Chapter 486

"Oh? Otto actually gave me such an evaluation? I like hearing that. Considering that we were once Schicksal, I have told you everything I know. As for whether you believe me or not, and what you plan to do... it's not that important to an organization that is already defunct."

Otto was quite satisfied with his evaluation. Although that person had a bad reputation, it had to be said that in everyone's eyes, the former bishop of Schicksal was a very capable person. Even if it was just mutual respect among capable people, Jackal was still quite happy to receive such praise. He had already told them everything he knew, and how to do it and make decisions was not his business.

"Dead in name only? Does that mean Kevin doesn't need you at all anymore?"

Durandal frowned and asked, "Gray Serpent is the head of the kindergarten in that camp, and Jackal has been fired. Has Kevin dismissed all of World Serpent's employees? Is he really that confident that his plan will succeed?"

"Yeah... I always feel like you guys are still brewing some crazy idea."

Li Sushang stared intently into the Jackal's eyes, trying to discern something from them, but this woman seemed to possess remarkable composure. Regardless of the circumstances, she maintained a calm demeanor. Was she hiding anything?

"Our Lord's thoughts are not something we can presume to know."

Jackal said this, and you could hear her admiration for Kevin in her words. Shen Gonglin was a little confused. She had already been expelled, so what did she mean by saying this? Did it really make her seem impressive to others not understand her thoughts? Was being a riddle person that enjoyable? Maybe it really was. After all, back in the Elysian Realm, they seemed to have been dedicated to being riddle people. The most honest one was the Class President, and Sakura was almost half a riddle person too. As for the others... Shen Gonglin didn't want to become one of them.

"Let me put it this way... In the long river of history... it's not that the Lord needs us, but that we need the Lord. It has always been this way. Therefore, this conversation with you is merely the last gift I'm giving to the World Serpent before its demise. As the strongest humans in this world, can you shake the already completed Stigmata Plan? I'm eager to know the answer to this question, and this will be the final judgment on our cause."

A smirk appeared on the Jackal's lips. Before him stood the world's elite, the best of humanity. He would see if these exceptional individuals could change the already predetermined fate and the completed Stigmata Plan.

"So, you're using us as... tools to test the stability of your plans?"

Seele's eyes widened. The World Serpent plans; on the contrary, it wanted to use their actions to test the stability of its plans. Wasn't that a bit too confident?

"Hmm... Little girl, don't think so badly of people. After all, even without my prompting, you would still be like animals without vestibular receptors, rushing around searching for the Lord's whereabouts, even if you can't change the status quo at all."

Jackal wanted to tap her head, but because her hands were bound, she couldn't do so for the time being. It's as if she's that arrogant. Even if she didn't say these things to them now, they would still have to go find the Lord. So this is a kind of open scheme. No matter what the situation is, they will do it.

"You seem very confident that we may not be able to defeat Kevin at his full strength. But that's only because there are only four of us here right now. Destroying the Honkai is not an excuse to destroy humanity. Before we learn the whole truth, we will certainly be your Lord's enemies."

Durandal's belief never wavered. She was undoubtedly Otto's best student. Civilization without people is meaningless, and she didn't believe they would lose. To even think that would be the greatest desecration of their efforts so far. She believed in herself, Shen Gonglin, and her sister... Durandal believed in everyone she wanted to believe in.

"Ah... so this is your personality, Durandal. No wonder even Otto has such a high opinion of you. Anyway... we're not going to fight to the death because of differences in opinion. After all, in the face of the Lord's absolute power, opinions are just opinions. But, let me tell you another rumor now."

The Jackal laughed dismissively, and the dark-skinned beauty shrugged. For some reason, Shen Gonglin suddenly felt like she was about to leave. Was this person trying to run away? And what were those rumors she mentioned?

"Many years ago, before the Lord was born, a Gray Serpent said something strange to me. We are not serpents. We are just a few moths born in the wrong era, destined to die in the flame. Reflecting on this today, I suddenly find that these words seem to have a deeper meaning. What do you think?"

He uttered words he had heard many years ago, words that indeed had the flavor of that great writer from Gray Serpent. Was he a moth born of the wrong era? He had learned about an organization called the Flame-Chasers, and the behavior of the members of World Serpent Shen Gonglin to have something in common with those people. While Jingu Rin and the others were deep in thought, Jackal finally finished his work.

Good heavens, this is tied so well! No wonder the information said that Shen Gonglin was skilled in rope techniques. After all this effort, I finally managed to cut the rope. I had a small blade hidden in my hand, which I learned from Raven. I never thought it would come in handy. After cutting the rope, Jackal turned around and jumped off the platform with great style. When Shen Gonglin and the others realized what was happening and wanted to give chase, she turned around and raised her hand meaningfully. Immediately afterward, the group was blocked by the enemies who surrounded them again.

The timing was perfect; I'm off, I'm off. I have no intention of becoming a prisoner yet.

"Hey, what's going on here? Is she playing a trick on us?"

Thinking this was the work of the Jackal, Li Sushang summoned her flying sword. Were these monsters controlled by the Jackal? How could they obey her commands and stop them?

"No, it seems more like a phenomenon inherent to this place. She probably just timed it perfectly to try and escape. Whatever, let's deal with these enemies first."

Durandal shook her head. Even if she caught the Jackal now, it wouldn't do any real good. Let her be.

Chapter 302

The combat power of the group was undeniable. Although Shen Gonglin was slacking off, the enemies who had regrouped did not pose any threat to them. Soon, Durandal and Li Sushang cleared away the interference once again. The Jackal had also disappeared without a trace, but the words she left behind contained a great deal of information.

"I can't believe Kevin would actually dismiss World Serpent's executives so directly. Is he really that confident in his Stigmata Plan?"

Retrieving her flying sword, Li Sushang said with some emotion, "Because the plan succeeded, I've dismissed all my subordinates. This shows Kevin in me."

Chapter 303 Sumeru Mustard Seed

"It's alright, it's all thanks to Gnius. Without instruments that can detect spatial distortion, I would have had a hard time spotting the anomaly with the naked eye."

Durandal shook her head, admitting that she wasn't that perceptive. She was only able to stop Li Sushang thanks to this device. As she spoke, the Valkyrie took out the instrument, named Gnius, which she had a deep connection with, from her bosom. She simply wanted to show it to Shen Gonglin and the others, but she was unaware of the unexpected benefits this unintentional act would bring them.

"So this is Gnius, Durandal. What is the purpose of this thing?"

Shen Gonglin leaned closer to look at the large pocket watch in the Valkyrie's hand. Rita had mentioned this to her before. Not only Durandal, Rita also seemed to have a connection with this thing. And now, the numbers on the large pocket watch in Durandal's hand seemed to be constantly changing. What was going on? Was it supposed to be like this?

"Its purpose... um? Wait a minute, this reading... huh?"

Noticing the changes on the Gnius, Durandal's expression turned serious. Li Sushang and Seele quickly came over. Could this reaction mean that Durandal had made some new discovery?

"That seems to be the case. Give me some time..."

Durandal took a few steps forward with Gnius in her hand. The girl's current state reminded Shen Gonglin of a tomb raider with a compass, making her almost want to give Durandal a voiceover. As the saying goes, "To find the dragon and divide the gold, look at the winding mountains; one winding mountain after another..." Well, it's estimated that neither Li Sushang nor Seele could understand her joke, so she'll just have to watch Durandal make some new discoveries.

The Valkyrie took a few steps from where she had been standing toward the broken bridge, where she rechecked Gnius's readings. Looking at Gnius, Durandal clearly had made some new discovery.

"That's really how it is... Seele, please move closer to me."

It's unclear what Durandal discovered or what she thought of, but the Valkyrie turned to look at Seele. Seele hesitated, wondering why her name had been mentioned so suddenly. She took a few steps forward, a small gesture that only strengthened Durandal's belief in her judgment. She hadn't expected this.

"Yes, that's it. Move a little closer to me. Shen Gong, Li Sushang, you two come over here too."

She gestured for the three to come closer and stand face to face with Seele. Durandal nodded after seeing the reading on Gnius's hand. It was this reading. With this, she should be able to do other things.

"Ready... Sumeru Mustard Seed, activate."

Reaching out and grasping Shen Gonglin's hand, Durandal gave a command, and in an instant, space reassembled before Shen Gonglin and the others. When they regained their senses, a towering Bodhi tree came into view. What was going on? Did Durandal also possess this ability to traverse space? Right, she seemed to wield the Heavenly Origin Knight...

"Phew, it's definitely more appropriate to wear this outfit here. Shen Gonglin, how are you feeling? Any headaches?"

Still holding Shen Gonglin's hand, Durandal had already changed her clothes. For Valkyrie, changing clothes with a single click is a basic operation. In this space, Durandal still wanted to wear the clothes called Tengen, which proved that she had surpassed the Human Collapse and the original power of the Honkai. Marked by activating the Stigmata of Kaslana and Saniyat, she had joined the ranks of the strongest Valkyrie of Tengen.

"When did you change your clothes? We were holding hands the whole time!"

What shocked Shen Gonglin was this point. Durandal opened her mouth but didn't know what to say. Well, judging from his appearance, he didn't seem to feel any discomfort. Durandal had been worried that pulling Shen Gonglin into the Sumeru Mustard Seed Space would make him uncomfortable, since Shen Gonglin was very sensitive to spatial perception. But now, it was clear that she had overthought things.

"Huh? What is this...?"

Seele, who was standing next to her, also realized what was going on. What kind of place was this? In the blink of an eye, they had arrived here from the moon. How did this happen?

"Wow! Durandal, is this your Heart Lake? It has reached such a level, truly amazing."

Li Sushang was quite impressed by the scene before her. For her, the simplest explanation was that this scene was the heart lake of Durandal. So bright and vast, it truly lived up to Durandal's name.

"Strictly speaking, it is not my property. Therefore, I need to be close to both Seele and the broken bridge to bring everyone here."

Releasing Shen Gonglin's hand, Durandal looked at Seele, surprised that she could be of such use. Seele hesitated and pointed to herself, wondering if there was something special about her that allowed Durandal to bring everyone to this comfortable place by being near the broken bridge and herself.

"This special World Bubble is called Sumeru Mustard Seed. It was once an observation center built by Previous Era for the Second Divine Key. Although on Earth I can bring anyone in and out of this place freely... the spatial structure near the Moon does not allow me to do so. Simply put, the Moon's space is considered to be too stable."

While they were still figuring out when Durandal changed her clothes, the girl suddenly started explaining things they couldn't understand. Li Sushang and Seele were very serious, and Shen Gonglin could only pretend that she could understand. Durandal, say something that people can understand.

Isn't it a little awkward if only one of you can't understand it?

"The reason we are able to succeed now is because the anomaly in the broken bridge space and Seele's own inherent fluctuations have a superimposed effect, which temporarily increases the instability of the space in a small area... thus locally satisfying the conditions for opening the Sumeru Mustard Seed. However, I am not a researcher after all... I can only speculate that the reason for this inherent fluctuation may be related to Seele's experience of being in the Sea of Quantum for a long time."

Durandal said so much in one breath, Shen Gonglin nodded very seriously, as if he had listened. But from Shen Gonglin's perspective, Durandal was just babbling on and on. What was this girl saying? Could someone explain it to him?

Just when Shen Gonglin couldn't figure it out, Li Sushang stepped forward. This girl truly lived up to her reputation as Shen Gonglin's best junior disciple; she always managed to provide explanations when Shen Gonglin couldn't understand.

Chapter 304 Schrödinger's Table

"Hey, after all that talk, you're actually using our Seele as an antenna to boost the signal?"

As expected of Li Sushang, who was highly regarded by Shen Gonglin, he didn't understand what Durandal was saying at all. But after the girl explained it like this, he immediately understood. So she was using Seele as an antenna to enhance the signal. For some reason, Durandal was unable to contact this space before, but now with Seele's help, she was able to transfer everyone here. Wasn't that using Seele as an antenna?

Now Shen Gonglin understood. As expected of Sushang, trusting her was indeed the right thing to do. Shen Gonglin reached out and patted the girl's head. Li Sushang was flattered. Why was her junior uncle suddenly treating her like this? Was it because she had done something good? But Li Sushang had no idea what she had done.

"An antenna to enhance the signal, this is a good example, it reminds me of my childhood experience of building a crystal radio."

Besides Shen Gonglin, another person also praised Li Sushang's example in the same way. Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and found that the voice actually came from the large pocket watch next to Durandal, or rather, from Gnius? It wasn't Durandal speaking just now, it was the voice of this pocket watch?

"Excuse me, I overheard a few words of your conversation... I am Erwin Leanna Schrödinger, a plane traveler from the Sea of Quantum. I was Bianca and Rita's adventure partner in the past, and even earlier, I was Einstein and his ilk."

Durandal's pocket watch swayed gently in front of everyone, and the voice inside gave such a clear self-introduction. No one was surprised that a pocket watch could talk; after all, they were on the moon now, so what was there to be surprised about?

However, Schrödinger... Shen Gonglin had heard Einstein mention this name before.

"The Sea of Quantum..."

She was particularly concerned about this term, after all, she herself had been trapped in the Sea of Quantum for who knows how long. Hearing this term now reminded Seele of that less-than-pleasant experience. So, the person who made this sound, was she also once trapped in the Sea of Quantum?

"Yes. Like you, Seele, I once lost the unitarity that exists directly as real matter... It's just that I have never fully recovered in this respect."

He explained his existence, saying that after Seele left the Sea of Quantum, she could live in the real world as real matter, while he had not yet recovered to that level, so he could only speak from inside this device called Gnius. If he were to materialize, his appearance might frighten people.

"... Ah. So, do you know what's really happening on Earth? The World Serpent say they've carried out the Stigmata Plan, and space on Earth is being rearranged and reorganized... If you could observe from within the Sea of Quantum, perhaps..."

Perhaps it was because she said she was also from the Sea of Quantum that Seele felt a certain affinity for this being she had only heard of but never seen. Then she thought of this possibility: if she could observe reality from the Sea of Quantum, then she should be able to figure out what was going on on Earth? Seele was very worried about the people on Earth. Under the influence of the Stigmata Plan, what was their current state? Upon hearing this, Shen Gonglin and the others were also invigorated. Yes, maybe they could really understand the current situation.

"The Stigmata Plan? Bianca, is it... the Stigmata Plan that Rita once told me about?"

The golden pocket watch turned slightly, Schrödinger spoke to Durandal. He smelled that Rita had explained the Stigmata Plan to her some time ago, but hadn't they stopped and destroyed it?

"It seems that's not entirely true. On one hand, based on some unknown mechanism, Stigmata Awakener are constantly being actively or passively teleported to our current lunar base, New Atlanta. On the other hand, according to the testimony of Jackal, World Serpent executive, ordinary people on Earth seem to be sinking into the depths of the Imaginary Space through dreams, transforming from humans into Stigmata. If that World Serpent executive wasn't misleading us... then this means that the way the Stigmata Plan is implemented has at least changed significantly."

Durandal explained the current situation to the being in the pocket watch. As expected of the Doctor who plays with brains, Shen Gonglin listened carefully for a long time. She had only understood this because she had experienced it herself. She quickly figured out the reason from Durandal's simple description. Sometimes you really have to admire other people's brains. This is too useful!

But perhaps it's because she simply doesn't have the mind of a staff officer? After all, she is a leader, so after thinking about it that way, Shen Gonglin no longer felt ashamed.

"... I see. That explains the strange phenomena on Earth."

The pocket watch swayed up and down as if nodding, and her words immediately made everyone tense. What was the strange situation on Earth? What was the current state of the Earth?

"Rita... no, I mean, is everyone alright?"

She subconsciously blurted out the name of the person she cared about most. To Durandal, Rita was not only her adjutant but also her most important companion. Only after saying it did Durandal realize that she was being a little inappropriate. She couldn't just worry about Rita; there were others too. How were they doing?

Although they quickly changed their tune, Shen Gonglin and Li Sushang still gave Durandal meaningful looks. Heh heh, even Durandal has such feelings.

You only care about her, right?

"You don't need to worry too much. As things stand, the anomaly shouldn't be severe enough to completely seal off the Valkyrie 'Schicksal mobility. However, from another perspective... this is indeed an unprecedented crisis. Imagine a radar operator working at one of the world's most deserted airports, what would he think if one day his screen suddenly filled with bright spots?"

After giving this example, Li Sushang raised her hand to speak.

"They might feel like the end of the world is coming."

"Yes, that's how I felt before. But soon, that worry was somewhat alleviated."

What a strange example! It seems that when you can't understand something, not speaking is the best response.

Chapter 305 Completely Incomprehensible

"Ahem... If we consider this phenomenon as a planetary-level renormalization, then we can still monitor signals from many fixed points in real time, especially the largest ones. Their characteristic values are quite similar to the signals emitted by the Schicksal or Anti-Entropy bases in the past. So, although it's only indirect evidence... at least we can conclude that Schicksal's floating islands and Anti-Entropy's Salt Lake Base have not been significantly affected by the global anomaly. If this isn't some kind of coincidence... then it must be the result of the efforts of our friends."

Shen Gonglin might not have fully understood the rest of what was said, but she did understand Schrödinger's conclusion. In other words, some kind of anomaly had indeed occurred on Earth, but there was no need to worry too much. The situation was not yet beyond repair. The two major organizations, Schicksal and Anti-Entropy, were still operating normally, and those who "remained" on Earth were making their own efforts. That was good.

"Hmm... In other words, based on your observation data, it can be inferred that some kind of astonishing anomaly has indeed occurred on Earth, but at least the headquarters of Schicksal and Anti-Entropy are still operating?"

Having received Schrödinger's affirmative answer, Durandal finally breathed a sigh of relief. Rita... no, everyone is alright, that's really good news.

"This is truly rare good news... However, what exactly does 'observing from the Sea of Quantum' mean? Can someone explain it to me? Junior Uncle, could you tell me?"

As an "ancient person" who has just begun to learn modern knowledge, Li Sushang has been working hard to learn various kinds of knowledge during this period. However, she still regrets that she does not know enough when she needs to use it. There are still many things she does not understand. When she does not understand, she has to ask her junior uncle. Meeting Li Sushang's inquisitive eyes, Shen Gonglin could only cough lightly.

How am I supposed to explain this problem? I'm completely clueless myself, just a half-baked expert.

Fortunately, Schrödinger took over the conversation at this point, saying that professional matters should be left to the professionals to explain.

"Before answering that question... you are indeed Miss Li Sushang, another S-rank Valkyrie from Schicksal, right?"

Quite unexpectedly, Li Sushang recognized the voice from the pocket watch; it seemed that the invisible and intangible doctor knew her.

"Don't be nervous. I should say I've obtained some information about you from Rita. But regarding that question from earlier... shouldn't I start by explaining the concept of the Sea of Quantum itself?"

Upon hearing Schrödinger's words, Shen Gonglin immediately put on a mask of pain. Was he about to start lecturing again? He was spouting things that she couldn't understand. Didn't he know how difficult it was to pretend she could understand? Durandal had somehow appeared behind Shen Gonglin. The girl raised her hand and gently pressed it on Shen Gonglin. She knew he was working hard, but asked him to be patient. After all, only by understanding the whole picture could they formulate a mission.

"Be patient. If there's anything you don't understand, just use quantum mechanics to understand it. I will formulate an action plan that fits the current situation."

whispering in Shen Gonglin's ear, Durandal quietly comforted her. Seele couldn't help but glance at Shen Gonglin sideways. Was this really Miss Durandal? She was usually so serious and meticulous when making training plans for Kiana and others, but when facing Shen Gonglin, this reaction... it was truly differential treatment.

"Ah... if I understand, please continue."

Li Sushang also looked overwhelmed. Apart from swordsmanship, she was also struggling with other courses. She hoped that Li Sushang could explain things to her in a language she could understand.

"First, as you know, the Sea of Quantum is not a real ocean. It doesn't belong to any particular planet, nor is it composed of a liquid fluid like water. To put it simply, you should think of it as a foundation comparable to the Imaginary Tree, a medium capable of carrying all possible worlds. If you like... you might think of it as a bathtub full of bubbles. When someone takes a bath, some of the bubbles reflect that person's image. And because what is actually preserved in these bubbles is the so-called image of the real world, we call them World Bubble."

Schrödinger tried her best to explain using simple and easy-to-understand examples, seemingly genuinely trying to make Shen Gonglin and Li Sushang understand. Durandal wasn't entirely sure about Li Sushang's words, but she understood perfectly well the clear, foolish look in Shen Gonglin's eyes. The girl silently increased the intensity of her massage. Shen Gonglin was indeed very intelligent; in the Herrscher of Reason's construct experiments, he was faster than Bronya, but that was because of the rewards. Now... without motivation, his brain simply wouldn't work.

"World Bubble vary in size. Larger World Bubble are closer to a real world and less susceptible to spontaneous changes from the outside world. Conversely, smaller World Bubble can serve as a mirror of the real world. In fact, the way I am communicating with you now is based on this."

Schrödinger's explanation came to an end. Li Sushang scratched her head, somewhat bewildered. It did seem a bit difficult to understand. Durandal thought about it for a while and also made an effort to help Schrödinger.