Chapter 368

What exactly is going on here? Can someone explain this to them?

"Durandal, Theresa, save me! It was him! It was Otto who pinned me under the rock! It was him who did this!"

Her mind raced, and then Shen Gonglin started spouting nonsense, insisting that it was absolutely impossible for her to have pinned herself down like that.

Chapter 82 Otto Five Hundred Years Ago

What? Did Otto use a stone to pin Shen Gonglin down here?

Hearing Shen Gonglin's cry for help, Theresa and Durandal hadn't even had time to process it, but their bodies reacted instantly. Tesla's lips twitched as he watched the two draw their weapons. This was truly outrageous! Theresa was Otto's granddaughter, and Durandal was Otto's top henchman. To turn the tables like this, these two were really in a sorry state.

"Wait, wait a minute! I didn't do anything wrong. He was already trapped under the rocks when I got here... How can you slander someone like this!"

Otto, who was falsely accused, was panicked. He had only intended to save people, so how did he become a murderer? The blond boy seemed harmless, but how could he lie so easily? How could he have done such a bad thing? He couldn't smear someone's innocence.

And what's with those two women staring at him like that? Otto was a little scared. After thinking it over, it seemed that only the girl with the red twin tails was harmless. The others didn't seem easy to talk to. So Otto could only look to Tesla for help. He really didn't know anything. Why was Tesla looking at him with such a look that seemed to regard him as a cancer on humanity?

"Hiss... Don't look at me like that, it makes me feel disgusted. Don't you know how many bad things you've done? Confess now, what other schemes are you plotting!"

Tesla felt a chill run down his spine under Otto's gaze. He rubbed his arms vigorously and hid behind Durandal. Who would have thought that Otto would look at someone like that? It was disgusting.

"Conspiracy? Wait a minute, why are you looking at me like that, like I'm a bad guy? We don't even know each other. Is there some misunderstanding? Let's make things clear."

Otto acted completely innocent. He didn't know why these people were so hostile towards him. He couldn't understand the situation at all. He believed he hadn't done anything heinous, but the way they looked at him made Otto even suspect that he was the mastermind behind the extinction of dinosaurs and global warming.

"Bad person? Using that word to describe you is an insult to the word 'bad person.' Don't you know what you've done?!"

Tesla was so angry his hair was practically standing on end. This guy was putting on such an innocent act; he was the worst person in the world. However Durandal noticed something amiss. This Otto felt different from the Otto she usually knew. Theresa probably noticed it too; this Otto seemed a little different from the Otto they knew.

"Dr. Tesla, wait a moment... Let me ask you something first, Mr. Otto, do you know us?"

Stopping Tesla, Durandal stepped forward and asked, while Otto looked quite puzzled in response to Durandal's question.

"Should I... know you?"

Otto's behavior caused everyone to frown, while Shen Gonglin raised her hand to make her presence known, implying that no matter what they were going to say, they should first get her out of trouble.

Finally, the situation was explained in a bit. Durandal was helping Shen Gonglin apply medicine. He had a few minor scratches when the stone pressed down on him, which distressed Durandal greatly. Meanwhile, Theresa and Tesla were talking to Otto. Based on the information they had gathered, this Otto didn't seem to be the same Otto they knew.

"Um... Anyway, you want me to sort out the situation. You mean, this is the year 2017... and you are also people from the year 2017... and you all know me?"

Otto rubbed his head to sort out his thoughts. This was just too unbelievable. Was he from the future?

"Otherwise, why would I call you grandpa?"

Theresa rubbed her temples and emphasized that he had finally understood. This had exhausted Theresa. It was the first time she had ever felt that her grandfather's comprehension was so poor. Perhaps it was because of his five hundred years of experience that he had become the way she remembered him.

"But... even if what you're saying is true... how can I possibly live to be over five hundred years old?"

Otto raised this question again, and it was a very important one. They lived five hundred years ago, but he himself could not possibly have lived that many years. He simply couldn't understand it.

"You created a mechanical prosthetic body for yourself and even used Trojan Horse program to steal other people's bodies. No matter what, I can't trust you... At the very least, you have to prove that you are indeed from the 15th century."

Tesla crossed her arms and snorted coldly. She really didn't trust Otto, who claimed to be from the 15th world. After all, his existence was too abnormal. None of the other leaked spacetime information around them belonged to a living person like him.

And most importantly, because this person was Otto, Tesla was suspicious of everything he did, after all, he was Otto.

"Uh... While that could certainly be a reason for you to be wary of me... I have a feeling that I really did a lot of things in the future that you can't accept."

Otto could sense the red-haired girl's dislike for him, and Otto felt a lot of pressure. Not only the red-haired girl, but everyone else also had a bad impression of him, even the girl who claimed to be his granddaughter. How much of a failure must his future be to be hated by so many people?

"It's more than just unacceptable! You... never mind, if you really are another version of him from the 15th century, then beating you up now won't do any good. I can't worry about the future of a parallel world!"

Upon hearing Otto's words, Tesla clenched her fists, wanting to rush over and give that annoying face a good beating. However, in the end, the girl restrained her impulse. If the information she had received was true, and this Otto was not the Otto had committed an unforgivable crime, then even if she beat him up, it wouldn't make any difference. After all, in that case, he would be innocent.

"... Parallel worlds? That seems to make sense, since it avoids time paradoxes."

Even Otto of this era had considerable knowledge of such matters and could only explain them by the concept of parallel worlds. If they were in the same world, many things would be inexplicable.

Chapter 83 The Bad Things Alto Did

"Hmm, the parallel universe paradox, that's basic philosophical common sense, right...? No! This isn't the time for idle chatter, Theresa, Durandal... Don't take advantage of Shen Gonglin while we're bandaging her! What do you think we should do with this guy now?"

Now is not the time to study various theories. Tesla shook her head to bring the topic back on track. At the same time, she glared at Durandal, who was "taking advantage". If she had known that it could be done like this, she would have gone to bandage Shen Gonglin. Watching the guy groan in pain, Tesla found it very interesting. It was much more interesting than dealing with this annoying Otto.

"... Help him go back five hundred years? But Doctor, you just said that the person in front of us might be Grandpa in disguise for some reason. After all, it's her, so anything is possible."

Theresa was also in a dilemma. She didn't know what to do. After all, Otto's reputation among them was not very good. It seemed that he could be associated with any evil thing, and she couldn't be sure.

"I don't think he's playing dumb, but if you need to take him to the Hyperion for investigation, I don't object. However, it seems to me that our current priority is still to explore this anomalous space."

After putting a band-aid on Shen Gonglin, Durandal, as Schicksal's Schicksal one henchman, confidently stated her plan to send her boss to someone else's headquarters. This woman has definitely gone astray. Even Tesla was speechless at this behavior. Schicksal is really in a sorry state.

"Hmm... you have a point, but I still think we should try our best to rule out certain possibilities, in case it really is a time bomb."

Tesla pondered for a moment, resting his chin on his hand. Durandal's words made sense, but she felt they couldn't leave this Otto, whom they suspected they knew, unattended. Tesla could only feel at ease if this person was under their surveillance; he was just too wicked, and Tesla had suffered at his hands before.

"... I'm actually someone you'll be terrified of in the future."

Otto was quite compliant with the current situation, but he could sense Tesla's hostility towards him. He couldn't help but sigh, wondering how bad he could become in his future. Actually, Otto had always thought of himself as a pretty good person... but in the Kallen incident, he was indeed unforgivable.

"Tsk! Why are you so talkative? Do you know what despicable things that person with your disgusting face has done? Do you want me to list a few things for you? Peeping at your own Valkyrie while they were bathing, forcing Valkyrie to peep at you while you were bathing, scattering nails on the road, scratching glass with your fingernails—all these inhuman things were done by you, Otto!"

Tesla said indignantly that Otto's past crimes were too numerous to mention, she was even ashamed to speak of them. Upon hearing that his future self would commit such a heinous act, Otto staggered back two steps, looking utterly incredulous. Could his future self really become like this? This version of himself... this version of himself... he might as well just be dead!

"Hiss... Headmaster, did Otto really do such a thing? I really can't tell."

Shen Gonglin was standing next to her, also gasped. He raised his arm and nudged Theresa's waist, asking quietly. He knew Otto was bad, but he never expected Otto to be this bad. Was he even human?

"Idiot! Even a fool knows it's fake. The doctor is just exaggerating. Grandpa... he wouldn't do something like this... right?"

In the end, Theresa was also uncertain. She looked at Durandal for help. Although she was his granddaughter, Durandal probably knew him much better than she did. He really hadn't done such a thing, had he?

"...Dr. Dr. Tesla, please control your emotions. His Holiness the Bishop would never do such a thing, so let's stop this pointless charade. I know the Bishop has done many things that have wronged you in the past, but we have more pressing matters to attend to than past grievances."

In any case, saying that Otto would peep at the Valkyrie while they bathe is a bit of an exaggeration. It's not that I'm defending Otto; Durandal's statement is basically the truth. It's clearly a lie, so how did Theresa and Shen Gonglin actually believe it? What kind of person is Bishop Otto in their hearts?

"... The more important thing is this chaotic time itself. To you, I am someone who is both familiar and unfamiliar, who suddenly appeared out of nowhere... But to me, it was only a moment ago that the battlefield, which had just ended, became very strange, and the people around me disappeared without a trace."

Otto was deeply shocked to learn that he might do such a thing in the future. However, true to his Otto quickly composed himself and continued Durandal's words. He couldn't explain the current situation either; in the blink of an eye, his comrade-in-arms had become such a stranger.

"Battlefield? You mean you just experienced a battlefield?"

Tesla picked up the conversation with surprise. This Otto said he had just come down from the battlefield. What kind of battle required him, the Bishop of Schicksal, to personally intervene? What timeline did he come from?

"Yes. We just defeated the main force of the Schicksal Headquarters in this town. We wiped out their Bishop's Guard..."

Speaking of the battle that "just happened," Otto closed his eyes as if he could still see the brutal battlefield. Although he had made thorough plans, the result was still bloody.

"Wait, wait, wait... You, Otto Apocalypse, led the army here and defeated the main force of Schicksal Headquarters? From what point in time did you arrive?"

Otto immediately realized what Tesla meant. Everything he said matched the "history" she knew. In her understanding, Otto did not rise to power smoothly, but rather went through a Schicksal struggle before taking the position of bishop. And according to what he had just said, he must have come from that time.

"... It does seem correct. So, our history is indeed quite similar?"

Seeing Tesla's performance, Otto pondered for a moment and nodded. History repeats itself, which means that in the future, he might still be able to force others to watch him take a bath.

Why do I suddenly feel like I don't want to live anymore?

Chapter 84

"This battle did indeed take place. In 1491, such a battle did occur: Otto, who was not yet the Bishop of Schicksal, led the rebel army and defeated the main force of the Schicksal Headquarters here."

As the Valkyrie of Schicksal, Durandal confirmed this, stating that anyone with a keen eye could find such information, as it was recorded in history books, and Theresa, standing beside her, also chimed in to acknowledge it.

"Although my grandfather was the rightful heir to the Bishop of Schicksal, due to a series of unforeseen events, his sister and nephew eventually seized all his power. Their reign of terror lasted for more than a decade until my grandfather overthrew them with the support of the people."

Theresa knew about this as well. As the current head of the Apocalypse family, it was something Theresa needed to know, even though the position of family head didn't seem to bring her any good.

"... Huh? Forgive me for being blunt, but I've always found it hard to believe that someone like him could gain the support of the people. He must have used some clever deception, right?"

Tesla scoffed at this. She wouldn't miss any opportunity to criticize Otto. She simply couldn't stand Otto. Just how much did she dislike him? Well, even if she saw Otto helping an old lady cross the street, she would suspect that Otto was trying to take advantage of her.

"You... seem to have a problem with me? Indeed, rather than saying that I have great abilities, it's more accurate to say that everyone is willing to let me serve as a symbolic totem. People are united not because of me, but because of the myth of the Holy Maiden."

Such undisguised hostility left Otto bewildered as to what terrible things he had done to make this red-haired girl hate him so much. But in retrospect, it wasn't because of his outstanding abilities, but because everyone needed someone to stand up for him, and because of the myth of the saintess, others were willing to believe in him.

"The myth of the saintess... the saintess of Schicksal, do you mean Kallen Kaslana?"

Tesla could only think of the saint Otto mentioned; she died almost five hundred years ago and was the very person Otto had always strived for.

"Of course, apart from her, there is no other saint in the world as I know it. Kallen... she is because of me. I was once unable to bear this sin, and all I wanted to do was escape myself in the meaningless second half of my life. At that time, I dared not, did not want to, and was not capable of facing a world without her. In the end, I fled to a small island that the Venetians used as a cemetery, and there I opened a monastery in the name of a priest to take in special orphans."

Speaking of death, Otto seemed to recall that time of escapism. If he hadn't left that isolated island, he probably would have had a completely different life. But there were some things he had to do.

"I am, after all, a nobleman, so even in my impoverished days I can do what I want to do. But the common people under the rule of Schicksal, even if they are utterly disappointed with life, can only endure the unbearable days day after day. Perhaps it is because most people cannot escape their lives that the faith of the saint began to spread among the people."

He recounted his experiences, explaining that it was because he heard such voices that Otto decided to unite everyone to overthrow the tyranny of Schicksal. He had also done things like pleading for the people.

"Faith... They believed that Kallen was the only saint in the world, that Kallen's death was to atone for the sins of all those born with sin, and that they worshipped everything and everyone related to the saint, using this spiritual sustenance to fight against the dark rule of Schicksal."

This is why people united back then, and a large part of the reason why he was able to become a leader was because of his close relationship with the saint. Upon hearing this, Tesla couldn't help but interrupt.

"And then you cleverly used all of this to make them stepping stones for your succession to the bishopric?"

Tesla made this conjecture, while Otto looked at her with a subtle expression. He knew that this red-haired woman had a very bad impression of him, but to be honest, Otto had never thought of such a thing before.

"Why... why do you think this way?"

Otto couldn't help but feel curious. Although the reactions of everyone present weren't exactly friendly, the other two girls still showed him a sliver of respect. The boy, however, seemed completely oblivious to what he was saying. Otto had even seen him secretly touching the hair of the girl who claimed to be his granddaughter. Only this red-haired girl made no attempt to hide her malice towards him; she seemed to be constantly imagining the worst possible scenario. Could it be...?

Will my future self force her to peek at me while I'm showering?

Otherwise, Otto really couldn't understand why she was so hostile towards him.

"Huh? Didn't I just think you'd do something like this just by looking at your face? With that face, you betrayed the inventor of the Moonlight Throne, forced the strongest Valkyrie of Schicksal to commit suicide... Durandal, I'm not talking about you, I'm talking about Leanna, and you even murdered the First Herrscher who fought for humanity! With that face, I don't know what kind of bullshit you were plotting, blocking the successor of the First Herrscher, letting the Second Herrscher go, and ultimately causing tens of millions of innocent people to lose their lives!"

As if she had touched a nerve with Tesla, the Red-haired Twin Tails doctor clenched her fists and recounted Otto's many misdeeds. Although she knew that saying such things to Otto from five hundred years ago was useless, she couldn't help herself, after all, she knew all of these things.

"Calm down, Dr. Tesla! The person you're blaming has no direct connection to the person in front of you."

Seeing Tesla getting a little agitated, Shen Gonglin quickly went over and took her hand. Tesla has always been straightforward; that's just her personality. If she had personally experienced something like this, her reaction would probably have been much more agitated than hers. Feeling a little sorry for this somewhat irritable girl, Shen Gonglin gently stroked Tesla's head, telling her not to be angry. Actually, regarding Otto in front of her... he should be considered innocent too.

"...snort!"

Tesla turned her head and buried her face in Shen Gonglin's body, refusing to look at Otto. She really needed to calm down; this reaction was wrong.

Chapter 85 Another Choice

"I know...tsk, indeed, you are you, and he is him. He is an utterly shameless and despicable person, but that doesn't mean you are necessarily the same. I'm sorry, I shouldn't judge a book by its cover. But I do want you to know that in our understanding, the man named Otto Apocalypse ...has all sorts of labels on him, but the word 'good person' is not among them."

After composing herself, Tesla still clung to Shen Gonglin's clothes. So what if she was embarrassed? The Red-haired Twin Tails looked at Otto with complicated emotions in her eyes. She knew all this, but she couldn't be rational about it. She wasn't Einstein. Looking at the man with that face standing in front of her, Tesla just couldn't help herself.

Looking at Tesla like this, Shen Gonglin couldn't help but reach out and stroke her head. Shen Gonglin really liked Tesla's personality. She hadn't experienced what Tesla had gone through, but her straightforward personality was just so wonderful.

"No, thank you... Your words have helped me face myself, future Doctor. There is indeed a void deep within me that time cannot fill. The more I pursue the saint's light, the deeper this void plunges my soul into the pain of darkness. It is indeed an incurable poison."

However, Otto's reaction was unexpected. In the face of Tesla's accusations, he actually thanked Tesla. Such a wicked act... For some reason, Otto felt that he could really do it. Although it was just a beginning, the seed had been sown and was just waiting to grow into a towering tree.

"I have conducted human experiments and killed those who admired me. It is true, as you say, that there is a terrible risk of falling into boundless darkness. For me, to be a loving person like a saint is just an ascetic practice, a precept, a self-discipline. This is not what I really want. I am just... forcing myself to do it."

Otto took a deep breath. Regardless of what he would become in the future, now that he knew what his future would be like, Otto wanted to change his future a little.

"Gentlemen, if I am able to return to my own world after this extraordinary adventure, I will relinquish my first right of succession to the Bishop of Schicksal."

As if making a decision, Otto spoke words that shocked everyone. Whether it was Theresa, Durandal, or even Tesla and Shen Gonglin, they all stared wide-eyed in surprise. Was this guy lying? Giving up his first right of succession to Schicksal was something that would be extremely difficult without the status of Bishop of Schicksal. Did he even know what he was saying?

"I see surprise in your reactions... During this civil war, I have systematically sorted out and transformed the material structure of the new Schicksal. Even without me, it should be able to operate on its own. Haha, this way of operating, rather, only Schicksal that can operate on its own without the bishop can approach the ideal of the saintess herself. Therefore, this right of succession is merely a symbol for me of how to face my own inner obsessions. Thanks to you, I am able to look at it from a new perspective... and thus arrive at a completely different conclusion."

Otto spoke with great nonchalance, and whether it was an act or not, Shen Gonglin actually felt that he was telling the truth. Did he want to explore another possibility because he knew what his future would be like? As for Otto, how should I put it... He's definitely still a bad guy, but he probably also has a unique personal charm.

I actually thought he was kind of handsome when he said those things? I must be crazy.

"... Your spirit of self-reflection is admirable, Mr. Otto from another world. However, we still have some problems to solve, so we can't sit down and have a heart-to-heart talk. I suddenly had an idea... Dr. Tesla, I wonder if my idea will be of any use to you."

Perhaps wanting to impress Shen Gonglin, Durandal raised her hand to speak. But after doing so, she realized something was off. Why raise her hand if she wanted to speak? Theresa and Tesla's expressions were so strange. Durandal coughed twice to cover her embarrassment. The unusual situation around her was entirely due to the Herrscher Core. If her guess was correct, she should be able to find something worthwhile in this Mr. Otto.

"Dr. Tesla, could you please examine Mr. Alto to see if he has any kind of linear spatial anomaly?"

Durandal said in a deep voice, while Shen Gonglin's eyes lit up. Yes, when it comes to the Herrscher of Domination, Shen Gonglin's first thought is those disgusting puppets and the threads that control them. If all of this is because of the Herrscher of Herrscher Core, then everything makes sense. Durandal is right.

"Yes! Tesla, quickly check if Otto has any of those puppet-controlling threads on him, that can pull innocent people from other dimensions here with those threads. Isn't that the ability of the Herrscher of Domination?"

Shen Gonglin urged Tesla on in the same way, and for a moment Tesla didn't even realize what they were talking about.

"Huh? How did the topic suddenly jump to... Hey! That's right, it's definitely possible, worth a try!"

Tesla wasn't stupid; she just hadn't quite grasped it yet. After being reminded, she immediately widened her eyes. "Yes, that's possible too. They're both really smart; it's quite possible."