Chapter 484

"Hiss... It's so cold. So, what should we do now?"

When Shen Gonglin touched her sensitive back, Seele let out a small scream. Then, feeling embarrassed, she quickly changed the subject. Shen Gonglin was really something, why did she just reach out and touch her back like that? Seele's face turned red as she quickly changed the subject, and that brought her to the point. What should they do now? Looking at the empty space around them, Shen Gonglin had been wanting to do something for a long time.

"Now? Now we should explore our surroundings, but not on our own two legs, but... sitting here."

He switched to Herrscher of Reason mode, and blue construct energy gathered in front of Shen Gonglin. Herrscher of Reason is the power to create as long as one understands it. Shen Gonglin is not as studious as Bronya, but he can seriously learn about anything that interests him. Bronya explained the detailed structure of this thing to him in detail. Shen Gonglin can even handcraft the Moonlight Throne. Simulating a motorcycle is also something he can do.

"This is... Heavy-duty Rabbit! Rin-nii, you can even do something like this?"

Seeing the motorcycle appear before them, Seele was extremely surprised. She was very familiar with it, as it was practically Sister Bronya's signature accessory. How could Shen Gonglin use the Herrscher of Reason's abilities to create it? She knew that he, like Sister Bronya, possessed the powers of Herrscher, but she had never imagined this.

"Impressive, right? No time for further explanation, get in the car."

Shen Gonglin was very proud. He straddled the motorcycle and winked at Seele. Although they were on the moon, the gravity and air seemed to have no effect, so even speeding wouldn't be a problem.

"I see."

Seele gathered her skirt and sat behind Shen Gonglin. After hesitating for a moment, she hugged Shen Gonglin's waist. There was no need to worry about driver's licenses, since they were not ordinary people. Even Seele had learned to operate motorcycles and mecha, so Shen Gonglin should be fine too.

"Hold on tight."

Shen Gonglin twisted the throttle, and the motorcycle roared off into the distance. This bumpy terrain was perfect for it. With each jolt, the girl behind her bumped into Shen Gonglin repeatedly. It was an accident at first, but as she rode, Shen Gonglin deliberately chose the rougher roads. Seele sensed something was wrong. The girl tightened her grip on Shen Gonglin's waist, but didn't say a word. Shen Gonglin, that girl, is pretty wicked.

With the help of the motorcycle, the two moved forward at an incredible speed. Soon, Seele noticed something was wrong. The girl tapped Shen Gonglin's shoulder with her chin, signaling him to stop. By constantly choosing difficult paths, Seele felt her chest was getting numb from all the bumps. The girl clutched her chest and slowly got off the motorcycle, giving Shen Gonglin a reproachful glare. This guy's actions were getting more and more obvious. Did he really think she didn't know anything? He was so unrestrained. The reason she signaled Shen Gonglin to stop was partly because Seele noticed something was wrong, and partly because she wanted to stop and catch her breath, otherwise it would hurt too much.

"Have these monsters... already lost their vitality? There are so many remains here, it can't be a coincidence, someone must have fought here."

She glared at Shen Gonglin, but the guy was shameless and acted like nothing had happened. In the end, Seele couldn't stand it anymore. The girl squatted down and examined the remains of the monsters by the roadside. Besides them, there were other people who had fought here, most likely the two Valkyrie.

Chapter 296 Meeting

"Hmm, it looks like it was destroyed by a cold weapon, and the angle and force are quite similar to a flying sword, which further confirms my previous guess that it was done by Sushang Chang. It seems that the battle just happened recently."

Shen Gonglin also crouched down to examine the monster's wounds with Seele. This proved that they were heading in the right direction. If nothing unexpected happened, Li Sushang should be ahead. Realizing this, Shen Gonglin immediately got back on the motorcycle. He patted the back seat of Seele and said, "There's no time left, get on the motorcycle quickly."

Again? This girl, Shen Gonglin, doesn't know how to restrain herself at all. If she keeps doing this, Seele feels like she'll probably have to buy a size larger bra. The girl's face turned red, and she glared at Shen Gonglin with anger in her eyes. She didn't want to be asked by Sister Bronya!

"Don't worry, this time I'll find a flatter road to take. You know, this is the moon, after all, there are no paved roads here."

Stared at by Seele with that look, Shen Gonglin felt unusually embarrassed. So Seele had already figured it out? He'd thought this girl was too naive to understand. But if that's the case, why didn't she stop him earlier? It made him think deeply. Under that gaze, Shen Gonglin could only offer this assurance: trust him.

After staring at Shen Gonglin for a long time, Seele could only silently climb onto the back of the motorcycle. Now was definitely not the time to be stubborn; she had to find the two Valkyrie quickly. Only after sitting on the back of the motorcycle did Seele realize how treacherous this world was. Shen Gonglin's promises earlier were completely a lie. What about finding a smooth road? This guy was just going too far. What the hell did Sister Bronya even think of this guy!

After being bumped several more times, even the gentle Seele couldn't hold back anymore. The girl reached out and pinched Shen Gonglin's waist hard. The sudden attack caused the motorcycle to lose its balance on the bumpy road, and both Shen Gonglin and Seele were thrown off. The girl quickly grabbed Shen Gonglin in mid-air, and thanks to her efforts, the two only fell to the ground and rolled around without being seriously injured. But even that was enough to startle Seele.

If I hadn't acted recklessly just now, this wouldn't have happened. Honestly, how could I have acted so recklessly?

"Shen Gonglin, Shen Gonglin... are you alright?"

Kneeling on the ground, Seele reached out and shook Shen Gonglin. Had this guy been bumped somewhere? Sister Bronya had said before that although Shen Gonglin was very powerful, his physique was only at the level of an ordinary person, unlike Valkyrie like herself. Just because she was alright didn't mean that Shen Gonglin was alright.

"No, it's nothing... I just feel a little dizzy, Seele... Take my advice, you can't drive fast anymore, and you must wear protective gear..."

Even more dizzy from being shaken by Seele, Shen Gonglin swayed and gave this advice. Just as Seele was wondering what to do, a lively voice suddenly came from the high platform in front of her.

"I heard a car coming from here... Hey, Junior Uncle! Seele, we're here! Junior Uncle, here... here!"

A familiar voice came from behind, Seele looked up in surprise. Two girls were standing in front of them: Durandal in black armor and Li Sushang in jade knight armor with flowing ribbons. Shen Gonglin had guessed correctly; it was them plus a few others.

"They say that even ocean nymphs will meet again... But to meet like this is truly a coincidence. Junior Uncle, Seele, I never expected to meet you here."

Li Sushang greeted Seele and Shen Gonglin with great enthusiasm, but she wondered if she had come at the wrong time. Seeing her junior uncle and Seele hugging each other, Li Sushang was unsure whether she should go down or not, so she decided to just say hello first.

"Long time no see, Seele... And what happened to you?"

Durandal also greeted Seele, but her gaze was mostly on Shen Gonglin. The two of them were in a strange state, and there was still a smoking motorcycle over there. What was going on?

"Ah, Shen Gonglin is fine, she just feels a little dizzy... But, Durandal, and... Miss Li? What are you doing here!"

Seele helped Shen Gonglin to her feet. After finding familiar faces, Seele finally felt relieved. Were their situations the same as hers?

"Didn't expect that, did you? I just finished exploring the Salt Lake Base and was on my way to visit my junior uncle, but as soon as I opened the door, I found myself in this Moon Palace..."

Li Sushang enthusiastically recounted her experiences on her way here. Even though Durandal interrupted her, seeing that Shen Gonglin was not in a good state, she immediately jumped down and came to Shen Gonglin's side.

"Alright, such a condescending tone is far too arrogant. Let's go downstairs and talk again."

"Ah... yes. That's true. But it's not uncommon for us to run into Junior Uncle and Seele, so it's understandable that we're a little overjoyed, right Junior Uncle?"

Li Sushang followed closely behind and jumped down. The lively girl came to the front of Shen Gonglin and Seele and gave a fist and palm salute. Durandal took Shen Gonglin from Seele and checked his condition. It seemed that he was indeed fine. But how did this guy get himself into such a state? Durandal wiped Shen Gonglin's face with her hand. Why is there so much dust on his face?

Durandal... is also very kind to Shen Gonglin. Seele secretly watched Durandal tidying up Shen Gonglin. The movements were so natural, as if they came from the heart. Shen Gonglin... Sister Bronya, Kiana, Fu Hua, the Doctor, and now Durandal... is this the adult world? It's so chaotic.

For some reason, Seele's face flushed slightly. Then she noticed a gaze fixed on her. Turning her head, she saw that the gaze was coming from Li Sushang, the sword fairy. The girl was staring at Seele without blinking. Being looked at like that felt like having one's innermost thoughts seen through. Seele instinctively panicked. She shouldn't have noticed anything, right?

"Miss Li... is there something on my face?"

Seele asked, Seele guilty as she watched him stare at her like that.

Chapter 294 Call Me Sister

"Things? Nothing much, just a bit pretty. And you don't need to be so formal with me. We've eaten together several times already, so we're practically acquaintances. I'm a few years older than you, so why don't you call me 'sister'?"

Without revealing her thoughts, the sword fairy girl showed a sunny and open smile. She had become more familiar with everyone at the Salt Lake Base these past few days, and there was no need for such an unfamiliar address as "Miss Li."

"Yes, yes, yes, she's only a few hundred years older than her actual age Seele, don't let her youthful appearance fool you, she's actually several hundred years old."

Under Durandal's call, Shen Gonglin also woke up. Then he nodded and said Li Sushang's true age. She was from several hundred years ago and was awakened by Otto in this era. So don't be fooled by her girlish appearance. She is actually an old-fashioned person inside.

"Junior Uncle! If you can't speak properly, why didn't you say so earlier? If we're talking about real age, I'm only around ten years old. You can't calculate my age like that. Can you please be quiet?"

Shen Gonglin's remarks infuriated Li Sushang. What was wrong with this guy? Did he think he was so clever for talking? From ancient times to the present, a woman's age has always been a taboo subject, yet this guy openly revealed his age. Although she was from hundreds of years ago, her actual age was not much different from theirs.

Touched on a sore spot, Li Sushang used a joint lock to lock Shen Gonglin's head from behind. Although she didn't use any force, Shen Gonglin couldn't break free. Why would she break free? Although she was young, Li Sushang, this sword fairy girl, was truly perfectly developed. It felt quite comfortable, much more so than when Seele bumped into her back before.

"Hey... hey, no, don't fight... okay, Sister Sushang."

Seele hurriedly tried to mediate the fight. She didn't know how the two martial uncles and nieces got along. This girl was quite honest and did whatever Li Sushang said. But when she was actually called "sister" by her, Li Sushang herself felt a little strange. It felt so weird that she was being called "sister" by someone.

"... Uh, I was just joking. You don't have to take it so seriously. Think about it, I haven't been awake for very long, and my understanding of this world is really like that of a child. Even if people call me 'older sister,' it's not a proper title."

Li Sushang has a very good personality. It's obviously inappropriate for someone like me to be called "elder sister." As an elder, one should bear the responsibilities of an elder. In this era, I'm just like a little sister who doesn't know anything and has already made a lot of jokes. I shouldn't pretend to be an elder. This girl is really well-behaved and obedient. However, it's also clear that this girl must be bullied by my junior uncle most of the time.

"So, just call me by my first name, like Durandal, or omit my surname and call me Sushang. That's what my junior uncle calls me too. It's simple, direct, and there's no ambiguity."

Resting her chin on Shen Gonglin's shoulder, Li Sushang felt like a junior acting coquettishly towards an elder, after all, he was her junior uncle.

"Ah, okay, I'll listen to you... By the way, Miss Sushang, how did you all get to the moon? I just woke up and found myself in this place called New Atlanta without really knowing what was going on. Then I met Brother Rin and we worked together. And now I've run into you guys. How did you all get here?"

With the matter of addressing each other settled, Seele quickly moved on to the current issue: how did she and Durandal get to this strange place? Were they in the same situation as her?

"I guess I'm in a similar situation to you. I was originally going to visit my junior uncle, but as soon as I opened the door, I suddenly found myself in this strange place. It's just like what they said... the way I opened it was wrong, right? It's like a scene from a science fiction movie. At first, I thought those two doctors had come up with some new tricks. If Durandal hadn't discovered it, who knows what new jokes they would have made."

After explaining her reasons, Li Sushang initially thought it was some new invention by Einstein and Tesla, since those two seemingly highly intelligent female doctors often came up with interesting new things. However, it seemed that this time it had nothing to do with them.

"Although I've entered and exited the Sea of Quantum before, just like Seele... this experience was still quite strange. The technology he used was completely different from Schicksal. The only good news is that Rita, who shares the power of the Holy Sword with me, seems to be alright."

Durandal explained her discovery. She was currently unable to contact Rita or anyone else on Earth, only sensing through the Holy Sword that Rita was doing well, which reassured Durandal. Seele pondered for a moment; this situation was likely similar to her other self's, and she should be alright too.

"Sigh... In short, this is truly a nightmare. Junior Uncle, please think of a solution for us. Don't let me down."

Since meeting Shen Gonglin, Li Sushang seems to have become increasingly audacious. Now she is standing on a rock, resting her chin on Shen Gonglin's head, looking for the most effortless fulcrum. Everyone at the Salt Lake Base trusts Shen Gonglin, even the Ancestor Chiyuan. So Shen Gonglin should hurry up and think of a solution, as she is not good at this kind of situation.

"What can I do? It's all Kevin... By the way, you mentioned nightmares. When Seele woke up on the moon, she did have a dream. I entered her dream and saw some scenes. Kevin was using a state called succubus, and it seemed like he was causing trouble somewhere on the moon."

Whatever happened, Kevin is the culprit. Everything is because of Kevin. He told Durandal and Li Sushang what he saw in Seele's dream. Being able to dream of Kevin and being transported to the moon is definitely not a coincidence.

"Junior Uncle, you just mentioned succubi... the kind of succubi I know, right? Isn't Kevin the leader of the World Serpent? I thought... Wow, he has this kind of appearance, it's really beyond my expectations."

Chapter 295 Immoral

Li Sushang felt a pang of unease, and a look of fear appeared on her face as if she were thinking of something. In her mind, the leader of the World Serpent should be the cool, aloof type. She never expected that he would also have a succubus form. In order to understand this world, Li Sushang had read many, many books, so she had some understanding of succubi. This should be the kind of succubus she knew. The leader of the World Serpent was truly a terrifying person.

"Yes, the kind of succubus you're thinking of, scantily clad with a tail and horns, it's really indecent."

Shen Gonglin continued to make fun of Kevin. No, it shouldn't be called making fun of him; it should be called the truth. Seele was there to testify; she had also seen Kevin in that state. Shen Gonglin couldn't bear to watch any longer.

"Uh... I think there must be some misunderstanding. Seele saw might not be a dream or a premonition, but rather the result of real-world information being accidentally projected into her subconscious during spatial teleportation."

Unable to bear listening to Rin's Shen Gonglin about Kevin any longer, Durandal found it hard to believe Kevin would be in such a disgraceful state. Although she didn't know much about the leader of the World Serpent, Durandal sensed that he was more than that, or perhaps he had completely let loose? Durandal didn't understand; she was simply changing the subject from the scene Seele had described earlier.

"Yes... the place Kevin was in my dream really felt similar to this place... So, he really is somewhere nearby? If we can find him, then maybe we can..."

Durandal's explanation convinced Seele. If Kevin was nearby, finding him would clarify the current situation. Indeed, seeing Durandal gave one a strange sense of security. Everyone who knew Durandal probably felt the same way. Truly worthy of being Schicksal's most powerful Valkyrie —gentle, reliable, and incredibly capable.

"Confronting Kevin face to face? I've never seen a real succubus before. I really want to see one. But I've heard that succubi have a special ability. Junior Uncle, you'd better protect me well. If that happens... I'll leave it to you, Junior Uncle."

The sword fairy girl was clearly led astray by Shen Gonglin, and her thoughts turned to some strange things. Just thinking about the succubus abilities described in those stories made her shudder. Fortunately, her junior uncle was by her side. If she were to fall for one, her junior uncle's presence would prevent her from being taken advantage of.

"Don't worry about that, I've got it covered."

Shen Gonglin thumped his chest, clearly willing to take on this responsibility. This made Li Sushang blush slightly. She pressed her chin against Shen Gonglin's head. Couldn't he at least offer a little refusal? It felt like he was just waiting on purpose.

What are they saying? I can't understand a word they're saying, and what exactly is the succubus's special ability? This is kind of scary.

Durandal and Seele were completely baffled. Neither of them knew anything about succubi. It seemed that Li Sushang and Shen Gonglin knew a little about them. This feeling of not being able to join the conversation bothered the two girls. What did this mean?

How did it end up being left to Shen Gonglin?

"Then I'll leave it to you, Shen Gonglin... By the way, what exactly is a succubus?"

Regardless, following Li Sushang's formation should be the right thing to do, right? Durandal was also quickly entrusted to Shen Gonglin, and so was Seele. Shen Gonglin took on everything without hesitation. There was no other way; someone in this world always had to bear the burden, and Shen Gonglin was naturally the one to do it.

"Alright, Durandal, all you need to know is that if Kevin really is a succubus, you should stay away from him. What we need to figure out now is whether we should go visit... cough cough, confront Kevin face to face. Although that would be a bit reckless, it doesn't matter. The idea itself is impossible to put into action anyway."

Li Sushang felt it was best not to let Durandal know what a succubus was. She couldn't bear to let Durandal learn such knowledge, so she quickly changed the subject. This kind of thing was only for herself and her junior uncle to know. It was better for a straightforward girl like Durandal to keep her pure heart.

Li Sushang seems reluctant to know certain things, but that only makes me want to know more. Just like a cat, Durandal also has her own rebellious streak. If she doesn't want me to know, then I'll insist on knowing. The girl pulled Shen Gonglin aside and whispered, "What is a succubus...? Can you tell me about it privately?"

Shen Gonglin was speechless for a moment. Looking at Durandal's inquisitive eyes, Shen Gonglin finally nodded heavily. "Alright, answering the questions of the Valkyrie under my command is also my duty as a bishop."

"Unable to take action? Miss Sushang, what do you mean by that?"

Although Seele didn't know what a succubus was, her intuition told her that this was not something she should know. The girl cared a lot about what Li Sushang had just said, but why couldn't she put it into action?

"Before we met you, we had already split up and explored the area. It was quite obvious that Xiao Kong's teacher and uncle were from the World Serpent... but unfortunately, apart from some strangely shaped rocks and a broken bridge of some unknown origin, we didn't even see a single scale of the World Serpent. And the path leading to the other side of the mountain was blocked by a strange force... no, it should be said that there was no path to begin with. It's just that I couldn't fly out even if I wanted to."

Li Sushang shrugged and said helplessly that she had already tried to fly on her sword, but she could not fly out and was bounced back. It was really strange.

"If you actually fly into the vacuum outside, things will become even more complicated. Although with your strength, you won't be in any immediate danger, it's still very inconvenient not being able to make a sound."

At this point, Durandal couldn't help but speak up. This girl was really too reckless. She hadn't been able to stop her from flying out. Luckily, she didn't fly into the vacuum environment. This girl was too impulsive. At that time, she was the only one with her, and she really made her little master's aunt worry herself sick. In this unknown environment, she was just as troublesome as her little master's uncle.

Chapter 296 An Ordinary S-rank Valkyrie

"Space... Ah, I see. Right, someone on an online program said that normally there is no air on the moon. So, apart from finding Junior Uncle and Seele, we haven't really gained anything in the past half day."

Having read countless books to help her understand this era, Li Sushang was reminded of the popular science books she had read before when Durandal mentioned them. They said that there was no air in space, and even if you went to space, you would have to wear something called a spacesuit. That's amazing! It's only been five hundred years, and humans have already been able to fly out of Earth and into outer space. In her time, this was something she had never even dreamed of.

So, does this make me look like a fairy from the moon?

"You can't say that. Sometimes, not gaining anything can be a gain in itself. In my opinion... our situation at least shows that the World Serpent has plenty of leeway regarding the status quo. They think it doesn't matter who is sent to New Atlanta, and they don't even intend to restrict our freedom. This also suggests that whatever enabled the World Serpent to achieve this status quo must possess extraordinary power and have been meticulously prepared..."

Durandal explained the present from another perspective. Judging from the fact that she and Li Sushang could explore relatively freely, it seemed that the World Serpent had only sent them to the moon without restricting their movements or fearing what they might do. This strong sense of confidence explained a lot. If that was the case, then some scattered testimonies were indeed credible. Their current predicament was indeed closely related to the Stigmata Plan.

After exchanging information, Seele realized that their presence here was undoubtedly one of the "side effects" of Stigmata Plan. Seele pondered for a moment and said, "Stigmata Plan. I first heard this term back in the Eye of the Abyss. From that time on... no, from even longer, have they been preparing for all of this?"

"Wait a minute, my head is starting to ache... Junior Uncle, can you let me hold on a little longer? According to what you're saying, isn't this a bit strange? The Ottoman told me before that the result of the Stigmata Plan is to leave behind so-called Stigmata Awakener like me, while eliminating ordinary people, right? Even the people we met in that shelter just now were like that... But what about Earth? Durandal, didn't you just say that, according to your perception, at least Rita's condition is not abnormal? I remember, she shouldn't be Stigmata Awakener, right? She should indeed be considered an ordinary person in this sense?"

Li Sushang raised her hand and asked the question. She felt that her head was filled with all kinds of information, except for one aspect that was particularly developed. In terms of intelligence, Li Sushang considered herself to be just a slightly smarter type among ordinary people, but she had thought of this question. How could this be explained?

"The version really has changed," Shen Gonglin sighed and shook her head. Li Sushang's chin, which was resting on Shen Gonglin's head, also moved slightly. Now even S-rank Valkyrie can only be considered ordinary people. It's probably the era of Stigmata Awakener and Herrscher now. Hmm, I guess we should also add a Flame-Chaser.

S-rank Valkyrie is just an ordinary person.

"Hmm. Sushang, what you said is indeed problematic. I think, from an outsider's perspective, this in itself might prove that the true nature of the Stigmata Plan is quite different from the versions we've heard before. After all, if we were to say that World Serpent has come up with some new secret plan, that would seem too far-fetched."

They concluded that their understanding of the Stigmata Plan was still not deep enough. The four of them were now standing together, unsure of how to face their current situation. Shen Gonglin, who was acting as Li Sushang's support, listened attentively the whole time, but it seemed that she hadn't come to any conclusions after listening.

"That makes sense, but what should we do now? It seems like we have no clue what to do."

Li Sushang and Seele had no other options, so they could only turn their attention to Durandal. You can always trust Durandal, the strongest Valkyrie of Schicksal, who can always make the right judgment no matter what.

"... There is one thing we can do now. If we compare our current situation to a criminal investigation, then there are some experience-based practices that we can refer to."

Even Shen Gonglin was looking at her with such anticipation, so Durandal naturally had to come up with some feasible solutions. The girl puffed out her chest with a hint of pride. See? It still came down to me to step in. Li Sushang and Seele couldn't think of a solution, only I could. Feeling that she had slightly impressed Shen Gonglin Shingu, Durandal, in her joy, also proposed this solution.

"Criminal investigation... Oh, you mean the approach from detective movies! That Sherlock Holmes thing? I get it now. Detectives don't just look at a crime scene once; they investigate repeatedly to find clues and encounter people and events they might have missed before. Now that we have an idea, let's get started!"

The vast amount of books she had read had filled Li Sushang's mind with knowledge, and she thought of the action that Durandal had mentioned. It seemed that reading more books was indeed very useful. Knowledge is always a useful thing, no matter when. Li Sushang said excitedly, she was ready to investigate.