Chapter 369

"Uh... what are you guys talking about all of a sudden?"

Aside from Otto, only Theresa didn't understand what they were talking about. She felt that if she didn't figure it out soon, she would truly be confirmed as an ignorant little girl. Theresa quietly tugged at Shen Gonglin's sleeve, urging her to take care of the headmistress. Even though she was the headmistress, Theresa felt like she had no authority at all. Shen Gonglin was really something, not taking care of her at all. Theresa was so angry.

"It's alright, Headmaster, you just need to wait for the results... Okay, we now suspect that the reason Mr. Otto is here is because of those threads of the Herrscher of Domination. I should have mentioned it to you before. If we can prove this, we might be able to restore order to this place and send Mr. Otto back to his own world."

Chapter 86 Don't Treat Me Like a Child

He hadn't originally planned to explain much, but after seeing Theresa's big, watery blue eyes, Shen Gonglin patiently explained to her what Tesla was planning to do. Although he felt that Theresa only needed to be beautiful, this little girl clearly didn't intend to do that.

"Oh, I see. I understand now that you've explained it. Honestly, you all just keep talking in riddles, making it seem like I'm the only one who's stupid... Shen Gonglin, could you please explain things to me properly next time? There are some things I just don't understand. Even Kiana has become so mature now, it feels like I'm the only one who's still the same as before."

Tesla was fiddling with his equipment, while Otto watched with interest. Theresa was left alone, whispering to Shen Gonglin. She wasn't stupid; it was just that she specialized in something, which made her seem a bit slow. To uphold her dignity as the headmistress, Theresa felt she had to do something.

"Isn't it good to be the same as before? Aren't I the same as before? And Principal, don't think Kiana is mature now. She's just as silly as before. Don't worry, you're still the principal we respect."

It seems that everyone's recent performance has made Theresa a little uneasy. She used to be the one protecting others, but now those she was protecting have all become stronger than her. Her three little ones have all become Herrscher, Fu Hua is a living museum, and even Shen Gonglin can chime in on technical fields she doesn't understand. While she's pleased with her students' growth, Theresa ...

Sometimes I really feel disappointed.

Shen Gonglin gently patted Theresa's head. In the Hyperion, the only people whose height he could surpass were Bronya and Theresa, so this playful head-patting gesture was very easy to use on Theresa. Shen Gonglin's fingers gently ruffled the white strands of hair, and Theresa showed a cat-like expression of enjoyment. This guy, he's really good at coaxing people.

No wonder she managed to fool so many girls without getting caught. How could she have taught such a student? Theresa was furious just thinking about it. Shen Gonglin was good in every way, except for her lifestyle, which was really problematic. Fu Hua, Kiana, and even Einstein himself had seen them coming out of Shen Gonglin's room. If Shen Gonglin could correct this, Theresa would really have an easier time.

"I'm the headmistress, you... you can't treat me like a child..."

Despite saying such things, Theresa's body remained obedient. The headmistress accepted Shen Gonglin's caresses without moving an inch. In any case, she had resisted, but Shen Gonglin just wouldn't listen to her. She could only blame this guy who didn't know how to respect his teacher.

It seems that not only Shen Gonglin, but Theresa is also well-versed in the strategy of non-resistance.

"Oh, then stop?"

"I didn't stop you! I was just... I was just saying... just saying..."

No, if I don't speak up, they'll probably think I'm dead. Lady Theresa is someone I respect, how could she do this? And Shen Gonglin, comforting Lady Theresa is fine, but why did you have to touch her? Don't you know that touching someone's head is extremely offensive to women? Damn it, I've never even enjoyed that!

Durandal, standing in the background, watched coldly. If she had a handkerchief, Durandal would definitely be biting it. That's why Shen Gonglin was surrounded by so many girls. This guy, usually so lacking in emotional intelligence, why is he acting like an anime protagonist this time? And Theresa- senpai, can't you be a little more reserved?

You should know he's your student!

Himeko has been residing in the Plague Gem and having her constitution altered, says that this is stress-free and even quite exciting.

"Phew, all done! Come on, Mr. Otto, stand here and don't move. This examination might help you get back to your own world!"

Using her personal floating robot, Tesla quickly prepared specialized inspection tools. She gestured for Otto to come forward for inspection, and the waveforms displayed in the data brought a smug smile to Tesla's face. Thanks to the previous commotion, she was already quite adept at investigating the Herrscher of Domination.

"Hmph, I knew it, it's this waveform... It might be more obvious to the naked eye. Shen Gonglin, can I borrow these glasses? I need to let you all see it... By the way, who gave you these glasses? I don't remember you having anything like this."

Immersed in his own world of research, Tesla reached out and took the monocle that Shen Gonglin had been playing with. It has to be said that Shen Gonglin looked quite Tesla in those glasses... or perhaps it's a case of beauty being in the eye of the beholder; no matter what Shen Gonglin did, she found it all very cute.

"This is a gift someone gave me to succeed as Bishop of Schicksal... Speaking of which, what are you planning to give me, Tesla? I'm waiting for your gift."

Although she felt a little heartbroken, Shen Gonglin still lent Tesla the monocle that Changguang had given her, and then he openly began to solicit bribes. As the Bishop of Schicksal, how could he not give some gifts?

Bishop of Schicksal? Could it be that my current self passed the position of bishop to him? How could I have made such a foolish decision? This guy seems a little unreliable. I guess I shouldn't take over the position of Schicksal. That way, this kind of thing probably won't happen, right?

Otto, standing to the side, suddenly felt a little desperate about his own version of himself in this timeline. This person really didn't seem suitable to be the Bishop of Schicksal; he was too young.

"The parameters have been adjusted. Here, put on these glasses and take a look. Sure enough, that's the problem!"

Tesla was truly unmatched in this technological field. She quickly prepared the most convenient observation equipment and handed the monocle to Theresa. Tesla gestured for her to put it on and take a look. Theresa took the monocle and put it in front of her eyes. What she saw made the girl's eyes widen in surprise.

Through the lens, Theresa could clearly see that Otto had several threads wrapped around his body, just like what Shen Gonglin had said about what happened in the Domination Theater. Could it be that, as they had previously speculated, everything now was related to the Herrscher of Domination?

Chapter 87

"These are... the puppet strings of a doll? Could the unexpected incident we just encountered also be related to the Herrscher of Domination?"

Upon seeing the threads on Otto's body, Theresa's eyes widened in surprise. She exclaimed in disbelief, "This is the manifestation of the Herrscher of Domination's power! It's all thanks to Durandal's reminder that we were able to discover this!"

"Hmph... Once we've discovered this, then what happened earlier is no longer just an unexpected incident. No wonder we couldn't find that evil Herrscher Core before... Look, it's now entangled with innocent beings in other dimensions!"

Tesla was delighted to have found the clue to the problem. The Doctor wanted to dance with joy, but in the end, to maintain her composure, she simply crossed her arms and tossed the glasses back to Durandal. It was all thanks to the amazing perspective of this active Schicksal S-class Valkyrie that such a clue could be discovered so quickly. This Valkyrie is quite useful, and she's also a good person, much better than that Otto.

"... Hmm? These glasses... are from Changguang? They do indeed look very similar to the puppet strings described in the report. Doctor, if we just follow this string, can we...?"

The monocle Tesla handed over looked familiar to Durandal; it seemed to belong to Changguang. Was it the one she gave to Shen Gonglin? They'd only just met, yet Changguang was already giving her a gift. Durandal worriedly realized she'd underestimated Shen Gonglin's social skills with women. It seemed Shen Gonglin rarely paid attention to him these days; this was definitely a problem. Should she defect after this mission...?

No, Shen Gonglin is now the Bishop of Schicksal, so she doesn't need to defect at all.

"Ah, it's not that simple. After all, the other party may not be in the same dimensional base as us. The other end of this thread is untraceable. We've thought about this idea before... But don't worry, thanks to those puppets that have been tormenting us, Anti-Entropy can now be said to be an expert in dealing with this kind of trick."

Tesla shook his head. Durandal's suggestion was not feasible. She was thinking too simply. One end of the thread was on Otto, so as long as the thread was followed, the manipulator could be found. However, the thread was more of a symbol and could not be traced back to its source. Nevertheless, it was already a great discovery and a good omen.

"In short, as long as we have enough data, we can calculate the coordinates of the core... and then use the power of the Herrscher of the Void to seize it in one fell swoop. In this way, not only can the abnormal spacetime be resolved, but Mr. Otto should also be able to return to his own era. So, Shen Gonglin, any questions?"

Finally, Tesla looked at Shen Gonglin. In this plan, the power of the Herrscher of the Void was indispensable, and they had two Herrscher of the Herrscher of the Void on their side!

"Um... I'm afraid there really is a problem. My Herrscher of the Void ability is slightly unable to pinpoint locations."

The matter was of utmost importance, and Shen Gonglin dared not be careless. He had already seen the consequences of forcibly using the Herrscher of the Void before his power had fully recovered. There was simply no way to pinpoint the location accurately, even with the assistance of the Queen of the Void. If he wanted to seize the Herrscher Core, precise positioning was essential. In his current state, even the slightest error could lead to disastrous consequences.

"Yes, that's right. That's exactly what I saw. The boy was trapped under the rock. It's not hard to guess that the situation was caused by inaccurate positioning."

Five hundred years ago, Otto honestly said that he was "naive and inexperienced" and obviously did not expect that his words would make Shen Gonglin hold a grudge. The other girls who knew how petty Shen Gonglin was did not change their expressions after hearing the news, as if they had heard something insignificant. However, no one knew how they were laughing out loud in their hearts.

No wonder Shen Gonglin was trapped under the rock; it was due to a teleportation error.

"Ahem... Since Shen Gonglin can't use the Herrscher of the Void's abilities, we'll have to activate Plan B. We'll first refine our calculations based on the new observation data, and then notify Kiana on the Hyperion to make the necessary preparations."

Tesla coughed twice to cover up her embarrassment at almost bursting out laughing. She had prepared two plans precisely because she was afraid of this situation. Since Shen Gonglin was not an option, she could only use Kiana. That girl was far more reliable than Shen Gonglin, so she was not worried at all.

"Okay, then Theresa and I will take charge of the corresponding guard duties. Moving together will also avoid concerns about being divided into groups."

Durandal almost burst out laughing as well, Shen Gonglin explained her next plan. Durandal and Tesla suspiciously. He wanted to cause trouble, but their current attitude didn't give him any chance to do so. Even Theresa was the same way. "Go ahead and laugh. If you laugh out loud, I'll have a reason to teach you a lesson."

"Well, but we need to inform everyone on the Hyperion about the current situation first. Schicksal should have no objections, right?"

Even the silly Theresa knew that she absolutely couldn't provoke Shen Gonglin in this state. She acted as if she didn't see Shen Gonglin at all, remaining calm and not laughing out loud. The headmaster also had his pride, and if Theresa were to be bullied by him in front of so many people, she would truly lose all her dignity.

"No objection, this is reasonable."

Meanwhile, on the Hyperion, Einstein, who was in charge of communications, nodded as he listened to the situation on Tesla's screen. He hadn't expected things to turn out this way, but it did coincide with what that person had said.

"Yes, we understand the situation. Now all the intelligence matches up."

After Tesla finished speaking, Einstein affirmatively, while Tesla was somewhat surprised. What made sense? Einstein uncovered some new intelligence without their knowledge?

"By the way, you guys don't know yet... why don't we let the information provider explain it to us?"

He gestured to the side, and then a very lively woman rushed into the frame, just like a fan seeing her idol. The woman with long maroon hair looked excitedly at Tesla on the screen.

"Ta-da! Surprise! Hi, Mr. Tesla, it's me!"

Chapter 88 Who are you?

The girl, Changguang, a researcher belonging to Schicksal, excitedly waved to Tesla on the screen. Tesla, however, was quite surprised. How long had he been away from the Hyperion? How come there was a newcomer? She didn't even greet him before boarding the ship. Didn't she know that she should get along with her seniors? Who was this person? He didn't recognize her at all.

Miss Tesla may have forgotten that even she herself... is considered an outsider to the Hyperion, or rather, she's no longer an outsider, but an insider?

"Hi, Tesla senior, do you remember me? I'm Elizabeth McSmith! But my colleagues at Schicksal now call me Changguang!"

Tesla to accept. Who was this person? He had absolutely no recollection of her.

[Stop, stop, stop! Who are you?]

Interrupting the girl's incessant chatter, Tesla tilted his head and looked at the unusually lively and excited girl. He was sure he had never seen her before, but why was she acting so familiar?

"Sigh... I knew it. But thinking about it, it makes sense. Senior is so busy, he probably wouldn't remember a research assistant who failed the interview because he was late... Ah! Wait, I wasn't being sarcastic, I'm really a fan of yours, Tesla! Long live the Tunguska event!"

He seemed to be a true Tesla fan, recounting Tesla's dark history. Changguang raised his hands in cheers, while Tesla seemed quite uncomfortable with Changguang's attitude, especially after talking for so long...

Uh... okay. But seriously, who exactly are you?

We still don't know who this person is. Shouldn't she introduce herself first when we meet? Who is she? How did she end up on the Hyperion? Tell us the truth!

"Eight years ago, I was... My current full name is Elizabeth Changguang... McSmith!"

Tesla on the screen looked like she had a headache. She pressed her temples hard. It was truly a case of "hearing a man's words is like hearing a whole new set of words." Did this woman even understand what she meant?

I mean, what do you do now?

With patience, Tesla asked, "I only know the meaning of her name. She must be the so-called intelligence provider. Tell me quickly what she does."

"Ah, reporting to senior, I am currently the director of the Schicksal St. 1504 Changguang Institute. The nickname Changguang comes from this."

Having great respect for Tesla, Changguang honestly explained his identity to his senior idol. Tesla finally learned who he was. Whew, talking to her was really tiring.

Okay, so after all this time, you're actually a technician from Schicksal. So what did you talk to Einstein about?

Tesla finally understood her identity. Now he was very interested in the information she had just shared with Einstein. She used to be a researcher for Schicksal. How did she end up in the Hyperion? Could it be that Schicksal really produces a lot of traitors? Thinking about it carefully, everyone here, including himself, seemed to have been Schicksal people before.

"I just used the headquarters' supercomputer to solve the full-dimensional Honkai energy distribution of this anomaly. Oh, I will send the results to you later. According to the results, it is very similar to the energy characteristics of the Domination Theater at the seven hypothesis test points. The two are likely to originate from the same source, which can also indirectly corroborate the credibility of Mr. Otto's assertions."

Changguang spoke eloquently, Shen Gonglin and Theresa automatically ignored their conversation. This should be a discussion between researchers, so they didn't need to get involved anymore. They trusted Tesla and Einstein's expertise, since Theresa and Shen Gonglin only had the head of a commander. Technical matters like this could be left to Tesla and the others.

Simply put, it's just that the two of them didn't quite understand.

[An assertion? What assertion? Did Otto say anything?]

Tesla asked curiously, "Is Otto behind all this again? In short, whatever it is, nothing good ever comes of it if he's involved."

"Huh? Bianca ... oh no, Miss Durandal didn't tell you? Well, I'll tell you now. I remember the bishop said this."

Changguang coughed twice on the screen, deliberately mimicking Otto's voice as she said, "Because we used the Domination Theater for experiments before, the anomalies in this area are very likely caused by the lost core fragments of the Herrscher of Domination... This is Mr. Otto's assertion about this matter, which I thought you should have heard about."

Changguang shrugged. So that's what she meant. Durandal did say that before, but what she said about using calculation results to prove it... Did even the people of Schicksal not know what Otto was basing his conclusion on?

Tesla raised his own questions: even those within Schicksal didn't know what Otto was trying to do; he really was a mystery man.

"This... Tesla should know to some extent that without Mr. Otto's permission, we ordinary staff members of Schicksal have no right to know the details of those decisions. So if we have doubts or questions about certain reasoning processes, we must examine the clues ourselves to find the truth."

Changguang said, "That's how Schicksal. The bishop has the highest authority. He can do whatever he wants without having to explain to the people below him. It's a completely different system from Anti-Entropy. Both systems have their advantages, so it's really hard to say which one is better."

Okay, I understand that, since I worked for that guy many years ago. Anyway, besides the global Honkai energy distribution, have you made any other detailed discoveries?

I deeply agree with what Changguang said. A long time ago, Tesla was also a member of Schicksal. The entire Anti-Entropy was actually formed by the defection of Schicksal's Nordic branch. So she also knows Otto's character. However, now is not the time to complain about her old boss. There are more important things waiting for them to do.

"Hmm... If Tesla want to collect as much relevant data as possible, I recommend the St. 537 Church in Shaoyang, St. 1491 Plaza, and the eastern section of Kaslana Street."

Changguang rattled off several locations in one breath, all based on information she had gathered. The names of these locations drew a barrage of complaints from Tesla, who retorted, "What are these? It's truly Schicksal."

[This naming convention really has a touch of Schicksal about it; there are so many titles like "Saint So-and-so."]

Tesla scoffed at this, thinking, "Do you really think adding 'sacred' before a title makes it holy? Who are you kidding? Filth is filth, and no matter how much you try to embellish or cover it up, it won't change Tesla's opinion of that so-called holiness in the slightest."

Chapter 89 Kiana Wants to Help

Because of her dissatisfaction with the bishops of Schicksal, Tesla was also very dissatisfied with all of Schicksal's systems. She even felt that the matter of choosing a name was something to complain about, just like those third-rate places where everything had to be prefixed with "Saint," which was really boring.

"Dr. Tesla, this is a tradition. As early as after the Civil War in 1491, some buildings and neighborhoods here changed their names from people and families to neutral names that commemorate important years."

Durandal corrected Tesla's prejudice. Although bishops often did inhumane things, this tradition made people remember what had happened in the past, and this kind of name was much better than place names like C Street or Fifth Avenue.

"Fine, I was just venting. It's your freedom to call it whatever you want. It's much better than some Otto Apocalypse Avenue... By the way, does such a road even exist? If it does, I definitely want to explore it more."

Tesla made no attempt to hide her intentions. Although they might be a bit naive, Tesla felt that this was just right for her. She wanted to disgust Otto in every way possible.

The others fell silent for a moment, and Tesla himself sensed that things were getting boring, so the doctor took the initiative to change the subject and get back to the important business.

"St. 537 Church, St. 1491 Plaza, the eastern section of Kaslana Street... Hmm, they seem to be in the northeast, due west, and southeast of the town, respectively."

After carefully reviewing the topographical map of Kolosten, Tesla realized that their current location was not close to any of the three places, and there was no most convenient route. It was practically a triangle. Damn Otto, why did he have to make Kolosten like this? He'll definitely have to take the blame for this!

[Seniors, you can first go to the nearest square to your current location, St. 1491 Plaza, then turn around and head east to the St. 537 Church, and finally head to Kaslana Street across the Saintess River.]

Changguang offered a suggestion, which was also affirmed by Theresa. This route was the most reasonable. After they investigated these locations, they could return to the Hyperion and reunite with Kiana who was staying behind. Shen Gonglin's power as the Herrscher of the Void was slightly unstable at the moment, so they could only rely on Kiana from the backup strategy. If possible, Theresa actually did not want Kiana and Otto to have any contact.

"Okay, let's go investigate first, and then we'll discuss the next steps."

Theresa immediately gave the order, but another voice came through the communication on the Hyperion, saying that she could no longer stay on the Hyperion and wait. Kiana felt that she should also do something within her power.

[Wait a minute, Headmistress... I understand your desire to ensure our safety, but right now, Schicksal's Immortal Blade and Miss Changguang are both working hard to help us. I know that Shen Gonglin can't accurately use the power of the Herrscher of the Void right now, right? This is the time for me to step up. Everyone wants to end the chaos brought about by the Herrscher of Domination as soon as possible. Under these circumstances, as someone who possesses the power of the Herrscher of the Void, I want to do more of what I can.]

Kiana's face appeared on the screen. The girl's azure eyes were very calm. This was not impulsive; it was a conclusion she had reached after careful consideration. With Shen Gonglin active at the front, how could she stay behind alone? Everyone knew that Durandal had designs on Shen Gonglin. Even in Anti-Entropy, Durandal had to make Schicksal's supply ship "get lost" to deliver local specialties to him. If she didn't take action soon, Kiana felt that Durandal might launch a surprise attack.

Therefore, please at least let me join the exploration team, Headmistress. This way, everyone can adapt to changing circumstances during the operation and use my powers more flexibly.

Bronya made this request, and knowing what Bronya was thinking, she and Kiana reached a consensus: Bronya couldn't help right now, so they had to let Kiana handle it. Although both of them might get cheated on... Kiana was still one of them, so... Damn it, why does the more I think about it, the more I feel like I'm losing out? Why can't Bronya do anything?