Chapter 373
Shen Gonglin spoke up in her defense. Because of what had just happened, Theresa and the others were still wary of Rita. Shen Gonglin felt she needed to help Rita by letting her tell everyone what she knew, which would help them trust her as soon as possible. Shen Gonglin didn't want the others to isolate this maid, even though her current situation was undoubtedly related to her own personality.
"Yes, Lady Theresa, Durandal, I think you should remember that the Bishop just mentioned his journey, right? He said he was going to find Kallen Kaslana. He also mentioned this to me privately when he summoned me. He said that based on his long-term research on the Herrscher of the Void and the Second Divine Key, plus the recent World Bubble experiment... he has mastered the only way to resurrect the dead."
The maid spoke these words softly, which sounded somewhat unbelievable, but it was something that the bishop would do. The maid told Otto everything he had said to her, and these were actually things that Otto had indicated she could tell Theresa and the others. Rita had a basic idea of what Otto wanted to do. It was truly as he was.
Chapter 102 Histrionic Personality
"Resurrecting the dead... Changguang also told us about this. She said that the reason Grandpa resigned was because he wanted to go back to the past and reunite with Saintess Kallen."
Rita's intelligence was exactly the same as Changguang's, but they still couldn't figure out what Otto really wanted to do. This guy was just too unpredictable.
"Changguang was the one who carried out many of the Bishop's experimental projects. It's not surprising that she deduced this information. However... this just doesn't make sense."
Knowing that this was an opportunity created for her by Shen Gonglin, Rita felt she had to seize it. After all, they would be eating from the same pot in the future... and maybe even sleeping together. It wouldn't be good to have any resentment in her heart. So Rita decided that she couldn't just be a broken record and had to share her own understanding.
"It does make some sense. If His Excellency the Bishop can indeed accomplish the great feat of reversing time on his own, then his current actions are a bit too much of a fuss. Whether it's announcing his resignation in a high-profile manner, choosing this old headquarters to reclaim the core, or ordering me to assassinate the Soul Steel replica... Compared with His Excellency the Bishop's previous plans, everything he is doing now has a rather flashy but impractical feel to it."
Rita tapped her chin with her finger, and she made the same guess as Shen Gonglin. All of this was a bit too glamorous, like... a final performance for everyone.
"Also, when he ordered me to prepare for the assassination... this is what he told me: 'After Shen Gonglin and Theresa retrieve the Herrscher Core, you can tell them everything we just talked about...' That's what the bishop told me."
At this point, Rita looked quite confused. She really couldn't understand what Otto was thinking. Although she would have told Shen Gonglin this information even if he hadn't said it, it seemed very strange that he said it. Could this man be trying to use her to set a trap for Shen Gonglin and the others?
"I see... Indeed, such actions do raise stronger suspicions."
Durandal couldn't understand what Otto was trying to do. This wasn't Otto's usual style. If retrieving the core and the journey he had prepared for himself were indeed two unrelated things, then it seemed that the man was putting too much energy and desire for self-expression into something relatively unimportant.
"That's right. Indeed, although Grandpa is flamboyant, he is actually very particular about cost and efficiency when it comes to important matters."
Theresa gave her summary, and Shen Gonglin, who had been listening attentively, also drew her own conclusion.
"So, according to Rita and your deductions, the incident of retrieving the Herrscher Core and Otto's subsequent journey back to the past are actually related in some hidden way. So closely that... it forced Otto to act in this way?"
Shen Gonglin voiced everyone's suspicions: there's never any possibility of thinking too much about Otto. This guy can scheme against people to the bone. Shen Gonglin now suspects that even the fact that she almost tripped when she got off the spaceship was Otto's doing. She's sure of it; it was all Otto's doing!
"Indeed, I think maintaining such reasonable skepticism is the safest approach. After all, no one knows what the cost of His Excellency's journey is. If finding Kallen Kaslana is the core driving force of his life, then we must also take into account all the things he has planned to encounter."
Rita easily blended herself in, using the word "we" with perfect ease. After all, she had long planned to switch sides from Otto, and now that Shen Gonglin had succeeded to the Schicksal, it was only natural for her, as his personal maid, to stand on his side and consider all matters for her master.
"Let me think... For example, the Herrscher of the Void incident, the Second Divine Key... and even the expedition that Durandal and I went on in 2012. These are all things worth considering. As for the specific connections, I'll leave it to Lady Theresa to consider carefully."
They offered their opinions, and the importance of these suggestions was undeniable. Theresa nodded solemnly, agreeing that it was true. Her grandfather's idea couldn't have been just a day or two ago; she wondered when he had started planning it. These things could all be prerequisites for what he was about to do!
"I understand. I will ask the doctors at Anti-Entropy to keep an eye on these aspects while they are studying this Herrscher Core. However, the most important thing right now is to properly handle the Herrscher of Domination's core; and if possible, to make use of it."
Looking at the core in her hand, Theresa recalled what Otto had said before. He told her to make good use of the core, saying that it might become a very suitable weapon. What did he mean by that?
"Herrscher Core... I remember, Kiana, Kiana Kaslana, and Bronya Zaychik all possessed Herrscher Core Fu Hua... They were all influenced by the Herrscher of Domination?"
Durandal did not participate in the campaign against the Herrscher of Domination. She could only learn about the campaign from various intelligence reports. It was during that campaign that Kiana completely mastered the abilities of the Herrscher of the Void Herrscher of Domination became the Herrscher of Flamescion. She was indeed a very powerful girl. After learning about this, Durandal developed a deep curiosity about Kiana.
"Indeed, it took a lot of effort back then. It was quite unexpected that Kiana, that idiot, could do that. But no matter what the process was, we have finally obtained this Herrscher Core. It's time to witness the end of that series of events."
Looking at the core in her hand, Theresa breathed a deep sigh of relief. Ahead, they could already see the Hyperion quietly docked in the harbor. Seeing the warship brought a sense of peace to everyone.
Shen Gonglin glanced at Durandal and Rita beside her. Otto's incongruously high-profile actions had forced these two, who were originally from opposing factions, to start exchanging more information. Although Durandal and Rita were originally considered her allies, this situation...
Looking at the gloomy sky, Shen Gonglin felt a little uneasy. What if all of this... was just a show put on by Otto for them?
Chapter 103 Stealing Glue from Figurines
"Sushang... is that girl also in Kolosten now?"
On the way back to the Hyperion, Shen Gonglin casually told Fu Hua about her meeting with the girl. Upon hearing the name Li Sushang, Fu Hua Fu Hua slightly taken aback. Her mood had already been somewhat turbulent during her previous visit to the old residence, and after hearing this name, the girl's thoughts became even more unsettling.
After delivering the Herrscher Core to the Hyperion, Shen Gonglin, feeling bored, went with her Class President to the place where she used to live. While revisiting the old place, Shen Gonglin felt a gaze upon her, but when she looked over, there was no one there. After thinking it over, she could only think of that sword fairy girl.
"Yeah, I was with her before... I don't know what Otto wants her to do, but given that girl's stance, I think she'll be on the opposite side of us."
Bored, he kicked at the stones on the ground. If his abilities were restored now, he could open a portal and return to the Hyperion. However, because of the battle with the Flame-Chasers, even if the Herrscher of the Herrscher of the Void fought in his place, he could not pinpoint the exact location. For the Herrscher of the Void, a slight error could lead to a huge difference, and the powers of the other Herrscher were also affected.
Just now, Shen Gonglin used the Herrscher of Reason's abilities to create a Li Sushang figure, but can you believe there was some missing material in a crucial area? This is practically an insult to the Herrscher of Reason... Perhaps it's because she hasn't seen or understood it before that she made it like this?
"... It's alright. With the Hyperion's current combat strength, it shouldn't be afraid of any conspiracy... Also, even if you can't use Herrscher power, it shouldn't affect you. I remember you don't fight solely based on Herrscher abilities. Although it would be very convenient if you could use them, it's nice to take a walk like this occasionally."
Putting aside her "unworthy grand-disciple's" matter for the moment, Fu Hua smiled and offered words of comfort to Shen Gonglin Rin, who seemed rather downcast. The Hyperion's fighting power was currently at an unprecedented level; the addition of Durandal and Rita had greatly enhanced their ability to handle situations. And now, as the Class President, Fu Hua felt it was her responsibility to properly comfort Shen Gonglin.
Although using my abilities would be convenient, if I did that, wouldn't I be unable to stay with him like this?
"Class President you say it's good, then it's good... I don't believe it, I'm determined to complete this figurine collection."
Fiddled with the Li Sushang figurine in his hands, Shen Gonglin lifted the figurine's skirt and earnestly recalled what he had seen before. For someone with his obsessive-compulsive disorder like him, perfection was what he should do. He had personally touched Li Sushang's underwear before, and he remembered that it should have this pattern.
Even if we run out of food in the future, using the Herrscher of Herrscher of Reason's abilities to sell figurines is obviously a good idea, right? Just think about it, first use the Herrscher of Consciousness's abilities to modify other people's consciousness, making them obsessed with your figurines, then use the Herrscher of Reason's abilities to manufacture them, and finally use the Herrscher of the Void's abilities to deliver them. This way, you can even save on shipping costs. Shen Gonglin feels like she has discovered a powerful industry chain.
"Is it really necessary to go into such detail...? Wait a minute, Shen Gonglin, nothing strange has happened between you and Sushang, has it?"
Fu Hua was quite exasperated by Shen Gonglin's behavior. She felt extremely strange watching him lift up the figure's skirt and examine it intently. This Shen Gonglin is really a conscientious merchant, not even letting go of such details... As she watched, Fu Hua felt something was off. Knowing that someone had excellent social skills, Fu Hua stopped and grabbed Shen Gonglin's shoulder, staring at him very seriously. The girl's blue eyes behind her red-rimmed glasses were very solemn.
Knowing so much about the details, Fu Hua simply doesn't believe that there's nothing between Shen Gonglin and Sushang.
"Strange thing... No, nothing happened!"
Fu Hua's attitude immediately reminded Shen Gonglin of what had happened between her and Sushang in the bathroom of the Immortal Blade. Shen Gonglin shook her head vigorously. She absolutely couldn't tell anyone about this. What would happen if the Class President found out? So Shen Gonglin immediately denied it, saying that nothing had happened.
"Really? That's great! You know, you're her senior martial uncle!"
Fu Hua was an honest person after all. If it were Rita, she would definitely have noticed that something was wrong with Shen Gonglin. But honest Fu Hua didn't have any of those ulterior motives. She just believed what Shen Gonglin said. In the end, the girl could only warn Shen Gonglin about her identity because she was worried. Strictly speaking, Shen Gonglin was indeed Li Sushang's senior uncle.
Fu Hua probably didn't expect that this jockey who had destroyed his ancestors would not even spare her, his master. What impact would their status as uncle and niece have?
"I know... Hmm? What was that sound? I think I heard Tesla yelling? What's wrong with her now?"
Chatting with Fu Hua along the way, Shen Gonglin and Shinomiya returned to the Hyperion. Just as they reached the research lab, Shen Gonglin heard her older sister's angry roar. Curious, Shen Gonglin went over and saw Tesla spinning around and yelling. Who had angered this girl again? Shen Gonglin remembered that she was researching the Herrscher of Domination that had been brought back.
"What happened? Did she get scalded by boiling water?"
Fu Hua wasn't good at handling this situation. After giving Shen Gonglin a look, the girl turned and left. Shen Gonglin walked over and quietly tugged at Durandal's skirt armor. He had only gone out for a walk with Fu Hua, so why did this girl look like she wanted to kill someone again?
"Ah, Shen Gonglin, you're back... The Doctor didn't come into contact with hot water, but... this situation is even more troublesome than if she had been scalded by hot water."
Durandal turned around and whispered to Shen Gonglin about the current situation. Tesla had been very interested in analyzing the Herrscher of Domination's core, and in her opinion, there was a 99% chance that there wouldn't be any problems. But now, a 1% chance had appeared. For Tesla, this was like painstakingly downloading a game using a 2G network, only to have it crash before you could even open it.
How could Tesla not be furious about something like this? The state of this Herrscher Core— whether dead or alive—was completely different from what Tesla had imagined, which is why this doctor was so eager to kill himself.
Chapter 104 We're Here
"What does it mean that the Herrscher Core is dead or alive? Does it refer to the difference between the Herrscher Core born in our era and the Herrscher Core in the Divine Key? Stop spinning it, it's giving me a headache. Explain it to me."
Shen Gonglin didn't quite understand. He reached out and grabbed Tesla, who was about to go berserk. Shen Gonglin looked at everyone with great curiosity. It seemed that this was the reason they were making such a fuss.
"Ah, you're back... Sorry, I got a little excited just now. You could say that, although I don't think you really understand the essential difference, you're pretty close. Let Chicken Coop Head explain the specific differences; she even wrote a paper on it."
Pulled back by Shen Gonglin, Tesla, who had been pacing around restlessly, finally stopped. His emotions were particularly volatile. After calming down, Tesla handed the topic over to Einstein, and the people around him also turned their attention to the doctor with the Chicken Coop Head. Changguang looked particularly excited.
"May I see your paper? I think the leader, being the First Herrscher Anti-Entropy, must have some very unique insights, right? Let me hear some voices other than the bishop's."
"Alright, let's skip the formalities. I've just conducted some comparative research on the cores of the two generations. In conclusion... the state of life and death of the Herrscher Core may just be a misclassification, an illusion caused by chance."
Since they're interested, Einstein can talk about it. Dr. Chicken Coop Head suddenly remembered the sacrifices he made to urge Shen Gonglin to study hard and master the Herrscher of Reason's abilities. Now that he thought about it, he must have been out of his mind to go to such lengths to get him to study properly... This shouldn't be a problem today, right? After all, he didn't force him; he just wanted to hear it himself.
"An illusion? Doctor, what do you mean?"
Durandal, a model student, raised her hand to ask a question. Compared to Shen Gonglin, who only studies seriously when there are rewards, Durandal is truly a model student, and she is also smart enough to understand.
"Let me give you an example. Ants and termites are very similar in both appearance and behavior, right? But in taxonomy, ants belong to the order Hymenoptera, family Formicidae, while termites belong to the order Blattodea, infraorder Termidae. To put it loosely, ants are actually a special kind of wasp, while termites are a kind of modified cockroach."
These PhDs all seem to love giving examples. Changguang is like that, and so is Einstein. Shen Gonglin seems to be listening, but he's actually lost in thought. There's no way around it; although this guy is very smart, he really has no motivation to study without some reward.
"This is an example of convergent evolution in biology. Ants and termites were originally completely different, but due to natural selection, they ended up with the same result and have many similarities."
This guy must be daydreaming again. Looking at Shen Gonglin's absent-minded look, Einstein bit his lip helplessly. Oh well, it's okay if he doesn't listen to this. He'll explain it to him when he needs to be serious in the future. As long as he gets a little reward, he should listen properly... Sometimes Einstein felt pretty pathetic. Is this what it means to beg someone to learn?
Sometimes you even have to beg on your knees.
"Hmm. Like the Star Armor of the Sea of Quantum, at first glance it's actually quite similar to the Valkyrie Armor... Wait a minute, do you mean that the Herrscher Core born in our era and the Herrscher Core in the Divine Key are actually two completely different things in essence?"
Some people were daydreaming, while others were listening attentively. Durandal was one of those students with excellent attitude and comprehension. The key was that the girl was also quite honest; she was listening carefully to Einstein and the others were saying. The girl suddenly realized, "So that's what she meant."
"Yes, that's exactly my guess. The Herrscher Core born in our era, so far, have all had some form of flexibility in their connection with the Imaginary Space. For example, if the conditions are right, they can make someone who was originally unrelated become Herrscher, specifically referencing what you mentioned before about what Otto did. The Herrscher Core of the Previous Era could not do this in any way."
Einstein stated truthfully that although they appear to be the same thing, the Herrscher Core of the present and the past are actually vastly different. Leaving aside the singularity of Shen Gonglin, what happened to Kiana and Mei is enough to prove Einstein's point of view.
"That's true. The Herrscher Core in the Divine Key can only be used to modulate the fixed rated power. There's not even a way to develop new functions."
Changguang also confirmed that the Herrscher Core in the Divine Key does indeed only have this function. It does not turn the user into Herrscher; it is simply a weapon, which is fundamentally different from the Herrscher Core of the current era.
"That's right. What further highlights this contradiction is the regeneration of the Herrscher of Thunder. At that time, Raiden Mei condensed her own Herrscher Core within her body, and the Conquest Gem, which originally possessed this power, disintegrated and disappeared as a result. However, the World Serpent's Third Divine Key was completely unaffected by this process. A similar situation exists between Kiana and the Tengu no Haikyuu. The Herrscher of Flames's core is currently within Kiana's body, but the Herrscher Core within the Tengu no Haikyuu..."
Einstein shook his head. These things were enough to prove his conjecture: the living and the dead Herrscher Core were completely different things.
"Hmm... So it seems that World Serpent also emphasized that only living Herrscher Core are valuable to their plans."
It was new knowledge that he had never encountered before, Changguang was very excited about it. As expected of his seniors, they were really amazing.
"Of course, we can also consider this a unique case unique to the four Sirin Gems; but we can also speculate that there may be a more fundamental difference between the Herrscher Core born in our era and the Herrscher Core born in Previous Era... that we have never seriously considered. I reasoned and calculated based on this assumption, and surprisingly found that... the theoretical assumptions required for this difference are much simpler than the properties of the Sirin Gems alone."
At this point, Einstein no longer expected Shen Gonglin to listen attentively, since he wasn't going to focus on academic research in the future, and she and Tesla could handle this kind of thing.
Chapter 105 Screaming Tesla
Shen Gonglin smiled at Einstein, not expecting Shen Gonglin to listen to such things. Although the guy was very smart, his mind wasn't on this kind of thing at all, as could be seen from his constantly shifting eyes. To get her to study properly, he had to give her some incentives, but in this situation... giving her incentives would be tantamount to preparing for his own demise. Besides, even if Shen Gonglin learned these things, it wouldn't be of much use, since he and Tesla were right beside her.
If he learns it, what use will they be? If all goes well, he and Theresa can immediately take over Schicksal. In their hands, Anti-Entropy and Schicksal will definitely cooperate closely. If these two organizations targeting Honkai unite, they will surely achieve a result greater than the sum of its parts. Plus, there's Shen Gonglin's unique situation...
Einstein genuinely believed that humanity might win the battle against the Honkai, and she was willing to assist and support Shen Gonglin. If Rin had to do everything herself, she would be utterly useless...
Wait, something's not right...
So you've started spoiling Shen Gonglin? I originally wanted him to study hard and master a lot of things, but now I feel... why do I feel like it doesn't matter if he becomes a little good-for-nothing? Anyway, I'll be there to help him... Isn't this feeling exactly the same as those Valkyrie?
Einstein had always harbored some resentment towards Fu Hua, after all, she doted on Shen Gonglin Jingu, and Bronya did the same. Shen Gonglin didn't like eating fish because of the bones, so Bronya would even pick out the bones herself. She always thought that Shen Gonglin was inseparable from these Valkyrie, but without realizing it, why had she become like this herself?
Sure enough, people always end up becoming the kind of person they least want to be.
Suddenly realizing another truth about humanity besides becoming a broken record, Einstein sighed and continued to focus his attention on teaching and guiding. So what if he became useless? They'd take care of him anyway.
What's going on? Why Einstein looking at me like that? Could it be that she noticed I was daydreaming? But before, when I daydreamed, she would always tap the blackboard to remind me to pay attention. Why is it different this time?
Shen Gonglin couldn't figure out what was going on, but she had a feeling it must be something good.
"Let's continue with the previous topic. For the latter, I need to preset a large number of parameters to mathematically derive the final result, while for the former, I only need to assume that the Imaginary Singularity is not a real point, but that it actually has dimensional information, so I don't need to assume any extra parameters."
Having reached such a conclusion, only a few PhDs could connect with this profound topic. Even Durandal was a little confused. Shen Gonglin reached out and patted her shoulder to comfort the girl, telling her not to worry. After all, everyone has their own expertise. Durandal already very strong in combat. If she were also particularly strong in theoretical knowledge, how would others compete?
"...Wow, I never thought of that... Simplicity is the soul of wisdom, while rambling is superficial embellishment. Imaginary Singularity, that's the fundamental attribute of Herrscher Core."
Changguang became excited. It was indeed a mistake to stay cooped up in the Schicksal's laboratory all day long. Now that he had come out and seen the world, he realized how big it was. The two doctors from Anti-Entropy were indeed very capable. They truly deserved to be the agents of Anti-Entropy.
"Yes, that's the beauty of this hypothesis. We know that the Imaginary Singularity in the Herrscher Core represents an impossible construction that can trigger all supernatural phenomena, but mathematics has never actually prohibited an impossible construction from having a construction itself. Following this line of reasoning, I discovered that the Herrscher Core of the Previous Era corresponds precisely to a pure singularity that truly has no dimensional information."
She pulled out a piece of paper and began to Einstein on the table. Finally, she used very concise drawings to describe the theory in her own words. "The Herrscher Core born in our time also corresponds to a strange ring with a one-dimensional circumference... To put it more colloquially, it is the configuration of this ring that makes them alive and gives them the elasticity to be reactivated."
Since she no longer needed to worry about whether Shen Gonglin could understand her, Einstein completely let loose. She was actually quite good at this kind of academic discussion, otherwise she wouldn't have published so many papers within Anti-Entropy... although basically very few people could understand them. Now that a Herrscher Core was right in front of her, Einstein had many research topics she wanted to explore.
"Hmm... To put it more simply, could it be understood like this? The Herrscher Core in the Previous Era was static. Once separated from the Herrscher body, it would not change much, so it looked like it was dead; while the Herrscher Core in the present era is dynamic. Even if separated from the Herrscher body, it can change on its own under external stimuli, so it looks like it is alive."
Resting his chin on his hand, Changguang succinctly summarized everything Einstein had just said. Before the girl could continue, Shen Gonglin and Durandal came over and each took one of Changguang's hands. Being stared at by the future bishop and the strongest Valkyrie with such intense gazes, Changguang was immediately flattered. What was going on? Had he said something strange?
"Thank you, Changguang."
Shen Gonglin and Durandal thanked Changguang sincerely. They had completely given up trying to think, but after the monocle-eyed beauty's summary, they could finally understand. Why go through so much lengthy explanation? Isn't it better to be concise like Changguang? People who are good at writing papers are indeed troublesome.
Huh? Thank yourself? Did I do something that required someone to thank me for? Being treated like this by these two people made Changguang feel very uncomfortable. Whatever, the girl awkwardly let go of Shen Gonglin and Durandal's hands. No wonder the two of them were so close; their strangeness was exactly the same.
"Dr. Changguang is right. If the core of the Herrscher of Domination in front of us is also alive, this conjecture will be more credible; otherwise... this is the situation we are in now."
Einstein turned his gaze to Tesla on the other side, the girl screaming in a frenzy who was the perfect embodiment of this situation.
Chapter 106 Core Anomaly
"What is this thing?! I can't detect any Imaginary Singularity inside! Is this even Herrscher Core?"
Tesla slammed her hand on the table in anger. The research results were completely different from what they had expected. They couldn't detect any Imaginary Singularity in this Herrscher Core.
"Doctor, it seems that the core research is not going very well."
Theresa also walked over at this moment. She had heard Tesla's furious voice from afar. When she got there, she saw Tesla writhing back and forth like Godzilla, almost breathing fire. It seemed that the research process was not going smoothly. How to put it... if it were really going very smoothly, Theresa would feel that something was wrong.