Chapter 354

Theresa wanted to say something more to Fu Hua, but just then, the communicators on both Theresa and Fu Hua rang simultaneously. It was an emergency call. Had something important happened again? Theresa answered the call, Einstein's voice came through.

[I apologize, Ms. Theresa, Ms. Fu Hua, for interrupting your work with this urgent contact, but a major event is currently unfolding... Please return to the conference room as soon as possible. I have already notified the others, and I Schicksal ... In short, please act quickly.]

The communication stopped, Fu Hua and Theresa exchanged a glance before running together towards the conference room. They had a premonition that their hard-won peaceful life was about to be shattered.

What is this guy up to? I really can't figure him out. And he's dressed so formally, the Valkyrie squad is all assembled, Durandal, Rita, and the Immortal Blade are here too... What is he up to?

Following Otto, Li Sushang stayed beside Shen Gonglin. The girl remained subtly wary of her, fearing that Shen Gonglin might suddenly attack Otto. However, Shen Gonglin didn't seem to have such thoughts at the moment. As they walked, Shen Gonglin saw that the Valkyrie forces had all assembled, including Durandal and Rita. The two Valkyrie had just disembarked from the warship and received orders to assemble here. They also saw Shen Gonglin. What was going on? Why was Shen Gonglin with the bishop?

It's quite surprising that he didn't just chop up the bishop.

"I know you want to greet acquaintances, but you should hold back for now. After all, this is a global live broadcast. In this kind of situation, Jingu, you'd better maintain a serious demeanor for the time being. This will be helpful for what's to come."

Just as Shen Gonglin was about to run over to greet Durandal and Rita, Otto, as if he had foreseen it, warned her. Shen Gonglin, unusually quiet, was curious to see what kind of tricks Otto was up to.

The three walked to the high platform in front of the Valkyrie troops. Several camera robots were floating beside the platform. With an elegant smile on his face, Otto walked to the front of the platform.

[Greetings, friends around the world: I am Otto Apocalypse, the Archbishop of the Schicksal. As some of you already know—on this Earth we live on, a catastrophe known as the Honkai occurs periodically.]

Otto's behavior was unexpected. When he spoke, Shen Gonglin was shocked. Friends all over the world... combined with these camera robots, Shen Gonglin could easily deduce that everything that appeared here was appearing in every corner of the world. What was Otto trying to do? Wasn't it said that the Honkai couldn't be exposed to ordinary people? But now he was doing this... Eh, if it's a global live broadcast, does that mean Kiana and the others can also see him?

[... That's right. For the sake of secrecy, the phenomenon of Honkai was previously referred to as an unidentified disaster in news reports. According to the Schicksal, Honkai is a catastrophic phenomenon that arises with civilization, grows stronger with civilization, and has the ability to shatter civilization itself. However, there's no need to panic. Just recently in August, the Far East Branch of the Schicksal, led by S-rank Shen Gonglin and S-rank Valkyrie Theresa, cooperated with the Anti-Entropy Organization to eliminate the latest Honkai Apostle.]

Otto didn't care what others thought; he Honkai brought the Honkai to everyone's attention. That's just his personality; he'll do whatever it takes to achieve what he sets his mind to. No one can fathom his thoughts. Shen Gonglin also full of questions. When did he lead the Far East Branch to cooperate with Anti-Entropy? Didn't the entire Far East Branch rebel? And why did he specifically put his name before Theresa's?

What exactly is this guy trying to do?

Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Newly Appointed Bishop of Schicksal

Over the past two months, global Honkai disasters have decreased significantly; you've likely all felt this to some extent in your daily lives. In my view, this may signify a new era in the struggle between human civilization and Honkai —an era in which humanity shifts from defense to offense, completely expelling Honkai from our world, is fast approaching.

Ignoring the surprised look from Shen Gonglin behind him, Otto continued his speech, while the Valkyrie troops behind the three were also puzzled, wondering what he was up to.

After a slight pause, Otto subtly moved his finger, causing the camera robot to shift its view slightly towards Shen Gonglin.

[The Honkai has run out of steam, while a new generation of heroes is emerging among humanity. At this time of upheaval, everyone needs the truth of the world, and Schicksal needs fresh blood. Therefore, I, Otto Apocalypse, hereby resign from my position as Bishop of Schicksal and completely withdraw from the organization. My new successor, Shen Gonglin, will now assume full leadership of Schicksal.]

As if intending to shock everyone, Otto dropped another bombshell without hesitation. The camera's view shifted to a completely bewildered Shen Gonglin. What was going on? If she hadn't misheard, she was... the new Bishop of Schicksal? No, what was the connection between this and everything Otto had just said?

Shen Gonglin really only wanted to Schicksal to deliver the final arrow to Otto. He never imagined that he would become the Bishop of Schicksal if he just wanted to shoot one arrow.

Am I still not fully awake?

Feeling a dreamlike Shen Gonglin reached out and pinched herself hard. Sure enough, it didn't hurt at all. Was she still half asleep?

"Ouch! Junior Uncle, why are you pinching my thigh! It hurts!"

Not quite understanding what a global live broadcast meant, Li Sushang, who had been spacing out and had her thigh pinched for no reason, exclaimed in surprise. Hearing the girl's sweet and angry voice, many in the Valkyrie squad, who were still shocked by the news, lowered their heads. No, they really wanted to laugh out loud.

"... Rita, their meeting will probably only last a few hours, if nothing unexpected happens."

Regardless of how the other Valkyrie reacted, Durandal couldn't laugh. Miss Durandal's pretty face was completely black. Her social skills were too strong. In just a few hours, Li Sushang and Shen Gonglin had become so close. And she was even called Junior Martial Aunt. She really knew how to play games.

"That's right, according to Alvit's report, that's indeed the case."

Although the maid had a smile on her face, that smile, tinged with coldness, made Alvit's legs start to tremble. The girl felt a crisis looming over her workplace. If Shen Gonglin became a bishop now... Oh no, who should she please? One was her boss, and the other was her boss's boss. Alvit was once again in a terrible dilemma.

Many people are familiar with the new Bishop, Shen Gonglin. I believe that under his leadership, the world and the Schicksal will surely have a brighter future... Well, due to his age, Schicksal will create a new position of Vice-Bishop, which will be held by Theresa Apocalypse. She will be responsible for assisting the Bishop in handling all daily affairs. Gentlemen, let us look forward to a bright future for humanity.

Otto wanted to say something more, but the commotion from Li Sushang and Shen Gonglin had already reached him. Perhaps fearing that Shen Gonglin would lead Schicksal astray, Otto added the last sentence. Actually, it didn't matter whether he said it or not. Theresa was now almost in the shape of Shen Gonglin. It didn't matter who was in charge and who was the deputy. Otto had complete faith in Theresa's abilities, after all, he had trained her himself. As for Shen Gonglin...

Let's just consider it his perverse sense of humor.

After speaking, Otto flicked his cloak, which symbolized power and glory, and it fell into the air onto Shen Gonglin. After all the formalities were completed, Shen Gonglin and Theresa became the new bishops of Schicksal.

"Um... I don't have much of a problem with you asking me to be the bishop, but could you please change it to this? The thought of you always wearing this makes me a little uncomfortable. You know I'm a germaphobe."

Shen Gonglin cloak, looking somewhat conflicted. After hesitating, he finally spoke to Otto. The boy's clear voice silenced all the Valkyrie in the room. Although they already knew that the new bishop had been a very unreliable person before, they still... No, they still wanted to laugh.

Durandal glanced around, while Rita nodded slightly at her. She remembered the Valkyrie had laughed earlier and planned to send them out to plant potatoes. Although she was surprised by Otto's decision, this way... they would be staunch supporters of Shen Gonglin. Perfect, that way they wouldn't have to think about betraying Schicksal all the time.

"...I understand. Amber will prepare a new outfit for you then."

Otto, who was busy unplugging the camera robot's power cord, was speechless. He hadn't anticipated what would happen to Shen Gonglin. That scene probably wasn't broadcast live, right?

Meanwhile, the conference room at the Anti-Entropy Salt Lake Base was also silent. Everyone stared at the now-blacked-out live stream in complete silence. The amount of information they had just received was simply overwhelming. They were already quite surprised when Shen Gonglin appeared in Otto's live stream, but the news that Otto announced afterwards left them speechless.

Shen Gonglin will succeed the Bishop of Schicksal.

"Wait a minute, if Shen Gonglin takes over as bishop, does that mean we'll become Schicksal's people again? That can't be right, didn't our Far East Branch rebel against Schicksal? Why didn't Otto mention it at all?"

Kiana leaned on the table, speaking in disbelief. She had no idea where Shen Gonglin had gone, but suddenly he appeared on TV and was announced as the new bishop of Schicksal. Wherever he was, she was there too, that was beyond doubt. Kiana was completely bewildered. What on earth was going on?

"Grandpa, did he say he's going to resign?"

Theresa was equally incredulous. She had considered that Otto might step down from his position as bishop, but it was they who had ousted him. What did this sudden abdication mean? Theresa didn't understand at all.

"Literally speaking, Mr. Otto has indeed resigned from his position as Bishop of Schicksal."

Einstein rubbed her head; the amount of information was simply too much for her to handle.

Chapter Thirty: Overt Schemes

This situation left the Anti-Entropy members somewhat bewildered. Although Schicksal had fought alongside them against the Honkai, they had always been worried about being betrayed by this "ally." Now, Otto had openly announced his resignation as Bishop of Schicksal, replacing him with Shen Gonglin and Theresa... How could this not arouse suspicion?

The first reaction of everyone at Anti-Entropy was, "What kind of trouble is this guy up to now?"

"Moreover... this is not the only unexpected situation. Just now, we also received a fax from Schicksal. Ms. Theresa, consistent with the news, they claimed that they welcome you to the old headquarters outside Vienna to hold a ceremony and succeed as the bishop of Shen Gonglin... and... and they also claimed that they have discovered the whereabouts of the Herrscher of Domination 'Schicksal core in the area and hope that we can go there in person to complete the retrieval."

Einstein said in a deep voice, confirming that there was indeed a conspiracy behind this. They were afraid that the women wouldn't come, so they set up this bait that the women couldn't refuse... Actually, this was unnecessary. Looking at the Valkyrie across the table who were eager to Shen Gonglin was at the Schicksal Headquarters.

"Whether the succession is real or not, we have to go there. Shen Gonglin is right there now, and we can't afford not to bring him back soon."

Theresa put her hands on the table and proposed the idea, which was unanimously agreed upon by everyone. Even if it was a trap, they had to jump in!

Hmm... Why does it seem like no one has asked for my opinion as the leader of Anti-Entropy? Although that's exactly what I think too.

Sitting in the corner, Mr. Welt suddenly felt forgotten. Looking at the girls who had unanimously voted to approve him, even Einstein and Tesla had raised their hands, he thought, "Hmm... should I step down as soon as possible and make way for the newcomers?"

Suddenly I'm the Bishop of Schicksal... It doesn't feel real at all. Is it because I don't really trust that person? But anyway, I am the Bishop of Schicksal now.

Oh, I haven't gone to the old headquarters for the succession ceremony yet, so I can't really be considered a bishop yet.

"Rita, pour the tea."

Sitting in the very center of the Schicksal Command Room, Shen Gonglin quite arrogant. He crossed his arms and pointed to the teacup in front of Shen Gonglin. His loyal maid stood beside him, respectfully filling his cup with tea. The staff below him had subtle expressions on their faces.

So this is the new bishop of Schicksal? He seems completely unreliable. Looking at the blonde woman blatantly exploiting Rita in that position, all the staff felt uneasy. If Theresa had taken over, they wouldn't have found it so hard to accept, but now it's Shen Gonglin ...

Within the combat units, Shen Gonglin might still hold considerable prestige, given the Immortal Blade team. However, when it comes to matters involving command, Shen Gonglin isn't as effective. It's likely that this is why the former bishop appointed Lady Theresa as the vice bishop.

"Work hard, I'm off... Rita, shouldn't we be inspecting the Valkyrie dorms next?"

There wasn't anything important to do in the command room; Shen Gonglin was just bored. After making her presence known, Shen Gonglin waved to the staff and left. The staff breathed a sigh of relief; it was quite a strange feeling to have a different bishop. Shen Gonglin turned to look at Rita behind her. After all this build-up, it wouldn't seem out of place for her to go to the Valkyrie dormitory now, would it?

"Bishop... well, I'll just call you Lady Rin. Men are not allowed to enter the Valkyrie dormitory, not even the former Bishop Lord Otto. It's one of the rules of Schicksal ... But since you are now the new Bishop, we can vote to abolish this rule after the actual succession ceremony. Durandal and I are fine, but given time, Rita can increase the number of people in favor to an overwhelming majority when the vote is held."

After carefully considering Shen Gonglin's question, Rita gave this answer: As for her and Durandal, there was no need to discuss them. As for the others... such daily issues involving all the Valkyrie required a vote, and Rita needed some preparation time to strictly control the number of votes.

"I also vote in favor... But let's not discuss these things here anymore. That Valkyrie seemed almost scared to tears just now. Let's be more careful about these things in the future."

The white-haired girl on the other side of Shen Gonglin was also whispering. She smiled kindly at the Valkyrie had accidentally overheard the upper-level "Darkness" speech. Unexpectedly, after seeing her smile, the poor Valkyrie actually burst into tears. This situation made Anna feel a little withdrawn. It seems that there are still people who are afraid of her identity. Many people have already accepted her. She has to keep working hard.

Anna Saniyat, the former captain of the Snow Lotus Squad and the former Herrscher of Ice, came to Shen Gonglin Schicksal Headquarters with Durandal after being rescued from Coral Island by Rin Kamiya. The girl had been doing logistical work, and she only came after learning that Shen Gonglin had come here. Because of her former Herrscher status, some Valkyrie were still a little afraid of her.

"It's alright. I'm a bishop, after all. It would be a waste of my bishop status if I didn't do something reckless."

Shen Gonglin didn't care at all. For this scoundrel, bullying girls was just too much fun. He never considered himself a good person. So he turned around and winked at the trembling Valkyrie. Only after the Valkyrie burst into tears did he turn back with satisfaction. Rita and Anna exchanged a helpless glance.

Well, on the very first day of Shen Gonglin's appointment, the two of them already imagined what it would be like if Shen Gonglin's position as bishop was overthrown. They had to get Lady Theresa here as soon as possible. Without her as the vice-bishop holding things together, Shen Gonglin would eventually ruin herself.

I really don't know why Otto wanted Shen Gonglin to succeed as bishop. Did he want Shen Gonglin to incite public outrage and be criticized to death by public opinion?

Chapter Thirty-One

The three of them hadn't even walked halfway through the Schicksal Headquarters when Shen Gonglin got tired. This floating island was just too big. Of course, Valkyrie like Anna and Rita had no problem with their physical fitness, but Shen Gonglin was already exhausted. At this moment, he was sitting on a park bench eating the ice cream he had snatched from a passing Valkyrie using his "bishop's authority." Exhausted to the point of collapse, Shen Gonglin decided that once he really took over Schicksal, he would definitely install conveyor belts throughout the entire Schicksal.

Otherwise, it would be really tiring.

"His Holiness the bishop discovered that your ice cream was too high in calories, so he decided to sacrifice himself to help you. Here, this is the money for the ice cream... No need to thank me, the bishop made me do this. From now on, you must vote for His Holiness the bishop among the most popular people."

Shen Gonglin was idly gazing at the sky, while Rita and Anna were dealing with the mess he had made. After seeing the Valkyrie leave with great gratitude, the two looked at each other and breathed a sigh of relief. It was a good thing that the two of them were there, otherwise it would have been too embarrassing for the new bishop of Schicksal to have his reputation ruined so soon after taking office.

"Rita, how long do you think he can hold onto this position as Bishop of Schicksal...?"

The white-haired Valkyrie whispered in Rita's ear, "Along the way, Shen Gonglin Shingu could be described as a wicked person if not a bully. If it weren't for the two of them helping Shen Gonglin maintain her image, it wouldn't be impossible for her to be knocked unconscious one day."

"It's alright, it's just a small matter. The children know that Lord Rin is joking with them, so there's no need to worry about it. Anna, it seems you still don't know how Lord Rin is perceived by those children. From what I see now, he's just eager to show off his new toy. I guess he's had his fill of it by now."

Rita smiled slightly. As the world's number one maid, it was only natural for her to help her master with these matters after her Shen Gonglin hadn't done anything that would anger the heavens and the people. Those who opposed Shen Gonglin's succession as bishop were basically considering his lack of qualifications. But that didn't matter. With her and Durandal's strong assistance, and Lady Theresa, the current head of the Apocalypse family, as his deputy, his position as bishop would only become more and more secure.

Rita hadn't felt this motivated in a long time. She had been slacking off at Schicksal for quite some time, but now she had finally rediscovered her passion for work. Originally, she just wanted to earn a salary, but now, Rita felt that every effort she made was earning money for her family. No way, the world's number one maid wants to work overtime!

"That was awesome... I hope so."

Anna sighed. She just hoped that Shen Gonglin wouldn't go any further, or she was really worried that he would be beaten to death. As for what Rita just said... she just didn't see it.

"I've decided to implement a uniform dress code, requiring all Valkyrie to shorten the length of their skirts, specifically referencing Rita's maid skirt. What do you think?"

After finishing her ice cream, Shen Gonglin clapped her hands and said this on a whim. Anna's lips twitched, but before she could say anything, another person ran over.

"I don't think that will work. Although the climate here is quite mild, the areas where those girls fight are not all in such pleasant weather. So, Junior Uncle, if you want to see short skirts, Sushang can wear one for you, but please don't entangle those other girls."

A fragrant breeze wafted over, and the sword fairy girl Li Sushang suddenly appeared from nowhere and jumped onto Shen Gonglin's back. As soon as she arrived, she heard her junior uncle saying such things. Li Sushang objectively expressed her opinion: the Valkyrie's outfits are already very cute, so they don't need to wear anything else.

"Sushang, in public, please address me as Your Excellency the Bishop."

Finally, she had the chance to say the kind of things Theresa often said. In private, Kiana called her "Auntie," but in public, she demanded that Kiana call her "Headmistress." Shen Gonglin thought Theresa looked cool and mature, and now it was finally her turn to say such things.

Well, in private he calls himself Junior Uncle, but in public he should be addressed as His Excellency the Bishop.

"I'm not used to it, Junior Uncle. The title of bishop doesn't sound right at all. Besides, you're not a bishop yet. You'll only be considered a bishop after the succession ceremony."

Li Sushang pursed her lips. She didn't care about such things at all. Even her current status as an S-rank Valkyrie was forced upon her by Otto. So compared to the somewhat cold word "bishop," she felt that her junior uncle was much warmer.

Five hundred years later, when she woke up, everything had changed. Although there were still a few familiar people, only the junior uncle in front of her gave Li Sushang a sense of closeness. No one knew what the Ottoman was thinking. Her Ancestor Chiyuan, had fought with her so badly that her brains had come out. Therefore, Li Sushang still valued her junior uncle, Shen Gong Shen Gonglin.

"What?! I'm not a bishop yet!"

Shen Gonglin was shocked; he thought that he had already become Otto the moment he stepped down.

"Didn't you throw away the cloak that symbolizes the bishop's authority? The new cloak hasn't been made yet, so before the succession ceremony is completed, strictly speaking, you are just a prospective bishop. With a cloak, you can exercise the authority of a bishop, but before you are officially appointed, without a cloak... you are still you."

Durandal also walked over from the side. Looking at Li Sushang, who was lying on the back of Shen Gonglin, the Durandal girl narrowed her eyes slightly. However, after hearing the "little junior uncle" mentioned by her, Durandal relaxed. She probably didn't need to pay too much attention to the words "junior uncle".

"...Will it still be of any use if I find the cloak now? Speaking of which, when is the succession ceremony going to take place? If not, I still have things to do."

Shen Gonglin was speechless. If she had known, she wouldn't have thrown it away. But speaking of which, she wasn't that interested in the position of Bishop of Schicksal. Shen Gonglin was thinking about returning to the Elysian Realm of the Past as soon as she recovered. Besides, she hadn't told Kiana and the Class President when she came out. She had a lot of things to do and didn't have time to wait here to take over as Bishop of Schicksal.

"Don't worry, it will be soon. Just now, Li Sushang and I went over there because the bishop instructed us on this matter. The specific details have already been communicated to Theresa and the others, so I believe... you will be able to meet soon."

Chapter Thirty-Two: Our Own People

Durandal said that she and Li Sushang had just been called over by Otto to be given instructions on what to do next. The succession ceremony was set up at Schicksal's old headquarters, probably for some kind of sense of ceremony. However, it was easy to imagine that this situation, which seemed to be a trap waiting for Theresa and the others, was not Otto's doing if he didn't have some kind of scheme.

"The old headquarters? Where is it?"

Shen Gonglin asked curiously. He thought he had already taken over as the Bishop of Schicksal, but who knew he would have to go to the old Schicksal faction. If you said Otto was right, Shen Gonglin would never believe it. But there was no way Theresa and the others would fall for such a conspiracy. Even a fool could see through it.

It seems like I've gotten myself into trouble?

"In Kolosten, before Schicksal established its headquarters on the floating island, that was the headquarters; it was a small town."

Rita chimed in, also wanting to know Otto's plan, but unfortunately, she and Durandal seemed to be untrusted, so neither of them knew Otto's true thoughts. Of course, Otto wasn't stupid; they were practically sitting on Shen Gonglin's lap, so how could he possibly reveal his plans to them?

Or rather, Otto never told anyone what he really wanted to do.

"Kolosten... I've never heard of that place, but I don't think Theresa and the others are that stupid. As long as they don't go, there shouldn't be any problems."

Shen Gonglin frowned in thought. No matter what kind of conspiracy it was, as long as they didn't move or respond, they should be fine. But was Otto's trick really that simple?

"I'm afraid this won't work. The bishop has thrown out a bait that Theresa and the others can't refuse. Just now, Schicksal has sent an invitation to Theresa, who is in Anti-Entropy, inviting her to go to the outskirts of Vienna, the town of Kolosten, to take over the position of vice bishop of Schicksal. And... the bishop also claimed that they have discovered the whereabouts of the Herrscher of Domination's core there and hope that Theresa and the others can go there in person to retrieve it."

She told Shen Gonglin everything she had just learned. This was Otto's plan, a completely open conspiracy. Even if Theresa didn't care about the position of Vice-Bishop, they would definitely care about the core of the Herrscher of Domination. Moreover... At this point, Durandal gave Shen Gonglin a deep look.