girl was so persistent.

Sigh, oh well, it's my own fault for being so soft-hearted. Einstein sighed. It was indeed his weakness. Because of his soft heart, Shen Gonglin had taken so many advantages. Because of his soft heart, he couldn't bring himself to be tough on Tesla now.

"Alright, alright, I'll help you, okay? Let's call Shen Gonglin over to help too... Shen Gonglin, come here for a second."

Reluctantly stopping her dragging Tesla, Einstein had no choice but to agree. She waved her hand at Shen Gonglin, but Tesla felt she was wasting her time. It was only natural that Einstein would help; she would surely be able to resist if she was gently persuaded. But Shen Gonglin was different; that guy was truly inhuman. To get his help? Sigh, the Chicken Coop Head was still too naive.

"Here you are."

To Tesla's surprise, Shen Gonglin's reaction was unexpected. Upon hearing Einstein's voice, Shen Gonglin ran over without hesitation. To Tesla, Shen Gonglin, who had always been as proud as a cat, suddenly seemed like a loyal dog.

It must be my imagination.

Chapter 146

"Dr. Tesla and I have to clean up these doll remains... there are too many. Shen Gonglin, can you help us?"

Unsure of what Tesla was thinking, Einstein instinctively turned to Shen Gonglin for help. Tesla shook his head at Einstein how naive this Chicken Coop Head was. She actually wanted Shen Gonglin to help with chores. It seemed that he knew Shen Gonglin best after all. How could this woman possibly help willingly? Laziness was practically ingrained in her bones, as evidenced by her troubled expression.

In the past, whenever it was his turn to do chores, this guy would push it to Kiana or Bronya. I heard that even Rosaliya was bribed by him with cherries to do chores for him. What's most infuriating is that after Rosaliya finished her work with great enthusiasm, this guy left her with only two or three chops. How can you expect Shen Gonglin to help with chores?

Einstein was incredibly naive.

"Ah... help with the work... Aiyin, how about we sneak away? We can just leave Godzilla alone."

Just as Shen Gonglin had Tesla, Einstein had called him for some good reason Shen Gonglin when he learned it was just work. He whispered something in Einstein's ear, and the undisguised volume infuriated Tesla. He'd already said he wasn't called Godzilla but Tesla ... No! The important thing was that he wanted him to do everything alone!

That's inhuman!

"Alright, it's not practical to hand over so many puppets to Dr. Tesla, so let's all help out. At worst... at worst, you just have to behave well, and from now on... I'll behave well too..."

The second half of the sentence was a whisper. Upon hearing this, Shen Gonglin's eyes lit up. Then, when he saw Einstein's slightly flushed cheeks, he became even more excited. Was this the obedient person he had imagined? If you say this, Shen Gonglin won't be sleepy anymore. Not only will he not be sleepy, but he will be full of energy.

"Okay, mainly because I want to do some work, so leave it to me!"

Shen Gonglin patted her chest with great enthusiasm, and then, to Tesla's astonishment, Shen Gonglin grabbed a broom and rushed toward the pile of doll fragments on the deck. When you have nothing to do, you want to do some work. Being a cleaner for the Hyperion is not bad. After all, in Shen Gonglin's view, this is basically her own ship, so what's wrong with cleaning it up?

"Chicken Coop Head, what did you say to him? Why is Shen Gonglin so obedient? This is not normal at all!"

Tesla's eyes were like he was watching Welt perform a pole dance at the Anti-Entropy Annual Meeting. How could Shen Gonglin be so obedient? Was this obedient Shen Gonglin still Shen Gonglin? The red-haired twin-tailed girl shook her head in disbelief. She must have seen wrong. Shen Gonglin was actually so motivated to start working. This world is truly full of wonders.

"As long as you talk to him nicely, Shen Gonglin will still listen to you. After all, he is basically a good kid."

She wouldn't let Tesla know the price she paid to make Shen Gonglin obey. Facing Tesla's shocked gaze, Einstein demeanor terrified Tesla. Did this Chicken Coop Head know what she was talking about?

She actually said that Shen Gonglin was a good kid, but that's how bad she could be, right? I must be right. Something important must have happened between Chicken Coop Head and Shen Gonglin that I don't know about. Otherwise, why would Shen Gonglin listen to Chicken Coop Head so much? He doesn't even listen to Fu Hua and Theresa.

Look, he promised to help with the cleaning, but he ended up going to Kiana's side again. Judging from their helpless looks, he's just pushed the work onto them again. These Valkyrie really spoil Shen Gonglin.

"I have a feeling there's something fishy going on between you two... Hey, you with the Chicken Coop Head, tell me honestly, is there really nothing between you two?"

Tesla was becoming increasingly suspicious of the matter. He recalled seeing the two of them lying in the same bed when he was in Congress. Although Einstein later explained that it was to take care of him, Tesla was now becoming more and more suspicious. There were many doubts about this incident.

"What could possibly be between us... Alright, Dr. Tesla, it looks like things have turned into a mass cleanup. Come on, it's been a while, let's get this done."

Einstein cleverly changed the subject, placing the broom in Tesla's hands. The Valkyrie were also ready; the Hyperion was everyone's ship, so if they were going to clean up, then of course everyone should do it together.

Shen Gonglin's influence is still very strong, or rather, Kiana and the others can't resist her cuteness. What was originally a solo cleaning task turned into a collective cleaning, with even Rosaliya and Liliya holding rags and raising their hands to cheer each other on.

Next up are the winged people of Cairo. These special cores should be worth trading, right?

In Valencia, Raiden Mei placed a doll core inside a cube-shaped container with gold trim. After parting ways with Raven, Mei had been traveling all over the world for her own purposes, and now she had finally collected enough. If she wanted to trade, she would need to have the capital.

Where the World Serpent has no other extra information to gather, Raven doesn't know much either. And of course, professional matters should be handled by professionals. But unfortunately, his relationship with that person isn't very good, so if he wants her to do something for him, he has to offer something worthwhile.

The core items in his possession were a good bargaining chip. These were special individuals recorded in the World Serpent's Records, and Mei would probably be very interested in them. Mei couldn't rest easy until she had investigated them thoroughly. He had to gather information as soon as possible, otherwise Kiana's side... would definitely not be truly safe.

After putting away the container, Mei prepared to head to the next location. While Kiana and the others were working hard, Mei did not stop. Joining World Serpent was her own decision, and this decision was also for their future. The matter of the Thousand Herrscher was not so simple. Mei could sense that there was a huge conspiracy unfolding behind it, and she had to use her own methods to take all the potential crises into her own hands.

Chapter 147

Two weeks after the doll incident ended, Kiana, having completed her training, stepped into Einstein's research lab. Although the doll incident had come to an end, daily training was still essential. At the Salt Lake Base, apart from Shen Gonglin, even Einstein and Tesla were undergoing the lowest level of physical training, let alone Kiana, an active Valkyrie. Without proper training, her body would rust.

"Doctor, were you looking for me? Oh, Seele's here too."

Upon entering the laboratory, Kiana greeted Einstein, but then Seele was also there, leaving Kiana somewhat confused about the purpose of her visit. What was going on?

"Sit down first, Kiana. How have you been feeling lately?"

Einstein nodded to Kiana, asking her to sit down. It wasn't anything important, just a routine check-up. The girl had always had some issues, but Shen Gonglin had been treating her. Although she trusted him, she felt she had to check on things herself; it was her duty.

"Don't worry, I'm fine. I've been eating and sleeping well lately, and there's nothing wrong with me."

Kiana raised her arm, wanting to show off her muscles to the two of them, but unfortunately, most of these Valkyrie didn't have that kind of fit physique. Their delicate appearance made it hard to imagine that she was the type who could drag Honkai Beast's tail around and swing it around. So, trying to show that she was physically unharmed from this aspect was actually quite unconvincing.

"Your physical exam showed no abnormalities. How have you been feeling lately?"

Einstein trusted data more than her eyes, and Kiana's recent medical examination results reassured her. Everything seemed to be moving in a better direction, but why did she still feel inexplicably uneasy?

That's strange. I should probably make some contingency plans so I can feel more at ease.

"It's great. I eat four meals a day normally, and I can even have a hamburger on training days. I also help Shen Gonglin eat what she can't finish. Maybe it's because the incident has been resolved, but I'm eating much better now. I feel like I've gained a little weight recently?"

Kiana touched her still slender waist and complained, "Is there really nothing wrong with my appetite?" Because Valkyrie need to undergo physical training, they consume more energy than ordinary people. Even Bronya can eat as much as two people, let alone Shen Gonglin Kiana, who has a big appetite. Not only does she have to prepare her own meals, but she also has to take care of Shen Gonglin's meals with the Class President. Sometimes she really worries that she will gain weight.

No girl would be indifferent to this kind of thing. Shen Gonglin doesn't have a big appetite, but he likes to try a little bit of everything and doesn't want to waste food, so all that food ends up in their stomachs. If they really gain weight, then Shen Gonglin is the culprit.

"No, no, Kiana isn't fat at all. Shen Gonglin said Kiana's waist is the thinnest among girls her age... Um, I, I didn't say anything... Yes, it was Shen Gonglin who said it, don't say I told anyone."

Seele realized as soon as she spoke that this was not something she should have said, but unfortunately Kiana and Einstein had already heard it. Seele could only plead with them in a low voice. This was something that Shen Gonglin had casually mentioned to her that time. If he found out that she had tattled on him... he would bully her with his other self.

This guy has a good eye for things.

Kiana wasn't angry at all. The girl smugly touched her waist. Was her waist the thinnest among girls her age?... Wait a minute, how did Shen Gonglin know about this? Who else had he touched besides her waist?

"Now everyone eats with Kiana every day. The doll incident has come to an end, and everyone is relieved. Kiana's wonderful performance has been witnessed by everyone, and more and more people in the base are talking to Kiana."

Speaking of this, Seele smiled gently. Besides herself, more and more people are now accepting Kiana, which makes Seele very happy. She learned from Theresa how hard Kiana worked, and now her efforts have finally paid off. That's wonderful.

"Haha, in the end I got a scolding from the cafeteria lady, who told me to go earlier next time, saying everyone was waiting for me and the food was getting cold... But it's not my fault, it's all because that Shen Gonglin guy said he found a shortcut to the cafeteria, and then he went around in circles and locked the two of us in the basement..."

At this point, Kiana shook her head helplessly. How stupid of her! She had actually thought that Shen Gonglin, who had no sense of direction, would know some shortcut. She had already suffered for this more than once.

Um... Seele and Einstein were speechless. Anti-Entropy had even held a meeting to study the problem of Shen Gonglin. The results showed that Shen Gonglin might be born that way, and no medical treatment would be of any use. Although he knew he was terrible with directions, he had a strong sense of confidence in finding and leading the way, and no one could do anything about that.

"Sigh, let's not talk about that, Doctor. How is the Herrscher of Domination doing?"

Once the topic of Shen Gonglin came up, it never stopped. Kiana then inquired about the Herrscher of Domination. Although the matter had been resolved, Kiana still had a very unreal feeling, as if things weren't that simple. But now, it seemed that the Herrscher of Domination really wasn't making any further moves.

"The cores have all been recovered. For the past two weeks, there have been no further reactions from any Herrscher of Domination around the world. Anti-Entropy has also synchronized the results of the operation with Schicksal and some countries. Although we cannot say that the problem has been completely resolved, things have finally come to a temporary end. However, due to the influence of the puppets, the damaged social order will take time to repair, and some major wounds may be difficult to heal. There is still a lot to be done."

Einstein said that the puppet timeout was probably resolved, but the disturbance caused by the puppets had not yet been properly dealt with. However, compared to before, these minor issues were much easier to handle, and all of this was thanks to them.